Simple Hedonisms

Archive for the ‘Winery’ Category

Guest post by Ed Thralls of WineTonite and Windsor Vineyards.

Healdsburg is a quaint little town in the northern part of Sonoma County that has really grown in prestige and popularity as a wine country vacation destination.  Located right at the crossroads of Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley it is a great home base for your next trip.  It seems to make sense that if Windsor Vineyards wanted to share their quality wines sourced from vineyards these same great AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) as well as the extreme Sonoma Coast that they have produced in Sonoma since 1959 then a return this great town was imminent.

Event

Celebrate the Grand re-Opening this weekend, September 16-18th (Link to EVENT details), with a weekend of wine, food, music and wine country festivities.  There will be special offers and unique flights all weekend starting on Friday night as well as live music and nibbles Saturday & Sunday from 2-5pm each day.  The delicious bites will be provided by Tim Vallery and Peloton Catering and the music will be provided by two local Healdsburg favorites:

• Saturday, 9/17 2-5PM: Chris Herrod
• Sunday, 9/18 2-5PM: Brandon Hassur

The Tasting Room

At the heart of Healdsburg is “The Plaza,” which is in the shape of a square lined with with trees, grass, benches and a pergola for concerts and surrounded by shops old and new as well as tasting rooms, bars and some of the best local restaurants in wine country.  Imagine waking up and taking the dog for a walk in the early morning fog, while you stop for a cup of coffee at the Flying Goat Coffee shop.  Perhaps, for breakfast, you might be craving the pastry delights from the Downtown Bakery & Creamery including their popular donut muffins or sticky buns.  It just so happens that the bakery is the next door neighbor at 308 Center St. and the location provides a pristine view of the Plaza.

The unobstructed Plaza vista is framed by sliding glass windows that remain open throughout Summer providing an atmosphere that is relaxing and scenic and pairs best  with a glass of wine.  This is a great place to hang before, during and after the summer’s Music on the Plaza every Tuesdays.  This is country living, folks.  Leave your big city dreams at home and become assimilated.  The tasting bar has plenty of room for everyone to enjoy and if you are looking for some privacy, you can reserve the VIP room in the rear for private tastings too.
View Larger Map

Bring your friends and family.  Afterall, that is how wine is best enjoyed.  Cheers!

I recently attended Wines with Altitude, where the vintners of Lake County California brought their wines to town — literally, to a stunning San Francisco venue on Treasure Island.  Casually dressed wine-makers and staff members poured and chatted with the attendees between baguettes and hummus.  A folksy event put together by the Lake County Winery Association, the four-hour pow-wow came with a classy glass sporting the Wines with Altitude slogan, a fresh personal-size baguette, and booklet with info and space for wine-tasting notes.  I attended as press.

The event was held at The Winery SF on Treasure Island. WARNING: This is a place of jaw-dropping city views. It was easy access and there were a couple of food trucks outside with picnic tables.

Inside there was a large main floor of wine pouring. An upstairs room featured winning wines from the 2011 Lake County Wine awards. In all, over 100 different wines were pouring from 20 or so wineries. There were olives and olive oil, pizzettas and gazpacho and some nice lounging areas in the old building.

I’ve been known to favor Lake County Sauvignon Blancs. The Altitude theme suggested Reds.  I arrived with my notebook and spit-cup, eager to commence tasting, and not really knowing what to expect.  It turned out to be a day of surprises, some professional – like tasting a Lake County Aglianico, and some personal – like running into Napa Valley winemaker Nils Venge, the first person who exposed me to garagiste winemaking. The story: About twenty years or so ago, a group of friends and I loyally appeared every season to help Nils bottle his fledgling Saddleback Cellars wines in a small concrete block building on Money Road in Rutherford, CA. The little block building is still the nucleus of Saddleback and Nils now also owns Cougar’s Leap in Lake County.

I made an effort to taste every Sauvignon Blanc (SB), and there were quite a few. The Lake County SB’s were each so different, I couldn’t identify a Lake County “style” or varietal “character.” The only label I recognized was Guenoc, a widely distributed and solid SB. This was a good sign I was discovering a number of labels for the first time. I learned that Guenoc is a Valley – and it’s own AVA — and that the premium SB is their Langtry Sauvignon Blanc (250 cases produced vs thousands of Guenoc). I liked the Langtry.  My other favorite Sauvignon Blanc’s were 2 from Six Sigma Michael’s Vineyard – the 2010 stainless with bright fresh melon on the nose and classic grapefruit on the palette – and a single vineyard, very lightly oaked version that maintains a crisp, cleansing acidity while adding dimension from the oak.  This wine recently won best-in-class in the 2011 Lake County Wine Awards Competition, directed by Ray Johnson.

Winemaker Nils Venge

Cougar’s Leap offered a unique Sauvignon Blanc rendition – the 2010 Black Rock White which is 70% Semillion, 30% SB and, according to vintner Nils Venge, includes a boost from a one-time barrel of Albarino. Cougar’s Leap was pouring 2 other wines and they were memorable: The 2008 Black Rock Zinfandel with lots of fruit coming through structure and tannins, and which Venge claims with a crooked grin is “17% alcohol.” Reviewers have dubbed it “Ballistic!” Definitely a wine with “Altitude.” I finished with a 2007 Petite Sirah at Cougar’s Leap.

Nils introduced me to Gregory Graham, and I spent quite a bit of time at Greg’s table. Former wine-maker at Rombauer, Graham has been at it for 30 years.  At one point he was making 4 different Zinfandels for them.  For his own label, he makes only small lots using bins for fermentation. He says this has freed him from the constraints of tank-based wine-making, giving him a lot of flexibility.  He was pouring several wines. I tasted the 2009 Gregory Graham Red Hills Bartolucci Vineyard Viognier, one of the nicest Viognier’s I’ve had … and it’s a $16, 13.5% alcohol wine.  Graham’s 2007 Grenache was my personal favorite of the day, delivering a mouth-filling intensity and lingering romance of fruit and texture on the palette.  The 2008 Cinder Cone was my red blend favorite of the day – 48% Syrah, 24% Cabernet, and 14% each Malbec and Grenache. Big, balanced, and Red. Graham’s wines are well-priced, running from $15-16 for Dry Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, to a high of $38 for a Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir he wasn’t pouring, and a number of wines in the $18-24 range. Gregory Graham wines represent star-quality wine-making at excellent value pricing.

Rosa d’Oro Aglianico.  This is a red varietal grape of Southern Italian regions – Basilicata and Campania – pronounced alianico.  I’ve had the Corte Normana from Campania (imported by Salvia Bianca), and heard of one or two Aglianico’s being vinted in California. So I was pleased and surprised to find Pietro Buttitta pouring his family’s estate-grown 2008 Aglianico. It’s a lovely wine expressing the full Aglianico character, if in a smoother, less rustic style than it’s Italian brethren. Well-priced at $18.  I tasted the 2008 Barbera, which won a Silver medal in the Chronicle Wine Competition – also a fine wine at the $18 price point.

I decided the only way to cope with the bounty of Rosa d’Oro, is to visit the their Tasting Room in Kelseyville and do some serious sampling of the Primativo, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Dolcetto and maybe a Rosato. And in another year or two, they will be bringing out a NegroAmaro! (You read it here first.) Pietro is also a prolific blogger – check him out here.

SF from Treasure Island

It’s clear I have a lot to learn about Lake county as a wine region and I’m planning to make a trip. You can find various Lake County Wine events online; next up is the Lake County Wine Auction on Sept 17. The event that interests me most is the People’s Choice Wine Awards and blind tasting on November 5.

I love blind tastings … as long as I can see the view!

One last surprise: Many of Lake County Wineries have active Facebook pages, but there is definitely room for growth in the Twitter realm. The Winery SF’s most recent tweet was in July, nearly 2 months ago. One would expect better care and feeding, especially when you have a high-profile name, location, and over 2000 Twitter followers.

Thursday, Sept, 1 is International Cabernet day. People and wineries all over the world will be sharing and celebrating this noble grape, the number one sold red varietal in the US. (Expanded hours – now from 1 to 7 p.m.!)

Special 3 Year Vertical Tasting

Join Simple Hedonisms and Topel Winery owners Mark & Donnis Topel for a special free vertical tasting of their Estate 2005 (library wine), 2006, & 2007 Cabernet from 1 to 7 p.m..

The tasting will take place in separate room adjacent to their tasting room, where you will enjoy a food pairing, and be able to taste this great vertical while chatting with the owners and winemakers, and other Cabernet aficionados.

These delightful cabernets are from the Topel’s estate in Hopland, and showcase why Mendocino County continues to grow in stature as a wine region. If you love Cabernet, you owe it to yourself to experience the quality and valley of  mountain fruit.

After your tasting, feel free to head to the regular tasting and try other wines. Topel was one of the highest overall medaled wineries in the recent Mendocino Wine Competition, come see why!

Register to attend here: http://topelcabernet.eventbrite.com/

Special Cabernet Day Offer

As a special celebration, and thank you for attending, Topel is offering the 2005 Estate Reserve Cabernet, this day only, at a special purchase price.

The 2005 Cabernet, normally $36, will be offered at 40% discount,  $21. (William says its like stealing!)  Or 50% discount on a case purchase.

Participants also receive 20% discount on the 2006 & 2007 Estate Cabernet.

Topel is also dog friendly, bring along your friend, we’ll have treats!

Come be our guests, experience great wine and great hospitality – cheers!

Mark & Donnis Topel – Topel Winery

A fair share of my Wine of the Week selections are chosen from microwineries, harder to find producers, geek or Rhone varieties, or wines over $20. That’s often what I drink, but certainly not all. It most especially does not represent, as I often remind my wine geek, fellow wine writers, and wine maker friends, what the mass population of North American wine drinkers consume.

I will often write about these as I remain dedicated to helping the typical wine lover and consumer, expand their horizons.  Wine knowledge is a journey of ever broadening discovery, no matter what your experience level, and I would pass on some of my ‘wasted’ years and eye opening experiences, and save readers only drinking big red overoaked wines for your first ten years, which sadly over the last 20 years the consumer has been lead to think is ‘good’.

However, even in the world of  mass market consumption, there ARE good wines you can find widely available, under $20, and just grab off the shelf.

The Dry Creek Vineyard Fumé Blanc is one of those. A price any budget can afford, a wine most wine consumers can enjoy (get over that ‘I don’t drink white wines’ stance  – its killing your growth,)  yet enough there for the experience wine consumer to enjoy, even if as a uber wine geek you’d ‘prefer’ a $30 ‘white’ 6 month skin contact Trousseau Gris.

About Dry Creek Vineyards

Dry Creek Vineyards is becoming one of those rare breed and size winery. Still family owned and operated since founded 39 years ago, as the winery that put Sauvignon Blanc on the map in north Sonoma County, they exist in a difficult space. At 100k+ cases they aren’t the sometimes more fashionable boutique winery, yet they are a fraction of the size of the BIG boys who make millions of cases a year. Only a handful of wineries exist in this size, and less and less each year. A visit to their tasting room and meeting the team, feels the same as the 20k case winery down the road.  Perhaps more another time, but do take a few minutes to read about one of Dry Creek Valley’s pioneers, that brings a piece of the Loire Valley, by clicking here and their love affair with sauvignon blanc here.

I visited with Bill Smart,  Director of Communications, several months ago and tasted through a series of wines. I should point out, Dry Creek Vineyards makes a number of small lot wines, including other sauvignon blancs, but by design for this tasting we wanted to focus on what consumers could find widely available. Do drop by the tasting room to try these – I will be.

 About Fumé Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is sometimes referred to as  Fume’ Blanc. Purportedly this started  when Robert Mondavi  in 1968, changed their Sauvignon Blanc from an off dry  to dry version. To not confuse their customers, they came up with the name “Fumé Blanc”, from Pouilly-Fumé, a  popular dry-style Loire Valley wines made from Sauvignon Blanc. Rather than trade marking the name, Mondavi offered to allow anyone to use the Fumé Blanc name to market dry-style Sauvignon Blanc.

Fumé is French for “smoke,” but has nothing to do with smoky flavor in the wine. It refers to morning fog in the Loire Valley. Any’ smokey’ smells or flavors are from aging in newer oak barrels, not from any aroma or flavor character that is in Sauvignon Blac. Although some wineries choose oak barrel fermentation and/or oak aging, the use of Fumé Blanc on a label does not mean the wine was barrel-fermented or ever contact any oak, although it’s a common misperception that it does. (Another spin is that sauvignon blanc didn’t sell, so Robert changed the name.)

Wine Review

Dry Creek Vineyards Fume Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc), Sonoma County

Welcome to the 39^th vintage of this flagship wine of Dry Creek Vineyards. This sauvignon blanc is entirely stainless fermented, with no oak contact.

To The Eye: Clear pale yellow

On the Nose: Fragant nose of white peach, honeysuckle, grapefruit

In The Mouth:  Citrus. Lime & grapefruit as well as some herbaceous  characters found in the popular New Zealand sauvignon blancs, but with some minerality as well as great acidity that give it a bit more nuance. The finish is dry and mouth watering. Would pair well with shellfish, salads, or make a great aperitif.

Recommendation: An excellent value at $12. This wine has justly received many awards over the years, including recent Best Buy from Wine Enthusiast and in 2008 was the prestigious Sonoma County Harvest Fair (which I am pleased to be added as a judge this year) Sweepstakes winner.

89 Points – Excellent, Recommended Buy.  Buy locally or online, or check your local store. Media Sample (but I will be restocking for summer and Thanksgiving.)

Side Note: I should add their <$10 Chenin Blanc, is also a great value at $8-10, and  varietal I wish we saw more of in Sonoma. I have the 2009 also in my glass, current release is 2010, or it could have also ended up as a Wine of the Week.

Wine Geek Info:

• Grapes 100% Sauvignon Blanc
• Appellation: Sonoma County
• Harvest: October 4, 2010
• Fermentation: Stainless steel fermented at an average of 52˚F for about 30 days
• Barrel Aging: None
• Alcohol: 13.5%
• Total Acidity: 0.64g/200mL
• pH: 3.36
• Residual Sugar: Dry
• Aging Potential: 3 – 5 years
• Case Production: ~30,000 cases

Simple Hedonisms invites you to join us Monday August 29th from 5-7 p.m. (and beyond, see below!) for our August meetup at Santa Rosa Wine Trail member Inspiration Vineyards. (Same area as our June meetup at Vinoteca.)
Event features:
*  boutique winery pouring small lot wines
* Industry discount on all wines for the night
* Networking with industry wine makers, hospitality, consumers.

No charge for industry and only $10 for consumers, no drink tickets etc. Entry includes all food & wine for the event, and door prizes.

• WINE Industry: Winery Staff, Production, Trade, Media, Retail) NO CHARGE (Please bring a biz card or proof)
• Consumers/Friends/Family -  $10 ($9 in advance) BUT includes all Food & Wine. In spirit of good karma & small business please don’t abuse. Consumer friends etc should pay.

Attendees will also receive a Santa Rosa Wine Trail card with its first stamp.

Pre-Register for Raffle prizes

Pre-register in advance to help us plan for food & staffing costs. It also gets (consumers) a second chance to win a raffle. Raffle drawn at 630 pm, must be present to win.
Bring a business card to enter to win drawings for the night. Register at: http://augustwinemeetup.eventbrite.com/

You can get additional chances to win by:

(1) being a consumer and pre-registering or

(2) being a winery and donating a prize to raffle.

New – STAY AFTER; Food Truck Party!

The event ends at 7, but the party continues. All wines by the glass only $5 and food truck vendor Street-Eatz will be selling food. They were a big hit at my recent Pinot event.

If you think you might stay, answer the question during registration so we can plan on tables & chairs.

Wines Poured:

Inspiration Vineyards is a small winery, specialing in wines made in a  classic French style; think Sancerre not New Zealand Sauv Blanc, Burgundy not buttered popcorn chardonnay. Approachable Cab, not oak planks.

• 2009 Russian River Chardonnay – $24
• 2009 Dry Creek Sauvignon Blanc – $22
• 2008 Alexander Valley Zinfandel  – $23
• 2006  Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon -  $30

All Inspiration Vineyards current releases are available for sale this night only for a special 30% discount.

Put the Social in Social Networking! Every month people who have been virtual friends become real life ones!

Register at: http://augustwinemeetup.eventbrite.com/

Please use Twitter hashtag #SoCoWine

cheers!

Your hosts:
William Allen – Simple Hedonisms

Jon & Barbara Phillips – Inspiration Vineyards

Wine Aficionados , especially Rhone lovers,  have an opportunity for a special treat this Saturday. Donelan Family Wines, a  boutique winery which  is normally open by appointment only, is opening its doors, bottles and barrels as a treat, as well as showing off its newly renovated tasting room and winery. There is also a (limited space) seminar, by one of my favorite winemakers, Tyler Thomas.

A Unique and Talented Winemaker

Thanks to an introduction via Vinecrowd, I have had the opportunity to spend some time with Tyler and interview him, as well as welcome him as the newest member of the Rhone Rangers. (One of my roles as a new board member.) Donelan and Tyler captured my attention at my #chardonnay day event. Their inuagural chardonnay release, Nancie, was one of the top 3 wines picked by attendees, and my personal favorite of the day.

Later I went to the winery to spend more time with Tyler to taste through his wines, talk about his winemaking practices, and just talk shop.

I already knew as a “shepherd of the yeast” Tyler was talented and creative. Tasting through the rest of the portfolio simply reinforced that. What also struck me about Tyler was his strong grasp of the industry, trends, and marketing.

I spend a lot of time with wineries, especially small ones, and generally you find two different skill sets, and individuals, driving success. The artisan, ‘left brain’ winemaker, focused on making the very best wine he or she can, but  not always in touch with the aspects of marketing and branding.  Often a second person “right brain”  person on the team focuses and executes on sales & marketing, a different but equally critical set of skills. The best vintage of your career means nothing if no one is aware of it to purchase.

Tyler is a talented winemaker, innovate, and technically very deep. He is also passionate about the business aspects and as we sat and discussed marketing techniques, events, industry trends, and eager to learn more and try new things.  I was truly impressed, and excited when Donelan Wines decided to join the Rhone Rangers national organization, and will be a part of our new North Coast Chapter, an effort I am spearheading. Donelan and Tyler’s wines and energy, enthusiasm, are a welcome addition.

RSVP for Limited Seminar: Cuvees: Building Northern Rhone Blends

From 1-2 pm Tyler is giving a seminar  about the process of making Northern Rhone inspired wines. Donelan’s goal  is to produce the best wines possible using only the best-of-the-best juice from our unique, cool climate Sonoma County terroirs.  The careful process of  blending barrels is key in producing outstanding signature cuvees and single vineyard wines. Tyler will discuss how Donelan makes complete wines of certain styles and illustrate his points with tastings.  Learn & taste the process that results in a ‘complete’ wine: complex aromas, perceived depth and weight on the palate, a long pleasing finish, and tremendous balance. In essence what makes a Donelan wine a Donelan wine. Seating is limited, an RSVP IS required. Call 203 658 1248.

You can also see a video about the seminar  on Donelan’s new blog:  just click here.

2-4 PM – Open House, Barrel Samples and Other Rare Treats

From 2-4 pm the public is invited to taste Donelan’s latest vintage with an assortment of charcuterie and cheeses. In addition to the 2009 vintage they will be pouring barrel samples of three wines: the incredible new 2010 Donelan “Two Brothers” Pinot Noir, the  2010 Donelan “Nancie” Chardonnay  and the 2009 Richard’s Family Vineyard Syrah. These three wines are produced in extremely limited quantities. This will be an extraordinary chance to taste these amazing wines.

Donelan is normally open by appointment only, so don’t miss this chance to spend an afternoon learning, tasting and meeting this talented team.

By the way, they are in a business park in Santa Rosa that houses 3 other open wineries, Inspiration Vineyards, Carol Shelton, and the new Vinoteca tasting room. Visit these 3 members of the Santa Rosa Wine Trail and make a day of it without having to drive! (Remember a to put a cooler in your car for your wine purchases!)

See you there, followed by Russian River Valley  Hog in The Fog after! Cheers!

I was due to be in Portland for a pre-IPNC gathering, but thanks to a flight SNAFU had an extra evening at home, and thought ‘since I can’t be in Oregon tonight, let’s pull out a bottle of something from Oregon to sample instead.’

Oregon makes some of my favorite Pinot Gris, and I have two different releases of Kramer Vineyards 2009 Pinot Gris to taste through, lucky me. Tonight’s is the 2009 Kimberley’s Reserve, from Yamhill-Carlton.

Tasting Notes: Kramer Vineyards 2009 Pinot Gris Kimberley’s Reserve Yamhill-Carlton

To the Eye: Color of medium yellow straw.

To The Nose: Aromas lime peel and citrus, with hints of wet stone, and ripe stone fruits.

In The Mouth: Aged in neutral oak and 9 months on the lees, gives this Pinot Gris nice weight and mouth feel. A delight of lemon custard, fresh pineapple, medium bodied and round in the mid palate, smooth and lingering finish from acidity.

Recommendation: A Pinot Gris with complexity. A delight to pair with shellfish. Only 145 cases made. Media sample – price not yet listed on website. Highly recommend.

Simple Hedonisms has been honored to be invited as one of six American writers attending the 2011 Grupo Freixenet media trip.  Many people think of Freixenet simply as the Spanish sparkling wine Cava producer, but in fact the Freixenet Group is a 100% family-owned company with 18 wineries in 7 countries in 3 continents. The family heritage in the wine industry dates back to 1861.

Freixenet owns Gloria Ferrer,  celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, opened by José and Gloria Ferrer. Building Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards was the fulfillment of a longtime dream for José Ferrer, whose father, Pedro Ferrer Bosch, had come to the United States in the mid 1930s with the idea of making sparkling wine in North America.

It was a bit ironic I was selected. In disclosure, I do marketing and social media consulting for Gloria Ferrer (and Tapeña, via Public Relations firm MGPR.  However, a separate PR firm handles all of the other Freixenet 20+ brands in the United States for Freixenet USA. They had been following my work and coverage, and had extended an invite for this tour. It was only after the fact that we connected the dots. This trip has no connection to any of my consulting work or brands, so I enthusiastically accepted.

The Other Writers

The team of esteemed writers for this year’s annual trip consists of:

• Charlie Arturaola, Sommelier and Educator
• Rob Brown, Tasting Panel
• Dave Buchanan, The Daily Sentinel (Grand Junction, CO)
• Michelle Locke, Associated Press
• Erin Zimmer, Serious Eats

Together, on a non-stop, fast paced 6 day itinerary, we will explore Madrid, Ribera del Duero, Priorat, and Barcelona.

The Journey

Its a fast pace of plains, trains and automobiles. Luckily, I already eat on European timelines, and am well suited for this!

Monday, July 11th 2011

Arrival into Madrid, Spain, Check in HOTEL URBAN

9:00 pm Dinner at RESTAURANTE EL TEATRO REAL

Tuesday, July 12th 2011

9:00 am Depart to Ribera del Duero

11:30 am Arrival to Valdubón – Visit Valdubón & tasting, lunch with Javier Aladro – Winemaker

04:00 pm Transfer to Logroño (Rioja)

06:30 pm Arrival to Logroño and check in at: HOTEL GRAN VIA

08:45 pm walking to tapas dinner

Wednesday, July 13th 2011

10:45   transfer by minibus to the winery – Visit Solar Viejo & tasting, lunch at the winery

5:45 pm Depart by train to Tarragona

8:45 pm Arrival in Tarragona and transfer to HOTEL IMPERIAL TARRACO

08:45 pm  dinner

Thursday, 14th July 2011

10:30 am Depart  to Falset (Priorat). Arrival to Falset and visit and tasting, lunch at Morlanda winery

5:00 pm Departure to Barcelona, 5:30 pm Arrival,  Check in at HOTEL GALLERY

FREE DINNER (hmmm where to go.)

Friday, 15th July 2011

9:00 am Transfer to Freixenet, Tour & Tasting

12:00 pm Transfer to Segura Viudas. Tour & Tasting

4:00 pm Transfer to Barcelona

9:00 pm FAREWELL DINNER at restaurant BRAVO 24

Saturday, July 16th 2011 DEPARTURES TO THE US

Whew!

I’d like to say I provide my usual supply of Facebook and Twitter updates, but with the schedule, and likely limited Internet access, I can’t promise, but do watch for the occasional update.

July is Wine Month

Back late Saturday night. Sunday is a day of down time. Monday is the first bottling of my new small Rhone blend, the whites. (Name to be announced shortly.)

Rest, pack, kiss the loved ones, then head to SFO early Wednesday morning for the Wine Bloggers Conference, in Charlottesville Virginia. There its 3 packed days where I  taste, network and hear key notes from famed writers Jancis Robinson and Eric Asimov.

Back home from Virginia on Sunday, then Wednesday its off again to the Willamette Valley of Oregon, outside Portland, for the not to be missed International Pinot Noir Celebration or IPNC.  I am again lucky enough to be one of the selected Press team. Wine writing doesn’t pay, but it sure has great perks!

The full 3 day pass has long been sold out, but there are some tickets left for the Sunday afternoon Passport to Pinot.

Back for some rest, bottle my Rhone reds, and then its back to Mendocino County to judge the Mendocino County Wine Competition.

I may need an August vacation from wine!

Thanks for reading Simple Hedonisms – cheers!

I visited a number of tasting rooms in and around the gold rush town of Murphy’s CA this weekend. My brother raised his children in Murphy’s but I hadn’t been back in nearly 10 years. When they were little, there were 3 or 4 wineries in town. Now there are well over 20, with new and expanding grape cultivation evident on the drive up Highway 4. Down in the valley, the road is lined with apple and peach orchards as it always was. As it reaches the higher elevations of the Sierra Foothills, Highway 4 gives way to glimpses of vineyards and new plantings between rolling hills.

Many wineries have opened tasting rooms on or near Main Street in Murphy’s. If the July 4^th weekend was a bellweather, this once declining community is now a thriving village of cafes, bistros, boutiques and wine establishments, all grown up around the tasting rooms. Great care has gone into establishing the atmosphere of each room.

Day One:
I loved the intimate and funky Zucca Mountain Vineyards tasting room with it’s cool, dark stone cellar, wall of awards, and an afterhours patio with music and misters on a 100-degree plus day. Their 2008 Barbera was smooth, forceful and balanced with soft wood tones. It stands alone but calls out for a food pairing. Zucca smartly distributes recipe cards keyed to their wines. I picked up the Steak with Horseradish-Chive Sauce to be paired with the 2009 Sangiovese, complete with photo of the mouth-watering steak. Other Italian varietals produced by Zucca include Sangiovese, Dolcetto, and Sorprendere.
@ZuccaWines

Newsome-Harlow tasting room, just a couple doors up the street, was the polar opposite of Zucca, with equal appeal. Enter through an enclosed patio lounge complete with fire pit, which opens onto their food franchise, The Kitchen to the north and the Tasting Room to the east.  Lots of natural light through ample glass, zoned lighting and wood floors complete the euro high-tech look and feel. I wanted to taste with small plates but The Kitchen was only open until 3pm (in a week or two they will open for dinners).

I really liked the wines at Newsome-Harlow. The tasting room personnel were top-notch. They explained that this is the label of local Scott Klann, winemaker at Twisted Oak and Tanner. I didn’t have a chance to taste Tanner but between Twisted Oak and Newsome-Harlow I sensed a vast repertoire of styles emanating from Klanns’ wine-making influence.

Newsome-Harlow 2010 Sauvignon Blanc is classic grapefruit SB of which I am a huge fan. The wine was pure, simple and refreshing, a perfect synonym to the scorching weather outside.  The 2010 Rose of Grenache (10% Zin) was also a winner at 13.2% alcohol. I took home a bottle of each.  NH featured a trio of Zinfandels, one from each of the Sierra Foothill regions – Amador, El Dorado and Calaveras — which makes for interesting tasting room discussion. I particularly liked the 2009 Donner Party Zinfandel from the local Dalton vineyard, described as “not for the faint of heart.” I really wished The Kitchen had been open when I got to tasting these Zins!
@NHVino

A galactic opposite Tasting Room experience was Ironstone, where the entry is through theme-park-like gates. In fact, the winery’s Amphitheatre hosts a complete season of fireworks, concerts and performing arts (Sammy Hagar plays in Sept).  The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, a snack and sandwich bar is housed right in the large tasting room, and the beautiful shaded gardens are an oasis of coolness on a hot day. To top it off, the wines are nicely made and range from value-priced to fine wines.

Day Two:
I visited the new Twisted Oak Winery in-town tasting room. It’s across the street from the former location, in a lovely Victorian cottage where most of the interior walls have been removed to make one big bright light room. I was very well taken care-of despite the holiday crowds. Having followed Twisted Oaks’ Jeff Stai “El Jefe” on Twitter since my earliest wine tweets, I felt an obligation to be thorough. I tasted the entire list, which is amazingly long (12 wines were pouring) and diverse (3 whites, 7 blends, over 14 varietals) for a small-production (5000-8000 case) winery.

Another 100-degree day, and I was finding a dearth of whites. So I really enjoyed the Twisted Oak 2010 Calaveras County Verdelho and appreciated the light touch (13.6% alcohol). Of their many reds, I was partial to the 2008 Calaveras County Parcel 17 – a finely tuned and approachable blend with cranberry notes – of Mourvedre, Carignane, and Graciano all sourced from a single parcel of a Calaveras vineyard.  This wine has won best of California and Double Gold at the California State Fair and a Gold Medal at the Orange County Fair. Even thought it’s not the biggest, slamming-est Twisted blend, t’s good to know I’m not alone in my tastes …

Twisted Oak has branded a kick-ass wine-making style which was evident in the dramatic acids of the 2010 Calaveras County Viognier. And in the 2008 Calaveras County Torcido that ROARS into the mouth like a forest fire in the pines.  Torcido means “Twisted” and it’s made up of “estate-grown Garnacha blended with a little Petitie Sirah.” Wines like these beg for food; I’m thinking to pair the Viognier with hotly spiced Thai.  I’m open to suggestion on the Torcido … perhaps a fire extinguisher?

@Twisted_Oak – @eljefetwisted

Another novel approach to tasting was the Allegorie Tasting and Art Gallery. Here an artistic couple have designed a line of wines that pair with their art.  Their wines are made by Jonathon Phillips of Val du Vino Winery (Murphy’s), in very low case production and available only in the gallery.  The 2009 Allegorie Calaveras County Grenache is one of the best I’ve tasted.  Ever.

In an homage to Spain, Metate Hill Vineyards tasting room boasts soft archways and cool tile counters to highlight their focus on artisan produced Spanish varietals. Two treatments of the same Albarino wine were tasting: The 2008 Albarino Acero – aromatic and clean-finishing, and the 2008 Albarino Barrica — from the same pressing using different fermentation and aging techniques.  Followed by 2008 Carinena Rosado, a boldly dry rose’ with tones of bramble bushes and pepper that produced a lingering refresca against the blistering heat of the afternoon. I took home a bottle, hoping to recreate the sensation.

I was fortunate to taste a couple of not-on-the-list wines: a 2008 Metate Hill Carinena (aka Carigniane) I would describe as a pure expression of the varietal character of the grape.  Then, a very special 2008 Graciano, a joyous wine with a soft mouth feel and full fruit ripeness and yet a serious intensity, moderated nicely.  The grape is from the Rioja region of Spain.  I noticed it in the Twisted Oak Parcel 17 and again at Metate Hill. I think I’ve just discovered another varietal preference!
Metate Hill on Facebook

Two words sum up my visit to Calaveras: Atmosphere and diversity. Atmosphere for the effort taken by the wineries to create unique tasting room experiences. Diversity for the range of varietals and winemaking styles – including Italian, Rhone, and Spanish — represented in the tasting rooms of one small town. I think the food pairing and access to food for tasting here in Calaveras, where there’s such a proliferation of food wines being poured, is a very important strategy not yet addressed by most of the tasting rooms.  These are a just a few of the rooms I had time to visit on a 36 hour trip. Others called out to me and I promise to see them on my next trip. Which may be soon!

If you’re going:

The Calaveras Winegrape Alliance (CWA) has an excellent and informative website with a great map of area wineries.

Events upcoming: Any of these would be a good reason to take a drive Calaveras and visit some of the tasting rooms.

July 22 CWA hosts a tour of six Calaveras vineyards with world-renowned viticulture specialist and Professor Emeritus at UC Davis, Dr. James Wolpert

July 31, Steve Miller Band at Ironstone Amphitheater

August 13, Cave-Looting Extravaganza at Twisted Oak Winery

A brief review of Oregon producer, Kramer Vineyards, continuing on my recently announced format of Tasting Notes.

Kramer Vineyards is a small family producer I met a few months ago in Santa Rosa while they were visiting (thanks Twitter!) , and keen to taste through their portfolio, and hopefully visit when at IPNC this month.

Müller-Thurgau is a variety not commonly seen in the US. It is the second most planted variety in Germany, and traces its origins back to a Riesling cross.

To The Eye: Medium yellow straw, clear.

On The Nose: Somewhat fragrant nose of lychee, honeysuckle,  white peach.

In The Mouth: Ripe melon, stone fruits, green apple, pineapple. Fairly balanced acidity, good texture in mouth. A slight sweetness with 2% RS (residual sugar) but well balanced and integrated. I generally do not like RS, but this low amount serves this wine well, as an aperitif or pairing with a a mild-medium spicy dish, in good harmony.

Recommendation: Recommend for price and quality. $10 – really? Buy it on their website. (2008 is is listed, may need to call.)   Media Sample.

Vinification:

• Cold fermented, stainless aged, 285 cases produced
• 11.7% alcohol
• pH: 3.1
• T.A. 6.0
• RS: 2%