Romance with Rosé – DUNSTAN, Durell Vineyard 2009 Rosé of Pinot Noir

The world through DUNSTAN Rose Glasses

Ever since I had a taste of DUNSTAN Rosé at a summer wine event, I’ve been lusting after this wine.  Finally I caught up with it at the launch of the 2009 vintage.  I got to explore what it was about my first taste that made this wine so memorable.  In the process I spent time on the Durell Ranch where the grapes are grown and learned the story behind the wine and it’s label.

Like most romances, this one begins with the visuals. An extraordinary salmon-peach wine color radiates through clear glass, with a silver foil that seems to reflect the color of the wine.  Label information is spare … an ethereal horseshoe shape etched in metallic ink and a website address on the back. At this point, we don’t know from which type of grape this Rosé is made, which process is used, nor anything about it’s character. But I am only more enchanted and more curious.

I went over to meet with Chris Towt, who in partnership with Ellie Phipps Price makes wines from a single block of the Durell Vineyard in the Sonoma Coast wine-growing region.  It turns out that the object of my desire is a Rosé of Pinot Noir, from grapes planted by Phipps Price in 2005, resulting in this first vintage in 2009.  This silvery liquid is produced using the saignée (pronounced ‘sonyay’) method that involves making rosé from red grapes by bleeding off some of the juice after a limited time in contact with skins. Since skin contact is what gives color to wine, limiting time “on the skins” results in the many shades of Rosé you see in the marketplace. The two other methods of making Rosé are vin gris – where red grapes are pressed to yield lightly-colored juice; and blending – where red and white wine or juice is blended together.

The DUNSTAN Horseshoe
The website tells the Dunstan story in the words of Ellie and Chris: “You’ve seen a horseshoe hanging above a doorway — a symbol of protection and luck.  According to 10th century legend, a blacksmith named Dunstan was visited by the Devil to have his shoes reset.  While fitting the shoes, Dunstan quicked the Devil who implored for the shoe to be removed.  Dunstan agreed, but only after the Devil promised never to enter a dwelling with a horseshoe hanging above the door. When we were first planting the Ranch House Block at Durell, a very large horseshoe was unearthed.  Rusted and obviously very old, it served as the inspiration for the name of our new wine.”

The Durell Vineyard

Durell Vineyard, Ranch House Block

The Durell Vineyard is so well-known as an origin point of fine wines of distinct complexity that many wineries mention it on their labels. And many award-winning wines have their genesis from these 400 acres. I’ve even seen it advertised along the roadside, such as the “Durell Pinot” sign outside of Chateau St. Jean in Sonoma Valley. Don van Staaveren is the winemaker for Dunstan. He was winemaker at Chateau St. Jean from 1985-1997, and has been making wines from Durell grapes for many years.  How did DUNSTAN decide to make a Rosé? It was van Staaveren’s idea. DUNSTAN is getting such good feedback, they are already planning for more cases of the Rosé in the coming years.

DUNSTAN’s Ranch House Block of the Durell Vineyard is planted in 3-1/2 acres of Chardonnay and 5 acres Pinot Noir grapes. The DUNSTAN launch also saw the first release of their 2008 Chardonnay and 2008 Pinot Noir.  The way the DUNSTAN horseshoe image is carried out across the bottles makes for a stunning trio – golden Chardonnay with gold foil, gold metallic ink, and Pinot Noir in a commanding black bottle with black foil. The wines can be purchased at the DUNSTAN online store.

Dunstan the Pony

Towt and Phipps Price share a love of horses and ride regularly on the property. We stop by the stables to greet Dunstan, a little Indian pony Ellie purchased at auction from the BLM Colorado Wild Horse Inmate Program. Ellie is actively involved in rescuing wild horses and most recently was instrumental in saving 172 from going to slaughter at a Nevada auction as part of the Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue. Dunstan rushes up when he sees Chris and – now completely tame – responds affectionately to a nose rub and a handful of fresh hay.

DUNSTAN is open by appointment only for tours and tasting. Call the winery at 707.933.3839 or email info@dunstanwines.com to schedule.

WINE REVIEW

Wine: 2009 DUNSTAN Rosé, Durell Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
Color: Salmon, silvery apricot
Aromas: Layers of floral melon, butterscotch, and a hint of mint
In the Mouth: There’s a soft mouth feel, a pleasant viscosity. Front of mouth is fruity, distinctly strawberry. Fleeting taste of bacon at the back of the mouth, with a lingering mineral finish that expands and contracts … like an almost-remembered summer day.  Refreshing, addictive.
Pairing: Salmon and tuna sushi, thin sliced cured meats and melon, white mushroom and cream sauces, spicy herb-roasted chicken.  The romance of this Rosé lends itself well to a picnic, BBQ, or patio brunch.

Wine Geek Details:
Alcohol: 14.1%
Hand-harvested, Sept 9, 2009
Brix: 25
TA: 0.82 g/100ml
pH: 3.45
Acreage: 5 acres Dijon clones (115, 667, 828, Clara, and Swan)
Aging: 50% neutral oak / 50% stainless steel
Cases Produced: 59
AVA: Sonoma Coast
Winemaker: Don van Staaveren

$24 Retail
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Illusive “wow factor” of wine found in a Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

How do you know when you like a wine?  “It should have a wow factor … it should scream at you,” says John Saemann, vintner at Clouds Rest Winery in Sonoma County.  Clouds Rest has been hand-producing Pinot Noir from a small Sonoma Coast vineyard since 2002.  These are collector’s wines, priced outside my budget at around $100 a bottle. Good news: a new addition to the Clouds Rest Pinot lineup is available, and at a much lower price point. It’s Femme Fatale, a younger release from the same vineyard, priced at $45 ($39 with case discount). K&L Wine passes along their discount, bringing it down to $39 for a single bottle purchase – outright affordable for a Pinot Noir in this class.

I got the wow factor when I tasted the 2008 Clouds Rest Femme Fatale recently … rich cherry red, aromas of ripe stone fruit, flavors of blackberry, plum, pepper, light smoky tannins and hint of rosemary … rolling into a soft, mouth-filling viscosity. My attention shifted to follow the flavor explosion and structure of this wine.  And I’m not alone. Beth Arnold wrote of Clouds Rest Pinot Noir in Huffington Post, “Their Pinots retail for at least $100 a bottle. But, my God, I was almost in tears they were so good.”  And she lives in Paris, so you can imagine the wines she has access to on a regular basis.  “Pinot is a wine for me that brings together so many varietal characteristics into one glass,” John told me, with a heavenward roll of his eyes. Wow factor is more than the look, feel and taste of the wine … it is a quality that transports and totally engages you — like a great movie or a conversation with a good friend.

Seamann says Clouds Rest wanted to give more people access to their Pinot Noir, but without compromising the label.  Femme Fatale is the answer; grapes come from the same vines and terroir Clouds Rest is known for, and the wine-making process is the same, except for bottle aging.  Femme Fatale is released earlier (younger), saving the winery on storage cost. How much? Up to 3 years of bottle aging for the collectors wines. Savings are also passed along through simpler packaging. Femme Fatale’s lighter weight bottle is less costly to ship. Paper labels save cost compared to gilt silk-screened labels on the heavy Burgundian bottles used for collectors’ wines.

Narrow rows above the clouds at Clouds Rest -- Photo: Scott Schuette

WHAT GOES INTO CREATING THE “WOW FACTOR” IN A WINE?
A few things: wine-making skill and style, choice of barrels, choice of grape stock planted, farming style – and terroir. Think of terroir as the vineyard version of “location, location, location.” In this respect, Clouds Rest, on it’s perch above Petaluma, is very unique.

I walked the vineyard with Scott Schuette, Clouds Rest General Manager and unofficial photographer. Scott tells me the vines are planted at 1250 feet, on an ancient volcanic knoll that was never before cultivated. It had been impossible to farm because of steep terrain and the volcanic rocks strewn over the landscape. To create the vineyard, Seamann ripped out rocks – some quite large – down to a 6-foot depth. Huge piles of extracted rocks dot the property today.  Rows are planted just 3 feet apart, the only known 36”x36” density in California — and possibly anywhere. On less than 2 acres, there are 10,000 vines – producing volume equivalent to about 10 acres of vineyard. Crowding plants this way would normally invite mildew and fungus. But because Clouds Rest is situated in the Petaluma wind gap, there is constant movement of marine air between the Sonoma coast and San Pablo Bay. Rows are deliberately angled to capture maximum sun and air movement on the hill.

Rocks extracted

The Clouds Rest philosophy is to orchestrate what the vineyard gives them. Having a rockstar winemaker helps too: Anthony Austin who studied under Andre Tchelistcheff, a legendary winemaker of Napa and Sonoma Valley. A Healdsburg (Sonoma county) California native and University of California Davis graduate in enology, Austin directed the first crush at Firestone Vineyards in 1976. He went on to become an award-winning winemaker of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Santa Barbara area, and returned to make wine in Sonoma in 2001.

Irrigation lines and a huge water storage tank are visible on our walk, and yet no water was used during this wet weather year. These deliberately austere conditions – rocky, windy, crowded, dry — are influenced by the French “intensive” method. Intensive farming forces the vines to compete and struggle, resulting in small fruit of dense and complex flavor.

Dense clustering

Pinot Noir is a notoriously difficult grape to cultivate. It is thin-skinned, prone to rot, viruses, diseases, and vulnerable to over-crowding.  Tchelistcheff has said, “God made Cabernet Sauvignon whereas the devil made Pinot Noir.” There is a reason Pinot Noir is higher priced: the grape is difficult to grow and takes a great deal of viticultural skill and hands‐on processing to result in a good bottle. Against these odds, the wow factor is alive and well in Femme Fatale.  And Austin believes the harsh conditions at Clouds Rest force the grapes to develop thicker skins; thereby retaining more flavor and essence.

What gives wine the “wow factor” for you?

At the end of the day, the wow factor is about what you like. Wine preference is unique to each person, so what appeals to you may be different than for others. What gives a wine the wow factor for you? Where does the aroma and taste transport you to? What do you think goes into creating the wow factor in a wine? Please comment below – Simple Hedonisms would love to hear about your experiences!

Where can you find Femme Fatale?

Fem Fatale, as well as Clouds Rest Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, are available at Roadhouse Winery Tasting Room in Healdsburg, and Bounty Hunter in Napa. Check the Clouds Rest website for online purchase and for a list of restaurants pouring Clouds Rest wines. And as mentioned, K&L Wines is carrying 2008 Femme Fatale.

Clouds Rest will be pouring at Family Winemakers of California, Aug 22-23 at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco.

Clouds Rest will be a featured in the “Grand Reserve” tent at Taste of Sonoma: Wine Country Weekend during Labor Day holiday. They are also pouring at the Sept 3rd Winemakers Lunch and at other venues throughout the event.

Wine Goings-on in and around town of Sonoma August 7-8th

Sonoma Valley and surrounds are characterized by family-owned wineries large and small. Here are a few weekend events offering a chance to taste artisan and estate wines of some of Sonoma’s family vintners. You’ll find the winemakers on hand to answer your questions too. (Check Simple Hedonisms wine blog for tips on how to plan for a day of wine-tasting.)

8th Street Wineries Open House

August 7 – 11:00am-4:00pm. On Saturday August 7 you can taste wines from 10 artisan wineries matched with top-notch food pairings, converse with the winemakers, even meet the winery dogs – all in one warehouse complex in Sonoma. Over the past year, Sonoma’s 8th Street Wineries collective has grown from 8 to 10 wineries, representing at least 15 different varietals – most of them Sonoma-grown. The wineries are independently owned, most wines are limited production, and many of them are unavailable to taste – other than a at few exclusive restaurants. This bi-annual open house is a chance to experience hard-to-find wines and the unique personality of each winery warehouse. You’ll find the winemaking philosophy of each producer reflected in their workspace.

Doors open at 11:00am when you pick up your “Passport” and enjoy some tasting at renowned MacRostie Winery.  After visiting MacRostie, cross the street to visit 9 more wineries. Get your Passport stamped at each winery, and submit it for the wine raffle when you leave. Three names will be selected to receive 3 half-case selections from the 8th Street Wineries.

Rosso Pizzeria will bring their wood-fired pizza oven for pairings at  Tin Barn and Kamen Estate. Sage Fine Foods of nearby Cornerstone Sonoma, and John McReynolds — chef and olive oil meister at new 8thStreet winery Stone Edge Farms — are among the other purveyors. Each warehouse sets up their own food station, so expect some yummy surprises.

Eighth Street Wineries is an informal collective comprised of [winery/winemaker]:

• Anaba Wines /Jennifer Marion
• Enkidu Wines / Phil Staehl
• Kamen Estate Wines / Mark Herold, Katy Wilson
• MacRostie Winery and Vineyards / Steve MacRostie
• Parmelee-Hill Wines and Vineyards / Steve Hill
• Stone Edge Farms / Jeff Baker
• Talisman Wines / Scott Rich
• Three Sticks Winery / DonVan Staaveren
• Tin Barn Vineyards / Michael Lancaster
• Ty Caton Vineyards / Ty Caton

Many awards and accolades are attributed to this collective of wineries. For instance, Tin Barn was awarded 5 medals at this years’ San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, including a Double Gold for their 2007 Zinfandel from Russian River Valley. In recent news, new member Kamen Estate was cited in a New York Times article on California Syrah.

Current releases, new releases, library wines and barrel tastings are offered. The price of $30 per person ($20 for wine club members of any 8th Street winery) includes tastings, pairings, and a souvenir wine glass. Parking is free and once parked, you can walk from winery to winery. Each winery will also have special discounts running this day. The most recent open house in February drew over 700 guests. I was there and can’t wait to return. The quality of the wines, enhanced by foods and conversations with the winemaking families make this a memorable experience. Come early for best selection and savory food pairings. Purchase advance tickets here.

Tip: Check Simple Hedonisms a contest to win free tickets!

Muscardini Cellars 5th Annual Barrel Tasting

August 7th and 8th, 12:00-5:00pm. This year’s Barrel Tasting will be held at the Muscardini Estate ~ Monte Terra, where guests can enjoy an afternoon in the courtyard, by the koi pond and under the oaks. Tickets are a steal at $20 – including a tour of the Estate Sangiovese vineyard, live music, delectable food and wine pairings, and special wine discounts. 2009 futures from the barrel as well as current releases will be tasted. Buy tickets here.

GunBun Summer Film Festival

August 7 at 7:00pm. Saturday is Movie Night at Sonoma’s Gundlach Bundschu Estate Winery. This evening features the 1996 film Swingers. Gun Bun’s annual night under the stars features a high-energy local band at 7pm, followed by the movie at dusk. Bring a picnic and a blanket and enjoy an evening under the stars. Wines available for purchase. $10/pp advance tickets to film; $15/pp tickets at door. Buy tickets here.

Screening of Smokestack Lightening, a Day in the Life of Barbecue with Lolis Eric Eliez

August 8th, 6:00-10:00pm. Sonoma’s own Epicurean Connection hosts an evening of food, wine, dancing to live music that is sure to be PRIMAL! Lolis Eric Elie, a New Orleans based writer and filmmaker and recognized expert on New Orleans food and culture, is the author of Smokestack Lightening: Adventures in the Heart of Barbecue Country and co-producer of the documentary based upon the book. Elie most recently joined the staff of the HBO series Treme. He also produced and wrote the PBS documentary Faubourg Treme.

Memphis Minnies, The Epicurean Connection & Wild Thyme Catering and Events will cook a Barbecue dinner. Highway 12 Winery and Vineyards & Spann Vineyards will pour their wines, and beer will be available from Moonlight Brewing Company & Uncommon Brewers. Local group The Hellhounds will play for dinner and dancing. The event will be held at Wild Thyme. Cost is $45 per person, and includes screening, dinner and dancing. Tickets are available at The Epicurean Connection, Wild Thyme & Readers’ Books in Sonoma. For more information, call 707-935-7960 or sheana@vom.com. Proceeds from this event benefit Southern Foodways Alliance.

Cool off this summer with some naked Chardonnay … and expand your palete (psst! It’s under $20)

What’s your perspective on Chardonnay? Love it? Avoid it? Or do you regularly try new wines and winemaking styles? If you shun Chardonnay as I did for many years, you may identify as an ABC drinker – “Anything But Chardonnay”. Simple Hedonisms wine blog has used this term to describe the backlash against overly oaked “butter bombs” popularly known as “California-style” Chardonnay. Whatever your motivation may be to explore, your understanding and appreciation is sure to benefit from trying new wines and styles.

Food Friendly
If you enjoy a crisp, palette-cleansing white wine with your asian spicy dishes, rich or “stinky” cheeses, oysters or seafood – don’t pass up the “new” Chardonnays made without oak aging or malolactic (ML) fermentation. You won’t recognize these wines as Chardonnay if you’ve only been exposed to the heavy oak and butter style. Think of them more like a new white varietal, and a possible alternative to dry whites such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. You may be pleasantly surprised. And, if you are like me, you may begin to recognize an intense varietal character that you can distinctly identify as Chardonnay.

Chardonnay Grapes at Kopriva Vineyards

Kopriva is a family-owned single-vineyard producer of unoaked, no ‘ML” Chardonnay in the Carneros region of Sonoma county. I first wrote about their wine in this blog a couple months ago. Note: If you’re in the Sonoma area, meet the winemaker and taste Kopriva Chardonnay at Big 3 Wine Bar, 6pm Friday July 16.

The Carneros Region
One of the charms of Carneros is the growers and smaller producers hidden down country lanes, who grace the landscape with their vineyards. Some of the acreage has been in cool climate fruit or grape crops for decades. Despite being one of Sonoma County’s most southerly appellations, Carneros is one of the coolest. It borders San Pablo Bay, and is subject to marine air movement between the Bay and the Pacific Ocean (a phenomena known as the Petaluma Wind Gap). Carneros AVA is home to 75 growers, 22 wineries, and over 7500 vineyard acres. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes flourish in its’ cool climate, resulting in a concentrated fruit said to represent a “true expression of the varietal.”

So what does that mean in plain English? Also known as “un-wooded”, “stainless” or “naked” — unoaked Chardonnay reveals what the grape itself tastes like minus the oak and butter effects. At 13.5% alcohol, Kopriva’s Chardonnay doesn’t overpower food. Yet its bright acid and crisp minerality can cut through the richest cheesy pasta, the spiciest entree or oiliest fish dish.

Hadley Larson in Kopriva Vineyards

Last week Simple Hedonisms visited the Kopriva vineyard at Cassidy Ranch, and was greeted warmly by Hadley Larson. She and wine-maker partner Myles McMonigle live on the property and perform all duties from running tractor, harvesting and hauling grapes, to marketing and delivering local orders. Myles studied geology and enology and has worked for MacRostie, Domaine Carneros and B.R. Cohn wineries. He is currently Enologist at Groth Vineyards in Napa. His parents purchased the property about 10 years ago. Myles’ father was influenced by an early friendship with the Benziger family (of Benziger, Imagery, and Tribute label fame). At Cassidy Ranch, they maintain the vines using sustainable practices, including minimal tilling of the land to preserve minerals and moisture and allow native cover crops – which return nitrogen to the soil — to thrive. Thus the rustic look of what they call their “shabby chic” vineyard.

The New Unoaked Style
Kopriva started making their unoaked Chardonnay 5 years ago, joining a handful of producers such as Mer Soleil with their “Silver” Chardonnay from the Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey County, and Toad Hollow Vineyards of Healdsburg. It was challenging in those days to overcome the stereotypes of California style. Some restaurant and retail buyers didn’t believe they were tasting Chardonnay. Kopriva resorted to introducing their wine by likening it to Chablis.

About 2-1/2 years ago Kopriva’s task became a little easier as recognition grew for the unoaked style. Acclaim for producers Kim Crawford of New Zealand and Toad Hollow helped build awareness. Coverage in Food & Wine magazine of the new style chardonnay and its suitability for food pairing continues the momentum. There is now a thriving community of unoaked chardonnay drinkers centered around a delightfully irreverent blog dedicated to the style at Unoakedchardonnay.com. The labor of love for these bloggers has resulted in reviews of 68 wines from 10 regions and countries. Readers regularly suggest new wines to taste, which the bloggers promptly seek out. As well, a few wine competitions are introducing unoaked Chardonnay as a category — the Sonoma County Fair is one.

Kopriva Chardonnay

Get Naked
The vineyards aren’t open to the public, but you can taste Kopriva at Big 3 Wine Bar at Fairmount Sonoma Mission Inn. Big 3 focuses exclusively on Sonoma wines — by the taste, glass and bottle. Several, like Kopriva, are not available elsewhere for tasting. A few retail and restaurant outlets, mostly in the SF Bay Area, carry Kopriva (see the website for a list). In and around Carneros, the wine is available at Whole Foods Market in Marin, Napa and Sonoma.

If you’d like to explore this new style further, another Carneros example is Roche Winery’s “Stainless Steel Chardonnay” ($15.99 suggested retail) available at their tasting room on the Sonoma Square. Kunde Estate in Kenwood produces “Chardonnay Nu,” or what they call their “naked” chardonnay — available for tasting at the winery ($15.99 at Bottle Barn). Using grapes from Lodi, CA, an award-winning producer of Chardonnay in the unoaked style is Passaggio ($11.99 on their website or at Valley Wine Shack in Sonoma). Simple Hedonisms writes periodically on this emerging style – search for “unoaked Chardonnay” to find out more.

At under $20, these wines fit the budget — and the menu as well.

WINE REVIEW

Color: Pale metallic straw, mirror clear

Aroma: Citrus, hint of lactic, with a splash of dry straw

In the Mouth: The appeal of this wine is in it’s tactile complexity – fruity at the front, mouth-filling at mid-palette, with a crisp flourishing acid finish at the back. Leaving the wine in contact with its yeast lees (wine sediment) for 4 months gives this chardonnay its pleasurable mouth feel.

Flavors: Grapefruit, pineapple, and hints of other fruits ranging from tangy to tropical, in concert with mineral notes.

Price: Retail $14-19. Wholesale: $120/ case.

Vintages: 2008 currently, 2009 launches in Fall 2010.

WINE GEEK INFO
Acres planted: 12
Case Quantity: 299
Harvest: September 11, 2008
Alcohol: 13.52%
Average Chemistry: 3.31 pH, .576g TA
Residual Sugar: 0.033
Fermentation: 100% Stainless steel
Aging: 4 months sur lie
Malolactic Fermentation: 0%

Follow Kopriva Website, Facebook, Twitter

Pinot Hidden in Plain View (in Sonoma CA)

Westwood's hidden courtyard

I continued exploring of out-of-the-way locations and lesser-known labels during Passport Sonoma Valley weekend. Right along the Sonoma Plaza is Westwood Winery. They’ve been here 5 years but somehow I never noticed them. Thanks to the Passport map, I discovered their secret patio, cozy tasting salon, and winemaker with opinions to share.

Budwood graft (courtesy JohnDoryVineyard.com)

When we tasted the 2000 Haynes Pinot Noir, I learned a new word: budwood. Winemaker and owner John Kelly is pursuing the preservation of heritage Pinot Noir vines by grafting cuttings from Napa to clones in his Carneros vineyard. Learn why, how, and the genesis of the original Haynes vines via Louis P. Martini in an archive blog post from John. John has been blogging for years, and his regular updates are an education in vineyards, winemaking and the business of running a winery in general: see http://www.winemakernotesblog.com/

Westwood Winery patio

In addition to a varied flight of Pinots and a Syrah, we tasted the interesting and peppery 2008 Westwood 4-Part Rose, produced from saignée de cuvee of Grenache, Mourvedre, Counoise and Syrah grapes. John claims to have been the first to plant Counoise, as well at Tannat, in the region.  The wines were served with cheese, crackers, and cured meats in the charming Westwood salon. This is a spot and label I will definitely be returning to!  Tasting Thurs-Monday 11am-5pm and by appointment.  Check it out here!

Atmosphere: Award-winning wines with the winemakers

Sonoma’s El Dorado Kitchen (EDK) featured two small and stunningly-awarded local fine wine producers: Paul J. Hoffman Family and Canihan Family Cellars, both hosted by the owner-winemakers.  Nearly every wine I tasted has garnered multiple awards. Hoffman’s Exclusive Fine Wines produces several labels. I had my first taste of Curveball with the Spinning White – a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer and Chardonnay. This is a delightful summer white, and I took home 2 bottles at the Passport discount price of $14.

Paul Hoffman of Exclusive Fine Wines greets Passport Sonoma Valley tasters

From the Atmosphere line, I tasted 2008 Fume Blanc: very nice when you are looking for an oaked SauvBlanc; 2008 Rose, Trackside Vineyard: peachy colored and edgy in a good way; and the highly potent 2007 Syrah.  Hoffman’s Atmosphere Marsanne-Roussanne was recently rated 93 points by Wine Enthusiast. It’s mostly sold out, but you can taste it at Big 3 Wine Bar (click here to find out a secret about the bottle design!) It was great to have a chance to taste the full range of his offering, and see Paul in action and enjoying pouring for Passport tasters from near and far. Hoffman’s other brands include Headbanger Zinfandel and the mysterious 401k, “I Spent Mine so you won’t have to …” advertised as “coming soon.”

Bill Canihan was there with a side-by-side tasting of 3 award-winning Exuberance Pinot Noirs – 2005, 2006, and 2007. All the grapes are organically grown on Cahihan Family Estate property in Sonoma Valley bordering Los Carneros. Of course my pick was the $60 Reserve Pinot. Canihan was also pouring one of the most drinkable Syrah I’ve had, the 2005 Exuberance Syrah, a double gold winner at the SF Chronicle wine competition.

Zin Blending at Ravenswood – You can do this too!

For Passport Sonoma Valley, I focused on some of the out-of-the-way locations or lesser-known labels this weekend. My first stop was blending at Ravenswood, the No Wimpy Wines folks.What better place to blend Zin? The seminar was included as part of my Passport ticket – making it a great value from the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance. But Ravenswood offers blending every week; find out more here.

Peter Griffith, host of Blending Seminars at Ravenswood

“Have a hearty breakfast,” read the email from Peter at Ravenswood. I did that at Schellville Grill with the aptly named “Carneros Scramble.” I picked up my Passport and glass at Sebastiani. Then I headed to Ravenswood’s rustic winery at the end of a canyon hidden behind the town of Sonoma. I arrived just in time for Peter Griffith’s 11am Blending Seminar.

Thanks to the work of Ravenswood, both in winemaking and marketing, a Zinfandel renaissance took place in the wine world. They produce and bottle an astounding 700,000 cases, as well as bottling for Clos du Bois and others at their Quarry Winery on Highway 121.  About 80% of the trucks rolling out of there daily are bringing Ravenswood’s Vintners Blend Zinfandel to most of the 50 states and beyond.

A serious blending moment

Our seminar table was set overlooking the vineyards — with Carignane and Petite Sirah – the same wines Ravenswood uses for blending their Zinfandel. Peter explained we would be noticing the acid characteristics (from the Carignan), and the tannins and structure (from the Petite Sirah). Our task was to note how the smallest change in proportions would result in a very different wine. Four of us blenders were all set with our wines, pipettes and datasheets.

Seven blends later, I had an “aha” moment with a formula of 17ml Zinfandel, .5ml Carignan, and 2.5ml Petite Sirah.  Peter took that up to bottle proportions, we corked and sealed the bottle. Voila! I had my own Zinfandel blend to take home and share with a friend.

The blenders hung out under the arbor to taste some single vineyard designate Zins with Peter. 2007 Dickerson Vineyard Zinfandel went great with the local cheeses and fruit we shared. Dickerson vineyard is on Zinfandel Lane, west side of Napa Valley. It’s a small, limited production vineyard. Ravenswood has been producing Dickerson Zin exclusively since 1982.  My favorite descriptors for the Dickerson are Mexican mole sauce flavor and a briary aroma. In contrast, we tasted 2007 Big River Zinfandel from over 100-year-old vines in Alexander Valley for a rich cassis, jammy, plummy experience.

Walking out through the tasting room, I ran into Uncle Bob. Bob hosts summer Wednesday evening wine and food pairings in the Ravenswood lounge or out on the patio. Another best-kept secret in and around Sonoma. RSVP recommended!

The Future of TV is Social or 4 “Do’s” for Social Media Spokespersons

While at the National Association of Broadcasters’ (NAB) Conference this week in Las Vegas, I attended the session Building Audience Loyalty with Social Media featuring Rob Tercek, President of Digital Media for Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). I’ve been puzzling over the session ever since. The room was packed. I mean FULL. And it was not full for other sessions. Oprah is a below-average tweeter, so expectations were set with a note of irony.  How would OWN advise this audience about social media?

To kick off the session Tercek reviewed a lengthy history of TV (again), the size of the TV viewing audience (yawn), and a notable quote from Winfrey: “Engagement is the new Entertainment.”  We learned about some terrific things OWN is doing, driven by corporate values on empowering audiences and eradicating intolerance. OWN is to be praised and emulated for raising the bar on corporate responsibility.

TV’s gift to Social Media or Social Media’s gift to TV?
There appeared to be many journalists in the room, but a search four days after the session showed up only one item, a blog post from Josh Dickey at TheWrap. I agree with Dickey that Tercek’s points about the importance of social media rang “painfully obvious.” But even though TV is becoming a 2-way medium, it’s still a stretch to call TV the next great gift to social media. I see it the other way around: Social media tools fuel TV participation. Newly-launched Twitter Media says “Tweets drive TV tune-in,” and they have recent data from Oxygen Media as proof.

Back to the full room: I squirmed in discomfort as the presentation of the obvious dragged on.  I felt intuitively that others in the room were also waiting for the “real” presentation to begin. I sensed that they had come to learn from an expert how big and small brands can leverage social media marketing tools and practices … with urgency!

When the audience questions began, I knew my instincts were correct. Tercek fielded questions about Twitter and Facebook. I don’t think there was even one question about TV.  Most of the 30-somethings in the room started filing out early. I thought: What a missed opportunity!  A captive audience, a full session. And the social media tools front and center on everyone’s mind aren’t covered.

4 “Do’s” for Social Media Spokespersons
When presenting or teaching about social media:

1. Expect a full room.
2. Don’t assume your audience is like yourself.
3. Be sensitive to the broadest definitions and novice-level interest in the topic.
4. Be a guide and steward of not just tools and formulas (“It takes 20 minutes to write a blog post and 5 minutes to set up a Facebook account,” said Tercek) – but of best practices and social media protocols that make Twitter and Facebook today good places to engage around your community, your values, and your brand.

What do you think?

Big 3 Wine Bar: Exclusively Sonoma Wines, Part 2

Part 2: Big 3 Wine Bar at Sonoma Mission Inn. Big 3 Strategy, Talking and Tasting with Renee. Go to Part 1.

A Big Strategy
As we continued our discussion I learned that my host Renee Bourassa is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, and worked previously with Michael Mina.  A native of Sonoma, Renee returned here after traveling and working abroad and in San Francisco. The strategy for Big 3 Wine Bar, as explained by Renee, is powerful in its simplicity:

• 100% focus on Sonoma wines, including labels which may be in limited or complete unavailability for tasting anywhere else.
• Renee meets with each winemaker to understand their intention for the wine and the winemaking style employed.
• Each wine is selected based on how it rounds out the Big 3 shelf, resulting in a diversity of winemaking styles for each varietal.
• Big 3 provides easy access to new wine experiences by offering well-priced flights and glasses, and bottles at retail pricing.

Talk and Taste with Renee
My discussion with Renee ranged from winemaking styles of France, varietals of Italy, to local practices and my own taste preferences.  Next I tasted 2006 Kunde Primitivo from the PT02 Sonoma Valley vineyard and a 2006 Mayo Family Barbera also made with Kunde grapes. Both wines were purplish and seductive. The Primitivo offered a fruity aroma and flavor with an authentically rough finish; clearly employing a winemaking style like the Italian wines we talked about. Until now, the Kunde Primitivo has been available only at the winery. The Mayo Barbera was highly drinkable and built to age – another example of a classic Italian style.

Finally, reviewing the White Flight (Part 1)led to a Chardonnay discussion. How interesting local Chardonnays have become as winemaking moves away from the heavily oaked and buttered style of the previous decade! During that time I came to avoid Chardonnay entirely. Renee poured me a preview taste of 2008 Kopriva Chardonnay. This is a handcrafted wine made with 100% Carneros Cassidy Ranch grapes and fermented entirely in stainless steel with no oak and no ML. Nearly clear white in color, this wine presents a unique expression of crisp and subtly fruity cool Carneros Chardonnay varietal character.  I was ready to change my Chardonnay avoidance habit and buy it, but I’ll need to return this week when Big 3 will stock it as a featured wine of the week.  (I’m also planning to taste their “Unusual Suspects” Red Flight on my next visit.)

More than I Expected
Big 3 Wine Bar makes Sonoma wines highly accessible to wine novices and aficionados, locals and travelers alike — by offering a diverse selection at value-based pricing.  Some labels – like Atmosphere, Kamen, or Kopriva – are not available anywhere else for tasting on a daily basis. I believe that to address today’s market conditions, wine sales and marketing practices must assertively reach out to consumers. Direct experiences of tasting and food pairing in a purchase environment are optimal. Big 3 is leveraging their guest traffic, highly visible location, and Sante Restaurant recognition to the benefit of local growers and vintners — offering unique Sonoma wine experiences to more people every day.

Note:
Big 3 Wine Bar is open 2-9pm daily, at the corner of Highway 12 and Boyes Boulevard. Many of the Vintners carried are members of Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance‘ (SVVGA).
Flights and Wines By the Glass list.
Wines By the Bottle list.

Big 3 Wine Bar: Exclusively Sonoma Wines, Part 1

Part 1: Big 3 Wine Bar at Sonoma Mission Inn: Exclusively Sonoma, $10 White Flight

Last weekend I visited the newly opened Big 3 Wine Bar at Sonoma Mission Inn. I read in the local press that Big 3 is focused exclusively on Sonoma wines. That immediately sparked my interest. And I am always looking for more opportunities to taste – and pair – wines before purchasing. Big 3 sounded like a great fit for me. It turned out to be more than I expected.

Renee Bourassa, the Sante Sommelier host of Big 3 Wine Bar, greeted me warmly. The menu features 5 themed flights of 3 wines each. Each pour is an ample 2 ounces. Three glasses are set in sequence on a heavy paper coaster printed with the wineries’ own descriptions. There is also a small menu of wine pairing appetizers at the tasting bar. Or you can adjourn to the casual dining Big 3 Diner side of the house after tasting. We started with the $10 White Flight. It begins with a 2007 Sauvignon Blanc from nearby Deerfield Ranch Winery, progresses to Atmosphere Wines’ Sonoma Valley 2008 Marsanne-Roussanne, and finishes with 2007 Carneros “XII” Chardonnay from Highway 12 Winery.

White Flight
The Deerfield Sauvignon Blanc was rich yet crisp, with a white grapefruit taste and an edgy-ness I enjoyed. Atmosphere’s single-vineyard Rhone-style Marsanne-Roussanne shows spice, oak, and characteristic intense minerality.  The Highway 12 Chardonnay was tropical on my palette with a pleasant soft viscosity in the mouth.  But it was the stories Renee told about the wines that intrigued me. Atmosphere is a small Sonoma winemaker with no tasting room – an example of one of the wines you can taste exclusively at Big 3. Atmosphere’s bottle features an etched design, which — according to Renee — glows in the dark!

Big 3 makes Sonoma wines highly accessible to wine novices and aficionados, locals and travelers alike — by offering a diverse selection at value-based pricing. Some of the wines poured and bottles sold at Big 3 are not available in tasting rooms or at retail anywhere else.

Part 2: Big 3’s Strategy, Talking and Tasting with Renee

Note:
Big 3 Wine Bar is open 2-9pm daily, at the corner of Highway 12 and Boyes Boulevard. Many of the Vintners carried are members of Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance‘ (SVVGA).
Flights and Wines By the Glass list.
Wines By the Bottle list.