Wining...well...Judging Wine in Camarillo...

A couple of months ago, the Goddess of Wine and JD were having a quiet glass of wine at the madport wine lounge (yes, all lower case), and found ourselves in conversation with winemaker Dave Lustig and his wife Nancy. One thing led to another, we exchanged cards and promises to stay in touch. Dave is a prime mover in the Cellarmasters of Los Angeles, a group of passionate home winemakers founded in 1973, who are are dedicated to promoting the culture and hobby of amateur winemaking along with the safe enjoyment of wine [from their website].

Some weeks later, I received an email asking if I would be interested in judging at the 40th Annual US Amateur Wine Competition to be held on November 23rd. If so, would I attend the free clinics on Sensory Evaluation and Wine Judging prior to the event? Of course! The classes proved to be interesting and helpful, and a great introduction to Cellarmasters. Slight disclaimer: I was already familiar with the group, as JD had been a member and purchases most of his winemaking supplies at the Home Wine, Beer and Cheesemaking Shop in Woodland Hills. The shop is owned by John Daume, who also operates Camarillo Custom Crush, where the competition was to take place.

Wineaux of the Goddess November - Meeting - Toro!

The Goddess of Wine and her merry band of wine aficionados met to taste the wines of Toro, Spain. As it turned out, almost all the Wineaux brought samples of the noble Spanish grape, Tempranillo, known in Toro as Tinto de Toro. And there was an interesting and unexpected lesson at this tasting.

Some background on Toro mainly from Wikipedia: Toro is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) in the province of Zamora, northwest of Castile and Léon (Spain). The area covered by the DO is in the southeastern corner of Zamora province. Wine has been made in Toro since the end of the 1st century BC, when the ancient Greeks taught the local Celtic tribes. In the Early Middle Ages, the wines from Toro were the first to be traded in the region of the River Duero.

King Alfonso IX granted lands to several religious orders with the understanding that they would plant vines, and many of the existing churches in Toro today were built thanks to the wealth generated by the wine trade. The reputation of the wines from Toro grew and it was sold further afield in cities such as Seville and Palencia. At this time the wine producers built underground wineries (bodegas) in order to obtain better quality wines and to have more effective temperature control. At the end of the 19th century, wine were exported to France during the phylloxera crisis, which did not affect the local vines as they were protected by the sandy soil. The vines of other regions of Spain were replaced by vines from Toro as well. Toro still has a number of very old vineyards with pre-phylloxera Tinta de Toro, which in recent years have been used to source grapes for special cuvées.

Wining in a 'Simply Italian' fashion...

The Goddess of Wine is still catching up on her October events...sigh... On Wednesday, October 30th, JD and I braved the morning traffic over the canyons to reach the Mr. C hotel in Beverly Hills in order to learn about and taste some Italian wines presented by Simply Italian. These intrepid folks had flown in the night before from a similar event in Chicago and, despite their pleasant demeanor, we could see how tired they were.

The first seminar Regulating Italian Wines in Today’s Market presented by Federdoc featuring Riccardo Ricci Curbastro, President, and Paul Wagner, Instructor for Napa Valley College’s Viticulture and Enology department, started late and ran into the set up for the next seminar. The information presented was a brief recap of some of the legislative changes that have taken place regarding the DO/DOCG system in the Mediterranean region. The system protects trademarks and appellations - not just wine, but all foods that are specific to an area. The presentation was somewhat marred by an attendee who obviously needed to let everyone know how much he knew about the regions and the subject, as he continually interrupted and derailed the presentation, not just in the first seminar, but all through the morning, adding to an already problematic day.

Wineaux of the Goddess - October Meeting - Anderson Valley Edition...

The Wineaux of the Goddess came together for their monthly blind tasting to sample the wines of the Anderson Valley of Mendocino County. Long known for their gorgeous white wines, the Goddess threw a monkey wrench in the works and specified red wines only.

Some background on this cool climate AVA (from Wikipedia): The name Anderson Valley applies to the region from Yorkville (located in a highland meadow straddling the upper Rancheria Creek and upper Dry Creek watersheds) through Boonville (located on Anderson Creek) and Philo (located on Indian Creek) to Navarro (located on Soda Creek). Rancheria, Anderson, Indian and Soda creeks are tributaries to the Navarro River, which flows north and west through the coastal range to the Pacific Ocean; Dry Creek flows south into the Russian River watershed in Sonoma County. The climate is tempered by cool marine air. Steep hills and mountains surround rolling to nearly level alluvial terraces. Elevation ranges from sea level to 2,500 feet. Annual rainfall ranges from 35 to 80 inches, and the average annual temperature is about 53°F. Towards the coast the summers are cool and moist with frequent fog, while the interior Anderson Valley proper features a warm to hot summer climate similar to nearby interior regions, with daytime highs occasionally in excess of 100 °F (38 °C).

Wining in the Santa Ynez Valley...

The Goddess and JD received an invitation from the Santa Ynez Valley Wine Club to attend the Harvest of Love - A Winemaker Affair on September 28th at the Santa Ynez Inn in the tiny hamlet of Santa Ynez. This intimate event featured 6 small wineries: Roark Wine Company, Solminer Wine, Turiya Wines, LaMontagne Winery, Kaena Wines and Shai Cellars in a lovely shady green setting on a perfect California autumn day.

I've mentioned before that I rarely go to big wine events because it's too hard to talk to the people making/selling their wines. At a small event like this one, JD and I were able to meet the wine makers in person (some of whom we already knew) and find out what drives their passion for winemaking.

Wining for a good cause...She Dances...

The Goddess of Wine and JD were having an early dinner at the Peasant Wine Bistro on Sunday, and were introduced to a couple of young women who were putting together an event to raise money for an organization whose mission to is rescue, rehabilitate and empower girls who have been victimized by the sex trade in Honduras. 

PWB owner, Greg Woodbury, generously invited us to attend the event as his guests, and we offered to publicize it via social networks.

Here's the info from the She Dances website. The event is Saturday, October 12th, at the Hidden Chateau & Gardens in West Hills from 7 - 10 PM.

We hope you’ll join us on this very special evening of celebrating hope. Taste some stunning wines and bid on some exciting auction items! All of our wine, food and silent auction items have been generously donated, so every dollar raised will directly benefit the girls in our program who have been rescued from sex-trafficking. Admission is free, and $20 buys you four tasting tickets. 21 and over please. Visit our RSVP page and let us know that you’ll be coming!

A diverse selection of donated wines include selections from Dunn Vineyards, Abeja, Whalebone Vineyards, Peju Province, 3 Saints Vineyards, J Lohr, Lateral, Calabasas Peak Vineyards, and more.

Just a quick note: While the statements and/or opinions from the She Dances organization website are not necessarily in sync with those of the Goddess of Wine, we think this is a cause worth supporting. Cheers to those who work to save the children of the world!

Exciting New for Small Business Owners... Provide Unique Video Advertising with the SCV Unscripted Team

SANTA CLARITA, SEPT. 26 - If you haven’t already heard the buzz, well now you have.  SCV Unscripted is the newest production of Prime Publications, Inc., publishers of The Magazine of Santa Clarita and élite Magazine.  Together with Bonnie Keith, owner of Video Magic Production, and Eve Bushman as host, SCV Unscripted is dedicated to bringing even more awareness and publicity to your business or organization through use of video marketing. 

 

You may ask, “Why video?”  Using a mix of print as well as video marketing strategies makes the most sense.  With print ads, you have your chance to tell your stories using headlines, images and copy. With video, you can tell your story with movement and emotion.  So why not put your marketing dollars to good use with both?

Wining by Proxy...Kobrand Tour d'Italia - Icons of Italian Wine...

Sometimes the Goddess of Wine must send her First Acolyte, JD, to taste wine in her place. Last week, just a day before his knee surgery, JD attended the Kobrand Tour d'Italia 2013 tasting, Icons of Italian Wine at the Sofitel in Los Angeles. Here is his report:

Attended the walk-around tasting at this final stop of the tour. There had been hints of a seminar but could never confirm or connect. As I discovered after I checked in for the tasting and as certain questions were asked during the tasting, there actually was a seminar earlier somewhere in the hotel. Those are usually very educational. Who knows what it covered?

I started with the whites.

Masi Agricola Masianco from Veneto, a blend of 75% Pinot Grigio and 25% of another unfamiliar Italian grape called Verduzzo which added some nice acid and citrus notes.

Wineaux of the Goddess - September Meeting - Israeli Edition...

September being the month of both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur this year, the Goddess of Wine thought it might be nice to taste the wines of Israel. Viticulture has existed in Israel since biblical times. In the book of Deuteronomy, the fruit of the vine was listed as one of the seven blessed species of fruit found in the land of Israel (Deut. 8:8).

The location of Israel along a historic wine trading route between Mesopotamia and Egypt brought winemaking knowledge and influence to the area. Wine played a significant role in Judaism with images of grape growing, harvesting and winemaking often being used to illustrate religious ideals. In Roman times, wine from Israel was exported to Rome with the most sought after wines being vintage, dated with the name of the winemaker inscribed on the amphora. In the 7th century, the Islamic conquest of the Middle East virtually wiped out the region's wine industry with wineries closing down and vineyards, planted with now lost indigenous grape varieties, pulled out. Winemaking was temporarily revived in the Crusader states from around 1100 to 1300 but the return of Islamic rule and the subsequent Jewish Diaspora extinguished the industry once again.

Wining and dining in Burbank with Luna Vine and Romancing the Bean...

The Goddess occasionally dreams about the perfect evening: No driving required, great food and wine pairings, fun folks, and no cleanup (for the Goddess, that is). Sometimes, the dream comes true.

I've mentioned a few times that a new wine bar is coming to Burbank. It's finally under construction, and should be opening in October. In the meantime, Luna Vine Wine Bar owner Shannan VerGow, her General Manager Nick Caballero, and good friend and colleague Kerry Krull of Romancing the Bean, have been keeping the buzz going with monthly tastings on Magnolia Park's Ladies' Night Out. A week before Labor Day, they collaborated on the first of what I hope will be many more wine dinners.