Eve's Wine 101

America’s Best Wine Festival, The Garagiste, Offers America’s Best Wine Club

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PASO ROBLES, CALIF. (PRWEB) – America’s Best Wine Festival (USA Today), The Garagiste Festival, has launched The Official Garagiste Festival Wine Club, offering consumers across the US* rare access to the same under-the-radar, innovative, micro-production wineries that have made The Garagiste Wine Festival famous. And, just like the festival, which limits attendance to preserve its singular experience, only 300 members will have access to the limited production wines of The Garagiste Wine Festival Club.

The club also offers wine lovers a chance to contribute to the future of winemaking as it supports The Garagiste Festival Scholarship Fund at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, one of the country’s top winemaking programs.

“The Garagiste Festival Wine Club is another first for the garagiste movement” said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Doug Minnick. “We are so excited to introduce the official wine club of The Garagiste Festival, offering wines delivered straight from the garagiste movement’s heart to your doorstep. No other wine club provides access to this range of hard-to-find gems from the burgeoning micro-winery movement, and none are associated with the actual Garagiste Festival.”

The Garagiste Festival helped spark the garagiste wine movement when it launched in 2011 with a mission to bring wider attention to the undiscovered and under-recognized American artisan micro-wineries making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. It is the nation’s first and only festival to showcase the wines of micro-production commercial ‘garagiste**’ winemakers.

Garagiste Festival Wine Club members receive three shipments of four bottles of premium wines each year that reflect each of the Garagiste Festival regions: Paso Robles, Northern California, and Southern California (including Santa Barbara County). Membership in the club means that consumers who are unable to travel (as well as those who can!) to the festival’s four annual events can experience remarkable, hand-crafted wines from some of California’s (and the US’) most renowned and innovative wine regions, year-round.

For example, the next wine shipment will include wines from among the over 40 micro-production wines from Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lodi, Sierra Foothills and Livermore that will be poured at The Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure which takes place on April 30th in Sonoma, at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall. To buy tickets, click here.

Carefully selected in a blind tasting by a panel of industry professionals (winemakers, sommeliers, wine writers, etc.) from the over 600 wineries in the Garagiste Festival’s orbit, the Garagiste Certified wines encompass the wide range of varieties, blends, and styles — and the high quality typical of The Garagiste Festival. Each shipment reflects The Garagiste Festival’s core principles: micro-production, locally-sourced, passionately-produced, and delicious — the kind of quality and innovation only achievable by wines handcrafted in small batches.

“Our festivals, the home of the garagiste movement, are known for discovering today’s, and tomorrow’s, rockstar winemakers,” continued Minnick. “Our wine club brings that rare opportunity closer to home.”

To join The Garagiste Festival Wine Club click here
For more information about The Garagiste Festival, click here
For breaking Garagiste Festival news and special discounts, sign-up for our free newsletter, The Dirt, at https://www.garagistefestival.com/garagiste-blog or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook.

*Garagiste Festival Wine Club shipping is available in the following states: AK, CA, FL, NV, OR and Washington DC.

About The Garagiste Wine Festival
The Garagiste Wine Festival (http://www.garagistefestival.com), named “Best of the Fests” for 2019 by Fest Forums and the ‘Best Wine Festival in the US in 2018 in USA Today’s 10Best Readers Choice Awards, is the first and only wine festival dedicated to the undiscovered and under-recognized American artisan ‘garagiste’ micro-wineries who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. Founded by fellow garagistes Stewart McLennan and Douglas Minnick, the Garagiste Festivals are committed to discovering the best and most innovative limited-production winemakers and promoting and showcasing them to a broad audience of discerning wine consumers. In addition to its flagship annual festival in Paso Robles, CA, the Garagiste Festival line-up includes Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, featuring Santa Ynez Valley garagistes; the Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure, in Los Angeles; the Garagiste Festival, Northern Exposure, in Sonoma; winemaker dinners, a newsletter, garagiste profiles and more.

In addition to being named the US’ Best Wine Festival, the Garagiste Festival was named one of the ‘Top Nine Incredible Epicurean Vacations’ in the world by ABC News, “one of the premier wine events of the year,” by the LA Times and “Best Festival” by Sunset Magazine’s ‘Best of the West.’ 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.

**Garagiste (garage-east) is a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their “garages” (anything considered not a chateau), who refused to follow the “rules,” and is now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world. The Garagiste Festivals were the first to shine a light on the American garagiste winemaker in 2011.

America’s Best Wine Festival Returns to Sonoma with 40+ Garagiste Winemakers April 30th

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PASO ROBLES, CALIF. (PRWEB) – America’s Best Wine Festival, The Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure, returns to Sonoma on April 30th offering rare access to the region’s best, hard-to-find wines from over 40 micro-production, commercial wineries from Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lodi, Sierra Foothills and Livermore and more. The festival will once again be held at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall, walking distance from Sonoma’s historic downtown plaza. Tickets are on sale here.

Of this year’s 40+ wineries, 17 are brand new to the Garagiste Festival, including Accenti Wines, Amrita Cellars, Boete Winery, Box Wine Company, Brueskok Cellars, Cazadero Winery, Cormorant Cellars, Forgotten Union Wines, Guererro Fernandez Wines, Kobler Estate, Lussier Wine Co., Read Holland Wines, Rondure Wines, Stringer Cellars, Terre et Sang, The Grenachista Wine Co., and Wild Rising Wines.

“We are so excited to bring our Northern Exposure festival back to one of California’s most stunning wine regions, after a two year absence,” said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Doug Minnick. “If it is anything like our recent Paso and Solvang festival returns, it will be a joyful reunion of some of the region’s best, most exciting winemakers with one of the most passionate, dedicated and fun-loving audiences the wine industry has to offer.’

The Garagiste Festival premiered in 2011 and is the nation’s first and only festival to showcase the wines of micro-production commercial ‘garagiste*’ winemakers. It expanded to Sonoma in 2018 to highlight the wines of Sonoma County and surrounding AVAs, as well as other small production wineries from Northern California. Named ‘Best of Fests’ and the ‘Best Wine Festival in the USA,’ the festival showcases under-the-radar, innovative, commercial winemakers who handcraft 1500 cases or less of wine.

“Over 90% of Northern Exposure participants do not have a tasting room, and you will never find these wines in grocery stores or on wine country maps,” continued Minnick. “The festival offers wine lovers a singular chance to discover and meet the next great winemakers, taste their delicious and diverse wines and talk to them directly about their winemaking styles. And it is all offered under one roof in the festival’s signature ‘no snobs allowed’ atmosphere.”

The 4th annual Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure will be held on Saturday, April 30, at the Sonoma Veterans Building and includes:

  • VIP Rare and Reserve Tasting (1-2pm), featuring library, club only or reserve wines, only being poured during this first hour
  • Grand Tasting (2pm-5pm) featuring over 150 wines and 25 different grape varieties, and includes complimentary cheese and charcuterie, along with delicious food samples from local artisan vendors and a souvenir Stolzle crystal wine glass.
  • Silent Wine Auction with proceeds supporting the Garagiste Scholarship at Cal Poly SLO, to help fund the future of California winemaking.

Among the 40+ winemakers scheduled to pour are:
*Accenti Wiens, *Amrita Cellars, *Boete Winery, *Box Wine Company, *Brueskok Cellars, Burning Bench, Calstar Cellars, *Cazadero Winery, *Cormorant Cellars, Crux Winery, Cutruzzola Vineyards, Dane Cellars, DeWitt Vineyard, Enriquez Wines, *Forgotten Union Wines, Gondak Cellars, *Guerrero Fernandez Wines, Kendric Vineyards, *Kobler Estate, *Lussier Wine Co, Merisi Wines, Montagne Russe, Murder Ridge, Passagio Wines, Perri Jaye Vineyards, Pine Mountain Vineyard, *Read Holland, Ricci Vineyards, Rock & Clay Wines, *Rondure Wines, Sosie Wines, St. Romedius Wines, *Stringer Cellars, T. Berkley Wines, *Terre et Sang, *The Grenachista Wine Co, Topel Winery, Weatherborne Wine Co, *Wild Rising Wines.
*New to the festival

COVID-19 Prevention Measures/Requirements
Please note that we are closely monitoring the current situation to ensure the health and safety of all those attending the Sonoma Garagiste Festival. Because our events are being held indoors, as the event approaches, attendees will receive regular updates regarding current protocols and procedures that may be required to attend The Garagiste Wine Festival, including any changes to policies and procedures from Sonoma County. Updates will be shared on our Sonoma 2022 Event Page, through our social media channels, and direct to ticket holders via email.

For more information and full Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure schedule details, go to: http://www.garagistefestival.com/

Tickets are limited for Garagiste Festival Northern Exposure. Garagiste Festivals always sell out in advance. To buy tickets, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/4th-annual-garagiste-wine-festival-northern-exposure-tickets-269198980397

For breaking Garagiste Festival news and special discounts, sign-up for our free newsletter, The Dirt, at https://www.garagistefestival.com/garagiste-blog or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook.

Sponsors include
G3 Enterprises, Bank of Marin, ETS, Laffort USA, Digital Dogma, Farm Credit West, mWEBB Communications, Glenn Burdette, Sonoma Valley Sun, WIVI.

For sponsorship info, email info@garagistefestival.com.

About The Garagiste Wine Festival
The Garagiste Wine Festival (http://www.garagistefestival.com), named “Best of the Fests” for 2019 by Fest Forums and the ‘Best Wine Festival in the US in 2018 in USA Today’s 10Best Readers Choice Awards, is the first and only wine festival dedicated to the undiscovered and under-recognized American artisan ‘garagiste’ micro-wineries who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. Founded by fellow garagistes Stewart McLennan and Douglas Minnick, the Garagiste Festivals are committed to discovering the best and most innovative limited-production winemakers and promoting and showcasing them to a broad audience of discerning wine consumers. In addition to its flagship annual festival in Paso Robles, CA, the Garagiste Festival line-up includes Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, featuring Santa Ynez Valley garagistes; the Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure, in Los Angeles; the Garagiste Festival, Northern Exposure, in Sonoma; winemaker dinners, a newsletter, garagiste profiles and more.

In addition to being named the US’ Best Wine Festival, the Garagiste Festival was named one of the ‘Top Nine Incredible Epicurean Vacations’ in the world by ABC News, “one of the premier wine events of the year,” by the LA Times and “Best Festival” by Sunset Magazine’s ‘Best of the West.’ 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.

*Garagiste (garage-east) is a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their “garages” (anything considered not a chateau), who refused to follow the “rules,” and is now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world. The Garagiste Festivals were the first to shine a light on the American garagiste winemaker in 2011.

WENTE FAMILY ESTATES ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS OF WINEMAKING TEAM

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LIVERMORE VALLEY, CA – Wente Family Estates is pleased to announce the recent promotion of Elizabeth Kester to Head of Winemaking and Andy Lynch to Head of Quality. With a combined twenty-five years with Wente Family Estates, both Kester and Lynch are well-suited to take the organization to the next level in their new positions.

In the Head of Winemaking role, Kestler, currently overseeing all wine production activity, will extend her responsibilities to include more strategic alignment between viticulture, marketing and sales. In her new position she will bolster the already impressive Wente Family Estates collection of brands and guide the winemaking team into an exciting future.

Working with Wente Family Estates since 2010, Elizabeth’s many contributions have had a tremendous impact on the development of the core portfolio. Her efforts have resulted in over forty 90+ scores, the development of Wente’s phenolics program – which utilizes cutting edge technology and processes which promote innovation and excellence, and several new brands including Ravel & Stitch and Angels Ink. In speaking about  her new promotion, Kester says, “I feel incredibly fortunate to work so closely with the Wente family and their remarkable estate vineyards in the Livermore Valley and Arroyo Seco AVAs. I look forward to taking on a new challenge and leadership role.”

As Head of Quality, Lynch will ensure all systems and resources address all aspects of quality, from the supply chain to the winemaking process, to the end consumer. Lynch will lead and drive continuous improvement with structured problem solving, lean methodologies, and industry best practices. Lynch will continue as winemaker for some of Wente Family Estate’s brands and wines.

Lynch joined Wente Family Estates in 2005 working in the lab and was promoted to Enologist and Winemaker in 2014. Since then, he has led the small-lot wine production for Wente Family Estates and collaborated with winemaking leadership on ideal strategies for fermentation, aging, and blending of the organization’s entire portfolio. “I am passionate about creating efficiencies and improving our craft year after year. I’m really excited about this new role because it will allow me to work with the team in a different capacity to achieve the long-term goals of the business while still allowing me to make wine,” said Lynch.

Kester works closely with COO and fifth-generation winegrower Karl Wente. Karl Wente guides the strategic goals and stylistic direction across Wente Vineyards and remains the lead winemaker of his family’s namesake brand.  Remarking on the promotions, Wente stated, “We have a culture of promoting within our company, and we wanted to recognize the vital contributions of Elizabeth and Andy. They are grounded, centered, and incredibly talented.” Wente Family Estates is currently filling new winemaking roles. More information can be found at Linkedin.com/WenteFamilyEstates.

About Wente Family Estates
Founded in 1883, Wente Vineyards has been celebrated for its industry-wide contributions to innovation as the oldest continuously operated, family-owned winery in the country, now owned and managed by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family.  The company portfolio includes Wente Vineyards, Murrieta’s Well, Hayes Ranch, Ravel & Stitch, entwine, Angels Ink, Unsullied, and Double Decker brands.  The winery draws from certified sustainable estate vineyards in the Livermore Valley, San Francisco Bay, and Arroyo Seco, Monterey appellations to create an outstanding array of fine wines distributed in all 50 states and over 70 countries worldwide.  In 2010, it joined the top 5% of California wineries that meet all three tiers within the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing codes & designation. In 2011, Wente Family Estates was named American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast.  2012 marked the 100th anniversary of the Wente family bringing Chardonnay cuttings to California from France. Today, the Wente clones of Chardonnay are the most widely planted in California.

Wente Family Estates is among the top 30 wineries in the United States from the standpoint of production and distribution.  The winery has a brisk domestic business and a significant share of the export wine market, where the wines have enjoyed international acclaim for decades.
Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards is recognized as one of California’s premier wine country destinations. In 2018, the winery took a leadership role in its longstanding mission to inspire employees and guests to make time for what really matters, as realized through Wente Vineyards’ best practices, outstanding wines, and wine country experiences. For more information, visit www.wentevineyards.com.

Wente Family Estates President Amy Hoopes nominated by Wine Enthusiast for Wine Star Awards

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LIVERMORE VALLEY, CA –  Wente Family Estates is pleased to announce that President Amy Hoopes has been nominated in the category of Wine Executive of the Year for the wine industry’s prestigious Wine Star Awards, produced and presented  by Wine Enthusiast magazine. Now in its 21st year, the awards annually recognizes people and organizations within the wine and alcohol beverage industry who are making remarkable contributions to its advancement. Wente Family Estates is the country’s longest continuously family-owned and operated winery, focused on producing top quality, appellation-driven California wines with strong distribution in a competitive marketplace both domestically and internationally.

This nomination joins a long list of industry achievements for Hoopes who joined Wente Family Estates in 2007 as the Vice President of Marketing. For the last thirteen years she has brought innovation, adaptation and strategic planning to the family business, keeping them ranked among the top 30 wine companies in America according to Wine Business Monthly.[1] Previous roles included Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President before being appointed President in 2016. In that role, she focuses on portfolio strategy and guest experience, working with a team of marketing, sales and hospitality leaders at Wente. Throughout her time with the company she has guided the business through both challenging and prosperous times, always with an eye on the future, particularly as the wine industry has recently faced new and unprecedented challenges.  She oversees all global marketing and sales operations for Wente Vineyards, entwine, Murrieta’s Well, Double Decker, Hayes Ranch, Ravel & Stitch,  Angel’s Ink and Unsullied wine brands as well as the family’s golf course, direct to consumer sales and tasting room experiences.

This is the second nomination for Hoopes with the Awards, the other being the Social Impact category in 2018. The family received American Winery of the Year in 2011 for its contributions to the American wine industry, spotlighting the historic Livermore Valley where the company was established by Carl Wente who came to California as an immigrant 137 years ago. Today eight members of the fourth and fifth generations manage and operate the company with diverse responsibilities, led by CEO Carolyn Wente. Together the family team along with Hoopes, are striving to position Wente Family Estates as the most respected family-owned winery in the world. Family leadership is comprised of 4th generation winegrowers; CEO Carolyn Wente, Chairman of the Board Eric Wente, Vice Chairman Phil Wente; Fifth Generation Winegrowers COO and Chief Winemaker Karl D. Wente, President of Wente Foundation for Arts Education Christine Wente, Director of Marketing Aly Wente, Viticulture Manager Niki Wente, and Project Manager for Winegrowing Operations Jordan Wente.

Hoopes was among Direct Marketing News distinguished list of “40 Under 40” marketers in 2014 and was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Femme in 2015.  She is a member of the Communications Committee for Wine Institute, an executive board member and Past President for Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association, a Member of Monterey County Vintners and Winegrowers Association, a Board Member for First Beverage Group and the Past President and active member of the San Francisco chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier. She is also Co-President for the San Francisco Chapter of CISV, a global non-profit focused on education and inspiring action for a more just and peaceful world.

About the Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards Process
This year, all full-time and contributing divisions (Sales, Events, Marketing, Editorial) of Wine Enthusiast Media were invited to submit nominees for our Wine Star Awards categories and submitted their nominations anonymously, with explanations of what made the nomination appropriate for consideration. That list of nominees was then sent to the group for anonymous voting to cull the larger nominee lists down. Final winners were chosen from the culled down list by the Executive Publishing team with selections based on many factors, including impact on consumers and trade in the wine, spirits, or beer space, commercial successes, company/brand vision, and trendsetting. The Wine Star Awards are an overall beverage industry awards program. While the editors are invited to participate, this is a collaborative program incorporating the input of all divisions of the Wine Enthusiast company and is not a specifically editorial franchise.

About Wente Family Estates
Founded in 1883, Wente Vineyards has been celebrated for its industry-wide contributions to innovation as the oldest continuously operated, family-owned winery in the country, now owned and managed by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family.  The company portfolio is comprised of Wente Vineyards, Murrieta’s Well, Hayes Ranch, Ravel & Stitch, entwine, Angel’s Ink, Unsullied and Double Decker brands. The winery draws from certified sustainable Estate vineyards in the Livermore Valley, San Francisco Bay and Arroyo Seco, Monterey appellations to create an outstanding array of fine wines that are distributed in all 50 states and in over 70 countries worldwide. In 2010, it joined the top 5% of California wineries who meet all three tiers within the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing codes & designation. In 2011, Wente Family Estates was named American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast.  2012 marked the 100th anniversary of the Wente family bringing Chardonnay cuttings to California from France. Today, the Wente clones of Chardonnay are the most widely planted in California.

Located just east of San Francisco in the historic Livermore Valley, Wente Vineyards is recognized as one of California’s premier wine country destinations. In 2018, the winery took a leadership role in its longstanding mission to inspire employees and guests to make time for what really matters, as realized through Wente Vineyards’ best practices, outstanding wines and wine country experiences. For more information, visit www.wentevineyards.com.

Vintage Eve October 2015: Giving the Double Golds a Try – For You!

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The San Francisco Competitions Double Gold Tour gives wine and spirits professionals a unique opportunity to taste the Competitions’ top winners and to discover the next trending tastes, styles and varietals we’ll be seeing in 2016…

And with that said your trusty wine and spirits reporter headed over to Ocean Prime in the center of Beverly Hills to spend the better part of an hour investigating which of the Double Golds I thought our readers might like to try. (Warning: Some of these wines and spirits may not yet be available in your state.)

The “Perlis Team” from Eve’s Wine 101 was also covering the tasting. Michael and Karen were there to taste and make notes primarily on the wines, while I put my focus on the spirits…and a little vino too. This is my report, please keep in mind that this was a walk-around tasting so I was juggling pen, paper, camera and a glass so my notes are somewhat sparse:

Desert Dry Gin, AKA Commerce Gin. Arizona, USA. https://www.facebook.com/AZDistilling?fref=ts Loved the list on the back of what was added to this most interesting gin: Cardamom, Coriander, Cumin, Cinnamon, lime zest, Lavender, apple + eight more botanicals all from northern Arizona. Well done. Best thing I tasted all day. 98 Eve pts.

G+ London Dry Gin, Austria. 90 Eve pts.

Master’s Dry Gin, Barcelona, Spain. 89 Eve pts.

Shui Jing Fang Baijiu, Sichuan, China. Killer aroma and flavors, and the presentation, beautiful etched glass bottle set in it’s own wooden stand, set them apart. From the website: Baijiu is distinct because of its use of distilling yeast during the distillation process. It is also the only one of the four top distilled liquors to use solids in the fermentation process. 97 Eve pts.

Tepoz Silver Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico. I had to agree with the coasters they were giving out with a taste, they read “Fit for a God.” This triple distilled 100% agave silver tequila was, and I’m not kidding, the smoothest tequila I have ever had. 95 Eve pts.

J.P. Trodden Small Batch Bourbon, Woodinville, Washington, USA. 91 Eve pts.

Wemyss Malts 12 Year Old “The Hive” Scotch, Speyside, Scotland. After tasting this blend of 16 different single malts I wanted to try their two other single malt blends that were also medal winners. Too bad they weren’t there to taste too: Peat Chimney from the Islay and Spice King from the Highlands. 91 Eve pts.

Oban Little Bay Single Malt Scotch, Highland, Scotland. 92 Eve pts.

Lagavulin 16 Year Old Single Malt Scotch, Islands, Scotland. I always think of my husband when I have a peaty scotch like Lagavulin. He calls it an “angry scotch” as he would have a glass after a particularly rough night at the fire station. There was nothing angry, except for the peat, in this scotch. Very smooth and welcoming. 95 Eve pts.

Revel Chion Grappa Di Moscato, Torino, Italy. Simply lovely on the nose and palate, with 18 months in oak casks making it classified as a reserve, 42% alcohol. 94 Eve pts.

Nohrlund Strawberry Rhubarb Vodka Cocktail, Bottled Cocktails, Aarhus, Denmark. All three drinks from their cocktail program won medals and I was happy to taste, along with the Double Gold Strawberry Rhubarb, the Sea Buckthorn (Google that, I had to), Rose Hip and Rum and the Elderflower, Ginger and Gin. My favorite was the latter, and it reminded me a little of a Moscow Mule. The strawberry had such nice fruit, like a puree, I can see why it won the Double Gold. A collective 90 Eve pts.

Bauchant Liqueur, Product of France, “a blend of fine cognac and orange essence.” The gentleman that was tasting alongside of me thought it fit for a Margarita. I told him I like to use something this fine instead of vermouth in a vodka Martini. Either way you pour it it’s very fine stuff. 91 Eve pts.

Champagne Collet, NV Brut, Art Deco, Champagne, France. Lovely fruit cocktail on the nose and palate, pretty art deco label too. Want to have this again. 95 Eve pts.

Silk Oak, 2013 Chardonnay, Lodi, USA. A nice classic style Chardonnay. 89 Eve pts.

Vasco Urbano Wine, 2013 Grenache, Norm, Marina Ranch, Livermore Valley, USA. Fun label has a drawing of “Norm” and lists harvest date, brix and alcohol. A nice tasty Grenache I will look for. 88 Eve pts.

The Counselor, 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, River Pass Vineyard, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, USA. Another cool label with a sketch of an old vine. Tasty wine. 90 Eve pts.

Columbia Crest Winery, 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, H3, Horse Heaven Hills, USA. I don’t think I’ve had a Columbia Crest wine in awhile, and I’d never had one from Horse Heaven Hills. Quite a nice wine. 89 Eve pts.

TAO Vineyards, 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Los Angeles, CA. Well. This L.A. wine, come to find, is from a very small vineyard in Agoura Hills and can be found, possibly along with up to six of their other wines, for tasting at the Cornell Winery and Tasting Room. I was charmed by this Cab and will try and seek them out to taste their full lineup. 90 Eve pts.

Get a look at the labels via this 1-minute YouTube too.

About San Francisco International Wine Competition: The San Francisco International Wine Competition is the largest and most influential international wine competition in America, and is judged by a prestigious panel of nationally recognized wine experts. Judging is based on a blind, consensual procedure, ensuring competitive integrity as it remains the nation’s most respected wine competition. 2015 marks the 35th year of the annual competition. www.sfwinecomp.com

About San Francisco World Spirits Competition: The San Francisco World Spirits Competition is regarded as the most respected spirits competition in the world. The competition was the first comprehensive, international spirits judging held in the United States on an annual basis. Products are evaluated by top spirits professionals and are judged in a blind, consensual procedure ensuring competitive integrity and making this annual competition the most reputable and recognized competition in the spirits industry. www.sfspiritscomp.com 

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

Garagiste Wine Festival Comes to the Heart of Sonoma Wine Country in May

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PASO ROBLES, Calif. (PRWEB) – Garagiste Events today announced that its internationally renowned Garagiste Wine Festival comes to the heart of Sonoma, California on May 12th for the very first time. The festival will showcase the rich variety of small-production wines currently being crafted by some of the most innovative winemakers in Sonoma, Mendocino, Livermore, Lodi, and Napa, as well as other California regions. The non-profit event will be held at the Sonoma Veterans Building near Sonoma’s historic downtown plaza. Tickets are on sale today at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1st-annual-garagiste-festival-northern-exposure-tickets-43108506704

garagiste truckLike many small production wineries, over ninety percent of participating wineries are without a tasting room where they can meet the public, making the premier Sonoma Garagiste Festival a one-of-a-kind opportunity for consumers to discover, and meet, 40 winemakers while tasting 150+ wines made from over 15 varieties. This is why The Garagiste Festival, which always sells out, has been dubbed ‘wine tasting Nirvana;” ‘a wildly exuberant and fun wine event,’ and “not-to-be missed’ by the LA Times.

“Sonoma-area winemakers and wine lovers have been asking us for quite some time to bring the Garagiste Festival further north,” said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Douglas Minnick. “On May 12th, at last, we are able to offer this fertile and creative winemaking community the opportunity to share their delicious wines in the intimate and unique Garagiste Festival setting. Bringing these winemakers onto the radar of passionate wine fans on the lookout for new wine discoveries is one of the great pleasures of the festival.”

“And, if you think you know the garagiste line-up, think again…” added Festival Co-founder Stewart McLennan. “Over half of these wineries are brand new to the festival, as are many of the Northern California regions represented. In the wake of the Northern California fires, we are glad to spread the word that this part of California not only remains open for business, but is thriving.”

Known for high quality wines, first-time and ‘soon-to-break-out’ discoveries, diverse grape varieties, a ‘no snobs allowed’ policy and a renegade and fun-loving spirit, the non-profit Garagiste Festivals are the only festivals in the US dedicated to micro-production winemakers. Garagiste Festivals have introduced hundreds of outstanding artisan winemakers (who produce under 1500 cases of wine) to thousands of passionate wine consumers, members of the trade and media, raising the profiles of many of the winemakers nationally for the first time, and raising thousands of dollars for the education of future winemakers.

Cris Carter owner and winemaker of Weatherborne Wine Corp, and who owns a vineyard in the Anderson Valley, has showcased his wines at multiple Garagiste Festivals. “The Garagiste Fest is the perfect place for small-production, family-run wine brands to meet their audience. Winery owners meet face-to-face with interested and engaged consumers who often wind up being their most loyal customers and brand advocates,” says Carter. “Attendees get to pick the brains of the people actually making the wine and running the business, learning the wine’s story in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. For the wine trade, it’s a great place to unearth the next wave of exciting California producers; a true opportunity to find hidden gems for your wine list or portfolio.”

The Sonoma Garagiste Festival will kick off at 11:30 am on Saturday, May 12th, with a signature tasting seminar: “The Garagiste Variety Show: Exploring the Diversity of Small-Production Winemaking.” The seminar will focus on the range of wines being produced by Garagiste winemakers, and investigate why garagiste winemakers have stepped away from Cabernet and Chardonnay to work with grapes considered under-the-radar in Northern California. Moderated by McLennan, panelists include: Paul Gordon of Halcon Vineyards and Randy Hester of Lightning Wines. In the afternoon is the main event: the Grand Tasting, which runs from 2:00pm to 5:00pm. Like all Garagiste Festivals (and unlike many larger wine festivals), the Sonoma festival will limit ticket sales to give attendees a comfortable and relaxed tasting experience with personal winemaker interaction.

For the full schedule, more information, go to: http://garagistefestival.com or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook. For breaking festival news and special discounts sign-up for our free newsletter, The Dirt at http://garagistefestival.com/sign-up/.

Winemakers already scheduled to pour include:
Betwixt Wines, Calstar Cellars, Camlow Cellars, Chenoweth Wines, Crux Winery, Enoteca Five, Fallon Place Wine, Fields Family Wines, Gordenker Wines, Gregory James Wines, Halcon Vineyards, Kendrick Vineyards, La Pitchoune Winery, Lightning Wines, Magna Vita Cellars, Mastro Scheidt, Merisi Wines, Montagne Russe, Montemaggiore, Murder Ridge, Nowell-Smith Wines, Parmeson Wines, Piezo Winery, T. Berkley Wines, Trojak-Knier Winery, Von Holt Cellars and Weatherborne Wine Co.

Sponsors include: ETS, Laffort, Glenn Burdette, Digital Dogma, mWEBB Communications, Farm Credit, and G3

For sponsorship info, email info@garagistefestival.com.

About The Garagiste Wine Festivals
The Garagiste Wine Festivals (http://www.garagistefestival.com) are the first and only wine festivals dedicated to the undiscovered and under-recognized American artisan ‘garagiste’ producers who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. Founded by fellow garagiste winemakers Stewart McLennan and Douglas Minnick, the Garagiste Festivals are committed to discovering the best and most innovative limited-production winemakers and promoting and showcasing them to a broad audience of discerning wine consumers. In addition to its flagship annual festival in Paso Robles, CA, the Garagiste Festival line-up includes Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, featuring Santa Ynez Valley garagistes; the Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure, in Los Angeles; the Garagiste Festival, Northern Exposure, in the Bay Area; winemaker dinners, a newsletter, garagiste profiles and more.

The festivals were named one of the ‘Top Nine Incredible Epicurean Vacations’ in the world by ABC News,* “one of the premier wine events of the year,” by the LA Times and “Best Festival” by Sunset Magazine’s ‘Best of the West.’ 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. Garagiste Festivals Inc. is a 5013c non-profit organization and proceeds from the festivals support the Garagiste Festival Scholarship fund of the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo Wine and Viticulture Department.

**Garagistes (garage-east) is a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their “garages” (anything considered not a chateau), who refused to follow the “rules,” and is now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world.

Tastings: Zonin1821’s ‘Dress Code’ Prosecco – the Grey, the White and the Black and the Current Release Estate Blends from Murrieta’s Well

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One of the most successful, family-owned winemaking companies in Italy, Zonin1821, has unveiled a decidedly different Prosecco line with its ‘Dress Code’ Collection. It strays away from what the family’s seven generations of winemakers have been producing since 1821 – Prosecco made from 100% Glera grapes.

Inspired to create a new concept of Prosecco, Zonin1821’s ‘Dress Code’ blends the Glera grape with a maximum of 15% of other varieties, since DOC regulations allow for that.

Each edition of the ‘Dress Code’ – the Grey, the White and the Black – is blended with a different grape varietal, creating a unique tasting profile and style for each.

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Tasting (Aroma and Flavor separated by 😉

ZONIN PROSECCO WHITE EDITION: 91% Glera & 9% Pinot Bianco cuvée. A sparkling wine of great freshness and versatility, where the strong aromatic notes of Glera perfectly mingle with the floral and fresh notes of Pinot Bianco.

Eve’s Notes: The color of very pale hay with large bubbles that gave way to small popping bubbles – lasting throughout tasting. Aromas of white peach, green apple, mineral water and lemon lime; then a burst of crisp Meyer lemon, red delicious apples, kiwi and pears on the palate. 89 Eve pts.

ZONIN PROSECCO GREY EDITION: 87% Glera & 13% Pinot Grigio cuvée. A sparkling wine with an unmistakable personality, where the intense aromatic notes of Glera perfectly marry with the fruity notes of Pinot Grigio.

Eve’s Notes: Pear, grapefruit, wet pebbles and tonic water; followed by fruit cocktail, cantaloupe and grapefruit. 89 Eve pts.

ZONIN PROSECCO BLACK EDITION: 90% Glera & 10% Pinot Noir cuvée. The powerful aromatic notes of Glera are accented by the finesse and the elegance of Pinot Noir.

Eve’s Notes: Talcum powder, rose petals, pear, apple; then crisp green apple slices, Mandarin orange, white grape juice and cool steel. 88 Eve pts.

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zonin/

Website: http://www.zonin1821.it/

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 Long before Napa and Sonoma wines garnered international acclaim, Livermore Valley was making the greatest wine in California. Recognizing the similarities between Livermore’s dry gravels and Bordeaux, pioneering winemakers planted cuttings from the famed Chateaux d’Yquem and Margaux to create unrivaled wines of place.

 Though a few things have changed, some have stayed the same. Today, acclaimed winemaker Robbie Meyer leads the winemaking team at Murrieta’s Well by taking a small lot approach to growing grapes and making wine. With careful attention to the estate’s diverse microclimates, the vineyard’s unique grape varieties are advantageously planted and farmed so that each lot is a distinctive representation of where it was grown. In his thoughtful approach to blending, Meyer uses these lots to create wine blends that showcase the best of the estate each vintage.

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Tasting (Aroma and Flavor separated by 😉

Murrieta’s Well The Whip White Wine Blend 2014 (SRP $24.00)

Dried sweetened pineapple, lemon wedge, lemon soda, orange jelly candy and the teeniest hint of pine needles; same pineapple, lemon and orange notes minus any sugar sweetener, crisp yet viscous, wholly pleasant – especially if you aren’t a fan of high-acid wines like me. 91 Eve pts.

Murrieta’s Well The Spur Red Wine Blend 2013 (SRP $30.00)

Layers of black cherry, black licorice, sweet pipe smoke, dark chocolate, forest floor and a hint of bacon; Chewy and tannic, pepper and spice, all wrapped together with lush black fruit and blackberry jam. This was damn good, 93 Eve pts.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/murrietaswellwinery/?fref=ts

Website: http://murrietaswell.com/

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), 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. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Perlis Picks: The 2015 San Francisco International Wine Competition

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The San Francisco International Wine Competition has been around since 1980, so they must be doing something right. Headed by James Beard Award winner Anthony Dias Blue and judged by somewhat of a Who’s Who of the wine world elite, this year’s event took place at Hotel Nikko in June.

home_background[Speaking of wine judges, I’m thinking of starting a “Where’s George?” contest so readers can pick out George Skorka’s picture at all the places he shows up. One of SCV’s favorite wine experts, he is seemingly everywhere, and, yes, he was a judge at this event.]

After the competition, they take their show on the road, along with their sister event The San Francisco World Spirits Competition, to showcase for the media and trade the current Double Gold Medal Winners of both events. The tour is national, starting in San Francisco, with stops along the way that include Washington DC, Las Vegas, New York City and Miami. Fortunately for us, the first stop after leaving San Francisco was at Ocean Prime restaurant in Beverly Hills. [“Where’s George?” players please note that he was here at the tasting.]

Eve’s Wine 101’s Eve Bushman focused primarily on the spirits, which you can read about in the SCV Beacon. My wife Karen and I tasted through many of the wines being offered. These were some of the highlights for us…

Cass Winery – 2014 Viognier, Paso Robles, USA. ($24) Karen enjoyed the long smooth finish of this one.

Cholame Vineyard – 2012 Chardonnay, Santa Barbara, USA ($32) This had a good mouthfeel, according to Karen.

TAO Vineyards – 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Los Angeles, USA ($28) TAO, based in the Agoura Hills, was the surprise of the show for me. I’m looking forward to tasting their entire lineup.

Las Positas Vineyards – 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate, Reserve, Livermore Valley, USA ($65) Wines like this one are really improving the reputation of the Livermore Valley.

Vasco Urbano Wine Company – 2013 Grenache, Norm, Marina Ranch, Livermore Valley, USA ($42) Another excellent Livermore winery, part of the Nottingham Cellars group which I enjoyed at the Family Winemakers event awhile back.

LANGETWINS Winery – 2011 Premium Bordeaux Blend, Midnight Reserve, Lodi, USA ($30) I normally think of Zinfandel when I think of Lodi, but this blend of Cabernet, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Merlot was excellent.

Cameron Hughes – 2012 Red Blend, Lot 447, Lake County, USA ($13) Negociant Cameron Hughes has a reputation for releasing tasty wines at good prices, but this blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Syrah is an absolute steal.

Canihan Family Cellars – 2011 Syrah, Exuberance, Canihan Estate Vineyard, Sonoma County, USA ($49) This cool climate Syrah was the star of the tasting for me. A great example of what a Syrah is supposed to taste like.

Even though we were there primarily to report on the wine, we couldn’t leave without trying at least one spirit, the baijiu from Shui Jing Fang, a clear spirit from China. We enjoyed both the taste and the 600+ year history of the distillery.

Thanks to Ocean Prime for hosting and providing the noshes of tuna tartar, shrimp cocktail and braised short ribs.

You can check out all the winners on the website. The big takeaway for me, in spite of my favorite wine being from Sonoma, was the number of winners from less recognized areas like Livermore and, of all places, Agoura Hills. Time to get out of your comfort zone and explore.

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