Vintage Eve Circa 9/2018: What Wines Would You Stock if You Owned a Wine Bar?

March 9, 2021 by evebushman

Recently a pal that used to live in Santa Clarita had called me as he was opening a wine bar where he lives now in Texas. He didn’t want advice on anything other than what wine I would want if I were to visit his bar.

Since he had moved to Texas a few years ago he had been working in real estate, spent some time working in a large wine store, met more ex-pats (people that had come from California too) and ran a large wine tasting group. I didn’t offer any advice on how to open his bar as he had it covered. But I took to Facebook to ask my local pals what they would want stocked in the shelves if they owned a wine bar. They had some really great ideas! These are some of their comments:

THE WINE LIST

This is a compilation of just some of the wines my pals would stock their wine bar with:

Jonata, Potek, Scar of the Sea, True Believer, Andremily, Mail Road, Stolpman, Kimsey, Roark, The Paring, The Hilt, Spear (all Santa Barbara).

So many – Crémant, Melon d’ Bourgogne, Cru Beaujolais, Cahors, Brunello, Valtellina, Vin Santo, Madeira to name a few.

There is never enough Syrah anywhere. Still gets short shrift in the marketplace, which is a shame.

I am a sucker for Roussanne and other Rhone varietals. I love Grenache and Viognier too. Zaca Mesa and Stolpman make fabulous Roussanne.

I would like to see some Gruet Brut Rose or some blends that you can’t buy at a grocery store.

Belle Glos and Domaine Carneros Pinots, plus some Australian, Spanish and Chilean cabs.

Quintarelli, Casanova, Pine Ridge, Ridge, Tolo, Foxen…

On a wine list I look for value since they have to mark it up so much. Burgundy and Barolo would be nice but I’d go to the off the beaten path wines – Cru Beaujolais (France), Ripasso, Valpolicella, Sicilian wines. For those who like big jammy wines – Shiraz! Whites – I like to see Rose from France, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Sancerre (France). If there is a Somm I give them a price range and let them know what I like. Never have been disappointed.

Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc, Frogs Leap Cab, Rombi Cabernet, Bookenoogen Pinot and Heller Merlot.

Under $100: Cade Cabernet Sauvignon, Campesino Syrahs and Pinot Noirs, Shafer One Point Five, Grgich Hills, Turley Zins, Prisoner, Orin Swift, Patz & Hall pinots, Flowers, Mantanzas Creek Chards, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Tablas Creek and Justin.

Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir is hands down one of the best Pinots out there.

Lone Star Wine Cellars and Landon Winery are two wineries in McKinney Texas. I haven’t been there in a few years. But, remember the wines were pretty good. They have tasting rooms in historic downtown McKinney TX.

Also would love to have more orange wines on menus. I’m glad it’s becoming a trend.

Would love to see more wines from Paso Robles and the Santa Ynez area. Roblar in Los Olivos is one of my favorite wineries and reasonably priced in my opinion. There are so many smaller vineyards in both of these areas to explore. Tired of seeing Kendall Jackson and the like in many of the restaurants/wine bars. Pretty much I would love to taste wines that I would not be able to find at Bev Mo, not that they have bad wines, but just not interesting ones…

Le Vigne Vineyards has some wonderful wines, Justin cabs of course, Clos Solene, L’Aventure and RN Estate are some of my favorites. All from Paso.

Justin makes a great Malbec I have been enjoying! I’m typically a Cab girl myself.

For whites: Dry Rieslings (German or Alsatian), Sancerre, South African Sauvignon Blanc, and Austrian Gruner Veltliner (as opposed to Hungarian). For reds: I love the less stereotypical Italian reds such as Nero D’Avola and pretty much any red from the Piedmont region.

I’m always excited to see Barbera and GSM’s when I visit a place that I am planning to drink wine at. I also enjoy having a good port or cream sherry available if I am visiting the wine bar after dinner and I want to end the night with a dessert-like treat.

Where wines started … Italy!

I have a rather long list, but most are red wines from the Paso Robles region, Lompoc and Santa Ynez regions as well: Longoria Wines, Tercero Wines, Eberle Winery, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Amalie Vineyards in Oregon, Ascension, Bass Note Sangria, Sanford, Sculpterra, Castlerock, Cutruzzola Vineyards, Joel Gott, Cass, Hoi Polloi Winery, San Antonio Winery (official), Michael David…I love all reds, depending on winery, but my go tos are usually Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Cab, Beaujolais, and red blends. I love our California wines!

Something interesting and different. Also some local TX wines.

From me: This is ONE of my own picks, because I voted for it as our Best of Show at the Global Wine Awards, from Martellotto Winery: https://martellotto.com/products/martellotto-riserva-il-capoccia-happy-canyon-of-santa-barbara

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Vintage Eve Circa 8/2018: The 2018 Western Foodservice and Hospitality Expo!

March 2, 2021 by evebushman

The Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo is the only all-encompassing event in California for the restaurant and foodservice industry, making it THE one-stop source for everything you need to succeed in today’s market.

My Takeaways from the Foodservice Expo

The 2021 show is set!

I think this is my 4^th year at the food show and though I see a lot of the same vendors and classes, I also seek out the new – and always finds many things worth reporting on. This time my photos show that we enjoyed: making a beeline to Chris Uhde (partner with Impex Beverage Incorporated, the @whiskyredhead on Instagram and Los Angeles Magazine’s “The First Name for LA Whisky”) as he was signing up to do Cocktails on the Roof 9/7! Enjoyed tasting Togouchi, Kilchoman and Kurayoshi – all whiskeys from Japan!

From there, while in the Beverage Pavillon, I met with David Carbonell the GM for Drink Specialties that gets fermented beverages into bars that can’t serve distilled drinks and Philip Reis, National Sales Manager for CannaVinus, that makes a wine-based beverage with “exotic fruits and herbs” that is meant to be “the perfect wine pairing for the Cannabis lover.” Also had a few sips of Whistle Pig rye and Jefferson’s Bourbon with Bourbonblog.com

Just outside of the Beverage Pavilion was a large display for Somabar – a machine that stores up to 7 spirits for making a plethora of pre-programmed cocktails. There was a version for fermented beverage programs (those with just wine and beer licenses that make cocktails) and a full spirits program. You pick the drink, place your cup below, push the button for the cocktail you want, ice drops in and them the drink is made. Meant to go on the back bar I thought this would get much more play if the customers could do themselves, with the addition of some garnish and a bartender or server to watch over and, of course, charge accordingly.

Moving into the main convention floor things that got my attention included a plastic wine glass shaped like a rose with “petals” layered inside of it for aerating wine, JoeFroyo blended coffees, cheesewich slim breadless sandwiches, Longanisa garlic pork sausage from Argentina, tempting breads from both Melrose Bakery and Kings Hawaiian, Rishi Tea and Botanicals, the Kelvin Slush Manhattan, Pecans.com and Potatoes.com.

PR Bootcamp for Restaurants in Memory of Fifi Chao

How does an enterprising restaurant attract the attention of credible food and beverage journalists along with legitimate food critics? Is a public relations firm perhaps needed or realistically even affordable? Who better to provide some insightful answers than a high-profile panel of experienced food journalists and restaurant critics.

This distinguished panel (Andy Harris) was the brainchild of the late Fifi Chao, the beloved restaurant critic and food writer for the OC Business Journal for over 26 years until she retired last year due to illness. Fifi’s impression (based on a lot of experience) was that chefs & restaurateurs could benefit from sound, practical advice on how to approach the editorial food media. The panel members wholeheartedly agree and PR Boot Camp for Restaurants is a tribute to her memory. Fifi truly enjoyed promoting the restaurant business and generously guiding inquisitive young chefs with absolutely no strings attached.

The panel was moderated by Andy Harris of the “SoCal Restaurant Show” on AM 830 KLAA and included Farley Elliott, Eater LA; Gretchen Kurz, Orange Coast Magazine; Anne Marie Panoringan, Freelance Food and travel writer; Patric Kuh, former restaurant critic for Los Angeles magazine.

My Takeaways From Andy’s Course

Thrilled to attend a class moderated by my #LAWineWriters friend Andy Harris, and also thrilled by the caliber of industry professionals that joined him to discuss restaurant public relations. These are just some of the things I learned:

Critics will sometimes visit a restaurant anonymously 3 to 4 times before writing a review. Sometimes up to six visits if there is a wine list and/or cocktail program to review as well. They pay every time, nothing is accepted for free.

They don’t always publish a negative review. And if they do they sometimes will be passive aggressive about the issues they found.

Critics feel it’s unfair to the business owner to review their restaurant until they’ve been open for 60-90 days. Yes, the restaurant should be ready, but the critics want to give the owners time to manage their precious baby before being reviewed. The want to allow for a “long, fair start.” (Also some new restaurants shutter at that 90-day mark, so no point in doing a review anyway.)

There is a difference between an editorial and advertorial, and the consumer has to be made aware of what they are reading.

Reviewers should use less adjectives, while also avoiding “lists” of menu items alone.

Food journalists can help new chefs via forums and conventions that can help to educate.

Restaurants have to work around Yelp and Instagram.

Press releases need to include an image, be short and be written for a specific media outlet’s needs. Think elevator pitch.

Public relations professionals have to be passionate about their clients.

Digital publications like Eater LA are somewhat different in that they review the latest openings as that’s what’s expected from them.

Shout Outs

As I only took in one day of the multi-day convention it would be a disservice not to mention a few other things going on. Along with all of the vendors – I couldn’t possibly visit with all – there was also a Healthy Food Expo and a Coffee Fest located within the Western Foodservice Expo, The Beacon Award for a female leader in the industry was won by Dominique Crenn, Chef and co-owner of Atelier Crenn; The Torch Award for talented chefs and/or restaurateurs went to Caroline Styne who is the sommelier and restaurateur of The Lucques Group; some of the chefs lecturing or presenting included Mareya Ibrahim, Bernard Guillas, Mary Sue Milliken, Niki Nakayama, Nina Curtis, Tati Polo, David Rose, Fabio Viviani, Ben Diaz, Betty Fraser, Shaun O’Neale, Holden Dahlerbruch and Bruce Kalman.

Sokol Blosser Winery Marks 50 Years as a Family-Owned Willamette Valley Original – with a flash sale + more!

February 15, 2021 by evebushman

DUNDEE HILLS, Ore. /PRNewswire/ — Sokol Blosser Winery, founded in 1971 by Bill and Susan Sokol Blosser and now under second-generation leadership, will mark 50 years of growing and making signature Willamette Valley wines in 2021 with a year-long celebration.

As part of the celebration, Sokol Blosser will revisit its first vintage with a 1970s Flash Sale on Tue., Feb. 2. For one day only, its 2018 Redland Estate Cuvée Pinot Noir will be available on its website for $6.75 per 750 ml bottle – the very same price of the winery’s first vintage of Pinot Noir in 1977. (Limit of 12 bottles per person, while supplies last).

“This is a major milestone for us,” said Alison Sokol Blosser, CEO of Sokol Blosser Winery. “We are one of the few founding wineries in the Willamette Valley that has not only remained family-owned and operated, but has continued to grow. My brother Alex and I learned the business from working alongside our parents, and we’re so grateful for the strength and wisdom that’s enabled us to not just survive but thrive for 50 years. We’re excited to celebrate all year long with our customers, trade and industry partners!”

On top of its 1970s Flash Sale, Sokol Blosser will mark the occasion with a series of special bottlings, tasting room activities (when it’s safe) and wine club offerings including:

Exclusive anniversary bottling of 2018 Old Vineyard Block Dundee Hills Pinot Noir with a retro label that evokes the brand’s original 1970’s label design and shape (SRP $60; available direct from the winery only).
A special Instagram and Facebook Live tasting with wine expert Leslie Sbrocco on Feb. 10 featuring Susan Sokol Blosser and Alison Sokol Blosser.
Fireside chats and online tastings (via Zoom) with Bill and Susan Sokol Blosser for media, trade and consumers.
When the tasting room reopens, guests will step back to the 70s with 50^th
Anniversary flights featuring family favorites and library wines, a 1970s Spotify playlist (free to download!) with a groovy soundtrack, and special surprises for guests who arrive in ’70s cars or are celebrating 50^th milestones of their own.

“It’s a privilege to farm these vineyards and create wines that reflect the exact hillsides where our parents started 50 years ago,” said head winemaker Alex Sokol Blosser. “Our wines have improved year after year, and it’s a testament to our parents’ original belief that the Dundee Hills and Willamette Valley would indeed be a fine place to grow grapes and make wine.”

A Half Century of Accomplishments
In December 1970, Bill and Susan Sokol Blosser purchased five acres of land in the Dundee Hills (a former prune orchard), and soon thereafter planted it to Pinot Noir and other varietals. By 1980, the Sokol Blossers had expanded their holdings to 72 acres and today the winery farms 105 acres of estate vineyards under vine. Over its 50 years, Sokol Blosser has made history with a number of accomplishments:

Sokol Blosser opened the first purpose-built winery tasting room in Oregon in 1978.
Sokol Blosser was first recognized for its environmental stewardship in 1983 by the U.S. Soil & Water Conservation District.
Evolution Lucky No. 9 White Blend was introduced in 1998, paving the way for a whole new category of white blends in the marketplace.
Sokol Blosser was the first winery in the world to have a LEED-certified winery building in 2002 for its underground barrel cellar.
Sokol Blosser’s Estate Vineyard received full USDA organic certification in 2005.
The second generation took the reins in 2008 as co-presidents. Today, Alison Sokol Blosser is CEO and Alex Sokol Blosser is Winemaker.
In 2013, Sokol Blosser opened a stunning new tasting room designed by Brad Cloepfil from Allied Works Architecture which raised the bar for hospitality and wine country experiences in the Willamette Valley.
In 2015, the winery received coveted B Corp Certification for its high standards of social and environmental performance and accountability.
Sokol Blosser introduced Oregon’s only nationally distributed box wines in 2020, with Evolution Pinot Noir and Lucky No. 9 White now available in 1.5- liter boxes.

About Sokol Blosser Winery As one of the pioneering wineries of the region, Sokol Blosser has played a key role in developing and shaping the now-prominent Oregon wine industry. The winery remains family owned and operated, with the second generation now at the helm: siblings Alison and Alex Sokol Blosser. Achieving B Corp certification in 2015, the winery creates wines of world-class quality, produced in a sustainable manner, reflecting the distinctive flavors of the grapes, soil and climate. The winery produces Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, sparkling wines, Riesling and small quantities of single block Pinot Noir under its Sokol Blosser brand, and a white wine, red blend, Pinot Noir, sparkling wine, Riesling, and Chardonnay and Oregon’s first nationally distributed box wines under Evolution label. Visit http://www.sokolblosser.com/ and follow @sokolblosser and @evolutionwines on Instagram and Facebook.

Vintage Eve Circa 7/2018: Canned Bonny Doon Fizzy White and Pink…Would you try?

February 2, 2021 by evebushman

I shared a press release recently on canned wines. Suffice it to say, most of the comments, mine included, were biased against canned wines. Most of us didn’t care for the presentation – just like the people that resist screw capped wines for their lack of romance – and some questioned if there was a metallic taste. Got a lot of discussion in one of my Facebook posts and prompted the powers that be at Bonny Doon Vineyard to send me some canned wines to sample.

The two cans I tried below did turn me around. There was no problem with the flavor in these lighter-styled wines sparkling wines:

Fizzy White

AKA La Bulle-Moose Blanche

100% Vermentino

Color: Dried hay, and a little fresh green grass.

Aroma: Pineapple, lemon hard candy, kiwi, wet concrete, cantaloupe and honeydew melon.

Flavor in a wine glass: tingly, Prosecco-like, that same lemon but not as sweet, more like a light lemonade, paler melon fruit, green apple.

Flavor from the can: Same, of course, maybe more fizzy but that may just be perception.

Fizzy Pink of the Earth

AKA La Bulle-Moose de Cigare

57% Grenache, 18% Grenache Blanc, 9% Mourvèdre, 6% Roussanne, 5% Carignane, 5% Cinsaut

Color: Peach, rose gold.

Aroma: Bruised strawberry, yellow peach, raspberry, lemon-lime, akin to sparkling wine.

Flavor in a wine glass: overall light nuances of fruit cocktail, pear and peach with a medium finish.

Flavor from the can: same.

Conclusion

Basically: Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. The company sent me two of each flavor and my husband liked the idea of keeping the two we didn’t open in the fridge to have on our porch before dinner some night soon. I liked the idea of just splitting a can of wine before dinner, and before moving over to cocktails or a full bottle of wine to pair with our meal.

I also felt that both of these would also lend themselves well in a Sangria with fruit, and maybe a little rum or spirit of your choice.

I would probably have a harder time being convinced of the merits of a heartier or higher quality wine served in a can. I also can’t imagine moving people with strong opinions for cork closures to try canned wines any more than they would accept screw-capped wines. It’s just too much change…for the present. Who knows how wines will be served in 100 or so years? Everything may be canned soon enough.

Side note, I’m not a fan of wines with names that do little to tell you what grapes they’re made from. Every time I get served a Rose I find myself asking what grapes they’re made from, so this may just be my pet peeve. Plus I’m not attracted to puppies or kittens or a moose on a label though I know other people do select their wines based on a cute label, so I get the desire. Maybe it’s just me?

Click on cans for details –> https://shop.bonnydoonvineyard.com/Shop/Cans

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 15k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

What Wine or Spirit Events Have We Missed The Most in 2020?

November 2, 2020 by evebushman

A few weeks ago on this blog I wrote about many of the things we’ve been doing during our stay-at-home time with the virus, and many of the things we’ve missed. It seemed that my Facebook feed has been filled with lamentations regarding missed anniversary trips, important graduations, birthdays and other milestones. For me, and most of us in the wine and spirit industry, we rely on tastings/events/classes for continuing education, as well as fodder for our blogs. For the consumer it may be the same, for the non-profit leader the loss of these events have been devastating.

Eve as a wine judge in the first Global Wine Awards in Las Vegas. Photo credit: Ed Bushman.

In today’s article I will explore some of the events we didn’t have, and what we missed by not having them. (At press time these are the events that have either canceled for 2020 altogether, or have postponed further into 2020 with no possible way to know if their event will, indeed, actually take place.)

Wine on the Roof and Cocktails on the Roof are particularly devastating to me as I helped create both events to benefit our local middle schools and high schools in the Hart District. And while the rooftop format does allow for quite a bit of spacing, they still both attract a crowd, so not sure if the postponed dates for this year will happen.

The Santa Barbara Culinary Experience was poised to take place this past March 13. Cancelled the same week it was to occur, as many of the experiences allowed for many guests traveling from one spot to another.

The Paso Robles Cab Collective is an educational experience that is limited to some press and the public. The event focuses on the Cab and red Bordeaux varietals being grown in the area. I’ve learned a lot from past events and have come to respect the winemakers that are working very hard to get attention to their respective varietals in AVAs that have been more known for Rhônes and Zinfandel.

The Universal Whisky Experience was to have its 10^th annual event this past April in Las Vegas. There are classes with distillers and brand ambassadors as well as one of the best whisky tasting events I’ve covered. Missed rubbing elbows with all of the whisky aficionados and learning from the best in the field.

Also missing a milestone year was the 5^th Annual Masters of Taste that is the only event held on the field of the Pasadena Rose Bowl with top notch taste masters and beverage masters. “100% of event proceeds support Union Station Homeless Services, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit helping individuals and families rebuild their lives and end homelessness.”

Art Beyond the Glass, another cocktail event, was canceled but they were able to offer a virtual event. The live event is a special treat as dozens of bartenders dress up in themed costumes, there is live music, art displays and a bartending competition where each team tries to create the best cocktail. “Proceeds from every ABTG event are donated to a local arts-based nonprofit. To date, ABTG has raised more than $210,000 for cultural nonprofits in L.A. and across the country.”

The many Garagiste Festivals, voted best wine festivals in the U.S., were sorely missed. I enjoyed the educational seminars as well as tasting and talking with many small-producing winemakers. “The festivals are produced by Garagiste Events, a non-profit dedicated to furthering the education of future winemakers and those training for employment within the wine industry. Proceeds from the festivals support the Garagiste Festival Scholarship fund of the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo Wine and Viticulture Department.”

Many lesser known wineries and distilleries benefit from entering their bottles in various wine and spirit competitions. As a wine judge myself I know that they not only want an expert opinion on their wine/spirits, they also use their awards in their various marketing materials. At press time I did see that at least one had taken place live with social distancing.

I’m sure there are dozens of events that aren’t on my radar, and have been equally missed, especially events at wineries that are important for bottle sales and gaining wine club members.

I will leave you with this thought: If you can afford it support it. I have hyperlinked many of the non-profits above so you can check out what they do, and maybe you can make a donation or two if you are able to. If you have favorite wineries or distilleries please consider bottles purchases to support them as well.

Sutter Home Family Vineyards Celebrates 20 Years Of Fighting Breast Cancer With Annual Sutter Home for Hope Campaign

October 29, 2020 by evebushman

ST. HELENA, Calif., /PRNewswire/ — Sutter Home Family Vineyards, a longtime champion in the fight against breast cancer, announced today the winery’s renewed commitment to fighting breast cancer with the 20^th annual Sutter Home for Hope campaign. As one of America’s first wine companies to make a commitment to breast cancer research, treatment and education, Sutter Home has contributed more than $1.5 million to the cause over the past 20 years. The wine brand marked its seventh year of partnership with National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.^® with limited-edition White Zinfandel and Rosé 187mL bottles – each donning pink ribbons like the returning Sutter Home for Hope 750mL and 1.5L formats.

The Sutter Home for Hope initiative began in 2001, when one of Sutter Home’s founding family members, Vera Trinchero Torres, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Sutter Home fans can help continue the fight against breast cancer by sending in their Sutter Home bottle capsules, corks and screwcaps via mail. Fans can also support the cause by sharing designated Facebook posts that will appear on Sutter Home’s Facebook page throughout September and the month of October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For each Facebook share and for every cork, capsule or screwcap received by mail, the winery will donate $1 to National Breast Cancer Foundation, up to $60,000. The program began Sept. 1 and will run through the end of 2020.

“This year of adversity has been particularly arduous for those affected by breast cancer,” said Brie Wohld, vice president, marketing for Sutter Home. “In our 20^th year, we at Sutter Home stand strong with breast cancer fighters and survivors and reaffirm our commitment to this exceedingly important cause. Our mission for making a difference remains twofold: providing support to charities and nonprofits like National Breast Cancer Foundation that are working to make a difference in communities nationwide, and promoting positive messages of hope and support to let those affected by cancer know they are not alone. We are truly grateful to our fans who have joined us as we take on this cause together in our 20^th year.”

Banded together to make a positive difference in the lives of families around the world, Sutter Home and National Breast Cancer Foundation are committed to Helping Women Now®. The National Cancer Institute predicts that an estimated 276,480* women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 42,170* will die in the United States in 2020. With the help of Sutter Home’s fans, National Breast Cancer Foundation can inspire hope to those affected by breast cancer through early detection, education and support services.

“We are thankful for Sutter Home Family Vineyards’ continued commitment to our mission of Helping Women Now,” said Janelle Hail, founder and chief executive officer of National Breast Cancer Foundation. “Sutter Home’s generosity will help us support women in need during this critical year for our community of fighters and survivors.”

Sutter Home invites those looking to make a difference to “Clink for Pink” now through Dec. 31. Learn all the ways Sutter Home’s little corks bring big hope, from our home to yours at www.sutterhome.com/sutter-home-for-hope/ and www.facebook.com/sutterhome.

About Sutter Home
When the Trinchero family bought the Sutter Home Winery in 1948, they had vision, passion and a keen insight into consumer tastes. In the early 1970s, Sutter Home revolutionized the way Americans enjoyed wine when it created the first-ever White Zinfandel, introducing a new, sweeter style of wine—along with several other crowd-pleasing varietals—at an affordable price. By the 1980s and 1990s, Sutter Home became a household name as the second largest independent, family-owned winery in the United States. In 2005, the winery was the first to produce the groundbreaking single-serve, 187ml package in light-weight plastic bottles. Today, Sutter Home continues to reflect the evolution of its consumers, offering more than 21 different varietals in 750ml, 187ml and 1.5L bottles, 500ml Tetra Pak® packages and new 3L bag-in-box packages. For more information visit www.SutterHome.com.

About National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.®
Recognized as one of the leading breast cancer organizations in the world, National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) is Helping Women Now® by providing early detection, education and support services to those affected by breast cancer. A recipient of Charity Navigator’s highest 4-star rating for 14 years, NBCF provides support through their National Mammography Program, Patient Navigation, breast health education, and patient support programs. For more information, please visit https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/.

Source
*National Cancer Institute U.S. Female Breast Cancer Statistics: https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html

Support the Cause
Send Sutter Home corks, screwcaps and capsules in an envelope labeled SHFH20 to:
Inmar Rebate Center
PO Box 426008
Del Rio, TX 78842-6008

Vintage Eve Circa Dec 2018: Scotland Part Two – Grantown-on-Spey

October 20, 2020 by evebushman

Being honest, I had never heard of the town of Grantown-on-Spey in Cairngorms National Park, known as the “gateway to the whisky trail”, until the tour company, Rabbie’s, planned for us to spend two nights there. But by the time we checked out…we had also checked out the local real estate office…there was something magical about this quaint Scottish town.

One of the many photos I shot…I’ll never forget this view.

The comfy and inviting B and B we stayed in was the Garden Park Guest House that I’ve learned was built in 1863. We had a lovely room for two upstairs, a welcoming host, a menu with traditional UK foods for our breakfasts, and it was a short walking distance past small homes to restaurants, shops, a market and ATM.

When we took our evening walks we also noticed a very grand hotel with a stone front and an expansive dining room that looked even older than our B and B. This may be one to check out in the future: The Grant Arms Hotel.

Even though it was very chilly and windy we walked alongside with many locals not concerned with the weather at all, and we found ourselves quite comfortable. The two dinners we had there were the best I had in Scotland, even after a couple of great dinners in Edinburgh, the food and the charm of Grantown-on-Spey ruled out all others.

When we entered The Wee Puffin, a wee small restaurant by most standards, we didn’t have any high hopes. It wasn’t very busy, we thought, until we noticed that almost every table had a “Reserved” sign. A large party of local ladies, in to celebrate a retirement, took over the entire back section. I thought we better order before they did and I quickly asked for Bangers and Mash. (This is something I’ve enjoyed locally at Rose and Crown.)

However, the owner wouldn’t let me get off so easily. He chatted with us for a bit, wanted to know where we were from, wanted to talk me into trying haggis (no) and then order a split bottle of single malt whisky (never bought a half bottle at a restaurant before, so that was a definite yes) and then we waited…for about two minutes. He came back with the chilled whisky, a new brand, the local Spey Tenne Single Malt that had been finished in tawny port casks. It was delightful. (We later took the near-empty bottle home to our room to enjoy one last dram before bed.)

When my food came I made swift work of it; lots of yummy flavors in both the potatoes and the sausages. While enjoying my dinner with the whisky, people that were in our tour had come in and chatted with us for a bit, while even more others had to be satisfied with just a look from the outside. It just left me with a very satisfied feeling. When I got back home and went online to “like” their Facebook page I learned that they recently added The Wee Birdie as a business inside the restaurant, for whisky purchases. More reasons to return.

The other people in our tour, and our guide Al, went on and on about some old place in town and their “Pies and Chips” only menu: The Craig Bar. Finally, when one rated their pies a 9.5 put of 10 we thought we’d give it a try. (I was afraid of “pies” as I had one in England decades ago and I was sick immediately afterwards.)

The Craig Bar looked like a hangout for old airplane fighter pilots with lots of military memorabilia, though the non-descript look of the building on the outside gave no hint to the warm and antique-y interior. The owner, I presumed this as she sat on a couch near a fireplace on one side of the two-roomed restaurant, took me behind the bar to select that night’s dram. I was smitten with her attentiveness and ease. The menu, all of about eight choices, and I still had difficulty. I chose a vegetarian option with local cheese and vegetables, and it was the most delicious savory pie I had ever had. We lingered, talking to locals, listening to locals, learning from locals…why this was also a place to linger and to want to return to.

Stay tuned for Part 3, the WHISKY, next week right here. Here’s your teaser:

From Rabbie’s

Speyside Whisky Trail – 3 day tour

Highlights:

~ Dunkeld and the Hermitage

~ Cairngorms National Park

~ The River Spey

~ Elgin

~ Speyside Cooperage

(Wednesday tour only)

~ 4 whisky distilleries

~ Royal Deeside

A warm welcome awaits you in Speyside, home to around half of Scotland’s malt whisky distilleries. Your three day adventure allows you to sit back and

let us do the driving whilst you visit some of the finest whisky distilleries in Scotland and enjoy the magnificent scenery of the Cairngorms, Speyside and

Royal Deeside.

Stay 2 nights in Grantown-on-Spey in the Cairngorms National Park.

The Tio Pepe Challenge Takes Place in U.S.

September 23, 2020 by evebushman

CHICAGO (PRWEB) – Not even a pandemic can prevent the Tío Pepe Challenge from happening in the U.S. González Byass teamed up with Chilled Magazine to hold the Tío Pepe Challenge virtually on Facebook Live on August 17, 2020, resulting in a tie between Ricardo Acevedo from Le Sirenuse Miami in Miami, FL and Damian Langarica from A.bar in Philadelphia, PA as the winners of the 2020 U.S. Tío Pepe Challenge.

The Tío Pepe Challenge was created by leading Sherry producer, González Byass, to inspire mixologists from around the world to create original, great tasting cocktails using Sherry as their principle ingredient. Ricardo and Damian competed against four other bartenders from around the U.S. virtually. The six competitors were judged by their use of the venencia (the tool traditionally used to extract Sherry from the barrel) and by their cocktail mixed with a González Byass Sherry.

The judges received the cocktail recipes and ingredients prior to the Facebook Live competition and prepared the drinks in the same order as the competitors. They reviewed each bartender based on the creativity of using Sherry in his or her cocktail and the skill displayed with the venencia. The judges included: Alvaro Plata, Tío Pepe Brand Ambassador; Jeff Greif from Chilled Magazine; Daniele Dalla Pola from Esotico in Miami; and Valentino Longo from La Sirenuse in Miami Beach, FL.

In the past, the winner of the U.S. Final would go on to compete at the International Final in Jerez, Spain. This year, since the event will not take place, all participants receive a cash prize, with the tied winners sharing the first and second prize, each receiving $1,500.

Pioneered by González Byass, one of the world’s leading Sherry producers, the Tío Pepe Challenge allows aspiring Sherry experts to test their knowledge about this wonderful fortified wine. The Challenge is designed to inform, educate and instruct on crucial aspects of Sherry.

In addition to Ricardo and Damian, the other competitors in the 2020 U.S. Tío Pepe Challenge were: Lance Bowman from Monnie Burke’s in Chicago, IL; Abigail Gullo from Ben Paris in Des Moines, WA; Trinh Quan Huy-Philip from The St Anthony Hotel in San Antonio, TX; and Sam Treadway from Backbar in Somerville, MA

For more information about the competitions, please visit: http://www.chilledmagazine.com/tiopepechallenge.
@tiopepewine @gonzalezbyassusa #tiopepechallenge #tiopepechallengeUSA

TÍO PEPE CHALLENGE WINNING COCKTAILS
When Worlds Collide
Created by Ricardo Acevedo, Le Sirenuse Miami
1 ¾ oz Tío Pepe
¾ oz Coconut vermouth
¾ oz Lemongrass sake
Saline
3 drops Ginger olive oil
Stir all ingredients except ginger olive oil. Strain into Nick and Nora the finish with 3 drops of ginger olive oil.

Legacy
Created by Damian Langarica, A.bar, Philadalephia
2 oz González Byass Alfonso Oloroso Sherry
¾ oz spiced demerara syrup
½ oz preserved lemon juice
1 egg white
½ oz González Byass Nectar Pedro Ximenez Sherry infused with cinnamon
Combine and dry shake all the ingredients except the PX Sherry, then add ice and shake again. Double strain into a chilled coupe, and slowly pour the PX through a barspoon to the bottom of the glass to create the layering effect. Garnish with an orange peel and grated cinnamon.

About González Byass USA
González Byass USA is a Chicago based importer for a strategically selected portfolio of fine wine and spirit brands from around the world including Spain, Chile, Italy and Austria.

González Byass USA is the US subsidiary of González Byass headquartered in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. González Byass is a family-owned, collection of wineries founded in 1835 which spans across Spain’s most important wine producing regions. From its foundation, the González family have been dedicated to making fine Sherries and brandies in Jerez, Spain, creating such well-known brands as Tío Pepe Fino Sherry and Lepanto Brandy de Jerez.

Today the fifth generation of the family are the custodians of these exceptional brands having built the company into a family of wineries which produces wine in some of Spain’s most famous regions; Bodegas Beronia (Rioja and Rueda), Dominio Fournier (Ribera del Duero), Cavas Vilarnau (Barcelona), Finca Constancia (Vino de la Tierra de Castilla), Finca Moncloa (Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz), Viñas del Vero (Somontano) and Pazos de Lusco (Rías Baixas). In each of these regions the family strives to make the best possible quality wines respecting the local terroir and the environment. At the same time the company has also expanded its interests further in the premium spirits business and has created pioneering brands such as The London No.1 and Nomad Outland Whisky to complement the Spanish brandies in the portfolio Soberano and Lepanto, as well as their Mexican brandies from Pedro Domecq: Presidente and Don Pedro.

González Byass USA also represents a number of international wineries in the US market including from Austria Domäne Wachau, and from Italy Pranza, Caldora, Cantine Cellaro, Vesevo, Vigneti Del Salento and Tenute Rossetti. In addition, Harveys Bristol Cream and Fundador Brandy de Jerez from Spain.

Visiting Wineries We Like: Ampelos and Zotovich!

September 11, 2020 by evebushman

Finishing off our trip to Lompoc we had our last two tasting appointments, to Ampelos Cellars and to Zotovich Vineyards.

Due to Covid-19 both wineries are open for outdoor tastings. Just call or email ahead of time as we know that things can change from one day to the next.

Starting with Ampelos we met with Matt, a “cellar rat” at the winery and tasting room staffer. We went through their current lineup of wines to taste, but only after first noting the unique tasting notes done by their marketing director. Instead of the usual aromas and flavors, these tasting notes also called up more memories, or visions, of where each wine could take you. For example, the 2019 Santa Barbara County Viognier was described as, “The click clack of rails, puffs of jasmine glinted steam, the sneaky smile of a Mandarin orange sun. Teak wood bar, juicy pineapple rings, shaved coconut flesh, the sway of palm trees passing quickly by. A new day swaggers through the lounge car with unlimited possibilities while I ride alongside ‘phi’ the ‘golden girl’ of my dreams.” These kind of tasting notes, albeit not for everyone, makes the writer in me want to strive much harder. It’s boring to read, “jasmine, orange, teak, pineapple” alone. Now, moving on and back to the tasting, and my tasting notes, I found the fruit in the Viognier to be fresh with a lovely mouthfeel. A great start to our tasting.

Next was their 2017 “Garcia” Albarino that spent 50% in neutral oak and 50% in stainless steel tanks. It was quite nice, with mild fruit notes. A 2016 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir “Lambda” had both good fruit and balance, and was awarded 90 points by Wine Enthusiast. Next to try was 2015 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir “Rho” barrel select, made for their best 12 barrels and spent six to eight months longer in barrel. It was very yummy, with rich velvety fruit and oak notes. The Rho got 90 points from both Wine & Spirits magazine and Wine Enthusiast.

The next wine, a 2015 Sta. Rita Hills Grenache “Delta”, had lovely layers of red fruit, spice and earth. The 2016 Sta. Rita Hills “Syrache”, a wine I had been told by a wine pal not to miss, is a Syrah Grenache blend. This vintage was 65% Syrah and 35% Grenache. It proved to be my favorite in the tasting. Wine & Spirits gave it 91 points and Wine Enthusiast awarded it 90 points. Our final wine, the 2016 Syrah had lovely peppery notes I won’t soon forget.

When our Contributing Editor Michael Perlis checked over this article he reminded me that he had covered Ampelos after tasting them at Wine in the Pines in 2015. At that time he shared, “A fortunate cancelation of a meeting at the World Trade Center led to Peter Work missing the 9/11 tragedy. Rethinking their lives, he and wife Rebecca plunged full-time into their Ampelos vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills, which they had acquired in 1999. My favorites were the “Syrache” [blend of Syrah and Grenache] as well as the standalone Syrah.”

From Facebook

ampelos has been a family endeavor from the start! Initially “corporate folk”, we enjoyed getting away to the Sta. Rita hills on weekends and dreamt of one day planting our own vineyards and making wines. A cancelled meeting on the morning of September11, 2001 helped us to realize that someday was TODAY! Our son, Don, came out to help get the vineyard underway and soon our dreams became reality. We are driven by a deep love and passion for viticulture. We are very proud to be one of the first wineries to be CERTIFIED sustainable, organic, and biodynamic. As a small boutique winery we produce 3500 cases and are meticulous about being as gentle as possible with all of our farming and winemaking practices. The best part about being winemakers is the opportunity to meet and share our wine with others. Come see us…

Ampelos Cellars, 312 North 9th St. Lompoc. 805-736-9957.

https://www.facebook.com/ampeloscellars/

https://www.instagram.com/ampeloscellars/

Now, onto Zotovich! In the blue building, shared with other winery tasting rooms on the corner of Highway 1 and 246, we rediscovered Zotovich Estate Vineyards and Winery with sales rep Jason Carter. We quickly learned that they sell their wine via wine club, as well as in some restaurants and stores. We tasted about 10 wines, will share the notes for some from the current vintage – which should be available on their website.

We began with the 2018 “Zoto” Chardonnay that Jason said had “marginally less oak” than their Estate Chardonnay. I found it slightly acidic, akin to a Sauvignon Blanc, with both tart and buttery notes. Then we tried three more Chards, all very good. We preferred the 2017 Estate Chardonnay for its notes of Meyer lemon, white peach, pear and a hint of strawberry in a delicate balance, for only $28 a bottle. We liked the 2017 Reserve Chardonnay, from the 809 clone, and 50% new French oak, with tropical fruit including pineapple, papaya and a floral nose. The last white we tried was the 2018 Estate Viognier. The wine called up memories of lemon-lime soda, stone fruit, wet stones with a nice low acidity.

Next up came the reds, beginning with the 2017 Estate Pinot Noir. Notes included concentrated fruit – especially crushed raspberries, white pepper and a richer quality in comparison to a 2019 newly released Pinot served just before. The website said this is the 17^th vintage of their flagship Pinot. Oher reds we tried that I didn’t find on the website included their 2017 Grenache, 2016 Syrah Grenache Blend and a 2017 Syrah. Of these three I enjoyed the blend the most, but get over to the tasting room soon if you want to taste these wines!

A little research of my own and I found what I had to say about Zotovich in a Henry Wine Group tasting circa 2012, “This was my actual favorite winery of the day and I think it may have been the 10^th wine (translates to pretty early in the tasting) I had tried. The three the winemaker brought included an ‘09 Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay that I found refreshing and steely, the ‘09 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir for its traditional cherry and stem flavors without a ton of alcohol or tannin (things I don’t like that some seem to be reaching for in Pinots) and the ‘09 Sta. Rita Hills Syrah that was both soft and then sturdy on the back palate. Want more.”

From Facebook

A small, family-owned and operated winery located on the Central Coast of California, Zotovich Vineyards handcrafts exceptional wine from small, closely monitored lots of grapes. Zotovich Vineyards & Winery proudly produces Estate Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay, Viognier, and Grenache. Our philosophy is simple: We believe great wine is established in the vineyard. We meticulously farm our estate Zotovich Family Vineyard grapes, and strive to make the best wine possible vintage to vintage.

Zotovich Vineyards, 300 N 12 St, Ste D, 805-736-1600.

http://www.zotovichvineyards.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pg/zotovichvineyards/

Vintage Eve Circa Jan 2018, “Wine 101: The Demise of the Dinner Party”

August 25, 2020 by evebushman

Cruising a foodie group on Facebook one member’s query kind of stuck out in my mind. It was something like, “Does anyone do dinner parties anymore?” About half of the comments, if not more, said no. Due to pets, small dining spaces, children, busy schedules and a lack of ideas.

Bushman Kitchen – overlooking our Napa Valley vineyard (We wish!)

That lack of ideas on what to do for a dinner party got my mind racing. I never run out of ideas. Granted we have a kitchen made for entertaining, and a home that has managed events for up to 75 people, but the size of our kitchen isn’t where our dinner party ideas stem from.

It stems from our interests not only in food preparation and presentation, but also with the wine and/or spirits we want to serve to complement our meals.

If we go back a few decades we began as young married couples often do: experimenting in the kitchen. I happened to share my kitchen with a firefighter that was used to cooking for a dozen or more crew members. Hence, we always had too much. (Truth be told this is still a problem!) We had pals that lived close by that were more than willing to come up for a ready made meal, bring wine, and our Thursday Night Dinners began.

Every other week we walked over to see the Andrews, and they came over to our house on the weeks when it was our turn. Eventually other friends got wind of our dinners and they grew – with more couples and more wine than we really wanted to partake in on a week night.

Fast forward to our third home in Awesometown. Our kitchen prep area is probably four or five times greater than the kitchen was in our starter home was. And now we knew that the kitchen was where the action was. Ed had become an excellent cook, as most fire fighters are, and I was happy to be his sous chef.

Now we plan monthly dinner parties, with a rotating set of pals (as we are all so busy everyone is not always free) and still enjoy the menu planning as well as pulling wines from our cellar to pair. Over the years I have also enjoyed hosting meetings for the different events I’m working on, as well as a monthly Brainstormer’s Group – and these are mostly potluck with some kind of wine or spirit tasting I throw in for fun.

These are the different ideas we’ve tried over the years:

We did a large wine event with five different tasting stations where guests moved from room to room, outside to inside, and returned to the kitchen for the final pairing.

Hosted a jam-making class!

The “Buck Bar” idea borrowed from Lesley and David Solmonson’s book “The Twelve Bottle Bar” where guests are prompted to replace the vodka in a Moscow Mule with rye, bourbon or scotch, and the lime with orange or lemon. Just crafting your own cocktail with all the bartender tools is fun!

Pot lucks with everyone bringing one of their prized homemade dishes – can’t ever go wrong with that.

Gin or vodka tastings – those are not so usual – after dining.

After dinner put on a movie like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off that you can talk over.

I’ve done chocolate tastings where I’ve guided guests to go from dark to light, with some wine and port as well, to see how the chocolate flavors develop and change when we study them.

An adult Pinata with tiny plastic booze bottles.

Make friends with restaurant owners – they make you want to up your game!

Play Apples to Apples, or any easy to play game for families, after dinner.

Single malt scotch tastings, with minor pairings like grilled sausage and Snicker bars!

Wine and Junk Food pairing. We like popcorn and sparkling wine and chocolate candy with Zinfandel – with a lot in between. You have to do some experimenting before you plan this one.

After a dinner: blind wine tastings, single varietal tastings, aroma lessons…

So if you were on the fence about planning a fun dinner party I hope this article helped to get your creative juices working. And if you need more assistance, or a really fun guest, you know where to find me!

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.