The Wine-Phabet: I is for Ice Wine

 In this new series called “Now I know my Wine-phabet”, I will explore letter by letter wine and what I believe are some of the most important and/or influential aspects in the world of wine.  Since I am only choosing one topic per letter, many will be missed.  Hopefully these posts come across as being whimsical and informative.

“BRRR!!”  Says, Gunther, the vineyard manager’s assistant of a small German winery back in 1830.  Gunther mumbled under his breath, “Verdamnt, warum muss ich das Hundefutter bekommen?” (Damn,why do I have to get the dog food?)

Gunther was referring to the task at hand, bringing in the frozen grapes that were left in the vineyard for animal feed.  But what Gunther did not realize, was that those grapes were gonna make some magic, ice wine (eiswein). Read Full

I Must Have Two Lives…Two Lifetime Krug Experiences.

About 6 years ago I had a once in a lifetime experience.  I was invited to Newport Beach aboard a billionaire’s yacht to drink the release of the 1996 Krug with Olivier Krug.  A few other wine buyers and myself were driven in a stretch limo from San Diego to the Newport Beach harbor, drinking the Krug Grand Cuvee all along the way.  When we arrived we were greeted with an exquisite oyster, lobster and crab bar…with of course more Grand Cuvee.  As the night progressed, Olivier came out and poured the ’95 vintage Krug.  Here you have 20 sommeliers from LA and San Diego getting absolutely Krunked in style. Read Full

Now I Know My Wine-Phabet: H is for Hermitage

In this new series called “Now I know my Wine-phabet”, I will explore letter by letter wine and what I believe are some of the most important and/or influential aspects in the world of wine.  Since I am only choosing one topic per letter, many will be missed.  Hopefully these posts come across as being whimsical and informative.

This is the story of Hermitage.  It begins with a loner knight, Gaspard de Stérimberg, who settled in the mountains of the northern Rhone.  Returning home, tired from fighting Arabs, he decided to get drunk on Syrah.  Legend says that these hills of the northern Rhone were named after the old hermit.  Today the vineyards bare the name HERMITAGE. Read Full

The 1st Annual Mainly Meritage International Wine Competition

On Saturday July 14th, Robert Whitley hosted another international wine competition. This time the entries were Mainly Meritage.  What does this mean? Mainly Meritage are wines that are made from the six Bordeaux grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec & Carmenere.  The whites include Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The competition was fairly small, however the wines were of a higher caliber than most other wine competitions. Read Full

Don Quixote Invades San Diego with the Wines from La Mancha!

On July 9th, Don Quixote invaded Balboa Park San Diego with his Castilla-La Mancha US Tour 2012.  Twenty-six of the best wineries from La Mancha poured their wines for the San Diego trade.  Along with the traditional tasting, Karen MacNeil (author of the Wine Bible) hosted an informative seminar about the wines and terroir of La Mancha, Spain.

I have decided to make this post more like the way that I learn.  For those that know me, I will doodle throughout our operations meetings.  It might seem that I am not paying attention; however, I tend to soak up the information a whole lot better.  So today I present to you the wines of La Mancha through (my doodles), as I listened to Karen MacNeil’s seminar. Enjoy! Read Full