Off to #WBC14 and @SBCWines & @PasoRobles #Wine

I'm off to attend the 2014 Wine Bloggers Conference, held in Buellton, Santa Barbara County, California and sponsored by the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Association. Santa Barbara County consists of five AVAs (Happy Canyon, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, Ballard Canyon and Sta. Rita Hill); has more than 200 wineries and 20,000 acres of vineyards; and grow over 60 grape varieties. I tasted a few of these wines a couple weeks back in the Santa Barbara #WBC14 Preview on #Winechat. A ton still to learn. In addition, I will be participating in the Paso Robles pre-excursion - sample 100 wines 24 hours. Thanks to the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance for sponsoring that whirlwind tasting. And that's not all. There will be dozens of wineries from around the world (I'm particularly interested in Wines of Georgia,  New Wines Of Greece and Wines of Portugal) and I'll catch up with favorites such as Cornerstone Cellars, Jordan Winery, Westerly Wines, Gypsy Canyon Winery, and many more.  Then there are the after-parties. I'm bringing some Virginia Wine to share (Horton Vineyards, Hiddencroft Vineyards, & CrossKeys Vineyards & Estates), but I'm also looking forward to all the other local wines other participants are bringing. Then there's the more formal gatherings like Austrian Wine USA and Blue Danube Wine Company pouring Blaufrankisch and Gruner Veltliner at Cold Heaven Cellars. Jordan Winery and J Vineyards are sponsoring a reception as well and I hope they have Jordan's hilarious videos streaming. And our friends at Nomacorc are in the house. Follow the action on twitter @WineCompass, #WBC14, @SBCWines, & @PasoRobles. And below are maps of the area cities as found on theCompass Winery, Brewery, & Distillery Locator. Cheers.

Ballparks & Brews: Wrigley Field Chicago

When talking about Chicago's Wrigley Field and craft beer, it's all about the Goose Island. Starting outside the stadium, all the surrounding bars carry some type of Goose Island product, usually the 312 Urban Pale Ale or Wheat and the Green Line Pale Ale. All three are drinkable, but at times you might be able to find their IPA or Honkers Ale - both more pleasurable. To ensure a better Goose Island selection, head to Goose Island Wrigley, their brewbpub located near the main gate. During our visits there were usually 6-7 beers on tap, plus an assortment of specialty brews. I became quite fond of the Pepe Nero, Pere Jacques, and Class of '88 Belgium Style Ale - the later a collaboration with Deschutes Brewery where the ale is aged in used muscat wine barrels. Love the Belgium and love the sour.

Outside the stadium - for us at Murphy's Bleachers and then the CubbyBear -  we discovered Old Style beer - the beer of choice for most locals. Originally brewed in Wisconsin by the G. Heileman Brewing Company, production shifted to Chicago in 1935 and in 1950, Old Style began a Cubs sponsor. This is a very drinkable Pilsner - more of a light lager actually - but pleasant - particularly when consuming frequently.

Inside the stadium, InBev seems to hold a monopoly which helps the Goose Island presence. the 312 Urban series and Green Line are served immediately in the bleachers entrance and throughout most Wrigleyville Brew House stands.

Between games, if you find yourself in the Courthouse district, check out Bub City and their Whiskey Bar. Quite the selection and great staff. Too bad the ran out of Black Maple Hill but plenty of High West and much, much more.

There are also several breweries within an easy cab ride from Wrigley.  Revolution Brewing, Piece Brewery, the new Lagunitas Brewing Company Chicago, Ale Syndicate Brewers, and Atlas Brewing Company are just a few samples. Check outh theCompass Winery, Brewery, & Distillery Locator for the complete list. Cheers to Chicago and Wrigley Field.

Santa Barbara #WBC14 Preview on #Winechat

In less than a week over a hundred wine bloggers will descend on Santa Barbara County for the annual Wine Bloggers Conference. For a preview, the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Association, assisted by @awanderingwino, sent several wines to bloggers for a weekly #winechat and briefed us on the region. Or regions since the county encompasses five AVAs:  Happy Canyon, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, Ballard Canyon and Sta. Rita Hill. Within these AVAs there are more than 200 wineries and 20,000 acres of vineyards. Plus there are over 60 grape varieties grown and as someone tweeted: "Santa Barbara County is like a journey through Europe: Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, w/ a sprinkling of Italy. But w/ a CA coolness".

And the wines sampled during our #winechat reflected this diversity: Brewer-Clifton Winery 2012 Hapgood Chardonnay ($60); Grassini Family Vineyards - 2013 Estate Happy Canyon Sauvignon Blanc ($28); Palmina 2012 Santa Barbara County Malvasia Bianca ($20); Lafond Winery 2011 SRH Pinot Noir ($27); and Westerly Vineyards 2010 Fletcher's Red ($75).

Brewer-Clifton Winery is a partnership between Steve Clifton and Greg Brewer and is located in the Sta. Rita Hills. This  AVA (is located at the western end of the Santa Ynez Valley) is known for its foggy evenings and mornings which assist in the production of chardonnay and pinot noir. Their 2012 Hapgood Chardonnay is all honeysuckle slowly fading to pineapple and a long acidic finish. Beyond my budget, but great to savor for this evening.

Wine from Grassini Family Vineyards are produced from only estate grown fruit from their Happy Canyon vineyards. This is a small winery, particularly in California terms, producing only 2,500 cases a year. Apparently Bordeaux grapes are popular in Happy Valley because of the warm sunny days. Grassini's 2013 Estate Happy Canyon Sauvignon Blanc weighs in at 13% alcohol with a
soft grapefruit aroma, a lemon creamsicle texture, finishing long and soft. Quite nice.

When I said Santa Barbara is diverse, I meant it particularly when sampling the Palmina 2012 Santa Barbara County Malvasia Bianca. Not too many wineries produce wine from this Italian grape - neither in Santa Barbara or the U.S.  A popular descriptor was night jasmine and one I concurred with was star fruit, plus some citrus and salty minerality. On top of it's excellent flavor and acidity, I'm drawn to its low alcohol (12.5%) and price ($20). Cheers to that.

Returning to the cooler Sta. Rita Hills, we sample the Lafond Winery 2011 SRH Pinot Noir which is made from the Martin Ray clone (need to look that one up).  This winery is part of the Santa Barbara Winery family, which was the first post-prohibition winery in Santa Barbara - opening in 1961. Lafond opened eighteen years ago in 1996.  Their 2011 SRH Pinot Noir is delicious, what I referred to as a cherry cayenne chocolate bar with silky texture. A tiny bit of heat is present at 14.7% abv but balanced and priced nicely at $27.

We finished with  the big red, precisely the Westerly Vineyards 2010 Fletcher's Red ($75). This is a Bordeaux blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 23% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc from Happy Valley. Even with the hefty price tag, this wine is worth every penny. Dark berries - blackberries; chocolate; spices - cinnamon; silky texture, smooth tannins. Drink now or cellar. I hope to drink now, soon.

Cheers to the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Association, Shawn, #WBC14, and #winechat.

Ballparks & Brews: Potomac Nationals

Minor League baseball is always a fun environment to take the family and the Potomac Nationals don't disappoint with moon bounces, contests, fireworks and Virginia craft beer. The main food stand does have on tap, but for local beer head to the first base line to the Virginia Craft Beer House which pours Starr Hill Brewing, Devils Backbone Brewing Company, and Port City Brewing Company. In fact, Port City Brewing Company is the Official Hometown Beer of the Potomac Nationals. Plus there's baseball - good baseball - and with all the National's injuries there's a chance someone is down on reassignment. Cheers.

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Villa Maria Estate Winery

I don't consume enough Sauvignon Blanc and in particular those produced in New Zealand. At least that's the conclusion after drinking two more fine examples from Villa Maria Estate: the 2014 Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc ($14.99) & 2013 Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc ($19.99).  I received the wines for a #NZSAVVY twitter tasting, but unfortunately my son's baseball schedule interfered with my participating. From I previous tasting I was reminded that founder, George Fistonich, is Eastern European as he says, "Being Croatian, wine is part of my blood. It’s always been a part of life and I’m pleased to have spent my career pursuing this life-long passion." Plus consider some of the accolades the winery has received such as Wine Spectator's World’s 50 Great Wine Producers Wine Enthusiast Magazine's New World Winery of the Year.

First off was the 2014 Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc and how cool to start drinking 2014 vintages. This wine weighs in at 12.5% alcohol and knocks you done with a powerfully strong lemon grass aroma. This could be the biggest nose I've had from new Zealand. The mid-palette cascades into a creamy, herbal blend then finishes with nice effervescent acids. A fabulous wine.

2013 Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc is more subdued and refined with a softer  profile and finish but a creamier mid. The wine has slightly more alcohol (13%) and a little more herbal essences and is another stellar wine.

I also hear that the wine is imported by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates so supplies should be plentiful. Cheers.

Ballparks & Brews: Nationals Park

Regardless if you are a Washington Nationals regular or visiting from out of town, there are plenty of craft beer options inside and surrounding Nationals Park in Southeast Washington.  Outside the stadium, check out Bluejacket Brewery or Gordon Biersch Brewery for your pre or post game celebrations. Bluejacket has a rotating tab of at least twenty home grown beers - checkout the sour Sideshow or Pyro; chocolate-spicy Mexican Radio; or the super strong Belgian Quad Cashmere. At Gordon Biersch, I usually stick to the Hefeweizen or Czech Pilsner.

Inside the stadium. the big boys have monopolized the roving beer-men (and women) and food stands (although you can find  New Belgium Brewing Company and Boston Beer Company at a few stands), but there are a few District Draft carts serving local breweries.You can be assured that Port City Brewing Company and DC Brau Brewing LLC are available with possible beers from 3 Stars Brewing Company, Atlas Brew Works, or Mad Fox Brewing Company. The Port City Wit is my choice on a hot summer day and you can find the District Draft carts at section 119, 138, 225 & 309.

For an expanded national craft beer selection, hit the Red Porch at the main entrance in the outfield. This restaurant has taps from Flying Dog Brewery, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Allagash Brewing Company, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Brewery Ommegang, Starr Hill Brewing, and many more. Diners get a nice view of the stadium. #GoNats.

Tasting Hungarian & Slovenian Wines with #WineStudio & Old World Vines -> Part II

Last week we continued our tasting of Hungarian & Slovenian Wines with #WineStudio & Old World Wines by transitioning to Slovenia wine. The two wines on the agenda were the Erzetič Winery 2011 Rebula Visnjevik ($22.95) and the Vino Kupljen 2011 Muškat Rumen ($22.95).  Slovenia has a long historical of grape growing based on its proximity to Italy and Austria as well as being the meeting point of the Alps, the Mediterranean and the Pannonian Plain (hat tip to @toledowav). Despite the country's small size, there are over 28,000 individual grape growers in Slovenia, yet they only produce 1/10 the volume of Germany. And of that, only 6-8% of the wine gets exported.

The Primorska wine region is nestled between Italy to the north and Croatia to the south, and receives the cooling affects of the Adriatic to the west. Brda is situated  in the northernmost portion of this region and along its low rocky hills with terraced vineyards is where we find Erzetič Winery. The vines in their estate were first planted in 1725 and Anton Erzetič with his son Aleksij and daughter Teja are 3rd & 4th generation winemakers. Rebula is the leading grape in Brda ( as it is in the neighboring region in Italy and called Ribolla). It's made dry with a white fruit profile and according to #winestudio participants - not lacking in acidity.

Vino Kupljen Jeruzalem is lcacted in the northeastern Slovenia (boarding Croatia, Hungary, & Austria), in Jeruzalemsko-Svetinjske hills of north-eastern Slovenia. The estate can trace its winemaking history back to 1836 and in 1976, Jože Kupljen launched the Vino Kupljen brand. As expected with a Muscat, this is a sweeter wine with that vibrant floral aroma leading to a deep apricot profile. The finish makes this wine, slightly effervescent with a smooth citrusy lemon final. The sugar to acids ratio reminded me of a well made Petit Manseng.

Tonight is the official wrap-up for this session of #winestudio. Make sure you tune in at 9PM ET so that PROTOCOL wine studio can engage our brains and palates! Cheers.

Cruising for Beer & Wine Along the W&OD Bike Trail: N. Arlington

I continued my W&OD Trail beer & wine tour with a ride from Falls Church to North Arlington.  This route doesn't include any production wineries or breweries, but does include two cool beer bars and a Maryland import, the Heavy Seas Alehouse in Rosslyn. This restaurant serves all the Heavy Seas Brewing Company brews as well as guest taps from Hardywood Park Craft Brewery and Port City Brewing Company among others. To get to the alehouse from the bike path take Nash Street into Rosslyn right at the Marriott. Turn right on Key street, then an immediate left on Oak Street and Heavy Seas is just up the hill. Get used to the hills. The alehouse has a few beers on cask and I enjoyed the Powder Monkey Pale Ale. 

Heading west, I knew their was a Lost Dog restaurant in the Westover area so I swapped theCompass Winery Brewery Distillery mobile app for the Lost Dog Cafe mobile app. This tapfinder application shows the four Lost Dog locations as well as the beers on tap at each location. The Lost Dog app's integration with my phone's navigation guided me through the Custis Trail between mile marker 3&4, where the bike path crosses under Route 66.  Just before the underpass take a right (or coming from the West cross under RT 66 and take a quick left), a left on 11th and then a quick right on Kenilworth which leads to a bike line on Washington Blvd. Hang a left and after pedaling up and down a hill - you are in Westover with Lost Dog on your left and the Westover Market Beer Garden on your right.

The Lost Dog Cafe maintains a rotating list of excellent craft beer and by setting preferences on their mobile app, you an be alerted when a specific beer or a favorite beer is tapped. Since it's been a while since I sat in the Beer Garden I chose the Westover Market for this trip and at a crowded World Cup watching bar, saw that one of my favorite beers, the Lost Rhino Brewing Co. Zlaty Pils was on tap. This beer was home brewed by a friend and colleague Aaron Hermes, for a Pilsner Urquell homebrew contest. After winning the contest, Lost Rhino offered to brew the recipe commercially. It's fresh, full bodied, slightly hoppy and a solid beer. Cheers and safe travels.

Update I: I've been asked to include area bike shops available for emergency repairs. In Falls Church - N Arlington, Tri 360 is on the Trail at Lee Highway. The where Lee Highway intersects the trail again look for  Big Wheel Bikes.

New Wines of Greece, Exploring Crete's Native Varietals

The historical origins of wine oscillates between the Caucasus Mountains and the Eastern Mediterranean,  but there's little doubt on the historical contributions from the Island of Crete. Whether distributed by the Minoans, Phoenicis, Romans, or Venetians; Crete was the dominate producers in the Eastern and Western Mediterranean. The Egyptian Pharoahs drank Cretan wine, as did Homer, the Romans, and rulers of Greek Byzantine. This domination stalled when the Ottoman Empire conquered the island, followed by years of political post WWII political turmoil. Today the Wines of Crete are rebounding primarily through the return of native grapes and wine making traditions.There are currently thirty plus wineries operating with most of the vineyards in the central region of Heraklion or eastern Lasithi. The former includes three Protected Designation of Origin (Dafnes, Archanes, Peza) and the later one (Sitia).

A national marketing campaign is promoting this recovery by providing tasting sessions in various cities in the United States and Europe. I attended a session in Washington DC at the very cool  Iron Gate Restaurant.  The session was lead by @1winedude +Joe Roberts, who had an extensive visit with the island's wineries a couple years back. Joe described many of the native grape varieties while leading our large group through a blind tasting panel.

Starting with whites, the two major players are Vidiano and Vilana with contributions from Plyto, Dafni, Thrapsathiri, Muscat Spina, and Malvazia. Vidiano wines exhibit a peach and apricot profile which reminded many of Albarino. Vilana grapes contribute lemon acids and floral aromas to blends.

For reds, Kotsifali is the primary indigenous grape, with some international varieties like Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon in play. Other indigenous red grapes are Liatiko, Mandilari, and Romeiko. One of my favorites of the tasting panel was the Boutari Skalani, a Kotsifali- Syrah blend, very earthy, dusty with dark black fruit flavor and aroma.

After the official blind tasting, our hosts were kind enough to offer an open bar of 23 Cretan wines. Being a Santorini freak, I enjoyed the Mediterra Assyrtiko as well as the Anoskeli Ano Playa Rose - perhaps a bleed of their Ano Plagia (Syrah, Grenache Rouge, Cabernet Sauvignon). For reds, I turned to the wines from two winemakers who Alexandra Manousakis and Maria Titaki.  Ms. Manousakis actually grew up in Washington DC, but eventually returned to Crete when her father started planting Rhone varieties in his native island. The 2008 Manousakis Nostos (Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre) was quite nice - full of creamy berries and good acids. The Titakis Vin de Crete is a fruit forward, easy drinking wine, with smooth tannins, and although I don't have the office retail price - rumor says quite inexpensive. 

So once again Greek wines impress with their quality and presumed affordability.  Expand your horizons and check out these historic wines. Cheers.

The Rhone Rangers Ride to DC

If you are a Rhone wine lover, I hope you are familiar with the Rhone Rangers. This is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of American made Rhone varietal wines. The organization consists of close to 200 winery members, 110 Professional and Grower Associates, and 800 Sidekicks - consumer fans like you and me. In order to become a winery member, the winery must produce a wine where 75% of the wine’s content must contain one or more of the twenty-two Rhone grapes the French government has approved for growing in the Cotes du Rhone. Syrah is the most common red grape, followed by Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Carignan, and Petite Sirah ("The Rhone Rangers have adopted Petite Sirah, a French cross also known as Durif, due to its extensive interplanting with traditional Rhone varietals in Calfiornia."). Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne are the most common white grapes, but you can also find some Grenache Blanc produced in California.

Twenty-three Ranger wineries came to Washington D.C. June 4th in order to promote the organization and Rhone varieties. These wineries poured close to 80 wines at The Long View Gallery that day - during two session. All the wineries were from California except Horton Vineyards from Gordonsville, Virginia (just outside of  Charlottesville). Dennis Horton introduced Rhone varieties into the Commonwealth over 25 years ago and now Viognier is designated Virginia's signature Grape. In addition to their dependable Viognier, Horton offers a tasty sparkling Viognier - one of the few produced in the country. Another notable Virginia Ranger, Tarara Vineyard & Winery, was absent for the tasting because of a shortage Rhone wine, but provided the Riedel stemware for the event. The California contingent represented several wine growing regions as well as original Rangers such as Bonny Doon Vineyard and Qupe Wine Cellars as well as newbies Two Shepherds Wine and Petrichor Vineyards.

Ridge Vineyards was the first winery on the menu, with their Rhone wines produced at their Lytton Springs Sonoma facility.  They poured the always dependable Syrah and Petite Sirah, but the most interesting of these was the 2012 Buchignani Carignane ($26) - perhaps the only 100% single varietal of this grape produced in American.  I tasted through several very nice wines from Petrichor Vineyards (Sonoma), Mira Winery (Napa), Michael David Winery (Lodi), Guyomar Wine Cellars (Templeton), before spending several minutes with Santa Maria's Kenneth Volk Winery. Definitely looking forward to the 2014 Wine Bloggers Conference in Santa Barbara. Two of the wines from Kenneth Volk were 100% Mourvedre (both $36) - with plenty of red fruit and nice acidity.  They also poured a delicious, easy drinking Grenache ($28). 

 I also spent some time investigating Paso Robles in anticipation to the Conference's pre-tour in that region.Epoch Estate Wines produces several excellent blends ($40-$65) and the Proulx Wines rosés were quite tasty. This winery's red blend. "The Wah" ($54) is also one to look for. Broken Earth Winery was pouring several affordable cool wines including a 100% Grenache Blanc ($20) - very floral with great acidity - and an earthy  Petite Sirah "Diable Negro" ($18).  And another Paso winery, Pomar Junction Vineyard and Winery, had several nice whites such as the 2013 Estate Grenache Blanc ($20), 2013 Estate Viognier ($20) and the 2013 White Blend, "Cotes de Pomar Blanc" ($28) - great acidity to balance the fruitiness of the wine. Ans all nice values.

A few other notable pours were the Qupe Wine Cellars 2011 Grenache Sawyer Lindquist Vineyared ($35) and 2010 Syrah, "Sonnies" Sawyer Lindquist Vineyared ($55); and Rosé of Syrah ($25 & $16) from Cornerstone Cellars and Chacewater Winery. Cornerstone was also pouring a velvety 2011 Syrah "Black Label" ($35) and Chacewater a fruit forward 2011 Petit Sirah ($20). Finally, Two Shepherds Wine had several wines that caught my fancy including another Grenache Blanc - the 2012 Saarloos Vineyards, Santa Ynez ($25)  and a Grenache Noir ($38) from the same vineyard.

After all this writing I'm ready to open another nice Rhone styled wine, the Viognier from Virginia's Corcoran Vineyards. Cheers.

Bedford Pennsylvania's Briar Valley Vineyards & Winery

Since no trip is complete without stopping into a local winery or brewery, while heading to Seven Springs Mountain resort for a short Father's Day break, I stopped in the historic town of Bedford to visit Briar Valley Vineyards & Winery. The winery has been operating for the past 7 years under the leadership of Jean and Tod Manspeaker. Jean is the winemaker with Tod as the vineyard manager. The grow a wide selection of grapes from Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Riesling as well as Lemberger, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. And at times, they need to supplement from other Pennsylvania vineyards but these are truly local wines.

Even though they are a small operation (2,000-3,000 cases annually), they have established a very nice tasting room in the heart of Bedford on Pitt Street. Almost all there wines are sold from here, with the remainder sold through various restaurants in Western PA.  And I'll start off immediately by saying I was quite impressed with both the consistency of their portfolio and the overall quality. I could quibble over whether I wished their were more acids in a few, but overall, these were the nicest PA wines I have tasted. The 2013 Riesling ($17) and 2012 Pinot Gris ($15) were my favorite whites and I think I'm beginning to come around to the later. I was even more impressed with the reds, which have been very inconsistent with my experience in Pennsylvania wine. Starting off, they produce a Lemberger ($20) - how cool is that. Their 2010 is medium bodied, nice acids, and a slightly spicy tail. Pretty good. This was followed by a 2009 Merlot ($20) - fruity and jammy and then the 2009 Proprietors Red ($25), a blend of the later with Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. This is a big wine, nice black fruit throughout with a smooth ending. Very nice.  I finished the tasting with the 2009 Cabernet Franc ($20) which was just as pleasant as one made in Virginia.  I think what makes these reds so nice, is that the winery ages them in the bottle for a few years before release. 

Take some time to stroll through Bedford as well. The Bedford Fort Museum is close by as well as several historic buildings. You can also learn about George Washington and the Whiskey Rebellion. Disputes like that never change. Cheers.