Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, winter, spring, summer, or fall, Champagne (aka that sparkling wine from Champagne France) is a wine that pairs with any occasion or event, and it is one of the most versatile wines you’ll find.
As head wine maker since 2011, Champagne Jacquart’s Floriane Eznack not only is responsible for the winemaking but she embodies the spirit of the brand.
I had the good fortune to meet Champagne Jacquart head wine maker Floriane Eznack at a press lunch at Ocean Prime in Beverly Hills Continue reading →
Lisa Anselmi says she has a glass of their San Vincenzo almost every day
For Women’s History Month here on Wine Predator, we are focusing in on WOMEN IN WINE as much as possible, particularly, women we’ve met who wine! Last Wednesday March 8 was International Women’s Day and we featured Erica Crawford of New Zealand’s Loveblock Wine who we met at Wolf on Melrose in LA, CA.
Wine Predator Gwendolyn Alley, Lisa Anselmi, Que Syrah Sue
On Monday, March 13, Que Syrah Sue and I had lunch at Obica on Sunset with Lisa Anselmi; her grandfather began making wine from the family vineyards in the Veneto region of north eastern Italy 80 years ago, her dad changed direction to produce higher quality wine, and now Lisa is getting their story out to the world. Continue reading →
Ginger is annoyed that we have yet to OPEN THAT BOTTLE
When I purchased this bottle of Bollinger NV back in 2011 to celebrate Ima Zinner’s birthday, I didn’t realize it would take us six years to open it.
But I wasn’t worried. You’re supposed to cellar wine, right?
WRONG. And somehow I didn’t know until May of 2016 that you don’t cellar Champagne.When Champagne is disgorged and ready for sale, it is ready to be enjoyed. That doesn’t mean you have to drink it that night that you buy it! But you should drink it within a year or two, maybe three.
You’re not supposed to wait SIX YEARS to open a bottle of Champagne!
But somehow that happened. It wasn’t a special enough occasion. Or it we were having red wine to go with red meat or some such. Or it wasn’t cold. One reason or another, it just didn’t happen.
So when Ima Zinner aka Kathy came over the other night, it was Open That Bottle Night, because we knew it was time. Way past time. But was it too late?
Loveblock Sauvignon Blanc: this is what I want all of my NZ Sauv Blancs to be like! Fresh and crisp but also sumptuous. The warm roasted olives in harrissa spices were a REVELATION and paired beautifully as did the hamachi crudo.
What better wine to toast International Women’s Day than with wine by a pioneer in the New Zealand wine industry Erica Crawford? That is, Erica Crawford, partner of Kim Crawford, and that would be Kim Crawford, the third largest and possibly the most recognizable Sauvignon Blanc brand from New Zealand?
none other than NZ wine pioneer Erica Crawford: in the yellow glasses
Last month, Que Syrah Sue and I had lunch at Wolf on Melrose with Erica Crawford.
panelle by candlelight — and flashlight!–with wine from Sicily
What do you do when the power goes out in the midst of preparations for a dinner featuring wine and recipes from Sicily?
You stay calm and carry on of course!
Which is what we did –with no regrets except that I don’t recommend trying to shuck oysters in the dark. (No, I am not going to show you the jab wound I got!)
Tomorrow, Que Syrah Sue and I are driving up the coast to Santa Barbara’s world famous Bacara Resort for two days of pinot pleasure at World Of Pinot Noir (WOPN) 2017 where we’ll be attending Grand Tasting events on Friday and Saturday March 3 and 4 from 3-6:30pm with 100 or so wineries attending each day to total 200 different wineries!
Square Peg’s dry farmed Pinot Noir 2/28/17 photo by Jo Diaz
Among those wineries at the Grand Tasting on Friday that I am excited to try is Square Peg. Today I received samples of their 2014 Block 1 (190 cases) and Block 9 (170 cases) and it was all we could do to NOT to open them immediately and compare! Thanks to an introduction by Jo Diaz, we’re set to talk with Brad Alper who is dry farming his Pinot Noir in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley.
WOPN brings Pinot Noir producers from the most exceptional and unique regions in the world together with Pinot Noir enthusiasts for a weekend of celebration and education on the shores of California’s spectacular Central Coast.
In this clip from the film Sideways based on the book by Rex Pickett, a character eloquently describes her passion for wine, and how the vine and then the wine captures and expresses time and place and love and life.
When you listen to Eppie Ordaz of Ordaz Family Wines talk about growing wine grapes and making wine, or when you learn about his family’s story, and his father’s devotion to growing wine grapes, you know that they know exactly what she’s talking about.
The Ordaz family is justly famous for their vine tending and their vineyard management company, Palo Alto, which has 50 employees and manages 400 acres. In fact, some wines are designated not by the name of the vineyard but by the name of Ordaz patriarch Chuy Ordaz!
Hailing from Palo Alto, Michoacán, Mexico, Chuy Ordaz crossed the border 33 times. Fortunately for wine lovers, on his 33rd crossing he was successful and made it north to Sonoma county where he fell in love with and married Beverly Young; they have six children, and one of them, Eppie Ordaz, is the winemaker for their Ordaz Family wines label and another, Chuy, Jr. is also involved in the operation.
Among his many accomplishments, the senior Ordaz led vineyard workers on a strike that established him as a respected leader. He also led the way to remove dangerous chemicals in the vineyards and to promote organic management that is better for vines and so much better for those who tend the vines.
Chuy Ordaz “was a pioneer in organic farming in Sonoma because he wanted to protect the workers,” said Eppie Ordaz recently during a #WineStudio twitter chat. “He didn’t want to expose himself or his crew to unsafe vineyard chemicals.”
In these very troubled and fearful times, it is important that we recognize and honor the accomplishments of wine industry leaders like Chuy Ordaz and remember that wine is make first and foremost in the vineyards. Our leaders come to us from many places and in many ways. We are stronger in the United States when we unite and invite others to join us and reap the benefits of our capitalist democracy.
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 