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Wine 101: Sonoma

Inspired by one of VinePair’s most popular site sections, the Wine 101 Podcast takes an educational, easy-to-digest look into the world of wine. This episode of Wine 101 is sponsored by J Vineyards & Winery. For over 30 years, J Vineyards & Winery has developed a reputation as one of the top sparkling and varietal wine producers in California. With styles from bright and bubbly, to bold and complex, J wines offer remarkable range and exceptional craftsmanship that you’ll want to share. J has come to be known for its celebrated estate vineyards, contemporary winery, and world-class hospitality. Uncork joy with J, and let life bubble over.

Welcome back to Wine 101. In this week’s episode, VinePair tastings director Keith Beavers tackles the complicated region that is Sonoma County. Building on last week’s conversation about Napa Valley, Beavers dives back into American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), sub-AVAs, and why it’s so difficult to really define Sonoma County.

While Sonoma vintners are now required to print “Sonoma County” on a bottle before the specific AVA, Sonoma County itself is not an AVA. Twice the size of Napa Valley, it’s not even a region per se, but simply a county. Moreover, given the region’s diverse geography and geology, it’s impossible to assign one signature variety to the area. Instead, new vineyards are constantly popping up, new AVAs are applied for, and all industry is governed by what Beavers calls “the spirit of Sonoma.”

In this episode, Beavers traces Sonoma’s history back to the pioneering vintner Agoston Haraszthy, who emigrated from Hungary and introduced some of the first vineyards to Sonoma County. Today, Sonoma is celebrated for many different grapes, the creation of the farm-to-table movement, and an effort toward total sustainability. Beavers explains all of this and more in his effort to demystify the complicated, multi-faceted Sonoma County.

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My name is Keith Beavers. And the soup thing: Do we do it for dinner? Or do we do it for lunch? Or is it a “both” thing?

What’s going on, wine lovers? Welcome to Episode 25 of VinePair’s Wine 101 Podcast. My name is Keith Beavers. I am the tastings director of VinePair, and how are you, and you, and you, and you? So, I think we may know that Sonoma is the neighbor of Napa, but what is Sonoma, really? You know, like, what is it? How do we understand this region? And it’s crazy, guys. It’s nuts.

One thing we have to do first, is we got to get something out of the way here. Sonoma is crazy. It’s insane in the best way possible, but we gotta start here.

OK. Are you ready? Here we go. Northern Sonoma, Sonoma Coast, Fort Ross-Seaview, Petaluma Gap, Russian River Valley, Green Valley, Chalk Hill, Los Carneros, Sonoma Valley, Bennett Valley, Sonoma Mountain, Moon Mountain, Dry Creek Valley, Rockpile, Alexander Valley, Fountain Grove, Knights Valley, Pine Mountain.

When we think about Napa Valley, what we understand is there’s a valley with a certain amount (nine) AVAS on the valley floor. We also understand that there are six AVAs in the surrounding mountains. Another thing we understand about Napa Valley is that at one time, they were going to try to emulate Bordeaux with their communes.

We know that it’s sort of a fine-wine region, and we also understand there’s Napa Valley as an AVA, and within that AVA there are 16 sub-AVAs. That’s how it works. Or you can call Rutherford an AVA, or you can call Rutherford a sub-AVA of Napa Valley. And there’s a rule there in Napa Valley where you have to put Napa Valley on your wine label, and then Rutherford. There’s a rhyme and reason to it. There’s an organization to it. I just rattled off 18 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). Those 18 viticultural areas live in Sonoma County. But here’s the rub: There is no overarching AVA that organizes the AVAs of Sonoma. What Sonoma is, is a patchwork of 18 different American Viticultural Areas, some of them within others. So they could be called regions of certain AVAs, but it’s not a cohesive, organized unit. I mean, there is some organization, which I’ll explain. But what Sonoma really is, and this is what’s really unique and interesting about Sonoma, Sonoma is a county filled with American Viticultural Areas. It’s not like in Europe or even other parts like Napa, or other parts of the country where you have like, “OK, this is the AVA, and this is the sub-AVA, and this is how it’s organized.” That’s not what it’s about. What Sonoma is about is the land and how crazy the land is, and how jarring it can be from the coast to the Sonoma mountains, to the Mayacamas Mountains, which border Napa. It’s basically like, since the early ’80s, winemakers and wine vine growers and wine people have been finding certain areas special for certain reasons, applying for AVAs, and being awarded AVAs.

And it’s still happening. The most recent AVA awarded to Sonoma was in 2017. It’s called the Petaluma Gap. So it’s ongoing. This is just because there’s so much potential, even though there’s awesome wine there already, there’s so much more potential in Sonoma that it could get, I don’t know, 15 more AVAs? I mean, that’s an exaggeration. Or is it? I don’t even know. So I really can’t in one episode of Wine 101 talk about all the AVAs in Sonoma County, because we’d talk about the AVAs and the individual-ness of them, but we wouldn’t understand Sonoma in general. So that would take about 45 minutes or a couple episodes.

So let me just give you a sense of Sonoma first, and then we’ll go from there. Sonoma County is 1,500 square miles. Napa Valley is 789 square miles. Kind of gives you a sense of that. If you look at the two of them side by side on the map, because they are side by side, Sonoma County is massive as a wine-growing region compared to Napa. The majority of the western border of Sonoma County is 50 miles of coastline of the Pacific Ocean. And this Pacific ocean influence is a huge factor in the wine-growing in Sonoma County. The southern border of Sonoma County is basically Marin County, but also the northwestern shore of the San Pablo Bay because it neighbors Napa to the west. And of course the San Pablo Bay does have an influence on some parts of Sonoma as well in the south. And the northern border is basically Mendocino County — by the way, Mendocino County makes great wine as well, it’s just not part of Sonoma. And the extreme western border of Sonoma County is the Mayacamas Mountains, which basically has a couple Napa AVAs in it and two Sonoma AVAs.

But the thing about Sonoma is, it’s massive. But even within its massive land, it has an extremely diverse geography and geology. It has mountains, it has valleys, it has what’s called “benchland,” like escarpments. It has amazing slopes in the hills of the mountains. The elevation goes from actual sea level on the coast, and as you go inland, it can get up to 2,600 feet above sea level, and then everywhere in between. It’s crazy. And because of all the tectonic activity in the past, the soil compositions throughout Sonoma are mind-boggling. And this is one of the reasons why people are always exploring different areas of Sonoma and finding like, “Hey, let’s turn this into an AVA.”

OK. This can get a little science-y, but just bear with me for a second. You have soil, right? And then you have other layers of soil that can form on top of that soil. That original layer of soil is called the parent material. And then the other layers of soil are called the topography, and everything that happens in that soil, from the influence of climate to the organisms, the organisms that live in that soil, to the time that soil has been around, affects the formation of that soil. It’s called a formation type. And Sonoma has 11 of them. And among these soil formations — what winemakers and vine growers really love — are these things called soil series. It’s soils that are similar to each other within formations, that grow together, that help the winemaker understand how the vine is going to grow in that soil.

I know it’s really insane, but what’s crazy is, of the 11 formation types in Sonoma, there are 31 different kinds of soil series. And within those soil series, there are innumerable amounts of differences within that. I mean, it’s kind of mind-boggling. And among all of that, among those 1,500 square miles and coastline and all of these different soil compositions and elevations, over 425 wineries grow 60 different kinds of varieties of grape.

But all of that is only 6 percent of the county’s “land under vine.” I mean, I say 60 varieties, but it’s really just Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc. These are just the list that you get in California a lot, especially in Northern California. This is just what they grow.

But the thing is, in every AVA in America, you can do whatever you want. If someone wanted to grow Grüner Veltliner in Sonoma, they could do it if they wanted to. But these are the grapes that work best in the area, according to the people that grow grapes and make wine there. And among the 18 AVAs in this region, this county, AVAs are designated for their soil types, their elevation, but also, “What does well there?” And yes, there are just AVAs that are known for Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. Alexander Valley is known for Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel. Bennett Valley is known for Merlot, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. Dry Creek Valley is known for Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvigon Blanc. And Knights Valley is known for Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. But that doesn’t mean that’s the only thing they can grow and make there. They can do whatever they want. And that’s where the 60 varieties come from.

Because also something to know about Sonoma: This place is one of the first areas where vines were really grown for wine in Northern California. This area has such a rich history of not only vine-growing and winemaking, but even before that is agriculture. My gosh, I mean, Petaluma is the chicken capital of the world. There is sustainable farming going on all over this Sonoma area. Actually in the 1960s, during the formation of the farm-to-table movement, Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, she basically sourced everything from the Sonoma Valley. So it’s kind of like the whole farm-to-table thing began in the Sonoma County area. It’s crazy.

Then when you’re driving around Sonoma — I have family in Petaluma, so I’ve been to Sonoma a few times and I got to say, when you’re driving around, you don’t really know where you are half the time because there’s no cellphone signal half the time when you’re driving around Sonoma. It’s not rugged, but it’s that deep into elevations where you’re just going through valleys and hills and valleys and “Oh, there’s a vineyard.” It’s crazy. “Well, here’s a farm.” It’s really beautiful and awesome and spectacular.

And the wine that comes out of here is just all over the place. I mean, there are Pinot Noirs that are big and huge and fleshy in the Russian River Valley. There are lighter Pinot Noirs made in the south in Los Carneros, which is a region that’s shared with Napa Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon, grown in Rockpile all the way north toward Mendocino County, is big and structured and beautiful, very different from the Cabernet Sauvignon grown in Sonoma Valley all the way to the south, which is warmer and just softer and supple.

It’s just all over the place. And when you drive into Sonoma, the downtown area, it’s like this little Sonoma square, you’re just scratching the surface. You’re in the southeastern part of Sonoma. And if you just sit in the middle of the square of Sonoma and you look north to northwest, that is the vast land I’m talking about. And it’s just crazy. Agriculture has been a huge part of Sonoma for a very long time. Back in the day in 1812, when the Russians were here in this area and they settled at something called Fort Ross, which is near where Fort Ross AVA is, they’re credited with sort of starting the whole agricultural thing around here.

They’re known for planting these apple trees that are very famous in this area — the Gravenstein apple trees. But as Sonoma became more and more settled, dairy, poultry, vegetables, oats, rye, apples, cattle, you name it. This place has all this stuff. And just to this day, wine is like a $500 million business. It’s insane. But just behind that is milk, then there’s poultry and cattle. I mean the milk industry is like $146 million a year, and it’s sustainable. And what’s really wild about Sonoma is, whether it’s wine or milk or poultry, they’re trying to go 100 percent sustainable. And that is where with the wine, we have a little bit of organization going on here. Because the wine AVAs are so scattered throughout.

And it’s really just about the land and about the terroir, if you will. But there is this idea where we have “Sonoma County.” So now, as of 2011, you have to put Sonoma County on your wine label and then you put the appellation. But the thing is, Sonoma County is not an AVA. Sonoma County is just the county. I mean, there are sub-AVAs in Sonoma, but they are sub-AVAs of some of the other AVAs. So for example, the Northern Sonoma AVA has six AVAs within it: Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, Knights Valley, Chalk Hill, Russia River Valley, and Green Valley. Within the Russian River Valley, we have the sub-AVA of the Green Valley, which is actually called the Green Valley of the Russian River Valley. And Fort Ross-Seaview is a sub-AVA of Sonoma Coast. And it goes on, and on, and on.

And I know you’re like, OK, this is really cool and all, but like, how do we understand Sonoma? And that’s the thing, guys. I think we have to explore Sonoma piece by piece. When you go to the wine shop, if you’re going online, or if I have another opportunity to go digging into each of these AVAs, just explore the AVAs. Get a sense of them. Some of the areas are warmer. Some of them are cooler. Some have higher elevations. There’s higher acidity, like I said, it’s kind of all over the place. But the beauty of it is that it’s all great wine. These winemakers are geeking out on all these areas, and we get to enjoy their geekiness. It’s just a really unique place in America where wine is made.

And there are a lot of pioneering winemakers in Sonoma. Sonoma is really what began the rebirth of the wine culture and the winemaking culture in California. And there’s a lot of people that contributed to this, but there’s this one guy, this one dude from Hungary that did a lot of work in wine in America.

And he made his way from Hungary to Wisconsin, from Wisconsin all the way to California, Southern California, and then to San Francisco. And then eventually up into what is now Sonoma County. This man’s name was Agoston Haraszthy. He was not just a winemaker. He was a businessman, a pioneer, you name it. This guy was a horticulturist. He was all over the place, but he was a big business guy. And when he left Hungary and came to the United States, he ended up first in Wisconsin. And he loves wine. He actually built a town in Wisconsin, he started a ferry business, but wine was a big deal for Agoston Haraszthy.

This is around the early 1800s. This guy’s story is incredible, and it’s really long, but it’s so cool. Some highlights here. One of the things he did is he brought a lot of wine knowledge from Europe to the United States. And the idea when you go to Sonoma or any wine region really now in the United States, and there is somebody when you walk into a hill and that’s where people are aging their wine, that was Agoston Haraszthy’s idea. He just brought that idea. He started it in Wisconsin, actually; there are wineries in Wisconsin where he was boring holes into hills. And by the time he made it to California, he continued that sort of thing. Actually, he landscaped Sonoma so much, it actually got a little bit out of hand. But he was the first to really open a commercial winery in Sonoma, calling it Buena Vista.

It was an old winery that he bought and converted it. And he’s also the guy who hired Charles Krug as a consultant to help make wine and got his career started. He set up his own viticultural society. He also became the president of California’s Agricultural Society. And at some point, he went back to Europe and came back with well over a hundred vines and brought them to Sonoma. And the spirit of Agoston Haraszthy is exploration, experimentation, and trying new things. It’s all Agoston ever did. The poor guy at some point went bankrupt, went down to South America, disappeared, and was never seen again. It’s an awesome story. But what he brought to this place was this sort of rebel spirit, that sort of exploratory spirit.

I think that’s what Sonoma has to this day. It’s constantly exploring its very diverse geology, topography, and elevations and trying to find new places to plant vines. ‘Cause it’s almost like Sonoma is the ultimate vine-growing American experiment. There’s other places in California and the United States that do this. Absolutely. But Sonoma, it’s mostly wine these days, but there’s also still that other agriculture and livestock and farming going on. It’s just all of it at once. And in addition to that, in the areas that agriculture doesn’t work, vines do, and that’s the spirit of Sonoma.

And I know this episode is a little bit different, right? Usually I explain everything to you so you understand it, but that’s what’s so cool about Sonoma is you kind of have to just play around. ‘Cause that’s what they’re doing. They’re playing around. I mean, they’re smart, but they’re playing around. They’re making really cool stuff. This is great Pinot Noir. Great Chardonnay. Great Sauvignon Blanc. Great Merlot. Great Cabernet Sauvignon. There’s great Syrah going on there. There’s amazing Zinfandel happening there.

And with each of those varieties, there’s different styles within Sonoma County alone. And yes, I did say those other 60 varieties are happening. Those are being experimented with, so at some point down the road, we might have a Grüner Veltliner that does really well in a certain new rocky region, somewhere in the northern part of Sonoma County, who knows? And the other great thing about Sonoma is that it’s easier for us to understand “this variety does well here, so we fall in love with it.” You know, Riesling for New York, Cabernet Sauvignon for Napa, Pinot Noir in Willamette, Ore. But you know, there are certain AVAs that are very popular from Sonoma — for example, the Russian River Valley is really known for its Pinot Noir — but there’s other stuff going on in Sonoma that’s not just one grape.

So Sonoma is not known for one grape. It’s known for many different regions that make a short list of grapes, but experiment with all kinds of stuff. I think it’s really great. So even though this episode was a little meandering at times, I hope you get a sense of Sonoma and really get a chance to fall in love with it, whether you’re buying it online, or if you go into a wine shop.

If you’re digging what I’m doing, picking up what I’m putting down, go ahead and give me a rating on iTunes or tell your friends to subscribe. You can subscribe. If you like to type, go ahead and send a review or something like that, but let’s get this wine podcast out so that everybody can learn about wine.

Check me out on Instagram. It’s @vinepairkeith. I do all my stuff in stories. And also, you got to follow VinePair on Instagram, which is @vinepair. And don’t forget to listen to the VinePair Podcast, which is hosted by Adam and Zach. It’s a great deep dive into drinks culture every week.

Now, for some credits. How about that? Wine 101 is recorded and produced by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin. I also want to thank Danielle Grinberg for making the most legit Wine 101 logo.

And I got to thank Darby Cicci for making this amazing song: Listen to this epic stuff. And finally, I want to thank the VinePair staff for helping me learn more every day. Thanks for listening. I’ll see you next week.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

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beauhfsi174-blog · 5 years

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All About The Best Wineries

California Wineries Can Be Fun For Anyone

The 2016 Chardonnay ($ 45) gives off lemon pie crust and tropical pineapple, with a taste of buttery croissant and also nougat on the taste. Yet it has adequate acid to maintain it vibrant as well as zingy. The a glass of wine spends nine months on the lees in French oak that's a mix of old and also new.

Biondi-Santi 2011 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Thanks to Biondi-Santi This rich, balanced a glass of wine has the trademark brown-tinged, ruby-red shade of a great Brunello (one of the couple of made with one hundred percent Sangiovese) and also is swarming with both dark red fruit and earthy, herbal notes. Held back up until it was flawlessly prepared, the 2011 vintage ($ 566) from this historical Tuscan estate is at its optimal of drinkability.

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Some Known Facts About Best Vineyards.

E. Guigal 2014 La Mouline Côte- Rôtie Thanks To Guigal In a plain 3 generations, the Guigal family has actually taken a trip from winery work to producing some of the most very well-known wines from nearly every area in the Rhône Valley. And while the familiar E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône label yells worth the world over, it is the family's little manufacturings from post-stamp vineyards in the similarity Côte- Rôtie, Saint-Joseph and Hermitage that trigger collectors to sleuth out bottles on the additional market.

In truth, it's taken into consideration the earliest in the AOC itself, with walls dating back some 2,400 years. Replanted in the 1890s, after the scourge of phylloxera, the vineyard's current creeping plants balance regarding 90 years old. The E. Guigal 2014 La Mouline ($ 390) reveals what stunning equilibrium vine age can produce.

Sparkling Wine Pol Roger 2008 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill Politeness of Pol Roger Myths abound about the war time PM as well as his Pol Roger (that he consumed a bottle of it daily-- before he woke up in the early morning), but the reality is that after Globe Battle II, Churchill formed a lasting relationship with the captivating Odette Pol-Roger, and afterwards, the red wine was his Sparkling wine of selection.

The Buzz on Best Vineyards

Vintage 2008 ($ 300), released last loss, embodies Churchill's preference in Champagne-- robust, durable as well as mature. It is complicated as well as chalky, with identify equilibrium in between a delicately honeyed personality as well as a briny oyster-shell high quality. On the taste, citrus, pear and also faint tropical tastes are layered with nuttiness and meringue. Are we ripping off to select a Champagne as our Best French White? Can you ever before have excessive Champagne? Silver Oak Alexander Valley Damion I.

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With greater than 2,500 roof photovoltaic panels, the center will inevitably create 105 percent of the energy it requires. As well as with sophisticated water improvement modern technology and rainwater harvesting, the goal is to produce more water than is eaten in the cellar, the sampling area and the bordering landscape. Attractive all around.

A Biased View of Vineyards

So it could not be as well difficult to guess who obtains the special bottles when wineries have some to use. Wally's already operates a wonderful sampling space in its Beverly Hills front runner; beguiling himself, Navarro in 2018 opened up a 2nd area in Santa Monica, just actions from the beach, that stocks 16,000 bottles, with a separate vault for unusual red wines.

You really feel sexier simply standing there, glass in hand. And it is just one of minority areas in the United States where you can do a vertical of Dom Pérignon. Maui White Wine as well as Food Standard Andrew Richard Hara Great weather? Check. Premium red wine? Examine. Talented cooks? Inspect. However it's the tiny, intimate guest list of enthusiastic oenophiles and also storied winemakers that made this March event so much even more than a charge to the putting tables.

As well as it really did not hurt that the festival occurred at the 4 Seasons Maui at Wailea. Master classes complete with rare vintages, taught by specialist sommeliers and also winemakers themselves, coupled with gushed suppers developed to couple with the red wines were exceptional. Next year's event will occur Might 22 to 25, 2020. We'll see you there.

The Definitive Guide for Wineries

As head wine maker at Sullivan Rutherford Estate in Napa Valley , Cole created an one-of-a-kind Cabernet Sauvignon from the most effective parcels in the vineyard for the 2019 Best Napa Valley, a futures auction for red wine industry stores. His special, five-case whole lot offered to a customer for $30,000, or $500 http://www.champagnesundayliving.com/how-to-build-a-champagne-fountain/ per container.

Prior to signing up with Sullivan 6 years back, Cole honed his craft at Schramsberg, beginning in the cellar as well as working up to making the juice himself, finding out every step for both still and also champagnes. He takes what he amassed there regarding adding skill to high-acid wines and also applies it to mouthwatering reds that have substantial cellaring potential.

Tuscany has actually long been associated with spectacular landscapes and a few of Italy's ideal made glass of wines. In this enchanting landscape of rolling hills and also winding roads, you'll locate glorious sunflower areas, ancient olive groves, middle ages damages, and also splendidly wild forests. And, certainly, first-rate wineries. A glass of wine touring here is not concerning a five-minute sampling at a roadside wine bar, however rather it is an immersive experience.

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vinhosemsegredo · 5 years

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Essa é uma boa parceria, Varanda Grill e Cult wines americanos. Num ótimo almoço com uma das melhores carnes de São Paulo, o desfile de vários notas 100 da elite americana fez uma parceria de primeira em termos de harmonização. Carnes extremamente suculentas, grelhadas com maestria, foram agraciadas com os mais potentes e finos taninos dos grandes tintos de Napa Valley. Para iniciar e selar o almoço, um branco e um tinto da vinícola butique Sine Qua Non foram a cereja do bolo com vinhos arrebatadores.

o time completo

Antes de partir para os tintos de Napa, vamos falar desta dupla Sine Qua Non com vinhos mágicos e cheios de personalidade. Trata-se de uma pequena vinícola ao norte de Los Angeles com inspiração nos vinhos do Rhône. Portanto, uvas como Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, Roussanne e Marsanne, são interpretadas de maneira magnífica com vinhos impactantes. Os vinhedos estão localizados em Santa Barbara, Santa Rita Hills e Santa Maria com rendimentos muito baixos.

vinhos de corpo e alma

O vinho da esquerda, The Petition 2005, é um corte inusitado com as uvas Chardonnay, Viognier e Roussanne com 15,8% de álcool. Um branco denso, encorpado, quase um Sauternes sem açúcar. Os aromas são de frutas exóticas, especiarias, notas de incenso, e algo floral. Tem o perfil dos grandes Hermitages brancos de topo de gama. Enfrenta bem pratos com bacalhau, carnes defumadas, e cozidos bem condimentados. Tem 95 pontos Parker. Um branco impactante.

Já o tinto à direita, The Inaugural 2003, vem do vinhedo Eleven Confessions em Santa Rita Hills. O vinho é à base de Grenache com 10% de Syrah. Passa 38 meses em barricas francesas. Uma explosão de aromas de frutas em geleia, especiarias, ervas, notas defumadas e um fundo mineral. Encorpado, denso, e muito longo em boca. Lembra os grandes Grenaches espanhóis e até algo dos grandes Prioratos. Tem 100 pontos Parker e muita vida pela frente, embora já delicioso.

Cabernets e suculência das carnes

O vinho da esquerda, Dalla Valle Maya 1992, um Maya histórico de 100 pontos. Pena que o vinho estivesse um pouco cansado, mas seus taninos são de veludo numa mistura de 55% Cabernet Sauvignon e 45% Cabernet Franc. Aromas elegantes com toques de cacau, defumado, e fruta escura lembrando ameixas. Exemplar difícil de ser encontrado que está no auge para ser bebido.

À direita, o único 100% Cabernet Sauvignon do painel da AVA Rutherford, Scarecrow 2006. Decantado por duas horas, é um vinho poderoso com vinhas de mais de 60 anos. Embora tenha passado por barricas novas francesas, o vinho tem fruta extraordinária com belos toques de alcaçuz. Seus taninos são bem moldados e casou perfeitamente com a suculência das carnes acima.

o filé-mignon de Napa

As AVAs acima, American Vitucultural Area, de Rutherford e Oakville, são os melhores terroirs para Cabernet Sauvginon americano. Do lado oeste, perto Mayacamas Mountains, o solo é aluvial e pedregoso, enquanto do lado leste, Vaca Mountains o solo tende a ser mais vulcânico. Vinícolas como Harlan Estate, Screaming Eagle, Dalla Valle, Opus One, Inglenook, Heitz Cellars, estão todas neste pedaço. Os Cabernets de Rutherford tendem a ser mais austeros, duros, enquanto os de Oakville são mais opulentos.

filé-mignon (tenderloin) perfeitamente grelhado

Este foi o vinho mais pronto, mais evoluído, e de estilo mais francês do painel. Um típico corte de margem esquerda com 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, e 1% Merlot, e 15 meses de barricas francesas novas. Delicioso com notas de tabaco, estrebaria, frutas escuras, ervas finas, café, além de taninos totalmente polimerizados. Não é muito longo em boca, mas superequilibrado. Casou perfeitamente com o corte acima divinamente grelhado ao ponto.

200 pontos na mesa

O duelo final tinha que ser com 200 pontos na mesa em estilos completamente diferentes. Os dois partem de cortes bordaleses com Cabernet Sauvignon de maneira majoritária. O Madrona Ranch 2002 da vinícola Abreu localizada na AVA Santa Helena parece mais pronto e mais exuberante. É um vinho mais direto com perfil americano dos grandes tintos. Muito sedutor e extremamente aromático. Já o Harlan 2001 é mais um da extensa coleção de 100 pontos. É extremamente elegante, diferenciado e de estilo europeu. Aromas de muita classe e um equilíbrio em boca fantástico. É dificil um cult wine bater este vinho, sobretudo quando ele atinge a perfeição. Os dois vinhos merecem longa decantação no momento e tem poder de guarda em adega. É claro que o Harlan vai mais longe com apogeu previsto para 2040. O Abreu Madrona Ranch tem mais uns dez anos de evolução. De todo modo, um duelo de gigantes!

Agradecimentos a todos os confrades, especialmente ao nosso Presidente com vinhos surpreendentes e muito bem adegados. Foi um show de harmonização, boa conversa, e uma experiência sensorial incrível. Os Estados Unidos mais uma vez mostraram sua força e enorme competência em elaborar grandes vinhos. Que Bacco nos conduza sempre pelos melhores caminhos!

Varanda com Americanos Essa é uma boa parceria, Varanda Grill e Cult wines americanos. Num ótimo almoço com uma das melhores carnes de São Paulo, o desfile de vários notas 100 da elite americana fez uma parceria de primeira em termos de harmonização.

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dixie78 · 6 years

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This Woman Turned Her Love Of Wine Into The Ultimate Dream Task

Grab latest news on trending and viral on social media. Trending news and photos from Facebook.

Repeat after me: Dream. Job.

The world of wine can feel a lot like a boys club.

Whether you look at professional sommeliers or vineyard owners around the globe, the wine industry is, without a doubt, dominated by men. Even today, only about 10% of lead winemakers at California’s 3,400-plus wineries are women, according to a survey from Santa Clara University.

Forgotten Man Films

But there are some women who are playing huge roles in this overwhelmingly male industry.

Getty Images

c/o Ana Diogo Draper

She's a Portugese-born, California-trained winemaker and mom of two young boys.

She spoke to us about how she worked her way up from vineyard intern to wine director, what it's like to be a woman in a male-dominated industry, and how she manages to balance her dream career with family life.

@chiquinamerica via Instagram

Jenny Chang/BuzzFeed

What was your first introduction to the wine world — and what made you want to be a winemaker?

Ana Diogo Draper: I grew up in Portugal, where I was surrounded by wine culture. My family had friends who made wine at home, and every year, we helped pick and crush their grapes. I always loved that experience, and I knew I wanted to eventually do something related to agriculture. But I wasn’t sure what.

While studying agriculture engineering [in college], I had a classic aha moment. I took a winemaking class with a professor — who was a really talented and inspiring winemaker — and was immediately hooked. I was taken by the thought process that goes into making wine and all the creativity that exists within it.

Tell us a bit about your daily responsibilities as a director of winemaking. What does an average day look like?

ADD: When I get to the winery, my day involves tasting and evaluating wine. I assess each lot [of wine], and get to know it, so I can make the best blending decisions. Every day involves lots of planning and working on projects. But I'm also a working mom. Except for during the harvest, I make a point to take my kids to school every day.

A big part of my job — and one of my favorite parts — is visiting vineyards. I work mainly on Artesa's 150-acre vineyard, but I also source fruit from other vineyards. Working with growers is something I enjoy. I love the personal interaction, and I get to learn so much from them. I often also work outside of the winery — doing training, conducting tastings, networking with other industry peers. There's never a boring moment.

Ana Diogo Draper

You're from Portugal, but now work in California's Napa Valley. Tell us a bit about how you got there.

ADD: In 2004, I came to Napa Valley to work as a harvest intern at Rutherford Hill Winery. I really wanted to learn, and Napa was the obvious choice, since it is one of the top wine-growing areas in the world.

I had an amazing experience there. And I fell in love with all that California encompasses — like the incredible sense of opportunity, and that unique “California sagacity” — that if you have talent and work hard, anything can happen. Back then, Europe didn't offer the same opportunities for women in wine unless you were born into the business.

I returned to Portugal, but at the end of the year, Rutherford Hill Winery invited me back to run the lab. I immediately accepted, thinking I would be here for a couple of years. But I never left.

Rutherford Hill Winery

You started off as an intern at one winery, and now you're the director of winemaking at another. How did you work your way up?

ADD: At Rutherford Hill Winery, I started working in the lab, then moved up to assistant winemaker. It took me eight years to get there, but working in different roles helped me understand all aspects of the wine production process.

In 2013, I came to Artesa Winery, where I got to dive into making chardonnay and pinot noir. I also got to work with sparkling wine, and varietals that I was used to from Portugal — like albariño, tempranillo, graciano, and granacha. After two years, I was appointed to director of winemaking.

Ana Diogo Draper

Jenny Chang/BuzzFeed

According to a survey from Santa Clara University, just 10% of lead winemakers at California’s 3,400-plus wineries are women. What's it like being a woman in an industry that's so dominated by men?

ADD: Being a woman in the wine industry is like being a woman in any other industry. You have to work twice as hard to prove yourself worthy of the position you hold. All the discussion about the gender wage gap is a sad reality in our industry too, and I really don’t see this issue discussed as much as it should be.

Any sort of bias that I might feel for being a woman, I twist it around, and transform it into an armor. It has made me stronger, more eager to get what I want.

I feel very lucky that I was raised by very strong and talented women who showed me that I could do anything. My mother balanced career and motherhood incredibly well, and I strive to do that too.

@artesawinery via Instagram

You're a wife and mom to two young kids. How do you balance family life with a demanding career?

ADD: I love being a mom, but I also love being a winemaker. I got promoted into my current position when I was 7 months pregnant with my second boy — so my kids have tagged along to vineyards and wineries with me since they were infants. My husband, who also works in wine, is incredibly supportive, and we truly as work as a team.

Recently, at a school meeting, one of my son’s teachers mentioned how proudly he spoke of my job. He told his class, "My mom makes wine, and that makes people happy!!" That was such a proud moment for me. I hope I’m raising boys that understand that both men and women can value a family, career, friends, and community all at the same time.

@chiquinamerica via Instagram

What advice would you give to young women who are thinking about pursuing a career in wine and viticulture?

ADD: Several things:

1) Work a harvest season and get your hands dirty. It's not glamorous, but if you go into wine or viticulture, harvest season will be part of your life for the next 30 years. So you better love it!

2) If you've found that wine is your passion, be persistent, work hard, and don’t give up. Believe in yourself. There are a lot of people, men and women, out there with those same dreams, but being determined is an incredible advantage.

3) Taste. A lot. Be brave and try new varietals. And then taste some more.

4) Be curious. Read and learn about wine, vineyards, and wine regions of the world.

5) Travel if you can. Working harvest in different parts of the world is a great learning experience. And it's so much fun.

Finally, follow your instincts. They will lead you in the right direction most of the time.

c/o Ana Diogo Draper

Jenny Chang/BuzzFeed

Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.

The post This Woman Turned Her Love Of Wine Into The Ultimate Dream Job appeared first on The Most Viral collection of feel good stories & videos, delicious recipes and awesome DIY projects.

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jackiedluke · 6 years

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Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For February 18, 2019

I taste a bunch-o-wine (technical term for more than most people). So each week, I share some of my wine reviews (mostly from samples) and tasting notes in a “mini-review” format. They are meant to be quirky, fun, and (mostly) easily-digestible reviews of (mostly) currently available wines (click here for the skinny on how to read them), and are presented links to help you find them, so that you can try them out for yourself. Cheers!

2014 Domaine Seror Syrah Ramat Hagdan (Israel): Large & in charge,; burly & balanced; gamey & bringing its A-game. $NA A-

2017 Ritual Chardonnay (Casablanca Valley): A perky, lemony fresh, tropical value just waiting to be exploited. $22 B+

2016 Vina Leyda Las Brisas Pinot Noir Single Vineyard (Leyda Valley): A study in successful contrasts; dark of fruit, and fresh of herbs. $30 B+

2017 Vina Ventisquero ‘Grey’ Glacier Apalta Vineyard Single Block Garnacha – Carinena – Mataro (Colchagua Valley): If only the fruitiness and finish were as long as the name… $20 B-

2014 Vina Ventisquero ‘Grey’ Glacier Trinidad Vineyard Single Block Carmenere (Maipo Valley): Very dark, very herbal, very deep, and very, very good. $20 B+

2015 Peachy Canyon Westside Zinfandel (Paso Robles): A silk-wearing, sexy, sultry west end girl. $24 B+

2016 Talbott Vineyards Kali Hart Pinot Noir (Monterey): For those times when you need a little grip with your rose hips. $25 B+

2016 Murrieta’s Well The Whip White (Livermore Valley): A floral grab bag, with all of its contents both pretty, and pretty pleasurable. $25 B+

2012 Rutherford Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): Fortunately, there are minerals. Unfortunately, there ain’t much else. $50 B+

2015 Freemark Abbey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley): A strong and classic example of why most of us still love – and should never full count out – Napa. $50 A-

Grab The 1WineDude.com Tasting Guide and start getting more out of every glass of wine today!

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Copyright © 2016. Originally at Wine Reviews: Weekly Mini Round-Up For February 18, 2019 from 1WineDude.com – for personal, non-commercial use only. Cheers! Source: http://www.1winedude.com/wine-reviews-weekly-mini-round-up-for-february-18-2019/

source https://meself84.wordpress.com/2019/02/18/wine-reviews-weekly-mini-round-up-for-february-18-2019/ from Sommelier Courses https://sommeliercourses.blogspot.com/2019/02/wine-reviews-weekly-mini-round-up-for_18.html

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pedrogil73 · 1 year

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Belle Glos 2020 Chardonnay Glasir Holt Vineyard. Sta. Rita Hills. Santa Barbara County. Produced & Bottled by Belle Glos. Rutherford, California. 14.5%. USA 🇺🇸

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Amarillo pajizo. Notas cítricas, lima. Melón. Frutos secos. Menta. Notas florales. Mineral. En boca manzana, melón. Acidez equilibrada. Fresco.

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Mi Puntuación 94/100

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#elcatador #brindoconelcatador #belleglos #bellegloswines#chardonnay #wine #wines #vino #vinos #california #instawine #instavino #goodwine

#lapeñadelquijote #lapenadelquijote

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sommeliercourses · 6 years