LA Wine Fest 2009

Yesterday we attend Day 1 of the LA Wine Fest and I would have to say it was extremely fun and a little overwhelming at the same time. There were hundreds of people there and more wine than one individual could taste in a day, or even two days. Because of the abundance of people and wine, there wasn’t much time to truly taste the wines and compare and contrast against others. Nonetheless, it was still an exciting event. 

My game plan, going in, was to stop at tables of wineries and vineyards I’d never heard of or tried before. For the most part this is what happened. The exceptions, of course, were the Mollydooker and Opolo tables. I had to stop there because they are two of my favorites and I knew they would have something exciting to share. I will tell you what those were a little later in the post. 

Solsticio

One of the first places we stopped and I must say one of the best was at the Solsticio table. There we met the owners, Matthew and Amy Kot who’s wines come from the Uco Valley in Argentina. The first wine they poured for us was the Torrontes. The vibrant aroma reminds you of green apples. The taste is light, crisp and refreshing with a floral essence that finishes quite smoothly. The Malbec was also delightful. It’s bouquet was of deep dark stone fruit. On the palate the dark fruit explodes in combination with the oak all the while allowing for a gentle finish. Both of these wines were delicious and will be added to the jackpots page of this blog.

Amy & Matthew Kot - Owners of Solsticio

Vampire

The Vampire table was next. Click on the word Vampire in the previous sentence and it will take you to the winemakers website. Their website has quite an interesting story as to how their wines came to be. I digress… while at the table we noticed they were pouring several different wines including the Vampire Cabernet Sauvignon and Dracula Zinfandel. The zinfandel was quite bold and spicy with flavors of dark plums and chocolate. I love zinfandel however,  I didn’t find this one as exciting as some others I’ve tried. However, the cabernet was extremely delicious. It is blended with a little merlot and syrah which gives it a gentle but still a substantial feel on the palate. The concept of this winery is great and is definitely worth a trip to Paso Robles to see how the immortals make wine. Below is an ad for Vampire wine. Not sure when it was produced though but found it quite appropriate.

Vines on the Marycrest

Our next stop was at Vines on the Marycrest. This boutique winery is also located on the Central Coast in Paso Robles. At Wine Fest, Victor, the owner poured us two of their wines, a syrah based wine called ‘Round Midnight and a zinfandel based wine called My Generation. Both wines were good but the syrah was the better of the two. It is a blend of syrah, mourvedre and grenache. The taste of cherries delight the palate with just a hint of vanilla. This wine would do well with both a casual or elegant meal. To learn more about Vines on the Marycrest check out their story on thewinerychannel.tv.

Cielo

Two more jackpots were found at the Cielo table. Cielo Farms is located in the breath-taking hills of Malibu, California. In these gorgeous surroundings several beautiful wines are produced including Malibu Rouge and Honey Pie. The Malibu Rouge is a deep, dark fruity blend of merlot, syrah, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. This combination explodes with flavors of dark cherries, cinnamon, blackberries, vanilla and caramel. The tannins are soft and the finish is creamy. It’s like silk on the palate. The Honey Pie is also just as delicious. This white wine has a nose of apricots and the taste of citrus, peaches and honey (hence the name). The texture is smooth and light with just the right hint of sweetness. These two wines are a definite must  have for any wine cellar.

Owners of Cielo Farms

Mollydooker

Not to long ago I did a post on Mollydooker’s “The Boxer”. So when I heard this winery was going to be at Wine Fest I made it a point of stopping by their table. I was happy I did because I tasted another great wine from them that solidifies my opinion of them. They make great wine. The wine they poured was their Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz. An absolute delight, this wine is aromatic and flavorful. The taste of sweet fruit is apparent but not overpowering. The tannins are sleek and the finish is velvety. This wine is named after the owners’ son, who’s picture is on the bottle. The Blue Eyed Boy is an excellent Shiraz. Another score from our friends down-under.

Opolo

Opolo Zinfandel is one of my favorite wines, as I have mentioned before (see previous post) . So I was extremely excited to learn they were going to be at Wine Fest. As usual they did not disappoint. Their new release, an ’07 Reserve Zinfandel, is out of this world. The taste is bold with the implication of deep, dark fruit. On the palate the texture is soft and inviting. It’s elegance makes it a must-have at your next party or upscale event.

I could go on an on as there were so many more wines tasted. However, I will stop here as these were some of the top stars (in my opinion) at the event. Day 2 of the event is happening today from 2PM – 6PM, so if you missed it yesterday you still have a chance to experiences some of these great wines today. 

My next post will feature some of the other interesting tables we visited at LA Wine Fest.