I woke up looking forward to doing some wine tasting. My plan was to go to Fetzer’s beautiful tasting room and gardens at their hospitality center in Hopland. Well coated against the cold, the day was beautiful, the mountains misty as ribbons of fog bedecked the mountain folds surrounding the Ukiah Valley.

I hadn’t visited the Fetzer tasting room in seven years, it isn’t really conveniently located, but I wanted to taste their dozen wines and find a jewel or two to recommend as a drinking wine, and perhaps a few more that would pair well with foods. I wanted to write about wines that were available in every store, and at prices that are affordable to anyone that can find their way to my blog.

Fifteen minutes south I turned off the 101 and drove down the empty Tuesday morning road to the Fetzer property. I drove over a bridge spanning the Russian River and came upon what had been the hospitality center for Fetzer.

Signs forbidding entry blocked the roads onto the property, previously maintained gardens gone wild, “for sale” signs. I began to suspect that I would not be tasting Fetzer’s wines.

I continued another few miles up the road to Fetzer’s winemaking facility. It is huge, and quiet in the post harvest, between Christmas and New Year’s Day, way that almost all wineries are quiet. I drove to the Administration building, and the receptionist confirmed my suspicion: I would indeed not be tasting Fetzer wines.

Note to Brown-Forman: How about putting a tasting room on 101 in Hopland, where Brutocao, McFadden, McDowell, Dogwood/Three Families, and Graziano all have tasting facilities? You could have one facility for your Fetzer, Bonterra, and Sanctuary brands. Not as grand as your previous Fetzer Hospitality Center, closed about three years, but accessible and economically sustainable. Just asking’.

I woke up prepared to taste wines, and I was not going to be deterred by a mere tasting room closure. I got back on the 101 and headed south another half hour to Healdsburg, where Mendocino County’s Topel Winery has located their tasting room at 125 Matheson across from the Oakville grocery.

Walking in the tasting room door at Topel, I was welcomed almost immediately by Kevin Roach. Kevin asked what types of wines I prefer as he welcomed me to taste. I let him know I prefer Reds, but enjoy whites as well, and asked him to pour me his four favorite wines out of the fourteen available, the ones most likely to knock my socks off.

Kevin first poured me a glass of the 2007 Pinot Noir, Serendipity, Monterey. While I swirled and sniffed the wine, I looked over the tasting room. Attractive, well laid out, lots of dark wood and copper. Wood cabinets for Topel branded clothing, and for literature display. A smaller (VIP?) private tasting room with table is available as well.

Kevin told me that the grapes for the 100% Pinot came from the Chalone Vineyard, which is located in the Gabilan Mountain range. The Topel website identifies the grapes as coming from Monterey County’s Serendipity Vineyard. Wherever the grapes came from in Monterey County, 2007 was kind to these grapes, and the wine was luscious, with cherry sweet tart and raisoned cranberry aromas and raspberry and cherry flavors. Round, smooth, and balanced. This wine was wonderful. $28/bottle.

Wine #2 was Topel’s 2005 Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. 92% Cab, 4% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. I was pleased to taste this wine. I am a Sonoma County boy, born and raised. the wines I grew up with, tasted, sold, were Sonoma County wines. I live in Ukiah now, in Mendocino County, and I wanted this wine to taste good, I wanted the grapes from my new home to be good ones.

The 2005 Cab had a really low tannin load, was very approachable, with light herb and dark red cherry and berry fruit on the nose and repeating in the mouth. Velvety, smooth, soft, and balanced, with nice subtle notes. This is not a typical brick bat Cab, but a nicely drinkable Cab. $36/bottle.

Wine # 3 was the one year newer, just released three weeks ago, 2006 Estate Reserve Cabernet. 96% Cab, 2% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. Same wine, again smooth. A little more tannin evident, but soft. Similar nose and flavor profile to the 2005 Cab; with chocolate and black cherry. Definitely younger, a little edgy. I would let it lay down a while longer. $36/bottle.

The final wine I tasted was the 2006 Topel Estate Blend. 45% Cabernet. 45% Syrah Noir, 5% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot. I have never heard of Syrah Noir, Kevin explained that it was a clone of Syrah. The grapes for this unique blend come from Topel’s vineyards on Duncan Peak, west of Hopland in Mendocino County.

Kevin told me that this wine is owner Mark Topel’s favorite wine, I found it unusual. with notes of plum, prune, and fig newton. Again, virtually no tannin load, another incredibly soft wine. I want to retaste this wine the most. The unusual blend led to unusual flavors, and this might be the best, most versatile food pairing wine I tasted at Topel. $36/bottle.

All four wines were soft, supple, balanced, approachable, very drinkable. Tannin providing structure to hand fruit on, but staying out of the way of enjoying the wines. Well oaken, but not oaky. In a word: smooth.

I want the Pinot to drink, the Cabs to have with grilled tri tip, and the Estate blend to get to know better.

I set out to taste affordable wines, under $20, and ended up tasting wines in the $20-$40 range instead. My mission to taste and recommend inexpensive, available, good wines has not been forgotten; but I am really glad I stopped in to taste these four wines from Topel Winery.

My last blog entry, about how the wine industry could do a better job of marketing their product and how wine writers could try to reach beyond the small circle of people they write for and try to reach a larger audience through a serious decrease in snobbery, seems to have struck a chord.

I have seen links to my article receive tweets and retweets, diggs, and email forwardings. My blog numbers have exploded. I have gone from nowhere to the #4 top blog on Wine Blog Network Rankings.

Most importantly, I started a conversation; a real one with differing viewpoints. I am thrilled and amazed at the number of people that have found their way here to my blog, I am so incredibly grateful that some of you felt moved enough to share your thoughts here, on facebook, and by email.

This blog entry is about you, my readers, and what you have had to say in response to my last entry. Here is our conversation so far, please feel free to keep it going.

Shannon L., blog author’s friend, Dec 27 2009 8:46 PM

Walmart and Costco also sell Menage a Trois. Costco being the cheapest at $6.99 a bottle.

_____

Kelly Doyle Mitchell, owner of juicyplants.com, Dec 27 2009, 8:52 PM

Great read! Loved what he had to say about marketing and the (over)pricing in restaurants!

_____

John Cesano, blog author, Dec 27 2009, 8:59 PM

Again, better with food than by iteslf, but an absolutely GREAT food wine, and only $1.17 per glass from Costco. Wow. Beer prices for this wine’s superior food pairing qualities. That’s what the wine industry should be telling folks.

_____

Rob McLean, article inspiration, Dec 27 2009, 9:39 PM

Ok, so I am starting to see some of the light. My parents drank wine but mostly the famous box wines you’d find while at the grocery chain.
I being of the industrial worker type always enjoyed beer and shots as opposed to wine. I must admit a little wine does go a long way, at least to my head.
Appreciate the nod from this writer and friend, I will keep reading and eventually perhaps even change my beer drinking tunes. Admittedly Mr.Cesano already has me looking at the wine in my grocery outlet with more interest. Just haven’t committed as of yet.
Keep it up John, you are the future when it comes to a friendly voice in the wine writing community. I am sure of that.

Always
RK McLean

_____

Nancy Cameron Iannios, Oregon’s best tasting room and wine club manager, Dec 28 2009, 10:38 AM

Wonderful John! This is my favorite blog yet. I truly believe this would be a worthy submission for national publication with one of the big wine magazines…you should give it a try! I’m definitely going to pass it along to all of my So. Oregon wine associates. It is something that needs to be addressed! I cannot tell you how many guests have stepped right up to the tasting bar with an immediate disclaimer: “please don’t laugh at me if I don’t taste the wine correctly…I’ve never done ‘this’ before.”
First and foremost, wine should be fun and the stigmas associated with wine do need to loosen up. You don’t have to comment on the nose. It’s not necessary to recognize the nuances. You needn’t concern yourself with whether or not you are holding the glass correctly. Wine is meant to be enjoyed. You either like it or you don’t and you definitely do not have to agree with what you read or with what you hear. Reviews aren’t the final authorative word; they are merely one person’s perception and opinion. Each person’s taste buds allow for the final personal review.
The absolute beauty of wine is that it’s subjective. Each person’s experience is as unique as their own fingerprints. Tasting notes are more of an exercise in creative writing than they are a carved in stone description. I’ve seen many a concerned guest struggle to pick up on a flavor that is suggested in tasting notes. A gracious host/hostess can immediately address such concerns and save the whole experience.
I totally agree that you needn’t depend upon the price tag on a bottle of wine in order to enjoy an enhanced food experience. My daughter Rachel turned me onto Bogle Merlot about a year ago. You can purchase it at almost every supermarket for about $7.99. It has allowed me to have a dinner by candlelight experience in between paychecks on more than one occasion!

_____

John Cesano, blog author, Dec 28 2009, 3:57 PM

Robert Parker Jr. just gave a Napa wine you’ve never heard of (Dana Estates’ 2007 Lotus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon), that you’ll never see (only 250 cases made), that you wouldn’t buy ($275 for a bottle of last year’s release), a perfect 100 point s rating. seriously, who really cares? Way to go wine industry, just keep shoveling that news that no real person cares about.

Shannon L., blog authors friend, Dec 28 2009, 4:49 PM

I love what Nancy has to say. I believe she should submit it so some publication!
I admit, I buy my wine purely by if I like the picture or the title of the vineyard on the label!
I either like it, or I don’t. That simple.

_____

Shannon E., Wine Goddess, Dec 28 2009, 6:53 PM

[Parker] has to sell his newsletter and books. Look at his audience. Those dudes (readers) need to think they have something up on everyone else. Don’t sweat it just use it in your comedy routine (who is Dana? Is she THAT hot?)

_____

John Cesano, blog author, Dec 28 2009, 7:06 PM

Today, I checked in with the twitterati of winedom, and the big news was that Robert Parker, THE wine critic, had deigned to grant a 100 point score to a Napa Cabernet you have never heard of (Dana Estates’ 2007 Lotus Vineyard Cab), will never see a bottle of in person (only 250 cases produced), and can’t afford ($275/bottle for last year’s release, this year’s will likely be more). Really, who cares, besides a bunch of wine geek, Frasier Crane wanna-be, Napa cult Cab, fan boys? This news will not effect one single person I know.

Let me say it again clearly to wine writers and the wine industry: give real people news that they can use. Tell real people about wines that are readily available, do not cost an arm and a leg, and pair well with the food people eat at dinner time. Give people a reason to try your product, instead of writing for each other about things real people will never care about.

Just sayin’.

_____

Josh, author of drinknectar.com, Dec 29 2009, 8:58 AM

This was a very good and well written piece. The wine industry is behind the curve when it comes to 1) vision and 2) marketing and 3) distribution (don’t get me started here)

I love to debunk the wine snobbery of it all. There are a few good wine writers trying to do the same. Both John and Nancy are spot on in their comments too.

Josh @nectarwine (twitter)

_____

Tamara, author do sipwithme.blogspot.com, Dec 29 2009, 9:03 AM

Good article and I hear what you’re saying, but I personally find it more interesting to taste (and read about) quality over quantity. Not just wine either, same goes for beer. I can drink a tall boy for next to nothing or I can indulge in a deliciously handcrafted local ale. I’d pay 5 times the amount for the microbrew… and I’d be more likely to read a review about it too. Same for food for that matter. Do you want to read about a Big Mac you can get for under $5 or do you want to read about and taste the juicy gourmet kobe beef hamburger loaded with toppings you could never imagine on a burger (like a quails egg!)? News that you can use is good, but it has to be more than just about value. Just sayin’.

_____

John Cesano, blog author, Dec 29 2009, 10:41 AM

Tamara, your points are valid…as far as they go. When I visited friend in Oregon a couple of months ago, I did not drink a single Budweiser, but I did enjoy a handcrafted IPA or two at Wild River Brewing in Grants Pass. When I listed my 10 Perfect Foods, Kobe beef made the list. I have waxed poetic over wines that most folks, outside of the circle of wine geeks (and yes I consider myself one), will never taste as well.

With nearly every wine writer writing about wines that regular folks will never taste, it just perpetuates the wine industry’s failures to effectively market their wines to a wider audience. If you venture from Oregon to Napa, I’ll look forward to reading your review of the 2007 Dana Estates Lotus Vineyard Cabernet. Your prose is solid, and, as I am a self-professed wine geek, it would be interesting to read your review of a wine no one I know will never taste.

Handcrafted beers, and even Kobe beef, are available to the average consumer. Many of the wines I read reviews of are not.

You seem to be likening the wines I would recommend regular folks try with their meals, over the beer or iced tea they currently drink, to a 24 ounce can of Budweiser. It is just that attitude, dare I say snobbery, that puts so many people off ordering wine.

I love quality. I acknowledge that many more $20 wines will appeal to my palate than $10 wines, and there is a great likelihood that I will enjoy a $40 wine more than a $20 wine; but I’m not writing for myself, or for a circle of other wine writers. I have chosen to write for my friends, most of whom are just just regular folks, most of whom too rarely drink wine. I will write try to find “value” wines that taste good, or pair well with food, review and recommend them. I’ve taken on the job the industry doesn’t do, trying to get regular folks to drink wine now and again.

I think I’m on the right track, this was my most read blog entry by far.

Thanks for the comment. I love your blog and I’m adding it to my blog roll.

John

_____

John Vitale, editor & publisher of Washington Tasting Room Magazine, Dec 29 2009 1:48 PM

I read your post “So, you don’t get wine writers or the wine industry?” with a big grin on my face.

Cheers, keep up the good work on your blog!

John Vitale

_____

Scott Casey, Man of Mystery, Dec 29, 2009 9:59 PM

Love your Blog John. I agree with you 1000% wine beats all drinks when it comes to food.

_____

Nancy Cameron Iannios, Oregon’s best tasting room and wine club manager, Dec 29 2009, 10:10 PM

I’m definitely not trying to get into any debates, but I’m 100% behind John on this entire subject. I’m not convinced that a high priced bottle of wine is a guarantee of “quality”. I personally prefer red wines that have been fermented in New French Oak rather than American Oak. The cost of New French Oak is much more expensive than American Oak so wine producers have to cover their costs by pricing their wines accordingly. New French Oak aging is my personal preference but it’s not an indication of whether or not the wine is of higher “quality”. From my experience there are lots of marketing ploys involved in determining price points. For the most part, these price points have absolutely nothing to do with the actual quality of the wine and have more to do with a marketing manager’s opinion about what is going to make their product move at the best percentage of profit. Some people automatically see value in something with a higher price tag on it, but wine is no different than any other product…it’s about supply and demand and impressions left through marketing efforts. Most “impressions” in the wine industry are created with a sense of snobbery that appeals to a specific market. I think the point that John is trying to make is about industry “impressions” that leave the ordinary person feeling that wine is unapproachable. The “ordinary” person accounts for a much higher percentage of the buying population. So, purely from a numbers standpoint, the wine industry could probably sell more product to a wider audience if they were to take the snob appeal out of their product.

_____

John Cesano, blog author, Dec 29 2009, 11:37 PM

Nancy, I always welcome your comments. You have a viewpoint I respect, and as the best Oregon tasting room and wine club manager I know, your opinions enrich this blog.

To be fair, I am thrilled with Tamara’s comment as well. I would love people to look at my entries as the beginning of a conversation. I welcome comments, and mine is not the only valid viewpoint. It is entirely possible, perhaps probable, that I will be completely wrong in something I write. Tamara’s thoughts were so well presented that I added her to my blogroll immediately.

As Tamara’s blog is about visiting every Oregon tasting room in a year, it is more than likely that the two of you, Nancy and Tamara, have met.

I tried to taste wines at Fetzer’s tasting room in Hopland today, only to find it was closed about 3 years ago. Instead, I tasted some delicious wines from Topel Winery of Mendocino County at their tasting room in Healdsburg. While I’ll be putting up a new entry tomorrow recapping my visit to Topel’s tasting room, I can say that getting out to taste inexpensive wines looking for some jewels will be hampered if large wine groups are closing their brand’s tasting rooms.

_____

Denise Slattery, triovintners.com, Dec 30 2009 8:00 AM

Hi – This is a great summation of what’s screwed up in this industry. I like what I have read here. Thanks very much. Couple of things to add: I make wine and have a small winery which is holding on financially but a bit stressed at this time (who isn’t?) I would say the hardest job I have (besides cleaning barrels and tanks!) is marketing my wine. It’s not just about pouring samples in a tasting room. It’s really a 360 degree process that requires me to have everything buttoned up in terms of marketing and communications. Fortunately I really enjoy this part and like the challenge, but I am stunned at how stupidly the industry has organized itself, especially with regard to the point scale / medal winning / incomprehensible review system that we are all (consumers and trade alike) forced to contend with. I loathe kowtowing to the point-people and therefore do not send wine to WS or WA for review. But I second guess myself on this decision with each new release….”What if we actually got a high score on a wine from WS? That’s good for business. Right?”

Most of the wineries in this county (and there are something like 6,000 +) are small, family-run operations that are thriving because they are focused on small lot productions and a hand-crafted product. Making only 250 cases of a particular wine for me is mostly a matter of economics, not about creating an aura of exclusivity. Is the wine better because there’s less of it? Not necessarily. Does it cost more to make because there is less of it? Of course. But I think the point should not be lost on consumers that when it’s gone, it’s gone. So, pay attention and try it because it’s going to provide an experience for you. Not because so-and-so gave it 100 points. Right?

Finally, the craziest obstacle to promoting more everyday wine consumption is the insane restrictions that states apply to the sale of wine. As long as these hold-over restrictions from prohibition continue, and the three-tier system is protected, wineries are prevented from direct to consumer trade in many states. I can deal with the TTB compliance issues (which are also tedious and arcane but primarily there to capture tax revenue) but I loathe the three-tier system and believe this is a restriction of free trade. I think it’s down right anti- American!

To each and every one of you, thank you for writing this blog entry. Your opinions and viewpoints, uniquely yours, benefit us all when shared, and enrich my blog tremendously. Keep reading, keep commenting, keep sipping. Consider signing up as a subscriber of the blog too, Thanks! -John

I have a friend named Rob who isn’t really a wine guy. Rob isn’t alone, many people aren’t into wine.

The wine industry has allowed a perception that wine is more special than beer to permeate society. Working guys drink beer. Fancy pant elites drink wine.

I don’t know of any other industry that would purposely allow barriers to purchase to exist like this.

With wine, we’re not talking about unattainably expensive status symbol luxury items like Rolex watches, but there are many people who would more willingly buy a Rolex watch than a bottle of wine. With the Rolex, you know what you bought, an expensive, investment grade, time piece.

People just don’t know about wine, and not knowing are afraid to order it.

By allowing wine to be perceived as complex, a beverage for learned experts, the industry has fostered a fear in consumers. “I’m not James Bond, I don’t know a good vintage, or even a wine type; I’ll just have a beer, or a shot of tequila, or a Mojito, or a coke, or iced tea…anything but wine. I don’t want to look stupid in front of my friends or the waiter or the shop keeper.”

At the same time that Bacardi was marketing their rum through aggressive Mojito promotion, and selling more rum than ever, the wine industry was allowing fear to continue to be a wall most people won’t climb to try their product.

I could scream.

I read the blogs of many wine writers, pick up the wine magazines, keep up on marketing trends. 100 point wine ratings, 5 star ratings, indecipherable wine speak, Frasier Crane-esque reverence paid to a handful of producers of wines not available to the general public or too expensive to justify buying. Open a door or window and let’s get some air in here; most of what you’ll read about wine is from writers who have bought into the failed marketing of the industry – of absolutely no interest to anyone outside of the community of wine cognoscenti. Yawn.

Wine is so much better with most meals than beer, or iced tea, or coke, or just about any other beverage, but the industry is not getting that message across; it also hurts that restaurant wines cost triple what they would in a store and wine service is generally poor.

The next time you are in a nice restaurant, you will see many if not most people drinking beer or iced tea instead of wine. I can assure you that given a wine recommendation that would suit their meal better, and offered a glass of that wine at a reasonable price, most everyone would be drinking and enjoying both their wine and their meal more. I blame the wine industry for poor marketing.

Rather than be one of thousands of other wine writers bleating about the same unattainable cult wines, effectively bragging to my fellow wine writers about the wines I am drinking, I want to write about wine for the guy that would rather have wine with his meal but doesn’t want to feel like an ass.

Although wine knowledge is never ending, wine is simple. Let me say that again; Wine Is Simple.

Take the wine I drank my Christmas meal with, a 2008 Menage a Trois from Folie a Deux winery in Napa County’s St. Helena; while the wine goes for $12 a bottle, I just found the same wine on sale at Lucky’s supermarket for $8.99, so price needn’t be an obstacle to having good wine with food.

I appreciate that there are a wealth of wines in supermarkets that run from $8 – $20 per bottle, and some are good and some aren’t. I’ll try to taste a number of them and give you my recommendations.

Menage a Trois is a playful way of saying that the wine is a blend of three grape varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, the king of reds, big, structured, dense, with black berry and currant notes, Merlot, Cab’s softer sister red, rounder, fleshier, with cherry notes, and Zinfandel, a brash, in your face red, with raspberry notes.

You have heard, “red wine with meat.” With three red wines in one bottle, this wine is a great wine for pairing with a host of meat dishes from hamburgers and hotdogs to pork shoulder and flank steak. Pasta in an Italian red sauce, Caesar salad; heck, I could drink this wine with just about anything and be happy.

Wine shouldn’t be about inviolable rules, but I will share a few “wouldn’t be a bad idea”s with you along the way.

The “wouldn’t be a bad idea” for today is not overfilling your wine glass just because you have the room to do so. My wine glasses are large, either 16 or 20 ounces, and I pour no more than 4 ounces in my glass. I get to swirl the wine, let it breathe, let the bowl of the wine glass collect wonderful scents, bury my nose in the glass, and inhale all the aroma and bouquet the wine has to give. A sniff and a sip, can change a bite of already good food into something almost transcendent. Doesn’t always, but, oh is it nice when it does!

I can get about six glasses of wine from a bottle at 4 ounces per glass. That means my $8.99 sale bottle of 2008 Menage a Trois is costing me about a buck and a half per glass.

The wine industry should be telling you that you can get a great wine to pair with food at home for about a buck and a half a glass.

That’s a lot more valuable information to most consumers than knowing about another garage winery whose entire release is sold out but just got a 10 page write up in a major wine publication after scoring a perfect 100 points in a possibly not blind tasting.

I’ll be visiting Fetzer and Bonterra in Mendocino County, doing some wine tasting close to home this week, hopefully I will be able to make some more recommendations. I also want to taste some of Topel Winery’s wines, they are also from nearby, but their tasting room is in Healdsburg, so tasting for me will have to wait a bit. I also should be seeing some wine accessory samples arrive this week that a distributer said they would send; I’ll try those out and let you know what I think. I’m also going to try cooking polenta a different way, and I’m going to make another batch of involtini this week. Lots of things to write about, I hope you’ll keep checking in.

_____

If you do have the time, and are near Healdsburg, CA stop into the Topel Winery tasting room and taste some wines before year’s end. They have a 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Grace at $130/case ($1.80/glass) , 2004 Hidden Vineyard Cabernet at $190/case ($2.64/glass), and 2005 Cuvee Donnis Syrah at $150/case ($2.08/glass). These prices are discounted 43 – 51% per case, promo codes are “Grace”, “Hidden”, and “Donnis”, and the sale only runs through the end of December.

_____

Edited to add: A friend, and reader of my blog, Shannon let me know that the 2008 Menage a Trois was $6.99 at Costco. Seriously, at $1.16 a glass, this wine costs less per ounce than the bottled water I bought at the Fairplex in Pomona, CA at the beginning of this month. Buy it, pair it with meat. Thank me later.

Adventures in kayaking with Liquid Fusion Kayaks
Hairy discovers his sea legs

In anticipation of a Thanksgiving visit from my best canine buddy, Jai-Ram, and his caregiver mother, Carol, my dad’s decided to see how I would take to messing about on the water. It was about time I got to use my life preserver (I have only worn it modeling for a segment on TV) and if I liked the experience, I could then take my visitors for a new and unique canine/human shared adventure while they are on their vacation.

Dog-friendly Liquid Fusion Kayaking is located in Fort Bragg, Mendocino County, California in south Noyo Harbor on Dolphin. It is owned and operated by my good human friends, Jeff and Cate, along with their canine children, Bear and Aften. Liquid Fusion Kayaking specializes in river and sea kayaking, with adventures and classes for all levels and proficiency, from beginners (like me), to seasoned and professional kayakers. To view the full range of services and pricing, please visit their website at www.liquidfusionkayaking.com.

The sun was shining and I was feeling very energetic as we arrived. Immediately I was greeted by Bear and Aften. There was lots of sniffing and tail wagging as introductions were made. Liquid Fusion provides everything for your kayaking trip: they have various kayaks, outerwear, life preservers, etc. Do dress warmly and appropriately for the water as it can get cool in areas and water (outside of the groomers) I have found is very cold as well as wet when encountered. Once I was dressed in my life preserver we walked a short distance to a sheltered cove on the banks of the Noyo River were a kayak was waiting. Having never been in a kayak before, my dad’s felt more comfortable having a professional instructor take me out on the river for the first time. Cate got into the kayak and when she was in position, I was gently handed to her by Jeff and placed in her lap. After a few kisses from me, I placed my front paws on the bow of the kayak and Jeff gently eased Cate and I away from shore. 

Cate and I kayaking

I was captivated immediately by the motion, sights, and sounds. We saw all sorts of birds, even the lazy sea lions on the bank of the river raised their head in curiosity and one even swam close to us, taunting me. I have to say that most of all, my reflection off the side of the kayak when I turned my head held the greatest fascination. Cate had no trouble paddling as I did not wiggle. I did turn around to give her a few more kisses occasionally, but for the most part, I just cruised with Cate on the river as if I had always been an old seafaring dog. I took to kayaking “like a fish to water”, as my new kayaking postcards attest. You can view them on my website.

With my sea legs firmly established, I was now ready to take my friend, Jai-Ram, his mum, Carol, and one of my dads, Alan, on a Liquid Fusion Kayaking adventure for themselves. This time it was Jeff’s turn to instruct and chaperone us. Arriving promptly, the four of us got dressed in our life preservers and our caregivers opted to wear water protective outwear also. Once we were all dressed, Jeff went over the route we would take, general safety tips and guidelines as well as the correct ways to use the paddle. We then proceeded to a different starting point from my previous trip, this time it was in the harbor with all the “big” boats. To reach the kayaks we walked through the harbor’s restaurant outdoor seating area, patrons were very excited to see us all parade by and lots of attention was bestowed upon Jai-Ram and me. Jai -Ram as usual wanted to stop to check for food.

Once we were at the launch jetty, Jeff asked which of our caregivers wanted to be in the front or back, as this time we were going in a two-person kayak. Carol chose the front end for her and Jai-Ram, while my dad and I were to ride in the back. Alan would be operating the rudder. Jeff showed Carol and Alan the proper way to enter the kayak and where Alan should put his feet to reach the peddles that steer the kayak. Once Carol and Alan were securely seated, Jeff helped Jai-Ram and me get aboard. Jai-Ram was a bit anxious at first, but with some reassuring from Carol, he soon settled down and we were ready to go.

The tranquility of the trip

Jeff instructed us how to steer ourselves out into the harbor, as he settled into his kayak. The water was calm as we exited the harbor joining the Noyo River. It did not take long for Alan and Carol to get into the rhythm of rowing, mastering the steering and for Jai-Ram to relax. As we meandered gently along, Jeff directed our gaze to various spots along the river bank that held a treasure trove of bird life: King Fishers, Herons and several varieties of ducks. Jeff also pointed out Osprey nests and shared his and Cates previous encounters of other wildlife sightings. We exchanged greetings with the people fishing from a bridge that were just tickled to see two adults and two canines passing them by in a Kayak. As we progressed further the river became crystal clear and we paused to take in the breathtaking beauty of the mirror reflection of the overhanging tress and ourselves perfectly reflected, even the usual wiggle worm Jai-Ram, became as motionless as the water.

Noyo Harbor, Fort Bragg

Kayaking is a wonderful way to have more quality experiences and time with your pet. It was a magical time being in an environment where the only sounds were the conversations of nature. The time passed by effortlessly and with Jeff at our side navigating the odd branch and natural obstacle was a breeze. Jeff was even kind enough to bring his water proof camera along so he could take mementos of the trip for us. There is something so special and enchanting about sharing this experience with our human caregivers. We are safely secure in their laps, front paws resting on the surface of the kayak, the flow of air as we glide over the surface of the river gently caresses our fur and the odd drop of water that drips off the paddle gently reminds us that staying put safely in the kayak is very wise.

I strongly encourage you to check to see what kayaking opportunities exist in your area and especially if they are pet friendly. White water rafting and sea kayaking require much more experience and expertise. PLEASE do not take us out into water that could be unpredictable. The trips I have recounted to you were with trained and licensed instructors on a very gentle and shallow part of the Noyo River. There is something to be said “for messing about on the water” kayak style.

I give Liquid Fusion Kayaking four very enthusiastic paws.

Wine. Just four little letters, wine; but thousands of books have been published on the subject, with hundreds more written every year, countless magazines, periodicals, and trade publications are printed monthly, and writers opine in columns appearing in the newspapers of nearly every city in the world each week.

Wine. What insightful and new bits of information and wisdom do I have to share, that hasn’t been imparted, shared, by numerous others before?

I will likely add nothing new, and yet my experiences, uniquely my own, may trigger memories of similar experiences you hold; and a particular bottle, and the place you tasted it, and the people you tasted it with, may come back to you as clearly as yesterday. Maybe it was yesterday.

I am wine geekier than most. Experienced, a professional’s palate, around wine all of my life, with developed preferences, I am a Frasier Crane without the pretentiousness, without the snobbiness.  Raised on Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, I love big rich red wines; ideally with a ton of structure supporting accessible forward fruit. If an old friend showed up with a box of chilled white Zinfandel, something I personally have never bought for myself, I would work up a menu to feature the crushed-strawberry-over-ice notes it might have, pour myself a glass, and enjoy time shared with a friend.

The blackberry currant of a Cabernet, or the brambly raspberry and black pepper spice of a Zinfandel, breathed in through my nose buried in a large glass; the wine swirled, aroma molecules breaking free, traveling up my nose, aromas, bouquet, analyzed, information passed on to the brain for comparison with similar previous smelled items. Judgement, memories triggered, new memories being formed.

I love smelling wines. I can happily swirl 4 ounces of wine in the bottom of a 16 or 20 ounce glass, and inhale the wine, breathe in the smells, experience the changes as a newly opened wine’s tannins and alcohol heat flush dissipate and the fruit comes forward. I love to let a wine breathe in my glass, “nosing” it over and over.

I often open a wine to be used at dinner, either in the food as a part of the recipe, or as an accompanying meal beverage – or more often as both. I love wine, I love food, and I love to pour myself a glass of wine to smell and inspire me as I prep a meal’s ingredients. I often spend an hour just breathing in a wine before tasting it.

I have a picture that hangs over my desk, and has hung on the wall of each of the wine industry related offices I worked in over the years; in the picture are an 11 year old me, and my then 7 year old brother, crushing grapes by foot. Any fan of Lucy Ricardo’s I Love Lucy trip to Italy can recognize instantly what my brother and I are doing. I love the picture, because it demonstrates how far back wine reaches into my life.

While I grew up with, and always loved, wine, one of the first wines that made me sit up and take notice was the 1976 Simi Cabernet Sauvignon. As I didn’t turn 21 until 1982, I found it too late and had to purchase the wine as a library release directly from the winery. I think I was spending $50 a bottle 25 years ago. I couldn’t afford much back then, but somehow I managed to always have a couple of bottles on hand for years until the winery ran out.

Fifteen years later, my dad asked me to watch his house when he went on vacation to Italy; and tucked away, I found a bottle of 1976 Charles Krug. I invited a wine loving friend up to the house for dinner, planning to showcase the Krug. Robert Mondavi is one of my wine industry heroes, he is a God, having changed California winemaking for all wineries, not just the winery he created in his own name. Mondavi left his family’s winery, the Charles Krug winery, to make his own wines his own way, and in doing so paved the way for everyone else, including Krug, to make better wines. I looked forward to tasting the ‘76 Krug Cab, a winery from a historied family, from an area known for growing great Cabernet grapes, from an incredibly good vintage. Would it have held up? Would it be faded? Would it be vinegar?

Typically, I opened the wine while prepping dinner, and was not thrilled with the nose, it seemed muted, very closed, possibly dead. As time went on, the alcohol flush disappeared, but all that was left was a tannic edge without much fruit. The wine had gone, sadly faded. I sniffed and sipped at 30 minutes, an hour, two hours, three hours. Nothing.

My friend came for dinner, we ate and glanced wistfully at the bottle that never opened up. As I plated dessert, I tried the 76 Krug Cab one more time. Oh My God. a wine aged under dubious conditions for twenty five years, left open to breathe for over 4 hours, finally opened to show off the most amazing array of fruit and leather and herb and spice. Rich, deep and full, our dinner wine became the sweetest non-sweet dessert wine ever.

I remember during barrel tasting weekend in Sonoma County tasting a Zinfandel at Preston Vineyards in the Dry Creek Valley. I was stunned by the flavors, still in the barrel, with lots of growing up yet to do, I was tasting what I thought of as the best Zinfandel I had ever tasted. I was so excited to taste the Zinfandel that would be made from this barrel. When at last the finished wine was blended and bottled, I tasted the newly released Zinfandel and was shocked.

Traditionally, Zinfandel may be blended with some Carignane, just as Cabernet Sauvignon is often blended with some Merlot. There are certain blendings, classic, that are accepted as appropriate and often result in a wine superior to the unblended wines otherwise made. Lou Preston chose to blend the best barrels of Zinfandel I had ever tasted with Cabernet, producing a wine that tasted like no other Zinfandel I had ever tasted. I was horrified, crushed, mourning the loss of what I had imagined.

Ignoring the label, putting aside expectations of what a Zinfandel should taste like, and what this Zinfandel could have tasted like, but tasting this wine as simply a red wine, and asking myself if I liked it or not, I found that I did indeed like it. I liked it quite a bit. I often took visiting friends by the Dry Creek Store for sandwiches, then to Preston Vineyards to buy a bottle of this Zinfandel, and over a few games of Bocce on the grounds of Preston Vineyards I would recount the tale of this wine from barrel to bottle, as I experienced it.

Another powerfully memorable wine is the 1995 Kistler Chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast, near where the Russian River empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Chardonnay seemed to hold every note in the nose and mouth that I had ever experienced in all other Chardonnays combined. It was all there: oak, toast, cream, vanilla, apple, pear, tropical and citrus, clove, caramel, butterscotch, and so much more. It was like tasting 1.5 Liters of flavor crammed into a 750 milliliter bottle. It was like magic, I have never experienced anything quite like it before or since.

I was in a restaurant in the foodie Buckhead section of Atlanta and saw the ‘95 Kistler Chardonnay on the wine menu at $60 which is about the same as it cost on release in a store; remembering the magic, with great happiness, I ordered a bottle. The wine came to the table at perhaps a single degree above freezing, all of the amazing notes locked in by cold. This was a truly sad wine experience, to me it seemed criminal. I would much rather have enjoyed the wine at room temperature with the notes flying out of the glass than frozen and unable to escape.

From the 1973 vintage, Mike Grgich made Chateau Montelena a Chardonnay that won first place among the Chardonnays and white Burgundies at the famed 1976 Paris tasting using fruit that was purchased from the Bacigalupi vineyards in Sonoma County. I had a chance to taste wines made by California winemaker of the year Carol Shelton, using these same grapes, but from the superior 1995 vintage, for Windsor Vineyards. I had a stocked cellar of 360 bottles of wines at the time, I did not need more wine, but I found myself buying cases of this incredible Chardonnay.

Carol Shelton made wines that featured the flavors of the fruit, allowing the grapes and what they had experienced while on the vine to express itself in the bottle. One of the most consistent, approachable wines Shelton made year between the years of 1995 and 2000 was her Murphy Ranch Chardonnay for Windsor Vineyards. Legend, true or not I don’t know, is that Carol was able by contract to pick fruit from the Murphy Ranch in the Alexander Valley of Sonoma County before the vineyard owners could harvest the remaining grapes for use in their own Murphy Goode Chardonnay. All I know is that the Carol’s Murphy Ranch Chardonnay made up the largest portion of my collected Chardonnays during this time. I bought bottles from Murphy Goode each vintage as well to do a sort of horizontal tasting, same wine, same grapes, different winemaker.

I could write about the differences of the Chardonnays; the Kistler, the Montelena, the Windsor Bacigalupi Vineyard, the Windsor Murphy Ranch, The Murphy Goode; or about the different areas the grapes come from: Napa or the Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley and Coast appellations of Sonoma County; or about the different vintages the grapes were grown: the late frosts and early rains or the perfect long and warm growing seasons. It is all of this and more that makes wine endlessly fascinating to the wine geek in me; but suffice it to say that wine is alive, it changes, even twin bottles, cellared well, can taste different months apart.

I could write endlessly about wines, and the wineries and vineyards of my family home in Sonoma County, California. I could tell you about learning that wines change by vintage as my first wife and I had a favored wine become a least favored wine when the last bottle of one vintage was consumed and the first bottle of the new vintage was tasted. I could share that Sonoma County with half the wineries of Napa County wins twice as many Gold Medals in National and International wine competitions – and the wines cost less.

I could write about the lesser known wines of the county I now live in, Mendocino. The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grown in the Anderson Valley; the similarities and differences of these grapes when compared with the grapes from the better known Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, the sparkling wine of Roederer Estate in the Anderson Valley compared to the California Champagne of the Russian River Valley’s Korbel. The lusciousness of Handley’s Anderson Valley Pinot, or the commitment to organic and sustainable farming practices of Mendocino County wineries – even wine giant Fetzer, located just off the 101 in Hopland. One of the most exciting one man wineries I know of is in Ukiah, where John Chiarito’s head pruned vines produce artisanal Italian varietals, Negroamaro and Nero D’Avloa, as well as gorgeously dense Petite Sirah and Zinfandel.

Mostly, when I write about wine, I want to share with you a memory; the taste of the wine, where I was, what I was doing, and who I was doing it with.

There are books dedicated to recommended pairings; red wine with meat, white wine with fish. I have found that any wine is best paired with friends.

Mission Codename: The Filigreen Pedigree

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Infiltrate Segue Cellars and recover some of their limited production BioDynamic 2007 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Segue Cellars

Wine Subject: 2007 Anderson Valley Filigreen Vineyard Pinot Noir

Winemaker: Stephen Yafa

Backgrounder:

The Anderson Valley AVA in Mendocino County runs long the Anderson River, which flows northwest from near Boonville towards Navarro. The west side of the Anderson River rises to a region known as the Mendocino ridge, a higher elevation aspect than much of the inland wine growing regions in Mendocino County. It is one of California’s coolest wine growing regions with the climate most influenced by proximity coast. The region is also well known for having a diverse alluvial soil structure that supports a wide variety of grapes.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep burgundy with ruby and violet reflections through its deep clear core. Along the edges, the color remains violet and when swirled, this wine leaves random clusters of slow legs that thin as they descend to the wine below.

Smell – Medium bold in aromatics with focused herbal red cherry and raspberry fruit leading the way. Layers of floral violet, subtle dried mint leaves, earthy forest and a hint of leather emerge upon further exploration of the nose.

Feel – Smooth and dry, with silky fine grained tannins and bright but balanced acidity are interwoven with a slight dusty minerality that spreads over the palate and lingers into the finish.

Taste – Vibrant and youthful fruit flavors of red and black cherry along with tart raspberry are integrated with herbal and earthy notes. Spice, vanilla and and oak linger under the fruit and mix with this wine’s minerality.

Finish – Medium to long in length, this wine’s lingering minerality, oak, spice and bright fruit spread over the palate tempting another sip.

Conclusion – The 2007 Segue Cellars Anderson Valley Filigreen Vineyard Pinot Noir is a delicious and focused Pinot Noir that shows vivid fruit and a unique herbal and earthy character. Great minerality along with this wine’s finely textured tannins and acidity makes this wine great for pairing with food. Enjoy a bottle now, but be sure to stash a few away in the cellar as a few years in the bottle with definitely benefit this wine as it integrates and evolves.

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Stephen Yafa

DATE OF BIRTH: 5/41

PLACE OF BIRTH: Lowell, Mass

WINE EDUCATION: No formal wine education. I’ve apprenticed to artisan winemakers, and learned what I know over the course of twenty-plus years making a variety of wines with friends, and now commercially. The best teachers by far are the vines themselves. When they’re happy there’s an excellent chance they’ll produce wine that makes you happy. That doesn’t happen by chance, in my experience as winemaker and now a vineyard owner.

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: The name of my winery says it all: Segue. I segued from being a writer about wine—among other things— for Wine Enthusiast, Saveur Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle and numerous other publications to making my own commercial Pinot Noir in 2005. In the process I became a cellar rat for one crush to learn from the ground up. I spent hours in the vineyard with Pinot Noir master Greg LaFollette learning about correcting mineral deficiencies, leafing, pruning, leaf architecture, all those things that take huge amounts of time and labor to do right, but pay off in the glass. Shortcuts? I wish. A full accounting of my leap into the fermentation tank, so to speak, can be found at http://www.seguecellars.com/about.htm. Click on “Going Pro”, a 3-part series I wrote for Wines&Vines. It includes an episode where I get locked in the barrel room of DeLoach Vineyards at night. It could have been worse. I was surrounded by 5000 gallons of delicious vino.

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: Pinot Noir is a delicate lady with many hidden talents. Do not force yourself on her, encourage her to reveal her talents and attributes in her own time, naturally, and be thankful for the gifts she delivers to those who treat her with respect.

SIGNATURE VARIETAL: Pinot Noir, if that’s not already apparent. I love the Russian River Valley’s earthy, cola complexity, and the lively black fruit of the Anderson Valley, Mendocino single-vineyard biodynamically grown Pinot that I make from Filigreen Vineyards.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: I was invited to pour my organic, biodynamically grown ‘07 Filigreen at an exclusive donor’s event at the Chicago Public Library honoring author Michael Pollan. The Segue Russian River received a 93 score from the Connoisseur’s Guide to California Wine, and those guys are tough. I know. I’ve tasted with them. By the way, they taste blind. They’d even give their own wives a low score if they happened to make wine that didn’t meet their standards—and yes, probably wind up sleeping in the car.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: One of my Pinots tied for second among women out of 355 entries into the ‘08 Pinot Summit Shootout. It placed 5th among men.

WINEMAKER QUOTE: ” As in life, love, and the Tao, in wine balance is everything.”

AGENT RED: Greetings, Steve. We are thrilled to be showing your Pinot Noir today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

WINEMAKER: Hit me with your hardest.

RED: Don’t worry, Steve, I’ll go easy on you. This time.

RED: And where did you learn the most about winemaking?

STEVE: On the ground, running. Also from interviewing hundreds of winemakers as a journalist.

RED: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

STEVE: Aside from Gevrey-Chambertin, and closer to home, a few of the “sauvage” Pinots made by Greg LaFollette for his winery, Tandem. Greg makes wine in a style, that in the words of another winemaker, is like standing on the corner waiting for the next accident to happen. By which he means that if you make unfiltered, unfined Pinot Noir, you are inviting Brett and every other contaminating yeast and bacterial strain to run you over. True enough. But if you succeed you come out with a wine that delivers an infinite mouthful and noseful of Pinot character. And that’s what I do. I play on the edge, where the stakes are high and the rewards are , to me, worth the risk. So far, no accidents—and if I see one looming I know who to call—Greg.

RED: How long have you been making wine?

STEVE: Informally—over 25 years; commercially, 4 years.

RED: Who do you make wine for?

STEVE: Myself. Only.

RED: Tell me, what makes the Russian River Valley so special?

STEVE: Russian River follow the fog. Cool foggy nights and mornings Goldridge volcanic, well-drained soil = earthy, loamy, cola-scented Pinot Noir. Anderson Valley: marine-influences organically rich soil = pure dark berry fruit, Indian spices.

RED: What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone that is considering a career as a winemaker?

STEVE: Have a rich father-in-law who wants to keep his daughter happy.

RED: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?

STEVE: Getting my ‘08 Filigreen in shape; smoke taint from forest fires contaminated a lot of ‘08 Mendocino wines. I’m just about clear of it now.

RED: Challenging! Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today

STEVE: It’s non-filtered, non-fined; it’s Russian River all the way for better or worse. Forest floor, bright fruit, dense, and it keeps on giving and changing as you work your way through a bottle.

RED: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?

STEVE: This Segue like all my wines, is meant to be drunk with food. That’s why there’s enough acid in it to make it mouth-watering and non-competitive with what you’re eating. It’s meant to accompany salmon, light cheese and chicken dishes, mushroom dishes, even veal. I don’t recommend drinking it with spicy foods or tomato-based entrees. A mushroom risotto or halibut with a minced hazelnut crust? Mais oui.

RED: Please share one thing about yourself that few people know

STEVE: I am working my way back to being a teenager as I get older. I now fly down trails on my mountain bike again and alpine ski my ass off as fast as possible. It’s not on the menu for recommended after-50 activities.

RED:What is your favorite ‘everyday’ or table wine?

STEVE: A brambly Zin or Montepulciano with pasta. Pinot with everything else I eat. I eat only veggies and fish, so my palate is limited for wines with food. I love opulent Cabs and such; I just don’t drink them daily. Whites: Honig Sauvignon Blanc. A Weingut Brundlmayer Gruner Veltliner. And the sleeper-rosés. Lymar Winery in particular, also Spanish grenache-based (granacia) rosés.

RED: How would you recommend that people approach your wines, or wine in general?

STEVE: Sip by sip, smile by smile.

RED: Excellent advice. If you could choose any one wine to drink (regardless of price or availability), what would it be?

STEVE: Jean-Louis Trapet ‘04 Gevrey Chambertin Clos Ostrea

RED: What is the one question that I should have asked you, and what is your answer to that question?

STEVE: Is it an act of pure folly or enlightened passion for a wine writer to segue into making his own commercial wine? In other words, does love conquer all? Only in the movies. In the vineyard and winery diligence and hard work do the heavy lifting, but to make a delicious wine that sings in the mouth and embraces your senses like a warm hug, ah, yes, that’s worth all the effort and more.

RED: Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you – and about your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans!

STEVE: As a writer, you generally massage people’s heads before you touch their hearts. Making a wine, that sequence in exactly reversed. Vive la difference.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Filigreen Vineyard is located near Boonville, CA which can be seen in this satellite photo.

Seaside Beach is approximately 6 miles north of Fort Bragg, California on Highway 1.  This beautifully picturesque stretch of sand was shown to me by my great dog friends, Polly & Ruddy.

It is a very pretty drive and takes no more than 15 minutes from Fort Bragg to get to and it is like stepping into another world. Parking is limited with a few spaces at the foot of the beach entrance so cars often park on the narrow verges alongside the road. Be very careful to make sure that all canine children are leashed before allowing them out of the vehicle. The road can often be busy with traffic.  
 
Once you have crossed the road with us safely leashed, proceed onto the beach several feet to make sure there can be no double backing by us onto the road. Now you can safely let us off the leash and watch as we excitedly frolic to our hearts content on this pristine and sculptural treasure.
 
This beach is a great place for the chucker, as you can send the ball for great distances and we can chase, chase, chase for what seems like miles. The beach has vast towering rock formations some with hollowed out arches formed naturally by years of crashing waves. When the tide is low, we can go through many of these ocean made arches and sniff out the interesting sea smells.  As you walk along the pristine sand look out for sand dollars and washed up treasures of shinny jewel-like sparkling stones and shells.  You may come across a carcass of sea life, so be diligent that we don’t investigate those too closely.  I like to eat seaweed and too much can upset my tummy so I often hear “NO!” from my human caregivers and when I respond to their liking a treat can be my reward for paying attention.

Seaside Beach is a great beach to bring a picnic too and sit and enjoy the majestic beauty of this northern California gem of a dog friendly beach. Make sure you bring fresh water and a collapsible traveling drinking bowl; we get very hot running and chasing and need clean water to hydrate no matter what the temperature is.
 
Also, bring your cameras as you will want to take lots of pictures of us having the time of our lives. All humans I encounter either have pets with them or are very willing to share the magic of nature with us. Be advised that the natural river that is at the south end of the beach separates Seaside from the beginning of Ten Mile Beach. Ten Mile is not accessible to pets due to the wild life nesting and migration so PLEASE make sure you keep us to the main body of Seaside beach. By all means let us swim and cool off in the river but don’t take us over to the other side.
 
Seaside beach provides NO dog waste bags or trash receptacles so all dog owners must carry disposable waste bags to pick up after their dogs, along with any other trash you generate, PLEASE carry it all out with you.
 
In public spaces please be respectful of all other humans and animals so we can continue to share and enjoy what are unfortunately increasingly becoming less and less public spaces that we can all enjoy together. I rate Seaside Beach three paws out of four.

Pinot Days Chicago 2009

After a busy harvest at the winery focused on sorting, crushing and pressing, we were ready to get out and pour our wines. It reminds us of why we do this – to see the smiles on people’s faces and enjoy the festive atmosphere at our table when people try our wine.

So this weekend, we traveled out for the 3rd annual Pinot Days Chicago to launch new wines and meet up with old friends. It was our second time pouring at the event, and once again it served up lots of happy Chicagoans and colorful compliments.

The event began with a tasting just for the wine, food and hospitality trade from 11 am to 1pm. It was a nice way to meet potential customers from wine shops, restaurants, bars and distributors.

But, since it was relatively mellow, it also was a great warm-up for the big public event and an opportunity for us to get out from behind our table to catch up with friends and try some wines before things got too busy.

The Calm Before the Storm

The throngs headed in for the public tasting at 1pm and that’s when the fun really began. We met a bunch of really interesting folks and even saw some fans of our wine who we’d first met at the 2008 event.

We poured our 2007 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir from La Encantada Vineyard (Sta. Rita Hills) and also debuted our 2008 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir from Hein Vineyard (Anderson Valley). We were particularly curious to hear feedback about our latest release as this was the first time that we’d poured it for the masses.

The feedback that we heard about our wines was beyond our expectations and we were delighted to have a bunch of return visitors to our table throughout the day. Like last year, our number one fan Luke ushered tasters over to us, rhapsodizing about our wines.  Thanks, Luke!

Grab a Glass

Despite all of the kind words and happy tasters, you never know what people will think and remember about the event after the buzz of the tasting fades. As we feverishly searched Twitter after the event for any mention of us, we couldn’t believe our eyes when we spotted that a food blogger from Chicago Food Whores deemed our 2007 La Encantada her top choice for the entire event.

And she wasn’t the only one enamored with the 2007 La Encantada. Another taster said that it was one of his three favorites at Pinot Days Chicago and a professed non-Pinot Noir lover was also a fan. People said that “it does a lot in your mouth” and “is a symphony on my palate.” We heard taste descriptions mentioning “spice” and “pepper” and a number of people mentioned that they struggled to find words to describe the nose. One guy detected a fungus smell, adding, “I could smell that all day.” Another said it was a “Burgundian nose.”

The Scene at Waits-Mast

In terms of our new baby, the 2008 Pinot Noir from Hein Vineyard; we got equally glowing reports.

Someone pronounced that it was “by far my favorite” of Pinot Days Chicago. Many mentioned its earthy qualities, saying that “it explodes earth,” is “woody,” “dirty earth,” and “has a lot of pine.” Some detected a hint of cinnamon, calling it “spicy” with a “nice finish.” Like the La Encantada, we also heard that it “smells Burgundian.” Some Anderson Valley fans noted some similarities to Navarro’s Deep End Blend and also mentioned that they were pleased that we didn’t “overdo the oak” and allowed the Anderson Valley fruit to shine. We acknowledged that we were pouring a wine young and one taster respectfully characterized it as “young and rambunctious.”

But, perhaps Brian’s favorite compliment of the day (in regards to our wines overall) was “bangin’ juice!” Right on, Rich! Kind of reminds us of a trip to Napa when a young guy behind the bar proclaimed, “the chard’s the bomb!”

Beyond the love fest (we do have egos after all), we really enjoyed meeting a variety of folks and talking about our wines. More so than last year, we seemed to learn about a number of cool ventures related to wine. Andrew Stiles of Reel Pour is a Cinema Sommelier and Jennifer was intrigued to hear about his series of podcasts focused on pairing wines with films. Additionally, we got a visit from The Broke Wino’s Samuel Klingberg. His website focuses on wine recommendations for young people and he seemed to have a really fresh, approachable take on wine.

At the end of the day we left Pinot Days with purple hands, a ball-bearing-less pour spout, wine-stained clothing, and a mailing list full of new names. Oh, and a lot of smiles – both ours and everyone else’s. All in all, it was a satisfying day in Chicago.