Wine Blog
"Juicy Tales by Jo Diaz"

Full Circle Wine Solutions is Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein’s company. Creative, inventive, intelligent, empathetic, and one of the greatest guys you’ll ever meet. His enthusiasm is very infectious, and now he’s hit a new stage in his development. This new incarnation is one of those inventions when you hit your forehead and think? “Why didn’t I come up with that?”

But, Evan is a Master Sommelier, and that means – educator, besides a marketer. So, of course it came to him first as a great concept. Now what tool would be awesome for a classroom setting?

[PHOTO: Full Circle]

Evan Goldstein’s E-Mail to Me

For me, autumn is always reflection time and, hard to believe, Full Circle is moving into our 11th year!

So, what we do at Full Circle to celebrate our 10th anniversary? We have a ‘baby’ – in our case, a new company.

Welcome to the world, ‘Master the World’, our subscription-based blind tasting kits. This game-changing vehicle for improving your wine tasting abilities comes to life in monthly shipments of six wines (packaged in 187 ml bottles) enabling you to blind taste wines, specifically curated by myself and a panel of other Master Sommeliers and anaerobically decanted from quality finished bottles into tasting flights. You taste, evaluate, and then submit your findings online for immediate scoring, feedback, and, if you want, further live coaching by a Master.

[PHOTO: Jo Diaz]

So, here we go—spread the word, join our Indiegogo campaign (https://igg.me/at/MTWwines), and get a back-stage pass to our ‘navy-seal’ approach to bettering your palate while improving your knowledge of wines. Master the World: curated, convenient, and coached.

When posting, please hashtag with #MasterTheWorld #Wine #WineEducation #WineLover #WineTasting #BlindTasting and tag @MTWWines and @Indiegogo on Instagram/Twitter. In less than two full days, we are already at 23%!!

It’s not too early for folks to begin thinking holiday gifts… and Master the World (MTW in our office…) is surely something novel nobody will want to return (unlike another sweater or the ‘where did you find that….’).

I encourage you to check out the Indiegogo page as it is chock full of information and has several key FAQ’s.

Tags: Evan Goldstein, Full Circle Wine Solutions, Indiegogo, Master Sommelier, Master the World

Sample: Quintessential Wines ~ Georges Dubœuf Fleurie  2016 (Flower Label)

PREFACE – PART 2 ~ RED WINES

1. HEART ~ THE WINERY: This information came from an interview I had with Franck Duboeuf
2. SCIENCE ~ WINEMAKING ~ From the winery
3. SOUL ~ Jo’s notes

Photo Credit: ricochet64 ~ Chapel of Saint Pierre in Beaujolais with Mont Brouilly

World Region ~ A.O.C. FLEURIE, FRANCE

HEART

Fleurie is the name of the village where this wine is produce. It is one of the largest Beaujolais Crus in terms of volume, as well as prestige, to the obvious satisfaction of its owners. From a geomorphological standpoint, its vineyards slope down from a chain of granite hilltops, which face eastward toward the morning sun, thus creating optimal exposure for the grapes. There is some variation of soil, according to altitude; from thin, dry and acidic on higher levels to the clay terrain below. The granular textured pinkish soil, which geologists call granitic sand, distinguishes, Fleurie from the other top cru wines, imparting characteristic elegance. Finely The soul is so French. perfumed, Fleurie is “delightful like the first days of spring.”

WINEMAKING

Georges Duboeuf ‘Flower Label’ Fleurie 2015 100% Gamay’s Harvest is done manually, with whole bunches, de-stemmed. Indigenous yeasts are used for fermentation at temperatures between 82°F-86°F. Maceration is between 8-10 days.

Fleurie is the name of the village where this wine is produce. It is one of the largest Beaujolais Crus in terms of volume, as well as prestige, to the obvious satisfaction of its owners. From a geomorphological standpoint, its vineyards slope down from a chain of granite hilltops, which face eastward toward the morning sun, thus creating optimal exposure for the grapes. There is some variation of soil, according to altitude; from thin, dry and acidic on higher levels to the clay terrain below. The granular textured pinkish soil, which geologists call granitic sand, distinguishes, Fleurie from the other top cru wines, imparting characteristic elegance. Finely perfumed, Fleurie is “delightful like the first days of spring.”

After a careful selection of grapes from small parcels in the region, they are pressed and undergo temperature controlled fermentation in stainless steel vats. Twenty percent of the wine is aged in French oak barrels. Harvest is done manually, with whole bunches, de-stemmed. Indigenous yeasts are used for fermentation at temperatures between 82°F-86°F. Maceration is between 8-10 days.

SOUL

Fleurie is a temptress, a bouquet of flowers, where you just bury your nose to take in of the sumptuous aromas. I really loved this one. Hints of spring, when my irises, violets, and roses begin to bloom again…. those aromas! Then, it develops into more rich flavors of summer, then into fall on the finish. Before it finished, though, the mid palate was the joy of juicy strawberries just picked. It followed into the roundness of peaches, and finished with deep purple/brown figs.

This is a wine that I’d recommend to anyone, at any time, because it makes you think!

[PHOTO: fontaineg1234]

Tags: Brouilly (Flower Label) 2018, Fleurie, France, geomorphological, Georges Duboeuf, Georges Dubœuf Brouilly 2016 (Flower Label), Quintessential Wines

[PHOTO Purchased]

Let me begin with a perfect example…

This Says It All, Y’all

Once upon a day Jo Diaz’s phone rang.

She: “Hello, Diaz Communications.”
He: “I’d like to speak with Joe Diaz.”
She: “This is she.”

Really pregnant pause……. (as we used to say in radio)

I’m now thinking to myself, laughingly: He thinks I’m a man. That’s so funny,” sarcastically to myself.

He’s thinking, “Damn, Jo, Chris, Pat… Oh, great. Who’s next?”

He: “Oh,” as he regains composure, then continues…

“My name is blah, blah, client, blah, blah, head hunter blah, blah, blah, looking for PR rep, blah, blah, winery manage PR.” He went through the motions (which we both knew were his lame attempt to recover and get off the phone), “And hey, I’ll get back to you.”

I’m think, “Yeah right, like that will ever happen.”

He did get back to me, though.

Good News/Bad News

Bad News, I didn’t get the job. (LOL)

Good News, a letter arrived from this dude: “Dear Pat, Although you’re so accomplished, we regret to inform you that you didn’t get the………”

Dude, I have my own agency. Really do your homework next time, okay, and play fair.

[PHOTO below: left to right: Emma Swain, Lauren Pesch, Karen MacNeil, Sarah Fowler, Regina Weinstein]

Continuing with Karen MacNiel’s earlier post

A Day in the Dust Like “You Had to Be There, Man” ~ Rutherford Dust Society

The All Female Panelists Included 

• Emma Swain, CEO, St. Supery
• Laren Leeds Pesch, Partner with Leeds & Pesch Vineyard Consulting, and Chavez & Leeds Family Vineyard
• Karen MacNeil, Author, The Wine Bible, and Wine Speed
• Sarah Fowler, Winemaker for PEJU
• Regina Weinstein, Director of Marketing, Honig Vineyard & Winery

[PHOTO Purchased]

Thoughts

This was meant to be an empowering panel and it was all that, perhaps even more. What it wasn’t… was a male bashing session. Not only did every woman in the room know that women are always physically challenged by men who need to have a patriarchal stance, who ONLY see women as lesser beings. It works for them, too, if women continue to allow that as their only way to think and live accordingly.

As time has evolved, since World War II… All of the Rosie the Riveters had to fend for themselves in the workplace, if their husbands/boyfriends went to war. The day the soldiers returned, many women weren’t ready to again become the Stepford Wife they had been. So, women have marginally been in the workforce since then. There’s an entire middle of the story here. Just follow the history dots to women slowly emerging.

As I listened to the panel, arranged by the Rutherford Dust Society, I was thinking of my friend Barbara Lyons Stewart:

In Yin, there’s female energy, based on the theoretical. It’s dark (black presentation) and mysterious. It has a negative magnetic field; notice within the Yin there’s also a dot of Yang.

And in Yang, there’s masculine energy, based on pragmatics. It’s light (white presentation) and straight forward. It has a positive magnetic field; notice within the Yang there’s also a dot of Yin.

PHOTO: Tyler Nix

As regards the attendees: it seemed to be about half and half male and female – Yin Yang

And we were all there to learn. Modern times equals a more modern understanding and some pretty modern men.

This took me to much deeper understanding into the balance of life. Perhaps it will for you, too. Perhaps you’re there already… To me, this proved that we’re now in an auto correct for more balanced female/male energy. There have been tribes where women have held and still hold high regard with secure men, who respect what women bring to the table. Everyone enjoys life more, with less stress. These women have had collective resolve.

There’s still one nagging question, though, and that’s equal pay for equal work. I once watched a documentary, I can’t even remember what it was, right now. The gist of it:

Women who moved via covered wagons to the plains originally didn’t work. They had just arrived and they had to tend the farm n order to eat. Men hunted and tilled the soil. Then, those who weren’t married or had any children (yet) were given the task of becoming teachers. In the beginning single women were living with their parents. So, they had a home. The guys setting up how much they’d pay women for teaching their children took into account that these women were already being cared for. Consequently, the salary was minuscule, compared to what men were earning for the same amount of hours.

Perhaps these women might even marry in time. That would be the leap from home to being under another protected roof. That’s the American history of women coming into the work place, at the end of World War II.

Women have slowly – ever so lowly – been migrating into the work force. In 2018, it isn’t about the battle of the sexes, when it’s about the fairness. Many men are becoming much more in tune with women just getting the job done, and maybe even paying them equitably.

Everyone, though? No.

More? Yes.

As evidenced by the men on the Rutherford Dust Board, for instance? The male members on this board are now outnumbered by women. Hence, the way the Rutherford Dust presented it’s annual Event/Meeting. When women lead a panel today, it’s still about education. It’s still about education, curiously, as evidence by this panel. Just look at their job titles:

• Emma Swain, CEO, St. Supery
• Laren Leeds Pesch, Partner with Leeds & Pesch Vineyard Consulting, and Chavez & Leeds Family Vineyard
• Karen MacNeil, Author, The Wine Bible, and Wine Speed
• Sarah Fowler, Winemaker for PEJU
• Regina Weinstein, Director of Marketing, Honig Vineyard & Winery

OVER-ALL OBSERVATION:

All female panel focused on education over ego issues. Perhaps it’s because men see themselves as always having to compete, like life is a constant football game. Meanwhile, women see their jobs as educating… Because that’s what this panel did… It educated the attendees, had more warmth, and wasn’t competitive with their peers on the panel. Each had a job to do and was self assured. It was a very subtle paradigm shift, but it was a powerful one.

Past Rutherford Dust days… Men asserted their competence, talked about their wines, their vineyards, it all had a “what I do” element to it. “As a woman, I appreciated the change, and the direction that the Rutherford Dust Society took this year. A great experiment will be to watch when a blended panel happens with both men and women, to watch what each sex has to say,a nd how much they get to say it. Will one sex talk over another sex?

Women on this Rutherford Dust panel all shared these same qualities:

• Quiet leadership
• Passion for what they do
• Complete competence
• Ever expanding curiosity
• Fairness to others

The men in the room also shared these same qualities, because they were all modern men, equal – and not threatened – by these powerful women.

[PHOTO Purchased]

Tags: and Chavez & Leeds Family Vineyard, and Wine Speed, Author, Cabernet Sauvignon, CEO, Director of Marketing, Emma Swain, Honig Vineyard & Winery, Karen MacNeil, Laren Leeds Pesch, Partner with Leeds & Pesch Vineyard Consulting, Regina Weinstein, Rutherford Dust Board, Rutherford Dust Society, Sarah Fowler, St. Supery, The Wine Bible, Tyler Nix, Unsplash, Winemaker for PEJU

This has been written by Jeanne Sullivan. It’s been years since I’ve had anyone write on my wine blog. It’s my wine journal, which is why someone else really can’t represent what’s inside my mind. This morning, though, I decided to make an exception. This is so thoroughly research, formatted, and presented, it’s a benefit to everyone to have this information public. Thanks, Jeanne, on behalf of us all.

[PHOTO: Sanford Winery]

Still Two Weeks Left to Celebrate California Wine Month 

If you love wine and haven’t had a chance to take part in California Wine Month, don’t worry–there are still just over two weeks left! Forty-five events and activities remain throughout the state, from exclusive tastings, festivals, and grape stomps, to vineyard hikes, special pairing programs and more.

Now in its 14th year, California Wine Month celebrates the Golden State’s 250-year winegrowing history and recognizes the achievements of California vintners and growers in preserving tradition and driving innovation.
With 4,800 vintners and 5,900 growers within its borders, California is the world’s fourth-largest wine producer and the source of 81 percent of the wine made in the United States. It is also the most visited state in the U.S. for food- and wine-related activities, attracting 24 million people each year, and the producer of more than 400 specialty crops. Wine lovers can also celebrate with activities and special offers from California Wine Month partner retailers and restaurants during the month of September.

With 4,800 vintners and 5,900 growers within its borders, California is the world’s fourth-largest wine producer and the source of 81 percent of the wine made in the United States. It is also the most visited state in the U.S. for food- and wine-related activities, attracting 24 million people each year, and the producer of more than 400 specialty crops. Wine lovers can also celebrate with activities and special offers from California Wine Month partner retailers and restaurants during the month of September.Visit discovercaliforniawines.com/californiawinemonthto view the full list of regularly updated events and partners and to order a copy of the 2018 California Wine Monthposter. Just a few of the remaining events include:

NORTH COAST

Sept. 15: Alexander Valley Vineyards, Sonoma County.
Sept. 15: Lake County Wine Auction, Boatique Winery, Kelseyville.
Sept. 22: Zinfandel: Stories from Napa Valley, Culinary Institute of America at Copia, Napa
Sept. 22: Harvest Party and Grape Stomp, Benessere Vineyards, Napa Valley.
Sept. 29: Harvest Boot Camp, Trefethen Family Vineyards, Napa Valley

SAN FRANCISCO BAY & SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS

INLAND VALLEYS

Sept. 13-16: Lodi Grape Festival, Lodi Event Center.
Sept. 21: Madera Wine Trail’s California Wine Month Celebration. Papagni Winery, Madera.

SIERRA FOOTHILLS

Sept. 1-30: Find the Gold in Calaveras Wine Country: A Treasure Hunt, Participating wineries.
Sept. 15: Sample the Sierra Farm-to-Fork Festival, Bijou Community Park, So. Lake Tahoe.
Sept. 15: Barbera Festival, Terra d’Oro Wines, Amador County.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Sept. 15: Catalina Island Wine Festival, Avalon Bay
Sept. 29: Temecula Valley CRUSH, Monte De Oro Winery, Temecula.

For more information about exploring California’s diverse wine regions, see the Navigate the State map and directory. Wine lovers can also celebrate California Wine Month at home using the delicious recipes and wine-pairing tips here.

Tags: California Wine Month, Celebrate California, Celebrate California Wine Month, Public service announcement, Wine Month

Sample: Quintessential Wines ~ Georges Dubœuf Pouilly-Fuisse 2015 (Flower Label)

PREFACE – PART 1 ~ WHITE WINES

1. World Regions ~ Mâconnais, France
2. HEART ~ THE WINERY: This information came from an interview I had with Franck Duboeuf
3. SCIENCE ~ WINEMAKING ~ From the winery and from Jo
4. SOUL ~ Wine Blog’s SAMPLE NOTES FOR Georges Dubœuf Pouilly-Fuisse 2015 (Flower Label)

Photo Credit: Richard Semik ~ vineyards near Fuisse

World Region ~ MÂCONNAIS ~ Les Vins , Mâconnais, France

Georges Duboeuf Pouilly-Fuissé 2015 Mâconnais, France, A.O.C. Pouilly-Fuissé

HEART

For more than four centuries, the Duboeuf family has been producing wine. Georges, well known for his dynamism, created Les Vins Georges Duboeuf in September of 1964. This historical date also marks the start of his wine merchant business, selecting, bottling and selling fine French wines from the Beaujolais and Mâconnais regions of Burgundy and, in the process, becoming quite world-famous.

Georges Dubœuf wines originated in Beaujolais, France. Today, father Georges and son Franck Duboeuf regard their wines as sensual, with lots of freshness. A true reality, in my humble opinion. Georges’s become, in a sense, the ambassador of the region. He’s remained loyal to his quest of offering quality wines, and combining the flavor profiles of their terroir with bold characters. He conducts his business by negotiating with heart, passion, and the constant desire to share the very best of Beaujolais. In continuing the family tradition, Georges and his wife Rolande are joined by their son Franck and his wife Anne, who manage the family business.

SCIENCE

“After a careful selection of grapes from small parcels in the region, they’re pressed and undergo temperature-controlled fermentation. The resulting wine becomes a shiny gold hue.”

 “Impression: Sunrise” in the 1872 Paris Salon – Claude Monet

SOUL

We’re deep into French culture and a Burgundian style, here. Pouilly is a little wine growing community, attached to Solutre, at the eastern region of Bourgogne, France.

Fuissé is a picturesque, blooming village. The terroir of this region creates fleshy and round Chardonnay wines, that are both compelling and robust. Claude Monet has this painting called Impression: Sunrise, which reminds me of this Chardonnay wine… vibrant, so lovely, warm shades of flavor, like a morning ritual with Meyer lemons.

This 2015 Georges Duboeuf Pouilly-Fuissé Mâconnais is a classic. Its complex and hearty style defines a white crepe myrtle tree for me. Gorgeous to see, complex in flavors, and lingers as a refreshing memory…  Summer fruit, revisited into autumn. It won’t go out of style, because it’s truly a classic.

Sample wine provided Quintessential Wines

Tags: Chardonnay, Claude Monet, father Georges and son Franck Duboeuf, Fench wine, Flower Label, France, Franck Duboeuf, Georges Duboeuf, Mâconnais, Quintessential Wines, Quintessential Wines ~ Georges Dubœuf Pouilly-Fuisse 2015, Quintessential Wines ~ Georges Dubœuf Pouilly-Fuisse 2015 (Flower Label)

 

[PHOTO: Jo Diaz]

Dear Friends,

I’m going to let you know this right now, because there aren’t very many copies left of the gorgeous “VINEYARD Sonoma County” book.

If you’ve seen George Rose’s latest publication, and have been procrastinating, please don’t wait any longer. It’s a fabulous gift. I know, because my copy was a gift from executive director Cheryl Quist, of the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance. If you get it now, you can put it away for any wine lover, when a memorial gift day arises. Anyone would cherish it, chiefly those who have Sonoma County in their hearts… The best of the best… Or, maybe just for your own library. It’s so visually enriching, as we get to see outlying vineyards vicariously, through George’s lens.

I’ve purchased one for a dear person, too. I believe in this book and know you’d also love it.

 

[PHOTO: Jo Diaz]

It was a lovely surprise, after I just experienced a special and unique day of tasting Petaluma wines, with fellow wine writers Linda Murphy and Deborah Parker Wong, in a tiny school house… A blog post still in the works, but not far off in the distance from also publishing.

The introduction is from my friend Dan Berger, of Vintage Experiences.

Dan wrote: The diversity of its geographic beauty, its budding culinary prowess, and its winegrowing possibilities  make it a region second to none. To be sure, Napa Valley has its beauty and its wine. But Sonoma County is unlike any other place, with so many divergent locales that cannot be described properly without being seen.

All very true, and George Rose’s book captures it all gorgeously.

Alder Yarrow, of Vinography, has provided a captivating introduction, and brings George Rose to the forefront as one of our most auspicious photojournalists:

George Rose has been photographing the vineyards of California for more than twenty-fine years, after opting for sunrise strolls between the vines instead of the frenetic pace of a newsroom and the over-saturated subject matter of  Hollywood, rock and roll, and professional sports. The pages that follow will easily prove the wisdom of that choice, especially to anyone who loves wine and the places where it is made.

 

[PHOTO: Jo Diaz of Duran Duran, first visit to the US at the Portland International Airport, Portland, Mane.]

I love that during my career, when I was photographing rock and rollers on the East Coast, as they would blow into town on tours, George was simultaneously photographing rockers on the West Coast. There’s a sense of camaraderie, just in that instance. Next, we both turned to wine; and, here George is presenting the fruits of his labor.

People, this is really a wonderful book to have in your possession, in your library, in your hearts. When I received mine, I was so honored to add it to my library. George Rose’s book is simply fine art.

From George Rose

From George Rose: THE PERFECT GIFT

Hi, Facebook friends. I only have a handful of copies of “VINEYARD Sonoma County” left. This beautiful, 188-page coffee table book can be yours for only $80 (includes tax and shipping.) Think of this as purchasing one bottle of really great Russian River Valley pinot noir. The only difference…my book will last forever. Support your intrepid photographer by going to my website. You’ll be glad you did! www.georgerose.com

Tags: Alder Yarrow, book Vineyard Sonoma County, Dan Berger, Deborah Parker Wong, George Rose, http://lindamurphywine.com/, Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance, Petaluma Wind Gap, Petaluma wine, Vinography, Vintage Experiences

From COMITÉ Champagne, France: Progress for the 2018 Champagne harvest: it appears to be an exceptional year for their sparkling wine.

SIDEBAR for anyone new to sparkling wine: sparkling wine can only be called “Champagne,” if it comes from the region of Champagne, France. This appellation is just outside of Paris. (It is any wonder that Paris is also so sparkling!) With seven grape varieties approved for Champagne. The three most popular grapes are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.

ADDING TO WHAT YOU’RE ABOUT TO READ

I highly recommend that when you have about 10 minutes to learn a lot in a little time about Champagne, France, click onto www.champagne.www’s link. Then, under the title of NEWS, just click on that well made video. I especially love the time lapse section showing Champagne’s morphing from a pretty heavy frost to harvest time.

[Photo: Pakin Songmor ~ Scenic landscape in the region of Champagne. Vineyards are in the Montagne de Reims, France]

 

PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT:

Precocity, quality, volume: nearing its end in Champagne, the grape harvest is definitely out of the ordinary.

Beginning in the earliest sectors on August 20, it is the fifth grape harvest started in August over the last fifteen years.

After an exceptionally wet winter, the Champagne region has since April been experiencing sunshine and temperatures well above the 10-year average. Thanks to these exceptional conditions the vines developed rapidly; flowering and then ripening benefited from ideal conditions and, when harvested, there were plenty of healthy bunches, very rich in sugar and aromas. Harvesting, necessarily by hand, took place unhurriedly under summery skies although the early morning temperatures were sometimes quite low (0°C – 32°F – in Reims on 26th August).e available yield of 10,800 kg/ha (23,810 pounds/2.47105 acres) will be achieved in all sectors. In addition, this magnificent harvest will allow wine-growers and houses to rebuild their reserve (wines put aside in good years), which will enable them to face the possible vagaries of the climate in the future.

The quality of the musts is an excellent omen for the future cuvées. We will have to wait for the first tastings in autumn and in spring to confirm these expectations of a great vintage.

Interesting fact about Champagne, from their Website.

Tags: 2018 Champagne harvest, Champagne, Champagne harvest 2018, COMITÉ Champagne, France

Jose walked into my office, saying, “Oh, boy, as his voice went down on the “boy.” Then all went silent. “What!” I demanded to know. “Why say that and then say nothing?” I wondered.

 

“Kent Rosenblum is gone.”

Gone? Stunned. Just stunned. I couldn’t even say anything. So much raced through my head, including “Why?” Shaking my head and thinking, “Why?” I didn’t get to see him during this past Fourth of July at his Lone Oak Vineyard, like we had planned. REGRET… I was felling crappy on the Fourth. We were still going to schedule a picnic in the vineyards for the PS I Love You members, but the world had been so busy for us both. Unfinished business… By why such a great guy? And, why now? I wasn’t ready (who ever is).

Gone…

What to do, as my heart had fallen down into my toes. My lips quivered. I had a very unpleasant job to do, being so public. It was my painful duty to go to both my Facebook page ( so many wine pro friends) and the PS I Love You Facebook page (so many members), to share with the world. I knew others would want to know, but then again – not really want to know.

On Facebook: “I interrupt A Line A Day to say how shocked and saddened I am to learn that my Petite Sirah buddy (Dr.) Kent Rosenblum passed away last night. Gee, Kent Rosenblum, I’m really going to miss you…”

Since January 1, 2018, I’ve had NO other posts on my wine blog except to record a diary from 1925 of a young woman living in Livermore Falls, Maine. I had NO plans to interrupt the flow this year. I hadn’t even considered someone of Kent’s public wine stature and my relationship to him publicly would come up. We never see these things coming, do we?

I’m going to share with you my absolute best Petite story, which involves Kent Rosenblum… My mentor, my friend, the funny man who could do no wrong, and helped me so much with PS I Love You.

I had organized a Petite Sirah panel for the Society of Wine Educator. Kent was on that panel, of course. He loved panels. You also need to know, if you don’t already: Petite Sirah can be called Petah Sarah, PS, Petite… Each name had come up  in that day’s presentation, by any of the 10 winemakers presenting.

One of the questions I asked Kent, off the cuff, as we were wrapping it up, was for him to give us his best Pet story.  I should have know better…

“Well,” he said, in that drawn out style he had while talking, “I once had a neighbor who came knocking on my door late one night. I opened it and the guy was really stressed out.  My parrot just fell off his perch, right onto the floor. I don’t know what to do. ‘Well,’ I said, ‘let’s go take a look.’ When I got there, sure enough the bird was just lying lifeless on the floor. But it wasn’t dead. I said to him, ‘You know, the next time you decide to smoke marijuana, you might want to open a window.'”

The audience broke into howling laughter. It wasn’t the answer any of us thought would be forthcoming, but definitely the best and most memorable PET stories ever told to a Petite Sirah audience.

Dr. Kent Rosenblum began his working career as a veterinarian. Why did I think asking him about his favorite pet story would have netted an experience with Petite Sirah?

Kent rocked the house… Kent Rosenblum aways rocked any house he was in… He is (spiritually speaking always in the present) and was (no longer sentient) one of those rare people whom everyone loved.

 

Too soon my friend, just — too — soon…

by Dave Pramuk, Partner of Robert Biale Vineyards

Memories of Kent Rosenblum

It was on a family cycling trip down the California coast in 1989 that I had my first Rosenblum experience.

The six of us did a grocery run in Santa Cruz and the wine aficionado doctor in our bike group bought a few bottles of Zinfandel for dinner at a small wine shop along the way. At the Sunset State Beach campground, some 70 miles from our starting point that day, starving and thirsty we shamelessly devoured canned beef stew at sunset and washed it down with a deep purple Rosenblum Zinfandel – splashed into coffee cups. I can still savor that hedonistic, spicy, jammy blackberry fruit to this day, a revelation, an awakening, a Zin epiphany, Zinspiration!

Little did I realize at the time that a short two years later I would be actually selling, among other brands, Rosenblum wines as a wine broker and partnering to launch a Zinfandel brand – Robert Biale Vineyards, ‘Aldo’s Vineyard’. Shortly after that when we joined ZAP, there they were in person– my Mt. Rushmore of Zinfandel winemakers: Joel Peterson, Paul Draper, Jerry Seps, and – Kent Rosenblum. Personally, it was a little intimidating hanging out with these icons that I admired but I was impressed with their Zinfandel passion, business smarts, and shared – how you might say “joie de Zin”.

Kent couldn’t have been more warm and welcoming to me – curious, colorful and quick with wisecracks. After I joined P.S. I Love You, there Kent was again supporting Jo Diaz’s noble Petite Sirah cause – engaged, enthusiastic, supportive, constructive. As Kent did for ZAP programs, he generously offered his and his daughter Shauna’s new winery to host Dark and Delicious, and the Petite Sirah and Food event went on to years of success.

Then in 2012, my daughter Maggie and I co-hosted the two week ZAP New Zealand cruise along with not only two of my favorite Zinfandel people, Doug and Nancy Beckett, and who else – Kathy and Kent Rosenblum! Not in a million years would I have guessed that one day I would be hosting a Zinfandel cruise along with these Zinfandel idols. There were daily tastings, dinners, and shore tours and in every moment there was Kent giving it his best – conversing, smiling, laughing, and of course – telling Sven and Ole jokes.

So here’s to you Kent Rosenblum- we are thankful for you setting a new standard for Zinfandel, trailblazing Zinfandel for the rest of us, saving and elevating Zinfandel and Petite Sirah for so many historic vineyards, but most importantly – bringing a sense of pride, fun, and joy to the entire Zinfandel community and wine-lovers everywhere. We are deeply saddened by your leaving us so soon but left knowing that we are all the better because of your life’s work and having known you.

There would not be a Kick Ranch vineyard without Kent Rosenblum.

by Dick Keenan, Partner of Kick Ranch

Memories of Kent Rosenblum

I first met Kent in 1992 when my wife and I invested in his small family winery.   When Kent learned that I had an interest in learning about grape growing, he invited me to meet his grape growers and I started coming to all the “Grower Days” he organized.  I learned a lot about how a winery works with its growers to grow the best possible fruit, and I saw that his growers loved working with him  With Kent’s encouragement, I bought the land that I planted as Kick Ranch in 2000. Kent’s was my first winery customer, and Kent made the first 90+ point wine from Kick Ranch.

Kent always greeted me, and everyone else, with a smile and a handshake. And yes, I loved hearing his Sven and Ollie jokes.  Kent gave me a start in the wine business that had a profound impact on my life,

I opened a 2004 Rosenblum Petite Sirah last night. Big and exuberant still – just like Kent. I am very saddened by Kent’s passing and very grateful that I knew him.

 

[ALL PHOTOS were taken by Jo Diaz; with the exception of Barbara Lyons Stewart, who gave her photo for use.]

Earlier I wrote a story titled Rutherford Dust Brought Karen MacNeil Squarely Into My Headlights, Now Into Yours. It included Karen MacNeil as part of that story. So does this one, in a completely different light.

[PHOTO below: left to right: Emma Swain, Lauren Pesch, Karen MacNeil, Sarah Fowler, Regina Weinstein]

Karen MacNeil hosted the panel A Female Perspective on Today’s Wine Industry:

The All Female Panelists Included 

• Emma Swain, CEO, St. Supery
• Laren Leeds Pesch, Partner with Leeds & Pesch Vineyard Consulting, and Chavez & Leeds Family Vineyard
• Karen MacNeil, Author, The Wine Bible, and Wine Speed
• Sarah Fowler, Winemaker for PEJU
• Regina Weinstein, Director of Marketing, Honig Vineyard & Winery

 

Yes, you read that right… All female panelists. This was a first for Rutherford Dust, and also for me, for sure.

Before I got there, I didn’t have a title or a feeling for what I’d write after the event, based on the new and intriguing Day in The Dust 2018 program. Not only was it including a 2015 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting, but it also included a Discussion of Women in the Wine Industry. 

I first decided to see who’s on the Board of Directors for The Rutherford Dust Society today. I was astounded, because what I started in the 1980s as a female flying solo in treacherous waters, by dropping into an all male bastion as its newest member, has now witnessed the following progression. Why I’m writing this one is to demonstrate how far we’ve all come, whether or not we’ve all liked it, in the last 30 years.

 

Pretty Evenly Split Yin Yang Board of Directors:

1. President: Davie Piña, Piña Vineyard Management
2. Vice President: Steve Tonella, S.R. Tonella Cellars
3. Secretary: Regina Weinstein, Honig Vineyard and Winery
4. Treasurer: Joel Aiken,  Aiken Wines
5. Board Member: Michelle Baggett, Alpha Omega
6. Board Member: Andy Beckstoffer, Beckstoffer Vineyards
7. Board Member: Kathy Chaix, Chaix Wines
8. Board Member: Elizabeth DeLouise-Gant, Conn Creek
9. Board Member: Trevor Durling, Beaulieu Vineyard
10. Board Member: Maria Haug, Talahalusi Vineyard
11. Board Member: Julie Johnson, Tres Sabores
12. Board Member: Lauren Leeds Pesch, Leeds & Pesch Vineyard Consulting
13. Board Member: Rod Santos, Wm. Harrison Vineyard & Winery

Say W-H-A-T?

In Napa? It hit me like it did when I first heard that Rotary International was going to allow women to become members, 30 plus years ago.

I don’t know why I wanted to be “in” Rotary so badly; then somehow I just got it done. Boy, do I remember how much fun that was as one of the first women to become a Rotarian in Lewiston, Maine, early the early 1980s. We had our own guru: Mr. Dominic (Dom) Tardif. He became my mentor, and guided me through the maze. He would vote for me to become the first woman on their board of directors. These are the kind of men who help women to achieve… from fathers, uncles, grandfathers, husbands, and bosses… Yes, bosses. It is they who support women of strength in business. They are our solid allies, because they don’t measure gender; they only see talent, and aren’t afraid to share responsibilities in important ways. They already do this with multiple females in life. Their main characteristic is that they’re emotionally intelligent men who are open to change.

Feng Shui Architect ~ Barbara Lyons Stewart

One of my beloved and well-balance women friends in California was Barbara Lyons Stewart. She has two published books and a lot of education to her credit. Before her untimely death with cancer, she was designing the feng shui on San Francisco International’s new main lobby.

• Feng Shui: A practical Guide for Architects and Designers ~ Vincent M. Smith with Barbara Lyons Stewart, AIA
• FLOORING Psychology: How to Avoid (Literally) Slipping and Tripping Through Life ~ Barbara Lyons Stewart, AIA, EDAC
• Golden Gate Feng Shui School: GGSFS graduate, architect and interior designer, Barbara-Lyons Stewart transformed her work as an architect designer into a career as an instinct-based design specialist when she experienced a reconnection to the natural world through feng shui.

I met Barbara through my work with Ron Rubin Winery. I had to write a press release about Barbara’s work, about her work in creating a new building for Ron Rubin. So, Ron Rubin encouraged me to meet with her. We had many meetings, with each time including a bonding lunch. As I learned about her career and her personal life, we were so similar in spirit…. But, we knew this the moment we met; we both both intuitively knew that we come from the same tribe.

In one of our last meetings, she shared this with me, and it’s relevant to the point of this story.

In Yin, there’s female energy, based on the theoretical. It’s dark (black presentation) and mysterious. It has a negative magnetic field; notice within the Yin there’s also a dot of Yang.

And in Yang, there’s masculine energy, based on pragmatics. It’s light (white presentation) and straight forward. It has a positive magnetic field; notice within the Yang there’s also a dot of Yin.

This took me to much deeper understanding into the balance of life. To me, this proved that we’re now in an auto correct for balance? There have been tribes where women have held and still hold high regard with secure men, who respect what women bring to the table. Everyone enjoys life more, with less stress. These women have had collective resolve, as they still do today.

This is what gets the feminine side to be where they want to be. It’s isn’t about the battle of the sexes. It’s about the sexes common cause, as evidenced by the men on the board agreeing to have an all female panel, who will examine A Female Perspective on Today’s Wine Industry. Their usual tasting ~ talking about the characteristics of their AVA, a Rutherford Dust Cab tasting, then each wine examined ~ was taking on a new discussion element, versus examining their AVA.

Because so much happened on that day, this is going to be a multi-faceted story; i.e., this is Part 1. This part is who the key players were for this story, and who supports the Board of Directors of the Rutherford Dust Society.

The next story will examine the key players for this year and what each one brought to the presentation.

_____________________________________________

ABOUT RUTHERFORD DUST

The Rutherford viticultural area is located in the historic heart of the Napa Valley. It’s known world-wide for its signature “Rutherford dust,” a term used to reflect its terroir, its deep connection to the soil in the vineyards, the wine, and the wineries of Rutherford. In collaboration with its grower and vintner members, the Rutherford Dust Society (RDS) focuses on helping wine consumers, trade, and media to discover Rutherford’s celebrated  terroir. They do this, while promoting the highest quality standards for grape growing and winemaking in the region. The RDS also supports other Rutherford non-profit organizations, like the Rutherford Hall, the Rutherford Volunteer Fire Department, and the Rutherford 4-H.

The Rutherford Dust Society is a non-profit, member association for growers and vintners in the Rutherford Appellation.

Tags: and Chavez & Leeds Family Vineyard, Barbara Lyons Stewart, Chavez & Leeds Family Vineyard, Director of Marketing, Dominic (Dom) Tardif, Golden Gate Feng Shui School, Honig Vineyard & Winery, Laren Leeds Pesch, Leeds & Pesch Vineyard Consulting, PEJU, Regina Weinstein, Ron Rubin, Ron Rubin Winery, Rutherford Dust, Rutherford Dust Society, Sarah Fowler, Winemaker

Sample wines provided Quintessential Wines ~ Matetic EQ Coastal Sauvignon Blanc 2017

PREFACE – PART 1 ~ WHITE WINES

Wine samples come to to me as a single bottle. Some arrive in a package of two or three. On other occasions, a case (or there about) arrives. This is one of those instances. I’ll be breaking this two into two days of Whites and then red wines. They’re my wines for this week, and they come from all over the globe. I’m enjoying (and learning) so much about wines from around the world. This is a lovely experience, and so worth sharing. So, enjoy the ride.

1. World Regions ~ FIRST
2. HEART ~ THE WINERY: info is coming from the company’s own statements
   1. I can’t make up their history
   2. Nor am I to try
3. SCIENCE ~ WINEMAKING ~ Same as above
4. SOUL ~ Wine Blog’s SAMPLE NOTES FOR
   1. Quintessential Wines

Photo Credit: Iakov Filimonov ~ This is a Valle Hermosa view of Andes Mountains from the valley, Argentina, South America

World Region ~ CHILE, SOUTH AMERICA

Matetic EQ Coastal Sauvignon Blanc 2017 – 100% Sauvignon Blanc ** Certified Organic Grapes

HEART

From the Winery:

“We plan to achieve a long-lived vineyard, with vines that have reached a total harmony with their ecosystem, keeping in mind that the best results are still to come.” 

This Matetic EQ Coastal Sauvignon Blanc 2017 is a very pale yellow color, with light green hues. The nose is complex and delicate, with aromas of citrus and tropical fruit such as mango, papaya, cherimoya and lime peel, intertwined with herbs notes. Refreshingly crisp on the palate, with concentrated fruit flavors and a fresh, salty acidity that finishes with a crisp, lingering minerality.

I thought I’d share an image of the “cherimoya” fruit. It’s not our everyday fruit, and I had never seen or heard of it. It’s very pretty, isn’t it?

SCIENCE

Winemaker Notes:
The grapes come from the “Valle Hermoso” (Beautiful Valley), located 8 miles from the Pacific Ocean, where the vineyards are planted on slopes and benefit from the cool maritime climate. This allows each clone to develop special characteristics. The predominant solid type is decompes granite, with a presence of mica on the upper tier.

PHOTO CREDIT: Dmytro Nikitin: background and texture concept – close up of granite stone surface

The deep subsoil is not heavy, allowing root penetration and balanced growing, thanks to the winery’s organic and biodynamic management. A careful manual harvest was carried out at the end of March. The grapes underwent a cold soak for six (6) to eight (8) hours before pressing under a layer of inert gas, preserving the grapes’ aromatic potential. Fermentation was conducted under controlled low temperatures in stainless steel tanks. The wine was aged in contact with fine lees for four months. Fifteen percent was fermented in concrete amphora vessels (“eggs”) and neutral oak barrels, to enhance the mineral notes, texture, and mouthfeel of the final wine.

SOUL

PHOTO CREDIT: Jo Diaz ~ These are my neighbors, which I feed everyday. The fencing behind the birds is one for keeping deer from eating all garden plants and fruit.

With Chilean Matetic EQ Coastal Sauvignon Blanc 2017, For the first time, I was really struck by what a difference the Andes mountain range makes in flavors, between Chile and Argentina.  It got me contemplating the Andes: “The average elevation in the Andes is about 13,000 feet (3,962 meters). The highest elevation in the Andes is Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, which is 22,841 feet (6,962 m) above sea level.”  LINK TO LIVE SCIENCE

So, we’re not talking coastal influences in Argentina, BUT we ARE in Chile and “Valle Hermoso.” Matetic Vineyards is just eight miles from the Pacific Ocean. This makes it a cool climate Sauvignon Blanc. It shows that in it’s pale color of yellow… Beautifully pale. And, I did get the salty acidity – a bit unusual and yet very well integrated into its core. Just a hint of the Pacific along with a hint of mint… and the tropical sun fun flavors. The bit of oak that the wine lived in (four months) also rounded out how it tasted, especially on the finish. A lazy Saturday afternoon, birds all fed, feet up reading a good book, this is my sipping companion.

Highly Recommended.

Quintessential Wines Collection

Tags: Matetic EQ Coastal Sauvignon Blanc 2017