Au Bon Climat
THE OJAI VINEYARD
I recently tasted newly released wines from The Ojai Vineyard and the visited the winery to taste more wines from barrel and bottle. These include wines from the 2010, 2011, and 2012 vintages. Several of the 2010s I reviewed from barrel after my last visit. Now bottled, these wines have evolved beautifully. There are [...]
Click here to read entire article »IN PURSUIT OF BALANCE: A TRADE TASTING AND MORE
WITH VIEWS OF CALIFORNIA CHARDONNAY AND CALIFORNIA PINOT NOIR FROM TWO PERSPECTIVES – IN PURSUIT OF BALANCE AND THE UNDERGROUND Introduction This was the second annual In Pursuit of Balance event which was conceived by Rajat Parr of Michael Mina and Sandhi Wines and Jasmine Hirsch of Hirsch Vineyards. The goal was [...]
Click here to read entire article »MORE NEW WINES TO FALL INTO
I have written several articles featuring the great red and white wines of Argentina, Malbec and Torrontes. Both of these represent some of the greatest wine bargains in the world. (To see my latest article click here) Below is a note on two recently arrived Torrontes. They are terrific wines and great values.
Click here to read entire article »THE OJAI VINEYARD
The Ojai Vineyard was started in 1983 by Adam Tolmach along with his wife Helen. Adam had been a partner with Jim Clendenen in starting Au Bon Climat in 1982. Prior to that time, he was the enologist at Zaca Mesa winery which was one of the early pioneer wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley. It was there that he met Jim Clendenen. He remained a partner of Au Bon Climat until 1991 as he continued to develop his winery.
Click here to read entire article »THE HOLY TRINITY OF WINERIES
THE HOLY TRINITY OF WINERIES INTRODUCTION These three wineries are housed in one facility in Santa Maria. Au Bon Climat Winery (which means “a well exposed vineyard”) was founded in 1982 by Jim Clendenen and Adam Tolmach. Qupé Winery was also started in 1982 by Bob Lindquist. Chanin Wine Company was started in 2007 by [...]
Click here to read entire article »The 21st Annual Culinary Evening With The California Winemasters Generated $1.7 Million For The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
The “Midwest Street” backlot at Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, once again served as the venue for A Culinary Evening With The California Winemasters, a tasting and hors d’oeuvres extravaganza, on May 14, raising $1.7 Million for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, besting the 2010 total of just under $1.6 Million.
Click here to read entire article »Don’t Miss The 27th Annual Central Coast Wine Classic – Four Event-filled Days In July Celebrating The Wines, Cuisine, Music, Art And Lifestyle Of California’s Central Coast
The Central Coast Wine Classic will hold its 27th annual four-day extravaganza of gastronomic indulgences, celebrating wine, cuisine, music and art in the gorgeous setting of California’s Central Coast with its spectacular ocean views and laidback lifestyle. From Thursday, July 7 through Sunday, July 10, wine enthusiasts will gather at the Avila Beach Resort and other venues in and around the areas of Avila Beach, San Luis Obispo, Shell Beach, Arroyo Grande, Paso Robles and San Simeon.
Click here to read entire article »TRADE TASTING – CALIFORNIA PINOT NOIR “IN PURSUIT OF BALANCE”
I recently attended a trade tasting featuring California Pinot Noir. It was held at restaurant RN74 in San Francisco. Rajat Parr, the sommelier, has been a strong proponent of wines with alcohols lower than 15%. Lower alcohol wines are something that has been advocated by many of us for a very long time.
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