Charles Woodson Launches Intercept - Affordable Wines from Paso & Monterey

Photo Credit: Lu Chau, Photagonist

For those who didn't follow college or professional football during the late 1990s through the middle of this decade, you may have missed the extraordinary career of Charles Woodson. Primarily a defensive back, Woodson was a two-way star at the University of Michigan and in 1997, his junior year, the Wolverines won a share of the National Championship and Woodson was awarded the Heisman Trophy. He not only beat out Peyton Manning for the award, but he was the last non-running back or quarterback to receive it. I remember the famous game against Ohio State where Woodson was instrumental - returning a punt for a touchdown, intercepting a pass in the end-zone, and making a long reception that led to Michigan's only offensive touchdown of the game. In the NFL, Woodson played 18 seasons with the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers, a Pro-bowl player for half these seasons and winning the Super Bowl with the Packers in 2010. His NFL career ending after the 2015 season.

Like many of his fellow professional athletes, Woodson has successfully launched a wine brand Woodson Wines soon after retiring and more recently Intercept Wines in collaboration with the country's seventh-largest winery O’Neill Vintners & Distillers. Woodson first became interested in wine while playing with the Raiders when the club's training camp was located in Napa Valley. Say's Woodson, "My love of wine happened organically while living in Napa Valley during training camp playing for the Oakland Raiders in the '90s. The way people connected with wine intrigued me and I wanted to be a part of it." The Intercept collection consists of four wines, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Blend, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay - all priced at $18 and sourced from either Paso Robles or Monterey County. The wines are made by Amanda Gorter, the assistant winemaker at Robert Hall Winery working under the esteemed Don Brady. So right there are three positive indicators for this collection: price, appellation, and winemaking. Recently I received samples of two of these wines described below.

2018 Paso Robles Chardonnay
This wine is 100% Chardonnay sourced from the Adelaida and Templeton Gap Districts; these are two new sub-AVAs located within the western side of the larger Paso Robles appellation. The Templeton Gap AVA is noted for its cool days and nights due to the ocean breeze that is blown in through a gap in the Santa Lucia Range. As Paso's most western region, the Adelaida District receives the greatest influences from the Pacific Ocean with more rain and cooling breezes. These climates are best for cool-climate grapes but also grapes like Chardonnay in which enhanced acidity is desired. This acidity is what drives the Intercept Chardonnay bridging the apple and citrus fruit notes with the slight toasty notes from the barrel fermentation and sur lie aging. A fresh and balanced wine.


2017 Monterey County Pinot Noir
This wine is 100% Pinot Noir sourced from the Santa Lucia Highlands (90%) and Paso Robles (10%). The Santa Lucia Highlands is a small but popular winegrowing appellation in Monterey County that is known for cultivating excellent Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Like the western Paso regions, this region is strongly affected by maritime influences which extend the ripening season and enhance acids. The wine is medium-bodied with dusty and chalky cherries, some baking spices, and noticeable yet approachable tannins.

Disclosure: We received samples from Woodson Wines in order to share our opinion about their products, but this isn’t a sponsored post.

Kalfu Kuda and Chile's Leyda Valley

Kalfu means ‘blue’ in the language of the Mapuche, the indigenous inhabitants of Chile, and for the Mapuche, Kalfu is synonymous with the magnificent Pacific Ocean that borders Chile’s western coastline. A coastline blessed with an exceptional cool climate, constant refreshing breezes and early morning fogs that enforce a slow, steady ripening period for grapes, helping to create balanced, elegant wines.

Whereas Chile's Maipo Valley and Colchagua Valley seem to get the majority of wine recognition, be prepared to notice a new region coming of age: the Leyda Valley. This area is a small sub-region of the San Antonio Valley, itself a smaller region located in central Chile, 55 miles west of the capital, Santiago. Leyda is a cool-climate region where the grapes are affected by the Pacific's Humboldt Current (A cold, low-salinity ocean current that flows north along the west coast of South America from the southern tip of Chile to northern Peru). Although the terroir was suitable for viniculture, vines were not planted in abundance until the late 1990s when an irrigation pipeline was constructed to channel water from the Maipo River in the south. The cool ocean breezes and morning fog slow the maturation process and with abundant sunshine allow the grapes to fully ripen as well as develop complexity while still retaining acidity.

Kalfu is a brand from Vina Ventisquero - one of the vignerons who have leveraged the Leyda Valley to produce cool-climate wines, two which I received samples. This Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are sourced from the Las Terrazas Vineyard, a site situated just 7 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean and close to the Maipo River - thus receiving the full force of the Pacific's cooling influences. According to Kalfu winemaker, Alejandro Galaz, "From the vineyard to the bottle, producing cool climate wines can be challenging, but I enjoy a challenge – always striving to produce wines that are a sincere expression of elegance, distinction, and subtlety of the grape varietal."

Kalfu Kuda Sauvignon Blanc 2018 ($19.00)
This wine is complex for its price with divergent citrus and tropical fruit aspects, mild minerality, and very clean and refreshing acidity.

Kalfu Kuda Pinot Noir 2017 ($19.00)
This medium-bodied wine is chalky and dusty merging with black cherry fruit and slight spices and finishes with noticeable yet rounded tannins.

Disclosure: We received samples from Kalfu Kuda in order to share our opinion about their products, but this isn’t a sponsored post.

Natural Wine at the Old Westminster Winery's Summer Solstice Festival

"Natural Wine is farmed organically (biodynamically, using permaculture or the like) and made (or rather transformed) without adding or removing anything in the cellar. No additives or processing aids are used, and ‘intervention’ in the naturally occurring fermentation process is kept to a minimum. As such neither fining nor (tight) filtration are used. The result is a living wine – wholesome and full of naturally occurring microbiology." -- Raw Wine

On June 22nd, Maryland's Old Westminster Winery hosted the inaugural Summer Solstice Festival featuring natural wines from across the globe. The event was held at the winery's Burnt Hill Farm which is their second vineyard but the first farmed using biodynamic practices. Once mature, the harvested grapes will be processed with little or no intervention in the cellar and Old Westminster will produce Maryland's first natural wines.

But what is Natural Wine? When asked, representatives at the festival provided multiple definitions starting with either organically or biodynamically farmed grapes and finishing with various levels of winemaking intervention. Some stressed the importance of using zero sulfites which are used as a preservative and stabilizer. Others believe that a minimal amount of sulfites are allowable right before bottling but not during other stages of the winemaking process. Most representatives stressed the use of native yeast although some were inoculated with yeast cultures. Many of the natural wines were cloudy as a result of non-filtering whereas others were clean which suggest the use of a clarifying agent such as egg whites or isinglass (made from fish bladders).

As a result of these various practices, the wines were quite diverse ranging from cloudy and funky to clean and very traditional. I tended to prefer the latter as I felt the funkier styles provided excuses for traditional winemaking faults such as volatile acidity and reduction. These "faults" are counter-intuitive in the same wine since reduced winemaking is a method to prevent volatile acidity by reducing the amount of oxygen available for bacteria to create acetic acid.  However, in some cases, the reduced notes did not blow off after swirling and remained in tandem with the vinegar notes. In other wines where the effects of reduction did blow off, the funkiness sometimes overwhelmed the fruit flavors. But in the natural wine world, when the fruit and funk mingle more gracefully, the wines are greeted with acclaim.

During a pre-festival #WineStudio Twitter tasting that ran through June, we sampled the contrasting styles with the Old Westminster 2017 Home Vineyard Cabernet Franc and their 2018 Heirloom. Whereas both were bottled unfined and unfiltered the Cab Franc provided a more traditional profile full of fruit flavors with balanced tannins and acidity. I wish more East Coast wineries could replicate this excellent wine. On the other hand, the 77% Chardonnay, 12% Albarino, and 11% Muscat blend in the Heirloom was funkier in style perhaps from fermenting with native yeast and took quite a few sips to comprehend. I am well acclimated with this style in cider and beer - but not so much with wine.

So quite naturally at the Summer Solstice, I drifted towards the more traditional wines starting with Oregon's Brooks Winery. The Estate Vineyard for this Williamette Valley winery was certified by Demeter for Biodynamic farming principles in 2012. And in the cellar, they utilize low intervention winemaking practices but release very clean and traditional wines as evident by the Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Pinot Noir. These wines are delicious and represent the grape profiles perfectly. Brooks also provides an original profile indicator on their website which displays color-coded bar charts representing aroma and flavor.

Nearby, the Georgian Wine House was pouring similarly delicious wines from this ancient country located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. The Georgian winemaking tradition is known for using qvevri vessels to ferment and age the wine. If a white wine is aged with prolonged skin contact then the resulting wine becomes light orange in color with more depth in flavor. Naotari Winery specializes in this technique and the family operation (Koba Kvatchrelishvili and his two sons, Rezo and Alex) releases the Khikhvi Blend 2016 natural wine. This blend of Rkatsiteli, Kisi, and Khikhvi is fermented with native yeast, is unfiltered, and undergoes zero intervention or added sulfite. Yet it is full of stone fruit aromas and flavors with no traces of volatile acidy or reduction.

Similarly, Chona’s Marani Winery is another family venture producing natural wines like the Rkatsiteli 2017 and Mtsvane-Rkatsiteli Blend 2017. Pure, clean, and delicious wines. Finally, sisters Baia and Gvanca showed two excellent wines in the Baia's Wine and Gvanca's Wine with Baia focusing on white wine and Gvanca red. The Gvanca's Wine Otskhanuri Sapere 2017 exudes sour cherries and not in a funky way. The Baia's Wine Tsolikouri 2018 is also fermented with wild yeast, unfiltered, and uses very low levels of sulfites that provides clean citrus and apple flavors with refreshing acidity.

Traveling towards the Mediterranean there was another brilliant natural wine from Turkey imported by Siema Wines. Mustafa Çamlica founded Chamlija Winery in "2000 in the small Thracian town of Büyükkarıştıran, and planted his vineyards throughout the decomposed granite soils of the Strandja Massif, near where Turkey meets Bulgaria". At the festival, Siema poured this winery's Papaskarasi Rosé - a rare indigenous Turkish grape variety. This delicate wine provides a soft texture to its strawberry profile finishing with refreshing clean acids. And the distinct label was drawn by Çamlica's daughter Irem - a renowned artist in Turkey.


Siema poured another clean and textured wine, this time from the Friuli region of Italy. Borgo San Daniele is operated by the brother and sister team of Mauro and Alessandra who do not use chemical products in their vineyard and minimalistic techniques during vinification. Their Mauri Vignaioli Friulano (formerly called Tocai Friulano) is complex with a soft fruit and almond profile and finishing with elegance.

So cheers to these clean and fresh natural wines and Old Westminster Winery for hosting a fantastic event. 

Old Westminster Winery, Burnt Hill Farm, & The Summer Solstice Festival

“We’re going to challenge current beliefs with unique and transparent wines – wines that offer balance, nuance, and character. We’re going to farm thoughtfully, using biodiverse cover crops, biodynamic principles and incorporating animals. And then, in the winery, we’re going to craft wines with a light hand, ferment with indigenous yeast, and bottle it all without fining or filtration. These wines will be made without makeup – a pure reflection of the time and place where they’re grown and the people who guided the process." Drew Baker.

Photo Courtesy of
Old Westminster Winery

This is the guiding principle behind the next phase of Maryland's Old Westminster Winery as this accomplished and innovative winery attempts to challenge contemporary winemaking through The Burnt Hill Project. The Baker family has been very successful in their previous endeavors, first by immediately impressing consumers and critics after an initial launch of Old Westminster Winery, being the first to can and successfully market Maryland wine, and creating a custom crush facility for other aspiring winemakers.  So there's little reason to conclude this next phase will not be as successful.

Burnt Hill Farm is located in northwestern Montgomery County and its name comes from the late 1800s, when the owners "despaired of growing crops in the nutrient-poor soils and made money by burning trees and brush to make charcoal, potash, and lye". The farm has the ideal gradient and clay-limestone soils congruent for Gamay and Pinot Noir, grapes normally not planted in the Free State. But why stop there. They are also planting "90 experimental varieties bred by Cliff Ambers, an iconoclastic viticulturist who pollinates native grape vines with pollen from European vinifera varieties” Dave McIntyre Washington Post.

The Bakers will continue the viticulture philosophy from their Home Vineyard in Westminster, all work done by hand, sustainable farming, minimalist winemaking, and fermenting with native yeast. They have also incorporated bio-dynamic vineyard practices at Burnt Hill Farm  -- starting two years before planting their first vines - in order to create a living organism. Biodynamic farms generate their own fertility through composting, integrating animals, and cover cropping. This effort at Burnt Hill includes rotating cover crops like wheat and daikon radish, planting manure filled bull horns that will eventually fertilize the vineyard, and introducing sheep next year.

"We choose to think of our farm as a living, breathing organism. Like a human body with a system of organs, our farm is a complex system of interacting substances and processes...> biodynamics." Drew Baker

Consumers can discover Old Westminster's minimalist approach to winemaking as well as taste a preview of what should come from Burnt Hill at their Summer Solstice Festival on June 22, 2019. Under a circus tent at Burnt Hill Farm, low-intervention winemakers from across the globe will pour 100+ unique wines. The lineup includes Broc Cellars, Hiyu Wine Farm, Zafa Wines, Floral Terranes, Margins Wine, Methode Sauvage, Iapetus Wine, Wild Arc Farm, Inconnu Wine, Johan Vineyards, The Scholium Project, Fable Farm, Purity Wine, En Cavale, Fausse Piste, Old Westminster, Lightwell Survey, Liten Buffel, Maitre de Chai, Old World Winery, Les Lunes, Ruth Lewandowski, Brooks, Art+Science, Native Selections, Zev Rovine, Williams Corner, Plant Wines, MFW, Domestique, Wines of Georgia, Revel Wine, and more...

And to learn more about the festival and Old Westminster Winery tune to #Winestudio on Twitter Tuesdays in June at 9PM E.T. Cheers and hope to see you at the Summer Solstice.

Villa Maria's First Sip Of Summer

This week Villa Maria Estate presented their seasonal #FirstSipNZ witter campaign and this chat featured a trio of ready for summer wines.  The winery is one of New Zealand's most famous having operated for six decades starting as a one acre - one man shop in 1961 and growing to where founder George Fistonich is inducted to Restaurant and Hospitality Hall of Fame.  Fortunately, these wineries are widely distributed across the United States so here are some tweets why you may want to pick up a bottle or two...

Villa Maria 2018 Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough ($14)

The grapes were sourced from the Awatere and Wairau Valleys - spreading from coastal Wairau to a higher altitude in Awatere (900 feet). This provides a  mixture of warmer and cooler vineyard sites which showcase the herbal and tropical notes.

A Marlborough Masterpiece! 😍 Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2018 $14.Love to learn more about the valleys the SB comes from Awatere Valley & Wairau Valley #FirstSipNZ #OpenAnotherWorld #VillaMaria @VillaMaria_Wine @Helen_Wine @Kat_Halbtrocken@JFouts pic.twitter.com/AnPxWo0YsZ

— Wine Oh TV (@WineOhTV) June 13, 2019

This 2018 sauvignon blanc is just lovely: so bright and fresh and citrusy. And versatile enough to go well with my goat Gouda now and my spicy Thai takeout later. #firstsipNZ #villamaria #openanotherworld #partner pic.twitter.com/w1YuJPlmBo

— Eat Your World (@eat_your_world) June 13, 2019

Villa Maria 2018 Private Bin Rosé, Hawkes Bay ($15)

This blend is predominately Merlot, which is the most widely planted red variety in Hawkes Bay as this region is a much warmer climate than Marlborough.

OK, so the 2018 Private Bin Rosé? It begs to be drunk outside, so here I am. It has a wonderfully dry finish, w/ripe berry notes that would pair amazingly well with seafood. But dang, it's great all by itself on a warm evening. #firstsipNZ #villamaria #openanotherworld #partner pic.twitter.com/QRLQcAPf3b

— Eat Your World (@eat_your_world) June 13, 2019

@Villamaria_Wine 18 Private Bin Rosé: From Hawke's Bay, this rosé is composed of mostly Merlot. It pours a salmon color with flavors of ripe red berries and floral notes, given lift by a fresh jolt of acidity. Perfect for warm days and summer dishes. #FirstSipNZ #OpenAnotherWorld pic.twitter.com/q2ddGPpaJR

— Dezel Quillen (@myvinespot) June 13, 2019

Villa Maria 2015 Cellar Selection Pinot Noir, Marlborough ($26)

The grapes for this wine also derive from diverse sites in the Awatere and Wairau Valleys with the 2015 vintage considered a strong year. As the Cellar Selection label designates this wine offers more aromatics, weight, and complexity.

The @villamaria_usa 2015 Cellar Selection Pinot Noir, Marlborough ($26) smoke and cherries on the nose, soft red cherry and raspberry core, finishes with a soft landing of subtle tannins and spice. #firstsipnz #nxwine #OpenAnotherWorld pic.twitter.com/sewMQAWURz

— WineCompass (@winecompass) June 13, 2019

Tasting tart cranberries, red cherries & tobacco with a touch of leather in the finish 🍷#FirstSipNZ #VillaMaria @VillaMaria_Wine pic.twitter.com/3cCJVlQJZ1

— Sherri Housman (@SLHousman) June 13, 2019

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this wine free from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and Villa Maria as part of their First Sip Of Summer Twitter Tasting. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.

A Tutorial on Left Coast Estate and Their Summer Wines

In the past when I received samples from Oregon's Left Coast Estate, I opened each bottle over the course of at least a week - sampling each wine multiple days.  Not so for this latest shipment of summer wines as I shared the four bottles with neighbors during an impromptu block party.  Actually, the evening turned into a mini-wine class as I discussed the Willamette Valley AVA, the Van Duzer Corridor AVA, 45 degrees latitude and Burgundy, white Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Meunier, lees, sparkling wine, and the wonderful estate that is Left Coast Estate.

We started with the 2017 The Orchard Pinot Gris ($18), a blend of 91% Pinot Gris and 9% Pinot Blanc.  While sipping I explained first how Pinot Blanc provides a bit of roundness to the wine and second, the Left Coast estate itself. Particularly, that The Orchard is a distinct vineyard and the overall estate is 350 acres - all contiguous and within the newly designated Van Duzer Corridor AVA. This new AVA benefits from the cooling breezes of the Van Duzer Corridor that allows the grapes to retain acidity and includes the Willamette Valley's three major soil types (marine sediment, volcanic sediment at higher altitudes, and loess from the Missoula Floods).

We then turned to the neighborhood favorite, the 2018 White Pinot Noir ($24) which consists of 93% Pinot Noir and 7% Pinot Blanc. The grapes are crushed at cold temperatures to ensure minimal coloration from the skins and then fermented and aged on lees in stainless steel. The group was not familiar with aging in lees so I explained how this process adds texture which everyone recognized in this wine. The online order should be coming through soon.

It was a pleasant evening for rosé and fortunately, the samples included the 2018 Left Coast Rosé ($24), a blend of 76% Pinot Noir and 24% Pinot Meunier. The later was another unrecognized grape and I discussed its Champagne origins. This lead to a discussion of French wine regions, Burgundy specifically. Because Left Coast Estate shares the same 45-degree latitude it receives the same amount of sunshine as the famed region.

As the evening was concluding, I had to retrieve the last wine. This was the 100% Pinot Noir 2018 Queen Bee Bubbly ($36). For this sparkling wine, estate honey is used in the secondary fermentation which led to a discussion of methods of producing sparkling wine and how normally the spent yeast cells are disgorged. But not in the Queen Bee, the lees rise and settle with each pour. A very interesting sparkler to conclude an enjoyable neighborly evening.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this wine free from Left Coast Estate I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.

Wines of Navarra, the Camino de Santiago, and French Grape Varieties

The Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James) is a large network of ancient pilgrim routes stretching across Europe and concluding at the shrine of St. James the Apostle in Santiago de Compostela in the Spanish province of Galicia. The pilgrimages started very shortly after the believed discovery of the tomb of the Patron Saint of Spain in 814. There are two competing claims regarding James evangelization of the Iberian Peninsula with one, based on the Epistle to the Romans where St. Paul suggests a disciple hadn't visited Spain and the alternative, that after James was martyred in AD 44 his remains were transported back to the land that he had in fact evangelized.

Regardless, pilgrims flocked to the site using the Camino de Santiago and Wines of Navarra website, "in 1234 the first of a succession of French monarchs ascended by marriage to the throne of the Kingdom of Navarra, ushering in over three centuries of cultural flowering still evidenced today by the beautiful and well-worn vestiges of the region’s late Romanesque and high Gothic architectural ambition". As a result of these events, French pilgrims and Monarchs desired French wines so that French grape varieties were planted in the province.

by the "12th century the Camino emerged as a highly organized international phenomenon". Soon afterward continues the

These Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Garnacha (Grenache), and Chardonnay vines remained planted among local Tempranillo and Viura vines through throughout the centuries. According to Wine-Searcher.com, "In 1933 the regional Navarra DO was created and its geography is diverse with a number of different features that affect the region's vines and climate. Its proximity to the Bay of Biscay (Atlantic Ocean) in the northwest, the Pyrenees in the northeast and the Ebro River all combine to moderate temperatures created by the effects of the Mediterranean climate.

Because of this diversity, five sub-zones were created: Baja Montana in the northeast, Valdizarbe in the north, Tierra Estella in the northeast, Ribera Alta in the center, north of the Ebro, and Ribera Baja in the south below the river. A small section of Navarra is classified as Rioja DOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada)".

Recently I received three wine samples that reflect the abundance of French grape varieties but also the history and geography of the region.

Bodegas Castillo de Monjardin Pinot Noir 2017 ($12)
Castillo de Monjardin is located in the foothills of the Pyrenées not far from the French border and literally part of the Camino de Santiago as the Castle of Monjardin is a populate hike. The Castle's heritage peaked in the 12th Century but grape growing continued dominated by Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Garnacha, and Pinot Noir. Bodegas Castillo de Monjardín operates a family estate of 220 Ha of vineyards that aged were planted 15, 30 and 70 years ago. These Tierra Estella situated and Atlantic influenced vineyards reside on sunny slopes at an average altitude of 1800 feet and are cooled by the "Cierzo" wind -- "a strong, dry and usually cold wind that blows from the North or Northwest through the regions of Aragon, La Rioja, and Navarra". This Pinot Noir is made from grapes harvested from the high altitude and 30-year-old "El Cerezo" vineyard and aged 6 months in oak barriques after fermentation. This process provides slight vanilla and toastiness which are subtle compared to the soft earthy tones and dusty finish. Excellent.

Bodegas Ochoa Calendas Viura Chardonnay 2018 ($12) - Adriana Ochoa winemaker; Ribera Alta
Although the current Bodegas Ochoa operation has "only" been in an operation since 1845, the winery possesses an invoice from 1370 where the residing King requested wine from an Ochoa brand. Not only was its location in Olite, the summer residence of royalty in medieval times but it is also situated in the heart of Navarra in Ribera Alta. This is a continental climate bordered by Atlantic and Mediterranean influences, thus warmer with less rainfall than Tierra Estella, but cooler than the Mediterranean climate to the south. The current winemaker is Adriana Ochoa -- the 6th generation of family members to produce wine. She crafted this 50-50 blend to showcase the liveliness of the Viura and the structure of the Chardonnay. It is delicious.

Bodegas Inurrieta Cuatrocientos 2016 ($18)
Bodega Inurrieta is also a family-owned company and located in Ribera Alta, but with a little more Mediterranean influences. The name Inurrieta pays tribute to the family name Antoñana and refers to the land where their family grew vines almost sixty years ago. This is a recent endeavor, with the first vines planted in 1999. This Crianza wine is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 6% Syrah, and 5% Graciano. After fermentation, the blended wine was aged 14 months in French Allier and American oak barrels. The result is a structured wine, medium to full-bodied with noticeable but approachable tannins.

Kin & Cascadia Showcase the Columbia and Willamette Valleys

Winesellers Ltd., the family-owned global importer, recently expanded their portfolio into the Pacific Northwest by creating the Kin & Cascadia brand. The initial two offerings are a Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington's Columbia Valley and a Pinot Noir from Oregon's Willamette Valley -- both arguably the premier wine regions in their respective states. Each is priced close to $15 providing excellent value.  Finally, don't you love the contrasting bottle styles reflecting Bordeaux and Burgundy? Cheers.







2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, Washington State ($15)
The grapes are sourced from vineyard sites in the Wahluke Slope AVA located near the edge of Red Mountain. The region is one of the driest, warmest climates in the state, perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyards are composed of sandy and alluvial soils with vine shoots on original roots as phylloxera has never been in Washington State.  For the price, this is a very complex effort, depth, spices, and chewy tannins.

2017 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, Oregon ($15)
The Willamette Valley runs approximately from Portland in the north to Eugene in the South and these grapes were sourced from different locations along the valley. Some were grown on the rich alluvial soils on the valley floor whereas others on the volcanic-sedimentary soils of the hillsides.  The result is a smooth and friendly wine with candied cherries transitioning to an approachable finish with easy tannins.

#DrinkLocal at Whole Foods Market -- Well sort of

This weekend we visited our local Whole Foods Market Brew & Brau Pub intending to try the Big Poppa Biggie S'mores Imperial Stout produced by Charlottesville's Three Notch'd Brewing Company. Unfortunately, their tap system had failed, so it was time for wine. Examining the wine list, I noticed several possible local wines from New York, Oregon, and Mendocino in California. After returning home and further research yes, the grapes were indeed, mostly sourced from within local wine regions, but not necessarily estate driven.

Madame Liberté Brut ($16.99)
There isn't much information about the wine except that it is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir using American grapes. Thus not a local wine except it is apparently made by Gruet Winery even though the winery doesn't list it on their website. In any case, it is a delicious sparkling wine: creamy apples and depth.

Empire Estate 2017 Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes  ($19)
Empire Estate sources fruit from across the Finger Lakes - a cool climate region well known for their Riesling production as it is very similar to Alsace and Western Germany. (See Viticulture in the Cold Climate Finger Lakes) This wine is excellent, dry with racy minerals, some petrol. and uplifting acids.

Elouan 2017 Pinot Noir ($24)
Elouan is a brand that sources their grapes from three terrains in Oregon’s Western vineyards that are well suited for growing cool climate varietals. The first is the NW region - most likely including the Willamette Valley AVA -- with a temperate climate and cooling marine influences. The second is the West-Central Hills consisting of diverse microclimates through the many mountains and valleys. And finally, SW Oregon, where the elevated landscape and volcanic soils are derived from the convergence of three mountain ranges. The grapes were fermented separately, blended, then aged ten months in a mix of new and seasoned French oak. The result is fantastic: the cherry fruit turns to chalky dirt with a long lingering tail.

The Federalist Bourbon Barrel-Aged Zinfandel ($21.99)
Part of the Terlato Wines family, Federalist Vineyards produces several wines from throughout The Golden State. This Alexander Hamilton labeled wine is a blend of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Merlot sourced from Mendocino County and aged six months in American oak and finished six months in bourbon barrels. The later barrels impart noticeable vanilla, baking spices, and caramel with the dark black fruit rounded out by approachable tannins.

Q&A with Brut Force Author Peter Stafford-Bow

Peter Stafford-Bow knows satire. And he knows the machinations of most facets in the wine trade. These truths are self evident in the author's initial release Corkscrew: The highly improbable, but occasionally true, tale of a professional wine buyer and its sequel Brut Force. This release once again follows wine buyer Felix Hart as blackmailers put him in precarious situations involving a corrupt wine tasting between old and new world Pinot Noir. Like its predecessor, Brut Force is a compelling read; I found myself leaping into the next chapter -- even as late night drowsiness set in. It is also entertaining, at times silly (don't be surprised if you laugh out loud), but Stafford-Bow keeps the focus on the wine industry throughout the various plot twists. This focus and the author's inherent knowledge of the wine trade led me to submit several questions regarding his background and his highly recommended current release.


1) When did you develop an interest with wine?
I started working in a liquor store while studying at university. At the time, my experience of wine was limited to hosting house parties where we’d buy bag-in-box Don Darius (a cheap, La Mancha red), blend it with brandy and orange juice in a trash can, and tie a ladle to the side of the bin. Not exactly the fine wine end of the spectrum. But the liquor store management were big on training, even for part-time staff, and they persuaded me to study for a basic wine exam. After that, I was bitten. I gave up my ‘proper’ university studies (and the trash cans full of gut-rot) and dedicated myself to wine full time.

2) In Corkscrew, the main character, Felix Hart, becomes a supermarket buyer and retains that occupation in Brut Force. Are his experiences anecdotal to any events you experienced as a supermarket buyer?
Yes, I’ve based both books on my experience of buying wine for supermarkets in the 1990s and 2000s. The main plotline in Corkscrew is based on real experience. We used to find stowaways in containers of Italian wine quite frequently – you’d receive a call from the depot saying a bunch of Afghans wearing bobble hats had just leapt out of a shipping container full of Pinot Grigio and legged it out of the warehouse. I lived in Cape Town for a while and the South African adventures in Corkscrew are based on my time there.

3) The plot lines in both books are very complex with multiple twists that require extensive resourcefulness and imagination. Do these attributes come naturally to you?
That’s very complimentary of you, thank you. I hope the plots aren’t TOO complex! I love spy thrillers, especially John le Carré, so maybe I’ve brought a little of that to my novels.

4) In Brut Force! the plot begins with Hart's Pinot Noir vine that he planted in his backyard. How prevalent is Pinot Noir in actual English vineyards?
Pinot Noir is quite widely planted now, thanks to the focus on sparkling wine made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. South-East England is less than 200 miles from the Champagne region and the soil is the same geological formation as that in Champagne – i.e. chalk – so that’s what English vignerons are concentrating on. The total area under vine in England is only 5,000 acres, so still tiny compared to the US or European countries, of course. Around one quarter of that is Pinot Noir.

5) People may be surprised that there is a vibrant English sparkling wine industry. Are there any estates you recommend?
Yes, most English sparkling wine is excellent quality – it’s all Traditional Method (i.e. Méthode Champenoise). Good estates include Hambledon (their rosé is superb), Camel Valley, Hush Heath (who make the Balfour brand) and Hoffman & Rathbone – though that last one is very boutique.

6) Moving along with the plot in Brut Force!, there's a blind tasting between new and old world Pinot Noirs. Did you conduct a similar tasting to get a sense in your mind what Hart would experience?
I didn’t set up my own tasting, but there are lots of people doing similar ‘face-offs’ these days. Just last month, at a posh London hotel, there was a Champagne versus English Sparkling blind tasting, with several eminent Masters of Wine in attendance. The French won, I believe, but it was pretty close. Perhaps the English will triumph next year…

7) In both books, you discuss wine regions such as South Africa or in Brut Force!, Pinots across the globe. Did you travel to these locations in order to research - obviously Burgundy but also New Zealand, Germany, California, or Oregon?
I’ve been lucky enough to travel very widely during my career. I’ve been to every major wine producing region, and plenty of minor ones too! So yes, with hindsight I consider my whole drinking career to have been literary research…

8) Staying with wine regions, do you have a personal favorite(s)?
That’s a tricky one. I love the rolling hills of Beaujolais, while the picturesque villages and vineyards of Tuscany are wonderful too. Central Otago in New Zealand is gorgeous, but the breath-taking scenery of South Africa’s Cape probably takes the top slot for sheer beauty.

9) Brut Force introduces organic wine fanatics. Do you have an opinion on organic, biodynamic, or natural wines?
Yes – Organic is good, Biodynamic is better, and non-intervention, Natural wines are best! Of course, you have to know what you’re doing in the vineyard and winery. But any movement that respects the environment, minimizes additives, and allows the true nature of the wine to shine is on the side of the angels in my opinion.

10) The characters in both books are quite distinctive, from Hart to his companions to his adversaries. Do you follow a process when creating each character or are they based on actual acquaintances?
I wouldn’t say there’s a process, as such. All the main characters are based on a real person or, more commonly, a combination of people – usually work colleagues or wine trade folk. Many of the characters in the novels are thoroughly despicable, of course, whereas in real life most people are reasonably pleasant, so that’s where I have to make a few dark tweaks – for legal as well as artistic reasons!

Lucas & Lewellen Brut Sparkling Wine 2016 Santa Barbara County

Lucas & Lewellen is one of the more prolific wineries in Santa Barbara County as evident by their large wine portfolio and popular Solvang tasting room. Most of the winery's 40+ wines wear the Lucas & Lewellen label signifying that they are produced from estate grapes from either Goodchild Vineyard, Los Alamos Vineyard, or Valley View Vineyard. I recently received a sample from their Los Alamos Vineyard -- the Lucas & Lewellen Brut Sparkling Wine 2016 Santa Barbara County ($36).

This sparkling wine is composed of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay that according to the winery, "is a clear expression of the estate Los Alamos Vineyard terroir". These 278 acres stretching for over a mile of Highway 101 just south of Los Alamos in the Santa Ynez AVA. Over 20 varieties of grapes are planted - with the Rhône, Burgundy and Bordeaux regions well represented - and with some of the vines planted from cuttings brought over from Europe over 25 years ago. This Burgundian styled sparkler is delicious as creamy apples vibrate against a slightly bready interior and then lifted by the refreshing effervescence. Very nicely done.

Right Bank and Truffle Hill from Left Coast Estate

"Each vineyard at Left Coast contains a wide variety of clonal and rootstock combinations, elevations, row orientations and soil compositions. A microcosm of flavors, sugars, and acidity can be found in each block of vines.",

This Oregon winery is very proud of their estate which explains Left Coast Estate's recent rebranding from Left Coast Cellars. This estate is sub-divided into nine blocks each differentiated by natural characteristics such as elevation and soil composition but also vineyard management such as clonal and rootstock combinations. I recently received samples of four Left Coast wines introducing me to the Right Bank and Truffle Hill vineyards.

Left Coast Estate Cali's Cuvee Pinot Noir 2016 ($24)
This is the winery's flagship Pinot Noir that is composed of grapes from all the blocks and different clonal selections from their vineyard. This is a delicious wine with earthy dirt aroma, dark cherries and bitter dark chocolate flavors, approachable tannins.

Left Coast Estate Right Bank Pinot Noir 2015 ($42)
The Right Bank is a 12 acre hilltop vineyard that consists entirely of Pommard clone Pinot Noir. This clone was originally sourced from the Château de Pommard in Burgundy by Dr. Harold Olmo at University of California at Davis’ Department of Viticulture and Enology -- reference to Prince of Pinot. This excellent wine starts with a minty aroma, then dark dark fruit, some chocolate, plenty of texture, and finishing with smooth tannins.

Left Coast Estate Truffle Hill Pinot Noir 2015 ($42)
Truffle Hill is home to four acres of European Black Truffle-inoculated hazelnut trees, shrub roses and holly oaks but is also planted with five acres of the Swiss clone Wädenswil Pinot Noir. According to the Prince of Pinot, "the Wädenswil clone was a selection done by the Swiss Federal Research Station in Wädenswil, Switzerland in the 1950s from ancient clones brought to the Zurich area by Swiss mercenaries who fought for the King of France in the Burgundian Wars of the 1470s. The Wädenswil clone was selected for its excellent ripening in a cool climate and natural disease resistance, qualities that contributed to its success in Oregon." This is another fantastic wine, earthy and tobacco aroma with dark fruit and more earth through the palate.

Left Coast Estate Truffle Hill Chardonnay 2017 ($24)
Since the Truffle Hill Vineyard is directly east of the "Van Duzer Corridor" it receives major marine influences that benefit these Chardonnay grapes. As does the marine sedimentary and Chehulpum silt loam soils. This 100% Chardonnay is a fresh wine, pears and figs, creamy texture, and lighter acids. My style of Chardonnay.

New Zealand's Wairau Valley and the Wairau River 2015 Marlborough Pinot Noir

New Zealand's modern wine industry began in Marlborough in the 1970s with growers planting Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir vines in the southern Wairau Valley. Nowadays, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are world famous and the Wairau Valley is home to some of New Zealand's most famous producers. One of these early growers was the Rose family who planted their estate vineyards on the banks of the Wairau River.

"The Wairau Valley is one of three zones – along with the Southern Valleys and the Awatere Valley – which make up the heartland of New Zealand's Marlborough wine region. It accounts for approximately 45 percent of plantings within the wider region. It is a wide river valley that follows the Wairau River from the Spenser Mountains in the west to the Pacific at Cloudy Bay. The Richmond Mountains in the north separate it from the sunny region of Nelson, and the Wither Hills in the south protect the valley from harsh weather systems from the south-east. The Wairau Valley has a warm, dry climate that is moderated during the growing season by sea breezes from Cloudy Bay. Hot sunshine during the day and cold ocean winds at night extend the ripening period in the grapes, leading to a balance of fruit complexity and acidity. This diurnal temperature variation is essential to the terroir in the Wairau Valley – without it, much of the classic punchiness of the wines made here would be lost." -- via Wine-Searcher.

After supplying popular producers with grapes for most of the 1980s, Phil and Chris Rose established Wairau River Winery in 1991 taking its name from the river on whose banks Phil and Chris Rose hand planted their first vines in 1978. In total they maintain ten estate vineyards all benefiting from different numerous meso-climates within the Wairau Valley sub-region. The winery is a complete family operation with siblings winemaker Sam Rose handling the cellar and Caroline Rose responsible for the Wairau River restaurant. I recently received a sample of their Wairau River 2015 Marlborough Pinot Noir ($24.99).

This wine is 100% Pinot Noir sourced from three estate vineyards located along the Wairau River: Home Block, Spring Creek, and Winery Block. The vines are cropped to enhance the intensity and color and after fermentation the wine was aged 10 months in large French barriques. The result is a generous velvety cherry fruit profile which transitions to soft spices and then very approachable tannins. Nicely done.

Discovering #BourgogneUnknown with Bourgogne Wines

"I normally shy away from white wines, but that one (Jean Chartron Rully Montmorin 2015) was delicious", Anonymous Neighbor 1

"This wine (Domaine Dominique Gruhier Bourgogne Epineuil 2015) is so good....we loved it", text from Anonymous Neighbor 2

I generally disperse wines I receive as samples amongst my neighbors once the official tasting session has concluded and a recent #BourgogneUnknown registered immediate and overwhelmingly positive feedback from the beneficiaries. That is Bourgogne and not Burgundy as Bourgogne Wines seeks to "re-affirm its identity as one of the most iconic ‘brands’ of France, the region and its producers are reverting back to the original French iteration of its name – Bourgogne".

This iconic region spans 230 km of territory from North to South and encompasses 84 distinct appellations. Of these, there are seven regional appellations, 44 village appellations, and 33 Grand Cru Climats. Some of these appellations, such as Chablis and Côte de Nuits are well-known so this tasting targeted smaller village regions such as Marsannay, Bourgogne Epineuil, Chorey-les-Beaune, Pouilly-Vinzelles, and Rully. And as all of Bourgogne, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the main players, yet variations in character occur across the different appellations. The wines discussed below were not only delicious but affordable ranging in price from $25-$30.

Around 250 million years ago, an emerald lagoon covered what is now the Bourgogne winegrowing region. As a result, the subsoil contains marine marl and limestone deposits. The roots of the vines go deep into this unique geological legacy, drawing from it the finesse, depth and minerality that are so characteristic of Bourgogne appellations.

 • Pinot Noir flourishes on marl soils that are more yielding and porous, that tend towards limestone and which offer good drainage. It will produce light and sophisticated or powerful and full-bodied wines, depending on the proportion of limestone, stone content and clay on the plot where it grows.

 • Chardonnay prefers more clayey marly limestone soils from which it can develop sophisticated, elegant aromas in the future wine. The clay helps produce breadth in the mouth, characteristic of the Bourgogne region’s great white wines.

Source:  Bourgogne Wines

Domaine Dominique Gruhier Bourgogne Epineuil 2015
The village of Epineuil is located in the larger Auxerrois regions, northeast of Chablis and sharing the same Kimmeridgian soils. Bourgogne Epineuil is a regional AOC that was created in 1993 and only recognizes 100% Pinot Noir. On the other hand, its neighbor Bourgogne Tonnerre features only 100% Chardonnay. This wine is very pleasant 100% organic Pinot Noir wine with juicy and chewy fruit, dusty and mild middle, and finishing with fresh acids.

Catherine et Claude Maréchal Chorey-les-Beaune 2014
The village of Chorey-les-Beaune is located just to the north of the town of Beaune and produces both red and white wines. This red wine is 100% Pinot Noir - not flashy - but steady integrated fruit and soft lingering tannins.

Maison Louis Latour Pouilly-Vinzelles "En Paradis" 2015
Pouilly-Vinzelles is a small appellation in the Mâconnais region where their white wines are full expressions of Chardonnay. Its famous neighbor, Pouilly-Fuissé, is actially around 20 times smaller in acreage! The name Vinzelles takes its name from the latin vincella which means small vine and these vines are planted in predominantly limestone soils. This wine is fantastic; completely integrated with creamy white stone fruit and citrus, minerals, and refreshing acidity.

Jean Chartron Rully Montmorin 2015
The Rully appellation is optimally situated in the northern part of the Côte Chalonnaise where light and sandy soils create fresh Chardonnay. this wine is 100% barrel fermented and maturing on its lees for 8 months in barrel and 4 months in tank. This helps produce a fuller slightly buttery body but with juicy white fruit and finishing with plenty of lift. Easy to see why my neighbor enjoyed the switch from red wines.

Domaine Bart Marsannay Chardonnay Musque Les Favieres 2015
Domaine Bart is run by Martin Bart, who has prime land in Marsannay, the northern most wine village in the Côte de Nuits in Bourgogne. This AOC was created in 1987 and is the most recent addition to the Côte de Nuits. This is a beautiful wine, my favorite of the group as it possesses more creamy stone fruit, a full mouthfeel, a touch of saline, and a long acid boost.

Hess Select Central Coast Pinot & North Coast Cabernet

Looking for wine to bring to a party? Then think of Hess Select wines; they are suitable because they are generally very approachable and boast an agreeable $20 SRP.  Whereas the Hess Collection wines are produced from the winery's Mount Veeder Napa estate, the Hess Select wines are produced from grapes sourced from other California appellations. Many of these are small family growers whom Hess Family Wine Estates has established long term relationships. Here are two such wines we received this month.

Hess Select Central Coast Pinot Noir ($20) - The grapes are sourced primarily from the Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey. Director of Winemaking Dave Guffy says these grapes are grown in the Sarmento Vineyard, "located on the benchlands of the Gabilan Mountains in Monterey, where the Pacific breezes boldly cross the range each afternoon to cool the vineyards". This results in an extended and moderate growing season. The wine is loaded with sour cherries, deep chewy fruit, slight pepper, and medium tannins. A fan favorite.

Hess Select North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon ($20) - The North Coast AVA encompasses several sub-AVAs and grape-growing regions in six counties located north of San Francisco: Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano. The region boasts a mild Mediterranean climate with regular diurnal swings providing flavorful fruit finishing with refreshing acids and balanced tannins.  Lake and Mendocino counties were the sources for this wine and Duffy says the later provides the plummy spice characters and the inland Lake county the fruit forward dark berry flavors. And there is deep fruit in this wine, approachable, with spices and vanilla, and ending with smooth tannins.

#FirstSipNZ with Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Villa Maria Estate Winery

"Taylors Pass Single Vineyard wines are pure expressions of soil and climate and varietal interactions",  Kathrin Jankowiec Marlborough Winemaker at Villa Maria Estate Winery

The Villa Maria Estate Winery's Taylor Pass vineyard is located in Marlborough's Awatare Valley along the northern bank of the Awatere River. In the larger picture Marlborough is in the northeast of the South Island with the Awatare Valley in the southernmost section of this famous wine region. The river not only helped carve the vineyard plots but also gives the region its name as awatere means "fast-flowing river" in the local Maori dialect. The vines are planted on rugged terraces and with each terrace the soil type changes: stony gravels are nearest the river, whereas the mid terrace has silt over gravels, and the highest terrace is deeper silt over clay-papa base. The grapes benefit from a large diurnal temperature swing as cool ocean breezes roll in at night to cool the heated day time grapes - aka enhanced acids. The winds also help dry the grapes reducing the risk of rot and encourage low yields and thick skins. However the strong wind creates its own challenges as the vines need to be securely stabilized.

Villa Maria's Taylors Pass vineyard contains 14 acres of Pinot Noir, 14 acres of Chardonnay, and 120 acres of Sauvignon Blanc; however only a very small portion of the highest quality of grapes from these acres are made into their Single Vineyard wines. Here are three we received as samples for the Summer 2018 #FirstSipNZ"

2017 Taylors Pass Sauvignon Blanc ($26) - 2017 was a cooler vintage with the wine fermented in 100% stainless steel that produces a clean and crisp wine with a tropical nose, soft velvety and lemon characters, and finishing with balanced acids.

2016 Taylors Pass Chardonnay ($42) - the wine spends nine months on its lees with 28% in new French oak 78% seasoned oak which helps develop not only creamy characters but also enhances fruit and minerality. As the wine warms the oak character dissipates to reveal the enhanced grapefruit and peach flavors. The wine finishes with a creamy and nutty character elevated by tasty acids.

2015 Taylors Pass Pinot Noir ($42) - the plots reside on stony sections of the vineyard providing floral aromas with silt loam providing not only drainage but also structure, dark berry notes and earthiness in the wine. The is a solid light-medium wine with juicy cherry flavors, a pleasant lack of cola, mellow spicy tannins, and a lively acid boost at the tail.

Left Coast Estate Cools the Pinot

June 5th was the last day for comments regarding the proposed Van Duzer Corridor AVA, a viticultural area that would be carved out of the existing Willamette Valley AVA from portions of Polk and Yamhill Counties, Oregon. About the same time I opened a trio of wines from Left Coast Estate whose 350 acre contiguous estate lies entirely within this pending AVA. The grapes for these wines benefit from the Willamette Valley's three major soil types (marine sediment, volcanic sediment at higher altitudes, and loess from the Missoula Floods) as well as from the cooling breezes from the Van Duzer Corridor. This cooling allows the grapes to retain acidity which is reflected in these samples.


2017 The Orchard Pinot Gris ($18) is a blend of 91% Pinot Gris and 9% Pinot Blanc. The Orchards is the winery's prime estate for Pinot Gris and once hosted apple, pear, and cherry orchards. This is a fresh wine, great acids with plenty of citrus and green apples. Besides the refreshing acids the wine finishes with a steely minerality and tea.

2017 Rosé ($25) consists of 54% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier, and 6% Pinot Blanc sharing more traits with Burgundy other than residing along the 45th parallel. The wine was fermented in oak which provides a fair amount of texture to augment the light cherry - strawberry flavors. Finishes dry and savory.

2017 White Pinot Noir ($24) contains 91% Pinot Noir and 9% Pinot Blanc. The grapes are crushed at cold temperatures to ensure minimal coloration from the skins and then fermented and aged on lees in stainless steel. This process provides plenty of body - a creamy texture - that envelopes the citrus and stone fruit flavors.

The 2018 SAVOR Collaboration Beer: Brett de Vinum

One of the highlights to the annual SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience is that every guest leaves with a parting gift — a collaboration beer brewed specifically for the event. The 2018 collaboration beer Brett de Vinum is a partnership between Virginia's Port City Brewing Company and Oregon's Crux Fermentation Project.  Port City's Founder Bill Butcher explained how two breweries from opposite ends of the country partnered in creating this Barrel Aged Imperial Wit (8.0% ABV).

The two breweries have admired each other's beers over the years and over multiple calls and meetings discussed recipes, styles, and each of their strengths. One of Port City's strengths is brewing with raw wheat (Optimal Wit) and one of Crux Fermentation's strengths is barrel aging and mixed fermentation. According to Bill, "They wanted to learn more about brewing with wheat, which is not such a common style in the Pacific Northwest, and we wanted to learn more about mixed fermentation and barrel aging. As discussions progressed, we settled on a Barrel Aged Imperial Sour Wit".

As they refined the recipe they thought it would be interesting to utilize wine grapes in order to boost the sugar content and achieve a stronger Imperial alcohol level.  Again from Bill, "The National Sales Manager for Crux is a colleague of mine from Robert Mondavi, so we thought it appropriate to use wine grapes. Viognier is a grape that grows well in Virginia and in Oregon, so it naturally made sense to use Viognier".  Since Pinot Noir is Oregon's signature grape "healthy" doses of that grape were also used.  And since production occurred at Crux's facility in Bend, they sourced Oregon grapes. After fermentation, the beer was “banished” into red wine barrels with Crux’s house strains of Brettanomyces.

The result is a delicious beer combining the freshness and citrus yeastiness of the Optimal Wit with an enhanced creamy texture with just hints of sourness. Fortunately, the breweries closed the bottles with a cork so that it can be enjoyed over multiple evenings. Cheers to collaborations and SAVOR.

Angel Funding Wine Makers Through NakedWines.com

Crowd Sourcing has been a capital raising phenomenon for a number of years and NakedWines.com has leveraged that idea to fund dozens of winemakers across the globe. This capital is available to the winemakers up-front to use how they deem appropriate whether in acquiring grapes, vineyard support, or the physical production of the wine. The source for the funds are over 100,000 Angels or subscribers to NakedWines.com. These customers deposit $40 a month into their account and have access to the funded wines at 40-60% off the retail price. And Angels can always withdraw their funds at any time. That's a nice deal, specifically for these value wines produced throughout the world. Recently NakedWines.com sent me a sampler pack of mostly German inspired wines to verify the quality and value of their service. Impressive.

Bruno Santa Lucia Highlands Riesling 2016 ($18.99, Angels $10.99). Made by Richard Bruno, a 20 year veteran with stints at Francis Ford Coppola and Don Sebastiani, this wine is sourced from a cool climate vineyard near Big Sur. It is a quite unique Riesling - crisp tropical fruit, but a creamy honey middle, then finishing with long with light acids.

Petit Villebois Sauvignon Blanc 2016 ($19.99, Angels $11.99) by Joost de Villebois is a contrast to New Zealand. This Loire Valley wine is bright with citrus (but no lemongrass) and minerals on the palate and finishing with fresh acids. Villebois mentions that they Green Harvest - a thinning method used to decrease the crop yields and improve the flavor concentration of the remaining grape bunches - and utilize a technique called 'effeuillage' - the reduction of leaves to increase the sun and light exposure of the grapes.

The next four wines were made by Gerd Stepp, a 25 year veteran who; after working in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Tuscany Italy, Stellenbosch South Africa, and the UK; eventually returned home to Germany's Pfalz wine region. This region contains over 56,000 acres of vineyards and is noted for its fruit-driven wines with a distinctive stony character.

Stepp Pinot Blanc 2016 ($21.99, Angels $12.99). This is a fantastic wine, crisp and floral with a wet rock mineral character. Plenty of acids too.

Stepp Pfalz Riesling 2016 ($24.99, Angels $13.99) A German driven Riesling with petrol, floral, and mineral characters; plus racy acids.

Stepp Pinot Gris 2016 ($24.99, Angels $13.99) Powerful aromas, fleshy citrus, and bright acids. Another Pinot Gris that is enticing back to this grape variety.

Stepp Pinot Noir *8* Pfalz 2016 ($29.99, Angels $17.99) Chalky, dusty, and spices. Balances with red fruit and appropriate tannins. Nicely done.

#FirstSipNZ with a Trio from Villa Maria Estate Winery

We have found over the years that Villa Maria Estate Winery is a reliable option for affordable New Zealand wine and a recent #FirstSipNZ tasting showcased three of these popular wines. The Villa Maria 2017 Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough ($14) is made from grapes sourced from the Awatere Valley and Wairau Valley. The former provides the powerful lemongrass aroma whereas the later citrus and tropical notes. Combine these with a creamy smooth body and fresh acids and this wine doesn't last long. The Villa Maria 2016 Private Bin Chardonnay, East Coast ($15) derives from the east coast of the north island such as Hawkes Bay and Gisborne. Although the grapes were fermented in stainless steel there is considerable depth and creaminess (not butter) due to partial malolactic and maturation with regular yeast stirring. The result is a pleasant lemon aroma, creamy citrus palate, and refreshing tail. Like the Sauvignon Blanc, the Villa Maria 2016 Private Bin Pinot Noir, Marlborough ($18) is also sourced from the Awatere and Wairau Valleys. This is a very interesting Pinot, the aroma includes a slightly spicy vege mushroom sensation, whereas the light body contains smoked cherries, and the finish a smooth juicy dried cherry flavor. A house favorite. Cheers.