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South Coast Winery Garners 20 Awards from LA Competition

May 7, 2022 by evebushman

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.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: argentina, Australia, best of class, blend, bronze medal, California, canada, Chardonnay, Chile, competition, France, Germany, Gewurztraminer, gold medal, Grenache Blanc, israel, Italy, Japan, judge, los angeles, medal, mexico, New Zealand, pinot blanc, Pinot Grigio, Port, portugal, red blend, Rhone, Riesling, Rose, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, silver medal, spain, sparkling, Temecula, Tempranillo, united states, verdelho, vintage, Viognier, wine competition, wine education, wine judge

CA Wins at NY International Wine Competition

April 23, 2022 by evebushman

NYIWC Winners from CA in 2021

  • Aimee (Morgan Hill, CA)
    • Gold medal: Petite Sirah- Region lll 2017
    • Silver medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
    • Silver medal: Bollicine 2019
    • Bronze medal: Petite Sirah- Region V 2017
    • Individual award: Napa Petite Sirah Winery of the Year
  • Benson Marketing Group (Napa Valley, CA)
    • Gold medal: Vermouth di Torino
  • Blair Estate (Carmel By The Sea, CA)
    • Silver medal: Blair Estate Pinot Noir Morgantini Vineyard 2016
    • Silver medal: Blair Estate Rose of Pinot Noir 2019
    • Individual award: Arroyo Seco Rose of Pinot Noir Winery of the Year
  • Cameron Hughes Wine (San Francisco, CA)
    • Gold medal: Lot 746 Arroyo Seco Chardonnay 2019
    • Silver medal: Lot 765 Sierra Foothills Zinfandel 2018
    • Individual award: Arroyo Seco Chardonnay Wine of the Year
  • Clos de la Tech (Woodside, CA)
    • Double Gold medal: Domaine Lois Louise “Cote Sud”  2015
    • Silver medal: Domaine Valeta “Sunny Slope” 2015
    • Bronze medal: Santa Cruz Mountain Estates 2015
    • Individual award: Santa Cruz Mountains Winery of the year
  • DoublePlus Wines (St Helena, CA)
    • Gold medal: Rose 2020
    • Gold medal: Sauvignon Blanc 2020
    • Individual award: Napa Sauvignon Blanc Winery of the Year
  • E&J Gallo Winery (Modesto, CA)
    • Barefoot Hard Seltzer
      • Gold medal: Peach
      • Silver medal: Pineapple
      • Bronze medal: Cherry
    • J Vineyards
      • Gold medal: Chardonnay 2019
      • Gold medal: Pinot Noir 2018
      • Silver medal: Brut Rosé
    • La Marca
      • Gold medal: Prosecco
    • Louis M. Martini
      • Gold medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
      • Silver medal: Cabernet Sauvignon
      • Individual award: Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Wine of the Year
    • Alamos
      • Silver medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
    • Barefoot
      • Silver medal: Sangria
      • Silver medal: Pink Pinot Grigio
      • Silver medal: Merlot
      • Silver medal: Zinfandel
      • Bronze medal: Sauvignon Blanc
      • Bronze medal: Chardonnay
      • Bronze medal: White Zinfandel
      • Bronze medal: Moscato
      • Bronze medal: Pinot Grigio
      • Bronze medal: Moscato
    • Barefoot Bubbly
      • Silver medal: Brut Cuvee
      • Bronze medal: Brut Rosé
      • Bronze medal: Prosecco
    • Barefoot Fruitscato
      • Silver medal: Strawberry
      • Silver medal: Mango
      • Bronze medal: Watermelon
      • Bronze medal: Peach
      • Bronze medal: Blueberry
      • Individual award: Wines with Fruit Flavor of the Year
    • Barefoot Spritzer
      • Silver medal: Moscato Spritzer
      • Bronze medal: Summer Red
    • Black Box
      • Silver medal: Chardonnay 2019
      • Silver medal: Malbec 2018
      • Silver medal: Pinot Grigio 2019
      • Silver medal: Shiraz 2018
      • Bronze medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
      • Bronze medal: Sauvignon Blanc 2020
      • Individual award: Boxed Wine of the Year
    • Edna Valley
      • Silver medal: Chardonnay 2019
      • Bronze medal: Rosé 2020
    • MacMurray Estate Vineyards
      • Silver medal: Pinot Noir 2018
    • Prophecy
      • Silver medal: Pinot Noir 2018
      • Bronze medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
    • Starborough
      • Silver medal: Sauvignon Blanc 2020
    • Talbott
      • Silver medal: Kali Hart Chardonnay 2019
    • William Hill Estate Winery
      • Bronze medal: Chardonnay 2019
      • Bronze medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
      • Bronze medal: Chardonnay 2019
  • Fazeli Cellars (Temecula, CA)
    • Gold medal: Merlot 2017
    • Silver medal: Shiraz 2017
    • Bronze medal: Petite Sirah 2017
    • Individual award: Temecula Winery of the Year
  • Frey Vineyards (Redwood Valley, CA)
    • Frey Organic
      • Double Gold medal: Sauvignon Blanc 2019
      • Gold medal: Viognier 2018
      • Silver medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
      • Silver medal: Sun & Rain Chardonnay 2019
      • Silver medal: Pinot Grigio 2019
      • Bronze medal: Zinfandel 2019
      • Bronze medal: Chardonnay 2019
      • Individual award: California Organic Winery of the Year
    • Frey Biodynamic
      • Gold medal: Merlot 2019
      • Silver medal: Chardonnay 2019
  • Garemani Wines (Santa Barbara, CA)
    • Gold medal: Chardonnay 2019
    • Gold medal: Pinot Noir 2019
    • Silver medal: Merlot 2019
    • Bronze medal: Sauvignon Blanc 2019
    • Bronze medal: Tannat 2019
    • Individual award: Central Coast Pinot Noir Winery of the Year
  • Halleck Vineyard (Sebastopol, CA)
    • Double Gold medal: Pinot Noir; Three Sons Cuvee 2017
    • Gold medal: Calandrelli Vineyard 2019
    • Gold medal: Hillside Cuvee 2017
    • Silver medal: Little Sister Sauvignon Blanc 2019
    • Silver medal: The Farm Vineyards 2017
    • Silver medal: Clone 828 2018
    • Bronze medal: Pinot Noir; Haas Vineyard 2017
    • Individual award: California Gewurztraminer Winery of the Year
    • Individual award: Russian River Pinot Noir Winery of the Year
  • Hartlam Winery (San Gabriel, CA)
    • Gold medal: Grenache 2020
    • Silver medal: Syrah Rosé wine 2020
    • Bronze medal: Sauvignon blanc 2020
    • Individual award: California Grenache Winery of the Year
  • Herzog Wine Cellars (Oxnard, CA)
    • Double Gold medal: American Oak Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
    • Gold medal: Choreograph 2020
    • Gold medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
    • Gold medal: Rosé 2020
    • Silver medal: French Oak Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
    • Silver medal: Four Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
    • Bronze medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
    • Bronze medal: Pinot Grigio 2020
    • Bronze medal: Momentus
    • Bronze medal: Sauvignon Blanc 2020
    • Individual award: Kosher Winery of the Year
  • Kenwood Vineyards (Kenwood, CA)
    • Double Gold medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
    • Gold medal: Six Ridges Chardonnay 2018
    • Silver medal: Sauvignon Blanc 2019
    • Silver medal: Jack London Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
    • Bronze medal: Six Ridges Sauvignon Blanc 2019
    • Bronze medal: Six Ridges Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
    • Bronze medal: Chardonnay 2018
    • Bronze medal: Pinot Noir 2018
    • Individual award: Sonoma County Chardonnay Winery of the Year
  • Libelle Wines (St Helena, CA)
    • Gold medal: Grüner Veltliner 2019
    • Individual award: Gruner Veltliner Winery of the Year
  • Maker Wine Company (San Francisco, CA)
    • Gold medal: Chenin Blanc 2020
    • Silver medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
    • Silver medal: Sparkling Rose
    • Silver medal: Merlot 2018
    • Bronze medal: Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc 2020
    • Bronze medal: Rose of Grenache 2020
    • Individual award: Chenin Blanc Winery of the Year
  • Mystic Hills Vineyard (San Miguel, CA)
    • Gold medal: Unforgiven 2015
    • Bronze medal: Gran Trio 2015
    • Individual award: San Luis Obispo County Winery of the Year
  • New Clairvaux Vineyard (Vina, CA)
    • Gold medal: Moschofilero 2020
    • Silver medal: Barbera Rose 2020
    • Silver medal: Petite Sirah 2018
    • Bronze medal: Assyrtiko 2020
    • Individual award: Tehama County Winery of the Year
  • Nichelini Family Winery (St Helena, CA)
    • Gold medal: Remeber
    • Silver medal: Sauvignon Blanc 2020
    • Silver medal: Engine 318
    • Individual award: Napa Rose Winery of the Year
  • Oak Farm Vineyards (Lodi, CA)
    • Gold medal: Sauvignon Blanc 2020
    • Silver medal: Zinfandel 2018
    • Silver medal: Rosé 2020
    • Bronze medal: Chardonnay 2020
    • Individual award: Lodi Winery of the Year
  • Penrose Hill (Napa, CA)
    • Double Gold medal: Musa Noctuaria Rosé of Garnacha 2020
    • Double Gold medal: Trailstone Chardonnay 2019
    • Gold medal: Tintoretto Pinot Grigio 2019
    • Gold medal: Watchful Maker Bold Red Wine 2018
    • Silver medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
    • Silver medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
    • Bronze medal: Iron Arrow White Blend 2019
    • Bronze medal: Luxana Sauvignon Blanc 2020
    • Bronze medal: Penrose Hill Rosé of Pinot Noir 2019
    • Bronze medal: Tintoretto Sangiovese 2019
    • Individual award: Spain Rose of the Year
    • Individual award: Italy Pinot Grigio Winery of the Year
    • Individual award: Columbia Valley Winery of the Year
  • Perchance Estates (Rutherford, CA)
    • Double Gold medal: Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard 2018
    • Individual award: Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon Wine of the Year
  • PR Farms, Inc. (Clovis, CA)
    • Gold medal: My Italian Cousin Eugenio 2018
    • Silver medal: My Italian Cousin Eugenio 2016
  • Rodney Strong Wine Estates (Healdsburg, CA)
    • Double Gold medal: Russian River Valley; Estate Rose of Pinot Noir 2020
    • Gold medal: California Chardonnay 2019
    • Silver medal: Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2017
    • Silver medal: River West Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2017
    • Silver medal: Red Blend 2018
    • Silver medal: Knotty Vines Pinot Noir 2018
    • Silver medal: Russian River Valley Estate Pinot Noir 2017
    • Bronze medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
    • Bronze medal: Sonoma County Merlot 2017
    • Individual award: Russian River Winery of the Year
  • Vinesse (Westlake Village, CA)
    • Double Gold medal: Sangiovese 2019
    • Gold medal: Garnacha 2019
    • Gold medal: Merlot 2019
    • Gold medal: Chardonnay 2019
    • Silver medal: Merlot 2019
    • Silver medal: Chenin Blanc 2019
    • Silver medal: Bordeaux Superieur Red Wine 2018
    • Silver medal: Montepulciano 2019
    • Bronze medal: Syrah 2019
    • Bronze medal: Shiraz 2019
    • Bronze medal: Sauvignon Blanc 2019
    • Bronze medal: Aglianico 2019
    • Individual award: Wahluke Slope Winery of the Year
    • Individual award: International Wine Club of the Year
  • Vintage Wine Estates (Santa Rosa, CA)
    • Gold medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
    • Gold medal: Chardonnay 2020
    • Gold medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
    • Gold medal: Malbec 2020
    • Gold medal: Zinfandel 2019
    • Silver medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
    • Silver medal: Sauvignon Blanc 2020
    • Silver medal: White Zinfandel 2020
    • Silver medal: Moscato 2020
    • Bronze medal: Sangiovese 2020
    • Bronze medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
  • VJB Cellars (Kenwood, CA)
    • Gold medal: Barbera 2018
    • Silver medal: Primitivo 2017
    • Silver medal: Nebbiolo 2017
    • Silver medal: Wellington Cellars Merlot 2017
    • Bronze medal: Wellington Cellars 1882 Zinfandel
    • Individual award: Sonoma Winery of the Year
  • WineShop At Home
    • Gold medal: Sauvignon Blanc 2020
    • Gold medal: Alcedo 2019
    • Silver medal: Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
    • Silver medal: Hero’s Blend 2017
    • Bronze medal: Black Muscat 2020
    • Individual award: Chile Sauvignon Blanc of the Year

About the New York International Wine Competition:

The NYIWC is part of the International Beverage Competition (IBC) series, a unique group of wine, beer, and spirits competitions taking place in New York City, Berlin, Melbourne, and Hong Kong annually. The judging panels at all IBC competitions consist entirely of active trade buyers, including sommeliers, cicerones, retail store buyers, distributors, importers, restaurant beverage directors, and more. The organizers of the competition feel that these judges, whose livelihood rely upon their skill set, truly know what the consumer wants, as they receive on a daily basis the feedback from the consumer of what is good and what will sell. The carefully selected judges taste the products in a blind tasting format, judging the products by both category and price.

From Founder Adam Levy:

“We’re the only international beverage competitions where all the judges are real trade buyers who are judging by category and actual price. These judges are buyers from the top New York Area liquor stores, restaurants, hotels and more. The submissions in 2021 were exceptionally good, and the judges were excited to be able to sample such a wide range of well-executed traditional styles of alcohol, as well as some more inventive products from all over the USA and internationally. Many of our judges discovered new products that they will be incorporating into their inventories in the coming year.”

View the full list of 2021 winners, learn more about the judging panel, and find information about submitting products for next year’s competition at https://nyiwinecompetition.com. In addition to the annual competition series, the IBC also publishes The Alcohol Professor – an online “homeroom” for the beverage trade and the enlightened consumer to learn about all things bibulous. Visit https://www.alcoholprofessor.com/ for thoughtful, in-depth articles about wine, beer, spirits, and more.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: award, bronze medal, brut, bubbles, cabernet sauvignon, California, Carmel, Chardonnay, gold medal, hard seltzer, Lodi, Napa Valley, New York, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, prosecco, Rose, san francisco, Santa Barbara, sierra foothill, silver medal, vermouth, wine competition, wine judge, Zinfandel

Carter Creek Winery Racks Up 12 Awards at TXIWC

March 3, 2022 by evebushman

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.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: aroma, award, Barrel, best of class, blend, blind tasting, brewery, craft beer, double gold, enologist, flavor, gold medal, Grenache, influencer, Master of Wine, master sommelier, palate, Port, red blend, Roussanne, sangria, silver medal, sparkling, tasting room, Tempranillo, texas, touriga nacional, varietal, Viognier, viticulture, wine competition, wine education, wine judge, wine writer, winemaker

What I’ve Learned About the Las Vegas Wine, Spirits and Dining Nightlife

February 25, 2022 by evebushman

There are so many places to eat and drink in Las Vegas that I can safely say that in the first year we’ve lived here we have barely scratched the surface of what is out here. We have been welcomed by new neighbors in Spanish Trail community for wining and dining, from people I only knew on social media that now include us for blind wine tastings in their home or favorite restaurants, and been invited as guests in the Spanish Trail country club for wine dinners and more casual wine flight nights.

A month after moving into our Vegas home we had our first wine tasting!

The Las Vegas area, of course, is known for its impeccable service to an international community. So I believe that the people living here are an extension of that: welcoming, giving, and truly interested in entertaining guests in style. We have been made to feel so comfortable the first six months that the last six have been a whirlwind of invitations both given and received, and I can safely say that we are socializing much more in Vegas than we expected.

As I had retired the consulting arm of Eve’s Wine 101 with the move, which means all of my big event planning, because of the “open arms” we’ve enjoyed in Vegas I haven’t missed the planning and marketing work I would normally be doing.

Why Is Vegas Different

Besides the feelings I touched on above there are probably more sommeliers working in Las Vegas than any other city the average person is likely to visit. So when I get to go to a blind tasting in a friend’s home there are no less than three or four working sommeliers in attendance.

Their wealth of knowledge and experience makes me so happy, reminds me of the times I’ve judged wines as well as the certification classes I’ve attended.

The wine groups here, at least the ones I’ve attended, started out as groups via the Meet Up website, then they splintered off into smaller groups of people. When the gathering is in a private home usually everyone brings a bottle and a dish to share, and of course you can’t go wrong doing that! I end up sampling almost everything, and then committing to a glass of whatever I liked the best!

At the restaurants and bars there seems to be an earnest desire to make the experience personal. I’ve had restaurant wait staff learn our favorite cocktails and offer them as soon as we sit down, sharing items not on the menu, have incredibly prepared chef menus for the night, introduce their family if they work there too, check on our table more than once and even been a part of inside jokes! It’s like being at home and having an expert family member cook, serve and clean up! We couldn’t be made to feel more comfortable.

Our whisky interests have been more fulfilled than before. We had come to Vegas annually for the Universal Whisky Experience – the epitome of classy whisky tasting and learning events. After moving here I was invited to a local meeting of the Las Vegas chapter of the Drammers Club, and we’ve since attended a few meetings at Vegas resorts led by founder Charlie Prince who never fails to bring us bottles we have never tried before. At one meeting we met a fellow scotch whisky lover that is also the bar manager at Oak and Ivy in downtown Las Vegas – a bar that is well known for its brown spirit cocktails. And though not whisky, we’ve found a favorite bar for fun Tiki drinks and live entertainment too: The Golden Tiki.

Have you noticed that I haven’t mentioned any resorts? Of course there is amazing dining and the same solicitous service on the strip. It’s just that as a local you learn to avoid the crowds and traffic by staying away from the strip. There are many restaurants we’ve enjoyed between our home in Spring Valley, Las Vegas, that is ten minutes from the strip. And if we do crave some strip time we still go down there, but never on a weekend or a weekend night.

As far as all of the restaurants and bars we’ve enjoyed so far I’m not going to even attempt to list them all here. (Though I will give a shout out to D’Agostino’s Trattoria as we’re there most frequently.) If you want to know go to the new Las Vegas Highlights page on Eve’s Wine 101 and scroll away to your heart’s content! And if you like that page, and Vegas, check there often to see #EveBushmanWhatsInYourGlass and #EveBushmahWhatsOnYourPlate Thanks for reading!

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.

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: bar, blind tasting, chef, cocktail, dining, Drammers, drinks, eve bushman consulting, eve's wine 101, flight, las vegas, las vegas highlights, menu, restaurants, single malt whisky, sommelier, spanish trail, tiki drinks, universal Whisky Experience, whisky, whisky event, wine dinner, wine education, wine judge, Wine tasting

Piper-Heidsieck Chief Winemaker Named 2021 Sparkling Winemaker of the Year

August 3, 2021 by evebushman

REIMS, FRANCE (PRWEB) – At 34 years old, Piper-Heidsieck Chief Winemaker Emilien Boutillat has been named the 2021 Sparkling Winemaker of the Year at this year’s annual International Wine Challenge (IWC) held in London, United Kingdom.

Emilien joined the Piper-Heidsieck family in October 2018, taking over from renowned winemaker Regis Camus, and is the youngest chef de cave to lead a major House in the region.

His dynamic approach to winemaking has maintained the excellence and success of the House in recent times, enabled by his philosophy to balance tradition with trailblazing distinction.

As a result, Piper-Heidsieck is the most awarded Champagne House of the century*, achieving eight titles under the leadership of Regis Camus, and now a ninth with Emilien Boutillat’s latest IWC Sparkling Winemaker of the Year award.

Thrilled with the honor of the Award, Emilien stated:
“This is an important recognition of the work produced by the entire Piper-Heidsieck team and honors the legacy of my predecessors, including Daniel Thibault and Regis Camus, both of whom achieved great success during their time at the helm of Piper-Heidsieck.”

He continued:
“From the winemaking team, some of whom have been with the House more than 30 years, to the winegrowers and partners, and those involved in the production of the bottles, each of our team’s valuable contribution is what has enabled us to receive this award.”

The 2021 Sparkling Winemaker of the Year award affirms the dedication and commitment of Piper-Heidsieck to continue producing the finest blends, while working towards a sustainably conscious future within all its winemaking practices.

In its 37th year, the International Wine Competition brings together a panel of expert judges to blind taste the wide variety of wines and work in unison to discover the highest-quality blends from 52 countries.

The vast range of awards presented by the IWC includes Red, White, Fortified, Sparkling, and Sweet Winemakers of the Year and the Own Label, Varietal, Regional, National, and International shortlists.

Lauded as the most awarded House of the century*, Piper-Heidsieck has been one of the US market’s Top Five Champagne brands for more than a decade and is poured in more than 100 countries worldwide. A House with a storied history, it was the first champagne to appear in film and has long been associated with celebration, cinema and celebrity.

An official sponsor of the iconic Cannes Film Festival for more than 20 years, and the official Champagne of the Academy Awards since 2015, a bottle of Piper-Heidsieck is opened around the world every 8 seconds.

Wines in the Piper-Heidsieck portfolio include: Brut NV ($45 SRP), Extra Dry ($45 SRP), Sublime ($50 SRP), Rosé Sauvage ($60 SRP) and 2012 Vintage Brut ($80 SRP).

Wines are available nationally through fine wine retailers and restaurants. For more information or image requests, please contact Rebecca Hopkins at rhopkins@foliowine.com

###

About Piper-Heidsieck:
The most awarded Champagne House of the century*, Piper-Heidsieck is celebrated for its audacity and excellence. Steeped in history, Piper-Heidsieck was born of a love story that began in 1785 with German-born founder Florens-Louis Heidsieck crafting a wine to seduce his lover. For Piper-Heidsieck, the true meaning of seduction is free from convention to innovate and to convey self-expression. The Maison continued its path of seduction winning over Marie-Antoinette, exciting the palates of speakeasy goers throughout Prohibition and even becoming Marilyn Monroe’s bedfellow with the famous actress claiming she would get up every morning with a glass of Piper. Today, Piper-Heidsieck is poured in over 100 countries and prides itself on holding dual certification of Viticulture Durable en Champagne and Haute Valeur Environnementale**. The progressive Champagne House also enjoys a colourful history of unique encounters and moments of intimacy, none more memorable than the iconic Prohibition-era which this year celebrates 100 years.

** Predecessor of Emilien Boutillat, Régis Camus awarded the title of “Sparkling Winemaker of the Year” eight times by the International Wine Challenge jury since the beginning of the century.
** VDC: Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne / HVE: High Environmental Value

About Folio Fine Wine Partners:
Founded by the Michael Mondavi Family in 2004, Folio Fine Wine Partners is an importer, fine wine agency and producer of quality wines from the world’s premier and emerging wine regions, providing sales, marketing and public relations services to wine brands from California, Italy, France, Argentina, Portugal, Spain, Washington State, Austria and South Africa. For more information about Folio Fine Wine Partners, visit http://www.foliowine.com/ or social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: award, blend, blind tasting, brut, champagne, dry, England, France, Rose, Sparkling wine, u.s., varietal, vintage, wine competition, wine judge, winemaker, winemaking

Eve Gets In On: The 47th Annual US Amateur Wine Competition with Cellarmasters LA

July 16, 2021 by evebushman

What do you know about home winemaking? Or better yet, what do you know about judging home winemaking efforts? I learned about both when I was installed as a judge for the 47th Annual US Amateur Wine Competition put on by Cellarmasters LA. Check out the Competition Score Sheet (photo) that covered a lot of information. These winemakers are not just looking for a medal, they also want to learn from the reasons why we awarded a particular Gold, Silver, Bronze, Honorable Mention or none at all.

From fellow judge and friend, Denise Lowe, Goddess of Wine I learned that “The Cellarmasters have been doing it for a long time, and they’ve got their system worked out. The most important difference between professional competitions and home winemakers is that you want to encourage the winemakers to improve, so whatever ranking you decide on (Gold, Silver, Bronze, No Medal), your notes should reflect your decision, and you are free to suggest improvement ideas, if you so choose. The winemakers get copies of the scoring sheets, so they see how the decisions were made.”

In the past competitions I’ve worked on it’s been more like speed dating: aroma, taste, evaluate, score and move on as you usually have quite a lot to taste in a flight. Once you have completed evaluating your flight you then go back and discuss each wine with your panel – and be prepared to defend any medal you may have awarded. All of the judges, and this was the same for Cellarmasters, have to agree on the medal, and in some rare cases when a wine is faulty, the non-medal.

So this is how it was for me with Cellarmasters. Before we got started with our panel and the serious work of studying our wine samples, we got a great lesson on how to use the Cellarmaster Home Winemaking Competition Score Sheet with member Andy Coradeschi. We were to start with 20 points for each wine and take away half or full points if a wine didn’t hit the mark in several categories.

If you look at the photo you can see all of the categories we were to study and evaluate. The area on the right side of the form, the empty boxes, are for us to share some of our thoughts with the winemakers that would be getting a copy of all of our notes. Some were thoughts on how to improve the wine, and some were specific positive and negatives we wanted to make sure they knew. (I asked if I could take some blank score sheets home to share with wine friends that may want to use in any wine tasting, of course they said yes.)

We had about 17 wines per day to judge, red Rhônes the first day and whites the second. Didn’t seem like very much to me, but in using the score sheet and being aware that the winemakers would be reading them, I took quite a bit of time really thinking about what I thought of a particular wine, and of course, if the winemaker may benefit from my notes. Many of the wines were sent in solely for feedback and it was a learning process for the winemakers. (Another long-standing judge confirmed this.) It was a great learning process for me as well and I look forward to honing my skills again with the group.

And on the wines, just a splash, we had a killer blood-orange colored Black Muscat. It was our final wine on the last day and it hit all of the sweet spots for our panel. Yep, we gave it a Gold Medal.

The Cellarmasters Mission Statement: The Cellarmasters of Los Angeles Home Winemaking Club is dedicated to educating, improving, and spreading the craft of home winemaking. The Club has sponsored and presented the Annual U.S. Amateur Home Winemaking Competition for the past 47 years.

https://cellarmastersla.org

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.

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: bronze medal, cellar, competition, gold medal, honorable mention, LA, muscat, points, silver medal, tasting notes, tasting sheet, wine judge, winemakers

What happens in the 22 days before 5StarWines and Wine Without Walls

June 21, 2021 by evebushman

VERONA, ITALY (PRWEB) – Registrations have closed for the blind wine tasting organized by Veronafiere with the support of Assoenologi. Now what? Wine samples are being anonymized for tasting which will be carried out by more than 80 international experts. The Selection culminates with the publication of the annual guide, both paper and digital, containing all the wines that obtain the highest scores. The Guide is then shared with the Vinitaly community; the wines will go on to gain visibility on the new Vinitaly Plus platform as well. Social Media posts are created by the 5StarWines & Wine Without Walls team for every single selected bottle, carrying the public relations buzz around 5StarWines & Wine Without Walls wines throughout the year.

Last year, this was the point where we had to roll up our sleeves. From the moment that registered wine samples got to our warehouses, our staff were tasked with putting each bottle in blue bags to anonymize and ready them for tasting. While this already takes quite a lot of time, last year, after tailored planning and registration, due to the inability of the judges to reach Verona for the tasting, we also had to pack and ship each bottle to each individual judge – it was a mammoth undertaking.

This year, even though the judges have been permitted to travel to Verona, we cannot state that things have gone back to “normal”. The last edition before the pandemic was in April 2019 and things were very different. Judges would taste and score each wine seated around a table of 6, being able to have an open session. In this edition, the staff will prepare the tasting rooms following specific safety protocols: each judge will be seated at their own table but grouped in sets of 5, to allow consultation amongst the jury – things maybe a little louder than usual!

After the first round of tasting, all the wines that receive a score equal or higher than 90 are to be re-tasted by the General Chairmen, further discussing its final score. As the last wine receives its final score, results will be published online through the registration platform and producers will be notified. Wines with higher scores in each category will be awarded the “Trophy” title.

While we patiently count the days until the beginning of this year’s edition of 5StarWines & Wine Without Walls, we are using our social media platforms (@5StarWines) to introduce all the judges joining us in Verona, helping you to get to know each of them better; posting video messages by them as well. Follow us to stay up to date on this year’s edition of the tasting!
___

About: 5StarWines – the Book is the annual wine selection organized by Veronafiere, held in the lead-up to the biggest Italian wine fair in the world. The event is now in its fifth edition. 5StarWines – the Book is a blind tasting aimed at shedding light on wineries investing in the improvement of their products. During the event, a highly qualified panel of wine professionals will taste and score — using a 100-point scale — participating wines. In the 2020 edition, over 2000 bottles took part in the competition and 847 were selected for inclusion in 5StarWines – the Book. The Guide is a useful tool both on the promotional and commercial side. It introduces international buyers and wine lovers to new wine products of great value. It guarantees wine quality and it maintains and certifies their value at an international level.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: blind tasting, Italy, scores, social media, vinitaly, wine education, wine judge, Wine tasting

5StarWines and Wine Without Walls 2021: the blind tasting that will embrace sustainable wines

May 3, 2021 by evebushman

VERONA, ITALY (PRWEB) – Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW, Robert Joseph, Bernard Burtschy, Daniele Cernilli and Gabriele Gorelli MW will all be part of the General Chairmen Panel, they will be making their way to Verona alongside over 80 other judges; The work of tasting samples will take place at a safety-built tasting station (safety protocols implemented by Veronafiere). This set-up this year will differ slightly from last year’s tasting activities. The 2020 edition of 5StarWines (coined the “Agile” edition) was mainly done online, via video conference and WebApp. International judges tasted and scored wines from their very own home. This year, 5StarWines and Wine Without Walls will be, for the most part, held in Verona, in person.
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In 2020, the Wine Without Walls’ section was dedicated to only certified organic or biodynamic wineries. This year the category will expand to include “sustainable” wineries; while there no official regulation, they stand out for their virtuous efforts and conduct in the vineyard and in the cellar. At the time of registration each participating winery will have to provide their issued certification/documentation, issued by the control body and also select the section (organic, biodynamic, sustainable) in which they wish to compete and be judged.

The sustainable category as with the other two, will have an assigned tasting panel, and wines obtaining a score equal or higher than 90/100 will then be included in the special Wine Without Walls section of the 5StarWines – the Book. This annual Guide is an important acknowledgment to the wineries themselves as well as providing informative details on a meaningful segment within the wine sector. The Guide is also an effective promotional and commercial tool, distributed to an international audience of trade operators and wine professionals. The coveted awards distributed to Wine Without Walls top scoring wines are as follows: “Best Winery – Wine Without Walls” and “Best Wine – Wine Without Walls”. Additional dedicated wine tastings and podcast interviews will be reserved to Trophy Winners.

The anticipated event will take place in Verona on June 16th-18th, we remind participants that registrations are now open. All wineries that choose to register before April 2nd can take advantage of a 15% discount. For more information visit https://www.5starwines.it/apply-now/?lang=en.

—–
About: 5StarWines – the Book is the annual wine selection organized by Veronafiere, held in the lead-up to the biggest Italian wine fair in the world. The event is now in its fifth edition. 5StarWines – the Book is a blind tasting aimed at shedding light on wineries investing in the improvement of their products. During the event, a highly qualified panel of wine professionals will taste and score — using a 100-point scale — participating wines. In the 2020 edition, over 2,000 bottles took part in the competition and 847 were selected for inclusion in 5StarWines – the Book. The Guide is a useful tool both on the promotional and commercial side. It introduces international buyers and wine lovers to new wine products of great value. It guarantees wine quality, and it maintains and certifies their value at an international level.

Filed Under: Guests Tagged With: award, biodynamic, cellar, Italy, mw, organic, scores, sustainable, vineyard, wine judge, Wine tasting

Vintage Eve Circa 12/2018 – Local Author John Carter Pens Book on Wine and Cheese Pairings: Red, White and Bleu (Eve is highlighted)

April 20, 2021 by evebushman

I’ve known John Carter for many years, and it’s been a pleasure to watch his wine journey from selling great bar parts to now hosting this collection of interviews with experts on wine and cheese. Happy to be one of his subjects to share my own story, I also enjoyed reading the book to learn from the experts.

top row l-r: Tim McDonald, Richard Jennings, Eve, Steve Peck. bottom l-r: Eva and Fred Swan, Steve Heimoff, Gina DeGirolamo. (Just wanted to share this pic of Tim, the same night I interviewed him.)

From Michelle Chiu I learned about a new app that helps people find the right wine for their specific tastes; from Laurie Forster I learned that “if you can’t pronounce it, you should be drinking it”; I now want to do a wine tour with Leslie Frelow’s company in Maryland; from Jill Gerda I learned that there’s more to cheese than just the color; reading about Chris Hanson of the Laurentia Vineyard in Ohio I now understand a bit more about wineries that have to deal with blizzard conditions; Brian Heath and his vineyard in Texas…he makes wine there and buys grapes from Paso as well.

From there I learned from Stacie Hunt, who I’ve taken classes from as well as judged with. I always look forward to classes with Stacie. In her interview I did learn a few more things about her, including this gem when she was explaining her interests in Baja winemaking, “Grapes are very much like we are.

Malbec doesn’t taste like Malbec in France at all when it’s coming from Argentina, but it’s wonderful and it’s delicious. The same goes for Nebbiolo in Baja, California.”

Washington state winemaker Reid Klei echoed my sentiment, and the sentiment of many of us in the book, in how there is too much “pretentiousness” in the wine industry – in between all of the great wine and cheese pairings we were asked about – and I hope this book helps to change that negative perception.

Another peer I’ve also had the honor to interview myself that is in the book is Tim McDonald. Tim is a revered wine judge I hope to judge alongside with someday! In the meantime, in this interview, new for me was his suggestion that we try more imported wines even though we’re here in California and home to some of the best wines.

Okay, that’s enough of a teaser from me. Grab the book so you can get the full story, and read the interviews from those I didn’t mention: cookbook author Jorj Morgan, lifestyle expert Jojo Pasters and one of the “five best female wine professionals in the world” – Amy Reiley.

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.

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: argentina, baja, cheese, color, food pairing, France, import, Malbec, nebbiolo, Paso Robles, texas, vineyard, washington, wine education, wine judge, wine pairing, wine writer, winemaker, wineries

Vintage Eve Circa 8/2018: And the Best of Show Goes To…?

February 23, 2021 by evebushman

By now you’ve (hopefully) read my two articles on judging the first annual Global Wine Awards; you may have even seen a third installment on the winners. But what you haven’t seen, or had your virtual taste of, is the wine the judges awarded a Gold, then a Double Gold, and then finally the Best of Show to: Martellotto 2016 Il Cappocia Riserva (Barrel Aged) from Happy Canyon, Santa Barbara.

So, I’m here to rectify that. I ordered a bottle for myself, just for a little R and D, and to give me a full opportunity to savor over. For good measure I thought it wise to try another red from the same winery and same AVA, the 2016 La Bomba Cabernet. So, without further adieu, here are the results:

 

2016 Martellotto Il Cappocia Riserva

(Barrel Aged)

Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec

Happy Canyon, Santa Barbara

Best in Show and 97 points at the Global Wine Awards

https://martellotto.com/products/2016-martellotto-riserva-il-capoccia-happy-canyon-of-santa-barbara

Color: Dark purple with some raisin-coloring on the edge.

Aroma: Crushed black cherry, blueberry, char, dark chocolate, cream, cigar, dried leaves and the tiniest whiff of menthol.

Flavor: Blue to black fruit, cracked black pepper, dark chocolate again, velvety at the start and then a great bite of spice and tannin, yet balanced and just as good as I remembered. Excellent blend of Bordeaux grapes.

Pairing: Cheese and charcuterie board was our dining choice for the evening but this would pair well with anything from a juicy steak, Bolognese pasta to chocolate crème Brûlée.

Conclusion: As I noted when I had my taste: just as good as I remembered and well deserving of the Best of Show award we gave it. I was really looking forward to trying the Cab next…

 

2016 Martellotto La Bomba Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc.

Happy Canyon, Santa Barbara

Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition; Double Gold and Best of Show at the Central Coast Wine Competition.

https://martellotto.com/products/martellottocabernet

Color: Beautiful opaque blackberry.

Aroma: So, knowing that La Bomba translated is The Bomb I was looking forward to what I would find on the nose: a LOT of fresh and ripe blueberry, plum, green peppercorn, rich, spicy, coffee bean and no nose burn. The nose definitely called you in for the taste.

Flavor: bold red fruit followed by dark fruit in luscious layers and incredible balance, nice spicy qualities that lingered in the palate, both green and black pepper with the same velvety quality on the palate as the Il Cappocia Riserva.

Pairing: I had this with a bacon-wrapped filet mignon smothered in sweet onion and sautéed mushroom. Yea, that was pretty great. But I also imagined this with a robust charcuterie board filled with Mortadella with pistachio, chorizo and both hard and soft cheese.

Conclusion: I found both an unexpected flavor and balance – akin to a young Napa Cab – for a SBC Cabernet. Very well done. Makes me want to seek out Happy Canyon and the winery to learn more.

From the Winery

Martellotto Wines is the only winery in Santa Barbara County to be winning this many awards for Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux varietals, specifically from Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara.

The Rise of Santa Barbara Wines

As you know, this area is already well regarded for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay production (which I also make). However, were you aware that our region is also producing some outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux varietals? The TTB established the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA in 2009 given its distinctive climate in the far eastern part of the Santa Ynez Valley. This warmer climate is proving to be fertile ground for high quality Bordeaux varietals, especially since the diurnal temperature changes are so dramatic.

Today, a handful of producers are leading the way. I’m pleased to report Martellotto Winery is one of those wineries. In fact, Martellotto is one of the few wineries in California bottling varietally labeled wines of each of the five noble Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. 

Martellotto Winery

100 Los Padres Way #7

Buellton, CA 93427

(619) 567-9244

*Tastings Available by Appointment Only 

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.

Filed Under: Eve Bushman Tagged With: aged, aroma, ava, Barrel, best of show, Bordeaux, buellton, Cabernet Franc, cabernet sauvignon, California, Central Coast, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, climate, color, double gold, flavor, food pairing, fruit, global wine awards, gold medal, happy canyon, judge, Malbec, Merlot, petite Verdot, san francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez, tasting notes, wine competition, wine judge, wine pairing

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Eve Bushman, owner Eve’s Wine 101 and Eve Bushman Consulting.

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