Puma Road 1st Annual Bordeaux BBQ Adventure, California

The Puma Road 1st Annual Bordeaux BBQ event was held out at the Pedregal Vineyards in Paicines. Where the heck is that you may ask? Well, its south of Hollister on the road to the Pinnacles in Sunny California and basically in the middle of nowhere.

Recently on a trip down River Road Wine Trail the new Puma Road Tasting room was discovered and an impromptu afternoon with relatively new (to Puma Road) wine maker David Coventry ensued. An enlightening afternoon of past, current and future releases were sampled and the philosophy behind the approach discussed. It was an epic tasting. While there we were told of this upcoming 1st event and we could not pass it up. There were even a couple of very uncommon and interesting vehicles used to arrive at the event (see photo below).

The drive to the event location took about an hour from Monterey, and without an actual address or GPS coordinates finding the location was a bit of a worry. But that need not have been the case as once within the general area there were many signs and balloons to lead us in. We really were heading out onto a working ranch with cattle, regular agg crops and vineyards. We drove through and saw the signs for Cabernet Savignon vines and Merlot vines and even Parking vines.

We parked in an open field and wandered up to the check-in tent. There we paid, got registered, given raffle tickets, some information and were directed to the wine glasses. Once the glasses were acquired we were straight up to one of the two bar ares for our fist taste. A nice light easy to drink Chardonnay. Wait, I thought this was a Bordeaux event you ask? Well yes, and no. Really perhaps it should have been the 1st Bordeaux meets Rhone BBQ. Anyhow, event names aside it was a lovely if not breezy day for the event. As we were saying we started tasting immediately while we waited for our vineyard tour. The BBQ was going and we were tasting some Pinot Noir and a Merlot and just as the  food was being served we were called up to head out on our tour (don't worry we were well fed after). Each of the two large ATV's were driven by one of the vineyard managers and also along to conduct the tour was David Coventry the winemaker.

The first stop for the group was up on the top of the hill adjacent to the Chardonnay vines and across from the Pinot Noir vines. As we tasted the wine from each vineyard Dave gave us the story of the vine to the glass and the vineyard managers chimed in with some of the vineyard specifics. This was the first stop of three, with a Merlot and Cabernet Savignon stop and a Malbec and Petite Verdot stop to finish. It was an educational, interesting and entertaining tour with some nice wine to boot.

Once back at BBQ central we got stuck into the food. Some wonderful Tri-tip and beans and garlic bread followed by some pork ribs and all washed down with some lovely wines.

It was an day of good wine, food and education in a great setting that we enjoyed. As far as we could tell everyone else did as well. The event looked like it was a big success and we look forward to the next one no matter what they call it! Go by the Puma Road tasting room and check out the wine, we 'recommend' you do.

Happy Tasting Adventures,

Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

In the parking lot Kiwi checks out the latest way to get to a tasting...

Winery & Tasting Room is located at 32720 River Road, about one mile south of the Gonzales bridge.
Open Saturdays and Sundays 12-5pm

You can also visit them at the Carmel location, on Dolores between Ocean and 7th Street in Carmel By-The-Sea. Located right next to the Tuck Box, open daily from 2:30-7pm.

Wine tasting in Montecarlo, at Buonamico

In Montecarlo, no not that Montecarlo, this Montecarlo, as in Lucca Italy. The Estate of Buonamico is situated south-west of Monte Carlo, in the Cercatoia, and covers an area of ​​40 hectares. The vineyards are located for the most part in Cercatoia and Court Collodi and now cover about 30 hectares. This winery has history that dates back prior to 1870.

In 2009 there was a lot of new plantings of new grapevines that were are exclusively derived from noble strains, including white grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Vermentino and Viogner, and red grape varieties such as Sangiovese Syrah and Canaiolo. These new plantations have been structured to increase the mechanization of the winery itself, as well as to try maintain high quality standards.

Arriving quite late in the afternoon (5pm) on a Thursday the modern yet inviting tasting room was almost empty which exaggerated the very spacious feel. This is a modern, as in relatively new and done in a modern style, spacious tasting room, and is setup to taste at the bar, or in small groups in the upper level in the back part of the tasting room. We were lucky enough to get here after spending a lot of time at another place and so unfortunately did not get a chance to tour the facilities but we did get to sample some olive oil (the traditional way) and all the wines being sold at the time (quite a few). 

Chiara made us feel at home and started out informing us of the process of picking and pressing the olives and how the terrior and olive tree clones give the flavour. Traditional olive oil tasting is for the pros and that is not us. Give us some fabulous bread to dip in it and we are happy, but to knock back a couple ounces of straight olive oil is a bit of sensory overload for our wimpy palates. 

The process is to take the small shot size glass and cup in one hand to warm the olive oil up while covering it with the other to keep the fumes in. After a minute give it a good sniff just like you would with wine to take in all the olfactory information you can. Once this information is collected knock it back like a shot! Bam! Whoa! Wow and fight the urge to cough! Yeah, nah, we prefer dipping bread into the olive oil and to keep the title of p.....'s (deleted by censor).

Chiara also walked us through the wine line up starting with some bubbly, and then a bit more bubbly once we thought our taste buds were back in gear after the olive oil incident. After what was a great bubbly Chiara lead us through the list of wines on offer and was very informed about each of the wines we tasted. Some wonderful wines were tasted and once again we broke the one bottle each rule (seeing a pattern).


We had a great tasting and wish we had arrived a little earlier to take a tour of the entire facility. From what we understand it would have been well worth our time. Don't make the same mistake we did. Call and book a visit and enjoy the whole package, we 'recommend' you do.

Ciao,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

Taste of Mendocino 2013

A Taste of Mendocino  was to be a great way for us to get a handle on this somewhat lesser known (for us at least) wine region. Hosted by Mendocino Winegrowers, Inc. and Visit Mendocino County, at the lovely San Francisco's Golden Gate Club in the beautiful Presidio. The first part of the event was exclusive to qualified, credentialed trade and media, and they let us in anyway (thanks)!

It sure was a beautiful day, and tasting wine overlooking San Francisco Bay while the Fly Emirates Team New Zealand AC45 was out sailing was just an added bonus. The Mendocino region as mentioned earlier, is one that was somewhat unfamiliar to us, and this was the ideal event to get us up to speed and find out if an Adventure is in order.

The event seemed well organized with a quick check in, ID badges and a bag of regional information flyers to get you started off inside to get your glass. Once inside there were about 30 wineries pouring their wines and a great small sandwich / panini and crisps plate being served all afternoon. There was also some great fudge tasting as well as a couple of pie samples to be enjoyed as a break from all the wines. This was some of the best food at a tasting in a while. One minor note though, leave out the raw red onions in food from any wine event (messes with the tasting process). We did really enjoy the food!

Wandering around and talking and tasting was relatively easy, and most vendors had someone with intimate knowledge of the wines or vineyards which really is good. There were a lot of very nice wines and most have very good price points well inside the **** range which makes this area one of interest for a future Adventure.

While we try to figure out when an Adventure may happen, the following wineries are just one's that either had wines that were of a price / taste balance that caught our attention, and or we had a nice time chatting and learning about them and the area. If you make it up there before we do, maybe let us know if you stop by any of these, or for that matter any in the area. The first one we spent some time at was Albertina Wine Cellars, where we enjoyed talking with Fred for quite a while. The next one that comes to mind (and some notes) that we enjoyed was Brutocao Cellars, where we had some laughs with Aaron.

Baxter was another of the memorable stops where we talked interesting wine stuff with Phil and talked about their property. We also spent a fair amount of time chatting with Paul with Parducci, while tasting his wine. Last but certainly not least was the guy with the best spot in the place. Gary with Kimmel Vineyards, was positioned right between the Fudge and the pie vendors. The wine was good as well!

The event has definitely put the area on the map for us, and there were many other worthy wines tasted there, so rest assured there will be an Adventure in the works as soon as we can get our s___ (censor edit) together.

Happy Tasting Adventures,

Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

Wine tasting in Santa Clara, California

Wine tasting in Santa Clara Valley? Yes, you read that correctly. One of the best kept wine tasting secrets we know of. Ok, so we didn't know of it really till recently, but now we do and you should too!

South of San Jose and situated in an area that is bordered on one side by the Santa Cruz Mountains and on the other by the Diablo Range, Santa Clara Valley has a very Mediterranean climate that lends itself perfectly to the craft that is viticulture. The grape vines in the AVA love the temperature difference that occurs with warm days and cool to cold evenings. This area has the type of climate and topography, that with some thoughtful site selection, allows you successfully grow almost any variety of vine you wish.
After tasting a number of area wines from a cross section of the wineries, it was apparent that there were some quality wines here that a lot of people need to know about. Looking into the area wines and finding that they are collecting an amazing number of credible accolades, did not come as a surprise.

With over twenty two member wineries there are a plethora of delightful tasting choices from the small family setup that offers tastings on the back patio, to some larger operations with picnic areas, banquet rooms and or wedding facilities. With many Gold and Double Gold medals as well as so many other awards among them there is solid validation of the tastings had so far. We are looking forward to doing them all! Yep, you read that correctly! Tasting from every one of the members of the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley. We will be dividing up the next stories in to west side of HWY 101 and east side north and south and unless they lock the gates on us, it should be very doable.

After spending some time talking with Greg Richtarek the VP for the association board at the Guglielmo Winery where he works as the Director of Marketing, and learning a little about the area and the history we can't wait to get stuck into it. How come you only learned a little you may ask, well information retention is not a strength and as there is a ton of info on their website, rather than just restate it, go to their website.

The Wineries of Santa Clara Valley association also organizes events through out the year and the next big event is a first. The Wineries of Santa Clara Valley tell us that you are invited to attend this inaugural wine and food event,

Wineries of Santa Clara Valley Present - Silicon Valley's Wine Escape!
featuring: 22 award winning wineries from the Santa Clara Valley AVA, and over a dozen premier restaurants from throughout the region. When is it?

Saturday, June 29th, with things happening between 9:30am to 4:00pm

Campbell Community Center
1 West Campbell Avenue
Campbell, California 95008


There is also the Santa Clara Valley Passport Weekend -- Save the Date! October 5th and 6th, $30 per person.

Take part in activities planned exclusively for passport holders:
Winery Tours - Special Discounts - New Releases - Music - AND GREAT WINES!!

Passports can be purchased at any participating winery, the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce and the Gilroy Welcome Center and Rocca's Market 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM


We, or at least one of us, will be attending this event to check it out as this should be a great time, and we hope to see you there!

Over the next few weeks we will also be visiting the member wineries and compiling some stories of our Adventures along the way. You have a chance to beat us to em if you hurry. Tell em we sent you and enjoy the Adventure , we 'recommend" you do.

Happy Tasting Adventures,

Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

Great Video of the Wine Escape.

Winery Map Guide

Enthralling Fattoria Di Fubbiano,

"Il vino rende lieto il cuore"

"Wine make's your heart happy" ~ Tommaso d'Aquino

The Villa, set among olive groves and vineyards was already listed in tax records as far back as 1392 and is the heart of the estate. This property has been in continuous operation since 1694.

This historic property is Fattoria di Fubbiano, and is only 15 km from Lucca, 65 km from Florence or  35 km from the Pisa airport and along the Lucca hills, between the villages of Tofori and San Gennaro, an area where wine has been produced since the 14th century. 

This estate property covers about 45 hectares and they have just finished and started using their new winery building. 20 hectares are used for wine production with an average annual yield of around 100.000 bottles.
This new state of the art facility is hidden into a hillside and doubles as a shaded plaza area that can be used for large gatherings. There are discreetly camouflaged openings hidden into the covered area floor, and when the the grape harvest is delivered they are opened and the grapes go through the floor of the plaza which is the roof of the winery. 

This is just one of a number of things that have been enhanced and about to be enhanced on this property. 
With the new winery area up and running the barrels were all relocated there and that made for a vacated space that is now set up for lots of smaller group tastings or a very large event. The room was just fantastic.

The Villa is currently being restored and will be used as a B&B once complete. We would be lying if we said we did not want to come back and stay. It was stunning. They have a lot here besides wine and a place to stay, with farm tours and cooking classes, the whole Agritourism experience (next time).

The old barrel room

After Chiara gave us a lovely tour of the facilities it was time for us to put our finely tuned palates to work. As fate, luck, or just strange happenstance would have it, we had had a bottle of the hall mark wine from Fattoria di Fabbiano while relaxing at an outdoor restaurant in Lucca just a few days earlier. A bottle of 'First Love'. An inexpensive and lovely to drink wine, but also one with significant importance to the owner.

We enjoyed a great tasting of good olive oil and wines, as we broke the one bottle per person rule again.

This was to later become a predicament as packing wine bottles into a suitcase has its limits! Big last night in Italy headed our way!

This is a great facility with very good wines, and we 'recommend' you make an appointment and go check it out. Tell em we sent you...


Ciao,
WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

The good news is that these wines are available in the USA through APS Wines and Spirits. www.apswine.com

Afternoon tea in Lucca, Italy

River Road Wine Trail, Monterey California

Where is the River Road Wine Trail? What wineries are there? This piece of info from the official River Road Wine Trail website will get us started.

"The River Road Wine Trail is an association of Monterey County winery tasting rooms, located primarily along the River Road / Foothill Road corridor, on the Santa Lucia Highlands bench above the Salinas Valley."

Propaganda aside there is a lot to like about this small part of the wine world. Some of these wineries are only open on weekends , some Friday through Sunday, Some Thursday through Sunday and some all week long. Just about every one of these wineries have 90+ scores from one of the reputable Wine magazines and after a tour and taste you will know why, so lets take a drive down the road and stop at each one along the way.

Starting at the northern end the first place you will come to is Odonata Wines. Owner Denis Hoey is always trying something new and as such telling you what he has will probably have you looking for something that no longer exists. Ok maybe an over statement but there is always something new to try here. From lovely bubbles and still whites, savory reds and bold reds he has something for everyone. 

Next up as you meander down the road is Talbott Vineyards. A cozy upscale tasting room on the end of the barrel barn offers a nice environment for tasting, and they have a little outside space to relax next to the vineyard. With two levels of tastings to choose from they offer good wines at good prices that should keep just about any wine drinker that likes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay happy.
 

Moving along to the next stop you will find Pessagno Winery. This tasting room is quite roomy inside with a picnic area outside and they have a serious number of wines to taste. With a lively tasting room atmosphere and a list that gives you a dozen or so wines to choose from there is going to be some happy tasters here. Don't miss a taste of the Four Boys!

Next up on our tour is Manzoni Cellars. Making wine since 2000 the Manzoni family has a lovely selection of small lot wines that aspire to be the best reflection of the region. With such small production there are really only two ways to get this wine. Go taste at their tasting room and buy the ones you love or join their wine club. The Syrah got our attention.  One of the best use of space wine tasting areas we have seen. Check em out.

As we continue down River Road we come across Puma Road / Ray Franscioni Wines. One of the newer tasting rooms it is situated inside a barrel room and has a nice winery feel. Having provided grapes to a lot of well respected wine labels they are now focusing on their own wines. A broad selection of wines to taste and worthy new releases to be experienced.

Next along the road is a right turn which takes us onto Foothill Road and on to Wrath Wines. One of the fancier tasting rooms, it is like a Mediterranean vacation villa. A beautiful facility with a great picnic area by the pond and a cool spacious tasting room. The wine list is long and full of award winning wines with some very knowledgeable tasting room staff. A very nice tasting experience to be had here.

Continuing along Foothill the next stop is Hahn Family Wines. With one of the best views of the Salinas Valley this welcoming tasting room with the amazing back (or front) deck is a great spot to enjoy a picnic, on the lawn or a bottle on the deck. A great selection of wines for you to find something for any occasion, including the a fore mentioned relaxing with  a view off the deck. A great selection of wines to taste through. The GSM is a perennial favorite.

Just a little down the road is the other fantastic view of the Salinas Valley. Its from the deck and event area of Paraiso Vineyards. This quaint tasting room also has an area for you to sit and enjoy the amazing views with a glass or to have a picnic lunch. The tasting room offers not only a great view but some great wines. The Riesling here is not only lovely to drink but also a steal. You can't go wrong here.

Traveling a bit further down the track and following the signs to Los Coches Rd and Ventana Vineyards Soledad tasting room. Situated inside an old barn, it is a charming time gone by experience. They have been making wine here for thirty years. With a full tasting list that includes some award wining wines, this is a fun place to taste. They also hold a couple of wine club events here every year.

As we move even further off the beaten track almost into woop woop territory, this is the location of  Sycamore Cellars. This is a family Estate that is located in the upper Arroyo Seco appellation in Monterey County where four generations have lived and worked to grow and produce wines.

The River Road Wine Trail has more than enough worthy wines to fill an entire weekend with Tasting. There are some great wines being made here with a good range that will make for a fulfilling tasting Adventure. The only difficulty is there are almost no services along the route so pack a picnic lunch and some snacks with plenty of water for each days excursion and enjoy the tasting rooms and the wines. There are hotels close enough to make for easy access to the Trail and those hotels are close to some great restaurants so make a three day weekend of it and tell em all that we sent you. We 'recommend' you do!

Happy Wine Adventures,

Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

River Road related Links
 Quality time at Wrath
 Bordeaux BBQ
 Super Sunday at Talbotts
Library Day Wine tasting at Pessagno Winery

Kiwi and Koalas WW

On a recent WineWalkabout Adventure to discover new off the beaten path wine tasting areas, we came across a lovely surprise. A delightful wine called Blanc de Rouge, or to those prone to visual descriptors, like red or white, this is Rosé. Not usually one’s to purchase a Rosé colored wine, not for any particular reason, we just don’t. May have to look closer at this behavior, to find out what’s up with that. Anyway as we were saying, during this Adventure we came across this little gem from Sycamore Creek Vineyards. Nestled in the heart of historical Uvas Valley,in the Santa Clara AVA California, Sycamore Creek Vineyards & Winery is a small family-owned and operated winery producing limited amounts of hand-crafted wines. Now as it turns out this was a pre-release taste. Probably all the intelligent wine conversation that helped open this bottle (or just to shut Koala up). This was (drank it already) a captivating drop of wine. Great refreshing red fruit flavors with just the right amount of sweetness and a clean finish. This is a great summer wine, or on second thoughts, for any time you would like it. A great wine to take to a summer picnic or BBQ and one that will be enjoyed by all (we did this last Monday). The Blanc de Rouge is a solid 6+ and ****, so buy a case if they will let you. So go on by Sycamore Creek Vineyards and tell em we sent you and ask quietly about the Blanc de Rouge. 

To happy Weeknight Wine!

Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

Interview with Winemaker Sabrine Rodems

Just recently there was opportunity to spend some quality time with winemaker Sabrine Rodems at the Wrath Vineyards Tasting room in Monterey County near Soledad. No one in their right mind is letting that slip by. Ok, so Kiwi is not in his right mind (previous commitment whatever). Being somewhat familiar with the wines of this winery even before it was Wrath  made this an exciting opportunity. While the wines were always good, there has been a steady increase in wine quality over the years. In the last five to six years, a steady release of good to great wines from this winery. With a large range of wine styles made there is guaranteed to be a couple you will love. Sabrine has been with Wrath since 2004 and while the results have been well showcased with great scores in the 'Wine Magazines' there is a lot more to Sabrine and Wrath than just good wine scores.

In the famous words of Monty Python;
Q. What is your quest?

Sabrine: I want to make wines that with food, bring families together around the dinner table. I want to encourage peoples interest in wine, and to break down some of the barriers that make people uncomfortable with the wine culture. I hope to make people comfortable with wine and all that goes with its enjoyment. I would also love in the next five years for one of Wrath's wines, Pinot Noir, Syrah, or Chardonnay, to be a 'Wine Spectator Wine of the Year'! (we don't doubt this may happen)

Q. When did you first have an interest in wine and how did that manifest itself?

Sabrine: As a child, my sisters and brother and I were hauled around to all the wineries and farm tours in Sonoma and Napa. Back in the day, all those things were free and Mom would take us on all the tours, whether it be to a chicken farm or a winery. Not only were they free but they were very interesting and sparked curiosity which became educational. On occasion we would even get a sip of wine! There were many great experiences that planted the seed that grew into an interest in science.

As an adult, my brother in law became a collector of wine and is a very detail oriented person so along with the collection was also every known fact about it. This was a re-connection with wine that still goes on every day. Between the science and the product, it's an educational road that continues to call.

Q. How did you get started?

Sabrine: While at UC Davis I did a 6-8 week internship at Gloria Ferrer. Along with the bubbles they make a lot of still wine. I finished my Master's of Science in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis and went to work at Wrath in 2004.

Q. What do you think separates you from other winemakers?

Sabrine: I think it’s the ability and opportunity that I have here at Wrath to experiment and try different things. We often have about five experiments that we have planned each year, but usually only end up moving forward on only two or three. These trials allow me to check the science against the intuition and I am lucky to get to do that here. 

Q. If you weren't doing this what would you be doing?

Sabrine: I would be teaching in the wine industry. Probably teaching sensory classes. The sensory side of wine has often been done in a way that makes a lot of people afraid to fully engage. It's not rocket science and it can be a lot of fun. I really like sharing the process and I enjoy watching people learn, experience, loose the fear and embrace the new knowledge.

Coming full circle. Q. What is your favorite color?

Sabrine: Orange.

Having the opportunity to talk with Sabrine, and taste the current release wines of Wrath throughout the conversation, made for a great day. Her passion and energy is contagious, and one can only believe that the best is yet to come. Her technical knowledge is clear, and her passion she wears on her sleeve. But that is only part of the package, as there is also her intuition that helps guide her choices when the science has run its course. This is where the difference between good and great wines is found, in the decisions that are made with the heart or the force or that gut feeling. Sabrine is driven to understand and yet understands that some things will never be understood. To quote Sabrine 'Winemaking is the best of both worlds, the amalgamation of science and art.'

Go by one of the Wrath tasting rooms and experience for yourself the award winning wines of Wrath and the magic that Sabrine brings to them. We 'recommend' you do.

Cheers,

WineWalkabout

Kiwi & Koala

Wrath wines are available for purchase and tasting at both of our tasting rooms.  Both of them!