GPS and Organic Farming at Page Mill Winery

When the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association refused to assist us in designing an itinerary during our visit to the region, Dane Stark of Page Mill Winery quickly responded and scheduled a tour and tasting of his facility. Over pours of wine and a tour, he described the history of the winery. Page Mill was founded in 1976 by his father Dick Stark, but construction started a year before when he dug a huge hole under the family's house on Page Mill Road in Los Altos Hills to build out a winery and cellar. For the next 28 years. the winery operated at their home at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Eventually, Dane took over the operation, and in 2004, Dane moved the operation to the "underestimated" Livermore Valley.

Stark refers to Livermore as being underestimated because he says there is a false impression in the Bay area that the region is too hot for grapes. Apparently, the S.F. news channels include Livermore in their daily weather reports and not only does it have the highest temps in the region, but that high temperature often reaches into the 90s. However, Stark noted that these broadcasts don't include the nighttime temperatures which show a large diurnal swing and help prolong the growing season and increase acidity. 

Since moving to Livermore, Page Mill Winery's estate vineyard has been farmed organically and driving into the premises visitors immediately notice the cover crops and tractor-pulled chicken coup.  The chickens help control the insects and babydoll sheep are an alternative to mowing as their manure also acts as a fertilizer. In fact. "sheep offer some of the best natural fertilizers as their manure pellets take time to dissolve into the soil". And in 2019, Stark moved toward biodynamic farming with the first release of biodynamic wines planned for the 2022 vintage.  

In the meantime, Page Mill's current portfolio is outstanding.  We started with a lively 2021 Livermore Valley Sauvignon Blanc followed by the 2021 San Francisco Bay Chardonnay. The grapes derive from Page Mill's former location near the Santa Cruz Mountains. Interestingly the hierarchy of AVAs starts with the Central Coast AVA then down to the San Francisco Bay AVA which the Livermore Valley AVA is a sub-AVA within. We sampled a range of reds that truly showcased the diversity of the region from cool-climate Pinot Noir to a Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. My favorite was the GPS - a blend of Grenache, Petite Sirah, and Syrah that just melts the palate.  Looking forward to posting on its longevity by opening the 2016 I purchased.  

I also want to return on the third Sunday of every month for Page Mill's BYOB program where consumers can fill one of their bottles for $10. A great idea. 

A Trio of Cabernet Barrel Choices at McGrail Vineyards and Winery

How often does a good experience result from rejection? During our spring BevFluence Experience, we planned an outing to visit wineries in nearby Livermore Valley. After the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association flatly refused to assist us in designing an itinerary, an experienced wine industry friend recommended we contact Page Mill Winery and McGrail Vineyards and Winery directly.  And sure enough owner Dane Stark at Page Mill and winemaker Mark Clarin at McGrail quickly set time aside from their busy schedules to provide a tour and tasting at their respective facility. 

Regarding McGrail, we could have missed out on a unique horizontal tasting of their 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon aged in three different barrel types. In 1999, Jim and Ginger McGrail first planted a Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard where they originally sold the harvest to Steven Kent Winery. soon they started planning on opening a winery and tasting room which launched in April 2008. Late the following year they hired Mark Clarin as their winemaker and over a broad tasting of their wine, Mark described his career before McGrail. I strongly recommend subscribing to the Swig & Ramble podcast to hear this telling in his own words.

Since his hiring, Clarin has expanded the Cabernet Sauvignon program by again that wine in three sources of oak: French, American (Missouri), and Hungarian. To completely over-generalize and based on all toast levels, French oak barrels are made from a softer wood and tight grain and provide "a fruity, cinnamon/allspice character, along with custard/ crème brûlée, milk chocolate and campfire/ roasted coffee notes".   American oak barrels fall on the other side of the spectrum with denser grain, more porous, and provide vanilla, tobacco, dill, and baking spice character. Hungarian oak falls in between even though it's the same species as French oak and has "high perceived-vanillin content, with roasted coffee, bittersweet chocolate, and black pepper characters".  A comparison of French, Hungarian, and American Oaks

Each of the three wines is bottled and released separately and a portion of all three is blended together for their Cabernet Reserve.  According to McGrail, "the 2018 growing season was one of those “perfect” growing seasons with moderate temperatures in Spring and Summer, allowing for the wine to mature slowly and develop beautifully concentrated fruit flavors".  The wines were all made from grapes harvested from the McGrail Estate Vineyard. Conditions for an interesting comparative tasting. 

2018 Patriot Cabernet ($54)
The wine was aged in 100% new American oak from Missouri and after bottling aged an additional five months before release. The wine explodes with flavors and tannins with a large mouthfeel, cherry and vanilla, which transitions to a more earthy and tobacco character. This wine will be difficult to cellar since it's very drinkable now. 

2018 Good Life - A Jo Elet ($59)
This wine was aged for 32 months in new Hungarian Oak. This is a full-bodied and dense wine that even though has fresh fruit flavors, needs to pihenés for a number of years.  The juicy tannins envelop a plethora of spices and notes of vanilla, dark chocolate, leather, and some cinnamon and coffee, I will open my bottle on St. Stephen's Day 2025. 

2018 James Vincent ($79)
The James Vincent was barrel-aged for 35 months and then bottle-aged for 3 months before being released. This wine's quality and overall deliciousness substantiate the higher price. It is softer and more elegant with a fresh dark cherry aroma and flavor. It finishes with baking spices grappling with firm tannins for a long luscious tail. 

2018 Cabernet Reserve ($49)
This wine is an interesting blend of the three-barrel types which none taking center stage. It seems to have a darker fruit profile and the tannic structure falls closer to the Patriot. There are plenty of spices and earthy notes that compliment the mouthfeel and this one is drinking nicely right now. 

A special thanks to Mark Clarin for allocating time for us on such short notice and providing such a comprehensive tour of the wines, vineyard, and facility. And I apologize for not highlighting your phenomenal first release of Grenache Blanc. Cheers. 

Murrieta's Well - Live on Snooth Media

Murrieta's Well is an extremely reliable wine producer located in the Livermore Valley and we have written about this Wente family clone multiple times (view here).  Once again this week winemaker Robbie Meyer appeared on a Snooth Livestream in order to present several current releases.  The grapes for these wines were all sourced from estate vineyards in Livermore with the majority coming from their Hayes vineyard. This lot is located on the southwest portion of their estate, has the widest elevation range (560-860 feet), and is planted with 11 of the  20 grape varieties they grow because it features the largest array of soils, aspects, and slopes.  Here are the wines we sampled during the session. Cheers.




Dry Orange Muscat 2018 ($38) initially didn't work for me. But after the wine warmed the bitter orange peel traits subsided and mandarin flavors dominated. Then I paired with dry sausages and the spices between the two mingled seamlessly.

Dry Rose 2018 ($32) is a blend of 42% Counoise, 33% Grenache, and 25% Mourvedre and is simply elegant. Creamy, lift, and refreshing acids.

The Spur 2017 ($35) is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Petite Sirah, 13% Merlot, and 9% Petit Verdot. It pops with cherry flavor, then spices, tobacco, and noticeable tannins. Pair with Hersheys milk chocolate.

Merlot 2016 ($46) is delicious. Full-bodied, chewy and juicy cherries, structure, dusty and chalky. The structure must be helped by the 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Pair with Hersheys dark chocolate.

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

Standing Solo with Noam Pikelny's Universal Favorite and the Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay

Today (March 3rd) Grammy nominated banjoist Noam Pikelny newest solo album, Universal Favorite dropped. Released by Rounder Records, this is not your typical solo effort - in fact, that's exactly what it is - just Pikelny and his banjo. No supporting cast; and this simplicity creates a fantastic album. My favorite track is his interpretation of the Josh Ritter <-> <->Mississippi John Hurt Folk Bloodbath. Pikelny's soft vocals and picking provide a heartfelt rendition of the Ritter's popular song. His deadpan baritone vocals on Old Banjo, My Tears Don't Show, and Sweet Sunny South glide the lyrics in accompany with the banjo's melody.  What took him so long to step in front of the mic?  The instrumentals are classic Pikelny showing a range of sound coaxed from his banjo. Never a dull moment. You can listen to these songs right now as they are streaming at Garden and Gun Magazine.

And grab a bottle of the 2015 Wente Vineyards Morning Fog Estate Chardonnay ($15) before listening. This wine's simple, yet classic flavor, mimics Universal Favorite. It was also one of my favorites during the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association excursion at the 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference, where it was served at the dinner with 5th generation winemaker Karl Wente at Concannon Vineyard. The wine is named for the "morning coastal fog pushed by Pacific wind streams into the bowl of the San Francisco Bay and lured inland by Livermore Valley’s unique East-West orientation".  This daily condition helps add freshness and acidity to the wine, while the soils and clonal variants add minerality, and the wine making process - creamy texture. Like the album this wine starts simply, but the underlying acids, texture, and minerals provides elements that are normally not present at this price. Well done.

For those in the DC area Pikelny is scheduled for Wolf Trap on March 29th (solo, not with the Punch Brothers). Too bad its not at the Filene Center, then I'd bring a bottle or two of the Morning Fog. Cheers.

Seven Reasons to Visit the Livermore Valley AVA

During the 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference I participated in the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association excursion. This was my first visit to the area but by the end of the trip I had a decent grasp of the major reasons why this is an exciting wine region to visit. In general the Livermore Valley AVA is located less than an hour east of San Francisco and is 25 miles long and 18 miles wide - resembling an oval. Within this area are 4,000 acres of vineyards that contain well draining soils and are blessed with daily maritime breezes that cool the region during the summer.  These are interesting factoids but the real reasons to visit the Livermore Valley AVA are listed below.

Learn About California Wine History
The Livermore Valley is one of the oldest wine making regions in California. For a quick timeline, in the 1840s Robert Livermore planted the first wine grapes in the valley. Then in 1882 Secretary of the CA Viticultural Commission, Charles Wetmore, established Cresta Blanca Vineyards. In 1883 pioneers C.H. Wente and James Concannon established Wente Vineyards Estate Winery and Concannon.Vineyard respectively. Both are now the oldest continuously-operated, family-owned winery in the country with Wente slightly older.  Then, in 1889, the original Judgement of Paris occurred when Wetmore's Livermore Valley Dry White wine won the Grand Prix at the International Paris Exposition. This was the first time an Ameican wine region had won a Gold medal in an international competition, let alone the Gand Prix. California was now on the wine map. And nearly a hundred years later, in 1982, the Livermore AVA was established

Visit the Concannon Cabernet Mother Vine
When James Concannon established his winery he imported vines directly from renowned Château Margaux and Château d’Yquem and became one of the first to produce Bordeaux-style wines in California.  In 1960 Jim Concannon, grandson of James, became lead winemaker at Concannon Vineyard. Five years later he collaborated with University of California – Davis in developing three Cabernet Sauvignon clones (7, 8 and 11) from a single vine that James Concannon had earlier imported from Château Margaux.  These Concannon Clones have played a major role in California's flourishing Cabernet market where today they account for approximately 80% of California Cabernet Sauvignon.  The Mother Vine is located at the beginning of a row near the auxiliary house not far from the tasting room.  Make sure you try the Concannon Vineyard 2013 Mother Vine Cabernet Sauvignon ($36). It is delicious.

Attend the Wente Winemakers Studio
Wente Vineyards is to Chardonnay what Concannon Vineyard is to Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1936 the winery released the first ever varietal-labeled Chardonnay and Wente clones now account for a similar 80% of all California Chardonnay. One source of the Wente clones comes from Charles Wetmore's imported Chardonnay budwood from Meursault in Burgundy. Wetmore had distributed some of this budwood
to the Theodore Gier vineyard in the Livermore Valley. The second major source of the “Wente clone” occurred in 1912 when Ernest Wente and Leon Bonnet, of UC Davis persuaded C.H. Wente to import Chardonnay cuttings from the vine nursery at the University of Montpellier.

Visitors can learn more about the Wente Chardonnay clones and other wines at the Wente Winemakers Studio. The program consists of five experiences such as blind tasting, food pairing, aroma training, serving vessels (aka does glass size and share matter), and a blending experience. During our tour we participated in the first four sessions and they were not only enjoyable but also educational. And yes, size does matter. Wente is offering a two for one package through January 2017. Use VIPVISIT as the promo code. As for the Wente Chardonnays my favorite seemed to oscillate between the fresh and affordable 2015 Morning Fog Chardonnay ($15) and the luscious 2014 Nth Degree Chardonnay (sorry for wine club members only).

Drink From Murrietta's Well
Water that is, not wine. Joaquin Murrieta Carrillo was a famous figure in California lore during the first half of the 1800s, where he was considered a bandit, horse thief, or a Mexican Robin Hood. And either Joaquin or his nephew are considered the basis for Johnston McCulley's Don Diego de la Vega - aka Zorro. Joaquin Murrieta discovered a little used well in the Livermore Valley that he would use to water his horses. In the 1880s Louis Mel purchased the land and planted a vineyard with cuttings from the famed Chateau d’Yquem and Chateau Margaux vineyards. I sense a pattern. He eventually sold the property to his friend Ernest Wente and later Philip Wente and Sergio Traverso revived the winery and opened Murrieta’s Well. They renovated the original winery and visitors can still see original beams and stones, dragged from the nearby river bed, embedded in the walls. Try the Murrieta's Well 2015 Small Lot Dry Rosé ($30).

Taste Petite Sirah
In 1964 Jim Concannon released the very first varietal-labeled Petite Sirah from his 1961 vintage which has lead him to be referred to as “The Father of Petite Sirah.” Today the grape is mildly available among Livermore wineries, but the three I sampled were fantastic. As expected, Concannon keeps the tradition alive with a few in their portfolio. I sampled the Concannon 2010 Reserve Petite Sirah ($40) - a chewy dark fruit wine with a spicy and acidic finish. Beautiful.  Next was the Page Mill Winery 2013 Tazetta Vineyard Petite Sirah ($36) that was similar to the Concannon but more earthy and leathery. Finally popular winemaker Collin Cranor poured us the Vasco Urbano Wine Company 2013 Heine Petite Sirah ($48) and this may have been my favorite - it's as complex as the others, but oh so smooth.......

Savor White Bordeaux
Although Cabernet Sauvignon hogs the limelight, white Bordeaux wines have been in integral part of the wine history of the Livermore Valley. For it was Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon that comprised Wetmore's Grand Prix winning dry white wine. One current source of Livermore Valley white Bordeaux is the Ghielmetti Estate Vineyard where the Steven Kent Winery 2015 "Lola" White Wine ($24) and the 3 Steves Winery 2015 Sauvignon Blanc are sourced. The single varietal Sauvignon Blanc was fresh and fruity, yet I yearn for the blends.  The "Lola" was just more complex and savory as was the tropical leading Concannon.Vineyard 2014 Reserve Assemblage Blanc ($24).  Concannon also released a dessert white Bordeaux wine in the very rich and tasty 2013 Reserve Late Harvest Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc. Finally, Semillon stood proudly on it's own in the Cuda Ridge Wines 2015 Mel's Ranch Vineyard Semillon. This creamy tropical wine is a keeper.

Discover 50 Close Knit Wineries
There are currently 50 wineries within the Livermore Valley AVA and not only are they close in proximity to each other but there's a shared comradery that was prevalent throughout our tour. One winemaker arrived in a borrowed truck from another winemaker, equipment is passed around as needed, and advice shared readily.  In the words of Guy Clark, "That' the kind of stuff I like to be around".  theCompass Winery, Brewery, Distillery Locator Mobile App can help you navigate while driving among the different wineries, but another interesting option is the Pedego Electric Bikes. Pedal when you want, use the motor on more difficult passages. In any case, I highly recommend a visit to the Livermore Valley AVA. Not only will you sample delicious historic wines,  but you will be treated as an honored guest in the tasting room. Cheers.

Why I Enjoyed the 2016 Lodi Wine Bloggers Conference

A couple weeks ago I attended the 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference sponsored by the Lodi Wine Grape Commission. There's always some crumbling about the sessions, and personally I would have preferred more Lodi specific content. But in total I believe #WBC16 was a great success. Here's why.

The Bargain Attendee Fee
Where else can you eat and drink for three plus days for only $95? I often feel unworthy of


Tasting through New Zealand's Yealands Family Wine in the Conference Hallway
An extended lunch caused many of us to miss the A Bold New Look at Sustainability session sponsored by Yealands Family Wines and hosted by chief winemaker Tamra Kelly-Washington. Fortunately I met the Palm Bay Int'l reps walking out and they generously donated six Yealands' wines for us to sample. After a scramble for glasses, a pop-up tasting ensued. The wines consisted of a Pinot Gris, a Pinot Noir, and the rest Sauvignon Blanc; the S1 Single Block Yealands Marlborough Estate Sauvignon Blanc being the consensus favorite.

The Lodi Opening Reception at Mohr Fry Ranch
This was the first introduction to Lodi wines for most of us and it reinforced rumors that Lodi was just not all old vine Zinfandel. Yes, there were several nice examples of this signature wine, but I also sampled Turley Wine Cellars Cinsault, Mettler Family Vineyards Pinotage, Alicante Bouschet, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, and Sauvignon Blanc.  We also had our first opportunity to taste the Scotto Cellars Masthead: A Lodi Wine Blended by Wine Bloggers. The 100% Mohr-Fry Ranch Block 433 Sangiovese was very smooth. Well done.




The Scotto Cellars Masthead Party
The conference's first after party was sponsored by Scotto Cellars in their new downtown Lodi tasting room. They also invited Peltier Winery & Vineyards and Klinker Brick Winery to pour alongside Scotto's wine and Cider Brothers cider. In fact, this was my sole opportunity to drink cider the entire trip and their William Tell Dry Hard Cider with Pinot Grigio was a hit. The party also felt like a family reunion as more friends strolled in. 

Lodi Teroldego
At the Masthead party I learned that Lodi vineyards grow Teroldego, the Northern Italian grape from Trentino. Hard to believe. Yet I sampled at least three versions: the Peltier Winery Reserve Teroldego 2010, the Estate Crush Teroldego, and the LangeTwins Single Barrel Teroldego 2012. All were structured, acidic, and tannic - ready to lay down for a few years.  My next homework assignment is to research why Lodi is a good location for this grape.

Peltier Winery Visit
After meeting owner Rod Schatz and Director of Marketing & Design Ian Bender at the Masthead party, I accepted their semi-invite/semi-I invited myself to their winery. SanCrittenden and I skipped out of the Saturday morning sessions and Ian met us and provided the complete VP treatment. There was a winery tour (with tank sampling from newly hired winemaker Susana Rodrigeuz Vasquez), a crush pad tour (with Pinot Gris being crushed), a vineyard tour, and a tasting through their Peltier and Reserve portfolio. I had previously tasted their wines through their legacy Peltier Station labels, but the depth and strength of their portfolio is impressive. (See post here.)

Bechthold Vineyard Cinsaut (Cinsault)
Over the weekend I sampled several excellent Cinsaut - Estate Crush, Turley Wine Cellars, McCay Cellars, Michael David Winery -  all sourced from the historic Bechthold Vineyard. First planted in 1886, it is considered the oldest Cinsaut vineyard in the world - older than those in France where it is the fourth most widely planted grape variety. Before DNA analysis confirmed the grapes as Cinsaut, Al Bechthold was selling his crop for as low as $250 a ton. Now the highly desired grapes fetch ten times that amunt; all thanks to Joseph Spenker, the great-grandfather of Bechthold 's wife Wanda. In general, the Lodi Cinsaut wines were lively and intense with smooth and slightly tannic tails. Cinsaut Me with these wines that averaged only $25.


The Craft Spirits Lounge
The Wizard of Whiskey Justin Koury must have spent months acquiring the plethora of spirits he displayed at the #WBC16 #CraftSpirits Lounge. I never bothered to count, but there had to be at least four to five dozen? Besides drinking old favorites like the Hillrock Estate Distillery Solera Aged Bourbon, there were several highlights like the Few Spirits Rye Whiskey and the Bozeman Spirits Distillery 1889 Montana Whiskey. The lounge was also simply a quiet place to hand out - playing cards or catching up. At least quiet until the Pinata bashing....  Thanks Justin and all the sponsors.

The Friday Night Excursion with 99 Bottles
The vineyard excursion is usually one of the highlights of the conference and this year's equaled the fabulous Bien Nacido Vineyards excursion during the Santa Barbara conference. Our small group was taken to Estate Crush, a custom crush facility with over 80 clients and 120+ brands. Proprietors Bob and Ali Colarossi greeted us with glasses of 2015 Estate Crush Albarino and revealed our assignment. We were to create the final blend for their 2014 Colarossi Estate Old Vine Zinfandel that would be bottled and given as a parting gift to all the WBC16 wine bloggers. Divided into four groups, we all started with 95% Zinfandel and two additional grapes that would comprise the final 5%.  My partner Eveann of Vino Con Vista Italy and I were given Sangiovese and a Cabernet based Red Blend which we turned into a final blend of 97% Zin and 3% Red Blend.  During the blind tasting our blend received only one vote, ironically from me - talking about having a cellar palate. The wining wine was blended by Rachel of rachelvonwine and Heather of 10K Bottles - a blend of 97% Zin, 2% Syrah and 1% Petit Verdot.  After our blending session we proceeded to the Colaross's home where we were fed abundant amounts of Paella de Wetmore, thanks John, and of course wine - even going back to a three or four year vertical of their estate Old Vine Zinfandel. I didn't return back to the hotel until 11:30 - well past the 8:00 pm scheduled departure - and I hear the party didn't wrap up until 1:30. Thank you so much Bob and Ali.




Livermore Valley Wine Country Excurion

I always try to commit to a WBC pre-excursion and chose the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association sponsored tour. This was a fantastic outing, lavishly planned and executed. We had dinner at historic Concannon Vineyard hosted by John Concannon and Karl Wente, the 5th generation winemaker at Wente Vineyards Estate Winery. Both Concannon and Wente have been producing wine continuously since 1883 and we tasted the grapes straight off Concannon’s Cabernet Sauvignon “mother vine,” parent of 80% of Cab vines planted in California.  Similarly Wente's Chardonnay clones are responsible for about 86% of Chardonnay vines planted in California. We also enjoyed breakfast and wine at the Wente family Murrieta’s Well as well as a series of interactive wine sessions at the Wente Winemaker Studio. Finally there were numerous tastings of other producers such as Steven Kent Winery, 3 Steves Winery, McGrail Vineyards & Winery, Las Positas Vineyards, and our new favorite winemaker Collin Cranor. More to follow on this subject.

Generosity of the Lodi Wine Grape Commission and the Participating Wineries
We will never know that total amount of effort put forth by volunteers busing tables, attending meetings, laying cable that enabled the conference to succeed. Neither will we know the total amount of Lodi wine poured on our behalf.  But I completely appreciate the time and money that the Lodi sponsors undertook to make this conference happen. For instance, the converted high school now used for conventions did not have WiFi before our conference. The Lodi Wine Grape Commission through different philanthropic groups raised $60,000 in order to install the much need WiFi. And just days before the conference technicians were tweaking the routers for each individual meeting room.

Then there's the wines and dinners. The Colarossio's of Estate Crush poured our small party an unbelievable amount of wine including the vertical of their excellent estate old vine zinfandel. There's the wines poured during the opening reception,  Scotto Cellars and their Masthead party, and the various lunches, dinners, excursions, etc. And during the conference dinner, Michael McCay uncorked a rare double magnum of McCay Cellars Contenium Zinfandel on top of his generous assortment of other wines. So thank you very much to all the volunteers and participating wineries. Cheers to a fantastic conference.