December '13 Napa Trip - A Little Bit of Personality Showing Through

The end of the year found us traipsing up to Northern California as usual. In addition to the El Dorado County and Amador wine country visits, we slipped over to Napa (and then Sonoma the next day) to enjoy the day with friends. I've been to Napa once before, but my wife has never been. So we planned to go to a place that I knew was good, a place that everyone is "supposed to go to," and a place that was highly recommended to me. Our trip took us up the valley in the morning, then back down in the afternoon.The day was mostly cloudy, but the sun broke in the late afternoon.

Frog's Leap Winery (member tasting, wines $30-$75)

'12 Chardonnay, '11 Zinfandel, '11 Merlot, '11 Cabernet Sauvignon, '10 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
I had such an amazing visit the first time I was at Frog's Leap, there's no way that experience could have been beat. I wouldn't say that I was underwhelmed this time, but let's just put the experience at the "whelmed" level. We accompanied friends who were members this time around. One sure piece of advice that I have is: go on the tour. This time around we had the table tasting, which was nice - but the tour's top-notch, it's a must do, a can't miss... what I'm saying is: go do the tour. Regardless the regular tasting was good. We had a lovely table by the lawn, blankets in case we got cold, and snack plates to accompany the wines. One of the things that I've noticed about Frog's Leap is their attention to detail. They were so attentive that my lactose intolerant ass got a special plate sans cheese but plus additional fruit and crackers. Our table had a lovely view of the vineyard. We enjoyed watching the winery dog, Abby, goof off with a visitor's french bulldog puppy. Initially we were well attended to, staff would come by in regular intervals to bring us the next tasting. Toward the end of the tasting though, the service did taper off. It became difficult to locate a staff person to ask questions about the various wines, and to try to revisit. Eventually we decided to wander the sprawling grounds. We wandered by the chickens and the pond, we wandering into the barn - which luckily enough had a bar attendant that poured us more wine. It was a nice way to spend the morning, though not as enriching or as personable as the tour. 

The pouring list was shorter than my prior visit, though my wife was able to score us a taste of the Reserve Cabernet. It's become her calling card to ask for special pourings. As before, the wine was delicious. The Chardonnay was bright and balanced. The Zinfandel had pillowy peppers and bright acid. While a bit too mainstream, the Merlot still showed some nice green notes. The regular Cab was a bit tight but promised lovely dust and tart blackberries. The Reserve Cab was tremendous - chocolate dust, dark and quiet, ripe green beans, tart red fruit jam. Easily the Reserve Cab was the best of the bunch, but if buying within my budget, I'd go with the Zinfandel. 

Experience: B / Wines: A-

Chateau Montelena Winery ($20 tasting, wines $28-$150)

'12 Sauvignon Blanc, '11 Chardonnay, '09 Chardonnay,'10 Cabernet Sauvignon, '09 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

I got a bad feeling about Chateau Montelena at the very beginning of our visit. As you walk from the parking lot to the tasting room, there is the iconic castle-style facade, pretty - yes I agree - but apparently a magnet for tourists. The winery had a photo guy posted up to take people's pictures in front of the castle for purchase - like on a cruise ship. I guess I shouldn't hold it against Chateau Montelena for doing that, obviously folks are going to take the pictures regardless, but a definite strike against the place for soaking up tourist bucks at the first opportunity. Once we got up to the entrance, were led past a good number of tasting counters. There were a probably fifteen different tasting counters that we walked past with attendees and patrons trying the wines. Eventually we made it to an open space where a super bouncy young dude warmly greeted us. He was a well meaning fella, but he lacked skill. He started off by asking us if we were familiar with the film "Bottle Shock" - while pointing to a handful of photos on the wall showing the movie that was filmed at Chateau Montelena. "That's the movie that's about us beating the Frenchies at the wine competition a while back" he said. He happily poured us through the list of wines, but he was not as knowledgeable or classy as the tasting room staff that I've interacted with at other Napa wineries. 

The wines were well crafted, yet overt. The Sauvignon Blanc was zippy, had tropical candy notes, and showed late heat. The '09 Chardonnay was more impressive, subtle and complex than the '11. The top dog for us was this '09 Cabernet. It was a bit of a jock wine, but it filled the flavor spectrum well - cola, pepper, green leaves. It was complex and juicy, a quintessential Cali wine. The wines were good quality but too pricey. 

Experience: C- / Wines: B

Lava Vine Winery ($10 tasting, wines $29-$100)

'12 Chenin Blanc, '10 Viognier, '12 Petite Sirah, '11 Cabernet Sauvignon, NV Port (Petite Sirah/Mourvèdre), '12 Late Harvest Riesling 

I've never had so many people independently recommend a winery as much as people suggested that I try Lava Vine. Upon our arrival, I soon understood why. It's a funky old farmhouse building at a crossroads. Inside was a jovial crew with a number of well imbibed patrons. It is in ways the anti-Napa - shabby chic, irreverent, and friendly. And for that, I respect it. The guys working the counter were beyond friendly, and pretty knowledgeable. The space looked comfortable, though since it was really crowded we had to jockey for space. 

I had really looked forward to visiting Lava Vine, it was indeed my kind of space. But part of me feels like if it wants to be the anti-Napa, it shouldn't be in Napa. Already they are using some grapes from regions outside of Napa (North Coast, Suisun Valley), and given their expensive zip code, they are charging a relatively steep price for less-premier varietals. Lava Vine is like visiting one of the ultra hip Santa Barbara or Amador wineries. I guess if I didn't frequent those other places I'd be more excited about finding Lava Vine. Perhaps when I visit Napa, as much as I loath the stuffiness, I want to go to Napa-style places.
The wines were compelling. The flavors were distinct and authentic. Some of the wines were well orchestrated, and others were a little bit off, but still enjoyable. The two whites were unique, and had interesting layers that didn't play off perfectly for me, perhaps a bit too rambunctious. I enjoyed the Petite Sirah - darkly distinct with intricate herbal notes, and well balanced. The Cab was fun, macho and vibrant, and it had a tight grip. The dessert wines were both off-balance for me. The Port was enjoyable in the beginning, but then the back-end was too harsh. The Riesling was singularly toned, though it had a quality flavor.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B

Ceja Vineyards ($10 tasting, wines $20-$50)
'09 Chardonnay, '09 Pinot Noir, '09 "Vino de Case" Red Blend (Pinot Noir/Syrah), '09 Merlot, '08 Cabernet Sauvignon, '10 Syrah
We were serenaded by a gorgeous sunset as we made our way back down the Silverado Trail to hotel in Napa. Not quite ready for dinner we decided to strike out to one of the urban tasting rooms in downtown. An old friend of mine who lived in Napa had suggested Ceja to me awhile back - he's familiar with the family and thinks they're great folks - so we popped in to see what was going on. The space had a variety of seat areas - a long bar, tables with chairs, and couches .It was pretty packed when we first got there, and the staff seemed a bit frantic, but eventually things settled down, and we were able to have a nice conversation while we were there. The staff person who attended to us was knowledgeable about the wine, and proud of the Ceja family and the wine that they offered.
 Ceja is a unique winery. It's owned a run by a proud Mexican-American family. Throughout the tasting room and on their website, there is a large amount of info about the family and Latino culture. Considering that almost all wineries in California are hugely dependent on folks that are either first or second generation Central Americans, it's refreshing to see a winery that touts it's heritage rather than ignoring it. What I like about Ceja is that it is celebrating itself, without seeming to need to eschew it's Napa-ness. It is an original that feels comfortable with its locale. 

The tasting fee covered four wines, selected from a list of eight. Some in our group did the wine and chocolate pairing, which they renjoyed. I'd say that the wines varied from pretty good to very good. The Chardonnay was a bit tight, though had enjoyable acid.The red blend was nicely priced at $20, and was an easy sipper with a bit of a kick.  The Merlot was the wine that demanded my attention - good variety and depth, exciting acid, a fun drink. The Syrah I found too dense. All of the wines were flavorful and authentic. 

Experience: B / Wines: B+

The second time around for me, and I'm still a bit dubious of Napa. I've mused about visiting the hulking monolithic wineries, such as Sterling, Beringer, Robert Mondavi, etc. I hoped (hope) that since those place are so big that they would put on a good show. But Chateau Montelena makes me check back that hope. It was a soulless experience. Sure, wine tasting and wineries are commercial beasts, but I've had countless real experiences at wineries outside of Napa.
I am however thankful for the authentic places, which I will continue to seek out. Frog's Leap is hugely popular, and is widely distributed, but they manage to stay whimsical. Lava Vine is very friendly and definitely wants to hold onto it's renegade image. And Ceja's just plain real. I'm sure their a numerous other real wineries in Napa, it just may be a bit difficult to find them amongst the tourist traps.

December '13 Amador County Trip - In Search of OGP...Yeah You Know Me

On the second day of holiday downtime with the family, my brother-in-law decided to scoot on down to Amador County. Monday is a quiet day, and not all of the wineries in the area were open. One goal that I had in mind was to go to Vino Noceto, to try their Old Grandperé Zinfandel. While at Vino Noceto, we were strongly encouraged to check out the brand new Turley tasting room just down the road.

Young's Vineyard ($0 tasting, wines $25-$42)
'12 Viognier, '11 Sangiovese, '11 Zinfandel, '11 Barbera, '11 Petite Sirah, '11 Cabernet Sauvignon
I enjoyed Young's the first time that we visiting the Shenendoah Valley. My brother-in-law dug the hell out of Young's on that trip, so when he and I decided to roll out to the area, he really wanted to go again, which I was totally cool with. It was a Monday, so it was very quiet, just a big-ass golden retriever snoozing on the floor when we arrived. The dog was sweet and enjoyed being pet. The lady behind the counter was friendly as well, though I did not try to find out if she liked ear scratches too. The tasting room was painted with dark colors, which gave the place a bit of a spooky gothic feel, but is also calming in a weird way. 

Young's also abides by the high acid / low tannin profile that I've seen at other quality wineries in the Amador region. The Viognier was a little tainted with smoke on the opening, but that gave way to light citrus and enjoyable green hues. The oak was evident, but not obnoxiously overt. All of the reds were calm but still showed unique characteristics. My favorite was the Zinfandel. Once again a little bit of oak showing, though there were nice layers of flavors. It was a bit bombastic compared to their other wines, however its alcohol volume was a scant 14.2% - pretty low for the region. All of the wines were solidly below 15%, and the Cabernet was only 13%. I wasn't wild about their Cabernet. It was pretty, but too sweet and too green. I'm sure they put strong effort into making it, but it wasn't worth the $42 that they were charging for it. Overall the wines that we tried showed confidence by the winemaker - it's definitely in the upper crust of places that I've visited in the area. 
Experience: B / Wine: B

Vino Noceto Winery ($0 tasting, wines $16-$28)
'12 Pinot Grigio, '10 "Noceto" Sangiovese, '10 "Riserva" Sangiovese, '10 Barbera - Linsteadt, '10 Zinfandel - Original Grandpére, '13 "Frivolo" Moscato

Vino Noceto is known for three wines - their Sangioveses - which they have a number of, their "Frivolo" Moscato dessert wine, and their Original Grandpére Zinfandel. I'm fine with Sangio's, I'm not enthused about Moscatos, but I am always down to try the different versions of Old Grandpére that are found at various wineries in the area. "OGP" is the oldest Zinfandel vineyard in California - planted in 1860. Other wineries will sell their bottlings of it, and infrequently will include on their reserve tasting lists, but Vino Noceto is the only winery that will regularly pour it.
We rolled up and the place was rather packed.  Two large groups had almost completely filled the place. Both groups were having a great time. We managed to squeeze our way in to get a taste. Everyone else finished up partway through our tasting, and eventually it was just us and the two goofy dudes who were the pourers. The mood of the place was welcoming - snacks were out and the pourings were generous.

All of the wines were sweeter in profile than I would have expected, and given that the wines were generally in the low 14% range for alcohol, the sweetness wasn't coming from being high octane. The "Riserva" Sangiovese was more dialed in - robust and at the same time more calm - compared to the standard "Noceto" bottling. The "Linsteadt" Barbera was dense and sweet, strangely nearing the qualities of a port somehow. The OGP too seemed obnoxiously port-like. It did show an interesting variety of subtle flavors, but unfortunately the sweetness was too prevalent to enjoy the wine as much as I would have liked. 

Vino Noceto seems to be doing business at a good clip. People rave about their Mosceto and their baseline Sangiovese. They seem to have very affordable case deals available often, and overall their wines are very nicely priced. It's a fun place for people that don't want to take their wine too seriously.
Experience: B / Wine: C+

Turley Wine Cellars ($10 tasting, wines $28-$50)

'11 "Old Vines" Zinfandel, '11 "Judge Bell" Zinfandel, '05 "Dogtown" Zinfandel, '10 "The Label" Cabernet Sauvignon

The new kid on the block. The tasting room had just opened up within the last month when we visited. Turley has been around for a while, with a tasting room in Paso Robles, and having a decent sized distribution with wines made from various California regions - Contra Costa, Lodi, Mendocino, Napa, Paso Robles, and Sonoma. They've been making wine with Amador grapes going back several years, and more recently purchased the old Karly vineyard. Now with that vineyard, they'all start to make Amador specific Zin, rather than using it in California designate Zinfandel. It's a sign of growth for Amador that larger labels like Turley and Renwood are not just making wines from the area but actually have a physical presence with their tasting rooms. 

The interior features a wrap-around bar in the center of the room, and a lot of open space surrounding it. Even though it's a brand new space, the decor has a weather look that's artsy while at the same time evoking a western roadhouse. It was just us and the tasting room manager when we were then, and it felt like we should be speaking in hushed tones given the echoing off the hardwood throughout. She wasn't the friendliest of tasting room folks that I've ever met, but she was pretty knowledgeable about the wine.

Turley is know for their Zins, and though the list was limited given their recent opening, Zins were three out of the four wines on the tasting menu. The "Old Vines" Zin is a blend from all of the growing regions. It had a huge red fruit flavor, tons of acid, and was, I guess "kinda likeable - that's what I have written in my notes. The "Judge Bell" is their first Amador specific wine that they've made. It's from Story Winery's vineyard, next door neighbors of Turley's new Amador vineyard.Still big flavor, though more calm compared to the Old Vines, typical Zin profile, a little lime within the acid. Given it's age, the '05 Dogtown showed Cabernet characteristics: muted and medium fruit. It did still retain some grip though. It was my least favorite of the Zins. Finally we tried the Cab, labeled, well, "The Label" - named because it's from the vineyard on the property of the Turley family in Napa. It was being sold in a large-format bottle. It was a quiet wine, especially compared to the rest of the tasting. Some greenness, generally unexciting. 

Experience: C+ / Wines: B-

Kind of a typical day for Amador. Solid experience at Young's, inexpensive and rambunctious wine at Vino Noceto, and Turley representing the newcomers was a bit pricier and more refined than the average spot in the area. Though at the end of the day, I truly hope that the Turleys don't push out the Vino Nocetos. Amador's charm comes from it's sleepiness and unassuming nature. The more that wineries from out of the area roll in and bring their stuffier mentalities, the less it will be enjoyable. Let's hope that the competition compels more growth in winemaking technique in the area, but doesn't wipe out the personable nature.

December '13 El Dorado County Trip - Highs and Ho-Hums

Another holiday season, another trip up to the Sierra Foothills to visit with the in-laws. It's not as though I'm using winery visits to hide away from my wife's family, I really like them, and sometimes they come along for the visits,  it's just that there's tons of downtime while I'm there, so I steal away to check out a few wineries in the area. I really enjoy the mood of the region, folks are friendly, unassuming and proud of their wines. I had the visit to La Clarine set up ahead of time. Miraflores was a place that I had intended to visit for awhile, and since it was nearby, we stopped there as well.

La Clarine Farm ($0 tasting, wines $20-$26)
 '12 White Blend (Viognier/Marsanne/Petit Manseng), '12 Mourvédre - Cedarville, '12 "Josephine + Mariposa" (Grenache/Mourvédre), '12 "Home Vineyard" (Tannat/Tempranillo/Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon)
La Clarine is definitely off the beaten path, a figurative concept that was made literal to me when driving to the farm on a bumpy back hills road. It doesn't have any signs and you can't find it on any wine region maps. Bill Easton at Terre Rouge was the first person that mentioned it to me, but then after checking out the La Clarine website, I noticed that a local wine shop - Domaine LA - spoke very highly about it, as well, Eric Asimov from the NY Times seemed to be a big fan. So I was excited to make an appointment for a visit. When we arrived, Hank and Caroline were very welcoming hosts, along with their cadre of playful dogs and twenty goats. Both Hank and Caroline have other jobs, but manage to run a small vineyard and make around 1500 cases of wine a year.
The led us on a hike up the hill to their vineyard, and discussed their growing process. Their home vineyard utilizes farming techniques that are inspired by The One Straw Revolution (a book by Masanobu Fukuoka). It's the most natural vineyard farming technique that I've ever seen. The vines were not trellised at all, and the surrounding earth was allowed to grow natural ground cover. Hank seemed to be approaching the vineyard with a c'est la vie attitude, growing a variety of grapes - Tempranillo, Tannat, Syrah, Grenache, and Cabernet Sauvignon - and seeing how they did in that situation. Though they were clear that while they weren't rigid with their growing techniques, it was still really hard work. But standing on top of that hill, seeing those happy dormant vines, and having a panoramic view of the foothills, you can see how their passion is fulfilled.
We headed back down the hill to check out the completed product. Their wine making facility is as low-frills as it gets, a work shed filled to the rafters with wine aging in barrels and winemaking equipment. We tasted the wine on a piece of countertop that was laid on a drum. All of the wines are fermented with native yeasts, and only go through malolactic fermentation if it naturally occurs. The wine is foot pressed and unfiltered. The white wine is aged in plastic "Flextanks" that mimic aging in concrete, and the red wine is only aged in neutral oak barrels. A majority of the wine that they make is sourced from other vineyards, the grapes from their vineyard go into the "Home Vineyard" blend.
We tried four different wines. The White had a full spectrum of acidity, a variety of flavors including hints of sage - very enjoyable. The Mouvédre was playful, lots and lots of authentic berries, especially strawberries and a wood bark note on the front, light and solid. The "Josephine + Mariposa" was my favorite, smooth tannins but lots of tongue prickling acid, an overall fun drink. La Clarine bottles a more than those three, but depending on the time of the year, they may only have a few available. We bought the last of the while we were there, and the Mourvedre was nearly gone too. My wife inquired whether there was anything in barrel that we could try, and Hank went into the shed with a wine thief and brought out a measuring cup filled with the '12 "Home Vineyard" Red Blend - a friendly young wine with juicy tannins and a full body, it should be a treat by the time it's bottled.
Visiting with Hank and Caroline and seeing what they are doing at La Clarine is the ultimate wine experience for me. They are two passionate and warm people that are able to pour their hearts into creating something. They are making delicious wine with very little intervention. And they are doing it their own way. And they're great hosts.
Experience: A / Wine: A-

Miraflores Winery ($0 tasting, wines $20-$30)
'12 Viognier, '06 Zinfandel, '10 Zinfandel, '07 Syrah, '09 Syrah, '10 Syrah, '10 "Methode Ancienne" Syrah, '10 Petite Sirah, '10 "Meritage" (Cabernet Sauvignon/Petite Verdot/Malbec)
The tasting room sits atop a small hill overlooking the vineyard. It's an attractive and interesting Mediterranean style, with clay style walls and lots of old wood features. Inside is a high ceilinged space and a long bar. The ladies behind the bar were decked out in Christmas hats. They were happy to pour anything we wanted from the long tasting list. What was neat about their wine list was that they featured a number of multiple vintages of the same wine, so that you could try the '07, '09, and '10 Syrah, or the '06 and '10 Zinfandel. That's only something I've seen at special reserve tastings. It's always fun to compare one vintage to another. Toward the end of our tasting, we went out onto the patio, and enjoyed our tasting and the great weather.

It's really hard for me to go from a place like La Clarine to any other winery without the following winery to be cast in a pale light. La Clarine represents an ideal wine experience Miraflores is a pretty spot, and the people there are nice, but it's  not going to be able to match up for me. Right out of the gate with the Viognier I felt that the flavors were off - too much sulphur, lack of discernible fruit, rough rather than smooth. Thankfully from there the wines improved somewhat. The '06 and '10 Zins were decent - jammy, exuberant, nice pepper, not very complex. Out of the four Syrahs that I tried, the '09 was my favorite, more restrained than the others. The '06 was good as well, bombastic flavors. The "Methode Ancienne" was made with native yeasts and stomped by foot. I really like wines that use only native yeasts, but this one was the least enjoyable Syrah at Miraflores. The Petite Sirah and the "Meritage" were not interesting. 

Given the earlier comparison, Miraflores wasn't very interesting. The wines were safe and not complex. However, compared to the wider range of wineries in El Dorado County, it's a solid place. It has a pretty space, a good vibe, and offers fun vertical tastings. 
Experience: B- / Wines: C+

Quite a day. La Clarine was everything that I expected it would be: earthy, friendly, unconventional, complex, and high quality. I'm glad we went to Miraflores as well. I had been wanting to go there for a long time, having heard that it was a well run establishment. It's a funny comparison. Miraflores is pretty much a paint by numbers place, and does so in a well thought out way. It is definitely a place with mass appeal. In hindsight we should have reversed the order of the visits. But they both exhibit the reason that I enjoy going to wineries in the Foothills. They are relaxing places where people are enjoying what they do without a pretentious attitude. 

November '13 - Finger Lakes Wine Trip - Snow?!?!?

Thanksgiving this year brought us to New York to spend some quality time with my brother and sister-in-law. To persuade our visit to their coast, they offered to take us up to the Finger Lakes wine region the day after Thanksgiving - they know us too well. I've read good things about the area, so I was interested in checking it out.
The Finger Lakes are a series of narrow north to south running lakes that were formed by glacial activity. It's served as farming region and a vacation destination for quite a while. There's been winemaking going on in the Finger Lakes for a very long time, though the area didn't find the acclaim that West Coast wines have until recently. It's not an easy place to grow grapes due to the colder climate, and for a long time wineries felt that Vitis venifera grapes (the species that makes up almost all mainstream wine) could not grow in such a cold climate. Instead the fledgling wineries grew American grape varieties, like Concord and Norton, and later hybrid French/American grapes like Vidal Blanc, Vignoles, and Baco Noir. Often times these grapes were made into sweet wines, which is what folks came to expect of the area. A dramatic shift occurred when Dr. Konstantin Frank emigrated the region to work at nearby Cornell University. Based on his experience in Ukraine successfully growing Vitis vinifera, he showed that grapes such as Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Noir could grow well in the area if they were grafted onto native grape root stocks. Based on his winery's success, others followed suit, and the Finger Lakes began to gather a reputation as a quality wine region.
While preparing for the trip, I came across Evan Dawson's excellent book: Summer in a Glass. He's a news reporter for a Rochester TV station, and has become a big fan of the wines being made in the Finger Lakes. The book focuses on the stories behind the winemakers and the growth of the region. The book heightened my excitement for the trip and gave me guidance for what wineries were must visits.
We assumed was that it was going to be cold, however I took this to mean that it would be rather chilly, I did not expect it to be snowing and cold as hell the whole time. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but a bit surreal for my wife and I. California is a pretty temperate place, so snow in the vineyards is a funny thing to see.

Saturday (Seneca Lake)

Anthony Road Wine Company ($2 tasting, wines $9-$28)
'10 "Art Series" Riesling, '12 Pinot Gris, '12 Gewürztraminer, '12 Semi-Dry Riesling, '12 Rosé of Cabernet Franc, NV "Devonian" Red Blend (Cabernet Franc/Lemberger/Pinot Noir), '12 Pinot Noir, '12 Cabernet Franc/Lemberger, '12 Semi-Sweet Riesling, '12 "Sweet Dream" (Vignoles), NV "Tony's White" (Cayuga White)
I wasn't sure what to expect from New York wineries. Quite honestly the snow and ice in the parking lot freaked me out. The atmosphere inside Anthony Road was mellow, it seemed like a large and rambunctious group was leaving just as we were coming in, and the staff were relieved that the big group was leaving. I did find the setup to be a bit strange. The was a cash register at the very front of the room, and there were shelves with the wines displayed like a regular wine shop. There must be some rule about New York wineries running their commerce in such a way, because all of the other places that we visited (aside from Kemmeter) had the same setup. Maybe it's not a state rule, maybe it's a regional trend, but either way it's not something that I've seen except for at the very large wineries in California.
I was interested in visiting Anthony Road because it's winemaker - Johannes Reinhardt - is heavily featured in the Evan Dawson book. Johannes' winemaking skill is spoken of very highly in the book, and I figured it would be good to see what the big deal is. Johannes is the winemaker at Anthony Road, and has recently opened up his own winery - Kemmeter - just across the road. I made sure to make an appointment at Kemmeter and figured while we were in the area we could try his Anthony Road wines.
Anthony Road was established by the Martini family, who are still the owners today. Initially they planted all hybrid grape vines, but have since replaced all those vines aside from the Vignoles with Vitis vinifera. They have a long list of wines, allowing tasters to try five (also a practice that almost every other winery in New York embraced). Since my wife and I were both tasting, we split our tastes and covered ten of the wines. The wine list showed a wide diversity of wines for varying audiences that the wine list was directed at: a variety of sweet wines, easy and inexpensive wines, and slightly higher priced, but still reasonable wines. The staff person that attended to us was sweet and calm. When I asked if there was another common name for the Dornfelder, she fished out a wine book and shared with me that the other name is Blaufrankisch - a wine that we'd see by either name throughout our visit.
The wines were solid, not amazing, appealing in a mainstream yet respectable way, with narrow flavor variety. The dry and semi-dry whites had a nice variety of flavors, though didn't have very much depth. The "Art Series" Riesling was the most enjoyable, loads of pineapple and lemon, with a syrupy body. The Rosé was a strange profile, tobacco box and watermelon rind, and somehow light with lots of tongue drying tannins at the same time. The reds were tart and a bit too thin. We all really enjoyed the semi-sweet and dessert wines, especially the "Sweet Dream." It was candied grapefruit syrup with a nice and varied profile. The residual sugar was 14.2%, so definitely not for the diabetics.
Experience: B / Wines: B-

Kemmeter Wines ($0 tasting, wines $24-$30)
'12 Riesling - Red Tail Ridge, '12 Riesling - White Pine, '12 Riesling - Sheldrake Point, '12 "SanSan" Riesling
After reading the Dawson book, the one place that I knew I had to visit in the region was Kemmeter. Johannes Reinhardt just opened up his personal winery in August, but already there are people raving about the wines. I hoped that the experience would be unique and informative --- it was that and a whole lot more. On our arrival Johannes was immediately welcoming, handshakes and smiles, while gently ribbing my brother about his Arsenal scarf, Johannes was wearing a Bayern Munich hat.
As we settled in, Johannes gave us an in-depth overview of our tasting. He's a strong believer in the Finger Lakes region, and truly believes that with better farming practices the region can create great wines. Johannes comes from a family of winemakers in the famed Riesling region of Mosel, Germany, so he's likely to know a thing or two.
Our tasting comprised of four Rieslings, the first three were made to be emblematic of the diversity of the region. The Red Tail Vineyard Riesling exhibited the characteristics of Seneca Lake - the lake that Kemmeter is on, as well the basic center of the region. The White Pine is a from a vineyard close to Lake Ontario, the the far Northwest of the region. And the Sheldrake Point is from the Cayuga Lake, more of western part of the area. The SanSan was a sweeter wine, also from Red Tail Ridge. Johannes is beginning the process of preparing the land at the recently purchased site to be converted over to a vineyard, which will eventually be the source of his wines.
The diversity of the wines was astounding. All had great acid and great balance. The Red Tail Ridge was deeply serious, a kind and candied nose gave way to layers of lemons that rushed to cover my palate. The White Pine was more light, with pie crust. The Sheldrake Point had a neat profile and a funny diet 7-Up aspect, as well as green apples. Finally the SanSan, oh the SanSan. It was made in a spätlese style,which means that it's a late harvest wine. It showed a great amount of complexity - white and green pepper, golden cider, as well being super smooth. I was a big fan.
Visits like the one that we had with Johannes are the quintessential experience that I seek out in the world of wine. He's very passionate about making great wine. He takes great pleasure in what he does and his enthusiasm is infectious. It's a great thing to partake.
Experience: A / Wines: A-

Red Tail Ridge Winery ($2 tasting, wines $12-$23)
'12 Unoaked Chardonnay, 12 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, '12 Dry Riesling, '12 Riesling, '12 Semi-Sweet Riesling, '12 "Good Karma" (Riesling/Chardonnay), '11 Pinot Noir, '11 Blaufränkisch
Oh man, going from Kemmeter to Red Tail Ridge is a shock to the system. Kemmeter is positive, excited and artisanal. Red Tail is cranky and rigid. I had high hopes for our visit, having heard good things from the Evan Dawson book and others in the area, but we did not have a positive experience.
The owners bring their previous professional experiences into running Red Tail Ridge. The wife of the team previously was a VP at a large corporate winery in California. The husband was an executive in the financial sector. They work together to make the all of the decisions about winemaking and the business management. One of the things that piqued my interest was their environment focus - having a LEED certified facility and utilizing sustainable farming techniques. I assume that wineries that focus on the environment are also focused on creating a calm and enjoyable customer experience. This was not at all the case on the day that we visited.
The woman that attended to us in the tasting room didn't seem to be in the best mood, robotically pouring and delivering the scripted talking points about the wines. Between certain wines, like from dry wines to semi-sweet, and whites to red wines, she insisted on pouring water into our glasses - instructing us to drink the water while clearing the glass. My wife even asked that she not do that, but the woman was unrelenting. Somehow this led to her telling us that the owners are very watchful about how much wine gets poured in the tasting room - there's an equation that adds up the number of tasting room visitors and measures that against the amount of wine poured, if those two don't match up the tasting room staff gets in trouble.
Things about the wines were hinky too. At some point I asked about the alcohol level of a wine, and was told that it was 12% - and that all of the wines were 12%. That sort of sets off alarms for me, that the wines are made to stand on their own merits, instead that no matter the variety they are built to fit into the same box. Across the spectrum the wines were limited in profile, though the primary flavors were enjoyable and the acid characteristics were enjoyable. I'm guessing that the wines were made with a eye toward being easy and moderate pleasing to a wide range of audiences rather than being true and/or interesting. The Rieslings were the most enjoyable for me, the reds were the least.
Experience: C- / Wines: C+

Hermann J. Wiemer Winery ($5 for regular tasting + $5 for premium tasting, wines $11-$36)
NV Rosé (Pinot Noir/Cabernet Franc/Chardonnay), '11 "Frost Cuveé" (Riesling/Chardonnay/Gewürztraminer/Sauvignon Blanc), '12 Chardonnay, '12 Gewürztraminer, '12 Dry Riesling, '12 Semi-Dry Riesling, '09 "Field Cuveé" (Cabernet Franc/Pinot Noir/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Lemberger), '11 Cabernet Franc, '12 Late Harvest Riesling, '12 Reserve Dry Riesling, '12 Dry Riesling - Magdalena, ' 10 Cabernet Franc - Magdalena
Wiemer is one of the cornerstone wineries in the region. Hermann Wiemer emigrated to the region from Germany in the 1960's, bringing with him the knowledge gained from his family's many generations of winemaking in the Mosel. In 2003, Fred Merwarth took over as head winemaker after being Hermann's longtime apprentice. In 2007, Wiemer retired and began shifting full control of the winery over to Merwarth.
Upon our arrival, staff greeted us pleasantly, though they were a bit stiff. There was what appeared to  the main tasting area, which was a cozy bar area by the main entrance. Though we were lead into the winery, which was a much bigger and open space, which had a larger bar area. My guess is that on busier days this is where they do their tasting, as there were three or four other groups in this area. Unfortunately for us, this area was also not as well climate controlled, and was cold as hell. The lady who poured our wine for us was wearing a thick fur jacket, gloves and seemed off-put by the cold as well. She wasn't the most astute tasting room attendant, but was amiable and patient.  
Amiable and patient may also be the most accurate way for me to describe the Wiemer wines. Aside from the reserves, all of the wines had a similar profile - cute, quaint, and generally easy. I enjoyed them but found their sameness a bit odd. The reds were a bit more interesting, especially the Cabernet Franc. The attendant was nice enough to do side by side pourings of the reserve Dry Riesling next to the Magdalena Riesling and the regular Cabernet Franc next to the reserve. It was surprising to see how much more dense and action-packed the Magdalena Riesling and the Reserve Cab Franc had next to their brethren. Those comparisons really spoke volumes about how much vine selection plays into making higher quality wine.
Experience: B / Wines: B

Sunday (Keuka Lake)

Dr. Konstantin Frank Vernifera Wine Cellars ($0 tasting, wines $15-$70)
'08 Blanc de Blanc Sparkling, '10 Pinot Blanc, '11 Grüner Veltliner, '12 Rkatsieli, '12 Dry Riesling, '12 Gewürztraminer, '11 Reserve Gewürztraminer, '11 Cabernet Franc, '11 "Old Vines" Pinot Noir, '11 Pinot Meunier, '11 Cabernet Sauvignon, '07 Blanc de Noir Sparkling, '08 Bunch Select Late Harvest Riesling
As I mentioned at the top of this post, Dr. Frank is the granddaddy of them all, showing the region that Vinifera varity grapes can succeed, and not just rely on native and hybrid grapes. The winery has also employed folks that went on to become winemakers at other Finger Lakes establishments - such as Johannes Reinhardt, who's now at Kemmeter and Anthony Road.
The winery sits on a hill overlooking Kueka Lake. Standing on the deck by the entrance affords a lovely panoramic view of the surroundings. It was a cold morning so we took in the sights quickly and headed inside. Immediately upon entering the foyer there was a velvet rope strung across the entrance to the tasting room. An employee lifted the rope, and directed us to an open counter space. We were some of the first guests that day and it was quiet inside, but apparently the rope is used at all times. I thought it was a weird choice to have a setup like this, but I guess it must get quite busy. Our knowledgeable host appraised us of the situation - we were allowed five tastings each off of a very long list. Being the clever drinkers that we are, my wife and I teamed up to cover a good amount of the wines.
Since Dr. Frank was such an staunch advocate for Vinifera grapes that would succeed in the region, I saw the varietals that I expected to see - Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Noir. All three were just okay, but definitely not taking any risks. I was excited to try the Rkatsiteli. It's a grape that I've never had before - it's an old Eastern European varietal - it was watery and had a limited profile, probably why it's not popular anymore, but it was neat to try. I found the Pinot Meunier enjoyable - nice light berry notes and hints of bark. My clever wife was able to persuade the attendant to allow us a taste of the Bunch Select Late Harvest Riesling - a rare bottling of their noble rot (aka "trockenbeerenauslese"). It was indeed quite delicious, a golden apple pie syrup, with hints of sage.
Experience: B / Wines: B-

Heron Hill Winery ($5 tasting, wines $14-$25)
'11 "Eclispe White" (Chardonnay/Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc), '12 Reserve Pinot Gris, '12 Dry Riesling, '12 Reserve Riesling, '11 Muscat, '12 Reserve Gewürztraminer, '12 Semi-Dry Riesling, '11 Riesling - Ingle, '11 Pinot Noir, '11 Cabernet Franc, '11 Reserve Blaufränkisch, '11 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc
I was a bit hesitant about going the Heron Hill, it's website exudes a hyper-corporate vibe, but I had a random conversation with a guy from New York awhile back and he was enthusiastic about it. So visit we did. Heron Hill looms from its hilltop perch - a sprawling art deco-ish space. It's a very pretty building with tons of space for customers and tons of stuff for sale. The tasting room was nearly empty when we arrived and stayed that way through our whole visit. Because of that, the staff person there was able to give us lots of attention and cheerfully chatted with us throughout our visit. He was a friendly character, as was the woman running the cash register that we talked to when purchasing wine at the end.
As with Dr. Frank, the wine list at Heron Hill was extremely long. Once again we were allowed five pourings, though the pourer was loose with the juice and was happy to pour us whatever regardless. I found that the wines at Heron Hill very different from the ones at Wiemer. Instead of being overly restrained and structurally similar regardless of the grape, the wines at Heron Hill were quite varied in flavors and generally more wild. In essence the wines were vibrant, but at times sloppy. The Rieslings that we tried had pretty good levels of structure and nice flavors. The Pinot Gris had a silly banana scented nose, but was too round on the palate.  The first taste of the Gewürztraminer that had was pretty off-putting - my wife described it as "a flooded engine." We asked the guy behind the counter what he thought and he agreed that it tasted poorly, and that it probably got janky overnight. He opened another bottle. The fresh wine was more tight, but had a limited profile. As was the case at most of the Finger Lakes wineries, the reds were mediocre. Though instead of being too weak the Heron Hill reds were off-balance, too jammy, too acidic, and/or too peppery. The Late Harvest Vidal Blanc was enjoyably pretty, with a hint of ocean nose and a blend of apricot and tropical fruit.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B-

Ravines Wine Cellars ($5 for 5 + $1 premium wine tasting, wines $13-$30)
'12 Dry Riesling, '12 Sauvignon Blanc, '12 Gewürztraminer, '12 "Keuka Village White" (Cayuga/Vignoles), '12 Chardonnay, '11 Pinot Noir, '11 Cabernet Franc, '10 "Meritage" Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Merlot), '12 "Keuka Village Red" (Noiret/Cabernet Franc), '11 Late Harvest Vignoles

Ravines is one of the more acclaimed establishments in the region. The owner/winemaker was raised on a vineyard in Provence, was trained at a well-esteemed wine program in France, and then brought that knowledge with him to the US. The space exuded a classy yet spartan vibe. It's a charming space that overlooks the lake. The view was made even more enjoyable while we were there as it began to snow and dusk settled in.
Sometimes you go into a place and the staff enriches experience. Sometimes the staff dampens the experience. At Ravines, things were made more intense by the woman that attended to us. We were one of two groups there at that time. We were directed to our own counter, where our pourer gave us the run down as through she was enthusiastically reading from a script. A regular tasting was $5 to choose five wines from a list of ten. For an additional $5 one could choose a cheese pairing (which my wife and sister-in-law did) or a chocolate pairing (which my brother did). For those that had the pairings the attendant was quite instructive and insistent: "Take a bite of the chocolate, let it melt onto your tongue, then try the wine. You should be tasting a cherry cordial. Did you taste it? Did it 'pop' for you? There it was! I saw your face, it popped!" Kind of annoying when you're just trying to enjoy wine.
Ravines wines were a nice mix of the Wiemer structure and the Heron Hill vibrancy. They weren't all amazing, but they had some authentic characteristics and nice overall body. The Riesling was one of the most impressive on their - lots of bold acid and flavor. The Gewürztraminer had promising aspects but had a greeness that bothered me. I liked the Pinot Noir, it was well layered and a variety of flavors. I had heard good things about the Meritage, and there were neat flavors to it, but it was too brooding for me, perhaps an older vintage would have been more enjoyable. The Late Harvest Vignoles was crazy sweet, though it had a very nice body, marmalade notes, and enjoyably dense viscosity.
Experience: B- / Wines: B+

Throughout our visit to the Finger Lakes I was noting the contrasts that the region has with the
California wineries that I've visited. There are unique differences. We saw much greater focus on white wines rather than red, not surprising since it is a cold-growing climate, but remarkable nonetheless.  The tasting lists had lots more choices with a large number of different varietals being used. Seeing the hybrid and native grapes was definitely unique. I enjoyed the Vidal Blanc and Vignoles dessert wines that we tried at a handful of places. Instead of talking about the alcohol levels of the wine, the focus on was residual sugars. All of the wines were low alcohol, which made waking up in the morning easier. Since it's more of a nascent wine region, the quality to price ratio was much better than all of the California regions that I'm familiar with aside from the Sierra Foothills.
So the big question is whether the Finger Lakes will become more of a powerhouse wine region. If Johannes Reinhardt is right, the region can make a better quality product. He strongly believes that the region will begin to embrace more rigorous growing and winemaking practices and make better wine.

I'd really like to see that. The Finger Lakes is a gorgeous region and enjoying a crisp glass of well crafted Riesling is a wonderful way to enjoy it.

November '13 Grand Cayman Vacation Bonus - Seven Fathoms Rum Tour

No good vacation is complete without a nice tour, for me those tours preferably include the creation of wine and/or spirits. We decided to take a jaunt to Grand Cayman, given that our other new yuppie activity is diving. Dive trips are great for several reasons, one being that normally you dive in the morning, then have the rest of the day to explore the area. In doing some research on Trip Advisor, I came across Seven Fathoms. Being that I'm interested in both drinking and nerding out about drinking, it seemed like a solid choice.

Cayman Spirits Company ($10 tour, rums $24-$40)
Governor's Reserve Rum line (Coconut, Banana, Gold, Spiced, Dark), Seven Fathoms Rum
The lobby and tasting room is decorated with interesting old diving equipment and locally made goods - spices, etc. When we arrived, Walker Romanica was finishing up with another group, so we poked around while we waited. Walker is the co-founder and the head distiller, so we were excited to have him as our guide. He seemed a bit tentative about getting too technical with us, but we assured him that we were definitely into geeking out about the rum-making process. He poured us samples of the various Governor's Reserve rums, and we headed to the distilling floor.
Walker and his partner Nelson got started with the business only seven years ago, and the warehouse that we visited had opened just a few

months prior, so Walker was very proud to show off the new equipment and to explain their methods. As the first and only distillers to make rum in Grand Cayman, the goal is to make a spirit that captures the essence of the island. Walker was born and raised in Cayman, so he is driven to represent his home well. They try to source as much of the sugar cane (which is the central component of the rum) from local growers, though because there's not huge sugar cane farms on the island, they do import some. As well, the coconuts that are used in the coconut rum and the spices that are used in the spiced rum are locally sourced. Walker did a bang up job explaining the distilling process, and I got a good sense that they really care about making a good quality product. Briefly we discussed the aging process, which varies for the different rums, but is done in old Makers Mark barrels. The unique process that we chatted about was the Seven Fathoms Rum, which is barrel aged for one to three years 42 feet underwater in a secret location off the island. We had a number of questions about this process, such as: Do the barrels ever leak and get the fish drunk? How well concealed are the barrels? etc. Walker was a bit cagey in response to these questions - apparently they are quite worried about people figuring out where the rum is and stealing it.
We went back to the tasting bar and tried the rest of the offerings. I have to say that all of the rums were quite delicious. We tried the Governors Reserve Rum line - Coconut, Banana, Gold, Dark, and Spiced. The Coconut was great quality - a true flavor that was well integrated. The Dark Rum was very enjoyable - subtle and serious. The Seven Fathoms was awesome. The idea of the unique aging process is to have the underwater waves agitate the rum so that it gains a depth of character from that constant activity. I've never had a rum with such complexity. It reminded me of a good quality whiskey. Walker asked us if we wanted to try a few new items. Being game drinkers, we were up to the task. First up was a new product that's just about to be rolled out: their Gun Bay Vodka (the name Gun Bay refers to the site of an important historical event in Cayman - the Wreck of the Ten Sail), the Vodka was extremely smooth and enjoyable. Finally we tried a seasonal product, their white rum infused with Scotch Bonnet peppers - it had the perfect amount of spice, enough to make you snap to attention, but not so much to blow you away.

I'm limited in my knowledge about rums, but I was very pleased with our visit. Walker was a great host, we learned tons on the tour, and the rum was great.

November '13 Pitt Stop - R Wine Cellar Urban Winery

I found myself in Pittsburgh for a work trip (lovely city by the way), and decided take a break from the conference and wander around. Near downtown is a cool area called the Strip District. It's an old factory and warehouse neighborhood that's starting to convert over to hip restaurants, artsy spaces and schlocky shops. While walking around I happened across a "wine tasting" sign. Being unable to resist those two powerful words I followed the signs to R Wine Cellar.

R Wine Cellar Urban Winery
'11 Riesling, '12 Traminette, '12 "Lake Erie White" (Diamond Grapes), '11 "Fiona" Chardonnay, '11 "Lake Erie Red" (Concord Grapes), '11 Gluhwien
The space appeared to be divided into two sections, the front area for tasting - with a bar and normal tasting room decor, and the back for winemaking. I didn't go into the back, but it looked to be crowded with tanks and barrels. It being a Wednesday afternoon the tasting room was empty. After a few minutes a gentleman popped his head out of the back to let me know he'd be with me shortly. Kind of a smart setup, being able to work on the wine then being able to attend to customers when they come in.
The man that I interacted with wasn't super forthcoming with info about the winery, or even his name, but he took good care of me, pouring any wines that I was interested in, and answering the many questions that I asked. The winery was created a year and a half ago as a project for the whole family to work on - three generations. The man that I was speaking to was the patriarch, and his kids and his kids kids all have roles in the process. The wines they make come from a variety of sources, purchasing grapes from California, South America, and the nearby Lake Erie region. Since there was a variety of wines to try, I decided to focus on the Lake Erie wines, as an introduction to a region that I'd never tried before. The wines were poured in those small plastic cups - like the ones used in a dentist's office.
I wasn't blown away by the wines, but I appreciated the tasting. The Riesling was quite sharp and dry and had bland lemons. The Traminette - a hybrid grape developed at Cornell - had a silly, sweet Gewurtztraminer nose, but gave way to a high acid and dry body with hints of nice flowers. The Lake Erie White had some different flavors, not the most appealing on the palate. The Chardonnay had nice hints of peaches and apricots. I'd heard about folks making wine with Concord grapes, and so I was excited to try the Lake Erie Red. It was a bit sweet, thin, with medicine flavors - I'm not sure what food one would eat with it. Finally the owner suggested that I tried the Gluhwein. Gluhwein is a traditional mulled wine that's served at German Christmas festivals. It was mulled with fresh oranges and spices, and was served warm. It was sweet and chewy - fun to drink.

I've got to say that I'm a fan of urban wineries - especially ones that aren't adjacent to wine regions. They are truly bringing the wine to the people. Ordinarily the urban wine experience means that you're talking to a third party about the wines, but with people now bringing the grapes into old industrial districts and making them there, you're now able to have a conversation about the minutia of the wine with the person who is intimately aware of the process. I'm glad I tripped across R Wine Cellar and look forward to running into similar wineries in the future.

October '13 - Santa Barbara Trip - Sneaking Off

Weddings are a beautiful thing - especially when the weddings take place in a wine region, and you're able to slip away from the festivities to check out a few wineries. This particular wedding involved a close friend, and a handful of old friends that came into the area to be a part of the wedding. On Friday we managed to slip off with the groom for a visit to Santa Barbara's "Funk Zone" before the wedding rehearsal. On Sunday we had a pickup to make at Ampelos in the Wine Ghetto, and were accompanied by friends who'd never been wine tasting in the region before.

Municipal Winemakers ($12 tasting, wines $27-$38)
'12 Pinot Noir, '12 "Bright Red" (Grenache/Cinsault/Counoise/Syrah), '12 Counoise, '11 "Dark Red" (Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon), '11 Grenache - Fox Family
This was the first visit that I'd made to the Funk Zone. It's in a converted industrial sector of Santa Barbara - artists, builders, restaurants, and a handful of wineries. Specifically I was interested in going to Municipal - I first heard about it from Wes Hagan when we did a tour at Clos Pepe. We were hanging out with the groom, just biding time before the wedding rehearsal so we headed over to check Municipal out.
Municipal is definitely going for a different feel, it's skewing toward a younger audience. The tasting room is in former dive shop, and they've kept some of the old signage around. They've also got a lot of funky decor - goofy paintings, mismatched chairs, re-purposed shelving, etc. It's a fun kind of silly, not an annoying needy kind of silly. The woman who attended to us in the tasting room was limited in her knowledge about the wine, but was extremely friendly and super stoked about the fact that our friend was getting married. Our visit was a bit short, we had to book on out to make sure that we didn't miss the rehearsal.
Across the board the wines had a nice organic flavor, with enjoyable vegital notes. However they were a bit simple, cluttered and at times the acid was too prevalent. The Pinot was slightly too high on the acid. The Bright Red blend was quite zippy as well - curiously a mix of two contrasting experiences: licks off of a battery and light pillows. The Counoise was fun and simple. The Dark Red Blend was very flavorful with jumpy acid. Finally the Grenache was quite sharp, overtaking other aspects.
Experience: B / Wines: B-

Piedrasassi / New Vineland Winery ($10 tasting, wines $22-$42)
'12 "P.S." White Wine - Sauvignon Blanc, '10 White White (Sauvignon Blanc/Roussanne), '12 "P.S." Rosé (Sangiovese), '12 "P.S." Syrah, '10 Syrah
Visiting the Wine Ghetto with friends that have never been before creates a tricky situation: what
wineries do you choose to take them to? There are many great options. With our friends from Chicago with us, we knew we needed to make stops at Ampelos and Stolpman to make pickups. Those two places are always good, solid choices. Since I've written positively about that places several times, I didn't write up notes for the blog. The third and final choice was a tricky one. Go to one the few places that we'd never been to that may or may not be good? Go somewhere we'd been many times already and really enjoyed, like Samsara or Jalama? Or go somewhere that we had only visited once, intrigued us on that visit, and deserved a second tasting to see if it held up? Obviously that's the choice that we went with.
Since our last visit almost two years to Piedrasassi ago, they're now making bread in the back of the building. Since we entered from the back, the baker pointed us through to the tasting room in the front, but also offered some bread samples. Melissa Sorongon was handling the pouring duties, so it was neat to get her input on how she and Sashi Moorman (her husband and winemaker for Stolpman and Sandhi) made choices regarding the Piedrasassi wines. Early on in the tasting we were able to have an in depth discussion about the wines and breads that we were served, but soon a few large groups arrived, and the room became much more loud and tight.
Regardless the wines were very enjoyable. The "P.S." wines are more budget focused, but stand up on their own merits. The P.S. White had a very nice profile - crisp with pineapples, a smooth ending, medium bodied. The Piedrasassi White was very reminiscent of Stolpman's flagship white - L'Avion - with a bit more kick. The Rosé was made with carbonic maceration, weighty compared to other rosés, with very crisp acid and strawberries. The P.S. Syrah was a kick in the pants, big ass black pepper and green vegetables that calmed down really nicely midway through to the end. It was a great price so we picked up a few bottles. Randomly I was at our favorite wine shop here in LA a few weeks later and there was a dude buying a half case of the P.S. Syrah. I chatted with him for a bit about how great the wine was, and we basically convinced each other to split up the last four bottles that the store had left in stock. The Piedrasassi Syrah was a little bit more of a quiet storm compared to the P.S. It's pepper and acid was neatly restrained, but it had a lot of juice. Probably one to open a while before pouring to allow it to breathe.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B+

We're getting quite sneaky at integrating winery visits into our trips. This time around our visits were nice little breaks from the bigger event of the weekend. It was nice to break free during the hubbub to take the groom out. It was even nicer to share our new obsession with old friends on a lazy Sunday.