I will be at Zaca Mesa this coming Saturday night at their annual Black Bear Syrah release party! I plan on doing some wine tasting on Sunday morning, any suggestions for some place new?
http://www.zacamesa.com/news_and_events
Cheers-
Tim
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Magnavino Petite Sirah
I was at Magnavino Cellars yesterday enjoying their new tasting room and wines, then Rob took us into the barrel room and we sampled his 2009 vintages. I would buy a case of his 2009 Petite Sirah right now! Wow that is going to be an amazing wine. Good job Rob!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Magnavino opens this weekend!
Our friends Rob and Barbara Wagner are finally opening their doors to their beautiful tasting room in Oxnard.
I was there last week and it was amazing, and the wines are pretty darn good as well.
Check out their website and head on over this weekend.
http://www.magnavino.com/
Cheers
Tim
I was there last week and it was amazing, and the wines are pretty darn good as well.
Check out their website and head on over this weekend.
http://www.magnavino.com/
Cheers
Tim
Friday, May 28, 2010
Sommelier Say May 27, 2010
Hey there fans, I have had a number of emails and calls lately wondering what happened to my newsletter and me! We I am alive and well and very busy doing my day job and some other wine things right now. My day job (NASA) has been keeping me traveling back and forth to Boulder Colorado a few times a month and that really keeps me from getting too involved with wineries and wine bars.. as right now the government job is the one that pays the bills (unless someone out there wants to hire a full time Sommelier??).
The wine events I have been doing are a side of my business that a few of you might not know about, at-home wine parties. All you need to do is invite 10 of your wine friends over to your home and have each couple bring a bottle of wine in a paper bag. I will take care of the rest!
This will be a fun and educational evening where you and your friends will learn wine-tasting techniques used by the pros as well as some fun wine facts along the way.
During this 2-hour event, Wine-Sommelier.Com will supply the wine glasses and all of the wine tasting materials. This tasting event is limited to 12 people. It is suggested that the host of the wine tasting event supply appetizers as well.
If this sounds like fun to you, drop me a note and we can work it out and have some fun tasting wines!
I have some things in the works at local wineries and locations and soon I will be back out there in the public eye doing more exciting wine events.
Memorial Day weekend…. It is going to be 85 degrees…. Sounds like Summertime Wine Time!
Sit back… relax… take a deep breath… my first choice for the Summertime is…
Rosé:
After gaining great momentum elsewhere (less so in the US), the oft-dissed pink wine has made the covers of recent Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast magazines. Ah, respect. Made from every grape imaginable, today’s rosés often have surprising complexity to go with summery crispness. (Try Fiddleheads, Pink Fiddle- this Pinot Noir, also very nice is Cantara’s Cellars Syrah Rosé
Vinho verde:
A bit of effervescence helps make this light-bodied Portuguese wine (usually white; the red version rarely gets here) a natural for patio sipping. The lower alcohol content and citrusy notes are especially nice on scorching midsummer afternoons. (Check out your local wine shop or BevMo and look at their selections, the nice thing as these wines are usually under $15 a bottle!)
Chenin Blanc:
U.S. renditions of this dry white used to be largely plonk but have improved markedly. There also is no shortage of nifty versions from France’s Loire and Languedoc regions, South Africa (where it’s called Steen) and Argentina (as pinot blanco). (Herzog Cellars has a very nice Chenin Blanc for only $8, I do suggest this wine to be added to your Summer Wine list!)
Torrontes: Speaking of Argentina, this native grape of the South American nation provides quality at several price points. Its floral, peachy qualities mask a wine of surprising depth that matches up well with most grilled dishes, especially spicy ones. (I had a 2009 Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes from BevMo a few weeks ago, and it a very nice balance between fruit and acidity)
Pinot Noir:
Doing a mixed grill, especially surf-and-turf? Here’s your ideal wine for pairing with everything from salmon to steak to lamb chops. The more acidic versions from Oregon and Burgundy tend to be a bit more food-friendly than the California fruit bombs. (Anything from the Santa Rita Hills, or try something from the Williamette Valley in Oregon!)
More of my favorite sipping wines for summer are California Viognier, rich and ripe fruit similar to Torrontes with fresh exotic floral notes and the heady aroma of a richly blooming garden at night. Rieslings and of course the easy pick is Sauvignon Blanc(Check out Magnavino to try their new vintages of Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc, I had a bottle of the Sauvignon Blanc a few weeks ago, it was refreshing and delicious!)
The wine events I have been doing are a side of my business that a few of you might not know about, at-home wine parties. All you need to do is invite 10 of your wine friends over to your home and have each couple bring a bottle of wine in a paper bag. I will take care of the rest!
This will be a fun and educational evening where you and your friends will learn wine-tasting techniques used by the pros as well as some fun wine facts along the way.
During this 2-hour event, Wine-Sommelier.Com will supply the wine glasses and all of the wine tasting materials. This tasting event is limited to 12 people. It is suggested that the host of the wine tasting event supply appetizers as well.
If this sounds like fun to you, drop me a note and we can work it out and have some fun tasting wines!
I have some things in the works at local wineries and locations and soon I will be back out there in the public eye doing more exciting wine events.
Memorial Day weekend…. It is going to be 85 degrees…. Sounds like Summertime Wine Time!
Sit back… relax… take a deep breath… my first choice for the Summertime is…
Rosé:
After gaining great momentum elsewhere (less so in the US), the oft-dissed pink wine has made the covers of recent Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast magazines. Ah, respect. Made from every grape imaginable, today’s rosés often have surprising complexity to go with summery crispness. (Try Fiddleheads, Pink Fiddle- this Pinot Noir, also very nice is Cantara’s Cellars Syrah Rosé
Vinho verde:
A bit of effervescence helps make this light-bodied Portuguese wine (usually white; the red version rarely gets here) a natural for patio sipping. The lower alcohol content and citrusy notes are especially nice on scorching midsummer afternoons. (Check out your local wine shop or BevMo and look at their selections, the nice thing as these wines are usually under $15 a bottle!)
Chenin Blanc:
U.S. renditions of this dry white used to be largely plonk but have improved markedly. There also is no shortage of nifty versions from France’s Loire and Languedoc regions, South Africa (where it’s called Steen) and Argentina (as pinot blanco). (Herzog Cellars has a very nice Chenin Blanc for only $8, I do suggest this wine to be added to your Summer Wine list!)
Torrontes: Speaking of Argentina, this native grape of the South American nation provides quality at several price points. Its floral, peachy qualities mask a wine of surprising depth that matches up well with most grilled dishes, especially spicy ones. (I had a 2009 Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes from BevMo a few weeks ago, and it a very nice balance between fruit and acidity)
Pinot Noir:
Doing a mixed grill, especially surf-and-turf? Here’s your ideal wine for pairing with everything from salmon to steak to lamb chops. The more acidic versions from Oregon and Burgundy tend to be a bit more food-friendly than the California fruit bombs. (Anything from the Santa Rita Hills, or try something from the Williamette Valley in Oregon!)
More of my favorite sipping wines for summer are California Viognier, rich and ripe fruit similar to Torrontes with fresh exotic floral notes and the heady aroma of a richly blooming garden at night. Rieslings and of course the easy pick is Sauvignon Blanc(Check out Magnavino to try their new vintages of Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc, I had a bottle of the Sauvignon Blanc a few weeks ago, it was refreshing and delicious!)
Monday, March 15, 2010
Sommelier Says March 10, 2010
March 10, 2010
The Sommelier Says….
Hello and welcome to the newsletter for http://www.wine-sommelier.com/
Social Networking and wine
Twitter, Facebook, Blogs and YouTube. With all the various ways to communicate about wine (and myriad other pursuits), it’s a wonder we have any time left to sip and enjoy wine.
This may be why, according to a new study that 700,000 people watch wine-related videos each month. There are over 7,000 wine tweets per day, and over 1,300 bloggers focusing on wine. And the wine experience has become portable, with more than 300 iPhone apps.
Most-watched Wine Videos
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most-watched online videos are not educational, but entertainment-oriented
1.Wine in an upside down glass trick
2. Drink to your health
3. Borat’s guide to wine tasting
Top Wine Blogs (measured by frequency in audience interaction over the previous 3 months)
The action on the top blogs centers around getting and giving specific recommendations.
1. Wine Library TV
2. 1 Wine Dude
3. DRINKnectar
Top Wine Tweeters (measured by number of followers)
In the 140-character world of Twitter, what brings in the followers is equal parts relevance and entertainment. The top Tweeters also are the ones who also take time to respond to followers.
1. @Jancisrobinson
2. @winetwits
3. @garyvee
Top Facebook Fan Pages (measured by number of fans/friends)
Note that all three are wineries, not wine critics or personalities. According to Song, “engagement” is what differentiates these three from the pack. “There’s a lot of activity, both from the vineyard and the fans, talking about their experience, sharing it. There are images, videos, even events for customers and fans, giving them a reason to return and participate.”
(And if you’re wondering why Jancis Robinson doesn’t dominate Facebook the way she does Twitter: she doesn’t have a page. She noted recently on Twitter, “My kids won’t let me do Facebook.”)
1. Barefoot Wine & Bubbly
2. Due vigne di familia
3. Bounty Hunter Rare Wine & Provisions
Most-searched Wine Terms
Screening out the most obvious terms (“wine,” “alcohol,” etc.), the wine terms most often searched on the Internet are:
1. Champagne
2. Red wine
3. Cabernet
4. Cellars
5. Pinot
6. Vineyard
7. White wine
8. Merlot
9. Sauvignon
What are some of your favorite online sites?
2010 Barrel Tasting weekend
Check out my video of the weekend!
http://gallery.me.com/sommeliertim#100002
Upcoming Events:
April- Two new wineries are coming to our area!
The first is Magnavino Cellars, the work of Robert and Barbara Wagner. I have tasted their wines and it looks like we have some exciting things coming soon. You can signup for the grand opening at:
The second is Four Brix Winery, Their release party is on April 24th 2010 at Lost Canyons in Simi Valley. Check their website for upcoming news and events.
www.fourbrixwine.com
Cheers-
Tim
If you would like to be removed from this list, please reply to me at
tim@wine-sommelier.com and request removal from this list.
If you know someone that wants this list, please have him or her send me an email requesting to be included too!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Sommelier Says
January 25, 2010
The Sommelier Says….
Hello and welcome to the newsletter for http://www.wine-sommelier.com/
Some Wine Tasting Tips
When wine tasting, do you go with the mindset in buying more wines for your cellar, or are you just going out there to see what’s new. Either way, I have a few tips for you.
1) First do some research on the various wineries in the area you are visiting. Find those that have what you are looking for. Do you like Italian varietals? Whites only? Sweet wines or big red wines? Every winery has a different expertise in wine-making styles. Find the ones that make what you might be looking for.
2) When visiting wineries, take notes. Every winery has a sheet with tasting notes or a price list. Use those lists to make a few notes on the nose, and taste of the wines as you taste them. You can use this information when you finish tasting the 7 or 8 wines to decide what you liked and did not like. (I actually keep those as my records of the wines I have enjoyed and not enjoyed).
3) Give yourself a budget- by this I mean figure out what wines you need and how much you want to spend on each type. For example, after the Summer time heat, I am usually low on white wines, so I spend some time restocking those varietals.
4) Buy what you like, but look at what you might be eating while wine tasting and how that affects the taste of the wines. For example a few years back a few of us went wine tasting and we wandered upon a little winery, the wines were not anything to write home about, until the wife of the winemaker brought out of BBQ meatballs to have with the wines. Four of us ended up walking out of there with cases of wines. Later, at home, opening the wines, I ended up using most of them for cooking.
5) If you find wines you enjoy at a winery, ask someone there who else in the area makes wines in that style- I have been very pleasantly surprised when a winery refers me to another local winery, one that might not have been on my radar.
6) While wine-tasting it is okay to dump your wine if you do not like it… or spit (your wine) into the dump bucket. No one will think anything less of you.
Café Firenza- Redo
We had not been back to Café Firenza since ‘the boys’ left and we thought we would give them a try. So one recent Friday afternoon I gave them a call to get reservations for that night (something that was impossible to do a few months ago) and I got in at the time I requested- no problems.
We were seated in the old deli area, which they have turned into a nice dining room, and our waiter gave us the menus and wine lists and I selected a wine. The waiter then said they might be out of it and that he would have to check. Ten minutes later he came back (had not taken our diner order yet) with the bottle of wine and I asked for it to be decanted, as it was an older bottle. He then said he wasn’t sure if they had any decanters… apparently they had a large party the week before and they broke a number of them. About 10 minutes after he told us that, he came back with the decanter and opened the bottle of wine to pour into the decanter. At this point he took our order.
We then waited for 35 minutes for our salads to arrive, during that time he never came back to check on us or pour any wine from the decanter. When the salads arrived they were very good. Shortly they’re after our main courses arrived. The food was excellent- something that I had always expected from Café Firenza.
Following the meal we decided on dessert- looking at the menu we both decided – since we were getting the true Italian 3-hour dining experience, we decided upon a glass of Lemonchello. A typical after dinner drink in an Italian restaurant. Unfortunately the waiter told us that they were out of it, even though it was on the wine list. That was the third time during the 3-hour meal that he apologized to us.
So my overall impression, the food was great, service not so much. I had come to expect a certain level of personal service from Café Firenza, that was totally lacking on this recent visit. How has your experience been there recently? Drop me a note and let me know if my experience was a fluke or the standard now.
Camarillo Crush Wine Tasting Weekends
This past weekend a few of us ventured out to a new wine tasting location in the Ventura County- The Camarillo Crush. Located just over the bridge on Lewis (Lewis exit off the 101). At the light, turn into the Imitation Business Complex. Unit C.
The Camarillo Crush has over 40 wine labels that come from this location, many of them are very small production, and some are becoming cult classics in wine collecting circles.
Every weekend they will be open for wine tasting from 11-5pm, and they will offer up to three of the wineries selections for tasting. This list will change every weekend. The weekend we went, they were pouring Zuma, Graystarr, and Consensio Cellars. I ended up buying a bottle from each!
Give them a try and let me know what wines you discover there!
http://camarillocustomcrush.com/
Upcoming Events:
March 6/7- 32nd annual Barrel Tasting along the Wine Road! 100+ Wineries! To taste at any of the participating wineries these weekends, you will need to purchase the Barrel Tasting ticket ($20 available online on January 18).
http://www.wineroad.com/annualevents/3
My current plans are to fly up, Burbank to Oakland on Southwest airlines on Early Saturday morning the 6th of March.
Flight:
March 6- Southwest Flight 888, Departs Burbank @ 7:10am, Arrives in Oakland @ 8:25. “Wanna get away fare” $59
March 7- Southwest Flight 1046, Departs Oakland @ 8:00pm, Arrives in Burbank @ 9:05- Web Fare $82.
Total cost airfare per person: $141
Hotel:
March 6- Travel Lodge Healdsburg, 178 Dry Creek Rd, Healdsburg, CA, 95448
$150 a night
http://www.healdsburglodge.com/
Let me know your thoughts and drop me a note by January 25th if you are serious about coming along.
April- Two new wineries are coming to our area!
The first is Magnavino Cellars, the work of Robert and Barbara Wagner. I have tasted their wines and it looks like we have some exciting things coming soon. You can signup for the grand opening at:
http://www.magnavino.com/
The second is Four Brix Winery, Their release party is on April 24th 2010 at Lost Canyons in Simi Valley. Check their website for upcoming news and events.
www.fourbrixwine.com
Cheers-
Tim
The Sommelier Says….
Hello and welcome to the newsletter for http://www.wine-sommelier.com/
Some Wine Tasting Tips
When wine tasting, do you go with the mindset in buying more wines for your cellar, or are you just going out there to see what’s new. Either way, I have a few tips for you.
1) First do some research on the various wineries in the area you are visiting. Find those that have what you are looking for. Do you like Italian varietals? Whites only? Sweet wines or big red wines? Every winery has a different expertise in wine-making styles. Find the ones that make what you might be looking for.
2) When visiting wineries, take notes. Every winery has a sheet with tasting notes or a price list. Use those lists to make a few notes on the nose, and taste of the wines as you taste them. You can use this information when you finish tasting the 7 or 8 wines to decide what you liked and did not like. (I actually keep those as my records of the wines I have enjoyed and not enjoyed).
3) Give yourself a budget- by this I mean figure out what wines you need and how much you want to spend on each type. For example, after the Summer time heat, I am usually low on white wines, so I spend some time restocking those varietals.
4) Buy what you like, but look at what you might be eating while wine tasting and how that affects the taste of the wines. For example a few years back a few of us went wine tasting and we wandered upon a little winery, the wines were not anything to write home about, until the wife of the winemaker brought out of BBQ meatballs to have with the wines. Four of us ended up walking out of there with cases of wines. Later, at home, opening the wines, I ended up using most of them for cooking.
5) If you find wines you enjoy at a winery, ask someone there who else in the area makes wines in that style- I have been very pleasantly surprised when a winery refers me to another local winery, one that might not have been on my radar.
6) While wine-tasting it is okay to dump your wine if you do not like it… or spit (your wine) into the dump bucket. No one will think anything less of you.
Café Firenza- Redo
We had not been back to Café Firenza since ‘the boys’ left and we thought we would give them a try. So one recent Friday afternoon I gave them a call to get reservations for that night (something that was impossible to do a few months ago) and I got in at the time I requested- no problems.
We were seated in the old deli area, which they have turned into a nice dining room, and our waiter gave us the menus and wine lists and I selected a wine. The waiter then said they might be out of it and that he would have to check. Ten minutes later he came back (had not taken our diner order yet) with the bottle of wine and I asked for it to be decanted, as it was an older bottle. He then said he wasn’t sure if they had any decanters… apparently they had a large party the week before and they broke a number of them. About 10 minutes after he told us that, he came back with the decanter and opened the bottle of wine to pour into the decanter. At this point he took our order.
We then waited for 35 minutes for our salads to arrive, during that time he never came back to check on us or pour any wine from the decanter. When the salads arrived they were very good. Shortly they’re after our main courses arrived. The food was excellent- something that I had always expected from Café Firenza.
Following the meal we decided on dessert- looking at the menu we both decided – since we were getting the true Italian 3-hour dining experience, we decided upon a glass of Lemonchello. A typical after dinner drink in an Italian restaurant. Unfortunately the waiter told us that they were out of it, even though it was on the wine list. That was the third time during the 3-hour meal that he apologized to us.
So my overall impression, the food was great, service not so much. I had come to expect a certain level of personal service from Café Firenza, that was totally lacking on this recent visit. How has your experience been there recently? Drop me a note and let me know if my experience was a fluke or the standard now.
Camarillo Crush Wine Tasting Weekends
This past weekend a few of us ventured out to a new wine tasting location in the Ventura County- The Camarillo Crush. Located just over the bridge on Lewis (Lewis exit off the 101). At the light, turn into the Imitation Business Complex. Unit C.
The Camarillo Crush has over 40 wine labels that come from this location, many of them are very small production, and some are becoming cult classics in wine collecting circles.
Every weekend they will be open for wine tasting from 11-5pm, and they will offer up to three of the wineries selections for tasting. This list will change every weekend. The weekend we went, they were pouring Zuma, Graystarr, and Consensio Cellars. I ended up buying a bottle from each!
Give them a try and let me know what wines you discover there!
http://camarillocustomcrush.com/
Upcoming Events:
March 6/7- 32nd annual Barrel Tasting along the Wine Road! 100+ Wineries! To taste at any of the participating wineries these weekends, you will need to purchase the Barrel Tasting ticket ($20 available online on January 18).
http://www.wineroad.com/annualevents/3
My current plans are to fly up, Burbank to Oakland on Southwest airlines on Early Saturday morning the 6th of March.
Flight:
March 6- Southwest Flight 888, Departs Burbank @ 7:10am, Arrives in Oakland @ 8:25. “Wanna get away fare” $59
March 7- Southwest Flight 1046, Departs Oakland @ 8:00pm, Arrives in Burbank @ 9:05- Web Fare $82.
Total cost airfare per person: $141
Hotel:
March 6- Travel Lodge Healdsburg, 178 Dry Creek Rd, Healdsburg, CA, 95448
$150 a night
http://www.healdsburglodge.com/
Let me know your thoughts and drop me a note by January 25th if you are serious about coming along.
April- Two new wineries are coming to our area!
The first is Magnavino Cellars, the work of Robert and Barbara Wagner. I have tasted their wines and it looks like we have some exciting things coming soon. You can signup for the grand opening at:
http://www.magnavino.com/
The second is Four Brix Winery, Their release party is on April 24th 2010 at Lost Canyons in Simi Valley. Check their website for upcoming news and events.
www.fourbrixwine.com
Cheers-
Tim
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Edward Sellers Found some 2004 Cognito!
Edward Sellers Found some 2004 Cognito!
During an annual audit they found a pallet (56 cases), unaccounted for, of the extremely popular 2004 Cognito, and this beautiful wine is ready to drink today! With a little CO2 left from the original bottling, decant this wine and enjoy it with your favorite grilled meats, spicy pastas or just by itself!
Robert Parker said enjoy it through 2011, so now is the perfect time! All 56 cases have to go, and we are re-releasing our 2004 Cognito at the unbelievable price of:
$99.00 per case (regularly $312.00 per case)
Call the Tasting Room at 805-239-8915. This won't last a week...!
During an annual audit they found a pallet (56 cases), unaccounted for, of the extremely popular 2004 Cognito, and this beautiful wine is ready to drink today! With a little CO2 left from the original bottling, decant this wine and enjoy it with your favorite grilled meats, spicy pastas or just by itself!
Robert Parker said enjoy it through 2011, so now is the perfect time! All 56 cases have to go, and we are re-releasing our 2004 Cognito at the unbelievable price of:
$99.00 per case (regularly $312.00 per case)
Call the Tasting Room at 805-239-8915. This won't last a week...!
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