Ron Hill of Orcutt-based a-non-ah-mus wines only thinks he’s anonymous

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A-non-ah-mus Wines, Ballard Canyon AVA, C2 Cellars, Rancho Boa Vista, Ron Hill

Although he is currently in the thick of harvest with most of the Central Coast’s other winemakers, Ron Hill took time early in August to taste me through his new releases.

Hill is the owner and winemaker of a-non-ah-mus Wines, based in Orcutt at C2 Cellars. I last wrote about Hill prior to the March 2014 Southern Exposure Garagiste Festival.

Photo by Jane Kennedy Adams/Ron Hill at a private tasting earlier this summer.

After he increased the a-non-ah-mus case production from about 340 cases in 2013 to 500 in 2014, Hill now is content to “stay small.” That way, he can keep overhead and labor low (or non-existent, if he utilizes the help of friends), and enjoy total quality control over his wines from vine to bottle.

That said, Hill has plans to open his first tasting room, in hip Los Alamos, by year’s end.

In August, we sat out on Hill’s back patio with his two Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Jack and Lily.

His newest releases include a 2014 viognier, 2014 grenache blanc, 2014 rosé of syrah and a 2013 pinot noir. Still available are older vintages of syrah and grenache; visit http://www.anonahmus.com

If you’ve met Hill, I’m sure you’ll agree that his personality — humble and serious with a side of playful — means that he’s a lot of fun to interview.

Which means that I’ve won the lottery, story-wise, as Hill last week agreed to let me “shadow” him for the next year, harvest to harvest.

I hope these series of stories will be as fun for you, gentle reader, as they are for me to turn out. My goal is to share a glimpse into the true life of a smaller-production winemaker, mud, sweat, tears and all.

But back to those new vintages:

Bottled in June, the 2014 a-non-ah-mus Viognier, sourced from Curtis Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley, is elegant and displays vanilla and rose on the palate. Hill aged this wine in all stainless steel and allowed it to go through partial malolactic fermentation. It’s a beauty. Only 44 cases produced.

The 2014 a-non-ah-mus Grenache Blanc is a thing of beauty

If his new viognier numbers just 44 cases, Hill’s 2014 a-non-ah-mus Grenache Blanc production is only slighter higher, at just 48 cases, also roughly two barrels’ worth. So I have five words for you: “Get. It. Before. It’s. Gone.”

I’m a fan of stellar Grenache Blanc, having cut my teeth on Kris Curran’s trail-blazing version of this Rhone grape varietal many years back. I think Hill’s 2014 comes closest to the distinction that Curran’s still showcases, vintage after vintage.

Hill is pleased at this, his first attempt. “I’m very happy with this style of grenache blanc,” he said.

The vineyard from which Hill sourced this wine is a small one across from Larner Vineyard in the Ballard Canyon AVA. Rancho Boa Vista grows only grenache, syrah and grenache blanc, Hill noted.

This wine displays one of the longest and prettiest finishes I’ve encountered in quite some time. When Hill offered me half a bottle to take home after our tasting, this wine was my choice.

Hill, who notes on his website how, years ago, he was “taken under the wing of a group of winemaking cicerones” when he lived in San Jose, relocated to the Central Coast to focus on wine and landed an internship at Babcock Winery in 2001.

He stayed there 10 years, he wrote, having “gained the knowledge that in the craft of winemaking, there is always more to learn.”

Hill founded his own label in 2007, and utilized Babcock’s equipment and space to produce his wines there through the 2010 vintage, he said.

The third wine we sampled is Hill’s 2014 Rosé of Syrah, of which there are 41 cases. I’ve enjoyed several vintages of this rosé, having first tried it at a Garagiste Festival, and am just as enamored with this new vintage.

To me, rosés are more than “summer” wines: They represent everything that’s wonderful about life — time with friends enjoying cheese and crackers before a great meal. Because of their natural higher acidities, Rosés also pair well with rich meals, such as those we eat at Thanksgiving.

Last in our lineup was Hills’s 2013 a-non-ah-mus Pinot Noir. It stands out for many reasons, not the least of which is the label: It’s white (all other a-non-ah-mus wines sport a black label), and there’s a twist on the name — it’s “Anonymous.” By a-non-ah-mus.

On his website, Hill writes: “Grapes sourced from a vineyard that must remain anonymous are in our first release of our white label.”

Hill was offered leftover pinot noir grapes from a prominent vineyard. How could he say no? He said yes, and produced this gorgeous pinot noir. My notes: “Fruity, lighter, sexy and pretty.”

The wine is clone 667, and Hill fermented it utilizing 15 percent whole clusters and aged in for 20 months in 25-percent new French oak barrels.

He made 76 cases of this pinot noir, and sells it for $29 per bottle.

So there you have it: Four new releases from Ron Hill of a-non-ah-mus wines. How long can Hill remain anonymous?

Copyright Central Coast Wine Press for http://www.centralcoastwinepress.com

Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure in Solvang March 27-29: Best of the smallest

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Big Tar Wines, Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure

 

The weekend described as “wildly exuberant and fun” by the Los Angeles Times returns to Solvang at the end of March with wine from cutting-edge micro-production wineries, a new winemaking symposium, winemaker mixer and Big Red “Shoot Out.”

Tickets for the weekend’s events, held at the Veterans Memorial Hall, remain available, but are very limited and Garagiste Festivals always sell out. For the full Southern Exposure schedule, seminar details, participating hotels and to buy tickets, visit http://garagistefestival.com

Proceeds from the weekend will once again benefit the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Wine and Viticulture program.

New this year are two new events kicking off Southern Exposure on Friday, March 27:

•  Happy Yeast Make Better Wine: This educational (but fun) winemaker symposium features Cal Poly professor and winemaker Matt Brain of Baker and Brain. Time: 5 to 6:30 p.m.
•  No Repeats: Rare & Reserve Winemaker Mixer: Winemakers will bring out the best of their best for attendees, including Club Only, Library and Pre-Release bottles, and compete in the “Big Red Shootout,” a friendly competition in which they blind-taste each other’s wines and vote for the best red in the room. Time: 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Come Saturday and Sunday morning will be Garagiste’s signature tasting seminars, which will be moderated by Stewart McLennan, radio host and co-founder of the Garagiste Festival with Doug Minnick.

On Saturday, March 28, will be “The Diversity of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA: It’s Not All Pinot & Chardonnay,” featuring Dan Kessler of Kessler-Haak, Chad Melville from SamSARA Wine Co. and Peter Work from Ampelos Cellars.

On Sunday, March 29, comes “The Elephant in the Bottle: The Great California Alcohol Debate,” with panelists Norm Yost from Flying Goat Cellars, Keith Saarloos from Saarloos & Sons and Stillman Brown from Zeppelin Winery.

“We could not be happier to be back in Solvang for the third year in a row with yet another extraordinary slate of 60 talented and innovative micro-production winemakers from Santa Ynez and Santa Barbara, over 20 of whom are pouring at the festival for the first time,” said co-founder Minnick.

“More and more winemakers are telling us that The Garagiste Festivals are the only wine events they participate in because they are so full of passionate, knowledgeable (but decidedly un-snobby) fans of these very special handcrafted wines.”

Lee Tomkow photo/Aaron Watty’s label is Big Tar Wines, and this year’s Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure will be his first.

One of those winemakers is Aaron Watty, whose small label is Big Tar Wine Company. I met Watty in 2007 in classes at Allan Hancock College, when he worked in the tasting room of a Santa Ynez Valley winery.

This festival will be Watty’s first foray into Garagiste, and he’s excited to introduce the public to his wines, which include cabernet sauvignon, sauvignon blanc, sangiovese and pinot noir.

He has spent the last six harvests working with fruit from Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara, and calls that AVA “the perfect place to grow Bordeaux varietals. I am making this my focus, because its what I know and love.”

At a private tasting in December, where I tried his wines for the first time, Watty told me that his production is between 400 and 500 cases. His first vintage was 200 cases, in 2012.

Watty made only one barrel of his 2012 pinot noir, and it’s a blend of three vineyards: Rio Vista, Sebastiano and La Encantada.

“I think the Garagiste Festival is a great event for small winemakers who do not have an outlet to show their wines,” he told me in a recent e-mail.

“The amount of people and press that the group provides let the small wineries get together and ‘show off.’ There are not many opportunities to pour like this.” Like most of the winemaking participants at Garagiste, Watty doesn’t have a tasting room.

He does have an extensive background in restaurants, including at Gotham Bar and Grill and Picholine in New York City, and Moody’s Bistro in Truckee, which he opened and managed. He continues to keep a foot in the restaurant business, he said, working a few shifts per week at bouchon in Santa Barbara.

Watty worked with Rick Longoria in Lompoc during the last harvest, learning more about pinot noir and chardonnay, he said.

Participating Saturday in the Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure are: Apical Cellars, Archium Cellars, Baehner Fournier, Bellissimo Cellars, Bradley Family Winery, Brophy Clark, Carivintas Winery, Carucci Wines, Clos Des Amis, Cordon Wines, Cotiere, Crawford Family Wines, Dascomb Cellars, Ferguson Crest, Kessler-Haak Vineyards, LaMontagne Winery, Larner Vineyards, Levo Wines, No Limit Wines, Pence Ranch, Press Gang Cellars, Roark Wine Co., SamSara Wine Co., Scott Cellars, Seagrape Cellars, Section Wines, Solminer Wines, Turiya Wines and Weatherborne.

Winemakers on Sunday include Alta Colina Vineyards, Ascension Cellars, Barbieri Wines, Big Tar Wines, Central Coast Group Project, Center of Effort Wines, Cloak & Dagger Wines, Conarium Wines, Dilecta Wines, Dreamcote Wine Co., Falcone Family Vineyards, Graef Wines, Imagine Wines, J. Brix Wines, J. Ludlow Vineyard, Mattina Fiore, MCV Wines, Mount Dorado Winery, Old Creek Ranch Winery, Pace Family Wines, Ryan Cochrane Wines, STANGER Vineyards, Tercero Wines, Tierra y Vino, Vines on the Marycrest, Vino Vargas, Wandering Dog Wines, Workman Ayer and Zeppelin Winery.

Launched in Paso Robles in 2011, the non-profit Garagiste Festivals were the first to shine a light on the American garagiste winemakers, commercial artisan winemakers who handcraft less than 1,500 cases a year and pay close, hands-on attention to every wine they make.

Copyright Central Coast Wine Press for centralcoastwinepress.com

 

The CCWP Wine Week: WiVi Central returns to Paso in March; Cal Poly receives $20,000 check from Garagiste Festival

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Cal Poly Wine & Viticulture, Doug Minnick, Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, Palmina Winery, Stewart McLennan, WiVi Central Coast Wine Industry Conference & Tradeshow

 

WiVi Central Coast two-day conference for growers, winemakers

The WiVi Central Coast Wine Industry Conference & Tradeshow’s third annual event returns to the Paso Robles Event Center Tuesday and Wednesday, March 17 and 18, and organizers hope to draw winemakers, grape growers and hospitality managers to network and explore resources available on the Central Coast and beyond.

The conference includes education seminars on both Tuesday and Wednesday, and a Wednesday tradeshow that will feature more than 150 companies showcasing new products and tools.

Hosting WiVi Central are Wine Business Monthly, the wine industry leader in product information and resources, and Precision Ag Consulting, a regional viticulture consulting business.

“The Central Coast is still a young wine region but growing rapidly. Education and access to resources is important to its continued growth and success,’’ said Becky Zelinski, WiVi director.

“As the region grows, so does the importance of a conference like WiVi, which is the only one of its kind here. In just two days, anyone in the wine industry can learn from our panels of experts, network with peers, and connect with suppliers at the WiVi tradeshow. It really is a one-stop shop for the entire Central Coast industry,’’ she said.

Among the seminars scheduled both days are “The Year 2014 in Review and Update on Recent Changes on Ground Water Rights;” “The Effect of Water Availability on Property Values;” “Improving Wine Grape Quality Through the Use of Phenolics Measurements in Winemaking;” “Measuring the ROI of Social Media;” and “Top 10 Success Tips for Tasting Room Sales.”

The conference will include two social events: A launch party on Tuesday evening and an exhibitor-sponsored lunch Wednesday.

Registration for WiVi is open to the public and tickets can be purchased online. Early registration discounts and special discounted prices for wine industry association members are available through Feb. 28, as are free tradeshow passes for association members.

Information and tickets: www.WiViCentralCoast.com; email: info@wivicentralcoast.com, and phone: (888) 974-WIVI (9484).

Garagiste Wine Festival presents $20,000 donation to Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture Program

The Garagiste Festival presented a check for $20,000 to the Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture department from proceeds raised at its three Garagiste Festivals in 2014.

It also announced that the Cal Poly program will continue to be a beneficiary of the festivals in 2015, including the upcoming “Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure,” scheduled for March 27-29 at the Veterans Memorial Hall in Solvang.

Garagiste Festival Photo/Receiving the $20,000 check were Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture Department Lecturer Shohreh S. Niku, second from left, and Interim Department Chairperson Marianne McGarry Wolf, second from right. Garagiste co-founders Stewart McLennan and Doug Minnick are far left, and far right, respectively.

The check was presented in the Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture lab in San Luis Obispo, where students are benefitting from spectrophotometers purchased using funds donated by the Garagiste Festivals in 2013.

“In addition to throwing a spotlight on small-lot, innovative artisan winemakers, a huge part of our mission is to further the education of future winemakers. It was very exciting today to see the results of our efforts at work at Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture,’’ said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Doug Minnick.

“We have many alums of the program among the exceptional winemakers pouring at our festivals and could not be more proud to be part of helping shape the future of our industry, starting with its next generation of winemakers.’’

Launched in Paso Robles in 2011, the Garagiste Festivals were the first to shine a light on the American garagiste winemakers, commercial artisan winemakers who handcraft less than 1,500 cases a year and pay close, hands-on attention to every wine they make. The only festivals in the United States dedicated to these innovative, hard-to-find winemakers, the events have helped thousands of consumers discover the remarkable wines of hundreds of garagistes.

“We appreciate the Garagiste Festival’s continued support of our program and its contribution to the vitality of our area, which is rapidly evolving into one of the most important wine regions in the world. We believe our program embraces the entrepreneurial spirit of the garagiste winemaker by integrating enology with viticulture and wine business. Our program reflects the evolution our wine region and the funds donated by the festival over the past three years, as well as the attention it has brought to our program, have truly made a difference,” Wolf said.

“This year’s donation will go a long way to helping extend the footprint of our students in the wine industry. Thank you Garagiste Festival, and thank you to the hundreds of garagiste winemakers and sponsors who help make this festival possible.”

The Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture Program includes nearly 300 undergraduate majors, making Cal Poly among the largest Wine and Viticulture programs in the country. The program uniquely integrates three fundamental components of the modern wine industry, with a curriculum emphasizing the inherent connectivity between wine grape growing in the vineyard, wine making in the winery, and wine selling in the marketplace through a unique “learn-by-doing” approach. The program is currently developing a Center for Wine and Viticulture that will include new state-of-the-art teaching facilities.

The upcoming Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure will feature 60 artisan winemakers from throughout Santa Barbara County and the Central Coast pouring throughout two days, as well as wine tasting seminars and the popular Winemaker Mixer, which includes the Festival’s signature “winemaker shootout” —where winemakers blind taste each others wines to pick the best red.

For tickets and to be alerted to breaking news about Southern Exposure and other Garagiste events, sign up for The Dirt at http://garagistefestival.com/sign-up/ or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook. For more information on The Garagiste Festivals, go to http://garagistefestival.com

Silicon Valley Bank predicts “breakout year” for U.S. wine biz

Silicon Valley Bank, a leading provider of commercial banking services to the innovation sector and the wine industry, releases its annual State of the Wine Industry report Jan. 21.

“We are seeing real strength in the U.S. economy going into 2015, which will increase demand for wine,” said Rob McMillan, founder of SVB’s Wine Division and author of the report.

“Declining oil prices are transferring wealth to oil-consuming countries, the employment picture is improving, the U.S. dollar is strengthening and interest rates will move at a measured pace. As long as the industrialized world economies can hold their own, the middle-income consumer will see improved prospects. We’ll be toasting to that.”

“We are especially positive on the year ahead,” McMillan said. “We expect the fine wine business will experience accelerating growth, achieving 14 to 18 percent sales growth in 2015. At the same time, the cellars are full with several consecutive years of very good vintages.”

Based on a survey of nearly 600 West Coast wineries, in-house expertise and ongoing research, SVB’s annual report covers trends and addresses current issues facing the American wine industry.

Key findings and predictions:

• Supply: We expect to see the third consecutive harvest of heavy yield and great quality across most appellations.
• Sales Growth: After finishing the year at the top end of our predicted sales growth of 6 to 10 percent in 2014, we are predicting a breakout year of growth in the fine wine category in the 14 to 18 percent range in 2015.

• Pricing: While the large supply of wines in the cellars should normally indicate continued depressed pricing, we believe 2015 will be a year of both volume and price increases in the fine wine segment, driven by an improving economy and higher demand.

• Demand: Wines priced below $7 a bottle performed poorly both on and off premise in 2014. This poor performance is likely to continue in 2015.

• Planting: Grape planting is shifting regionally. Oregon and Washington are showing strong growth in planting on a percentage basis and we expect that this will continue for the foreseeable future given favorable quality and price dynamics relative to the fine wine growing regions in California.

SVB’s wine division specializes in commercial banking for premium wineries and vineyards and the industries that support them. SVB has the largest team of commercial bankers dedicated to the wine industry of any bank nationwide. Founded in 1994, SVB’s Wine Division has offices in Napa and Sonoma counties and serves clients in the fine wine producing regions of California, Oregon and Washington.

Palmina Winery names John Busby as general manager

Palmina Winery, which produces a range of wines crafted from Italian varietals grown in Santa Barbara County, has named John Busby as its new general manager.

Busby, previously an executive in the asset management industry, has been manager of direct-to-consumer sales at Palmina for the past two years.

“I am extremely enthused at the prospect of taking on this new role at Palmina,” Busby said. “As the winery celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2015, I look forward to continuing to work closely with Steve and Chrystal to firmly position Palmina as a sustainable Santa Barbara County brand for the next 20 years and beyond.”

Steve Clifton, winemaker and owner, produced the first Palmina wines in the basement of his home in 1995. Formerly assistant winemaker at Rancho Sisquoc and manager of The Wine Cask in Santa Barbara, Steve was joined at Palmina by his wife, Chrystal, in 2000. The Cliftons are also partners in Brewer-Clifton, a Sta. Rita Hills producer of pinot noir and chardonnay.

Copyright Central Coast Wine Press for centralcoastwinepress.com

 

 

 

The Top 22 Wines I tasted during 2014

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Aaron Watty, Ballard Canyon Road American Viticultural Area, Big Tar, Blake Sillix, Ethan Wines, Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA, Mark Cargasacchi, Sta. Rita Hills AVA

Let me be the first to acknowledge that yes, I need to venture further afield, because all of these wines hail from Santa Barbara County grapes — not that there’s anything wrong with that fact — and yes, I’m posting this list late, as it’s already 2015.

Oh well.

My disclaimer: I have personally tasted all of these wines, either by the taste, glass or bottle. Naturally, I sampled other wines throughout the year, but only the following made my cut for this list.

Taking good notes does pay, for I can share where and (sometimes) even when I came to taste these particular beauties. Comments appear where I remembered to jot them down … but in many cases, I was too enamored of the wine to do more than just sip.

In no particular order:

Discovered this at BubblyFest, and have since enjoyed it several times

Mosby Wines Stelline di Cortese: (“Little Stars of Cortese”), California (estate) sparkling, NV (BubblyFest, October)

2013 Dreamcote Wines Malvasia Bianca: Lively. And, as the label states: “Life’s short; Drink what you like.” (Private tasting, December)

2012 Cholame Vineyard “Summer Shade,” Grenache Blanc: La Presa Vineyard. Crisp and complex.(Garagiste Festival, Southern Exposure, March 2014). Cholame Vineyard features longtime local winemaker/vineyard manager Andy Ibarra as winemaker.

2012 Dragonette Cellars Sauvignon Blanc: Vogelzang Vineyard. Straw colored, and more viscous, less brisk. (bottle purchase)

2010 Clos Pepe Barrel Select Chardonnay: (bottle purchase)

This wine strengthens my vow to consume more Italian varietals.

2010 Ethan Wines Nebbiolo: Stolpman Vineyards (bottle purchase)

2011 Sillix Wines Syrah:  (first tasted at Garagiste Festival, Southern Exposure, March 2014), (bottle purchase)

2013 Lindley Wines Chardonnay: estate (private tasting, December)

2102 Carucci Wines Viognier, White Hawk Vineyard: (Garagiste Festival, Southern Exposure, March 2014)

True confessions: I’ve had a lot of this wine over the years. A LOT. And it never loses its allure.

2010 Jalama Wines “El Capitan:” (Blend of syrah, mourvedre and cabernet sauvignon) (bottle purchase)

2013 Alta Maria Wines Carbonic Pinot Noir: whole cluster, 100 percent carbonic maceration, bottled four months after harvest (tasting room)

As you can see, I couldn’t choose just one pink wine. Here are my three dead-heat favorites: Hitching Post, Dragonette Cellars and Andrew Murray Vineyards.

2013 Hitching Post Rosé; 2013 Dragonette Cellars Rosé (Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara); and 2013 Andrew Murray Vineyards, Esperance Rosé. (Bottle purchase, all three; the HP is pinot noir and the other two are Rhone blends)

2010 Samsara Wine Grenache: Spectacular. (bottle purchase)

2009 A-non-ah-mus Grenache: D’Vine Wine Bar, by the glass

2009 Stolpman Vineyards L’Avion: Roussanne, (bottle purchase)

2012 Stolpman Vineyards Estate Grown Syrah: (Wine Bloggers’ Conference seminar: “Syrah Terrority, Ballard Canyon,” July; and again during Celebration of Harvest seminar, October)

2011 Brave and Maiden “Union:” Blend of syrah, merlot and cabernet franc. Beautifully dusty. (Wandering Dog Wine Bar, by the glass)

2010 No Limit Wine “The Nutz” Syrah: (private tasting, December)

2012 Big Tar Wines Cabernet Sauvignon: Winemaker Aaron Watty’s goal is food-friendly wines, and he nails it with this silky beauty. (private tasting, December)

While I tasted all four of these Rack and Riddle bubblies, the Blanc de Blancs gets my top vote

Rack and Riddle North Coast Blanc de Blancs: (100 percent chardonnay, NV) (BubblyFest, October)

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The Business of Wine: Vinous, another sell-out Garagiste Festival and Paso Robles partners with Cambria, San Simeon for new festival

Vinous buys Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar

Vinous announced Tuesday that it will acquire Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar (IWC).

IWC, founded in 1985 by editor and publisher Stephen Tanzer, is the oldest independent, American-owned wine journal.

Tanzer will join Antonio Galloni, Vinous’ CEO and founder, as a partner of Vinous, and will be actively involved as editor-in-chief and a lead critic.

According to a news release from http://vinousmedia.com, Vinous will add IWC’s entire archive to its library of content, making the combined site home to more than 180,000 professional wine reviews and more than 1,000 articles.

In an email to his subscribers, Tanzer said he believes Galloni and his team at Vinous “will quickly become the single most informative website for wine lovers in the U.S. and around the world.

“Best of all, Antonio clearly shares my focus on providing high-quality, totally independent wine criticism,” he added.

“I have known Steve Tanzer and have been a subscriber to IWC for over a decade,” Galloni said. “In addition to being one of the world’s preeminent wine critics, Steve is an even better person. When it came time to choose a partner with complementary strengths and shared values, Steve was the obvious choice.”

“I am looking forward to partnering with Antonio to bring our combined subscribers the most comprehensive, informative, independent wine web site on the market,” Tanzer said.

“With five of the world’s most established wine critics, continually streamed content, a large video library and interactive maps, Vinous is clearly taking the lead in reshaping the landscape of our industry.”

The new Vinous editorial team includes:

Antonio Galloni: Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Italy, Champagne, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz Mountains and Burgundy

Steve Tanzer: Burgundy, Chablis, Washington, Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand, Port, Tokaj and Napa Valley

Josh Raynolds: Spain, Rhône, Languedoc, Roussillon, Provence, Oregon, Australia, Paso Robles, Santa Lucia Highlands and Chile

Ian D’Agata: Central and Southern Italy, Alsace, Canada

Garagiste Festival sells out Paso Robles; looks ahead to Solvang

On the heels of another sell-out event in Paso Robles, Garagiste Events, producers of The Garagiste Festivals, have announced the return of their popular Southern Exposure festival in to Veterans’ Memorial Hall in Solvang, March 27 to 29, 2015.

Joe Mozdzen photos/Participants in the Saturday morning seminars sampled several wines.

More than 1,000 wine enthusiasts and winemakers participated in the four-day festival in Paso Robles, Nov. 6 through 9, which lived up to its description by the Los Angeles Times as not only “one of the premier wine events of the year,” but also one of “wine’s best parties,” organizers said.

“The sold-out 2014 Paso Robles Garagiste Festival is further proof that the American garagiste movement is one of the hottest trends in the wine industry, and that Paso Robles is its heart and soul,” said Garagiste Festival co-founder Doug Minnick.

“We are proud to be the only event in the country to shine a light on so many extraordinary artisan winemakers under one roof – all while offering wine lovers a ‘no snobs allowed’ atmosphere in which to sample innovative wines crafted with passion, a healthy respect for tradition, and an even healthier respect for breaking the rules.”

Steve Lohr, CEO of J. Lohr Wines, left, and Stewart McLennan discuss the 11 new AVAs in Paso Robles

A new highlight this year was the festival’s first (but not last) “Big Blend Shootout,” a friendly competition in which more than 20 winemakers blind-tasted each other’s wines and picked out the best of the best.

The winner was Bret Urness from Levo Wines, for his blend of grenache, syrah, petite syrah and viognier.

“It was a great night that epitomized the camaraderie among winemakers in Paso Robles, and the fact that, while winemaking is a lot of work, it is also a lot of fun, especially after the long harvest,” said co-founder Stewart McLennan.

The nonprofit Garagiste Festivals benefit the Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture program.

For more information on The Garagiste Festivals, visit http://garagistefestival.com.

Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance partners with Cambria and San Simeon to launch “Blendfest” 

The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (PRVCA), in conjunction with the Cambria Tourism Board, San Simeon Tourism Board and Wine Coast Country, has formed a partnership to bring a Paso Robles wine event to the northern coast of San Luis Obispo County.

On Feb. 21, the first Paso BlendFest on the Coast will showcase the best characteristics of each partner, combining the scenic beauty of the coast with Paso Robles Wine Country.

BlendFest will invite visitors to San Simeon and Cambria to enjoy 25 to 30 of Paso Robles’ renowned wineries, each featuring two distinct blends. At the Cavalier Resort in San Simeon, guests will be able to enjoy spectacular wines and stunning coastal views.

“As evidenced by Paso’s recent honor as Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, the region has become known for rule breaking, unconventional blends,” said Jennifer Porter, executive director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance.

The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance represents wineries, growers and businesses in Paso Robles Wine Country. It encompasses more than 32,000 vineyard acres and 200 wineries. For more information, visit www.pasowine.com. Twitter: @PasoRoblesWine, #pasowine

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CCWP on Winemaking: Meet Kyle Knapp of Press Gang Cellars in Lompoc

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Beckmen Vineyards, Kyle Knapp, Press Gang Cellars, Santa Barbara County Wines

Kyle Knapp at Beckmen Vineyards, where he works as assistant winemaker to Mikael Siguoin when he’s not producing his Press Gang Cellars’ wines

This is another in my ongoing series about our region’s smallest winemakers. They may not yet have tasting rooms, and their case production is easily less than 1,000 cases. But hunt them down, either via phone, email or web: You can thank me later.

Lompoc native and avid surfer Kyle Knapp was working as a butcher in the meat department of Los Olivos Grocery when the winemaking bug first bit.

“I worked with high-end meats and cheeses, and (the chance to produce) quality wine seemed like a natural progression,” he recalled.

Knapp’s first harvest was in 2005, at nearby Beckmen Vineyards. Like others who thrive on the arduous but rewarding experience, Knapp was hooked. Immediately following that harvest, he traveled to Australia for his second round, and enjoyed some surfing there when he was finished.

His first vintage under his label, Press Gang Cellars, was in 2007, but then he took a break. “I skipped 2008 and 2009 to travel,” Knapp, now 33, recalled. “At the time, I was keeping my priorities straight, I thought.”

Despite having wines from 2007, Knapp calls 2010 his “coming out” — the year when he put travel aside and began to focus on making wine. In January 2011, he began working alongside winemaker Mikael Sigouin as assistant winemaker at Beckmen.

Knapp says he chose the name “Press Gang,” from a song by the Murder City Devils, because “music inspires me in most things I do.”

The song is about the press gangs of the British Navy in the 18^th and early 19^th centuries — sailors would round up young men, sometimes from bars, and force them to work on navy ships, he said. Impressment, or the press gang, refers to the act of taking men by force and without notice.

“I like the play on words: We press grapes to get wine,” Knapp said.

Since the inception of Press Gang Cellars, Knapp has focused his efforts on syrah, grenache and roussane, but in 2013 also produced some tempranillo and sangiovese, he said.

Knapp sources fruit primarily from the Santa Ynez Valley and Ballard Canyon, and tends to pick “when flavor is optimal.” His methodology includes a cold soak and letting native yeast kick start the fermentation process.

“I like doing some whole cluster, like 25 percent,” he added. His wines undergo extended barrel age, “around 25 to 28 months.”

His current rosé, named for his wife, Savanna Rhea, combines partial oak and stainless steel, and enjoyed a two-day cold soak before being pressed into a bottle of Press Gang Cellars.

Press Gang Cellars has grown to about 300 cases; Knapp says his goal is a maximum of 2,000 per year.

I met Knapp through mutual friends several years back, but only tried his wines during the 2013 Garagiste: Southern Exposure tasting in Solvang. With Savanna at his side, Knapp poured his syrah, Grenache and rosé to acclaim.

Knapp told me he enjoys participating in the Garagiste events, which highlight uber tiny producers, but realizes he needs a tasting room for increased follow through with consumers. Such a site — as well as a wine club — is in the works within the next year, definitely in Lompoc, he said.

Knapp resides in Lompoc with Savanna and their son Milo, who is 9 months old.

Information: (805) 291-3141 or pressgangcellars@gmail.com

Copyright centralcoastwinepress.com

July’s Wine Calendar: The Garagiste Festival: “Urban Exposure” in L.A.

Tags

Artisan winemakers, Doug Minnick, Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure, Lisa Dinsmore, Melanie Webber, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara County California, Stewart McLennan

 

Saturday, July 12, is your chance to meet and taste wines from more than 40 artisan winemakers who live in greater Los Angeles and will participate in The Garagiste Festival’s first foray into this city. (See list of participants, below)

What’s a Garagiste? (gar-uh-zhe-stuh) is a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to slight renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their “garages” (anything considered not a chateau), who refused to follow the “rules,” and is now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world.

Founded in Paso Robles in 2011, the Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure debuts at Union Station and will benefit Mending Kids International and the Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture Program.

My first Garagiste Festival was the organizers’ premiere event, held in November 2011 outside Paso Robles inside a show barn at Windfall Ranch. Calling the venue a “barn” doesn’t do it justice, for Windfall Farms is a 724-acre equestrian facility, and the barn was brick with glass and copper steeples. Winemakers set up tables inside the stalls, most of which were bigger than my living room.

In 2013, two years after their Paso Robles launch, co-founders Stewart McLennan and Doug Minnick, along with event director Lisa Dinsmore and publicist Melanie Webber, expanded Garagiste to Solvang with “Southern Exposure.”

You can read one of my previous stories about the crew here:
https://ccwinepress.wordpress.com/2014/03/19/second-annual-solvang-garagiste-festival-southern-exposure-march-28-30/

Same idea, in different locales: The Paso Robles, Solvang and now Los Angeles Garagiste Festivals focus on tiny (and often, undiscovered) artisan winemakers who produce as few as a couple hundred cases each year.

Many of the Los Angeles-based winemakers participating in “Urban Exposure” still work day jobs, but like their colleagues in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, follow their passion for wine.

According to Webb, among the Garagistes are the team who work together in film production and have received raves for their winemaking; a couple whose wine is rooted in their Indian heritage and inspired by the 64 arts of KamaSutra; an Orange County mortgage broker; a winemaker inspired by his grandfather, who made wine in his Ontario basement; and a brewer and lab manager at Golden Road Brewing.

And my favorite: The Culver City sound engineer who secretly planted his first vines at Culver City’s MaryCrest Manor (a nursing home managed by Carmelite nuns), and had to answer to the police for his efforts.

After all, one doesn’t have to own a vineyard, winery, cellar or tasting room to make good wine.

Details, participants and ticket information is available at http://www.garagistefestival.com/

The event takes place from 2 to 5 p.m. at Union Station. Wood & Vine will provide cheese and charcuterie.

Among the winemakers already scheduled to pour are: Alma Fria Winery, Alma Sol Winery, Alta Colina Vineyards, Archium Cellars, Ascension Cellars, Autonom, Blue Cape Cellars, Bon Niche Cellars, Bratcher Winery, Carucci Wines, Center of Effort, Cholame Vineyards, Cloak & Dagger Wines, Cutruzzola Vineyards, De Su Propia Cosecha, Dilecta Wines, Dubost Ranch, DV8 Cellars, Graef Wines, Kessler-Haak Vineyards, La Fenetre Wines, Levo Wines, Luminesce, LXV Wines, Marin’s Vineyard, MCV Wines, Montemar Wines, Native9, ONX Wines, Pulchella Winery, Rendarrio Wines, Seven Angels Cellars, Shai Cellars, Singer Cellars, Soaring Hawk Vineyards, The Farm Winery, Turiya Wines, Two Shepherds Winery, Vinemark Cellars, Vines on the Marycrest, Vino V Wines, Weatherborne and Workman/Ayer.

 

 

 

 

 

Favorite, new-to-me producers from March 29 Garagiste Festival

Tags

Carucci Wines, Cholame Vineyard, Graef Wines, Seagrape Wine Co., Sillix, Vinemark Cellars

Tickets to Saturday’s Southern Exposure: Garagiste Festival sold out several weeks before the March 29 tasting

At Southern Exposure: Garagiste Festival, I tasted wines poured on Saturday, March 29.

For the most part, I focused on the producers whose wines I had never tried.

Here are some new-to-me winemakers, more or less in the order in which I sipped their wines:

2012 Cholame Vineyard “Summer Shade,” Grenache Blanc, La Presa Vineyard

Cholame Vineyard features longtime local winemaker/vineyard manager Andy Ibarra at the helm.

I met Ibarra during harvest 2006, back when he was making wine for Rideau. Ibarra has managed La Presa Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley for years, supervising the care and feeding of grapes sourced by many other producers. Now, with this label, he’s using fruit from both La Presa and other sites.

The Cholame Vineyard Grenache blanc is crisp and complex.

Graef Wines 2011 Viognier, Solano County

Andrew Graef, who founded his label in 2011, poured from a corner table, and to any tasters who accidentally passed him by, well, you missed out.

Using Google, I discovered that Graef Wines is a client of Hollywood & Wine, which on its website notes: “Andrew Graef has lived many lives …. but has dedicated the past decade to studying enology, making wine for others and finally, launching his own label, Graef Wines.” No website.

Graef’s viognier is very pretty, with only a hint of pear and lots of sweet apple.

Seagrape Wine Co.’s 2012 Chardonnay, Zotovich Vineyards

I often mutter that chardonnays just aren’t my thing, and then I taste one that perfectly suits me. Karen Steinwach’s Seagrape Chardonnay, from Zotovich Vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills, was aged in stainless steel and just packs that Meyer lemon punch I so adore.

Vinemark Cellars’ 2012 Pinot Noir and 2012 Primitivo

I sampled three of Mark Wasserman’s wines Friday evening at the Cecco Ristorante pizza and wine pairing party that launched Garagiste. And I found him again Saturday to try two of them once again.

Good pinot noir and the hot east side of Paso Robles are an oxymoron, but Wasserman has pulled off a delicate pinot noir that might as well come from grapes grown in the Santa Maria Valley, or Sta. Rita Hills.

He does make a Reserve Pinot Noir with fruit from Santa Lucia Highlands, but I honed in on the Paso Robles’ version because I couldn’t believe how tasty it was.

Wasserman told me during Friday’s event that he’s bottled wines in his garage, literally, for about 10 years, but has of late stepped up his game with Vinemark Cellars, which he founded in 2012.

His Primitivo was a classic one, full of spice and dark fruit, especially pomegranate.

Right before I left the tasting, a friend pointed me toward two more tiny producers, Sillix (winemaker Blake Sillix) and Carucci Wines (winemaker Eric Carucci).

My favorites, from each, were the 2011 Sillix Grenache, Camp 4 Vineyard, which was chock full of dusty chocolate, and the 2010 Carucci Syrah, Thompson Vineyard (one of my favorite vineyard sites).

The young Blake Sillix, who works for Justin Willet at Tyler, doesn’t yet have a website, but if you Google Sillix, you’ll see just what he’s been up to, and why you might want to track down this fellow to try his wines.

More information about Carucci is available via www.carucciwines.com. I believe that the husband and wife team still work day jobs. I lifted this quote from the Carucci website because it’s ideal Garagiste speak:

“Everything we know about wine, we have learned from asking endless questions of the winemakers we respect and through experimentation in the winery.”

Copyright Central Coast Wine Press

 

Garagiste showcases Ballard Canyon Grenaches and Syrahs, and winemakers

Tags

Ballard Canyon Road American Viticultural Area, Doug Minnick, Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, Kaena Wines, Larner Vineyard, Larner Winery, Larry Schaffer, Michael Larner, Mikael Sigouin, Santa Barbara Vintners, Stewart McLennan, Tercero Wines

My Saturday started at 4:30 a.m.

However, “early to work” meant “early off work” — just in time to slide into an empty seat for “RhônesRule: The Wines of Ballard Canyon,” the first of two seminars during “Southern Exposure: The Garagiste Festival” at the Solvang Veterans Hall.

Stewart McLennan, co-founder of the Garagiste Festivals with Doug Minnick, moderated a panel of winemakers who source from vineyards in Ballard Canyon.

McLennan led winemakers Michael Larner, Larry Schaffer and Mikael Sigouin through an hour-long discussion of the merits of Ballard Canyon, the newest of Santa Barbara County’s five American Viticultural Areas (AVAs).

The three men are friends and their back-and-forth banter with McLennan about Santa Barbara County versus Paso Robles (also a Rhône superstar) and winemaking styles kept the audience attentive.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) approved the petition to designate Ballard Canyon last October. “The approval came right in the middle of harvest last year,” Larner said. “We’re very excited to be able to take ‘Santa Ynez Valley’ off labels and be able to add ‘Ballard Canyon’ (to future vintages still in the barrel or tank).”

Crucial to a petition for an AVA is the research outlining the weather (rainfall and degree days), and particulars of soil, including bedrock and lichen, Larner noted. His family’s vineyard is comprised of sand — a factor key both to the distinctness of the AVA and to the grape varietals that best thrive in its soils.

The two Rhône grapes most prevalent in Ballard Canyon are Syrah, with 274 acres planted, and Grenache, with 61, according to Santa Barbara Vintners.

McLennan and Minnick crafted Saturday morning’s seminar around those two red grapes, featuring two by each of the three winemakers.

Following is the order in which we tasted, comments from the winemakers and my brief notes on each.

~ Kaena 2011 Grenache, Tierra Alta Vineyard: Sigouin, who said he first worked with Grenache for Beckmen (where he’s still the winemaker) called Ballard Canyon “a sweet spot for Grenache,” and this vintage of his Kaena exemplifies that. I wrote: “Feminine but with solid tannins.” Clone: Tablas A.

~ Kaena 2011 Grenache, Larner Vineyard: Sigouin emphasized Larner Vineyard’s sandy soils, and the south-facing block from which this vintage hailed. “Every year, Larner is the most solid of all the vineyards I work with,” he said. This was my favorite of the three grenaches (two from Kaena, one from Tercero). It’s balanced and elegant. Clone: ENTAV 362

~ Tercero 2009 Grenache, Larner Vineyard: Schaffer, who has sourced Grenache from Larner since 2008, is a huge supporter of the varietal — in Santa Barbara County in particular. This is a big wine, one that’s short on nuance but long on life. Put it down for five years (IMO).

And then came Syrahs:

~ Tercero 2009 Syrah, Larner Vineyard: This was aged for a whopping 42 months in neutral French oak, Schaffer said, and co-fermented with 5 percent viognier (which I swear I can discern, on the very end of the lengthy finish). This wine is bold but contains layers of flavors.

Larner’s two wines were 2009 and 2010 estate Syrahs. After the attendees had tasted both, Larner posed a question: Did we think the two vintages were more similar, or more different? I and a few other participants voted similar; the majority of the room voted dissimilar. (It’s all right; I stand by my palate).

Both vintages’ clones are 3, 383, 877 and Estrella, but the 2010 contains seven clonal lots and the 2009 just five — all fermented individually, according to Larner’s notes. The 2009 saw 18 months in 30 percent new French oak, and the 2010 was aged in similar barrels, but for 22 months. Both vintages were aged six months in bottle before being released.

The difference between the two, barrel wise: The 2010 utilized 5 percent new American oak barrels, and the 2009 just the French oak.

I favored the 2010 over the 2009 for its “clarity, elegance and lovely finish.” The 2009, I wrote, has “more cherry and less finish.”

Thanks to McLennan, Minnick, Dave and Lisa Dinsmore and Melanie Webber for another superb weekend of Garagiste wine and winemakers.

Coming next: Saturday afternoon with the Garagiste producers.

Copyright Central Coast Wine Press

 

 

Meet two local Garagistes: Ron Hill and Angela Soleno

Tags

A-non-ah-mus Wines, Angela Soleno, Ballard Canyon Road American Viticultural Area, C2 Cellars, Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, Lompoc Rotary Club, Ron Hill, Turiya Wines

Let me introduce two of the winemakers participating in the March 29 and 30 Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure: Ron Hill, owner and winemaker of a-non-a-mus of Orcutt, and Angela Soleno, owner and winemaker of Turiya wines, based in Lompoc.

Hill pours during the grand tasting Sunday, and Solena on Saturday. This is his second trip to Southern Exposure, but her first.

Ron Hill, left, and friend Andrew, at the recent Rotary Winetasting event in Lompoc

First, I’ll let Hill tell his tale, outlined to me via e-mail:

“My case production in 2013 was 340 cases, and consists of small lots of rosé, viognier, syrah, grenache and pinot noir.

“I make my wines in a small corner at C2 Cellars in Orcutt, and I would like to give a big shout out to the Cuevas Brothers and crew for putting up with me these last three years.

“I live in Santa Maria and have two Rhodesian Ridgebacks — Jack and Lily — that have appeared in more wine-related publications than I have (how’s that for being anonymous!).

I asked Hill, a native of Kansas, how he came up with the name of his label, which, to be honest, is quite unusual.

“When I started the task of coming up with a name for label, back in 2008, I never thought that an original name would be so difficult to come up with,” he said. “I spent countless hours thumbing through dictionaries and thesauruses looking for a name that was “catchy” and wasn’t either trademarked or already in commerce, thus making it unusable.”

Like many others, Hill wanted his label to “be about the wine” and not simply the name on the bottle.

Choosing “a-non-ah-mus” turned out be “as close to ‘anonymous’ as I could get,” Hill reflected. With the help of a good trademark attorney, “now I own them both.”

Hill has started a wine club for a-non-ah-mus and hopes to grow slowly, with a goal of 500 cases by next year, he noted. In addition, he wants to start sourcing grapes from “unique little vineyards that aren’t that well known, and plans to bring grenache blanc, mourvèdre and a blend into his line up.

Without a tasting room, Hill offers tastings only by appointment.

Hill left a long-term career as a respiratory care practitioner, both in Kansas and — seeking a warmer climate — Arizona, followed by California. (Note: When you meet Hill, ask him about the incident involving a long scarf and a snow blower).

After about 20 years working in hospital ICUs, Hill, now 53, wanted a change.

He caught the winemaking bug “quite by accident” from a neighbor when he lived in San Jose.

“He ran with a group of five close friends, and they all made their own wines — which all were very different,” Hill recalled. “I actually learned a lot from observing them make their true “garage wines.”

Years later, Hill recalled, “I took a bottle of my neighbor’s garage wine and ran every test I could in the lab at the winery where I worked.

As is often the case with the tiniest of wine makers, who are meticulous in crafting wine, Hill’s friend’s “garage” wine had “perfect numbers” despite never having been tested with a pH meter or ebulometer, he said.

In 2001, Hill began his winemaking career in earnest as a harvest intern at Babcock Winery, where he worked his way up to associate winemaker. He remained at Babcock until 2011, when he left to focus on being, well, a-non-ah-mus.

Angela Soleno and a bottle of her “Perpetual Bliss,” a blend of cabernet sauvignon and syrah

I caught up with Angela Soleno at Corner House Coffee in Los Olivos early in March. Several years ago, I met Soleno in her previous life — working in marketing and shipping at Consilience Wines in Los Olivos, “wearing many hats,” she recalled. She worked there for about six years.

Now she wears just one hat — winemaker — and, in fact, has just left her “day job” of two years, as caretaker at Figueroa Mountain Ranch.

“I’ve found my calling! I’m done,” Soleno laughed, obviously excited about what lies ahead for her label.

Like Hill, Soleno, 34, made her first vintage in 2008, choosing to call it Turiya, which means “a state of consciousness wherein reality and truth are harmonious.”

Her first vintage was three different wines, all reds, with a total production of 96 cases. Soleno’s focus is “mostly Bordeauxs and some sangiovese,” made with grapes from one of the region’s best sangiovese sites, Stolpman Vineyard, on Ballard Canyon Road.

Because she started small and has stayed that way, Soleno still has some of her initial vintage left for tasting – and sales. Like her 60/40 cabernet sauvignon and syrah blend, “Perpetual Bliss,” with grapes sourced from Camp 4 Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley.

Again, like Hill, Soleno doesn’t have a tasting room, but is more than happy to allow by-appointment tastings inside the winery space she shares with Peter Scott of Scott Cellars on F Street in Lompoc.

A single mother of two children, Veronica, 17, and Trenton, 11, Soleno has a firm grip on her future:

When I ask, any future plans for a tasting room? “No, never!”

Do you plan to grow above 500 cases? “No, I only want to produce enough for an allocation list, so that I can sell out every vintage.”

And, while she likes white wines made by other winemakers (Tessa Marie Parker’s sparkling vermentino, for example), Soleno vows she’s “never gonna make a white wine” herself.

Soleno is a big fan of the natural acidity in wines, especially reds, especially Italian reds, and looks forward to getting her hands on some Aglianico, perhaps from French Camp Vineyards outside Santa Margarita in San Luis Obispo County, she said.

“The more obscure the varietals, the better.”

Before she releases them, Soleno ages her wines in barrel for 36 months, and then for an additional year in the bottle.

“I like ‘finished’ wines. I wait until the wine tells me it’s ready, and then I go from there.”

Copyright Central Coast Wine Press