A Month of Thankfulness

As Americans, we have much to be thankful for! Why limit it to just one day a year? Count your blessings daily, weekly, monthly! All year long. We're thankful for all of you! Your support and loyalty has helped us continue to grow beyond that one year mark! Our commitment to you is to keep producing quality wines, friendly service with integrity, and excellence in all we do! With our thoughts turning toward the holidays, we have some great ideas to help make your holiday entertaining and gift giving as simple as pumpkin pie! Turn to Orange Coast Winery for the perfect present. Even the hardest person to please will be delighted with our assortment of wines. Throw in a cute wine sign, flirty apron, or a one-of-a-kind wine rack and they'll thank you for a long time! Want to take the stress and hassle out of entertaining your co-workers, out-of-town relatives, or your BFF's?! Give Jo Anne a call at 949-645-0400 or send a fast email to joanne@orangecoastwinery and leave the planning to the professionals. Jo Anne is the ultimate party planner and will work within your budget to create the best holiday party ever! Read on for our expert advice on finding the perfect wine compliment for your own DIY holiday feasts that will leave your peeps thoroughly impressed!

Everyone has their tried and true favorite wines, so there are no hard and fast rules! (No matter what those wine snobs say!) It's all in the flavors that you add to your special dishes, which will help them meld with the meal! For example, if you have a guest roster filled with Sauvignon Blanc lovers, prepare your turkey simply in its own jus, and let the soft grassy undertones and crisp apply goodness of our 2011 Bronze Medal winning Sauvignon Blanc shine through. If you like a more complex red, look to our fruit-forward 2010 Temecula Zinfandel to lead the way for your savory turkey with all the trimmings. Are you stepping out of the traditional turkey zone? The Orange Coast Winery Silver Medal 2008 Reserve Beach Blend will have everyone raving when accompanied with your special prime rib or sumptuous rack of lamb (any of our Zins will also delight in these pairings!). Are you taking the sea food route? Then, the MUST-HAVE newly released Beach Bubbly is all you need to complete the party. Actually, for all the cheers and goodwill...you need to load up on this bubbly-iciousness to keep you toasting clear through the New Year! We'll be featuring recipes and more holiday food and wine pairings through the next two months!

 

 

Guess WHAT?! Orange Coast Winery is now available in your favorite wine shoppe! Stop by Total Wines at either location in Tustin or Huntington Beach where you'll find several of our wonderful wines featured! You've been asking for it (Thank YOU!) and you've got it! Now, on those dern days that we're closed and you've GASP! run out of your FAVS - just pop on by and grab a few or more emergency bottles of Temecula Zin, Sauvignon Blanc, and Beach Blend Red to get you through until Thursday at 4:00! Speaking of THURSDAYS! YeeeeHaw! Our Thursdays are catching on like a house a'fire! It's only been a month since we started our Thirsty Thursdays and we've had to add additional staff! Again, YOU SPOKE and we listened! Now. Who's ready for Wine Wednesdays?

Our Orange Coast Winery Club Members have frequently asked about reciprocal tastings at Wiens Family Cellars in Temecula as we've treated Wiens Club Members this past year to complimentary tastings with us in Newport Beach. Due to the fact that the two wineries have completely different owners and simply share the amazing winemaker, Doug Wiens; we've come to the difficult decision to separate the two entities entirely. If you'd like to visit Wiens Family Cellars, please talk to our super OCW staff and ask for a 2 for 1 tasting card to check out Wiens. We will offer these cards on a limited basis. Likewise, if you're a Wiens member and haven't taken the Orange Coast Winery plunge yet...we'll give you one last opportunity to visit us for a complimentary tasting. Over the course of this new year, we will be expanding our Orange Coast Winery line of wines and slowly (slowly) phasing out our Wiens inventory. We apologize for any inconvenience or confusion. Same last name. Different owners. Same incredible quality wines. Different labels and varietals. Same professional, friendly service. Different Staff.

Well, it's OFFICIAL! We are growing by leaps and bounds. Our Wine Club Pick Up Parties are bursting at the seams. Our special events are always filled to capacity. As the song in the Broadway Musical Wicked goes, "We're POP-ULAR!" So, when the chance to snag a premium space one building down from us (same free parking, same convenient area!) - we JUMPED! It will take us a couple of months to transform this area into the most spectacular working barrel room in Orange County, but oh MAN! The results will be unbelievable. Jo Anne has earned her stripes or Event Space as the case may be.

Orange Coast Winery

Let the Sun Shine In on Orange Coast Winery

My Winemaker and I have given birth.  NO!  Not to a real baby! (Big sigh of relief! At our age we'll just enjoy the grandchildren. Thanks!)  We've given birth to a bouncing, bubbly winery in Newport Beach, CA.  Orange Coast Winery was actually born in April of 2011.  Doug and I bought the dream in October and what a whirlwind it's been.  We really do feel like new parents all over again.  Late nights staying up with our baby, researching how to care for it and nurture it properly, sending out tons of announcements to our friends, family, and acquaintances...the analogies are endless.

We bought an existing inventory, the name, and the location.  All of which we didn't have to love, but certainly needed to feel comfortable enough to live with until we are able to change things once within our power.  The former owner enjoyed a softer, Italian style wine - very different from Doug's big, bold love affair with red wines.  Another immediate "To-Do" on our list was to round out our wine list with a few sweet wines for those novice wine fans. 

We are in love with the Beach Bubbly sparkling that we acquired and love the way it plays on the beach theme as well as panders to the more serious Champagne connoisseur.  Plans are in the works to bring back another popular white that we recently ran out of, the Beach Blend White.  In the meantime, a flirty, fruity Rose has nicely filled out our menu along with two new Chardonnays.  A stainless steel lovely that has everyone buzzing and an enticing Reserve Chardonnay with just the right amount of butter and oak.  Break out the clambake and lobster and serve up with any of the aforementioned wines.  As the inventory started to deplete, we got excited about Doug batching and blending the rest of the wines still in tanks and barrels that we'd purchased.   

California is our vineyard!

My wily winemaker  had a few other tricks up his sleeve, including one last batch of Malbec from my brother's vineyard in Paso Robles.  This deliciously spicy yet smooth Malbec is especially dear to our hearts since David and Sara Israel recently sold their Five Oaks Vineyard, thus the bittersweet end of a wine era for all of us.  This Malbec is a beauty and does its Swan Song exquisitely!  Ask me about the amazing Lamb recipe that will rock & roll with this little number!  Another surprise was a couple of Zins that Doug was able to snag - one Paso and one from Temecula.  Each Zinfandel is so complex and different it's as if they aren't even from the same grape family.  The Paso Zin is bold and jammy in the traditional "Zinse" that made Paso Zins famous.  The Temecula Zin is rich and fruity with a burst of pomegranate pelting your taste buds.

A mainstay on our original menu was an extremely popular Beach Blend Red.  This has been our work horse wine, the Chianti, the table wine, your every day go-to wine.  When we ran out of this around Christmas, I seriously thought that some of our wine club members needed sedation!  Needless to say, the release of a new batch, a Dougifide, Beach Blend Red has received a hearty welcome!  But, WAIT, there's MORE!  Riding on the coattails of the regular Beach Blend Red, this over achieving winemaker decided, what could be better than the Beach Blend Red, but a RESERVE Beach Blend Red.  Oh.  Can we talk?  This big, bold, bad boy goes in like a John Phillip Sousa March and continues with the rockets and fireworks all the way through the long, lingering finish.  Anyone care for a smoke after that description?!  Speaking of smoking, least I not forget, a lovely little Cab from Lodi (glad to not be stuck in Lodi again, surely!).  This supple Cab is unassuming and grand, all in one.  Pair it with dark chocolate, or a mouth watering steak...either one will thank you!

Oh, it's definitely a work in progress.  We strive to navigate the distance between our home in Temecula and the new business in Newport Beach.  We're working hard to network and immerse ourselves into our new community while maintaining our ties with our current home.  We have immediate plans to join the local Chamber and have already provided wine, wine tasting certificates, and donated our venues for a number of charitable causes.  As we quickly grow, we are not only busy planning exciting events in the next few month, we're looking for an Event Coordinator to help take us there!  We're juggling the bookkeeping, keeping up with the social media, constantly updating our website, all of the licenses and permits, hiring and training our employees, and, oh yeh, selling wine!

I wrote a blog awhile back about the romantic misconceptions that so many people have about the wine business.  It's like anything in life...you must be passionate about it as it is like a jealous lover.  It consumes your life, demands your constant attention, throws occasionally tantrums, and takes you on the thrill of a lifetime.  Definitely not for the faint of heart.

Doug and I extend our warmest invitation to all of you to visit us at Orange Coast Winery in Newport Beach.  We're open Friday and Saturday from 12-6 and on Sunday from 12-5.  We're also open on special holidays such as most recently on Valentine's Day and the upcoming President's Day.  Wine tasting includes six one ounce tastes of our premium wines and a chic logo glass for $10.00.  All of our wines are reasonably priced between $19 and $39.  Local.  Sustainable.  Warm.  Friendly.  Fun.  And, for this beach loving wench....less than a mile from the Pacific Ocean.  It doesn't get much better than that.

On warm days, (which is often in Newport!), we open up the warehouse garage door and let the sun shine in, the balmy breezes float by, and the enticing combination of wine and the ocean fill your senses.  Join our wine club and enjoy quarterly shipments of six wines or twelve.  As wine club members, you'll receive 20% off on all purchases including retail items, exclusive wine club only events, and YES! free wine tastings!

Catch the Wine Wave and make plans to visit us soon.

Orange Coast Winery
869 W. 16th St.
Newport Beach, CA  92663
949-645-0400
www.orangecoastwinery.com
Like Orange Coast Winery on FB and follow us on Twitter!

Dunning Done Good!

Once in a while, something so amazing comes along in life that makes you realize how lucky, blessed, fortunate you are to be a part of it!  Being a member of a cohesive group of wine loving ladies called The Women's Wine Council of Temecula, is one of those rare treats.  Sharing our passion for wine, food, travel, and writing with each other gives us the opportunity to blend friendship, encouragement, tips, and fun all rolled up in a few hours once a month.

Our last council meeting found us transported (metaphysically speaking) to Paso Robles as we sipped on wines from Dunning Vineyards.  We've come to a point where, at first glance, an outsider may wonder whether we're a wine or food council!  By the looks of our table overflowing with luscious goodies (all strategically created to enhance and pair with specific wine varietals), we embark on our journey to find the perfect wine with its perfect mate!

Ladies, start your engines!  Straight out of the gate comes the underdog champion of the day, a stunning & a stunner of a Chardonnay.  Thier 2009 Estate Chardonnay was laced with vanilla and pear.  Aged in my favorite, a new French Oak, it only had mild hints of oak to the palette.  It paired superbly with a lovely Sage/Apricot cracker and made my Cranberry Tarragon Wine Dip from our own Orange Coast Winery literally pop in your mouth.  The winning Chardonnay was a stunner since our group is primarily a Big Red's kinda group.  But, the appealing full-mouth feel of this Chardonnay was a sleeper delight that none of us could resist!  This is one Chardonnay that I wouldn't mind paying the retail price of $24.

Next we sampled a fun 2008 Estate Vin De Casa ($24) that boasted of 45% Cab France, 35% Zin, and 20% Syrah.  What's not to love in this amazing blend?!  This deep, earthy, liquid saddle paired with espresso chocolate cookies and persimmons with a prosciutto wrap drizzled with balsamic olive oil.  We also were excited to find that Edam cheese and Wasabi crackers were super with the bold taste of this blend.  I have to admit that even though I loved the Chard, I'm still a sucker for a wonderful, full-bodied blend.  The Vin De Casa was my personal, number one pick of our Dunning taste test!

As our tasting progressed, we were mesmerized with the Dunning 2009 Estate Zinfandel ($28) with its full-body and hints of raspberry.  Is it no wonder that the little darlings of the day, the espresso chocolate cookies, also paired with this one as well?!

Admitting that the Vin De Casa was my favorite and the Chardonnay was a force to be reckoned with, the 2009 Private Reserve Estate Zinfandel ($35) that we rounded out our council soiree with was not to be upstaged!  This Zin had a richness that balanced between bold, spicy flavors and the perfect amount of oak.  Definitely old world charm abounds in this wine.  You're probably not surprised that yes, once again, the espresso cookies found their way into favor with the Zin as well; but, not to be forgotten was the incredible roasted sage, pumpkin, fontina, pancetta, and pepita flat bread.  Forgo the turkey dinner for Thanksgiving and just serve this dish and Zin.  How Zinfully easy would THAT be?

Since my husband and I recently purchased a little winery in Newport Beach, I couldn't resist showing off our gold medal winner from the recent Orange County Fair.  The ladies were exceedingly pleased with this Sauvignon Blanc and its light, citrus appeal.  It was wonderful with a plethora of the foods presented that day and nabbed the spotlight as the most versatile food wine of the day.

It is always bittersweet when our Women's Wine Council realizes that we've tasted through our selection of wines and had our way with the delicacies that we've each lovingly prepared...we've laughed, shared stories, toasted, sipped, and supped.  As all good things come to an end and we say our last adieu's, we leave our compadres with the reassuring thought that we get to do this all over again next month!!!

Be Unique, Shop Boutique

Our Temecula Winery

I really should copyright this phrase that I coined about a year ago when doing an article on unique, local places to shop.  Being a small business owner myself, I know how critical it is to the heart of our business to have the support of our local community.

I was reminded of these series of articles that I did when a friend recently sent me a forward on purchasing USA made products this holiday season as well as buying from local artisans, supporting family-owned businesses, helping struggling musicians by booking them for your holiday parties, and dining at local restaurants.  A feel-good, boost our own hometown movement.  I like that.  Pitch in, do your part, think locally, give experiential gifts, be unique & shop boutique.   Here is the "jist" of the forward that was sent to me (and I threw in a few personal tips as well!):

"This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. It's time to think outside the box.  Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?

How about gift certificates from your local hair salon (my friend, Ricardo is amazing) or barber?

Guitar lessons? Yoga classes? Car detail? Oil change? (Massages from either of my sisters, Liz has Avani in Hastings, NE and Priscilla has a place in Palos Verde!)

Perhaps you know someone who would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, (try my son's business Kinnanscaping in Omaha, Nebraska) or driveway plowed all winter (Kinnanscaping, again!), or time at the local golf course. 

GIVE TO A CHARITY that you know will do some good!

My friend's charity, Baakari!

What about a month of breakfast at the local cafe?  SUPPORT your home town... Americans with their financial lives on the line need to keep their doors open.  

Incredible Rustico's!

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? She would love the services of a local cleaning lady for a day, month, or year.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I bet I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

My friend's store in Murrieta

Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at locally owned and operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip.   Musicians need love, too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Christmas is and should be about caring anyway!  Let's encourage American small businesses to keep plugging away by helping them keep their doors open and dreams alive.  When we care about other Americans, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine.  Let's make this the new American Christmas tradition."

Our Newport Beach Winery

Synergy

Synergy.  When wine and food are paired together, they have “synergy” or a third flavor beyond what either the food or drink offers alone.  This is a wonderful saying I stumbled upon this past week on a website called “Random Facts” that is now saved to my favorites.  This also occurs when our Temecula Women’s Wine Council convenes with a cohesive group of like-minded women.  As Linda Kissam aptly put it, “Somehow we’ve created a very special blend.  Each person in this group brings a special talent with them that enhances all the others present.”  Nice.

On October 5, our merry group, including guest writer, Sue Richter, was brought to order and were ready to review Terra d’Oro wines from Amador County.  The intro on their website states that years ago folks flocked to California for the gold, but today they come for the wine.  Indeed, wine reigns supreme in California as we are one of the largest producers and consumers in the world. 

Our afternoon was filled with the usual fascinating fare of exciting combinations and delectable delights waiting anxiously to be paired with its perfect mate during the equivalent of speed dating between food & wine.  First up was a 2008 Barbera with an approachable aroma of blackberry and spices.  This wine turned out to be the most food versatile of all that were sampled and struck up a relationship with some unlikely mates.  It was as pleasing with a homemade pumpkin truffle pound cake as the mushroom and wild rice dish.  My favorite was a scrumptious little cheddar/rosemary cracker, but was disappointed that the asparagus wrapped in roast beef with horseradish cream cheese (which I brought to specifically pair with it) did not light up my world.  Not to despair, as this little number was a favorite with several other wines amongst us.

The unique 2007 Field Blend Zin was the next contender and delivered musky, earthy tones mixed with deep tobacco flavors.  The Field Blend found its true love with the amazingly spicy BBQ ribs (also homemade!).  With such a big wine, it is advisable to aerate before serving.  Closely following this wine was the 2007 Home Vineyard Zinfandel with smoky raisin and hints of cherry, this Zin was wonderfully versatile and could be enjoyed with cinnamon cranberry goat cheese (oh, my, can we talk about this cheese?! Big Hit!) or my famous asparagus wrapped spears!  An aged cheddar was also begging for affection and attention from this Zin as well!  This was my Number Two pick of the day.

As we moved through our list, the next up was their Deaver Vineyard Zin, also a 2007 vintage.  It started us off with a bit of a funky, inky bouquet that opened nicely into a ripe plum flavor on the palette.  This Zin went well with just about everything we tried it with.  BBQ ribs?  Check.  Rice, mushroom, lamb?  Check.  Cheddar Cheese Crackers?  Yep!  Spicy cayenne chocolate chip cupcakes?  Definitely. To quote Linda, again, this wine had an “open-door policy!”

Our Number Five wine was actually our Number One.  A 2007 Forte Super Tuscan with powerful pine and musk flavors tantalizing our taste buds, we loved this as much with the fiery chocolate cupcakes as the aged cheddar cheese.  Terra d’Oro’s tasting notes said it best, “Muscle and Finesse.”  The finale of our soiree was the Montevina Terra d’Oro Zinfandel Port.  A lovely example of a port with grapy flavors, caramel and orange peel.  With the traces of orange peel taste,  the flavors in a light orange-flavored shortbread cookie were a pleasant pairing, but also two-timed with the bittersweet chocolate.  A fun finish to a fun tasting.

How the rest of the wines ranked….My number one choice was the lovely Barbera, even though she didn’t cooperate with my chosen pairing, she was still a darling in my eyes.  However, the group chose the Super Tuscan as number one, followed by the Barbera, with the Home Vineyard Zinfandel as number three.  The Deaver Zin and Port were duking it out for 4^th and 5^th while the heavy hitting Field Zin rounded out our list. 

Our group has been together now since early last summer and it’s been an incredible journey thus far.  Our palettes are ever growing and changing as evidenced by our diehard Chardonnay fan who is slowly being seduced by the Red Side of the force.  We are honing our ability to pair incredible combo’s together and still surprising ourselves when two unexpected flavors twirl in our months fancifully proclaiming, “Look at us!  We’re dancing together in your cheek-to-cheek!”  And, mostly, we are becoming true sisters in wine, spirit, and synergy.

The Terra d’Oro wines are available at BevMo and range between $9.00-$15.00 dollars per bottle.  A modest amount for some solid wines.  As an owner of two smaller lot wineries, my motto will always be, “Be unique, shop boutique.”  For those occasions when you need to grab & go, it’s nice to have a road map of good “Go-To” wines.

Wiens Team with Orange Coast Winery

Saturday, September 17^th, marked the first-ever Orange Coast Winery Wine Club Members BBQ held at the Palisades Tennis Club on Jamboree Road in Newport Beach.  The Orange Coast Winery, located at 869 16^th Street in a funky warehouse, has quickly picked up momentum in the six months since it opened.  Owners Gus and Jennifer DeFalco have been wowing patrons with their award-winning wines and personal touches at their family-owned business.  According to Gus, it was time to celebrate with their faithful Wine Club Members in a big way.

Thanks to the generosity of Ken Stuart, owner of Palisades Tennis Club along with manager, Terri DeLong, the DeFalco’s hosted close to 200 Orange Coast Winery Club Members and friends to a foodie’s delight free of charge.   The menu consisted of BBW Hot Italian Sausages, BBQ breasts of chicken marinated in their own Beach Blend white wine with honey mustard sauce, BBQ chicken from leg and thigh marinated in Sonoma Zinfandel red wine sauce, BBQ whole white corn on the cob basted with kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and unsalted butter, New York style garlic toast grilled to perfection, BBQ baked beans served with six styles of beans in a Smokey Sonoma Red Zinfandel sauce with bacon, mixed salad and nine additional veggies with a choice of creamy blue cheese or zesty Italian dressing, and topped with fresh grilled white peach halves covered in full fat French Vanilla ice cream.  Palisades own café manager, Jose Cervantes, was the grill chef for the feast.

Serving the Orange Coast Winery’s finest selections of reds and whites was Christian Henderson also from the Palisade Tennis Club.  Guests were offered an impressive selection of wines including their 2007 Sonoma Zinfandel, a 2007 Mendocino Merlot, the 2007 Mendocino Sauvignon Blanc, a 2007 Santa Barbara Chardonnay, and the ever-popular 2007 Beach Blend White.

The group delighted in the music by two local groups.  Personal friend, K. C. Fockler, took to the upper deck first and filled the air with jazzy notes to get the party started.  Don Brennan, www.donbrennan.com, a professional musician available for private venues, finished the afternoon with easy listening guitar tunes and kept the festivities going well into sunset.
For many of the Orange Coast Winery Wine Club Members, this was their first opportunity to meet Gus’ wife, Jennifer, who spends much of her time traveling while Gus holds down the fort and creates his winery magic.  The BBQ was also an opportunity for the DeFalco’s to introduce their new business partners, Doug and Debbie Wiens of Temecula.  The Wiens’share the same vision and passion for wine, gourmet foods, and family values as the DeFalco’s and will be a welcome addition to the winery.  Between Doug and Debbie’s shared expertise in viticulture, marketing, and events, the combined forces will continue to make Newport Beach history in the world of wines.

For additional information on the Orange Coast Winery, visit their website at http://www.orangecoastwinery.com or call 949-554-4920.  Business hours are noon-5:00 Saturdays and Sundays.  Let the Orange Coast Winery plan your next private event or stop by soon to taste their award-winning wines.  Tasting fees are $10 and include a beautiful crystal logo glass.  All wines are reasonably priced between $15 and $28.  Catch the wine wave at Orange Coast Winery located in the heart of Newport Beach.  

Falling in Love with French Wines, Again (or, Be Wooed for the First Time!)

An afternoon in downtown LA with the Wines of South West France

On a quiet Tuesday afternoon on a balmy September day near the LA Toy District in Loft 218, while many of you were in an office crunching numbers, yawning through administrative meetings, or teaching kiddies how to add, a few of us had to slave away in a wine tasting seminar…tasting wines and deciphering which cheese paired best or which one had a smoother finish or which is the best quality for the price.  As the cliché goes, “It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it.”

The wine seminar was led by Master Sommelier Fred Dexheimer and spokesperson for the South West Wines of France Council (IVSO).  The fourth largest appellation in France in regards to volume and sales, this is the wine world’s best-kept secret.  Sounds like our own Southern California Temecula Valley’s Wine Region!  This region boasts authentic grape varieties, diversity, great quality to value ratio, and a wide-array of product offerings.  These wines are meant to be savored with food and complement endless food pairing options.

Now, wait a minute, some of my readers may be thinking!  We live in the heart of a premiere wine region.  Why would we want to spread the word about French wines?  Why spend time researching and learning about a French wine destination?  Because, my friends, wine is a world-wide community and we are but one aspect.  It is a brother/sisterhood of camaraderie that is ever-changing, evolving, growing, and stretching forward while bridging an illustrious rich history.   As wine enthusiasts, our adventure is never-ending and there is much to learn and share with others around the globe.

The delightful wines from this region are not only food-friendly and produced by talented winemakers; they are being touted as having some of the healthiest benefits of all red wines.  Roger Corder states in his critically acclaimed book, The Red Wine Diet, certain red wines high in tannins, especially hailing from Madiran and Saint-Mont appellations, may be more beneficial to one’s health than other wines. 

In addition to the possible added health benefits, this region is endearing because it is a co-op of smaller farms and winemakers (5,000 to be exact!) who have joined together in their efforts to promote themselves and this lesser known South West Wine Region of France.  The region is home to forward thinking yet traditional winemakers.  They are as proud as they are passionate about their art of winemaking.  Be one of the first in your wine circles to impress with your knowledge about this area.

Obvious enough as it may seem, it struck an interesting note when our wine guide for the day, Dexheimer, discussed how wine is subject to fashion and pointed out the trend in Chardonnay that went from heavy oak, to very little, to stainless steel.   The whites that we sampled first embodied these trends.

The 2010 Gascogne with 80% Colombard and 20% Sauvignon et Ugni Blanc spent time in temperature-controlled stainless steel and exhibits this trendy tart, green apple taste that is so apparent when a white wine is made by this method.    The 2007 Gaillac delivered an initial tart, green note, but due to fermentation and time spent in new oak barrels for 8-9 months, this wine comes around to a full, smooth, creamy finish.  Both wines boasted their own personalities and would both be enjoyed as a starter wine to your event pairing nicely with a soft brie, pears, or salted nuts.  With price points of only $10-$15, how can you go wrong?  Perhaps my favorite white of the day was a lovely 2010 Cotes de Gacogne made from 80% Colombard and 20% Gros-Manseng.  Coming in at only $8.95, it was definitely the sleeper hit with a beautiful smooth, apricot aroma and a full-flower bouquet enveloping your tongue while flirting all the way down, I found myself politely polishing off this one and without apologies  avoiding the preferred “sip & spit” method.

Speaking of a Gros-Manseng, it was a happy surprise to stumble upon some new varietals at the seminar which strayed away from the normal Cabs and Merlots (which isn’t surprising since there are 10,000 types of grapes in the world).  The 2009 Marcillac from Domaine Matha Cuvee Lairis is made with 100% Mansois.  This region is all about authenticity and with the Mansois grape, it’s as real as the region can get!  From a small, terraced winery; this wine is unique to the region and believed to be related to the Malbec.  “This IS terroir!” Dexheimer proudly states.  The temperamental grapes are immediately destemmed to prevent a strong green bell pepper taste and fermented in stainless steel.  It sees no oak.  In spite of their efforts, there is still a beckoning first aroma of green tannins due to the red clay and ashy soil; however, it quickly dissipates into a fine beefy taste that made me crave Beef Wellington.  Retailing for a mere $12, this is definitely a food wine.

Ok, there’s always one in every crowd, right?  The Wench’s boyfriend.  The 2008 Fronton from Chaeau Le Roc, Le Classique. With 70% Negrette, 20% Syrah, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, this bad boy was aged in a tank for 15 months.  Retailing at only $12, drink it now or lay him down for 2-5 more years.  The first wafts of cinnamon tickles your senses and gives way to luscious tannins and literally melts in your mouth.  The family carefully cultivates their Negrette, Cab, and Syrah and takes pride in their use of traditional grape-growing methods in order to produce their fruit-forward wines. 

Not to be overlooked was another delectable creation, the 2008 Gaillac from Domain Rotier and imported by Tru Wines.  The dark purple color comes from the 40% Duras (Father of Malbec), 24% Braucol, and 35% Syrah.  Its black licorice, smoky, (almost charcoal) taste makes a bold statement going in and finishes with a whisper.  This was a fun wine and, again, a great chance to sample some new varieties at only $12.

The Team from South West Wines of France

Be wooed by French wines.  Let go of your inhibitions and flirt with them.  Discover the best kept wine secret from France and travel to the South West, vicariously speaking, through their wines that complement your food, your health, and your sense of value.  Join the scores of other Americans who are exploring French wines and discover this region just south of Bordeaux.  Madiran, Saint-Mont, Fronton, Gaillac, Irouleguy, Gascogne, and Cahors anxiously await your arrival.