Sometimes out of tragedy something beautiful is born and this is true for Gioia Wines. While driving home one evening from my day job I stopped in a wine shop that I’d seen several times before but had never explored. When I walked in I was amazed at the rows and rows of interesting bottles of wines. I was greeted immediately and there began my incredible experience at Bernard’s Wine Gallery in Calabasas, California. One of the owners, Cynthia Rosenson, guided me around the shop introducing me to many of the unique and sometimes even rare wines they carry.

After learning I was a fan of red zinfandels, Cynthia immediately pointed out Gioia (Italian for joy). Upon first glance, the label struck me as beautiful artwork. When I mentioned that to Cynthia she began to tell me the story of how this wine came into being. The maker of Gioia Wines is Teri Love. Her son, Tyler, had study in Italy and developed a very strong passion for wines. Unfortunately when Tyler returned to the States he and his best friend were tragically killed in a motorcycle accident on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in Malibu.

It was after the lost of her son (the joy of her life) that she decided to do something to memorialize him. From this tragedy Gioia Wines was born and the label on all of the Gioia wine bottles is a beautiful symbol expressing the love for Teri continues to feel for son. There is a heart (for the name Love), a crown because Tyler was her prince, Tyler’s angel wings as Teri believes they appear and a beautiful golden square with the name of the wine in the middle representing her golden child.

Upon hearing this incredible story, I was inclined to buy the wine, if for no other reason, to support Teri in her efforts to keep the memory of her son alive. So I purchased a bottle. A few weeks later, prior to my trip to Europe, I decided to try the Gioia Zinfandel. I was completely blown away. First your nose is invited in by a floral parade including the beautiful scent of rose oil. Next your palate springs to life as the flavors of berries and figs roll over your tongue giving way to the secret hint of vanilla that caresses the back of your tongue. Gioia’s Zinfandel is uncharacteristic to most zinfandels, which can be a bit robust and peppery. The texture is creamy and light. Its silky, smooth finish embodies its name because it is a “joy” to drink.

Gioia Wines come in five varietals, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon and retail for about $20.00. Teri wanted to celebrate the life of her son and these wines are definitely a special celebration to his life and one of his loves – good wine.

En Primeur or wine futures: Purchasing wine before it is bottled.

Wine futures…no it is not a movie about purchasing wine in the space age, but instead it is a potential investment opportunity for the avid wine speculator.  En Primeur also known as “wine futures” is actually the act of purchasing wine that has been made but not yet bottled. Although this is occurring in many regions today, including California and Italy, en primeur is a specialty of Bordeaux (region in France). Each April, Bordeaux hosts tastings for investors, merchants, collectors, etc. who are interested in purchasing wines en primeur.

Like any investment there are some pros and cons with purchasing wines en primeur.

Pros:

• Consumers can secure wines that may have very limited quantities and may be difficult to obtained after they are released.
• Purchasing a wine en primeur or as wine futures will be cheaper than purchasing once it is released to the public.
• There is opportunity to gain wines from great vintages like Bordeaux 2000.
• Wines can be obtained in less common formats like halves, magnums, and so on.

Cons:

• Payment is required at least a year to 18 months prior to the official release of the vintage.
• What you taste and pay for could be totally different from what you actually received once the bottled version has been released.
• You have to wait at least two years to receive your wine.
• You could be required to carry insurance and pay storage fees if you aren’t keeping the wine on your on property.

Before you set out to invest in wine via the en primeur or wine futures route do your research. As with any investment it can be a gamble (no pun intended) and you surely want to be well versed. Choose a reputable merchant to work with. Other helpful tips regarding en primeur or wine futures can be found at decanter.com. Check them out and happy drinking!

4th Annual Valley Wine Festival

On June 19, 2010, the city of Calabasas (California) along with Barcelona Enterprises will host the 4th Annual Valley Wine Festival and you are invited to attend. This year’s festival promises to be one for the record books. The theme will be “Vegas in the Valley” and you will be able to enjoy food, wine, beer, spirits and the flavor of Vegas. The festival will feature Casino gaming tables to entertain the attendees with games like Blackjack and Roulette, all with play money/chips for a worthy cause.

Located at The Commons in Calabasas it is expected that this event will sell out. Over 2000 attendees are expected and tickets will not be sold at the door. So hurry and get your tickets now. Standard ticket prices are $100.00, however, pre-sale tickets are currently available at 50% off so take advantage and purchase your ticket now. If you are a business owner  (i.e. wine bar, restaurant, etc.) and you would like to be a sponsor, please contact the festival committee at the link above to discuss sponsorship. This would be a great and inexpensive way to expose a large group of people to your business.

Food, beer, spirits and wines will be featured at the festival. Some of the wineries and wine importers that are sponsoring this event include, Rancho Sisquoc, Classic Wines of California, MegaWine Inc., Four Vines, Ravenswood, and Salo Wines & Spirits, just to name a few.

Finally, all proceeds from this festival will go to the Alzheimer’s Association. If this weren’t enough the festival is also doing it’s part to be “GREEN”. What this means is that The LA Green Business Program has issued a certification that the Valley Wine Festival meets and exceeds all the strict guidelines of being a green event. Some of the things the are doing to be “GREEN” include:

• - Minimizing all paper use (as far as no faxes)
• - Print on 100% recycled papers
• - Print only with green certified printers in LA.
• - All the trash produced from the event is composted
• - All disposable utensils and cups are compostable
• - Supplies are all procured locally to minimize trucking
• - Reusable products are used whenever possible.
• - All linens are laundered using green/environmentally conscious standards and practices.

So make plans to attend the festival (all details included below). A good time with fellow wine enthusiasts is promised. See you there!

• What: 4th Annual Valley Wine Festival
• Where: The Commons in Calabasas, CA
• When: June 19, 2010
• Time: 2PM – 7PM

Remember, drink responsibly.

Now you know this blog is primarily dedicated to wine. However, there is one holiday I just can’t let past with putting up a post and that is St. Patrick’s Day! When I lived in New York I think I would celebrate harder than anyone who was born of Irish decent. So in honor of one of my favorite holidays, I am posting a very short but fun post. Please check out the video below. How many brands of beer can you identify? Let me know!

You know you’ve experimented. It’s a way to discover what you like. And what you don’t. What makes you happy. What satisfies your soul. It’s how you know when you’ve found the one. The one that makes you say, “Sorry, I’m with Cabernet.” When you’ve met the love of your lie, is there really any reason to keep looking? (Back label of Monogamy Cabernet Sauvignon)

Monogamy or promiscuity…at some point we are all faced with the question of which way we should go. Now with wine the question comes up again.  Recently while shopping at my local market I came across an interesting bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. Many of you know that I haven’t really been a big fan of Cabs but my heart is starting to soften for them as of late because I have been introduced to some really delicious ones Monogamy Cabernet Sauvignon, I must admit, has found it’s way into my heart and onto my wine rack.

The name was the first thing that caught my eye but I must admit it was the back label (seen above) that made me purchase this delightful vino. This wine is an arranged marriage of 88% Mendocino County Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot. Although the marriage is arranged the couple honeymoons last longer than most Hollywood marriages. You see French and American oak barrels are the honeymoon destination for this couple and it last for 14 months.

After honeymooning for over a year this couple produces a wonderfully smooth texture of plums and herbs. A warm toasty finish also awaits you. Truly, madly, deeply…whether you are a Cabernet lover or not you will fall in love with this wine and perhaps the idea of monogamy as well.

However, if you are content of not settling dow  maybe promisQous is more your speed. Although I have not yet tried any of these wines yet I am told that they are also extremely good. PromisQuous are red and white blends and at this time they offer  a Pinot Grigio, a white table wine (blend of Chardonnay, Chenin blanc, Gewurztraminer and other white varietals) and a red table wine (blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and a mixture of other red varietals).

If any of you have tried the promisQuous brand please comment here on the blog and let me know what you think. Also click on the Monogamy link in the first paragraph and take the quiz to see which wine will be suit your personality. Are you into monogamy or promiscuity?

Finally, below is a video from fellow wine blogger, The Wine Whore, with some comments on Monogamy. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on these wines as well.

Rancho Sisquoc Tasting Room

Celebrating 20 years of winemaking Rancho Sisquoc was one of the first wineries in the Santa Barbara County wine region. Rancho Sisquoc is located on the Sisquoc River and was a part of an 1852 Spanish land grant. The Chumash Indian called the area “Sisquoc” which meant the “gathering place” and ever since the winery opened people have been gathering there to indulge in exquisite wines.

For my birthday last year a friend of mine gave me a bottle of the 2007 Sisquoc River Red. This delicious red table wine is a blend of cabernet sauvignon/franc, merlot, syrah/petite syrah, and malbec. It’s aged for 15 months in New American and Hungarian Oak barrels. With that comes the fragrant aromas of carmel, toffee and blackberries as well as the delicious taste of dark fruit including black cherries. There is a smooth bit of clove on the end which allows the wine to warm the palate while gently caressing the back of the throat.  The Sisquoc River Red is just one of the many awesome wines available through the ranch. At $16.00 it is also a true deal. Thanks Deb for turning me on to this delicious red.Rancho Sisquoc Winery has won many awards and achieved various accolades including Gold for the 2007 Chardonnay in the 2009 West Coast Wine Competition and Chairman’s Unanimous God for the 2006 Syrah in the Riverside International Wine Competition.

To find out more about the winery and the wines please click here and watch the video.

The Riesling grape varietal originates in the Rhine region of Germany and is considered one of the top three white grape varietals. It is an aromatic grape, high in acidity and is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Germany’s flagship grape, Riesling produces elegant wines which are the most long-lived of white grape varieties.

Riesling Grape

Moselland (in the Mosel region of Germany) is a cooperative of wine growers that got it start many years ago. Today they produce a variety of exceptional Rieslings including everything from dry Rieslings to organic Riesling. My first introduction to Moselland was the Landmark Series (Hollywood). It was one of the most refreshing white wines I’d tasted in a long time. On the nose was the fragrance of a ripe green apple along with a hint of peach and a slight bit of honey. The taste of sweet pear and a hint of pineapple consumes your tongue while the slightly acidic finish caresses your throat. This is definitely a delightful wine to have on a warm summer day.

I was given the Landmark Series as a gift and when it was gone I went in search of finding more. However, the day I was looking for it I couldn’t find it but what I did find was another Rielsing by the same producer. It was the Moselland ArsVitis Riesling. I purchased a couple of bottles and couldn’t wait to get them chilled and ready for tasting. After getting the bottle nice and chilled I opened it hoping to recapture the elegance I’d found with the Landmark Series. Again, the bouquet was of fresh fruit. However, on the palate lemon and peach flavors were experienced. Now I must say I found ArsVitis refreshing as well but I am more partial to the Landmark Series.

One other spectacular thing you should know about these Rieslings is that the bottles are absolutely beautiful. You see the winegrower Heinz Ames is also an artist who actually paints watercolors with wine. He uses Riesling to paint beautiful scenes of the Mosel Valley that are found in the wine bottles themselves. The bottles are so beautiful that you almost don’t want to drink the wine. In the ArsVitis collection there are 15 editions to choose from.

So if you are looking for a nice Riesling think Moselland and give it a try.

What is in a name???? A whole lot if you share it with Biblical kings. Glass wine bottles come in a variety of sizes but did you know that many of those bottles have names of Biblical kings? That is right…famous kings like Jeroboam, Rehoboam, Methuselah, Salmanazar, Balthazar and Nebuchadnezzar share their names with glass bottles which contain fine wines and Champagnes. Standard wine bottles usually are 750 milliliters in size. The information below, however, explains the sizes of the bottles that carry the name of the Biblical kings.

• Jeroboam (first king of the northern kingdom of Israel) = 3 litters or 4 standard bottles
• Rehobam (first king of Judea) = 4.5 liters or 6 standard bottles
• Methuselah (the oldest man in the Bible) = 6 liters or 8 standard bottles
• Salmanazar (king of Assyria) – 9 liters or 12 standard bottles
• Balthazar (one of the Three Wise Men) = 12 liters or 16 standard bottles
• Nebuchadnezzr (king of Babylon) = 15 liters or 20 standard bottles

A mneumonic to help you remember the names in order is….“My Judy Really Makes Splendid Belching Noises.” The M in My is for Magnum.

Wine bottles also carry other Biblical names like Solomon and Mordechai. How bottles started to get these Biblical names is really not clear today. The earliest use of biblical names for large bottles comes from 1725 where winemakers in Bordeaux were using the name Jeroboam for the four-bottle size. It is believed that they chose Jeroboam because he is referred to as “a man of great worth,” as were the larger size bottles.

In doing some research I’ve read  that it is no longer legal to use the Biblical names on the bottles of large wine. I cannot confirm or deny this. It states that the only name that is still okay to use (which isn’t Biblical) is Magnum which is a bottle that holds two standard bottles of wine. What I can say is that if you are lucky enough to find one of the Biblically named bottles I say snap it up. I would think that one day it may be worth a pretty penny.

Below please find a picture of the world’s largest bottle which is said to contain six and a half Nebuchadnezzars (130 bottles). This sherry bottle measures 1.5 meters and holds 220 pounds of wine.

A subset of the Quivira Vineyards in the world-renowned Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma, California, Steelhead Wines are a tribute to the restoration of the Steelhead domain in Wine Creek, a tributary of Dry Creek River that runs through the estate. Steelhead Wines along with Quivira Vineyards have partnered with Trouts Unlimited as well as other organization to restore the spawning ground of the Steelhead trout. Through their efforts the trout have returned to the creek bed every spring.

Through this effort Steelhead Wines were born.  Steelhead Wine is the first wine dedicated to the conservation of fisheries. Currently when you  purchase  either Steelhead Vineyards Zinfandel or Sauvignon Blanc a portion of the proceeds go to Trout Unlimited restoration projects. I have not tried the Sauvignon Blanc but have tasted the Zinfandel. I loved it so much that I went online to find out where I could buy it locally. I was shocked but quite pleased to find it at my local Beverages & More store.

The Steelhead Zinfandel is a great wine. Filled with great flavors this wine is made of 84% Zinfandel and 16% Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, & Carignane. It’s earthy blackberry and black pepper flavor leaves you with a feeling of bliss in your mouth and gives you a great hint of a Dry Creek wine in its finish.

This wine is a must do not just because of the taste but because of the wonderful cause it supports.  Please watch the video below courtesy of YouTube to see the trout returning in the spring.

Find out where you can purchase this wine in your area. Not only will you be getting a good bottle of wine but you will also be helping to maintain much needed fisheries in Sonoma.

And remember as always…drink responsibly.

How many of you out there remember the episode of “The Brady Bunch” (if not click on Brady Bunch title) where Jan was frustrated about being the middle sister. In that episode she decided to start to wear a hideous black wig to differentiate herself from her popular older sister Marcia and her sweet, cute baby sister, Cindy. According to Jan, she felt as if she were invisible because she was the blond middle sister. It seems that a lot of middle sisters across the world often feel as if they are invisible when compared to their older and younger siblings.

Middle sisters, fret no more for you have been recognized and immortalized in one of the most special ways possible. You now have your own catalogue of wines named especially for you. I discovered these little gems this past weekend. They are tasty and reasonably priced and you will get two treats for the price of one in this blog as I introduce you to Smarty Pants and Forever Cool.

Middle Sister Wine are produced and bottled by Middle Sister in Santa Rosa, California. There are six exciting flavors, all with distinct personalities. Middle Sister wines have fun names like Drama Queen Pinot Grigio, Smarty Pants Chardonnay, and Forever Cool Merlot.  There is also Rebel Red, Wicked White and Mischief Maker Cabernet Sauvignon. Click on the link at the beginning of this paragraph to experience their exciting website. I had so much fun checking it out. There is a quiz you can take to determine which Middle Sister wine personality fits yours. I took it and wasn’t surprised at all with my results. See my results posted below…

“You’re a Drama Queen. Nobody does quite like you do. You like to make an entrance. You know the best color/cut/face/eyebrow/ wax lady. You are friends with the bartender, the chef, the kid who started Face Book and the mayor. You’re a social butterfly. When it’s time to land, it’s poolside in South Beach with a glass of Middle Sister Drama Queen Pinot Grigio. And a cabana boy.”

It’s funny because when I was in the store trying to decide which ones of theses wines to purchase I immediately pick up the Drama Queen but  decided to put it back to try the Smarty Pants Chard and the Forever Cool Merlot first. I was pleasantly surprised at both. The Smarty Pants Chardonnay is a blend of Chardonnay (76%) and a mixture of other white grapes(24%). You won’t find the woodsy taste in this bottle as you do with many chards. However, there is crisp smells of lemon and honeysuckle as well as the taste of refreshing citrus and pear on the tongue. Each of the Middle Sister wines has a story on the back label and chard story is below…

Middle Sister Smarty Pants Chardonnay

“Some girls are born beautiful. Some girls are born rich.  And some girls are born smart. The smart girls grow up and use their brains to make money to buy great clothes and travel abroad and throw dinner parties…where they serve chardonnay that they didn’t spend a fortune on…in wine glasses brought home from their last trip to Paris. Some girls are born smart. And we think they’re the luckiest girls of all.”

The other wine we tasted was the Forever Cool Merlot. This is a successful blend of Merlot (94%) and Malbec (4%). Smells of fresh raspberries, blackberries and vanilla give way to the taste of luscious berries with a finish of dark chocolate. Forever Cool’s back label story is found below…

Middle Sister Forever Cool Merlot

“The Age of Aquarius has come and gone, but some things never go out of style. Like flowers, peace and a nice glass of Merlot. Let’s take a moment to toast the sisters who march on to the beat of a different drummer. Nobody stays forever young. But you will always be forever cool. And for that, we salute you. Sip on!”

Now that I’ve tried the chard and merlot I must go back and pick up the Drama Queen Pinot Grigio. By the way did I tell you I find this hidden gems at Target??? That is right Target and the cost was only $10.99 a bottle.

Whether you are a middle sister or not you really should give these wines a try. They are just perfect for informal gatherings with friends and family. They go well with a variety of foods including Portobello mushroom burgers, grilled chicken caesar and corn chowder.

Go to their website and browse around. Don’t forget to take the quiz to see which middle sister you are most like. Finally as always please remember to drink responsibly.