Our Semi-Annual All Events Column – PART TWO

February 5, 2016 by evebushman

We try to get wine events that we like listed in our weekly Dear Wine Friend free e-newsletter and/or our SCV Wine Calendar. But every now and then I do the work for you, which means pulling the info from each site and culling it all into one article, especially when there are so many worthwhile events:

Eve’s Wine 101 Event Picks (Part One ran last week, 1/29, and listed events through Feb., today’s Part Two has events from Feb through April)

Chocolate and Beer Pairing 2/11: Wolf Creek Brewery is pairing with Truffles N’ Toffee! Seven chocolate truffles will be paired with some of your favorites here at Wolf Creek including our Howlin’ Hefe with Bananas Foster Crunch and Over the Moon Stout with a Triple Threat Dark Chocolate! Tickets are going fast! Don’t miss out on this great event! Presale only, limited seating. Purchase tickets in the Tasting Room (25108 Rye Canyon Loop. Valencia, CA 91355; Tel: (661) 294-9977) or email Laina@wolfcreekbrewery.com. The whole experience is $25.00 all-inclusive.

Paso Robles Distillery Trail presents Fire and Ice 2/27: Discover the Paso Robles Distillery Trail during this one-of-a-kind event featuring 8 Paso Robles distilleries! The evening will kick off with the sounds of Bear Market Riot as you enter into a cocktail throwdown pitting fire against ice. Get your tickets now for this premier cocktail reception featuring locally produced distilled spirits, mouthwatering bites, live music and an opportunity to get your hands on limited production spirits crafted exclusively for this event. Ticket price includes sampling of locally crafted spirits, custom cocktails and hearty bites including sliders, tacos, twice baked red potatoes, and BBQ pork grilled cheese. The event will also feature a silent auction of limited production spirits crafted specifically for the event. All attendees must be 21 years of age or older to attend this event. Proceeds benefit the Distillers of SLO County, a non-profit organization.

Food Fare 3/3: Enjoy a day and an evening of eating, drinking, shopping and fun in support of community health, education and wellness. Planned Parenthood Los Angeles’ 37^th annual Food Fare will be returning to Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on March 3, 2016. This premier gastronomic event will showcase over 100 of Southern California’s best chefs, restaurants, caterers, wineries, breweries and merchants. In addition to the huge array of delightful food and beverage samples, Food Fare will highlight shopping opportunities as well as dozens of raffles and auctions where guests will have the chance to bid on coveted prizes including one-of-a-kind entertainment and culinary experiences. For the first time, Food Fare will honor a Restaurateur of the Year. This inaugural honor has been presented to Jenny Rush, who founded and heads the Blue Plate Restaurant Group in Los Angeles.

Taste of Solvang 3/16-20: Presented by the Solvang Conference and Visitors Bureau since 1993, Taste of Solvang features locally grown foods, wines and diverse cuisine to celebrate the rich cultural and culinary heritage of the area. The 2014 Taste of Solvang will offer five days of wine, food and fun. Take a culinary journey through Solvang, where wine country meets “dine country”.

Paso Zin Weekend 3/18-20: Zinposium seminar, screening of the latest film “SOMM: Into the Bottle”, X-Nightcap After Party and Winery Activities where you can Create your own zinful itinerary to smell, sip and savor the heritage of Paso Robles, with events at more than 140 wineries! Join fellow wine enthusiasts for a selection of wine and chocolate pairings, winemaker dinners, vineyard tours, laid-back barbecues, barrel tastings, live music, and so much more! Visit the Winery Activities tab to search by winery, day or activity.

Fourth Annual Sierra Pelona Wine Fest 4/23: Join us for our Fourth Annual Sierra Pelona Valley Wine Festival! The Festival will be held at Reyes Winery on Saturday April 23, 2016 from 11am-4pm. The wine festival features numerous wineries and local wine makers offering tastings of their best wines. There will also be gourmet food and specialty items sampling, handmade crafts from local artisans, live music, and lots of fun for a great day. Attendees will receive a specialty event glass, event plate, specialty gift bag, wine and food sampling and free parking. Benefits will support the Senior Center of Santa Clarita Valley.

Cabs of Distinction 4/12-14: World-class Cabernet Sauvignon and red Bordeaux varietals, access to acclaimed producers, personal cheese and charcuterie plates prepared by Vivant Fine Cheese, small bites and artisanal offerings from local producers Heaven Squared Brownie Co., Monterey Chocolate Company, Therabee, and the option to purchase food prepared by Chef Bruce Finch of A Party For Your Palate, panoramic views and elegant setting and live music. Wineries include ADELAIDA Cellars, Ancient Peaks Winery, Bon Niche Cellars, Brecon Estate, Broken Earth Winery, Calcareous Vineyard, Cass Vineyard & Winery, Chateau Margene, DAOU Vineyards & Winery, Eberle Winery, Halter Ranch Vineyard, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Jada Vineyard, JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery, Le Cuvier Winery, Opolo Vineyards, Parrish Family Vineyard, Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery, Record Family Wines, Red Soles Winery, Rotta Winery, Sextant Wines, Villa San-Juliette Vineyard & Winery, and Vina Robles Vineyards & Winery.

Wine LA: has continuous classes and events including the upcoming Classes and Tastings that include Stars of Santa Barbara 1/27, Wine Camp 2/6, Wine Dinner 2/11, Wine, Cheese and Chocolate 2/13, Dry Creek Valley Tour 2/20, James Suckling Wines of Italy Tour 2/25, Brunello vs. Bordeaux 2/28, Stars of Napa Valley 3/2, Wine Camp 3/6, Cult Wines Cab Dinner 3/12, Pinot Noir vs. Burgundy vs. Beaujolais 3/13, Napa Trip 3/18+20, Tapas 3/24, Trip to Sicily and Sardinia 4/2-9…and MORE!

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years. She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

DRY CREEK VALLEY ON TOUR” BRINGS 25+ SONOMA COUNTY WINERIES TO LOS ANGELES, FEBRUARY 20TH

February 1, 2016 by evebushman

WineLA and the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley, with Food Network Chef Bob Blumer, Showcase the Diverse Wines and Food of the Dry Creek Valley Appellation

LOS ANGELES, Calif – Angelenos can experience a taste of Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley on February 20, when more than 25 of the region’s wineries convene at Culver City’s Smashbox Studios to pour more than 100 wines, alongside gourmet food pairings. For the events, Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley (WDCV) has partnered with celebrity chef Bob Blumer, best known for the Food Network television series World’s Weirdest Restaurants, Glutton for Punishment, and Surreal Gourmet. WineLA is producing the event and offering it as an intimate opportunity to discover one of Sonoma County’s most revered wine regions. Tickets are on sale at winela.com/dcv

A grand tasting will include a general admission walk-around option, plus a VIP tasting seminar, “From the Library of Dry Creek Valley,” co-hosted by Wine Educator Ian Blackburn, host of wineLA, and Dan Dunn, author of the forthcoming book American Wino from Harper Collins. The VIP seminar will feature vintage large-format wines hand-selected from the winemakers’ cellars. Participating wineries range from some of the region’s best known, including Ridge Vineyards, Seghesio Family Vineyards, Ferrari-Carano Winery, and Dry Creek Vineyard; to small-production cult favorites, including Frick Winery, Mounts Family Winery, and Lambert Bridge Winery. Food partners will include One World Beef, Cowgirl Creamery, and other premium Bay Area and Los Angeles-based brands.
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The event will include a silent auction, with proceeds benefitting the T.J. Martell Foundation, which funds innovative medical research focused on finding cures for leukemia, cancer and AIDS. Items will include rare large-format library release wines from Dry Creek Valley wineries and tickets packages to the event Passport to Dry Creek Valley.
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WHEN:

Saturday, February 20, 2016

VIP Tasting Seminar: 12:00p.m.-1:30p.m.

General Admission: 1:30p.m.-4:00p.m.

WHERE:

Smashbox Studios

8549 Higuera Street

Culver City, CA 90232

TICKETS:

VIP: $200.00

General Admission Price: $140.00

Grand VIP Suite: $2,500 (This option includes the Skyview Suite at Smashbox Studios for 8 guests and includes a private room, in-room food service, added beverages, and a personal hospitality server. This package includes 8 VIP tickets to this event.)

Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

About Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley

The Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley® (WDCV) is an association of more than 60 wineries and 150 growers, of which more than 95 percent are small, family-owned operations. WDCV is dedicated to advancing the recognition, enhancement and preservation of Dry Creek Valley as a premium winegrowing region. Anchored by the charming town of Healdsburg, the Dry Creek Valley appellation was officially designated in 1983. Known as a premier zinfandel growing region, Dry Creek Valley is one of California’s oldest wine producing regions and is home to many heritage vineyards ranging in age from 50 to 120 years. To preserve this history and the valley’s pristine beauty, the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley supports sustainable viticulture and low-impact farming practices. For more information, visit http://www.drycreekvalley.org.

Our Semi-Annual (If We Remember to do it) All Events Column – PART ONE

January 29, 2016 by evebushman

Eve’s Wine 101 Event Picks (Part One list events through Feb., Part Two, which will run next week on 2/5, has events from Feb through April)

Wine LA: has continuous Classes and Tastings that include Wine Camp 2/6, Wine Dinner 2/11, Wine, Cheese and Chocolate 2/13, Dry Creek Valley Tour 2/20, James Suckling Wines of Italy Tour 2/25, Brunello vs. Bordeaux 2/28, Stars of Napa Valley 3/2, Wine Camp 3/6, Cult Wines Cab Dinner 3/12, Pinot Noir vs. Burgundy vs. Beaujolais 3/13, Napa Trip 3/18+20, Tapas 3/24, Trip to Sicily and Sardinia 4/2-9…and MORE!

Cambria Art and Wine Festival 1/29-31: Begins Friday Morning with shopping specials, raffle ticket opportunities, wine tasting and demonstrating artists throughout the village. Friday evening an Event Kick-Off Party offering wine and food pairing, entertainment, preview of the Art Show/Silent Auction and special raffle prize packages will be held at the Veterans’ Hall. Saturday offers Wine Tasting at the Veterans’ Hall (west village), The Cambria Center for the Arts (mid village) & the Cambria Historical Museum (east village), over 40 local wineries participating. Saturday Evening offers additional venues with artists, food and wine pairing and continued entertainment. Check the Details Page. Sunday offers an Artist’s Faire with demonstrating artists, wine tasting and a barbecue lunch available. Raffle drawings will be held at the end of the event on Sunday at the Artist’s Faire.

Wally’s UGC Bordeaux 2013 Vintage Tasting 1/29: An opportunity to taste the new 2013 vintage from many of the best producers in Margaux, St Julien, Pauillac, St Estèphe, Listrac, Moulis, Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Graves, Pessac-Léognan, Saint-Emilion, Pomerol, Sauternes and Barsac.   The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGC) is visiting Los Angeles to promote the soon-to-be-released 2013 vintage.  The Union is an affiliation of the best Bordeaux producers from all of the major Bordeaux growing regions. More than 80 châteaux will attend and winemakers and owners will pour over 100 wines from the 2013 vintage. This is the largest Bordeaux tasting in the United States.   Taking place in The Museum of Flying at Santa Monica Airport, guests will be able to take in vintage aircraft and aviation memorabilia while sampling world class wines.   Wally’s Cheese Box, along with Monsieur Madame and The Bison Burger food trucks, will also be on-site.  This event will sell out. Sign up today! All net profit proceeds to benefit Food on Foot.

Garagiste Southern Exposure 2/12-13: We are excited to be bringing many of the best, hard-to-find, high-quality micro-production wineries from all over California to the Santa Ynez Valley for The 4th Annual Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure. The majority of our wineries do not have tasting rooms, and their wines can be very hard to find on store shelves. We make it easy for you to find a world of new wine discoveries all under one roof. As with all Garagiste events, only the winemakers and/or owners (often the same person) will be pouring the wines. Come meet the artists who are making some of the most exciting and innovative wines in the world. Over 25 wineries and 100 wines to try both days.Each day begins with one of our engaging, educational and unique winemaker panels and tasting seminars. These seminars are only available as part of the VIP All-Day Ticket, which also includes a Wine Country Box Lunch and early access to the Grand Tasting. Seats are limited. This just in: Also, this year we are running a very cool drawing for 2 Sunday VIP tickets and a room on Valentine’s Day night at the newest luxury boutique hotel in Solvang, The Landsby – http://on.fb.me/1ZHwbpa

NEW Valentine’s Day Dinner at Newhall Refinery: Enjoy a 4-course gourmet candlelit meal paired with beer or wine flight at one of our favorite restaurants. Live background music and complimentary valet parking included. 5pm or 8pm seatings. Please email or call for availability, menu options and pricing: sercek.refinery@gmail.com or 661-388-4477.

American Wine Specialist course Feb 20, 21, 27 and 29 (this is the one you can take with me, so let me know if you signed up: Eve@EveWine101.com) The course consists of 24 hours (4 full days) of class time and tasting, with a final written exam (5th day) required to achieve the official AMERICAN WINE SPECIALIST® certification, issued by the North American Sommelier Association and recognized internationally by the Worldwide Sommelier Association (www.worldwidesommelier.com). Designed around the concept of our widely acclaimed ‘Italian Wine Specialist‘ certification, this course focuses on the same holistic teaching methodology, looking at culture, history, terroir, climate, geology, geography, enography, legislation and tasting of 30+ high quality wines representative of wine regions around the USA. A short portion of the course will be dedicated to the exclusive and advanced WSA/NASA technical wine-tasting technique.

The Essentials 2/20: LA Weekly presents The Essentials, our signature food and wine event benefitting Food Forward: A.O.C., Animal, Beverly Soon Tofu, Broken Spanish, Chengdu Taste, Chichen Itza, Coni’ Seafood, Crossroads, Guelaguetza, Guerrilla Tacos, ink., Jitlada Southern Thai, Kiriko Sushi, Kogi BBQ, La Casita Mexicana, Lucques, Mariscos Jalisco, Park’s BBQ, POT, Providence, Republique, Sotto, Spago, Sqirl, Szechuan Impression, Terrine, the hungry cat, Night + Market, Wexler’s Deli, Baroo, Jon & Vinny’s, Le Comptoir, Racion, Luv2eat Thai Bistro, RedBird, RiceBar, Mélisse, Philippe the Original, Bestia, Cassia, Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen, Guisados, Lukshon, Connie and Ted’s, Maude, Belcampo Meat Co., Little Sister, Dune, Pine & Crane, Union, Aqui es Texcoco, Burritos La Palma, Cacao Mexicatessen, Corazon y Miel, Bludso’s BBQ, Osteria Mozza, Trois Mec, Papilles Bistro, El Huarache Azteca, Button Mash.

2015 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, by Rick Fraga

February 14, 2015 by evebushman

Happy 2015, Eve’s Wine 101 fans! I hope your New Year is off to a great start like mine is, hitting the ground at a gallop. It didn’t hurt to start the year almost 100 pounds thinner than last year to begin with, but that is another story (one that includes not limiting my access to wine to lose the weight!) The best part of 2015 is starting it as I have for the last five years now, as a Wine Judge for the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. This is an event that I anticipate at the beginning of every year, this year it took place from January 7^th through the 10^th at the Cloverdale Citrus Fair grounds in Cloverdale, California.

Yes, the competition has been completed and has started another stellar year for the wine industry across the United States. After last year’s competition amassed over 5,800 entries for states all across the nation, it was anticipated that participation would drop for 2015, but at the start of judging the Chronicle Competition began with over 6,400 entries from 28 states. You would think this to be a daunting task for the 60+ judges to complete their evaluations in 3 ½ days. But, as usual the panels were up for the job and joyfully sipped and savored their way, finishing the Sweepstakes judging before noon on Friday the 10^th.

This year’s San Francisco Chronicle Sweepstakes winners came from three different states, California, New York and Ohio (yes Ohio!). The Sweepstakes winners are:

Sparkling Wine – Gloria Ferrer – 2010 Blanc De Blancs, Carneros, $42.00

Pink Wine – Robert Hall Winery – 2014 Rose de Robles, Paso Robles, $14.00

White Wine – ZD Wines – 2013 Chardonnay, California $38.00

Dr. Konstantin Frank – 2013 Riesling, Semi Dry, Finger Lakes, New York $14.99

Red Wine – Sonoma -Cutrer – 2012 Pinot Noir, Founders Reserve, Russian River Valley $65.00

Pezzi King – 2012 Estate Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, Row 14 Reserve, $50.00

Dessert Wine – Debonne Vineyards – 2013 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine, Grand River Valley, Ohio $29.99

Label – Inizi – 2012 Charbono, Calistoga, $32.00

This competition is one of my favorites every year, as I am exposed to such a huge diverse range of newly released wine, I have the opportunity to catch up with a number of friends that I only see a few times a year and it kicks my New Year off on a great start. The competition is great in its own right, as it breaks many wines down in price range categories, this makes it so $20 Cabernet Sauvignon is not competing with the same wine at $60. It benefits the wineries as far as medal competition, but also the consumer, who can now look for wines that are medal winners in a specific price range. Everybody wines when this happens. If you are curious about the medal winning wines from this year’s San Francisco Chronicle Competition go to the following address, http://winejudging.com/medal-winners/.

During this week of judging, I have the opportunity to meet wine people (educators, critics, media people, wine makers and more) from all corners of the United States and share stories, wines and experiences. It is a wonderful 3 ½ days of intense tasting, camaraderie, entertainment and of course…some great food mixed in! What’s not to like when you have wine industry icons such as Wilfred Wong (formerly of Bev-Mo and now with Wine.com), Kent Roseblum (formerly Rosenblum Cellars and now with RockWall Wine Company), Dr. Barry Gump (Wine educator from Florida International University) and many more noteworthy wine industry professionals together to evaluate wine from across the United States.

The competition started every morning with breakfast, except for the meet and greet event on Tuesday. This is where the judges are introduced and the panel selections for the week are announced. From that point on it is off to take the annual Judges Picture and then time to start our judging. My panel was comprised of three judges, Kathleen Arnink (Educator from Cornell University), Chris Sawyer (Wine Writer and Sommelier) and myself. This year we tasted Petite Sirah $20+, Syrah $40+, Syrah $30-$39, Cabernet Sauvignons $25-$29, Zinfandel $25-$29, Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio $15+, Verdelho, Gruener Veltliner and a varietal called Blanc du Bois (which none of us had ever heard of prior to this event). We were quite pleased with the variety and overall quality of what we judged this year, finding some exceptional wine throughout the week.

Now sitting down and tasting 120 to 150 wines a day may sound like a challenge, which it is, but being able to gather with all of the judges both Tuesday and Wednesday evenings for the Judge’s dinners makes the day all worthwhile. The Tuesday dinner is always catered at the home of the Chronicle Competition’s Executive Director, Bob Fraser. Bob and his lovely wife Carrie welcome us every year into their backyard, providing us the opportunity to reconnect with old friends, meet and get to know the new judges and generally have a fun night with wine, food and friends. The evening concluded with most of the judges heading back to the motel where they were staying and gathering to visit and sip wines in a couple select rooms.

The Wednesday night dinner was a bit more formal, as it is hosted by a winery from either Napa or Sonoma County. This year we were invited to the Francis Ford Coppola Winery near Geyserville. It is a beautiful facility, laden with artwork and memorabilia from Coppola movies. Thanks to the amazing effort by our hosts, the dinner experience was fabulous. Prior to the start of dinner, we all were greeted with wine, a tour of the facility and then led into their large barrel room for the meal portion of the visit. It was well lit and beautifully decorated, with three long tables set up for family style seating and dining. What added to the experience was that the Coppola wait-staff were all dressed up as Italian characters that you may find in a New Jersey or New York neighborhood. These folks were hilarious, acting the part as they brought out copious amounts of food and wine all evening for the very appreciative guests. Topping the evening off was the presence of the man himself, Francis Ford Coppola and his lovely wife Eleanor. He spoke and welcomed everyone to his winery, leading into what I think was the best Judge’s dinner I have ever attended. The staff was amazing, keeping wine and food flowing, there was music playing and the ambiance was electric. It definitely was a memorable evening.

The remainder of the competition flowed on into Friday, with the Sweepstakes portion of the judging being performed in a large room in front of an audience. The final judging segment included recognition for the staff and volunteers that are always so critical to the success of the competition, then the Sweepstakes judging. It all wrapped up after the Sweepstakes winners were announced, with closing remarks from Bob Fraser and the final portion of the 2015 San Francisco Chronicle Competition, the Public Tasting Event, being announced as taking place on February 14^th at Fort Mason in San Francisco. This is a portion of the competition I highly recommend you consider if you are in San Francisco on Valentine’s Day Weekend. It is 3-4 hours of tasting award winning and other wines from across the United States, with the opportunity to meet the owners and winemakers of these great wines. It is a great event, a wonderful opportunity, plus it is a nice way to spend a special Valentine’s Day weekend.

I wish all of you a great 2015! This will be a wonderful and busy year here for me, as I will be judging a new wine competition specifically for Rose wines in March, traveling to the Walla Walla, Washington area for wine tasting in April and judging one or possibly two wine competitions in June. I look forward to providing insights to these and other events that I will have the opportunity to participate in. Have a great Spring and enjoy every day. Please drink responsibly and, as always, remember that “Life is Too Short to Drink Bad Wine”

Perlis Picks: COMSTOCK WINES

November 15, 2014 by evebushman

COMSTOCK WINES

http://comstockwines.com/

One of the many benefits of spending a day visiting wineries with Martinelli Winery wine educator Rick Fraga is that conversations with personnel from other wineries inevitably turn to business topics, especially, in this case, harvest. [Okay, they also talk about parties, but that’s a story for another day.]

l – r: RICK FRAGA, KELLY COMSTOCK FERRIS AND KAREN PERLIS

By all accounts from everyone we talked to, harvest in 2014 came early and fast, very fast. “All hands on deck” kind of fast. So, can you imagine dealing with this at the same time as you are building a state of the art winery, tasting room and hospitality center? Well, this is what the good people at Comstock Wines have been dealing with.

I first tasted the Comstock Wines at the Sonoma In The City event in Los Angeles and really enjoyed their – you guessed it – Zinfandel. That’s also where I met winery partner and general manager Kelly Comstock Ferris. Oh yeah, she was pregnant then, although she pretty much hid it with loose clothing. So add that – the most important part – to an already very complicated mix.

When we visited her in mid-October, her beautiful [2^nd] daughter had been born, harvest was in, and that winery and tasting room, well, it was still pretty much a concrete slab, although wall erection was imminent.

And don’t think that Kelly and the new winery are just another couple of pretty faces. Kelly has the chops as well. Growing up in Southern California, she moved to New York to go to college and ended up in the hospitality industry, along with an MBA in Marketing & Entrepreneurship from Baruch College. She opened and ran a successful bar in Manhattan before moving to the Dry Creek Valley, where her parents own a vineyard. Before becoming GM of Comstock Wines, she became Marketing Coordinator of the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley as well as holding management positions at two other Dry Creek Valley wineries.

Oh yeah, the wines are pretty good too. The grapes come not only from the Comstock Winery & Estate Vineyards and Comstock Family Vineyards, but from such notable vineyards as Sangiacomo, Gloeckner and Mauritson. Winemaker Chris Russi’s wealth of experience started with Orsi/Kuimelis Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley. Since then, he has worked with Geyser Peak, Peter Lehmann Wines in Australia, Christopher Creek and Thomas George. In addition to making the wines at Comstock, he is a professional wine judge and owns a small 106-year-old Zinfandel/Carignane vineyard [yum].

So, we sat in the gorgeous new tasting room…wait, actually that wasn’t built yet, so we sat In the construction trailer – Kelly had graciously schlepped a few bottles for us to taste.

We tasted….

2013 Dry Creek Valley Sauvignon Blanc [100% from the Comstock Family Vineyards]

2012 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel [49% from Comstock Family Vineyards, 24% from Mauritson and 13.5% each from the Treborce Vineyard and Faloni Vineyard]

2012 Rockpile Zinfandel [mostly from Mauritson]

The SB was very clean, nice fruit, not too high in the acid component that you sometimes find in other SBs. Both Zinfandels were excellent, plenty of fruit [but not fruit bombs], long finish on both with the Rockpile ultimately stealing the show for me.

They also make a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, both from the Sonoma Coast, as well as a Cabernet Sauvignon. A Viognier will be released in the Spring of 2015. Everything is very small production, so you should get on their mailing list before the next round of Zinfandels are released, also in the Spring. And pay them a visit – that tasting room is scheduled to be open in March and it should be pretty amazing. In the meantime, Kelly says they are “available for ‘hard hat tours’ and ‘construction trailer tastings’ any time before the facility is operational.”

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 25 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. Michael is also Vice President of Eve Bushman Consulting (fka Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting) http://evebushmanconsulting.com/ and President of MCP Financial. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or michael@evebushmanconsulting.com.

Perlis Picks: LIMERICK LANE

November 8, 2014 by evebushman

LIMERICK LANE

http://www.limericklanewines.com/

Several months ago, we attended the Sonoma in The City event held in Beverly Hills. At the time, my concern that I would just be inundated with a plethora of taste-alike Chardonnays and Pinot Noir was put to rest when I sampled a stellar lineup of Zinfandels and Rhones, although there were plenty of Chards and Pinots for those who leaned in those directions. The sheer vastness and diversity of Sonoma County, as represented at this event, instilled in me a great desire to spend more time exploring the area for myself. So, my wife Karen and I traveled up to Sonoma for a few days. We spent the first day visiting a few of the wineries that had especially impressed me from the event. An added bonus was being accompanied by good friend and Martinelli Winery wine educator Rick Fraga – we’d pay a visit to Martinelli later in the week.

First on my list was Limerick Lane.

Limerick Lane is located at the northern end of the Russian River Valley, right outside of Healdsburg. Originally planted in the early 1900s, the property was acquired by the Collins family in the 1970s. Current owner Jake Bilbro purchased the vineyard and winery in 2011 and the wines are made by his brother Scot – a fine pedigree as their father Chris owns Marietta Cellars. Accolades for their wines continue to pour in from other winemakers (such as Mike Officer of Carlisle Winery and Steve Matthiason of Matthiason Vineyards) as well as from critics such as Matt Kramer and Robert Parker.

I personally think that RRV Zins are underrated, with more attention being given to the neighboring Dry Creek Valley (which of course does produce outstanding Zinfandel). This day we had an opportunity to taste some of Limerick Lane’s Zinfandels, as well as a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a Syrah/Grenache Blend which was truly was one of the highlights of my trip to the area – in fact Limerick General Manager Tais Tillman commented that this was the same wine I had waxed ecstatic over back at the Sonoma in the City event in L.A. While most of Limerick Lane’s production is from estate-grown fruit, we had the opportunity this day to taste what they could do with another vineyard’s Chardonnay – in this case from Steve Matthiasson’s Vineyard – as well as a Zinfandel made from grapes from the Bedrock Vineyard owned by Joel Peterson and Morgan Twain-Peterson. All in all, we tasted the following wines:

2012 Matthiasson Vineyard Chardonnay

2011 Russian River Pinot Noir

2011 Russian River Zinfandel

2012 Bedrock Zinfandel

2011 Syrah/Grenache Blend

My overriding impressions were of elegance and balance. You expect this in a Pinot, but elegance and Zin don’t always go together. In this case, they did, perfectly – but rest assured there was no lack of delicious Zinfandel fruit.

All the wines are very low production, ranging from the Chardonnay at only 92 cases to the RR Zinfandel which was a whopping 1440 cases.

Other wines are available by allocation only through their mailing list:

2012 Rocky Knoll Zinfandel

2012 1910 Block Zinfandel

2012 Head Pruned Syrah

2012 1023 Blend

Hmmm…very tempting.

THE WINEGROWERS OF DRY CREEK VALLEY® LAUNCH FIRST EVER CULINARY COOPERATIVE PROGRAM

October 16, 2014 by evebushman

60+ Wineries Partner with Top Sonoma County Restaurants in New Cross-Industry Initiative

HEALDSBURG, Calif.–Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley is doubling down on its efforts to entice wine and food lovers to visit, launching a pioneering partnership between 60-plus area wineries and the region’s top restaurants. Launching September 1st, the so-called “Culinary Cooperative” is the brainchild of the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley (WDCV) in partnership with top restaurants located in and around the charming wine country town of Healdsburg.

The co-op benefits wine country visitors by including with each bottle of wine purchased at a Dry Creek Valley winery a voucher for complimentary corkage at participating restaurants. Program participants benefit by receiving enhanced brand exposure through WDCV’s website (www.drycreekvalley.org), social media channels and program pamphlets at member tasting rooms and restaurants.

“The Dry Creek Valley Culinary Cooperative celebrates the concerted efforts of local producers to educate guests on the symbiotic relationship between food and wine,” says Ann Petersen, executive director of the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley. “An underlying goal of the program is to encourage a conversation among guests about the prestige of Dry Creek Valley wines and the extraordinary local culinary scene.”

A sampling of program participants includes big-name wineries such as Ridge Vineyards, Rafanelli, Dry Creek Vineyard and Ferrari-Carano, as well as dozens of boutique brands like Nalle, Talty, Lambert Bridge, Kokomo, Preston of Dry Creek Valley, Bella and many others. Restaurant participants include Spoonbar, Mateos, Michelin-starred Madrona Manor, Scopa Restaurant, Barndiva and others.

“This program is an exciting opportunity for us to strengthen our relationships with the local wine community,” says Chef Mateo Granados of Mateo’s Cocina Latina. “Food and wine pairing is a major focus in my restaurant. This program allows diners to experience our menu at a deeper level with the wines they’ve discovered during their stay. It’s a great incentive for people to come to Healdsburg and Dry Creek Valley wine country.”

Healdsburg is located 15 minutes north of the Santa Rosa airport, which has direct flights to Los Angeles, San Diego, Portland and Seattle.

About Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley

The Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley (WDCV) is an association of more than 60 wineries and 150 growers, of which more than 95 percent are small, family-owned operations. WDCV is dedicated to advancing the recognition, enhancement and preservation of Dry Creek Valley as a premium winegrowing region. Anchored by the charming town of Healdsburg, the Dry Creek Valley appellation was officially designated in 1983. Known as a premier zinfandel growing region, Dry Creek Valley is one of California’s oldest wine producing regions and is home to many heritage vineyards ranging in age from 50 to 120 years. To preserve this history and the valley’s pristine beauty, the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley supports sustainable viticulture and low-impact farming practices. www.drycreekvalley.org

Dry Creek Valley Winegrowers Provide Harvest Update, Proclaim 2014 Exceptional

October 13, 2014 by evebushman

HARVEST UPDATE: WINEGROWERS OF DRY CREEK VALLEY PROCLAIM 2014 ANOTHER EXCEPTIONAL VINTAGE

HEALDSBURG, Calif. — The 2014 vintage is shaping up to be an excellent vintage for the Dry Creek Valley, the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley® (WDCV) announced today. One of 16 appellations in Sonoma County, California, Dry Creek Valley is known as exceptional region for zinfandel, which area growers say they are particularly excited about this year.

“This is easily one of the best vintages ever for our zin,” says Mick Unti of Unti Vineyards. “The low yields and warm summer have resulted in more concentrated flavors and brighter acidity.” Unti also called his sangiovese and barbera some of the best fruit he has seen.

Growers also report that while yields are down somewhat from the gargantuan 2013 harvest, the grapes promise richly-pigmented, structured reds and mouthwatering whites. As with much of California, Dry Creek Valley’s harvest began a bit earlier than usual due to the warm growing season and lower yields.
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A mid-August cool-down slowed ripening somewhat, giving growers some relief from the hectic picking schedules many initially predicted. Still, many Dry Creek Valley growers began harvesting two, or even three, weeks earlier than average.

“The tonnage was a little less than in the past, but we were delighted to see excellent grape quality for the third year in a row,” says Judy Edmonds from Palidrome Vineyards. “This harvest was a couple weeks earlier than usual. Because the reds and the white grapes seemed to come together, the wineries were hopping around to find storage space.”

Recent rains briefly raised concerns about rot, but have had little reported impact on harvest. Of more concern is the drought, which has some growers giving thanks for the early harvest.

“We have a large pond on the property that we use to irrigate the grapes,” says Edmonds. “At the moment the pond is down almost 10 feet; it’s never been that low before. During the last few weeks we weren’t sure we’d have enough water for necessary irrigation. We just made it!”

Despite drought conditions, winemakers are delighted by the vintage’s promise. Nick Briggs of Dutcher Crossing Winery says, “With what looks to be a third incredible year in a row, who is going to drink all this fabulous wine? I think this is going to be a year of fleshy, beautiful wines.”

Montse Reece, Associate Winemaker at Pedroncelli Winery says, “The intensity of color on our zinfandels is outstanding.”

While wine enthusiasts won’t get to taste the 2014 wines for some time, many of the 2012 reds and 2013 whites are available in winery tasting rooms and on retail shelves now. Additional reports on this year’s harvest are available online at drycreekvalley.org.

About Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley

The Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley® (WDCV) is an association of more than 60 wineries and 150 growers, of which more than 95 percent are small, family-owned operations. WDCV is dedicated to advancing the recognition, enhancement and preservation of Dry Creek Valley as a premium winegrowing region. Anchored by the charming town of Healdsburg, the Dry Creek Valley appellation was officially designated in 1983.
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Known as a premier zinfandel growing region, Dry Creek Valley is one of California’s oldest wine producing regions and is home to many heritage vineyards ranging in age from 50 to 120 years. To preserve this history and the valley’s pristine beauty, the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley supports sustainable viticulture and low-impact farming practices. http://www.drycreekvalley.org/harvest/index.php.

Perlis Picks: Taste The World 2014

June 21, 2014 by evebushman

The Henry Wine Group is a wine and spirits distributor with an excellent portfolio. Every couple of years, they give the trade and media an opportunity to taste a large sampling of their offerings. They call these events “Taste The World” and the most recent one was held on May 20th at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Vic Herstin and Michael Perlis.

The lineup was huge [the tasting book was 218 pages], and I have long ago stopped attempting to taste as many wines as possible at these kind of mammoth tastings, preferring to focus on less quantity and more quality, spending some time to chat with the winery owner, winemaker or winery representative and learn more about the winery and the wines I am tasting.

A special treat for me was being accompanied by local Santa Clarita Valley wine [and guitar] legend Vic Herstein.

Some highlights for me were…

Winemaker Mike Sinor was pouring wines from Ancient Peaks and his own Sinor-LaVallee label. My favorites were:

Ancient Peaks Renegade 2011

Ancient Peaks Oyster Ridge 2010

Sinor-LaVallee Pinot Noir Talley-Rincon 2012

Sinor-LaVallee Pinot Noir Aubaine Vineyard 2011

It is always good to see Andrew Murray pouring his own wines. Really liked:

Andrew Murray Vineyards “Esperance” 2012 [Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre]

Andrew Murray Vineyards “Watch Hill Vineyard” Syrah 2012

I’ve been fond of the Dashe Cellars Zinfandels for a long time, although they may come as somewhat of a revelation for drinkers used to the higher octane versions of this varietal.

Dashe Zinfandel Todd Brothers Ranch – Alexander Valley 2011

Dashe Zinfandel Late Harvest – Dry Creek Valley 2012

As I mentioned above, I had the chance to hang out with Vic Herstein at this tasting. It was a great opportunity to taste the Alto Moncayo wines from Spain together, as he was the one who introduced them to me several years ago. All Garnacha [Grenache] and all excellent.

Veraton 2011

Alto Moncayo 2011

Aquilon 2011

Other wines I recommend from the tasting:

Sailor’s Grave 2010 [Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Malbec]

Blackbird Vineyards, Contrarian Napa Valley Proprietary Red 2010

And while I didn’t spend much time in the Spirits section [see Eve’s article about that], I did have to try the grappa offerings from Oregon’s Clear Creek. Both the Muscat and Pinot Noir grappas were outstanding, as was their cassis liqueur.

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 25 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. Michael is also Vice President of Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting (http://evewine101.com/eveswine101consulting/). Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com.

Perlis Picks: Rick Fraga at Dark and Delicious 2014 – An evening with the “Big Dog” (better known as Petite Sirah)

April 26, 2014 by evebushman

Well, it’s the time of the year where wine tasting events pop up all over California, covering all kinds of grape varietals. Some are wide spread, but others are more focused, like Rhone Rangers (French Rhone varietals), ZAP for the Zinfandel lovers and then a number of events for the fans of Pinot Noir (Pinot in the City, Pinot Days). All of which are typically attended by huge crowds. I attend some of these, but my favorite is for a lesser known grape with smaller crowds. I attend an event that has maybe 500 people at most and brings together 40 to 50, and sometimes more producers of the Big Dog, better known to some of us wine geeks as Petite Sirah. Curious??? Are you a fan of the Big Dog or would like to be? Please read on and see if you may want to join us next year at “Dark and Delicious 2015”.

On the evening of February 21^st, my girlfriend Lacy and I attended the 8^th Annual “Dark and Delicious” event that celebrates the diverse stylings of Petite Sirah from all over California. This is the third year in a row I have been in attendance, enjoying the perfect combination of great wine, deliciously paired food and people with purple stained teeth. Housed under one roof in the barrel room of the Rockwall Winery Facility in Alameda, California, is an amazing event featuring Petite Sirah as the star attraction of the evening. The cast of wineries pouring this evening was stellar with more than 45 participants turning our teeth deep purple. You have the old guard Petite producers in Concannon, Fieldstone, Foppiano, Parducci and Trentadue, but then some of the newer faces on the block are well represented too such as Denier-Handal, Occasio, Miro Cellars, Mounts Family and Tres Sabores.

I’ll bet you are reading this and thinking, “Damn this is an evening of big, full bodied, tannic and potentially high alcohol wines, how can anyone taste much and not get overwhelmed”? Fortunately, the organizers are ahead of the game here, as the food line-up stood up to the wine producers with some great snacks to pair with the Big Dogs being poured. The food side of the event was well represented nicely by nearly 30 different vendors. Some of those wonderful folks matching their food with the Petites were Bert’s Desserts, Bonehead’s Texas BBQ, Chunk Pig, Fiscalini Cheese, Il Posta Trattoria, Montibella Sausage, Venga Paella, “What the Cake?” and Z Cioccolato. If you would like to see all of the wine and food producers check out the PS I Love you website at psiloveyou.org.

I’ve mentioned that there was great wine and food at “Dark and Delicious 2014”, as happens every year, but let’s talk about the people. Some of the “people” representing the various wineries can be well known or come from families that are. The host winery for the event, Rockwall Wine Company, was well represented by the Winemaker and President, Shauna Rosenblum, and her father Kent Rosenblum (former owner of Rosenblum winery). They were having fun greeting participants, pouring wine and telling stories. Shauna even led a great VIP tour of the Rockwall facility (one that I was able to tag along on). Including introducing us to a concoction made of Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine and Petite Sirah, surprisingly delicious and refreshing.

Shauna leading tour

Shauna and Kent were the hosts, but there were many more primary players of various wineries. There was a blast from the past pouring at the event as well, as Montgomery Paulsen poured his family’s Pat Paulsen Winery Petite Sirah (yes, his father was that Pat Paulsen, from numerous comical campaigns for president). Monty, a character in his own right, was pouring the label that he now is the winemaker and owner for. Additionally, there were a number of other owners or winemakers (Some being both). Like Miro Tcholokav, the owner and winemaker of Miro Cellars (also winemaker at Trentadue), Rich and David Mounts from Mounts Family Vineyards plus John and Judy Monnich of Silkwood Wines. Each of these folks, like so many other too numerous to name, were very accessible to talk about their wine, vineyards, history and so much more. This added informational and educational opportunities for the evening along with the enjoyment of so many huge, lush Petites.

Overall, the evening was a success for the team from psiloveyou.org. Along with the tasting and food, a silent auction took place during the 3 hour Petite Sirah celebration. There were amazing wines and auction packages available, I’ll bet you are wondering how amazing! Well, I came home with two of the available lots, one a mixed case of Petites (a diverse kennel of Big Dogs), the second a vertical of wines from Denier-Handal Vineyards that when it was delivered to me, one of the owners invited us to a taste his wines on the front porch of his Dry Creek Valley home in Northern Sonoma County. Yes, I will be visiting him!!! So……….if you love the Big Dog, or if I caught your curiosity in the telling of this Dark and Delicious tale, join us next February and stain your teeth with the rest of us.

Monty Paulsen and wife

I know it has been a while since you all heard from me, but life has been busy in the last year. I have been given the title of Wine Educator and Assistant Tasting Room Manager for Martinelli Winery. Throw in judging for the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and a few other industry related opportunities, you can see life is busy. I promise though, to make time to get more writing done in the future, hopefully hooking up for some tasting with Eve Bushman and Michael Perlis for a team tasting if we can schedule it.

Before I bid you adieu, I do want share that there are some good events coming up in the SF Bay Area and Wine Country in the upcoming months. We have the Dry Creek Valley Passport Weekend (April 26-27), A Taste of Alexander Valley (May 17-18), Rhone Rangers (April 5-6), Passport to Pinot in the Russian River Valley May (24-25). Each of these are excellent events and you can easily find more information by searching them on the Internet if you are interested. I would also encourage you to keep up with the upcoming events posted regularly here at Eve’s Wine 101.

Just want to say thank you for following my adventures and encourage you to keep searching for the wines you love, whether they are from either your old favorites or from those new unknown creators of delicious wines.

Remember, Life is Too Short to Drink Bad Wine!!!! Drink well and enjoy!