Originally, I was going to write about a Champagne event that I attended last week. However, after driving back from the Klamath River via Eureka and the 101, I have finally been to all four corners of this remarkable state. And that in itself is quite a statement, for in California, we are overtaxed and over governed by a dysfunctional political elite. Yet, after having been to all four corners, Eureka and Yreka in the north, San Diego and the desert regions around Indio, across the mid section to Lake Tahoe and beyond, this is remarkable place with some truly remarkable attributes. I just thought I might list them here.
1. Redwood trees. If you are not moved by the sight of these magnificent trees, nothing on Earth can do it. They look down at you and say, we've seen things you only read about, and will be here after you're gone. It's no wonder that clumps of Redwoods are referred to as cathedrals, for there is something truly spiritual about being among them. Driving back from Eureka, we drove through the Humbolt Redwoods State Park where there are just mile after mile of these trees. They are giants even when passing them at 70 MPH on the freeway.
2. The Pacific Coast Highway, frequently referred to as the PCH. Highway 1 runs along the coast from Santa Monica to just south of Eureka and anyone part of boasts spectacular scenery like none you have ever seen anywhere. You really fell as if you are at the edge of the world. You pass the movie colony of Malibu, the funky beach towns of Pismo Beach and Morro Bay, Hearst Castle, Big Sur, the Monterrey Coast, Pebble Beach, Santa Cruz Boardwalk, the stunning coast along the SF Peninsula, the Marin Headlands, the Russian River Headlands, Fort Ross, Mendocino Headlands, and the fishing village of Fort Bragg. As I have traveled almost all of it, I have only scratched the surface here. It is as great a road as exists anywhere in the world. The only thing close is Victoria's coast road in Southern Australia.
3. Produce, produce, produce. California produces almost 60% of this countries produce, and over 70% of its lettuce. On the surface, driving through the Central Valley can be one of the world's most boring trips. Look below the surface and you see the wide variety of fruits and vegetables that grow here. Did you know that most of our rice and cotton are grown in the Central Valley. Travel during Orange season and you see oranges abounding. When traveling through growing areas, we love to stop at produce stands to pick up freshly picked local products. I am addicted to strawberries fresh off the fields. And don't get me started on cherries.
4. Cooking in California. During my culinary training and my first jobs in NYC, I dreamed about cooking with the wonderful raw products that are available in California. When I wanted to cook something special for friends and family, I always had to call my friend and produce purveyor Carmine to get all the product I needed for my menus. I nearly fainted when I first walked into a local Safeway and saw all those special fruits and veggies on display. Wherever I travel, I always go to local markets and I am constantly amazed at the wide range of produce that is produced here in California. Getting back to cooking, California Cuisine is a lot of hype, but it is a truly indigenous cuisine deeply affected by Asian and Mexican immigrants.
5. The weather. No winters. I repeat, no winters. I visit the snow and then go home. While my blood has thinned and I consider any temperature below 50 to be freezing, I love the short winters. In the summer, we get 90's during the day and 50's at night. Come to think about it, those temps are some of what makes this a great wine region!
While I will always consider myself a transplanted New Yorker, I will probably never return. For all the reasons above, I love it here. Now if only our state government can get it's act together....
Next, 38 Champagne producers all under one roof. Yummy.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Some Thoughts on the High Price of Great Cabernet Sauvignon
I love Napa cabernets. They are big, powerful wines full of fruit, tannins, exotic spice, and when aged, leather and tobacco. They are great with steaks, chops and roasts. In other words, they are like California, and in that bigness may be the sense of place that makes these wines truly world class.
The only drawback to these beauties are their price, with many of the top producers charging well over $100 per bottle, sometimes reaching to $150 and over $200. Last March, I had the pleasure of attending a vertical tasting of Shafer Hillside Select cabernets. The 1996 was spectacular, one of the best red wines I ever tasted. Suggested retail: $216. The Rudd Estate wine $150. Perhaps you care for something a little less expensive, but grown near this great company, try the Oakville East Exposures and that's $100. All are really excellent wines, all are over $100. You can go up and down the valley and it's the same thing.
And that is the problem, I love great Cabernet, but I can't afford it. What are the solutions to this challenge. First is to try the second bottlings of the great producers. You will find some relief here, but no bargains. You can try other varietals. Great, first growth quality Zinfandel is available fro $25-$50 per bottle. Excellent pinot noir is $50-$75 per bottle. These are great wines, but they are not cabs.
Maybe the best solution is to look outside of the Napa Valley for everyday cabs. In a roundabout way, the first stop on this exploration was Washington State. Last year, I attended a warehouse sale conducted by the wine giant Diageo in Sonoma CA. There I picked up a case of Canoe Ridge Horse Heaven Hills 2005 Cabernet for about $4.50 per bottle. Was it Napa cab, no, was it great wine for everyday drinking? You bet it was.
The next place I looked was Sonoma Valley. There are two Cabernet producers of great interest, Arrowood and Chateau St. Jean. Arrowood makes a Sonoma County bottling, and several reserve lines. The last time I was there we tasted a Monte Rosso Vineyard bottling from 2006 that just knocked my socks off. At $70 per bottle, it was approaching Napa Valley pricing. But at $35 the Sonoma Valley cab offered plenty of drinking pleasure at a reasonable price. And a search of the Internet may find that bottle at a lower price.
Chateau St. Jean produces Cinq Cepages, a wine that in a good year approaches Napa in power and finses. And even in those years it still has a suggested retail price of only $75. And sometimes it is available at Costco for considerably less.
Which brings me to last weekend. Jessica and I attended the Taste of the Valley in Alexander Valley, an area known for Cabernet Sauvignon. In past years, I have not been very impressed with cabs from this AVA. Whenever I tasted them, I always felt "that's nice, but they are not Napa." Well, nothing is further from the truth, we tasted some truly spectacular wines from this area. Stonestreet (a KJ property), Soda Rock winery (a property of the expanding Wilson Family of Wines) and Robert Young.
Soda Rock and Stonestreet had spectacular offerings at $30 per bottle. Robert Young and Silver Oak's were at $50 plus. All of them had power, finese with great fruit, tannins and well, all those things that make California Cab California Cab. Were they as good as Napa cabs? A fair question, but the only way to answer it was a side by side tasting we did at Silver Oak, an Alexander Valley cab vs. their Napa cab. The Alexander Valley cab was well made and had all the elements I love in cabs. They Napa Valley cab had all that and more. It had an acidity that just made me want to drink more and more of it.
And that's the bottom line, Napa cabs are just from another planet. And to go to that planet you just have to swallow, and pay up.
Thanks for stopping by. Yesterday I had the pleasure of tasting Champagnes from 38 houses. And do you believe that I was spitting these out!
The only drawback to these beauties are their price, with many of the top producers charging well over $100 per bottle, sometimes reaching to $150 and over $200. Last March, I had the pleasure of attending a vertical tasting of Shafer Hillside Select cabernets. The 1996 was spectacular, one of the best red wines I ever tasted. Suggested retail: $216. The Rudd Estate wine $150. Perhaps you care for something a little less expensive, but grown near this great company, try the Oakville East Exposures and that's $100. All are really excellent wines, all are over $100. You can go up and down the valley and it's the same thing.
And that is the problem, I love great Cabernet, but I can't afford it. What are the solutions to this challenge. First is to try the second bottlings of the great producers. You will find some relief here, but no bargains. You can try other varietals. Great, first growth quality Zinfandel is available fro $25-$50 per bottle. Excellent pinot noir is $50-$75 per bottle. These are great wines, but they are not cabs.
Maybe the best solution is to look outside of the Napa Valley for everyday cabs. In a roundabout way, the first stop on this exploration was Washington State. Last year, I attended a warehouse sale conducted by the wine giant Diageo in Sonoma CA. There I picked up a case of Canoe Ridge Horse Heaven Hills 2005 Cabernet for about $4.50 per bottle. Was it Napa cab, no, was it great wine for everyday drinking? You bet it was.
The next place I looked was Sonoma Valley. There are two Cabernet producers of great interest, Arrowood and Chateau St. Jean. Arrowood makes a Sonoma County bottling, and several reserve lines. The last time I was there we tasted a Monte Rosso Vineyard bottling from 2006 that just knocked my socks off. At $70 per bottle, it was approaching Napa Valley pricing. But at $35 the Sonoma Valley cab offered plenty of drinking pleasure at a reasonable price. And a search of the Internet may find that bottle at a lower price.
Chateau St. Jean produces Cinq Cepages, a wine that in a good year approaches Napa in power and finses. And even in those years it still has a suggested retail price of only $75. And sometimes it is available at Costco for considerably less.
Which brings me to last weekend. Jessica and I attended the Taste of the Valley in Alexander Valley, an area known for Cabernet Sauvignon. In past years, I have not been very impressed with cabs from this AVA. Whenever I tasted them, I always felt "that's nice, but they are not Napa." Well, nothing is further from the truth, we tasted some truly spectacular wines from this area. Stonestreet (a KJ property), Soda Rock winery (a property of the expanding Wilson Family of Wines) and Robert Young.
Soda Rock and Stonestreet had spectacular offerings at $30 per bottle. Robert Young and Silver Oak's were at $50 plus. All of them had power, finese with great fruit, tannins and well, all those things that make California Cab California Cab. Were they as good as Napa cabs? A fair question, but the only way to answer it was a side by side tasting we did at Silver Oak, an Alexander Valley cab vs. their Napa cab. The Alexander Valley cab was well made and had all the elements I love in cabs. They Napa Valley cab had all that and more. It had an acidity that just made me want to drink more and more of it.
And that's the bottom line, Napa cabs are just from another planet. And to go to that planet you just have to swallow, and pay up.
Thanks for stopping by. Yesterday I had the pleasure of tasting Champagnes from 38 houses. And do you believe that I was spitting these out!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Wine Clubs, Allocations and Pinot Noir
Last weekend was Williams Seylem's Spring 2011 pick up weekend. They are perhaps California's original cult wine. Started in the 1980s by two friends in a garage in the Russian River area,they fast gained a reputation for making one of California's first truly world class pinot noirs. They also produced a kick ass zin from the Martinelli Jackass Hill vineyard.
My wife and I were first introduced to this winery in the late 80s while dining with my sister and her then boyfriend (now husband) at Bibba in Boston. Our waiter told us that at the staff pre-service meeting, they tasted what he thought was one of the best wines the restaurant ever carried. We took the bait, ordered the bottle and were truly amazed. The wine was Williams Seylems Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir, regrettably a wine they do not make anymore.
Upon returning to New York, we visited our local wine shop and inquired about the wine. Michael, our friendly shop owner told us that he tasted the wine and that it was almost never available at retail, only through the mailing list. Several weeks later, he obtain several bottles, that were gone as quickly as he could stock the shelves.
Jump to 1990. We were going on one of our pilgrimages to CA wine country. We called Williams Seylem and arranged an appointment. Unfortunately, 2 or 3 days before the appointment we got a call telling us that they had to cancel as the staff would be away for a trade show. They then offered to put us on the mailing list. At that time the wait to get on the mailing list was years, not months, so we agreed. Our first allocation was one bottle of Allen Vineyard Chardonnay. For the next 2 or 3 years we were allocated an occasional bottle, a zin or a chard, but almost never a pinot. We were also lucky that shipping laws were not enforced as the bottle were shipped to us in Brooklyn, NY.
As we jump ahead to the mid 90's. our allocations grew until the current day when as customer 1955 we can purchase 5 to 6 cases per offering. We only can afford 6-8 bottles. Many friends have suggested that we purchase our entire allocation so we can trade or sell the extra bottles. That requires capital that we do not have, or wish to commit to this undertaking.
Earlier this month we got an email from Williams Seylem inviting us to a pig roast at the winery. This got me thinking that there must be something going on in the rare allocation world. I have heard rumors that there are many cult wineries that are having trouble selling their wines at anything near the pace they were just five years ago. Maybe Williams Seylem's move was to forestall the move towards this trend of loosing allocation customers. Anecdotal evidence from several friends who have recently joined their mailing list have only waited weeks, not years, to become members. Yet, when I asked the Williams Seylem marketing and sales director, he told me it took 6-12 months to become members.
What is happening is that the winery is adding benefits to being a member of their mailing list, moving it to being more like a wine club. They have private tastings at the winery, special events and special wine offerings. They are being proactive in realizing that it is easier to retain a current customer than it is to attract a new one.
Wine clubs, one of the hottest marketing moves in wine country over the past several years, have been exploring how to keep a current customer happy, while moving cases out the door. We belong to only one club ourselves, Cypher Winery (formerly Four Vines) located in the Paso Robles region of the Central Coast. We joined because they had some truly unique zins and Rhone based blends. Big wines that go great with BBQ and smoked meats.
The problem with all these clubs, and lists, are that my collection is heavily slanted towards these two wineries. We have been drinking all our old Williams Seylems (2001 Russian River Valley was fantastic, mush better than I thought it would be) and grilling lots of food to go with the old Four Vines stuff. I understand why wine clubs are important to the winery, but when you are shipping 12-24 bottles a year, your customers tend to have some very lopsided collections. One thing about wine drinkers, they like variety. And that could be the reason that the turnover in wine club membership is so high, customers get tired of all that wine.
I believe that a new approach to customer loyalty must be found, and the keys to that approach could be found in one of the more fascinating videos that I streamed last week. Gary Vaynerchuk is a very controversial figure in the wine industry. Like him or hate him, he is on the cutting edge of marketing. Follow this link to view his key note address to the Nomacorc Wine Marketing Symposium, it will blow your mind, http://www.nomacorc.com/marketing-to-the-next-generation-of-wine.php . There is much to be said about what he's speaking about.
Back to the Williams Seylem spring 2011 releases. The pinots and zins were of this house's ;usual high quality. The real stand out, and without a doubt the most interesting wine was the 2009 Limestone Ridge Chenin Blanc. A dry wine in the style of Savennières, it was one of the most unique wines that I have tasted from this winery, if not from a California winery. Great minerality, great fruit, with just a touch of neutral oak to give it some bite, this could have been the best chenin I've had from California.
Thanks for reading my blog and I hope you will join me next week after I've through the Alexander Valley, tasting wine along the way.
My wife and I were first introduced to this winery in the late 80s while dining with my sister and her then boyfriend (now husband) at Bibba in Boston. Our waiter told us that at the staff pre-service meeting, they tasted what he thought was one of the best wines the restaurant ever carried. We took the bait, ordered the bottle and were truly amazed. The wine was Williams Seylems Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir, regrettably a wine they do not make anymore.
Upon returning to New York, we visited our local wine shop and inquired about the wine. Michael, our friendly shop owner told us that he tasted the wine and that it was almost never available at retail, only through the mailing list. Several weeks later, he obtain several bottles, that were gone as quickly as he could stock the shelves.
Jump to 1990. We were going on one of our pilgrimages to CA wine country. We called Williams Seylem and arranged an appointment. Unfortunately, 2 or 3 days before the appointment we got a call telling us that they had to cancel as the staff would be away for a trade show. They then offered to put us on the mailing list. At that time the wait to get on the mailing list was years, not months, so we agreed. Our first allocation was one bottle of Allen Vineyard Chardonnay. For the next 2 or 3 years we were allocated an occasional bottle, a zin or a chard, but almost never a pinot. We were also lucky that shipping laws were not enforced as the bottle were shipped to us in Brooklyn, NY.
As we jump ahead to the mid 90's. our allocations grew until the current day when as customer 1955 we can purchase 5 to 6 cases per offering. We only can afford 6-8 bottles. Many friends have suggested that we purchase our entire allocation so we can trade or sell the extra bottles. That requires capital that we do not have, or wish to commit to this undertaking.
Earlier this month we got an email from Williams Seylem inviting us to a pig roast at the winery. This got me thinking that there must be something going on in the rare allocation world. I have heard rumors that there are many cult wineries that are having trouble selling their wines at anything near the pace they were just five years ago. Maybe Williams Seylem's move was to forestall the move towards this trend of loosing allocation customers. Anecdotal evidence from several friends who have recently joined their mailing list have only waited weeks, not years, to become members. Yet, when I asked the Williams Seylem marketing and sales director, he told me it took 6-12 months to become members.
What is happening is that the winery is adding benefits to being a member of their mailing list, moving it to being more like a wine club. They have private tastings at the winery, special events and special wine offerings. They are being proactive in realizing that it is easier to retain a current customer than it is to attract a new one.
Wine clubs, one of the hottest marketing moves in wine country over the past several years, have been exploring how to keep a current customer happy, while moving cases out the door. We belong to only one club ourselves, Cypher Winery (formerly Four Vines) located in the Paso Robles region of the Central Coast. We joined because they had some truly unique zins and Rhone based blends. Big wines that go great with BBQ and smoked meats.
The problem with all these clubs, and lists, are that my collection is heavily slanted towards these two wineries. We have been drinking all our old Williams Seylems (2001 Russian River Valley was fantastic, mush better than I thought it would be) and grilling lots of food to go with the old Four Vines stuff. I understand why wine clubs are important to the winery, but when you are shipping 12-24 bottles a year, your customers tend to have some very lopsided collections. One thing about wine drinkers, they like variety. And that could be the reason that the turnover in wine club membership is so high, customers get tired of all that wine.
I believe that a new approach to customer loyalty must be found, and the keys to that approach could be found in one of the more fascinating videos that I streamed last week. Gary Vaynerchuk is a very controversial figure in the wine industry. Like him or hate him, he is on the cutting edge of marketing. Follow this link to view his key note address to the Nomacorc Wine Marketing Symposium, it will blow your mind, http://www.nomacorc.com/marketing-to-the-next-generation-of-wine.php . There is much to be said about what he's speaking about.
Back to the Williams Seylem spring 2011 releases. The pinots and zins were of this house's ;usual high quality. The real stand out, and without a doubt the most interesting wine was the 2009 Limestone Ridge Chenin Blanc. A dry wine in the style of Savennières, it was one of the most unique wines that I have tasted from this winery, if not from a California winery. Great minerality, great fruit, with just a touch of neutral oak to give it some bite, this could have been the best chenin I've had from California.
Thanks for reading my blog and I hope you will join me next week after I've through the Alexander Valley, tasting wine along the way.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Life Is A Cabernet!
Monday May 2 was the annual Passport To Cabernet tasting sponsored by the California Cabernet Society. This event is one of the five major trade tastings, along with Pinot Days, Rhone Rangers, ZAP and Family Winemakers of California, that allow you to taste almost every wine produced in this state. That's an whole lot of wine, in a whole lot of wine styles.
This event has actually had several incarnations. I first encountered this event when it was a road show that toured all the major US markets. In 1994 my wife was out here in California and I remained back in NYC to arrange our move out here to the Golden State, I attended the event with my good friend and fellow racquetball enthusiast Ed. Being held in the NY Hilton main ballroom, there was a dazzling array of wineries pouring both their current releases and barrel samples.
After tasting many wines, we ended up at the Diamond Creek table and had a very extended conversation with the legendary winemaker of the estate, the late Al Brounstein. It was an amazing conversation about how the estate was founded, planting the vines, and the difficulties of selling what was at the time an extraordinarily high priced product ($80). We were mesmerized. At the end of the event, around 11 PM, we were tapped on our shoulders and there was Al telling us to take all the opened bottles he had left. It did not take us longer than 1 second to thank him and agree.
Ed and I then had a problem, we had to drink the wines pronto. So after an interesting ride back to Brooklyn Heights via the A Train, we ended up knocking on the door of our favorite local restaurant Henry's End. This establishment is a true neighborhood restaurant. The owner Mark Lahm is a local celebrity. His restaurant's annual game festival is now known all over the city as a truly unique eating event. To this day, 17 years after we moved out of the neighborhood, whenever we are in NYC, we always go back to eat here. They have an amazing all American wine list.
But I digress. Mark comes to the door questioning our sanity for being there so late. We show him the 3 open bottles and explain our conundrum of having to drink them. Mark replied "well, I suppose I can find something to pair with this." We were there for several hours drinking the wine and eating leftovers from Henry's End's service.
After the CIA opened their Greystone facility, the Passport to Cabernet event was a yearly fixture at this Napa Valley venue. The atmosphere overlooking Cabernet vineyards made for an exquisite event location. However, this location proved difficult for many trade people to attend, so it was moved to the Bentley Reserve in San Francisco. While not a bad location, it lacks the dramatic scenery of traveling through the vineyards to attend this event.
This year's event lacked many of the Cabernet superstars that have poured in previous years. Mondavi, Beringer, Paul Hobbs, Stags Leap among others were not there. That's a pity, as I have been able to tasted some cult cabs, like Screaming Eagle, at previous events.
This also could be a swan song as well. For those who don't know, Robert Parker no longer reviews CA wines. His replacement at Wine Advocate has a much more European pallat. This could mean that the extremely extracted, fruit forward, powerful wines that have dominated Cabernet over the past 10-15 years may be receding.
This begs the questions, is there a sense of place to these wines? Are the characteristics that make these wines uniquely Californian or from the Napa Valley.
I am pleased to report that there were several wines that had very unique personalities, ones that differentiated them from the others. The first was Rocca Vineyard Coombsville 2006. The nose was so earthy, with bright fruit seeping through, I loved it. It was so different then the standard cedar, pencil shavings, smoke, ash and dark fruit noses that dominated this group. Not that I did not enjoy all these wines, but I found them all the same.
The other unique wine was from Frias Family. Again, big time earth on the nose, followed by California's signature bright fruit. This wine finished with very long and very integrated tannins. A really interesting wine.
Which brings me back to Robert Parker. I just view a video of Gary Vaynerchuk speaking to wine marketing people. It was fascinating and should be watched by any marketing person. I linked to it on my Linkedin page. Watch it.
This event has actually had several incarnations. I first encountered this event when it was a road show that toured all the major US markets. In 1994 my wife was out here in California and I remained back in NYC to arrange our move out here to the Golden State, I attended the event with my good friend and fellow racquetball enthusiast Ed. Being held in the NY Hilton main ballroom, there was a dazzling array of wineries pouring both their current releases and barrel samples.
After tasting many wines, we ended up at the Diamond Creek table and had a very extended conversation with the legendary winemaker of the estate, the late Al Brounstein. It was an amazing conversation about how the estate was founded, planting the vines, and the difficulties of selling what was at the time an extraordinarily high priced product ($80). We were mesmerized. At the end of the event, around 11 PM, we were tapped on our shoulders and there was Al telling us to take all the opened bottles he had left. It did not take us longer than 1 second to thank him and agree.
Ed and I then had a problem, we had to drink the wines pronto. So after an interesting ride back to Brooklyn Heights via the A Train, we ended up knocking on the door of our favorite local restaurant Henry's End. This establishment is a true neighborhood restaurant. The owner Mark Lahm is a local celebrity. His restaurant's annual game festival is now known all over the city as a truly unique eating event. To this day, 17 years after we moved out of the neighborhood, whenever we are in NYC, we always go back to eat here. They have an amazing all American wine list.
But I digress. Mark comes to the door questioning our sanity for being there so late. We show him the 3 open bottles and explain our conundrum of having to drink them. Mark replied "well, I suppose I can find something to pair with this." We were there for several hours drinking the wine and eating leftovers from Henry's End's service.
After the CIA opened their Greystone facility, the Passport to Cabernet event was a yearly fixture at this Napa Valley venue. The atmosphere overlooking Cabernet vineyards made for an exquisite event location. However, this location proved difficult for many trade people to attend, so it was moved to the Bentley Reserve in San Francisco. While not a bad location, it lacks the dramatic scenery of traveling through the vineyards to attend this event.
This year's event lacked many of the Cabernet superstars that have poured in previous years. Mondavi, Beringer, Paul Hobbs, Stags Leap among others were not there. That's a pity, as I have been able to tasted some cult cabs, like Screaming Eagle, at previous events.
This also could be a swan song as well. For those who don't know, Robert Parker no longer reviews CA wines. His replacement at Wine Advocate has a much more European pallat. This could mean that the extremely extracted, fruit forward, powerful wines that have dominated Cabernet over the past 10-15 years may be receding.
This begs the questions, is there a sense of place to these wines? Are the characteristics that make these wines uniquely Californian or from the Napa Valley.
I am pleased to report that there were several wines that had very unique personalities, ones that differentiated them from the others. The first was Rocca Vineyard Coombsville 2006. The nose was so earthy, with bright fruit seeping through, I loved it. It was so different then the standard cedar, pencil shavings, smoke, ash and dark fruit noses that dominated this group. Not that I did not enjoy all these wines, but I found them all the same.
The other unique wine was from Frias Family. Again, big time earth on the nose, followed by California's signature bright fruit. This wine finished with very long and very integrated tannins. A really interesting wine.
Which brings me back to Robert Parker. I just view a video of Gary Vaynerchuk speaking to wine marketing people. It was fascinating and should be watched by any marketing person. I linked to it on my Linkedin page. Watch it.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Biking in Dry Creek
The Dry Creek Valley is my pick as the world's most beautiful wine region. With it's rugged hills on both the east and west sides, the earthen dam that holds back Lake Sonoma on the north, it is an ideal region for an interesting day of bike riding and wine tasting. As this weekend was the annual Passport to Dry Creek, off we went on the circle route around the valley.
The first thing I noticed was that there were a ton of people at this event, the tasting rooms and wineries were packed. This might have been a good thing for the people of the valley, but it made for some uncomfortable wine tasting experiences. Without going into specifics, many wineries need to rethink their festival set ups to take these large crowds into account.
Enough with the crowds, how were the wines. They were a mixed bag. Why anyone makes anything other than Zinfandel here is a real wonder. Lets get to the specifics.
Our first stop was Talty winery. Talty makes 3 wines, a Sryah from Russian River, a Zin from Napa and another Zin from Dry Creek. The Dry Creek zin was outstanding, the other wines less so. After that it was up to Frick where a good friend and fellow wine immersion alum is working. They specialize in Rhone varietals. The blends were nice, however, the food was even better. Frick takes the prize for some really thoughtful food and wine parings.
After leaving Frick, it was time to saddle up and ride the valley. First stop was David Cofaro which featured baseball themed food. The food, various sausages and sliders, were paired with red wines. Again the zins were nice, the cabs forgettable. Interesting fact about the Dry Creek Valley, Cabernet is the most widely planted grape.
A very crowded Dutcher Crossing was next. Remember Maple Vineyard and you will have found a great zin from a great zin vineyard. Again, it was so crowded we had to leave. It was across the Yoakim Bridge with a stop at Zichichi Winery. There zins were decent, the cab was again forgettable. So it was on to Gopfrich.
Gopfrich is a very interesting winery. They produce under 1000 cases of interesting cab, delicious and low alcohol cabs and some unique blends. This stop did not disappoint. What made this stop memorable is that the Gopfriches have German relatives that make wines in the Rheingau. Well, they were the best white wines of the day. An Auslesse vinted dry, a delicious Spatslesse, a Spatslesse made from the Sylvainer grape and a Beerenauslesse. Yum, yum, yum. And at $18-21 per bottle they were the deals of the day.
From there the next stop was A. Rafanelli. They make only two wines, a cabernet sauvignon, and a zin. I learned a long time ago to never pass up the opportunity to sample these beautys. They also had the best spread, a Tuscan style antipasti buffet followed by a chocoholics view of heaven, a buffet of some delicious chocolates.
Our last stop was Pappaietro-Perry, which is really not part of the Dry Creek Valley. However, they make some of the best Russian River and Sonoma Coast pinot noirs around. My pallete was shot after this stop.
Some random notes. Again, why anyone makes anything but zin from this region is a mystery. At every stop, the zins were the stars at the wineries, the cabs were not worth drinking. The sole exeption was Rafanelli, the cab there is world class. Which brings me to my second point. Most California wines lack a sense of place. This is probably due to the newness of wine here as well as our individualistic culture where we are encouraged to follow our own muse. Dry Creek zins are an exception, and I wish that the wineries here would concentrate more on this wine. It is unique and it is of a place and it wears its terroir well.
Thanks for reading my blog. Tomorrow is the California Cabernet Society's annual tasting in San Francisco. I am really looking forward to that one.
The first thing I noticed was that there were a ton of people at this event, the tasting rooms and wineries were packed. This might have been a good thing for the people of the valley, but it made for some uncomfortable wine tasting experiences. Without going into specifics, many wineries need to rethink their festival set ups to take these large crowds into account.
Enough with the crowds, how were the wines. They were a mixed bag. Why anyone makes anything other than Zinfandel here is a real wonder. Lets get to the specifics.
Our first stop was Talty winery. Talty makes 3 wines, a Sryah from Russian River, a Zin from Napa and another Zin from Dry Creek. The Dry Creek zin was outstanding, the other wines less so. After that it was up to Frick where a good friend and fellow wine immersion alum is working. They specialize in Rhone varietals. The blends were nice, however, the food was even better. Frick takes the prize for some really thoughtful food and wine parings.
After leaving Frick, it was time to saddle up and ride the valley. First stop was David Cofaro which featured baseball themed food. The food, various sausages and sliders, were paired with red wines. Again the zins were nice, the cabs forgettable. Interesting fact about the Dry Creek Valley, Cabernet is the most widely planted grape.
A very crowded Dutcher Crossing was next. Remember Maple Vineyard and you will have found a great zin from a great zin vineyard. Again, it was so crowded we had to leave. It was across the Yoakim Bridge with a stop at Zichichi Winery. There zins were decent, the cab was again forgettable. So it was on to Gopfrich.
Gopfrich is a very interesting winery. They produce under 1000 cases of interesting cab, delicious and low alcohol cabs and some unique blends. This stop did not disappoint. What made this stop memorable is that the Gopfriches have German relatives that make wines in the Rheingau. Well, they were the best white wines of the day. An Auslesse vinted dry, a delicious Spatslesse, a Spatslesse made from the Sylvainer grape and a Beerenauslesse. Yum, yum, yum. And at $18-21 per bottle they were the deals of the day.
From there the next stop was A. Rafanelli. They make only two wines, a cabernet sauvignon, and a zin. I learned a long time ago to never pass up the opportunity to sample these beautys. They also had the best spread, a Tuscan style antipasti buffet followed by a chocoholics view of heaven, a buffet of some delicious chocolates.
Our last stop was Pappaietro-Perry, which is really not part of the Dry Creek Valley. However, they make some of the best Russian River and Sonoma Coast pinot noirs around. My pallete was shot after this stop.
Some random notes. Again, why anyone makes anything but zin from this region is a mystery. At every stop, the zins were the stars at the wineries, the cabs were not worth drinking. The sole exeption was Rafanelli, the cab there is world class. Which brings me to my second point. Most California wines lack a sense of place. This is probably due to the newness of wine here as well as our individualistic culture where we are encouraged to follow our own muse. Dry Creek zins are an exception, and I wish that the wineries here would concentrate more on this wine. It is unique and it is of a place and it wears its terroir well.
Thanks for reading my blog. Tomorrow is the California Cabernet Society's annual tasting in San Francisco. I am really looking forward to that one.
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