Vintage Eve Circa 8/2018: What Did We Love the Most at Live and Dine LA?

February 16, 2021 by evebushman

Angeleno‘s annual Live & Dine LA event honors the city’s most distinguished chefs and restaurateurs that continue to shape and evolve L.A.’s culinary scene. Guests will be treated to exclusive culinary demonstrations prepared by award-winning chefs, which will be paired with delicious wines and artisanal cocktails. This evening of culinary indulgences and refreshing libations is sure to make for a memorable date night, with its luxury lounges and unique tasting experiences under the stars and the Fairmont’s iconic (and romantic) fig tree.

Count me in! The last time I covered an event at the Fairmont Miramar – on Wilshire Blvd. just a block from the beach – was a Union des Grands Crus (UGC) Bordeaux Tasting in one of the large convention rooms. This time, as promised, we were outdoors under their enormous fig tree. Being outdoors was fine with me, as long as it was away from the street that, if you’ve been reading the news, is littered with abandoned electric scooters, the latest “craze” that may be dismantled by the time this article runs.

But lets move on, sorry about that, my attention had definitely been happily taken over by all of the restaurants, wineries and spirit companies – no scooters needed. (Read on or skip to the photos here.)

The crowd of smart couples and singles meandered from one welcoming table to another. My favorites of the tables (I couldn’t do it all!) started with

Menhir Salento Winery represented by Gaetano Marangelli, where I tasted Italian wines from Puglia. Between the Pass-O white blend to the Primitivo – I was enchanted. I hope to go through a tasting of their complete line up soon!

From there I inhaled: the Crab Guacamole with shaved Truffle from The Nixon in Whittier, Garlic Crostini from HomeCooked, the incredible Burrata cheese from di Stefana, a refreshing Lillet-based (a white Bordeaux wine made with quinine and citrus) cocktail made simply with tonic, Chick Souvlaki from Cleo, Roasted Peppers from FIG, Provence’s Domaine de Cala Rose wine, Ocean Prime Watermelon Salad, looooved the Mongibello blood orange juice with Tito’s vodka, and Deviled Green Eggs and Ham from Boa Steakhouse stole the show until I had a Deviled Egg from Yardbird that was equally yum-worthy.

Moving to the other side of the fig tree my taste buds were further delighted with wheat-based Carbonadi Vodka from Italy, AN Catering Garlic Noodles, a carved tri-tip sandwich from Grand Food and Beverage, really tasty cocktails from Gratitude, and Viva Tequila 32 Reposado in my favorite cocktail of the day made with Grapefruit and lime juices, agave, orange bitters and Aperol!

Still not done I munched on a heavenly slice of Grilled Cheese with Summer Truffle from Salt in Marina Del Rey (well worth a short wait in line), killer Reposado cocktails from Gracias Madre in West Hollywood and more lovely Burrata from Mozza. Of final note guests really appreciated the two open lounge spaces that served delicious Brugal Rum from the Dominican Republic and chilly gin cocktails from Sipsmith.

Restaurants and Beverage Companies

Sponsors

Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Hornburg Jaguar Land Rover Santa Monica, CBS 2, KCAL 9, Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West, and nonprofit partner City of Hope.

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.

Vintage Eve Circa 1/2017: Revisiting Law Estate Wines

December 31, 2019 by evebushman

Back in 2014 I traveled to Paso Robles and visited Law Estate Winery. Loved everything they had to offer and was overdue for a revisit when an invite from my #LAWineWriters group appeared. This was from my last taste:

From Law Estate’s Facebook page. (When I was there for my tasting we sat on the couch opposite the fireplace. Way overdue to return.)

“2010 was the first Law Estate Wines vintage after owners Don and Susie Law met with winemaker Scott Hawley. The Laws learned what works with limestone soil from Hawley and believe that their wines offer fresh acidity.

Hawley became the winemaker in 2008 full time and continues to produce his own label as well. They tend to focus on Rhone style reds, promising that whites will be next. They currently have 54 acres, including Carignan and Tempranillo now in ground but not in wines yet. Hawley picks based on the maturity of the grapes and not the brix levels.” Read more.

This time around we met at Café Del Rey in Marina Del Rey where Chef David Vilchez had created the perfect pairing menu for four different wines:

Roasted Fennel Flat Bread with sun dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, dried cranberries and Manchego cheese – for the Grenache; Herb Crust N.Z. Lamb Loin in a prune and porcini sauce – for the GSM; Grilled Octopus with vanilla forbidden rice, blackberry, squid ink yogurt and black radish – with the Mourvedre and Petit Verdot/Coffee Spiced Filet en Croute – with First Tracks.

As is my custom, I did my review of the wines without food first. Then, once I was done, I dove in to the delectable dishes. Each dish had a unique twist to them that made them really pop for me with the wines: the fennel and cranberries in the flat bread, the prunes with the lamb, the vanilla forbidden rice for the octopus and the coffee in the filet.

Too busy to read further? Here’s a quick slideshow you can view to see all of the wines and dishes.

Tasting Notes, Aroma and Flavor separated by ;

The Nines 2012

100% Grenache

Noting the browner color first, as it was different from all the other wines to be tasted, and different for a Grenache, I dove in to what would soon turn out to be my favorite wine in the tasting. Luxardo cherry, fig, anise, red rose and black licorice were lovely to find on the nose; with balanced flavors of both spice and red to black fruit. This wine had aged gracefully in my opinion. 95 Eve pts.

Sagacious 2013

37% Grenache, 34% Mourvèdre, 29% Syrah

Aromas of blueberry, blackberry, dark plum, white pepper and a hint of a gamey quality; then came a mouthful of bright fruit, as well as the same blue to black fruit, a tarty note and a general lighter feel than some heavier GSMs. 92 Eve pts.

Prima 2013

100% Mourvèdre

Luscious sweet prunes, black olive, spice, dark chocolate and perfumy; the same sweet prunes came through in the mouth, as well as cherry and spice, all in a nice harmonic balance. 92 Eve pts.

First Tracks 2013

40% Petit Verdot, 32% Syrah, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon

Blackest fruit to come out yet in today’s tasting, as well as cloves, green peppercorn – and huge; the mouth was no different with amazing black fruit and bold tannins. 94 Eve pts.

More to Learn in Today’s Tasting

From our winery hosts this time I learned that the wines are made from all LAW Estate owned vineyards, the grapes are all hand picked and hand sorted – and was also told that there are few wineries in Paso Robles doing this. Dan Law, being a geologist, dug 42 soil pits in this prized Adelaida AVA. The grapes benefit from a Mediterranean climate, which can be much cooler than other parts of Paso.

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.

Wine Tasting US Open Championship Announces 2018 Team USA

September 13, 2018 by evebushman

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.,- PRNewswire – Wine tasting enthusiasts from around the state competed in the US Open Blind Wine Tasting Competition to become Team USA at the upcoming World Wine Tasting Championship being held on October 13, 2018 in Chateau Saint-Pierre de Serjac, Languedoc, France.

On August 11, 2018, 8 teams of 2 converged at the Marina Del Rey Hotel in Los Angeles, CA in hopes of taking home the championship. Each team blind tasted 6 white and 6 red wines from around the world gaining points by identifying its primary grape, country & region of origin, vintage, and producer. In the end two teams emerged as the victors and will be heading to France as Team USA in October.

The winners of the US Open Blind Wine Tasting competition:
1^st place:	Kristin Shubert and Lisa Stoll achieving an impressive 124 points.
2^nd place:	Gina Cook and Christine Tanaka took second with a strong 91 points.

These two teams will now form the first ever all female Team USA Wine.

Presented by Wine Acuity, LLC, the Wine Tasting US Open offers wine experts and enthusiasts a chance to compete for the opportunity to represent the US in the World Wine Tasting Competition. Winning this competition isn’t easy. Two of the more challenging wines in the competition confounded all teams for a grand total of zero points scored.

Wine Acuity CEO, John Vilja, says “Kristen and Lisa, did a remarkable job. A score of 124 points would have put them in top ranks at the World Championship. In fact, they would have been the champions in 2017 with that score.” Mr. Vilja continues, “They not only identified seven varietals properly, they also named one of the producers correctly, something that is nearly impossible to do.” Mr. Vilja believes the combined skills of the two teams makes them world class competitors and looks forward to seeing them compete, and hopefully take home the victory, at the world championship.

For information on the Wine Tasting U.S. Open and the World Wine Tasting Championship visit: https://wineacuity.com

About Wine Acuity

Formed in 2018 to organize the U.S. Open Wine Tasting Championship and determine the members of Team USA to compete in the World Wine Tasting Championships. Our goal is to promote blind wine tasting in the United States.

Georgos Nu-Greek Wines Paired at Cafe Del Rey

February 23, 2018 by evebushman

During a wonderfully paired four-course luncheon at Cafe Del Rey in Marina Del Rey, with wines from Georgos Nu-Greek Wines, we sampled the wines listed below. But before we got started we (the “we” being the #LaWineWriters group run by fellow writer Cori Solomon) reviewed the tech sheets in front of us.

About Georgos Nu-Greek Wines

Georgós (Zanganas) believes that the wines represent not only super-premium quality and flavor profiles at a value, but also a healthful choice in wine, which he calls “nu.”… wines are blended, finished and bottled at Deerfield Ranch Winery in Kenwood, Sonoma Valley…And for Georgós, the “nu” extends across the winemaking process. He explains: “We hand-pick and triple hand-sort all of our grapes to remove anything foreign—bad grapes, stems, foreign objects—’everything but the grapes.’ In the end, we only have the best quality grapes…

Robert Rex, the winemaker for Deerfield in Sonoma, is in partnership with Georgos to make the wines in Sonoma, some with 100% juice from Greece, and some blended with Sonoma grown varietals.

I had figured that it would be nearly impossible to graft the Greek varietals to our vines successfully as our terroir is completely different, for one in Greece the vineyards are completely dry farmed. I have had plenty of wines made from imported juice as well, and most if not all have been very good, so with that said, I was looking forward to the tasting.

The Wines and Menu (my tasting notes, starting with EB, follow theirs)

The wines combine “unforgettable names of the Greek island with mythology.”

Santorini, “Sophia’s Smile”: a 2016 Assyrtiko similar to a dry, crisp Sauvignon Blanc that has citrus aromas with a rich, earthy mineral character, and the acidity to stand up to meat and seafood with notes of lemon and apple. Unoaked. EB: Pale gold to hay in color, aromas of lemon-lime, pear, white peach and wet stones. On the mouth there was that lemon again, pear, mild acidity and a nice light finish. This was served with a Caesar Flat Bread that refreshed the palate and did something amazing to the wine.

Ios, “Aphrodite’s Kiss”: a 2016 Dry Rosé of Agiorgitiko (until recently the most commonly cultivated grape in Greece) that has all of the flavor of a Pinot Noir with the crispness of a Sauvignon Blanc. Fermented with skins on for 16 hours, it contains hints of apple and peach. Unoaked. EB: The color of a dark peach with aromas of rose petal and earth, followed by flavors of pink grapefruit, tart peaches, lemon and ash. This was our aperitif wine! Worked well!

Mykonos, “Wine of Hercules”: a 2013 vintage Agiorgitiko in the Pinot Noir style that is both light and delicate yet flavor-forward in a Burgundy tradition, with a nose of strawberry patch, a touch of allspice, pepper and sandalwood. Earthy flavors include maitake with a pleasant and multi-layered finish offering faint notes of licorice. EB: Very dark red with a brown edge, indicative of a heavier style wine other than a Pinot, and/or an aged wine. This means nothing compared to aroma and flavor, just an observation. But, then again, maybe it did matter as I got aromas of ripe black cherry, dark chocolate, dust and earth. But what fun I had when I tasted it and got that tart red cherry, raisin and a very dry finish. So the aromas spelled something else to me, but the taste was more Pinot Noir-like. We had this with an amazing dish of Seared Scallop, with tomato aguadulce, and butternut squash!

Ithaka, “Penelope’s Spell”: a 2014 blend of California Cabernet and Old World grapes that is dry and big, yet gentle for a Cabernet. It’s perfectly balanced and delicious. The nose is a true Cabernet, offering bits of leather, currants, and blackberries. EB: The label reads Cab and nothing else so that tells me it’s at least 75% Cab. The color was a deep red, aromas of crushed blueberry, stems, chocolate covered cherries and a bit of mushroom. On the palate I noted big red to black fruit, firm tannins and a long finish. This was served alongside lovely NZ Lamb Lollies with polenta, Brussels sprouts and coffee currant sauce.

Corfu, “Siren’s Lure”: Georgós third vintage, 2014 Cabernet blend aged a year in the barrel, where Cabernet Sauvignon forms the base, Cabernet Franc gives lift, Malbec adds allure, and Merlot adds enchantment. EB: This would prove to be my favorite wine of the tasting. The label didn’t give the percentage of Greek juice in this wine. A deep purple in color, and a nose of a Bordeaux blend with notes of blueberry, blackberry, violets and bark. It had a nice mouth coating viscosity, with that same blue and black fruit, medium acid and extremely well balanced. The prices for these wines were $18 to $35 I guessed this one to be the $35 bottle, if not, it should be. With the pairing, mouthwatering Kobe Bolognese with tomato, onion and penne, a sweetness to the wine came forward.

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. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

WineLA presents LODI in Los Angeles

February 11, 2018 by evebushman

Marina del Rey, Calif. – WineLA and Marina City Club join together to host Lodi in Los Angeles on February 21, 2018. With approximately 20 wineries set to participate in the festivities, WineLA & Marina City Club will expect to welcome hundreds of wine enthusiasts in a celebration of Lodi Wine Country.

LODI_wineLA+Banner Did you know that Lodi has been producing wine for more than 150 years? Its growers are the most prolific producers of Chard, Cab, Merlot, Zinfandel and Viognier. Ian Blackburn says, “Wine quality is at all-time high, and no one delivers more quality at a reasonable price-point than Lodi.” Come and see for yourself just why Lodi is gaining so many wine fans!

Among the elite list of wineries showcasing their most popular pours are Viaggio, Scotto’s Wine & Cider, Van Ruiten, Heritage Oak, M2, Prie, Riaza, Ironstone, Klinker Brick, Langetwins, Bokisch, Uvaggio, Michael David, OF Oak Farm, Oakridge, Paskett, St. Amant, and more. In addition to the wineries confirmed to attend, tickets will include a wide variety of wines to taste and a large assortment of food pairings.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. with a VIP hour including a dinner buffet and older-vintage wines. Vip ticket prices are $95 with advanced purchase and $125 at the door. Regular admission begins at 7 p.m, tickets are $59 with advance purchase and $79 at the door but sell out is anticipated. Event includes a chance to meet with all the producers, heavy appetizers, music, unlimited wine tasting, and a wonderful audience! Come alone or come with your tasting group… WineLA welcomes wine fans of all wine experience levels.

For more information about Lodi – visit http://www.lodiwine.com/ .
For event information or to purchase tickets – visit http://www.winela.com/lodiinla or call 310-451-7600. Marina City Club is located at 4333 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey, CA 90292]. This event ends at 9pm.

About Lodi Wine Country

Located between the San Francisco Bay and the Sierra Nevada Mountains lies Lodi Wine Country, a region quickly emerging as one of California’s most exciting wine destinations. Over the past decade, 4th- and 5th-generation winegrowers dedicated to the soils and vines have brought creative winemaking and cutting-edge technology to the region, catapulting Lodi into the spotlight.

About wineLA

wineLA is about enhancing the wine culture of Los Angeles. We are a part of the LA lifestyle, the wine lifestyle, and celebrate the people, the place, and the passion. WineLA hosts significant events, occasional classes, and tastings of merit. This is phase two of what we started 20 years ago at LearnAboutWine.com – America’s first wine education website and first in wine event creation.

www.WineLA.com

The All-Events Column

February 9, 2018 by evebushman

I used to do a round up of upcoming events, ones that I’ve been to and some that were new to me, nearly every year. Not sure why I stopped but, honestly, my wine world has grown so much – with more events than even I can ever go to – I think I just got busy! Let’s rectify that today. These are events coming up that you may just want your own “taste” of:

better horizonal view newhall refinery valentine

“The Cellar” is transformed into this romantic setting for Newhall Refinery’s Valentine’s Day Dinner.

Valentine’s Day Dinner at Newhall Refinery 2/14: Once again Chef Dustin Boole is creating a 4 Course dinner, accompanied by a Beer or Wine Flight, Candlelight, Live Music, and Complimentary Valet. $195 Per Couple. Menu and wines can be seen here in the discussion portion of the event page on Facebook. This is their third year I believe and our favorite.

Lodi in Los Angeles in Marina Del Rey 2/21: wineLA has teamed up with LoCA – The Wines of Lodi, California to showcase some of the best wines, wineries, and winegrowers of Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s 2015 Wine Region of the Year. Held at the Marina City Club in Marina del Rey, this event will feature a wide variety of wines to taste, and a large assortment of foods to pair with! See many more events and classes on their website here: http://www.winela.com/

World of Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara March 2-3: The annual World of Pinot Noir event gathers the planet’s foremost Pinot Noir wineries and winemakers, renowned chefs, sommeliers and leading wine scholars in a weekend-long seaside celebration of this delicious and storied wine.

Family Winemakers in Pasadena March 17: The Saturday tasting is a one day event of award-winning small, family-owned wineries that create wines from many of the state’s fabled wine growing regions. Imagine the opportunity to taste over 500 wines offered by over 125 wineries. You’ll find upwards of 40 different varietals or blends from 60 of California’s famed appellations. If you can’t get to the wine country let them come to you! Whether you’re adding to your wine list, retail shelves or your private cellar, this is an opportunity to Taste California!

Vintage Paso March 16-18: Once a year Paso Robles toasts our heritage variety, Zinfandel. The 3-day celebration features events at more than 100 wineries, a Zin seminar, and the Z After Party, pairing Zin with dessert and live jazz. For more events in Paso Robles check out: https://pasowine.com/events/

Santa Ynez Winter Pass ends 3/31/18: With the pass, you’ll receive one tasting flight at each of our 15 Association winery tasting rooms for just $45. Your pass will expire when all 15 tastings have been used, or on March 31, 2018, whichever occurs first. Reservations are not required and passes are valid every day except February 16-19, 2018. (This pass has been extended, as the 101 is now open + more events in Santa Ynez area wineries can be found here)

Universal Whisky Experience April 4-7 at Wynn Las Vegas: The Nth 2018 will be a spectacular whisky master event, showcasing the best whiskies and brands in the world. This affair is a singular opportunity for serious whisky aficionados to come together to taste, savour, discuss and learn more about fine rare whiskies in the lavish, opulent atmosphere of the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. During this 4-day destination event in exciting and entertaining Las Vegas, you’ll indulge in exceptional whisky tasting opportunities, mingle with master distillers and blenders, and take pleasure in epicurean delights.

The Wine Affair Sip, Stroll and Savor the Sounds April 15 at Westfield Valencia Mall: This event benefits the work from our local Soroptimists of Greater Santa Clarita Valley, aka SIGSCV. Stay tuned to their website for updates.

Hospice Du Rhone in Paso Robles 4/26-28: Three days in the late spring have been reserved for an exclusive weekend surrounding all things Rhône. A palate provoking weekend embracing the enchantment, history and tastes of the twenty-two Rhône varieties. Throughout the weekend, tip your glass with international Rhône wine producers, journey through the largest collection of Rhône variety wines on the planet and savor exceptional Rhône cuisine all while taking in the inspiring and spirited Rhône community.

Wine Under the Stars is slated for 5/17 and brought to you once again by Yours Truly and the Wish Education Foundation: Welcome to “Wine on the Roof,” which will be held atop the new Laemmle Theatre parking garage now under construction at the corner of Lyons Avenue and Main Street in Old Town Newhall. The city has guaranteed that we will be the first group to host an event in what will be a very popular space…Read on for more of our latest out of the box idea:

Eve has secured Steve Lemley as our co-host for this unique never-before-seen event. Lemley is a well-respected SCV winemaker that co-owns the SCV Custom Crush Services. Lemley will curate our wines from his local facility that houses over twenty different wineries – most if not all will be making their debut that evening – and we will have a winemaker at each table to allow for interesting and knowledgeable discourse. Local restaurants are providing the incredible, multi course meal that will be paired exclusively for you.

Wine in the Pines in Pine Mountain 6/9: The Village of Pine Mountain Club has hosted wine festivals in June of each year beginning in 2003, and this year is no exception. Mark your calendars for the second Saturday of June each year for Wine in the Pines in Pine Mountain Village. From 1pm to 4 pm (with VIP entry starting at noon), you’ll be able to taste exciting wines from throughout California’s top wine-growing regions, with dozens of premier wineries to choose from. If you need a break from fine wines, there will be many craft breweries to choose from. And then there’s the food: some of Kern County’s, Santa Clarita Valley’s, and our own local (Pine Mountain) favorite restaurants will be on hand to serve you everything from classic European finger food and gourmet pizza to good-ole western barbeque. There’s nothing like pine-scented air and the shade of tall pines to complement the taste of good wine and equally good food, unless it’s live music—loud enough to set the mood, but smooth enough not to ruin it. Wine-themed art will also be on display to round out the afternoon.

Wines Around the World wine tasting dinners at Newhall Refinery is ongoing.

Quick links from the Dear Wine Friend e-newsletter: World of Pinot Noir 3/2-3, Family Winemakers 3/17, Vintage Paso 3/16-18, Santa Ynez Winter Pass ends 3/31/18 (Pass has been extended, 101 now open + more events in Santa Ynez area wineries can be found here), the Universal Whisky Experience 4/4-7, The Wine Affair 4/15, Hospice Du Rhone 4/26-28. Ongoing: Bev Mo on the Old Road Friday 4-7pm tastings, Events locally at Reyes Winery, Wine House events in WLA, LA Wine Tasting, Monopole Wine events in Pasadena and Eve does Wine Themed Parties.

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. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Tasting the Hard To Find: TOP Winery

November 3, 2017 by evebushman

Wasn’t sure if there really was a TOP Winery in Paso Robles as when I first heard about a luncheon with TOP my Google search came up with, you guessed it, pages of top wineries in Paso. I voiced my concern, and demanded more info…

That’s when I learned from fellow wine writer Don Sunderling that Top Winery just got some nice reviews from Jeb Dunnuck, their second release reportedly sold out in 24 hours, and production had only been about 200 or so cases. There was certainly a buzz now.

Come to find out, when I joined a few others in the #LAWineWriters group for a wine paired luncheon at Marina Del Rey’s Café Del Rey, that Top Winery is most definitely on social media: @TopWinery on Facebook, @TopWinery on Instagram and http://www.topwinery.com on the Internet. And they deserved to be considered a top winery too.

Here’s why YOU want to find them, aka my tasting notes

2015 “Poise” Roussanne, Adelaida District

100% Roussane, 30% new French Oak

Aromas of pineapple, dried apricot, peach, pear and wet stones were followed by flavors of a fresh fruit cocktail, with a low acid and a nice balance. Very drinkable and a fine first for the winery.

2014 “Precession” Grenache, Willow Creek District

100% Grenache, 25% new French Oak

Lovely Luxardo cherry, plum, fig and a bit of dust – think of it as tasting age – all on the nose. In the mouth I got notes of bright cherry to dark cherry, black plum, jam, black pepper and a nice dryness. This was one that Café Del Rey General Manager Brian Cousins said of the pairing with Pork Loin: that the two were “singing to each other.”

2014 “Lever” Mourvedre (This was a surprise addition, so I only had a chance to make some brief tasting notes.)

100% Mourvedre

I noted dark berry, green peppercorn, soft and velvety aromas followed by big, dark and spicy flavors.

2014 “Exert” Syrah, Willow Creek District

Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre

50% new French Oak

Aromas of black fruit, black pepper and cinnamon were most welcoming. On the palate I got a mouthful of dark and brooding fruit, black pepper, that cinnamon again, tannic and a very long finish. I purchased three of these from the Martinez cellar as this wine, like most of the others we tasted, had already sold out. Better stay tuned to the next releases…

Lunch

Once again Café Del Rey impressed the entire group with their inspired dishes. The first course was Salt Spring Mussels in a smoked potato fennel broth paired with the freshness of the Roussanne. Our number two was a Tri-Peppered Pork Loin and a roasted winter squash with raisins, nuts and cous cous. For that dish we had the Grenache, see above where I noted what restaurant owner Brian Cousins loved about that pairing! For our third course we feasted on Grilled Venison Loin, a sundried tomato risotto with a cognac mushroom sauce; we had that delicious dish with the Syrah I bought. After this second meat I told Cousins that both the pork and venison were outstanding cuts. Our final course was a nice palate cleanser of fruit sorbets. They were perfect but I have to admit, I let them sit a bit while I revisited each and every TOP wine.

More About TOP Winery

Husband and wife, Stanley and Elena Martinez, met in high school, pursued their college degrees, then married, made a home for themselves in Sherman Oaks – and were bitten by the wine bug. Their first vintage was 2014.

Using fruit primarily from West Paso as that is where Elena proclaimed is where “our heart and our future is” they crafted their first white wine.

Currently they are busy with the “long growing year” and are still in harvest for what will be the 2017 vintage, which promises to provide over 1,000 cases.

Also, according to Sunderling, Stanley has been mentored by Nick Elliott of Nicora Wines.

Why the “TOP” branding? No, not to be seen as the top but because, as Elena eloquently states, because the spinning top “tries to maintain balance…and wine gives us that balance.”

Stanley, credited for cooking Elena’s food, is also credited for “making my wine.” A nice pairing indeed.

https://www.topwinery.com/

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. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com