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.

August '13 Santa Barbara Trip - Second Chances

It's become an important holiday in our household to head up to Santa Barbara the first weekend of August for Ampelos' annual member appreciation party. They throw a hell of a party - and it's an excuse to have another wine weekend, quickly following our July trip. This time around we planned to check out a winery before and the party on Saturday and then another after the party, then to hit up a few places in Lompoc on Sunday.

Saturday (Santa Rosa Road & Highway 246)

Sanford Winery & Vineyards ($20 "Winemakers Flight" tasting, wines $30 - $80)
'09 Chardonnay - La Rinconada, '09 Chardonnay - La Entrada, '10 Viognier - Sanford & Benedict, '09 "Fleur de Domaine" (Viognier/Roussanne), '10 Pinot Noir - La Rinconada, '10 Pinot Noir - Sanford & Benedict, '09 Pinot Noir - Vista Al Rio

 I'd heard lots about Sanford prior to our visit. It happens to be a popular topic of conversation with folks who work at the wineries in the area. Sanford is a cornerstone winery to the region, and it's original owner - Richard Sanford - was instrumental in the growth of Santa Barbara wine, especially Pinot. Awhile back Richard Sanford lost the winery after corporate interests took over (though why he lost it is a bit of a point of dispute between the locals). Richard Sanford reopened as Alma Rosa in the old Sanford location, and the Sanford Winery kept the name and moved down Santa Rosa Road to its new home. Based on the stories that we heard, I avoided Sanford. I dislike the concept of corporate wineries. I've been to some pretty paltry ones, such as Rutherford Hill (though also some solid ones, ex: Byron). I guess its my assumption that corporations rely on market analysis to create their wines rather than using artistic intent. That sort of thing bums me out. I'm not really into wine for the acute market analysis. Sanford's space doesn't dis-spell my assumptions. Its a big, faux ranch house, filled to the gills with merchandise.
It being a Saturday, there were plenty of folks sidled up to the bar. As much I wanted to hate Sanford, I really appreciated how intelligent their staff was, and I felt that their wine was well made. The white wines didn't light my fire, but they were solid - the Viognier being the one that I enjoyed the most. Both of the Pinots were well constructed. I'm not sure if I'm over-reaching with my wine analysis here, but I've noticed that some winemakers nimbly use acid as a structural aspect within their wines, Bill Easton at Terre Rouge definitely does this, Sashi Moorman does this, especially at Sandhi. At Sanford, for some reason, I noticed the absence of this. Acid showed up as a specific aspect, a note, but not adding structure. Well it's a thought. In my notes, I wrote that the Vista Al Rio Pinot was a "swing voter," which still cracks me up. I guess I'm saying that the wine was a fence rider, trying to please as many as possible. Although I enjoyed the wines, the prices were too steep.
Experience: B- / Wines: B

Foley Estates Vineyards & Winery ($0 member's tasting, wines $30-$75)
'11 "Steel" Chardonnay, '10 Chardonnay - Santa Rita Hills, '10 Chardonnay - Bar Lazy S , '10 Chardonnay - Two Sisters, '10 Pinot Noir - Santa Rita Hills, '10 Pinot Noir - Two Sisters
While at the Ampelos member event, we met a few lovely couples. One of the couples invited us to join them at Foley where they were members for a tasting. Now we'd been to Foley once before, and had a disliked the place on that visit. So I wasn't stoked to return, but we enjoyed their company, so we decided to go. The grounds were well manicured, the tasting room politely decorated with lots for sale, and commercials for Foley and its partner wineries played on the flat screen tv.
My major grudge with Foley (as with Sanford) is that it is a very corporate winery. That's certainly how I felt during our first visit. That visit was awhile back and now I think I've mellowed a bit on that issue. Just because a winery is corporate, that doesn't mean its product isn't smartly made. I guess early in my experience with visiting wineries on I lumped wines into two categories: artisanal and corporate. Obviously there's a hell of a lot more complexity to that spectrum.
Since we were with members, the staff were happy to pour us the good stuff. The Bar Lazy S Chardonnay was definitely a mainstream Chardonnay, 40% new oak, but was nicely balanced. As well the Two Sisters Chardonnay - their top shelf bottling was enjoyable. It was made with 100% new oak and full malolactic fermentation, sure to be a golf club crowd pleaser, but pleasing to me as well. The Pinots were pretty good. The Santa Rita Hills wasn't exciting but had some nice notes on the back end. The Two Sisters probably is a bit young still - showing tightness - but had a fun chewy, leafy green entry, smartly used oak, and was nicely balanced.
Experience: C+ / Wines: B

Sunday (Lompoc)

Scott Cellars ($10 tasting, wines $18-$42)
'10 Pinot Blanc - Sierra Madre, '10 Chardonnay - Sierra Madre, '09 Pinot Noir - Sierra Madre, '10 Sangiovese - Whitehawk,  '09 Sangiovese - Stolpman, '10 "Cuvee JP" (Sangiovese/Syrah), '10 "WHOLL" (Syrah/Sangiovese/Zinfandel), '10 Syrah - Larner
The minute we walked into Scott, we were enthusiastically greeted by perhaps the friendliest winery person I've ever met. He - as we figured out as the tasting went on - ended up being Peter "Scott" Fraser the owner/winemaker. He was so excited to share his wines, and tell his stories - which I'm sure he's told thousands of times. His excitement was infectious,  it was difficult to not get amped up about the wine industry in response. Peter really built himself up into the wine world, going from wine clerk to winemaker and then to owner. Peter opened Scott Cellars in 2005, buying grapes from an assortment of vineyards in the Santa Barbara and Santa Maria AVAs. This independent winery is the exact opposite end of the spectrum from Sanford and Foley.
As much as I liked Peter, I felt that the wines were clunky. The Pinot Blanc was cute and tasty - and the bottle that we brought home and drank later was enjoyable. The acid on the Pinot Noir made the wine less enjoyable - rough around the edges. Both of the Sangioveses were fun to drink but a bit sharp and unrefined. I had a good time drinking the Cuvee JP - nice kick, but a bit too sweet. The WHOLL was definitely an interesting and fun blend, quick pepper, lively but calm. The Syrah was enjoyable - very juicy.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B

Bratcher Winery / Arcadian Winery ($15 tasting, wines: Bratcher - unknown / Arcadian $45-$75)
Bratcher '09 Chardonnay - Santa Maria Valley, Bratcher '08 Pinot Noir - Santa Maria Valley, Bratcher '09 Pinot Noir - La Encantada, Arcadian '07 Chardonnay - Sleepy Hollow, Arcadian '06 Syrah - Stolpman, Arcadian '07 Pinot Noir - Sleepy Hollow
 I guess that I was unclear that Bratcher and Arcadian shared a tasting room. We'd visited Arcadian once before, a year ago, and we thought that the wine was quite good, but expensive. My intention was for us to check out one of the few wineries in the Ghetto that we hadn't been to before - Bratcher. But we walked into Arcadian, which was now serving Bratcher wine as well. The dude at the tasting room seemed nice, so we agreed to try the Bratcher wines and the Arcadian wines.
There is a relationship between the two labels, Joe Davis of Arcadian has been mentoring Chris Bratcher as he grows his winery, therefore it makes sense that they share a tasting room as well.
The Bratcher wines were enjoyable but not remarkable - soft, mellow, round. The Chard was a bit syrupy but had a nice sunniness. The Santa Maria Valley Pinot had some nice herbal qualities, unfortunately it had no tannins at all. The La Encantada showed slight brown aging and lacked depth. I'm having some trouble with the Bratcher website, and I don't recall what their wine prices were, but I feel like they were in the high $20 to high $30 range - not quite the price that I would hope for with their wines.
On the other hand, the Arcadian wines are quite pricey and quite good. The Chardonnay - served at room temp - was super calm with forthright acid, crisp. The Syrah was very flavorful, even a bit of cool funk. The Pinot showed talented balance with "chewy fancy jams." Quite an enjoyable drink.
Experience: B / Wines: B

Zotovich Cellars ($10 tasting, wines $22-$48)
'10 Chardonnay, '12 Rosé of Pinot Noir, '10 Pinot Noir, '10 Syrah

While we wandered around the Ghetto considering what one additional place we should visit, the first visit to Zotovich, we thought the wine was okay, but we definitely didn't love the experience. On that visit the tasting room was packed with mid-fifties frat dudes that were already pretty soused. So clearly there was a chance that the experience could improve the second time around.
thinking was: which place deserves a second chance? Zotovich and Fiddlehead were the two places that sprung to mind. We chose Zotovich, and planned to revisit Fiddlehead on another day. One our
And it did. First off, we were the only visitors at the time, so no worries about obnoxious old guys. Second, the staff person was quite knowledgeable, also a departure from the first visit.  As well, the wine was something that I definitely enjoyed more this time around. The Chardonnay was quite bright, with a nutty flavor and hints of greenness. The Rosé was flavorful and balanced, a fun to drink "jam vinegarette." I found the Pinot to be calm and intricate, there's a mouth kick that hangs toward the end. The Syrah was pretty good, but my least favorite, not as well rounded as the others.
Experience: B / Wines: B+

I left from this weekend a bit confused. Things had gotten a bit topsy-turvy. With having to alter my perceptions about the qualities of Sanford and Foley, my anti-corporate values had taken a bit of a hit. Moreover, I started to recognize that my first impressions of Foley and Zotovich were off-base. I guess that means that I'm going to have to revisit a bunch of other wineries in the future - its a heavy burden, but I guess I'll take it on.
On the other hand, it was a stellar weekend. The Ampelos party was awesome as usual. We met some great folks and really enjoyed the wines that we had at the various places that we visited. I'll seek to have more of an open mind about wineries that I investigate in the future.

July '13 Santa Barbara Trip - The Old New is Old, the New New is Very New

Even though visits to the Santa Barbara wine country are old hat for me now, new was the theme for this trip. We went with new friends, checked out some newly opened wineries, and we experimented with mixing camping and winery-hopping together (what I am trying to brand as "wamping," though without much success).

 Saturday (Los Olivos)

Sandhi Wines ($10 tasting, wines $28-$45)
'11 Chardonnay - Santa Rita Hills, '11 Chardonnay - Rita's Crown, '11 Chardonnay - Sanford & Benedict, '12 Rosè of Pinot Noir - Rita's Crown, '11 Pinot Noir - Santa Rita Hills, '11 Pinot Noir - La Encantada, '11 Pinot Noir - Wenzlau
Sandhi is a rather new winery that's been created by partners Rajat Parr - a super famous sommelier, Charles Banks - owner of Jonata and Screaming Eagle wineries, and the winemaker and all-around badass Sashi Moorman of Piedrasassi, Stolpman, and Evening Land. The tasting room is in a small building in the back of what is now Mattei's Tavern - originally built in 1886 as a hotel for the carriage line that went through the Santa Ynez Valley. Now Mattei's Tavern is hip restaurant serving both traditional and modern local fare. Sandhi moved into the complex in November, and has intentions to expand to making pizzas out on their patio.
It was a bit tricky for us to find the tasting room, it's placed on the far back corner of the property, though it would have been easy enough to drive up to if we had taken the alleyway. We were welcomed into the old made new sleek space. The tasting room attendant was a fun guy to chat with, he was very much on our wavelength.
The wines were all top shelf quality. Acid was well utilized to provide structure, and the alcohol levels were kept low, so the wines were calm and polite. Subtle notes crept in throught the experience of each sip. For the most part, these were wine nerd wines - not something that would be smart to indoctrinate new wine drinkers on. They might find the wines agreeable, but they wouldn't get a deep appreciation for the artistry. Both of the Chardonnays had effective sharpness, balance and length. The Rosè was straight crazy-times. It was led through carbonic maceration during fermentation, which is not a process that I'm familiar with, but is the same process used to make Beaujolais nouveau. It was super interesting - a candied vegital note - definitely something to nerd out on. The Pinots were all light, tart fruit with sprinkles of pepper, serious but fun. The Wenzlau had a bizzare nose of pickles, which thankfully wasn't present in the taste, it was my favorite of the whole lineup.
Experience: B / Wine: B+

Sunday (Highway 246 and Lompoc Wine Ghetto)

Babcock Winery & Vineyards ($15 "Terroir" tasting, wines $14-$60)
'11 White Syrah "Identity Crisis", '11 Chardonnay, '12 Pinot Gris "Naughty Little Hillsides", '11 Pinot Noir "Precocious" - El Camino Ranch, '11 Pinot Noir "Ocean's Ghost", '11 Pinot Noir "Déjà vu" - Rabbit Ridge, '10 Cabernet Sauvignon "Block 15" - Estelle

I've driven by Babcock many times, and have intended on stopping for the past few years, but for whatever reason it never jumped to the top of my list of places to visit. It's on the same route as Melville, Dierberg/Star Lane and Clos Pepe, wineries that I think highly of, so I guess I felt that the other wineries on Highway 246 couldn't be as good, so I should keep on driving. I'm now making a conscious decision to visit places that I'd skipped over before, so it was high time to make a Babcock stop. It's not like I dragged myself there kicking and screaming. The website for the winery touts the numerous accolades for winemaker Bryan Babcock, and a few different people had suggested that I visit there.
Though the winery's been around for a long time (since the early 80's), the tasting room is brand new. It's a big open warehouse building, and it has a hip aesthetic. Apparently Mona Babcock is a top executive at Forever 21, and designed it with goal of creating a "modern mid-century vibe."
There were a few other couples at the counter when we arrived, so we sidled on up like the wine cowboys that we are. The guy behind the counter was cool. He was local and chatted enthusiastically about the area and the local wine.
I respect the wine that we tried, but I didn't love it. Across the board the wines were "too much." The Chardonnay was too pillow-y from too much malolactic fermentation. The Pinot Gris was too boisterous. The "Ocean's Ghost" Pinot Noir was too juicy. The Cabernet had too much garnet. By no means were these bad wines, but a little bit overboard, and because they did show interesting subtleties, it bummed me out a bit with the "too much" aspects. Bryan Babcock is definitely an interesting winemaker. He's making exciting wines - especially Pinots - with a variety of takes. I'd just rather that the wines would be a bit less brash.
Experience: B / Wine: B-

Palmina ($10 tasting, wines $18-$30)
'11 Arneis, '12 Pinot Grigio, '12 Tocai Fruliano, '11 Malvasia Bianca, '12 "Botasea" Rosè (Dolcetto/Barbera/Nebbiolo), '11 Dolcetto, '10 Barbera, '07 Nebbiolo
I thought quite highly of Palmina on my first visit there in April, 2011. I thought that the hospitality was grand and that the wines were made with talent and confidence. It's not that I was off-base with my opinion, nor is Palmina inhospitable with untalented wines, but two years later the wine and experience isn't a standout in the field. It's still a welcoming place to visit.
The gents working there were friendly, though the guy that took could have used some more training. He stated that "not many people have heard of Pinot Grigio," hmmm, not so sure you're right about that buddy. There were snacks to enjoy, breadsticks, cured meats, olive oils, etc. As we were there the place packed up to the point that there was quite a din.
My opinion of their wine has changed pretty dramatically. On this visit I found the wines to be bland and monochromatic. Most had a singular upfront flavor and then fell away dramatically. The Malvasia Bianca was some fun, the nose was very light and sweet and the taste was quite dry, nothing like the nose at all. Of the reds, the Barbera was the most enjoyable, some complexity with pepper and plum notes as well as earthiness.The Nebbiolo, aka the wine of kings, had some nice acid and tannins, but fell away pretty quickly.
I'm more familiar with wines from Italy than from France, due to the fact that there's a wine bar and store down the street from my place that I used to frequent. Outside of Sangioveses and Barberas, I've not encountered really good Italian varietals being made in California. They come off more safe and boring. Perhaps if I knew French wine better I'd feel the same way about French varietals being made in Cali.
Experience: B- / Wine: C

Joseph Blair Wines ($10 tasting, wines $22-$30)
'10 "Ghetto White" Chenin Blanc, '10 Viognier, '10 Gewurztraminer, '09 "Heartbreak" Pinot Noir, '09 "Reveller" (Merlot/Petit Verdot), '10 Cabernet Sauvignon

Image from http://wine-dingroad.com/

Joseph Blair is the alternative label from Mark Cargassachi of Jalama. At Jalama, he's focusing on Rhone wines, whereas at Joseph Blair he's taking a crack at Bordeaux varietals as well as pinots and various whites.
Even though Joseph Blair is a new winery, we've attempted to visit twice before. The first time the doors were locked, and the folks at Jalama told us that Marc had a tractor break down, so we wouldn't be able to taste at the new place. The second time the doors were unlocked, but there was no one around, and after poking around for 10 minutes, we headed to another place. Finally on this visit, we were able check out the wines.
First off, Mark Cagassachi's dog Chester is the coolest dog ever. He's a rat terrier I think. That's it, just had to be said.
The tasting room has rotating art from local artists and a few high tables to sit around as well as a large desk counter where the wine is poured. The woman pouring the wines for us is an enthusiastic fan of Jalama and Joseph Blair, and happily took care of us.
The whites were nicely full-flavored, though all showed a little too much oak. The Viognier showed pretty, fragile flowers, which I always enjoy. The Ghetto Red had some fun notes, two well combined notes, pretty with a kick. The Reveller had a similar profile, but was a bit more convoluted. The Cabernet was really interesting, almost like sweet dirt. It had just been bottled, so it's likely that the wine will get better.
I've visited Jalama a handful of times and think highly of the wines that Mark Cargasacchi creates. That talent is carrying over to his Joseph Blair wines. They are a little bit more vivacious and silly, though not quite as deep. At this point, the prices of these wines are pretty decent, which is always appreciated.
Experience: B / Wine: B

Tyler Winery ($15 tasting, wines $36-$60)
'11 Chardonnay, '11 Chardonnay - Clos Pepe, '11 Pinot Noir, '11 Pinot Noir - Bien Nacido, '11 Pinot Noir - Bentrock
Justin Willett of Tyler Winery definitely represents the cutting edge of Santa Barbara wine. He's young, he's got a bunch of different wine projects going, and like Sandhi Wines, is trying to honor the Burgundian style with his wines in the Sta. Rita Hills region.
The winery warehouse that we tasted in was brand new - walls are still being built to create offices. Apparently Ryan Zotovich of Zotovich Cellars owns the big building that houses Tyler, and the plan is to have both wineries in the space, as well as a boutique hotel and an eatery. That would be a huge cultural shift for Lompoc, and definitely speaks to the potential greater trend that's occurring in the area. I've heard that the Lompoc City Council are pretty anti-growth, so perhaps the project won't get off the ground.
The lady that ran the tasting room exuded a hoity-toity vibe. She was very proud of Tyler wines, and was happy to show it off, but she also was a bit dismissive of other winemakers in the area. When I asked er the prices of the Tyler wines, she answered "They're all under $60." as though any decent wine drinker would be happy to buy any bottle as long as it's under $60.
I will say that the wines were incredibly impressive. The Chardonnays were flavorful but respectful, the Clos Pepe maybe a bit too dense in flavor. The Pinots were excellent. Similar profiles, but nicely distinct aspects. The Bentrock was the most impressive. It had a cool blood orange note.
Experience: B- / Wine: A- 

Monday (Foxen Canyon Road and Santa Maria)

Demetria Estate ($10 tasting, wines $22-$45)
'12 Riesling, '11 Chardonnay, '12 Rosè of Grenache, '12 Rosè of Pinot Noir, '11 Pinot Noir - La Encantada, '10 Syrah, '10 "Cuvee Constantine" (Grenache/Mourvedre/Syrah), '10 "North Slope" Syrah
The drive up to Demetria off of Foxen Canyon is a long and winding one, but the view from estate makes trip worthwhile. The Tuscan style building and grounds overlook a slight ravine, and the opposing slope is covered with vines, and rolling hills and vines continue on behind for a long distance. There's a peaceful garden and patio with plenty of tables and chairs. There were a few other groups at the same time. Some folks were lunching which we ended up doing after our tasting.
The one drag about this place was the staff person who took care of us. Perhaps he was having a shit day, but I'm guessing that he's generally an ass, because he managed to be a snot, a schlub, and a general doofus as the same time. Right off the bat he gave me guff for asking for tasting notes that I could write on - acting as though he had to go to great lengths to grab me a blank piece of paper. He also was fussy at our friend for wanting to fill up her water bottle. And last be not least he called my wife nosey for overhearing that another patron was being pouring a Rosè that wasn't on the pouring list, and asking if we could try it as well.
Thankfully our severe dislike of that dude was overcome by superb wine. The Riesling and the Chardonnay were just pretty good, and the Rosè of Pinot didn't blow me away, but the rest of the wines were fantastic. My favorites were the Rosè of Grenache (flowers and peaches, quite precious and flavorful), the Pinot Noir (affirmatively against grain for Santa Barbara - earthy and vegital, calm and delicious), and the Estate Syrah (mellow, light, some sweet peppers and green vines).
Experience: B / Wines: A-

Presqu'ile Winery ($20 tasting, wines $18-$55)
'12 Sauvignon Blanc, '11 Chardonnay, '12 Rosè of Pinot Noir, '11 Pinot Noir, '10 Pinot Noir - Rim Rock, '10 Estate Pinot Noir
Our traveling companions had visited Presqu'ile's tasting room in Los Olivos a few months prior and had spoken quite highly of the wines, so we decided to check them out and to have a look at their brand new winery complex out in Santa Maria. The grounds are gorgeous. The airy main building incorporates posh elements that are rare in the region, such as a member's only tasting room, and a wine cave that is only granted to higher level members.
The wines were impressive - it justified the highbrow atmosphere of the space. All were low alcohol compared to the region, between 12.9% and 13.6%. The Pinots were nicely varied - the Santa Maria Valley was peppery and meaty, the Rim Rock was circumspect (first time I've used that adjective in my tasting notes - check out the big brain on Brad!), and the estate was light with a cute little kick.
As much as we enjoyed the wines, I was a bit thrown by the exclusivity vibe at Presqu'ile. Members receive no discount on the wine - as far as I know, no other Santa Barbara area winery does that with their memberships. Members do receive free shipping on purchases, free tastings, and access to parts of the winery that non-member are restricted from - such as the special tasting room and the wine cave. I'll be interested to see if that strategy catches on with other wineries in the region.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B+

Based on the quality of wine being produced at the three very new wineries that we visited - Sandhi, Tyler, and Presqu'ile - it really feels like the Santa Barbara region is gaining momentum. Sure, it's been booming for awhile, catalyzed by "Sideways" and the general notion of wine tourism, but now there seems to be a stronger majority of wineries been created with very talented staff and deep-pocketed backers. I'm hopeful that this trend continues, but somehow without making the region more snooty and pricey.

June '13 Local Visit - San Antonio Winery

I've built up a pretty good amount of animosity toward San Antonio Winery over the past three years. Three years ago was the summer when I really started to become enthusiastic about wine. That summer we went on a family trip basically in the middle of nowhere. We flew into Reno, picked up a rental car, stopped at a Costco and loaded up on provisions. We asked for some advice on which wines to choose from the Costco wine guy, and he enthusiastically directed us to a bottle of Stella Rosa, a wine we had never heard of before (somehow). We bought some other wines, but that was the one that he really got our hopes up about. So we get out to our vacation spot, and we're having a great time. I'm relaxed as all hell and have started to read Terry Theise's awesome book Reading Between the Vines. Reading this book, relaxing, and drinking wine, it was ideal - until we pop open the Stella Rosa. It was bad news. Sticky sweet nastiness. That's not to say it ruined the vacation, or turned me off wine - clearly that hasn't happened - but it kind of offended me. My dislike was further fueled over the many, many billboard's that have seemed to crop up across the state promoting Stella Rosa - "Stella gets around." Each time I saw those I remembered how much I disliked that wine.
To draw it together, San Antonio Winery is the parent of Stella Rosa, as well as an grip of other wine labels: San Simeon, Maddalena, Sera Ambra, Riboli Family, Windstream, Opaque, Santo Stefano La Quita, Kinderwood, Sangria, Bow Tie, and I'm sure others. It's been around for a very long time, since 1917, it's the longest running winery in Los Angeles. It managed to survive prohibition because it produced sacramental wine for Catholic churches. It not only survives today it thrives.

San Antonio Winery ($12 tasting, wines $13-$30)
San Antonio '10 "Heritage Blanc" (Viognier/Riesling/Pinot Gris/Sauvignon Blanc), San Antonio '12 Rosé of Gamay, Maddalena '10 Zinfandel, , San Simeon '08 Syrah - Pretty Penny Vineyard, San Simeon '08 Petite Sirah, Opaque '09 Malbec, Sera Ambra NV Moscato Orange
First impression of the place - there is a ton of stuff being sold. A big space is filled with many displays of wine, beer, liquor and food. Off to one side is a cafe. There's a very long tasting bar that runs the length of the room, so there's lots of places for wine drinkers to plug in. Behind the bar is a wall shelved with more wine, beer and liquor. All of the beer, and most of the liquor for sale are not products from the San Antonio regime - they just have a really good alcohol selection for folks, which I find strange, basically making San Antonio Winery a liquor store with a winery theme.
It was a Thursday afternoon, and there were plenty of patrons. We sidled up to the bar, and were immediately tended to by an enthusiastic youngish dude. He informed us of our options for tasting, three for free, and another four from the Artisan series for $12. We opted to pay - might as well put some skin in the game, right? The dude pouring for us was pretty hyped about the wines.
None of the wines impressed. I didn't hate them, honestly they were better than I expected, but after my Stella Rosa experience I had low expectations. The white blend was nicely crisp, though the fruits were jumbled. Additionally it had 14.9% alcohol per volume, which is a bit steep for a white. The Rosé - interesting that it was a Gamay - had watermelon notes, sneaky pepper and a too watery finish. The Zinfandel has a rough tart entry and was overly oaked. The Syrah had big tannins and unripe plums - it was my least favorite of the group. I couldn't locate a specific flavor within the Petite Sirah, just purple. The Malbec was the best, and the priciest of the lot. Pretty good length, the flavors were a bit clumpy, and there was a harsh sharp note that made the wine less enjoyable. Last, we finished up with the Orange Moscato. It was syrupy and industrial.

As far as I can tell, San Antonio Winery is a very successful business. They have a large presence in LA, and establishments in San Bernardino County and Paso Robles.The LA space is huge, and they obviously deal in high volume. The prices for the wines that we tried were steep for the quality, but I can imagine that people are willing to pay those prices. I found it a bit odd that on the way out there are road arrows for at least a block directing people out. Perhaps they've had patrons get turned around on the industrial streets around their place, but I more took them as a sign that I should be fine just visiting the one time.
Experience: C+ / Wine: C-

June '13 Sierra Foothills Trip - Quiet Holiday

I found myself in NorCal with two events schedule on the first two weekends of the month of June, and very little in between. So I took advantage of the circumstance and decided to do some mid-week wine exploring. During the week in the Sierra Foothills the wineries don't see a lot of traffic, and many of them aren't open. So I planned to visit the ones that were open, and found myself getting a lot of one on one treatment. The first day of my visit I was accompanied by an old friend who knew very little about, and on the second day was joined by a friend whose worked for a winery in Sonoma for many years. It was a great way to catch up with both friends.

Monday (Shenandoah Valley - Amador)

Terre Rouge / Easton ($5 tasting, wines $12-$24)
Easton '10 "H" House Rosè (Grenache/Mourvèdre/Roussanne), Easton '05 Barbera, Easton '11 Zinfandel, Terre Rouge '09 "Tête-a-Tête" (Syrah/Mourvèdre/Grenache), Terre Rouge '08 Muscat "à-Petits Grains"
Our November visit to Terre Rouge was incredible - so I figured I should swing back though to make sure that it wasn't a fleeting experience. It being a Monday and all, it was just me and Doug, the tasting room manager, and an old black lab that kept coming in and going out.
Doug was very polite and knowledgeable about the wines. As with the first time that I visited, I felt that all the wines were nicely balanced and had utilized the acid dynamic quite well to give the wines structure.  I had not tried the Rosè during my first visit. It was nice but a bit too sticky. Similarly, the Zinfandel was well-made but a little too sweet for my taste. I did very much enjoy the "Tête-a-Tête" - serious but easy, tart blackberries, nice complexity. Also the sweet wine at the end, the Muscat, was good times.
Experience B+ / Wines: B+

Bray Vineyards ($5 tasting, wines $15-$24)
'11 "BrayZin Hussy Blonde" (Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc/Viognier/Verdelho), '12 Viognier, '10 "BrayZin Hussy Red" (Zinfandel/Sangiovese), '10 Sangiovese, '10 Barbera, 09 Zinfandel, '09 "Tres Vinas" (Grenache/Sangiovese/Petite Sirah) '08 Port (Petite Sirah/Zinfandel), '08 "Vino Tinto" Port

Bray's logo - which can be found all over the winery - is a road sign of a dude riding a tractor while chugging a bottle of wine. It's a fun sign, but not surprisingly the wines that accompany that logo are generally high alcohol, and not complex. The space is chill and rustic - and wide open to accommodate the party style atmosphere that I imagine comes through on the weekends. Since it was Monday though, it was just me and Robin, the wife part of the husband and wife team that own the place.
Across the board the wines were clumsy - there weren't distinct layers within the wines - just an jumble of flavors. And most of the reds ran over 15% alcohol - generally meaning that subtle flavors were overtaken by the heat of the alcohol. As my tasting went on, I think it became clear to Robin that I wasn't enjoying the wine. I wasn't being a dick about it, but I wasn't that enthusiast either. It's an uncomfortable feeling when you know - that they know - that you aren't digging their wines, and there's no one else there to attend to. It's a situation that I definitely encountered again on the trip later.
Experience: C+ / Wines: C-

C.G. Di Arie Vineyard & Winery ($5 tasting, wines $18-$35)
'12 Sauvignon Blanc, '09 Rosè "Di Arie", '09 Barbera, '09 Primotivo "Block #4", '09 "Sierra Legend" (Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Syrah/Primotivo)
From checking out the website of C.G. Di Arie - I had a feeling that this was going to be a unique visit. I can't quite explain it - whether it's the fact that you can convert the text to Chinese, or that there's a QR code (not sure what you're supposed to do with that on a website, don't QR codes lead you to websites when you're on a smartphone?), it was sure to be a strange place. Also adding to the uniqueness is the fact that the owner, Chaim Gur-Ariah, was a cereal inventor, and created Captain Crunch. The tasting room itself definitely had a sense of style - lots of granite counter tops and dark wood shelving.
The wines were just decent. The Sauvignon Blanc and the Rosè were quite bland. The Barbera had some weirdness going on with it - a note of char and rotten fruit. The Primotivo and the Legend were more enjoyable, but too jammy and sweet. Across the board I felt that the price of the wines - which were generally higher than most other Amador wineries - were not justified considering the quality. Ultimately the wines weren't as unique as I had hoped.
Experience: B- / Wines: C+

Andis Wines ($5 tasting, wines $17-$32)
'12 Sauvignon Blanc, '11 Primotivo, '11 Barbera, '10 "Painted Fields" (Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah/Petite Sirah), '10 Petite Sirah, '12 Rosè (Zinfandel/Barbera)
A sleek and modern joint. Andis, like Helwig, is one of the newest wineries in the area - and used the same architect as Helwig to design their winery, though there is a notable difference in design aesthetics between the two wineries. Helwig has a bit of a Western style, whereas Andis is more about fitting within the surrounding landscape. I was quite impressed by the building and the overall feel of the place. We had a great meandering conversation with the tasting room manager while she attended to us.
Overall I enjoyed the wines - they had nice textures and pretty good balance. I was smitten with the Sauvignon Blanc - nice flowers and acid. The reds were flavorful - maybe a little bit too much at times, but still enjoyable. The was Rosè served last, so it was as expected a bit sweet, which I did not enjoy. The prices were slightly higher than I would have liked to pay, but they are definitely doing good work there.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B

Wilderotter Vineyard  ($0 tasting, wines $17-28)
'12 Rosè (Grenache/Tempranillo), '12 Viognier, '11 Chardonnay - Russian River Valley, '11 Sauvignon Blanc, '09 Mourvèdre, '09 Grenache, '10 Rhone Blend (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre), '10 Zinfandel, '09 Petite Sirah
 Wilderotter was our last visit of the day. It's a cute little building - I'm not sure how it would be on a busy day, but it was quite cozy with just us there. The woman there was patient with us, and a pleasure to speak with. The list of wines was quite long, about thirteen total. We were welcomed to try as many as we wanted - I exercised my well-known restraint, and only had nine. The whites were generally boring, not bad, but not exciting. The Grenache and I did not get along whatsoever. It had a strong flavor of artificial raspberries which overwhelmed any other flavor. That same note showed up in the GSM as well. The rest of the reds were reasonably enjoyable, especially the Mourvèdre. I wrote a note that it had "neat meat."
Experience: B / Wines: B-

Tuesday (Shenandoah Valley - Amador)

Renwood Winery ($5 tasting(s), wines $19.99-$49.99)
Taste of Renwood List: '12 Sauvignon Blanc, '09 Barbera, '09 Primotivo, '09 Tempranillo, '10 Syrah
King of Zin List: '10 "Premier Old Vine", '10 "Merida", '10 "Flutist", '10 "Musician's", '10 "Bewick's", '10 "Niceforo",
Special Reserve List: '10 Grandpère, '10 Dry Creek
I really didn't think I'd enjoy Renwood. It's long been a hulking corporate winery, and it's wines can be easily found on supermarket shelves. I try to avoid hulking wineries. Clearly they are successful, but because of their size, I doubt their ability to make authentic wine. I'm not experienced enough at wine tasting to know whether their wine is truly authentic or even if their tasting room conveys authenticity - but I do know that I enjoyed the wines and the experience.
Perhaps our experience was aided by the fact that my companion on this day worked at a winery. Throughout the day this connection meant that we received discounts on wines, and often friendlier service. The young dude that took care of us was really nice, and very passionate about Amador County wine. The tasting room and the outside area was quite nicely designed. Apparently Renwood was recently bought by an Argentinian investor, and had been redone within the past year.
The tasting list was split into five different groups: all zins, a variety, worldly varietals, dessert wines, and the reserve.  Each list would cost $5. We tried the variety list, the zins list, and the reserve (our tasting fees were waived thanks to the industry connection). All of the non-Zinfandel wines were playing it safe and were boring. However the Zins were quite the opposite. They weren't overly exuberant, quite restrained actually, but really neat and intricate. Most were playful, pretty, and subtly structured. Each wine also expressed unique characteristics. The Premier Old Vine Zin was very good quality and reasonably priced at $20. The other Zins were $40 to $50 - and very enjoyable, but priced a bit high. I really enjoyed trying the Grandpère. It was calm and wild at the same time.I was really excited to try it. I'm actually a bit obsessed with the Grandpère vineyard. It's grows the oldest Zinfandel in Amador County - over 140 years old.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B+

Cooper Vineyards ($0 tasting, wines $20-$38)
'12 "Roundpen" Carignane Rosè, '12 Pinot Grigio, '12 Sauvignon Blanc, '10 Mourvèdre, '11 Alicante Bouschet, '10 Barbera, '11 Primotivo "Tesero", '10 Primotivo, '11 Zinfandel
I'd visited Cooper a year and a half prior, and knew that it was a great representation of Amador wine. My Sonoma friend had never been to Amador before, so I wanted to make sure that we visited Cooper - to ensure that I took her to at least one winery that I could vouch for. Unfortunately our visit was on a Tuesday, and Cooper is not open on Tuesday. Thankfully they were willing to unlock the doors for us and allow us to have a tasting. The two ladies there were fun to chat with, and had lots of advice about which wineries to visit in the area.
Since we were the only visitors that day, all of the wines that we were served were coming out of the wine fridge and had been resealed with vacu vin corks. Not to say that the wines showed poorly, but I definitely made a effort to heat up the wines with my hands to make sure that the wines opened up in my glass. Some of the wines didn't strike my fancy, but I still could recognize that they were adeptly made. We were given a side-by-side tasting of the Primotivos (the premium Tesoro next to the regular) - and the Tesoro was much more balanced and impressive. Both the regular Primotivo and the Alicante were too jammy. The Mourvedre was simple but very enjoyable, and the Zinfandel was quite nice - cute nose, subtle, nicely edged.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B

Sobon Estate ($0 tasting, wines $11-$24)
'12 "ReZerve" Grenache Rosè, '12 Viognier, '11 Zinfandel "Old Vines", '10 Zinfandel "Cougar Hill", '09 "ReZerve" Zinfandel, '11 Syrah, '10 "ReZerve" Primotivo, '10 "ReZerve" Petite Sirah, '10 ReZerve Tannat
Sobon's been around for quite awhile. The winery is has been running since 1856. The history is front and center to the experience - there's a number of antique farming and wine-making items that are put on display in the cluttered on-site museum. That throwback quality is within the tasting room as well, a big wood paneled dusty room. Quite honestly, the whole place could have used some sprucing up. As was the theme of the day, we were the only patrons there. We asked the tasting room person if we were the only people that she had seen that day, and she answered dryly, "No, the dishwasher repairman was here earlier."  Unfortunately, that was the end to her comedy routine.
The wines were across the board less expensive that the wines at all of the wineries that I visited on this trip. The Rosè was $11, and the reserve (or as they called it ReZerve) red wines topped out at $24.  The Rosè and the Viognier were bland. Most of the reds were bland jam bombs - clunky and without subtlety. The main flavor was enjoyable in some of the wines - such as the Cougar Hill Zin and the Tannet, but at other times was too sharp - as in the  Petite Sirah.
Experience: C+ / Wines: C


Helwig Winery ($5 tasting, wines $16-$24)
'12 Sauvignon Blanc, '12 Helwig Rosè "de Shanendoah" (Zinfandel/Syrah/Viognier), '11 Tempranillo, '10 "Round Up Red" (Zinfandel/Syrah/Petite Sirah/Malbec), '10 Zinfandel
Going to Helwig was a stark shift from just coming from Sobon - the oldest to one of the newest. The buildings are modern but with a bit of a rustic theme. It's clear that part of the business plan for Helwig is as an event space. There's all sorts of lookouts and gathering areas where weddings, etc. could take place. The complex sits on top of a hill above the rest of the area, and there are gorgeous views in every direction. There's lots of outdoor space to picnic and relax. Inside is quite airy with a huge wraparound bar to deal with a high volume of customers during the busy times - this time around it was mostly an empty room.
I have an apprehension that wineries in the Sierra Foothills (ex: Cielo and David Girard) that double as event spaces. There's a tendency to let the quality of the wine take a back seat to selling event opportunities. I don't think Helwig befalls that fate. My main thought about the theme of the wine was "structured play," silly, showy, and a bit safe. I guess what I mean was that the wines were easy drinkers, were nicely structued, but were a bit tame and mainstream. I did enjoy the Rosè and the Zin quite a bit. I did not enjoy the Sauv - a bit too sticky.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B

Dobra Zemlja Winery ($5 tasting, wines $16-$26)
'10 Sauvignon Blanc, '12 Viognier, NV "Milan Ruz" Red Blend, '10 Grenache, '10 Barbera, '09 Syrah, '10 Zinfandel
There is not one word that exists in the English language that I can use to explain the level of confusion and outrage that I felt while tasting wine at Dobra Zemlja. Perhaps by combining many of them together I can do so: whatthefuckareyoucrazywhytareyouproudthatyourwinesareseventeenpercentalcoholpleasedontnodont.
 Not to put too fine a point on it, but the wines at Dobra were pure crazy juice. All of the reds were 16% or above in alcohol. My note on the Syrah was "jammy as fuck, what the hell?" Now I've had some hot wines before, but never, ever this crazy. Sometimes high octane wines are sneaky - you don't even notice that they are hovering around the 16% line. Sometimes you can taste the heat, but it's still kinda fun. For whatever reason the winemaker/owner at Dobra just wants to make a wine version of white lightning with different kinds of grapes. The nice woman that served us (and tried to overlook the fact that we were really hating the wine) told us that the owner recently visited his home country of Croatia, and was quite disappointed that there weren't +15% wines being made there regularly. I'm thinking that's a red flag. All the negatives aside, there's definitely a sense of humor to the winery and the grounds are quite interesting - just don't try the wine.
Experience: C / Wines: F

Amador 360 Winery Collective ($5 tasting, wines $18-$36)
Simone Gusto '11 Vermentino, Damas'10 "Shenandoah Blanc" (Roussanne/Marsanne/Viognier), Yorba '08 "Shake Ridge Red" (Syrah/Petite Sirah/Mourvèdre/Grenache), Fiddletown Cellars '10 "Concerto" Barbera, Fiddletown Cellars '10 "Old Vine" Zinfandel, Fiddletown Cellars Fiddletown Cellars '11 Petite Sirah, Yorba '08 Tempranillo, Fiddletown Cellars '10 "Private Stock" Red (Alicante Bouschet/Barbera)
It was the end of a long, hot day - so I can't be sure if we were just in an off mood, or if this place had a strange vibe - probably a mix of both. The Collective pours and sells wines from small wineries don't have their own tasting rooms. While the owner was a bit uncomfortable, he definitely cares a lot about promoting Amador wines. There's a neat antique store style to the interior.
The wines were on a spectrum of okay to good. The main two wineries that we tried were Yorba and Fiddletown. I had recently read about Yorba Winery, and was very interested in checking that out - which was part of the draw to visiting there. I did not enjoy Yorba's Shake Ridge Red - a bit of an inorganic flavor, but I did enjoy their Tempranillo. Fiddletown's wines were also a mixed bag - the Zin and Petite Sirah were not good, but the Private Stock red blend was really enjoyable. 
Experience: C+ / Wines: C+

Thursday (Fair Play and Apple Hill - El Dorado County)

Cedarville Vineyards ($0 tasting, wines $20-$29)
'11 Viognier, '11 Grenache, '11 Zinfandel, '08 Petite Sirah, '10 Cabernet Sauvignon
Back in November we went to Terre Rouge for a tasting and met Bill Easton. While talking his ear off about a number of different topics, I did ask his advice about what other wineries should be visited in the Sierra Foothills. He immediately suggested Cedarville, so I knew I needed to check it out on my next visit. It was also my first visit to the Fair Play AVA, a dense cluster of wineries in an old mining area, far off the main highway that runs through El Dorado County.
Cedarville is owned and operated by Susan Marks and Jonathan Lachs. They met while studying enology at UC Davis, worked at wineries in Napa, then took a long break to work in the tech industry. Slowly they returned to wine and acquired the vineyard in Fair Play in 1995. Four years later they fully returned to the wine world and have been at the helm of Cedarville ever since.
On a very hot day, Susan welcomed us and led us into the winery. She showed us around the manufacturing area. It was spartan and interesting. They had built an ingenious bunker into side of a hill next to building for wine storage. She was super friendly and happily answered all of our questions.
The wines held up well to my high expectations. They were beautiful, smartly made, and intricate. The Viognier was serious, complex, pretty, had great acidity and layers of a different fruits. The Grenache was the rockstar of the trip - it was masculine and feminine all at once. All of the wines were very well balanced. I even enjoyed the Petite Sirah - which tends to be one of my least favorite wines. I appreciated the Cabernet, it was well structured, though I still have not been blown away by a Cab from the Foothills.
There two things that I take away from my Cedarville visit: it's a good idea to go to wineries that Bill Easton tells you to go to, and I should revisit Cedarville in the near future.
Experience: B+ / Wines: A-

Madroña Vineyards ($5 reserve tasting, wines $14-$28)
'10 Zinfandel, '09 Zinfandel "Signature", '08 Cabernet Sauvignon "Signature", '08 "Quartet" (Cabernet Franc/Merlot/Petite Verdot/Malbec), '09 Syrah "Signature", '09 Nebbiolo, '11 Barbera, '11 Dry Riesling "Signature", '09 "Mélange" (Viognier/Roussanne/Marsanne), '11 Riesling
Madroña is located right in the middle of the Apple Hill tourist area. Thankfully for me the hoards of tourists were nowhere to be found on the day that I visited. The tasting room is surrounded by a grove of tall pine trees, and the building looks neatly like a forest ranger station. Inside was a small group of folks that were having a great time enjoying the wine.
Unfortunately, I did not share their enthusiasm. The list was long, there were eighteen different wines to taste (five of were from the reserve list). I only tried eleven. The whites were clumsy. I wrote in my notes that the Mélange tasted like syrup poured over unripe fruit. As wide as of a variety of a reds that there were, they all tasted very similar to one another and had the same profile: fruity, simple, bland, and high acid.
I'm not sure what was so off-putting to me about Madroña, they seemed like nice folks. I got the feeling that they got to a certain level of quality and specific style with their wine making a long time ago, and stayed at that level, but continue to add new varietals to their list to keep things fresh.
Experience: C+ / Wines: C-

Grace Patriot Wines ($5 tasting, wines $18-$30)
'12 Pinot Gris, '12 Riesling, '12 "Hip Hip" Rosé (Tempranillo/Pinot Gris), '07 "FIVE PM" (Tempranillo/Syrah/Pinot Noir), '07 Tempranillo, '07 "Aboriginal Red" (Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah)
Grace Patriot has a neat space. The tasting room is adjacent to a historic ranch house and barn, and the overall design and style integrates old and new elements. Also the room looks out onto the beautiful Crystal Basin forest. I visited on a very slow day. The winemaker, Tyler Grace was studying at the counter when I walked in, and he was quite surprised that a customer came in. He and the tasting room attendant gave me a lot of attention. Both were nice folks.
It's a newer winery, started in 2000, and it seems that they are still experimenting with blends and types. I enjoyed the wines. They were calm and simple. The whites were enjoyable, they were some of the better whites that I had on this trip. The Rosé had good crispness and was a fun drink. Tempranillo was used in three of the wines, which is interesting because you don't see a lot of that grape in the region. I enjoyed the reds - they lacked complexity, but had good flavors and pretty good balance. All of the reds served were '07 vintage, I wonder if the younger reds don't show well and need at least five years of aging.
Experience: B / Wines: B-

I'm becoming more familiar with the Sierra Foothills wine region, and I'm starting to note how it's changed over the past few years. There is a good amount of growth with wineries such as Andis and Helwig recently coming online, and with Renwood undergoing a large remodel. Old sleepy wineries such as Sobon, Bray, Dobra and Madroña are potentially becoming outmoded, though old standards like Cooper and Terre Rouge still stand tall. A very recent development that shows the growth of the region is that most wineries are now charging a $5 tasting fee, normally waived with a purchase. Six months ago that was rare to see.
A takeaway from the trip was that while it's nice to miss the crowds by visiting tasting rooms mid-week, it can be a uncomfortable experience with you're the only person there, you clearly don't like the wine, and they can tell. Perhaps I'll stick to the weekends in the future. It was a lovely trip, and a great way to spend the period between my two scheduled events.

May '13 Santa Barbara Trip - Not So Lazy Sunday

We set out with an ambitious agenda for our lazy Sunday: Make sure we got on the road early (difficult with sleepy friends), drive from LA to Santa Barbara Wine Country, get to six wineries in one day, only buy white wines or rosés under $20, have a kick ass day, and get back in one piece. We knew that we needed to go to Stolpman for our shipment, and to Dragonnette for our friends' pickup. I wanted to make sure to hit a few new places as well.

Gainey Vineyard ($15 tasting, wines $15-$55)
'11 Sauvignon Blanc, '10 Chardonnay, '11 Pinot Noir, '10 Merlot, '09 Syrah, '11 Riesling
The Gainey family has had a presence in the region for over 50 years, and started to get involved with wine growing in the early 80's - making them one of the early birds to the area. With it being an older winery, and it seems to be doing successfully, I fit it within my criticism of a winery with a similar situation - Zaca Mesa. Since both are doing so successfully, they are playing it very safe.
The wines were decent to good, aside from the Riesling, which was horrible. However the pricing of the wines was rediculously farfetched for the quality. The Chardonnay, Pinot and Merlot are $38 or higher. The grounds were very nice, though the front area of the winery were wall to wall consumerism. The back tasting area was fun though - ominous and dark. Our attendant Danelle, was extremely friendly - but not knowledgeable at all.
Experience: C+ / Wines: C

Beckmen Vineyards ($10 Estate tasting, wines $18-$30)
'10 "Le Bec Blanc" (Marsanne/Roussanne/Grenache Blanc/Viognier), '07 Rousanne, '12 Grenache Rosé, '11 Grenache, '10 Syrah, '10 Cabernet Sauvignon
We'd been to Beckmen once before, and had been a little disappointed with that visit, especially with the service. This time around the service was better and the wine was stable. The dude who took care of us was a super mellow guy, he wasn't the most helpful or friendly, but had some knowledge about their wine, and got the job done. He was nice enough to pour us the Roussanne off of the reserve tasting list when we expressed interest in it. The wines were fine - just fine. Actually the Le Bec Blanc was quite good, and the Roussanne was really exciting in a wine nerd sort of way. The rest did not impress, certainly well made, but nothing to write home about. Kudos to them for keeping the prices moderate. It was definitely very hot there, but it was quite nice to sit in the shade on their patio overlooking the pond. 
Experience: B / Wines: B

Rideau Vineyard ($12 tasting, wines $20-$42)
'11 "No. 15" Viognier, '12 Mourvedre/Grenache Rosé, '10 "Lagniappe" Red (Grenache/Mourvedre/Syrah), '10 "No. 15" Syrah, '10 Petite Sirah, "11 Riesling
One person in our crew needed to stop by Rideau as an errand. Earlier in the year she had bough Travelzoo vouchers for the same tasting and tour deal that we had gone on last year. Our friend bought them with the intention of taking her folks out there. That plan was waylaid by a winter snowstorm, so she was left with the vouchers, and
wanted to see what she could get if she traded them in. After a long as hell negotiation (the guys there were acting like used car salesmen trying to push cases of wine on us), we finally had a free tasting and traded in the vouchers for some wine - the effort to up-sell was unsuccessful.
On the upside, we were able to have a picnic on their beautiful grounds while doing our tasting. The wines were easy to drink, but once again, nothing remarkable. Most of them were way overpriced for the quality - which brings me to another note: Rideau is constantly offering different deals where their wines are severely marked down. I recognize that most wineries offer deals from time to time, but Rideau does it at an extreme level - so I guess if you find a wine that you really like there, wait and hope that it gets it's price slashed. 
Experience: B / Wines: B-

Dragonette Cellars ($15 tasting, wines $20-$58)
'12 Grenache/Mourvedre/Syrah Rosé, '11 Sauvignon Blanc - Vogelzang Vineyard, '11 Pinot Noir, '11 "Black Label" Pinot Noir, '10 "Seven" (Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre), '10 "MJM" (Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre/Viognier)
This was our fourth visit to Dragonette. The first time I believe that they were still quite new, and not well known. On the second and third visits, they were extremely busy, and seemed to have become very popular. On this visit, they were thankfully quiet, so we were able to enjoy the space to ourselves. The attendant was very nice and accommodating to our group.
I think highly of Dragonette. They are definitely making delicious wines - I just wish it wasn't as expensive as it is - though I grant them their prices more than I do Gainey or Rideau. I was not blown away by the Rosé or the Sauvignon Blanc. The Sauv had a huge kick to it, and was high quality, but the flavor profile was not my cup of tea. Both of the Pinots were great, the higher quality Black Label was top notch. As well, the Seven and the MJM (both 92% Syrah), were nicely constructed and delicious. I enjoy visiting Dragonnette, but I have a hard time being able to justify the purchase of a bottle at their prices.
Experience: B / Wines: B+

Saarloos and Sons ($10 tasting, wines $24-$50)
'11 "Hunter" Sauvignon Blanc, '11 "Bride" Grenache Blanc, '10 "Groom" Grenache, '10 "Father and Sons" (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre), '09 "Courage" Cabernet Sauvignon, '11 "Extended Family" Pinot Noir
From what I've seen, no other winery goes as far as Saarloos and Sons to establish a unique aesthetic, and to weave it into every part of their enterprise. I'm not sure how to explain the feel of this place: steampunk meets rockabilly? I guess we'll go with that. Whatever it was I give them great credit. The aesthetic is also deeply imbued to the Saarloos family. Each of the wines are named in honor of a family member, or a term that is connected to a family element.
I get the feeling that Saarlos appeals to a younger crowd, and it was a lot more busy on Sunday afternoon than the other places that we visited in Los Olivos. We found seats on the patio, and ran back inside for refills on the tasting. Even though it was a madhouse inside and there was only one staff person pouring, the woman there did a good job taking care of people. We were not wowed by the wines - I really wanted to like them, but they just didn't do the job. They all seemed underdeveloped and too quick to the point - thin at times, too hot sometimes as well. Not to say that they were bad, just not good. Also it was strange to discover that all of the wines that we tried were 14.5% alcohol - whites and reds. Not sure if they fudged the numbers - which you can do within 1% in California wines, or if they set that as a hard ceiling during the wine creation process. I'm sure and shit not a winemaker, but it seems hinky to me that such a variety of wines can have the same exact level of alcohol in them. I disliked the Cab and the Pinot, and enjoyed the GSM blend.
Experience: B+ / Wines: C+

Stolpman Vineyards (member tasting, wines $17-$68)
'12 Sauvignon Blanc, '12 Viognier, '11 "Golden Point" (Roussanne/Viognier/Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc), '10 "L'Avion" Roussanne, '12 Grenache/Sangiovese Rosé, '11 Grenache, '11 "La Cuadrilla" (Sangiovese/Syrah), '09 Sangiovese, '11"Orignals" Syrah, '10 "Hilltops" Syrah, '11 "Angeli" Syrah
I'll try to be brief with my enthusiasms. Once again Stolpman was amazing.  We rolled up to Stolpman at 4:15 at the end of what I imagine was a long weekend for the folks there, though our buddy Tom was as upbeat as ever and took care of us for at least an hour and a half while we sat out on the front porch. He poured everything that was open, and happily introduced our friends to Stolpman. The wines were great. We had never tried the Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier or Rosé before, all were quite enjoyable. 
Experience: A / Wines: A
We did a hell of a job packing in a lot of action in one day. It saved us a lot of money to not stay overnight and to pack food for picnicking - and it's not that exhausting to try to get back to LA at the end of the day. We enjoyed the wineries that we knew already, and while the ones that were new to us were not great, it was nice to be able to check them out. We did keep to our rule of buying only sub-$20 whites, though we bought a fair amount of those.