So much wining...so little time to write!

I was trying to figure out why I haven't written in the last month, and I realized it's because JD and I have been running all over the place tasting wines, eating great food, and just generally having a good time, except for the broken nose. But that's another story. 
 
Here's what's been going on in the last month or so. And it doesn't include various dinners with friends and meetings about the upcoming LA WineFest!

3/14 - The Flask Studio City - Fog Crest from Sebastopol (wines were OK, nothing to write home about)/Shai Cellars from Santa Ynez (Of course, a personal favorite. And winemaker Shawn Halahmy was donating part of the proceeds of any of his sales to help Japan.)

Wining by proxy...A guest post from the First Acolyte himself...

So many wine events, so little time! Back on March 15th, the Family Winemakers of California came to town, but the Goddess couldn't get there...sob! So I sent my First Acolyte, JD, to cover the event. Here is his report:

Popping up from parking at the convention center I found myself in the conference building. Discovered the Exhibit Hall is on the other side of the Center grounds. I planned on mostly hitting wineries I was unfamiliar with, which would unfortunately mean skipping many known great tastes.

The doors opened and I headed for the end of the alphabet and started with William James Cellars, who had called the Goddess asking to be sure to taste their wines. Started with the “Simply Gorgeous” Grenache Rose, had good cran- & other berry spice, light, a nice start which led to the regular Grenache “Smoke Rings”, a slightly heavier version. “Persuasive” Pinot Noir had some nice earth in it. I found the Cabernet Sauvignon was a little hot on the nose, but would probably quiet down given a little time to swirl. Sampled a couple others too, but was getting a little anxious to move on- so many wineries in this huge room!

Wining at Noir...

Dining room at Noir

JD and I were lucky enough to be able to get tickets to a special winemaker dinner at Noir Food and Wine in Pasadena. By special, I mean special. Richard Sanford, the man behind the Sanford & Benedict vineyard, the original Sanford Winery, the current award-winning Alma Rosa Winery, and the inspiration for a generation of winemakers, was bringing his lovely wines to be paired with dishes created by Pasadena's most celebrated chef, Claud Beltran.

Wining, wining, wining...the wining never stops!

Grape of the Night @ VWC

Attended an intimate Grape of the Night at the Valencia Wine Companylast Monday, the 7th. Ringmaster Eve Bushman put out the call, per Rusty Dale Sly's command, for Bordeaux wines. You know, from France. JD & I showed up with a chilled 2008 Chateau Tertre de Launay from the Entre Deux Mers region, setting the bar pretty high, if I say so myself. A couple of attendees, who said they never drink white Bordeaux, had to admit it was pretty tasty (technical term, of course); a crisp, citrusy Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend that had a soft, honeyed finish. Yum!

Other hits of the night were the 2003 Chateau Franc, a lush blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc, and the 2006 Chateau Tour Pauillac Cru Bourgeois, a 70/30 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. I do love Bordeaux! Next month, GOTN will feature Petit Sirah, that deceptively named grape that is anything but small.

Rhoning in Paso...

JD & I had the opportunity to head up to Paso Robles a couple of weeks ago for the annual Rhone Rangers Experience - Paso Robles chapter - seminar and tasting. We sweet-talked our cousins in Los Osos to put us up for a couple of nights, and headed up the coast.

Saturday morning, got on the road early, stopping in Solvang to break our fast at Paula's Pancake House. This time we had contacted our friend Lee Tomkow, a brilliant photographer and videographer, to meet us. Over breakfast, we chatted about wines and wineries. On hearing that we were headed to the RR, he suggested that we look up Ambyth Estate and try the wines there. He couldn't say enough about them - biodynamic, organic farming, great location at a high elevation in Templeton. I said we'd keep it in mind, time permitting.

Wining all around town...

Can't believe we're at the end of February already. How did that happen? And there have been so many wine events already, and so many more coming up. It's hard to choose when there are so many opportunities to meet like-minded folks and taste great wines. So far this year, there have been a couple of Grape of the Nights at Valencia Wine Company, the 1st Annual SCV WineFest (pictured right), several LearnAboutWine events, not to mention my own series of Introduction to Wine With the Goddess classes.

In Memoriam...

I took a break for a few weeks - from writing, that is - because I needed to rethink what I was doing on this blog. I don't want this to just be shameless self-promotion; I really do want to talk about the things that are important to me, and things happen that put priorities into perspective.

A long-time friend died today. She was an elegant, old-fashioned LADY. In the best sense of that word. She was dignified, but had a wicked sense of humor and timing. She had an undeniable self-possession, a noble bearing and the ability to handle any situation or person with patience and kindness, no matter how angry or upset or amused she was. She comforted me during the period of my mother's descent into Alzheimer's; she always knew what to say. She had strong beliefs, but never pushed them on anyone - because that just wasn't done. She doted on her husband, but knew that she needed her own space and made sure he had his, too. Over the last year, she became very frail and stopped coming to our Saturday breakfasts, but she was always with us. Rest in peace, dear Flo. We are all better for having known you.

Wine along with the Goddess...

Just a quick note while prepping the next post. We've got some fun events coming up, and would love you to share them with us.

On Sunday, February 6th, if you're not into football - or even if you are - come on down to Loft 218 and join me as I teach Wine Camp for LearnAboutWine. It's fun! It's a great way to discover new wines and make new friends with common interests. Click thru on the icon with a wine bottle in a tent - Wine Camp, get it? - and buy your tickets for a terrific Sunday afternoon with no football to get in the way. I'm just saying...

Then, on Tuesday, February 8th, join JD and me at Total Wine & More in Northridge as we taste and talk about romantic wines to buy for Valentine's Day! Oh, and there WILL be chocolate! Click thru on the Local Wine Events icon to buy your tickets. This is a great way to learn about wine in the San Fernando Valley. Did I mention there will be chocolate?

Almost forgot! The team that brings you the LA Wine Fest is now bringing you the Santa Clarita Valley Wine Fest on Saturday, February 12th! The Goddess and JD will be pouring wine there to support their friends, wine aficionado Dr. Joel Fisher, blogger extraordinaire Eve Hammond Bushman and many others!

Don't miss these great events! Cheers!

Jumping into the new year, wining as we go...

2010 ended with a bang and a whole lotta Champagne. 2011 started quietly while we rehydrated. But JD and I are back in full swing now!

We started at the monthly Monday night meeting of Grape of the Night at the Valencia Wine Company. January's topic was Rhone-variety blends from anywhere. We had a nice crowd including Four Brix owner/winemakers Steve and Lora Simonsgaard. We had met the Simonsgaards a few times before, but this time we got a chance to really visit with them, especially as they poured their 2008 Rhondezvous, a delightful blend of 43% Syrah, 29% Mourvedre, 18% Grenache, 10% Counoise, aged for 16 months in French oak barrels. There were some other interesting blends that night, lots of lively conversation and plans for upcoming events. Another big hit of the night was 2007 Pulchella, another local winery sourcing their grapes from the Paso Robles region.

Random Thoughts at Year End...

The end of the year always takes me by surprise. So many things I wanted to do, but somehow didn't get around to. People I wanted to see, places I wanted to go. But I can't regret the way the year has gone.

JD and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary; we've actually been together longer than that, but it's nice to keep track of the numbers.

I'm still close with friends from high school - Wil up in San Francisco, Craig in Albuquerque, Jae closer to home in Santa Clarita. We don't see each other enough, but there is a connection that is never lost. And, thanks to social networking, I was able to reconnect with old friends from Pennsylvania. I love technology!