Eating and Drinking in Eastern Washington

The Wine Blogger's Conference (WBC) provided some lovely wining & dining this year, in spite of the fact that harvest was in full swing! From one sunset dinner in a glass house atop a hillside vineyard, to another in a remodeled World War II airplane hangar, to a cornucopia of European cheeses, to sparkling wines paired with small bites, I ate and drank like a queen.

Now that I've savored the Eastern Washington wine country, I can safely say that it's an area that should be experienced if you love wine touring. While the desert-like landscape is not the most impressive or picturesque that I've seen, the pockets of green vineyards are breathtakingly beautiful, and their history, geography, and geology provide a great story for the inquisitive wino (see my two previous posts for more details). Additionally, the lovely "old West" town of Walla Walla with its plethora of restaurants and tasting rooms is just plain fun. And definitely check out the Marcus Whitman Hotel for it's regal yet relaxed elegance.

Following are some notes from my recent culinary and wine adventures in Eastern Washington while attending WBC 2018.

Cadaretta's Glass House

Cadaretta winery is owned by the Middleton family which has deep roots in Washington State. The winery is named after a lumber schooner that used to carry the family's forestry products to market. This schooner was eventually commissioned in World War II.

The location for the dinner that Cadaretta hosted was their gorgeous hilltop glass house. Situated atop the family's Southwind estate vineyards, which straddle Washington and Oregon, the structure is simple, functional, and totally unique. Our group was greeted with a glass of Cadaretta's Sauvignon Blanc-Semillion blend (from Columbia Valley grapes), which we sipped while watching the sun set over the vineyards below us.

Originally and still in the lumber business, the family is now committed to producing hand-crafted wines as well, with wineries in Walla Walla and California's Central Coast (Inconceivable Wines). Kris Middleton, who represents the family's fifth generation to work the business, hosted us wine bloggers and provided a lovely sit-down dinner paired with the family's luscious, rich red wines, planted on various blocks of the estate vineyards.  Paired with rich, hearty fare from a local caterer, the dinner was exceptional.

Check out Cadaretta's current releases.

Dunham Cellars

This WBC Mystery Dinner is a great treat. You don't know where you are being whisked off to until you arrive there. For me it was to Dunham Cellars, which is another Walla Walla family winery. Located in the "urban" area of Walla Walla, this quaint, lovely winery is housed in a wooden barn structure that was part of a WWII era airplane hangar. Stepping inside was like entering a fairy tale, with art, twinkle lights, and a Christmas-tree-like structure composed of 500+ empty bottles of wine, also lit up and festive as can be. And our fairy god-mother was host Joan Dunham, whose late husband and step-son were her original partners in the winery.

Joan and General Manager John Blair (his family is now partners in the winery) presided over a lovely dinner catered by local chef Candice Smith, owner of Forage Walla Walla. This five-course feast was accompanied by Dunham's Riesling, Tempranillo (my favorite), Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Late-Harvest Riesling. Beyond the closed garage doors of the dining area, a few tons of syrah grapes were being sorted ... this was definitely a working winery, and the clearly over-worked cellar manager still managed to come in and talk to us for a few minutes.

All I can say is Thank You Dunham Cellars for making us feel so welcome!

Please check out Dunham's offering here.

Cheeses of Europe

Cheeses of Europe was one of WBC's sponsors this year, and they held an incredibly fun and educational session on cheese, with wine pairings. The organization is composed of French dairy farmers and cheese firms, and its stated goal is to create awareness of and appreciation for all the European cheeses available in the US market.

To help them in their task at WBC they brought along the personable Cheese Twins, Michael and Charlie Kalish. These twin brothers were winners of the Great Food Truck Race on the Food Network and also finalists on the show Chopped (their episode was called "Twins for the Win"). TV notoriety aside, these bros sure know about cheese, having traveled around Europe interning with traditional cheese mongers along the way. The brothers schooled us about the cheese-making process, the biology of cheese, and the way to pair cheese with wine.

The most interesting cheese? For me, it was Mimolette, the orange cheese in the photo above, which is colored with achiote (a spice) to differentiate it from its Netherlands counterpart. This cheese is produced in cannonball shapes, and is covered with a craggy skin. To get this skin, cheese mites (yes, little critters) feast on the outside of the cheese, and form craters, which apparently add to the flavor. Sounds unappetizing, but in reality it's delicious! A hearty red is recommended to pair with this cheese.

You can get the Cheeses of Europe app on your phone. If you're looking for a hard-to-find cheese, or just want to view some "cheese porn" you will love perusing this site.

Gloria Ferrer

I don't usually pay much attention to domestic sparkling, but I should. There are some lovely traditional method wines in the States, and certainly Gloria Ferrer is a pioneer among them. I was reminded of this at the WBC session called "Bubbles & Bites." Sommelier Sarah Tracey of  The Lush Life and contributor to MarthaStewart.com guided us through small bites of food paired with four different sparklings from this iconic Carneros-based producer.

Sarah opined that so much of sparkling is about texture and I agree -- the bubbles add a whole new dimension above still wine. She also talked about the "third taste," which refers to when food (first taste) and wine (second taste) come together (third taste). Sparkling pairs so well with many different foods.

Sarah described Gloria Ferrer's wines as approachable, everyday sparklings. I would add that the pricing of Gloria Ferrer's sparklings are approachable too, ranging from $15 to $50.



Following are some good links if you want to plan a trip to Eastern Washington:

Visit Walla Walla: http://www.wallawalla.org/
Red Mountain AVA: http://redmountainava.com/
Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center: https://marcuswhitmanhotel.com/

And to learn more about the Wine Blogger's Conference: https://winebloggersconference.org/


Until next time,
Cheers!

The Dirt on Red Mountain

Old vine Cabernet Sauvignon in Red Mountain's Ciel du Cheval date to the 1970s

Richard Holmes

Richard Holmes of Eastern Washington's Ciel du Cheval vineyards says the land is all garbage.

He sure knows how to get the attention of a group of wine geeks!

Yes, I am a wine geek, and I love all things about fermented grape juice, from dirt to bottle. The soil, the rocks, the vines, the different clones, the trellising systems, the picking, the crushing, the aging, the wine makers -- these things fascinate me so much that, well, I write a wine blog.

Holmes, a second-generation Red Mountain man, is the son of Jim Holmes, who partnered in the mid 1970s with John Williams of Kiona Vineyards in Eastern Washington State to establish some of the first vines in the then untested viticultural area now known as Red Mountain AVA (see more about Kiona in my last posting). Holmes the Younger knows all the dirt about the dirt, and he basically says that everything between western Montana and the Pacific Ocean is garbage.

But it's great garbage for grape growing, it turns out.

"The soil within the Red Mountain AVA distinguishes it," says Holmes, who was tour guide for the Wine Blogger's Conference 2018 excursion to Red Mountain AVA.

Missoula Floods 

Red Mountain soils are good for grape growing

At the end of the last ice age, roughly 15,000 years ago, cataclysmic flooding from Missoula, Montana, sent water and ice roaring down what is now the Columbia Basin in Washington and the Willamette Valley in Oregon. These Missoula Floods created a buildup of bedrock and soil, with volcanic eruptions from the Cascade Mountains adding layers of ash (the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens added even more). The Red Mountain ridge stopped the water, forcing it to flowed around it, churning up that earth and creating the crazy mix of soils that exist there today. There's lots of decomposed rock and calcium carbonate, which is bad for growing anything but grapes.

Back in 1975, Holmes the Elder and a few others had a hunch that this tough, barren, sage-filled desert land had the potential to grow quality wine grapes. The soil had the right pH for grapes, it had great drainage created from the ancient flooding which would allow vines to develop deep roots, and the rainfall was low -- just 5-9 inches annually -- which would allow for controlled irrigation.

An additional benefit of Washington soils is that it's low in clay, which, Homes believes, is why there has been so little phylloxera in the state. Most of Washington's vines are on their own rootstock. But the pest called nematodes can be a problem.

Ciel Du Cheval Vineyards

Ciel du Cheval's barn sits amidst the vines

In 1994, the older Jim Holmes amicably split from his partner at Kiona to run his own vineyards next door at Ciel Du Cheval. This pioneer of the Red Mountain AVA built his vineyard to the point where it now supplies 127 wineries with grapes, ranging from Cabernet Sauvignon, to Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Sangiovese, and Petit Verdot. 

Holme's son Jim left a desk job in Seattle to go to the University of California Davis to learn the wine business and he now manages the vineyard and has opened a tasting room in downtown Walla Walla to sell the estate wine label, called Cotes de Ciel. 

The vineyard is managed by Dick Boushey, who hails from apple farming, which is prevalent in this neck of the woods. Dick was our tour guide as we traveled through the 260-acre vineyard on a Red Mountain Trails horse-drawn wagon.

This is the best tour of a vineyard I've ever experienced, as it allowed us wine geeks to get up close to thousands of vines growing all different grapes for many different wineries, using various trellising and pruning systems. Boushey took great pleasure in pointing out the differences among rows, as some producers prune, trim and cut back their vines in a pristine fashion, while others prefer the 'au natural' method.

Dick Boushey manages 260 acres of vines

It was harvest season during our tour, which makes the incredible hospitality we received even more amazing, but it also sparked conversation about managing a vineyard with the current labor shortage among vineyard workers. Boushey was quite vocal on the subject, and proudly boasted that his workforce is all women, whom he pays $30 to $50 per hour (gulp!). Grapes are much lighter than apples to haul, so women gravitated toward the vineyards, he says. And, as most of his customers want their grapes handpicked, he believes that the women workforce handles the grapes better as they are more detail oriented. Needless to say, I liked this guy! About one third of the vineyard's workforce has been with them for three years. (For an interesting read on this, see Karen McNeil's recent article.)

In addition to the many vintners he grows for, he also provides grapes for Welch's grape juice, and they pay much more for the grapes (approximately 35%).

The Ciel du Cheval vineyards are not organic, which Boushey says costs approximately 35% more in terms of production. He views organic as a philosophy, not a viticultural approach. However, Hedges Family Estates, which sits right next to Ciel du Cheval, has a strong biodynamic, organic leaning, and is currently transitioning all its vines. Makes you wonder how long they can coexist peacefully.

Experimentation Continues

Red Mountain, and specifically Ciel du Cheval, are not resting on their laurels. Both Holmes and Boushey made it very clear that they will continue to rip out older blocks and replace them with new, different vines and clones. As an example, for Cab Franc, they have planted three different clones, which on their own don't shine, but blended together provide what they are looking for in a Red Mountain Cab Franc. They also have four different Syrah clones, one from Beaucastel in the Rhone.

"After 43 years here, we are just beginning to learn," says Holmes.

Cotes de Cheval

Cotes du Cheval Cab Franc is a winner!

The estate wines of Ciel de Cheval, called Cotes de Ciel, are available to taste at their downtown Walla Walla tasting room.

Holmes wines are big, bold reds mostly, with one exception (at least when I tasted there), Roussanne. "On tap" were Holmes' Merlot, Petit Verdot, Red Blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Counoise, to name a few. I especially liked the Cabernet Franc and brought some home with me.

The tasting room is shared with Gino Cuneo Cellars, which is solely dedicated to classic Italian varieties, like Nebbiolo and Barbera. Cuneo also makes Ripasso and Rosato.

Red Mountain flavors and quality shone through in both wineries' wines.

The best way to see Red Mountain AVA is through Red Mountain Trails tour. To learn more about them visit www.redmountaintrails.com.

Related reading: Karen McNeil's "How Latina Women are Saving California Wine."


Until next time, Cheers!

Another AVA Checked Off My List: Red Mountain, Washington

Map of Washington State's AVAs in lobby of Lodge at Columbia Point, Richland, Washington

In early October 2018 I attended the annual Wine Blogger's Conference (WBC18), held in Walla Walla, Washington, hosted by Visit Walla Walla. In my last blog I talked about stepping foot into a California AVA that I had never been in, Edna Valley. After this latest wine adventure, I can now check off a few more AVAs from my wine bucket (should I say "barrel"?) list: Walla Walla, Red Mountain, Columbia Gorge, and Columbia Valley, in Washington and Oregon.

Every year I take advantage of the WBC pre-excusion, which affords me the opportunity to dive deep into a specific AVA, region, or winery for a couple days. This year I chose the Red Mountain AVA trip, as I was of the belief from working in wine retail that this was the one to know.

First of all, Red Mountain is neither a mountain nor red. The elevation is just over 1400 feet at its peak, and the drooping broom grass that once covered the hills -- and which turns bright red at one point in the year -- has been largely replaced with vines. Back before vineyards were planted, we were told that the region was a sea of brown with islands of green, but since vine plantings began in the mid 1970s, the better characterization is that the AVA is a sea of green with islands of brown. Most of Eastern Washington is basically a desert, with hot dry summers and cold winters, often with snow. Red Mountain comprises approximately 4,400 acres of land, of which 2,600 are planted to grapes (see the red dot on the map above). AVA status was reached in 2001. By any standards, this is a small AVA.

Day 1 of this excursion took us to Kiona Vineyards, from which many producers in Washington source their grapes. Here's a better look at this iconic Red Mountain producer.

Kiona Wines

The aptly named Kiona vineyards (named 2018 Washington Winery of the Year by Winepress Northwest), translates to "brown dirt" in the local Indian language. JJ Williams, grandson of founder John Williams, was our affable host at the gorgeous, modern winery overlooking the vines. The Williams family owns 100% of their land, their grapes, and their wines; there are no outside investors, it's all theirs. This is refreshing in an ever-diminishing wine world where big names own just about everything.

Kiona's modern, state-of-the-art facility overlooks its estate vineyards as well as Saddle and Rattlesnake Mountains

The Kiona vineyards were first planted in 1975, by John Williams (JJ's grandfather) and his partner Jim Holmes, both former GE engineers. They planted 10 acres of Chardonnay, Riesling, and Cabernet Sauvignon, in equal amounts. Back in the mid-70s, says Williams, Red Mountain was considered a white wine region, contrary to what we know it as today. Williams and Holmes planted two sticks in each hole in the hopes that at least one would survive, but Williams' grandfather fully expected about half the vines to live, and half to die, as this region can get very, very cold during the winter months. The diurnal temperature shift -- that is, the swing from daytime high to nighttime low -- is 40 degrees. Such a dramatic shift is good for grape ripening, allowing sugars to build up during the warm hours, and acid retention to occur in the cool hours. The partners went on to plant Lemberger, Chenin Blanc, and Merlot.

Kiona's first grapes were crushed in 1978, from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, revealing the richness, depth of color, and intensity that would go on to become the hallmarks of Red Mountain reds. These "diamonds in the rough" sealed the deal for Kiona; they knew their sweet spot was Bordeaux-style red wines, but they also saw promise over the years with other red varieties, particularly Syrah. However, the vast majority of Kiona's plantings, nearly 68%, is Cabernet Sauvignon.

Holmes and Williams dissolved their partnership amicably in 1994, and the Holmes family now owns outright the acclaimed Ciel du Cheval vineyards adjacent to Kiona, which will be discussed in an upcoming posting.

Current red offerings from Kiona include their Red Mountain Reserve (a blend), RM Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate RM Merlot, RM Syrah and Estate RM Sangiovese and, interestingly, Estate RM Lemberger, the spicy dark red Austian grape known as Blaufrankisch, which is also grown in New York's Finger Lakes region.

Whites are also on Kiona's menu, using grapes from the much larger and less defined Columbia Valley AVA (see blue area in map above) and the winery's current offerings include Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling, including a late-harvest version. Additional varieties grown, in small quantities, include Petit Verdot, Gewurtraminer, Carmenere, Petite Sirah, Mourvedre, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Zinfandel, Viognier, and Roussanne.

Kiona has three Red Mountain estate vineyards  -- Kiona Estate, Ranch at the End of the Road, and Heart of the Hill -- totaling about 240 acres, plus two additional Columbia Valley AVA vineards, Vista and Nine Canyon, just over 87 acres together. They sell their highly-prized grapes to over 50 producers in the area. If you get a bottle of Red Mountain wine from any producer, take a look at the label to see if the grapes come from Kiona.

View from Kiona's winery patio of Rattlesnake and Saddle "mountains"

Other characteristics of Kiona vineyards, and Red Mountain AVA, our tour guide pointed out to us are what he called its five pillars, which are:

1. Slope -- gentle and southwest facing
2. Dryness -- only 5.8 inches of rain per year, with winter and early spring the wettest. This allows Kiona to control how much water the grapes are getting, a good thing in vineyard management.
3. Wind -- they come up the valley in the morning, and down the valley in the evening. This helps thicken grape skins and reduce vine disease.
4. Dirt -- basic, with good drainage (more on dirt in a future posting)
5. Heat units -- being so far north, they get 16-17 hours of sunlight during the growing season.

Tasting Red Mountain

JJ Williams took us bloggers though an interesting exercise, comparing four Red Mountain Kiona vineyard wines (none were Kiona's, which was a disappointment for me) with four old world wines (well, one was actually from Napa) to show us how Red Mountain wines are world class and can hold their own in a blind tasting.

Red Mountain in the World -- Kiona-grown wines fared extremely well against Napa and Old World standards.

Kiona's label: bold reds from Estate vineyards

All of the wines, which included Hedges Red Mountain 2015 (100% Syrah), Col Solare 2015 (100% Cabernet Sauvignon), Fidelitas 2015 (100% Cabernet Sauvignon), and Hightower 2014 (80% Cabernet, 10% each of Malbec and Merlot), were sampled blindly against, respectively, Chateau de Pez from St. Estephe in Bordeaux, Brancaia Supertuscan from Italy, Chappellet Cabernet from Napa Valley, and Hickenbothem Trueman Cabernet from McClaren Vale, Australia. The wines held their own and proved themselves to be worth exploring.

If you like big, bold reds, that are dark, stout, and powerful, with lovely ripe fruit and balancing acidity -- a hallmark of Red Mountain grapes -- then give these beauties a try.

Red Mountain's Future

The early days of the 1970s were an exploratory time in Red Mountain, a characteristic that is still true today, as different varieties and different clones are constantly being tested. One senses that Red Mountain's full character will be more decided in about 40 to 50 years. It is, after all, still in its childhood years!

Additionally, there is no more space left for new plantings. What we saw on this trip is what visitors 20-30 years from now will see -- it's planted out. So this means vines will be ripped up to make way for new varieties, new clones, new experiments.

Thus far, Cabernet Sauvinon, Merlot, and Syrah seem to be king here. And no doubt in my mind, they are world-class.

Until next time, Cheers!

Celebrating My Wine-iversary

The Santa Lucia Mountains form a gorgeous backdrop to the Claiborne & Churchill property.

I celebrated 27 years of marriage on September 7th, 2018. And one year ago I found out I passed the final exam for the WSET Diploma. My Wine-iversary needed to be celebrated!

My husband Bruce and I are still going strong, and we decided to mark the occasion of our now 30-year relationship with a long-overdue trip to the beloved Central Coast of our home state of California. It seems to beckon us every so often, so we booked an Airbnb in the quaint coastal town of Cambria.

We did the usual things: a walk on Moonstone beach; lunch at our favorite foodie joint Robin's Restaurant; and shopping at the treasure-filled antique shops. We also tried some "bucket list" things, like a hike in Montana de Oro State Park (this time without infant and toddler in tow), with its breathtaking views of the ocean, and an impromptu horseback ride in the Cambria hills through Cambria Horseback Rides. This was probably the highlight of our four-day escape, as I had always dreamed of climbing the beautiful rolling hills that dot Route 1, but block the view of the Pacific Ocean just on the other side. What a thrill to climb those hills on the back of "Uber," my gentle but solid horse, then to see the expansive ocean from the hilltop. We suffered with sore hips and thighs for a couple of days, but it was well worth it.

I could not leave the Central Coast without doing some "wine things." So we visited one of the few tasting rooms on Cambria's Main Street, which happens to also be one of my favorite small producers, Cutruzzola. This artisan winery crafts Riesling and Pinot Noir from their estate vineyards outside of Cambria, and also does Zinfandel from Paso Robles and Russian River grapes.

The tasting room is managed by Reyna Jonas, who is knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive. We loved our conversation with Reyna, and we always love the wines, so we took home a good supply, which I may break out this Thanksgiving. Our haul included the 2015 Riven Rock Vineyard Riesling (retail about $30) and the 2014 Gloria Pinot Noir ($42). The former has some petrol, bright citrus fruit and a nice acid backbone. The Pinot is a juicy but balanced mouthful of cherry and other red fruits with again, a nice acidity.

California's first "straw bale building"

My only other desire on this trip was to finally step foot into the Edna Valley wine region. I'm embarrassed to say that I had never been there. When you consider that we had a son at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for four years (which is minutes away from this beautiful place) and I'm in the wine business, that's not good. All the times I drove right by the valley, it was as if it was hidden in plain sight!

We could only visit one winery, since we were driving back to Los Angeles that day, so Reyna recommended we visit pioneering producer Claiborne & Churchill. She said their Dry Gewurtztraminer is the best around. I had a glass of Claiborne & Churchill Pinot Noir with dinner a couple days before at The Galley restaurant in Morro Bay, and it was delicious. So, that was good enough for us.

And what a treat it was! I cannot think of a more pleasant tasting room visit than this one. The winery/tasting room is situated in California's first "straw bale building," which features 16"-thick walls made of rice straw, which gives the winery a constant cellar temperature. The wine barrels and stainless steel tanks are part of the tasting room decor. And Riesling the winery cat stands guard.

Riesling the winery cat 

There is a small vineyard of Pinot Noir grapes outside the winery, and I noticed a "SIP-certified" sign, which means that Claiborne & Churchill is focused on sustainability. I like seeing this at a winery.

Two Cal Poly wine program students were working the tasting room, and Kyle, our taste guide, cheerfully greeted us and took us through the lineup. Like other wineries in the Edna Valley, there are close ties with the Wine and Viticulture program at this state school.

As promised, the 2017 Dry Gewurtztraminer was wonderful -- clean, crisp, and aromatic, without being too much so, which is my usual complaint about this variety. This racy, young wine retails at $22, a bargain in my opinion. The cool-climate acidity that the Edna Valley allows is evident in this little gem.

The owners, Claiborne (Clay) Thompson and Fredericka Churchill Thompson, early settlers in the Edna Valley, are heavily influenced by Alsatian wines from the northeast of France (with major German influences). Edna Valley's proximity to the ocean, cool coastal breezes, and morning fog create a growing environment similar to that of Alsace. Its "terroir" produces floral and spicy dry Rieslings and Gewürztraminers with an array of fruit notes balanced with excellent acidity.

We also sampled the two different Pinot Noirs and a Syrah, both of which were wonderful and again well priced.

Other producers in the Edna Valley include Center of Effort, Kynsi, and Baileyana, and in the Arroyo Grande Valley, Talley Vineyards. I need to do more exploring in the Edna Valley and surrounding areas. I feel like I just stepped my toe into it. I'm so looking forward to it!

Until next time, Cheers!

Until next time, Cheers!

Hosting Wine Events: Lessons Learned

I'm currently launching a new business with my partner-in-wine Melanie Webber, called Wine Tarts, hosting team-building exercises using wine as the tool. We really enjoy our sessions with various teams of friends, family and corporate colleagues, and everyone seems to have fun exploring their wine palates together.


At my "day job" at the Wine House in Los Angeles, my main job is to sell wine to all types of customers, those that know exactly what they want, those who look for guidance, and everything in between. Recently, I expanded my role and began planning and hosting events at the Wine House.

My first two events happened this past month, and were very different. The first was an in-store tasting with Handpicked Wines from Australia: 40 people, 10 wines, the winemaker in attendance, and assorted Australian cheeses. The crowd was great, didn't tear up the place, and seemed genuinely interested in meeting the winemaker and discussing his winemaking philosophy.

Handpicked Wines of Australia

The second event was a mini-festival, called Great White: 60 people, 9 distributors pouring 51 wines, and passed appetizers prepared by Chef Maiki Le of Upstairs2 restaurant.

The genesis for Great Whites was my recent fascination for and love of Italian white varieties, which began a little over a year ago when I attended a trade event featuring Lugana white wines. The wines so delighted me that I pressed our Italian wine buyer, Lance Montalto, to bring more of them into our renowned Italian wine section at the Wine House (currently featuring close to 1300 SKUs). I ventured to other Italians whites, tasting my way through bottles from the various regions of Italy -- Vermentino from Sardinia, Verdicchio from the Marche, Fiano and Falanghina from Campania, and Etna Bianco from Sicily, to name a few. Most of thse wines were between $15 and $25 per bottle. I wanted to spread the word about the expressiveness and affordability of  Italian wines, plus the other great whites I'd sampled from Spain, France, Australia, Austria, and all around the globe.

Both events were wonderful experiences for me personally and professionally. And, I learned a few things about putting on a wine event, which I'd like to share.


Plan ahead, and plan some more

I truly believe I had good results only because of the planning I put into these events. I lined up vendors and their wines early, confirmed they would all be there to pour their wines, and got sample bottles in ahead of time so they could be chilled -- this is key when pouring whites and roses.


Have an ally or allies

In the case of Handpicked Wines, I had Adam Dromi, the US Marketing Manager for Handpicked, and former colleague at the Wine House, helping me pull this event together. We both had a vested interested in the event going well. For the Great Whites fest, I had the buyers from the Wine House, as well as the numerous wine reps who trot by my workstation daily. I began chatting them up a couple months before the event, creating buzz, and getting them interested in the event.

Knowledgeable pourers are key

Have knowledgeable people pouring

Handpicked brought several staffers and this allowed the winemaker, Peter Dillon, to mingle with attendees, who loved having him there. For Great Whites, I had three people besides the distributors helping me out. Two of my wine education friends jumped at the opportunity to help pour wine, and they took the time to learn about what they were serving ahead of time. Both were nicely rewarded with some great bottles after the event. Having knowledgeable people pouring is key to great interaction with the paying attendee, especially if the winemaker is not present.


Have plenty of spit buckets

Wine is alcohol, and even if tastings are only 1 ounce, attendees often get tipsy. At Great Whites, we had 51 wines: an ounce of each is the equivalent of  two full bottles of wine. Give people the opportunity to dump and spit.

Pair food with the wine being poured

Feed and hydrate

Try to pair the food with the wine. For the Handpicked event, I worked with the Wine House cheese monger Lorenzo Broadnax, and together we chose artisan-made cheeses from Australia, which was a nice touch. At Great Whites, Chef Maike Le chose cheese, fruit, veggies, corn chowder, and other lighter appetizers.


Don't indulge until after the event

It's a good idea to keep a clear head so that you can be on your toes should any fires need to be put out. I had quite a few partially filled bottle to choose from after each event, and once cleanup was done, I was able to kick back and try the wines.



Solicit feedback

Don't be afraid to ask people how they liked the event afterward -- all feedback is good feedback. At Great Whites, I held a wine raffle which attendees could only enter if they answered a few important questions. I got some great feedback, which will help me plan my next event.


Encourage Uber/Lyft/taxi 

Enough said.


Thank people for attending

There's a lot of competition for attracting people to wine events. Attendees pay good money to attend. A smile and a verbal appreciation go a long way.

Until next time,
Cheers

You meet some lovely people at wine tastings. Here are some happy wine sippers!

Virtual Tasting With Murrieta's Well

There's nothing better than gathering with fellow wine lovers to share some new and favorite bottles, talk about the wines, and leave fortified with enhanced wine knowledge. Over the past month, I've been to a wine-geek dinner party, a festival of rosé wines, a smaller tasting of Italian wines, and most recently to a "virtual" tasting sponsored by Snooth, an online community for wine and food lovers.

This latest tasting allowed me to sit in my own dining room with five bottles of wine (I shared mine with a fellow wine lover), which had been shipped to me before the tasting. An online moderator and the winemaker – in this case, Robbie Meyer of Murrieta's Well estate vineyard of Livermore, California – walked the community through each wine, offering tasting and technical notes as well as some historical facts about the estate.

Murrieta's Well is owned by Wente Family Estates, which bills itself as the oldest continuously operated, family-owned winery in the the US. It was founded in 1883, and currently fourth- and fifth-generation Wentes are running the group of wineries. Wente Vineyards is renowned for helping to make Chardonnay the best-selling variety among American drinkers. Other wineries in the group besides Murrieta's Well are entwine, Hayes Ranch, and Double Decker.

Being a fan of the environment, I was very pleased to see that a winery on the scale of Wente (approximately half a million cases per year) had earned the "Certified California Sustainable Vineyard and Winery" designation for all aspects of its business. (See my previous posting on Fetzer-Bonterra, another environmentally and socially conscious large-scale winery.)

The Tasting

The wines of Murrieta's Well that we tasted included a couple from Wente's Small Lot "winery-within-a-winery." This program was created in 2002 to produce small lots from selected vineyard blocks.

Among the Small Lot wines we tasted are the 2017 Sauvignon Blanc and the yet-to-be-released 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vines are descended from Chateau d'Yquem

The Sauvignon Blanc is a mineral-driven, cirtusy and floral wine, produced from descendants of the original Chateau d'Yquem cuttings planted in the late 19th century. The parcel where these vines live is part of the original 92-acres of the property and features well-drained gravelly soils. Just 30 barrels of this 100% sauvignon blanc were produced, and the retail price is around $35.

The Cabernet Sauvignon, which will be released this September, is mostly Cab with some Petit Verdot and Malbec blended in. This fruit-forward cab, of which 27 barrels were produced, is still a bit rough around the edges, but began to open up once poured into the glass, revealing plum, chocolate, earth, black olive and some nice tannins. With some aging, this should prove to be a lovely California Cab. Pricing was not yet available for this one.

Other wines tasted included a refreshing summer 

Rosé, composed of Grenache, Counoise and Mourvedre. All wineries seem to be doing a rosé

these days (as they should, see my thoughts on this from 2013), and about 2,000 cases of this one were produced. Priced at $30 (California rosés are still a bit pricey, by about $10, in my opinion), this gem was a glass of strawberries and melon, and a perfect sipper or BBQ wine.

The Spur and The Whip red and white blends, respectively

The Whip 2016 is a white blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Chardonnay, Orange Muscat and Viognier, and offered a lower-acid sipper than the straight sauvignon blanc, with beautiful aromatics and a silken mouthfeel. At $26 retail, this is nice.

The Spur 2015 is a red wine blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The wines are fermented separately then blended and aged for 24 months in new and used French barrels. This a big, bold, red that would pair well with heavier foods, like BBQ beef. Price is $30.

Winemaker Robbie Meyer was hired by Wente in 2015 and had previously worked at prestigious Napa wineries such as Peter Michael Winery, Lewis Cellars and Jericho Canyon Vineyards. He guided the attendees of the Snooth virtual tasting through his wines and answered the numerous questions posed by the few dozen attendees of the event. All in all, I enjoyed the virtual tasting, and hope to do more in the future.


For more information on Snooth online community visit them at www.snooth.com.

For more information on Murrieta's Well visit https://murrietaswell.com/

For more information on Wente Family Estates visit https://wentefamilyestates.com/

Until next time, Cheers!

Sherry, Baby!

If it swims, pair with Fino.

If it flies, pair with Amontillado.

If it runs away from you, pair with Palo Cortado,

If it runs toward you, pair with Oloroso.

This slightly altered mnemonic from the www.sherry.wine Web site was recited during a recent Sherry seminar by Andrew Mulligan, a portfolio manager with Skurnik Wines. The third and fourth lines regarding Palo Cortado and Oloroso veer a bit from the original -- Palo Cortado, a "hybrid" Sherry, was not originally included, and the 'runs away' and 'runs toward' differentiations were added later, by someone who clearly appreciated the brilliance of Palo Cortado!

Held at Culver City, California's Hatchet Hall restaurant on June 7, 2018, this seminar featured the knowledgeable Mr. Mulligan, whose wine porfolio includes two producers, Barbadillo and Tradicion. Mulligan is one of 10 Americans to have passed the Formador Homologado del Vino de Jerez, which basically translates to "Sherry Master," and he is passionate about all things Sherry. And because Sherry pairs so well with foods from Spain, Hatchet Hall's Chef Ron Almgren provided some jamon, olives, nuts, and pickled vegetables. 

Sherry Master Andrew Mulligan

This enlightening 2.5-hour seminar may have been the turning point for me in my relationship with sherry. I've always had a take-it-or-leave-it attitude toward this Spanish fortified wine, particularly since I studied it fairly in-depth a few years back while going for my WSET Diploma. At the time, my palate did not take to it very well, and I was too immersed in my studies to really appreciate what a lovely, complex, and varied drink Sherry can be. But a few years on, no longer in intensive study mode, I can now say "I love Sherry." 

What Is Sherry?

Briefly, Sherry is a fortified wine produced in three towns in the Andalucia region of southwest Spain: Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria, and Sanlucar de Barrameda. This hot-climate region in southern Spain is warmed by hot winds from Africa. It is also Spain's poorest region, but is home to Flamenco music and dance -- in other words, it has duende, or "soul," according to Mulligan, who has visited the area numerous times. The area's white soils are known as Albariza (alba means "white" in Spanish) and are composed of clay, calcium and marine fossils. The soils, climate, and proximity to the ocean infuse a salinity into the local Palomino grape, which is "the" sherry grape.

The bodegas, or wineries, are located close to the ocean, which traditionally are cooled by the cool breezes wafting in through high loft windows, and by the watering of the albero, or sandy-chalky dirt floors. Today, due to global climate change, major producers are using temperature-control systems.  This last fact means that true Palo Cortados -- basically finos that lose their yeast -- are not as prevalent because the temperatures are more easily controlled and yeasts are kept alive.   

The lineup

In the bodegas, the wines are aged  in American Oak barrels, or botas,  never French! This is historically an economic decision as American oak was cheaper to import vs. French oak, but it became a style decision over the years. Barrels are often used 80-90 years. 

Wines are fermented in large stainless steel tanks then fortified to either 15% or 17% alcohol by volume (abv) using a neutral grape spirit, and begin either a biological aging process or an oxidative aging process in the botas. The aging process is determined by the alcohol level, as the layer of yeast, or 'flor,' that develops naturally on the top of the barrels and contributes to the unique organoleptic, or smell/taste characteristics of the wine, cannot survive in an environment above 17% abv.

In a nutshell, Fino and Manzanillo (the latter is just a Fino from the town of Sanlucar de Barrameda) Sherries are biologically aged (under
flor), and lower alcohol (15%), and Oloroso is aged oxidatively (no flor) and higher alcohol (17%). Amontillado and Palo Cortado are aged both biologically and oxidatively because they start as biologically aged wine, lose their flor, and then continue their aging oxidatively.

Fino and Manzanillo sherries should be served well chilled

The wines are aged in a solera system, whereby each year 15% of the most-aged wine is bottled for sale, and 15% of the next-most-aged wine is added to those barrels. The next-most-aged wine gets a 15% infusion from the newest barrels. This occurs every year, insuring that the wine tastes the same every time it's bottled, and in fact "blends" different vintages to create complexity and depth. So, the minimal age of any bottle of sherry is three years, but in many cases, it's much longer as there can be any number of barrel levels, or criaderas. As an example, at the Andrew Mulligan seminar, we tasted a Palo Cortado VORS (very old rare sherry) from Bodegas Tradicion that was 34 years old. And it was spectacular.

The Bodegas

Bodegas Barbadillo of Sanlucar de Barrameda, is one of the larger Sherry producers. It was founded in 1821 and bottled its first Manzanilla in 1827. This is one of just two Sherry houses that has a woman winemaker. 

Bodegas Tradicion of Jerez de la Frontera, is a newer winery, founded in 1998, but it is the successor of one of the oldest sherry houses in Jerez. The bodega shuns all modern machinery, doing everything by hand. The focus is on aged sherries, which are only lightly filtered  -- you may see this as 'en rama' on a sherry label.

The Sherries

At the seminar, I tasted four flights, beginning with Fino and Manzanilla wines and finishing with the "sticky" sweet Cream Sherries (I still don't have a taste for these). Finos/Manzanillos are the youngest and most delicate of sherries, aged biologically their whole life under flor. These ranged from young and fresh four-year-old Manzanillo from Bodegas Barbadillo to 12 year-old Fino Viejo from Bodegas Tradicion. My favorite was the Manzanilla "Solear" from Barbadillo. 

Sherry pairs well with Jamon and olives

Fino/Manzanillo wines should be treated as any white wine, says Mulligan, meaning they should be chilled well, and once opened, consumed in a few days. I've found they can last longer, but they do lose some of their vivacity. Mulligan suggests using the opened bottles for Sherry cocktails.

The Amontillado and Oloroso sherries take on more depth of color, more complexity in aroma and flavor, and can be astoundingly rich and gorgeous. These Sherries should be served at room temperature, and can also last longer once opened, up to a couple weeks or longer (the older the longer).

The Bodegas Barbadillo Palo Cortado 'Obispo Gascon' stayed with me for hours after I tried it, with its haunting and mouth-coating notes of orange blossom. Unfortunately, there is none of this particular Sherry available for sale.

If you don't know Sherry, I highly recommend giving it a try. I'm glad I've revisited Sherry and plan to incorporate more of into my wine diet.

Hasta la próxima, adiós!

Learn more:

About Bodegas Tradicion at http://www.bodegastradicion.es

About Bodegas Barbadilo at http://barbadillo.com/en/wines

Sherry industry in general: https://www.sherry.wine/

Shop for Tradicion and Barbadillo at www.winesearcher.com

English Wine, Part II: Chapel Down

French oak casks are used at Chapel Down

My recent trip to the U.K. of course included a trip to the wine country in County Kent, about a half-hour train ride southeast of London. In my last post, I talked about my visit to the Gusbourne, a lovely artisan producer of mostly vintage sparkling wine made in the traditional, or Champagne, method. My only other stop was to England's leading wine producer, about 15 minutes drive from Gusbourne, called Chapel Down.

Located in Small Hythe,Tenterden, the winery is a thriving estate, sporting an 80-seat restaurant (the Swan), a wine and fine food store (we purchased delicious locally made cheese), numerous employees who are available for thorough guided tours (guide Hazel was terrific), and a vine-leasing program that allows wine-lovers to enjoy custom-labelled wines.

Hazel was a magnificent tour guide and highly skilled taster

It's obvious that Chapel Down is a cheerleader for wine production in the U.K., which is on the rise. There are now 450 producers scattered throughout the country, and  two-thirds of all production is now traditional-method sparkling. In addition to sparkling, for which it is mostly known, Chapel Down also produces still red and white wine, a line of "Curious" beers, cider, and spirits, including gin and brandy.

Like Gusbourne, Chapel Down is situated in the part of England that has the geology and the climate suitable for producing world-class sparkling wines. The same chalky "Kimmeridgian"soils that nurture the vines in the Champagne and Burgundy regions of France are present in Kent and Sussex counties. This same soil can be seen in the White Cliffs of Dover on the southern coast of England,  just 35 miles away from Chapel Down. This marine sediment-based soil is good for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, the triumverate of grapes that go into Champagne and English sparkling.

Dormant Bacchus vines on a lovely winter day

Chapel Down's version of a classic Champagne-style blend is called "Three Graces," which displays aromas of ripe apple, red berries, and brioche, and is priced around 29 pounds ($40 U.S.).

We tasted eight wines at the Wine Sanctuary, a standalone building with gorgeous views

Chapel Down also has a range of still wines from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as well as Bacchus, a German crossing of Riesling x Sylvaner and the the third most-planted wine grape in the U.K., plus Schonburger (aromatic, Muscat-like white), Siegerrebe (intensely aromatic relative of Gewurztraminer), Madeleine Angevine (light, fruity, Muscat-like white), Rondo (red hybrid for blending), and, Albarino (white native to the northern "green" part of Spain). An interesting blend that we tasted was a 2015 Chardonnay-Albarino that tasted of green apple and fresh apricot with flinty notes, which would be a perfect seafood pairing.

Chapel Down is the English wine label that might be most recognized in both the U.K. and U.S. markets. Within the U.K., its wines are available in leading bars and restaurants -- Gordon Ramsay's and Jamie Oliver's as well the Royal Opera House and London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican, for example -- and in supermarkets, and they are rapidly expanding outside the country. A search on www.winesearcher.com shows 21 different sources in NY state and California.

Melanie Webber and Terry Nozick, the WSET Diploma graduates visit Chapel Down

"English Wine" vs. "British Wine" 

Although these two terms sound similar, they are not! (And oops! I made the mistake of using the term British Wine in my last post ... sorry!)

English (or Welsh) wine is made from fresh grapes grown in vineyards in England (or Wales) and is produced in wineries in the U.K. Both Chapel Down and Gusbourne, the subjects of this and the last post, produce English wines.

British Wine is a whole different animal. I think the British term "plonk" could be used when referring to it! It's made in Britain using imported grapes or grape concentrate and sold at low retail prices. The EU does not recognize "British Wines" as true wine, as they are not the product of fermented freshly crushed grapes.

So look for the words "England" or "English" on a label to be sure you are getting a true English wine.

And the next time you visit the U.K., consider a trip out to the glorious wine country. You will be glad you did.

Until next time,

Cheers!

My Graduation, and English Wines, Part 1

Double-decker buses, pubs, royalty, theatre, Downton Abbey -- these are the things most of us associate with the British Isles, but how many would think about English wine? Not many, I'm sure, but this island off the northwest coast of Europe, which falls just north of the 50th parallel -- long considered the northern boundary for successfully ripening wine grapes -- is a rising star in the wine world, producing both red and white still wine and increasingly sparkling wine.

Receiving my WSET Diploma from Steven Spurrier

I visited the U.K. in January 2018 to attend my WSET Diploma graduation at Guildhall, London. The ceremony was emotional and affirming for me and my fellow graduates, having studied countless hours and blind-tasted hundreds of wines in order to pass our final exam last June. But we did not taste one English wine in all those years of studying!

So, while in the UK, my fellow traveler and Diploma recipient Melanie and I, and my husband, took advantage of the opportunity to experience a couple of wineries in County Kent, which we reached via a half-hour fast-train ride out of St. Pancras station, London. Sitting just south and southeast of London, Kent and Sussex counties now boast approximately 450 wineries, and the number is growing. Production among all producers is 4.5-5 million bottles per year.

Both counties sit on soil that is not that different from the soils in the Champagne and Burgundy regions of France. This chalky soil with clay and sand subsoils is suitable for growing the same grapes as in Champagne and Burgundy -- Chardonnay (the most planted grape in the UK), Pinot Noir (second most planted), and Pinot Meunier (fourth) -- as well as many hybrids like Bacchus (third), Seyval Blanc (fifth) and Rondo (seventh). The UK climate is rather cool but grape ripening has been coaxed along the last few summers by warmer-than-usual temperatures which are attributed to global climate change. As an added safety, vineyards in the U.K. are planted on south-facing slopes to make the most of the warming sun during the day.

Two-thirds of the U.K.'s annual production is now sparkling wine produced in the traditional, or bottle-fermented method, as in Champagne.

The two wineries we visited are the small Gusbourne estate and the larger and more widely known Chapel Down. Following is a little more about Gusbourne; my follow-on post will focus on Chapel Down.

Gusbourne Estate: Artisan-Made Vintage Sparkling Wines 

Gusbourne's current coat of arms

As an estate, Gusbourne, in Appledore, Kent, dates back to 1410, when John de Goosbourne purchased it, hence the geese on the original coat of arms (see below). The estate (we would call it a farm) grew apples, turnips, mace, and other crops. Upon Goosbourne's death, Philip Chute, a wealthy man with high social standing in the era of King Henry VIII, purchased the estate and had the coat of arms augmented with the "Lion of England" in recognition of his service to the crown in the Siege of Boulogne.

Goosbourne's coat of arms

Current owner Andrew Weeber hails from South Africa. He  purchased the estate in 2003, and planted the first wine grapes in 2004. He had a clear vision to create world-class English sparkling wine, and his first attempt, Gusbourne Sparkling Brut Reserve 2006, debuted in 2010 to critical acclaim.

The current Gusbourne Estate has about 90 acres of vines in Kent and another 50 in Sussex. All grapes used for winemaking at Gusbourne are estate-grown. The three classic Champagne grapes are grown, and there's a 50-50 split between Champagne and Burgundian clones. The latter produce lower-yielding, but flavorful grapes, per the winery. Vineyard acreage is 60% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, and 10% Pinot Meunier.

Gusbourne's vineyards are situated in Kent, which is the second driest place in the U.K., and there are a series of microclimates within the vineyard sites. A really unique landscape feature is an ancient burial mound that sits amidst vineyards adjacent to the winery building, which is a simple, industrial-looking, and very clean and modern facility. The soils are chalky topsoil with clay and sand about 10 meters down, which is particularly good for the Burgundian clones.

An ancient burial mound sits in vineyard land of Gusbourne Estate

Our wardrobe gives an idea of how cold U.K. vineyards can get in the middle of January.

Fellow WSET Diploma graduate Melanie Webber and I enjoying wines at The Nest at Gusbourne

Dan, our excellent and knowledgeable tour and tasting guide at Gusbourne

The winery operations are quite modern and well-equipped with the latest technology, including a gyropalette that can rotate hundreds of bottles of sparkling wine by machine, to bring the yeast into the neck of the bottle for eventually disgorgement (see photo below).

Gusbourne's gyropalette rotates hundreds of bottles at a time

Gusbourne produces between 100,00 and 200,000 bottles per year, depending on vintage, of which 95% is sparkling. English weather can be very wet, as was 2012, so producers are often at the mercy of the seasons, but this is true of most Old World wine regions.

Gusbourne's flagship  Blanc de Blanc

The day we were visiting, the winds were sweeping across the fields, but it was a beautiful landscape, with neatly groomed and well tended vines, and the coastline visible about six miles away. (Keep in mind that you are rarely more than 70 miles away from any coastline in the U.K.) This portion of the English coast was under water until about 800 hundred years ago, but the sea receded over time.

Gusbourne's flagship product is its Blanc de Blanc sparkling (photo left), which is aged 36 months on the lees and then another three months on cork after disgorgement. The wine is lovely, with notes of green apple, cirtus and white fruit, mineral notes, and buttered toast from lees aging, and the crisp acidity that is the hallmark of English sparkling. This wine retails in the U.S. at around $65 (45 pounds).

In addition to vintage sparkling, Gusbourne also produces still wines, including Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which are light-bodied and very tasty.


For more information on Gusbourne and its wines, visit www.Gusbourne.com.

For availability of Gusbourne wines locally, check www.winesearcher.com.

For more information on the English wine industry, visit www.englishwineproducers.co.uk/.

And to learn more about the WSET program, visit www.wsetglobal.com.


Until next time,

Cheers!