Eve's Wine 101

What I Hate Most About The Wine Industry

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A few years back in my book, Wine Etiquette For Everyone: How To Feel Like a Pro In Any Situation Involving Wine, I touched on several situations where a lay person could – and has many times – been treated poorly by those in the wine industry. Those situations still exist: Snobby wine store personnel, uneducated wine store personnel, snobby sommeliers in restaurants, snobby wine representatives (or even winemakers) at events, snobby wine journalists, and so on. I gave readers information to help them navigate these situations, to feel comfortable about wine, no matter what degree of wine education they have. Making wine inaccessible – due to treatment like this – remains my biggest pet peeve in the industry. 

Over the years, I’ve seen much more, and learned more. So today I’m sharing those thoughts.

How Sommeliers and Bartenders Are Treated

I turned on somms in my article on corkage, when I had a front row seat to their thoughts about their customers and shared it in my article Corkage: Do You Want To Hear From The Professional’s Point of View?

However, as we’re making the move to Las Vegas, I’ve had the opportunity to meet many more somms and bartenders, and also have had the privilege to socialize and dine with some. So there is another side I’ve since learned about, and that’s how many are badly treated in the industry.

Some of the somms I’ve met have complained that while wait staff may share their tips with others in the front of house (think busboys) they don’t always share with the sommeliers – when a somm was responsible for selling a bottle (or more) to a table. Imagine selling a $500 bottle of wine and not getting a share of the tip. If anything, if the customer tips 20% I would hope that somm would get a percentage, factored out for just the wine or the entire check.

The only way a bartender may see a tip from drinks might be if you order from the bar, close out your check and pay the tip there before going to the table. Now I’ve gotten into the habit of giving a somm or bartender cash directly. (And this is not to place blame on the servers, it’s management that makes the rules about how to divide tips. If you aren’t sure you can ask your server. Also of note: if your somm is the head somm and responsible for buying wine for their list, training, etc., he will be paid much more than wait staff.)

One bartender pal, who moved from West Los Angeles to Las Vegas for better pay, ended up waiting tables instead. The money he makes in tips far outweighs the glamor – and the back-breaking work behind the bar.

Having to Pay For Wine Scores

One nationwide wine publication, that shall not be named, charges $500 to publish a review and scores. This information came from more than one winemaker that asked me my opinion of the practice. Their score would be available online, but if they wanted the scant few sentences and the score printed in the magazine publication they had to pay the fee. I get that a magazine has to make money, and I also get that wineries know how much the public relies on scores, so I advised the winemakers to pay the $500. But that doesn’t make it right. Another publication, also nationwide, receives annual checks from wineries, but doesn’t always review their wines. I find all of this bordering on criminal. One wine critic, who was accused of charging for wine scores, was shamed in the wine community, however, I didn’t see her crime any worse than that of these large publications. (Also, some wine publications and critics are also known for charging just to review a wine. Egads.)

The only way I see out of this pay-for-scores misuse is for consumers to be educated about it, by people like me and those that carry much more weight, and to stop chasing critics’ scores. Trust your own palate, or that of a sommelier or retailer that knows your palate.

Laws in Different States

In my studies, particularly my American Wine Specialist certification, I learned different states have different laws in regards to importing wine and spirits. While I’m not an expert on any one state law, it seems pretty unfair that some wine lovers have to jump through a lot more hoops than others to get their wine. Not to mention all of the wine clubs that aren’t allowed to deliver to a particular state. States that want to help wine lovers need to find another way to regulate liquor sales

In closing, I hope readers don’t think that the things I hate about the industry comes even slightly close to all of the things I love about it. I just like to give the insider’s view that it’s not all glitz and glamour!

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the 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.

TASTE THE DIFFERENCE campaign kicks off

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NEW YORK (PRWEB) – From October to December 2021, TASTE THE DIFFERENCE programme will be casting a new light on European PDOs – Protected Denomination of Origin – and PGIs – Protected Geographical Indication – thanks to an intense activity calendar. Aimed at increasing the perceived value of wines with protected origin and national cultural heritage, while ensuring an image of European excellence and tradition, the campaign addresses both press and trade professionals and will be focusing on quality wines made in Spain and Italy.

The campaign is the result of the joint efforts of Prodeca, a Spanish state-owned company supporting agri-food and forestry products from the north-east of the country, and UIV, Italy’s most important wine association representing 660 companies and a total of 150.000 growers.

The lively series of activities, to be run both in person and online, includes active participation in events such as TEXSOM – where TASTE THE DIFFERENCE will support the Volunteer Dinner – the arrangement of dedicated masterclasses in October and November with GuildSomm in major cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Austin, alongside with an open-to-all virtual seminar series that will remain available online. In addition to this, a Grand Tasting will be run in New York featuring upwards of 40 producers from Italy and Spain and seminars showcasing the peculiarities of the many appellations involved.

The wide series of activities will strengthen the awareness of PDO and PGI symbols and broaden the knowledge of related appellations among journalists and bloggers, wine influencers, key opinion leaders, as well as sommeliers, beverage directors and retailers, thanks also to a social campaign.

About TASTE THE DIFFERENCE PROGRAM
The program: European quality wines: taste the difference is a project financed by the European Union and managed by Unione Italiana Vini and PRODECA for the promotion of PDO and PGI European wines abroad in China and US. In order to achieve this objective, the TTD.EU program will organize wine seminars, workshops and b2b meetings both in these countries and in Spain and Italy, inviting wine professionals to join study trips to Europe. The program, realized in the span of three years (2021-2023) aims at creating awareness about European quality wines, in particular Italian and Spanish, which share a long tradition and a high standard of quality.

The beneficiaries: Unione Italiana Vini is the oldest and most commissioned Association of the Italian wine market. It represents cooperative, private and agricultural wine-companies, bottlers, consortia, associations and wine-making machines or wine cellars / laboratory manufacturers, located throughout the Italian territory.

Promotora de Exportaciones Catalanas (PRODECA) is a public company established in 1986 and added to the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of the Government of the “Generalitat de Catalunya.

Bubbly with #ClinkDifferent

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

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

The Bubbles

Celene NV Cuvee Amethyste

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

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

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

 

Markus Molitor NV Riesling Sekt

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

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

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

 

Calvet 2018 Brut Rose

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

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

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

 

Raumland Cuvee Marie-Luise Brut 2013

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

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

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

 

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

Vintage Eve Circa 9/2018: What Wines Would You Stock if You Owned a Wine Bar?

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Recently a pal that used to live in Santa Clarita had called me as he was opening a wine bar where he lives now in Texas. He didn’t want advice on anything other than what wine I would want if I were to visit his bar.

Since he had moved to Texas a few years ago he had been working in real estate, spent some time working in a large wine store, met more ex-pats (people that had come from California too) and ran a large wine tasting group. I didn’t offer any advice on how to open his bar as he had it covered. But I took to Facebook to ask my local pals what they would want stocked in the shelves if they owned a wine bar. They had some really great ideas! These are some of their comments:

THE WINE LIST

This is a compilation of just some of the wines my pals would stock their wine bar with:

Jonata, Potek, Scar of the Sea, True Believer, Andremily, Mail Road, Stolpman, Kimsey, Roark, The Paring, The Hilt, Spear (all Santa Barbara).

So many – Crémant, Melon d’ Bourgogne, Cru Beaujolais, Cahors, Brunello, Valtellina, Vin Santo, Madeira to name a few.

There is never enough Syrah anywhere. Still gets short shrift in the marketplace, which is a shame.

I am a sucker for Roussanne and other Rhone varietals. I love Grenache and Viognier too. Zaca Mesa and Stolpman make fabulous Roussanne.

I would like to see some Gruet Brut Rose or some blends that you can’t buy at a grocery store.

Belle Glos and Domaine Carneros Pinots, plus some Australian, Spanish and Chilean cabs.

Quintarelli, Casanova, Pine Ridge, Ridge, Tolo, Foxen…

On a wine list I look for value since they have to mark it up so much. Burgundy and Barolo would be nice but I’d go to the off the beaten path wines – Cru Beaujolais (France), Ripasso, Valpolicella, Sicilian wines. For those who like big jammy wines – Shiraz! Whites – I like to see Rose from France, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Sancerre (France). If there is a Somm I give them a price range and let them know what I like. Never have been disappointed.

Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc, Frogs Leap Cab, Rombi Cabernet, Bookenoogen Pinot and Heller Merlot.

Under $100: Cade Cabernet Sauvignon, Campesino Syrahs and Pinot Noirs, Shafer One Point Five, Grgich Hills, Turley Zins, Prisoner, Orin Swift, Patz & Hall pinots, Flowers, Mantanzas Creek Chards, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Tablas Creek and Justin.

Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir is hands down one of the best Pinots out there.

Lone Star Wine Cellars and Landon Winery are two wineries in McKinney Texas. I haven’t been there in a few years. But, remember the wines were pretty good. They have tasting rooms in historic downtown McKinney TX.

Also would love to have more orange wines on menus. I’m glad it’s becoming a trend.

Would love to see more wines from Paso Robles and the Santa Ynez area. Roblar in Los Olivos is one of my favorite wineries and reasonably priced in my opinion. There are so many smaller vineyards in both of these areas to explore. Tired of seeing Kendall Jackson and the like in many of the restaurants/wine bars. Pretty much I would love to taste wines that I would not be able to find at Bev Mo, not that they have bad wines, but just not interesting ones…

Le Vigne Vineyards has some wonderful wines, Justin cabs of course, Clos Solene, L’Aventure and RN Estate are some of my favorites. All from Paso.

Justin makes a great Malbec I have been enjoying! I’m typically a Cab girl myself.

For whites: Dry Rieslings (German or Alsatian), Sancerre, South African Sauvignon Blanc, and Austrian Gruner Veltliner (as opposed to Hungarian). For reds: I love the less stereotypical Italian reds such as Nero D’Avola and pretty much any red from the Piedmont region.

I’m always excited to see Barbera and GSM’s when I visit a place that I am planning to drink wine at. I also enjoy having a good port or cream sherry available if I am visiting the wine bar after dinner and I want to end the night with a dessert-like treat.

Where wines started … Italy!

I have a rather long list, but most are red wines from the Paso Robles region, Lompoc and Santa Ynez regions as well: Longoria Wines, Tercero Wines, Eberle Winery, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Amalie Vineyards in Oregon, Ascension, Bass Note Sangria, Sanford, Sculpterra, Castlerock, Cutruzzola Vineyards, Joel Gott, Cass, Hoi Polloi Winery, San Antonio Winery (official), Michael David…I love all reds, depending on winery, but my go tos are usually Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Cab, Beaujolais, and red blends. I love our California wines!

Something interesting and different. Also some local TX wines.

From me: This is ONE of my own picks, because I voted for it as our Best of Show at the Global Wine Awards, from Martellotto Winery: https://martellotto.com/products/martellotto-riserva-il-capoccia-happy-canyon-of-santa-barbara

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.

Tasting Penfolds 2018 Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz With Old and New Friends

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From Penfolds, in the Barossa Valley, Australia, comes this 2018 Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz. Had a lot of bins (just a numbering system Penfolds uses, they have many bins, aka Batch Id Numbers) and never had one I didn’t like.

I also adore the little food and wine bar that had decided to host a tasting: great wine, service and under five minutes from my house – the Newhall Press Room!

The Tasting Details

…we are exploring one of the oldest and most prestigious Australia wineries, Penfolds. Instead of creating a flight, we wanted to take a deep dive into the history of Australian wine making along with experiencing Penfolds Shiraz Bin 28. 94 points James Suckling, 93 points Robert Parker.

From Vivino on Bin28

Following the creation of Grange, Max Schubert’s vision was to create ‘a dynasty of wines which all had an unmistakable resemblance to each other. The first wine created in the series was Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz in 1959, a wine initially made while Grange was still being crafted in secrecy. Originally a single vineyard wine, Bin 28 now characterizes Penfolds contemporary winemaking philosophy, with fruit sourced from premium vineyards across several regions, including the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale.

What We Learned

Treasury Estates Representative Scott Bowden shared many things about Penfolds. New for me was that Penfolds has an “old world approach in the new world”, the use of seasoned American oak barrels, they are the oldest iconic winery in Australia, they benefit from both warm and cold climates and they’ve had a fair share of 90 to 100 point wines. For this bin 28: They use ten different growing regions, it’s 100% Shiraz and the original Kalimna fruit source dates back to 1959. One more thing: stay tuned to Penfolds in March for news about their collaboration with California vineyards!

The Tasting and My Takeaway

We decanted the wine at 5 pm, tasted at 5:30, 6:00 and 6:30. At the start it was all red fruit, earth, cigarette, stewed fruit, dust, fig and tannins. The next time the wine was more open with more red to blue fruit, more pepper, more richness and more “grip” according to Bowden. Then again, nearly 90 minutes later there was an incredible balance. Quite remarkable.

You might expect my takeaway to be about the wine…it is but in a roundabout way. One of the things Bowden mentioned, when I asked about his favorite Penfolds wine, is that it’s never just the wine, or the pairing or the company, but you have to have it all for it to remain in your memory as a favorite. For me, it was virtually chatting with NPR’s somm Laura Raden like we have done at the bar many times. It was two of the three bar owners, Charles “Chaz” Potter and Dan Zebrowski, calling me out to “unmute” as I “always have something to say during a tasting.” It was chatting with people that I had never met before, again something I did often at their bar. For me, the best Zoom by far for in making me feel those experiences again. Cheers to the Press Room indeed.

The Latest from Newhall Press Room

It’s been an interesting year for all of us. We started off with a super fun January with our 50% by the glass wine and quickly moved into a great Spring. Once March hit, we had all had to figure out what was next. Luckily we started our grocery delivery business in support of the community and we were able to spin up our order online and food delivery business. This opened the door for us to deliver wine by the glass and offer new to go bottle pricing that matched or beat retail wine stores. We’ve been working hard to expand the amount of wine we have by the bottle in addition to adding new features such as espresso, cheese boards to go, along with wine related gifts and retail items.​

To date, we’ve been recognized by Elite Magazine and The Signal as the best wine bar in Santa Clarita, and we have been recognized with back to back 2019/2020 award of excellence by Wine Spectator Magazine 2019/2020.​

Our Monday through Friday lunch service is back and strong as ever, and now you can order your food through our website or app for delivery or pick-up.​

If you are looking to have some fun with friends, family or need food for an event or business meeting, we’ve got you covered. We love our community and look forward to see you soon! (Editor’s note: At press time we have learned that the Press Room has re-opened for patio dining as well has hiring a new Cordon Bleu Chef!)

https://www.newhallpressroom.com

https://twitter.com/newhallpress

https://www.instagram.com/newhallpressroom/

https://www.facebook.com/newhallpressroom 

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.

Oregon Winery Launches Pay-What-You-Can, Donate-the-Proceeds Campaign, Pinot for the People

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RICKREALL, ORE. (PRWEB) – In these uncertain times, the team at Left Coast Estate put their heads together for how they could meaningfully give back. The winery, located in the newly designated Van Duzer Corridor AVA in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, had seen the profound impact of the COVID crisis on the hospitality industry and felt compelled to act. The idea that blossomed from their conversations was a first-of-its-kind venture in the wine industry: pay-what-you-can. Across the country, thousands of restaurants remain boarded up and millions of Americans are unemployed. “We know that our wine is part of a rarified world,” says Creative Director and Family Ownership, Cali Pfaff. “But we also believe wholeheartedly that wine brings people together. We decided as a family to forgo profits for this effort so that we could share our wine more broadly during this challenging time. We hope, in a small and modest way, that our wine will make someone’s day.”

The idea of a charitable component came shortly thereafter in a discussion on how to use any profits. “We are a second-generation, family-run business and that gives us certain freedoms in decision-making,” says CEO and Family Ownership, Taylor Pfaff, “We realized in a pay-what-you-can scenario, we could donate the proceeds after our production costs were covered and help out our community more.” The family selected five nonprofits to support through the effort, including the NAACP, the Oregon Community Foundation, the Sentencing Project, Ducks Unlimited, and Salud. The nonprofit partners align closely with Left Coast’s mission and values, including environmental conservation, an atmosphere of welcoming and inclusion, and dignity and living wages for agricultural workers. Customers are free to choose which of the five nonprofits their proceeds support. The name, Pinot for the People, represents a desire to shake off the pretentiousness and exclusivity often associated with winemaking and Willamette Valley wines. “We are grape-farmers at our core,” says Taylor. “We are really here to build a community and share the fruits of our harvest.”

Through the end of 2020, Left Coast is selling their 2017 Cali’s Cuvee (92 points from Wine Enthusiast) on a pay-what-you-can basis, starting at $12. That is 50% off of the MSR of $24. All revenue over $11 will be donated to one of the five nonprofits. The promotion is online only through the company’s website, https://leftcoastwine.com/pinot-for-the-people. “We are so grateful to the restaurants, somms, retailers, distributors, consumers, and wine club members that have supported us over the past 17 years,” says matriarch and Founder, Suzanne Larson Pfaff. “In the winemaking industry, it truly takes a village and we would not be where we are without the community around us. This is our way of saying thank you.”

About Left Coast:

Left Coast Estate is a family-run winery, vineyard, and working farm. We are guided by two defining principles: a passion for making world-class wine from all-Estate fruit and a deep connection to the land where we live and farm. Each bottle is crafted to represent the unique terroir of our 490-acre estate. Our focus on terroir aligns with sustainable farming practices to preserve the integrity of our land for future generations. Our vineyards and winery are certified sustainable through LIVE, an independent, third-party certification that looks at all of the inputs into the land to ensure that they are in line with the latest university research and internationally accredited standards. We maintain over 200 acres of ecological compensation areas, of which over 100 acres are old growth white oak forests. Our oldest oaks are up to 450 years old and are the most threatened habitat in the Willamette Valley. We’ve partnered with the US Department of Fish & Wildlife to restore these forests by removing invasive species and bringing them under long-term care and conservation. Our visitors and guests have enjoyed the transformation of the Estate as USA Today voted us as Oregon’s Top Tasting Room of 2017 and most recently voted top 100 Best fan-favorite destinations in Oregon 2019.

Connect on social:

@leftcoastwine
#pinotforthepeople

 

Slow Wine Announces New US Editor for the Slow Wine Guide: Deborah Parker Wong!

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NEW YORK (PRWEB) – Slow Wine Editore announces some important changes and news for the next 2021 edition of its English-language edition of the Slow Wine Guide, which this year successfully celebrated its 10th anniversary. Deborah Parker Wong, DWSET, one of the Slow Wine Guide contributors, has recently been named National Editor of the US edition of the guide, thus confirming her dedication and passion to put a spotlight on those American wineries that have made it their priority to be environmentally cautious, according to the “Slow philosophy.” Deborah, Global Editor at Somm Journal and The Tasting Panel, is an opinion-leading wine industry leader, communicator, journalist and author. She also guides tastings and educational seminars, and judges several wine competitions each year.

Bottom Row: Cami Sisk MS, Chairwoman of the Judges Panel Deborah Parker Wong, Eve Bushman, Stacie Hunt.
Top Row: Danny Ronen, Paul Ellis, Cassandra Brown, David Glancy MS, Roger Bohmrich MW

With the growth of “green” oenology in the United States, the guide started to include wineries from California and Oregon in 2017 and announced lately its expansion through Washington state and the east coast, with New York, Virginia, and Maryland wineries soon to be reviewed. “I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the Slow Wine editorial team in the US,” stated Parker Wong, “and am excited to be part of the next chapter in this ever-evolving time.”

The Slow Wine community in the US is steadily growing after having expanded beyond Italian borders just a few years ago. “I’d like to thank former US editor, Jeremy Parzen, for his dedication the Slow Wine Guide and his contribution to our expansion in the US,” stated Editor-in-chief, Giancarlo Gariglio. “We are very encouraged by the positive response so far and look forward to continuing the Slow Wine mission with our American peers for years to come.”

The recent lockdown caused by the pandemic created an uncertain scenario for the Slow Wine movement, whose reviewing process is based on winery visits and blind tastings. To cope with the emergency, the editorial staff has recently announced a new digital approach consisting of virtual visits with producers to gather all the necessary information and parameters required by the guide.

“For ten years,” commented Gariglio, “we have personally visited more than 2,000 wineries, we have met their leaders, walked their vineyards and told their stories. The recent pandemic forced us to modify the way in which we work, but we are not slowing down.
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Thanks to technology and our learnings during the lockdown, we are substituting in-person visits with virtual meetings and tastings, and the result so far has been extremely successful. We can now share these digital interviews with our readers on our social media channels, a completely new offering for our followers.”

To get your own digital copy of the 2020 Slow Wine Guide, visit this link here. The Slow Wine Tour will come back in the US in 2021 with a new edition that is destined to remain in history.

About Slow Wine
The Slow Wine Guide, published by Slow Food Editore (the publishing arm of Slow Food Italy*), adopts a new approach to wine criticism and looks at a variety of factors to evaluate wineries in their entirety. They take into consideration wine quality, history and adherence to terroir, value, environmental sensitivity and ecologically sustainable methods of practice. Slow Wine was conceived to give a realistic snapshot of the current Italian wine landscape. The guide features reviews of over 500 different wineries, each one visited by Slow Food experts.
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It is available for purchase on Amazon.com as well as in select bookstores.

*Slow Food International is a global grassroots organization that envisions a world in which all people can access and enjoy food that is good for them, good for those who grow it, and good for the planet. A non-profit member-supported association, Slow Food was founded in Italy in 1989 to counter the rise of fast food and fast life and the disappearance of local food traditions, and to encourage people to be aware about the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes, and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.

Vintage Eve Circa 9/2017: 75th Anniversary of Vina Ardanza

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In the elegant framework of the restaurant Wolfgang Puck at the Bel-Air Hotel, several somms, restaurant owners and wine buyers, as well as a few wine writers, were invited to learn about Vina Ardanza, celebrate in their 75th anniversary, taste vintages dating back to 1989 and enjoy a multi-course luncheon. (Hyperlink to photos from the event can be seen here.)

La Rioja Alta Celebrates Vina Ardanza

Mr. Guillermo de Aranzabal Agudo of La Rioja Alta and others shared some of the history of Vina Ardanza with guests at the event:

  • They “follow trends, not fashion” which is why their wines are aged for eight years before release.
  • Their price point has been reasonable year after year.
  • Grapes are hand picked, barrels are from American oak and constructed by the winery.
  • They are now on the third generation of employees.
  • They only work with select distributors.
  • 1970 was the first of many highlighted vintages to come.
  • Ninety percent of the profits stay in the winery.
  • Learn more about Vina Ardanza here.

Tasting

Though I was a wee bit distracted seeing Chef Wolfgang Puck and Valentino Santa Monica owner Piero Selvaggio, I was able to give full attention to the wines that were shared.

Aromas and Flavors separated by ;

 

Mystery Wine

We had one sample that didn’t have a description. It turned out to be a 2012 Riserva not yet released. I got aromas of earth, mushroom, dried dark cherry and cigar; the mouth was a bit tart but still earthy with that same dried red fruit.

 

Vina Ardanza 1989

70% Tempranillo, 25% Garnacha, 5% blend of Mazuelo and Graciano

13.5% alcohol

What a treat to have an older vintage. Both the 1989 and 1994 (tasted below) were browner in color, indicative of age and nothing else. Aromas of plum, raisin, dried leaves, stewed fruit and pipe smoke; yummy red to blue fruit on the palate as well as bolder fruits – some tart – that provided a very long finish.

 

Vina Ardanza 1994

75% Tempranillo, 25% Garnacha

13% alcohol

Stewed plum, forest floor, mushroom and a gamey quality; then came dark fruit, but brighter than I expected it to be for its age, and many layered.

 

Vina Ardanza 2000

75% Tempranillo, 25% Garnacha

13-14% alcohol

This newer vintage had the same stewed fruits, a hint of raspberry, cherry and white pepper; on the palate the fruit was bright, mostly red fruit and a bit milder of the wines I had sampled so far.

 

Vina Ardanza 2001 Reserva Especial

80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha

13.5% alcohol

Both red and black cherry greeted my on the nose, followed by stewed vegetables, rich and velvety; the flavor was full bodied, more blue to black fruit and youthful.

 

Vina Ardanza 2004

80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha

13.6% alcohol

Lush red fruit on the nose as well as cigar, dark chocolate and a pungency that hinted at a bold taste; it was bright on the palate, with lovely vanilla notes, balanced.

 

Vina Ardanza 2008

80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha

13.5% alcohol

Rich blackberry, fragrant – almost as if someone had lit an incense stick in the room – and a bit of mint followed; though young the fruit was black and dark, and also with hints of dried red berry.

 

Menu

Beginning with beautifully plated hors d’oeuvres while we visited with other guests, we knew then we were in for something extraordinary. The menu at each place setting didn’t disappoint when they were served: Our first course was Sorpressine Tortelloni Pasta made with Maine Lobster, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Brown Butter, “Vina Ardanza” reduction, Australian Black Truffles. The second course was Oakwood Grilled Sonoma Lamb with Ragout of Summer Shelling Beans and Natural Jus. Third up was the Composed Plate of Queso and Wolfgang Puck Bon Bons. The final was titled “Concord Grape” that included Dulce De Leche Custard and Frozen Pavlova.

Thanks to Mike Miller of Golden State Wine, a 30+ year old company that imports these and other select European fine wines. 

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.

Wine.com achieves record results in 2019

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SAN FRANCISCO/PRNewswire/ — Wine.com, the nation’s leading online wine retailer, topped $150 million in revenue for 2019.  The $20 million gain over 2018 represents the largest year-over-year gain in company history. 

The strong annual results were supported by a holiday season that set records of its own, including 60% revenue growth over Cyber Weekend, record Net Promoter Scores and margin expansion through the industry’s heavy promotional period.

“Our industry is seeking to attract the next generation of consumers,” said Rich Bergsund, Wine.com CEO.  “We’re seeing signs that a modern retail approach – with online and mobile channels, deep content, live chat somms and convenient delivery – is appealing to all ages and levels of wine sophistication.”

2019 growth was strongest in three segments: membership, mobile and millennials:

  • Membership: Wine.com StewardShip members receive unlimited shipping all year, and have become the company’s most loyal and valuable customers. Revenue from StewardShip grew 24% in 2019, and for the first time comprised the majority of company revenue.
  • Mobile: One-third of company revenue came from mobile devices, growing by 30% in 2019. Revenue from the Wine.com mobile App grew 60%, driven by its value to loyal customers: the App puts the world’s largest wine store and the Wine.com live chat Sommelier service right in your pocket.
  • Millennials: Young consumers comprise a third of the Wine.com customer base, and revenue from them grew 36% in 2019. The company continues to attract this segment, which is leading the transition to online and mobile retail.

“Wine is less than 3% online and I expect that to grow to 10-15% in the future, like many other retail categories,” continued Bergsund.
https://www.parkviewortho.com/wp-content/languages/new/finasteride.html

  “Look for new services and member benefits during 2020 that will make the Wine.com customer experience even better.”

About Wine.com
Wine.com is the nation’s leading online wine retailer, with over $1 billion of wine sold and shipped to date.  The company offers selection, guidance and convenience not found in brick and mortar stores – helping customers discover the incredible world of wine with confidence. Live chat sommeliers provide friendly advice and customers receive unlimited shipping all year by joining Stewardship. Wine.com was recently named Wine Enthusiast’s 2019 Retailer of the Year.  For more information, visit the company’s website at www.wine.com or download its app in the Apple Store or Google Play.

Good and Bad Wine Experiences That Shape Our Interest

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What wineries, wine writers or winemakers have you snubbed for a real – or possibly imagined – insult?

It’s probably happened to us all. That one bad experience with a business and we no longer will frequent them. It could be out and out bad behavior (stole my wallet in a restaurant and lo and behold they handed it to back me from behind the cashier’s desk within minutes) or more of a perceived fault.

I’ve seen the latter in many cases between friends, instead of talking it out they both assume the other is in the wrong. Fine, if a friendship ends there then you are both to blame.

But lets stick to business here, wine business to be exact. A wine store owner told me that decades ago, before he was in the business, he purchased what he was told was a rare bottle of wine for a certain sale price that couldn’t be beat. You know what happened. He saw the same wine – and yes he checked to make sure it was the same vintage year – at Costco for much less. He vowed never to buy wine from the winery again. Well aware that big box stores get deeper discounts for buying in bulk, he was lied to and insulted.

Fast forward those decades and when a wine rep tried to sell him anything from that winery – and he always turned it down. The rep was persistent and finally pulled the story from my friend.

Then what happened next really surprised me. The rep went back to his employers and relayed the story. Hey, it’s only one wine shop they could have said, who cares?

But they didn’t say that. Instead they discussed it. And they came up with a formal apology and that same bottle, in that same vintage, and had it engraved with that same apology. My friend started buying their wine again, and telling this story.

I have a couple of stories like that under my skin too. One was a winemaker that made fun of bloggers on social media, saying he laughs at them when they mispronounce the name of a wine. I blushed. I may have even written about it at the time. Maybe even commented on his public Facebook post about it. I simply hate snark and elitist people.

I know that I took the insult personally, as ten years ago I could’ve been that wine blogger. I’ve avoided the winemaker at events ever since.

I remember being in Paso on a press trip many years ago and being unsure as how to pronounce the word calcareous, I believe it was Halter Ranch winemaker Kevin Sass or Calcareous winemaker Jason Joyce, that noticed it and not only politely told me how to pronounce the word (Cal-care-e-us) explained to me what it meant (a type of limestone in the soil, read more here).

Another time I arrived at Calcareous for an appointment on a Sunday morning with Joyce but he didn’t show up. When I got home a few days later he had sent me an apology note explaining that his newborn baby had been ill, and he also sent several bottles of wine. That gesture was over the top for me, he didn’t need to apologize for a family emergency, and I’ll never forget it. These are reasons, as well as their winemaking talents, that I still enjoy both Halter Ranch and Calcareous.

And I’m sure that I’ve been in the wrong myself. A pal that I knew was sensitive about not going to college and made to feel she wasn’t good enough…well I told her that spell check doesn’t always know sommelier from Somalia (she had used the wrong word on social media and I didn’t want her to be publicly scrutinized) so I suggested that she just use the accepted abbreviation “somm” that is easier to pronounce and spell. Haven’t heard from her since. Reached out though, a few times, to no avail.

Point is we’re all not above taking a lesson from Joyce, Sass, as well as the winery that etched a bottle of wine for my friend. Rather have something permanently etched in my mind with a positive message over a negative one.

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.