tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77306678741787786292024-03-18T21:23:12.312-07:00Sommelier SaysWelcome to my wine lovers blog. Here you will find reviews of wines, wineries and restaurants, as well as information on tours and other wine events.
Cheers!Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-22685063344507709642014-01-04T16:40:00.000-08:002014-01-04T16:40:19.827-08:00The Coravin Experiment- Day 1<a href="http://youtu.be/TDcuD9TfHJo">The Coravin Experiment Day1</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-24136900902859832342013-01-30T08:45:00.001-08:002013-01-30T08:45:31.407-08:00The Ventura County Wine Trail Food and Wine Challenge winners!<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent">The 2013 Local Food & Wine Challenge was a
huge hit! It was hard to pick a favorite because all 12 wineries and 12
restaurants served their very best for this special evening! 375 guests
tasted 12 pairings and voted for their favorite pairing. Five guests
judges selected their best pairing in a blind tasting. <br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent">Judges Award went to Bella Victorian Vineyard & Bistro<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent">People's Choice Award went to Cantara Cellars & Twenty 88<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent">What an evening of wine, food, jazz and supporting our local FOOD Share!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent">Congrats to the winners and everyone who entered!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent">Cheers</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent">Tim </span></span>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-41392347274474548802013-01-08T13:29:00.002-08:002013-01-08T13:29:41.301-08:00In Paso Robles, Daou buys Twilight Cellars<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of the fastest growing newer wineries on the central coast is
digging it's roots deep into the history of this area's wine country
with a purchase just announced today. Daou Vineyards has purchased
what is largely considered the oldest existing modern winery in the Paso
Robles Wine Growing Region.** </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dr. Stanley Hoffman established the winery in the 1960's and is
well-known for bringing Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to the
region, and proving the local climate and soils were a perfect
combination for growing and producing great Burgundian-style Pinot Noir
and hearty Cabernet Sauvignon wines.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Daou's purchase of what was most recently called Twilight Cellars
(previously Thunderbolt Junction) creates a cluster of 212 prime acres
in the Adelaida district for winemaker Daniel Daou to what he loves to
do best with....make great, hearty, bold wines. "This purchase will
allow us to complete the planting of the entire mountain, provide our
members with more privileges and continue the vision Dr. Hoffman and
Andre Tchelistcheff had when they founded the winery in the early 60's
thus preserving the bit of history" says owner George Daou. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**York Mountain Winery dates back to 1882, but is technically just adjacent to the Paso Robles AVA, in the York Mountain AVA.</span>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-89008147891719495122012-10-29T09:50:00.002-07:002012-10-29T10:00:20.116-07:00Sommelier Service Question:<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sommelier Service Question:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For my past birthday, my wife and I went to Las Vegas and
she took me to dinner at a very nice hotel restaurant. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We brought along a bottle of Sea Smoke Ten to enjoy with our
meal. But before we went to the restaurant, as I always do, I called ahead and
asked about corkage fees etc. I was told that the wine could not be on their
wine list and that it had to be approved ahead of time. In addition the corkage
fee was $50. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I asked for it to be approved and they connected me with
their Sommelier. I informed him of the wine and he said it is not on their list
and it would be fine to bring to dinner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We arrived at dinner; the Sommelier came over to our table,
opened our wine and poured a glass for each of us. That was the last time we
saw him. There were times during the dinner that our glasses were empty and
wanted a refill, and we waited- no one came by. So I ended up refilling our
glasses the entire dinner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As a Certified Sommelier myself, I found this appalling. A $50 fee for opening our wine, the least that he could have done would be to
refill our wine glasses. Mind you, we had an early seating (5:30) and the restaurant
was not even ½ full.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Do you think I am over reacting? What do you expect from a
Sommelier at a 5 star restaurant?</span></div>
Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-30770417785605133302012-05-04T11:05:00.002-07:002012-05-04T11:05:49.928-07:00Oakville… Stags Leap…. Rutherford…. Yountville…. Calistoga…. Coombsville? HUH?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Oakville… Stags Leap….
Rutherford….<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yountville…. Calistoga….
Coombsville? HUH?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Yes last December
Coombsville can stand be added to the AVAs of the Napa Valley.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This, 11,000-acre rural
region just east of the city of Napa recently became the 16th AVA in Napa
County. Named for Nathan Coombs, a prominent community leader and founder of
Napa (1847), Coombsville has long been regarded as a superb spot for growing
grapes but was somewhat out of the way from the mainstream wine-making centers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Today more than 20 wineries
are producing wines in Coombsville.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Generally hilly with
vineyards at varying elevations, the area is <span class="itxtrstitxtrstspanitxthookspan">protected</span> from the wind by ridges,
knolls and mountains, and the soil is a mix of ancient volcanic ash and rocky
alluvial soils. The microclimates appear ideal for the production of elegant
red wines.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">You won't find big hotels, <span class="itxtrstitxtrstspanitxthookspan">restaurants</span>, shops or wineries in
Coombsville. Instead, they will discover pastoral winding roads, a few houses
dotted here and there, and select vineyard-wineries hidden from view.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">There are also no crowds,
lines of <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-04-24/travel/sc-trav-0424-food-coombsville-20120424_1_nathan-coombs-howell-mountain-mount-veeder"><span class="itxtrstitxtrstspanitxthookspan"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">cars</span></span></a> or limos — it's just Napa's
backyard. The few visitors who discover Coombsville will be rewarded with a
very mellow wine-tasting experience — by appointment only.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here are some of the
wineries in Coombsville to check out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Meteor Vineyard is a
gorgeous vineyard property off Third Street and produces some of the most
outstanding cabernets in Napa Valley. Walk through the vineyards and experience
the breadth and scope of Coombsville; you can see Mount George in the north,
the Vaca Mountain range to the east and the Carneros region to the southwest. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/MeteorVineyard.com">MeteorVineyard.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Black Cat Vineyard, run by
irrepressible owner/winemaker Tracey Reichow, is a spot to slow down and enjoy
wine and conversation with the winemaker. It's her house, after all, and she
treats visitors like long-lost friends. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/Blackcatvineyard.com">Blackcatvineyard.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Cheers</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Tim</span></div>
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<br /></div>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-40009395879517200322012-04-25T10:40:00.003-07:002012-04-25T10:40:43.865-07:00What is America Drinking in 2012?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br /></div>
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A recently published study
by a wine distributor showed the current trends in wines sales in the United
States this year.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The top five brands were
Barefoot, Franzia, Yellow Tail, Kendall-Jackson and Sutter Home. Only the
Kendall-Jackson cost more than $10 a bottle, and the Franzia (which comes in a
five-liter box) was about $2 a bottle. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Only eight of the 89 brands
in the report cost more than $15 a bottle, and only one cost more than $20 a
bottle.</div>
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The average price for the
top 89 brands was about $7 a bottle, more or less the average price of a bottle
of wine sold in the U.S.</div>
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The top 10 brands were not
natural or boutique or artisan, but made by the biggest multi-national
companies in the world, including E&J Gallo (Barefoot and Gallo Family) and
Constellation (Woodbridge and Clos du Bois).</div>
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In the Wine Spectator's top 100 wines of 2011,
only nine cost less than $20, only one cost less than $10, and only two were
regional wines. In other words, almost the exact opposite of the real world.
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Yes, this may not be an
exact comparison, since the Spectator list measures "quality." But
that itself is significant, since it says that the wine that most of us drink
is inferior and doesn't cost enough. That's a stunning assumption to make, and
exists almost nowhere but wine.</div>
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What are you drinking this
year?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Cheers</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tim</div>
</div>
</div>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-66920826895298212862012-02-27T12:09:00.000-08:002012-02-27T12:09:16.524-08:00Look out... here comes the Chinese.... again! Hide the Pinot Noir quick!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Chinese investors have bought five more Bordeaux chateaux in recent weeks, according to reports.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A further 12 are likely to be bought by Chinese buyers in the near future, the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce says.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Chateau du Grand Moueys, a 170-hectare estate in Entre-Deux-Mers, was acquired last week by Hong Kong-based Zhang Jinshan.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Qu Nai Jie, president of the Haichang Group, has already snapped up nearby Chateau de Grand Branet as well as Chateau Branda, Chateau Laurette and Chateau Thebot. He is reportedly interested in more acquisitions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Some Chinese owners devote their entire output to exports to China, but Grand Moueys will sell up to 20% of its wine in Europe and the US, according to an AFP report.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In a somewhat related news story: Bordeaux's classified growths<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> have </span>approved the first-ever standardized<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> Chinese </span>translation of their names, auction house Christie's has unveiled an official translation of each of the 61 chateaux in the 1855 classification, after 12 months of collaboration with the Medoc estates.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipi8f24sQXTKr8w9LKaaodOTb4PSvTTQEQwavClLWsEfePaovWe-fShyphenhyphenOG4boeCmww9uYJK8KKDJN_l7qJYFWNnQB-U_77ugx7fqf3SecELnUVrl1g53mWyG9ytyUUWIEQPzTZLNL_z_hT/s1600/Bordeaux.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipi8f24sQXTKr8w9LKaaodOTb4PSvTTQEQwavClLWsEfePaovWe-fShyphenhyphenOG4boeCmww9uYJK8KKDJN_l7qJYFWNnQB-U_77ugx7fqf3SecELnUVrl1g53mWyG9ytyUUWIEQPzTZLNL_z_hT/s1600/Bordeaux.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Christie's staff<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> have </span>worked with chateaux to agree on<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> Chinese </span>translations for their estate while others already had<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> Chinese </span>names. However, some chateaux including Cos d'Estournel<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> have </span>opted not to take a<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> Chinese </span>name.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> Chinese </span>translations<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> have </span>been published on a poster, which will be unveiled to the Bordeaux trade during the 2012 En Primeur week.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Christie's hopes to produce similar translations for producers in Sauternes, Bordeaux's right bank and Burgundy in the future.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-26759916912940031492012-02-24T09:36:00.002-08:002012-02-24T09:36:14.962-08:00World of Pinot Noir March 2-3<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">World of Pinot Noir organizers are expecting close to 2,000 people in and around Shell Beach next week to celebrate the popular grape.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The annual gathering, now in its 12th year, attracts pinot noir producers and consumers who are fans of the wine. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div id="featured_assets"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div></div><div id="story_text_remaining">About one-third of them are from San Luis Obispo County. Most others are from other parts of the state, but some will travel from as far away as New Zealand, New York and Florida. <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“Our guests are looking for an experience,” said Damon Miele, event coordinator. “We definitely draw a lot of industry people. The person behind the tables pouring the wine has to be a winemaker or principle.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">About 100 wineries will be featured at various events March 2 and 3, based around the Cliffs Resort.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Events range from an $8.30-per-person discussion on the role of pinot in sparkling wines to a $400 dinner at Lido Restaurant featuring vintage wines from the Court of Master Sommeliers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">For additional information go to: <a href="http://www.wopn.com/">http://www.wopn.com/</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-74295797123194359832012-01-18T15:04:00.000-08:002012-01-18T15:04:13.283-08:00SOMM... the movie<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You have seen Sideways, Montevino and Bottleshock, bur are you ready for SOMM?</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The story of four sommeliers as they prepare for the toughest est know to man, the Master Sommelier Exam!</div><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/34996725?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/34996725">SOMM Documentary Trailer 1</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user9986694">Forgotten Man Films</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-19637028886030848212012-01-11T11:53:00.001-08:002012-01-11T11:53:56.527-08:00Restaurant wine prices<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">How many time have you been out to dinner and ordered a bottle of wine off the wine list and were blown away by the markup of the price of the bottle. We recently went to a local restaurant and when looking at the bottle price of some of my favorite wines (that I have at home in my cellar). A New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, available at Costco for about $9 a bottle, was selling for $27 a bottle. Should you be shocked? Well, lets look at the math and also compare with other available drinks at your local restaurant. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">That wine was marked up 3-times the wholesale price. How about a bottle of beer? Well, a domestic beer was selling at the same place for $5.75 a bottle. You can buy a 6-pack of the same beer at your local grocery store for the same price as a single bottle! That is a mark up of…… 6 times. (No high level math here).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">How about soft drinks, $3.50 a glass for a Pepsi or Coke, refills usually cost the same too. How much do you think THAT markup is? Then we go to Ice Tea…. Do you even want to think about the mark up on that item?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So while paying $27 for a bottle of $9 wine in a restaurant might seem out of line, when compared to other drinks, it isn’t such a bad deal. Also, most restaurants let you bring in a bottle of wine and charge you a corkage fee. Normally it is around $12 a bottle. Add that to the cost of the wine you brought from home, and it is still a deal. (I don’t think I have ever seen anybody bring into a restaurant a bottle of sun tea to drink.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Restaurants are not high margin businesses and there are many costs associated with running a restaurant that go into the cost of that bottle of wine. From things as basic as stemware (and associated breakage) to training, cost of carrying inventory, etc that makes that bottle cost more in a restaurant than in a retail store.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So next time you go out to dinner, check out the wine list, try a wine that you do not have at home, enjoy the meal, enjoy the wine, enjoy who you are with and have fun.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Cheers</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Tim </span></div>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-17569581562307260192011-11-23T09:32:00.000-08:002011-11-23T09:32:06.710-08:00Paso Robles Wines tasting weekend, Day 2<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We spent this past weekend in the Paso Robles area enjoying the fine wines and visiting some new wineries. Here is my review of the wineries and the wines we enjoyed. Today we visited mostly west-side wineries.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Maloy O’Neill</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">- One of my Paso Robles favorites. I love their Lagrein, and Cabs, and their dark and rich Bordeaux style blends. My favorite this trip was the 2007 Enzo, ($36) <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">54% Sangiovese, 40% Lagrein, 6% Petit Verdot, with the Lagrein taking charge- as it should. This wine brings everything to life and when I got home I realized I had 4 more bottles in my cellar from a previous trip! I also purchased a bottle of 2007 Petite Sirah ($50), A beautifully inky colored wine that had hints of blueberries and toasted oak. I also stop at Maloy O’Neill on mu visits to the area. Unfortunately their 2011 crop was way under expected totals and they will not be making any wine from the 2011 harvest.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Tackitt</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">- Owner/Winemaker Leon Tackitt and his wife greeted us Sunday morning with wonderful appetizers in their tasting room. I have become a big fan of the wines here. If you are looking for the perfect holiday wine, look no further, their 2010 Gewûrztraminer, is the signature wine of Tackitt Family Vineyards. At $19 a bottle you can’t go wrong. I bought 6 bottles and plan on enjoying them with my holiday turkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also enjoyed his 2008 Rolling Hills Merlot ($28) and his 2008 Melange ($28) which is a marvelous blend of 62% Cab, 21% Petite Verdot, and 17% Merlot. Do you enjoy port wines? Then you need to try Dream Tyme, ($38) made from late harvest Zinfandel and aged in a solera for 6 years. Located up in San Miguel, they are a bit off the beaten track, but I highly suggest you take the time and drive up there your next time in the area. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Graveyard</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">- Also located in the San Miguel area is Graveyard Vineyards, driving through the gate you pass a Graveyard- hence the name. They just opened up a new tasting room and it is very nice. Located near the lake on their property, bring your fishing pole and catch some largemouth bass while tasting the wines. I did what I always do here; I walk out with a case of wine! Their Tombstone labeled White, Pink and Red wines are well worth the $14 a bottle price. I also enjoyed their Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($38), a beautiful wine, with hints of green bell pepper, rose and a lingering finish. Well worth the price. Graveyard also has a marvelous port wine called Deliverance, <span class="style29">this Syrah dessert wine has natural chocolate flavors infused creating the perfect LPR wine!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Daou</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">- This is a newer winery in the West side. Located on top of a mountain with a beautiful tasting room, that has as its centerpiece is a white Onyx lighted counter. Looking at their tasting list, it listed wines all over $32. I have to tell you, walking into this place I felt like I was entering the snootiest tasting rooms of Napa Valley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did enjoy their oaky-buttery 2010 Chardonnay, but again, looking at the price $42… I did feel like I had left Paso Robles and Napa… this wasn’t a good thing. Yes the grapes were from Paso….not Napa, so why the high price? Aged for 15 months… French oak… nothing too special. Yes I did enjoy the wine. I bought a bottle, but for me this was almost too much. I also enjoyed their Micho ($42), and Cab/Merlot blend. But part of the wine tasting experience for me is the experience in the tasting room. I missed the warmth, and personal feeling that you get in most of the other Paso Robles tasting rooms. Yes I bought four bottles of wine, but for me I probably won’t be back, if I want more of their wines I would buy it online.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Twilight</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">- Now as for a total contrast to Daou, we ventured down the mountain and decided to try Twilight (one of our group is a Twilight fan- so we had to stop there.) When we got there, I remembered being here years before but it wasn’t called Twilight. It was Thunderbolt! The “meatball winery”. Years ago we went there and they were serving meatballs with their wines, we all walked out with cases of wine- when we got home we tried the wines and we didn’t care for them…. Must have been the meat balls! Well they were sued by Thunderbird, so they changed their name to Twilight…. Same wine. We didn’t buy anything here- but they again were serving food paired with each wine. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Villacan</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>a</b>- Not wanting Twilight to be our last winery of this trip, we decided on one more- taking a chance I pulled into Villacana. We walked in and were greeted with a smile. Ahhh I made a good choice. This small production family owned and operated winery is no frills but good wines. We enjoyed the tasting of all of their wines. I purchased the Viognier ($18) which was the best Viognier of the trip, full bodied, great fruit, nice clean finish. The Estate Cabernet ($28), which made me laugh actually, because it knocked the socks off of the one at Daou, at almost half the price. (I bought two). But the wine from Villacana that I will remember is the Mourvedre ($35).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very rarely do you see Mourvedre as a stand-alone wine; it is usually blended with Syrah. But this stands alone easily and it actually shines. Rich with black cherries and a nice toast, this is a perfectly balanced wine. The finish I swear, I still had on my pallet when we stopped for lunch an hour later.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Great trip, great wines, great friends….. let’s do it again soon!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Cheers-</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Tim<a href="http://www.mondocellars.com/store/wine.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=17&category_id=6" title="Product Details"><span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></a><a href="http://www.mondocellars.com/store/wine.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=37&category_id=6" title="Product Details"><span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></a></span></div>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-62812291647619082442011-11-22T10:06:00.000-08:002011-11-22T11:54:18.602-08:00Paso Robles Wines tasting weekend, Day 1<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We spent this past weekend in the Paso Robles area enjoying the fine wines and visiting some new wineries. Here is my review of the wineries and the wines we enjoyed.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Dark Star Cellars</b>- I am a big fan of Norm and Susan Benson's winery, Dark Star Cellars, so much so we served their Ricordati ($32) at our wedding.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">During this visit I once again enjoyed the Ricordati as well as the Anderson Road ($28), a nice wine that is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), Syrah (45%) and Petite Syrah (10%). Be sure to say hi to Gracie their dog too while you are there.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Attached to Dark Star Cellars is their son’s tasting room, <b>Brian Benson.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Brian has a completely different style of wine making that his father does and he is doing it very well. The two tasting rooms are a perfect contrast to wine styles. Brian’s wines are big, bold, mouthfuls of flavor. He has experimented as well; to his credit he has a Syrah that he aged for 40 months in French Oak barrels and it is a delicious wine that shows well, and has a tremendous finish. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But I have to say the wine that totally knocked my socks off was his 2008 Zinfandel ($40). It was my favorite wine of the entire weekend. For me it was a classic California Zinfandel. It had bright fruit, balanced acidity and notes of blackberry, anise and pepper. It is a beautiful wine that had me thinking about it the entire weekend.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Justin Winery</b>- Our next stop was Justin, while we were there because they had a Holiday Party Open House, where we could tour the Justin home (which is beautiful) we also had tasting of some of their fine wines. My favorites were Isosceles ($63) and Justification ($45). We also had tasting so the Reserve Isosceles ($75), not my favorite and I really do not see much difference in the two Isosceles available; I would much rather drink the regular and save some money. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>kukkula</b>- Following Justin we headed down the road to a new winery for me, kukkula, a winery from a Finish family. In September of 2010, kukkula completed construction on their winery and tasting room. The modern structure is partially dug into the hillside and incorporates innovative materials, such as rust colored insulated panels, and gabion rock cages. The vineyard uses dry farming to bring out the most in the fruit, and the wines show that character. My favorite wine was their GSM, called sisu ($30). It was a typical GSM (which I love) with notes of <b><span style="font-weight: normal;">blackberry, cherry, violet.</span> </b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Mondo- </b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">It was getting late in the day and we decided to hit one more. One couple in our group is a wine club member of Mondo, so we ventured to their beautiful tasting room. If you like inexpensive Rhone and Bordeaux style wines, and then I suggest Mondo. The wines ranged in price from $16 to $24 a bottle and you can’t go wrong with any of them. If you want easy drinking every day wines, then I suggest the </span></b>The Truck ($18) a blend of 25% Zinfandel, 13% Syrah, 13% Merlot, 13% Petite Sirah, 12% Mourvedre, 12% Tempranillo and 12% Tannat. Or the La Rocca ($20) a smooth, velvety red Rhone blend of 56% Grenache, 16% Mourvedre, 15% Petite Sirah and 13% Syrah. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For dinner we ended up at Chico’s Caffe in downtown Paso Robles, it was nice that they could get us in on a short notice with our party of 9. I highly recommend Chico’s for seafood. The prices were right and the wine list (yes after wine tasting all day we were able to kill off two more bottles) is excellent. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cheers-</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tim</span><a href="http://www.mondocellars.com/store/wine.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=17&category_id=6" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" title="Product Details"><span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></a><a href="http://www.mondocellars.com/store/wine.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=37&category_id=6" title="Product Details"><span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></a></div>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-62643093484114041182011-11-14T12:19:00.000-08:002011-11-14T12:19:16.177-08:00Robert Parker's latest.... what do you think?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">US wine critic Robert Parker<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> has </span>admitted to Wine Future Hong Kong that his star may be on "wane" but that his influence<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> has </span>always been greatly over played. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In a press conference prior to his public tasting Parker was in relaxed mood telling journalists that he was now just a "fat old happy Buddha" who they could come to for<span id="dtx-highlighting-item"> some </span>"wisdom".</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">He said he hoped the high prices surrounding recent Bordeaux vintages "had now run their course". "For all the things that have been written about me I am a consumer of wine and drink wine every day" and that it was not in his desire to see prices out of touch with the market.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Really? Do you really believe this?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">How often has the wine rating influenced your decision to buy a particular wine? Come on be honest here…</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Cheers-</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Tim</span>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-54287148320445381912011-11-07T10:35:00.000-08:002011-11-07T10:36:30.522-08:00We're (California) #1.... who is #2?<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">New York sits in the number two spot for domestic wine production. California is number one. Each year New York's wine production brings in more than 20 million dollars - an amount state officials would like to increase.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Recently the New York State Liquor Store Association mailed out posters to stores kicking off the "Fall in love with NY wines" promotion.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Have you had a NY wine recently? If so tell me about it. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cheers</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tim</span>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-61717536343275119572011-10-17T11:21:00.000-07:002011-11-07T10:37:32.635-08:00Is Sea Smoke getting a bit cocky?<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">New for the 2<span id="dtx-highlighting-item">0</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item">0</span>9 vintage: Sea Smoke of Santa Barbara is putting “California Grand Cru” on the label. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The term is pure marketing. Needless to say, there is no codified “cru” system of California. However, the term does not fall afoul of the protected terms negotiated in the EU-US accord on place names. The labels previously read “Santa Barbara County California.” </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After eyeing it for some time, Bob Davids acquired an apparently gorgeous, 35<span id="dtx-highlighting-item">0</span>-acre parcel in the Santa Rita Hills in 1999 for his label Sea Smoke. According to North American Pinot Noir, it was previously a bean field. He immediately developed about 1<span id="dtx-highlighting-item">0</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item">0 </span>acres into vineyards; the first vintage was 2<span id="dtx-highlighting-item">0</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item">0</span>1. The winery produces four pinot noirs and two chardonnays; all bear the term “California Grand Cru” for the 2<span id="dtx-highlighting-item">0</span><span id="dtx-highlighting-item">0</span>9 vintage. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Queried about their decision to use their term, Director of Winemaking Victor Gallegos talked about a Wine Spectator article in which James Laube called Sea Smoke “an important part of Santa Barbara’s wine scene and one of its ‘grand cru’ properties.”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Frankly... I wonder what they are Sea Smokin... </span>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-59151300101616925362011-10-13T13:05:00.001-07:002011-10-13T13:05:49.612-07:002012 Vintners Hall of Fame inductees<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) today announced that its 2012 Vintners Hall of Fame inductees will be Peter Mondavi, Sr., of Charles Krug Winery; Professor Albert Winkler of UC Davis; Joe Heitz of Heitz Cellars in the Napa Valley; former Beringer winemaker Myron Nightingale; Mendocino County pioneer John Parducci; and legendary South Coast vintner Richard Sanford. Dr. Eugene Hilgard, one of the fathers of modern soil science, was previously elected unanimously by the Nominating Committee.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span> <br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The official induction of the 2012 Vintners Hall of Fame honorees will take place on February 20, 2012 at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, in St. Helena, CA, as part of the college’s 6th Annual Vintners Hall of Fame Induction Celebration.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“These inductees are the leaders who helped California become the center of the American wine industry while producing some of the best wines in the world,” said CIA President Dr. Tim Ryan. “The Culinary Institute of America is proud to host the Vintners Hall of Fame and honor the class of 2012 for their accomplishments at making California wines so extraordinary and successful.”</div>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-32723526296077342252011-09-24T11:40:00.000-07:002011-09-24T11:40:30.302-07:00Funny wine video<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9lIvGuCPZOc" width="640"></iframe>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-25187852826840896662011-09-23T10:59:00.001-07:002011-09-23T10:59:27.414-07:00Have you hugged your Grenache today?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Today is International Grenache Day! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The idea of <strong>International Grenache Day</strong> grew out of the success of last year’s International Grenache Symposium in the Rhone Valley.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Last year the first International Grenache Symposium in the village of Crestet in the Southern Rhone attracted 250 wine producers – including Randall Grahm of<strong> Bonny Doon</strong>, Vincent Avril of <strong>Clos des Papes</strong> in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Chester Osborn of d’Arenberg and South Africa’s <strong>Eben Sadie</strong>.<br />
<br />
Events include a Grenache wine treasure hunt in South Africa run by wine journalist Michael Fridjhon, in Australia renowned producers such as <strong>Hewitson, D’Arenberg, Henschke </strong>and <strong>Torbreck</strong> are supporting the event, as are wine retailers and other professionals in California, Spain, Hong Kong, Brazil, London and Singapore.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Have a glass of Grenache tonight to celebrate!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Cheers</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Tim</span>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-56654926471167812952011-09-16T08:50:00.000-07:002011-09-16T08:51:05.262-07:00Zaca Mesa hires new assistant wine maker Kristin Bryden<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Just in time for harvest, Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyard has appointed Kristin Bryden to the new post of Assistant Winemaker. Kristin began her employment with the award-winning estate winery on August 15.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“We are delighted to have someone of Kristin’s caliber on our team,” said Zaca Mesa President and CEO, Brook Williams. “She has just the right blend of practical experience and creativity in the cellar that complements our wines.”</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Originally from Redding, California, Kristin is a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo where she studied Food Science and gained an interest in winemaking. Starting her professional career at Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards in Templeton, California, Kristin worked her way from a production technician to an enologist, and eventually to Assistant Winemaker in 2006. In that position, she managed the lab and assisted in the planning and execution of all winemaking activities, with an emphasis on quality control. Kristin also benefited from the Wild Horse Vineyards’ diverse collection of winegrape varieties, allowing her to explore their many profiles and associated styles.</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Zaca Mesa Winery, located in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County, California, is dedicated to estate grown and bottled Rhône varietal wines. They hand craft their wines with integrity using traditional methods from grapes sustainably grown in their vineyard.</span>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-47148785548371262082011-09-07T12:38:00.000-07:002011-09-07T12:38:21.329-07:00Are you ready for wine in a can?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">French filler Cacolac has signed a contract with Australian company Barokes Pty Ltd (now registered in Europe as Vinsafe International Pty Ltd) licensing them to fill wine in a can using Barokes' Vinsafe technology. The Vinsafe process is the only wine-in-a-can packaging system, combining long shelf life with high product quality and managed by global patents. Cacolac is the second European filling facility to be awarded this license after the Spanish company Font Salem. <strong>Ball Packaging Europe</strong>, one of the leading European beverage can manufacturers, is the only European supplier of Vinsafe cans for wine using Barokes' technology. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">The market for wine in cans offers great potential, as the double-digit growth of sales figures for Europe in recent years demonstrate. Reasons for that development are changing market structures as well as new trends in consumer behavior. Small-sized cans with a volume of 200 to 250 ml are particularly attractive to consumers who only enjoy wine occasionally or in single-serve quantities such as in single households.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Cacolac is based in Léognan, just south of Bordeaux, within one of France's premium wine-growing regions. In early August, the Cacolac facility underwent a comprehensive Vinsafe accreditation process to fill wine in a can. In May, the Spanish filler Font Salem became the first company licensed to fill wine in a can.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><br />
Only accredited and certified (Vinsafe) filling facilities can be relied on by wine producers to ensure the consistent quality of their wine in a can products thus offering unique protection to this new global wine category.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-20560577427172739712011-05-20T09:59:00.001-07:002011-05-20T09:59:50.551-07:00Upcoming local wine events!<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Upcoming local wine events!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">Casa Pacifica, Sunday June 5</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Casa Pacifica Angels Wine & Food Festival showcases the culinary creations of the area's finest restaurants and caterers from Santa Barbara to the Conejo Valley and award-winning wineries and vineyards from throughout California's rich wine-producing regions, as well as many marvelous micro-breweries.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://shop.cpwineandfoodfestival.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial;">http://shop.cpwineandfoodfestival.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">Ojai Wine Festival, Sunday June 12</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Come celebrate the Rotary Club of Ojai-West's 25th anniversary of the Ojai Wine Festival! From its humble beginning in 1987, the annual Ojai Wine Festival has grown into a leading regional event attracting nearly 5,000 people from throughout the Central Coast and Southern California. In the last few years the number of attending wineries has doubled to over sixty. We have a fantastic variety of breweries as well.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.ojaiwinefestival.com/about.html"><span style="font-family: Arial;">http://www.ojaiwinefestival.com/about.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-17817015626280499172011-05-13T09:38:00.000-07:002011-05-13T09:38:37.821-07:00How can you tell when you get a bad bottle of wine? <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">One of the most common wine questions I get is, "How do you tell if a bottle of a wine that you got at a restaurant is bad? I never know when to send one back." </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Let me start by saying what does <em>not</em> constitute a bad bottle. </span></div><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A bottle is not bad just because you don't like the wine. There are many variations in wine-making style, so a bottle that doesn't suit your preferences is not necessarily defective. Of course, the sommelier should help you select a bottle that's to your liking, but ultimately only you are responsible for your personal tastes. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A bottle is not bad just because the label is damaged. Most wine travels thousands of miles to get to you, and there are plenty of opportunities for bumping and grinding. Likewise, in a cellar where thousands of bottles are stored together, one bottle can break, leaking wine onto hundreds of others. This does not affect the wine inside the intact bottles. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A bottle is not bad just because it has little white crystals accumulated at the bottom or adhering to the cork. These crystals (called tartrate) are a natural by-product of unfiltered, unprocessed fine wines and are totally harmless. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A bottle is not "corked" just because it has bits of cork in it (all this means is that an inexperienced waiter pushed the corkscrew all the way through the cork, thus forcing pieces into the wine) or because it has an unsightly or even moldy cork. The term corked has a very specific meaning, which I'll explain in a moment. </span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">There are essentially four things that constitute defects in a bottle of wine such that you should send it back: It can be corked, oxidized, maderized or refermented. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">Corked</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Corks are natural products, and some microorganisms like to eat them. A wine is properly said to be corked when it has come in contact with a contaminated cork during the aging process. The results of this contamination are almost always unmistakable: The wine will smell like a wet basement after a flood or dirty socks left in the hamper a little too long: moldy, nasty and not at all enticing to the taster. On the palate, it will be astringent, lacking in fruit, with a raspy finish. Sometimes you may even notice a paint-thinner quality. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Still, when you catch a wine in the earliest stages of being corked, there may be some doubt -- here, all I can say is that the more you taste wine, the higher sensitivity you will attain in identifying corked wines. Also, if a wine is served too cold, you may not catch the telltale aromas on the initial offering. This isn't your fault, and you are still well within your rights to send the bottle back once the defect becomes clear. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">You cannot, however, discover a corked wine by smelling the cork. Many fine wines have issued from bottles with funky-smelling corks, and vice versa. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">Oxidized</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Oxygen is wine's invisible enemy, and when a wine gets exposed to air, it becomes "oxidized." The result is flat, lifeless wine that loses its pretty, vibrant fruit scents and tastes insipid -- it will likely remind you of vinegar. The trained eye will also often notice a certain dullness in the color. In whites, it can be light to dark yellow or even brownish. It is much less obvious in red wines. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">Maderized</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Heat is another destructive force exerted on wine, usually as a result of bad storage. When one says a wine is "maderized," it has been literally baked (this often happens in the holds of cargo ships as they cross the oceans in summertime). It actually tastes like Madeira and is reminiscent of almonds and candied fruits -- admirable qualities in dessert wines but unacceptable in dry wines. You may also notice, in the unopened bottle, that the cork is pushed partly out of the neck (due to expansion within). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">Refermented</span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Fine wine is a living thing, the product of controlled fermentation. Occasionally, some residual, dormant yeasts will wake up, and a wine will undergo a second fermentation after it has been released and shipped. This manifests itself as effervescence, or fizziness, on the tongue. Of course, this is desirable in champagne (which is purposely refermented in the bottle in order to create the bubbles), but never in fine still wine.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It's difficult to learn to identify these flaws just by reading about them. Only experience and time will give you the training you need to spot every defect. But if you think a bottle is bad, ask the sommelier for confirmation. Don't be afraid -- at any reputable establishment the sommelier will not take a rejected bottle personally (not that you should care if he or she does). It is, after all, a statistical certainty that a certain percentage of wines will go bad through no fault of the restaurant. Some of these we can return to our distributors for credit; with others we'll just take the loss. </span></div>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-20082900795371038042011-04-26T13:59:00.000-07:002011-04-26T13:59:21.150-07:00Here comes Grüner Veltliner<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-family: Arial; font-style: normal;"><b></b></span></em><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">With the weather warming up, there is one white wine that I have been enjoying lately. According to the Grape Crush Report from the USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service, California processors didn’t crush any Grüner Veltliner in 2008. By 2009, 5.2 tons were processed in Napa County; 149.9 tons in Monterey County and 14.4 tons in San Louis Obispo, bringing the statewide total to 169.5 tons. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Grüner Veltliner (GV) represents approximately one-third of all winegrapes grown in Austria. As a wine, the variety exhibits fruity melon-like qualities with spicy white pepper and subtle licorice root notes. It has a wide range of regional styles, but is usually vinified dry and consumed young. It’s said to pair well with tricky foods such as asparagus and artichokes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Limited quantities are planted in other states also, including Maryland, Pennsylvania and Oregon.</span><br />
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</b><strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">California GV growers</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Von Strasser Winery (3,000 cases), in northern Napa Valley’s Calistoga, claims to be the first to produce Grüner Veltliner commercially in California. Rudy von Strasser planted a 1-acre vineyard on Diamond Mountain in 2005. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Currently, von Strasser is on his third vintage of Grüner Veltliner. His first bottling in 2007 was a test run of only 28 bottles. In 2008, he produced 60 cases. By 2009, case output increased to 177 cases; that vintage produced the first sizable yield. The wine retails at $40 per 750ml bottle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Burgundian winemaker Christian Roguenant, at Niven Family Wine Estates in San Luis Obispo, debuted his first 926-case vintage of Grüner in 2009, retailing at $20 per 750ml bottle. Zocker, the German word for “Gambler” was made from Paragon Vineyard Grüner planted in 2006 from vines acquired at Sunridge Nurseries, Bakersfield, Calif. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Andrew Jones, Sunridge Nurseries’ vineyard representative, estimates that there are about 10 to 20 acres of Grüner in Monterey County, about 15 acres in the Santa Rita Hills of Santa Barbara County, and 12 acres in San Luis Obispo County.</span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Roguenant says he is happily surprised that so far Grüner looks like a sturdy variety. He says that appropriate canopy management is key. “To get less tropical, estery qualities and more mineral qualities, the fruit needs shade. The berries can handle heat stress fairly well. Three to four days this year it was 110°F in the vineyard, and it stood up well. It has only been two years, so we’re still just learning.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">Clarksburg weighs in</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Dancing Coyote Wines, Acampo, Calif., had roughly 7.5 acres of Grüner planted in 2007. Its first crop yielded 400 cases in 2009. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Around 2005, Tom McCormack, owner of 8,000-case Dancing Coyote, noticed GV was being offered by the glass in trendy restaurants and wine bars. The fad inspired McCormack, who says he strives to plant varieties not typically grown in California. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Chad Joseph, Dancing Coyote winemaker, reports his Grüner-growing experience: “The Clarksburg appellation in the Sacramento Valley heats up during the day, but pulls in a cool maritime breeze in the evening, so it responded really well to the Delta weather. We have it trained on a standard California T-trellis. It’s a hearty grape with large berries, and can potentially produce good tonnage, so you have to stay on top of pruning.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">He also cautions that it’s still too early to know precisely how Grüner will fare in California, since he’s still learning its ripening patterns and crop loads. “It was the first to be picked in 2009 and the last in 2010. It’s a healthy canopy without being overly vigorous, as we harvested 4 tons per acre this year.” </span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">I would suggest popping over to one of your local wine stores and picking up a few different bottles of Grüner Veltliner, and please let me know what you think!</span>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-33848288913109237862011-04-14T07:48:00.000-07:002011-04-14T07:48:38.474-07:00Sonoma Barrel Tasting 2011 videoHere is a little video I made of the Barrel Tasting trip in Sonoma this year. Enjoy<br />
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Tim<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTHLR47dz_M">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTHLR47dz_M</a>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730667874178778629.post-1548881676533430502011-03-09T12:41:00.000-08:002011-03-09T12:45:12.671-08:00Magnavino Cellars wines on Celebrity Apprentice<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Ventura County’s own Magnavino Cellars is thrilled to announce that their wines will be showcased on this Season of the "Celebrity Apprentice".</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The Celebrity Apprentice is one of the hottest shows on television. Using their fame, along with a rolodex of contacts and their business acumen, 16 celebrities will be competing against one another to raise money and awareness for their respective charities. Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. will be joined by Eric Trump to help advise their father on which celebrities should advance each week.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">During each episode, from the comfort of their respective war rooms, the winning team will have the privilege of watching the losing team squirm under the scrutiny of Mr. Donald Trump in the boardroom. Magnavino Cellars is honored to announce that the winning Celebrities will be enjoying their wines while they relax and Celebrate their Victories.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The show airs Sunday Nights, check your local listing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The women include: Hope Dworaczyk, La Toya Jackson, Star Jones, NeNe Leakes, Marlee Matlin, Lisa Rinna, Niki Taylor and Dionne Warwick.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">The men include: Gary Busey, Jose Canseco, David Cassidy, Richard Hatch, Lil Jon, Meat Loaf, Mark McGrath and John Rich.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.magnavino.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://www.magnavino.com/ </span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Cheers-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">Tim</span>Sommelier Sayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03875894873585269044noreply@blogger.com0