While the popular Rhône grape Grenache may be one of the most widely planted grapes in the world, you may not know it by name: Continue reading
Rhône Roam #1: El Dorado AVA Wines for a #CAWineMonth Late Summer Fishy Feast with Friends and Music
When is a
Rhône
not a
Rhône?
When it’s a wine made from a Rhône grape grown anywhere other than the Rhône region in France!
This seems obvious to me now following a webinar all about the wines of the Rhône where they made this point.
Just like the only wine you can call Champagne is from Champagne. Everything else is simply sparkling wine.
The words “sparkling wine” is an easy replacement for Champagne. But I haven’t found a reasonable term that covers those grapes we commonly associate with the Rhône Valley of France. Earlier this year I called wines from Tablas Creek “Rhône Inspired” but that’s not satisfying to me as a wine word smith.
What is satisfying? These four wines from the El Dorado AVA using grapes from the Rhône River Valley in France.
Harvest Conversation at The Ojai Vineyard about the new hybrids with winemakers Adam Tolmach and Fabien Castel #WinePW
The Ojai Vineyard’s General Manager Fabien Castel
“To make great wine you can’t be greedy,” says Fabien Castel, General Manager at The Ojai Vineyard.
Sue Hill and I are standing with Fabien Castel and winemaker Adam Tolmach in the The Ojai Vineyard estate experimental vineyard planted in 2017 with special UC Davis Pierce disease resistant hybridized vines — two reds and two whites– that will be blended into an as yet to be named wines. The white was just bottled and I’ve been promised a shiner– no label yet because they don’t know what they will call it.
Although the vineyard was harvested between two intense heat waves– 48 hours before this area of Ojai’s Ventura County reached 120 degrees– there’s still lots of ripe fruit for us to snack on.
And it’s good.
“Don’t you tire of eating grapes?” I ask Adam as he almost greedily enjoys handfuls of purple fruit. Clearly he still relishes this aspect of the business, forty years after he planted his first vineyard here along Creek Road, a route which leads to Ojai proper and The Ojai Vineyard Tasting Room on Montgomery Street which opened in 2010.
The Ojai Vineyard’s Fabien Castel with founder Adam Tolmach; Fabien has worked with Adam for 20 years now.
We’re near the end of a two hour conversation Continue reading
Music in the Malbec, Violinists in the Vineyard, Songs with the Syrah, Break Time with Tacos, and A Preview to Harvest 2020 #WinePW
Music in the Malbec?
Violinists in the vineyard?
Songs with Syrah?
Yes it’s the Musikaravan!
Yesterday as we harvested Malbec, Syrah, and Petit Verdot in the Clos des Amis Estate Vineyard on South Mountain, we were serenaded by two Los Angeles area violinists, Continue reading
Sonoma Visit and Interview with Alex Holman, winemaker for Balverne and Notre Vue plus 4 wines and Pescatarian Pasta #WinePW
Are you busy planning where you will go when we can go again?
On a beautiful sunny morning in the Before Time, Gretel Compton and I climbed the windy road up from Santa Rosa past farms, around slow farm equipment, through oak woodland, and beside green vineyards to arrive at Sonoma County’s Balverne and Notre Vue to meet with Alex Holman, winemaker for 5-7k case production for both labels. Continue reading
Interview: Antonella Manuli’s and Lorenzo Corino’s patented method + wines, lasagna, sustainability, and dogs #ItalianFWT
Last week, I enjoyed watching the sun set, twilight fall, and the glow of the moon in Tuscany, Italy. In front of the house with views of vineyards and the farm of Antonella Manulli, I chatted about sustainability and the Metodo Corino with co-innovators Antonella and Lorenzo Corino and their importer Sheila Donahue of Verovino.
This is one of the oldest places in the world for wine grape cultivation, going back 4,000 years.
As we talked, we all sat outside with our dogs, enjoying the fresh air. Continue reading
Enjoy a Sustainable #CabernetDay with Lapostolle: 2010 and 2018
Lapostolle Alexander Cuvee Cabernet from 2010 and 2018 paired with the best burger ever
Hard to believe it, but back in November 2008, I started this wine blog, and in December 2008, I participated for the first time in Wine Blogging Wednesday #52’s challenge to write about a Chilean wine under $20 (anybody else remember Wine Blogging Wednesday?) Continue reading
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 