I recently had the opportunity to meet a few of Wine Country’s most impressive teams of two, from father-and-son wine-making duos to smitten sommeliers. Follow this link to Napa Sonoma Magazine to learn more about them!
When you open a bottle of the Matthiasson Napa Valley White Wine, the nose is immediately dazzled with fragrant aromas of fresh melon, peaches, citrus, and fresh picked spring flowers. In the glass, these distinctive aromas and fruity flavors are further enhanced by notes of mineral, chalk, roasted hazelnut, a lush texture, tangy acidity, and a long, vibrant finish. The end result is a graceful wine with qualities that set it apart from other proprietary white wines.
In addition to Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Tocai Friulano grapes, another special ingredient in the blend is Ribolla Gialla, a unique white grape from the Friuli region of Italy, which winemaker Steve Matthiasson was introduced to in 2002. Since then, Steve has gone on to promote the grape and carve his own niche with the delicious white and red wines he makes with fruit grown at his family’s estate vineyard in Napa and other special sites in Napa Valley and Sonoma County. For his commitment to quality, the San Francisco Chronicle named him “Winemaker of the Year” last year.
To learn more about Steve’s journey to becoming a viticulturalist and winemaker, read my interview with him that was published in the new issue of Vineyard and Winery Management.
Needing your Cave fix? PBS recently featured he and his Bad Seeds on an episode of Austin City Limits, which left me wishing for an opportunity to get more of his wild stylistic performance.
This Tuesday December 30th, the film 20,000 Days on Earth will be shown 7pm at City Winery in Napa: An in depth exploration into the mechanisms of Nick Cave.
A film the Hollywood Reporter declares “richly cinematic…a stunner…[a] unique investigation into the mind of an artist”. What a bargain night out at $10! Buy your tickets through City Winery.
So there we were: Twenty wine judges tasting through the over 70 Best of Class gold medal winners at the Sweepstakes Round of Vineyard & Winery Management’s 24th Annual Grand Harvest Awards. It was so quiet in the room you could hear a pin drop and an occasional chime of two glasses making incidental contact. But when all the contenders were tasted, the Best of Show wine was the fabulous Miro Cellars 2012 Petite Sirah, Dry Creek Valley ($30).
The Madara Horseman on the Miro Cellars label is based on a Bulgarian monument carved in bas relief on a cliff twenty three meters above ground. This mysterious sculpture was created at the beginning of the eighth century during the birth of the Bulgarian nation.
In hindsight, I remember our panel tasting this wine and thinking how generous the fruit was, the layers of flavors and spice, and that long smooth finish. So once the winner was revealed, I wasn’t surprised that this magnificent Petite Sirah was made by Miro Tcholakov, one of the great winemakers of Sonoma County who tends to roll under the radar. After coming to California from his home country of Bulgaria, Miro worked at Dry Creek Vineyards and eventually became head winemaker at Trentadue Winery in Geyserville. On the side, Miro and his family started making Miro Cellars wines in 2001. Coincidentally, the debut release was…Petite Sirah, of course. For more info on Miro’s new releases, visit www.MiroCellars.com.
From a pool of nearly 1100 entries, the other awards included 82 Best of Class, 39 Double Gold, 161 Gold, and 450 Silver medals. Judges included winemakers, wine buyers, distributors, media personnel and other wine industry professionals who not only recognized the best wine submissions but possessed the level of knowledge and expertise needed to assess the wine’s terroir.
The following wines took best their categories:
Best White Wine: Hunt Country Vineyards, 2013 Seyval Blanc, Finger Lakes ($10.99)
SawyerSomm notes, as tasted with fellow judges Alisa Nemo of Handley Cellars and Thrace Bomberger of Walt Wines: Seyval Blanc is a French-American hydrid created by Frenchman Bertille Seyve around 1920. Made in stainless steel, this bright and expressive white wine has lively floral aromas of spring flowers, geranium and citrus. On the palate, a mixture of ripe melon, papaya, grapefruit, mineral, and a long graceful finish. Pairings: gourmet salads, grilled fish, chicken skewers with tangy citrus aioli. www.HuntWines.com.
Best Rose Wine: Truett Hurst Winery, 2013 Salmon Run Rosé, Dry Creek Valley ($18)
SawyerSomm notes, as tasted with fellow judges Alisa Nemo of Handley Cellars and Thrace Bomberger of Walt Wines: Not to be mistaken with Pink Zinfandel, this is a fantastic example of a classy dry Zinfandel rosé with fragrant aromas and lively flavors of wild strawberry, peach, plum, red cherry, anise and orange rind. Pairings: tangy cheeses, fresh berries, tostadas, Paella and spicy Indian cuisine. www.TruettHurst.com.
Best of Show and Best Red Wine: Miro Cellars, 2012 Petite Sirah, Dry Creek Valley ($30). www.MiroCellars.com.
Best Sparkling Wine: Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyard, 2006 Royal Cuvee, Carneros ($37). www.GloriaFerrer.com.
Best Spirit from Grapes: Petroni Vineyards, Grappa di Lorenzo, Sonoma Valley ($45) . www.PetroniVineyards.com.
Best Fruit Wine: Heritage Vineyards, Jersey Blueberry, Outer Coastal Plain ($10.99). www.HeritageWineNJ.com.
Best Late Harvest/Dessert Wine: Stephen & Walker Winery, 2012 Chardonnay Botrytis, Mendocino Ridge (Tbd). www.trustwine.com.
For more juicy information…
Sonoma Valley represented: Hamming it up with Winemaker Michael Muscardini of Muscardini Cellars and Winemaker Katie Madigan of St. Francis Winery.
Established in 1990, Grand Harvest Awards seeks to uncover the distinctions of terroir by grouping wines for evaluation by appellation and variety. Wines are judged in the context of their viticultural regions in order to recognize the complexities and nuances of regional wines, and also to observe the influence of regional soil and climate characteristics on the taste and quality of individual wines.
Dazzling Judges Dinner menu prepared by Rosso Pizzeria at Paradise Ridge Winery.
“This unique wine competition showcases the diversity of terroir and we are pleased to be part of the research and promotion of allits regions in the U.S. and beyond,” said Robert Merletti, President and Publisher of Vineyard & Winery Management magazine.
And as the official GHA spokesperson, here’s my quote on the awards press release: “For decades we have been trying to interpret the styles of wines made in America. Now, thanks to the use of new technology and fruit from more mature vines, the unique flavor profiles are becoming more defined. For those reasons, it’s exciting to see that the diverse list of winners at the Grand Harvest Awards 2014 really demonstrate how terroir makes a difference in the flavor profiles of grapes planted in special regions across the nation.”
Full results for the competition are posted on www.winecompetitions.com, a website developed by EnofileOnline for Vineyard & Winery Management to house all six of its wine competitions, and on www.enofileonline.com.
Official sponsors of the competition included Hilton Sonoma Wine Country, Penta Ultra-Purified Water, Graber Olives, Wine Country Shipping, Alsco, Costeaux French Bakery, Lagunitas Brewing Company and Sonoma Cider. And last but not least, great thanks to my good friend Debra Del Fiorentino, who did a great job as the Chief Judge at this year’s competition. See www.vwmmedia.com for more information.
Next Up: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, January 6-9
Stay tuned for news from the upcoming San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition 2015, the largest competition of American wines in the world, January 6-9. To enter wines in the competition before the deadline on December 10th or for information about the special early bird’s ticket price to the SFCWC Public Tasting on Saturday, February 14 which ends on New Years Eve, visit www.winejudging.com.
For my 5th year I will be sommelier for the event Flight of Poets, at Litquake on Thursday, October 16th, Hotel Rex, San Francisco. Event starts at 7 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm
The Featured Poets
Tsering Wangmo Dhompa, Hollie Hardy, Major Jackson, James Ragan, Tera Vale Ragan, Chad Sweeney, Arisa White
The Featured Wineries
St. Supery, Gundlach Bundschu, Rodney Strong, Miro Cellars, Uvaggio, Carol Shelton Wines
Need I say more? It’s the way we rolled at #FoodNetworkinConcert 2014.
It was a magical idea that became reality. Of course, I’m talking about Food Network in Concert, the ground-breaking concept that was put in play at the legendary Ravinia Festival site near Chicago on September 20th. Put on by Food Network Magazine, this one-day event was filled with star chefs from Food Network TV and Chicagoland; talented musicians like John Maher, Philip Phillips, Zane Carney and Twin Forks; and magnificent wines from around the globe, including the special Artisan Series wines provided by Freixenet USA, Foley Family Wines and Charles Krug Winery.
Below are some of the fun pictures to drive the point home. For more information, visit www.FoodNetworkinConcert.com and follow the Twitter stream #EatDrinkRock!
Talented young artist Zane Carney lays his heart on the line while singing a hot jazz-inspired track from his fabulous new album Amalgam.Fantastic Chef Lounge moments with “The Sandwich King” Jeff Mauro (pictured), Anne Burrell, Geoffrey Zakarian, Anne Guarnaschelli and many others.Eva Bertran, VP of FreixenetUSA, comments on the delicious sparkling wines featured in the Bubbles from Around the Globe seminar held in Martin Hall at Ravinia.Feeling “Gravity” while listening to music headliner John Mayer play his hit song live in front of 10,000 happy attendees.Crunchy sensations via Chef Allen’s Urban Pickles.The fantastic lineup of wines featured in the Charles Krug seminar I did with Riana Mondavi.
In all of our lives, there are those special turning points. Moments that you realize it’s time to move ahead and take advantage of the opportunities that are within your grasp. On a large scale, one of those momentous points happened last Sunday in Sonoma County when a mixture of 700 great personalities from the wine industry, star chefs, sommeliers and eager consumers, came together to raise $4 million dollars for charity at the Sonoma Harvest Wine Auction at Chateau St. Jean Winery in Kenwood.
Selfie of the Week: Me and Winemaker Margo Van Staaveren of Chateau St. Jean at the#SWCW 2014 pre-auction festivities.
From the start of this year’s “Sonoma to Serengeti”-themed auction, Sonoma County vintners like Joe Anderson of Benovia Winery, Barbara Banke of Jackson Family Wines, the Gallo Family, the Zanin Family of Bennett Valley Cellars, the Hamel Family and the Klein Family of Rodney Strong Vineyards, played key roles by contributing and inspiring others to bid generously. But when the day’s total was still short of $4 Million after the last lot was sold, Anderson pledged an additional $50,000 and challenged others to dig a little deeper to hit the $4 Million mark. Vintners Matt Gallo and Tony LeBlanc of Silver Oak immediately accepted the challenge. The last $20,000 pledge came from Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance Board Member Gary Buffo, and the goal was achieved. That’s vintner and community participation at its finest.
The annual event was the culmination of the action-packed Sonoma Wine Country Weekend (#SWCW), August 29-31. Under the focused leadership of SWCW Co-Executive Directors Honore Comfort (Sonoma County Vintners) and Maureen Cottingham (Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance) and their Boards of Directors, gross proceeds are expected to be in excess of $5 Million for the entire Sonoma Wine Country Weekend once final tallies are calculated, which creates another new record for the event as earnings more than doubled over last year.
Post-Taste of Sonoma cocktails at #Zigtown with @ZiggyTheWineGal and Sara Schneider of Sunset Magazine.Post -Taste of Sonoma fun at #Zigtown with fellow wine entertainer Leslie Sbracco (@lesliesbrocco) and Judy Davis of Davis Family Winery.
Beyond the important money earned for the charities and great opportunities to taste magnificent food and wine pairings; another highlight of this year’s events was the participation of the SWCW Honorary Chairs: The Ferrer Family, of Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, and the Klein Family, of Rodney Strong Vineyards, who were honored for their achievements in the wine industry and their contributions to the Sonoma County community as a whole.
On Friday Night, Rocking out at Coppola Winery.
In hindsight, the road to success starts from the ground up. With winegrowers understanding that sustainable farming techniques and the maturity of vines really does make a difference. Talented winemakers honing their skills to work with grapes that are picked at the optimum point to preserve the natural acidity and not over-ripen the fruit. Young sommeliers finding tasty gems made with the pristine fruit from the diverse subregions of Sonoma County. And ultimately, the growing number of consumers and charitable contributors who have fallen in love with the fine wines, delicious cuisine, lovely landscape, unique outdoor adventures, and the true sense of place that Sonoma County offers on a yearly basis.
#ClassicSonoma: Vintage bottle of the Laurel Glen 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon poured at Coppola at #SWCW on Friday Night.
As a veteran wine writer, sommelier, public speaker, and a person who was born, raised and matured in Sonoma County, it was a joy to see this all happen. For that reason, I was also honored to do my part to help the cause: From educating fellow writers from outside the area who visited Paradise Ridge and enjoyed the Media Dinner on the lovely new Terrace Patio at Rodney Strong Winery on Thursday night; mingle and enlighten curious consumers who attended the marvelous luncheon at Lynmar Estate in Russian River and the elegant gala event at Francis Ford Coppola Winery; introduce the guests who attended the Taste of Sonoma event at MacMurray Estate Vineyards on Saturday to the virtues of using fine stemware by Stolzle, one of the main sponsors and contributors to this SWCW festivities; and fulfilling my annual role as the head sommelier at the auction by serving magnificent wines to the Irwin-Allred group from Tulsa, who purchased the Head Table at last year’s event, as well as my great friends from TricorBraun Wine Pak (the main sponsor of the 2014 auction), Duckhorn Vineyards, Jean Arnold Sessions and other special guests who attended the memorable event on Sunday afternoon.
Small, intimate #SWCW Thursday night dinner on the stunning new Terrace at Rodney Strong Winery to celebrate the 25 year anniversary of the Klein Family ownership winery and vineyards.Pinot anyone? Fantastic #SWCW luncheon at Lymar Estate in Russian River Valley. @Lynmar Estate @SonomaWCW.
At the exciting #SWCW Taste of Sonoma Bubble Lounge with tasty treats from Gloria Ferrer. #bubbles @GloriaFerrer @FreixenetUSA #eatdrinkrock.
Like the big bang theory, a small explosion can have a huge impact on the future of life as we know it. For that reason, last weekend was just a glimpse at the potential of the SWCW for many years to come; an explosive launch to the 10th Annual California Wine Month in September; and a powerful reminder of the open-ended invitation for more people to explore the wine, food, and sense of community that makes Sonoma County so special.
Here we are a couple weeks into the month of August, a great time to start following the exciting 2014 harvest in the great winegrowing regions of California. With that being said, it’s also time to get ready for California Wine Month, a festive myriad of activities which kick off on September 1st.
So to get you primed for what’s going to be happening around the state, below is a set of photos from my recent visit to Lodi, an important appellation that is home to the highest concentration of old vine Zinfandel plantings in the world, as well as a fantastic grouping of vineyard owners and winemakers who are committed to working with California’s legendary “sweetheart” grape and a hundred other specialized varietals.
Later this month, look for more of my other writings about this fascinating region, including a focus on the exciting Native Lodi program. In the meantime, for more information about the Lodi AVA, Zinfandel, and other festive regional events happening throughout the state, visit www.lodiwine.com, www.Zinfandel.org and www.discovercaliforniawines.com .
Wine writer Randy Caparoso with one of the gnarly old Zinfandel vines at the Noma Vineyard in the Lodi appellation. @Lodi_Wine #LodiNative @alltheswirl.At the Soucie Vineyard, sandy soils and healthy old Zinfandel vines planted by Kevin Soucie’s grandfather in 1916. The fruit is now sourced by Layne Montgomery, owner/winemaker of @m2wines. @Lodi_Wine #LodiNative @alltheswirl @TheZinfandelOrg.Michael MacCay of @MacCayCellars with a bottle of his Carignane made with old vine fruit from the Rausch Vineyard. @Lodi_Wine @alltheswirl.Exploration tour of the Noma Vineyard in Victor, a small town just out the city limits of Lodi: Randy Caparoso; Noma Vineyard fruit proprietor Leland Noma; me; winemaker/proprietor Tim Holder of Macchia Wines; and wine writer/entertainer Ziggy the Wine Gal. @Lodi_Wine #LodiNative @alltheswirl @TheZinfandelOrg.Bursting with fresh and lively aromas and flavors, the #Bokisch 2013 Albarino the Cellar Door Tasting Room in downtown Lodi. @Lodi_Wine @MarkusBokisch @LizBokisch @alltheswirl.The brotherhood of #LodiNative: Winemakers & proprietors discuss the exciting Lodi Native Project, heritage vineyards and the 2012 vintage with me and Ziggy the Wine Gal. From left: Winemaker Chad Joseph and proprietor Todd Maley of Maley Brothers Wines; winemaker Layne Montgomery of @m2wines; winemaker/proprietor Tim Holdener of @macchiawines; Stuart Spencer of @stamantwine; and proprietor Lani Holdener of Macchia Winery, which hosted the tasting. @Lodi_Wine #TheBootlegSociety @alltheswirl @RCaparoso @TheZinfandelOrg.Refreshing white wines by Michael David served with our luncheon at the Phillips Farms Cafe in Lodi. @MDWinery @Lodi_Wine.At Michael David Winery in Lodi: Kevin Phillips (VP of Operations, Michael David Winery & Phillips Farms) and Adam Mettler (GM/Winemaker). @MDWinery @Lodi_Wine.The delectable Earthquake Petite Sirah made by Michael David Winery & Phillips Farms. @Lodi_Wine @MDWinery.The marvelous lineup of the new 2012 Lodi Native wines made from classic old #Zinfandel vineyards without the use of additives (yeast, nutrients, new oak, etc) in order to capture the purity of the fruit from these historic sites. @Lodi_Wine #LodiNative @alltheswirl @TheZinfandelOrg.
The German 1-0 win over Argentina on Sunday marked the first ever championship for a European team when the FIFA World Cup has been played in the New World.
But that’s soccer.
In the world of wine, Germany and the neighboring country of Austria have been making magnificent white wines with the noble grape Riesling for centuries.
This year’s new releases are no exception as proven at the recent German and Austrian Fall 2014 Tasting presented by Terry Theise Estate Selections and WineWise/The Vienna Wine Company at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco.
According to the producers I spoke with, the 2013 vintage is magnificent across the board.
“The first priority of the vintage was based on farming,” said Gunter Kunstler, winemaker/proprietor of Weingut Kunstler in the Rheingau region of Germany.
Gunter Kunstler of Weingut Kunstler celebrates a German goal in a World Cup game televised at the tasting in SF.
“It’s critical to be there at the right time when the fruit is ripe, the acid in balance and the skin is healthy. But when you master this process, it’s much easier to create balanced wines with layers of complexity.
Same was true for Caroline Diel, whose family owns Schlossgut Diel in Nahe. “In my opinion, 2013 was a relatively late year. But with god work in the vineyard and a little patience, the wines are fresh, beautiful and quite enjoyable when young.”
Two tasty interpretations of the 2013 vintage from Weingut Hexamer in the Nahe region.
Wine scholar, author, philosopher and lovable bon vivant Terry Theise, who hosted the tasting, is fond of the vintage as well. “It’s a special vintage where the clusters had time on the vines to develop deep flavors of fresh fruit, acid, slate and other nuances that have resulted in classy wines that are both food friendly yet still have the ability to cellar for decades.
Here are some of my favorite picks from the event. Prices based on suggested retail.
Donnhoff 2013 Tronschiefer Riesling Trocken, Nahe, Germany ($30): Green apple, white plum, peach, grapefruit rind and mineral. Lively, fresh and stimulating to the senses.
Geil 2013 Geyersberg Riesling Trocken, Rheinhessen, Germany ($33): Very young, very vibrant with pretty floral aromas, flavors of pear, dried apricot and fleshy texture. Great wine to serve as an aperitif or with spicy Asian cuisine.
Kunstler 2013 Hochheimer Kirchenstuck Riesling Kabinett Trocken, Rheingau, Germany ($33): Fragrant aromas of spring flowers, fresh citrus and mineral. Medium body with lively flavors of lychee, mango, grilled pineapple, and a long finish.
Schlossgut Diel 2013 Riesling Kabinett, Nahe, Germany ($31): Young and fresh wine with notes of ripe golden delicious apple, fresh citrus, green tea, sage, mint and racy acidity.
From the Kamptal region of Austria: Peter Schleimer of Schloss Gobelsburg and Vincent Brundlmayer of Brundlmayer.
Fantastic wine that makes you feel younger with each sip!
Brundlmayer 2013 Riesling ‘Kamptaler Terrassen’, Kamptal, Austria ($27): Impressive example of Riesling from the Kamptal region on the Danube River in Austria. Ripe pear, lime, hazelnut, sea salt and a nice toasty note on the finish.
As much as I talk about wines, I must say that today’s World Cup game matching the United States vs. Belgium makes it impossible for me to resist my love for fine Belgium brew. Of course this includes the fine beers made by the Trappist monks at Notre-Dame de Scourmont Abbey in Chimay and other top producers in country like Duvel, Affligem and Leffe, as well as talented brewers who are making their stylized versions here in the United States like Ommegang Brewery in Cooperston, N.Y. and New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado.
It’s also worth mentioning that I was quite honored to find out there is a reference to this article on the Wikipedia page for the Chimay Brewery. Pretty cool!
In short: No simple beers. No simple game. Long live fine Belgian beer, but today go Team USA!
Cheers, Christopher
P.S. For more information on the Chimay Brewery, their specialty beers and the fine cheese made by the Trappist monks, visit www.chimay.com.
