
Van The Wine Man's Most Popular - 2015
Here is a recap of my most popular posts of 2015:
Wine-O wall at Brian McClintic's Les Marchands
Brian McClintic, Master Sommelier And Much More
The SOMM star talked about managing his insane schedule, promoting winemaking in Santa Barbara, and his philosophy on wine service.
Wine Talk With Rajat Parr
The two-time James Beard Award winner and extraordinary wine taster discussed his four current winemaking projects and the importance of trying different wines to expand your palate.
Dave Danhi Thinks Grilled Cheese Needs Veterans, And Wine
The man behind The Grilled Cheese Truck has ambitious and creative plans for such a simple and delicious staple of life.
Sandhi and Domaine De La Cote - Santa Barbara Stars
Rajat Parr sat me up in his tasting room to try several examples of the excellent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir coming out of Santa Barbara County.
A Visit To Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello
Favorite memories from a drive up the mountain, with Paul Draper, Monte Bello assemblage, and pieces of Ridge history.
Wine From Unexpected Places
Wines often surprise with unheard of grapes, but unexpected stories also surround their points of origin. Check out this delicious tour across continents:
Pietradolce Etna Rosso 2013
Made from Nerello Mascalese, grown on the "northern slopes" of Mount Etna, Sicily, the largest active volcano in Europe. Dirty and stony, for sure! - $22
Domaine de Fontsainte La Demoiselle 2013
Not so surprising a place, (Languedoc-Roussillon, France) but with antique vines planted by the Romans, on a thermal spring. A tasty blend of Carignan, Grenache, and Mourvedre. - $20
Campolargo Valdazar 2009
Trincadeira da Bairrada, Touriga Nacional, Baga, and Tinta Barroca grapes from Portugal. That sums it up. Ripe and earthy, with lasting length. - $20
Channing Daughters Rosato Di Cabernet Franc 2014
A Long Island, New York winery, with a reputation for experimentation. Like this Rosé made from 100% Cabernet Franc. Crispy citrus flavors and bone dry. - $20
Lieu Dit Pinot Noir Santa Ynez Valley 2013
Sommeliers like Eric Railsback flocking to make wine in the Santa Barbara area is no surprise. The volume of fantastic wines, and that they remain undiscovered by the mainstream, is another story. Bright red cherries, with acidity and a fantastic finish. - $40
Wine Stories - Paydirt, Paso Robles
Going For Broke label
Patrick McNeil always brings non-traditional artistic expression to the wines he works with. An entrepreneur on the business side of wine, he was previously behind the design and marketing of The Prisoner, among others. Now with winemaker McPrice Myers, he has his own memorable brand on the market, Paydirt. The label on the current Going For Broke blend is part of a larger work of art, with another piece of the puzzle appearing on a different bottling, Reckless Abandon. Perhaps there will be additional wild-eyed labels in the series, and exciting red blends to match!
Paydirt Going For Broke 2013 - A mouthful of a red blend, with Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache, and Mourvedre. A juicy balance of dark berries, medium tannins, some peppery spice, a taste of The Dirt of Paydirt, and a pleasantly lingering finish. $30
Chance Meetings With Winemakers
I met Jeff and Stephanie Lippencott by chance at lunch in a hotel where we were staying. Jeff is a composer, responsible for music accompaniment to numerous top-rated television programs. Later, as I sat at the bar reading Rajat Parr's Secrets Of The Sommeliers, Jeff sat next to me, and asked what had me reading the book. I explained my passion for wine, my blog, and working to share the love. "I make wine!" he exclaimed.
Jeff enthusiastically described cultivating a small vineyard over the past decade in Southern California, from which he now produces Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a red blend under the One Vine Four Branches label. Stephanie recounted the depth of resources and research that have been invested in learning about winemaking. They once hired a Master Sommelier to gain entrance to and escort them through barrel rooms of the first growth chateaux of Bordeaux. Jeff is hands-on throughout the entire winemaking process of growing, harvesting, barreling, and bottling his wines, which contain only juice from his grapes. Annual yield determines whether the wines will be single varietal or blends. An early effort, the 2010 Syrah, won a gold medal in the Los Angeles Cellarmasters home winemaking competition, and a silver medal in Wine Maker Magazine's home winemakers competition. He expressed his excitement over recently receiving a shipment of new, custom-made, French Oak barrels for use with his 2015 vintage, which will be a blend appropriately entitled Maestro. While still very limited in volume, Jeff's "hobby" has grown from sharing a few bottles with friends and clients, to making sizable philanthropic gifts.
I love to meet winemakers and hear their inspiring stories, and the surprise aspect of this encounter provided an additional thrill. It was an exhilarating conversation that came about entirely by chance, even after our initial introduction. More wines available logically means there are more people making it, so remain alert to wine-minded people you run into. You never know when that person sitting nearby is a winemaker!
A Visit To Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello
I visited Ridge Vineyards' Monte Bello Estate high atop the Santa Cruz Mountains during the final assemblage of their 2006 flagship wine. I recently happened upon a supply of the wine, and enjoyed recalling one of my best winery experiences.
Paul Draper - Legendary Winemaker
Anything Ridge begins with Paul Draper, the chief winemaker since 1969 and CEO since 1988. Draper is one of the most-decorated winemakers in the world, including the James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine and Spirits, which he won shortly before my visit in 2007. He is an advocate for quality and transparency in winemaking, and Ridge has listed all ingredients on their labels since 2012. It was intriguing to have a conversation with Paul at ease in his element. With one of wine's greatest resumes, he remains eagerly hospitable. When setting up my visit, I copied three Ridge employees on my request email, and who do you think replied first and most-graciously? That's right, Paul Draper.
Monte Bello Assemblage
Tasting the individual components of the 2006 Monte Bello was extremely interesting, with guidance from Ridge vice president of winemaking for Monte Bello, Eric Baugher. A Santa Cruz-area native who grew up farming before earning degrees in biochemistry and molecular biology, Baugher has been with Ridge since 1994. During the tasting, he explained in depth the constantly-refined science of winemaking at Ridge. The Monte Bello is a Bordeaux-style blend is made up of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc grapes, all grown on the Monte Bello Estate. Draper likes to say, "Wines make themselves", and the cool, mountain-top climate and terroir undoubtedly "make" this standout wine as much as the winemakers.
Ridge Vineyards and Wine History
2006 marked the thirtieth anniversary of the famed Judgement of Paris, where the 1971 Ridge Monte Bello placed fifth. It was celebrated with a re-tasting of the same wines from the seventies, and this time around, the Monte Bello lead the way for the now dominant American wines. The 2006 version is promoted as a "direct descendant" of the winning wine. But sentimental feelings for the 2006 aside, any year is likely to impress. At the assemblage tasting I also savored a couple of glasses of the 1978. Browned at the edges, yet bright and fresh, with a fantastic(!) taste of forest floor, this library selection was still very much alive. Always concentrated and complex, Ridge Monte Bello is built to please now or for the long-haul.
Along with the excellent wine and conversation, the humility and commitment to great wine at Ridge must be appreciated. During my visit, there was not a peep of the accolades from the thirty-year anniversary of the Judgement, nor Paul Draper's James Beard Award. All talk was about the current and future wines. If you have the opportunity, take the long, winding road up the mountain to Ridge, a unique and memorable wine experience.
Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello - 17100 Montebello Road, Cupertino, CA 95014