Unwind at Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards

Like many, my brother and I visited our parents over the Easter weekend. Have I mentioned that I grew up in the central coast? I moved from one wine country to another (San Joaquin Valley). When we visit our hometown, I nag at my brother early Saturday morning so we have time to stop at a winery in the Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo or Santa Maria area. Someday I'd like to visit them all.

During this visit to the central coast, we stopped at a winery on our way back to the valley. I quickly researched beforehand to figure out which were open on Easter. After reading reviews and their hours, I decided on Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards. The apple wines caught my attention.


This is a family owned vineyard, which started as a retirement project for Dick and Dolores Kelsey. It has now become a full time business for the family. Their children and grandchildren are involved from growing the grapes to managing the winery.

The winery is located near Avila Beach towards the hills. We followed the signs and a road with many turns to arrive at our destination.


Somehow during reading the reviews, I missed that they have peacocks on their property! They have about 100 peacocks on the property and have been at this location for about 30 years. They seemed not to be afraid of people and got very close. Maybe they wanted me to feed them. The winery has peacock food pouches you may purchase for $2 to feed the peacocks.

They were modeling for the camera!


Enough about the beautiful peacocks and back to the wine...

We had the tasting of six wines of our choice from the wine list. I'll tell you about the apple wines. The apples in the wine are local from See Canyon. The wines are apple cider blended with a wine variety. The apple cider is subtle so it's not your apple cider you'd drink at Thanksgiving as a child. Avila Springs is just down the road; these would be perfect to drink while relaxing in the springs.



The "Red Delicious" is labeled as the Hot Tub Wine. I thought it was for the springs near by. Then I read the back of the label...


Awesome!

Wine Description from the Wine List...
2010 "Red Delicious" A nice relaxing blend of See Canyon Cider and Zinfandel that goes just as well on a warm summer night in the hot tub as it does with a happy BBQ with the family.

2010 "Golden Delicious" A unique fruit wine featuring a 50/50 blend of See Canyon Apples and Chardonnay grapes, this is a great wine equally for a hot summer day, or a nice spicy dish.


Make sure to check them out if you are looking for a place to relax, sip some wine, and enjoy the central coast weather.

Discovering the Malbec from Argentina

Everyone I have met from Argentina is wonderful. They have been easy going, friendly and with a hunger for adventure. I don't know if all Argentineans are the same, but those that I have met are pretty awesome. :)
For my next wine tasting, I tried the best variety from Argentina, the Malbec from the Mendoza region. The Malbec originated from France and was later given to Argentina as the "best wine grape." The French did not want to hand over their successful grapes and lied to Argentina by giving them a grape that didn't do so well. To the French's surprise, the Malbec did great in Argentina. The Mendoza region has better climate, altitude and soil for the Malbec grape.

As I sipped my wine, I imagined drinking aside other Argentineans at the Vendimia Festival. It occurs every March in the Mendoza region. The bodegas (wineries) host various events and wine tastings for the festival, Malbec everywhere you go! The festival is rated number two on National Geographic's Top 10 Harvest Festivals. (I'm adding it to my bucket list ;) )

My expectation of the Malbec was for it to be great like the Argentineans I've met! This wine was pretty close, after all, these Argentineans are awesome...
Vineyard: Bodega Norton
Year: 2008
Variety: Malbec
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Purchases at: BevMo $16.99
91 pts Wilfred Wong
About Bodega Norton...founded in 1895 by Edmund James Palmer Norton with vines imported from France. They now have five vineyards spread throughout the Mendoza region with vines of an average 30 years.

Tasting Notes: Deeply red with violet hues. Aromas of ripe red fruits, cassis and pepper. Sweet on the palate, friendly tannins with spicy flavours. Very good persistence.

My experience:
I agree with the tasting notes! I smelled the French oak barrels in which the wine was aged. I was eating food with a spicy sauce, and after drinking the wine, my spicy taste buds went for a wild ride. It made the spicy flavors bolder and stood out in my food. It can be compared to the sense of adventure my Argentinean frieds have.

Just like the wine color, I smelled and could also taste dark red fruits such as plum, sweet grape, and some blackberries. Overall, this wine is easy to drink for those looking for a red wine with a full body.
If interested in purchasing this wine at BevMo, it is part of their 5 cent wine sale. The sale ends this Monday, March 26th!!

Sources:
Sommelier Adolfo Munoz
http://allaboutar.com/ar_wine_mendoza.htm
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/
http://www.norton.com.ar/home.php

All Smiles at Papagni Wines

I attended the Madera Wine Trail's Wine and Chocolate weekend on February 11th and 12th. Our (boyfriend and I) first stop was Papagni Wines located right off highway 41. There was a small crowd, which made it feel comfy and somewhat intimate. The wine tasting was located in the bottling room due to the tasting room still being prepared to open February 13th. (It's now open!) The employees serving the wines were friendly and approachable. They answered any questions we had about the wine and their production. As we finished our tasting, the Seller Master announced anyone interested on a tour was welcome to join him.

Tony, A.K.A. Morgan Freeman, the Cellarmaster, was a great host! He showed us the machinery where all the grapes passed through to get bottled. We had wine straight from the tanks of Pinot Grigio, Muscat of Alexander (dry white), Muscat Canelli, and Cabernet Sauvignon. These wines did not have their labels ready, therefore, not available for purchase, yet.

Here are my tasting notes from the wines available for tasting during the Wine and Chocolate Weekend. This is only my point of view according to my tongue tasting and brain processing. :) For more information check out Papagni Wines website at http://www.papagniwines.com/.

2009 Malvasia Bianca: slightly sweet, berries, raspberry, sweet strawberries and some melon.

2001 Alicante Bouschet: their award winning wine, smells like cherry, taste like spices, cherry, and some blackberry.

Pinot Grigio (sorry, didn't write down the full name/year): a wine what I call "search for flavors" as they are not very powerful. I tasted pear and some peach.

Muscat Canelli: an easy to drink wine especially for the sweet wine drinkers. Tasted like nectarines. My favorite sweet wine from Papagni.

Some pictures from our tour...

Grapes drop off from the trucks here...

Filter grapes in this tank to make grape juice packaged in buckets and delivered to Canada, New York and other places...

The cellar with 3,000, 4,000, 6,000 gallon tanks kept at about 41 degrees...

Tony, Seller Master, giving us a tasting straight from the tank. All smiles! :)

The vacuum filter spins around, sucks out the juice from the inside and a blade trims the dirty stuff...

The new tasting room...

Thanks to their great hospitality we are sure to come back!

Visit to Firestone Vineyards

A few weeks ago I visited the Santa Ynez Valley with my dad. My dad delivers fertilizers to growers around the Santa Maria area, which includes vineyards. So when I proposed for us to visit a winery while we were visiting the Santa Ynez Valley, my dad knew where to take me.

We drove to the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail which is home to more than 15 wineries. The first stop from the South end is Firestone Vineyard. Firestone is also a popular stop for visitors. As soon as we drove up, the parking area looked as if there was a special event occurring. Inside the tasting room, there are souvenirs along the sides for purchase. A square shaped large bar is located in the center of the room where guest taste wines. An area is set up by a long window to take in the vineyard view.

During a tasting visit, you may choose from a white and red wines list for $10 or an all reds list with their higher end wines for $15.

$10 Featured Wines (bottle price $14-$25)
2009 Gewurztraminer, Santa Ynez Valley
2009 Chardonnay, Santa Ynez Valley
2010 Rose, Santa Ynez Valley
2009 Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County
2007 Merlot, Santa Ynez Valley
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Ynez Valley

$15 Reserve Flight (bottle price $24-$60)
2008 Cabernet Franc, Santa Ynez Valley
2006 Merlot, Chairman Series
2007 Lineage, Chairman Series
2007 Ambassador
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Chairman Series
2007 Ambassador, Cabernet Sauvignon

I tasted the red and whites. The bottle I purchased was the Pinot Noir. The aromas were strong enough for anyone to pick up, including my dad who has trouble smelling. :) This was also his favorite.

"The 2009 Pinot Noir has an exotic nose that is smoky and spicy. Fresh strawberries, rhubarb, rose petals, cloves, and sundried tomatoes race across the palate. Hints of earth and mushroom create a velvety texture on the finish. Allow time to breathe for optimal drinking!"

I also enjoyed their Chardonnay with 90 points Wine & Spirits. It has aromas of apples, citrus, pineapple, butter, warm toast and vanilla.

It may get crowded in the tasting room but by joining the Firestone Cellar Club you receive exclusive access to the Wine Club Lounge and other excellent benefits. With membership, you and five guests receive complimentary tasting from Firestone and six other tasting rooms:

Lincourt (Solvang, CA)

Foley (Lompoc, CA)

EOS (Paso Robles, CA)

Sebastiani (Sonoma, CA)

Chalk Hill (Healdsburg, CA)

Three Rivers (Walla Walla, WA)

You will also receive the latest information about Firestone Vineyards and its wines, discounts on merchandise, 20% off Firestone wine, and 30% off reorder featured club wines. There are various packages you may choose to receive wine quarterly. The "Cellar" package includes three bottles and "Double Me Up" includes six bottles. Then you may choose a "Red" package with three bottles average price of $55 and $110 for six bottles. Or you can choose the "White" package with three bottles average price of $37 and $74 for six bottles. The "Mixed" package is also available with selections of all varieties; three bottle shipment prices average $51 and six bottle shipment averages $102, plus shipping and taxes.

Basically, if you join the club and gather five friends to taste wines at one or more of the featured tasting rooms, this is a great deal! :) Next time I'm headed back to the coast with some friends, I know what I'm doing.

Champagne Etiquette

Champagne and sparkling wine are different from wine in many ways. One difference is how to open the bottle. And now you will know how to properly open a Champagne bottle...

Make sure the bottle has been chilled.
Remove the foil from around the cork.
Place your hand on top of the bottle and carefully twist to remove the wire cage.
Hold on to the cork with one hand and the bottle with the other.
Slowly twist the bottle and hold on to the cork.
The goal is to make the least noise as possible.

Another adventurous way to open a bottle is with a large sword. Remove the foil and wire cage. Take the sword and quickly slide it across the vertical seam of the bottle towards the cork. This should break the end of the bottle. This method is a lot messier. I wouldn't recommend trying it for the first time at someone else's home. :)

When pouring the Champagne, tilt your tulip-shaped flute so that the Champagne falls on the side of the glass. Fill the glass half way and wait for any foam to settle. Now fill your glass about 2/3 of the way and cheers!

Check out this video for more on how to open a Champagne bottle.

Getting the Bubbly ready for New Years

Do you have the bottles ready to pop for New Years? What kind of bubbly will you be serving? Champagne? Sparkling wine? Cava? Prosecco?
Do I have you confused yet with all these names? :)

There is a difference between all the names mentioned. Many call all bubbly wine "champagne." But after this post, you'll know most of the time it is "sparkling wine."

Champagne is technically only from the region of Champagne in France. Only bubbly wine that follows the regulations of making champagne may label their bottles as Champagne. Champagne follows the remuage process in which the bottles are placed downward and slowly rotated. A very long process.

Korbel began to make sparkling wine before champagne was legally protected. Therefore, you'll see champagne on their bottles, but it must appear next to California.

Sparkling wine comes from the 'New World' region. New World is referred to the countries that make wine outside of the traditional Europe. New World includes the United States, Australia, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada. Sparkling wine is what is mostly found at grocery stores.

Cava comes from Spain and Prosecco comes from Italy. More information on these later.

I happen to have a bottle of Champagne that I've been saving for a special occasion. :)

The Cozy Ramos Torres Tasting Room

As mentioned before, one great thing of living in the San Joaquin Valley is being surrounded by wineries. Many of these wineries have a "close-knit" feel to them unlike some wineries found in other areas. It is no surprise when the wine makers grew up in the area. Ramos Torres Winery is an example of just that. The owner and wine maker, Oscar F. Ramos is a Kingsburg native and Fresno State alumni. He selects quality grapes from throughout California to produce a premium wine. In 2008 he opened the tasting room located in Kingsburg.

I had the opportunity last weekend to visit their tasting room. It is a cozy place with a wood burning fireplace and art available for purchase. There are tables with high chairs to sit down and chat over a glass of wine. A large chalkboard is located behind the counter with the week's featured wines on the tasting menu, the wine vocabulary word, and current promotions.

The wines available for tasting during my visit were:

2008 Generations (60% Alicante Bouschet, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon)

2009 GMS (40% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre, 20% Syrah)

2009 Syrah (100% Syrah)

2009 Tempranillo (95% Tempranillo, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon)

2010 Vino Blanco (100% Chardonnay)

My two favorites are Generations and Tempranillo. It's difficult to decide on one favorite. I liked Generations because it reminded me of eating a razzleberry pie; I'm a berries kind of girl. :) It is described to have "some nice cola aromas, ripe berries, a wonderful clean nose and some underlying hints of lavender. Tannins are chewy and are beginning to balance out...food friendly wine."

Tempranillo was smooth and somewhat complex. It is the kind of wine that I want to keep tasting and swishing in my mouth to find all the hidden flavors. It is described to have "aromas of currant, blackberries...round and full mouth feel that finishes with a clean taste."

Tasting is only $4 and you are given crackers with each tasting. Their crackers were also yummy! The ones I received had a cheese grated and baked with the cracker.

Tasting Room:

1665 Simpson St.

Kingsburg, CA 93631

(559) 419-9159

Friday 2pm -7pm Saturday & Sunday 12pm- 5pm

I'd recommend visiting their tasting room! All their wines are great, just check out their facebook page and see what people have to say. They also post their upcoming events on their webpage. Their next event is the "Holiday Winemaker's Dinner" on Friday, December 16th at 6pm with live music, wine and a fabulous meal. They will be hosting the dinner in their new winery facility located just behind the tasting room. I heard it looks great. :) Cost is $50 per person, and must be paid in advance by Friday, December 9th. To reserve your spot call the tasting room or Ranetta Brown (559) 364-6793.

For more information visit their website.

Wine Delicious as a Cupcake

Last weekend I took a trip to Costco, which is known for price discounts on bulk products. Well, wine at Costco comes in a single bottle and with a discount! The Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay and Red Velvet are available at our Costco for under $7.00. I have seen them at other stores for about $10 regular price and about $8 on sale.

The Cupcake Vineyards caught my attention the first time I saw their name. Cupcake...cupcakes are delicious! And then wine...great combination! Their slogan is something I like to follow, "Live Deliciously." They carry a variety of wines including 5 whites, 7 reds and 2 sparkling wines. My goal, to try them all!

The wine with the most cupcake-like name is the Red Velvet. What a great idea to name wine Red Velvet! The wine is a red, in case you didn't assume by the name, a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah. I tasted cherry, chocolate and dark fruit flavors. It had a subtle sweetness, so subtle that I wouldn't classify it as a sweet wine.

I had red velvet cake at my house. So I thought, I've got Red Velvet wine and red velvet cake; why not have them together? Oh my, the wine just got better! The flavors of the two collided in my mouth and tasted AWESOME! I highly recommend this wine next time you're having a piece of red velvet cake.

Celebrating the Pomegranate in the Central Valley

November is Pomegranate month!

To celebrate the pomegranate, the Madera Chamber of Commerce held its first annual Pomegranate Festival and Celebration. It was a weeklong of events to celebrate the pomegranate in the valley, including a kick off run, evening dinners and a festival.

To take part in the celebration, I attended the Pomegranate Festival last Saturday at Appellation California. Over 1,000 people attended the festival to enjoy pomegranate infused meals, juice drinks, honey, and of course, wine! Families, don't be discouraged to attend next year, this was also a family event. Children could enjoy coloring, dancing, games, and a large sling shot to throw pomegranates at a target. What kid doesn't like playing with a sling shot?

The infused food I enjoyed the most was You Sweet Thing Pomegranate Wine Jelly with Twin Pomegranate Wine. It was sweet and delicious like Twin Pomegranate Sweetie wine. Unlike other infused foods, there was no searching for pomegranate flavor. As soon as you took your first bite of the cracker with the jelly, full pomegranate flavor and full wine flavor. Yummy!

Twin Pomegranates Wine was also present at the festival with the Sweetie and Sparkling Wine available for tasting. The Sweetie wine is their recent released wine. It is not as sweet as other dessert wines but "semi-sweet" and "slightly tart" like a pomegranate. Forget picking at a pomegranate for its seeds, drink a glass of Sweetie wine and you've got the pomegranate taste you are looking for...plus the good feeling you get from wine. :)

A new pomegranate wine to taste at Appellation California is the Pomegranate Sangria. It is so new; they are still making it right now. They are yet unsure where they will carry it other than at Appellation California. The sangria is fruity; it is like pomegranate seeds juice plus some sugar to avoid the tart flavor. This would be great to go along with thanksgiving desserts.

Great job to the Madera Chamber of Commerce and all sponsors in executing a fantastic 1st annual Pomegranate Festival and Celebration!