What is a great vintage? Join THE VARIETAL SHOW in the Sawyer Cellar to find out lessons learned from the extraordinary vintages of the past decade. Join me to delve into Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, tasting an example from O’Shaughnessy Estate Wines, and Pinot Noir from Sonoma County, with special nods to Fel Wines & Papapietro Perry. CHEERS!
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Coming to you from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento, with Scott Reesman, Sommelier at the steak house, where he perfectly pairs wines with not just good food but patrons too! THE VARIETAL SHOW finds out what its like maintaining a wine list for such a dynamic clientele base, together we taste 2 whites & 2 reds:
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Where are we? Thanks to Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (CMB), the largest International wine competition in the world, The Varietal Show is with Charlie Arturaola in Cosenza, which is on the ankle, of the boot, in southern Italy. He shares his knowledge about Calabrian Wines, history and legends of the area, the origins of wine, and the connection to California. CHEERS!
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Making the film festival circuit these days you will likely find the documentary Love, Charlie by local filmmaker Lisa Ehrlich: It happens to be about her ex-husband, Charlie “Chuck” Trotter, the famous Chicago chef.
The Varietal Show sits down with Lisa to hear compelling stories about their life in Chicago, starting his restaurant, and her steps into the California wine world. Together, we have a taste of Lingua Franca by winemaker Larry Stone, another early connection from their Chicago days. (For much more in depth wine talk from Larry Stone watch The Varietal Show, episodes #47 & #50!)
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Heading on down to Paso Robles and meeting up with Ranchero Cellars Winemaker Amy Butler, the Diva of Carignan! In this ode to Rhone, The Varietal Show has a relaxing poolside chat about this vineyard, that started pretty much on a dare, and tastes her fabulous 2017 Viognier and 2018 Carignan, The Tethered Beast.
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San Francisco Wine School is thrilled to welcome star sommelier and wine educator, Chris Sawyer and Pinot Noir expert, Ben Papapietro, Owner/Winemaker of Papapietro Perry Winery, and Steve Rogstad, Winemaker of Cuvaison Estate Wines, for a rare opportunity to delve deep into the legacy of the noble red grape Pinot Noir and taste its diverse clonal variations.
Select either In Person or Virtual (Roomer or Zoomer!) at checkout: Reserve your TICKETS for June 10, 6-8pm!
Whet your palate! On the surface, Pinot Noir is commonly marked with a thin skin, light hue, fruity flavors, soft tannins, and delicate demeanor. But when you follow its rich legacy back 2,000 years, you will see it is more than a classic grape variety listed in the vitus vinifera family, but a super genius with the unique special powers to mutate and express itself in different forms.
In the white grape category, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc are mutations of Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay is its genetic offspring. It is also the father of the red grape variety Pinot Meunier, commonly grown in the Champagne region. But as a stand-alone grape, Pinot Noir has the rare ability to mutate and multiply in the form of “clones,” which have spread to the United States and propagated amazing variations for winegrowers and winemakers to work with in the cool-climate regions on the West Coast of California!
Meet Sommelier and wine educator Ian Blackburn! The Varietal Show hooked up with him at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition to talk about films (A Perfect Vintage!) and wines, particularly his brand Beekeeper Cellars, and how Mauritson Wines played a part in his destiny.
Check out his site: Learn About Wine!
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Join me at Gravenstein Grill for the 3rd Annual Rhone Rendezvous! We will be featuring incredible wines from some of the best wineries in Sonoma County, along with small bites by Chef Simontacchi, hosted on our spacious outdoor patio.
Get your TICKETS, which include a tasting with ALL of the guest wineries, including Acorn, Anaba, Bee Hunter, Crux, Donelan, Enkidu, Jeff Cohn Cellars, Longboard, Miner Wines, Ramey, Ram’s Gate, Scherrer, Trentadue & Truchard!
See you there! Christopher
That’s right, TWO YEARS, and thanks to Adam, and some creative staging during the uptick of a pandemic, The Varietal Show arose. This time I visited him at LaZarre Wines in Paso Robles, where we virtually span the states of CA, OR, WA, to taste his various wines; Moshina white blend, Portlandia Pinot Noir & “Big Believer” Cabernet Sauvignon, and finally Broadside Cabernet Sauvignon!
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The Varietal Show sits down with Dick Dore & Jenny Williamson Dore at Foxen Vineyard & Winery! We dive into a little details about Santa Maria Valley: Join us to taste and talk about a slew of wonderful wines; 2020 Chenin Blanc, 2017 Syrah, 2018 Cuvee Jeanne Marie, 2017 Pinot Noir Block 8, 2017 Pinot Noir from Santa Rita Hills and 2018 Cabernet Franc.
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