Perlises Pick: Great Wines of Italy 2017 – Part One

April 1, 2017 by Michael Perlis

Yes, you read that title correctly.

My wife Karen helps a great deal with my articles, usually behind the scenes. She attends tastings with me as often as her busy schedule permits. She reviews all my stories and gives me her two cents [more like $100] worth on a regular basis; my writing would suffer greatly without her input.

Can you find the Perlises in this pic? Photo- James Suckling Facebook.

For quite some time, I’ve been encouraging her to actually share some writing duties with me, and she finally said “yes”! So, I present to you the first truly co-written effort of “Perlises Pick.”

JAMESSUCKLING.COM Great Wines of Italy is an annual tasting with this year’s US portion of the world tour visiting Miami, New York and San Francisco in addition to the event we attended at The Montage in Beverly Hills. As with the previous event of Mr. Suckling’s that we attended [Great Wines of the Andes], wines poured were only those that he had personally tasted and rated 90 points or better. So high quality was practically guaranteed that evening, needless to say.

So was quantity — with over 70 wineries represented and most pouring two wines apiece, it was hard to make more than a dent, but of those we tasted, here are some of our favorites. Please note that the comments in quotes are Mr. Suckling’s [some abbreviated] from the 200 page program, along with his point score. Lazy reporting, perhaps, but I saw no reason to reinvent what Mr. Suckling does so well.

First though, from Karen: It would be wrong not to mention that The Montage set out a beautiful and large spread. I was especially impressed by the hand shaved Prosciutto. Michael and I also enjoyed the pate, grilled vegetables and many of the cheeses. We didn’t taste all the cheeses, there were really too many to choose from. On the other side of the buffet line, there was a pasta bar with three different pasta shapes accompanied by sauces which were equally delicious. Two chefs were cooking the sauces up fresh right in front of the patrons.

Karen’s top picks…

Bellavista –

Bellavista Franciacorta Alma Gran Cuvėe Brut NV

“Pretty aromas of bread dough, lemon and cooked apple. Fresh. Medium to full body, tangy acidity and a fruity finish. Always an outstanding sparkling wine. Drink now. 91 Pts.”

KP: As my palate evolves as I get older, I find that white wines are tickling my fancy now. I really enjoyed the brightness of this wine.

Parusso –

Parusso Vino Spumante di Qualita Metodo Classico Brut 2012

“A beautiful, delicate and flavorful rosé with strawberry and lemon character. Medium-bodied, dense and flavorful. Pure nebbiolo. Drink now. 91 Pts.”

KP: This was my favorite of the evening. I could have finished the whole bottle. The fact that it was nebbiolo blew me away. It had a finesse about it and I was admittedly taken by surprise.

Prà –

Pra Soave Classico Montegrande 2015

“A steely and bright white with sliced apple, lemon and stone character. Hints of free herb. Medium body, tight and dense with lovely fruit. Crisp and lively. Drink now. 92 Pts.”

KP: I enjoyed this one as it was clean and fresh. It perked up my taste buds for the rest of the evening.

My top pick was…

Poggio la Noce –

Poggio la Noce Gigio 2013

“A fine and silky red with chocolate, bark and blueberry aromas and flavors. Medium body, dense center palate and a long and flavorful finish. A fascinating blend of sangiovese and a splash of teroldego from hillside vineyards above Florence. Drink in 2018. 92 Pts.”

Poggio la Noce Gigetto 2014

“A red with beautiful purity and stature. Currant, blackberry and walnut aromas and flavors. Full and silky. Very intense and structured. Better in 2020 but so exciting to taste for the vintage. 93 Pts.”

MP: I found both offerings from this tiny winery to be so exciting and complex. Great flavors and amazing finishes. I was tempted to stay at this table for the rest of the evening.

Next week I’ll list the rest of our favorites from the evening.

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.

Vintage Eve: The 15 Most Influential Wine Men in My Life – 2011 Edition Part Two

August 23, 2016 by evebushman

Last week I gave readers the first half of my list of men that have been intrinsic in furthering my wine education, numbers1-8 out of 15. I had to break the list in two, as, these men, as you can guess, had many accolades I didn’t want to abbreviate. Here is part two, beginning with #9:

Perlis, Hasper, Lemley

Jeff Jacobson grew up with amazing Bordeaux and Burgundy wines and began to enjoy the more “affordable” wines from California and other countries, beginning in the 1960s. He and his wife Joan have always been community minded: donating and pouring their wines at the SCV Wine Classic’s library wine tables, staging the first wine-tasting fundraiser COC Library, an then as wine chair for the COC Wine Classic (Which is where I first met Jeff!) benefiting the COC’s Youth Orchestra Foundation. Last year I asked Jeff to assist the Circle of Hope, and we immediately renamed and advertised the event as the new Vine 2 Wine Classic, and grew the event into something incredible.

My “Guru”, as I’ve always called him, Guy Lelarge, will be celebrating 10 years of business at the Valencia Wine Company this September. Guy remembers me from day one and has not only enjoyed watching (and poking fun!) at my wine journey, but has done more than his fair share of contributing to it with tastings, dinners and classes. He has been another great go-to person when I have a question and I’ve also enjoyed dining and drinking with him yearly just to chat. He’s been a frequent “subject” in my youtubes as well. http://valenciawine.com

Steve Lemley has a passion for wine that led him to start in 1999 as a home winemaker. After many years of perfecting the craft, he met Nate Hasper and Pulchella Winery was born in 2006. The winery is located in Paso Robles and the tasting room is located in Newhall. They focus on producing hand crafted, small lots of single vineyard and complex blends. All of their grapes are sourced from the Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo counties. The Pulchella Winery tasting room is minutes from my house, and I find myself there when new varietals are released, always with bended ear to all I can learn from Steve and his partner Nate. http://www.Pulchella.com

Michael Perlis has been a staff writer, and is now the Contributing Editor for the Eve’s Wine 101 website, since 2009. If it weren’t for Mike, our readers – and me – wouldn’t have learned so much about Paso Robles wines. He provides outsourced controller services to businesses that do not need a full-time controller. He balances this with his interest in wine: reading and writing about it and, of course, drinking it. He is still trying to figure out how to combine these two pursuits. Feel free to contact him about either at mcpfinancial@aol.com or michaelthezinfan@aol.com.

Rusty Dale Sly is a Rocket Scientist, no pun intended. He is a specialist in the Launch Systems and Integration Department for an aerospace company where he is involved with launch interface requirements. Well versed in Chemistry, he enjoys brewing and creating new beer recipes. He also has a passion for fine wines, especially French wines, which he studies and analyzes from a technical approach. Rusty, as a staff writer for Eve’s Wine 101 website since ’09, and in running a monthly wine tasting group called Grape of the Night, continues to keep me informed, and challenged, in the world of wine.

From teaching wine education at College of the Canyons, to being the recent owner of the now shuttered Cellar bar and restaurant, DiMaggio Washington has been intrinsic in instructing me about wine. I’ve sat in on his classes, helped at his harvest and gained my Wine & Spirit Education Trust Level 2 Certification through his instruction. Once, when a winemaker did something I questioned I called DiMaggio for his opinion. He not only set me straight, but drove over to the winery to help them out too.

Before Lee’s Wine Bistro, and before All Corked Up, Lee Yoon was at the center of our growing wine community in Santa Clarita at International Liquors. Over the years many people have benefited from meeting Lee at his different venues. For me, I’ve enjoyed his “blending” behind the bar and his inquisitive questions as to what I think I’m tasting. He has a wealth of knowledge that I continue to marvel at. http://facebook.com/leeswine.bistro

Non-Wine Amendments:

Douglas Stone, through his http://www.ForScotchLovers.com site is teaching me more about Whisky than I ever thought possible: http://westranchbeacon.com/2011/12/eve%E2%80%99s-wine-101-it-has-arrived-my-scotch-explorers-club-first-sample/

And Arthur Przebinda, founder of http://www.RedWineBuzz.com (now links to http://www.CentralCoastWineReport.com) gave me quite the education on Vodka: http://evewine101.com/2011/01/28/arthur-przebinda-redwinebuzz-com-and-me-vodka-wars/

So dear wine friend, who were your wine mentors in 2011? (And yes, I did start doing one on females – but my list was too short. I will work on finding more female wine aficionados in 2012! I guess I really do have a resolution after all.)

Vintage Eve: The 15 Most Influential Wine Men in My Life – 2011 Edition Part One

August 16, 2016 by evebushman

Instead of reflecting on last year’s favorite wines, or making any pesky wine resolutions, this article, one of the first for Beaconeers in 2012 is my 15-member list (alphabetical, and not in order of importance) of men that have contributed to my wine education in 2011.

I prompt you to start working on your own list if you are like me, and continually strive to learn more about that heavenly elixir we call wine. And, feel free to steal my contacts, as most of these wonderful men are on Facebook:

Eve and Ian Blackburn

Ian Blackburn, CSW, JWE – Founder of LearnAboutWine.com, established in 1995. Ian is studying for the Master of Wine and drinks wine for a living. LearnAboutWine focuses on the best quality events and classes, and a wine credential program that has graduated over 300 wine students in the last 3 years with a Junior Wine Executive credential (JWE). In 2011 Ian released his own wine called www.Beekeepercellars.com and in 2012 – WineCloudInc.com – debuts with a online wine store that provides education with your wine purchase. Focused on smaller artisan producers and limited production collectables that put you “in the know.” Ian has invited me to many events as press where I’ve had a great opportunity to: Learn About Wine via http://www.winela.com

Anthony Dias Blue is a James Beard Award-winning wine and food writer, and Editor-In-Chief of The Tasting Panel Magazine. He is also Executive Director of the SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION and the SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION. Not only do I get a monthly dose of news on spirits and wines from Tasting Panel magazine, I’m also lucky enough to be included in several media tastings a year – further educating my palate. http://www.TastingPanelMag.com

The Husband, Eddie Bushman, has tirelessly kept our wine cellar well stocked –the key hidden – and my wine glass full of irreplaceable memories.

Chef Lance Cowart has kindly allowed me to lift any and all recipes he has with wine as an ingredient for my website. His Facebook group, which you can join, is called “Turn Up the Heat – Men That Love To Cook and Women That Love Men That Cook.” Lance says, “I love cooking. I cook all the time when I can. Yes I am that guy. I love to turn up the heat in my kitchen.” https://www.facebook.com/groups/Theat

Tim DeLuca is my oldest wine friend. He works in the TV industry, and one year invited me to an Emmy dinner. Once seated at a large table with people I didn’t know, Tim broke the ice by suggesting I choose the wine for the table. Don’t recall what the wine was, but the table approved my selection, and it was the perfect “ice breaker”. Tim also started giving me Wine Spectator subscriptions maybe 20 years ago. When he used the word “flabby” to describe a wine I scoffed, later, after some time and reading, I learned how to use the word myself.

Dr. Joel Fisher, founder of the LA Wine Fest, and our new SCV Wine Fest, has kept me educated via his events. Fisher draws on decades of knowledge garnered from his many associations: writing for the Culinary Connection of the Chefs de Cuisine Association of California, the Beverly Hills Courier and the Underground Wine Letter; teaching at Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, wine instruction for the Culinary Arts Department of the Art Institute of California, Los Angeles, as a sommelier for the Escoffier Association of Southern California, a member of The Tasting Panel (formerly the Bon Appetit Tasting Panel) and as a Wine Host for CRN’s What’s Cooking Show….just to name a few. http://www.LAWineFest.com

Our latest contributor on the Eve’s Wine 101 site, brought in by Contributing Editor Mike Perlis, Rick Fraga, provides me (and you) a wealth of knowledge: he currently performs wine education, hospitality and sales for Martinelli Winery, writes his blog, and works full time at following his passion for wine. His experience – over the last 20 years – includes working for a number wineries in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. Additionally, after adding educational background in Wine Business, Marketing, Evaluation and Service at Santa Rosa JC, he continues to work with the Wine Studies program at the JC as a guest speaker and a member of the Wine Studies Department Advisory Committee. Read more about Rick on his site, http://www.GatewayToWine.com

“Chef” Mike Fraschilla is noted among friends, family, and acquaintances to be “The Passionate Advocate” for wine, beer, spirits, food, and most matters considered to live La Dolce Vita! Mike has over 20-years experience as collector, caterer, promoter, consultant, educator, and pundit in matters relating to the food & beverage industry. I met Mike via Facebook, and later, in a dark parking lot…to buy from his allocation of Robert Mondavi reserves. And lucky for us, he has become a frequent contributor in my blog. He welcomes questions, comments and critiques and can be reached through email at: askchefmike@hotmail.com

Nearing the end of my column’s normal length, and not wanting to edit out any of the accomplishments of my top 15…tune into the Beacon next Friday for numbers 9 and beyond.

PERLIS PICKS: TURLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON?

December 19, 2015 by Michael Perlis

I think my head may explode…

We all know that Turley Wine Cellars is “all about that Zin”. Okay, and Petite Syrah [spelled Larry’s way] along with a few other varietals. But Cabernet Sauvignon?

Several years ago, when Larry Turley was being interviewed by a major wine publication, he opined that people drink Zinfandel for the taste and they drink Cabernet for the label.

So, a few years ago, when Turley actually did release a Cab, it was called “The Label.” Admittedly, it was very good, but I assumed it was a “one off” or maybe a “two off” and that would be it and my world would not be shaken. But, it wasn’t long before the name “The Label” was dropped and last year Turley released a Turley Wine Cellars Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

What on earth is happening here?

And now with the 2013 vintage, two more Cabernet bottlings have been added to the latest release.

Here, from the Turley website, is information about all three Cabs:

Turley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Napa Valley

Certified organic, Napa Valley single vineyard, pure Cabernet Sauvignon–not something that can be said by many! This wine has ripe, deeply red Napa Cabernet fruit, rounded out by the savory herbs and garrigue that are the marks of our Estate vineyards. Medium-bodied, with great structure and a solid backbone, which will allow it to age for some time (if you must). However, with its inviting texture and supple, well-integrated tannins, the wine is exceedingly approachable in its youth.

Dragon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Howell Mountain

When we first planted the Dragon Vineyard, the fact that Howell Mountain is hallowed ground for Cabernet Sauvignon did not escape us. Thus, though we filled the vast majority of the site with Zinfandel, we also planted a small parcel with Cabernet Sauvignon. At 2200 feet, the mountain looms large in this wine, with a powerful nose of pepper, game, graphite, and a touch of sweet anise seed. These are echoed on the full bodied palate as well, and together with the formidable tannins that are a signature of Howell Mountain, it’s easy to see why this is such a revered site for Cabernet Sauvignon.

Montecillo Vineyard

Sonoma Valley

Old vine Cabernet Sauvignon is extremely rare; old vine dry-farmed mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is dang near nonexistent. Planted at 1800 feet up Moon Mountain in Sonoma in the late 1960’s, the head-trained Montecillo vines are nearly 50 years old, and the wine they produce is downright mystical.

The profound nose pulls you in, with layer upon layer of vivid blue black fruits, India ink, scorched earth and violet perfume. The perfectly proportioned palate balances classic Cabernet Sauvignon structure, mountain tannins, and lush textures, culminating in a lengthy, lingering finish. Montecillo is pure, elegant magic, without any tricks.

My wife Karen and I had occasion to taste these wines and talk with Christina Turley about them.

Christina told us that when the Dragon Vineyard was planted, former Turley winemaker Ehren Jordan convinced Larry 15 years ago that one day one of his daughters might want to make some Cabernet Sauvignon. Ehren was right; one of them does. Actually, she wanted three and that’s what winemaker Tegan Passalacqua has done.

All the wines showed good fruit without any overpowering oak treatments, which is one of my biggest complaints about California Cabernet. “If I wanted to taste wood, I’d eat a tree” or something like that. All drinking nicely now but with structure for aging. Definitely hard to pick a favorite.

Karen preferred the Estate Cab. I was on the fence between the mellowness of the Estate and the spicier Monticello until I tasted the Dragon Vineyard. There’s just something about that mountain fruit that hits my sweet spot, especially with Cabernet Sauvignon.

These wines are definitely not just about the [Turley] label, but are about enjoyment and are definitely worthy additions to the Turley lineup.

Limited release, mailing list only, although the Estate Cab is sometimes available in the tasting rooms.

College of the Canyons Institute for Culinary Education, The “ICUE”, is HERE

April 17, 2015 by evebushman

It’s been a thrilling ride for my VP Michael Perlis and me to play a small role in seeing the ICUE open. From learning about the plan, getting to see the plans, hosting some fundraising and just watching it all come together – I can’t compare it to anything else as nothing this big has happened in our wine community, cooking community and the community at large that will benefit the students that will pass through those fine looking doors!

Photo of the ribbon cutting by Kathy Lockhart.

Last Thursday, on April 16, I went to the ribbon cutting. Lot of pals, and plenty of dignitaries in attendance including Chancellor Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook, Campaign Manager Murray Wood, Campaign Chair Diana Cusumano, Chef Cindy Schwanke, Chef Herve Guillard, Chef Daniel Otto, DiMaggio Washington, Vanessa Wilk, Judy Penman, Russ Briley, Sharon Lindquist, Kris Hough, Alison Needham, Cathy Wohlberg Craig, Jill Friedman, Christine Andrews, Matthew Rungaitis, Jay and Shelly Schutz…and many other friend’s names (including yours truly) were found listed in the program as members of the Culinary Arts Campaign Committee and on plaques adorning the classrooms that designated the donors.

Cusumano, Schwanke and Wood thanked everyone for their dedication to the project, as did Dr. Van Hook, who looked thrilled with the gift of a special red chef’s coat given to her as she left the podium. Vanessa Wilk, on behalf of Senator Sharon Runner, had a special certificate to award to the COC Institute for Culinary Education to congratulate them on their grand opening. Then the current students made their way through our tent to hand us small bread rolls, which we were to “break” as the ribbon was cut.

Into the Classrooms

This state-of-the-art culinary learning center that features a demonstration kitchen, savory kitchen, sweets kitchen, banquet kitchen, chocolate room, wine studies classroom, herb garden, faculty offices, retail shop and much more.

After more photos of the ribbon cutting, and one of the new outdoor pizza oven, I went inside the building for a tour. (Story in photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10205368655323277.1073741910.1455706632&type=1&l=b449307eae) Entering from either side door, the first thing you will see is a large room, a half circle, set up with red-cushioned chairs and dining tables – for our future dining enjoyment. With the wine room on the left, and the sweets on the right, I was torn as where to start. So I went into the closest classroom, the kitchens, then back for the sweets, and finally into the wine room – where I expect to spend some time of my own in the near future. I especially liked that the wine room had a cellar, a dishwasher, sink and a large counter – everything they could need was there! And some of the students’ chairs had been painted with the ICUE logo – perfect!

It’s all shiny, new and state-of-the-art of course. The students and instructors seemed just as thrilled, if not more so, than the guests taking the tour. We sampled salads, cheeses and sweets to our hearts’ content! And soon it will be to everyone’s!

From the College

The College of the Canyons Institute for Culinary Education (iCuE) serves up a modern, efficient, and accessible educational center where aspiring chefs and sommeliers can learn all aspects of culinary arts and wine studies to the highest possible standards.

The 12,200-square-foot building is a state-of-the-art center featuring a 140-seat dining room, demonstration kitchen, savory and sweets kitchens, classroom, chocolate room, wine studies classroom and lab, retail bake shop and instructor office spaces.

Built in a modern architectural style that matches the simplicity of the reflective glass surfaces found on nearby structures, and that echoes the sophistication of fine dining experiences, the building serves as a venue for both academic instruction and community events.

The College of the Canyons Culinary Arts Program is highly regarded and has been in high demand despite its lack of a permanent, dedicated facility. Since its beginning in 2006, the program has been housed in three separate facilities – the college’s cafeteria, a restaurant space at the Valencia Town Center and, most recently, at leased restaurant space in Castaic.

With the new facility, the program has the space to double enrollment, and expand its breadth of programming.

http://www.canyons.edu/Departments/CULARTS/Pages/default.aspx

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 guest judge for the L.A. International Wine Competition. 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

Perlis Picks: Martinelli Winery

December 13, 2014 by Michael Perlis

Martinelli Winery

http://www.martinelliwinery.com/

More than three years ago, my wife Karen and I were having dinner at Marche Bacchus, one of our favorite restaurants in Las Vegas when we made the acquaintance of fellow diner and consummate wine expert Rick Fraga. Since that meeting, we have become good friends and have always marveled at Rick’s wine knowledge and keen palate. And, we are not the only ones who have felt that way, given that he has served many times as a judge for the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. His professional career in the wine industry has taken him to several wineries and he is now wine educator at Martinelli Winery in Sonoma County. We’ve visited the area a few times since we met Rick and felt it was high time we stop in at Martinelli.

Now, the first thing you need to know about Martinelli Winery is to not go into their tasting room and ask for some sparkling apple cider. It is not that Martinelli. [But yes, people do that.]

The second thing you need to know is that this Martinelli family has roots that go very deep in Sonoma County. They’ve grown grapes in the county since 1887, selling the fruits of their labors to select wineries. Even now that they make and sell wine commercially, most of their grapes from their vast array of vineyards are sold off, with only a small portion going into the Martinelli estate wines. And great wines they are, produced in what was previously a hops facility – and no wonder they are great, given the quality of the fruit and that their first winemaker was Helen Turley, with current winemaker Bryan Kvamme carrying on the tradition.

We started by tasting through a selection of Chardonnays and Pinot Noir and then headed into some heavier territory with Syrah:

2009 Bella Vigna Chardonnay

2005 Martinelli Road Chardonnay

2011 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

2012 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

2012 Bondi Home Ranch Pinot Noir

2013 Bondi Home Ranch Pinot Noir

2009 Zio Tony Ranch Syrah

2009 Terra Felice Syrah

The Chardonnays were lush and ripe, with the 2005 showing none of its 9 years of age. The Pinot Noirs were in a rich full-bodied style that I enjoyed, with the Syrahs amping up the richness to another level.

But Rick was just teasing us, because he knew why I was there. The Martinelli Zinfandels are legendary for their amazing fruit and I couldn’t wait to try these:

2011 Vigneto Di Evo

2011 Vellutini Ranch

2007 Jackass Vineyard

All three of these were awesome representations of Zinfandel. The Vellutini Ranch especially blew me away and I felt it was one of the best Zins I have had. The 2007 Jackass showed no evidence of its fruit fading at all with the age on the bottle.

And speaking of age, Rick really treated us when he gave us a taste of the 1993[!] Jackass Hill Vineyard Zinfandel. Planted over 120 years ago, the vineyard got its name because “only a jackass would farm a hill that steep”. Well, jackass farmer or not, this wine was still great and full of fruit after so many years and a great counterpoint to those who say Zins can’t age. Maybe not many of them can, but those that do reward the wine-lover immensely, if you can resist the urge to not drink them up, which I’m not sure if possible [at least not for me].

Perlis Picks: The Scholium Project

December 6, 2014 by Michael Perlis

The Scholium Project

http://scholiumwines.com/

The last time [and first time] I met Abe Schoener and his minions, it was in Los Angeles and he was discussing the great overriding importance of the husbandry of microbes in winemaking and how the microscopic critters at his winery The Scholium Project are essentially left alone to do their own thing. So much emphasis was put on this topic that I half expected, upon actually visiting the winery, to see a vision of Abe, assistant winemaker Alex and pretty-much-handler-of-everything-else Brenna stirring cauldrons of steaming microbes and muttering incantations.

Brenna

Well, for those of you who go in for those sort of things, you’d be disappointed. Part, of me, admittedly, was too. Instead, Abe was out of town, heading back from tending to business at Red Hook Winery [the New York project he is involved with], Alex was unloading grapes, and Brenna was doing everything else, in this case driving a truck to be filled with cases of wine to be delivered.

We got to the winery by heading East from Sonoma, driving past the Napa Valley [I’ve heard there are some good wineries there too], and ending up in a fairly industrial section of Suisan Valley, just as Brenna showed up in the aforementioned truck.

And, unfortunately, we were disappointed again upon entering the winery. No smoldering cauldrons or magical spells, just a small lab and a barrel room of neatly stacked wine barrels. But, ah, those barrels. That’s where the magic happens. There, and in the vineyards, some of them neglected, that Abe so tirelessly searches out.

That day, in spite of it being at the tail end of crazily busy harvest, Brenna hosted my wife Karen and me in the winery, providing us with samples, mostly from barrel, of the results of recent harvests.

We tried the following [from barrel unless noted]

13 Camilla (out of bottle) [Sauvignon Blanc from Farina Vineyards on Sonoma Mountain, 48 cases made]

14 Naucratis [Verdelho from Lost Slough Vineyard]

14 VLV [Verdelho from Bokisch Ranches in Lodi]

14 Unnamed Pinot Gris

14 FTP [Pinot Gris from Kirschenmann Ranch in Lodi. The vineyard in owned by Turley winemaker’s Tegan Passalaqua. The “F” preceding the “TP” indicates Abe’s “intensity of respect and affection” for Tegan.]

14 Sylphs [Chardonnay from the Guman Vineyards in Napa]

13 Sylphs [Chardonnay from the Guman Vineyards in Napa]

14 Prince in His Caves [Sauvignon Blanc from Farina Vineyards]

13 Prince in His Caves (out of bottle) [This probably the wine from Abe that I likely look forward to the most annually. Rich and rewarding, with a finish that I couldn’t quite identify until we finished the bottle at dinner that evening. The butterscotch pudding matched perfectly!]

14 FTPZ [Zinfandel from Tegan’s vineyard.]

12 Wolfskill Cabernet Reserve [from the Wolfskill Vineyard In Suisan Valley]

13 Wolfskill Cabernet

13 1MN (out of bottle) [Cinsault from the Bechtold Ranch in Lodi. I’ve had other Cinsaults from this vineyard, none richer than this one.]

Lots of interesting flavors here. Some recognizable, others not. Some wines still fermenting, you can hear the hiss and taste the slight spritz of the microbes doing their work.

The wines are given names that suit Abe and what he feels about this vineyards – his previous existence teaching classics at St. John’s presumably facilitates this. The wines are not manipulated to taste a certain way; they come out like they are supposed to. Sometimes this takes longer than other times. Occasionally, it doesn’t happen at all, although I expect that is happening less and less often as Abe perfects his craft.

I’ve said this before, but I think it bears repeating — Abe and his team to do not make wine for casual quaffing.

Have them with your meal or by themselves, but pay attention to them. You actually don’t need me to tell you that, as you will have no choice. There is no guarantee you will like them all. But they all make you sit up and take notice. You’ll occasionally find them on restaurant lists, but the best way to locate them is to check out the winery’s website.

The Journey Continues

October 11, 2014 by Michael Perlis

Long ago, even before I had developed an interest in wine, I graduated from CSUN and began my career as an accountant. Stints in public accounting and in private industry as a controller and CFO for various companies eventually led me to the decision in 1993 to start my own company, MCP Financial (A California Corporation).

MCP Financial provides controller services to businesses that do not have a full-time controller, enabling them to have the benefits this positon provides without a full-time addition to their payroll. What this means in practice is very situational, but the ultimate goal is that business owners have accurate and timely financial information to use to help them make appropriate decisions in running their companies.

Early on in my accounting career, I discovered the pleasure of wine and fortunately had a boss who was very much an oenophile. This interest even carried over to a brief period when my wife Karen and I lived in San Antonio, Texas, were we met a wine broker who kept us supplied with all sorts of goodies. When we ultimately moved back to California, I took advantage of that to expand my wine interests.

For a period of time, MCP Financial actually had a physical office, until I decided that I spent so much time out at clients that an office wasn’t necessary.

But the best part about having an office was that it led to me meeting Eve Bushman of Eve’s Wine 101.

Wine deliveries would show up at my office periodically, but as I said, I was rarely there. So, the boxes would often get delivered to my neighbor’s office in the building. One day, she suggested that since I loved wine so much I should really become acquainted with her good friend, Eve Bushman. I had read Eve’s articles in The Signal newspaper, but had actually never met her. The rest, as they say, truly was history, and my first appearance on the Eve’s Wine 101 website appeared in May of 2009:

http://evewine101.com/2009/05/31/post-classic-post-new-correspondent-michael-checks-in-too/

Since then, we’ve reported on a lot of wineries, wines, and wine events. We also found that wineries, wine bars, restaurants and other wine oriented businesses and events could use help promoting (and in some cases operating) their endeavors. Demand soon overcame supply, and we found that we could only take on a limited number of charity events per year on a pro bono basis and would have to charge others for our services. Thus, Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting was born.

Eventually, it became evident the Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting was too limiting of a title, as our services are needed by a wide variety of businesses. While wine is always first in our hearts [and palates] we also want to assist other types of organizations with the same kind of skills we bring to the table for wine-oriented ones. And that includes all the marketing and operational skills that Eve has developed over the years along with the financial aspects that I bring from MCP Financial. Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting lives on in spirit, but Eve Bushman Consulting is for all types of businesses.

Note that this has had no effect on Eve’s Wine 101, which continues to report on wine, wineries and wine oriented events for our faithful readers. And that’s really what it is all about for me. Bringing wine information to you while at the same time increasing the exposure of wineries and businesses is a win for all concerned. That is a service we love to provide. And the transition to Eve Bushman Consulting just continues with that service mentality.

Perlis Picks: Warren’s Blackboard – soon to be The Front Yard

January 25, 2014 by evebushman

Warren’s Blackboard – soon to be The Front Yard

http://www.warrensblackboard.com/

4222 Vineland Avenue, North Hollywood, CA 91602

818-255-7290

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Here in the Santa Clarita Valley, we have a dearth of independent quality restaurants providing fine dining experiences. I’m not saying we don’t have any, as we clearly do and they deserve to be supported. But, definitely not enough choices and sadly, except for a few mainstays, they seem to come and go rapidly.

So, satisfying our culinary needs often takes us out of our little chain-restaurant oriented valley. Unfortunately, this can result in getting stuck in the never ending traffic jam of the Sepulveda Pass to get to the Westside of LA to go to favorites like Waterloo & City, dealing with the crush of getting past the Hollywood Bowl to enjoy trendy places like Ink and Xiomara, or even just facing the stop and go of Ventura Boulevard.

But, here is a great alternative for you.

In North Hollywood, at the Beverly Garland Hotel on Vineland, something very special is going on.

The hotel is undergoing a renovation, and so is its restaurant. During this period, new Executive Chef Warren Schwartz is taking the opportunity to have his restaurant be a work in process as well. With over 20 year of experience and credentials including Westside Tavern, Saddle Peak Lodge, and Patina, Warren refers to the current incarnation of the restaurant as a “food and drink workshop”, essentially a long-term pop-up restaurant a la Ludo Lefebvre, as he experiments with creating what will be the ultimate menu for the restaurant in its final form as The Front Yard in May.

According to Chef Warren: “Warren’s Blackboard is a food workshop where we get to very spontaneously create food, present to our guests and then use their feedback to rework. The thinking is that if we listen to our community, not only will we have a better finished menu when we launch The Front Yard in early summer, but there will be vested interest and a sense of ownership. I think it is a pretty cool thing when I can take all my experience and knowledge and then further refine and focus through our guests’ feedback. All this being said, I think it is a perfect place and time to be doing something like this. My background is classical and I am sustainable and market driven, but I think even more importantly, I am now mature enough that I cook honestly and more focused. In many ways now I cook at the restaurant as if I were at home. I am a native of Los Angeles and was raised in the Valley. I love all cultures and flavors the city has to offer and that influences my cooking. From taco trucks to K Town, it all makes up the culinary fabric of Los Angeles and how I see my culinary world.”

As the place truly is “Warren’s Blackboard” the menu changes daily based on what Warren feels are the best ingredients he has sourced for that day [and maybe what he feels inspired to cook]. Warren is faced with the additional challenge of catering both to tourists staying at the hotel as well as providing cuisine to hold the interest of Los Angeles area foodies who are looking for something a little more challenging. He does this admirably, and at the same time keeps his prices incredibly reasonable. Share plates are provided for those who like to do that sort of thing. On our last visit, Karen and I started with the soup with stone crab and the beef tartare, main courses of ahi and salmon, and finished with a plate of assorted cheeses. I don’t feel teasing you with a bunch of descriptors is necessarily warranted, as the menu changes often enough that these items might not be there next time, but the overriding message I got from everything I tasted was extreme freshness and clarity of flavor. As with wine, one of the most important things to me is that the flavor not only be delicious but true to the ingredients – it should taste like what it is supposed to taste like, and these dishes definitely accomplished that.

Speaking of wine, Warren’s Blackboard has a very well put together list, including a great by-the-glass selection that includes tasty ones such as Daou Cabernet Sauvignon, Qupe Syrah and Justin Sauvignon Blanc. We started our meal with glasses of Hogwash Rose to accompany our perusal of the menus before opening our bottle of Carlisle Zinfandel. [Corkage is $20].

In the interest of fair reporting, my only quibble the evening we visited was the caliber of the wine glasses. They could be categorized as “adequate”, but great food and wine of this quality kind of demand the right stemware to accompany them. I voiced this concern to Warren, and I expect there will ultimately be a change here. I am very excited to see, not only what this change will be, but how the restaurant transforms into its final version. This will of course require multiple visits on our part, but such is the “oh so difficult” job of the wine writer.

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. (2013 Update: Eve and Michael announced Eve Wine 101 Consulting. Info is here: http://evewine101.com/press-releases/) Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com.

Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting News for 2014

January 18, 2014 by evebushman

After formally announcing the collaborative efforts last year of Eve Bushman and Michael Perlis in forming their new company, Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting (EW101C), they have a few announcements for the New Year:

Starting this month, look for Eve’s Consulting Tips via our YouTube channel. These short one to two minute videos, will help you and your staff have fun with social media, learn how to connect on a personal level with your customers, how to build missionaries for your business, learn how to bring people in and bring them back, and more – all to help you increase profitability.

Along with expanding EW101C’s presence in your business these are some of the things they accomplished in 2013:
·      Successfully taught social networking skills to various types of businesses – EW101C is not just for wine or wine-based businesses.
·      Marketed the Vine 2 Wine Classic benefiting the Circle of Hope Foundation, Sierra Pelona Wine Fest, Santa Clarita Wine Fest, Wine Blending classes, holiday tastings and more.
·      Marketed out-of-the-area events and businesses.
·      Instead of quickly running a disaster-prompted event, like our Pour into Haiti, Pour into Sandy and Relief for Japan, we lent our marketing expertise and co-hosted a large wine tasting event that benefited the WiSH Education Foundation and our local school district.
·      Issued Press Releases and wrote client newsletters.
·      Staff training as needed.
·      And…we’ve set goals for 2014: Helping YOU more!

About Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting

http://evewine101.com/press-releases

Eve’s Wine 101 owner Eve Bushman and her associate Michael Perlis announce changes for 2013 to include social networking and marketing for new clients that desire increased productivity under a new arm of the business, aptly titled Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting.

“People have come to us, asking for help, and we’ve had a hard time just selecting which ones we are confident we can make more productive,” Bushman said. “One of our caveats being that we don’t want to bring ‘them’ in unless we know we can get ‘them’ back, ‘them’ being customers. A burgeoning wine bar, a restaurant under new ownership, a winery looking for local representation, training wait staff on wine presentation, a wine festival, are all good fits.”

Perlis added, “After spearheading the Pour Into Sandy fundraiser, the successful New Year’s Eve party at Cheers @ All Corked Up, and working on the inaugural Sierra Pelona Wine Fest we decided the time had come to take the next step.”

By sponsoring events under the Eve’s Wine 101 banner, as well as consulting with wineries, wine bars, restaurants, and other wine-oriented businesses, the two promise to “raise the bar” in providing the best wine-y experiences possible for Santa Clarita residents and beyond.

So now the question to ask yourself, maybe in regards to planning your own event or marketing your venue: Do you have an idea and want to reach out to more customers? Eve’s Wine 101 can be your wine-sounding board. Based on their experience, Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting is equipped to advise you on what will fit and what won’t. From there they will work very hard to promote your event or venue, extracting and promoting what is individual and newsworthy on a regular basis to share via social networking and media outlets. In addition, they will work with you on how you can promote yourself to the SCV wine community.

Being the SCV Wine Conduit opens SCV doors. Bushman and Perlis have a sense of ownership – which no one else has – of the local wine community as they have provided free press and new releases to media contacts for over five years.

Eve’s Wine 101 regular reporting will continue as usual.

You’ll still be able to read about wine related experiences and great wine events, sponsored by Eve’s Wine 101 or not.

Their goals for 2013 give the pair the ability to devote even more time to Eve’s Wine 101 and to keep you informed about all things in the wine world, local and afar.

Contact Eve Bushman at eve@evewine101.com or Michael Perlis at MichaelTheZinFan@aol.com