Historic Straub Brewery Launches First Ever Sangria Spritzer for Year Round Enjoyment

July 22, 2021 by evebushman

ST. MARYS, Pa./PRNewswire/ — The genesis of Straub Brewery traces back to the day Sabina Sorg and Peter Straub met, nearly 150 years ago. This brewer’s daughter and an emerging brewmaster married and together launched a legacy of handcrafting beer in the tradition of their German heritage, that continues on today seven generations later. To celebrate the spirit of this adventurous matriarch, Straub Brewery is proud to offer Sabina’s Signature Series – Wild Berry Sangria Spritzer!

“While the founding Straub family worked together, they were also known to enjoy spending some down time as a family,” noted Bill Brock, Straub Brewery President/CEO and the great-great-grandson of Peter and Sabina Straub. “I can envision them, sitting on their expansive front porch after a long day of work, sipping on their refreshing brews. It is in her honor that Straub Brewery is proud to offer our new flavorful Wild Berry Sangria Spritzer.”

Sabina’s Wild Berry Sangria Spritzer is a bubbly rich ruby red blend with 100% natural fruit juices and a hint of citrus. It is gluten free and has only 80 calories per six ounce serving. The 5% ABV complements the natural fruit and sparkling mountain fresh spring water, red and white grapes, apple, raspberry, and elderberry juices combine to create a refreshing, fruit forward, well balanced sangria that captures the wine sweetness and is balanced with real fruit tartness and citrus of the berries. Sabina’s Sangria Spritzer is available now throughout western Pennsylvania.

“In the beverage industry, flavored wines – such as Sangria – and sparkling seltzers have been doing well over the past few years and we thought, why not combine the two into a fresh new product?” added Brock. “Our Sangria Spritzer is a great entry category for new and younger Gen Z and millennial wine consumers, and we’ve experienced great feedback from a much broader base of new fans! After being stuck at home for so long, people are excited to get out and see their friends. And, our Sangria Spritzer is the perfect beverage for friends and family to get together, celebrate, and enjoy the super summer of all summers!”

ABOUT STRAUB BREWERY
Straub Brewery, Inc. is an international award-winning brewery founded in 1872 by German immigrant Peter Straub, who, at age 19, left his family and homeland in search of the American Dream. Today, Straub Brewery is an American Legacy Brewery™. Located in St. Marys, PA, it is one of the oldest and most historic breweries in America, and is still owned and operated by its founding family, now into its sixth and seventh generations. Fodor’s Travel named Straub Brewery one of the “5 Best Places in America to Drink American Beer.” Straub Brewery produces Straub American Lager, Straub American Light Lager, Straub American Amber Lager, Hop Blaster IPA, and an ever-changing lineup of seasonal craft brews, such as Summer Splash Lager, Tight Lines Kolsch, 1872 Lager, Autumn Smash, Oktoberfest, and Winter Bash. For more information visit: www.straubbeer.com.

Media Contacts:
Cathy Lenze, Straub Brewery, Inc.	Stephen Wayhart, BrandMill
814.335.4004, 312929@email4pr.com	412.401.0555, 312929@email4pr.com

SOURCE Straub Brewery

Two rare bottles of 1889 Tokaji Essencia, Zimmerman Lipot by the Jewish Zimmerman family to be offered at auction

July 12, 2021 by evebushman

Two bottles of incredibly rare 1889 Tokaji Essencia, Zimmerman Lipot from Hungary’s most renowned wine region Tokaj and from the most famous family to produce it, will be offered in Dreweatts Fine and Rare Wine and Spirits sale on July 8, 2021. The Tokaji Blend is a term used to describe the varietal composition of the revered wines of Tokaj, Hungary and the area and vineyard, which have an impassioned history, centred around the first winemakers of the region, the Jewish Zimmerman family.

This photo is NOT of the wines in this auction, it is just to give you an idea and photo credit goes to FinestAndRarest.com

The Zimmermann family were wealthy Jewish landowners, creating the region’s legendary sweet wine from first-growth vineyards from the 19^thcentury until World War II. They had numerous vineyards across Tokaj and approximately 60 cellars and lived in an elegant townhouse in Mád, as well as having a second residence in Abaújszántó. Highly successful, their wines were prized, receiving several gold medals at competitions in Berlin in 1892 and Paris in 1896. The company continued to flourish with offices in Budapest, Berlin, Katowice, London and New York, until the occupation of Hungary by Germany in 1944. It was then under General Dome Sztojay and SS Colonel Adolf Eichmann that 437,402 Hungarian Jews were deported to Auschwitz, amongst them the Zimmerman family, in an attempt to eradicate the last intact Jewish community in occupied Europe. The vineyards were left to fall into disrepair and eventually taken over by the communist state when Hungary fell to the Red Army in 1945 and communism ruled until the 1980s.

It was in 1990 following the fall of communism, that the first foreign investor in the region purchased the land and vineyards. British wine writer Hugh Johnson acquired it from more than 60 individuals, who had bought it when it was privatized some years before. In doing so, he founded the winery known as Royal Tokaji, which has established itself as one of Hungary’s most foremost wineries. The region of Tokaj was also designated a world heritage site in 2002.

In June 2016, six descendants of the Zimmerman family’s holocaust survivors unveiled two plaques at the front of the headquarters of the Royal Tokaji wineries in Hungary, recognizing the family’s unequivocal link to the history of winemaking in the region and in tribute to the Jewish community there that lost their lives.

The first plaque reads: This was the home of Miklos and Blanka Zimmermann and their two children and the second notes the former home of Lajos and Margit Zimmerman. The signs also go on to note the Zimmerman family’s long history of involvement in: the cultivation, production and marketing of Tokaji wines, since the early 1800s.

The two bottles of 1889 Tokaji Essencia, Zimmerman Lipot being offered for sale at Dreweatts are therefore exceptionally rare and are almost a slice of history. Mark Roberston, Head of the Wine department at Dreweatts says, “One can almost distil the political history of Europe in the 19th and 20th century through Tokaji” and regarding the wine itself he comments; “The free run juice of the aszu grapes can take 6 or 7 years to ferment fully to a maximum 3-7%. This supernatural concentration of sweetness is beautifully married with an unusual level of acidity creating a wine that can age effortlessly across the centuries. Traditionally served on a crystal spoon, what an experience awaits”.

Michael Broadbent, MW describes it as follows, “Several consistent notes. Most memorably, on my first visit to Budapest in 1972, with Josef Dömöter, Head of the Hungarian Wine Trust and Fred May, the UK Monimpex importer. Neither had ever tasted an old Eszencia before. I opened it in Herr Dömöter’s office, to great wonder and satisfaction, and took the remaining half the following morning to Tokaj, where, in Tarcal, I had lunch with the technical Head of the Research Institute for Viticulture. He didn’t like it! Briefly: a deep, warm amber; glorious fragrance, rich, chocolatey, spicy; sweet of course, plump, concentrated taste of singed sultanas, excellent acidity. Last tasted in Leiden Nov 1982 *****”

Mark Robertson concludes, “These are important bottles and I hope they are enjoyed with a chink of the glass to the man and his family who made them”. They carry an estimate of £500-£1,000 per 500 ml bottle and will be sold in two separate lots.

Bubbly with #ClinkDifferent

July 9, 2021 by evebushman

The latest educational wine tasting event from Clink Different “celebrated all things sparkling from Germany and Bordeaux (with) a virtual tasting of Crémant de Bordeaux and German Sekt.” We were greeted in the Zoom presentation by Cecile Ha from the Bordeaux Council. Ha shared that both Germany and Bordeaux created white, red and sparkling wines, benefitted from a young generation of both male and female winemakers, and both are also well known for healthy tourism in their respective wine regions. Ha then introduced our host for the event, New York Sommelier and Martha Stewart Living wine expert Sarah Tracey.

Tracey shared that all of the four sparkling wines we were to taste “checked off all of the boxes” in being delicious, fun and affordable. She had presented a food pairing for each sparkler which I will share in our tasting notes below. For this tasting I enlisted help from local pals and Friends Who Like Wine in The Glass founders Vashti and Stephen Roebuck.

The Bubbles

Celene NV Cuvee Amethyste

60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc. Region/AOC: Crémant de Bordeaux. SRP: $12. Importer: Fine Wine and Good Spirits.

From Tracey: Bordeaux Crémant AOC can be made with both white and red Bordeaux grapes, they spend 12 months in traditional aging methods and there are 214 growers in the appellation. This example was a Blanc de Noir, meaning a white wine from red grapes, and should be drunk within one to two years of bottling. Aromas and flavors: yellow plums, persimmon, honeysuckle. Suggested pairing: green olives, oysters, something salty/briny and creamy.

From our group: We found the choice of red Bordeaux grapes unique, but the flavor was all sparkling with no hint of red fruit: apple, French toast, sweet Meyer lemon, white peach and wet pebbles. A steal and a conversation starter for $12.

Markus Molitor NV Riesling Sekt

100% Riesling. Region/AOC: Mosel. SRP: $19. Importer: Banville Wine Merchants.

From Tracey: Sekt is the word for sparkling in German and there are different quality levels. In the 1800s German winemakers traveled to France to learn how to make sparkling wine. The Mosel region is known for Riesling, is the oldest, has very steep inclines and red volcanic slate soil. Aromas and flavors: Pear, peach, white pepper and nectarine. Suggested pairing: Prosciutto due to its fat and saltiness, working well against the acidity in the wine.

From our group: Cantaloupe melon, biscuit, cool asphalt and milk aromas, with flavors of peach, Red Delicious apple, sweet creamed corn and a nicely carbonated 7 Up. I’d totally buy this one for $19.

Calvet 2018 Brut Rose

100% Cabernet Franc. Region/AOC: Crémant de Bordeaux. SRP: $18. Importer: Monsieur Touton.

From Tracey: 31% of Crémant de Bordeaux are Rose wines, with over 100 wine growers planting specifically for Rose Crémant. There has been a 13% increase in the past 10 years making Rose. The grapes for this wine were manually harvested and manually pressed. Aromas and flavors: Raspberry, wild strawberry and tannins. Suggested pairing: milk chocolate with 40% to 50% cacao, the tannins in both make the pairing work. Also goes well with Prosciutto.

From our group: Very pretty rose gold color with bubbles racing their way to the top of my glass. On the nose there was icy peach, cantaloupe melon, red berries and wet river rock; followed by flavors of freshly sliced peaches, more melon including Honeydew, sweet ripe pears and an interesting minerality that played on my palate for a long finish.

Raumland Cuvee Marie-Luise Brut 2013

100% Pinot Noir. Region/AOC: Rheinhessen. SRP: $46. Importer: German Wine Collection.

From Tracey: This wine is made by “The Pope of Sekt”, has a cooling influence from the climate as well as chalky soil. This was the “premium” wine in the line-up. Aromas and flavors: fresh, minerality, saltiness. Suggested pairing: Drunken Goat cheese and any other “zingy” cheeses.

From our group: Green apple, cheese toast, almond cookie, white peach, Hawaiian ginger flower, citrus oil and hints of crisp slate. This was the favorite amongst the people in the Zoom tasting.

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.

Variety in Varietals: The “Rainbow” of Wine Choices from Bordeaux and Germany from Clink Different

June 4, 2021 by evebushman

Did you know that there is a campaign to raise awareness about some of the “unsung heroes” from wine regions in Bordeaux and Germany? Clink Different, the perfect name in my opinion, started up in 2019, was pretty much frozen like everything else in 2020, and now for 2021 has begun anew.

I was recently invited onto a Zoom presentation called “Variety in Varietals” to taste four unsung heroes, while learning from Steffan Schlinder, of the German Wine Institute, and Cristie Norman, the President and Founder of the United Sommeliers Foundation. I will begin by sharing some of my notes of what we learned from Norman and Schlinder and then the tasting notes and food pairings provided by Norman, as well as some of my own notes.

What We Learned

Schlinder opened the meeting by sharing the similarities between the two wine growing regions: both are over 200 years old, both have cool climates and both are experienced in the industry. Varietals in Germany are divided by one third red and two thirds white. Orange wines are one example of a wine being made in both areas.

Norman explained that we don’t always have to enjoy only first growth wine Bordeaux, and that Germany and Bordeaux “have an entire rainbow of different wines to choose from”. Her theory on food and wine pairing is similar to decorating a home: pieces have to fit together, there needs to be balance, opposites and a respect for key elements. As far as wine costs, all of the four wines we were to taste were priced accessibly. Norman said that cult wines have become “astronomically expensive” and through her experience as a restaurant sommelier she has learned that people want to try new wines. She then led us through the wines.

Tasting the Wines and Food Pairing Suggestions

Of the four varietals below which is new for you? Norman asked that same question in our Zoom presentation. The only varietal I didn’t recall having had before was the Lemberger, now a varietal I will be looking for again. And her mention about prices really sprang out as all of these wines cost less than what I expected them to be. Yep, that means I liked them all, and I would certainly buy these wines. (Notes: tasting notes and pairings are Norman’s, my additions are in italics.)

Silvaner: Weingut Strub 2019 Silvaner Trocken

SRP: $19. Green apple, cantaloupe, wet rock; with a medium acidity and freshness. Pair with salad, stir-fry, oysters; Indian food. This was my favorite wine in the line-up. And yes, we did enjoy with Indian food later!

Sauvignon Blanc: Dourthe 2019 La Grande Cuvée Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc

SRP: $14. Lemon, grapefruit, cheese rind; limeade, green apple and a mild salinity. Pair with cream-based sauce over pasta, steamed clams, goat cheese; I agreed that this wine would do well with any cream sauce, and due to the ocean spray-ish salinity maybe even with some shellfish. We enjoyed the rest of the bottle poolside.

Lemberger: Schnaitmann 2017 Steinwiege Lemberger

SRP: $37. This wine, also referred to as a Blaufrankisch in the past but not so much today, had notes of blackberry, elderberry, sweet and sour cherries, vegetal; spices, dried red berries, a slight medicinal, a light red. Pair with duck, pasta with a red sauce, Chicken Shawarma; charcuterie and hard cheeses.

Petit Verdot: Château Belle-Vue 2018 Petit Verdot

SRP: $25. Blackberry, red and black cherry, black plum, grilled meat, vanilla, cream, purple flowers; big, bold, tannic, black pepper, spice on the nose, very dry. Pair with aged Gouda, skirt steak, Philadelphia Cheese Steak; I thought it would be great with a rich beef stew.

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.

My Fave Wines From 2020: The Year When Drinking Wine Became Everyone’s Favorite Pastime

February 12, 2021 by evebushman

Lots pop into our heads when we think of 2020, and of course we aren’t out of the woods yet, or even close, so far for 2021. For me it was a windfall of wines sent for review, often accompanied by a Zoom tasting led by the winemaker. I (virtually) traveled to Germany, Spain, Argentina, France, Italy and more in those meetings and via my own cellar. And before Covid shut things down I did have quick trips to Los Olivos, Paso Robles and the Lompoc Wine Ghetto. Below is a collection of some of my favorite wines from 2020. If any of this sounds good to you, go find these wines!

It turns out that I had about 50 wine tastings, if not more, in 2020. These shout-outs are from EveWine101 website articles: the 2020 Gambero Rosso Master Class, 2017 Bordeaux presented by the Union des Grand Crus, Vega Sicilia collectors dinner with Pablo Alvarez, Fontanafredda Barolo, wine from New Zealand’s Waipapa Bay, Folded Hills Winery with winemaker Angela Osborne, California Wine STARS 2020, LA County Wines (Byron Blatty, Acri Wine Company, Angeleno Wine Company and Cavaletti Vineyards), Zoom tasting with Suzanne Phifer Pavitt and their 2012 Date Night Cabernet, Camins 2 Dreams, Gary Farrell single vineyard Pinots with winemaker Theresa Heredia, revisiting Montemar, catching up with winemaker Mark Cargasacchi and Jalama wines, also visiting Ampelos and Zotovich in Lompoc, Switchback Ridge via the Grand Reserves Reward Master Card, tasting from family-owned wineries with Dr. Laura Catena, Anne Trimbach, Laure Colombo and Alessia Collauto Travaglini, great wines that stole my palate but not my wallet from Guarachi Wine Partners, reviewing DAOU’s Soul of a Lion, Tenuta Montemagno sparkling Barbera, Castello di Fonterutoli with Giovanni Mazzei, Paul Kornell Sparkling…

In SCV Elite Magazine this year I got to write about wine tasting in Paso Robles just before the shutdown. Had exceptional experiences at Thacher Winery, Tablas Creek Vineyard, Derby Wine Estates, Steinbeck Wines, Cass Wines, Eberle Winery, Oso Libre Winery, HammerSky vineyards and the Allegretto Vineyard Resort.

January started out great with my first, and last, visit and dinner at Marstons with my VP/BFF Michael Perlis, our wonderful spouses, all over lots of wine ($10 corkage!) including 2013 Audacious Grenache/Syrah/Cab blend by Law Estate, 2013 Comstock Rockpile/Sonoma County Zinfandel, 2009 Regusci Zinfandel Napa Valley…

At Wine 661: Lucas And Lewellen tasting where we sampled five of their Santa Barbara County wines, including a Rose of Pinot and a Bordeaux blend. Had a couple of wines off of the Happy Hour menu. This was not the last time I went to Wine 661 in 2020…

Now some single bottle shout outs:

Vinos Zanzonico 2017 Syrah Reserva: 100% Syrah, 13.5% alcohol, from the Valle de la Grulla area of Baja. With a regal dark purple color, I was drawn in to fantastic aromas of sweet black cherry, plum, tri-color peppercorns, layers of rich bark, milk chocolate…all very welcoming. I went in for a taste and was rewarded with a very rich and layered mouthfeel, with dark and dry blue to black fruit, grilled mushrooms, peppery spicy goodness and tannins that held my back palate at attention for a length that just would…not…quit. 99 Eve points.

2014 Old Vine Zichichi Family Vineyard Zinfandel from the Dry Creek Valley: The 14.8% alcohol didn’t translate at all to a hot wine on the palate, instead it delivered incredible substance. It started with a nose full of sweet dark plums, pipe tobacco, black licorice, toasted oak, black pepper and popcorn kernel. Going in for a taste my mouth was filled with delicious dried blueberry and blackberry, that same black pepper, tannins that held firm, and a great balance of the dark fruit and tannins to keep it lingering a long time on the palate. This was a new Zin discovery for me, will definitely be looking for it again!

Entourage by Two Papas Wine barrel fermented (1) and stainless steel (2) 2019 Chardonnay, Thompson Vineyard, Santa Barbara County: 1. Barrel: Designated by a gold wax top (the stainless has a silver wax top) I was amazed that this was a young 2019 vintage! It had lovely notes of creamy butter, pineapple, golden delicious apple and popcorn kernel that morphed into caramel apple on the palate, mild acidity, with a long, balanced and lush finish. 2. No barrel: Our stainless sibling gave off nicely scented whiffs of Meyer lemon, both cantaloupe and honeydew melon, and a little unsalted butter. When I tasted the wine I got homemade fruit cocktail, wet pebbles, low acidity and a medium finish.

2018 Kindred Rose of Pinot Noir: The color of rose gold, complete with sparkles! Then on the nose I found pink grapefruit, lemon pith, French Toast, Creme Brûlée, and Mandarin orange = all very inviting! In for a taste next, there is a very round mouthfeel, and the same citrus fruits I found on the nose – grapefruit, lemon and orange – with a medium acidity. Enjoy now, with or without food IMO!

2015 Phifer Pavitt XRoads Cabernet Sauvignon: Crushed dark cherry, wet forest floor, grilled steak and mushrooms, dark chocolate, black licorice, pipe tobacco, toasted oak, a hint of sweet cream and more all on the nose. Flavors included that same black cherry as well as blackberry, blueberry, a gamut of spices, velvety and firm drying tannins that of course require that you go back in for another sip…and another.

2012 Regusci Patriarch Proprietary Red: aroma: dark berries, dried leaves, figs, toasted oak and a bit o’ mint. Some of the same aromas in the flavors with the addition of dark chocolate.

2001 Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia, a Nebbiolo from Barolo, Piedmont…I looked for the roses, tar, licorice and red berries (notes from a professional critic) and also found tart berries, spice and tannins after decanting for 7 hours. So interesting.

Have you tried Guentota, aka the “Soul of Cuyo”, a “100-YR-OLD-VINE PREMIUM 2016 MALBEC” from Mendoza, Argentina? It’s from Belasco De Baqueano and was awarded 91 points from James Suckling. And I was far too busy lapping it up to make any tasting notes. But find it at Newhall Press Room. (Truth be told I had a LOT of wine from Newhall Press in 2020!)

2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia, I have no notes as I was also too busy drinking to take any. A stellar wine as it’s been proven vintage after vintage.

1999 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo: The nose and taste had really changed and mellowed over the 7 hours, with aromas of dried dark fruit, grilled mushroom, balsamic, dust and oak; on the palate I got both bright and dark fruit in a very fine balance.

From my local Pulchella Winery we had: Suspect sparkling wine, 2019 Latitude Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier blend, 2017 Mercenary Zinfandel blend, 2018 Witness Grenache…among others!

A note on Los Olivos: this was a non-press trip so no notes were taken. With that in mind we loved: Barbieri and Kempe are “Boutique wines made by Master Sommelier Paolo Barbieri” along with his wife Erin Kempe = bought a case! The second, Bella Cavailli Farms and Vineyard, produces some amazing wines against a backdrop of a working horse ranch, as well as some fun distilled spirits from Dorwood Distillery. Jeff Lockwood is the winemaker and his brother Jay the head distiller. We left there with both wine and spirts to enjoy at home.

A note from Wine on the Porch: During the summer months we enjoyed Hanzell Chardonnay, Saintsbury Chardonnay, Parhelion Cellars Light Pillar Chardonnay, St Supery Virtu Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc blend, Pagter Brothers 2018 Viognier, and from Hoi Polloi I snatched up their 2018 Rose of Grenache and Double-Gold Best-Of-Class 2018 Chardonnay!

A note about spirits: Yea, I wrote a lot about spirits this year too, stay tuned for a roundup of those next!

Second Annual International Canned Wine Competition Gives Gold to Aluminum

September 10, 2020 by evebushman

BOONVILLE, Calif. /PRNewswire/ — In the only event of its kind in the world, over two hundred canned wines flexed their aluminum muscles at the second annual International Canned Wine Competition held July 21-23 at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Boonville, California. Seventy producers from around the globe sent in a total of 226 entries. Wines were submitted from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Chile, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, and Spain as well as from many parts of the U.S.A. While California and Oregon producers took their share of honors, many of the 96 gold medals went to wines from less prominent regions.

Best of Show White Wine honors went to Archer McRae Beverages’ Joiy Wine “Savvy Society” Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand. Best Rosé was Hall Wines’ BACA 2019 “Ring Around the Rosé” from California, and Best Red was Fourth Wave Wine’s “Take it to the Grave” 2018 Shiraz, Langhorne Creek, Australia.

Erosion Wine Co. from Napa took home five gold medals and a package design award for their exquisite jewel-like can designs. The Uncommon sent four wines from England; all four won gold medals and the series won package design recognition for their charming illustrations.

According to competition founder Allan Green, it was notable that 30% of the entries were Rosé wines: “Rosé has become so popular in the last few years, and it lends itself to cans: people take Rosé along for a picnic or drink it sitting by the pool.”

The competition judges came from academia, marketing and the wine trade. Professional judge Mark Bowery noted that he has, “been judging wine professionally for 36 years, but this was my first foray into the canned category. And I’ve got to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality, across the board. I was especially impressed by the varietal accuracy and deep satisfaction delivered in the Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc submissions.“

Handley Cellars’ winemaker Randy Schock said, “It was amazing to see the improvement in quality across the board compared to the first International Canned Wine Competition last year. Not just with the products oriented to the pop “seltzer” market, which were fun and refreshing, but the wines that expressed traditional bottled varietal expressions exceeded my expectations.”

Because of the Covid 19 virus, the organizers of the competition scheduled the judging over three days, with three judges on each daily panel socially distanced in a large exhibition hall. Judges had individual sets of glassware and bussed their own samples after each flight.

Plans are already in the works for the third annual International Canned Wine Competition, to be held in July 20-22, 2021. Competition director Allan Green promises it will be “aluminating!”

Complete results and photographs are available at www.cannedwinecompetition.com.

Benchmark Wine Group Named One Of The 50 Best Wine Retailers In America by Wine Enthusiast Magazine

July 16, 2020 by evebushman

NAPA, CALIF. (PRWEB) – Benchmark Wine Group, the largest online retailer of rare wine, has been named one of Wine Enthusiast’s 50 Best Wine Retailers in America for 2020. Benchmark successfully established its place as a top wine retailer with an inventory of over 70,000 bottles, expertise in wine authentication, and the customer service you look for in a brick-and-mortar.

“We are very excited and honored to be named one of Wine Enthusiast’s 50 best wine retailers in America. We would not be here without our loyal customer base whom we have built very strong relationships with over the years,” comments Dave Parker, CEO of Benchmark Wine Group, “I want to thank our passionate staff for working tirelessly to ensure the highest quality of customer service is met each day.

With $36M in annual sales, an estimated 3% market share of the US’s $1.1B online wine sales, and 4% of the $1B rare (i.e., back vintage) wine market, Benchmark Wine Group is the largest single retailer in the rare wine category nationwide. Benchmark Wine Group has grown at a cumulative annual growth rate of over 19% through strategic acquisitions, proprietary valuation, and pricing methods, making it one of the fastest growing online alcohol retailers; in an industry growing at 2%, by comparison.

Over the past eighteen years, Benchmark has acquired for resale some of the most sought after wines on the planet. Their Napa-based inventory features more than 10,000 SKUs of rare and well-aged wine, including verticals of Colgin starting at 1994, six pack horizontals of Petrus 1998 and large format Cheval Blanc 2005.

During these trying times for society in general and the hospitality industry in particular, Benchmark Wine Group has made it a goal to support their trade customers, helping them liquidate their wine inventories, purchasing over $200,000 of top wine from on-premise accounts. Recent purchases include over 1800 bottles from a 3 Michelin star restaurant and over $35,000 of Burgundy, Italian, and German wine from another Michelin starred account. Recently, they partnered with the United Sommeliers Foundation for their ‘Raid Y(our) Cellar’ virtual tasting series.

Parker continues, “Supporting United Sommeliers foundation during the COVID-19 Pandemic was an easy decision for us. Whether a customer, employee, or a host during a dinner event, the Sommelier community has been an important part of the growth of not just our company, but the wine industry.”

For more information on Benchmark Wine Group please contact Michelle Erland at Michelle@parallel36.com or Pia Szabo at pszabo@parallel36.com.

About Benchmark Wine Group: Benchmark is the leading source of fine and rare wine for wine retailers, restaurants and collectors around the world. Based in Napa Valley, they acquire the most sought-after wines from private individuals and professional contacts. Their staff draws on decades of industry experience and is dedicated to providing exceptional service to all clients. Benchmarkwine.com offers 24 hour access to their cellar, displaying inventory in real time, ready for purchase.

John Fearless Launches Online Shop With Global Hop Varieties And More

July 5, 2020 by evebushman

NAPA, CALIF. (PRWEB) – New aromatic opportunities are being offered through John Fearless for breweries that want to expand their brewing options. South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, USA and German hops are newly available to purchase online via JohnFearless.com. This expanse of inventory offers a much wider selection to the small, medium, and large-sized businesses that purchase beverage-making supplies from John Fearless.

As a leader in the beverage supply industry, John Fearless works hard to ensure top products are available to breweries, wineries, distilleries and non-alcoholic beverages. Quality and unique ingredients are important for craft beverages. In addition to hops, John Fearless also carries a range of products including, Muntons Malt, Brewshield, WineShield, Structan, WLT 150, Milne Microdried fruits, Humuflor Hop Essence, and used wine and spirit oak barrels.

Modern hop varietals with tropical, fruit forward aromatics have been added to the website and are now available to order 24/7:

A number of South African hops are currently available including: Southern Passion, African Queen, Southern Star, Southern Tropic and Southern Sublime New Zealand hops sold by John Fearless include: Nelson Sauvin, Motueka, Taiheke, Wakatu™, Riwaka, and the soon to be released Hort4337 and more.
A wide selection of USA hops include: El Dorado, Azacca, Zappa, Centennial, Cascade and more.
Three hop varieties are available from Germany: Ariana (which offers a blackcurrant, grapefruit, geranium and vanilla aroma blend), Callista and Huell Melon
Ella™ is the flavor hop varietal available from Australia via JohnFearless.com, and it’s highly versatile while containing floral aromatics (a common feature in noble European and Australian hops)

With a focus on finding unique options for small, medium, and large sized brewing companies, John Fearless is excited about their new options for hop varietal sales. Craft brewers can explore aroma profiles from around the world to find the right fit for their beer styles. Detailed information on sizing and pricing for orders is currently available on the John Fearless website on the individual products page.

About John Fearless Co: John Fearless is dedicated to bringing specialty hops, malts and more to the small brewing community. Items sourced from all over the world are brought directly to small businesses looking to craft bold flavors, complex brews and heady aromas. With over 20 years in the beverage industry, John Fearless offers specialty hops, hop aroma, malt, beer and wine stabilizers, finishing tannins, liquid flavor extracts, quality aged barrels, MicroDried® fruits and more.

Enologist and Educator Marcus Rafanelli Joins L’Ecole N° 41 as Winemaker

December 28, 2019 by evebushman

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – L’Ecole N° 41, one of the Walla Walla Valley’s early founding family wineries, has announced that experienced enologist and educator Marcus Rafanelli has joined L’Ecole as Winemaker.

Photo: Alamy.com

Rafanelli comes to L’Ecole from Walla Walla Community College’s Institute for Enology & Viticulture, where he has been the Instructional Technician/Cellarmaster, overseeing 65 students and the production of College Cellar’s wines. Prior to that, he worked at wineries spanning the globe, including the esteemed Weingut Dr. Loosen (Mosel, Germany) and Two Hands Winery (Barossa Valley, Australia). At William Church Winery, he was an integral lead in production for more than five years, becoming Winemaker in 2011. Rafanelli also worked harvest at L’Ecole more than a decade ago, in 2007.

L’Ecole’s Owner & Managing Winemaker, Marty Clubb comments on L’Ecole’s hiring of Rafanelli, saying that it “illustrates the winery’s commitment to consistency and quality in every bottle, using traditional old-world style winemaking techniques; Marcus is the perfect person to lead our winemaking team to an even higher level of success.” Furthermore, he insists that Rafanelli’s role at L’Ecole will “position him to become one of Washington’s great winemakers.”

WWCC’s Director of Winemaking, Tim Donahue, comments that Rafanelli joining the L’Ecole team is a “big win for the EV program, having another graduate heading up winemaking for such a prominent brand”. Further, he notes that the program has “over 300 graduates, of which 84% are currently employed in the WA wine industry”.

Speaking about the college’s Enology & Viticulture program, Clubb asserts that he has been “more than pleased with the caliber and quality of their innovative winemaking program”, and that he is “proud of L’Ecole’s support of the program which is ratcheting up WA State’s reputation for wine”. Clubb, himself, has been on the Advisory Board for the program since its inception.

Rafanelli earned a B.S. in Biology at Boise State University and completed the Enology & Viticulture program at WWCC. He is a member of the Washington Wine Technical Group, a professional organization committed to improving Washington wines. As a recipient of the Powers Sabbatical Award, he traveled through France in early 2019, studying the use of oak in quality wine production. He and his wife Heather live in Walla Walla with their family.

‘International Volcanic Wine Conference’ To Be Held In Berlin, Tuesday May 26, 2020

December 26, 2019 by evebushman

NEW YORK (PRWEB) – John Szabo, Master Sommelier and award-winning author, together with Volcanic Wines International (VWI) is proud to announce the 3rd annual ‘International Volcanic Wine Conference (IVWC)’, to be held in Berlin, Tuesday, May 26, 2020. The event follows the highly successful conferences, held in New York the past 2 years, and Szabo’s acclaimed book on the subject, ‘Volcanic Wines: Salt, Grit and Power,’ published in 2016. VWI is honored to be working with Organize Communications, based in the German-speaking markets of Austria, Switzerland, and Germany, to help us coordinate and manage IVWC3 in Berlin.

The IVWC, going into its third year, aims to continue its mission of establishing a volcanic wine movement, and provide educational and promotional opportunities for volcanic wine producers internationally. The conference acts as a catalyst and facilitator, bringing together all of the world’s volcanic regions and wines, that while incredibly diverse, represent a unique category of wines produced under some of the most extreme viticultural conditions on the planet. The annual conference also aims to continue to establish the ‘Volcanic Wine Classification’ as a premium category of high quality, terroir-driven wines with a true sense of place.

This past year’s 2019 conference in New York brought together producers from all over the world, including Armenia, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Spain, South America and the US, helping raise the profile of volcanic wines. Exclusively for qualifying wine trade and media, industry professionals had the opportunity to sample wines from close to 70 wineries from 23 different volcanic wine regions and engage with some of the world’s leading volcanic wine experts.

“The Soave Consortium has always believed in the need of creating a specific category to identify volcanic wines and their unique characteristics,” says Sandro Gini, Soave Consortium President. “We are also excited to be joining forces with our neighbors in Vesuvio and Santorini for a joint cooperation in promoting volcanic wines in Europe and the opportunity to participate in the Berlin conference.”

The IVWC began with an opening presentation hosted by John Szabo and Benoît Marsan Ph.D., Chemistry Professor at the Université du Québec in Montréal. Szabo and Marsan presented the results of their joint research study related to minerality. “It was a terrific opportunity to take a deep dive into the complex interaction between vines and volcanic soils, both through tasting and talking with vintners from around the world,” said Tara Q Thomas, Executive Editor of Wine & Spirits Magazine. “The session with Professor Marsan, who gave us a crash course in inorganic chemistry, was an extra bonus, offering us a deeper understanding of the many ways soil chemistry can affect what we taste in our glasses.”

Regional seminars included “Earth, Ash and Fire: Three Decades of Galardi from the Roccamonfina Volcano,” sponsored by The Winebow Group; “Soave, A Volcanic Agricultural Heritage,” sponsored by the Consorzio Tutela Vino Soave; and “Vesuvius Lacryma Christi Stories,” sponsored by the Vesuvio DOP Consorzio Tutela Vini.

“It was a great event, offering insight into the world of volcanic wines,” said Tara Empson, CEO of Empson USA, which represented Soave producer Tenuta Corte Giacobbe Dal Cero. “The seminars tied together the many factors that help shape and characterize these remarkable wines. The grand tasting was diverse, as there were producers from many parts of the world, which helped attendees understand the similarities and differences of their wines.”

“It’s exciting to see how the volcanic wine movement — and the annual conference — continue to gain traction,” said John Szabo MS. I look forward to carrying on our mission to elevate the volcanic wine category in the eyes, and palates, of industry professionals as well as wine lovers at next year’s conference in Berlin.”

For more information and the latest updates, visit Volcanic Wines International’s official website, and follow VWI’s Facebook (Volcanic Wines International) and Instagram (@volcanicwines_intl) pages. Additional details regarding the conference, including confirmed participants and seminar schedules, will be announced soon.

About John Szabo
John Szabo is a Toronto-based author and wine critic, and in 2004 was the first Canadian to add the Master Sommelier credential to his name. He was named ‘Canada’s best-known sommelier’ in Meininger’s Wine Business International, and he is a partner and a wine critic for WineAlign.com and freelances widely. In addition to Volcanic Wines, Salt, Grit and Power, his book titles include Pairing Food and Wine for Dummies and Sommelier Management. John also works as a restaurant consultant, and speaks and judges internationally, when he’s not making a few dozen bottles of wine from his vineyard in Eger, Hungary.

About Volcanic Wines International (VWI)
The mission of Volcanic Wines International is to take the leading role in defining and establishing a Volcanic Wine Movement, and to provide educational and promotional opportunities for volcanic wine producers internationally. Volcanic Wines International also plans to establish the volcanic wine brand as a premium category of high quality wines with a true sense of place.