Napa Valley Tasting – July 2018

Posted on by Dane Kuta

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!

MiraCosta Flyer is out!

Posted on by Dane Kuta

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

 

iPalpiti Festival Preview Concert

Posted on by Dane Kuta

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?

 

2018 Toast of the Coast at the San Diego County Fair

Posted on by Dane Kuta

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

95 Points & Best of Class – 2018 San Diego Toast of the Coast Wine Competition​

(2) 2014 Discombobulated GSM

Blended bottle of the classic Rhone-style varietals Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedré

(3) 2014 The Other Side

Red blend leading with Zinfandel.

 

Visit http://www.doublebondwine.com today!