One of our Wine Predator summer 2012 highlights was a twitter tasting that featured Rodney Strong wines. I’m guessing that this summer Rodney Strong wines will be a highlight as well!
Last summer, we tasted several Rodney Strong wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Knotty Vines Zinfandel, and Symmetry. Getting in the mood for Wednesday’s blending party with Rodney Strong wines at the Pierpont Inn, I opened their Chardonnay one night and their Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon on another night.
To Rodney Strong Vineyards, “place matters.” One of the oldest wineries in Sonoma County, it was started by the charismatic and handsome Rodney Strong, a retired dancer. Family owned and carbon neutral, their certified sustainable practices start with the earth with soil and water conservation and reach toward the sky with solar power (one of the largest by any winery in the world!). They are also one of the rare businesses that are committed to the Triple Bottom Line of Planet, People and Profit, meaning they are not just concerned about making money but taking care of the planet and their employees through social equity.
Below are notes on each of these wines from Rodney Strong. And watch for an upcoming post with pictures and stories from our experiment in blending! Continue reading →
On Wednesday, August 14, a select group of Southern California social media influencers will participate in a blending party, er, class at the Pierpont Inn in Ventura.
UPDATE 8/14/21 We will be using the hashtag #RSVSYM for tweets related to the blending class.
Robert Larsen from Rodney Strong will be leading the class Continue reading →
Well the same folks at Jordan Winery who did that parody have a new one out for the summer “Blurred Vines” which asks the question: who gets the girl–the wine geek or the wine dude? “Geeks obsess over wine lists, wine scores and winemaking techniques. Dudes love their wine but don’t take it too seriously.” So who gets the girl? Watch “Blurred Vines” to find out. #blurredvines (PS You can see my Gangnam Style parody “Chile Style” here!)
Thanks to Jordan’s Lisa Mattson for showing us how to have fun with wine! And congrats to Jordan for being willing to take risks like this! Hmmn, I really should have been drinking and reviewing a Jordan wine while I posted this! Next time!
Once again Lenn Thompson of LENNDEVOURS (now New York Cork Report) and Tim Elliott (of Winecast) have resurrected Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW). Hatched in 2004 by Lenn, each month a different blogger “hosts” a virtual tasting by developing and publicizing a theme. Participants write on that theme and post the results on their blogs on the designated Wine Blogging Wednesday and let the host know. Then the host posts a summary soon after linking to the participating blogs.
Remember when you were a kid and summer seemed like it lasted forever? Long lazy days, late nights, hours by the pool or at the beach? Continue reading →
What comes to mind when you think about Riesling? Sweet? Or too sweet?
Guess again!
What about Alsace?
If you’re a typical American, I’d bet you probably don’t know that…
Alsace is a region in the Northeastern corner of France, right next to Germany and above Switzerland with 38,300 acres of vines, with over 13% organic or biodynamic, making the region one of the greenest in France. In 2011, Alsace produced 12.5 million cases of wine.
Alsace has 13 different and very distinct types of soil from volcanic to limestone to clay, the most diverse terroir in France.
Alsace is in the rain shadow of the Vosges Mountains making it the second driest region in France with around 20 inches of rain per year. Alsace also experiences a lot of sunshine with 1,800 hours annually. Warm days and cool nights allow for slow ripening, which produces complex, aromatic and balanced wines.
Alsace produces mostly white wines: still, sparkling, and sweet, but also Pinot Noir.
Crémant d’Alsace makes up 24% of the production and is produced in the tradition method from Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir (all Crémant d’Alsace Rosés are 100% Pinot Noir) or Chardonnay (only for Crémant production).Yum! Read about the Lucien Albrecht Cremant d’Alsace we opened for Mother’s Day!
So what should you pair with that Riesling from Alsace now that you know that it’s not necessarily sweet? Continue reading →
One of our Wine Predator summer 2012 highlights was a twitter tasting that featured Rodney Strong wines. I’m guessing that this summer Rodney Strong wines will be a highlight as well!
