4488: A Ridge Blog

#RidgeSomms: Where The Ridge meets The Hill

May 19, 2013

Within the borders of Wine’s Metaphysical Country is a complexity of filigree and trellis; a latticework of weft and skein and weave; a many-tendril’d meshwork made of crossroad laid on crossroad, linked to crossroad.

Art meets science here
as the past crosses the future over there.
Tradition and experiment
triangulate and complement.
Data mining spreadsheets,
fingers spread, dirty nails,
the work of fingers, work of hands;
a braid of histories.
Instinct greeting training; dessucating;
pre- and post-industrial entwined.

Here is Paul Draper, and here is Dan Barber.

Here is Pre-Industrial Winemaking, and here is Farm-to-Table.

Here is Ridge Vineyards, and here is Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

And here is Charles Puglia.

Charles Puglia, Wine Director, Blue Hill at Stone Barns

Facebook.com/CharlesPuglia
Twitter.com/CharlesPuglia

As when Paul Draper came to Monte Bello, as when Dan Barber came to Blue Hill, philosophy met land in the palm of a hand.

…an excitement that bespeaks

our shared lineage, the ancient

mammalian rite of recognition;

kindredity.

In Charles Puglia, we have an embodied ligature connecting The Ridge and The Hill.

Charles Puglia is the Wine Director at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and he is coming to Ridge Vineyards.

The Ridge and The Hill.

As Michael Torino said:

“With the concept of Blue Hill at Stone Barns being a true farm-to-table restaurant, focusing on growing and raising the best possible ingredients, and not so much cooking but handling the product properly, and not using t0o many ingredients in a dish, they may be one of the best fits for Ridge I can think of. Their viewpoint really mirrors our pre-industrial winemaking philosophy, and our decision to include ingredients on our labels.”

This line, I love: Not so much cooking, but handling …

About Charles Puglia

Charles Puglia has been a professional sommelier for the last 8 years. He currently works as the Wine Director at the highly acclaimed Blue Hill at Stone Barns restaurant in Pocantico Hills, New York. Charles manages all aspects of the beverage program for the restaurant.

Throughout his career, Charles has managed his own beverage programs as well as worked under the guidance of important professionals in the field, many of which have become mentors to him. Prior to working at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Charles held positions that include sommelier at Jean Georges Restaurant in New York City, assistant wine director at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in New York, wine director at Palomino restaurant in Greenwich, CT, and sommelier at Gaia restaurant, also located in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Charles began his career as a sommelier with a simple interest in wine. He began learning through self-education. After spending some time in the field he decided to begin formal education. Charles received his advanced certificate from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust in 2009. He is currently a student of the Court of Master Sommeliers and recently earned his advanced sommelier certificate in August of 2011.

Charles is the real deal. Authentic, serious, and devotional. And he has a very kind face.

Charles is joining us for #RidgeSomms.

I find this to be so philosophically resonant, so metaphysically relevant, so metaphorically appropriate.

The Blue Hill at Stone Barns Wine List is 46 pages long. On page 26 there are 6 vintages of 90′s era Monte Bello.

In “Each Moment Is the Universe: Zen And The Way Of Being Time,” Dainin Katagiri says:

According to Dogen, everything that exists is time, so you are time. Dogen uses the phrase “the time has come” to say that time arises from conditions and appears as particular beings. Does that mean that everything appears by chance? No, in Buddhism “the time has come” is known as interdependent co-origination, or conditioned origination.

For Ridge Vineyards, for Blue Hill at Stone Barns, for Charles Puglia, the time has come.

The Time Has Come.

And with that, we invite you to join Charles Puglia, Michael Torino, and all the other luminaries that make up the cast of #RidgeSomms, for an extraordinary two days of all things Ridge, and wine, and food, and Ridge!

What:

Ridge Vineyards Sommelier Symposium, 2013

When:

May 20^th & 21^st, 2013

Where:

Just filter for #RidgeSomms, and you’re IN!

Tags: #RidgeSommsDainin Katagiri, Blue Hill, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Charles Puglia, Dan Barber, Dogen, Farm to Table, Ingredient Labeling, Interdependent Co-Origination, Kindredity, Michael Torino, Monte Bello, Paul Draper, Pre-Industrial Winemaking, Ridge Vineyards, Sommelier, Wine Director
Posted in Business of Wine, Events & Photographs, Food & Wine Pairing, History, Monte Bello, Paul Draper, RIDGE Staff, Social Media, Special Offerings, Tasting Events/Opportunities, Vineyards and Oenology, Virtual Verticals, Viticultural Salmagundi, Wine & Art, Wine & Food Pairing, Wine & Literature, Wine & Philosophy, Wine & Poetry, Wine & Spirituality, Wine Quotes, Wine Tales, Winemaking | Leave a Comment »

#RidgeSomms: A Gentleman and an Expert

May 19, 2013

There are very many wine blogs.

As of the last “official” count, there are over 1.2 million blogs that either self-define as wine blogs, or include enough content on wine to be classified as such.

Ok, that’s not actually true.

In fact, it’s a complete lie.

But in truth, there are over one thousand.

Which is actually a TREMENDOUS amount! Wine blogs? Over ONE THOUSAND? That’s incredible!

It really is.

If you don’t believe me, check this out: Complete List of Wine Blogs.

The number is actually just over 1400. 1400 blogs about ONE subject: Wine.

Which, when you think about it, makes NAMING your blog a real challenge.

You can be somewhat satirical and self-deprecating, à la 1WineDude; easily one of the most successful and familiar offerings out there.

You can be poetic and philosophical, along the lines of Simple Hedonisms, written by that very prolific arch-activist William Allen.

You can be ironic: The Hosemaster of Wine, for example. Which is actually written by a very serious and very intelligent and very experienced individual.

You can be dual-themed; something like WineBookGirl.

Or self-referential, like RJonWine, by the legendarily comprehensive Richard Jennings.

But in the end, you’re writing about wine, and no matter how you dress it up, that’s what you’re writing about. And that’s what your blog is about.

Which is why Red Wine Lovers is so excellent and beautiful and perfect. It’s one of those titles where, as soon as you hear it, you can’t believe no one thought of it previously.

Except they did.

Red Wine Lovers thought of it.

Red Wine Lovers is based in Los Angeles, and as such, they have access to very many great restaurants and wine bars.

One such place is Industriel.

Twitter: @industriel609

Industriel Facebook: Industriel Urban Farm Cuisine

And at Industriel, there can be found one Augustus Miller.

Augustus Miller, in the words of Red Wine Lovers, is “a gentleman and an expert.”

This is the art and the grace and the beauty and the poetry of wine.

To be a wine lover is NOT to be a fighter. It is to be a gentleman. To be a wine lover is NOT to be an omnivorous jack-of-all trades. It is to be an expert.

To be a wine lover is NOT to be one hot mess. It is to be, in the words of Red Wine Lovers, “dedicated to a lifelong passion.”

I am not a mendicant at the altar of the young.

I do not subscribe to a cult of the young.

I believe in poetry; one of few artistic genres that tends to see its masters mature late. I believe in blues; a genre that depends on wisdom, maturity, and the gravitas of age. I believe in old people. Because if you make it to be old, you are something special.

But the more I learn of Augustus Miller, the more I believe in him.

And he is young.

I am not in Los Angeles, and I do not yet know Augustus Miller personally. But I read Red Wine Lovers, and I am a Red Wine Lover. And Augustus Miller is in Los Angeles. And Red Wine Lovers is in Los Angeles.

And I am listening, to the sound, of Los Angeles.

Red Wine Lovers has done #RidgeSomms a tremendous kindness. Red Wine Lovers has gone to Industriel, and Red Wine Lovers has met Augustus Miller. And Red Wine Lovers has dined at the table of Augustus Miller. And Red Wine Lovers has tasted from Augustus Miller’s Wine List. And Red Wine Lovers has written the story, and Red Wine Lovers has shared it with us. And for that, I am in debt, to Red Wine Lovers.

industriel-urban-farm-cuisine-los-angeles-54

Industriel
(photo courtesy of Red Wine Lovers, used by permission)

From Red Wine Lovers:

Sommelier Symposium 2013 – Augustus Miller’s journey to Ridge Vineyards

Meet Augustus Miller: Sommelier & Wine director at Industriel Restaurant in Los Angeles. He’s one of the most highly regarded sommeliers in the country, and has an acute understanding of wine at its deepest roots. He presents wine with the utmost confidence in his wine list, and in his palate. He pairs the unconventional. He blows you away with wines of exceptional quality at astounding values. He invites you to new appellations and varietals, and takes you on a journey through time. Most surprisingly, he’s 28 years old.

To better comprehend that last sentence, Augustus has only been able to legally purchase wine for the last 7 years, but has quickly developed the expertise to stand toe-to-toe with some of the world’s most talented wine snobs and master sommeliers alike. He creates an unforgettable experience at the dinner table from the very moment you meet him, and everything pours out from there.

To read the rest of this very fine profile, please click here.

And please join me in thanking Red Wine Lovers for doing all the delectably fantastic wine tasting and earth-shatteringly gourmandesque fine dining for us, so that we could just sit at our computers later and read about it … wait a second!!!

Ah, I kid … Truly, a hearty toast to Red Wine Lovers for so adroitly sharing their experiences, so passionately expressing their passions, so engagingly telling their tales, and for so vividly rendering the sensorial splendors of their singularly immersive explorations of all things wine and food.

And as especial thank you to Red Wine Lovers for contributing to #RidgeSomms is such excellent fashion. As the excitement grows, my appreciation expands. As the drama increases, my humility deepens. As the experience nears, my gratitude grows.

And thank you, Augustus Miller, for joining us. I am so very eager to meet you. Tomorrow!

From the Olive Garden at 18, to the Court of Master Sommeliers at 23, to Industriel at 28. The path of Augustus Miller is quite extraordinary.

We asked him to send us a bio, and he did. It concludes with the following quote, from the legendary Gerard Basset:

“You must give back as much as you take”

If the hospitality shown our friends at Red Wine Lovers is any indication, Augustus Miller is a young man who is not only adhering to Mr. Basset’s tenets, but is tipping the scales in favor of giving back.

And with that, we invite you to join Augustus Miller, and all the other luminaries that make up the cast of #RidgeSomms, for an extraordinary two days of all things Ridge, and wine, and food, and Ridge!

What:

Ridge Vineyards Sommelier Symposium, 2013

When:

May 20^th & 21^st, 2013

Where:

Just filter for #RidgeSomms, and you’re IN!

Tags: #RidgeSomms, 1WineDude, Augustus Miller, Complete List of Wine Blogs, Industriel, Los Angeles, Red Wine Lovers, RJonWine, Simple Hedonisms, Sommelier, Soul Coughing, The Hosemaster of Wine, Wine Blogs, WineBookGirl
Posted in Business of Wine, Events & Photographs, Food & Wine Pairing, History, Press Reviews, Social Media, Special Offerings, Tasting Events/Opportunities, Virtual Verticals, Viticultural Salmagundi, Wine & Food Pairing, Wine Blogs, Wine Quotes, Wine Tales | 1 Comment »

#RidgeSomms: I Cover The Waterfront

May 18, 2013

How about a Monte Bello vertical going back to 1977?

Michael Torino said it, and I haven’t forgotten it.

We were discussing Strega Waterfront, in the Seaport District of Boston, and I asked him about the Ridge presence on the Strega winelist.

And Michael Torino said: How about a Monte Bello vertical going back to 1977?

And I said, yes!

Bruno Marini, the very esteemed General Manager & Wine Director of Strega Waterfront, is coming to #RidgeSomms, and thus, I Cover The Waterfront.

If you know Boston’s food & wine scene, you know Bruno Marini. And if you love Boston’s food & wine scene, you love Bruno Marini. Because he’s been an integral part of a great many restaurants that you love. The Federalist, Ambrosia on Huntington, Biba, Pignoli, Davios, and more.

And then along came Nick Varano, and Strega Waterfront. An opportunity unlike any other. Cue Bruno Marini.

Bruno Marini, General Manager & Wine Director, Strega Waterfront

Cue a wine list 1200 selections strong, and a 10,000-bottle cellar.

Cue delicious.

Cue success.

Cue Bruno Marini.

How about a Monte Bello vertical going back to 1977?

In a previous post on another of our cherished #RidgeSomms guests (June Rodil, profiled here), I wrote in praise of homegrown talent, and of my appreciation for the extent to which local boys and girls are growing up to be local somms and chefs and retaurateurs.

Bruno Marini has been in Massachusetts restaurants for over 20 years.

Bruno Marini was born in Newton, Massachusetts.

Frank Sinatra sang:

I cover the waterfront
I’m watching the sea
Will the one I love be coming back to me?

Frank, when she comes, take her to Strega.

Ask for Bruno.

When I talk restaurants with Michael Torino, this is my favorite question: If you went to dinner there, what would you order?

Why do I like this question? Because I like the way Mr. Torino does his job. He’s no Ivory Tower RSM (click here for RSM definition!), nor are his passions disingenuous; if he’s building a relationship with a restaurant, he’s eating at the restaurant. He’s meeting, greeting, tasting, and talking; he’s glass in the left, and he’s fork in the right.

So I asked him, if you went to dinner at Strega Waterfront, what would you order?

PAPPARDELLE EMILIANA (Homemade pasta served with tenderloin meat sauce and porcini mushrooms)
&
COSTATA RIPIENA – 20 oz. veal chop stuffed with prosciutto Fontina cheese in white wine demi-glaze

How about a Monte Bello vertical going back to 1977?

How about something called a “Floating Wine Wall?”

I don’t even know what this is!

But when Michael described to me his first dinner at Strega Waterfront, he said:

“The private room we were in that afternoon is surrounded by a ‘floating’ wine wall; really incredible.”

I don’t know what that is, but I wish to be another brick in it.

If you too wish to Cover The Waterfront, go social, and dig Bruno & Co. on Facebook & Twitter. Here’s how:

https://www.facebook.com/StregaWaterfront

https://twitter.com/stregabos

And with that, we invite you to join Bruno Marini, Michael Torino, and all the other luminaries that make up the cast of #RidgeSomms, for an extraordinary two days of all things Ridge, and wine, and food, and Ridge!

What:

Ridge Vineyards Sommelier Symposium, 2013

When:

May 20^th & 21^st, 2013

Where:

Just filter for #RidgeSomms, and you’re IN!

Tags: Monte Bello, 1977 Monte Bello, Monte Bello vertical, Ridge Vineyards, Michael Torino, Boston, #RidgeSomms, Wine Director, Strega Waterfront, Seaport District, Bruno Marini, I Cover The Waterfront, The Federalist, Ambrosia on Huntington, Biba, Pignoli, Davios, Nick Varano, The Varano Group June Rodil, Massachusetts, Newtown, Frank Sinatra, Pappardelle Emiliana, Costata Ripiena, Floating Wine Wall
Posted in Wine Tales, Food & Wine Pairing, History, Monte Bello, Virtual Verticals, Events & Photographs, RIDGE Questionnaire, RIDGE Staff, Special Offerings, Wine Quotes, Social Media, Wine & Food Pairing, Business of Wine, Tasting Events/Opportunities | Leave a Comment »

#RidgeSomms: To Dine In The Valleys

May 17, 2013

When you are Ridge Vineyards, and you have invited 12 of the best and brightest food & wine luminaries in the country to your estates, you are faced with a daunting question: where do you take them for dinner?

Part I.

If you are Ridge Vineyards/Monte Bello , and you are 2300 feet above The Valley (Silicon Valley, that is!), you go DOWN.

You go DOWN to The Valley.

You go DOWN to Cupertino.

You go DOWN to Alexander’s.

And when you get to Alexander’s, you go find Maxwell Classen.

Maxwell Classen is the Wine Director at Alexander’s Steak House in Cupertino, and he is a very serious cat.

I spent an afternoon with him recently, tasting wine in advance of our #RidgeSomms event, and I was moved.

Max has mojo.

Max has gravitas.

Max is a very deep cat.

You can read a proper bio on Max here: Maxwell Klassen

But that won’t tell you the whole story. You gotta taste wine with the man. Then you’ll really know.

What did we taste? 2000 Monte Bello, and 1995 Monte Bello.

Pairings for the entrée.

The entrée?

Dry-Aged Strip Steak, smoked Maitake mushrooms, Kabayaki butter.

(You may know the Maitake mushroom as Hen-of-the-Woods. I know it as delicious.)

The Chef?

Gerardo Naranjo.

Chef Gerardo was part of the team that launched Alexander’s in Cupertino. He was Sous Chef then. He’s Executive Chef now.

And he did it the real deal way. He worked at a Farmer’s Market as a boy. He started in restaurants as a dishwasher. He earned a spot as a line cook. He climbed to Sous Chef status. Three times a Sous Chef. Then came Alexander’s.

Executive Chef Gerardo Naranjo has soul.

Wine Director Maxwell Classen has soul.

To find out Chef Gerardo’s full menu, and to get a feel for the Depths of Maxwell, please enjoy the following:

Needless to say, I am looking very forward to Monday evening.

I am looking very forward to the Tastes of Monte Bello, to the Flavors of Gerardo, to the Depths of Maxwell.

I am looking very forward to #RidgeSomms.

(Stay Tuned for Part II of this “Dine In The Valleys” series; next stop: Dry Creek Valley!)

And with that, we invite you to (virtually!) join us at Alexander’s Monday night, in The Valley, for an evening of all things Ridge, and wine, and food, and Ridge!

What:

Ridge Vineyards Sommelier Symposium, 2013

When:

May 20^th & 21^st, 2013

Where:

Just filter for #RidgeSomms, and you’re IN!

Tags: #RidgeSomms, 1995 Monte Bello, 2000 Monte Bello, Alexander's Steak House, Cupertino, Dry Aged Strip Steak, Dry Creek Valley, Gerardo Naranjo, Hen of the Woods, Kabayaki butter, Maitake mushrooms, Maxwell Classen, Monte Bello, Ridge Vineyards, Silicon Valley, Sous Chef, Wine Director
Posted in Events & Photographs, Food & Wine Pairing, Monte Bello, Social Media, Special Offerings, Tasting Events/Opportunities, Video, Wine & Food Pairing, Wine Tales | 2 Comments »

#RidgeSomms: Jackets Are Preferred

May 17, 2013

If there is one thing I get teased about above all else, it is the fact that I always wear a sportcoat.

In fact, it wouldn’t be far from the truth to say, that literally not a day goes by without someone remarking on my constant penchant for appearing so encoated.

But to borrow a favorite colloquialism: That’s just the kind of guy what I’m.

Which is why I am now very fond of Chef Frank Stitt.

Mind you, I’ve never met Frank Stitt, but I’m going to very soon, because he’s coming to #RidgeSomms. And that makes me very happy.

It makes me very happy for a great many reasons, not the least of which is that, on his restaurant’s website (the very legendary Highland’s Bar & Grill in Birmingham, Alabama), is the following:

Jackets are preferred for gentlemen.

I am now very fond of Chef Frank Stitt.

As is Dan Buckler.

Dan Buckler, Regional Sales Manager, Ridge Vineyards

Dan Buckler is the Third Jewel in the Ridge Vineyards Triple Crown of Regional Sales Managers.

Like Michael Torino, and like Christina Donley, he is a tireless representative for Ridge, and he too travels a a great many miles.

Behold:

Dan Buckler – Regional Sales Manager (SoCal, KY, TN, AL, MS, LA, TX, AR, MO, KS, OK, NM, AZ, NV, UT, HI)

From Kentucky to Kansas, Utah to Hawaii, L.A. to LA, that’s a full-bore itinerary.

But for Dan, it’s all worth it, in no small part because of something he learned at Chef Frank Stitt’s table.

When I first began preparing for #RidgeSomms, I talked to Dan about his invitees; I wanted to know the backstory behind why these particular individuals had been singled out for invitations. Sure, the bios are amazing, sure the cred is through the roof, but knowing Dan, I knew there had to be personal stories there too. Dan’s like that; a narrative kind of cat.

Here’s what he told me about Frank Stitt:

“I first had dinner at Highland’s in 2002, and Chef Stitt came by the table during the evening. It was a revelation, one of the 2-3 great meals that prompted me to say “I should be selling wine to restaurants instead of shoes to shoe stores”. Highland’s remains one of my favorite restaurants in the USA.”

That’s the Poetry of Buckler; a Carver-esque reconciliation of humility and pride, a Levine-like understanding of work, a Fante-esque sense of one’s own destinies, and a dry Matthews-ian wit.

Dan Buckler is very fond of Chef Frank Stitt.

Consider these degrees of separation (otherwise knows as The Wine Bone Connects To The Kitchen Bone):

Dan Buckler is connected to Frank Stitt.

Frank Stitt is connected to Richard Olney.

Richard Olney is connected to John Olney.

John Olney is connected to Ridge Vineyards.

So OF COURSE Frank Stitt is coming to #RidgeSomms!

How’s it all work? Like this!

1. re: Dan’s connection to Frank, see above.

2. re: Frank’s connection to Richard, dig this from Frank’s official bio:

“…Stitt’s culinary journey began to take shape when he moved to San Francisco and, as a philosophy student, noticed that beloved cookbooks were taking precedence over the works of Plato and Kierkegaard. He honed his kitchen skills at various Bay Area restaurants, including the kitchen of Alice Waters at her now legendary restaurant, Chez Panisse. Waters introduced him to Richard Olney, who at the time was working on the Good Cook series for Time-Life Books and needed an assistant…”

3. re: Richard’s connection to John; John is/was Richard’s nephew.

4. re: John’s connection to Ridge; John is the winemaker at our Lytton Springs estate!

(as an aside, check the following, from Richard’ Olney’s New York Times Obituary: To his great delight, one of Mr. Olney’s nephews, John, went into the wine business in California, working at Ridge Vineyards in Cupertino.)

So really, it’s truly destiny that brings Frank Stitt to Ridge Vineyars for #RidgeSomms.

Frank Stitt is the real deal. Check this: Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: #RidgeSomms, Birmingham Alabama, Chef Frank Stitt, Christina Donley, Dan Buckler, Frank Stitt, Frank Stitt's Southern Table, Highland's Bar & Grill, John Olney, Michael Torino, Regional Sales Manager, Richard Olney, Ridge Vineyards, Sommelier Symposium, Watkins Cleaners
Posted in Business of Wine, Events & Photographs, Food & Wine Pairing, History, Lytton Springs, RIDGE Staff, Social Media, Special Offerings, Viticultural Salmagundi, Wine & Food Pairing, Wine & Literature, Wine Quotes, Wine Tales | 3 Comments »

10 Years of the Geyserville: Celebrating 2011, Tasting 2001

May 16, 2013

We’ve been fortunate to have great cause for discussion of late, as regards the 2011 Geyserville, courtesy of a recent honorific bestowed by the Quarterly Review of Wines:

CO-BEST OF SHOW

2011 Ridge Geyserville, Sonoma County

2011 Ridge Geyserville, Sonoma County $38. Soft, spicy, textured, concentrated, with strawberry-cherry flavors and elegant finish. Delicious! CO-BEST OF SHOW

The Show in question was the 29th Annual Best of The Best, the category was California Zinfandel, and the Geyserville was in receipt of the rather lovely nod noted above.

Thanks QRW!!!

And because of all this, I’ve been thinking about the Geyserville.

And when I think about the Geyserville, I think about zinfandel.

And when I think about zinfandel, I think about how it means so many different things to so many different people.

And how what it often doesn’t mean to people is cellarable.

And by cellarable, I don’t simply mean that something can be aged. Many wines can be aged, but few actually should. Just lasting is not enough. It has to develop. And just developing is not enough. It has to improve. It has to develop finesse, and character, and nuance, and subtlety. It has to integrate, and complexicate, and delicify. It has to gain the full measure of its soul.

To say a wine is cellarable is to note the embryosis of its soul.

Many wines do not have soul.

Some have some soul, but they arrive with as much soul as they’re ever going to have. They can play one beat, and that’s that. No more grooves to dance to after that.

Zinfandel has soul, but it’s often fully-formed upon arrival. It arrives, it counts to four, it hits the dance floor.

To me, the Geyserville has deep soul. Growing soul. A nascent soul. A full-measure soul. It has funky drummer soul, and house soul, and swing soul, and waltz soul, and two-step soul, and second-line soul, and shuffle soul.

So when I think of Geyserville, I think of cellarable.

And when I think cellarable, I close my eyes and count to ten.

Which brings me to 2001, and the 2001 Geyserville.

Tasted recently, and enjoyed immensely …

The Remington in action …

2001 Ridge Vineyards Geyserville

Going garnet as the core spreads outward, but limned with clarity, and nicely glowing tones throughout … lots of elegant secondary on the nose: cedar, spice; very autumnal, with a slight herbality, and hints of candied Japanese plum coming through … touch of blackberry jam undergirding the aromatics, and possibly even a trace of higher-tone strawberry in there as well, though it’s tonally mostly lower … incredible mouthfeel, very velvety and smooth, with perfectly integrated tannins and the acidity very much in balance … fruit is smooth and sweet and very pretty … touch of black pepper and clove showing through, maybe even a strain of maple syrup and pine sap; just incredibly decadent without being overpowering … Good Lord, where is Mt. Tam when I need it?

Tags: 2001 Geyserville, 2011 geyserville, Best of Show, Cowgirl Creamery, Geyserville, Mt. Tam, Preacher Boy, Quarterly Review of Wines, Remington, Remington Noiseless, Tasting Notes
Posted in Food & Wine Pairing, Geyserville, History, Press Reviews, Tasting Notes, Varietals & Blends, Video, Zinfandel | 2 Comments »

#RidgeSomms: One Mile High And Rising!

May 16, 2013

I’ll endeavor to roll like a composer for a moment, and see if I can’t harmonize a few contrapuntal threads.

Melody # 1 — make it the bass line — goes a little something like this: If you know football, you know Denver, and if you know Denver, you know the Broncos, and if you know the Broncos, you know Mike Shanahan, and if you know Mike Shanahan, then you know Shanahan’s.

Melody #2 — make it a muted trumpet line — plays like this: If you wine, you terroir, and if you terroir , you Terroir Radio, and if you Terroir Radio, then you also William Davis, and if you William Davis, then you Denver, and if you Denver, then you Shanahan’s.

Melody #3 — make it a Steinway — rolls like so: If you know Ridge Vineyards, then you know Christina Donley, and if you know Christina Donley, then you know she’s Coloradan, and if she’s Coloradan, then you know she knows Denver, and you know if she knows Denver she knows Shanahan’s.

Meaning, all lines harmonize at Shanahan’s.

Shanahan’s has one of these:

and those don’t come easy.

When they do come, they usually come because of an exceptional Sommelier.

Shanahan’s has one of those.

His name is Steve Steese. And he’s exceptional.

But don’t take my word for it.

Take the word of William Davis.

There is no other way to put it; William Davis is a force. Dig just a snippet of this bio:

“…In 2004, he decided that a full-time career with Charmer-Sunbelt in Colorado was necessary to pursue a greater understanding of the grape, and received the Certified Specialist of Wine, the Certified Specialist of Spirits, and the highest certification from the Society of Wine Educators, the Certified Wine Educator title (CWE). Restaurants were still ‘in his blood’, and the dedication that sommeliers give to their craft is a vital part of bringing wine to the consumer, so he passed the Certified and Advanced Sommelier exams in 2007 and 2008, on his first try, and is working to achieve his MS with the Court of Master Sommeliers. The academic approach to wine and spirits also interests him, and he is passed the Advanced Certification with the Wine and Spirits Education Trust in 2010, and is studying for the WSET Diploma. If that isn’t enough, he is a member of the Guild of Sommeliers, and was the 2012 Central and South Regional Winner of TopSomm, a competition to find the best wine professional talent in the United States…”

And so forth.

Whew.

And, to find Mr. Davis in present and future times, turn your dial to Terroir Radio.

Do so right now, and you’ll find Mr. Davis waxin’ wise on Mr. Steve Steese himself, and on Shanahan’s, and on our upcoming #RidgeSomms event.

It’s all right here: Terroir Radio

Thank you so much to William for taking us One Mile High (and Rising!).

The Donley was just in the Mile High. And so of course she rocked Shanahan’s. But here’s a little something you didn’t expect: her favorite dish? Colorado Red Trout!

Check it:

Colorado Red Trout -rice pilaf, asparagus, lemon caper beurre blanc

That’s just how The Donley rolls. Beurre Blanc-style.

Mike Shanahan employs him. William Davis praises him. Christina Donley invites him. You think we’re excited to host Steve Steese?

You bet we’re excited to host Steve Steese! Shanahan’s in the house!

You can get yourself connected to Shanahan’s socially via Facebook & Twitter:

https://www.facebook.com/shanahanssteak

https://twitter.com/shanahansdtc

And of course you’ll get to know Steve via #RidgeSomms!

And with that, we invite you to join Steve Steese and all the other luminaries that make up the cast of #RidgeSomms, for an extraordinary two days of all things Ridge, and wine, and food, and Ridge!

What:

Ridge Vineyards Sommelier Symposium, 2013

When:

May 20^th & 21^st, 2013

Where:

Just filter for #RidgeSomms, and you’re IN!

Tags: #RidgeSomms, Best of Award of Excellence, Christina Donley, Colorado, Denver, Denver Broncos, Mike Shanahan, Shanahan's, Sommelier, Steve Steese, Terroir Radio, William Davis, Wine Spectator
Posted in Business of Wine, Events & Photographs, Food & Wine Pairing, Press Reviews, RIDGE Staff, Social Media, Special Offerings, Tasting Events/Opportunities, Vineyards and Oenology, Virtual Verticals, Wine & Food Pairing, Wine Blogs, Wine Quotes, Wine Tales | Leave a Comment »

#RidgeSomms: The Powers of Austin!

May 15, 2013

Great restaurants are of a place.

They are an integral component in their regional eco-culinary oeno-system.

They cannot, and should not, be considered separate – or separately – from their immediate environment.

They are a thread in fabric, a note on a stave, a rhyme in a line, a dab on a canvas, a soul amongst the ten thousand things.

And we hold these truths to be self-evident.

Yet the times, are they a-changin’?

Consider the rise of the celebrity chef, the ever-expanding dominance of the chains, the collective post-globalist homogenization of the cultural landscape.

What does all this potentially mean for the great restaurants of place?

One of the most pleasurable aspects of my #RidgeSomms pre-event research has been the opportunity to explore the restaurants and regions of origin for our guests, and what I have found time and time again is that the great restaurants of place are not only not going extinct, they are in fact thriving.

This seems, more often than that, to be continually made most possible by the passions of, and the support for, homegrown talent. Local boys and girls are growin’ up culinary, and they’re finding homes in their home cities, counties, states, and regions.

One of the most outstanding examples of this is June Rodil. She’s Texas, she’s Austin, and she’s awesome.

And because her story has SO MUCH to do with Texas, and with Austin, who better to help us learn her story than a Texas wine blogger?

And with that, it is my great pleasure to introduce to you: SAHMmelier!

After spending years in the classroom, Stay-at Home-Mom Alissa Leenher combined her love of education and wine and started SAHMmelier. Now, between the laundry and dishes, Alissa dishes about wine, food, local events, usually seasoned with a pinch of introspection and all things SAHM. Although she does not have formal Sommelier training, she enjoys learning about the industry while attempting to juggle all that her husband, daughter, and son throw at her. It is no wonder why she enjoys a glass, or two, of wine. Originally from Upstate New York, Alissa resides in Austin, Texas.

Alissa epitomizes the passionate Citizen Blogger cynosure, to be sure, but she also brings true journalistic discipline to her oeno-literary endeavors, and she’s drawn on all this and more to bring together a fantastic post highlighting June Rodil, and her new restaurant venture in Austin: Qui.

Here is an excerpt from the SAHMmelier post on June Rodil:

From the Driskill, she went to Uchi to work under Tyson Cole, another star in Austin and in the national realm. She then returned to fine dining with David Bull at his next endeavor, Congress. So where does one go from there? To work with Top Chef winner Paul Qui, of course.

Qui, which will open this Spring, is one of the most anticipated restaurants in Austin right now. Paul is currently involved in East Side Kings, which will continue serving creative cuisine to the trailer crowd. Qui will take it up a notch (or three) with his flagship restaurant. Rodil will be in charge of pairing his eclectic menu with wines and spirits.

June Rodil is no stranger to awards. She’s been named “Texas’s Best Sommelier” by Texas Sommelier Association, Rising Star Sommelier, and Best New Sommelier in 2011 by the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas. This month, she has also been chosen, along with eleven other Sommeliers, to attend the 2013 Sommelier Symposium at Ridge Vineyards.

To read the full post, please click here: May Looks Great For June.

And to find June Rodil in the Social-Sphere, check her -and Qui- out on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/JuneRodil

https://twitter.com/QUIAustin

We’re absolutely thrilled that June will be joining us for #RidgeSomms, and we can’t thank Alissa enough for helping us to get an authentic sense of where June is -quite literally- coming from.

If June and Alissa are any indication of the true oeno-culinary Powers of Austin on offer in the Lone Star State, then all of us at Ridge Vineyards are sure to be raising a true Texas Toast come Monday!

And with that, we invite you to join June Rodil and all the other luminaries that make up the cast of #RidgeSomms, for an extraordinary two days of all things Ridge, and wine, and food, and Ridge!

What:

Ridge Vineyards Sommelier Symposium, 2013

When:

May 20^th & 21^st, 2013

Where:

Just filter for #RidgeSomms, and you’re IN!

Tags: #RidgeSomms, Alissa Leenher, Austin, Best New Sommelier, Citizen Blogger, Congress, David Bull, East Side Kings, Hotel Driskill, June Rodil, Lone Star State, May Looks Great For June, Paul Qui, Qui, Rising Star Sommelier, SAHMmelier, Texas Sommelier Association, Texas Toast, Texas' Best Sommelier, Top CHef, Tyson Cole, Uchi, Wine and Food Foundation of Texas
Posted in Business of Wine, Events & Photographs, Food & Wine Pairing, Press Reviews, Social Media, Special Offerings, Tasting Events/Opportunities, Virtual Verticals, Wine Blogs, Wine Quotes, Wine Tales, Winemaking | 1 Comment »

#RidgeSomms: Christina Donley Is A Moth to St. Elmo’s Flame!

May 15, 2013

For some, St. Elmo conjures images of luminous plasma. For others, Rob Lowe’s crisp jawline, and a song by John Parr.

But for Christina Donley, St. Elmo means one thing, and one thing only: Ribeye mid-rare and a half bottle of Ridge.

You may recall Christina Donley from a recent post about Chicago, but one should bear in mind that Chi’s are not the only rails The Donley rides.

Christina Donley, Regional Sales Manager, Ridge Vineyards

As with Michael Torino, Christina Donley is a Regional Sales Manager for Ridge Vineyards, and as with Michael Torino, she covers a great deal of ground.

Behold:

Christina Donley – Regional Sales Manager (NorCal, OR, WA, AK, ID, MT, CO, ND, SD, WY, IA, IL, IN, OH, MI)

That’s hardcore.

The St. Elmo Steak House has been in downtown Indianapolis since 1902.

That’s hardcore too.

And, guess who’s dined there? Check this:

Jon Bon Jovi, Neil Diamond, Sammy Hagar, Daryl Hall, Waylon Jennings, Billy Joel, Lyle Lovett, Johnny Mathis, John Mellencamp, Lou Rawls, Paul Shaffer, Brian Setzer, Gene Simmons, Stephen Stills, Michael Stipe, Ann & Nancy Wilson, Neil Young, The Black Crowes, Dave Matthews Band, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Rolling Stones, U2, AC/DC, and Little Feat.

Just to name a few.

But none of that compares to the following testimonial, from The Donley herself:

Every time I go to Indianapolis, I find myself drawn to the bar at St. Elmo’s. Like a moth to a flame. I sit down and order the same thing every single time. Ribeye mid-rare and a half bottle of Ridge. All the bartenders know me by name and treat me like family.

That should be just about all you need to know.

But, just in case you need to know more, it’s worth noting that the St. Elmo Steak House was named a 2012 America’s Classic by the James Beard Foundation. And that Wine Spectator bestowed upon them a Best of Award of Excellence.

But really, all you really need to do is remember what The Donley said. Like a moth to a flame.

So are we, at Ridge Vineyards, excited that Dave Poore — Manager & Cellar Steward at the St. Elmo Steak House — will be joining us for #RidgeSomms?

You bet yer boots we are! And we hope you are too!

#RidgeSomms will be a great way for you to get to know more about Dave and St. Elmo, but in the meantime, check ‘em out on Facebook and Twitter:

https://www.facebook.com/stelmosteakhouse

https://twitter.com/stelmo

And with that, we invite you to join Dave, Christina, and all the other luminaries that make up the cast of #RidgeSomms, for an extraordinary two days of all things Ridge, and wine, and food, and Ridge!

What:

Ridge Vineyards Sommelier Symposium, 2013

When:

May 20^th & 21^st, 2013

Where:

Just filter for #RidgeSomms, and you’re IN!

Tags: #RidgeSomms, 1902, AC/DC, America's Classic, and Little Feat, Ann & Nancy Wilson, Best Award of Excellence, Billy Joel, Brian Setzer, Chicago, Christina Donley, Daryl Hall, Dave Matthews Band, Dave Poore, Facebook, Foo Fighters, Gene Simmons, Indianapolis, James Beard Foundation, John Mellencamp, John Parr, Johnny Mathis, Jon Bon Jovi, Lou Rawls, Lyle Lovett, Michael Stipe, Michael Torino, Neil Diamond, Neil Young, Paul Shaffer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Regional Sales Manager, Ribeye, Ridge Vineyards, Sammy Hagar, Sommelier Symposium, St. Elmo, St. Elmo Steak House, St. Elmo's Fire, Stephen Stills, The Black Crowes, The Rolling Stones, Twitter, U2, Waylon Jennings, Wine Spectator
Posted in Business of Wine, Events & Photographs, Food & Wine Pairing, History, Press Reviews, RIDGE Staff, Social Media, Special Offerings, Tasting Events/Opportunities, Wine & Food Pairing, Wine & Music, Wine Blogs, Wine Quotes, Wine Tales | Leave a Comment »

#VineWatch13: Week 18! Oh, What A Difference The Sun Makes!

May 14, 2013

Sun? Check.

Heat? Check.

Canopy? Check!!!

Man, what a week it’s been; it’s been all KIND of hot up in here …

And given the striking changes we’re seeing in our vines right now, I thought this might be a good time to indulge in a bit of temptation; the temptation to look back, as we look forward … so behold, a lil’ bit o’ the ol’ then-and now …

First, Lytton Springs. Then …