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 Beacon Circa 6/2011: The Rebirth of the SCV Wine Classic

February 23, 2016 by evebushman

What is making the tenth Vine 2 Wine the new CLASSIC? It’s not classic because it’s a decade old, it’s now the CLASSIC because the wine chair, from the former SCV Wine Classic, Jeff Jacobson, has joined Circle of Hope’s event committee.

Julie, Joan and Jeff Jacobson.

Within a matter of weeks Jeff has gone from a half a dozen tables wine pouring tables to over thirty-four. He has also successfully attained for this event what only the classic was known for: Local wine collectors opening their own library wines, from their own wine cellars, and donating them to the fundraiser.

And one more of Jeff’s ideas from the Classic: a completely ticketless tasting. At a recent meeting, as I’m another chair of the event, I asked Jeff to explain what he’s been working on:

1. Thanking the wine god Bacchus (and me for making the call!) for delivering you to Circle of Hope Jeff…tell Beacon readers what will be new for Vine 2 Wine attendees?

Well, first of all it’s a huge increase in just the number of wineries on board. Several are wines that are hard to come by, and seldom participate in these events.

2. In the past the Classic library wine tables were pretty darn awesome. You could stand by off and on during the event and be guaranteed something new to taste every few minutes. There might have been a case of one particular wine, but most of the collectors were pouring vertical flights (the same wine through the years), wines that were more than a decade old and some very rare bottles. It was also extremely informative learning what they chose to collect and why. So, Jeff, do you have any clues for guests what they might get to taste, in looking back at your ten years arranging these tables?

Absolutely true! We are “bringing back the Wine Classic’! People are contributing rarities from the their cellars with similar wines from the last wine classic. Older Bordeaux, Pinot Noirs and Cabernet. In past years guests had Sea Smoke, Opus One, Bryant Family, Quintessa, Ducru Beaucaillou, Chateau Guiraud, Gruaud Larose, Dunn, Phelps Insignia, Kenwood Artist, Donhof eiswein, Burgundy 1er Cru, etc. to name a few.

3. Tell us about your larger wine sponsors, Kevin Byrne of Wine Warehouse, John Burton of Southern Wine and Spirits, what can we expect from them?

Kevin and John will have a combined dozen wine tables of outstanding wines. We are grateful for their support in making Vine 2 Wine the new Classic. The wines they will share represent both domestic and imported examples of well-known wineries.

4. How about telling us a little about the other unique wines guests will be sipping?

I’ve had a lot of fun purchasing dozens of wines to be poured at tables including large selections of sparkling wines, white wines and red wines, all from around the world. I even purchased 3 magnums (I like to purchase older wines as I believe they can be smoother) of 2006 Silver Oak. I purchased wines from Australia and New Zealand and even found some South African wines I want our guests to try. South African wine making was featured in the last Wine Spectator magazine as the new go-to country for wine. My wife Joan and I, in our last trip, tasted some of the wine varietals, like Pinotage and Chenin Blanc, which our guest will have at Vine 2 Wine.

And, another unique item about our event are the local artisinal winemakers from the SCV Vintners and Growers Association, pouring their own handcrafted wines. Some of the grapes are harvested from Santa Clarita and some are from Paso Robles. And, is the case for home winemakers, only some will be available for purchase. It’s also another opportunity to meet and speak to local winemakers.

One local winemaker, and the owner of The Cellar, DiMaggio Washington, will pour his own Port as well some fortified wines. As a teaching sommelier and he can answer all your questions about what he is serving.

5. Any closing thoughts you’d like to share?

Helping each other, helping our community, fundraising for a valuable cause, and at the same time marketing some wonderful wines – makes this event worthwhile for the hundreds of members of our community that will have the opportunity to attend, taste and purchase…something Classic.

May 2010 Vintage Beacon: Wine Tasting Education

January 20, 2015 by evebushman

There’s a new kind of wine tasting in town! This time it’s on May 13 (2010) at Salt Creek Grille and benefits our own College of The Canyons Foundation. Skip Newhall, local resident leading the tasting, was kind enough to give me a few more details on what makes this event unique.

What can guests expect at this event?

The fundamental goal of the event is for guests to enjoy themselves and actually learn a bit about wine. In most tastings or dinners, particularly those put on by a winery, guests sample one wine per course of food, so there is no real comparison between wines. Furthermore, sometimes too much wine is poured, diminishing people’s palate sensitivity and attention span. This tasting is built around side-by-side comparisons of pairs of wines, highlighting attributes of the wines that might otherwise go unnoticed. People will also learn about why each course of food is complemented by the wine and why a different food selection might not work as well.

Please tell wine 101 readers a little about your wine expertise:

I have been a wine hobbyist/aficionado for about 45 years. I am the original founder of the annual Santa Clarita Valley Wine Classic, which was first held in 1984, and I was the director for more than 10 years, and was a volunteer for several more years.

This event benefits the COC Foundation. What is the money targeted for?

One part of the COC Foundation is the Library Associates. The proceeds from this event will go to the Library Associates endowment fund.

A Little More Information

The College of the Canyons will present the inaugural SuperTasting Wine Dinner on Thursday, May 13 (2010) at The Salt Creek Grille.

This unique, superior event will feature wines from eight wineries and will emphasize a comparison of selected wines in several categories:

How does glass size affect your enjoyment of a good wine? Find out with a 2005 Napa Valley Hewitt Cabernet Sauvignon [the results may surprise you].

Does country of origin make a difference? You will sample two Sauvignon Blancs — one from New Zealand and one from the Napa Valley.

What about vintage year? We have two vintages of a Napa Valley Chardonnay: 2007 and 2008.

How different are similar varieties? Find out when we compare two Napa red wines from Beaulieu Vineyards: 2005 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2005 Rutherford Merlot.

Of course, we can’t forget a dessert wine: 2007 Muscato from California’s Central Coast region.

And with all this, there will be four courses of food specially selected and prepared to complement the wines.

The Elzer Cellar: Beyond the Myth (Vintage Beacon Circa 6/09)

June 24, 2014 by evebushman

At this year’s Wine Classic, where once again wine chair Jeff Jacobson enlisted unheard of donations from the finest private cellars in Santa Clarita, my husband Eddie and I met Steve and Amy Elzer. A business card (mine) was extended, and in return, an invite (theirs) to see a cellar. (If you can’t wait to see what your retail shops are offering from their cellars scroll to the bottom.)

Steve and Amy have built a home for their two children in the hills of Valencia. Lured by the schools; they packed up their belongings in West LA and embraced Santa Clarita living. The house they chose had one fault: a patio door with a view right into their neighbor’s dining room. Instead of looking 30 feet into their neighbor’s home, Amy thought the small alcove created by the enclosed patio space was the perfect size to build a wine cellar for Steve’s growing collection.

But before we put on a sweater to pass through the glass doors of the custom-built temperature-controlled cellar; we linger for a moment in the large sunny kitchen. Amy has set out a few pairing foods including cheese, crackers, deli meats and nuts while Steve, though unasked but his guests were thrilled nonetheless, had also laid out a couple of…items.

“2004 Corra Napa Cabernet is just one of the wines that Celia Welch, a ‘gun for hire’ winemaker, is known for and this is her personal label,” Steve explains. “This 100% Cab, like some of her others wines, is primarily available to mailing list subscribers. (http://www.corrawines.com/wines.html)

Celia has been making great wine for years, but she really started getting a ton of press and a lot of attention after the debut of Scarecrow, a wine she also makes. Robert Parker gave that wine a 98 point score – what I think was the highest score ever for a debut vintage of a new wine project. No matter how long you have been creating wonderful wines, when you get a commanding score like that, a winemaker can go from ‘Zero to Hero’ virtually overnight.”

(Boutique wineries that only can produce a very limited number of cases, whether high or low-priced, use subscriber mailing lists and restaurant orders, to sell their wine. And, like waiting for a box seat at the Hollywood Bowl, the only way to ‘move up the list’ would normally be for someone to…well…move off the list. But, with the current recession, more spots are opening to the interested consumers.)

“I’ve learned to base my wine collecting choices on several factors. There was a time when I would chase high scoring wines and I would open them and they would not appeal to me. I am looking for quality wines that are not necessarily available at a local wine shop. With the Corra, I was following a winemaker I respect. Over the years, she has made wines for Staglin, DR Stephens, Cornerstone, Hollywood & Vine, and Keever, which I poured at the wine classic and people really loved. But it was the Scarecrow that really put Celia on the map,” Steve said.

“Scarecrow is one of the new true cult wines emerging out of Napa. It’s a special wine with special fruit. The vines were planted in the 40’s when the property was owned by J.J. Cohn, a legendary Hollywood executive who was involved in the production of The Wizard of Oz. J.J.’s grandson now owns the property and the name Scarecrow is a tribute to his late grandfather. They only produce between 700-800 cases, which is a very small production. (http://www.scarecrowwine.com/content/site.html )”

Other California winemakers that Elzer follows and collects include: Manfred Krankl from Sine Qua Non, Marc Aubert (Aubert, Bryant Family), Bob Levy (Harlan), Martha McClellan (Sloan), and Helen Turley (Marcassin) among others.

“I like to follow winemakers or great wine estates, but other ways to follow wine trends that I use are the online discussion groups on wine web sites like the (Robert) Parker Board, (http://www.erobertparker.com/info/boardintro.asp) wineberserkers.com, and West Coast Wine Network. I also will pay close attention to what producers are using fruit from vineyards I love, and sometimes I even follow the vineyard managers. There are people like David Abreu who are meticulous at farming and getting the best out of what the land can offer. I also like controversial winemakers who are making challenging wines: guys like Abe Schoener at Scholium Project. I poured one of his wines at the Classic and a lot of people really liked what he was doing with the wine,” said Elzer.

“People who are into wine on a serious level are either Hedonists or Analysts, meaning they are very cerebral…Sometimes over thinking wine and over analyzing the pleasure in the glass can get a little intense and off-putting, not to mention intimidating. I’m somewhere between a Hedonist and an Analyst. I’m comfortable with my palate, which has been gravitating more and more towards European wines.”

Elzer, who is a member of a tasting group that meets in Los Angeles once a month for the last 4 years, has made a number of wine friends since he began collecting in the early 1990s. One of the highlights of his wine social life was the night he hosted a special dinner at his home in Valencia where he and his guests tasted every vintage of Harlan ever produced. http://www.gangofpour.com/traub/2007/excess/index.html

“I had a small party, 12 guests, people I had met from my wine tasting group or through the Parker Board; Somehow Charles Banks, the former owner of Screaming Eagle, found out about what we were doing and he decided to join us. When that happened the night went from being just Harlan wines to a ‘cult cab-a-thon’ with something like 46 wines in all. These wines were the true ‘blue-chip’ estates of California and it was the most extraordinary night I could have ever imagined. It’s not a party unless someone is leaving tipsy in at toga and that is pretty much how the evening ended. Literally, with an art dealer friend of mine jumping into a toga and heading off in a cab!”

While Amy does not pretend to follow wines as closely as her husband, she has been completely supportive of and encourages his passion. “Steve is a true student of wine. He is an encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to this stuff and he helps me navigate. Having wine with him enhances, or distracts, from life’s little moments.”

Not too much distraction for us – as Steve then opened a 2000 Chateau Monbousquet Grand Cru Bordeaux. A nice segue from our Corra California Cabernet, with the expected older nose and perfect mouthfeel, we were thrilled with the lingering flavors of all that our day had brought.

The Cellar

I didn’t bring a notepad into the cellar. I wedged myself in there only to see every wine I’ve ever loved, and, every wine we’ve ever heard about. A lovely room, with wine racked on 3 walls, some still nestled in their wooden boxes in every corner, splits stacked up against a mirrored wall…we were in awe.

I found myself patting each with my hand as I recognized old friends and sought out new ones: Sine Qua Non, Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Latour, Ausone, Colgin, Pride Cabernet, Joseph Phelps Insignia, Robert Mondavi, Harlan, Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle Maya, Peter Michael, Switchback Ridge, Chateau Y’quem, Lynch Bages, Angelus, Pinchon Longueville, Gaja, and Sassicaia,, to name a few. Steve says “these are not trophies to me: they are meant to be opened and shared.” For everyday drinking pleasure, he will pop a cork on go-to labels like Kuleto, Beringer, Kosta Browne, Seasmoke, or a Bordeaux like Goulee.

Nestled in the back of the cellar is one of the first bottles he ever purchased, the Goosecross Aeros. It was at Goosecross Cellars where Steve first caught the wine bug. “I will never open that bottle. I doubt it’s still any good and it’s just a sentimental favorite.”

Elzer, who is a motion picture executive, regularly donates prized bottles from his collection to raise needed money for local charities, such as the Wine Classic, the Cal Arts Wine & Art Auction, and Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles, to name a few. He is currently in the early stages of planning a wine event to benefit the Santa Clarita Valley Youth Project where he serves on the agency’s Board of Directors. “I want to take what I did with the Harlan/Screaming Eagle wine dinner and build on that idea for a fundraiser to benefit the SCV Youth Project, a critical youth services organization that helps so many kids and families here in our Valley. If I can pull off anything close to what I have in my head, it will truly be a night to remember.”

Traversing the SCV Wine Classic (Vintage Beacon Circa 06/09)

June 3, 2014 by evebushman

The SCV Wine Class held last Saturday night, has set the standard for local wine tasting events for over 20 years, expertly welcoming both new release and vintage wines as they do new wine drinkers and vintage experts.

In helping to raise needed funds for the Student Orchestras at College of the Canyons the classic was once again planned by many people. And this column will not only offer a ‘taste of the classic’, it also serves to list and thank many that participated.

Eve’s Personal Comments

OHMIGOD it was tough not to drink everything at the library wine table and leave something for the rest of you – but we did. Even though each cellared bottle was valued well above my expectations. My husband, with the memory of …well a more sober person…tells me that we had a 1986 Pichon Longueville Bordeaux, 2003 Martinelli Zinfandel, Harlan Cabernet, 1989 Ducru Beaucaillou Bordeaux, Trockenbeerenauslese Rüdesheimer 2006 dessert wine, Bryant Family Cabernet, 2001, Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet, various Seasmoke, Talley Vineyards and Williams Selyem current release and older Pinot Noirs, Martinelli library wines, 1989 Cos de Estornel, 1990 Rauslan-Segla, 1986 Chateau Guiraud sauternes, older Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons, 1984 Phelps Insignia, 1986 and 1987 Phelps Eisle Cabernet Sauvignon, …and dozens of others.

My new best friends were the owners of these private cellars: Steve Elzer, Roger Gertz, Priscilla and Warren Faubel and Les Hershberger. And my old best friends weren’t out done: Chris and Jeannie Carpenter, Roman Weiser, Robert Schwartz, Jeff and Joan Jacobson.

Eve and Nick Morello, a more current Wine Classic photo.

New friends serving wine: Michael Cobb, owner of Sort This Out Cellars, Victor Abascal, proprietor and winemaker for Vines on the Marycrest, Craig Butler winemaker for B & P Winery, the ladies of Midlife Crisis Winery and John Whitman of Old Creek Ranch Winery.

Friends having fun drinking wine: Steve C. dragged me from one table to another to try something…that I’d already had – while the same thing happened to my husband, Yelp friend Laura was far too pretty in person to immortalize with a photo in this column, Margie C. had her husband take photos of us that I’d like to see, Jeff J. cruised the room in sweet satisfaction, Dave B. introducing me the generous Les Hershberger, Rose W. enjoyed being mistaken for her sister and Diane G. kept us moving.

Wine and Food

The wines were Antelope Valley Winery, Antinori Wines, Baileyana Winery, Beringer Vineyards, The Brander Vineyard, Bridelwood Estate Winery, Candoni True Italian Wines, Chalk Hill Winery, Charles Krug Winery, Chateau St. Jean Winery, Chateau St. Michelle, Christian Lazo Wines, Clos Du Bois Winery, Consilience Winery, Demetria Estate, Estancia Winery, 4 M Estrella Creek Winery, Francis Ford Coppola Presents, Franciscan Winery, Gloria Ferrer Winery, Greg Norman Estates, Herzog Wine Cellar, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Kenneth Volk Wines, Kim Crawford Wines, Laraneta Vineyards, Lava Cap, Leona Valley, MacMurray Ranch Winery, Martinelli Winery, Mezzacorona, Michael-David Winery, The Midlife Crisis Winery, Mionetto Wines, Murietta’s Well Winery, Old Creek Ranch Winery, Pedroncelli Vineyards, Pulchella (formerly Dragonfly) Winery, Quady Winery, Quintessa Winery, Renwood Winery, Robert Mondavi Winery, Rosenthal Malibu Estate, Rotari Winery, Sanford Winery, Simi Winery, Silkwood Wines, Sort This Out Cellars, Summerland Winery, Talley Vineyards, Tangent Winery, Vines on the Marycrest, Vintners Cellar Custom Winery and Wente Family Estates.

Merchants and distributors included All Corked Up, Bristol Farms Market, Constellation Wines U.S., Frank-Lin Beverage Co., Grape Crusader, Henry Wine Group, International Wines and Liquor, Prestige Wine Imports, Southern Wine and Spirits of Southern California, Strange Wines, Sunrise Spirits and Food Co., TGIC Wine Importers, Transat Trade, Valencia Wine Co., Vino 100, Wine 661, Whole Foods Market and Wine Warehouse.

Of special note are John Burton of Southern Wine & Spirits of Southern CA, and Kevin Byrne of Wine Warehouse, each of whom recruited 8 to 10 wineries whose wines their companies represent, to attend the Wine Classic and pour their outstanding libations.

The food was provided by Baskin Robbins, Bella Cucina, Bristol Farms, Castaic Lake Water Agency, Chocolate a la Carte, COC Culinary Arts students, Frankies NY Italian Restaurant, The Frosted Tier, Jasmine Thai Bar-be-que, Lima Limon Peruvian Cuisine, Mojitos, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Persia Restaurant, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, RSVP Catering, Salt Creek Grille, Sam’s Flaming Grill, Stonefire Grill, Tea Zazz, Thelma’s Morning Cafe, Whole Foods Market and Wolf Creek Restaurant and Bar.

Chairs and Volunteers

Chairs of the event this year were Sue Bozman and Sally Angel, Wine chair, Jeff Jacobson, was supported by Joe Artusio, John Owens, Steve Cravitz and Skip Newhall.

Other volunteers who gave generously of their time: Janet Linahan who chaired the Restaurant Committee with help from Arlene Saretsky and Denise Maggio, Elena Chao and her husband Kirk Wong who organized and hosted the Vintners Dinner, Diana Ramirez who supervised the set up of the event, Linda Krantz and Erin Weideman who very successfully ran the Silent Auction.

Volunteers, under Volunteer chair Sue Stanger, also included many parents of students, the students themselves and numerous friends and family members who managed to get themselves press-ganged into helping throughout the day. The invaluable support of these individuals is critical to the event’s success.

Other areas of Recognition

This year the College of the Canyons Foundation was actually serving as the host of the event, providing the SCV Youth Orchestra Foundation with scads of operational support. Foundation staff Shannon Munoz, Sharon Platz, Michele Edmonson, Cathy Ritz and Murray Wood all provided invaluable help in getting the event up and running, and advertising it more widely than ever.

Responsible for the perfect design and smooth maintenance of the Wine Classic’s web and online presence was John Green and Nick Pavik from College of the Canyons – their creative work is always superb! John McElwain provided his database expertise to ensure that we reached everyone who might possibly want to sample a few wines. Rounding out the marketing team, Jasmine Foster worked on outreach to the community obtaining sponsorships, auction items, advertising and other marketing support.

Music at the Vintners Dinner and while patrons are lining up to enter was provided by Chamber Groups from the Student Orchestras.

The Drew Jorgensen Trio featuring Drew Jorgensen, Matt Mayhall and Colin Burgess provided the live music for the event itself.

Tom Bwarie had a long line at his table all night, where he tirelessly engraved everyone’s wine glass. He drove up from his gift shop in Carlsbad, The Bwarie Gift Basket Company, having donated a beautiful gift basket, including Silver Oak and Twomey wines, engraved for the occasion.

One long-term participant at the Silent Auction is Andrew Weiss Gallery of Beverly Hills. They have supported the event for five years, each year donating a piece of fine art to the cause.

The SCV Youth Orchestra is a three-tiered instrumental education program that was founded at CalArts in 1969 and moved to College of the Canyons in 1989. The Wine Classic is a key fundraiser for this organization, which provides a positive and creative outlet for hundreds of young musicians throughout the Santa Clarita Valley.

Perlis Picked: Circle of Hope Vine 2 Wine Classic at California Institute of the Arts

August 24, 2013 by evebushman

When we moved to the Santa Clarita Valley in 1992, we had already gotten pretty interested in wine, having started several years earlier visiting some of the better known California wine regions. Even when we lived in Texas in the mid-80s, we managed to keep our wine passion alive with frequent visits to California, along with meeting a wine broker in San Antonio who kept us engaged with private tasting of European wines, and even a visit to the wineries of the Texas Hill Country [don’t ask].

So we were ecstatic to learn of the big annual event in Santa Clarita – the Santa Clarita Valley Wine Classic held at California Institute of the Arts. And it didn’t hurt that it was literally right down the street from our home in Stevenson Ranch.

Although we didn’t attend every year, I wish we would have, because every time we went we had a great time, sampling wines from donor wineries as well as those from the cellars of generous Santa Claritans.

In fact, as I recently mentioned, my first article for Eve’s Wine 101 was reporting on the event in 2009, the same event that local wine aficionado Steve Elzer gave me my first taste of Scholium Project.

Alas, that was the final year of the Classic, until 2013, when Circle of Hope brought its annual event to Cal Arts and with the efforts of so many people, most notably Jeff Jacobson who was primarily responsible for bringing in the wine, the old days of the Classic were not only recreated, but just possibly surpassed.

With wines poured from over 50 wineries, along with wines donated by the amazing and generous wine connoisseurs of our community, the selection of wines available to taste was amazing. Combined with the participation of several local restaurants, the addition of the Moe Hafizi Beer Garden, and stellar entertainment, I dare say perfection was pretty much achieved.

Some of the highlights for me were…

Vines on the Marycrest – Victor Abascal was pouring his great wines from Paso Robles. Their My Generation blend is always one of my favorites.

Gagnon Cellars – Gil and Rae Gagnon are becoming fixtures on the Santa Clarita wine event scene, and I am admittedly proud that I initially reached out to them for the Pour Into Sandy event last year. They are making some pretty stylish wines – their 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon was my favorite that evening.

Stanger Vineyards – general manager JP French is a great crowd pleaser, as are the Stanger wines.

Sculpterra Winery – with all of our visits to Paso Robles, we have not made it to Sculpterra. Fortunately, they came to us. Great Viognier, and their Primitivo was delicious as well.

A real surprise to me was Golden Star Vineyards. I like to think I am not a wine snob, but when I saw they were right up Highway 14 in Littlerock, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Well, I was pleasantly, really pleasantly, surprised. The wines were all very well made. I really liked the Purple Haze blend and the Paso Robles Zinfandel. But my favorite was their Syrah from Antelope Valley.

The food was great as well. I especially enjoyed the offerings from Marston’s, Cheers @ All Corked Up, and Persia.

And I’d like to give a big “thank you” to the generous residents of the Santa Clarita Valley, not just those who attended, but especially those who opened up their cellars and poured some of their treasures. It was great to taste the rose that Jeannie and Chris Carpenter were pouring from their own local Compa vineyard. And once again, Steve and Amy Elzer came through with amazing wines from their cellar – my favorite this time was a 1986 [I think] Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon that may make me rethink how I view Cabs.

Can’t wait until next year.

The CLASSIC Returned to Cal Arts

August 23, 2013 by evebushman

There was quite a bit to conquer at the Vine 2 Wine Classic this year besides the Wine Room with over 55 tables of wineries and private cellars: Hundreds of guests also visited the Moe Hafizi Beer Garden, had more catered food choices then ever before, perused an art exhibit created by the Santa Clarita Artist’s Association, listened to music performed by both Jimmy Carnelli and Lance Allyn, shopped various local vendors, checked out a silent auction and might have had a sighting of King Pedro of Portugal and his 150 year-old namesake port.

The event, organized by Circle of Hope Executive Director Ray Tippet, Wine Chair Jeff Jacobson and several more, was seeing its first year at Cal Arts – the venue most vinophiles know as the host for The SCV Wine Classic. And as the goal was to morph the Vine 2 Wine event with the Wine Classic, you’ll be glad to know the wait is over.

Having to be “on all night” chatting with guests, photographing and videotaping, I’ll give you a few of the highlights that I came across:

Special Juice

My husband was told that if he wanted to get the “special juice” he had to make one of the men pouring from his own cellar laugh. This is the video he loaded up on his cell phone, and he was given the “special juice” for his efforts. This might help you at the next event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyYHYl8liFc&feature=youtu.be

Les Hershberger and 99-100pt Sloan(s)

Hershberger’s Taunt

Les Hershberger, another gentleman pouring from his own cellar, asked me to identify which of the two wines he poured for me. By “identify” he meant he wanted me to tell him which had scored 99 points and which had scored 100. Totally daunted I sipped the first taste and noted that it seemed perfect; balanced in both fruit, spice and tannins and easily drinkable now. As I thought about it I asked Les…which reviewer gave the scores and he said Robert Parker. If you know Robert Parker you know what he likes…so I thought about it. Les poured me the second wine. It was bigger, bolder, and much spicier on the nose. Without tasting I said it was the 100-point wine and had guessed right. Les was thrilled with me…and poured me a few other goodies.

Yelling Yoti

I finally made it over to Jill Friedman’s Wild Flour Baking Company, opposite a table manned by the owners of Marston’s, and was tickled to be able to do a little sampling. I was there no less than a minute then I could hear someone – and so did everyone else nearby – yelling my name. All heads turned to the right and then swung to the left. I was ready to chalk it up to a mistake but as it kept happening, I finally looked up. There was photographer extraordinaire, Yoti Telio, yelling while balancing his ever-present camera.

Russ’ Riesling

Russ Briley has had great success with his Nuggucciet Cellars Pinot Noir, enough so that he’s branched out into making a 2009 Riesling with grapes from the Willamette Valley. I only got to have a taste…I recommend you get your own.

MORE Wineries to Visit

Other wineries I visited (or fully intended to visit) included Vines on the Marycrest, Pisoni Vineyard, Pulchella, Stanger, Golden Star, Sort This Out Cellars, B & P, Bridlewood, Eberle Winery, Educated Guess, Fess Parker, Gagnon Cellars, Hoyt Family Vineyards, Jalama Wines, J Lohr, Opolo, Quady, Reyes Winery, Sculpterra, The Other Guys and Woodland Hills Wine Company. (See the full list below)

A Nod to Lucy Wines

The Pisoni family donated 80 cases of their Lucy Rosé of Pinot Noir to the event. Everyone was invited to take home a free bottle of their fabulous Rosé as they left for the evening. One dollar is donated to cancer research for every bottle of Lucy wine the Pisoni Family sells and they also participate in many worthwhile fundraising events.

Clyde and Colleen Shaffer

It’s always nice to run into Circle of Hope Founder Colleen Shaffer and her husband Clyde. I’ve had the pleasure of hearing Colleen speak a few times and she never fails to inspire. And, seeing the couple so relaxed, and enjoying the wine, made me happy.

Daniel “Nissan of Valencia” Sterkel

I don’t think I’ve met Daniel more than twice, but both times he had a Nissan in tow – pretty much – as a sponsor of a local event. Need I say more? He’s an amazing giver to the community and he likes wine = the perfect man.

Me and Nick Morello

Morello Sighting

Anyone remember one of the first managers at Valencia Wine Company that went off to make his own wines? Nick Morello was a figure at The Wine Classic for many years and I was thrilled to see that Jeff Jacobson got him back. His wines were great and I was happy to see that he was still at it.

Taping

“SCV Unscripted” is the working title of a project I’m doing with Bonnie Keith of Video Magic Productions and Prime Publications (Elite magazine and Magazine of Santa Clarita). It’s just in the fetal stage but we are having fun. During the evening I had an opportunity to do impromptu interviews with former Circle of Hope president Judy Penman, Wm. S. Hart school board member Gloria Mercado Fortine, the Director of Sales and Marketing at Salt Creek Grille Jennifer Chadwick and others. Here’s the link to the teaser video and another link to more interviews over wine!

Facebook now provides a link to non-Facebook users for photos, and I think this is as good a place as any to stop writing, and look for your friends enjoying the event: Hyperlink

Seen Sipping

Julio Del Rio and Patsy Ayala, Ryan and Tamar House, Steve and Amy Elzer, Doug Gould and Lisa Cole, Tami Edwards, Chris and Jeannie Carpenter, Eddie Bushman, Simon and Shannon Mee, Kat Kombrinck, Michael and Karen Perlis, Jeff, Joan, Julie and Jeremy Jacobson, Russ and Leslie Bretall, Les Hershberger, Ray Tippet, Linda, Moe and Alex Hafizi, Claudia Sheridan, Andrew Friend, Danise Davis, Joyce Roberts-Stein, Doug and Judy Penman, Elizabeth Teagle, Terri Apruzzese, Douglas Hoover, Paula Hodge, Darrin and Cathy Craig, Ron Cappi, Marc and Kerri Emmer, John and Sonya Rowin, Sharon Lindquist, Bonnie Keith, Liahna Katona, Larry Barbro, Beth Greenwald, Pam Fields, Jill Friedman, Lance Allyn, Laurie Morgan, Homayoun Daryani, Pam Ripling, Deborah Acker-Zolnoski, Nick Morello, Dawn Oliver-Smith, Beth Heiserman, Robert and Rosa Reyes, Madison Gable, Cheryl Gray, Richard and Jane Soto, Victor and Jennifer Abascal, Margo Martini, Diane DeBoer, Dave Caldwell, Juan and Claudia Alonso, Leah Granen, Ed and Marlene Bernstein, Mary Bradway, Dante Acosta, Mark Anthony, Nicole Raach, Steve and Rose Chegwin, Michael Cobb, Pam Ingram, Larry and Gloria Stahly, Patrick Lage, Sandi Naba, Ashley Butler, Nick Rose, Robyne Roberson, Gail Pinsker, Jeff and Tamra Levine, Clyde and Colleen Shaffer, Daniel Sterkel, Scott and Vanessa Wilk, Jennifer Chadwick, Ryan and Tamar House, Lucas and Betty Herme, Joe and Leslie Peyton, Jimmy Carnelli, Ilene Flickstein, Jen Gerard, Mike Bjorkman, Ryan Moore, Dana Turner-Webb, Michele Buttelman, Jill Bondy, Robyn Leslie, Mike Lebecki, Mindi Burgess, Yoti Telio, Joel Cox, Bruce Fortine and Gloria Mercado-Fortine, Steve and Julie Sturgeon, Bruce and Tamara Brown, Elizabeth Hopp, Judy Penman, Don and Cheryl Dellepiane, Lois Bauccio, Steve Lemley, Nate Hasper, Russ and Nancy Briley, Lee Yoon, Roman Weiser, Zaheer Ali, Beverly Overstreet, Karen Kaplan and Terry Bucknall.

Wine Room

Agua Dulce Winery, Arcadian Winery, B & P Winery, Joseph Blair Wines, Bratcher Winery, Bridlewood Estate Winery, Constellation Brands, Coruce Vineyards, Eberle Winery, Educated Guess – Roots Run, Deep Winery, Fess Parker Vineyard & Winery, Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne, Bodega Enrique Foster, Fratelli Perata Winery, Freixenet USA / Gloria Ferrer, Gagnon Cellars, Golden Star Vineyards, Harmony Cellars, Hoyt Family Vineyards, Jalama Wines, J Lohr Vineyards and Wines, Lucy Wines, Morello Wines, Rob Murray Vineyards, Niven Family Estates, Nuggucciet Cellars, Old Creek Ranch Winery, Rombauer Winery, Opolo Vineyards, Pedroncelli Winery, Penman Springs Vineyard, Pisoni Vineyards, Pulchella Winery, Quady Winery, Red Wines of the World, Reyes Winery, Sculpterra Winery, Sort This Out Cellars, Sparkling Wines of the World, Stanger Vineyards, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Sunrise Spirits & Food Co., TOG – The Other Guys, Tolo Cellars, Glendale’s Topline Wine Company, Miguel Torres Wines, Treasury Wine Estates, Vines on the Marycrest, Vino V Wines, Wente Vineyards, White Wines of the World, Woodland Hills Wine Company and Young’s Market, The Estates Group.

Distributors included: Southern Wine & Spirits of Southern California and Wine Warehouse.

Some of the tables were sponsored by: Hotspot SCV, Jen Gerard, Whitening Lightning Valencia; Mike Bjorkman at HomeSmart Real Estate; Ryan Moore, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network; Sleep Number.

Library wines were poured – at no additional fee – from the personal cellars of Chris and Jeannie Carpenter, Lee Yoon, Steve and Amy Elzer, Doug Gould, Les Hershberger and Mamie Wong, Jeff, Joan, Julie and Jeremy Jacobson.

King Pedro V of Portugal

King Pedro himself, in his stylish garb, prompted guests to purchase single tastes of his namesake 1853 reserve port for $100. Only 30 people could partake, and partake they did.

Moe Hafizi Beer Garden

Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Fireman’s Brew, Newhall Refinery, Wolf Creek Restaurant and Brewing Company and additional Craft Brews. Peter Goossens introduced a hard apple cider, along with a generous selection of Belgian beers to the guests, which will also be featured at the upcoming Belgian Are Coming Beer Festival.

Food Donors

Cheers at All Corked Up, Jasmine Thai Noodle & BBQ , Lima y Limon Peruvian Restaurant, Marston’s Restaurant, Persia Restaurant, Rattler’s Bar B Que, Smokin Bar-B-Quties, Stonefire Grill, Thelma & Luis Restaurant, Le Maes Fine Cuisine, The Juice Cart, Cake Goodness, Kokolita Cakes, Wildflour Bakery, Rita’s Ice, and House of Breads.

Continue Your Support to Circle of Hope

“Join the Inner Circle” when you sign up to donate just $10 a month – which covers one doctor’s visit for a Circle of Hope client – via www.circleofhopeinc.org

Sponsors and Donors

Union Bank, Logix, the Magazine of Santa Clarita, Elite Magazine, KHTS AM-1220, SCV TV, Nissan of Valencia, California State Senator Steve Knight, Ric Clark / Sandy Guluzza, Whitening Lightening, Home Smart, Hot Spot SCV, Ryan Moore/ Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, Sleep Number, SCV Today, Visual Springs, Our Valleys Magazine, Burrtec, CalArts, Salt Creek Grille Catering, Wolf Creek Catering, AV Party Rentals, Barbara’s Best Impressions Inc., Global Protective Services, Inc., Indoor Plant Professionals, Jeff, Joan, Jeremy and Julie Jacobson, Newhall Ice, Newhall Refinery, Southern Wine & Spirits of So. California, SOS Entertainment and La Quinta Inns & Suites.