Paso Robles, CA 2008

Welcome to the Cafe le Grand Paso Robles 2008 Trip BLOG!

I hope to update this page during our trip to Paso – starting on January 11.  Hopefully I’ll find wi-fi access and will be able to upload notes and pics about our adventures at the various wineries.  Could be boring… could be cool!  Check back soon!

Here we go!
 

Before we start our little wine tour blog, let me give you a brief review of what we do and why we do it in regards to our wine trips.  This will hopefully clarify and help you understand our perspective in the wines, wineries and experiences I relate. Being retailers, we must purchase from distributors licensed in Wisconsin – except for purchasing directly from an in-state winery and for our personal wines.  Basically, we can’t buy wines from wineries, other retailers, auctions or individuals and then sell them at Café le Grand.  Our trips to wine country are not “buying” trips, but educational endeavors to taste wines that our sales reps can’t necessarily bring us to taste, to learn about the wineries and regions first hand – and of course to vacation and drink some fantastic wine.  We typically visit wineries that have national distribution but will also stop at local, small production boutique style wineries upon recommendations from people at various tasting rooms.  We often purchase wine during our trips – but rarely purchase wines that are available in Wisconsin, instead focusing on wines only available at the wineries.  This includes wineries that distribute other wines and those that do not. Let’s get on with it than, shall we?

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Our first day for tasting started off with a twisty-turny ride up Montebello Road to Ridge Vineyards ( www.ridgewine.com ).  Known mostly for their Zinfandels – which are found on several wine lists around Central Wisconsin – Ridge has a long history and plenty to offer.  We were greeted by “Beware of Rattlesnake” signs as we approached the tasting room, and eventually got hooked up with Katelyn who tasted us through the following wines: 1998 Lytton Springs Zinfandel, 2003 Zinfandel, York Creek, 2005 Geyserville Zinfandel, 2002 Lytton Estate Syrah, 2002 Lytton Estate Syrah II (a slight variation of the first) and the 2002 Petite Sirah, Lytton Estate.  After the tasting we wandered into the picnic area (watching for snakes) and looked out from the Santa Cruz Mountains – what a gorgeous view. Our final impressions?  FANTASTIC!  This is exactly the type of product we want to carry… and soon will.  It’s not just the quality of the wine, but the story, people and representation.  Watch for Ridge to show up on the racks at Café le Grand. 

Next we followed the recommendation of Katelyn and made our way to Cooper-Garrod Vineyards, one of those unique out-of-the-way wineries we like to visit for ourselves.  This was a very cool stop with some great small production wines.  Although Cooper-Garrod has no national distribution, they were gracious and welcoming, providing us with a full tasting – and we found their wines unique and enjoyable.  For more information be sure to take a look at their website: www.cgv.com. 

We then made our way into Saratoga to the Cinnabar Winery tasting room, another recommendation from some locals.  After a very impressive 2006 Marsanne, Paso Robles, we were disappointed to learn that Cinnabar does not have distribution in Wisconsin – but we didn’t let that keep us from tasting the rest of the lineup, including their 2005 Monterey Chardonnay, 2005 Mercury Rising, 2004 Paso Robles Merlot, 2004 Petit Verdot, 2004 Cabernet Franc and d2004 Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon.  My pick of the bunch?  The Petit Verdot – this was REALLY GOOD!  For more information on Cinnabar see www.cinnabarwine.com. 

Next we found our way to Burrell School Vineyards & Winery – another recommendation.  Upon finding the winery, which is made up of several buildings, including an old schoolhouse – which was very quaint – we made our way into the tasting room to find they had no national distribution.  Having interest in tasting new and exciting wines we tried the chardonnay as we explained to the woman assisting us why it was that we asked about distribution (that we owned a wine store in Wisconsin).  We also inquired as to whether they provided ‘trade tastings’ and she indicated they did and encouraged us to enjoy the chardonnay.  She then left us to our own, still wanting to ask some questions and learn about Burrell School wines.  Unfortunately we found the tasting room employees inattentive and obviously uninterested in selling us wine, even though they were not busy at all.  Instead a couple of the workers stood at the end of the bar chatting while we sat with empty glasses.  Perhaps it’s understandable to be less attentive to someone who may not buy wines, but then again – we find ourselves buying wine all the time and talking about wine even more.  So, after the second time the woman who assisted us walked past our empty glasses, we decided that if she wouldn’t give her attention to us, we wouldn’t give our attention to Burrell School wines – it was only as we walked out that she asked if we wanted to taste anything else.  Oh, as for the chardonnay?  No thanks… I’ll pass. 

Our next stop was to David Bruce, www.davidbrucewinery.com, whose wine we’ve tasted and carried in the past.  A producer focusing on Pinot Noir and also known for their Petite Sirah, we were treated exceptionally well in the tasting room – including a brief visit with Dr. David Bruce himself who greeted us and chatted about wine, weather, medicine and life.  This is truly what wine is all about – the people, the wines, the places, the stories and experiences.  The unfortunate thing about Dave Bruce wines is the limited products they distribute!  They make many different bottlings, but those that are distributed are few.  That being said – keep your eye out for them at CLG! 

The last stop of the day was at Byington Vineyard & Winery ( www.byington.com), the producers of Alliage (a Cab/Merlot blend) which graces our shelves.  Again we found the service of the tasting room employees exceptional – and tasting the wines proved once again why we brought them in the first time around!  We had some great conversation, a great view from their “Wedding Hill” and truly enjoyed ourselves.  The bummer of this little tale is that Byington has scaled back production to focus their attention on local (California) distribution – to include some local restaurants and retailers, and of course sales from the winery.  We left word to have their marketing/sales people contact us to give us the whole scoop – just in case there will still be some distribution, but based on the folks in the tasting room, we’re not holding our breath.

That’s it for the first day… keep checking back… we’ll have lots more to talk about!

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Sunday, January 13, 2008

(my apologies for the asterisks… but for some reason my line breaks aren’t working!)

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This morning we started with a brisk run and leisurely preparation for the day.  Having driven south along HWY 101 we didn’t get settled until a bit late – finding a room in Soledad we had been tired and ready to rest.

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But at 11:00 a.m. we rolled into Blackstone Winery… I know what you’re thinking… but hold on a minute.

Blackstone has wineries in Sonoma and Monterey – the latter being the location of our visit andd home to the wildly popular Blackstone Merlot and location of our visit.  Although we already carry the Merlot and the Reserve Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Reserve Series, we thought we’d see what else they offered that might fit our niche.  Interestingly enough we’ve learned from visits to other large wineries that those behind the scenes, namely the winemakers, are just people who enjoy making wine and messing around in their field.  This often leads to some amazing small production wines… and once in a while we are able to bring these gems into Cafe le Grand and offer insight into the bizarre world of wine.  According to the helpful tasting room folks Blackstone makes about 1.2 million cases (total production of all their wines), with the bulk being the Winemakers Select Series (the most common Blackstone label) and most of this (750,000) is the merlot.

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So we started with the merlot and found it to be easy drinking, fruit forward and pleasant.  A great $12.00 Merlot for someone who isn’t into Cabernet.  We also tasted a Tannat and a Teroldego.  Single varietal bottlings that you don’t see often.  We then moved through the Sonoma Reserve Series, including the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir we carry (which we still really enjoy) and a really interesting blend – a proprietary blend called Rubric.  the blend is Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, Merlot and Teroldego.  We’ll be in touch with our distributor about this one!  We were then fortunate to taste some wines from the Blackstone Reserve Series – including a couple Pinot Noirs and a couple Zinfandels.  These wines confirm that a winemaker is a winemaker.  Even if they make large productions of certain wines, they enjoy the artisan side of their craft and it shows in some of the wines we taste – just imagine those they make that never see the public!

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We then made our way to Hahn Estates ( www.hahnestates.com ). What a great little place.  We spent quite a bit of time in the tasting room, as well as time on their deck overlooking the newly planted vineyards – enjoying many of the Hahn Estate wines as well as the Smith & Hook labeled Cabernet.  Smith & Hook is produced and labeled in reverence to the owners of two ranches which were purchased by Nicky Hahn.  All Hahn Estate wines are estate produced – they grow the grapes, make and bottle the wine… basically they’re in control of all aspects of the process.  All the Hahn wines showed beautifully.  We’ll be looking into Hahn and perhaps you will too.

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The last three wineries of the day were Paraiso, Chalone and Scheid.  Paraiso ( www.paraisovineyards.com), found in the Santa Lucia Highlands, is family owned and has a great history of family dedication and involvement.  The wines, also Estate produced, were great.  Ron especially enjoyed the 2003 Syrah – a dark, meaty spice and gamey (in a goood way) wine that would be great with grilled meat.  Scheid, our last stop, proved to be an interesting little boutique winery.  Producing a small amount of wine, Scheid does not have distribution.  But we were able to taste through their reds and enjoyed them. ( www.scheidvineyards.com ).

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Visiting Chalone was the highlight today – from the wines to the history and treatment by our tasting room host Honorio.  You can check out Chalone at www.chalonevineyard.combut the short of it is that grapes have been planted at this site since 1919 and the recent history starts in 1964 when the property was purchased by Dick Graff.  Things got really interesting when, in 1976, a little thing now called the Judgement of Paris took place.  This is where some California wines were put up against the best Bordeaux and white Burgundies France had to offer.  In the white Burgundies (Chardonnay) the 1974 Chalone Vineyard Chardonnay took 4th place.  Talk about being part of history and helping change the direction of wine in the world.  We tasted a whole bunch of stuff… including about four Pinot Noirs from 2007… yes, they were in barrel!

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What an absolute great experience, and once again, the reason we make these trips!

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So we finished up the day by checking into a great hotel… and relaxing.  First, surfing the Internet on the flat panel (very cool)… and then hangin’ in the hot tub!

   

Two days in and plenty to go… stop back for more!

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Monday, January 14, 2008

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Once again the morning started with a run… seriously, is this vacation or not?

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So a very cool drive south on 101 from Paso Robles to Santa Maria Valley – the mountains were gorgeous!

We made our 11:00 a.m appointment at Cambria Estate Vineyard & Winery  ( www.cambriawine.com), where we found Jan in the tasting room.  The next hour & one-half Jan led us through a bunch of great wine.  Cambria is part of the Jackson Family Estate wines, and one of several wineries operated under Jess Jackson.  We started off with white, including the 2006 Pinot Gris, the 2006 Viognier and 2005 Katherine’s Chardonnay.  What struck us most about the Pinot Gris and Viognier was the balance and overal quality.  The Katherine’s Chardonnay, the largest production and distribution of the Cambria wines and named for one of Jess Jackson’s daughters, proved to be very well rounded.  This wine is produced with year-to-year consistency in mind and it’s clear why this wine has put Cambria on the map – a quality wine at a reasonable price.  We then tasted the Bench Break Chardonnay – a smaller production, fuller body Chard aged in 100% French Oak.  With only limited distribution… although we’ll try… we can’t promise anything.  But if we get some in… don’t miss it.  The last of the whites was a Late Harvest Viognier.  A full, thick and not severely sweet dessert wine.  Nice.

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On to the reds at Cambria we tasted through the 2006 Julia’s Pinot Noir (named for another daughter of Jess’) and then three really cool Pinot Noirs… the 2005 Clone 115 Pinot Noir, 2005 Clone 2A Pinot Noir and 2005 Clone 23 Pinot Noir.  Denise Shurtleff, Cambria’s winemaker, decided to play around a little with some of the individual Pinot clones – a trait we’ve seen in many wineries, regardless of size.  So what’s so cool about it?  Full barrel fermented Pinot Noir!  Why is this so special?  You’ll often see white wines fermented in barrel – which is easy to do because white wines are not fermented on the skins and so can easily be transferred to barrel prior to fermentation – the liquid of the wine can easily be placed/pumped into barrel through the bung hole (the hole in the barrel).  However, red wine is almost never barrel fermented because it’s fermented on the skins (which gives it color, tannin and complexity) and getting the grapes into and skins out of the barrel is basically impossible.  So Denise decided to dismantle the barrels by removing the head (one end of the barrel), and then performed fermentation – with hand punch downs (pushing the skins down through the fermenting wine with a big potato masher looking device to increase skin contact and extraction) daily.  After fermentation the wine and skins were removed from the barrels which were then reassembled and filled again with the wine for ageing.  This whole process makes for some really great, unique Pinot Noir.  If there is any chance we can get some… we will!  Lastly we tasted the 2005 Estrella Syrah and 2005 Syrah Tepusquet.  Although it sounds redundant… they were really good!  Overall we were very impressed with Cambria… the wines, service and experience.

Our day was open from this point, but Jan had a recommendation… Kennth Volk Vineyards.

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So off to Kenneth Volk… www.volkwines.com.  Ken Volk has a pretty interesting history in the wine industry… from formal education, OJT, starting/establishing/selling Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards, earning many awards and widespread recognition and finally the founding of his self named winery in 2004.  So in the tasting room, with fantastic assistance from Karrie, we tasted through the 2006 Pinot Grigio, which Loreen critically evaluated as “yummy”, the 2005 Jaybird Chardonnay (as in “naked as a Jaybird” since it sees no oak), the 2004 Sierra Madre Chardonnay, the 2004 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir, the 2005 Negrette (a unique French varietal in an even more unique single varietal bottling… and the absolute star in this line up), the 2003 Paso Robles Merlot  and the 2006 Malvasia (a very aromatic, but totally dry Malvasia).  Everything was amazing!  With about 10,000 total case production Kenneth Volk is doing some great things and we are going to strive to bring some of his wines to Cafe le Grand.

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The next stop was easily, in many regards, the hit of the day.  Loreen and I sought out, drove past and finally returned to Foxen Vineyards ( www.foxenvineyard.com).  Our history with Foxen isn’t great, but it bears mentioning – you see, I love Pinot Noir… pretty much in all shapes and styles.  Loreen… not so much.  However, the one Pinot she liked from the second she tasted is the Foxen Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir.  So upon entering the tasting room Bobby showed us through the pours of the day:  2005 Chenin Blanc- Ernesto Wickenden Vineyard (which I found to be fantastic!), 2006 Chardonnay- Tinaquaic Vineyard, 2006 Pinot Noir- Santa Maria Valley, 2005 Sangiovese Volpino (a really good blend of 78% Sangiovese and 22% Merlot), and the 2004 Merlot- Vogelzang Vineyard.  The wines were, of course, extremely well made and deserving of all the press and attention they receive.

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So what else is really cool about Foxen?  Aside from the history of the land, the name and the people?  How about the facility!  What an incredible place.  Some of you may have gotten a glimpse of Foxen in the movie Sideways… and if not, here are some pictures:

    

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Pretty amazing, huh?  Our visit with Bobby and owner/winemaker Bill Wathen was, once again, what these trips are all about!  If you’re ever in the area, don’t pass up the opportunity to visit.

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We then found ourselves cruising south from Foxen to Tres Hermanas.  A very new winery ( first vintage was 2003 with the tasting room opening in 2007) specializing in an Estate Syrah along with some other non-estate wines.  The most interesting of which was the 2004 Refosco – a really cool Italian blend that you just don’t see around.  Production is small and developing – and perhaps we’ll see some of these wines in distribution in years to come. www.treshermanaswinery.com

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Zaca Mesa was our next stop – and we slipped in just in time to fly through their wines.  We found ourselves taken by surprise – not knowing them and not knowing what to expect – we found the wines very consistent and well made.  Although we were “speed tasting” I have to say, we’ll hopefully be seeing some of their smaller production wines at CLG.  (www.zacamesa.com).  The wines we cruised through included the 2006 Z Gris (not distributed), 2006 Estate Bottled Chardonnay, 2006 Estate Bottled Viognier (Good!), 2005 Roussanne (not distributed), 2005 Z Cuvee – a cool blend of Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault (Very Good!), 2003 Estate Bottled Syrah – a really concentrated inky and excellent Syrah, and the 2004 Estate Z Three (not distributed).

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The last stop of the day (yes, it was a long day!) was Fess Parker – www.fessparker.com.  Of course you know Fess Parker the actor (Davy Crockett & Daniel Boone)… well, he and his son Eli have been involved in the wine industry in about 1989.  It has grown from this point as a family endeavor that’s created some nice wine.  We enjoyed the visit, the wine and the history.

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One more day down… and many more stops ahead of us.  Every stop and every wine is just another experience.  Another sip to appreciate and another insight to the wine world.  Perhaps that’s a bit romantic or overstated - but if you can’t experience and enjoy it, what’s the point?  It’s a cool thing that is greater than the sum of the parts.  Sure, it’s big farming and big business, but it’s also something more.  We hope you experience it as well…

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Tuesday, January 15, 2008

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So last night we were looking over maps and other information about the various wineries in the area and found several that we know or have heard of… namely Palmina and Fiddlehead.  We currently carry some Palmina (and related wines) and will soon be carrying Fiddlehead (more on that later).  However, the information we found indicated they were not open to the public on Tuesdays… so I jumped on the Internet and sent each of them an e-mail requesting appointments.  To our incredible surprise and pleasure both called us this morning and set up appointments for the afternoon.  So the plan was hatched to hit a couple of the others on the way, including Alma Rosa.  The other we found via recommendation was Lafond.  I encourage you to read on… but if you don’t… you should know one thing… we had an absolutely amazing day of wine tasting!

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Alma Rosa is something you may recognize if you’ve cruised our Pinot Noir section recently – we have a couple bottles we purchased as a very limited allocation and unfortunately had not been able to taste it ourselves – until today.  Driving up the drive through their “front yard” – a vineyard lined driveway – we found the tasting room as rustic as it appeared in Sideways.  During the movie the winery was actually Sanford Winery which was founded by Richard Sanford- who “left” the winery following it’s purchase by some with different vision - and then founded Alma Rosa at the same location.  You can read Richard’s impressive history & background at www.almarosawinery.com.

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Alma Rosa produces a total of about 17,000 wines with an emphasis toward a “French stylistic” wine.  Their white wines see no malolactic fermentation keeping them crisp, acidic on the palate and very good!  We tasted the 2006 Pinot Gris – Santa Barbara County, 2006 Pinot Blanc – Santa Rita Hills, 2005 Chardonnay – El Jabali Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills, 2006 Chardonnay – Santa Barbara County.  All were fantastic with our favorites being the Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Santa Barbara Chardonnay.

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Next was a cool 2005 Pinot Noir Vin Gris, Santa Rita Hills – a 100% Pinot Noir Rose from El Jabali Vineyard which was soaked on the skins for a short time and fermented completely dry.  On the nose it struck me similarly to Champagne/ Sparkling – with a slight yeast/mineral aroma.  The taste was similar without the bubbles… firm, crisp and spicy.

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Last from Alma Rosa were the 2005 Pinot Noir- Santa Rita Hills and 2005 Pinot Noir- L Encantada Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills.  Both were fantastic and all we should expect from a producer such as Alma Rosa.  The first was a bit brighter fruit than the second – with both having great character, fruit, structure and complexity.  Both need some time in bottle, but wow… fantastic!

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If you’re a Pinot fan… you now have our first hand endorsement.  Don’t hesitate.

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On recommendation from the guys at Alma Rosa we swung down the road into Lafond Winery & Vineyards.  Having never heard of Lafond we figured it wouldn’t be wise to not follow a suggestion from Alma Rosa!  And after spending a little time in the tasting room – we were very happy with our decision.  Opened in 1962 by Pierre Lafond, the winery is still family operated – focusing on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah from the Santa Rita Hills (SRH) AVA.  We tasted two Chards, three Pinot and one Syrah.  The 2006 Wente Chardonnay (stainless fermented/aged; 150 case production) showed amazing fruit; 2006 SRH Chardonnay was beautifully creamy with nice acidic zing;  2006 SRH Pinot Noir was a bright, semi-candy (just wait…) with good acid; 2005 Lafond Vineyard Pinot Noir Clone 113 (which was very nice) and 2005 Arita Hills Vineyard Pinot Noir (production of 200 and 300 cases respectively) which was absolutely luscious fruit and candy!  Last was the 2006 SRG Syrah which displayed a dark spice and cured meat component – nice syrah.  Overall Lafond was very nice… consistent and worth our attention.

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Next we headed further west to Lompoc where we sought out a little area nicknamed The Lompoc Wine Ghetto – a warehouse district housing many wineries.  Although it’s seemingly an odd location, the wineries here have garnered huge press, prestige and attention.  As we parked in front of the steel constructed building and walked inside the furthest suite to the end, through the door labeled Palmina we were immediately struck… Alicia (who was gracious enough to call me following my e-mail) warmly greeted us.  The room was a simple but elegant tasting room in classic Tuscan style with a large wood table hold a spread of cheese, nuts, meat and oils - not to mention an array of wines that promised a great tasting.

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We have had Palmina wines in the past and currently carry the Barbera; and we’re aware that owner/winemaker Steve Clifton is (along with Greg Brewer) one-half of Brewer-Clifton wines (fantastic Chardonnay which we currently carry), however, what we tasted today really struck us.  Palmina’s focus is Italian varietals and the wines they make so unique.

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The line-up:

2006 Pinot Grigio Alisos Vineyard - Very crisp, acidic and really good.

2006 Arneis, Honea Vineyard - made from the very obscure Arneis grape (typically used as a blending grape in some great Italy wines), this white was lighter than Chard and heavier than Pinot Grigio.  It was mineral and firm.

2006 Dolcetto Santa Barbara County - a great, bright fruit that I would highly recommend for new red wine drinkers and to enjoy with a casual Italian meal… including (as they suggest) pizza.

2005 Barbera, Zotovich Vineyard-an excellent Barbera… one of three they produce (this one only makes up about 200 cases).  We currently carry the Santa Barbara Barbera… also very good!

2005 Undici – a 100% Sangiovese named to set itself apart from others with Sangiovese on the label… and also in reverence (?) to the movie Spinal Tap where the amps go to 11 (Undici is 11 in Italian).  Well… I can’t resist… don’t touch this wine… in fact… don’t even look at it… it also goes to 11… and once again it earns Loreen’s coveted “Yummy.”

2005 Mattia Santa Maria Valley – a hearty blend of 55% Refosco, 30% Cabernet Franc and 15% Merlot.  A very good big food wine.

2005 Santita, Larner Vineyard 100% Malvasia Bianca produced vin santo.  WOW!  Produced in the amazingly tedious method of vin santo (drying the grapes, fermenting and allowing them to oxidize for a few years) this is a delicious, luscious, extremely great wine.  The only hitch?  They only make it every few years… and there was only 36 cases of the 2005 made… so order it… or e-mail Steve and tell him that Cafe le Grand needs a case!

And speaking of needing some wine - we also tasted a great new wine born of the friendship of Steve, Joe Bastianich (a New York restaurateur and wine entrepreneur) and Matias Mayol (an Argentine winemaker) called TriTono.  A 100% malbec from Argentina.  Again… and redundant as hell… this was awesome.  You’ll see it in our ever growing, always popular malbec section if we can swing it!

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Above is the warehouse of Palmina… and in the background is Steve Clifton chatting with another customer.  As we approached he greeted us and we chatted briefly about his wines and the wonderful experience we had with Alicia tasting his wine.  He encouraged us to return some time when he would personally taste us through the Brewer-Clifton wines… Steve – do you have any idea what you just offered?  So, who wants to come back with us?

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After our experience at Palmina we strolled across the asphalt lawn separating Palmira from Fiddlehead… walking in were immediately greeted by tasting-room-production worker-English major John (who has a great family wine history- his Grandfather wrote A History of Wine in America volumes I and II) and Kathy Joseph… winemaker, owner, and self labeled Head Fiddle.  We tasted through a great line-up of Fiddlehead wines – including a the 2005 Happy Canyon Sauvignon Blanc, a great vertical of Sauvignon Blanc (2001, 2002 and 2003 Honeysuckle/ L’Orvert, Hunnysuckel (another story…)), a mini-vertical of 2002 and 2004 Oldsville Reserve Willamette (yes Oregon) Pinot Noir, and the 2004 Seven Twenty Eight, Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir.  Kathy also poured us a taste of the 2007 Goosebury Sauvignon Blanc… which is due to be bottled very soon!  We chatted about wine, work, travel and other points of interest.  As we’ve found often, there was also a Wisconsin connection – Kathy attended UW-Madison in pre-med… which gave her the science background and led her to California and eventually wine!  We really had a great time tasting and talking and you’ll be seeing Fiddlehead wines as soon as we can get them… stay tuned.

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So… you’re probably sick of me telling you how great the wines are… how friendly and accommodating the people are… and how much we get out of hanging out in wine country… so I won’t tell you this time…

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Thanks for reading…

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Wednesday, January 16,2008

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So this morning we started in Paso Robles with an appointment at Meridian – one of the largest wineries in Paso Robles/ Central Coast which produces just under 1 million cases per year.  They own about 800 acres in Paso and another 3500 in Santa Barbara County.  The primary focus of Meridian is an easy drinking, approachable, value priced wine that finds itself on many glass pour lists and store shelves.  We had a great reception and tour.  The nationally distributed wines showed well and fit well at a price point.  The Santa Barbara Chardonnay, which is their largest production, is a clear value.  The other thing Meridian does – which again shines light on how the wine industry is so diverse and interesting – is produce about a dozen limited release wines sold only at the winery.  These are produced in quantities between 300 and 400 cases – amazingly small for such a huge winery!  We all must realize that there is a market for all types of products at all types of prices… and it’s a great thing for the wine industry. www.meridianvineyards.com

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Next we headed just down the road to EOS Winery… another very large producer (about 220,000 cases) in Paso Robles.  We currently offer the EOS Novella Rayons de Soleil.  Unfortunately our experience in the tasting room was far less than impressive.  The discussion and explanation of the tasting room attendee was unpleasant and far from welcoming.  There was no true recognition of our position in the wine industry and that we are truly interested in learning about the industry, wineries and wines.  Although a couple of their wines were interesting, the connection just wasn’t there… and now that EOS has been purchased by Sapphire Wines out of Tennessee, who knows what direction the winery will take.

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Another short drive led us to Martin & Weyrich – a winery we’d only recently learned about through researching our trip and whose distribution in Wisconsin is seemingly limited.  Martin & Weyrich ( www.martinweyrich.com) was founded in 1981 by the Martin family and became Martin & Weyrich in 1998 when it was fully purchased by David and Mary (Martin) Weyrich (pronounced Whyrick).  The focus of the wines primarily falls toward Italian varietals but includes other international grapes.

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Kris in the Martin & Weyrich tasting room was a great host, tasting us through many wines (too many to list them all), with the hits being the 2004 Sangiovese Il Palio, 2003 Insieme ( a blend of Petite Sirah, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese and Zinfandel!) and Nebbiolo Vecchio (aged 24 mos. in French Oak).  Loreen of course loved the 2000 Dante Dusi Zinfandel Reserve.  There were many others worth mentioning, but I think it would be easier to let you taste them… be sure to ask about them and expect to see some Martin & Weyrich soon.

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Our next stop was Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards ( www.wildhorsewinery.com) where we had an arranged appointment.  Wild Horse was founded by Ken Volk (remember that name from above?) in 1981 and named for the wild mustangs that roam the hills east of the vineyards.  Ken sold the winery in 2003 and it again changed hands in late 2007 when Constellation Brands (a huge wine conglomerate) purchased Wild Horse and many other California Wineries.

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Upon our arrival we were greeted in the tasting room and informed that Mark would be with us momentarily… we soon discovered that Mark is winemaker Mark Cummings.  What a fantastic opportunity and experience.  Mark took us on a tour of the winery, sipping wine and telling us about Wild Horse, his background, wine philosophy and just being passionate about the industry.  We then sat down and tasted through many selections of Wild Horse wines – impressive all around!  Although we only carry the viognier, that will soon change.  Our experience with Mark and Wild Horse was another amazing wine experience.  Thanks Mark!

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Our last stop was really all about us… well, more aptly it was all about Loreen!  We found Turley just in time… Turley is a very boutique winery producing amazing Zinfandel (which is their most known) as well as other small production wines from other varietals.  They only way you can purchase the wine is by signing up for e-mail notification – which is about a two year wait – or by visiting the tasting room.  We tasted through many of the zins before Loreen made her choices.  If you’re ever in Paso – we recommend stopping!  www.turleywinecellars.com

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Today was great… amazing wine, amazing people and what it’s all about.

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Thursday, January 17, 2008

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Last evening we decided to spoil ourselves (again) so checked back into La Bellasera (www.lebellsera.com) and once again spent some time in the room, surfing the web… this time with a fireplace!

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This morning we set out to Justin Vineyards & Winery ( www.justinwine.com) where we had a 10:30 a.m. appointment.  The drive to Justin was gorgeous – winding and mountainous.  Justin Vineyards & Winery was founded in 1981 by Justin and Deborah Baldwin on 160 acres in the Paso Robles AVA.  Their mission was to create world class Bordeaux varietal wines.  Upon arriving we were greeted at the tasting room and directed to the winery up the road where we found Mike – our tour guide.  A brief tour of the crush pad, fermentation tanks, mobile bottling line (in operation!) and caves found us longing for their wine.  Back at the tasting room we sipped the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, 2006 Chardonnay, 2003 Zinfandel, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2006 Obtuse (a port made from Cabernet Sauvignon!).  All showed true quality – but our favorites were the Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet.  Justin’s flagship wine is the Isosceles – a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.  Unfortunately they weren’t pouring this in the tasting room… however…

… our dinner for Thursday proved to be a fantastic evening of food and wine.  We found ourselves the guests of Justin Vineyard, dining in a small dining room at the tasting room/house.  We had a great meal (easily one of the top 10 meals we’ve ever had) and fantastic wine.  A muti-course dinner with matching wine during which we met Leo Bernat, Beverage Managere at Smith & Wollensky Steak House in Columbus, OH.  We talked about wine and Paso and business.  During conversation Leo offered us a partial bottle of 2005 Isosceles which he and Justin had opened earlier in the day – what a very generous gesture.  Loreen and I enjoyed the wine later that night… and the next!  An incredible bottle of wine… young, but extremely good and developing.

   

  

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Our next stop was Tablas Creek (www.tablascreek.com).  Founded as a collaborative effort between the Perrin Family of Chateau Beaucastel (www.beaucastel) in the Rhone Region of France, and Robert Haas – founder and importer of Vineyard Brands (www.vineyardbrands.com); Tablas Creek focuses on growing Rhone varietals in California and crafting wines in the style of the Rhone Valley.  We tasted through some fantastic wines:  2006 Cotes de Tablas Blanc (Viognier, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Rousanne); 2006 Esprit De Beaucastel Blanc (Rousanne, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc); 2005 Rousanne; 2005 Cotes de Tablas (red) (Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Counoise); 2005 Mourvedre; 2004 and 2005 Esprit de Beaucastel (Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache Noir, Counoise in different percentages); 2002 Las Tablas Estates Glenrose Vineyard (Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache Noir, Counoise); 2004 Syrah; and very cool dessert wines Vin de Paille (translated “wine of straw” because the grapes are dried on beds of straw like and Amarone) red (Mourvedre) and white (Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Viognier andd Marsanne).

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The wines of Tablas Creek were great quality wines showing a fantastic Cali-Rhone style.  We’ll be looking to bring some TC into the shop – and urge you to try some of the great classic Rhone varietals being produced domestically – whether they are Tablas Creek or other producers.  We feel this is a great way to introduce your palate to wines outside of the more popular Bordeaux varietals and perhaps set you up to start enjoying Old World wines!  Remember… think outside the bottle!

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Our next stop was Halter Ranch Vineyard (www.halterranch.com) – where we were greeted by Jim Witt – sales director… who graciously poured us wine!  Although we currently can’t get Halter Ranch in Wisconsin – we’re hoping to change that!  Jim tasted us through the 2006 Ranch White (Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Rousanne, Marsanne); 2005 Ranch Red; 2004 Ranch Cabernet (which Loreen claimed as Yummy!); and the 2004 Syrah.  The wines were great and we’ll be in touch with Jim to see about getting distribution in Wisconsin… so you can experience Halter Ranch as well!

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We then found our way to Dunning Vineyards (www.dunningvineyards.com)… quite the drive off the main drag, but well worth it.  A great little family owned vineyard producing a total of 2500 cases, Dunning was founded by Robert and Jo-Ann Dunning about 17 years ago.  We were greeted by Jo-Ann who told us about their history, property and winery… and then poured their amazing wines for us.  We tasted through the 2006 Chardonnay, 2005 Vin De Casa (Cab Franc, Zinfandel, Syrah); 2004 Merlot, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon; their Private Reserve collection including the 2004 Syrah, 2004 Zinfandel, 2004 Cabernet Franc and 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon.  A great collection of wines and nice visit with Jo-Ann.

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The last stop of the day was at L’Aventure (www.aventurewine.com)… a winery we first heard of while browsing the wine list at The Wright Place on 6th (www.wrightplaceon6th.com).  L’Aventure was created by winemaker Stephan Asseo, who graduated from the oenology school in Burgandy (France) and cut his teeth making wine at family estates throughout France.  He found Paso would be a great fit for the French varietals he intended to plant.  We had a great visit and great wine… and you will absolutely be seeing L’Aventure wines at Cafe le Grand… in the meantime, be sure to order a bottle at The Wright Place to enjoy with dinner.

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Friday, January 19, 2008

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Our last day in the Central Coast!

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Realizing we had the long drive back to the airport in San Fran we decided to only visit a few wineries… but alas, good intentions are so often set aside… which in this case certainly wasn’t a bad thing!

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As I explained before, we like to visit wineries that we’re not familiar with in addition to those we already know and represent.  The first two visits were to those that we (and perhaps you) are aware – Castoro Cellars and JanKris.

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We currently carry several selections from Castoro Cellars (www.castorocellars.com) and although those we tasted were primarily available only at the winery, they exemplified the consistent quality we have found in those we carry.  We were first introduced to Castoro when Jane (one of our managers at CLG) brought us a bottle of their Zin - knowing we like wine, she likes to pick stuff up that we don’t carry and may not have tasted.  We subsequently brought in many of their varietals and have been very pleased with our decision!  You should check it out as well and see how we did!

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JanKris (www.jankriswinery.com)  is a family owned winery named for the daughters (January & Kristin) of the proprietors (Mark & Paula Gendron).  Founded in 1990, JanKris wines are all Estate grown/produced.  We currently carry Crossfire, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, and will likely be bringing in additional wines based on our tasting!  Becky (in the tasting room) was helpful and informative and tasted us through many selections – which again reminded us why we already carry them!

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We then headed out to York Mountain, sister winery to Martin & Weyrich.  York Mountain is interesting (www.yorkmountainwinery.com), founded in 1882 by apple farmer Andrew York (planting grapes instead of apples!) it sold to Max Goldman in 1970 and in 2001 was purchased by David and Mary Weyrich.  Currently condemned due to age and deteriation from various earthquakes, the building is due to be rebuilt.  York Mountain is also the smallest recognized AVA in California, pretty much consisting of just the York Mountain Winery property!  We tasted through many of their wines, including the 2004 Viognier, 2005 Viognier, 2006 Albarino, 2004 Edna Valley Chardonnay, 2004 Pinot Noir, 2004 Jack Ranch Pinot Noir, 2002 Napa Valley Merlot, 2004 Zinfandel and then a comparison tasting of 2003 Syrahs: Clone 383, Clone 877 and Jack Ranch!  Very cool to taste the differences.  Again… if we can figure out where these wines fit with CLG… you’ll be able to taste the difference too!

  

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Our last stop in Paso Robles was yet another unique experience, and one that we cannot, unfortunately, replicate for you.  Lone Madrone (www.lonemadrone.com) is winemaker Neil Collins’ (Tablas Creek winemaker) side project – someplace to do things that fit his mission.  We enjoyed all the wines- 2006 Roussanne, 2002 IL Toyon Nebbiolo, 2005 Syrah (which we enjoyed a lot… and Loreen got TOTAL toast and jelly from it!), 2003 Cabernet Sauv., and a different sort of project of Neil’s – 2007 Bristols Cider!  A partner winery without a tasting room, Stephen’s Cellars & Vineyard ( www.stephenscellar.com) wines are also poured at the Lone Madrone tasting room and we greatly enjoyed the 2005 Stephens Cellar Pinot Noir.  A great way to conclude our visit to Paso Robles!

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So off we headed… north on 101 toward San Francisco.  But of course, we were browsing the various AVA maps and looking at the clock… we decided we’d squeeze one more winery into the trip. 

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We were introduced to Pietra Santa the way we’re introduced to a lot of our great wines – via a customer request.  Pietra Santa (www.pietrasantawinery.com) dates back to the 1850’s.  Current owners, John, Phyllis and Cort Blackburn, purchased the property about two years ago and, along with long time winemaker Alessio Carli they are going strong!  We hung out in the tasting room enjoying wine (2006 Rosato, 2006 Chardonnay, 2004 Sangiovese (VERY NICE!), 2002 Julianna blend, 2004 Merlot, 2001 Dolcetto, 2002 Vache Chardonnay, 2003 Vache Pinot Noir, 2003 Signature Collection Vache Blend and the 2006 Gewurztraminer).  At some point during our visit John Blackburn (the owner!) joined us and we stood drinking wine and enjoying conversation, the fading afternoon light and beautiful surroundings.  Another aspect to Pietra Santa ( “Sacred Stone” in Italian) is that Italian winemaker Alessio Carli also makes olive oil!  John took us for a brief tour around the place, showing us the bottling line and barrel storage, as well as the olive press and oil production area.  The industry continues to impress.  As we left Pietra Santa we assured John we’d be in touch with our distributor and thanked him for his time.  The last picture below is John in the doorway of the winery…

   

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Final Thoughts…

Now that we’re home, and I’m sitting at Cafe le Grand putting the final touches on this little trip Blog… looking at our wines and thinking about our trip, the message that I continually try to communicate about wine and the wine world again comes to mind.  Maybe this is a bit romantic, but wine isn’t just some fermented alcoholic beverage.  It’s places and people.  It’s the land and the hands that make it.  It’s ingenuity and history.  Seeing and tasting and feeling.  It’s long lived and reminds us of places and faces and scenery and experiences.  It’s pretty cool, huh?  And I haven’t even been drinking… yet!

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Thanks for your time and I hope you enjoyed my ramblings.  We appreciate you stopping by the website, the Blog and the shop.  As always, if we can help you out in the world of wine, just let us know.

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Keep drinking, and thinking, outside the bottle.

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Regards,

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Ron