VinVillage

First segment of this weeks VinVillageRadioShow: Robert Parker Highly Recommends that You to Stick Your Nose in Their Business - Tony Cartlidge

For 28 years, the mission has been dry, dry, dry singing varietal correctness, begging for communion with food, and above all, premium quality wine at modest every-day-drinking prices.... with the unsolicited stamp of approval from The Wine Advocate! English-born Tony Cartlidge has been making California appellation wine from Napa since 1980 under the Cartlidge & Browne, Stratford, Rabid Red, and Manzanita Canyon labels. He says, "It's easier than driving a cement or logging truck."

Second segment of this weeks Show: Intoxicating... Date Night Rules at Organic Phifer Pavitt Wine in Napa - Suzanne Phifer Pavitt

Phifer Pavitt Napa Valley 'Date Night' Cabernet Sauvignon has it all... dark chocolate, cut hay, wild herbs, toasty oak, tobacco, tea leaves, leather... A huge fruit-forward organic monster. According to Southern born country girl Suzanne Phifer Pavitt and Southern California city boy Shane Pavitt, the most important decisions in their lives have been made on their cherished Date Nights: The new job, starting a family, purchasing property for a winery! Forget the spreadable sex-chocolate. The 2005 is currently available at $75. Only 300 cases produced.

Click HERE to listen to Segments 1 and 2.

Third segment of this weeks Show: Amateur and Virtual Winemakers Win Competitions at CrushPad of San Francisco - Michael Brill

CrushPad was born in 2004 to serve would-be winemakers across the virtual landscape who couldn't up and quit their job and move to California. His neighbors must have thought he had a screw loose back in 2002.... digging up his entire 625-square-foot back yard in Potrero Hill, San Francisco.... to plant Pinot Noir and Syrah vines. Many techies lose their heart to wine... eventually, but not compared to Michael Brill who realized that his backyard vineyard and garage winery were earning him new friends and future clients.

Fourth segment of this weeks Show: Follow Your Dream, Learn Winemaking with Fusebox, CrushPad and VinVillage - Michael Brill

Imagine crafting your own wine from your personal computer; Over 50 vineyards to choose from; 13 different varietals: Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris to name a few. CrushPad provides the raw ingredients and the technical know-how. If this sounds a bit too surreal, the next best step to scratch your creative itch is to attend a VinVillage.com Fusebox Drink-What-You-Blend Bordeaux wine blending class sponsored by CrushPad in Phoenix and San Diego.

Click HERE to listen to Segments 3 and 4.

lynn krielow chamberlain, independent wine journalist, hosts, Wine and Dine Radio, global internet radio broadcast on VinVillageRadio heard on wsRadio.

First & Second segments of this weeks VinVillageRadio Show:
Lydia Mondavi, Founder, 29 Cosmetics, a family business that includes her Grandmother and Mother. Lydia Mondavi, Spa Consultant, Atlanta native, is joined by her Grandmother, Stella Abernethy, and Mother, Anita Wilbanks. 29 Cosmeticsis a luxury "grape seed age protecting" cosmetics line, created by Lydia, available exclusively at Neiman Marcus stores and Neiman Marcus online. Stella individually inspects and packs each 29 Cosmetics item before being shipped to Neiman Marcus stores. Anita joins Lydia at each of the Neiman Marcus store launches. Lydia recently opened her signature 29 Spa at the Mansion on Peachtree in the Rosewood Hotel, Atlanta and will launch a new Club 29 Skin Care Protection line this upcoming September. Stay tuned here for a follow-up conversation. I normally wear Channel lipstick but am hooked on the silky smooth feel of 29 Cosmetics lipstick.... with SPF protection and antioxidants.
 
Click HERE to listen to Segment-1 of this interview.
Click HERE to listen to Segment-2 of this interview.
 
Third segment of this weeks Show:
Rob Barnett, CEO and Founder of VinVillage.com announces its first "Members Community Barrel of Wine"! Sponsored by Crushpad, VinVillage is proud to invite its members to join in and be part of out first "Community Barrel". Sign-up early as there are only 85 three-bottle lots available. So join us now and become part of our wine-maker team! Our first step is to name the wine which will be determined by our members. Just follow the "Vin Forums" to submit your name entry and to stay informed of our naming progress. The top 5 names submitted will then be put out for a final vote by our membership to determine the winning name...and the member submitting the winning name will win a 3-bottle lot from the barrel!!!
 
Click HERE to listen to Segment-3 of this interview.
 
Fourth segment of this weeks Show:
Megan McGrath, Winemaker, Lucas and Lewellen Vineyards, Santa Barbara County. Megan McGrath, eighth generation Californian on her father's side, grew up on the family's Ventura County ranch. She learned early on that soil is what agriculture is all about, including growing wine grapes. She makes wines from a wide range of grapes grown in three separate Santa Barbara County vineyards, but her favorite might Pinot Noir, a love-affair that started in her previous job as a custom crush consultant. There's lots more to learn about Lucas and Lewellen wines then we have time for in this segment. Hop, skip and jump over to their website from here.
 
Click HERE to listen to Segment-4 of this interview.
 
 
lynn krielow chamberlain, independent wine journalist, hosts, Wine and Dine Radio, global internet radio broadcast on VinVillageRadio heard on wsRadio.

First segment of this weeks Show:
Limeng Stroh, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Full Circle Wine Solutions, Inc. a global wine and spirits education firm that grows brand loyalty and client profits through tailored wine programs and effective hospitality training. The immensely talented, well-connected Stroh grew up in Singapore, received her college education in the US, and is targeting clients in Asia, as well as worldwide.
Second segment this weeks Show:
Evan Goldstein MS, President & Chief Education Officer, , Full Circle Wine Solutions, Inc., and WineCouch Video Blog, wine education website for trade members and consumers who have passion for wine and seek to grow their knowledge about wine. The highly regarded Goldstein travels the world creating Perfect and Daring wine and food Pairings.
Third segment this weeks Show:
Tom Wark, Proprietor/Founder, Wark Communications, a marekting communication firm specializing in the wine trade. Wark returns to Wine & Dine Radio to discuss a recent entry on his Tom Wark's Fermentation--The Daily Wine Blog... "Where Do Wineries Stand on Free & Fair Trade in Wine?" and Wine Without Borders issues concerning the consumer's right to purchase wine from national retailers shipping orders across state lines. Contact your state representative and learn what you can do to protect your rights via Specialty Wine Retailers Association.
Fourth segment this weeks Show:
Lori Ondaro, Breast Cancer Survivor, who, along with her son, Jeff Murrell, Director of Research at Sta Vin, and daughter-in-law, Julie Murrell, Assistant Winemaker at The Hess Collection Winery in Napa, have founded American Roots Winery, Napa Valley, "Winemaking To End Breast Cancer." They recently bottled their Red, White and Blue label wines. Ten percent of the total wine sales are being donated to breast cancer organizations.
Lori’s son, Jeff Murrell, will be joining us in September to talk about his research concerning the folic acid breast cancer preventative connection, the release of American Roots Winery’s new Napa dry rosé, and his day job at StaVin… the world's leading supplier in premium oak products.
lynn krielow chamberlain, independent wine journalist, hosts, Wine and Dine Radio, global internet radio broadcast on VinVillageRadio heard on wsRadio.

First and second segments of this weeks Show:

Jeff Bundschu, President, sixth-generation, Gundlach Bundschu Estate Vineyard and Winery, shares his family legacy and California wine-growing history in Towle's Hill… an original, one-act play commissioned in celebration of the family's 150th Anniversary at the winery. Jeff and the play are touring the country with stops in NYC, Charlotte, New Orleans, LA, and Sonoma left to go. Jeff joins us from deep within the Unicorn Theater in Kansas City, Missouri. Read his blog on tour.

Learn about California’s mid to late nineteenth century wine boom and early twentieth century wine bust; The 1906 San Francisco earthquake that destroyed every winery’s storage facility; How the wine industry was affected by Prohibition… The realities of working and living within the confines of a family business; Personal stories of fathers and sons; A family’s dedication to the arts and creative expression.

Towle’s Hill play is touching a nerve with audience members across the country. People feel compelled to share their father-son family story with Bunschu after every performance, in every city, thus far. Listen for yourself and tell me that wine doesn’t touch our lives in more ways than simply what’s in the glass.

Click HERE to listen to Segment-1.   Click HERE to listen to Segment-2.

Third and Fourth segments this week:

Albe Zakes, Director of Public Relations, TerraCycle specializing in unique eco-friendly home products, Trenton, New Jersey, explains the company’s new green partnership with Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates through the conversion of refurbished KJ wine oak barrels transformed into The Rotary Composter™ and Rain Barrel™ water storage containers available at Sam's Club and Home Depot outlets nationwide for $99 respectively.

In addition, we learn that TerraCycle has just launched the Free Cork Collection Program saving corks from landfills, available to interested bars, restaurants, tasting rooms, wineries and wine events. Don’t let the momentum stop here. Sign up and save the corks and a very limited renewable resource. This is but one more way that restaurants, wine retailers, wineries, and even wine and food venues around the country can Go Green and enlist the help of their client-base.

Click HERE to listen to Segment-3.   Click HERE to listen to Segment-4.

lynn krielow chamberlain, independent wine journalist, hosts, Wine and Dine Radio, global internet radio broadcast on VinVillageRadio heard on wsRadio.

Summer is coming and white wines are what you should be drinking on boats, and at picnics.  One of my favorite regions during this time of year is Alsace.  Whether Gewurtzraminer, Rieslings, Pinot Gris or Muscats these are some of the most interesting wines in the world.  Great food pairing wines that work well with the heat and the cuisine of the summer.
Some of my favorite producers are
Zind Humbrecht
Domaine Weinbach
Trimbach
Marcel Deiss
Marc Tempe
Domaine Bott-Geyl
They all make fine wines in varying styles from various grapes that express the tremendous diversity of Alsace.
Here are some of the important details of this great wine producing region of Eastern France.
 

ALSACE, France 
Region Info:
- Alsace is on the French border with Germany, and prior to WWII was part of Germany. This disputed region became part of France in the late 1940’s as a part of the Peace Treaty that ended the war.
- Alsace is the only AOC region of France which labels its wines by grape variety rather than by region. This is a holdover from the German influence over winemaking in the region.
- Most of the production in Alsace is focused on dry white wines, yet they do produce two high-quality sweet wines called Vendange Tardive (late harvest) and Selecion de Grains Nobles (wines produced from grapes infected with Botrytis).
- While Alsace has no AOC subregions, there are 50 Grand Cru vineyards within Alsace which will be included on a label. These vineyards are designated Grand Cru because they have historically produced the best wines of Alsace.
 
Terroir:
The region of Alsace is located 300 miles due east from the city of Paris. The region is a long, narrow strip which runs along the eastern foothills of the Vosges Mountains. Alsace is the northernmost wine region in France next to Champagne, and as such, it has a generally cool climate. This being said, the region does enjoy a lot of sunshine throughout the growing season which aids in ripening grapes.
 
Wine Laws:
- Alsace follows the strict AOC laws of France and is included in the top quality classification of French wine.
- Unlike all of the other AOC regions of France, the wines of Alsace are labeled by grape variety, not region.
- If a grape is listed on a label, then 100% of the grapes used to make the wine must be the listed grape. 
 
 
 
Important Grapes:
As with other French regions, only certain grapes are allowed to be used in the production of a wine which carries an Appellation Alsace Controlee designation. While many of the grapes grown in Alsace are also popular in Germany, most Alsatian wine is made in a dry style rather than with some residual sugar. Though the region is dominated by white wines, there is a small amount of Pinot Noir grown there – making up the only red wine produced. 
RIESLING
The most prestigious and important grape grown in Alsace. Rieslings from Alsace are typically made in a dry style, but also are the main grape used in the sweet wines from Alsace: Vendange Tardive and Selecion de Grains Nobles. Alsatian Riesling tends to be very concentrated and complex with a balancing acidity. 
GEWURZTRAMINER
An important grape in Alsace which makes extremely aromatic dry wines and unique dessert wines.
 
PINOT GRIS (sometimes called TOKAY)
The Pinot Gris of Alsace bares very little resemblance to the other examples of this variety grown elsewhere, especially Italian Pinot Grigio. In Alsace, this grape produces fuller-bodied whites full of power and concentration 
PINOT BLANC
Important grape in Alsace which is widely grown but tends to produce rather bland wines from most producers.  
MUSCAT
While Muscat produces sweet wines in most of the world, in Alsace it is almost always made in a dry and fruity style.

Ahh, summer is fast approaching and you know what that means, crisp refreshing whites and Rose season. I like to think of these wines as boat wines.  If you don't know what I mean then lets think of them as summer sippers.  Crisp, light and refreshing. 
While a lot of people will be reaching for those Sauvignon Blancs whether from New Zealand, Loire Valley France, or California.  The adventurous may be reaching for Verdejo, Albarino and Godello from Spain, these are some of my favorites right now.  I will be reaching for the Charta Riesling from the Rheingau, or the lovely Spatlese Trockens from the Mosel. 
The reasons are simple, these wines are incredible values, light, clean and refreshing and great with food.  But the thing that intrigues me most is the wide variety of styles offered by German wines.  A lot of you already know that Riesling come in all shapes and sizes with varying degrees of residual sugar (the sugar left behind during the fermentation process, giving the wines sweetness and body.  What a lot of you may not know is that for the last 20 years or so Germans have become obsessed with the dry to bone dry styles of this grape.  So much in fact that there is some worry that the Germans will stop producing the off-dry to sweet styles because their palates have changed.
If you're not drinking German Rieslings this summer you are missing out on some truly amazing stuff.  A $15 dollar bottle can often drink like a $30-$40 dollar wine from California or France. 
 
Here are a few of my favorites right now
 
2005 Weingut Gutzler "GS", a dry style from the Rheingau
2005 Barth's Charta Riesling, a dry style that goes through rigorous regulations as a member the the Charta Association, which is a growers association dedicated to the dry styles of this grape.
2006 Robert Weil, Charta from Kiedrich Graffenberg.
2006 Blees Ferber, Trittenheimer Apotheke, Mosel Spatlese Trocken.  This is a style which is late harvested very ripe grapes that is simply fermented all the way to dry.  Really cool, wine geeky stuff.
So serve up something different this summer and try this incredible juice.
Cheers
Dustin Jones
Director of Education, VinVillage.com

Well, I'm wrapping up my studies and preparing for the Advanced Exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers next week. I have been preparing myself for the exam in which there are three parts; blind tasting of 6 wines, a service examination and a theory exam with questions like

"Name 5 einzellagen in the Phalz region of Germany"

Answer- Ungsteiner Weilberg, Unsteiner Herrenberg, Forst Stift, Forst Jesuitgarten, Roxheimer Berg

"Where is Barsac, what type of wine is made there, what grapes and name the Grand Crus.

Answer-This an appellation in Bordeaux, a sweet botrytis style of wine from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, the Grand Crus are Chateau Coutet and Chateau Climens.

This is just an example of the very difficult questions I'll be faced with next week.

Although the questions are very difficult I am cautiously optimistic that I'll do very well.

The blind tasting is always a challenge because not only do you have to be very intimate with a large number of grape varietals but also the Regions that produce them, the quality levels and which years were good vintages and which vintages are so so. The only way to really handle this test is to handle the nerves.

As for the San Diego contingent, I am excited to say that San Diego will have 3 others taking the test with me. Megan Burgess from Rappongi in La Jolla, Dan Pilkey from Addison at the Grand Del Mar, and Lisa Redwine from Molly's at the Mariott.

It is a great thing to see, because it shows that San Diego is really on the rise in the Wine World, with many professionals doing their very best to raise the bar here. San Diego is a great city with a great group of wine pros and the fact that so many of us are making an attempt at the Advanced Exam is a great example of why San Diego restaurants are changing for the better.

Wish us luck, I'll report our results when I return.

Til then

Cheers!

Dustin Jones
Director of Education VinVillage

Champagne
Background Information-Produces primarily sparkling wines.  Northern-most wine producing region in France.  Cold-Continental Climate makes ripening difficult due to shorter ripening periods.  Thought they might become next Burgundy so the same varietals are used.  Most wines a blend of still wines that go through secondary bottle fermentation to achieve bubbles.  Soils mostly chalk, which retains heat from sun during cooler nights. 
Varietals
Pinot Noir-planted wherever it can fully ripen, Chardonnay-planted where Pinot Noir isn’t, Pinot Meunier-planted where neither Pinot Noir & Chardonnay will ripen fully. 
Sub-Regions-Valley of the Marne River, Mountain of Reims, Cote des Blancs, Cote des Bar. 
Production called Methode Champenoise. 

• Harvest-usually late September to early October

• Pressing Grapes-Only 2 pressings allowed, Prestige cuvee’s made from first pressing only. Second Pressing (taille) goes into vintage and non/vintage blends.

• Fermentation-all Champagnes must ferment first to achieve still wine.

• Blending-most important part of the process,
• a) which wines to be blended and %’s
• b)which vineyard to blend,
• c)which vintages should be blended

• Liquer de Tirage-sugar and yeast added to blend in bottle.

• Second fermentation-this is where carbon dioxide(bubbles) are created.-how long wine sits with lees(dead yeast from second fermentation) adds complexity, at least 15 months for higher quality wines. 

• Riddling-bottles placed in A-frames, necks down and turned so that sediment eventually gathers in neck of bottle.  Eventually bottles nearly straight-upside down.

• Degorgement-neck is dipped in brine solution, freezes dead yeast and temporary cap is removed.  Dead yeast is then removed semi-frozen.

• Dosage-sugar and still wine are added to refill bottle and determine style (dry or sweet)

Driest>>>   Brut, >>>Extra Dry>>>Sec>>Demi-Sec>>>Doux <<<<Sweetest

 
As we move closer to Taste like the Pros here are some information on the most popular grape varietal in the U.S. and the most underappreciated one.  Here is a bit more information on each and what to expect when you see that grape on the label.  
Chardonnay
Origin: Burgundy, France
 
 
Preferred Growing Conditions: Chardonnay is grown in almost every growing condition possible, although the best wines are grown in temperate to cool climates
 
 
Body: Medium to full
 
 
Acid: Low to Medium
 
 
Sweetness Levels: Chardonnays are almost always made into dry table wines
 
 
Aging Regime: Almost all Chardonnay is aged in oak
 
 
Varietal Characteristics: Pears, Apples, Tropical Fruits, Butter, Oak, and Spice
 
 
Regions of Quality Production:
Chardonnay is grown in almost every wine producing country in the world, although quality production is focused in the following areas.
            Burgundy, France
            Champagne, France
Northern California
            Australia
 
 
Additional Information:
-          Chardonnay is the most popular white grape varietal in the United States
-          There are several distinct styles of Chardonnay found throughout the world ranging from the lean and mineral-driven styles of Burgundy, to the buttery and oaky styles favored in California, to sparkling wines labeled “Blanc de Blancs” in Champagne and other sparkling wine producing regions
-          Chardonnay is a heavily-flavored grape variety ad can stand up to extreme manipulation including heavy oak aging, malolactic fermentation, sur lie aging, and battonage.
 
 
Riesling (aka Johannisberg Riesling, White Riesling, Rhine Riesling)
 
 
Origin: Germany
 
 
Preferred Growing Conditions: Riesling does best in cool to cold climates
 
 
Body: Light (when made in a dry style)
 
 
Acid: Very high
 
 
Sweetness Levels: Most Riesling tends to be dry to slightly sweet as many winemakers add a touch of sweetness to mask the high acidity of the grape. In certain conditions, however; Riesling can be made into extremely sweet dessert wines.
 
 
Aging Regime: Riesling is almost always aged in stainless steel and should not have characteristics of oak
 
 
Varietal Characteristics: Riesling is a grape that very effectively translates terroir, so that it does not have consistent varietal characteristics – it can range from heavily mineral to lush and fruity depending upon growing conditions. If any generalizations can be made, younger Rieslings tend to show floral characteristics, while aged Rieslings tend to show honey and petrol (gasoline). Regions of Quality Production:
            Germany
            Alsace, France
Austria
            Washington State
 
 
Additional Information:
-          Riesling is an extremely food friendly wine due to its light body and high acid content
-          Because of its ability to translate terroir, Riesling is very popular amongst serious wine enthusiasts, although this has never proven to make the wine popular with the general public
 
Looking forward to seeing everyone on Friday at Modus, in Banker's Hill.  Great music, great food and drinks. 
 
Cheers,
 
Dustin Jones
Director of Education VinVillage
 
 

We are going to be "Taste Like the Pros" at the end of the month. I'm putting together the wines now. I remember when I first experienced the "light bulb" moments of some of the stuff we'll be going over. I don't want to give too much away but here are some of the highlights.

• Learn the affect temperature has on wine. You wouldn't believe how much 7 or eight degrees can make in enjoyment of wine.

• Learn to decipher the subtleties of winemaker’s influence, including the difference between French and American Oak. This is a very useful tool in helping you make selections for your own palate.

• Understand terms like legs, body, tannins, acid, alcohol and how they affect your palate differently. One of the senses you don't often think about using when tasting wine is "hearing" when you listen to others talk about wine you begin to feel more comfortable using wine terminology. Understanding this terminology and the different characteristics of wine, you can better assess your own personal preferences. This is key to buying the right wines for you, not taking the word of some critic who may or may not like the same juice as you.

• Learn to assess wine, and distinguish between good, better and great. There are great wines and then there are everyday drinking wines. I mean it would be nice to drink 82 Bordeauxs all the time but for most that is unrealistic. Learn to find high-quality wines for great prices because you know what you're looking for.

This is just a bit about the class, I'm anxious to see who turns up and think that I have picked some great examples of wine to work with. Space is limited so sign up now!

Cheers!

Dustin Jones
Director of Education for VinVillage