A Weekend in Seattle, Who's Wining! (Not whining.)

I spent last weekend visiting my oldest son and his wife in Seattle. I was lucky because my daughter and her boyfriend came up too, so it was very cool to spend a long weekend visiting. I enjoyed many cups of fair trade coffee from Stumptown Coffee, uncounted pints of fantastic craft beers from Red Hook, Georgetown Brewery and Elysian Brewing Company and of course all the sights, sounds and tastes of Seattle including watching an urban dodge ball match at midnight followed by the spectacle of nude geriatric cyclists riding through the streets of Seattle just for the fun of it! Two of my favorite tastes however were the Steak Frites at Elysian Brewing Company (fresh cut fries smothered in thinly sliced sirloin steak covered in a chunky bleu cheese sauce!) and a sundae from a small ice cream shop. (Super rich chocolate ice cream, citrus infused olive oil, basil and salt!). I expected to see a very cool city with many tourist attractions, and I knew it was a college town, but I did not expect Seattle to be so hip, edgy and rel event! I love the late night Happy Hours! Anyway, knowing their Dad's passion for wine, we ended up driving the quick 30 minutes to Woodinville, which is the wine tasting region for the state.

Woodinville is a great concept, a huge number of Washington State wineries have production facilities and tasting rooms in Woodinville, but what is missing is the vineyards. Puget Sound AVA is the only growing region west of the Cascades, so the majority of the fruit grown in Washington state is HOURS away from the most populated city and the throngs of tourists that flock to Seattle each year. Woodinville is the answer. I had great expectations and I was looking forward to tasting some world class Rieslings and Gewurztraminer and seeing what other varietals were thriving in the state!

One of the first stops in Woodinville was the Village Wine Shop. Why would I stop at a wine shop when about 30 tasting rooms were so close? Because I did not know a lot about the local wine scene, and frankly had only heard of a handful of the wineries and I wanted to know what was what from someone who makes their living knowing what wines to sell from the region! I was greeted by a wonderful wine enthusiast named Lisa and her two young boys building Lego creations on one of the tall wine tables in the shop. We were the only ones in the shop, until her husband took the boys out on an adventure for the day. She poured us about 8 wines from the local area, some on her tasting list for the day. But I wanted something else, I was looking for that special wine! The list included many wines that you would find on any list here in California, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Noirs. The list was clearly aimed at the showing off some of the local wines from Washington. She also poured a few wines not on the list, and all were very good wines I would serve to anyone I know, but I was not WOWED yet! I was looking for OUTSTANDING! So I asked her two questions. If she only had time to visit two wineries in this region, which two would they be and why? The answers I got were exactly what I was looking for. She could not just give 2, instead five wineries that were producing outstanding wines from knowledgeable winemakers from Washington State fruit! With big names like Chateau St. Michelle and Columbia Winery close by, but not on her list, we decided on to go see Brian Carter Cellars.

Now, let me rewind a few moments. We had actually stopped at a couple of wineries on the way in, and my shock at the tasting fees was comical! I was asked to pay $10 to taste the wines of a winery that I knew nothing about, and if I liked the wines they would apply the price to the bottle. Fair enough, but really? With some additional questioning and some gracious patience from the tasting room guy, he explained that ALL wineries in Washington charge a fee from $5 to $15, with most falling around $10. WHAT??? Actually is was more like WTF? This is not Napa Valley for Pete's sake! So I will save this topic for my next post because I think it is important enough to write about, especially as it applies to us here in the Foothills of California! So you can imagine, if I am paying you to taste your wine, regardless of your refund of the fee as it is applied to a bottle, your wine better be worthy of my hard earned cash! That is the point of tasting right? To see if I (the customer) believes your wine is something I would want to serve my family and friends! So, knowing the fees were coming, we walked in to Brian Carter Cellars.

Looking at his wineries description in the wine guide, I could tell he "Gets It". That fact that his winery was recommended by a wine enthusiast, was an even better sign. Brian Carter was a winemaker who blends, so he had no varietals on his list. I did not have to read about how many local awards his Cabernet Sauvignon won, or how great the Merlot is compared to Napa or how the latitude in Washington State is the same as the Bordeaux region is France. Brian Carter was taking the absolute best fruit he could get, which would probably be very good on their own, but nothing compared to Napa and France or even the Foothills, and making OUTSTANDING wines, that COULD compare to Napa, and France and the Foothills by blending them. The sum of the parts were better than the individuals! His super-tuscan, Bordeaux and Rhone blends were simply some of the best wines one could taste! Yes he charged $8 to taste his 4 wines, but if Lisa had told me how good his wines were going to be and that it would cost $20 to taste, I would not even blink at the fee! Priced at between $20 and $30 for all the wines except the L'Etalon, which is the premium Bordeaux for $58, the tasting charge is graciously applied to the cost of the bottle. What was surprisingly good was the super-tuscan and the Rhone blend. Honestly, it was so well balanced and delicious, it rivaled some of the great Rhones produced here in El Dorado County! I was excited! Now, I am not slighting any of the other wineries in the region. They produce and sell some great wines, and I know they exist, but I never did get to taste that outstanding Riesling! What I am saying is that like so many other young wine growing regions in the country, including the Foothills, the wineries try to grow everything and produce everything, because of the demand of the public! Could Rhone fruit grown in the Bordeaux or visa versa? Absolutely, but that does not mean they should! Every growing region has it unique characteristics and limits. Will a world class Cabernet Sauvignon every come out of Washington State? I am sure it may someday, because someone will find the perfect micro-climate where the fruit may thrive. But I have yet to taste it! Here in the Foothills, decades of vineyard planting and management are just now starting to show those small blocks of earth that will grow truly world class fruit to produce a world class Cabernet Sauvignon. What I am saying is I would like to see more Rhone blends and German wines coming out of Washington State. People will learn to love these outstanding varietals of fruit that thrive in the region as opposed to liking the good wines that are coming out of the region. But there must be more money in producing an OK Merlot than a truly epic Riesling! I don't know.

I left the wine valley of Woodinville really wishing I had time to taste more, and TRULY wishing I had time to travel to the Columbia Valley and other eastern appellations, because I was just not satisfied with the wines I found in Woodinville, except for Brian Carter Cellars and some of the wines and company at Lisa's shop - Village Wines. Oh yeah, we really enjoyed the Red Hook Brewery and "Tour", which is located in Woodinville! Ironically, that says something, when the Brewery in the wine growing region is one of the most popular placed to taste! Yes they charge too - $1 for five 4 oz beer tastes! Wineries take note!

How's it going?

So it has been a long time since I have been able to pay this blog some attention. There have been some big life changes to say the least, the past 10 months. As a family, we have experienced many of the headlines from the past year first hand, but throughout it all, the simple pleasures in life are what really matters. My boys are growing and healthy. My wife is my rock and my biggest fan, and enjoying a really good bottle of wine is still one of life's simple pleasures. I have still been able to maintain my monthly wine review in the Sierra Style magazines, however, this blog has really suffered. That needs to change!

Now, not all has been doom and gloom the past 10 months. I am working a dream job as the graphic artist at Red Hawk Casino, which is a full time job PLUS! But one of my responsibilities is keeping the massive Henry's wine list up to date, which is really great! Red Hawk is a huge supporter of locally produced wines, and there is a whole section devoted just to our local wines! The Food and Beverage V.P., Joe Diver is not only super versed in wines of the world, he is personally a great supporter of our local wines, so working with him is a great experience. Plus my job allows me to meet some pretty cool people. I've met Jim Belushi, Kevin Bacon, Eric Estrada, Linda Blair, Playboy's 50 Anniversary Playmate Colleen Shannon, Tommy TuTone, Little Texas, Marcy Playground and Captain Phil Harris from the "Deadliest Catch"!

Unfortunately, one my my most favorite stars in the whole world, I don't get to see as much anymore. Ravel Hanes, the owner and superstar of Dolce Vino in Cameron Park had to close the doors of the best little wine shop in the Foothills. It was a sudden and sad day, and she is truly missed here, but I hear she is doing well and still a part of many of her best customers lives. I sincerely hope that someday soon we will be able to work together on something to do with wine!

So, life is still coming at us fast and furious, and the winemakers of the foothills are still busily producing some of the best wines in the country. I will make sure that as I find the best this region has to offer, you hear about it first! I will make time to write about it here. Finally, I am hoping the new version of Foothill Wine Review will be unveiled before the end of the year. More on that later.

Cheers!

Russ

I'm Back and need some wine!

For those of you who are loyal followers of this blog (all 2 of you! LOL) I apologize for the extended absence! It is not that I have NOT been drinking wine, but the last few weeks have been very crazy around the Reyes household, and honestly, I have not been drinking much wine, so it is hard to write about wine when you have not been drinking much!

Last weekend I spent the 3 days with 15 of my closest guy friends golfing in 35 degree temperatures in Reno, while wearing a kilt! (Pictures will follow shortly!) It is something that you have to experience once in your life! Waiting for the greens to thaw while drinking Irish coffee and Bloody Mary's in the clubhouse is fun, but golfing with a chilly wind blowing up your kilt is something the word FUN does not even begin to describe! All told, much beer and whiskey was consumed, but not much wine!

Last week I also started a new job, as a graphic designer for the new casino here in Shingle Springs - Red Hawk Casino. My first week was a blast and the casino is going to be a very cool experience for people who live here and who are traveling up to Lake Tahoe. But, a new job did not exactly lend itself to drinking some new wines each night and writing about them! But, it is the weekend and I have a couple of bottles of wine I want to try, and I have an article due at Sierra Style, so I need to taste some wines!

Finally, I have been planning a Gothic Halloween Party at Dolce Vino in Cameron Park. It starts around 8:00PM on Halloween. Check out the website at www.dolce-vino.com for tickets and info!

So, now I will pull out the corkscrew and start doing my job! "POP!"

Crush 2008

There are some things in life that you just have to try once, and there are those things that become tradition after you do them a few times. Crush is probably going to be one of those things that become a fall tradition for my family, thanks to Robert and Missy at Van der Vijver Estate.

This past Sunday morning, I got the family out of bed by 6:00AM, so we could be out of the house by 7:00AM to head down to Fair Play. The moans and groans, including those coming from my wife were plenty, but once we got there, and started picking grapes, those moans had turned to laughter! Of course, giving a 3 1/2 year old and a 7 year old a very sharp, 4 inch knife to wield on their own may have had something to do with it! So after careful instruction on the proper use of the knife, the family hit the vineyard! We were one of a few other families working to harvest the Van der Vijver Estate Tempranillo.

Crush is the time of year when the fruit is ready to yield its juice to the winemaker, and therefore, need to be harvested from the field. The name comes from the need to gently crush the fruit to extract the juice, allowing it to ferment, and in the case of reds, touch the skin to pick up some of the brilliant pigments. All small family wineries all over the world, whole clusters of gently crushed fruit are sitting in square, white bins, fermenting all the sugars in the juice and becoming very young wine. But first, the fruit needs to be taken from the vineyard!

That process starts with the curved knife in the vineyard! Once the clusters are cut from the vine, they are put into buckets at the grape pickers feet. The adults were using the 5 or 6 gallon size paint buckets, and the kids were using little pails. Once the bucket is full, it is hand carried through the narrow vineyard to the awaiting bin, which in this case was on the back of a pickup truck. Bucket after bucket is dumped into the bin, until it is full and tips the scales at about 1000 lbs of fruit. On this morning, the dozen or so people in the vineyard picked about 3 tons of fruit before lunch. Robert's family is from Holland and his mom and dad had just arrived the night before at 11:00PM, and both were up and in the vineyard, after that long flight by 7:00AM! Amazing!

By 10:00AM, the boys had had their fill of picking grapes, and were off exploring the vineyards and chasing dragonflies. My wife Lauren was really getting into it, and became quite proficient, but the long hikes with full buckets were really taking their toll on her, and she was getting sore bending down and stooping to get the low hanging fruit. We got an amazing feel for the families that actually do this to make ends meet in vineyards all over California, and left with much respect for the back-breaking labor involved with producing small batch, hand crafted wines.

Lunch rolled around about noon, and the group of hungry grape pickers were treated to a grand lunch prepared by Robert's wife Missey and his mom. A hearty meatball soup and a crisp egg fritata were served outside under the oak trees and the afternoon could not have been more complete! The wines were fantastic and the food was amazing, perfect for a working crew to get more energy before heading out onto the vineyard once more! Unfortunately for Lauren and I, our 3 1/3 year old was spent, and in need of a nap. The rest of the families and friends stayed behind and worked until sun down. I explained to the kids that next year, we will stay the entire day to help finish the vineyard. Jacob was fine with that, since he really enjoyed his day in the vineyard. I don't remember a moment of the day when he did not have a bunch of grapes in his hand and mouth!

As a side note, you may be wondering how you to can participate in a local winery crush. In most cases, you will have had to cultivate a relationship with the winery owner, and one of the best ways to do that is to join the wineries Wine Club, and come to the Wine Club only events and functions. Many times the winery will have a day set aside where wine club members can get into the vineyard and help pick grapes! Not all wineries allow this, but it is worth finding those that do! You will be tired at the end of the day, but the experience is well worth it!

Cowboys Win, Fall is Just Around The Corner!

Ah, if it wasn't for this blasted heat, it would almost feel like Fall! There are signs of Fall all over. Many wine makers are knee deep in crush, as the taste the first fruits of the year coming off the vine. This time of year, it is hard to get an appointment with a wine maker unless you are somehow associated with the process of crush, as time is of the essence! Another sign Fall is almost here if of course the NFL is back on Sundays! YEAH! Now I will be the first to admit that when I watch the Cowboys pummeling their weekly opponents, I enjoy a frosty cold beer, at least early in the season. This Sunday I happened to be enjoying Mendocino Brewing Company's Seasonal White Ale, somewhat like a Belgium Wit Beer. As the Fall gives way to Winter and the leaves have all gone away, the temp outside gives me some more options, and I will most likely be enjoying something red. Also, by then, my Cowboys are making a run for the play-offs, and in case they choke (last two years!) I need something stronger than a beer!

So today the Cowboys won against a better than average Browns team, and so things around the house are good! Man, I really mope and pout when the Cowboys lose, but at the minute, I am HAPPY! The temp is still over 90 degrees outside, but I promised the boys I would go outside and be a Sith Lord to their Jedi Knights. Soon plastic light sabers will be crashing and clanging as they try to defeat me, but maybe this afternoon, the Siths are due a win. I am still jazzed from my Cowboys win, and today, there might be a Blue Star under that black Sith robe!

I love Fall, I just wish it would get here sooner!

Dinner with Friends

Last night we had dinner over at the home of some friends. Our kids are classmates and they love hanging out! I always ask what we can bring, but the answer is usually wine! Knowing we were going to have John's home-made pasta sauce, I decided to bring a bottle of the 2006 Mount Aukum En Fuego to enjoy before dinner and the Van der Vijver Estate 2006 Sangiovese Brunello de Sierra Foothills to enjoy with dinner! What a pair of great wines!

The En Fuego is a fantastic Rhone blend of Grenache 40%, Syrah 32%, Mourvedre 22%, and Petite Sirah 6%. This makes for a fantastic, complex and smooth wine. We enjoyed it with some hearty puff pastry filled with a rich ham and cheese mixture.

The Van der Vijver Estate 2006 Sangiovese Brunello de Sierra Foothills is an awesome pasta wine! Robert has crafted this wine to be like the famed Brunello of Italy, and it definitely was the crowd favorite! John has prepared a rich, hearty meat sauce full of flavor and the wine paired so well! Sangiovese is the grape that the great chiantis are made from , but this wine was not full of tannin, and the acidity really balanced the rich meat sauce nicely! This is a wine you will want to have around for those fall spaghetti dinners!

Thank's Frank for all you did!

The Sierra Foothills lost one of it's winemaking pioneers a few days ago, and we will all surely miss Frank Latcham. Since 1981 Frank has been a part of the history, culture and a driving force in the El Dorado County wine scene. As more details become known, I will try and share them with you. El Dorado County is fast becoming one of the premier wine producing regions in the United States and our wine history can be traced directly back to Frank Latcham and his family. I would like to toast his vision and leadership over the years and thank him for the legacy he leaves for us to enjoy at Latcham Vineyards and Granite Springs Winery. I would also like to extend our sympathies and prayers to the Latcham family.

Cheers and Thank You Frank!