Come check out the 40th annual Cardiff Greek Festival, where I will be pouring wines on Sat Sep 8 from 10am to 2pm. Lots of Greek wine will be available, from Assyrtiko to Xinomavro to Naoussa. Plus have the last chance to sign up for the Fall 2018 Old World vs. New World wine tasting class at MiraCosta college, right next door to the Greek church! Hope to see you there. Cheers!
BBQ grills see action year-around in Southern California. Pair your next BBQ with this week’s wine deal of the 2013 Ravenswood Single Vineyard Sonoma Valley Barricia Zinfandel for only $15 at 3rd Corner Wine Shop and Bistro on South Coast Highway 101 in downtown Encinitas.
Zinfandel makes a great paring with spicy BBQ, because the spiciness in the wine will hold up to the spiciness of the food. This deliciously jammy single vineyard wine is packed with berry fruit, while also having hints of raisin and fig. Some wine fans insist they sense peach yogurt when enjoying Zinfandels, but my palate never registers that particular flavor. You’ll also get a sense of oak and some black pepper to spice things up, as mentioned previously. This is a big wine!
Selling for $39 on the Ravenswood website, wine buyer and Certified Sommelier Dave found a stellar deal from his distributor, and can offer the over 60% discount to members of his no-fee wine club. By joining the 3rd Corner wine club, you’ll receive weekly emails about upcoming events and happenings, including the occasional incredible wine deal such as this. Tell ‘em KutaSomm sent ‘ya.
Everyone loves Champagne, and everyone dreads buying it. What kind shall I buy? Will the quality be good? What’s the difference between Champagne and other sparkling wines?
This week’s wine deal is about a great Champagne. Head over to Costco in Carlsbad for non-vintage Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut for $43, the lowest price you’ll ever see for this wine.
True Champagne, produced with what is called the Traditional Method, can only come from the French wine-growing region of Champagne. No other sparkling wine can legally be called Champagne (although some American producers are allowed to label their wines California Champagne).
Veueve Clicquot is one of the oldest Champagne houses in France, and was brought to prominence by one of the world’s first great businesseswoman. Named after the widowed Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin (Veuve means widow in French), this wine was one of the first to use labels, instead of cork imprints, to distinguish and market the product. The unique shade of yellow was also copyrighted. Before the nineteenth century, you only knew what wine you were drinking after opening the bottle and looking at the cork!
Costco has a stock of limited edition Journey Arrow Tins, which means in addition to this delicious Champagne, you’ll get impressive tin packaging and a souvenir arrow-like sign embossed with the great cities of the world. Tell ‘em KutaSomm sent ‘ya.
9 wineries in 3 days, and here’s the recap:
Domaine Carneros – tasted a flight of sparkling wines, with the Ultra Brut coming out on top by far.
Markham Vineyards – the second winery visited, this St. Helena producer probably had the best wines of all.
V. Sattui – not only a great place for lunch, but also a nice tour, including this interesting wine press from the 1700’s.
Robert Mondavi Winery – a must-stop in Oakville, with a vertical flight culminating in the flagship To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Hess Collection – Hess offers a brand new ATV vineyard tour, which I highly recommend, along with their fantastic selection of wines.
Grgich Hills Estate – the famous winery founded by Miljenko “Mike” Grgich.
St. Supéry – one of my favorite AVAs in Napa is Rutherford, and St. Supéry Cabs definitely have that wonderful ‘Rutherford Dust’.
Sequoia Grove – tasted outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc from here.
Cheers!
A Certified Somm shows you differences in New vs. Old World wines. In this entertaining and engaging class, learn to accurately identify a wine based on its sight, nose and palate characteristics using a deductive approach. Taste varietals such as Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc side-by-side from both worlds—6 wines per session!
Note: Please refrain from wearing strong fragrances or colognes, as they will interfere with your learning experience. Must be 21 or older to register.
Fee: $90. Early Bird Special $75 (Register BEFORE 9/6 for this rate)
Supplies: A $60 material fee will be collected in class. Please bring three wine glasses, pen and paper to each class.
Instructor: Dane Kuta
Location: San Elijo Campus, Room 406Time: 6 Wednesdays, 9/12–10/17, 7–8:30 PM
The iPalpiti Festival Preview Concert was an amazing event. In addition to fabulous live classical music, a sensational selection of wines were offered. Although not completely accurate (the wine selection changed at the last moment), below is a list of the wines offered.
The selections stimulated great conversation, with the crowd favorites being the Super Tuscan and the Côtes du Rhone. The Riesling was a tough sell, but only until the food arrived. Then it was by far the most popular white – a wonderful pairing with the mildly spicy Mexican food offerings.
iPalpiti Festival Preview Concert
Wine List
WHITE
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from the renown region of Marlborough
California Central Coast Chardonnay from a high-quality producer
Trocken Riesling from the Rheinhessen region in Germany
RED
Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County
Cabernet Sauvignon from the up-and-coming region of Paso Robles
Côtes du Rhône GSM from the prestigious producer E. Guigal
Super Tuscan from Bolgheri, Italy
Wines poured by Dane Kuta, a Certified Sommelier and Italian Wine Professional. Dane will be happy to tell you about the wines. Ask Dane what’s in the Super Tuscan, what GSM means, or why the Russian River Valley is so famous for Pinot Noir. And what the heck does Trocken mean?
I poured for Double Bond Wine. It was a pleasure to meet Double Bond founder John Klacking and pour his incredible wines. I highly recommend anything from this outstanding Central Coast producer. The wines available:
(1) 2013 Reserve Pinot Nori Toretti Vineyard
Visit http://www.doublebondwine.com today!
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