Cabernet Shootout Challenge:
PAIRINGS: An Afternoon with Harry Houdini, California Dreaming
+ Holiday Mingle
Over a number of weeks this past fall, 
This distinctly different format provided a unique opportunity to compare consumer palates against those of 'experts' in the wine industry. 
The current show at the CJM has garnered much acclaim:
"Organized by the Jewish Museum, New York, it's a marvelous show that brings together a vast range of material documenting the world of Houdini - archival films, photographs, diaries, vaudeville posters, and the actual handcuffs, steamer trunk, milk can and other everyday objects he used in his acts of transformation. Those objects and ephemera are integrated with works by two dozen contemporary visual artists inspired by him."
Read more here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/02/DD8V1LNMFC.DTL#ixzz1crC9SaJG
We also toured a new exhibit...
California Dreaming reveals how the quality of “pioneering” was and still is the driving force of Bay Area Jewish life. Through photographs, documents, newspapers, videos, and ephemera, the exhibition will show how the Bay Area Jewish community, despite its stunning diversity and significant historical changes, still operates according to its unwritten founding principles: a pioneering spirit that gave Jews the confidence to create their own destiny
We celebrated the sentiment of the season and gathered nearby for a nosh and a jingle mingle after touring the exhibit. The 4N5 Gallery down Mission offered us a tasting of kosher wines and apps--plus "Houdini" wines (who knew?)-non alcoholic juices were also available. "Kosher" no longer means having to drink wines like Manischewitz. Nowadays, some of the finest, most award winning, most delicious wines can be kosher. In terms of taste, one cannot tell kosher wines from non kosher wines.
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Grenache Master Class
& Taste Off
At the request of several members who couldn't attend our Napa Grenache Day event, we held a repeat Grenache tasting in a more convenient location--downtown San Francisco @ Gallery 4N5. We presented a range of Grenache wines including a few blends where Grenache was the dominant grape . The results of our rating and ranking will be uploaded to our blog which also contains the results of the Napa Tasting.
This time we made the session even more enlightening by adding another component. We were very fortunate to have joining us one of the original Rhone Rangers, Bayard Fox of Renard Wines , an artisan winery in Napa. Bayard crafts highly regarded Grenache wines from Unti Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley (which uses a clonal selection from the two greatest Old World/New World estates, Beaucastel and Alban).
After chatting about the ups and downs of running a small winery, Bayard discussed the unsung hero appeal of this grape, and the style he is shooting for. He explained both the viticulture and vinification of this widely planted grape which is used mostly as a blender but deserves more respect as a stand alone variety. Consider this a Grenache 101 class.
Bayard also poured and discussed some of his highly esteemed vineyard designated Syrahs, including BAWS member Dick Keenan's Kick Ranch.
After Rich's talk and the sampling of his wines, we proceeded to our mini "People's Choice" judging of a dozen releases from such producers as Elyse, Dashe, Core, Burgess, Cass, Sol Rouge, Tercero, including a ringer from Spain.
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Napa Valley Marriott
Napkins and several others visiting this beauteous area came by the Valley's Wine Central a.k.a. the Napa Valley Marriott to enjoy a range of Grenache wines including a few blends where Grenache is the dominant grape. We rated and ranked a 14 wines, Old World/New World, and uploaded the results on Twitter and other online channels including our BAWS blog where you can also find the results from a similar "Taste Offs"
Grenache Day grew out of the Grenache Symposium held in the south of France in June, 2010. The event was captured on the video which is very much worth viewing below.
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An Evening with Dario Sattui
The California Historical Society, in cooperation with the Bay Area Wine Society, presented trailblazing vintner Dario Sattui described how he resuscitated and then expanded, relying strictly on direct-to-consumer sales, his great grandfather's winery opened in 1885 in North Beach
Sattui's entreprenurial drive is emblematic of the pursuit of the California dream. V.Sattui winery has been named "Winery of the Year" at the California State Fair for three of the past six years, and its wines continue to win medals and kudos from critics and consumers alike. Dario's innovations have made a major contribution not only to his own bottom line but to how other wineries now market themselves and to advancing the reputation of one of the state's most important industries.
In a wide ranging conversation, Sattui discussed how the commitment to his heritage, the struggle of re-launching V. Sattui after Vittorrio shut down the winery in 1920 following the passage of Prohibition , and his pioneering decision not to sell his wine through retailers, but maintain control over the entire vertical integration of the growing, making and selling of his wine, have brought him the success he enjoys today.
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Yerba Buena Gallery Walk + Wine Tasting Reception
Urban Legend Cellars , Dancing Coyote, Bonny Doon, Graziano Family of Wines, Stein Family Wines, and Hagafen poured unique white wines such as Albarino, Verdelho, Gruner Veltliner, Chenin Blanc, Tocai Friulano and Arneis among others.
For the past three years we have strolled through the Yerba Buena galleries. This year, 15 art galleries in the Yerba Buena Neighborhood, San Francisco’s most dynamic arts community, joined forces to host the event.
The Gallery Walk featured free admission and refreshments, along with ample opportunities to experience art. The 15 participating galleries offered a diverse look at contemporary, emerging, and established artists working in a variety of mediums.
Participating Galleries (alas, Varnish has vanished due to redevelopment):
111 Minna Street Gallery
12 Gallagher Lane
871 Fine Arts
The Artists Alley
Frey Norris*
Catharine Clark Gallery
Chandler Fine Art
Crown Point Press
Fivepoints Arthouse
Modernism
Baer Ridgway
Rayko Photo Center
SF Camerawork
UC Berkeley Extension Art and Design Center Gallery
Visual Aid
The Wine Tasting Reception, hosted as it was two years ago by the Bay Area Wine Society, followed at the newest and swankiest gallery * Frey Norris starting at 6 p.m.
Over the past few years, we've listed all manner of winery association tastings from Dark & Delicious (Petite Sirah) to "Jets & Juice"- the Lodi tasting on TI during the Blue Angels flyover, to our favorite wine tasting for sheer quality of the wineries and tasty nibbles, the Mill Valley Food and Wine Festival coming up on June 26th this year.
But this event tops the list for the range of offerings. Not only were all of Mendo's wineries, the country's greenest poured, but also brewers and the top restaurants, caterers, and food purveyors traveled down. Reps from the area's hospitality industry as will various festivals and other attractions like campovida were also on hand . Over 160 different Mendo businesses touted their appeal to visitors.
A marketplace included over 60 wineries (yes, all groups are now selling wine at Ft Mason since it is outside of ABC jurisdiction), organic beer, artisan olive oil, preserves, eggs, cheese and grassfed beef and lamb producers as well as favorite dishes from local restaurants. A large contingency of local artists, including the popular Flynn Flying Circus and other diversions and attractions will be there to remind you that Mendocino County is an amazing destination only 1.5 hours from the Bay.
The organizers offered us a $7 discount off an already reasonable price of $35.
Over the past few years, we've listed all manner of winery association tastings from Dark & Delicious (Petite Sirah) to "Jets & Juice"- the Lodi tasting on TI during the Blue Angels flyover, to our favorite wine tasting for sheer quality of the wineries and tasty nibbles, the Mill Valley Food and Wine Festival coming up on June 26th this year.
But this event tops the list for the range of offerings. Not only were all of Mendo's wineries, the country's greenest poured, but also brewers and the top restaurants, caterers, and food purveyors traveled down. Reps from the area's hospitality industry as will various festivals and other attractions like campovida were also on hand . Over 160 different Mendo businesses touted their appeal to visitors.
A marketplace included over 60 wineries (yes, all groups are now selling wine at Ft Mason since it is outside of ABC jurisdiction), organic beer, artisan olive oil, preserves, eggs, cheese and grassfed beef and lamb producers as well as favorite dishes from local restaurants. A large contingency of local artists, including the popular Flynn Flying Circus and other diversions and attractions will be there to remind you that Mendocino County is an amazing destination only 1.5 hours from the Bay.
The organizers offered us a $7 discount off an already reasonable price of $35.
Over the past few years, we've listed all manner of winery association tastings from Dark & Delicious (Petite Sirah) to "Jets & Juice"- the Lodi tasting on TI during the Blue Angels flyover, to our favorite wine tasting for sheer quality of the wineries and tasty nibbles, the Mill Valley Food and Wine Festival coming up on June 26th this year.
But this event tops the list for the range of offerings. Not only were all of Mendo's wineries, the country's greenest poured, but also brewers and the top restaurants, caterers, and food purveyors traveled down. Reps from the area's hospitality industry as will various festivals and other attractions like campovida were also on hand . Over 160 different Mendo businesses touted their appeal to visitors.
A marketplace included over 60 wineries (yes, all groups are now selling wine at Ft Mason since it is outside of ABC jurisdiction), organic beer, artisan olive oil, preserves, eggs, cheese and grassfed beef and lamb producers as well as favorite dishes from local restaurants. A large contingency of local artists, including the popular Flynn Flying Circus and other diversions and attractions will be there to remind you that Mendocino County is an amazing destination only 1.5 hours from the Bay.
The organizers offered us a $7 discount off an already reasonable price of $35.
Over the past few years, we've listed all manner of winery association tastings from Dark & Delicious (Petite Sirah) to "Jets & Juice"- the Lodi tasting on TI during the Blue Angels flyover, to our favorite wine tasting for sheer quality of the wineries and tasty nibbles, the Mill Valley Food and Wine Festival coming up on June 26th this year.
But this event tops the list for the range of offerings. Not only were all of Mendo's wineries, the country's greenest poured, but also brewers and the top restaurants, caterers, and food purveyors traveled down. Reps from the area's hospitality industry as will various festivals and other attractions like campovida were also on hand . Over 160 different Mendo businesses touted their appeal to visitors.
A marketplace included over 60 wineries (yes, all groups are now selling wine at Ft Mason since it is outside of ABC jurisdiction), organic beer, artisan olive oil, preserves, eggs, cheese and grassfed beef and lamb producers as well as favorite dishes from local restaurants. A large contingency of local artists, including the popular Flynn Flying Circus and other diversions and attractions will be there to remind you that Mendocino County is an amazing destination only 1.5 hours from the Bay.
The organizers offered us a $7 discount off an already reasonable price of $35.
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Mayday Mingle: private wine tasting & sale to aid Japanese disaster victims
We tasted 20+ different wines from throughout California plus various tasty treats .
As we've done in our other tastings, we also asked members to rate and rank the wines for our blog. Makes it much more fun.
Check out this video on the space: Art, Wine, & Music at The Artist Alley .
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March Wineness
After 10 days of steady rain the gods this evening was clear to launch the new season. We tasted 20 different wines from a Monterey Gewurztraminer to a luscious red blend from the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA, plus various munchies, all for 15 bucks prepaid, $20 at the door.
As we've done in our other tastings, we asked members to rate and rank the wines for our blog. Makes it much more fun. And ballots went into a drawing for a magnum of wine.
In the past, the showcased wineries have offered current releases for sale. Now for those who wish to "try then buy" any of the wines at discount prices ("Pay What You Wish"), the proceeds went toward a worthwhile cause: 
Baykeeper, which has been protecting Bay quality and wildlife since 1989. We're acutely aware these days of disaster prevention and relief. BayKeeper is prepared not for a tsunami, but other mishaps that make our beloved body of water so vulnerable.
We are calling this mobile tasting room PAIRINGS-A Pop Up Tasteria. We are pairing wine with philanthropy. Periodically we will move our temporary tasting room to a different venue. This time we visited a fascinating co-working space, Rocket Space. Click on the link to read more about them. RocketSpace is an all new, all inclusive office environment designed solely for tech and new media companies from 1 to 30 people.
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Sampling "natural wine" at one of the East Bay's hot new wine bars
The old Franklin Square Wine Bar has been reborn as the Punchdown, which specializes in natural wines, meaning made from grapes sustainably, organically or biodynamically farmed. Located right next door to the new restaurant darling, Plum, it’s been redone with a French country point of view. Proprietors D.C. Looney and Lisa Costa are offering a variety of wines by the glass, some as cheap as $5. They are also available by the carafe and bottle and in different flights.“Our concept is ‘natural.’ We’re trying to create something that we’ve been looking for, and that we’ve liked in our travels,” says Looney, adding that they’ll have a focus on wine education as well.The food program will further theme put forth by the natural wines and rustic interior: local, simple small plates and entrees, plus charcuterie and cheeses. Looney says they’re aiming for an unpretentious wine experienceThey also serve beers and non alcoholic beverages.
The website: http://punchdownwine.com/
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There really isn't a wine that doesn't "go" with turkey, though some may seem to be a better fit with the stuffing depending on the ingredients, and the other fixin's of the holiday. When pressed, many enthusiasts suggest Riesling and/or bubbly as the most suitable. Others will recommend Pinot Noir, Merlot, or other red varietals. Wild turkey formed the core dish for what traditionally is known as "The First Thanksgiving"-- the 1621 gathering between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag at Plymouth Colony. The use of the turkey in the USA for Thanksgiving precedes Lincoln's nationalization of the holiday in 1863. Alexander Hamilton proclaimed that no "Citizen of the United States should refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day," and many of the Founding Fathers (particularly Benjamin Franklin) had high regard for the wild turkey as an American icon.
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Each year BAWS Chief Epicurean Outfitter puts together a unique and multifaceted tour off the beaten track and without the crowds of passport weekends. This year we feature one of the Valley's least known grape growing regions soon to be the Coombsville AVA east of downtown and named after Nathan Coombs who carved out the City of Napa, making it the 17th sub appellation within the overall Napa Valley.
Our 27 Passenger coach with comfortable seating, large windows and lots of leg room leaves 2nd Street between Market and Mission for those using BART and Muni, with a pick up at an all day parking lot down 2nd St. closer to the freeway.
First stop: the recently relocated CrushPad. Crushpad provides grapes from top California and Bordeaux vineyards, an acclaimed wine making team, and a state-of-the-art winery 100% focused on making wine in small lots. They will be in the midst of harvest and we'll taste juice from their Coombsville grapes picked the week before just beginning the fermentation process.
From Crushpad we journeyed up to Yountville and a drive-by tour of the town's latest architectural gems such as the community center, Ma(i)sonry and the Hotel Luca. Then up the hill to the Napa Valley Museum to catch the last day of Art & Wine: The Expressions of an Industry
The exhibit presented artwork by international and Bay Area designers, including wine labels, heraldic banners, shipping cartons and other iconic graphics. Paintings and photographs of winemakers and vintners, line drawing selections by Earl Thollander, portraits by printmaker Henry Evans, and photographs by Chuck O’Rear are among the objects in the exhibit. Also included is a spectacular vintage poster, the largest in the world. created in 1892 by Alfred Choubrac, featuring a party scene in Burgundy France celebrating the end of the grape harvest.
Downstairs, the newly-developed history gallery showcases the permanent exhibit "Land and People of the Napa Valley" and features rare artifacts on display for the first time in 25 years.
Then it was on to downtown Napa. We visited one of the grand old mansions and for contrast viewed the emerging riverfront new-kids-on-the-block art galleries and foodie destinations such as the Iron Chef's Morimoto Napa and Tyler Florence's Shop and the Rotisserie and Wine restaurant. We'll also visited the infamousFagiani bar shuttered for almost 40 years after a murder in 1973, which remarkably has just been solved.
The afternoon was devoted to full immersion in the Coombsville region. We enjoyedy a catered lunch in a setting right out ofSunset magazine at one of the most charming wineries in the Valley, Farella Vineyard, with presentations by several local vintners, followed by a tour of the winery during crush.
We tasted through a number of the top wines in the area. We concluded the day with a visit to the wine caves at Caldwell winery.
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Organic & Sustainable
Wines at the Hub
This was a mixer/tasting for those who support and encourage green businesses and want to know more about how technology can be used to change society.
The HUB is a network of co-working spaces ("hosted habitats") spread around the US and abroad whose members, armed with their laptops, direct "social enterprises" -- a term of art based on the concept of doing well by doing good that refers to initiatives that seek to address and correct societal problems whether for profit or not-for-profit, or in many cases, a blend. They view themselves as a new breed of entrepreneurial "changemakers." Hubs provide collaborate work space and services, including market opportunities and capital, for individuals that want to make a difference in their communities.
The Hub SOMA (there is one in Berkeley as well) has leased 9,000 sq. ft in the ground floor of the Chronicle building at 5th and Mission, directly across the street from the garage and a few blocks from BART. The SF Hub is part of the Hearst Corporation’s plan to create a four acre ‘Innovation Campus’ between Mission and Howard St. In the next five years, Hearst, in conjunction with the city, plans to make the area a headquarters for Bay Area innovation.
More than 80 people joined us for a lively evening of networking and wine tasting at one of the hippest spaces in San Francisco. The event featured organic and sustainably produced wine from local, family-owned vineyards plus some very tasty nibbles and a silent auction.
Zindagi which literally means "Life" in Hindi, is one of the start ups attached to the Hub and is serving as our host. Zindagi's goal is to use technology to further financial literarcy among a new generation of Americans empowering them to achieve their life goals. Read more about how they are doing this at http://onezindagi.com/.
BAWS members and guests received a $10 discount off the normal ticket price of $30 if paid in advance.
See photos here
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Celebrating Bastille Day 
In honor of La Fete Nationale (and my own heritage) we have invited California wineries (GoLocal) with a French connection such as Mumm Napa Valley, St. Supery, Newton, Beaucanon, HdV, Chateau Potelle, DeLoach, Sonoma Cuvée, Raymond, and Tablas Creek to submit samples of new releases. Domaine Chandon has sent their outstanding "still wine" Pinot Noir . The wines will be paired with French hors d'oeuvres. We are seeking donations of charcuterie, paté and saucisson from Fabrique Délices, "nibblettes" from La Boulange, and cheeses from the Marin French Cheese Co. Comme d'habitude, we will rate and rank the wines for our blog.
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Discount tix for the best
tasting of the year
See photos here
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Celebrating Bastille Day
In honor of La Fete Nationale (and my own heritage) we have invited California wineries (GoLocal) with a French connection such as Mumm Napa Valley, St. Supery, Newton, Beaucanon, HdV, Chateau Potelle, DeLoach, Sonoma Cuvée, Raymond, and Tablas Creek to submit samples of new releases. Domaine Chandon has sent their outstanding "still wine" Pinot Noir . The wines will be paired with French hors d'oeuvres. We are seeking donations of charcuterie, paté and saucisson from Fabrique Délices, "nibblettes" from La Boulange, and cheeses from the Marin French Cheese Co. Comme d'habitude, we will rate and rank the wines for our blog.
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Discount tix for the best
tasting of the year
Why pay more $50 ($62 undiscounted) for another Ft. Mason mega tasting, Pinot Days, when you can sample a broad array of reds and whites with some pinks in a much more pleasant environment?
How much better to have a smaller gathering with a wonderful range of nibbles in a great outdoor setting along with some jazz playing in the background. I'm referring to the Mill Valley Wine & Gourmet Food Tasting which has been held for 29 years behind the Depot café surrounded by redwoods.
It's a fundraiser for the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce so the local restaurants really put out a spread. The Mill Valley Market, which carries some clout among wineries because of their large order volume, ensures that top notch wines pour and food vendors offer their nibbles. And what winery or food vendor wouldn't want to show off their wares among this demographic.
We negotiated a $35 ticket price discount for members and friends--normally $42 in advance, $50 at the door.
Some of Marin’s most highly regarded restaurants including the Balboa Café, Bungalow 44, Piatti, Piazza D’Angelo and Small Shed Flatbreads, as well as two exceptional new Mill Valley eateries Dish andTsukiji Sushi, offered signature tastings. Specialty food purveyors included Atelier Kawashina French macaroons, Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, Candy Bar Cookie Jar, Nana Mae’s Organics, Orthodox Chews 
Rustic Bakery, as well as some tasty surprise guests from the Tyler Florence Shop.
And the wines: How about the proverbial standouts like Silver Oak, Lewis Cellars, Pride Mountain, Nickel & Nickel, and Lewelling Vineyards whose new Cabs received 97 points from Robert Parker. New cult wineries Blackbird Vineyards and Tor Kenward, also Parker favorites, were poured as were classics like Acacia, Heitz, Matanzas Creek, Frank Family, and Mayacamas. Our best of Pinot Noir Taste Off winner, Sonoma Coast, featured new releases along with other outstanding Pinots from other Russian River producers. The stars of the Northwest--Owen Roe, Elk Cove, Domaine Serene, and Sineann--were represented. Plenty of imports too. The list goes on; more than 70 artisan wineries were in attendance.
if it ever gets here. 
The Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society (TAPAS) hosted the most extensive annual tasting of domestically produced Spanish and Portuguese varietal wines in North America, for the third year, in San Francisco. Grapes native to the Iberian Peninsula produce some of the hottest-selling wines on the market right now, but not many people know that there are excellent and unique domestic versions being grown, too. provided a unique opportunity to sample wines from thirty-nine participating wineries and learn about varieties like Tempranillo, Albariño, Garnacha, Graciano, Mourvedre, Touriga, Verdelho, Bastardo and more. Many TAPAS members are limited-production, family-owned wineries and poured small lot wines that are not widely available. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pinots on Parade: the Best of the Best
Each year Barbara Drady and Affairs of the Vine hold a Pinot Noir Shootout and Summit. She starts with 300 wines from throughout the state as well as the Northwest. For 2010, a group of 40 expert judges working in panels selected 44 wines that scored 90 or above. The top three were selected by gender. These 44 wines were then reviewed by a group of wine enthusiasts participating in "People's Choice Shootout" last month.
For the past two years, we've tasted a dozen "vin du vin" of this competition. The dozen limited production wines for this year were among the highest scoring wines, most coming in first, second or third by the four different categories (M/F ~ expert/enthusiast). Here are seven of the 12 winners we sipped:
Sonoma Coast Vineyards 2007 Freestone Hills Pinot Noir [winner of the BAWS Taste-Off by a wide margin--92 pts.]
Leading the tasting was Ted Elliott who has been producing vino for 30 years in the Russian River area and whose TR Elliott Pinots have always scored above 90 in Barbara's events. He discussed the special features of this varietal and why it poses such a challenge to the winemaker. Learn more about Ted's wines here: http://www.elliottfamilycellars.com/mission.htmlilycellars.com
We held our own informal Taste-Off, rating and ranking these beauties with the results being posted on our blog.
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Randall Grahm philosophizes
on his life in the wine biz
Mechanics Institute
The founder of the Bonny Doon Vineyard has for years written with quirky humor about the wine industry, often with the underlying seriousness of someone who cares passionately and knows a great deal about his subject. Now his essays, poems, lectures, and more are gathered into a single collection -Been Doon So Long - that’s sure to please lovers of wine and literature.
Hilarious literary parodies, satires, song lyrics, and his own unique version of Dante’s Inferno, titled “Wine Hell” are included, along with snippets of history from the “Rhone Ranger wine movement” and Bonny Doon’s series of quirky labels. Randall should be in rare form: he's calling his book tour "the Bataan Death March".
Randell was forthright on his experience in the industry, discussing his conversion to the terroir school of viticulture and winemaking. He read excerpts from his book including an hilarious send up of Portnoy's Complaint
Here's an snippet of this man's great wit: http://www.beendoonsolong.com ...
Afterward we broke bread over at the Metropol Café.
Cost: Free $12 fee waived for members and their guests .
Randall Grahm founded Bonny Doon Vinyard in 1983. He was inducted into the Who’s Who of Cooking in America in 1989 and the Vintners Hall of Fame just this month. Named Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year by the James Beard Foundation in 1990 and 1993, and nominated again this year for his book, he frequently contributes to the magazine World of Fine Wine. He lives in Santa Cruz.
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Historic Wineries of California
Over the past two years, we've toured through virtually every major museum in the City except one... the California Historical Society. Enjoyed wandering through their galleries full of memorabilia going back to the founding of the State. The exhibit, Think California, explores a number of themes:
~Coming to California focuses on the migration following the Gold Rush and other periods when people from around the world sought become wealthy, to find social opportunity, or to flee their problems
~Scenic Splendors features outstanding paintings and other items of natural sites from the CHS collection
~Bounty of the Golden State highlights the Golden State’s abundant agricultural industries through such items as advertising printsand fruit-crate and wine labels
~Earthquakes, Floods and Volcanoes includes artwork and stories on Mother Nature’s other side, including the Mt. Lassen volcano eruption and Hayward's Great Earthquake of 1868
~Freeways, Traffic, and Early Transportation explores California’s contributions to pre-automotive means of transportation, including rail, electric rail, Pony Express, and others
~Seeing the Sites includes memorabilia on the state's iconic tourist spots as well as unexpected places and events
~Drama, Harmony, and Hollywood showcases early silent-film photographs, drawings of noted entertainers, and sheet music
We chatted with winemakers representing some of the oldest, historic, family-owned California wineries, including Foppiano, Charles Krug, Gundlach Bundschu, Wente Brothers, Guglielmo, & Pedroncelli. And tasted their latest releases while sampling appetizers.
Participating winemakers included:
Louis Foppiano Jr., a third generation California winemaker and Vice President of Foppiano Vineyards, will be pouring wine and may spin a yarn or two about his colorful childhood growing up on the vineyard in Sonoma County.
Julie Pedroncelli St. John, from the Pedroncelli California winemaking family, brings both wine and tales from her family farm vineyard in Dry Creek Valley that has zinfandel vines over 100 years old.
Gary Guglielmo’s family has been producing wines in the Santa Clara Valley since 1925 during the Prohibition era. Although his grandfather produced wine for churches, he also had a base of European customers. A trap door that led to a hidden cellar below the office still exists today, as does the cellar, barrels and all.
Peter Mondavi, Jr., a third generation member of the Mondavi family, now leads the vision for the historic Charles Krug Napa Valley brand. Peter Jr., the second son of Peter and Blanche Mondavi, was born and raised on the historic winery property.
An Amazing graze 
See Photos here
The trade association for Petite Sirah producers, PS I Love You presented its annual event Dark & Delicious which provides an tasty food and wine experience. No other wine marketing organization offers such a range of gourmet treats (consider that the madhouse that is ZAP charged the same as D&D and served only bread and cheese). No drink tickets or food tickets metering out how much you can consume. "Pets" people don't abuse the availability of unrestricted tastes.
This year the event was held at Shauna and Kent Rosenblum’s new winery Rockwall Wine Co. housed in a converted 40,000 square-foot airplane hangar that was once part of the Alameda Naval Air Station and due north of a defensive rock wall which made up the perimeter of the base.
With 41 top Petite Sirah wineries and 26 leading Napa and Bay Area restaurants and/or food caterers, there’s nowhere else that you can enjoy such an evening for the regular price of $60 per person. But thanks to the generosity of Jo Diaz, the Executive Director, we were able to obtain for BAWS members and their guests a special discounted price of $39
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Winter Wine Tasting: Boutique Wines
of the Santa Cruz Mountains
We invited a select group of Santa Cruz Mountain vintners, in town for a trade tasting in the afternoon, to showcase some of their current releases before returning home.
We swirled, sniffed and sipped then rated and ranked 18 different wines from various parts of the AVA. This follows our "Taste Off" format combined with our walk-around tastings. The results are now posted on our blog. We will also raffled off some special prizes.
We sampled limited production wines from:
Mount Eden (see this laudatory article from the Wall Street Journal)
La Honda (whose Cab won a double Gold at the SF Chronicle competition)
Heart o' the Mountain (whose estate vineyard was once owned by Alfred Hitchcock). Their Pinot Noir came in 2nd out of 267 Pinot Noirs from around the world at the 6th annual Pinot Noir Shootout hosted by Affairs of the Vine. It was also awarded 95 points by the expert tasting panel.)
Vine Hill
A large variety of nibbles were also served to pair with the wines.
The Santa Cruz Mountains has been recognized as a premium wine producing region since the late 1800's when local winegrowers first began to win acclaim for their wines in national and international competitions. Few of these original wineries survived prohibition, but many new wineries have developed since the 1940's.
In 1981 the Santa Cruz Mountains Viticultural Appellation became federally recognized, one of the first American Viticultural Areas to be defined by geophysical and climatic factors. The appellation encompasses the Santa Cruz Mountain range, from Half Moon Bay in the north, to Mount Madonna in the south. The east and west boundaries are defined by elevation, extending down to 800 feet in the east and 400 feet in the west.
The number of wineries and the acreage planted in the Santa Cruz Mountains has increased dramatically in recent years as the area has become recognized as a unique grape-growing region. The individual microclimates, marine influence, mountain terrain, distinctive soils, and low crop levels, all contribute to the production of intensely concentrated fruit.
There are now over 70 small, family-owned wineries in the region. The small size of these operations allows the winemakers the opportunity to handcraft their wines and to maximize the potential of the grapes. The same spirit of innovation, independence, and determination that distinguished the great winemakers of the 19th century lives on today.
Splendor in the Glass
and on the Wall
Our Holiday Mingle aerial photography of Robert Cameron, known for his "Above" books and calendars (today there are 17 Above titles, featuring 22 locations). 180 wine and art enthusiasts joined us for PAIRINGS: Splendor in the Glass and on the Wall. sipping samples of more than 20 small lot current releases from six artisan wineries with accompanying nibbles.
Wineries pouring at the event
Chameleon CellarsFoggy Bridge Winery
Harrington Wine
Magnanimus Wines
Uvaggio
Vina Robles
Robert Cameron began photographing California from the air in 1969. Over those years, his view has reached as far north as Alaska, as far south as Mexico, as far west as Hawaii and as far east as France. This exhibition selected over 50 images, many as tall as six feet and ten feet wide, from Cameron's large body of work on California, Washington State, Nevada, Alaska and Hawaii.
On Nov 10th, Mr. Cameron left for "Above San Francisco" for the last time. He was 98, and one of the City's most beloved citizens and artists. You can read more about his life from this Chronicle front page storyhttp://www.sfgate.com... .
The galleries included:
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Petite Sirah Showcase
Seminar & Tasting
Mechanics Café
This month our Taste Off features a carefully selected group of Petite Sirahs representing the prime growing regions in California for this particular grape. Jim Ryan of Concannon Vineyards, which produced the first Petite in the modern era in 1961 (it was introduced in the state in 1884), will present an overview of this distinctive variety and lead the tasting. Nibbles that pair well with this variety will be served.
The grape is the offspring of Syrah and a more obscure French grape, Peloursin. It is also called Durif, named after the French botanist who created the variety in the 1880's. The "petite" in the name of this grape refers to the size of its berries and not the vine, which is particularly vigorous. The small berries creates a high skin to juice ratio which produces firm tannins. In the presence of new oak barrels, the wine can develop an aroma of melted chocolate. Petite Sirah produces dark, inky colored wines that are relatively acidic, with firm texture and mouth feel; the bouquet has herbal and black pepper overtones. Compared to Syrah, the wine is noticeably more dark and purplish in color, with aging ability that can exceed 20 years in the bottle.
Among the wines sampled were-
Sonoma (Foppiano, Pedroncelli)
Napa (Biale, Judds Hill, Hess, Fortress)
Paso Robles (Vina Robles, Eos, Victor Hugo)
Mendocino County (Rock Wall--Kent Rosenblum's new winery)
Lake County (Cecchetti)
Livermore (Concannon)
Lodi- Mettler
Stanislaus County (Silkwood)
Clarksburg (Heninger, Bogle)
Zuccardi Serie a Bonarda
Zuccardi "Q" Malbec
O Fournier Alta Crux Malbec
O Fournier "B" Crux Sauvignon Blanc
Domaine Jean Boursquel Malbec Reserva
Trapiche Broquel Torrontes
Trapiche Malbec Vina Federico Villafone
Read more about the program at the TasteLive blog and here
We gathered at the Farmers Market inside the Metreon where we enjoyed the wines with variousArgentinian empanadas .
Then it was upstairs for those who wished to view a flick, namely District 9, which has the highest approval rating of current releases among the nation's critics and moviegoers alike on Rotten Tomatoes (154 thumbs up, 20 thumbs down/3384 pro, 411 con among consumers--89% positive) "Technically brilliant and emotionally wrenching, District 9 has action, imagination, and all the elements of a thoroughly entertaining science-fiction classic"
A Comparative Tasting of the
Coro Mendocino 2006 New Release
A group of Mendocino winemakers determined they needed a unified voice and a new standard of excellence to showcase the unique flavors of Mendocino County. And thus, in the winter of 2001, the first U.S. consortium of its kind to develop a protocol for wine from a specific region was born; the concept is not unlike Italy's Chianti or Spain's Rioja."Coro" is Spanish and Italian for "chorus," reflecting the collaborative spirit of Mendocino's winemakers.
The Coro "Protocol" has set limits on the types of varietals used and how much of each can be used. The blend is Zinfandel-based: each wine is to comprise 40 to 70 percent of the blend. Second-tier varietals can include Barbera, Carignane, Charbono, Grenache, Dolcetto, Primitivo, Petite Sirah and Syrah. There is one restriction: No second-tier varietal can exceed the percentage of Zinfandel. However, the winemaker can use any variety he chooses for up to 10 percent of the wine. The alcohol levels are not to exceed 16 percent. The final selection of wines comes only after a series of blind tasting by peer winemakers.
The wines all have a suggested retail price of $37.
Each of the wines (no two have the same combination of varieties) shows a personal style based on the terroir where the different grapes are grown. To be able to taste the wines side by side is a very special treat, since the association doesn't usually encourage such a comparison.
More of the specifics on the Protocol and bylaws can found here . Also this article.
The wineries that met the rigorous standards for the current 2006 release are: Brutocao, Dunnewood, Fetzer, Golden, Graziano, McDowell, McFadden, McNab Ridge, Pacific Star, Parducci, and Philo Ridge.
This is a sit down blind tasting with light cuisine. The results will be posted on our blog. Greg Graziano traveled down to discuss this exceptional venture and lead the tasting.
