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Uncork change.  That’s the goal of the new collaboration between Penfolds and (RED). It’s the first time (RED) has partnered with a wine brand in the global effort to eradicate AIDS worldwide.  When I think of (RED), Gap comes to mind.  So why not wine?

I interviewed Penfolds Chief Marketing Officer Francesca Schuler, who says, “it’s exciting to be in a partnership that has global impact and saves lives.”  She approached (RED) about Penfolds joining the roster of brands in the fight against AIDS.  Schuler worked for Gap and is familiar with that (RED) campaign.

“We wanted to find a partner who aligns with our core values of quality, authenticity and innovation.  We wanted to find a cause related opportunity.” So the (RED) project is with Koonunga Hill and Thomas Hyland wine labels, both value-oriented at $10 to $15 a bottle.  These wines are also widely distributed in the U.S., which is where the campaign launches first.

“We want to be accessible to both wine drinkers and people who look for an opportunity to give back in a very impactful way.”

Penfolds will be donating 15 percent of proceeds from these wines to the Global Fund, which uses the money in the fight against AIDS in Africa.  Schuler says (RED) taps into a new market, the Penfolds consumer, who uncorks wine several times a week, and shares the experience with friends and family.  “This enables our wine customers to not only share the wine and that experience with others, but also to give back in a meaningful way.”

While you won’t see the (RED) logo on the wine labels, Penfolds is planning on in-store displays, shelf talkers and other promotions to call attention to their wines.  Look for rollout of Penfolds and (RED) to hit the stores in March and April.  So on March 1, your Penfolds Koonunga Hills or Thomas Hyland wine purchase starts to make a difference.  They’ll also roll this out in restaurants.

There are two other big promotions planned for summer and the holidays, with the predominant color being (you guessed it) red.  Penfolds says the (RED) donations will happen only during these promotional times.  While that’s a good thing, why not make it year round?

Penfolds is kicking off the (RED) collaboration at the Palm Springs Film Festival, which is currently underway.  Penfolds is sponsor of the festival, and (RED) produced a documentary about AIDS called The Lazarus Effect, which was screened there.

Since launching in 2006, (RED) had raised more than $160 million, reaching 5 million people with testing, counseling and education.

Happy new year!  Like me, I’m sure you are recovering from the holiday 2010 season, and trying to get back into the swing of things. This post is a bit overdue, but I just had to share my most favorite holiday gift.  It is from my brother, and he wanted to be on the phone when I opened it.  Voila, the coolest shoe ever.  It’s a shoe wine bottle holder – a total wine fashionista must!  Gotta love the leopard print and the rhinestone embellishment.  I can’t believe I’ve never seen this; my brother gets major kudos for finding it!

The shoe wine bottle holder comes from Cypress Home in their High Spirits line.  There are several other styles  – but I love the leopard print best.  Such a fun gift, sure to get a big smile!  What a great way to start off the new year – cheers to 2011.

Thanksgiving is a time for tradition.  The traditional turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce and yams with that marshmallow topping.  A safe, time-honored wine, Pinot Noir.  Yawn.

This year I’m gonna shake things up a bit.  I’ll be pouring a sweet wine for the main event and not just for dessert.

I’m inspired by Aline Baly, a champion of drinking what most of us consider to be dessert wines, from the beginning to the end of the meal.  Aline’s family is the proprietor of Chateau Coutet in Barsac, a sub-district of the Sauternes region in the southern part of Bordeaux.  Chateau Couter is a Premier Cru Classe Sauturnes.  That’s all they make.

Last time Aline was in the San Francisco Bay Area, she invited me to join her for lunch at Wood Tavern in Oakland (one of my fav restaurants).  To demonstrate how versatile her Sauternes wines are, we ordered straight off the menu, with no changes or special requests.  I have to say I was pretty dubious.  Sure Sauternes is a great match with Roquefort, but what about pulled pork?

With glasses of the ’06 and ’03 Chateau Coutet, first up, burrata & proscuitto di Parma, with roasted peaches (yum), citrus oil and a Madeira glaze.  Aline set expectations…pairing wine with a fresh burrata can be risky.  Yes, but worth the risk, it really works.  What makes it work is the creaminess of the cheese and the rich body of the wine.  Plus the citrus helps bring out the dried fruits in the wine, and a minerality and ginger notes also are punched up.  The saltiness of the proscuitto is a nice contrast to the wine’s sweetness.

You’d think a creamy tomato soup, with shrimp and avocado might get lost in the mix.  The sweetness of the Sauternes works nicely with the sweetness of the tomatoes and shrimp.  Talking body again, the rich avocado works with the sweet, syrupy wine.

Next, a crispy pork shoulder confit sandwich (aka pulled pork), and a hot pastrami sandwich.  I would never think to pair a sweet wine with either of these.  A big Zin or a hoppy beer wold be my choice.  The ’03, with more complex flavors developed, handled these spicy dishes just fine.  While a pan roasted chicken dish didn’t seem like too much of a stretch, the grilled radicchio with it could be challenging.  But the smoky notes of the ’03 was a great match.

Now I’m a believer.

Aline’s motto is “when in doubt, bring Sauternes.”

OK, but there must be something that is a total clash with Sauternes.  Chocolate cake.  Aline says that’s usually too rich for her sweet wines.

Aline’s last suggestion is to serve Sauternes, preferably Chateau Coutet, for Thanksgiving.  Had I not just tasted this wine with a variety of savory dishes, I’d scoff at that suggestion.  Now I’m thinking brilliant.  She’s got a Thanksgiving menu on her website, and says her favorite pairing is with the butternut squash and Gorgonzola gratin.  That’s what I’m making.

You’ve probably heard of Chateau d’Yquem, the most famous of all Sauternes.  It’s liquid gold in a bottle and it’s super super pricey.  You’ll find the current vintage of Chateau Coutet, the 2007, for about $25-$30 for a half bottle (375 ml) and $50-$60 for a full bottle (750 ml).

So it’s not too late…grab a bottle of two of a Sauternes for Thanksgiving.  This could become your new wine tradition for the holidays.

wine tasting kits

The winery tasting room.  Let’s face it.  Often crowded, it’s not always the ideal spot to taste wine.  But if you want to try a range of said winery’s offerings, the tasting room has been the place to go. Until now.

You can have the tasting room come to you. TastingRoom has created wine tasting kits with four or six little bottles, each holding 50 ml (that’s 1.7 oz). This is the size of most small perfume bottles, and I say that because these kits remind me of perfume samples. You can get fragrance samples sent to you, and can try and buy perfume without ever leaving home.  A terrific online fragrance store is Luckyscent. You can order a sample vial of any perfume on their website.  Once you get it and try it and like it, you can order a bottle.  If not, you’re out about $3.

TastingRoom works under the same concept. You can try and buy at home, without traveling to the winery tasting room, or buying the wine blind off a shelf and hoping for the best. TastingRoom takes the guesswork out of buying wine.

A sample box of Yorkville Cellars in Mendocino just showed up at my door one day last week. I decided to take it for a test run at my cookbook club meeting, to see how some wine lovers would react to the kits.  I also had a kit of Grgich Hills wines (full disclosure, the Grgich Hills kit was provided by TastingRoom public relations).

The little bottles all have screwcaps, making these kits really portable.  If you don’t take very big pours, there are enough sips of wine in each bottle for several people to try it. The two oft repeated comments were “these bottles are so cute,” and “what a great idea for a gift.”  We were all impressed by the wines in the kit, especially the Grgich Cellars samples, which included both Chardonnay and Cabernet.  The favorite wine out of either kit was the Grgich Hills Violetta, a late harvest white wine blend  that went really well with an appetizer of cheese stuffed figs wrapped in proscuitto.

Should I want to buy a bottle of Violette, I can get it from TastingRoom for $73.  Thats $12 less than the same wine on the Grgich Hills website, which is $85.  I also found this tasting kit offered on the winery’s website, for $29.99. TastingRoom sells the kit for $24.99.

Yorkville Cellars‘ kit is made up of six Bordeaux varietals, from Cab Franc to Carmenere. Winery founder and winegrower Edward Wallo tells me his approach is to showcase these varietals that are the winery’s specialty, as Yorkville Cellars may be the only winery growing these six grape varieties in the same vineyard.  They don’t blend, preferring to highlight the individual character of these classic varieties.  We didn’t do this, but you could certainly have fun making your own Bordeaux blend from these samples.  You can find the Yorkville sample kit on the winery website or in the tasting room for $34.  (While this kit was made with TastingRoom, it is not sold on that site.)

Another idea for the kits is doing a blind tasting.  I could go into all the mumbo jumbo about the technology TastingRoom uses to bottle these samples, green practices and about all the information about each wine and winery on its website, but you can check that out on your own.  The kits come with descriptions and tasting notes.  The company expects to add more wineries to their sample kit list.

This may be the winery tasting room opening of the year.  Raymond Vineyards, in Napa Valley, has partnered with the legendary French crystal maker Baccarat, to create a one-of-a-kind tasting room, the Crystal Cellar.

It’s pretty awesome.  Granted, I was at the soiree to celebrate opening the Crystal Cellar. The atmosphere was like a sophisticated night club. Mirrors everywhere – on the tasting bar and display cases.  A stunning crystal chandelier, the focal point of the cellar. A mannequin hanging from a trapeze.  Lots of colorful mood lighting.  Display cases with Baccarat wine decanters, glasses, and other decorative objects.

I have seen the cellar during the daytime, when it’s much more subdued, but equally brilliant.

The pairing of a winery and crystal manufacturer is nothing new, but this is the first collaboration for Baccarat with a winery.  The inspiration comes from Jean-Charles Boisset, who is head of Boisset Family Estates.  Boisset bought the Raymond winery  in August 2009, setting its sights on improving the wine quality and developing a unique wine tasting experience.  This is Boisset’s first Napa Valley aquisition.  They also own DeLoach Vineyards in Sonoma County, and recently opened Taste of Terroir, a wine tasting room on the square in Healdsburg.

Jean-Charles told me he starting collecting Baccarat at the tender age of 11.  You can imagine he’s got a large collection now.  He approached Baccarat about a partnership with Raymond.  Makes, perfect sense, both Boisset and Baccarat are rooted in France, and Baccarat creates beautiful decanters and glassware.

I can’t wait to take friends wine tasting in the Crystal Cellar.  You don’t need to make a reservation, but there is a $25 tasting fee.  What they’re pouring:  the Raymond Vineyards District Cabernet Sauvignon series, including the 2006 Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena wines, the ’06 Generations, a 2009 barrel sample of a barrel fermented Chardonnay, and a 1987 Napa Valley Cab. This last wine was poured at the opening event, and I found it to still have fruit and a floral nose, and soft tannins.

If you get to Paris, you should plan to go to the Baccarat museum.  The crystal collection is amazing.  The galleries and restaurant were designed by Philippe Stark (reason enough to go).  The display cases are filled with both vintage and modern works.

Wine & Spirits magazine throws one heck of a party.  The annual “Top 100 Wines” soiree was on Wednesday night in San Francisco.  You do not want to miss it.  Quite simply, where else are you going to taste a 1988 Veuve Cliquot Champagne, Shafer’s Hillside Select or see a bottle of bubbly opened and disgorged under water.

That’s right.  Not just opening the bottle.  Disgorging it too (expelling the yeast sediment), all under water, right before you drink it.

Movia is a winery in Slovenia, — gaining more and more media attention, and not just from Wine & Spirits. [profile in Food & Wine] Movia brought their 2002 “Puro” rose sparkling wine to show along with the top rated Ribolla, a varietal common to Slovenia. Puro stole the show.

The bottle is turned upside down, and the neck submerged in water.  The cage is removed.  After a few minutes, the pressure builds up, and all of a sudden, the cork pops out, along with the yeast plug.  It’s really quite amazing.  The wine is ready to pour and enjoy.

Notice the cork pops out on its own.  I’ve seen other videos of Puro where someone twists the cork out of the bottle, still under water.

Why do they do this?  I was told the wine tastes fresher, a little more creamy due to the extra time spent on the yeast lees (sur lie).  Movia also feels that disgorging at time of corking versus right before opening the bottle to drink robs the wine of rich flavor.

Sure enough, the wine is clear and yeast sediment free.  No complaints on the taste, it’s a mighty fine sparkler.

Give it a try?  You can find Movia sparkling rose online, prices I’ve seen are in the $39-$49 range.

Disgorging is the step, in making Champagne, or sparkling wine the traditional way, where yeast sediment is removed just before corking, putting the cage on and wrapping the neck in foil.  The yeast is captured in a small plastic cup that’s right under the crown cap on the bottle.  The bottles are dipped in a solution to freeze the yeast plug, then it is removed, or disgorged, under high pressure.  The frozen yeast plug flies out, then the wine is topped off, corked and the wire cage and foil is put on.

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.