Courtesy Wine Oh TV Ok I’ll admit it. I’m not as up on current music as I used to be. Play most any song from the late 70’s and the 80’s and I can name that tune (a skill which recently earned me a Lava Flow at Pool Bar Jim’s in Hilton Head Island). I pay more attention now to wine labels than record labels. So when I first tried a red wine called “Verse & Chorus” I had to ask “who is Mat Kearney?” Maybe not knowing him or his music made me be totally skeptical about another musician fronting a wine label. But I was pleasantly surprised when I tried this soft, rich and fruity wine, with notes of cherry, violets and chocolate. I liked it so much I immediately went to Whole Foods, where Verse & Chorus is sold exclusively, to buy more. I got to learn…
#NapaQuake: How You Can Help Keep #NapaStrong
Bottle shock. Crushed. Shaken, not stirred. Whatever word you choose to describe it, the 6.0 magnitude earthquake that rocked Napa Valley early Sunday morning has left behind more than spilled wine. More than 100 homes and buildings red-tagged. The facade of the beautiful Vintner’s Collective building gone. Homes shaken off foundations, cracks in walls, chimneys toppled. Countless glasses, plates and other personal possessions shattered. Gallons and gallons of wine lost. All this happening as harvest is underway. Winemakers who lost tanks and barrels are scrambling to find ones they can borrow or rent so they can press, ferment and store the new wines coming in as we speak. Some producers lost freshly made wines from the current vintage, but they also lost library wines — collections of wine going back years, if not decades. Wineries also lost wine in barrel that hadn’t made it to bottle yet, as barrels…
Livermore Stories: Caddis Wines
This is another installment of a series called “Livermore Stories,” which takes a look at the most exciting wineries in this wine growing region located east of San Francisco. More than 50 wineries now call Livermore Valley home. The wines have never been better, and the wineries have great stories to tell. It’s barrel tasting weekend at the end of March in Livermore Valley, and only the third time that Caddis Wines has been open to the public. “We’re in our pop up tasting room,” says Chris Sorensen, winemaker and co-owner. “We’re the new guys in town,” adds his co-owner Courtney Garcia. “We’ve been making wine since 2010, all Livermore fruit except our Zinfandel.” That fruit comes from her parent’s vineyard in Sonoma Valley. At a mere 300 cases, “we’re tiny but we’re mighty,” says Courtney. She and Chris met when she started working at nearby Occasio Winery, where Chris…
Livermore Stories: 3 Steves Winery
This is another installment of a series called “Livermore Stories,” which takes a look at the most exciting wineries in this wine growing region located east of San Francisco. More than 50 wineries now call Livermore Valley home. The wines have never been better, and the wineries have great stories to tell. The tag line says it all. “3 friends striving to make the perfect wine.” Arriving at the 3 Steves Winery in Livermore Valley, and this is what you’ll hear. “Hi, I’m Steve.” “Hello, I’m Steve.” “I’m Steve too.” No kidding, these three guys are all named Steve. Steve Burman, Steve Melander and Steve Ziganti Their business card gives you a clue. Steve Burman is “vertically challenged.” Steve Melander “really does exist.” And Steve Ziganti is “gray beard.” If you sense the Steves don’t take themselves too seriously, you’re right. But they make seriously good wine. They are an…
A Progressive Food and Wine Pairing Journey at Jordan
Jordan Winery and Vineyards, located in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley just north of Healdsburg, is a vast 1,200 acre property, boasting not just 112 acres of vineyards but a cattle ranch, vegetable and flower garden, olive tree groves and a lake that’s a habitat for all sorts of fish and birds. But visitors to the winery rarely get a glimpse of this sprawling estate. Until now. “We never wanted to be a belly up to the bar wine bar,” says John Jordan, CEO of the winery his parents founded in 1972. In fact, John was born in Denver on the same day Tom and Sally Jordan closed on the property for their first vineyard, May 25, 1972. The estate property was bought in 1974. Today, this land is also home for John, with his house overlooking the vineyards and lake. For him to invite visitors to tour his backyard, the…
Sophia Loren Brings the Stars Out in Napa Valley
Photos by Jon Orlin On Saturday night stars were shining at Far Niente Winery for an evening of Bella Italia! A Tribute to Sophia Loren, the most coveted ticket at this year’s Festival del Sole. This just may be the most star-studded night in the nine seasons of the of festival. Napa Valley is used to its share of celebrities. But not many events can hold a candle to Whoopi Goldberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Redford, and the ultimate star, Sophia Loren, under one tent. I’ve been to my fair share of special nights in wine country, but this evening tops them all. I got to shake hands with Sophia Loren. The grande signora of the Italian silver screen was in Napa Valley for the world premiere of Sinfonietta per Sofia, a tribute in her honor. The work, composed by Daniel Brewbaker, was performed by the LA Virtuosi, a…
Fragrance Republic: Frangrance for One, Fragrance for All
There are no fancy bottles, no elegant or funky labels. There’s not a celebrity face to be seen or multimillion dollar marketing campaign. There’s just the juice. “Juice” is perfume industry speak for perfume, the juice inside the bottle. What happens when you strip away the packaging of a perfume, and invite people to judge the fragrance on its own merits? You get the Fragrance Republ!c, a place where all perfumers, from scent superstars who make blockbuster commercial fragrances, to newbie perfumers just starting out, all on an equal footing to present juice of their own creation. This is an artisan perfumery with no limits, no budgets and no focus panels. You are free to like the scent or not. It’s a fragrance republic after all. Frangrance Republ!c (FR!) is the brainchild of co-founder François Duquesne, who, from 2002 to 2008 ran the niche scent company L’Artisan Parfumeur. He says…
Rosé – The New “It” Wine
Move over Moscato. You are so over. Rosé is having its moment. Everyone is writing about it, from Eric Asimov in the New York Times, Lettie Teague in the Wall Street Journal, Jon Bonné in the San Francisco Chronicle and countless wine bloggers. Everyone is drinking Rosé. Sales are on a rising trajectory, and everyone it seems, is making a Rosé now. I remember a time, not too long ago, when we were writing articles called “Don’t be Afraid to Drink Pink,” or “Pink wine is for Real Men.” Now Rosé is a serious contender all its own. We don’t have to say Rosé is dry, not sweet and that it is not White Zinfandel. We’ve all learned that good Rosé is dry, crisp, fruity and refreshing, but it still has a little structure which makes it great for pairing with all kinds of food. Good Rosé is not sweet…
Livermore Stories: Nottingham Cellars
This is another installment of a series called “Livermore Stories,” which takes a look at the most exciting wineries in this wine growing region located east of San Francisco. More than 50 wineries now call Livermore Valley home. The wines have never been better, and the wineries have great stories to tell. He’s been called a rising star, a rock star of the Livermore Valley wine scene. He’s a young gun for sure – in his late 20’s – a completely self taught winemaker. Meet Collin Cranor of Nottingham Cellars. Two years ago, when I first tasted his Viognier and GSM – Grenache, Syrah Mourvedre blend that is – I was completely blown away. This guy’s a major talent. While he didn’t get the top honor, Best of Show, at the recent San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition [that went to friends and neighboring Livermore winery 3 Steves] Collin’s wines took…
Breaking the Taboo of Wine and Perfume
For eons, perfume has been banned from any place where wine is being tasted, consumed, enjoyed. As a wine professional, it is taboo for me to wear perfume to a trade tasting, a wine dinner or other wine related event. The same goes for people working in the wine industry, whether they are working in the winery as a cellar rat, enologist, winemaker or pouring at the tasting bar. Wine and perfume together…not allowed! Forbidden. Until now. I’ve been on a mission to break the taboo of wine and perfume together. As a Certified Sommelier, I love to pair wine with perfume. Both are aromatic experiences. In fact, without your sense of smell, wine (or any food or beverage) would not be as enjoyable, because your sense of taste really comes from your sense of smell. The tongue can’t distinguish floral from spicy, but your nose can. And, it’s that ability…