Eve's Wine 101

South Coast Winery Garners 20 Awards from LA Competition

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TEMECULA, Calif. – South Coast Winery, owned by the Carter family, raised the gold standard at the 83rd anniversary of the Los Angeles International Wine Competition – winning two “Best of Class” gold medals, five other gold medals, eight silver medals and five bronze medals – stellar recognition for 20 of its wines. Sister winery Carter Estate Winery was also awarded three Silver Medals at the competition.

The 2022 Los Angeles International Wine Competition received 1,250 wines to judge, and the entrants showcase their finest domestic and international vintages through this prestigious wine event with judging taking place on March 9 to 10. Competing wines were produced in 19 countries, including: Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain and the United States.

The public will have its first opportunity to taste and learn about the award-winning wines at The Learning Centers at Fairplex, which offers an extensive wine education program at the Los Angeles County Fair being held from May 5 to 30 and attended by approximately 1 million people each year and at CHEERS!, a June fundraising event to benefit the education programs of The Learning Center.

“We are extremely proud to have been recognized by a leading, 83-year-old wine institution, being judged by a team of highly trained wine professionals and compared to so many outstanding domestic and international producers,” said Jeff Carter, president of Carter Hospitality, which owns South Coast Winery and Carter Estate Winery. “And we are pleased the Los Angeles International Wine Competition gives wine enthusiasts the chance to taste winning wines at the famous Los Angeles County Fair and its CHEERS! educational event.”

Following are the 20 South Coast Winery winning wines from the Los Angeles International Wine Competition:

Best of Class Gold Medal: Sparkling, Gewurztraminer, Temecula Valley, 94 points

Best of Class Gold Medal: Port, Black Jack Port, South Coast, 94 points

Gold Medal: Grenache Blanc, Temecula Valley 2020, 93 points

Gold Medal: Sparkling Pinot Grigio, Temecula Valley 2020, 92 points

Gold Medal: Rhone Style Blend, 20th Anniversary, South Coast 2018, 92 points

Gold Medal: Riesling, Temecula Valley 2020, 91 points

Gold Medal: Sangiovese, South Coast 2017, 91 points

Silver Medal: Viognier, Temecula Valley 2019

Silver Medal: Red Blend, Big Red Table, South Coast

Silver Medal: Red Blend, South Coast 2017

Silver Medal: Pinot Blanc, “Sur Lie,” Temecula Valley 2020

Silver Medal: Verdelho, Temecula Valley 2020

Silver Medal: Sparkling Rosé, Vineyard Rose, Temecula Valley 2018

Silver Medal: Red Blend, Meritage South Coast 2017

Silver Medal: Red Blend, Tempranillo, Monastrell, South Coast 2015

Bronze Medal: Sparkling, Spumante Diamante, Temecula Valley

Bronze Medal: Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands 2019

Bronze Medal: Chardonnay, Sans Chene, South Coast 2019

Bronze Medal: Sauvignon Blanc, Musqué Clone, Temecula Valley 2019

Bronze Medal: Gewurztraminer, Temecula Valley 2019

The Carter family’s sister winery, Carter Estate Winery, in Temecula also earned citations for three of its wines at the 2022 Los Angeles International Wine Competition:

Silver Medal: Blanc de Blanc, South Coast 2015

Silver Medal: Blanc de Noir, South Coat 2015

Silver Medal: Brut, South Coast 2015

A list of all winners and additional information is available at https://fairplex.com/competitions/wine-competition.

About South Coast Winery

The only winery among the state’s top wineries to claim the title of California Winery of the Year four times at the California State Fair Wine Competition, South Coast Winery sets the gold standard for excellence amongst California wineries, earning more than 3,000 awards since its inception in 2003. Situated on 63 lush acres, South Coast Winery Resort & Spa offers a breathtaking retreat for wine tours, romantic getaways and group events with 132 rooms and villas, a working winery and tasting room, gift shop, full-service spa and restaurant.

South Coast Winery offers a broad portfolio of 45 wine labels, the majority of which are available for sampling in its main tasting room – from robust reds such as Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Petit Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir to whites including Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Riesling. Also available are sparkling wines, dessert wines and other specialty offerings. The winery employs a staff of skilled winemakers, including master winemaker Jon McPherson and winemaker Javier Flores, both with decades of experience in the wine industry.

For more information, visit www.southcoastwinery.com.

About Carter Hospitality Group

Established in 2011, Carter Hospitality Group, LLC. is a family-owned hospitality company with four hotels and resorts as well as three wineries across the United States. Based in Orange County, California, the company manages and owns a portfolio of luxury properties including South Coast Winery Resort & Spa, Temecula, California; Carter Estate Winery and Resort, Temecula California; and Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa, Texas Hill Country. Carter Hospitality Group additionally serves as the owner-franchisee for Red Lion Hotel Orlando Lake Buena Vista South, Orlando Florida. For more information, visit www.carterhospitality.com.

Arizona Wines Score Big in San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition

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San Francisco, CA. – The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (SFCWC) is one of the world’s most highly publicized and well-respected wine competitions of both local and large-scale wineries. A testament to the quality of wines being grown in the state, several of Arizona’s wineries have been chosen as winners in this year’s SFCWC competition.

Photo from Phoenix.org

Arizona has three wine growing regions (Verde Valley, Willcox and Sonoita/Elgin), all of which are designated American Viticultural Areas. In total, there are more than 120 wineries and tasting rooms, many of which grow varietals native to Italy and Southern France. The following wineries placed in the categories below:

  • Callaghan Vineyards:
    • Red Blend: Grenache leading blend – Up to – $29.99
    • Port – Up to – $32.99
    • White Blends – $28.00 and over
    • Cabernet Franc – $30.00 – $39.99
    • Red Blend: Grenache leading blend – $30.00 and over
    • Red Blend: Petite Sirah leading blend.
  • Copper Horse Vineyard:
    • Cabernet Sauvignon – $35.00 – $38.99
  • Four Tails Vineyard:
    • Cabernet Sauvignon – $35.00 – $38.99
    • Petite Sirah – $28.00 – $34.99
    • Viognier – Up to – $26.99
    • Petit Verdot – Up to – $39.99
    • Tempranillo – Up to – $34.99
    • Dry Rosé/Blush Blend – RS 0
  • Golden Rule Vineyards:
    • Red Blend: Sangiovese leading blend
    • Red Blend: Petite Sirah leading blend
    • Aglianico
    • Mourvedre
  • Heart Wood Cellars:
    • Cabernet Sauvignon – $39.00 – $41.99
    • Red Blend: Syrah leading blend – $36.00 and over
    • Tannat
    • All Other Red Varietals
    • Port – $33.00 and over
    • Red Blend: Petite Sirah leading blend
    • Sangiovese – $35.00 and over
    • Tempranillo – $35 and over
    • Dry Rosé/Blush – RS .1 – .299
    • Mourvedre
    • Petite Sirah – $46.00 and over
    • Pinot Noir – $44.00 – $47.99.
  • High Lonesome Vineyard:
    • Malbec – $37.00 and over
    • Tannat
    • All Other Red Varietals
    • Other White Varietals
  • Javelina Leap Vineyard & Winery:
    • Rosé Sparkling
    • Merlot – $27.00-$30.99
    • Petite Sirah – $35.00-$39.99
    • Petite Sirah – $40.00-$45.99
    • Red Blend: Zinfandel leading blend – $25.00 and over
    • Riesling – Dry <.99 RS
    • Sangiovese – Up to $34.99
    • Sauvignon Blanc/Fume – $20.00-$25.99
    • Syrah/Shiraz – $31.00-$34.99
    • Tempranillo – $35 and over
    • Zinfandel – $42.00-$47.99
    • Barbera – Up to $34.99
    • Cabernet Sauvignon – $35.00 – $38.99
    • Dry Rosé/Blush Blend – RS 0
    • Red Blend: Merlot leading blend – $30.00 and over
    • Zinfandel – $32.00-$34.99
  • Jerome Winery:
    • All Other Red Varietals
  • LDV Winery:
    • Petite Sirah – $46.00 and over
    • Petite Sirah – $40.00-$45.99
  • Mogollon Vineyards:
    • Chardonnay – $23.00 – $25.99
    • Red Blend: Syrah leading blend – Up to – $35.99
    • White Blends – $28.00 and over
    • Grenache – Up to – $34.99.
  • Pillsbury Wine Company:
    • Petite Sirah – $46.00 and over
    • Syrah/Shiraz – $44.00 and over
    • Dry/Sweet Rosé/Blush – RS 1.00 and over
    • Grenache – $35.00 and over
    • Malvasia Bianca
    • Red Blend: Mourvedre leading blend
    • White Blends – $22.00 – $27.99
    • Mourvedre
    • Red Blend: Grenache leading blend – $30.00 and over
    • Red Blend: Syrah leading blend – $36.00 and over
    • White Blends – $28.00 and over
    • White Blends – Up to – $21.99
  • Strive Vineyards:
    • Aglianico
    • Cabernet Franc – $30.00-$39.99
    • Dry Rosé/Blush – RS 0
    • Petite Verdot – Up to $39.99
    • Port – $33.00 and over
  • Sultry Cellars:
    • All Other Red Blends: $35.00 and over
  • Tantrum Wines:
    • Chardonnay – $20.00-$22.99
    • Dry/Sweet Rosé/Blush – RS 1.00 and over
    • Red Blend: Petite Sirah leading blend
    • Pinot Noir – $32.00-$35.99
  • Winery 1912:
    • Grenache – Up to – $34.99
    • Albariño
    • Red Blend: Grenache leading blend – $30.00 and over
    • Verdelho
  • Zarpara:
    • All Other Red Varietals
    • Red Blend: Syrah leading blend – Up to – $35.99.

Congratulations to all the winners of this year’s competition! Find out more about Arizona Wines with Arizona’s Wine Trail Passport.

Carter Creek Winery Racks Up 12 Awards at TXIWC

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JOHNSON CITY, Texas – Carter Creek Winery, located in the heart of Texas Hill Country and owned by the Carter Family, accepted 12 awards at one of the largest wine competitions in Texas – the 5th Annual Texas International Wine Competition (TXIWC). The mission of this yearly competition is to highlight Texas as a prominent viticulture and wine-making region while also raising funds for charitable donations for local community organizations.

Entries from six countries and over 11 U.S. states were blind tasted and judged by panels of three or more industry qualified judges – master sommeliers, masters of wine, certified wine educators, enologists, wine writers, professors, beverage directors, buyers and other influencers – all chosen for their vast experience and well-trained palates.

“We are most pleased that 12 of our Texas High Plains wines from Carter Creek Family Winery won distinguished recognition at TXIWC and especially proud our Plateau Red was awarded Best of Class Texas Red,” said Jeff Carter, president of Carter Hospitality, operating company of Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa. “We too, like the organizers of this competition, are passionate about bringing recognition to Texas viticulture and supporting local community causes,” Carter added.

Veteran master winemaker Jon McPherson, who oversees production of Carter Creek’s award-winning wines, points out the winery’s vineyards in Texas Hill Country produce varietals that are especially unique because of the combination of an extremely warm growing season and an early harvest delivering softer, earth driven wines. McPherson likes to talk about the qualities of Best of Class Texas Red winner, Plateau Red, which is a blend of tempranillo, grenache, touriga nacional and tinta cao, showing a very exotic fruit aroma of spiced black cherries and raspberries. He says that Plateau Red is a rich, full-bodied wine due to 18 months of barrel aging and pleases the palate with bold lingering fruit flavors.

The 12 Carter Creek Winery, Texas High Plains award winners include the Best of Class Texas Red, one double gold, two gold and eight silver medals. Award winning wines include:

  • Best of Class Texas Red Wine Blend: Plateau Red, 2016
  • Double Gold Red Wine Blend: Maverick, 2018
  • Gold Medal White Wine Blend: Gloriosa, 2017
  • Gold Medal Red Wine Blend: Maverick, 2017
  • Silver Medal Sparkling White: Brut, NV
  • Silver Medal Dessert, Port: Dominum Tinto, NV
  • Silver Medal Other Flavored Grape Wine: Sangria, NV
  • Silver Medal Sparkling Fruit: Sparkling Peach, NV
  • Silver Medal Red: Tempranillo, 2016
  • Silver Medal White Blend: Plateau White, 2017
  • Silver Medal White Blend: Viognier Roussanne, 2017
  • Silver Medal White Blend: Viognier Roussanne, 2018

Producing award-winning wines since 2016, Carter Creek Winery’s production facilities are in Johnson City along Old Hwy 290 in Texas Hill Country, complementing Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa. Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa features 78 luxury villas, tasting rooms, a restaurant, its own onsite microbrewery creating small batch craft beers and an outdoor event center. It is a counterpart to Temecula, California’s award-winning South Coast Winery Resort & Spa and Carter Estate Winery and Resort.

 About Carter Hospitality Group

Established in 2011, Carter Hospitality Group, LLC. is a family-owned hospitality company with four hotels and resorts as well as three wineries across the United States. Based in Orange County, California, the company manages and owns a portfolio of luxury properties including South Coast Winery Resort & Spa, Temecula, California; Carter Estate Winery and Resort, Temecula California; and Carter Creek Winery Resort & Spa, Texas Hill Country. Carter Hospitality Group additionally serves as the owner-franchisee for Red Lion Hotel Orlando Lake Buena Vista South, Orlando Florida. For more information, visit www.carterhospitality.com.

Perlises Pick: LAW ESTATE WINES

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The curving drive through the woods on Peachy Canyon Drive only heightens the anticipation of arriving at the gates that provide entry to Law Estate Wines and the experience it and the winery staff provide.

But it wasn’t always this way.

Our first taste of Law Estate was when they were pouring their first vintage at the Ojai Wine Festival in 2013. At that time, Michael wrote: “…speaking of Law Estate (www.lawestatewines.com), their wines really stole the show for me at this event, especially their GSM blend. A new player in Paso Robles, they haven’t even released their wines to the public yet. This is one you might want to get on board with early.”

To give credit where credit is due, it was Karen who had told Michael to be sure to taste the Law wines, especially that GSM blend named Sagacious.

Our next visit to Law was while the winery was still under construction. Sitting with General Manager Oliver Esparham, who we had met at the Ojai festival, we continued to be awed at the quality of the wines produced by such a young winery. Of course, Law’s geologist owners did their homework with site selection for their vineyards [all Law’s wines are Estate designated], a state of the art winery, as well as one of the best winemakers around – Scott Hawley of Torrin.

But those are old stories and visiting Law now is about tasting outstanding wines in a beautiful luxurious setting, whether on the outdoor patio with the gorgeous views or the spacious indoor tasting lounge. Though, all would be for naught were the hosts of your tasting not the best you might encounter anywhere, which they are at Law. Their hospitality is what elevates the tasting into the perfect experience that it is.

During our tasting, we had the great pleasure of meeting with Marketing Manager Jessica Locklin and were also joined by GM Oliver. Scott Hawley has moved on to focus 100% on his own label and former Assistant Winemaker Phillipp Pfunder now has full control of the winemaking process. The wines, if anything, are more delicious than ever.

We started with the 2019 Soph, a white blend of 47% Roussanne, 28% Clairette Blanche and 25% Marsanne with a really bright floral nose. Named after the Laws’ granddaughter [Oliver’s daughter], this is always one of our favorite white wines of the year. We were delighted that there was still some available to purchase as we had just run out at home.

Moving on to the red blends of mostly Rhone varietals, these are as usual stunning and virtually impossible to pick a favorite. Karen has always been especially partial to the one called Sagacious, as mentioned above [Oliver somehow still remembers this].

We tasted through the following reds:

2018 Beguiling – 85% Grenache, 15% Syrah

2018 Sagacious – 35% Grenache, 34% Syrah, 31% Mourvedre

2018 Audacious – 31% Grenache, 26% Carignan, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Syrah

2018 Aspire – 84% Syrah, 16% Grenache

One of the several great things about the Law tasting experience is that the taster is presented with the entire flight at once, with ample opportunity to go back and forth between wines to compare the various flavors. And Jessica, like everyone else at Law, was ever-present to graciously answer questions and provide additional information.

As we were tasting back and forth through the flight, Jessica asked if we had any preferences. Michael’s “I dunno, they’re all so good” was followed by Karen’s “You haven’t tried the Aspire yet.

” Even though Karen loved the nice long finish and big mouthfeel of her usual favorite Sagacious and the dark ripe blackberry notes of the Audacious, she was spot on with the Aspire’s fruit forwardness and violet bouquet. Upon tasting it, Michael immediately agreed with an insightful “damn”.

Much as it is difficult to pick a favorite amongst Law’s wine selection, it is also hard to pick a favorite winery in Paso Robles. There are too many wineries in the area that we love for us to be able to say that there is a #1. But, you would be hard-pressed to find a better winery experience, wines, and people than Law Estate Wines. And now the addition of a guest cottage makes an extended stay possible. Plans are also in the works for an education center.

With all that, you may never want to leave the property on your next visit.

LAW ESTATE WINES

www.lawestatewines.com

3885 Peachy Canyon Road, Paso Robles, CA 93446

Michael and Karen Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.

Eve Reviews The Vice Wine Trio and The Tri Blend

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Received some new-to-me Napa red wines for review, and the accompanying news release below. This “vice” wine sounded fun, as did sampling the trio of reds that go into their blend. Though these were unsolicited samples, aka free for review, I would buy any of these wines. My favorites were The Tri Blend and the Cabernet Franc, the St. Laurent was super interesting chilled, and the Malbec was pretty good too. (Note: I reviewed these over several days, therefore I did not try blending these on my own as suggested in the news release.)

2019 Saint Laurent, Single Vineyard

Unfamiliar with the St. Laurent grape I grabbed this from their website, “Meet ‘Majorelle,’ a highly chillable red wine made from rare, aromatic St. Laurent grapes. Delicate and intense, savory and smooth, it’s the ideal in-between bottle for late-summer afternoons and chilly fall evenings…” So, I took their recommendation and chilled the wine a bit before decanting for 30 minutes, and the wine was quite nice to have before dinner. Beautiful red cellophane color. A nose filled with cherry cola, blackberry, blueberry, plum, some red fruit, sweet pipe smoke, dusty. Tasted that same cherry cola as well as the red, blue and black fruits, well balanced with some slight tannins.

2018 Cabernet Franc, Oak Knoll District, single vineyard.

Cabernet Franc has been one of my favorite Bordeaux varietals for the past few years, so I chose this wine to open next. Greeted by lingering aromas of fresh black cherries, spicy plums, dark chocolate, cracked black pepper, toasted oak and cream just after opening. The dark fruit and spicy flavors on the nose transferred to the palate and were very appealing to me. I wanted the finish to go a little longer, but the spice tickled my tongue for a while as the tannins did their job gripping my tongue as well. Noticed the alcohol was 14.4 which accounted for some heat on the palate but no burn on the nose.

2019 Malbec, Oak Knoll District, Single Vineyard

We decanted this one as it was so young and I believe that, also with some additional swirling and time in our glass, it benefited the wine. Black cherry, cherry liqueur, dark and pungent, tri-color peppercorns, red earth and a wet forest floor all on the nose. Tasting the wine I noted that the spice danced on the palate, it was dry and dark but balanced, and was super yummy with our dinner of sous vide steak. 14.3 % alcohol.

2019 “The Tri Blend” Red Wine, Napa Valley

According to the informational postcard that came with the samples I followed their instructions and decanted for 30 minutes prior to serving. A very dark purple and opaque color, with notes of milk chocolate covered cherries, blackberry, crushed leaves, brambles, toasted nuts and pencil shavings on the nose. On the mouth there were hints of blue and black fruit together with peppery spices, mushrooms, tobacco and drying tannins that leaned into a long finish. Very pleasant.

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Excerpts From News Release

The Vice Reveals the “The Tri” Tasting Kit

Deconstruct “The Tri” 2019 and Create Your Own Blend with The Vice’s Single-Varietal Napa Valley St. Laurent, Malbec and Cabernet Franc

The Vice Napa Valley Wines has revealed “The Tri” Tasting Kit, a unique tasting experience featuring “The Tri” 2019 and the single-varietal signature wines that are blended to create it: St. Laurent, “Majorelle” 2019; Malbec, Oak Knoll 2019 and Cabernet Franc, 2019.

A rare, complex blend, “The Tri”, named and inspired by founder/winemaker Malek Amrani’s passion for both wine and triathlon – is so much more than the sum of its parts. At once juicy and peppery, it’s an unlikely combination that simply just works, not unlike Amrani’s two greatest passions. In fact, the quantity of each grape in the blend – 18% Cabernet Franc, 52% St. Laurent and 30% Malbec – represents the 2016 Rio Olympics of swimming, running, and cycling time percentages of Olympic triathlete Joe Maloy. “The Tri” brings these stunning single-varietal Napa Valley wines together to create something completely different and uniquely stunning.

In partnership with the USA Triathlon Foundation, each purchase of “The Tri” Tasting Kit includes complimentary access to a series of live virtual tastings with Malek Amrani and Joe Maloy to provide a unique opportunity to deconstruct the blend, discover the process and experiment with blending yourself.

“The Tri” Tasting Kit  – Napa Valley ($179.00/ 4 x 750ml bottles & tasting experience):

Tri Blend, 2019 

St. Laurent, “Majorelle”, 2019

2019 Malbec, Oak Knoll District, 2019

Cabernet Franc, Los Carneros, 2019

Experience “The Tri” Tasting Kit with Malek Amrani and Joe Maloy during the event or save it for the perfect gift, tasting party or as your own foray into wine blending. A portion of proceeds are being donated to benefit the USA Triathlon Foundation.

Proceeds from each tasting kit will benefit the USA Triathlon Foundation, whose mission is to make the sport accessible to people of all backgrounds and abilities, so the pleasure of enjoying a glass of wine will contribute to someone’s healthy lifestyle, participation in sports, or even Olympic dreams.

 About The Vice 

The Vice is a Napa Valley luxury wine brand made in small batches. Each batch is crafted from single grape varietals sourced from hand selected vineyards that best express the grape varietal and the region that it comes from. The Vice is a result of passionate labor, sustainable farming, a long expertise of the wine industry and a current understanding of the consumer’s wine trend. The Vice is about as personal of a brand as it gets. Everything is done by the founders. We drive the truck to get our fruit, we crush, bottle, label; we do everything by hand when possible. We design the labels, work the market, and sell the wine. We believe that the best wines in the world aren’t the most expensive ones. We thrive at providing the best quality wine at the best value. For more information visit thevice.com and follow on @thevicewine.

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

Sokol Blosser Recognized with B Corp “Best for the World” Award for Environmental Excellence for Third Year

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DAYTON, Ore., /PRNewswire/ — Sokol Blosser, a Certified B Corporation and one of Oregon’s original and most iconic wineries celebrating 50 years, has been recognized as a 2021 Best for The World: Environment recipient, for the third time. Ranking in the top 5 percent of all B Corps in its size group globally, Sokol Blosser earned this honor because of its business practices built around People, Planet and Profit.

Sokol Blosser has practiced sustainability since the beginning. Founded in 1971, the winery earned its first recognition for environmental stewardship in 1983 by the U.S. Soil & Water Conservation District. They built the first LEED-certified winery building in 2002 and their Estate vineyard received full USDA organic certification in 2005. In 2015, Sokol Blosser received B Corp Certification. In its April 2021 B Corp recertification, Sokol Blosser increased its score by 22 percent compared to its 2016 recertification.

Each year, Sokol Blosser publishes a Sustainability Report detailing their accomplishments in three key areas: People, Planet and Profit. Through organic farming, participation in the Prescott Western Bluebird Recovery Project, fostering bee colonies, supporting local charities, offering generous employee compensation and benefits and cultivating an inclusive work environment, Sokol Blosser redefines success. Their wines consistently receive top scores while their business practices help protect the planet and support their community and their people. The 2020 Sustainability Report can be found here.

Alison Sokol Blosser, CEO of Sokol Blosser, commented, “Our parents instilled in us a respect for the planet and our people since we were young. From our start 50 years ago, we have worked to do the right thing every day for the environment, our team, our community and the long-term health of our family business. These are habits for us now. We are extremely proud of this recognition.”

Best for The World recognition is administered by B Lab, the global nonprofit that certifies and supports Certified B Corporations, which are for-profit companies dedicated to using business as a force for good. Today there are 4,000 Certified B Corporations across 77 countries and 153 industries, unified by one common goal: transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet.

Using the B Impact Assessment, B Lab evaluates how a company’s operations and business model impact its workers, community, environment, and customers. To achieve the B Corp Certification, a company must achieve a score of at least 80 points on the assessment.

More than 800 B Corps from over 50 countries were named to the 2021 Best for The World lists. The 2021 Best for The World honorees are determined based on the verified B Impact Assessments of Certified B Corporations. The full lists are available at https://bcorporation.net/.  Oregon is home to the world’s highest concentration of B Corps, including seven wineries: A to Z, Brooks, Chehalem, Patton Valley, Sokol Blosser, Stoller, and Winderlea.

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

Limited Edition Wines to debut as first co-branded label by Vin Social and Red Tail Ridge Winery

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New York, NY  — An interactive, wine-tasting platform and a sustainable, independent winery have partnered to produce two new co-labeled wine blends, handmade in New York’s Finger Lakes region.

Vin Social, a fast-growing virtual hospitality company, subscription wine club and E-commerce platform joins Red Tail Ridge Winery, a women-owned, LEED Gold Certified winery known for small batch vintages, to introduce their first collaboration of limited-edition wines available exclusively through Vin Social.

The two bottles — ‘Rebel with a Cause’ Red Blend and Cabernet Franc Estate Rosé — offer distinct flavors that capture the essence of the terroir, an exciting, up-and-coming domestic wine region that industry insiders are watching closely.

“We wanted to partner with a small, independent winery producing sustainable, interesting wines. ‘Rebel with a Cause’ is a love for the underdog, an ode to women-owned businesses that are purpose-driven with intent on breaking the mold. The ‘Cab Franc Estate Rosé’ is about celebrating summer and the casual, carefree Finger Lakes lifestyle,” says Sara Moll, Vin Social Founder and CEO.

As Vin Social’s very first wine partner, Red Tail Ridge and head winemaker Nancy Irelan helped establish the trajectory for Vin Social’s product partnerships, setting them on a path to working with accomplished female winemakers producing under-recognized, high quality wines.

“Nancy’s commitment to sustainability, her mission to raise the bar for the Finger Lakes region, and her dogmatic focus on her craft are just a few reasons why we wanted to partner with Red Tail Ridge. They really fit our criteria as a purpose and quality-driven brand making exciting wines that deserve significantly more market visibility,” says Sara.

As a virtual hospitality solution for businesses to “wine and dine” customers, Vin Social provides an interactive tasting experience of curated craft wine and spirits led by sommeliers and spirits experts. Shipping more than 7,000 bottles to event attendees nationwide throughout the last several months, Vin Social has provided access and awareness to brands like Red Tail Ridge, helping to grow their revenue and exposure.

“It’s really hard to have our voice heard when there’s so much noise from the big, corporate wineries. Vin Social has opened up a whole new avenue for E-commerce, giving us access to a new platform for our products as well as a team of wine educators that are really out there telling our story and growing our audience,” says Nancy Irelan.

To purchase the ‘Rebel with a Cause’ Red Blend [$35] or the Cabernet Franc Estate Rosé [$26] visit VinSocial.co.

About Red Tail Ridge Winery

Located in the Finger Lakes of New York, Red Tail Ridge Winery is the only LEED Gold Certified Winery in the state.

Founder Nancy Irelan has a PhD in Grape Genetics, decades of experience at the largest winery in the world, E&J Gallo, is a 2x James Beard Award Nominee.

About Vin Social

Vin Social is a premium virtual hospitality experience delivered as a service for businesses through a unique, online program and E-commerce platform. Clients host ‘Vin Socials’ to engage, retain, and convert their most valuable relationships.
Vin Social’s mission is to help small, sustainability-committed makers by serving as an alternate direct-to-consumer channel and to show reverence to these purpose-driven producers by telling their stories authentically.

Vin Social recently launched its first-ever equity crowdfunding campaign as it pioneers bridging E-commerce with wine and spirits tastings in the new, explosive category of virtual hospitality.
For more information, please visit www.vinsocial.co.

15th Annual Kosher Food and Wine Experience 2021 Goes Virtual- LiveCast Sunday, FEB 21

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New York, NY – With sold-to-capacity crowds, the annual Kosher Food and Wine Experience (KFWE) is undisputedly among the hottest tickets in the kosher culinary world. These massive events in New York, California, Israel, Miami, and London attract thousands of restaurateurs, chefs, caterers, and foodies who wait all year to sample the latest and greatest in fine kosher wines and creative cuisine.

Fans of the expo will be thrilled to know that social distancing won’t spoil the party this year. In fact, those coveted tickets won’t be needed when the 15th annual Kosher Food and Wine Experience goes virtual on Sunday, February 21 at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time.

All are welcome to sip and savor with the pros during this free livecast, presented by Royal Wine Corp. Program highlights include guided wine tastings with Jay Buchsbaum, VP of Marketing and Wine Education for Royal Wine; Erik Segelbaum, Food & Wine Magazine’s 2019 Sommelier of the Year; wine blogger Gabriel Geller, Royal Wine’s director of PR; and others.

“We spent quite a bit of time behind the scenes trying to figure out how to safely bring this experience to people while still capturing the essence of the show,” noted Buchsbaum. “Yes, things will be a little different this year, but the virtual format creates new opportunities. For instance, the more intimate setting means we can do a deeper dive into the wines, wineries, and winemaking process.”

Another innovative twist is the Official KFWE Tasting Kit, which will allow home viewers to sample wines with the experts. Each kit includes 100mL samples of 25 featured wines – each enough for 2-3 pours – from some of the world’s most prestigious wineries. Kits also include a tasting guide, recipe cards, and shopping lists so guests can cook along too. Available for $250 (plus processing and shipping fees), tasting kits can be ordered through www.TheKFWE.com. Order by February 12 to ensure delivery in time for the event. Must be at least 21 years old to purchase.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a KFWE without the food. Celebrity chef, restauranteur, and James Beard Award winner Michael Solomonov will be on hand along with Chef Gabe Garcia of Tierra Sur and personalities from Kosher.com, the leading website for all things kosher. Viewers can watch their demonstrations and cook along in real-time. Detailed recipe cards with shopping lists and prep instructions will be available for download ahead of time.

“Just as Erik Segelbaum and Michael Solomonov are respected and admired in the global mainstream wine and culinary world,” noted Royal Wine’s Gabe Geller, “kosher and Israeli wines deserve the same indiscriminating quality and appreciation. KFWE was created to spread that message far and wide. So even though we are presenting on a smaller physical scale this year, KFWE 2021 will drive that message home to more people than ever.”

This year’s event focuses on the following releases – all of which are kosher for Passover:

Carmel Signature Mediterranean 2017

Barkan Special Reserve Winemaker’s Choice Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Shiloh Secret Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Jezreel Valley Argaman 2017

Binyamina The Chosen Diamond 2017

Gush Etzion Winery Blessed Valley Chardonnay 2019

Tulip Black Tulip 2017

Netofa Dor 2017

Flam Noble 2017

Tabor Malkiya Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Psagot Peak 2017

Teperberg Essence Malbec 2016

Hagafen Estate Bottled Coombsville Napa Valley Dry White Riesling 2018

Covenant Red C 2017

Herzog Variations Be-leaf Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Herzog Generation IX Stags Leap District Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Chateau Leoville Poyferre Saint-Julien 2017

Chateau de Santenay Les Bois de l’Alier Mercurey 2019

Château Guiraud 1er Cru Sauternes 2019

Chateau Giscours Margaux 2017

Chateau Montviel Pomerol 2018

Capcanes Flor de Primavera Peraj Ha’abib Montsant 2017

Elvi Wines Herenza Rioja Reserva 2014

Terra di Seta Chianti Classico Riserva 2016

Sforno Gran Reserva Red Blend Mendoza 2020

For more information on KFWE 2021, to register, or to purchase the Official KFWE 2021 Wine Tasting Kit, visit www.TheKFWE.com. Participants will receive a viewing link for the livecast along with recipes, shopping lists, and a sneak peek at featured wines.

About Royal Wine/Kedem

Since 1948, Royal Wine Corp., also known as Kedem, has been owned and operated in the United States by the Herzog family, whose winemaking roots date back eight generations to 19th century Czechoslovakia.

Today Royal Wine’s portfolio of domestic and international wines range from traditional wine producing regions of France, Italy, and Spain, as well as Israel, New Zealand, and Argentina. Additionally, Royal Wine Corp.’s spirit and liqueur portfolio offer some of the most sought after scotches, bourbons, tequilas and vodkas as well as hard to find specialty items such as flavored brandies and liqueurs.

The company owns and operates the Kedem Winery in upstate New York, as well as Herzog Wine Cellars in Oxnard, California, a state-of-the-art-facility featuring guided wine tours, a fully staffed modern tasting room, gift shop and catering facilities. Additionally, the winery houses the award-winning restaurant Tierra Sur, serving the finest Mediterranean inspired contemporary Californian Cuisine. Follow Royal Wine on Face Book.com/RoyalWineCorp/, and instagram.com/royalwinecorp/, and twitter.com/royalwinecorp

Perlises Pick What Wines We Are Drinking At Home – Part 1

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I’ve seen many wine article titles referencing the pandemic, many with riffs on Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Love In The Time of Cholera or even One Hundred Years Of Solitude. I didn’t want to go down that road, but I did want to share what wines Karen and I have been drinking over the last several months.

Karen Perlis, Heidi Wiedeman, Carey Babcock and Janell Dusi — photo by Mike Ortiz (2012, photo from this website.)

Our wine habits had actually shifted a couple of years ago. This may come as a shock for regular readers of this ZinFan, but we have been trying to practice eating a lighter diet and the color of the wines followed suit – mainly Whites and Pinks with Reds reserved for less frequent heavier meals and restaurant dining.

Fortunately, there are lots of great W&Ps to choose from, many from wineries that are already our favorites. Because it turns out, great winemakers make great wine, period.

J Dusi Wines (www.jdusiwines.com) is a great example. We’ve been fans of Janell Dusi’s wines ever since we tasted her first commercial vintage of Zinfandel from the iconic Dante Dusi Vineyard in Paso Robles. She makes several other great Reds as well, including various red blends, a Carignane and a Zinfandel from the Benito Dusi Vineyard, some only available to club members.

But for white wine, we really often look no further than what has become somewhat of our house wine, the J Dusi Pinot Grigio – crisp, clean and a great accompaniment to all manner of seafood and pasta dishes. And while I try not to focus too much on price, this wine is extremely well-priced, even more so by the case [and even more so if you are a club member].

And if it is Rosé that you are craving, Janell makes a fine one, a Rhone blend that is as complete as you’ll find anywhere.

The above two wines are both great for any occasion, but if you are looking for something a little more upscale, try the Paper Street Clairette Blanc.

Paper Street is definitely not a second label to J Dusi. Rather, it is a label in its own right, as well as the name of the Paper Street Vineyard, a property on the west side of Paso Robles in the Willow Creek AVA, acquired, cleared and planted by the Dusi family in 2013.  Wonderful wines are coming from this vineyard, not just from Janell but from other Paso Robles wineries too, to great accolades. Currently, Janell makes a Zinfandel, a red Rhone blend and a 100% Mourvedre from this vineyard, as well as the aforementioned Clairette Blanc. Clairette Blanc is one of the lesser known [at least to me] white Rhone grapes but it shouldn’t be – this version is as rich and elegant as anything you could ask for.

We’ve been drinking a lot more wines at home, which I’ll write about soon.

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 30 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 President of MCP Financial, which provides outsourced controller services. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or mcpfinancial@aol.com.

Vintage Eve Circa 6/2018: The “Bliss Wine Club” Review

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Hi Eve, … I wanted to see if you would be interested in some free wine. My friends and I partnered recently to start a direct to consumer wine club focused on natural dry-farmed wines. Many of our wines have been featured in fancy restaurants seen in chef’s table but now we are branching out from wholesale to also doing a direct to consumer channel. I would love to send 4 bottles and see what you think about our wine. Our company is called Bliss Wine Club. blisswineclub.com. Thanks!

From Bliss Wine Club on Facebook.

These are a list of the wines I received for review, and the notes from Bliss Wine Club. If you follow each underlined hyperlink you will find the technical sheets and short videos that give you a little back-story on the wineries – I thought that the inclusion of video was a pretty cool idea to help consumers understand more about the wine and winery. So many of us have so many choices, knowing and learning a bit more behind the wine is a win win.

Sanbiagio Rosso 2016

Winery: Cantina Cenci
Region: Umbria, Italy

Merlot Sangiovese blend.

Colheita 2010

Winery: Quinta da Zaralhoa
Region: Douro, Portugal

Red blend.

Rufia Branco 2016

Winery: Quinta da Boavista
Region: Dão, Portugal

Natural white wine with skin contact.

Terras de Tavares 2006

Winery: Quinta da Boavista
Region: Dão, Portugal

Jaen/Touriga de Nacional

My Tasting Notes

Sanbiagio, Rosso 2016

13.5% alcohol

Dark ruby in color, with a nose of dried cherry, blackberry, mushroom, tobacco and dried earth. Flavors of bright red to black fruit, stems, tannins, slightly tart but balanced with a long finish. This one, like most if not all Italian wines, could age a bit.

Colheita 2010

Quinta Da Zaralhoa

13.5% alcohol

My favorite of the tasting. The color of black cherries with aromas from sweet port, Luxardo cherry and crushed plums to milk chocolate with hints of sage, cedar and cigar. On the mouth I enjoyed rich, dark dry fruit, figs, cigarette and firm tannins in a very long and satisfying finish.

Rufia Branco 2016

Vinho Branco, White Wine, 12% alcohol

Cloudy and deep gold in color, with aromas of Meyer lemon, overripe peach, cantaloupe, lemon hard candy, stones and chalk. On the mouth there were notes of bright citrus, lemon, lemon zest, pear and chalky earth.

Terras de Tavares 2006

Vinho Tinto, Red Wine, 13% alcohol

My second favorite in the tasting. Very blackberry color, with whiffs of blackberry, black cherry, stewed fruit, black plums, earth, black licorice, mint, espresso and char. The taste was nicely balanced yet light, earthy with good dark fruit and tannins. This one aged gracefully.

Bliss Wine Club Info

By subscribing, you agreed that we’ll send you a new wine shipment every 2 months based on the preferences you’ve indicated.
• You can modify or skip any scheduled order online at www.blisswineclub.com 
• Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. If you don’t love the wine we picked out for you, we’ll give you a full refund.
• Your membership is active and shipments will continue until you cancel. You can cancel at anytime online or by emailing support@blisswineclub.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.