Wine Tasting In Sonoma

Last Sunday I went on a wine tasting trip to Sonoma with 200 of my closest friends, well not exactly. There were actually 4 buses of 50 people and each bus went to 1 winery before lunch, and 1 winery after lunch so actually I went wine tating with 50 people. The bonus of being in a bus is no one has to drive, the downside, you are in a bus with a bunch of people, but it's a great way to meet new people and hang out without having to worry about driving.

Sonoma is a nice place to taste wine. On the other side of the valley from Napa it is less touristy and still has a quaint country feel. As an added bonus, if you have a Visa Signature card you can taste for free at many of the Sonoma wineries. A list of particpating wineries can be found online. We started our day of wine tasting at Mayo Family Winery a small production family owned vineyard specializing in single vineyard wines and ended the day at Chateau St. Jean a large corporate owned winery. We had a catered lunch in between where we also did some olive oil tasting and drank some wine from Silver Tap.

Mayo family wines are are single vinyard wines made with grapes owed by the vineyard or sourced from other vineyards. They are only available for purchase online and at the vineyard. We tasted a 2008 Sonoma Coast Pinot Gris, 2007 Sonoma Valley Chardonnay, 2007 Sonoma County Pinot Noir, 2006 Sonoma Valley Cabernet, 2006 Russian River Petit Sirah, 2007 Russian River Zinfandel and 2006 Russian River Zinfandel Port.. I liked the 2007 Old Vine Zinfandel at $40 a bottle the best, it had a big body and a nice jammy fruity taste. The 2006 Zinfandel Port at $35 a bottle was also good although a bit sweet..

At lunch we had Silver Tap Sauvignon Blanc out of a tap. it's a new venture of Free Flow Wines to provide wine to restaurants in kegs and on tap instead of individual bottles. It makes wine less expensive and more environmentally friendly ie no bottles or corks.

At Chateau St. Jean we had the 2008 Sonoma Chardonnay at $28 a bottle, a Pinot Noir & The 2006 Cab Sauv Cin Cepages. The Chardonnay was a classic oaky Chardonnay in the Sonoma/Napa Valley style and is what Chateau st. Jean is known for. The 2007 Pinot Noir at $50 Benoist Ranch was fruity and a nice surpise as Chateau St Jean and Sonoma are not known for their Pinot Noirs. The 2006 Cabernet Sauvingon Cinq Cepages at $75 is a big bold red in the Bordeaux style with a lot of fruit flavor.

It was a nice day and we saw the sun which was great since San Francisco has been locked in with fog the past few weeks. What I enjoyed the most about the day was listening to what others liked and did not like about the various wines we tasted. What the day showed me more than anything is that tasting wine is a very personal experience and each person needs to find the flavors and varietals they like and drink those but still be open to trying wines they may not have previously liked. Each varietal, each winery and each vintage is different and is changed by what the winemaker does with the wine. So, my advice is to get out and taste.

If you have the chance go to wineries as it's a fun experience, but if you don't have the ability or opportunity, go to the store buy a few bottles of wine, open then up, invite some friends over see what you like.

Urban Wine Experience

Just what is an urban winery? The best way to describe an urban winery is as a winery with everything but vineyards. So how can you have a winery without vineyards you ask, the grapes are sourced. This means the winery does not grow their own grapes but instead buys the grapes from others. It's a innovative concept and it seems to be taking off in the wine world especially when it results in higher end wines at lower prices.


Urban wineries are usually started by winemakers who want the freedom to create wine without the worry of maintaining vineyards or overseeing the growing and harvesting process or by individuals who want to make wine but do not own vineyards. Urban winemakers are mavericks who buy grapes grown by someone else, and then create their own wines. The cool part is they can put their wineries anywhere they want, in warehouses, old aircraft hangers, storefronts, pretty much anywhere they can find space to ferment grapes, make wine and then bottle it and sell it to consumers.


The Urban Wine Experience is an annual event put on by the East Bay Vintners Alliance at Jack London Square in Oakland. All 19 members of the Alliance poured wines which were accompanied by food from East Bay restaurants and food purveyors.


None of the wineries in the East bay Vitner's Alliance have their own vineyards except Prospect 772 Wine Company who grows their own grapes and brings in a winemaker to make their wines and Rosenblum Cellars who also owns their own vineyards. The other members of the alliance do not own their own vineyards but instead buy grapes from others to make their wines.

The wines at the Urban Wine Experience tasting had grapes sourced from Mendocino, Lake County, Sonoma, Russian River, Napa, Amador & even France. There was a mix of sparkling, white and red wines avilable to taste and all were paired with delicious food.

The top 3 overall wineries in my opinion were Dashe Cellars, Cerruti Cellars and Stage Left Cellars.

The best white wine on offer in my opinion was from Dashe Cellars. Michael Dashe's 2008 Dry Riesling from McFadden Farms in Potter Valley at $24 a bottle is made with organic grapes sourced from Mendocino and had a nice nose, great balance with minerality and good finish.


Although I am not typically a big fan of rose, Prospect 772's 2009 Baby Doll Rose at $18 a bottle made with Syrah and Grenache was dry with a nice balance and acidity.


R&B Cellars 2007 Sauvingon Blanc a blend of Lake County and Mendocino grapes was fruity and at $11 was a nice good value light summer wine.

As far as the red wines, Cerruti Cellars poured a 2006 Cuvee Red Blend 60% San Giovese, 20% Merlot and 20% Zinfandel with a nice bold blend of flavors that at $15 a bottle is a really great value. The Cerruti 50/50 Cabernet Suagivnon half from Sonoma and half from Napa was also quite tasty and at $25 a bottle a good value.

Dashe's 2008 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel at $24 was fruity and full bodied with an overall nice mouth feel. The 2009 Dry Creek Valley Grenache at $20 was a nice medium body fruity red wine.

Stage Left Cellars 2007 Scenic Route at $38 a bottle and 2006 Grenaches at $48 are both great well rounded full bodied big bold delicious red wines, a bit pricey for urban winery wines but very very tasty.

If you have the chance, I recommend going to visit some urban wineries. With urban wineries the focus is typically on the creation of the wine and coming up with the best taste from the grapes the winemakers sources. As a result, there tends to be more creativity with urban winery wines which typically results in some great wines that can often had at much lower prices than the wines made by the wineries where the grapes were sourced from.

Proper etiquette when visiting a winery or tasting room

Visiting a winery or tasting room to taste wine is a lot of fun but there are certain rules of thumb you should follow to make your experience more enjoyable.

First of all, these days most wineries charge a tasting fee, at least those in popular areas like Napa and Sonoma. In Australia and New Zealand, it is still free to taste wine which I find super cool but seems the exception rather than the rule! At wineries that charge there is usually a list available for tasting and you are allowed you to select a certain number of wines to taste for anywhere from $5 to $20. It used to be back in the good old days you could taste for free everywhere but now most wineries are charging to limit recreational tasting though most wineries that charge to taste will credit your tasting fee towards a bottle of wine if you buy something.

If you look online before you go wine tasting you can often times find coupons for 2 for 1 or even free tastings. And, if you go to wine events you can ask the representatives from the wineries with wines that you like if they have any tasting passes or if they can provide you a coupon for a free tasting or a 2 for 1 tasting if you come to their winery. Often they are happy you like their wine and will provide you a pass in the hopes you will bring friends with you and turn them on to their wine as well.

When you get to the winery you usually start tasting with sparkling wine, then rose, then white wine and then last you move on to red wine. You should taste from lighter to heavier varietals and you should rinse your glass with water or even a bit of wine when you switch from white to red to keep the taste pure.

If you tell the person pouring you the wine what you like, they should be able to make recommendations for you of what wines to try. Also, while you are tasting the wines let the person pouring know what you think of the wine you are tasting; is the wine to dry, too fruity, too sweet, is it to light for you, too heavy, too peppery, too smoky, do you love it? If you give them feedback then they can direct you to wines that you may like better or to other wines similar to the one you are tasting if you are enjoying it.

If you are poured a wine you do not like you can dump it out in the container left out for that purpose and you should not feel bad about it. Different people like different wines and as you drink more wine you will learn the tastes and varietals that are most pleasing to you. Besides that is what wine tasting is supposed to be, experimenting and trying new wines you may not otherwise taste.

If you paid to taste you do not have an obligation to buy any wine but if they are giving you a credit of your tasting fee towards a bottle it may be a good investment as you are essentially getting the tasting for free. You can always tell the person pouring you the wine where you live and you can ask them where you may be able to find their wine in your area or if they have a local distributor if you do not want to buy any wine on that day.

The more you talk to and engage the person pouring you wine in conversation about the wine, the more likely you are to be able to taste more wines and if you are lucky you may get them pour you some extra tastes or some special reserve wines.

Some small production wineries only sell their wines onsite at their winery or tasting room so if you find something you really like you should buy it. Bigger production wineries will sell their wines at retail value though so although it may seem contraintuitive, you will typcially not get the best deal on a wine by buying it from the winery as they generally do not put their wines on sale or mark them down. Sometimes wineries will have a sale to move stock and make way for a new vintage but generally speaking you will not get the best price on a wine at the winery. If you really like a wine you've tasted, you should consider buying some as you may not be able to find it elsewhere.

Many wineries have picnic areas and they encourage you to bring food and enjoy thier grounds. If you do plan to do that you should not drink wine from another winery but instead buy a bottle from the winery that you are picnicing at.

It is a good idea to look online for festivals and special events at wineries that center around certain varietals or holidays or even foods as that can be a fun time to go and visit. If you go during the harvest you can see grapes being picked, if you go before the harvest you can see grapes on the vine. Wines are made from grapes which are harvested and farmed like other fruits and vegetables so depending on the season and time of year you go what you see will change.

Also, there is new trend of grapes being sourced. This means that grape growers sell their wine to others who then blend it and make it into their own wines. This is being done by big corporations, by individual wine negotiatants and also by wine makers who have no actual vines or grapes or even wineries per se but who take grapes grown by others and craft wines that they then sell under their own label. There are also vinters who buy grapes hire a winemaker and then sell wine under a label they have created. Some have tasting rooms in cities and are considered urban wineries, others have tasting rooms in wine country but no winery per se.

Whether you are visiting a winery or a tasting room for the first time or are going for a repeat visit, remember to be open to trying new things, that is after all the point of tasting wine. Wine tasting is a chance to give new varietals a chance, to try ones you know you like and even those you think you don't like, as you just never know what you may find and if you don't want to go to a winery or tasting room consider visiting a wine bar as usually you can find a nice diverse selection of wines.

Whatever you do, be sure to ask lots of questions, be open to trying new wines and most important of all have a good time!

How to Taste Wine Including Basic Wine Tasting Terminology

A person who is into wine is called an oenophile which is Greek for lover of wine. The best way to become knowledgeable about wine or a bonafide oenaphile is to drink it and decide what you like.

In order to truly enjoy wine you should take in its smell, taste and sight. In fact, enjoyment of wine is a very sensory experience.

When tasting wine you should first look at the color. Next, you should inhale its scent, this is called the nose and is also known as the bouquet. Wine can be floral, fruity, earthy, leathery, smoky etc.

After inhaling the aroma of a wine, you should hold the base of the glass and swirl the wine around to put some air into it. The wine that sticks to the side of the glass is called the legs. It is often said that the more legs there are in a glass of wine the better the quality of the wine but this is not actually true. Legs of wine actually have to do with the alcohol content of a wine. Alcohol evaporates faster than water so as you swirl wine around in a glass, the alcohol in the wine left on the side of the glass starts to evaporate. The changed alcohol to water mix results in different surface tension areas which causes the wine to forms streaks in the areas of the least or most resistance. The streaks then run down the glass leaving the legs. This is called the Marangoni effect and has to do with physics and evaporation as opposed to wine quality. So, you can call someone's attention to the legs of a wine and pretend to sound knowledgeable but really is has nothing to do with the taste or quality of the wine.

After you look at the wine, smell it, swirl it in your glass and look at the legs, you should then take a sip of it and move it around your mouth in order to determine how it feels on the tongue. This is called the wine's body or mouth feel. The body or mouth feel of a wine has to do with the weight and thickness of the wine. The body can be lighter or heavier, thin and watery or thicker and more oily. The body impacts the feel of the wine on your tongue, how it feels in your mouth and ultimately how it tastes.

Once the wine is in your mouth, move it around all the taste buds on your tongue so you get the full effects of the taste of the wine. This is what is called the wine's complexity. Is the wine one dimensional or does it have many flavors and layers?

When you swallow the wine, the taste that lingers on the tongue is called the finish. Typically the longer and more memorable the finish, the better the quality of the wine

The wine may need to breathe for it to taste better. Allowing wine to breathe means you are exposing it to air which can allow the wine to open up for the flavors to be fuller. This is best done in a glass or in a decanter to allow a larger surface area to come in contact with air. Just taking out the cork and leaving wine in a bottle will not allow enough air to get in to make a difference. For wine to truly breathe it should be exposed to the maximum amount of air possible. To put some air in the wine and open up the flavors you can also use an aerator which you place on the bottle or the glass and then pour the wine thru.

When tasting wine be sure to use your eyes, nose and mouth and, if you want to come across as a wine afficionado then throw in some of the terms described above and you will be well on your way to becoming an oenophile.

Pinot Days

Pinot Days at Fort Mason in San Francisco brings together a large array of winemakers all pouring Pinot Noir. The wines this year were from California, Oregon, France and New Zealand. I invited my dad who has been into wine for years to check it out with me. It was his first time at the event and was fun to hear his perspective on the wines and follow some of his recommendations of what to taste.

Pinot Noir is one of the hardest grapes for winemakers to work with and typically in order to get good Pinot Noir, at least from California you need to pay for it. In fact in my opinion if you want to drink good Pinot Noir from anywhere, you need to be prepared to pay at least $30 a bottle for anything worthwhile and for really good Pinot Noir especially from California, you need to be prepared to pay $40 or more a bottle. Oregon Pinot Noir and Australian and New Zealand Pinot Noir are less expensive and you can get good Pinot from these regions at lower prices.

What's amazing to me is that Pinot Noir can be fruity with cherry berry flavors, which is what I prefer or it can leathery with earthy and mushroom overtones. Pinot Noir grown in colder climates is usually fruitier and Pinot Noir grown in warmer climates is typically more leathery and earthy.

When done right, Pinot Noir can be quite refined with a luxurious smooth and harmonious taste. Pinot Noir can be enjoyed by itself or with salmon and other light and simple foods.

The wines that I felt worthy of taking note of at the tasting were the following from highest to lowest price:

In the high price range at $90 a bottle Tantara Winery 2008 Evelyn Bien Nacido Vineyard from Santa Maria is smooth, refined and fruity with a nice complexity and a really wonderful elegant taste in the mouth.

Windy Oaks Estate 2007 Whole Cluster Pinot Noir from Santa Cruz was fruity with cherry berry flavors and zesty coffee like finish and at $55 a bit more reasonable.

Clos Pepe 2005 Santa Rita Hills from Lompoc at $49 a bottle had a good berry fruit flavor with a nice silky velvety finish.

Hope and Grace 2008 Santa Lucia Pinot Noir at $45 tasted of red ripe fruit with some tanginess with a nice finish.

August Briggs 2008 Djon Clones from Napa Valley at $40 tasted of ripe cherry fruit with some vanilla undertones.

Overall it was a fun day spend with my dad enjoying some great wines and if you drink any of the wines I have listed you will be most pleased.

My advice to you though if you are just starting to drink wine is to not to start with Pinot Noir unless you are willing to pay for it. Pinot Noir is delicious and when made well can be elegant and refined but you definitely get what you pay for with this varietal. If you are you willing to pay $40 or more for a bottle of Pinot Noir you will be rewarded with some delicious wine but if you want to stick to wine under $20 then I would suggest you go with another varietal or drink Pinot Noir from Oregon or Australia or New Zealand.

Pinot Noir under $20 especially from CA is a whole different wine than Pinot Noir over $40 and is like comparing apples to oranges so, either spend the money to drink some great Pinot Noir or pick another varietal as you will get much more bang for your buck if your heart is not set on Pinot Noir and if your wallet cannot handle paying more than $40 a bottle.

Wine Varietals: The Basics

The first decision you have to make when drinking wine is whether you want red or white wine. ( I already covered the topic of red or white in another blog). Once the decision of red or white is made, you then need to decide on the varietal you want to drink.

Varietal refers to the kind of grape a wine is made with and by law 75% of a wine needs to be made with a particular grape varietal for the wine to be classified as that varietals on it's label. Some wines are single varietal and many wines are a blend of several varietals.

In the United States, the most common white wine varietals are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Gewurztraminer. For red wine Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel are the most common. So, how do you decide between these varietals?

Chardonnay which originated in Burgandy France can be oaked or unoaked. It's typically the most complex and heaviest of white wines and depending on the amount it is oaked can have a vanilla or buttery taste. If Chardonnay is unoaked then it will have a more fruity flavor. Chardonnay is usually good with Fish or Chicken and can stand up to sauces as it usually has some acidity which gives it complexity. Of the white varietals Chardonnay can be cellared the longest.

Sauvignon Blanc is generally a lighter, crisper wine, it can be citrusy, grassy, herbaceous and even have some minerality to it depending on where it is made. Sauvignon Blanc is nice to drink on a hot summery day on it's own or with appetizers and goes quite well with fish or seafood.

Riesling typically is sweet and floral with apple, peach, pear or apricot flavors but depending on where it is made it can be dry and have minerality and even oily petroleum flavors. Riesling is best enjoyed with spicy food or as a dessert wine.

Gewurztraminer is an aromatic and perfumy floral wine often with some hints of honeysuckle. It's typically sweet and is a good contrast for spicy food especially Chinese, Thai or Indian.

Merlot is typically a medium bodied red wine. It can be fruity or herbaceous and typically does not have big tannins. Merlot is good to drink on its own and is lush and fruity. It's typically mellow but can have complexity. Merlot is easy to drink and is good for people just starting to enjoy red wine although there are some delicious and well crafted bold Merlots that even well versed wine drinkers will enjoy. I am partial to Merlot grown on rocky hillsides such as Howell Mountain in Napa.

Syrah is a rich dark red with lots of tannins. It is typically smoky, spicy and peppery with some fruit. It is known as Shiraz in Australia and is best enjoyed with lamb and wild game

Pinot Noir is generally a smooth velvety wine. It's full bodied and rich but is not acidic or tannic. It's generally one of the harder grapes for vitners to cultivate and therefore it can be pricey. Pinot Noir has lots of complexity and can be enjoyed alone or with salmon, swordfish, lamb, chicken or even beef. It's best with simple non-saucy and unspicy dishes It can have a cherry berry taste or a dry earthy leathery taste

Cabernet Sauvignon is big rich and bold with lots of tannins that give it depth and complexity. It is typically meant to be aged and is a grape mostly appreciated by regular wine drinkers because of its high tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon typically has flavors of currant and red fruit with vanilla oaky overtones but it can also be smoky or earthy.

Zinfandel is a big bold fruity spicy dark red purply wine. It is usually very high in alcohol content and is meant to be enjoyed with hearty food.

The best way to determine which varietals you like is to taste them and see. You must keep in mind though that the food you are eating can change the flavor of the wine. In addition, you need to realize that wines from different countries and also different regions have different tastes. So, for example, you may like a Pinot Noir from Oregon in the Willamette family which is usually fruity and cherry berry and not one from the California Russian River Valley which may be less fruity and more oaky and leathery.

Weather, soil, where the grapes are from and the way the grapes are harvested and blended can all impact their flavor. Also there can be a variance based on price. So before you rule out a varietal make sure you taste several wines from different regions by different producers at different price points to determine which ones you have a preference for and which ones you don't especially like.

There are no right and wrong answers when it comes to wine. The key is to find what you like and then to drink it. Salut!

Golden Glass Wine Tasting

The Golden Glass Wine Tasting was held in SF this past Saturday 6/12/10. The annual event is sponsored by Slow Food an organization that promotes the pleasure of food and wine and recognizes restaurants and food and wine producers who utilize sustainable, biodynamic and organic practices. The food which included among other things goat sliders, pizza, salmon tartare on cucumber & tuna on bruschetta was all delicious and a great compliment to the wonderful and diverse wines.

The event has been in existence for 7 years and used to just be Italian wines. Italian procuders were invited to showcase their wines and 3 glasses or "tre bicchieri" were awarded to the best wines. A few years ago the event was expanded to include wines from New Zealand, Spain and France, Argentina and this year for the first time there were also California wines.

While I did taste some of the wines from outside of Italy, I chose to focus primarily on the Italian wines because it is the one time of year many producers come over from Italy to showcase their wines and it a great opportunity to try wines from Northern, Central and Southern Italy, many of which are only available in Italian restaurants and are not available for direct sale.

Since I lived in Italy and speak Italian, for me the event is a wonderful opportunity to talk to producers in Italian about their wines. What I find very refreshing with Italians and Italian winemakers and producers is the lack of pretense. Italians love wine and drink a lot of it. For Italians the key is to like what you are drinking and to enjoy drinking it.

While things have become a bit more commercial over the years in the wine business in Italy, it still seems that Italians have managed not to lose focus on the taste and enjoyment of wine and what's in their glass. In talking to those affiliated with the various wineries it is quite apparent that they love what they do and in fact many of their families have been making wine for generations.

Azienda Agr. La Montecchina for example has been bottling wine since 1200. They follow the cycles of the moon and have been involved in sustainable and natural processes for centuries, way before it became trendy. Located in the Veneto in the Colli Euganie, their Fior D'Arancio Spumante 2009 is a sparkling Muscato at around $19 that has a nice flavor with hints of orange. It is quite sweet and meant to be enjoyed as a dessert wine. This was my favorite muscato at the tasting and there actually were quite a few to try.

Ruggeri had a Gold Label Valdobbiadene Proseco Superior Extra Dry that was also quite good and at $14 a bottle a great value for a sparkling wine. The Ruggeri Gold Label Proseco is a light and delicate sparkling wine that starts out creamy then fills the mouth with fruity flavors. It has just the right amount of bubbles and is not sweet but dry. This sparkling wine can be enjoyed with appetizers or on it's own for a before dinner apperitivo and is at a great price point.

As far as white wines, the Le Merietttaie Offidea Pecorino 2008 from Ciu Ciu Vini in Le Marche and the Viognier "Le Vigne" 2008 from Tenuta San Rocco were my favorites. The Pecorino from Chi Cui at $14 a bottle not only has a fun name but it is organic. It has a nice floral aroma but tastes crisp, fruity and is well balanced with a nice acidity. The Viognier from Tenuta San Rocco is 85% Viognier and 15% white muscat. At $13 a bottle the Le Vigne is a nice light summery white wine and the white muscat gives it an interesting finish.

My favorite reds were from opposite ends of Italy, the 2007 Fumin from La Crotta Di Vengneron Valle D'Aosta in the far north of Italy in Piemonte and the Centorame Castellum Vetus Montepulciano D'Abruzzo Colline Teramane 2006 from the south of Italy 50 miles east of Rome. The 2007 La Crotta Di Vengneron Fumin Valle D. Aosta at $28 is big and bold but well rounded with a smooth finish. This wine is hand harvested and fermented with natural yeast. The Centorame Castellum Vetus Montepulciano D' Abruzzo Colline Teramane 2006 at $35 a bottle is a very very big red with a lot of complexity, tannins but some big ripe fruit flavors.

If you want unpretentious, good wine made in the old world style then I suggest you give Italian wine a chance. With Italian wine you can often find good and unique wines at a nice value. My recommendation is that you make sure to enjoy Italian wines with food though because in Italy wine is meant to be savored with family and friends and enjoyed with food. This is in fact the whole premise of the Slow Food Movement, the sponsors of Golden Glass, to encourage the enjoyment of food and wine thru the use of "good, clean, fair" methods in their production to promote sustainability. So be sure to stop, smell the roses, fill a glass with some Italian wine, relax, cook up a nice meal, drink, eat and enjoy!