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Tommy Booth
So Cal winemaker embraces the Paso life FEATURED DINING:
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Penman Springs We are a family-owned , artisan winery situated in the rolling hills of Paso Robles. Our estate-grown line includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Muscat Blanc, Merlot, Petite Sirah, and Petit Verdot.
Taste the Art 1985 Penman Springs Road, Paso Robles, CA (805) 237-7959 Tasting Room Open 11-5 Thursday - Monday
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In This Issue
ROCK STAR WINEMAKER Tommy Booth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Red wine and heart health . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Reading a wine label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 COVER STORY Rava Wines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 You don't need permission... . . . . . . . . . . . 20 FEATURED DINING REVIEW Enoteca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Wine Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Role of Tannins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 NORTH COUNTY WINE TASTING MAP .30 CALENDAR OF EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 8 Things that affect our wine perception . . 34 FEATURED TASTING ROOM Denner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Atascadero Wine Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
The Role of a Sommelier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Beginning wine tasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
A vote of confidence... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
SOUTH COUNTY WINE TASTING MAP . 47
GENERAL MANAGER Beth Bolyard bbolyard@atascaderonews.com EDITOR Luke Phillips lphillips@atascaderonews.com EDITORIAL Beth Bolyard Elizabeth Enriquez-Phillips
Beth Giuffre David Wilson ADVERTISING Adriana Novack Sheri Potruch GRAPHIC DESIGN Jim Prostovich
COVER PHOTO Photo by PJ Sawyer: Rava Wines VINO MAGAZINE PasoRoblesPress.com 805-237-6060 935 Riverside Ave, 8A Paso Robles, CA 93446
VINO is published by the Paso Robles Press. All rights reserved, material may not be reprinted without written consent from the publisher. The Paso Robles Press made every effort to maintain the accuracy of information presented in the magazine, but assumes no responsibility for errors, changes or omissions.
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TOMMY BOOTH
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WINEMAKER
WINE BOSS
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Garagiste roots lead to big business for winemaker Story and Photos By Beth Bolyard OF VINO MAGAZINE
P
aso Robles winemaker Tommy Booth is a true garagiste winemaker with southern California roots. He got his start planting grapes in backyards in Los Angeles with his father while he was still high school and it was here he had his first inclination that wine is what he would do with his life. Years later, Booth brought his winemaking passion to Paso Robles where he processes Los Angeles, Clarksburg, and Paso Robles grapes into unique, out-of-the-box wines and hard to find varietals. Most of Booth’s L.A.-based grapes come from niche areas in the Los Angeles area like Pasadena, Woodland Hills, and Calabasas. He said the community of winemakers in the L.A. area are finding their place in the market and starting to find recognition around the state. Booth said working in Los Angeles got him ready for his road to becoming a winemaker and eventually led him to pursue a viticulture and wine business degree at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. After his father passed away, many of Booth’s L.A. vineyards were left without managers and Booth’s mother encouraged him to pursue managing the vineyards. Only a few vineyard owners agreed to let him take over and, after the first harvest, he made wine for a small number of the vineyards that didn’t have winemakers. Booth’s wine turned out beautifully, and even went to win an award at an Orange County wine competition, so he decided to switch his major to Enology, the study of making wine. “At that point, I was completely hooked,” Booth said about making the decision to switch to winemaking. “I actually have a knack for this, let’s pursue it.” It wasn’t until Booth started making wine for a growing, commercial-headed winery that he decided to start his own brand. Again, encouraged my his mom, Booth created his first wine, the Memory Maker. The unique label left a few blank lines on the back of the bottle to allow consumers to write a good memory they made drinking the wine, this was his mother’s idea and they left. “It was her idea,” Booth said of the Memory Maker label. “She wanted to put people's memories on the back of the label as a personalized experience or gift.” In 2014 he released his first wine. “We didn’t look back,” said Booth, who sold his wine primarily through gypsy marketing. The
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umbrella wine company, Hermata Family Wines, was started and is owned by his mother. When he decided to boost production, he didn’t have the quantity to do so, so he went to a wine business area in clarksburg that had really good prices and he fell in love with the area. “All the sudden I’m crossing the Sacramento River and I’m in this cute, quaint little river town of Clarksburg, and there’s just vineyards as far as the eye could see,” Booth said. “I was like, ‘no way, this has been here this entire time, go figure.’ I got such a good feeling out of it.” Booth said that his first harvest in Clarksburg was intense because of the amount of grapes he was acquiring at such an early hour. He left Paso Robles at 7 p.m. and got to the winery in Clarksburg at 11 p.m. where he parked his truck on the vineyard to sleep. He woke up at about 4 a.m. to the farmer knocking on his truck window. “The farmer was like, ‘Hey Tom, can you move your truck? We’re gonna start forklifting your grapes in,’” Booth said, remembering his first evening getting grapes from Clarksburg. “I was like, ‘OK, sure.’ I kept sleeping and he woke me up at 6:30, like, ‘OK, we're done.’ I'm like, ‘OK, here we go.’” Booth brought two tons down from Clarksburg that day. Since then, he has continued to source grapes from all different types of areas. That’s how, according to Booth, he became a Paso Robles winemaker. “Primarily we’re cabernet,” Booth said of the varietals he uses. “I fell in love with petit verdot. When I first saw 100 percent petit verdot, I was like, ‘No way, no one ever does that,’ I decided I wanted to pursue that, so that was our second batch.” The following year Booth added a shenan blanc to his list of wines. Booth said he almost left the area a few years ago, but a job interview at LXV kept him in the area as a tasting room manager. It was this time at the tasting room that led him to get his sommelier certification and gave him a feel for the wine business side of things, which eventually led him to open his wine bar in Paso Robles, Wine Boss. Booth’s belief is that good wine starts in the vineyard and that terroir makes all the difference. “I believe that fruit is terroir driven,” Booth said. “You can taste the vineyard in each one,
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sensory, strawberry, spicy, you can make a wine that reflects the terroir.” Booth has a strong appreciation for each of his wine terroirs and he appreciates his L.A. and Santa Monica wines especially, stating that the fruit coming from southern California is unique and flavorful. “A lot of the L.A. fruit on the Santa Monica mountain range can produce some amazing stuff, imparting flavors I had never had before in wine,” Booth said. “I take a lot of pride in making those, same with Clarksburg, something about the terroir and climate that makes some of the best petit verdot in the world and we have the accolaids to show for it.” Booth recently took double gold at the past San Francisco Chronicle wine competition for his Petit Verdot “Shedah,” which he started making after trying the single varietal at a tasting room years ago. The varietal is typically used in small amounts as a blender, now it’s being used more and more on its own. “It’s just unbelievable,” Booth said. “I got obsessed with out of the box winemaking, everyone and their mom has a cab or a chardonnay, what can we do with those varietals and twist them, what else can we make that no one else makes?” Booth said he was most excited about his recent private release “Pepper,” which was created for San Diego based Reggae-Rock band of the same name. The Bordeaux blend wine is just one of Booth’s recent accomplishments and he said he hopes to expand his private label offerings. Booth is also excited to be a part of the culture shift in southern California back to wine appreciation of the region. According to Booth, L.A. used to be mostly agriculture and vineyards until the urban sprawl took over the San Fernando Valley. Now vineyards have been replaced by housing and shopping malls, but that’s not stopping him and others to create appreciation of the area. “I think that urban sprawl shifted agriculture more northbound, that’s why you don’t hear about L.A. wines,” Booth said of wine’s dominance in central California. “Between prohibition and development, the wine scene has died significantly. There's a bunch of cool guys coming up out of there. It’s good fruit, it’s like anything else, no one knew Paso or Napa could make good wine until someone put a damn vine in the ground, that’s essentially what we’re doing.”
VINO Central Coast Edition
Paso Robles winemaker, Tommy Booth, with his award winning Petit Verdot, Shedeh.
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Red Wine and Heart Health Greenshoot Media
W
e’ve all heard about the purported benefits of red wine for our health. While the potential benefits of red wine and consumption of other kinds of alcohol are no secret, the key is moderation.
The Good
Wine has long been known to have positive benefits for health, in large part thanks to its high concentrations of antioxidants that can protect cells and prevent coronary artery disease and heart attacks. According to the National Library of Medicine, studies have shown that adults who drink light to moderate amounts of alcohol may be less likely to develop heart disease than those who do not drink at all or are heavy drinkers. A particular antioxidant in red wine called resveratrol (found in grape skins) might help prevent damage to blood vessels, reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and prevent blood clots. (It is worth noting that the Mayo Clinic also points out that other studies have not found the same benefits of resveratrol.) 10
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Previous studies have found benefits can be derived from moderate consumption of all kinds of alcohol, including increased HDL (“good”) cholesterol, reduction of blood clot formation, prevention of artery damage and improved function of cells that line the blood vessels.
The Bad
The National Library of Medicine warns, however, that no one should start drinking to improve their heart health. “There is a fine line between healthy drinking and risky drinking,” Library of Medicine warns on its website. Men should limit their consumption of alcoholic drinks to one or two a day, and women to one. One drink is defined as 4 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, 1 1/2 ounces of 80-proof spirits and 1 ounce of 100-proof spirits. In addition, the National Library of Medicine points out that there are more effective and less risky ways to improve one’s heart health. They include controlling blood pressure and cholesterol; exercising and following a low-fat, healthy diet; not smoking; and maintaining an ideal weight. If you already have heart disease or heart failure, alcohol can cause those conditions to worsen. Talk to your doctor before drinking alcohol.
The Ugly
Drinking too much alcohol can have disastrous health effects, including increased risk for diseases of the liver and pancreas, high blood pressure, some cancers, stroke, obesity and other maladies. In addition, heart disease is the leading cause of death in people who abuse alcohol, points out the National Library of Medicine. The Mayo Clinic cautions that some people shouldn’t drink at all, including pregnant women, anyone with a personal or strong family history of alcoholism, those with liver or pancreas disease associated with alcohol consumption, anyone with heart failure or a weak heart and people who take certain medications or a daily aspirin.
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Reading a Wine Label
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Greenshoot Media
ine labels are as varied as the countries from which they hail, but they all contain some basic information. Here’s a rundown on the information you should find on a wine label at a minimum.
Variety
Many labels clearly state the varietal of grapes used in the wine (Zinfandel, syrah, pinot noir, etc.). On wines that are made using a blend of grapes, the label may or may not list each varietal and the percentage of each one used.
Region
The region where the grapes used to make a wine were grown is almost always featured on the label. A wine with a label listing a region that is more broadly defined is often a value wine, while wines from more specific areas, or even vineyards, tend to be higher-end, such as “California” vs. “Santa Rita Hills,” according to WineFolly.com. Sometimes wines are grouped by region in stores, and you might find the specific region on the label convenient for narrowing down your search.
Producer or brand Name
Some wines feature the name of the producer prominently; others display a brand name more prominently. This is a branding decision by the winemaker. VINO Central Coast Edition
Vintage
Wine labels often feature the “vintage,” or year the grapes used to make the wine were harvested, however this is not always the case. Non-vintage, or NV, wines — which often are bubbly or fortified wines — feature combinations of vintages. NV wines are sometimes thought to be of lower quality, but you’ll have to judge for yourself. Combining various vintages allows winemakers to mitigate the effects of bad growing conditions during a particular year and present a consistent wine over time.
Alcohol Content
The alcohol content in a wine is often listed as ABV, or alcohol by volume. Federal law requires wines with an alcohol content above 14 percent to list ABV. Below that threshold, winemakers may choose not to list the alcohol content and may call it a “table wine” or “light wine.” Tolerance of 1 percent to 1.5 percent is allowed. The alcohol content is used to calculate the class into which the wine falls for the purposes of federal excise tax. While the tasting notes provided by the winemaker could sway you, remember that this copy is pure marketing. It’s more useful to know the above basics of a wine label to make an informed decision. Of course, it never hurts to check out objective tasting notes, reviews and ratings from a source you trust to find the perfect bottle.
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COVER STORY
Rava wines celebrate life
Paso winery and wedding venue also makes Méthode Champenoise on site By Beth Giuffre OF VINO MAGAZINE Photos by PJ Sawyer
C
had Rava is a wine grower from three generations of farmers who originally settled on the Central Coast back in the 1920s and he’s spent most of his life working miles of crops and rows of grapes that stretch beyond view. But his vision goes beyond the horizon of growing and delivering grapes. One of Rava’s biggest projects to date began while struggling to find a wedding venue for more than 500 guests for himself and his wife, an event they ended up hosting at his parent’s property. Knowing the need for a large venue site, Rava took a different look at his 80-acre vineyard on Creston Road. He decided to build his own event center and turned an empty field and piles of dirt into one of the newest, most sought after places to get married. And then the idea grew even larger.
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(From Left) Chad Rava, Lauren Rava, Kelley Brophy Clark, and John Clark at the Rava Winery facility.
To host a big event, one must also have the most important party beverage: Bubbly. So Rava decided he would build a winery that produced sparkling wine. However, he didn’t want to make the so-so bubbly. Instead, he invested in all the elaborate machinery to make Méthode Champenoise sparkling wine. In five short years, his vineyard had gone from the place winemakers source their wine grapes to the hottest, most stylish place to have a wedding, with a chic tasting room and wine-flight sampling of Rava’s unique sparkling wines — all produced on site at the winery.. Bubbly is in. So in that Wine Spectator included it in its 2018 wine predictions as being what we all need more of, and not just the French Champagne: domestic sparkling wine, particularly from California, is what’s ‘in the glass’ these days. Rava Wines is a bride’s dream: a 505-acre boutique vineyard on expansive grounds dotted with oaks and olive groves, with a working horse ranch and an indoor event center that can accomodate 1,000 people intimately. The grounds include an old world courtyard and romantic lake. The Ravas are Italian, so of course, there must be a VINO Central Coast Edition
Bocce court as well. The tasting room offers flights of Rava’s first release of five sparkling wines, including a rare Grüner Veltliner, and just above the tasting room is the ‘Villa Giada,’ a private, three-bedroom luxury Air bnb for family and friends or a bridal party. Rava is, in the truest sense, a “one-stop-shop.” Not just for wine tasters and wedding planners, but also for winemakers. The word is starting to get out that Rava has the equipment to make and store Méthode Champenoise. Sparkling tours just started in May. Lauren Rava, Chad Rava's wife, said people are drinking sparkling wine more often than just during special occasions. She has been noticing at their events, guests are choosing the bubblies for bridal showers, baby showers, and everything inbetween. She said, “We’re drinking it on a more regular basis and it’s more approachable. You don’t see just a hundred-dollar bottle for a special occasion.” Champenoise is considered the premium method for making sparkling wines. It requires a secondary fermentation within the bottle rather than a large tank. The term for lesser-quality, or tank-fermented
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Méthod champenoise is considered the premium method for making sparkling wines. It requires a secondary fermentation within the bottle rather than a large tank. The term for lesser-quality, or tankfermented sparkling wine, is called ‘charmat.’ State-of-the-art Méthod champenoise equipment at Rava make delicious sparkling wines.
sparkling wine, is called ‘charmat.’ There are plenty of local wineries that offer sparkling wine in their lineups, but not many (if any) that make it on site. The excitement in the industry has local winemakers lining up for the tour of the winemaking facility with Lauren Rava. Lauren Rava, who grew up in Orange County, has been apprenticing in winemaking for two years now. Recently, she has been taking large groups of wine industry folks on tours through the pristine new wine production building, passed the state-of-the art equipment and American oak barrels of red wine holding Rava’s flagship “Humble Red.” One machine provides the technology of the traditional French method of hand-turning the bottles and lightly shaking or ‘riddling’ the sediment to facilitate removing it. Lauren Rava has been “tagging along” with her husband in the vineyards for a decade but now she is ready to learn about the winemaking herself. Though Chad Rava comes from a farming family, he is also learning the ropes. Lauren Rava said she and Chad Rava have always had a vision to one day own a winery but the opportunity came about a little faster when veteran winemaker John Clark was retiring from his head winemaking job with The Wine Group. He and his wife Kelley Brophy Clark also had their own wine brand Brophy Clark and they had been making premium central coast wines for 20 years. When John heard from Chad that he wanted to build an event center he saw an opportunity. He thought it made sense for the Rava’s to build a winery on site and he could help them make their wines while also making
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the Brophy Clark wines at the new winery. The Clarks are now ‘mentoring’ the Ravas on winemaking while housing the Brophy Clark wines in the Rava facilities. The pairing is perfect: in the tasting room one can taste a flight of Rava sparkling wines and also a flight of the still wines from both Rava and Brophy Clark. Kelley Brophy Clark said, “It’s nice because we’ve been making Brophy Clark wines since 1996. And we have always made them in different wineries that John was working at. We’ve moved around a lot. So when Chad decided to build his winery and do this and we got involved, it gave us the opportunity to bring Brophy Clark here too. For the first time in 30 something years, we had a brand new winery and brand new equipment.” “And (we) have a new home base!” Lauren Rava added. “It’s turned out to be a great synergy to have the two wineries in the same building,” Kelley Brophy Clark said. “We’re complimentary because we don’t make the same wines.” The Ravas have the five sparkling wines, an Albariño and an Italian red blend and the Brophy Clarks are making Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and GSM. Lauren Rava said, “They get most of their grapes sourced from Santa Barbara County and we have all our grapes sourced from Paso Robles and Monterey. But it’s all processed by the same winery. So you get the same collective combination.” “We still have a lot more work to do,” said Chad Rava, standing under a sky-high ballroom ceiling in his event center, on an off-day for weddings and corporate and private events. “I put in a lot of miles walking around
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here.” Kelley Brophy Clark said the event center idea came first, “when Chad brought us here in 2015, this was a roof. Dirt,” she said. “And when he told us he was going to turn this into an event center we were like, ‘Really?!’ But he had vision.” Chad Rava remembered thinking about building the event center. “And if we were going to have parties, better have sparkling wine,” he said. “It’s a celebration. So that was sort of a tie-in.” John Clark described the first vintage with Rava as “pretty ambitious.” “We made wine for Chad and Lauren where we made our wine in 2015 up in Monterey County,” said winemaker John Clark. “That was their first vintage. A couple hundred cases. So we made the cuvée [Rava’s Blanc de Blancs] there. But we had to send it up to Sonoma to get it put in tirage.” The following year they made the wine in Soledad, then put it in tirage and bottled at the Rava Wines facility. Soon, they got the hang of working out of the Rava Wine site, with the first Rava wines being the 2016 Monterey County Albariño and Paso Robles Humble Red, which they bottle at Rava. “And then the 2016 cuvées were put in tirage here. Five of them,” John Clark said.
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John Clark and Chad Rava have a special relationship, full of comradery and good humor. “I used to call him at four in the morning,” John Clark laughed. The Albariño was fermented and aged ‘sur lie’ for four months in French and American Oak barrels, lending to a complex wine with crisp, refreshing aromas of white nectarine and green apple, accented by hints of honeysuckle and lavender. Tasting notes reveal “vibrant flavors echo the aromatics with hints of citrus and mineral. The wine’s lively natural acidity is perfectly balanced by a subtle background of complexity from the neutral barrels.” The Humble Red, a Rava blend of 35 percent Primitivo, 33 percent Nebbiolo and 32 percent Teroldego comes straight from the Los Robles Vineyard Estate in Paso Robles. Rava’s tasting notes describe the wine as fruit-forward, with aromas of olallieberry, black raspberry and ripe plum mingle, with hints of earth and toffee. Tasting notes describe “vibrant flavors of blackberry and truffles are enveloped in a rich, round texture. The balance and structure of this wine ensure a long life.” Rava offers five premium Méthode Champenoise sparkling wines: a pale straw, velvety effervescent 100 percent Chardonnay Blanc de Blanc; a 100 percent Grüner Veltliner with lively notes of apple and citrus,
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(Upper left) Winemaker John Clark inspects lines of wine bottles with Chad Rava. (Upper Right) John Clark and Kelley Brophy Clark form quite the team. The veteran winemaker and winemaking consultant have been mentoring the Ravas and partnering with them on their big journey. (Below) Rava's team has created more than just a wedding venue. The tasting room wine club and champagne making facilities set Rava apart as a unique winery in Paso Robles.
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giving way to a creamy finish; a Blanc de Noir, made up of 100 percent Pinot Noir, with soft notes of star fruit and honeydew melon on the palate; the lush, bubbly Brut Rose blend of Chardonnay, Primitivo, Nebbiolo and Teroldego; and finally the Rava Brut, of 100 percent Chardonnay with “hints of stone fruit, mineral and freshly baked bread.” The sparkling wines and Albariño come from the 1,200-acre Rava family-owned, ‘Black Jack’ Vineyard in Monterey, which is situated on a gently-sloping hillside of the Santa Lucia Range in Monterey County. The ideal growing climate of foggy mornings and warm days followed by late afternoon coastal breezes and chilly nights allows the grapes to ripen slowly over the growing season, resulting in expressive, aromatic fruit. Rava’s family has been farming since his grandfather, Gerolamo Rava, from Lake Como, Italy moved the family to Gonzales in 1924. Grandfather Rava started his own dairy and raised beef cattle and feed in Monterey County. Chad’s father, Jerry Sr., has been farming vegetables for Rava Ranches Inc. since the 1950s, with his son Jerry Jr., a Cal Poly grad. Chad Rava is the only wine grape grower of the longtime Paso Robles farming family. Born and raised in Paso Robles, farming has always been his way of life. When he was young he attended St. Rose and Paso Robles High School and then Cal Poly. He also roped for many years in professional rodeo. “He’s a true farmer,” Lauren Rava remarked. Chad Rava has been managing the family’s wine grapes as well as his own grapes for winemaking in Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties for years and he plans to keep the family tradition going, to pass the wine business knowledge down to his son, Sterling, age 6 and Jade, age 3. Lauren Rava said her son Sterling loves to help with every vintage. “He’s interested in tractors and everything to do with farming,” she said. “Chad wants to pass down the farming and traditions to the next generation.” She added that one of the reasons they started the wedding venue was so that she and her daughter and nieces could be active in the family business. Up on the wall in the tasting room is a unique piece of art. Lauren Rava had an old WWI military document from Gerolamo Rava, blown up, framed and hung above the seating area. The signature last name of ‘Rava,’ that Gerolamo Rava penned on that document, is on every bottle of Rava wine. The weddings at the Rava Wines venues are getting all kinds of buzz in the hospitality industry, and the stylish elegance has Lauren Rava’s name all over it. The venue’s stunning design, Lauren Rava said, is a “group effort,” but Chad Rava hinted, if you need to know anything about the winery, ask his wife. “We’re just trying to be more ‘hands on,’’ said Lauren Rava, who likes to think of herself as an apprentice in 18
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winemaking. “Trying to learn this side of the business better. Learning John’s tools of the trade.” No one at Rava is making a very big deal about their accomplishments and no single person on the team seems to want to take any credit for their amazing new winery and event center. Lauren Rava says John Clark is the one on the team with all the years of experience and that she and her husband are “definitely learning.” John Clark says his wife has the expert palate, being the viticulturist, and his talent is only in the actual drinking of wine. Kelley Brophy Clark says, no, John is the one who has the best palate, but he lets her pick out the right grapes. But everyone agrees that seeing the vintages from start to finish has been an incredible experience. “We’ve already bottled the 2017 wines, which were totally made here,” said John Clark. “And the Pinot Grigio and I think it’s pretty good.” The rest of the Rava crew is a lively bunch, sharing a bottle of new vintage sparkling on the day Vino came to visit. Kendall Moore is the event manager. Jody Gianolini controls operations. Leslee Falkenberg runs the tasting room and is working on launching the new wine club (coming soon). Jose Guzman is the cellar apprentice and friendly Zuma fills the important position of ‘Winery Dog.’ Chad Rava grows and sources all the grapes for his wines but is not yet ready to call himself ‘winemaker,’ as Kelley and John Brophy Clark are still coaching the Rava’s on winemaking. “I love what I do,” Rava said. “This is my first year. I’m learning everything there is to do — all the equipment that we have at the winery — everything.” John Clark, with the viticulture expertise of his wife, Kelley, has been winemaking for more than 30 years, producing the great value, expressive premium wines varietals that excel on the Central Coast: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Rhone blends and Zinfandel. Though the Ravas are learning the ropes on winemaking, John Clark is their ‘official’ winemaker thus far. Clark said he and Chad Rava “go way back” to 2001 when Chad Rava purchased a historic vineyard in Shandon, and Clark bought his grapes. Rava sold his ranches and vineyards in Shandon this past year to downsize and focus on family. Before retirement, John Clark was the winemaker for Corbett Canyon Vineyards in Edna Valley, and went on to serve as Vice President of Premium Wines for the Wine Group at their Monterey facility. Kelley Brophy Clark has been a pest management and viticulture consultant with her own business, Coastal Vineyard Consulting, since 1988. The Clarks, who raised their children on the Central Coast said they are happy to have a “home” for their wines so close to Arroyo Grande, where they live. Her husband takes the “minimalist” approach to winemaking, Kelley Clark said.
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Tasting room hours are Thurs-Saturday 11am to 5pm and Sundays from 11am to 4pm.
“We let the grapes and the vineyards speak for themselves,” she said. “That’s the kind of style we’ve always done for Brophy Clark and John’s doing the same for Rava’s wines.” The excitement of being able to make premium sparkling wine at Rava for the past three years appeals to him. “Not a lot of people are making Méthode Champenoise, from here to Monterey county, so they’re kind of the pioneers of this,” John Clark, who may have put the ‘bug’ in Chad Rava’s ear about building a winery, said. “And they have total control of the grapes, so you can farm those particular piece of the vineyard a bit differently.” Chad Rava does farm his sparkling wine grapes differently. He is used to “getting paid by the ton” in commercial farming, working with approximately 26 different varieties of grapes. He said he enjoys the new door he is walking through — “boutique” farming — hand-picking and zoning in on the finest grapes for his wines. “Mainly you deal with sugar,” said Chad Rava, who will talk brix and hedonistic scales and chemistry with VINO Central Coast Edition
John Clark like the best of them. “That’s what it comes down to. And there are wineries that pay me to grow high-quality fruit. So you’ve got to bounce back and forth from yields to high quality.” As John Clark passes on his wine expertise to the Ravas, and continues to perfect the new machinery that makes Méthode Champenoise sparkling wines, he said he is grateful for the challenge of every different wine that he is able to work with. He said with great affection, “Even though the winery is small by my standards, it’s just as big of a challenge because it’s a new winery.” To reserve a tour and/or tasting of the Méthode Champenoise sparkling wine production at Rava Wines, call for an appointment at 805-238-7282. Rava Wines is located at 6785 Creston Road in Paso Robles. Tasting room hours are Thursday to Saturday and Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Make a reservation for tasting groups of six or more by emailing Leslee@ravawines.com. To schedule an event, contact Kendall Moore at 805-8351382.
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May/June 2018
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You don’t need permission to tinker with your wine By David Wilson FOR VINO MAGAZINE
Host of America’s #1 Nationally Syndicated Wine Radio Show, Grape Encounters Co-owner of the Grape Encounters Empourium Wine Bar in Atascadero
Nearly two decades ago, I had a life-changing wine experience. I was on the Island of St. Martin in the Caribbean with a group travelers who were enjoying an incentive trip hosted by a Los Angeles radio station. Several members of our group were partying around the pool on a picture-perfect night. Most of us were drinking wine and, because it was a middle-of-theroad resort, the wines were marginal at best. After all, we were on an island where Pina Coladas were the preferred drink.
It was surprisingly good. In fact, it was better than what I had in my glass, which was what he had been drinking before he added the other guest’s wine. That evening was a game changer for me. When I got home, I was overcome with the temptation to tinker with my wine. I became an amateur chemist pretty quickly; blending all kinds of different wines.
A Reckless Revelation
I started thinking of wine from the perspective of a chef. You know… you season, to taste. I started thinking carefully about the characteristics of the wines I had in my stockpile and I actually got really good at creating concoctions that were better than any of the original parts. Now, you have to remember; there wasn’t a lot of blending going on at that time. In fact, blends only represented a tiny portion of the wines available at local retailers. The whole idea of what I was doing actually made me feel a little dirty. Nonetheless, I would blend wines for dinner parties and serve them from a decanter.
Borrowing A Chapter From The Culinary World
One member of our group had consumed a little bit too much and decided he was going to show off his diving skills. He approached the diving board (in his skivvies) with wine glass in hand and then abruptly reversed direction. Apparently, he had realized that his glass was less than half full, so he snatched a glass from another member of our group and poured it into his own. They were completely different wines and the rest of us cringed at his crass act. As he headed back to the diving board, I muttered something about how disgusting arbitrarily mixing two wines together was. He took a sip, smiled and said, “It’s a big improvement.” He brought the glass over to me and insisted I give it a try. After much protest, I gave his concoction the smallest of sips. 20
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May/June 2018
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FEATURED DINING REVIEW
Double cut pork chops is just one of Enoteca’s delicious dinner offerings.
Enoteca offers cuisine from a variety of cultures, all with California style
S
Story and Photos By Beth Bolyard OF VINO MAGAZINE
ettled atop a hill at the crossroads of Highway 101 and Highway 46 West, Enoteca Restaurant and Lounge, the crown jewel of the La Bellasera Hotel and Suites, is the perfectly-nestled hub for wine tasters, luxury lovers, and locals looking to get away from town. Only minutes from downtown Paso Robles and just up the road from prime wine tasting country, Enoteca boasts a home away from home atmosphere with California fusion foods perfectly paired with local specialty wines. Luis Salazar, Head Chef at Enoteca for all 10 years it’s been in business, is inspired by local cuisine and nationally-recognized chefs like Chef Ramsey. He creates unique and perfectly prepared meals and appetizers every
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Central Coast Edition VINO
evening. The grilled pork chops with mustard glaze is juicy, succulent, and cooked to perfection. Coconut crusted halibut with glazed veggies is another spectacularly cooked and presented dish. Salazar learned his craft in several restaurants along the Central Coast over 22 years. He said he always wanted to be a chef and loved to cook growing up. “It’s my passion,” Salazar said describing his creations. Enoteca Restaurant Supervisor Daniel Bruen started at the restaurant about one year ago, but has been in the industry for 21 years and has been managing restaurants since 2000. He started in Sacramento as an entry level worker, then worked his way up and even owned his own restaurant for five years in Amador County. Bruen moved his wife and children to Paso Robles three years ago to be near his father who had been in the area for 30 years and he said he was drawn to Paso Robles because of it’s growing hospitality and culinary scene. “This has always been a second home to me,” Bruen said of his life in Paso Robles. “I watched the whole evolution of Paso Robles. To see the whole town kind of focus and become a destination point for hospitality, it’s what drives Paso Robles, it why I was drawn here.” Bruen said the inspiration for Enoteca’s menu is multicultural with a mix of California style. One of the restaurant's most popular dishes, on the menu for more than 10 years, is the signature halibut served on jasmine rice and an asian stir fry, garnished with pineapple curry. “This is a really cool dish that’s been on our menu since day one,” Bruen said of the halibut dish. “It’s the most popular and it’s a good example of how we blend other cultures and flavors into one dish.” Other popular dishes include the double bone in pork chop, steak ribeye, filet, braised short rib, and seasonal salad. The menu changes every three months to highlight the freshest ingredients that thrive in that moment of the year. They often serve asparagus in spring, strawberry in summer, and squash in the fall. VINO Central Coast Edition
Enoteca Restaurant Supervisor, Daniel Bruen (top), makes a hand crafted cuban old fashioned with specialty rum and bitters. Enoteca offers a variety of hand crafted cocktails, local wines, and beer at their bar.
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Continued on page 24 May/June 2018
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The caprese jar comes with a house-made balsamic caviar, burratta, sea salt served with baked pita bread.
The truffled ricotta sacchetti with sea scallops is tender, rich, and flavorful.
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“If you come once or twice a year, you’re guaranteed the menu is going to look pretty different,” Bruen said of the rotating menu. “We change with the season and we use the freshest ingredients, we don’t stick with one ingredient we have to travel around the world to get because it’s only fresh on that side of the world at that time, that’s a big thing for us.” Bruen said they also source as much local food as they can, including bread, cheese, and wine, which is almost entirely a local selection, and they rotate their by-the-glass wine so frequent guests can try a variety of wines throughout the year. Locals and wine tasting guests find this appealing and often wine tasting guests start at Enoteca, where Bruen and his staff will give guest a preview of wines they could try on their trip. Guests frequently come back for the hospitality and the staffs’ extensive regional wine knowledge. “They can come here, located ideally on the west side of Paso Robles, and we can organize a wine tour,” Bruen said of his interactions with guests. “They can tour wine country, then they can come back here, have some more wine or enjoy one of our specialty cocktails as a nightcap. It’s all centrally located, they don’t have to fight to traffic of downtown or struggle for parking, have plenty of parking here, that’s one of the advantages.” Bruen also boasted of the restaurant’s loyal local following, saying that many locals join them for a ‘staycation,’ describing the hotel and restaurant as Paso Robles ‘best kept secret.’ “Over here has a different feel to it, it’s a much more ‘welcome to our house’ kind of feel,” Bruen said of the restaurant’s location appeal. “Because we are a hotel, we treat our guests as if they are residents and we treat the locals that come here the same way. It’s intimate, guests can have a great home cooked meal with a great wine, handcrafted cocktails, it’s a great experience.” Bruen said the restaurant was a great place for locals and visitors alike to meet local winemakers and try wines they might not get the opportunity to try when out wine tasting. The restaurant’s staff has close relationships with their wineries and the staff is often taken out to learn more about the wines they serve so they can speak to the flavors and experience of the wine as the winemaker intended. “For locals, sometimes it’s hard to go out wine tasting, so we do it here,” Bruen said. “We bring the wineries in here, we’ll do classes and training with the staff about the wines, we’ll take the staff out to a winery or a distillery and learn about the process and then apply what we learned.” Bruen said his favorite part of the job was interacting with guests and helping them on their wine tasting journey. With over 300 wineries and a growing number of breweries and distilleries, being knowledgeable about the region is Enoteca’s main focus. “My favorite part of the day is interacting with the guests, I often get to see them through their weekend,” Bruen said. “This is a great place to start a weekend, we can give guests an introduction to the region, we have winemaps, we have the time to talk through where everything is, they come back and talk about their day.” Enoteca Restaurant and Lounge is open for dinner Monday through Sunday from 5-10 p.m. The La Bella Sera also offers a 150 person banquet room that can be fully catered on site by the Enoteca restaurant staff.
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Central Coast Edition VINO
The Role of a Sommelier
Greenshoot Media You might have seen them in fine restaurants, expertly opening a bottle of wine or recommending just the right vintage. The sommelier is a professional in the restaurant industry with specialized knowledge about beverages — particularly wine. The master sommelier is a rare breed, an expert whose wine knowledge is top-notch. A sommelier focuses both on knowledge and service. He can answer questions such as, “What’s your favorite bottle in this price range?” or “I recently tried _________. Can you recommend something similar?” or even, “Is this wine a good value?” Wine enthusiasts are often happy to have someone who shares their passion with whom to discuss trends and tastes while they dine.
Tipping a Sommelier A sommelier aims to enhance your experience at a restaurant, and if he makes an impression, tipping could be in order. Sommeliers often get a cut of the overall tips collected by servers, but if your VINO Central Coast Edition
sommelier went the extra mile, you can do the same and offer an extra tip for her. Wine Spectator’s Dr. Vinny even suggests sharing a glass from your bottle or letting her know you’re leaving some behind for her to try.
Certification The term master sommelier is often used generally to refer to a professional who has reached a level of distinction in the field. The Court of Master Sommeliers and the Wine and Spirit Education Trust are the major certifying bodies. The Court of Master Sommeliers reports that just 236 people worldwide have earned its Master Sommelier distinction. The process includes study and rigorous testing, including exams in the areas of theory and service and a detailed blind tasting. Forbes Magazine wonders aloud if it is “the world’s toughest test.” It is not uncommon for people to make multiple attempts before becoming certified. The plethora of knowledge required includes Published by the PASO ROBLES PRESS
not only details about growing regions, grape varieties and the winemaking process but even the minutiae of which years were better for wine production in certain regions, as well as information about spirits, distilling methods and food pairings.
The Career If you’ve got a passion for wine, you could make a career of it. According to the Court of Master Sommeliers, salaries range from $28,000 for beginners to $160,000 for master sommeliers. The job might include tasks such as marketing and education. Sommeliers often create a restaurant’s wine list and manage its stock and even arrange wine-tasting dinners. Some sommeliers travel as part of their jobs to expand their knowledge. Many sommeliers are self taught, but certifying bodies offer courses around the world. If jetting off to Paris for an intensive wine-drinking and learning experience sounds like fun, you might make a great sommelier. May/June 2018
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A Vote Of Confidence From Michael Mondavi By David Wilson FOR VINO MAGAZINE
Host of America’s #1 Nationally Syndicated Wine Radio Show, Grape Encounters Co-owner of the Grape Encounters Empourium Wine Bar in Atascadero
T
he ultimate confidence builder came last year when I was invited to spend a day with Michael Mondavi. His ad agency in New York had contacted me and indicated that he listens to my radio show, Grape Encounters, which airs on a prominent news station in Santa Rosa, KSRO. I was thrilled by the opportunity and headed north a week later. After a few hours of getting to know each other, Michael and I drifted into the topic of wine blending. I was hesitant to tell him that I regularly blend wines at home, but eventually confessed my sin and asked him whether or not I should be sent to prison. His response squelched years of guilt. He said emphatically that I should not be put in prison but rather should be put on a pedestal.
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Central Coast Edition VINO
Sometimes, tinkering with wine may include adding other household ingredients. I told Michael about a bottle of Petit Verdot given to me by a winemaker friend. The wine was truly undrinkable— flabby and on its death bed—so in a last-ditch effort, I added a tiny bit of sugar to the glass. Before I could continue, Michael jumped in. “Magic happened, right? If the wine doesn’t taste good to you, adjust.” He continued, “Adding the sugar changes the whole chemical evaluation, if you will, of all those components and will take a harsh bitter wine and make it soft but not sweet. Conversely, if a wine is a little too sweet, take a few drops of lemon juice and put it in.” I asked Michael if he really does that. With a gleam in his eye, he said, “I do that on a regular basis. Fortunately, they’re never my wines because my wines would not be in the bottle if they weren’t perfect.” He went on to tell me that he periodically asks for lemon wedges in restaurants to add acid to wines that are not acidic enough for his taste. Michael and I also talked about an article I had read in the New York Times. The author offered up a very interesting idea: If a wine is high in alcohol, add a touch of water… less than a teaspoon per glass. According to the author, whose name escapes me, the touch of water lowers the alcohol slightly, allowing masked characteristics of the wine to come to the forefront. Generally, if you are careful not to add too much water, the wine will not taste diluted AND its best qualities will shine.
A Famous French Rule-Breaker
One winery owner who really gets it is the very flamboyant Jean-Charles Boisset, who is married
to Gina Gallo. Five or six years ago, I visited JeanCharles at his Raymond Winery in Napa; a historic winery he had recently taken over and infused with a great deal of vision. Part of that vision is very consistent with my own. Jean-Charles and his team at Raymond have a keen appreciation of the fact that no two palates are alike. Accordingly, they have created a very special and almost other-worldly facility where wine drinkers can blend different varietals in proportions that suit their taste perfectly. It was fun to observe the intensity with which participants went about the task of creating their perfect wine. Once they had settled on a most satisfying formula, they created their own label and even bottled the wine themselves. Their recipe is stored at the winery and they can order more of their custom blend anytime they want. Look, it’s your wine… you paid for it… and playing with it can be very liberating! Certainly, you may suffer some guilt over tinkering with a bottle of wine that was the result of so much hard work but, the truth is, everyone’s taste is different. Some people add salt and pepper to their food, while others enjoy it thoroughly just the way it is served.
The Central Coast Gets It
One of the things I am proudest of about Central Coast winemaking is how daring our winemakers have become when it comes to blending. In our region, there are no rules and no restriction. Our winemakers are daring, which is why we have some very off-the-wall and totally delicious blends. I’m proud of the fact that we are becoming known for pushing the envelope. I’ll leave you with this. If you feel a little daring, follow this suggested approach: • First step… look on bottles of blended wines and see what proportions of various varietals are being blended by the pros. • Start with wines you have already opened or purchase some inexpensive but decent wines to experiment with. • Blend in small, carefully measure amounts and keep good notes. • Purchase a preservation devise so you don’t waste unconsumed wine. • Serve your creation from a decanter then, if your guests rave, tell them what you did with pride. If it doesn’t suit you perfectly, perfect it!
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Wine Terms
Greenshoot Media Corkage, varietal and aeration, oh my! There is a lot of wine terminology to know. Knowing the right terminology can help you describe what you like and order exactly the glass of wine you want — not to mention sound chic at a dinner party. You don’t have to be an expert to appreciate proper wine terminology. Here are some basics to get you started. Varietal — a wine made solely from a particular grape. Examples include syrah, Zinfandel and merlot. Blend — a blend of two or more varietals. New world/old world — Old world wines are those produced in a specific region, typically Europe. Examples include Champagne, Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon. New world wines are made from a particular varietal. Corkage — a fee charged by a restaurant 28
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to open and serve a bottle of wine you bring with you. It is intended to cover service, supplies (such as the use of the glass) and the loss of revenue from wine sales. Fees vary widely by restaurant. Mouth feel — how a wine feels in the mouth (smooth, velvety or rough). Sediment — solids from the winemaking process that remain in a bottled wine. Sediment is usually removed before bottling but sometimes remains in the bottle. In older wines, sediment might form in the wine and can result in a bitter taste. Decant a wine containing sediment prior to serving. Aeration — introducing air to wine, by such methods as decanting, swirling or using special aeration devices. This can improve flavor and aroma by releasing compounds such as sulfites and ethanol from the wine. Published by the PASO ROBLES PRESS
Vintage — the year in which grapes used to make wine are harvested. Grapes may be harvested and then aged in barrels, but the wine label should carry the year the grapes were harvested. The term also is sometimes be applied more largely to the effects of weather on the crop of grapes harvested in a particular year. Sommelier — wine steward, typically employed by fine restaurants to serve wine. A master sommelier is one who has passed a strenuous exam covering various facets of wine knowledge, including theory, tasting and service. Aroma — smells developed in a wine before and during fermentation. Bouquet — smells developed in a wine after fermentation. Nose — a term used to describe the aromas and bouquet of a wine during tasting. Central Coast Edition VINO
The Role of Tannins
Greenshoot Media Tannins in wine are polyphenols — naturally occurring chemical compounds that contribute greatly to the taste, color and texture of wine. Most notably, tannins contribute to the “dry” or astringent feeling of wine in the mouth. Tannins are found in many other plants. They are used in a variety of processes, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, including tanning leather, dyeing fabric, making ink, and in medical applications. In the winemaking process, tannins are added or removed to help control characteristics of the wine. Tannins bind easily to proteins, including saliva, producing the “dry” effect in the mouth. In fact, according to the National Institutes of Health, the astringency of tannins might explain why many people prefer drinks such as wine or coffee after a meal, with the tannins making it easier to clear food from the mouth.
VINO Central Coast Edition
Red vs. White Most tannins in wine are called flavonoids and come from the stem, seeds and skins of grapes. Red wines tend to have higher tannin content than white wines because the grapes spend more time in contact with their skins, seed and stems before fermentation during the winemaking process. Tannins also can be introduced to wines through the use of aging in oak barrels. Some varieties of wine grapes naturally have higher levels of tannins. If the tannins in a wine are too harsh, try softening them by decanting.
Aging Tannins contribute to the ability of a wine to age over time. This is because tannins are antioxidants that help protect the wine. This is why red wines are commonly chosen for long-term aging. Wine aged in new oak barrels will likely be imparted with more tannins than Published by the PASO ROBLES PRESS
those aged in older barrels, according to the Chicago Tribune. Eventually, the oak barrels stop imparting their tannins to wine. The Tribune also reports that even the grain of the wood in an oak barrel can affect the amount and qualities of its tannin content.
Health Effects Some people get headaches after drinking red wines. This might be attributable to tannins, though more research is needed. If you notice the same effects when you consume other foods containing tannins, such as dark chocolate, strong black tea and cinnamon, you might be able to chalk those headaches up to tannins. If you still want to enjoy wine, choose white or rose wines. Pinot noir is also a lower-tannin choice for those who crave a red wine.
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Downtown Paso Robles Arroyo Robles Pianetta
Bodegas Paso Robles 13th St
Parrish Family
Asuncion Ridge
LXV
Rabbit Hole Grizzly Republic Chateau Lettau
Herman Story
Frolicking Frog
12th St
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Paso Underground
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Pine St.
Park St.
Spring St.
Oak St.
Riverside Ave.
Vista Del Ray Rd Drake
14th St
10th St
Caparone
Anglim D’Anbino
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9th St
Starr Ranch
Derby Wine Estates
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Carmody McKnight Tablas Creek
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Moonstone Cellars
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7th St
Black Hand Cellars
Rd
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Jack Creek
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Epoch Rocky Creek
Highway 46 West
Harmony Cellars
Sextant Niner Grey Wolf Midnight Cellars & Dark Star Summer Silver Horse Tooth & Nail Wood Zenadia Paso Port 4 Lanterns Aron Hill Castoro Peachy Donati Family Canyon J Dusi Zin Alley Hunt Croad Cellars Cypher
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Pomar Junction
V ineyard Dr
Bella Luna T em plet o n R d T
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La Tab s las Rd
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Nichols Ruby Cellars
Chateau Margene
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Shadow Run
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San Antonio
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Vines on the Marycrest
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS SATURDAY, JUNE 2
Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest at the Paso Robles Event Center
The Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest was born from a dream of creating a world-class festival featuring not only the best brewers in the world but brewers whom we feel are leaders in the craft beer revolution. These are folks of like mind and spirit, some new friends some of many years, who share the same passion for making craft beer and sharing it with the world. Brewers, their beers, good music and folks who care. For more information and tickets visit https:// www.firestonebeer.com/brewery/invitational-beerfest-tickets.php.
SUNDAY, JUNE 3
15th Annual Paso Pinot & Paella Festival
Join the Paso Pinot Producers for their 15th Annual event from 2 to 5 p.m. Taste Pinot Noir from 20 Paso Robles producers, sample a dozen paellas from talented chefs, and enjoy live music by the Paso Wine Man Band. It all takes place at the Templeton Park under the shade of the giant oak trees. Blankets and/or lawn chairs are welcome. Tickets are available at pinotandpaella.com. All proceeds benefit local youth arts foundations.
SATURDAY, JUNE 9
7th Annual Mac and Cheese Fest: Avila Beach Golf Resort
The Mac is back! Join them for the 7th Annual Mac and Cheese Fest on Saturday, June 9, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Avila Beach Golf Resort. Central Coast Restaurants will go head to head for the title of, "Best Mac and Cheese on the Central Coast!" There will be Mac and Cheese, wine tasting, cocktail sampling, games and more. Plus, live music. Don't miss the fight for the title of best mac and cheese on the Central Coast! This is a 21+ event. A portion of the proceeds from the 7th Annual Mac and Cheese Fest will be donated to Woods Humane Society.
FRIDAY, JUNE 15
Albariño and Seafood Dinner at CaliPaso Winery
Albariño and Seafood Dinner during Albariño Festival Weekend in Paso Robles is coming soon. Guanábana Albariño vertical and Seafood dinner, Vintages 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. Diablo Paso will be hosting the Multi-Course Dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Luxury Villa at CaliPaso Winery. Prepared by Executive Chef Chris Kratke. CaliPaso Winery is located at 4230 Buena Vista Dr. in Paso Robles.
FRIDAY, JUNE 15 TO SATURDAY, JUNE 16 Festival of Albarino
It's a signature year for Albariño! So why not join around thirty incredibly passionate boutique wine producers showcasing their 2017 Albariños. All focused around the wonderfully crisp, aromatic, food-friendly Albariño Grape Varietal. Even red wine
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Summer Solstice Winemaker Dinner
and personal with unique "wheels" including race cars, vintage cars, classic cars, and military vehicles on display at each location. Use your Passport to continue your wine tasting adventures on Sunday! https://46eastwarriorswineswheels2018.eventbrite. com. All passport proceeds go to Estrella Warbirds & Camp Roberts Historical Museums. For more information about our charities, please visit www.camprobertshistoricalmuseum.com and www. ewarbirds.org.
SATURDAY, JUNE 23
2018 Highway 46 West Summer Block Party
drinkers love it. Learn more about Albariño. It's currently one of the most happening grape varieties in the USA.
SATURDAY, JUNE 16
Join Thacher Winery for an al fresco Winemaker Dinner on the longest Saturday of the year from 6 to 9 p.m. Menu and details will be posted at thacherwinery. com/events soon. Email us to reserve your seat at the table. Thacher Winery is located at 8355 Vineyard Dr. in Paso Robles.
Atascadero Lakeside Wine Festival
The Atascadero Lakeside Wine Festival brought to you by the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce celebrates 23 years on June 23, 2018. General admission from 4 to 8 p.m. and includes wine, beer and cider tasting featuring Central Coast Wineries, Breweries and Ciders, Art and culinary vendors as well as complementary Charles Paddock Zoo admission. VIP Experience admission from 3 to 8 p.m. includes admission into the festival one-hour early, access to an indoor cooling station, a wine tasting class and custom food pairing, plus $10 in Uber credit. For more information visit www.atascaderowinefestival.com
2nd Annual Lobster FEST
Roll up your sleeves and join Adelaida Vineyard and Winery for their second annual Lobster Fest! Savor delicious Adelaida wines throughout the evening. Once all the bibs are tied, Sorensen Catering pours steaming pots full of lobsters, prawns, artichokes, potatoes, onions, and corn along the table. Get your groove on as the DJ spins your favorite songs and be sure to capture the memories at the photo booth. This is the event that you won’t want to miss. Adelaida Vineyards and Winery is located at 5805 Adelaida Road in Paso Robles. Tickets are available at cellarpass.com.
Sunset Crab Feed
Last year’s inaugural Crab Feed was so much fun – Opolo is doing it twice this year. The second feed will take place June 23 at 5 p.m. Crack your way through delicious crustaceans, savor award-winning wines, and dance along to music by local favorite, Brass Mash. Opolo Vineyards is located at 7110 Vineyard Drive in Paso Robles. Tickets available at opolo.com.
SATURDAY, JUNE 30 SUNDAY, JULY 1
The Paso Robles Wineries of 46 East presents their 3rd annual Warriors, Wines, & Wheels weekend Passport event! Join them on Saturday, June 30, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a day of wine tasting and a progressive auto show all while benefiting our Veterans and active Military with 100 percent of Passport proceeds going to the Estrella Warbird Museum and Camp Roberts Historical Museum! Purchase your Passport for a $25 donation and use it as your ticket to fun and complimentary tastings at eighteen of our amazing Eastside wineries all weekend long. On Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. get up close
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SATURDAY, JULY 7
The Summer Block Party is a wine tasting with the member wineries of the 46 West in a casual 'mini-wine festival' atmosphere, along with great grub and rockin' live music to dance the night away to, all for $55 per person. This is one of the more popular events on the Central Coast and should not be missed. This event will sell out, so get your tickets early, you don't want to be turned away at the door. Join Four Lanterns Winery on Saturday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. which is located just off of Highway 46 West at 2485 CA-46, in the heart of Paso Robles Wine Country. All attendees must be 21 years of age or older, please no pets. The Highway 46 West Wineries encourage you to enjoy responsibly, please designate a driver.
FRIDAY, JULY 13 AND SATURDAY, JULY 14 2018 Bacon & Barrels
Enjoy a fun-filled weekend featuring creative bacon dishes from the best chefs on the Central Coast, and sample from barrels of the best in wine, bourbon, and craft beer. We'll kick off the weekend with an all pork dinner wine versus beer dinner under the stars. At Saturday's main event, the hottest chefs from the finest local restaurants will prepare and serve small plates starring bacon and pork belly in its most inventive forms. The best mixologists, brewers, and wineries will quench your thirst with refreshing bacon-based and baconinspired cocktails and brews. Bacon Heaven will include artisan and local vendors, games, music and more. To celebrate special achievement in the bacon arts, one Chef and one Mixologist will be named the 2018 Jefe del Porko. It's pretty much our Bacon Oscars, and not one to be missed. For more information visit baconandbarrels.com.
SATURDAY, JULY 14
Winemaker Dinner in the Gardens
Join Still Waters Vineyards and Winery for a summertime dinner in our stunning gardens Saturday, July 14. A five-course meal will be prepared by Chef Charles D. Paladin Wayne to accompany a generous flight of our favorite wines. The price is $105 for club members and $130 for non-club members. To make a reservation, email kasey@stillwatersvineyards.com or call the tasting room at 805-237-9231. Space is limited so don’t delay. Dinner is from 6 to 9 p.m. Still Waters Vineyards and Winery is located at 2750 Old Grove Lane in Paso Robles.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS FRIDAY, JULY 20
Pomar Junction Wine-Rail Excursion
Leave the SLO Amtrak Station at 3:35 p.m. on Friday afternoon and travel on the Amtrak Coast Starlight over the beautiful Cuesta Grade to Paso Robles. Then get transported to Pomar Junction Vineyard for their Train Wreck Friday party. Enjoy live music by Unfinished Business. The entertainment and wine-tasting are included in your fare of $85 per person. Buy dinner or bring your own picnic, and then get transported back to the SLO Amtrak Station. For more information visit slorrm.com.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 11 DAOU's Studio 54 Gala
The disco era of the 1970s was a time of dazzling decadence, playful fashion, and musical mischief. Now, for one out-of-this-world evening, you will be transported back to this era as we host the DAOU Studio 54 Gala—so named for the famous New York City nightclub that set the pace for all things disco. We can promise you that this will be a party without peer. There will be no end to the astonishments and surprises that we have curated for your pleasure. From the cuisine to the wines to the performances, we are intent on raising the already lofty bar that we have
set with past DAOU galas. A roller rink, exotic wildlife, and a full-fledged discotheque—this is just a small reveal of what is to come from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Join us as we make history together and recapture the glory days of disco. This event will sell out quickly. Purchase now to secure your tickets. $495 per individual ticket, $450 per individual ticket when purchasing 10 or more, prices exclude tax. DAOU Vineyards is located at 2777 Hidden Mountain Rd. in Paso Robles. Tickets are available at daouvineyards.com.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 24 Art & Wine Tour
Come enjoy an evening stroll in beautiful Downtown Atascadero from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Your $20 ticket includes a wine glass, tastings among downtown merchants, and tours of Historic City Hall. Purchase your tickets online at www.atascaderochamber.org or on the day of, in front of Historic City Hall located at 6500 Palma Ave., Atascadero. Atascadero Historical Society Docents will take you on a journey back in time covering the beginning through the restoration process that followed after the San Simeon Earthquake. Hosted by Atascadero Chamber of Commerce & the City of Atascadero.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Templeton Oktoberfest
Join us for SLO County's best Oktoberfest. North County will be the place to be September 29, as they roll out the mugs for this beer event. Don your lederhosen and dirndl and enter in the bestdressed contests. Also now is the time to practice your stein holding and beer chugging skills so you will be ready to win some great prizes. Leave the kids at home as the inflatables are for the adults to bounce on this time. Corn hole, check. Giant beer pong, check. The Central Coast's best Oktoberfest band Trio Internationale will be kicking up the tunes. Your ticket will include access to all the great music and fun, and mini mug with unlimited tastings. For the ultimate fun fork out a couple more bucks and get the one-liter mug (required for some contests). One liter mugs will be available for upgrade at the event if not sold out. These are real glass and a great addition to your home as well. Authentic German food items available for purchase from Beda's Biergarten. Sorry kids, 21 and over for admission to this one. No refunds. This event is rain or shine. More info at www. templetonoktoberfest.com
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8 Things That Affect Our Wine Perception It Might Not Be The Wine’s Fault! By David Wilson FOR VINO MAGAZINE
Host of America’s #1 Nationally Syndicated Wine Radio Show, Grape Encounters Co-owner of the Grape Encounters Empourium Wine Bar in Atascadero
It happens every day: Wine lover’s remorse. It’s when pricey bottles of wine purchased at the winery just don’t seem as exciting as they were when you were standing in the tasting room talking about terroir, vintages and varietals. That wine couldn’t have been more delicious and you were determined to score a case of it, even if you had to give up lattes for six months to help pay for it. So, what happened? How could something that was so irresistible just a few days before suddenly be singularly unimpressive? Actually, it may not be a problem with the wine. Instead, your disappointment could be the result of a variety of other factors that can have a profound impact on your Wine enjoyment. Once you understand them, there’s a lot you can do to turn something bad into something Good, And Something Good Into Something Great.
1) Raising Expectations Can Improve The Taste Of Wine
aficionado, you may take exception to the notion that you are vulnerable to the power of suggestion. But while there are certainly those among us who cannot be swayed by glowing misrepresentations, even highly capable wine critics have been known to succumb to suggestion. In a rather devious study by researcher Frédérlc Brochet of the University of Bordeaux, a group of wine experts was served wines from two different bottles. The first bottle was labeled as an exceptional grand cru; the second was a rather modest table wine. Predictably, the pricey grand cru received rave reviews filled with glowing adjectives. The experts largely panned the lowly table wine, calling it “flat, light, weak and faulty.” This may not seem surprising, except the two wines served were exactly the same. There’s something perversely pleasurable about seeing an expert with egg on his or her face! There are two lessons to be learned here. First, don’t let reviews rule your life. Second, use the power of suggestion to your advantage. If you’re serving wine to guests, talk it up. You might be able to earn rave reviews without breaking the bank.
2) Expensive Tastes Better
If someone whom you consider to be credible tells you that the wine you are about to taste is not the least bit pleasant, no matter how good it might be, chances are your lowered expectations will have you primed for an underwhelming experience. Conversely, if you are told that a wine has received rave reviews from critics, you will probably like it even if it is actually less than stellar. Now, if you fancy yourself as something of a wine 34
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Speaking of breaking the bank, there is little doubt that a high price tag can significantly-influence our perception of quality. But is a $100 bottle of wine really better than a $25 bottle of wine? A study by the California Institute of Technology gives us plenty to ponder. Similar to the Brochet study, Cal Tech researchers gave members of a study group the exact same wine in two different bottles. Subjects were told that the wines sold for drastically different prices. You guessed it: The study participants showed an overwhelming preference for what they thought was “the good stuff.” A new science known as neuro-economics seeks to understand the subconscious appeal of luxury products. During their experiments, the Cal Tech researchers monitored brain activity in the medial orbitofrontal cortex of their subjects. This part of the
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brain plays a key role in our experience of pleasure. Remarkably, the cortex became quite active when subjects were told that the wine they were consuming was expensive. Hence, if you want to make sure that the wine you are serving gets resounding approval, you might want to use one of these lines (and you don’t even have to lie): • “I hope you like this wine. Money was no object." • “It was beyond my budget, but when I tasted it I just had to buy it for you."
3) Serve Up Class In The Right Glass
Drinking wine from the right glass can make a big difference, but that doesn’t mean you need to invest in Waterford Crystal. It just means that you should give a little thought to the shape of things. Wine glasses are designed so that the shape of the bowl and rim expose more or less of the wine to the air, concentrating or dissipating aroma and bouquet. The shape of a wine glass can also affect how and where different wines come into contact with your palate. Red wines should be served in a glass that has a bigger bowl and a wider opening—allowing you to experience more of the wine’s aroma. Whites should be served in a glass with anarrower bowl and a smaller opening to help the wine stay cooler and preserve its more delicate aromas. As for Champagne, never serve it in those wide-mouth glasses you might see at weddings. (Aren't those almost martini glasses?) Champagne should always be served in a tall, narrow glass to keep the bubbles from dissipating prematurely.
4) Not Too Hot. Not Too Cold
If there is one safe generalization we can make about how wine is served, it is this: White wines are generally served too cold and red wines are served too warm. When it comes to wine, temperature is a big deal. VINO Central Coast Edition
So here’s what you need to know: If it has bubbles, serve it chilled (unless you’re pouring it into your bathtub). Chill champagne and sparkling wines in the refrigerator for about 1—1/2 hours, or in an ice bucket that also contains water for 20 minutes. Before serving, let the bubbly warm up just a bit—especially higher-end vintages. • Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, white Zinfandel and other refreshing, sweet or crisp white wines should also be refrigerated to about 35 or 40 degrees. • Chardonnay, White Burgundy and other fullbodied, barrel—fermented white wines should be served warmer—at about 55 degrees. If you don't have a cellar. put them in the refrigerator for an hour or two and then bring them out to warm up for about 20 minutes. • Almost all red wines are at their best at 65 degrees—neither cold nor room temperature. For best results. Refrigerate them for a few minutes before serving. Unfortunately, some things can’t be controlled as easily. A room’s temperature, humidity and even barometric pressure can also affect the way a wine tastes. The exact same bottle of wine can taste appreciably different in Houston versus Seattle. It's a good thing to know, but a hard thing to control.
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5) Watch What You Put In Your Mouth!
7) Coloring Your Wine Perception
When foodies and wine lovers talk about wine pairings, they generally focus on what wines and foods best complement one another. What is seldom talked about is food and wine pairings to avoid. Here’s the biggest “don’t” of them all: Never put anything minty in your mouth if you’re going to be drinking wine. No gum, mints or peppermint anything. Vinegar is almost equally bad. Vinegar is the anti-wine and will make even the best wines taste unpleasant. Don’t eat anything with vinegar when drinking wine. No vinegar in the salad dressing or marinade. Nothing pickled. If you're looking for a light dressing, why not substitute real wine for the vinegar—or play it safe with ranch? lf mint, vinegar or other strong flavors are unavoidable, do yourself a favor and eat a cracker or a piece of white bread before your first sip. Simple and oh, so effective!
6) Does Your Taste In Music Match Your Taste In Wine?
Some people go to a lot of trouble to create just the right ambience. Ambience does matter. But the relationship between wine and music is even more significant than you might think. That was the conclusion of a study at Herriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. Conducted on behalf of renowned Chilean Winemaker Aurelio Montes, the Edinburgh researchers discovered that the style of music played had a dramatic impact on the study groups’ perception of wines they were served. For instance, when a powerful, heavy piece of music is played, big red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon and other bold Bordeaux wines are perceived as being as much as 60% more powerful, rich and robust. Conversely, white wines were rated 40% more “zingy and refreshing" when “zingy and refreshing" music was played. The folks at Montes Wines have even suggested a few wine and music pairings that you might want to experiment with: • Cabernet Sauvignon: “All Along the Watchtower "(Jimi Hendrix), Honky-Tonk Women” (Rolling Stones). “Live and Let Die” (Paul McCartney and Wings), “Won't Get Fooled • Again" (The Who). • Chardonnay: "Atomic" (Blondie), “Rock DJ” (Robbie Williams). "What‘s Love Got to do With it" (Tina Turner), “Spinning Around" (Kylie Minogue). • Syrah: “Nessun Dorma” (Puccini), "Orinoco Flow” (Enya), “Chariots of Fire” (Vangelis), “Canon in D" (Pachelbel). • Merlot: “Sitting on The Dock of The Bay" (Otis Redding), “Easy” (Lionel Ritchie), “Over the Rainbow" (Eva Cassidy), “Heartbeats” (Jose Gonzalez).
VINO Central Coast Edition
It has long been accepted that the color of a drink affects our perception of taste, which is probably why so much food coloring is used in the production of soft drinks. Color is most certainly one of the things tasters consider when sampling wine. But how do the colors in the room affect us? Researchers in Mainz, Germany, at Johannes Gutenberg University wanted to see if the color of ambient lighting had an impact on our perception of wine’s taste. To make sure the wine’s actual color wasn't a factor, the researchers served a Riesling in black glasses. Next, test subjects were put in a room with ambient colored lighting and asked to evaluate the wine. Dr. Oberfeld-Twistel, who conducted the study, suspected some colors could make people more responsive to certain sensory input. In fact, study participants found the Riesling to be much tastier when they were exposed to blue or red background lighting. Green and white lighting had the opposite effect. So why not add some blue and red to the table setting, along with a bouquet of red roses? Change the table linens to a more complementary shade and, while you don’t have to paint the walls, you can certainly experiment with colored light bulbs.
8) The Wrong Aromas Can Make Wine Stink
For centuries, the general consensus has been that wine-tasting rooms should be devoid of any smell except the wine itself. That’s because conflicting scents can really disrupt the senses. But now, a study conducted by Oregon State University and sponsored by Bridgeview Vineyard and Winery has sniffed out some interesting new possibilities. According to the researchers, manipulating the smells in a room could be the key to making a wine more enjoyable. For instance, a wine perceived as too sweet or fruity can be made much more likable by adding sweet, spicy or fruity fragrance to the room. That’s because adding an ambient scent complementary to an overly dominant characteristic in a wine can actually make the wine more pleasant. For instance, a Merlot with strong spicy notes might be regarded as too strong to be likable. But if you add a complementary spicy aroma to the room, the spicy note becomes likable. Yes, that bottle of Old Spice could come in really handy!
What Have We Learned?
Wine is a very complex consumable; rich with nuances that work together to give us enormous pleasure. Unfortunately, those same nuances are tremendously vulnerable to a host of both environmental and psychological factors. Being aware of some of these factors can empower you to enhance your wine enjoyment in a significant way. One final word of caution, however: Overthinking it might be the very worst thing you can do.
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FEATURED TASTING ROOM
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Gorgeous architecture and views of the valley make Denner’s Tasting Room a must By Beth Giuffre OF VINO MAGAZINE VINO Central Coast Edition
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(Previous page) Denner's "Comus Crush" tasting room for guests of the B&B. (Above and below) Denner's "Comus Vista" tasting room for visitors with a reservation.
he Denner Winery and Estate Vineyard sits with the grand oaks and stately cypress tree atop a hillside along Paso Robles’ western border. Architect John Robert Mitchell designed the winery and two tasting rooms to contour into the existing hillside, keeping with the natural geography, as one of the few gravity-flow wineries in California. The contemporary, complementary designs fit with the Central Coast vibe, and the handmade, artisanal wines coming from the gravity flow winery are among the area’s finest. The winery, vineyard and a casual, but elegant ‘Comus Vista’ tasting room share the property with a the relaxing, romantic “Comus House,” a B&B where wine tasters often stay when visiting the North County wine country. The ‘Comus Vista’ tasting room is separate from the private ‘Comus Crush’ tasting room for guests of the B&B. At Comus Vista, the staff offers cheese plates from Fromagerie Sophie — perfect for a picnic. The Comus Crush tasting room overlooks the fermentation floor of the winery facility, and offers a more traditional bar-style experience. Nicole Kirkpatrick, Wine Club Manager at Denner, described both tasting experiences as, “A tasting led by friendly, knowledgeable staff offered either table-side outside among the vines or inside with a bird’s eye view into our fermentation room.” Tasting room staff will walk their guests through the tasting of Winemaker Anthony Yount’s wines: from the vibrant and aromatic Viognier to the impressive, expressive Dirt Worshipper blend of 95 percent Syrah, three percent Roussanne and two percent Viognier. And if tasters are lucky, they will experience the sophisticated Mother of Exiles, an intoxicating blend of 65 percent Cabernet, 30 percent Petit Verdot, and five percent Merlot. One online reviewer said, “We visited in October of 2017 and this is One of the most beautiful and best! We love this vineyard. What a pleasant experience. You have to call to make an appointment but totally worth it! The staff was knowledgeable and beyond kind. We even met the owner. He came out and spoke to my husband about the unique and beautiful architecture. (My husband is an architect).” Another wrote, “My winemaker friend recommended to taste the wines here. We were so impressed we joined their Club, that was three years ago. We have been to their tasting room around four times a year and I have sent my friends here on numerous occasions. Not once have I heard a negative report other than the waiting list to join. Ron Denner has the best parties and events, we have never been disappointed. In addition, we have meet people from all Continued on page 42
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An elegant patio sits between both tasting rooms at Denner.
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over the US here and most of them visit even though it is way out of their way. That should tell you something.” And one Google user said, “Possibly THE most beautiful winery on the central coast (both in terms of architecture and landscape.). The wines also speak for themselves; "Ditch Digger" [Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Counoise, Cinsaut and Tannat blend] has become famous across the US; try whispering this among foodies and wine snobs in NYC or Miami and you're guaranteed to hear groans of pleasure. If you do a wine tour in the area, do NOT miss out on the chance to taste at Denner!” Aron Aevarez, vineyard manager, is committed to environmentally-friendly farming practices, using only sustainable inputs and minimal irrigation. Denner farms 19 different varietals in 26 unique blocks, using 45 of the 108 acres for their estate wines, with the remaining grapes going to ultrapremium producers in Paso Robles. Denner typically pours between one and four wines in the tasting room. Denner will happily tell you what they will be pouring if you call ahead. A tastings fee of $20 applies to all non-member visitors, waived with the purchase of one bottle. Members receive six gratis tastings with their membership. The Denner Winery Comus Vista Tasting Room is located at 5414 Vineyard Drive in Paso Robles. To make an appointment for a tasting (especially requests with less than 48 hours advance notice for groups of eight or more guests), call 805239-4287, email info@dennervineyards.com, or visit www. dennervineyards.com. Hours by appointment only, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week. Tasting at Denner is inclusive with a stay at the Comus House on Saturdays at the separate Comus Crush tasting room. On May 5, Denner will be open at 2 p.m. and on the Fourth of July closing will be 2 p.m. Directions from Paso Robles - South on Hwy 101 Turn Right off Hwy 101 at 46 West Turn Right on Vineyard Drive Turn Right on Willow Creek Road Our gate is on the left 2885 Willow Creek San Luis Obispo - North on Hwy 101 Turn Left off Hwy 101 onto Vineyard Drive Cross Hwy 46 West (don’t turn) Turn Right on Willow Creek Road Our gate is on the left 2885 Willow Creek 42
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Atascadero Wine Festival Weekend
By Elizabeth Enriquez-Phillips OF VINO MAGAZINE he 23rd annual Atascadero Lakeside Wine and/or orange juice at the end of each class, along with Festival is set for June 23 from 4 to 8 p.m. and coupons for local merchants and prizes." said Sean will feature multiple Central Coast wineries, Kennedy, General Manager of Kennedy Club Fitnesslocal artists, craft vendors and delicious food. Atascadero. “We were excited to learn the Chamber This event was voted Best North SLO County wanted to incorporate a lifestyle element to the festival Outdoor Event in 2018 and is considered a ‘must do’ for and thought the Pop-Up classes would be a great way to many attendees not only for the wine, but also for the start the day. We hope to see our community out there, craft beer, cider, art, food and live music. moving and enjoying the morning before the event!" The event kicks off Friday, June 22 with the Mayor’s Finally the main event the Wine Festival from 4 to Winemaker Dinner hosted by the Atascadero Kiwanis 8 p.m. at Atascadero Lake Park; General admission. Club and the City of Atascadero. The Mayor’s Winemaker Includes wine, beer and cider tasting featuring Central dinner in its 8th year and will start at 5 p.m. and features a Coast Wineries, Breweries and Ciders, Art and culinary gourmet dinner and over 30 winemakers — two of which vendors as well as complementary Charles Paddock Zoo are at each table. admission. There will be silent and live auctions featuring North VIP Experience admission from 3 to 8 p.m. includes County wines, woodwork, art, jewelry and more created admission into the festival one hour early, access to an by Kiwanis just for this special event. indoor cooling station, a wine tasting class and custom For ticket information for the Mayor’s Winemaker food pairing, plus $10 in Uber credit. dinner contact the Atascadero Kiwanis at www. The event will wrap up with a "Wine Down" or atascaderokiwanis.org or kiwanisatascadero@gmail.com. Sunday with exclusive winery discounts at your favorite, The festivities continue with the 8th Annual Wine participating wineries. Festival Benefit Golf Tournament on Saturday at 8 a.m. For more information and up to date list of wineries, hosted by the Atascadero Optimists at Chalk Mountain vendors and activities visit www.atascaderowinefestival. Golf Course. The event costs $80 per player or $90 after com. June 17 and includes green fees, cart, range balls and a tri-tip lunch. John Katavich Contests include closest to the pin, long drive, and Lic. #36194 hole in one. Bring $30 for the Fun Golf Package. Mulligan, Miracle Putt, Closest to the Hole, Longest Drive and raffle tickets. Call Jerry Tanimoto at 805 423-3364 for more information. Get a jump start on wine fest morning at 9 a.m. with Kennedy Club Fitness and their WINEd UP event at Barns • Tractor Sheds • Out Buildings Sunken Gardens where they are offering three 45-50minute Pop-Up classes on the hour (9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 Serving San Luis Ag Community For 50 Years. a.m.) Class combinations included an aerobic, interval training workout at 9 a.m., followed by Yoga at 10 a.m. 805•438•3600 Metal Buildings and TaiChi at 11 a.m. Classes will be open to the public 3383 Katacreek and all ages and fitness levels are encouraged to attend. Creston, CA 93432 "Kennedy will be offering complimentary Mimosas
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Beginning Wine Tasting
If you’re new to the world of wine, your first tasting can be intimidating. You don’t expect to put on a pair of skis and swoosh down a black diamond trail on your first outing. Similarly, don’t expect to be a seasoned wine pro at your first tasting. Here are a few tips to keep in mind, but remember to focus on enjoying yourself and the wine and you’ll do just fine.
The Tasting Process Get a good look. Swirl the wine gently in the glass. Does it wash quickly over the glass or appear to take its time traveling back down the side of the glass? Is there sediment in the glass? How deep is the color? How clear is it? Notice how this correlates to taste later. Smell the wine. According to Live Science, 80 percent of our sense of taste
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comes via our sense of smell. Wine drinkers know this very well, making it crucial to take a good whiff from your glass before the wine touches your mouth. How a wine is made and stored all affect its “nose” or “bouquet.” Take note of what you smell. Is it fruit, herb, earth? If you notice a vinegar smell, the wine might have gone bad. A musty scent could alert you to the presence of mold or dust. A strong smell of cork could also mean trouble. Assuming a pleasant smell, proceed to tasting. Taste the wine. When tasting a wine, note how it feels and tastes. Swirl it around in your mouth. Is it full-bodied or light? Does it feel “dry” or “astringent,” or perhaps sweet? After noting the tastes and considering how it compares to your visual and smell observations, spit out the
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wine (if you plan to taste several wines) or swallow it.
Honing Your Tasting Style Your tasting skills will evolve over time. If you plan to make a hobby of it, you will notice during future tastings that your palate will evolve. As this happens, you might start to prefer wines that are more “dry” than sweet. You will become more adept at picking out particular characteristics in wines. You also will start to notice what you like in a wine. Do you prefer an oaky Cabernet? A fruity Zinfandel? A rich pinot noir? A fruity rose? There’s only one way to find out. Practice makes perfect — or at least in this instance, practice can be a whole lot of fun.
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As years passed, my confidence grew. I loved being able to blend wines from all around the globe. I don’t think any winemaker would disagree with the notion that much of the blending we do today stems from weaknesses in a particular wine. Blending can often fix those deficiencies. And the lion’s share of wine-drinking consumers don’t realize that the Cab or Syrah or Zinfandel they are drinking may contain up to 25 percent of other wines. If you live in wine country or are a hardcore wine enthusiast, you probably already know that little factoid. Most consumers do not.
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So, imagine what fun you can have blending single varietal wines from around the world that are not terribly flawed. The objective here is not to improve the wines, but rather to create something new and unique. On the other hand, if the wine you purchased is lessthan-pleasurable, why not doctor it? It seems totally unnecessary to suffer through a bottle that can be improved right in your own home. Several years ago, I was at an intimate Bordeaux blending event conducted by the head winemaker from a large volume winery in Napa. At that event, I disclosed to the winemaker that I often blend my own wines. It was the first time that I had ever admitted my indiscretion to someone from the winemaking world. His reaction was unpleasant but not unexpected. He severely chastised me and said he was appalled that I would dare blend two or three different wines without parental, (make that, expert) assistance. The truth is, I would never drink his mediocre wines, so his opinion only made me more defiant. In my travels, I have found that most of the outstanding winemakers that I have met actually approve of, if not encourage home blending. Of course, they’re likely to be way better at it then me, but there is no right or wrong and everyone’s taste is different.
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