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With labor day fast approaching, it’s hard to believe summer is almost over.  If you live in northern California, you might think summer started only last week.  As today it’s already over 97 degrees in my backyard, I’m already thinking about what wine to pop the cork on this evening.  I want something fragrant, something luscious.  That can mean only one thing – aromatic white wines.

Viognier, Riesling and other varieties come to mind.  Definitely not Chardonnay and probably not Sauvignon Blanc.   These are my top choices:

Viognier – I love the Rhone wines, and it’s for the heady perfumed wines that Viognier, and other Rhone varietals have.  I have two choices for Viognier, Cold Heaven, made by Morgan Clendenen, with Santa Barbara fruit, and Skipstone Viognier, Makena’s Vineyard with Alexander Valley fruit.  Each has its own lovely flavors that linger on your tongue, like a delicious nectar.  Makes me think of biting into a really ripe peach, and the juices run down your chin.

I’m also in love with Sarah’s Vineyard Cote de Madone Blanc, a blend of white Rhone varietals Rousanne, Marsanne and Grenache Blanc that is just amazing.  It was included in my wine club shipment, and I want more.  It’s crisp and rich and easy to sip.

I met the Cinnabar winemaker, George Troquato at a wine event, and we got to talking about aromatic whites.  He told me about Cinnabar’s Picpoul Blanc, made with another white Rhone variety.  He was nice enough to send me a bottle, and I have to tell you it is fantastic! It’s fresh, with great acidity and alluring tropical and honeysuckle aromas.  You can buy it only at Cinnabar’s tasting room in downtown Saratoga.  I’m glad I live close by!

I’ve been drinking Qupe‘s Marsanne for a few years now, whenever I can find a bottle.  The fruit is from Santa Ynez Valley, and a little Rousanne is mixed in to round out the wine.  It’s lively and fresh, with bright citrus and pear flavors.  The Rousanne contributes to the plush mouthfeel.

I’ve also been a fan of Crios Torrentes, made by Susana Balbo in Argentina.  It’s a wonderfully aromatic white, with honeysuckle and jasmine giving off heady scents.  It’s medium bodied and also great for just sipping.

Perhaps we’ll have a late summer, so we can enjoy these wines for a few more weeks.  Cheers!

Since wine can be made anywhere these days, it’s no big surprise that Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda, CA (also known as the East Bay) are home to many urban wine brands, both established and start ups. So what if there are no vineyards in the city (that I’m aware of).  At this past weekend’s Urban Wine Experience in Oakland, the local wines were showing rather well, paired with bites from local restaurants. The public event was held by the East Bay Vintner’s Alliance.

I found a lot to like, and some really good values. There were many good Rhone varietal bottlings, and that made me happy, since j’adore Rhone wines. I might just need to do a little East Bay Rhone wine tour.

These are the standouts:

One of my last sips of the day was at Stage Left Cellars. It’s a fairly new player in the urban wine scene. Partners Melinda Doty and Rich Williams exited the corporate world and discovered “everybody needs an exit strategy.” Opening Stage Left is theirs. “The Go Getter” white is a blend of Rhone varietals – Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Rousanne. Just yummy, refreshing and very aromatic. They also make a beautiful Grenache, blended with a little Mourvedre to make a fruity wine with a little spiciness added in.

At Prospect 772 Wine Co. they were pouring “The Brawler.” Oh yeah, its a big big Syrah, but tamed a little by the addition of Viognier in the blend. The grapes are grown in the Sierra Foothills, and the wines are made by Jeff Cohn (winemaker at JC Cellars).

Speaking of Jeff Cohn, his own label, JC Cellars , poured “First Date,” a terrific and rich Rousanne and Marsanne blend.  “The Imposter,” was a bold blend of mostly Zinfandel, Syrah and Petite Sirah.

Rock Wall Wine’s Cabernet France was so fragrant and jammy, just a beautiful wine.  I love to see Cab Franc on its own.

Urban Legend wines have great labels, inspired by the cranes at the Oakland port. They have a good Sauvignon Blanc that’s crisp and has really bright acidity. They also make a Teroldego, a darkly hued red varietal from Italy that has big ripe black fruits. Definitely worth seeking out!

Over at R & B Cellars, owners Kevin and Barbara Brown are not only winemakers, they’re also jazz musicians. Kevin plays piano and Barbara sings. Hence the wine labels with musical symbols. They’re striking the right notes with a very nice “Serenade in Blanc” Sauvignon Blanc and “Swingsville” Zinfandel, and both are less than $15 dollars each.

Verve wines from Aubin Cellars really charmed me. They’ve got a French Columbard, imported from France (Cotes de Gascogne). When have you ever seen French Columbard? Well it should be more often.  This is a great value too, at $12. Verve also makes wine with local grapes, a Carneros Pinot Noir and a Sonoma Mountain Syrah.

One final mention, loved the “Temptation” Rhone blend from Carica Wines, which is a GSM – Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre mix. And only $25 per bottle. No wonder the winery is sold out of the current vintage (I did find some bottles online)

There were many, many good bites to go with the wines. But the one that stood out the most for me was the pulled pork sandwich and grits from Brown Sugar Kitchen. Fabulous! And a perfect match with the Urban Legend red wines. If you haven’t

been to Brown Sugar, just go ahead and go now, for their fried chicken and waffles!

Most of the East Bay Vintner’s wineries have tasting rooms — either shared or on their own.  Check websites for days and hours open or to make an appointment.  Think of going to the urban wineries as exploring a new, modern wine country.

According to Dictionary.com, audacious means extremely bold or daring, recklessly brave or fearless. I think that’s a great way to describe Petite Sirah. It’s big, it’s bold, it’s beautiful, and yes, adacious. The PS grape does well in many growing regions in California: Mendocino County, Lodi, Paso Robles and of course, Livermore Valley. Each region produces a slightly different style. Some have more bright cherry fruit, others more complexity and tannins.

PS I Love You is the name for an annual gathering of Petite Sirah winemakers, growers and groupies. Don’t know Petite Sirah? No, it’s not a smaller variety of the Syrah grape; it’s its own varietal. Often used in blended red wines. But, more and more wineries are making this single variety. In 1975 there were roughly 20 producers. By 2009 that number has grown to 700+.
A big question at the Petite Sirah symposium, how mainstream can Petite Sirah get?

The PS symposium was held at Concannon Vineyard in Livermore Valley. Concannon has a rich history in producing Petite Sirah, having grown and made the first Petite Sirah in America.  At the PS tasting, they presented four of their bottlings. My favorites were the 2007 Nina’s Cuvee which is elegant; the 2004 Heritage was one of the biggest PS wines at the tasting.

Here are some other producers to look for!

Aver Family Vineyards 2007 Blessings PS. Also worth checking out are Aver’s Rhone wines. The winery is in the Santa Clara Valley.

Bogle Vineyards makes a wonderful Rose´of Petite Sirah, from the Clarksburg appellation. It’s available only at their tasting room in Clarksburg, CA, but you can easily find Bogle’s Petite Sirah. Bogle’s prices are nice, all under $15.

Cinnabar Winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains sources their Petite Sirah grapes from Clarksburg to produce a wonderful 2007 PS. You can try it at the winery’s tasting room in downtown Saratoga.

Esoterica by Kent Rasmussen Winery - from St. Helena, the 2007 PS is a bold and smooth bottling.

Foppiano Vineyards in Sonoma Co. is well known for its powerful Petite Sirah, and the 2006 Estate doesn’t disappoint.

The 2006 Langtry Estate Petite Sirah, Serpentine Meadow Vineyard made me go wow! The appellation is Guenoc Valley, which is in California’s Lake County.

I really liked the 2008 Line Shack PS for it’s voluptuous mouth feel and nice finish, but I also love the story behind the label. Line Shack takes its name from the rundown “line shack” cabin on the property that was a gathering place for cowboys, but became Line Shack’s tasting room and barrel room.

Napa’s Quixote Winery makes a terrific PS and they were pouring the 2005 Petite Sirah, a rich and audacious wine.

The Crusher 2008, from Don Sebastiani & Sons is a full-bodied, fruit-forward PS and a great value — under $15.

It’s not enough for a winery to have a tasting room these days. They’ve got to offer an “experience” and make it unique. The folks at Kunde Family Estate understand this.  The winery is a 100% estate winery, on 1850 acres, with 700 acres of it planted to vines. It’s a beautiful property. If you saw Bottleshock, much of the movie was filmed at Kunde. The boxing ring is still there.

Sure, Kunde has a tasting room, and you can stand at the bar, or sign up for a seated reserve tasting. But the best way to experience Kunde is to get out of the tasting room for one of the best views of Sonoma wine country.

Fourth generation family winegrower Jeff Kunde’s always thinking of what’s next. I met up with him at the winery to see his latest project, the Mountain Top Tasting. It was Jeff’s idea to create this, by clearing out dense brush on a spot that offers spectacular views. We drive through the vineyards while going up higher and higher, until we’re there, at about 1400 ft in the Mayacamas Mountains. You pass through a rustic gate, walk down a path, and then suddenly, there’s a 180-degree view of the Sonoma Valley. Breathtaking? It’s beyond. Take a moment to enjoy the view:

Jeff says that seeing the valley this way helps his visitors get a real lay of the land. As you taste several wines here you can also see the particular vineyard where the grapes were grown. Kunde is known for Zinfandel, and you see the 100+ year old vines down below you.

You could spend all day here, and Jeff says sometimes he has a hard time getting visitors to leave. I understand. I could sit there all day with a glass of Zin and be very very happy.

You’ll need a reservation for the Mountain Top tasting, which for now is offered on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The cost is $25 per person, which I have to say, is very reasonable.

But that’s not all. Kunde also offers two more out-of-the-tasting room experiences: an Eco-Hike and a Hike & Taste in the Vineyards.  Many of the Eco-Hikes, which are about 3 miles long through the Kunde ranch and vineyards (about 4 hours) are also Dog Hikes. Kunde has got to be the most dog-friendly winery around – they’ve got plenty of doggie snacks and a water bar for the dogs (of course there’s lunch and water for the dog walkers and owners, with a little wine tasting). Plus, a portion of the hike tour fee is donated to Canine Companions and the Sonoma County Humane Society. Another bonus – Jeff Kunde leads many of the Eco- and Dog Hikes. How many winery owners do you know who spend four hours with visitors? Pretty cool.

Everything comes down to choices and priorities. That’s why I’m not attending the 2010 Wine Bloggers’ Conference (WBC) in Walla Walla, Washington this weekend. The reason is perfectly clear: Wine Women & Shoes is happening in Napa, and there was no way to attend both. Yes, shoes win out over wine. In fact, I always compare what something costs to how many pairs of shoes I could buy. An $800 bottle of Screaming Eagle? That’s at least two or three pairs of shoes. Personally I’d rather have the shoes. Oh don’t get me wrong, I love wine and spend way too much money on it as it is. But shoes you can wear more than once, and perhaps even for years. Wine is a one time deal. Once you pop the cork, it’s gone. Anyway, that’s my reasoning. Anything to justify buying yet another pair.

No doubt I’ll be following the happenings and pronouncements from WBC. I’m hoping someone will finally reveal the secret to making loads of money by blogging. That would make the conference worth attending.

I’ll post about WW&S, which takes place at Hall Winery in St. Helena on Sunday, June 27. I’m going with a group of friends; our numbers keep expanding year after year. This is year four!

Recession worries seemed to fade as wine lovers opened their wallets and raised paddles bidding up the prices at the 30th Auction Napa Valley, held over this past weekend. There was lots of good food and great wine flowing throughout the event. I went to the Taste Napa Valley and Barrel Auction on Friday, at Rubicon Estates. I love this annual event, and it’s a great one to go to even if you don’t make it to the live auction on Saturday. Dark skies and cool temps threatened rain, but it held off.

At Taste Napa Valley, wineries pour whites and rose´and many of Napa’s top restaurants dished out bites.

You could nosh on anything from chickpea fries to pulled pork sliders from BarBersQ and watermelon sorbet with chocolate chips (for seeds!), topped with fleur de sel. Martini House served up a creamy mushroom soup that was an inspired pairing with the Kongsgaard “The Judge” Chardonnay. Check out this incredible paella, from Zuzu in Napa.

What I really noticed was that there were many more wineries pouring Rose´ than in past years. No complaints here, I love Rose´especially this time of year. Some of the best I tasted were from Entre Nous, (a Cab rose´) where Philippe Melka is the winemaker, and Louis M. Martini, also a Rose´of Cab.

The real excitement was inside the caves at Rubicon, where the live barrel auction was taking place. As you can see, it was jammed-packed, as people went from barrel to barrel, sampling and bidding.

Opening bids on the barrel lots started at $175 per case with the minimum increments of $50. In about 15 minutes time, I saw the Shafer Vineyards lot go from $5700 to $6000 (and yes, that’s for one case).
Updating the Shafer bids.

If you think that’s a lot, the final bid on the Shafer lot, the 2008 Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon, went for $58,650. Amazing! The second highest bid was $37,700 for the Spottswoode Estate lot, a St. Helena Cab.

At the end of the weekend, when all was said and done, more than $8.5 million was raised, with $1 million coming from the barrel auction alone. All proceeds benefit
health, youth services and housing non-profits in Napa County.

Spring is now here! The pink wine was flowing at the Pink Out! event in San Francisco. It’s an annual happening celebrating Rose´wines, put on by the Rose´Advocates & Producers (RAP).  It’s a great reason to break out your pink clothes and accessories. Real men do drink and wear pink! And yes, that’s my pink shoe.

Rose´ wines are fantastic — dry and crisp and light, perfect for warm weather drinking. Rose´ is made from a variety of grapes, from Pinot Noir to Syrah to Tempranillo.

I tasted old and new favorites, so here’s my shout out list.

My “go to” Rose´ bottlings:
Lucia – a Rose´ of Pinot Noir from the Pisoni family. Zippy with lots of strawberry

Blackbird “Arriviste” -A beautiful Rose´ of Merlot

Azur Rose´ – I first discovered Julien Fayard’s delicious Rose´ at last year’s Pink Out. It’s as good as ever, a classic southern France-style wine, dry and crisp.

Discoveries:
Dunstan Wines Durell Vineyard – a rose of Pinot Noir, floral and strawberry notes. That’s Chris Towt holding the bottle. A man not afraid to wear pink — with a cowboy hat!

Amorosa Bella NV brut Rose´ – a sparkling Rose´that’s a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, made by Ziggy Eschliman, radio superstar “The Wine Gal.” It’s bright and lively and just a big yum!

Hendry Winery – a rose that’s a mouthwatering blend of Cabernet and Zinfandel.

Dacalier Wine Co – a Southern Rhone-style blend of Grenache and Mourvedre

Lasseter Family Winery – a classic GSM Rose´- Greanache-Syrah-Mourvedre blend. A lot of buzz about this wine from John Lasseter (Pixar) and family.

Best Values:
Wines from France’s Loire Valley, home to those amazing chateaux (or castles), were the steal of the event. These wines, called Rose´ d’Anjou, are about $10 per bottle! An easy wine to sip for the money. Seek these out in your local wine shop! Producers pouring at Pink Out! included Sauvion, Remy Pannier, Barton & Guestier and Marquis de Goulaine.

Best wine story
We were told that the Ros´ from French producer Chateau Minuty will be served at the Canned Film Festival, and we’re drinking this newly released Rose´ Cru Classe before the stars get to try it.

And finally, TasteLive.com made a splashy debut at Pink Out! I was interviewed about the event by Alan Kropf, editor of Mutineer magazine. It’s about 5 minutes, check it out here. It was shot/recorded by a computer camera, and as you can see, the field of view not big enough for both interviewer and interviewee. Ah well, I was in head-to-toe pink, even had on bright fushia lipstick and gloss.
http://www.tastelive.com/pinkout/events/rap-pink-out-san-francisco-2010

I am really excited about the new tasting room about to open at Swanson Vineyards in Napa Valley. Sure, they’re known for Merlot, and for the elegant Salon wine tasting experience. That’s an intimate sit down tasting, paired with caviar and chocolates. Super luxe, right? But it’s also limited to groups of 8, a couple times a day. What if you want to stop by and try a few bottlings? Up until now, you were SOL. Although they’re not taking text reservations (not yet anyway!), soon you’ll be able to phone up and stop in at the new Sip Shop. The bright red and white striped room is whimsical and fun. Not your average tasting room!

Here you can sip flights of Swanson’s wine, paired with some small bites. One signature pairing will be the Swanson Pinot Grigio matched with American caviar on a potato chip. Mmmm. Opening is planned for June 1st. Yes you do have to call ahead, as tastings are by appointment only. Calling on your way there qualifies. There will be a fee for tasting, from $14-$28 per tasting. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, I joined a group of wine writers and bloggers in a tasting led by winemaker Chris Phelps. He’s tweaked the blends since joining the winery in 2003, and you can taste the results in the 2005 and 2007 Merlot and 2007 “Alexis” Cab, which show lots of fruit and finesse. The ’08 Cab in barrel is lush and should develop quite nicely.

The Merlots fall into the description “iron fist in a velvet glove” and have a voluptuous mouth feel, full of lots of ripe black fruits. The Pinot Grigio is a beautiful wine for sipping on the warm days of summer. The rice body comes from time spent on the lees. The perfect ending – a glass of the 2005 “ Tardif,” a late harvest Chardonnay.
Our tasting took place in the Salon, and as you can see, it’s a beautiful space, with high ceilings and bright coral walls. Here’s the TV story we did about it for In Wine Country.

http://www.inwinecountry.com/?cat=7274242&subcat=5901916&video=243

Last week I was at two wineries who have taken the wine tasting experience outside. What a great alternative to the crowded, standing room only, traditional winery tasting bars.

Frog’s Leap Winery in Rutherford is one of the most beautiful places in Napa Valley. They are organic and sustainable, and the ground around the winery features a working garden and hen house (they sell to local restaurants) and pond. The red barn is a wine country icon.

The seated tastings are something fairly new for Frog’s Leap, so if you haven’t been in a few years, be sure to check it out next time you’re in Napa. The tasting is four wines, and you sit outside on the big veranda of the Vineyard House, with a terrific view. Reservations not necessary, but in the summer you might want to make one. Cost is $15 per person. Of course you can go on one of two daily tours for free.

By the way, here’s a feature we did on In Wine Country a couple years ago about Frog’s Leap.

Have you heard of Elizabeth Spencer Wines?

This is a fairly new winery, with what just might be the smallest tasting room in Napa Valley. It’s housed in what was the original Rutherford post office. The building is a mere 300 sq. ft. We also featured the tasting room on In Wine Country.

Now there is a very cool garden outdoor seating area, where you can sit, relax and enjoy your wine tasting.

For Cabernet fans, you might want to go for the Appellation tasting.  Elizabeth Spencer is best known for its Cabs.

The tasting takes place in an open air room, with a view of the garden patio.  The Cabs are paired with chocolate and other small bites. The regular tasting is $15; the Appellation tasting is $40. Reservations required for each.

No, it’s not peach season, not yet. We won’t get to bite into fresh, juicy peaches until mid-June at the earliest. But if peaches are dried or frozen, then you can eat them year-round.
And last night at Flea St. Cafe in Menlo Park, CA, that’s exactly what we did. Owner Jesse Cool hosted peach farmers Mas and Marcy Masumoto, who have a peach farm south of Fresno, CA, called Masumoto Family Farm. Mas is known for writing Epitaph for a Peach, his journey to save the Suncrest peach variety. It’s a treat to meet him; he’s as passionate about peaches and farming in person as he is in the pages of his book. He’s also just written Wisdom of the Last Farmer.

We had a five course meal, with peaches features as a crema on Dungeness crab and wrapped with salumi as appetizers, a peach soup with short ribs, a chicory and parsley salad with the best peach fritters ever, chutney made by Marcy Masumoto with pork loin, and a strawberry rhubarb crisp with peach whipped cream, and a peach chocolate truffle. Yum! To me the best wine pairing was the Pey-Marin Riesling “The Shell Mound”. The crisp acidity balanced the sweet peaches.

All I know is that I will be heading to the Berkeley Bowl starting in mid-June to purchase some of Mas’s fresh peaches, and I can’t wait!