Screw Cap Wine Bottle Closures Gain in Popularity

by Frank Mangio

In what could be an inflection point in the wine industry, an announcement came out recently from the 4th largest winery in the state of Washington that Hogue Cellars, as a “result of groundbreaking research” is moving 100% of its wine production to screwcap closures.

It took Hogue Cellars about 5 years to arrive at the decision that screwcaps were the ideal closure for “preserving and aging wines.”I have long felt that screwcaps have a place in the wine world. You cannot beat Hogue Cellars of Washington is now using Screwcap Closures (photo) on all their wines. the convenience in eliminating the corkscrew opener. In the research, screwcap closures were proven to hold fruit flavors and aromas without reducing the character of the wines. Sure, corks will always be a part of the ritual of opening a powerful and expensive wine in a 5 star restaurant.

There is something to getting your moneys’ worth in this condescending approach to the pampering of the wine experience. But in this Hogue Cellars study which is the most extensive one ever, the right type of screwcap closure allows better preservation and quality compared to natural cork closures,due to a controlled ratio of oxygen to come in contact with the wine.

Over 3,200 samples were tested over 5 years. In blind samplings, the screwcap closure had the best taste consistency. “It all comes down to quality,” said Hogue Director of Winemaking Coman Dinn. “We want customers to know that when they purchase a bottle of Hogue Cellars wine, whether it’s to enjoy that night or in 5 years, the wine in the bottle will be fresh because it has been sealed in the best closure currently on the market.”

Try the Hogue Cellars 2008 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with a dash of Merlot, Lemberger and Syrah, for an example of a beautifully crafted complex red ( $11.) with the newest generation of a screwcap closure. www.hoguecellars.com

“La Familia” Wines of Napa Valley

The roots of the wine world can be truly traced to husband and wife, father and son or daughter and generally can be said to be Italian in origin, in the sweeping fields of Napa and Sonoma.

In the story of Carolyn Lawrence of Leo Joseph Wines, going back to 2002, it was four generations of women learning as they went; from Carolyn’s 100 + year old mother, her daughter to her granddaughter. At the family home in St. Helena, they had planted nearly an acre of vines around the family home and began producing wines starting with the 2005 vintage. The vineyard yields 3 ½ tons of Cabernet and almost ½ ton of Cab Franc.

Carolyn Lawrence Murphy and husband Bill display their Napa Valley Cabernet vintages at a Sons of Italy gathering in Carlsbad.

Leo Joseph was her father who was born and raised in St Helena. For more on the wines and how to purchase, access www.leojosephwines.com.

Wine Bytes

§ Laguna Canyon Winery’s next monthly tasting is Fri.Aug. 5 from 6 to 9pm. For $35. ea. select from 15 different wines including Brut Champagne. Appetizers include assorted cheeses and grapes. RSVP at 949-715-1621.

§ Tesoro Winery in Temecula has the Valley Winds Swing Band Fri. Aug. 5 and 19, from 6 to 9pm just outside the tasting room in Old Town. Free Admission. Call 951-308-0000.

§ The San Diego Wine Country Festival is Sat Aug 6 from 1 to 5pm at Bernardo Winery in Rancho Bernardo. Nearly 20 wineries in San Diego County are pouring. Education booths to learn how to make wine. Music and food add to the festivities. $20. admission. Food extra. Call 858-487-1866 x 115 for more.

§ The Venetian Masquerade is coming to Little Italy in San Diego Sat. Aug. 13, 6 to 10pm in Amici Park . Come in Costume. Italian music, food, dance and art. Silent auction. $100. pp. Tickets at www.ferragostosd.org.

§ Schlossadler International Wines in Oceanside has its annual Warehouse Tasting Sat. Aug. 13 from 2 to 5pm. Open to the public for $15. ( buy a bottle and get a your admission applied to the wine) Music, food, wines from around the world. More by calling 800-371-9463.

Is Sangiovese the Greatest Grape?

by Frank Mangio

As most of my readers know, I will be leading a small group of wine aficionados through Tuscany, Italy during the harvest of its signature grape, Sangiovese.

Tuscany is a maze of different microclimates with 7 distinct districts. It’s like you placed all the major wine making areas in California in a tight cluster with their own climactic kingdoms, all growing Sangiovese.

A farm near Siena Tuscany that makes Sangiovese with an ancient press and oversize straw bottles.

Italy itself is a vast garden of grape varietals with over 2,000 native wine grapes that came from a longhistory of settlers from other lands that brought their vines with them to plant in this wine paradise. Today, Italy is the largest producer and exporter of wine in the world, with the U.S. its largest importer. But big is not the Sangiovese story. Growers on average farm on just 2.5 acres and operate old-world equipment with historic techniques as shown in the photo of the wagon, storage jugs and press.

The American appetite for Tuscan Chianti reached its peak in the 60’s when, wrapped in quaint, ubiquitous straw bottles, it was the darling of mindeless wine drinkers. Tuscany was churning out wines that were watered-down with little regard for quality.

When California Italians emerged as the new world quality wine makers , old world Italy had to dramatically change for the better, and they did. The government, with the cooperation of the larger wineries, raised the standards to the highest quality possible and by the late 1970’s the revolution to fine wine was well under way.

Leading wineries, for the first time, were allowed to blend their wines and called them “Super Tuscans.” Antinori was the first with his Tignanello, a wine of 85% Sangiovese, with the balance of Cabernet and Cab Franc. Piero Antinori is the wine “maestro” that I studied under with a Wine Spectator video course where I earned my Wine Connoisseur certification. “I feel a special bond with Tignanello,” he is fond of saying. “It represents a major point of departure for my winery, my family and I, and sparked the beginning of the Italian wine renaissance.”

Other world-class Sangiovese based wines that I recommend are: Banfi Wines Summus, a fine wine blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet and Syrah in the Montalcino estate and Banfi Brunello Di Montalcino, a Sangiovese clone aged for 4 years; Fontodi Chianti Classico with 100% Sangiovese, a classic Tuscan wine; Barone Ricasoli Castello di Brolio Chianti Classico, from a family that dates back to the 11th century. Franceso Ricasoli is credited with working with the Italian government on higher standards for Sangioivese wines, that became Chianti Classico. All these classic Tuscan wines give us rich notes of black berry fruit, earthiness, the high grades of minerality, excellent food friendly acidity and silky tannins that benchmark all Sangiovese wines.

Sangiovese’s name comes from early Roman Empire times. The literal translation means “the blood of Jove”- the Roman version of Jupiter.

The blood of Sangiovese ran thick in Italian immigrants as they flooded California in the late 19th century. The early Seghesio family is credited with growing it in Sonoma, the first in California.

A rising star in Tuscany is Agricola Fontanelle with the three Rosati bothers that contribute to Sangiovese-based wines that are turning heads. They also cultivate high quality olive oil and an “heirloom” breed of pig. They use small oak barrels and age the wines for 24 months. The best example now released is the 2007 Ri.Va.Le. Chianti ( $15.) distributed through Quigley Fine Wines in San Diego.

Today, two California wineries produce Sangiovese wines to try: Niner Wine Estates in Paso Robles and their 2008 vintage ( $24.) with winemaker Amanda Cramer. It packs a strawberry taste with a touch of spice and lovely acidity that mates with Italian hard cheese.

At South Coast Winery, master winemaker Jon McPherson makes his Sangiovese in the hills of Temecula with a style more like Brunello. The current release is still 2006 ( $34.). Age and French Oak barrels are key to the refined acidity of this Sangiovese.

Is Sangiovese the greatest grape? It’s worth a glass or two to find out for yourself.

Wine Bytes

San Diego Wine & Culinary Center has a Caymus & Groth Wines Tasting Fri. July 29 from 6 to 9pm in cooperation with Alternative Wines. $45. pp. with finger foods. Call 619-231-6400 for an RSVP.

Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido has a Frank Family Wines event Sat. July 30 from 2 to 4pm. Fee of $10.in advance. For your glass call 760-745-1200.

Pala Mesa Resort in Fallbrook is offering half-off Fallbrook Wines by the glass or bottle on Fridays. The Food and Beverage Director recommends the Syrah. Call 760-731-6806.

Stuart Cellars in Temecula Wine Country welcomes the 7th annual Futures Barrel Tasting event Sat. July 30, 6:30 to 10pm. Sample 10 wines plus gourmet food for $70. RSVP at 951-676-6414.

Enjoy a gourmet Winemaker Dinner at Orfila Winery Escondido Thurs. Aug. 4 from 6 to 8pm. $85. pp. Details at 760-738-6500 x22.

La Costa Wine Company presents its Cakebread Wine Tasting Fri. Aug. 5 from 5 to 8pm. Cost is $25. Call 760-431-8455.

Ramona Valley Wineries Link Up

by Frank Mangio

A wine country in San Diego? After a series of patchwork plots and crazy-in-love individuals making a hundred or so cases of their favorite varietals all over San Diego County, you might just be able to say, there is the makings of a wine country in these here parts. Weirdly enough California’s wine making began with the Franciscan fathers in San Diego in the 1700’s. Spanish explorers built a string of missions from San Diego north all with vineyards. After historic bouts with phylloxera diseases in the 1880’s and prohibition in the 1920’s, most of the wineries of note finally settled in Napa and Sonoma. In San Diego County, there were pockets of vineyards, largely disregarded as serving only family and friends.

Rose and Herman Salerno are among ambitious wine makers in the Ramona Valley of San Diego who make respected wines.

Two life-changing events have recently occurred that have lifted SanDiego County’s Ramona Valley into the light of day. In January 2006, the area of some 89,000 acres was designated as the Ramona Valley Viticultural Area, based on its “unique microculture, terrior and history of grape production.” The area surrounds the town of Ramona. There are about 50 vineyards and 16 wineries doing business. This is only the 2nd “AVA” in this county and the 3rd in Southern California.

The other event, a “Boutique Wine Ordinance” approved last year by the county allows, and would make it easier, to offer public tasting rooms in the area’s wineries for the public to “try before they buy.” After a flurry of objections from environmentalists, it finally was written into the books a few months ago.

At an average elevation of 1,400 feet and rainfall of some 16.5 inches per year, the Ramona area is well suited for quality wine grapes.

Rose and Herman Salerno’s first vintage was 2002, made in the garage of their adobe home in the hills of Ramona. They had been making wine for their personal use 18 years prior. They proudly point to their tasting room as a “godsend” for their business which makes some 12 wines, including a 2007 Lagrein Red ( $32. wine club price).

Ninety cases have been made. It’s an Italian wine from the slopes of the Alto Adige Alps. You’ll enjoy the mineral-rich mouth-feel of very high quality. And while you’re tasting, you can coax Herman into a game of Bocce Ball. Her has two courts on the property.

Tasting hours are: 11am to sunset; Salerno Winery is closed Monday and Tuesday.

Other wineries of note in the Ramona Valley and vicinity include:

Hacienda de las Rosas, Lenora, Woof ‘n Rose, Cordiano, Mahogany Mountain, Pamo Valley, and in nearby Warner Springs, Serenissima.

For more on Ramona Valley Vineyards and Wineries, see www.ramonvalleyvineyards.org.

Another Look at Las Vegas

Vegas watchers never had it so good these days. For starters, the space-age City Center, built by MGM Grand on 67 acres between Bellagio and Monte Carlo for nearly 9 billion dollars, has 6 hotels and condo towers, with 4,000 more rooms to fill on the Las Vegas Strip.

Also pitching for customers are 17 restaurants and 9 bars in one hotel alone, ARIA.

To its credit, fine wine dining has never been better in this scintillating city. This is partly due to the caliber of nationally known chefs that have descended on finely appointed dining rooms in the upscale hotels. It was started by Wolfgang Puck a number of yards ago. The latest big celebrity chef in town is Michael Mina with no less than five restaurants including American Fish at ARIA.

If you’re looking for star-power at your table, try actress Eva Longoria’s new Beso Steakhouse in Crystal’s, the high-end retail dining and entertainment center that fronts City Center and is currently showing an Elvis Presley Tribute by Cirque du Soliel. Start by visiting www.citycenter.com.

Wine Bytes

The newest Dining Out San Diego, the free glossy magazine with all you need to know about the area wine and dine scene, is due out this week. It can be picked up in most fine dining establishments.

The University of San Diego Wine Classic is Sun. July 24 from 2 to 5pm at the USD Garden by the Sea Center. It raises money for scholarships. $75. admission. Visit www.usdwineclassic.com.

57 Degrees Wine Bar in San Diego has a Classic Regions and Varietals Event, Tues. July 26 from 6:30 – 8pm. $40. pp. with seminar. Call 619-955-8884.

A Gondola Wine Tasting is featured at Loews Hotel Coronado Wed. July 27 and every Wed. through summer, from 6:30 – 7:45pm. Cost is $45. ea. Details at 619-429-6317.

North County Wine Company in San Marcos celebrates its 1st Anniversary with wine events Fri. July 29 through Sun. July 31. A “Big Gun” tasting highlights Fri. from 4 – 9pm. Cost is $15. Get more information at 760-744-2119.

PAON Restaurant downtown Carlsbad presents a Chateau Montelena Winery Dinner, Wed. July 27. Four course gourmet menu with five glasses of one of Napa Valley historic wines. RSVP at 760-729-7377.

V.Sattui Winery in St. Helena, Napa Valley, has its outdoor annual Festa Italiana, Sat. July 30 from 6:30 – 9:30pm. Music, huge amounts of Italian food and Sattui Wines that were recently awarded 2011 Winery of the Year. All for $79. ea. Call 707-963-7774 for tickets.

Toast the Coast at Vigilucci’s Restaurants

by Frank Mangio

From Carlsbad in the north to Coronado in the south, San Diego County Coastal wine aficionados and diners have their choice of 7 prime Vigilucci’s locations to enjoy the beach scene.

Between these locations, founder Roberto Vigilucci has a second restaurant in Carlsbad, two in Leucadia, and one in Encinitas and La Jolla. All have excellent wine lists, lots of Italian menu items and select locations have savory beef and seafood highlights. Catering is a growing part of his business with many unforgettable parties created by Vigilucci’s team.

On the night we visited, the beachfront Vigilucci’s in Carlsbad was selected on a beautiful, balmy night with a never-ending sunset. I was greeted by manager Julian Oesterlein and server Francisca Simon who introduced me to a husky and luscious Italian Tuscan Brunello wine from Col D’ Orcia. It was a special cellar 1997 selection, available to any diner. Vigilucci is passionate about food and wine. He has often told me he personally tastes the sauces in each of his restaurants and selects onlythe finest price to value wines, with emphasis on Italian varietals.

Roberto Vigilucci shows one of his Italian selections in the

wine cellar at the La Jolla Vigilucci’s.

My selected entree to pair up with this rich, red wine was the nightly special; a Rossotto del Giorno with grilled swordfish and asparagus. The pasta selection was Gnocchi al Tartufo (potato dumplings in a creamy truffle sauce au gratin.)

All pastas are made daily at Vigilucci’s.

This location is open for lunch at 11am. Happy Hour is in the lounge Monday though Friday from 3 to 6pm and Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 5pm. During July and August, dinner is served to 11pm Friday and Saturday nights, with Sunday brunch 10 to 3pm.

Saturday July 16 starting at 8am on the beach at Del Mar, the Vigilucci’s sponsored 31st annual Beach Bocce Ball World Championship Games are presented to raise funds for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Carlsbad. Roberto has also been honored by the Sons of Italy as the 2010 Italian American of the Year in San Diego County. Take a Vigilucci’s internet tour and “Toast the Coast” to the music of Frank Sinatra at www.vigiluccis.com. It’s classic Italian!

Mark Russo: his Roots Go Back to Julia Childs & Robert Mondavi

Mark Russo… now there’s a guy that was born and nursed with an Italian red.

After a blazing career in culinary arts including owning a prestigious restaurant in Newport Beach and winning numerous wine and food awards, Mark’s fortunes accelerated when he met the legendary chef/author Julia Childs and with world renowned Napa wine maker Robert Mondavi, collaborated with both to start the American Institute of Wine & Food.

His current labor of love is the Black Bottle Winery, already a medal-winning “cult” wine of small production and powerful devotees.

Typical of Mark’s “outside the box” thinking, a good portion of the bottle is coated with the actual earth that makes this vintage 2007 Cabernet, a benchmark year with grapes that

Entrepreneur and winery owner Mark Rizzo displays his award winning 2007 Black Bottle Cabernet at a recent lunch at Bentley’s in Encinitas.

A touch of Merlot and Syrah makes it that much more lush and rich. The sad news is the 2007 is sold out. The good news is the 2008 is just about ready after 2 years in French oak and Mark is taking orders on his web site at www.blackbottlewinery.com.

He also has founded Angel’s Share International, a company focused on food, wine, spirits and luxury lifestyle. His are highly prized events and programs for those who can afford to have the very best. See more at www.AngelsShare.com.

Wine Bytes

TGI Wine Country Friday at South Coast Winery Resort and Spa is Fri. July 15 at 7:30pm. Two bands will be playing country rock. $10. pp. RSVP at 951-587-9463 x 7210.

WineSellar & Brasserie is having a “Pinot-Palooza” with 40+ Pinot Noirs at warehouse prices, Sat. July 16 from 11 to 3pm. Cheese and bread available. From more, call 858-450-9557.

San Diego Wine Company on Miramar Rd. is tasting a French Extravaganza of great wines on Bastille Day, Sat. July 16 from 11 to 4:30pm. $10. fee. Details at 858-586-WINE.

The Summer Pre-Release Party is at Belle Marie Winery in Escondido, Sat. July 16 from 2 to 4pm. Cost is $7. pp, free to Vintage Club members. It’s a sneak preview of the newest wines. Call 760-796-7557.

“Summer of Riesling 2011” is being celebrated at the lounge, Club M and the restaurants of the Grand Del Mar Resort. Several of Germany’s most famous Rieslings have been hand-picked by Wine Director Jesse Rodriguez at highly reasonable glass-prices. Information at www.summerofriesling.com.

The Encinitas YMCA and Rancho Coastal Humane Society is planning an annual benefit Casino Night Sept. 17 and is looking for gift baskets and sponsors. This is a great opportunity for a winery or wine shop to build loyal customers with a wine donation for silent auction or raffle drawing, and sponsorship. Contact me at mangiompc@aol.com.

Music is in the Wine at Lorimar

by Frank Mangio

Mark Mansfield wants to stimulate your senses. To that end, the ex Kansas City businessman who came here from the hospitality industry, has some good ideas on exactly how to do that with his Temecula Wine Country newcomer Lorimar Vineyards and Winery.

The first time I laid eyes on Lorimar, the winery was revving up for a Kansas City style BBQ Wine and Blues event. With the smokers cooking the tri tips, chicken and pork ribs and the blues band pickin’ BB King, Mansfield was running around, making sure everyone tried the new wines he couldn’t stop raving about.

Taste of Wine Columnist Frank Mangio tastes a Lorimar 2008 “Fusion” blend of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, with owner Mark Mansfied.

“What you see around you is everything I love about a winery,” he declared. “I love to cook and drink great wine while listening to lively music, surrounded by lovely art…this is the foundation of our winery’s philosophy. You know, we are in the middle of a 150 acre orange grove,” he revealed as he popped open the 2010 Lorimar Riesling that had a distinctive orange blossom aroma and taste to it. “It filters into the wine and gives it that zesty citrus flavor, like candied fruit,” he judged. ( $21.)

Mansfield then showed me his plans for a Tuscan style stone two story building with a high bell tower that will be seen from a distance along the main Temecula Wine Country highway. “Here we’ll have musicians, artists and chefs meeting for memorable gatherings and events…nourishment for the soul,” he murmured. “The patio deck will have a huge state-of-the-art pizza oven with a bridge access from the tasting room. I want fruit-forward wines with an old-world characteristic,” he said as he opened his Lorimar 2010 Sangiovese, an Italian varietal that yielded an intense cherry, rasberry flavor.

By far the best example of a wine set to music was the 2008 “Fusion” blend of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah that hit some high notes for me. It was a simpatico symphony, with Old Vine Zin, linked with the always potent Petite Sirah Late Harvest. An element of pepper laced it all up into Lorimar’s most vibrant wine. ($38). If you join the “Concerto Club of Lorimar” you can expect 25% off the prices shown; more if you purchase a case. See the new web site for more at www.lorimarwinery.com. Or call 951-240-5177. There is a tasting room in Old Town Temecula at 42031 Main Street.

New Bubbly & Jazz in the Vines of Wilson Creek

Wilson Creek Winery and Vineyards stands tall as one of the greatest success stories in the Temecula Valley. With over 70 acres of pristine vines, both reds and whites do well here.

A hot air balloon positions itself for a panoramic look at the 70+ acres of Wilson Creek Winery and Vineyards over Temecula, before it built a special events center and major restaurant.

Under the watchful eye of winemaker Etienne Cooper, Wilson Creek has nurtured recent gold medals for its 2008 Late Harvest Zinfandel and its blend, Golden Medley.

The Wilson Family is a story in itself, with an extended family of over 21 active members including the family dogs. Matter of fact, Extended Family is what they call their wine club, one of the most active in this wine country, thanks in part to Wilson Creek Almond Champagne, a gold-medal winner and a huge selling white sparkling wine, naturally fermented with a hint of almond flavor, selling at a budget price. It has lifted the winery to national recognition.

Now, the news is out that two new editions of this champagne are ready for an introduction in July: Wilson Creek Peach Bellini and an Orange Mimosa. Both will have hints of Almond. “People have enjoyed our Almond Champagne since day one ten years ago,” beamed Bill Wilson. “It was Almond Champagne that set us apart from the others.”

The two new wines will be rolled out at a special “Bubble Bash” reception at the winery on Thursday July 7 from 5:30 to 7:30PM with the public invited to attend.

And yes, great Sunset Jazz is returning to Wilson Creek, with the premiere show being Warren Hill Saturday July 23 at 7:30pm. The acclaimed Canadian Sax man has sold over 1 million CDs and is as smooth as they come. Dinner seating is available. Other artists include Paul Shilts and Craig Chaquico, and Jeff Golub. Ticket information at 951-699-9463. Or check out www.wilsoncreekwinery.com.

Wine Bytes

Bacchus Wine Market in the Gaslamp downtown San Diego is pouring Rhone Style Blends Fri. July 8, 4 to 8:30pm and Sat. July 9 from 2 to 8:30pm. $15. charge for 7 pours. Call 619-236-0005.

A Benefit Taste of le Tour de France is being presented at Tommy V’s in Del Mar, Thurs. July 14 from 6:30 to 9:30pm. It benefits “Do Something Now” that sends bikes to Third World Countries, currently to South Africa. Taste fine wines and micro brewery beers, hors d’ouvres, music, auction items. Cost is $40. in advance, $50. at the door. More info, call 760-940-0880.

The California Wine Festival 2011 is in Santa Barbara with a Sunset Rare & Reserve Wine Tasting Fri. July 15, 6:30 to 9:30pm at the Pier; and a Beachside Food & Wine Fest Sat. July 16 from 1 to 4pm also at the Pier. Buy tickets at www.californiawinefestival.com.

French Bastille Day is being celebrated at the Westgate Hotel, downtown San Diego, on Thurs. July 14 from 6:30 to 9:30pm. Famous painter Avendano will showcase his art to live music, French wine and hors d’ ouvres, in the grand lobby. $15. charge. RSVP at 619-238-1818.

Meritage Wine Market in Encinitas has its Napa Valley Vintners Tasting Sat. July 16 from 4 to 7pm. 11 of the hottest wineries pour their latest releases. $50.pp. RSVP required. 760-479-2500.