Simple Hedonisms

Posts Tagged ‘sonoma county’

It’s almost here! The 32nd Annual Wine Road Barrel Tasting.  Two weekends of barrel samples, new wine releases, wine discounts, food pairings, and entertainment, for a pittance of $20 a weekend (in advance, $30 at door.)

This event is a little more complicated and unique than your typical ‘bracelet’ event, so more than ever, I encourage a little time for thought and planning.

Here’s Why You Need A Plan:

• The event spans two weekends, but some wineries are only participating the first weekend.
• Some wineries pour early, starting Friday afternoon, others don’t.
• Most, but not all, Wine Road wineries participate.

The Wine Road has a comprehensive short list (scroll down first page)  and a long list of the details on above.

I always recommend printing out the detailed program, grabbing  glass of wine, and perusing the whole thing. Make a theme: New wineries one day, familiar favorites the second? Focusing on one appellation like Dry Creek, Russian River, or exploring Alexander Valley and Geyserville? Chasing down new zins or pinots? Use concepts like this to drive a plan, make it more fun, and feel like you accomplished more in your exploration of wine, and North Sonoma wineries.

This is a very busy event, at certain times of the day. If you are like me, standing in a crush of people, waiting for a pour, isn’t always an enjoyable experience, and with some planning, can be minimized.

Some basic tips:

• Saturday is generally busier than Sunday.
• The event gets gets busier as the day progresses.
• Dense areas like Healdsburg get snarled with traffic, pedestrians, as an area with high concentration of tasting rooms, in a small area.

Factor that in when you are laying out your route, and don’t want to wait in line for an hour at A. Rafanelli to sample.

Other suggestions To Enhance Tasting:

Work into your agenda some of the non- participating Wine Road wineries, especially mid afternoon during the peak. There are many great wineries just open for normal business; why not stop at a few.  I am taking my out of town guests for the Wine & Food pairing at Seghesio, Saturday afternoon, as one example.

Glass and Bracelet Pickup Details:

I thought I’d help clarify a few of the check-in and pick up details, as well as a few tips on this.

• If you pre-purchased tickets, you have to  pick a ‘check in’ winery. After 150 check-ins, a winery is taken off the list as eligible for check-in. This is to help you the consumer, and disperse crowds. What if your friends are checking in at ABC Winery and its full? Check into the one next door, both of you get your glasses, try the wines, and then connect.

• “I picked a winery for check-in that isn’t pouring Friday, and we want to taste then.” That’s perfectly ok – all wineries will have their glasses (make sure they are open to public) and wristbands. Just go there and check-in, and then head out. Or better yet, since you are there, experience whatever their normal wine tasting experience is, sans barrel samples.

Save $10, Last chance to Win

Tonight at 9 p.m. is the last chance to get tickets in advance and save $10.

Tonight is also the final drawing for free tickets, or a Wine Road Cookbook. To enter to win, simply register for secure, no spam, email updates of new blog posts, in the top right corner. One will be chosen at random at 11 pm Pacific, tonight.

Look for more helpful articles this week, including a special edition of Winery promotions on current inventory.

cheers!

I visited Mayo for the first time a few weeks ago, during the Heart of Sonoma Valley Open House, as reviewed earlier this month.

When I learned they had a unoaked chard, I bought a bottle, blind as it wasn’t available for tasting. I have written several recent articles on unoaked chardonnay and discussed the nature and flavor profile of this style of chardonnay. I am planning a review soon, of a side by side comparison of many, so if you produce one, or know of one, let me know soon.

The marketeer in me doesn’t jazz on the term ‘unwooded’ but the description on the back label captures perfectly the essence of this style. “Ever wonder what chardonnay really tastes like underneath all that oak? We’ve made this wine for ourselves for a few years, loving the fruit forward, mineral…qualities if offers. We thought it was time to let it loose on the public.”

And I am glad they did, although its no longer on their website, so wondering if they are sold out.

This is another great expression of pure chardonnay fruit.  It doesn’t specify it did not undergo malolactic fermentation, but my guess is it didn’t.

The 2007 vintage is from the Sonoma Coast, Risk Vineyards. 454 cases made. 13.9% alcohol.

Color: Pale to medium yellow, good clarity

Aroma:  Scents of wet stone, grapefruit, and a hint of peach

In the Mouth: Bursting with citrus when it first hits the palette, pleasant taste of kiwi and peach on the mid palette,and a pleasant finish that lingers citrus and a hint of minerality.

I will repeat my mantra on drinking quality white wines: DO NOT OVERCHILL. If its been in the fridge, take it out for 15 minutes. If the glass is cold to touch, warm it in your hands. Cold masks all the aroma and flavor profiles the winemaker worked so hard to achieve.

cheers!

Is your mantra about white wine  ‘ABC’. (Anything but chardonnay.) Do you enjoy sauvignon blanc, or other white wines with crisp acidity, and bright fruit? If so hunt out the slowly growing category of chardonnays that are made without oak aging or malolactic (ML) fermentation.

There is nothing wrong with a chardonnay that is well made, and seen some oak and ML, but many have been turned off by the overly oaky, buttery chardonnays that have been being cranked out for years – we love to take a good thing to excess in the U.S. Its also a personal palette preference.

I discovered sauvignon blanc years ago, before the New Zealand craze caught on, and as a result of palette fatigue (kinda like wine ADHD) was hunting something else, and was pleased to discover this slowly emerging category of chardonnay in the US. (This is nothing new to Aussies.) I was inspired enough this was one of the two varietals I crushed this year, to also experiment with this style.

The Sonoma County Fair for the first time, amidst some controversy, had a category this year for unoaked Chardonnay, which I hope they repeat.  Like any wine, not all of these unoaked, no ML chardonnays are stellar, and a few poorly made entries seem to have portrayed the category negatively.

I generally try and/or buy any in Sonoma County I find, and have tasted quite a few. Sometime early next year, I am planning to taste through a number in comparison, so if you have suggestions, send them on.

One that I discovered this year, and enjoy regularly is from Gary Branham, a local boutique wine maker. Gary shares a tasting room with Kenny and Lynn of Hobo Wines, (I am a big fan of Kenny’s wines.)  Both of their wines are poured and available for purchase in downtown Healdsburg, at Downtown Wine. More often than not, you will be attended to by Aaron – a very knowledgeable wine aficionado. Talk less than I do, and you may learn a few things. Downtown Wine is also part of the Wine Road, and will be taking part in the Winter Wineland next month.

Color: Pale yellow, light straw, good clarity

Aroma:  A wonderful nose – full of  green apple, citrus

In the Mouth: Left on the lees (wine sediment) for 4 months gives this chardonnay nice mouth feel.

A bounty of fruit in the mouth; pineapple, green apple, grapefruit. Needless to say, a mouth watering finish, that lingers nicely.

Only 325 cases made, get some before its gone, but save a case for me!

Around $22, You can find this wine at the Downtown Tasting room, or Vine Tastings in Windsor, by the glass or bottle. (Unfortunately like most restaurants its served over chilled, masking its nuances. Cup your hands around the glass for a minute.)

Wine Geek Info

• Harvest: September 30, 2007
• Average Chemistry at Harvest: 25 Brix 3.20 pH .68 TA
• Whole Cluster Pressed
• Fermented in Stainless Steel for 25 days @ 55 degrees F
• No Malolactic fermentation ~ Left sur lie for 4 months
• Bottling: January 2007
• Chemistry at bottling: 14% alcohol 3.20 pH .68 TA
• Varietal percentage; 100% Chardonnay
• Vineyards: Foppoli Family Vineyard
• Production: 325 Cases

The torrent of Wine Country events has started to slow, but there is still lots of great things going on. Here are highlights of a few:

Friday Dec 18th

Sonoma FaceBook Wine Meet-Up

530-730, Vine Tastings, Windsor

Kicking off the weekend of Holiday parties – is one of my own creation – the 2nd of the now monthly FaceBook Wine Meetup. (kinda like a Tweetup.)

Join consumers, wine producers, and fun residents (or visitors) of Wine Country, for a social meeting. Many of us are FaceBook friends who communicate regularly, but have never met: lets put the ‘Social’ in Social Media. I expect to have some small (but popular) winery owners attend, including  Acorn,  Eric Ross and Mounts. Girl with a Glass Blogger, Alana Gentry will be there, Susan Mall of Zin restaurant, Ty Jones (shepard of Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square and the Hand Car Regatta) and other people in wine industry, plus fun consumers.

Vine Tastings is a great new venue in Windsor, that recently added a new chef with great food and wine pairings. Their wine tasting bar features only small wineries, most of whom have no tasting room (Microbrew is also available.) Cathy, co-owner and our hostess, will offer a special price for us on their house red and white, and a few nibbles, in addition to their regular food and wine flights.

There will be a drawing for door prizes, and a fun all around night. Stop by on your way to another Christmas party!

Friday nights – Live music at A Divine Affair – Healdsburg

Were to go to continue the fun after the Wine Meetup? Head to a Divine Affair.

Friday evenings~ live music – Spanish flamenco guitar and vocals: 7:30pm

They also  just started serving Lunch again this week: Thurs-Sun 11:30-2:30, Dinner 5:00-9:30pm Thursday-Sun (winter hours).

Saturday Dec 19th

Kunde Family Estate-  Hike & Taste in the Vineyards with Sonoma Valley Docent Bill Myers

Join Sonoma Valley Docent Bill Myers on a fun, casual and up-close hike through the 1,850 acre volcanic and vertical Kunde Family Estate. This is a great opportunity to see sustainable winegrowing practices at work while taking in some of wine country’s most spectacular scenery. Bill’s tours wind through the estate’s distinct eco-systems, each one uniquely contributing to the process of sustainable winegrowing. Taste wines along the way in the very vineyards where the grapes are grown. This moderately strenuous hike lasts approximately four hours.

Bill has been fascinated with the Mayacamas Mountains that frame the Kunde Family Estate for many years. He has a passion for hiking and has logged many miles on trails throughout the Bay Area and beyond, leading hikes for the past seven years sponsored by local state and regional parks. For information, please visit PARK HIKES.

Reservations are needed. Please pack a sack lunch and wear hiking boots or appropriate footwear. Also bring sunscreen and water, especially on hot days. Tours begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Kunde Family Estate Tasting Room.  The hike will also conclude at the Tasting Room, where invigorated hikers can sample Kunde Family Estate’s hand crafted estate-grown wines.

Please select your Taste in the Vineyard hike date(s). There is a $25/person fee for this tour.
Please note that space is limited to 50 people per hike date.

4th Annual Santa Rosa Santa Crawl

Welcome to the 4th Annual Santa Rosa Santa Crawl. A Crawl is an event that consist of people getting together as a group at one location, enjoying company, drinks and whatever the location provides, than the group moves(crawls) to the next location! The locations will be the funnest drinking establishments in Downtown Santa Rosa. Yes it is going to be “Santa theme” so dress in your best Christmas attire. That includes anything Christmas: Santa, Mrs Claus, Elves, Reindeer, Snowmen and any themed variation of Santa!! Yippie… Sounds Fun!!

Where and when will this event take place?

We will start at Belvedere, 727 Mendocino Ave 6pm, Saturday the 19th of December. After getting to know our fellow Santas we will crawl south on Mendocino Avenue stopping at all the bars on our list. Check out our Future Events to the right and join us in 2009 on December 19th for another great event.

Sunday Dec 20th

Mutt Lynch  – Open

This is a treat, as Mutt Lynch isn’t normally open, save for events.

To help welcome in the holiday season, Mutt Lynch will be opening their winery doors each Sunday of this month - December 6th, 13th and 20th – from Noon to 4pm. Come canines, come humans, come all!  If you’re anywhere in the neighborhood, please made certain to swing by and enjoy a taste (or two… or three… or four!) of our wine.  We’ll have some holiday nibbles for both human and canine to make it worth your while.

____________________________________________________________________

Have an event you wish to add, invite me to, or wine reviewed – see the new contact page on how to contact me – and you can always find me on Twitter and Facebook as well.

Happy Holidays, and Cheers!

Yes, Simple Hedonisms is now doing wine reviews. I will write more later next week  about some changes for the blog these next months, but I have decided to write about the wines I taste.

Do I consider myself an expert? Hardly, I cringe when a novice asks if I am a connoisseur. After taking a number of  formal and informal classes over the years, including a 2 day sensory evaluation at UC Davis, I think my palette  range is frankly, about average. However my many years of tasting wine in many domestic and international regions, my  never tiring quest to explore wineries and try new wines, I think I have a breadth of insight to share. I also constantly challenging my palette to try new things, discover, and evolve.

Frankly, the wine blog also needs more content. I have a brevity problem – I generally only want to write things of depth, but the reality as an executive launching a start-up, I don’t have enough time at present to write the in depth articles and stories I desire.  I will not stoop to Tweeting regularly about a 3 sentence blog post, no matter what ‘experts’ say about how often you should post, but I am cognizant I need to get more writing done, and do to that I need to do some content that’s easier to create. Of course it must be of interest to you, the reader.

I buy a LOT of wine, the majority being from Sonoma County, but I dabble all regions and countries, usually through my ‘pusher’ K & L Wine, online. Since much of 250+ bottle collection comes from small wineries, I will also endeavor to occasionally review things that can be purchased via retail. Since my goal is to help you, the local or remote wine consumer, I will focus often on those small wineries.

I will accept samples to review, especially for themes of vertical tastings, like the unoaked Chardonnay round-up I’d like to do soon. I tend to stay away from negative writing, so if I don’t like the wine, or think its poorly made, likely I just won’t write about it. I will also take care to note wines that are well made, but perhaps not my own personal palate preference.

I will also amuse myself, and present the findings of, the occasional blind tasting.  Your feedback and constructive criticism is always welcomed.

Cheers!

Sorry no mid week article yet on last weeks events. I couldn’t cajole my co-editor Deb to write one, and for those of you who follow my adventures on Facebook, you know its been a wild week for my on business travel through the blizzards and winds of the MidWest, so writing was a bit of a challenge!

The number of weekend events is slowly starting to slow down. (I actually have nothing for Saturday Dec 19th yet!) I got quite a few requests last week for how to add events, and created a new Contact Info Tab.

This weekend though we still have a fair amount going on, and there are still quite a few winery Open Houses and misc. events throughout Napa, Sonoma Valleys. (I’d love to get more info out of Mendocino County.)

Thursday Dec 10th

Windsor Wine Walk

A little plug for my own town.

On Thursday December 10th join Old Downtown Windsor merchants on a Winter Wine Walk to benefit the Windsor Kiwanis & the Windsor Service Alliance’s Holiday Toy & Food Programs! 100% of ticket sales will go directly to the 2 charities! In addition to helping a great cause you will receive a commemorative wine glass to… enjoy wine pourings from 12 different wineries along with food pairings! At the end of the night turn your ticket in for a chance to win a gift basket full of goodies from Old Downtown Businesses! A limited number of tickets will be sold and available by pre-sale only! TICKETS: $25
E-mail Dennis at Rickshaw Rudy’s for ticket purchasing information: rickshawrudys@yahoo.com

Tickets are also available to purchase at: Atrellis Flower Shop – 707-837-8080, Images – 707-837-0160

Saturday Dec 12

Crab Feed at Fritz Winery, Cloverdale 12noon-4pm

I LOVE dungeness crab, so couldn’t resist this.

One of the most perfect food/wine pairings is fresh Dungeness Crab from Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco Sourdough Bread and Fritz Russian River Chardonnay…okay, okay…a little drawn butter never hurt anyone! Come by Fritz and celebrate this annual bounty. Please RSVP to Julie at 707-894-3389 or julie@fritzwinery.com

FREE for wine club members, $20 guest tasting fee includes wine, crab and all the fixin’s.

Holiday Party at the Moon! (Harvest Moon) 2-5pm

This will be my first visit to Harvest Moon – excited to check it out, as a wine friend raves about it.

Cost: $15 for non-members and free for wine club members.
Contact: Erin Stewart
Email: erin@harvestmoonwinery.com
Phone: (707) 573-8711

Details: Join us on Saturday, December 12th,for a afternoon of warm home-made food and great wines. We will also have a dessert bar of treats paired with our sweeties direct from the tank; the ’09 Late Harvest Zinfandel and Dessert “Ice-Style” Gewurztraminer! Come join us for a festive time in the wine country, while listening to live local musicians. Taste fresh ’09 vintages straight from the tank to see how this wonderful year turned out.

Sunday Dec 13th

Say Cheese: Pairing wine and cheese with Topel Winery 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Back by popular demand, Doralice Handal, owner of The Cheese Shop in Healdsburg, will repeat her “Say Cheese” class from last year, offering tips on how to successfully pair various types of cheese with different wines from Topel Winery. (I love their Birdsong white blend.)

Topel Winery Tasting Room, 125 Matheson Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448 ph. 707-433-4116

Rutherford – Wines That Give Back

Man I wish I wasn’t flying to Portland Sunday night, hate to miss this.

The next stop in the Appellation Series from Small Lots, Big Wines is not an appellation at all. This tour celebrates wines that give back.  Each of the wineries who will be pouring at this event either give a portion or all of their profits back to charity.  In addition to supporting charities for kids, the homeless, and to promote literacy, some wineries will be pouring to support the Rutherford Grange. This is a great venue for you to go Christmas shopping.  What better gift is there to give then one that gives twice?

In addition to great wineries such as Clark-Claudon, Humanitas, Cleavage Creek, and Ehlers, we’ll also feature local Sonoma cheeses, art on sale, and  12 year old Isaac Tyner playing guitar to raise money for Camp Okizu, a camp for kids with cancer and their families. There will be raffles to raise additional funds for the Grange as well.

The cost is $15 per person.  $5 of every ticket sale goes back to the Grange.   To learn more about the Grange please go to  www.rutherfordgrange.com. Please RSVP or prepay ASAP so that we can ensure we have enough cheese and wine.

For more info or any questions call 707-254-5152 or email info@smalllotsbigwines.com

That’s the wrap-up. If I get any missed events sent to me will add them back in. Enjoy your Festive weekend, and don’t forget as you shop for gifts to buy Local!

cheers!

p.s. Next Friday I am hosting my next Facebook Wine Meetup, as we put the “social’ in Social Media. We expect at least 20-30 people ranging from avid consumers, to several small winery owners. Hope to see and meet many of you!

Its a busy weekend again, despite no big ‘passport’ events for Sonoma County this weekend (although there is a mini one in Russian River for those ‘on the list’ .) There is never a dull moment though in Sonoma County, here are some of the many options to enjoy that caught Simple Hedonisms attention:There is never a dull moment though in Sonoma County, here are some of the many options to enjoy that caught Simple Hedonisms attention:

There are TWO passport events though in Napa, in Rutherford and Calistoga, see below.

Friday Dec 4

Vine Tastings – Meet The Winemaker 7 p.m.

My favorite new place to eat in Windsor, with a great new chef,  is hosting meet Jennifer Wall the winemaker for J Lynne Wines.

They will have new chef William Oliver create scrumptious appetizers to pair with her wines.  Please RSVP in advance as there is limited seating.

Vine Tasting’s. 9058 Windsor Rd, Windsor, Ca 95492.  (707)620-0833

Sat Dec 5th

Pellegrini - Holiday Open House and Winter Pick-Up Event

Celebrate the Season with a Day of Wine Tasting, Holiday Shopping and Good Cheer in the Russian River Valley. Please join in ringing in the holidays at Pellegrini Family Vineyards! The Winery will be decked out for the holidays, and the Tasting Room will be filled with festive gifts and special holiday fare. A special visit from Santa will take place at 2:30 p.m. Reservations are required For any additional questions, please contact Barbara Pellegrini Rodriguez at 800-891-0244 ext. 2, or barbara@pellegrinisonoma.com. This is a fun facility, normally open by appointment only.

Hauck Cellars – Jeff Mall, Josh Silvers, Down Home: Downtown signing

Stop by Hauck Cellars on Saturday, Dec. 5 from 1-4pm. Zin Restaurant’s Jeff Mall will be there signing his cookbook, Down Home: Downtown, co-written with Josh Silvers of Syrah Bistro.

Siduri Wines – Open House

I wrote an article about Siduri Wines a few months ago. Siduri (all Pinot) and Novy (other varietals) is having their annual open house this Saturday. This is a special treat both because of the wide variety of wines they will pour, and because Siduri is normally open by appointment only. Don’t miss it!

Windsor Oaks Vineyard & Winery – Open House.

Windsor Oaks will be open to the public for wine tasting this Saturday and Sunday – normally only open 18 days a year. Come sample their handcrafted very small production wines. A $10 tasting fee applies and there is no charge for our Club members.
(Tasting fee is refundable with 2+ bottle purchase. All tastings in Riedel glasses.

Michel Schlumberger Holiday Market Bazaar

Michel Schlumberger Wine Estate, 4155 Wine Creek Road, Healdsburg, CA 11-5pm

Why not go Holiday gift shopping AND drink great wine?  This Saturday, December 5^th, Michel Schlumberger features nearly a dozen local artists and craftsmen and women with great holiday gifts in our courtyard.  And what a coincidence, it is their last Wine Bench Pick Up Party with food by local chef Dan Lucia. Pouring the newly released 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2007 Syrah.

Heidi Barrett – Winemaker Tasting 300-53o pm

The Wine Shop – Healdsburg, 331 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, CA

Sunday Dec 6th

Summit School – Stonestreet Tasting Room 1-3 pm 7111 Highway 128, Healdsburg, CA

Riedel Glassware Tasting Seminar

Discover how different wine glasses enhance the flavors and aromas in wine. Friends from Riedel are joining  this class where you will have the chance to experience first hand the difference the right wine glass can make.

The tuition for this class also includes a set of four Riedel glasses.

Simple Hedonisms note: Stemware RULES!!! if you are new to wine, or don’t think stemware makes a difference, go try this class!!

Wine Club 8 at the Gate Day – 8 Russian River Wineries 11-4 pm

To help celebrate and get into the holiday spirit, 8 Russian River Wineries are mutually extended Wine Club member benefits to each other.  If you are a member of Lynmar, Dutton-Goldfield, Dutton Estate, Hanna, Iron Horse, Marimar, or Taft Street Winery,you are invited to visit each with wine club member perks for a very special day of wine, food and exclusive perks in the Russian River Valley on Sunday, December 6, from 11 am to 4 pm.

For this special day, you can visit all, enjoy some wonderful wine and food, and receive all the privileges of being a member of all 8 wine clubs for the day. Our wineries are within 3 miles of each other at the gateway to the Russian River Valley, so it’s a perfect fit for a day. (For those members too far away to join in person, each winery will offer its discount via web or phone orders on December 6th only. When ordering use the code “8 at the Gate” to receive your discount.)

There’s no charge for this fabulous event and no reservation necessary-it’s our way of sharing some holiday spirit and saying Thank You to  loyal wine club members. And, it’s a great way for you to taste and purchase wines at very good discounts, just in time for your holiday shopping. Please view the map to see the participating wineries, locations and websites

Mutt Lynch Winery – Open Sundays in December

This is a treat, as Mutt Lynch isn’t normally open, save for events.

To help welcome in the holiday season, Mutt Lynch will be opening their winery doors each Sunday of this month - December 6th, 13th and 20th – from Noon to 4pm. Come canines, come humans, come all!  If you’re anywhere in the neighborhood, please made certain to swing by and enjoy a taste (or two… or three… or four!) of our wine.  We’ll have some holiday nibbles for both human and canine to make it worth your while.

And More

There are tons of other family related wine country and other events on SonomaCounty.com December event page.

Napa Events

Calistoga – Winter in the Wineries, Passport Weekend

Just saw this Thursday by luck on a Twitter tweet – wish I had known earlier.

The Event: Weekend Passports, at $40 each, entitle the holder to tours at numerous wineries, wine tasting, and meeting winemakers, and exclusive special discounts by restaurants and lodging venues.

To Purchase Passports: To purchase your Winter in Wineries Passports online, please click here.

Rutherford Passport Weekend

Gah, another I just saw now. The appellation has a newsletter mailing, signed up so won’t miss again.

The Rutherford Passport Weekend is the premier consumer event sponsored by wineries residing in this historical appellation.  Experience the wineries of the Rutherford Appellation as never before. Passport Weekend allows Passport holders exclusivity to special pourings, barrel and tank tastings, paired food and wines, and conversations with the winemakers – all of which will make for a memorable time in beautiful Napa Valley.  Read about the participating wineries.

Part 2

(Splitting a long review into two articles is an experiment, let me know what you think. )

Tuesday’s article discussed the Heart of Sonoma Valley’s Annual Holiday Open House event, and reviewed six wineries.

The final winery review is Eric Ross, to whom I award the Simple Hedonisms “Best of Event”, something I will do going forward each event. Now in fairness, that means the best I visited, a subset of the twenty. Even a guy nicknamed the ‘Tasmanian Devil’ at work can only hit so many in one day! This in no means detracts from the many good experiences, it just shone the brightest based on not just the wine, but overall hospitality (not just to me), layout, vibe – I have written repeatedly on the importance of providing a outstanding experience in the tasting room. I observed other attendees, other pourers – the place was warm, alive, and full of happy people and good spirit.

Eric Ross Winery

As I did for the previous weekend event, I chose to finish at a winery that I felt I could rely on for a positive experience. This was actually my first visit to the winery, but I had met Eric at the Family Wine Tasting in San Francisco earlier this summer, during the Industry tasting (I was pouring as a volunteer for Mounts Family Winery.)I had sought out Eric Ross because of their Marsanne-Roussanne white blend, and ended up having a very enjoyable, detailed discussion. That intial dialog was not just about his wines, but my sabbatical, my own interests in wine and the industry, and my hobby Syrah vineyard.

Part way through the Holiday tasting, Eric came out, and to my surprise recognized me, AND actually remembered all of our conversation, including the vineyard, 5 months later. I have written many times, wine is far more than the product itself, it’s a living entity, and an art form, and for me the enjoyment and experience is as much about the people and artisans, as their product, especially in a region with hundreds of wineries.

Eric Luse owner and winemaker, was a photographer for the San Francisco Chronicle for  years. I was fortunate enough he spent an hour with me on this busy day, and in addition to wine geeking, he shared a number of his photographs. His work is brilliant in my opinion, and he really should publish a book, as many have encouraged. Eric did the photography in the beautiful new mini book on “The Wineries in the Heart of Sonoma Valley.” Besides being an amazing photographer, and a down to earth, genuinely nice guy, he is a talented, passionate wine maker, and of interesting varietals, which captures my attention even more, in our California tendency to make homogenous, over extracted, over the top wines.

By complete co-incidence my friend and fellow Wine Blogger Amanda Hagood earlier this week also did a feature piece on Eric Ross. She did a great job, so rather than re-state a lot of the same, you can read her piece here.

I did actually taste wine, although I think I chatted more!

Tasting:

• His previously mentioned Marsanne-Rousanne is one of my favorite whites. The remainder of his 2007 vintage was on sale, so I grabbed 6 bottles. This blend has a great floral nose, good acidity, balance and mouthfeel. You red wine drinkers looking to branch out, should start with similar Rhone whites; Marsanne, Rousanne, Viognier. But PLEASE do not drink overly chilled, as so many do.
• The 2006 Old Vine Carignane was a treat. An easy drinking, comfort wine with bright, but not overpowering fruit. The Rauser Ranch vines in Lodi were planted in 1907! Grabbed one of these for home, $22 retail.
• 2008 Pinot Noir, Saralee’s Vineyard. Drinkable now, but I’d leave in bottle for 6 more months if can resist, a pinot with big color and fruit, good structure, from 30% new French Oak.
• 2008 Old Vine Zin, Cody’s Block. Technically in Dry Creek, but on the edge off the Russian River appelation,and with the characteristics of RRV ZIns, I am starting to find very appealing. Softer, less intense than many Zins, I don’t buy many Zins, but one of these came home with me.
• 2006 Syrah. Sorry was yakking so much with Eric, forgot tasting notes! RRV Syrah with 3% Viognier. Amanda cracked open a bottle last night she tells me, and raved.

As a special treat, I also bought a bottle of the limited release 2007 Pinot Noir, Poule d’Or. It wasn’t being poured, but it wasn’t a big leap to trust Eric.  “Russian River Valley vineyards of Pommard Clones dominating the Dijon Clones of Pinot Noir as they come together in this Reserve Wine, only made in the years deserving an extra look.” Sold!

What a great ending to the day. It had been a fun day of wine tasting and meeting people, but it was this final visit that was the experience that makes me glow like a bulb on a Christmas tree. I had recently dropped a wine club, as I like to rotate each year, and completed my experience by adding Eric Ross to my list.

Wine club pickup events will also give me a reason to come back to Kenwood/Glen Ellen area more frequently, which I need to. I skipped some of the larger/older wineries, like Kenwood, Ledson, Benzinger, Chateau St. Jean, and they are deserving of a visit as well, having played key roles in the history of Sonoma. This event was well done, and this area deserves more buzz. I’d encourage the marketing organization to continue to be in Social Media, and promote itself more on FaceBook, Twitter and it’s Website. It has a lot to offer.

Thanks for reading – come back tomorrow for the weekly posting of Wine Country weekend events.

Cheers!

Part 1 (Because of the length of the review, event will be split into two posts, with a feature tomorrow on Eric Ross Winery)

It was a week to be thankful for indeed. It was my first full week back home since I started my whirlwind new job that has me commuting to Portland weekly. I had hoped to spend more time connecting with industry friends, but between work, and some needed respite, I wasn’t able. I was well rested, though for this weekend’s Heart of Sonoma Valley’s Annual Holiday Open House.

I was especially excited, as I really have not paid enough attention to the Kenwood and Glen Ellen areas of Sonoma Valley. While was familiar with many of the wines, I had actually visited very few of the wineries, and others not in years. Last week, Simple Hedonisms (aka me) visited Carneros for their Holiday in Carneros event. Two weekends in a row in Sonoma Valley (as opposed to my beloved Northern Sonoma Wine Road)…would it meet my high (maintenance) expectations? Would I have fun?

Once again, I followed my own advice (I don’t always) and did some planning. Using the Heart of Sonoma website, I printed out the map, and clicked on the individual wineries seeing what they were pouring, and sometimes digging deeper. The nice thing about this area is the wineries are all pretty close off of one road, most of the way, so it’s not as spread out as a Wine Road event. Still, with only 4-5 hours and 25 wineries, I needed to narrow it down, and the website wasn’t completing the task. Reaching out to Social Media, I got input from those on FaceBook and Twitter.   I used those suggestions, especially when there were numerous people making the same comments, like Eric Ross.

I also decided to go the second day of the event, as I did the weekend prior for the Holiday in Carneros. This again proved prudent, as crowds were lighter, and allowed for better interaction. (hmmm maybe I shouldn’t share this tip.)

I chose this trip to focus again on new and smaller wineries, as much as I wanted to hit some of the older classic wineries of Kenwood and Glen Ellen, I had been to most and could only fit in 7-8 in one day. Spit cups, cooler, and maps in hand, I ventured out of Russian River into  Sonoma Valley.

Kaz Winery

First stop to get a glass and a bracelet was Kaz. I am a big fan of Randy and Kaz’s weekly Radio show (which I listen to as a podcast) of Wine Biz Radio. They regular feature interviews of Social Media people, (maybe me one day ) and new marketing ideas.  Kaz apparently doesn’t like signage, as he has a teeny sign on the road. But then as a micro-winery (under 1000 cases) he probably isn’t looking for those tour buses.  On the radio show, Kaz is a boisterous, high energy guy, and he is just as whacky in person. He was buzzing around personally greeting people, serving chili, and making sure people tried the barrel samples of his 09 ‘newvoh’ Riesling, Chardonnay, and Sangiovese releases, in addition to the tastings.

Kaz was offering tastings of a variety of reds.  All were interesting varietals, and had interesting names: including Hooligans Grenache, Moo-Vedra (Mourvedre), and Melodrama Malbec. All were 100% varietals, and I thought a good expression of the fruit. They were also pouring three ports, that I skipped, so I could try all the reds. (5 tastes total.) Tasting room pours were small, not uncommon for small wineries at passport events, but makes it hard sometimes to evaluate with only one mouthful.  He was offering a buy two, get two free, so I had no choice but to partake. Bottles in tow, headed back onto Hwy 12.

Muscardini Cellars and Ty Caton Vineyards

I had originally planned to skip this tasting room, since I had just tasted Ty Caton the previous weekend at their Eighth Street location, but after repeated suggestions, I gave it a look. Muscardini had a nice offering of Italian varietals, so that was enough to sway me. Their tasting room is well designed to host people, and had a very steady flow of traffic. The tasting staff was both friendly and knowledgeable, enough to make me overlook the country music blaring just as it was at their other location. A little yee-haw never hurt anyone.

Eleven wines total were offered to taste that day with no restrictions….really glad I had my personal spit/dump cup. Kudos for both the selection, and for offering 20% off on all purchases during the event. I also appreciated nice sized pours that allowed me to evaluate each pour several times.

• 2005 lightly Oaked chardonnay, partial ML (Malolactic), Wine Enthusiast Best Buy, well balanced, good expression of fruit.
• 2008 Ty Caton Syrah Rose. I  like few dry rose’s and this one made the list. Dark color, dry, big fruit, and 1/2 off at $11. Bought one.
• 2007 Muscardini Sangiovese. Award winner at multiple events, big nose, great body, dry finish. Another purchase.
• 2007 Ty Caton Malbec. People rave about Ty’s Malbec. This wine by their own admittance is young, but its flying off the shelves. (WSJ mention didn’t hurt.) Its big, and would benefit from some cellar time, so I bought one to put next to my 2006.
• 2008 Muscardini Barbera. A big bold wine, with lots of big fruit, good structure. Surprisingly smooth for a 2008. Another one for the cellar, bought one.

• I skipped two Syrah’s from Muscardini. I also skipped the Ty Caton Merlot – had it the previous week. It’s billed as ‘big enough to pass as a Cabernet.” Not a fan…I like Merlot to be like Merlot….supple, friendly, almost comfort wine. I buy Cab when I want Cab! But that’s just me.

• 2007 Muscardini Tesoro – Super Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Cab, and Syrah. Big wine, big tannins at finish.
• 2006 Ty Caton Tytanium. (I skipped the 2006 Cab, had last week.) Another wine with a big following, Bordeaux blend. A treat to taste at $75 bottle, on sale for $60.

A really great visit, and experience here. Back onto Hwy 12, for a slight detour down Dunbar Road.

Loxton Cellars

Kangaroo Crossing signs driving up belay the Aussie origin of winemaker Chris Loxton. Loxton was pouring their Zinfandel, Syrahs, and award winning ports. Friendly people, good wines, albeit small pours again. Tasting was station to station, not at a bar, no tasting notes this stop, sorry.

Wellington Vineyards

I added Wellington mainly because I saw a 2008 Roussanne offered, since I am a big fan of white Rhone wines. Unfortunately it turns out that the white Rhone wasn’t offered for tasting. It’s a small production that the renowned Girl & a Fig restaurant buys the majority of and features.  That was good enough endorsement for me, so after tasting through their zin, merlot, cab, I bought a bottle of the Roussanne, even though I couldn’t try it.

Mayo Family Winery

After a quick lunch at CaffeCitti (and a bad choice of sangiovese) moved on to Mayo. I was fortunate enough at the first tasting station to meet one of the owners, pouring a Pinot Gris and 2007 Sonoma Valley Chardonnay. Neutral oak, and partial malolactic, this was a nice Burgundian style chardonnay that didn’t hide the fruit. Wine geeking, I also found out they sold a ‘unwooded’ Chardonnay, no oak, all stainless.

Additional stations tasted a 2007 Pinot, a 2006 RRV Zin, 2006 RRV Old Vine Petit Sirah, 2005 Merlot, 2006 Libertine red blend, and a few others. I thought all were well made, the Zin catching my eye at only 14% alcohol, soft, nice fruit that wasn’t in your face, and a good finish. I also really enjoyed their 2005 Napa Cabernet, $40.

As I was leaving, I decided to purchase the un-oaked Chardonnay without tasting it, and the Cabernet. I should have paid better attention to their specials – the tasting sheet offered 20% off 2 bottles of most varietals, but the chardonnay wasn’t listed, and I hate public haggling, and didn’t want to mar a good experience over a few dollars.

Come back tomorrow for Part Two, and winner of The Simple Hedonisms ‘Best of Event’ Selection – Eric Ross Winery.

cheers!

Happy Black Friday from Wine Country

Apologies for not publishing this last night as planned, I was wore out after a great day of food and wine, and practicing what I preach: Simple Hedonisms. I also have had my Twitter account hacked 2x the last two days, wasting a lot of time trying to individually apologize. I will NEVER send out SPAM.

In addition to this weekly Post (targeted for Thursdays) the Calendar page of this blog, and my events Tab on FaceBook are resources as well. (Best to check both, as some items exist only on one.)

There is a plethora of events this weekend, with many wineries hosting open houses, special events. It will take to long to highlight them all here, some (by no means all) are listed on my calendar.

Other good resources for events: The Juice, and Sonoma.com.I usually add items from these (and other sources) for my calendar, but with too many open houses for me to list, I’d scan these too. And of course just call your fave wineries and see what they are offering.

Buy Wine – Black Friday is Red (or White) Friday!

Wineries are offering incredible deals right now, this is a great chance to stock up, as well as support your local wineries. I have picked up 6 cases this last week of great wines at prices that just couldn’t be ignored. For Holiday gifts, take advantage of wineries offering free/inexpensive shipping – thats as much as $50 right there. I overflowed my two wine cellars (120 and 40 bottle) and further stimulated the economy with a new Vinotemp 160, which I am waiting for delivery as we speak. Scouring the Net, I found this on sale, with free shipping ($300+), this is a killer deal for a quality cellar, and gives me some much needed expansion space!

Heart of Sonoma Valley – 26th Annual Holiday Open House

Today and tomorrow,  November 27 & 28.  Join over twenty wineries throughout the heart of Sonoma Valley for this annual celebration and enjoy wine tastings, meet winemakers, mingle in the caves & cellars, stock up on your favorite wines for the holidays, pick up holiday gifts for your friends & family and relish in wine country holiday cheer!

I am excited about this event, as I wrote last week, I don’t get down to the ‘Valley’ that much. This passport event is a steal, only $30 for two days.

Participating Wineries: Adler Fels Winery, Audelssa Estate Winery, Benziger Family Winery, Chateau St. Jean, Deerfield Ranch Winery, Enkidu Wines, Eric Ross Winery, Family Wineries, Imagery Estate Winery, Kaz Vineyard & Winery, Kenwood Vineyards, Kunde Family Estate, Landmark Vineyards, Ledson Winery & Vineyards, Little Vineyards, Loxton Cellars, Mayo Family Winery, Muscardini Cellars/Ty Caton Vineyards, Paradise Ridge Winery, St. Francis Winery, VJB Vineyards & Cellars, Valley of the Moon Winery and Wellington Vineyards.

As I have encouraged, spend a few minutes on the website, map out a plan based on interest in varietals, producers, before you head out. And consider carrying around a spitcup, to maximize your tasting experience. (Unless a day of partying is more of what you are after, just bring your DD along!))

Other Interesting Events:

Downtown Healdsburg Holiday Party: Today, 5-9 p.m.

The Christmas season in Healdsburg is a wonderful way to experience the joys of the holidays in a small town. Even though Healdsburg has become a chic visitor destination, there is still a small town charm here that always shows itself off best at this time of year.

There are so many ways to experience the Christmas season in Healdsburg and enjoy our hospitality. There are winery open houses, the Victorian Inns tour and four days of the Strolling Dine Around. The holiday events start on November 27 with Healdsburg’s Annual Downtown Holiday Party! This shopping celebration shows off an eclectic mix of shops with refreshments, holiday cheer, music and horse-drawn carriage rides.

For the children there is Santa Saturday, which starts with a ‘Toys for Tots’ drive (please bring unwrapped gifts) and continues with Santa visits, games and family fun.

The restaurants will show off their best holiday dishes,  and the wineries and shops sparkle with holiday lights. Full details, and a map and timetable are here.

Santa Rosa Railroad Square:

Friday November 27th – Check out both the Courthouse Square Merchant Open House from 12-5 pm today and the  Santa Rosa Downtown Tree Lighting from 5-730. Lots of great local shop specials, and fun for the whole family. Click on the links for full details.

Wine Sale and Holiday Open House at Acorn Winery – Saturday Nov 28th, 11-4

Join  Betsy & Bill Nachbaur of Acorn Winery, for a special open house. This is a special treat, Acorn is a small family producer, with less than 3,000 cases a year, normally open by appointment. Great people, wine, hospitality. If that’s not enticement enough Zin Restaurant  is catering, and offering: Autumn Vegtable Hash Cake with Zin Sausage & Eastside Farm Pepper Jelly, AND Holiday Biscotti with Chocolate and Dried Cranberries. Also, Acorn will be pouring (and selling) some delicious 2001 Acorn wines.

Holiday Open House at Kendall Jackson:

Ring in the Holidays at the Kendall-Jackson Wine Center with a Reception, Wine Tasting & Hors d’oeuvres. Details. 11-4 pm, Friday

Also note at the K-J Wine Center: Art Show & Sale: November 28th – 30th, 10 am – 5 pm

• Taste limited release wines while shopping for holiday gifts, and view artwork by local artists
• Details

Not wine country related – but next week for your Portland Dwellers, don’t miss the very fun Holiday Ale Festival, in Pioneer Square. This is a great event, that runs next Wednesday through Saturday, that I unfortunately have to miss it this year as I head out Tuesday for business in N.C.

With that, I am off to re-organize my collection, and head out to some open houses!