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Third Annual Family Winemakers Event, March 13

Family Winemakers of California, an association of small, family-owned California wineries, announced today that "Tasting 2011" will be held on Sunday, March 13, and feature over 200 wineries.

The event is the Association's only Southern California wine tasting that is open to both the public and wine buying trade, and it will be held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. "Tasting 2011" allows wine enthusiasts and trade members to taste and explore new wines from many California regions, while small and family-owned wine producers have the opportunity to expand their reach into the Southern California market, said Paul Kronenberg, president of Family Winemakers of California.

"We're pleased to return to San Diego with 'Tasting 2011' for our third consecutive year," added Kronenberg. "As the region's largest tasting of California wines, 'Tasting 2011' gives wine lovers the unique opportunity to taste from over 200 family-owned wineries pouring 1,000 wines, all in the course of one afternoon. Wine fans will get to meet winery owners and winemakers who are committed to the craft of producing quality and passion-driven wines, while tasting from a selection of small-production and hard-to-find wines that may not have local retail distribution."

The single day event takes place on Sunday, March 13, and will be held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The event is open to members of the wine trade from 1:00-3:00 p.m. and is open to both trade and the general public from 3:00-6:00 p.m. Tickets for the general public are now on sale with ticket prices beginning at $45 for early bird tickets purchased by February 21, $55 for advance tickets purchased by March 12, and $65 at the door. Trade segment admission for consumers is also available to the first 50 ticket buyers at $75 per ticket. Qualified trade and media interested in attending the tasting may register online at www.familywinemakers.org

La Jolla Art and Wine Festival, NEXT WEEKEND!

Check out the commercial for details on a great way to spend the weekend, while helping a worthy cause (Click the Arrow in the Middle of the Video Screen.)

Wine and Olive Oil Tasting in Old Town Temecula

Wine has the Scent of a Woman at Keyways

It hardly seems possible that 2 ½ years ago Terri Pebley, then a commercial real estate executive, instead of representing the seller Karl Keys on a sale of the winery, decided to purchase and own Keyways herself. Terri had always been one to take a chance on the future, believing in herself and her ability to re-invent her life’s work. She has been a CPA, attended law school and made a living twice in real estate.

I had an opportunity to interview Terri recently and the mild-mannered, relaxed renaissance woman reflected on her whirlwind rise to prominence in the fast-moving Temecula Wine Country.

“At first, it was a tough business to learn, but it was one of those opportunities when I saw a door opening and something told me to go through it. The first challenge was had to find a new winemaker and it turned out he was the only male in an otherwise all-woman owned operation. We were very fortunate to obtain the services of Michael Tingley, a 28 year veteran. He has fit in beautifully and really does great in this environment.”

Entertainment is a high priority at the low-key Keyways Winery and Tasting Room. The Friday night I experienced the wines and the easy-going atmosphere, the weekly piano bar fun was going strong with Dennis Tormey doing his best Elton John while a full house of guests enjoyed a casual dinner and a selection of paired wines. These included a lovely ’07 Sauvignon Blanc and my favorite of the night: the Keyways 2006 Tempranillo with a wine club price of $24.80. It is Spain’s signature red grape with a lightly dusted pepper and tobacco taste coating the cherry accents. It recently made gold in the latest competition in Riverside. That same event brought Keyways the Gold “Chairman’s Award” for their Sauvignon Blanc. Keyways ’07 Chenin Blanca($28.) won Gold and Best of Class at the recent prestigious Long Beach Grand Cru awards that draws over 1,900 wine entries.

Terri has brought in a beautiful new concept events tent for special occasions like weddings. “We can accommodate up to 300 people, and plan to do concerts with female talent,” she said. “This will emphasize our series of four wines for women, Femina Vita (a woman’s life), that we created. They are highlighted by our Rhone Blend of white grapes called Contentment.”

Terri and her nearby winery neighbors are on DePortola Road, a more rustic route, which they have named the DePortola Trail, south of the main route of wineries. Special maps and signage signal that this is more rural horse country, where you are likely to see the owners pouring in the tasting rooms.

Next time, discover Keyways, the only woman-owned winery in Southern California. For more, call 951-302-7888 or search www.keywayswine.com.

Wine Spectator Names Best Restaurants
The latest issue of this worldwide wine magazine has awarded a number of area restaurants the Award of Excellence. Of the restaurants we have covered in this column, they include: The Barrel Room in Rancho Bernardo, Firefly Grill and Wine Bar and Firenze in Encinitas, Vigilucci’s in La Jolla, Encinitas and Carlsbad, Mille Fleurs in Rancho Santa Fe, Il Fornaio and Paradise Grill in Del Mar, Azul in La Jolla, Addison and Humphreys in San Diego and a Grand Award of Excellence to Winesellar & Brasserie in San Diego.

In Palm Desert, both of our feature restaurants won: The Steakhouse at Agua Caliente and Tuscany in the Marriott Desert Springs. All these restaurants scored best for their superior wine menu and their pairings with the food menu.

My Top Ten Wine Tastings 1st Half of 2008

by Frank Mangio

In attending and tasting at some 150 occasions at wine bars and shops, resorts, restaurants, wineries and wine events statewide, plus new releases I have personally reviewed, I have assembled a top ten of all the wines I have had the pleasure of experiencing. I do this twice a year, one at this time and again at the end of the year, combining all the tastings.

PHOTO: Delphine Lasserre shows the 2005 Jean Luc Colombo wines at the Westgate Hotel in San Diego. (Foto by Frank)

I apply the standards crafted by the American Wine Society which scores by: appearance, aroma and bouquet, taste and texture, aftertaste and overall impression. Applying these rules, I have awarded the following wines top ten status.

The list is set up as alphabetical and not by rank. I rated them all equally impressive. Five are from California, one from Washington, one from Australia, one from Italy ( actually Sicily), and one from France. Four are blends, which I personally favor for the ultimate personal artistic creation from the winemaker.

§ Amavi Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla, WA. 2005. $25. Big fruit-filled taste, shades of chocolate & pepper. Candy-apple bouquet. Mix of Cab 76%, Merlot 14%, Syrah 9% & Malbec 1%.

§ Chalone Vineyard Pinot Noir, Monterey, CA. 2005. $37. Reflecting the altitude & cooling effect of the Pacific Ocean, this soft, velvety Pinot has a lush berry mouthfeel. Pairs beautifully with fish, chicken, even some lighter meats. 10 months in French oak.

§ D’arenberg “the Dead Arm” Shiraz, McLaren Vale Australia 2005. $50. Comes from ancient vines and aged 22 months in oak. Fiery and intensive from concentrated small berry production, low yields. Could be cellared to soften the edges.

§ Falkner Amante “Super Tuscan” Blend,Temecula, CA. 2004. $39.95. Italian influence with Sangiovese, Merlot, Cab, & Cab Franc. Pungent aroma, elegant cherry and a hint of pepper at the finish. Signature wine for Falkner.

§ Jean Luc Colombo Les Bartavelles, Chateauneuf du Pape, France. 2005. $35. Top taste at the recent French wine & cuisine showcase at the posh Westgate Hotel in San Diego, this over the top 2005 vintage has 1/3 Grenache, 1/3 Syrah and 1/3 Mourvedre from 50 year old vines. 18 months in oak. Licorice elements scented with bold fruit.

§ Justin Isosceles, Paso Robles, CA. 2005. $65. Luscious, lingering taste of boysenberry, leather and mocha from this blend of Cab, Cab Franc and Merlot. 24 months French oak barrel aged. Still very young. Can be cellared many years if you can wait. I can’t. The premier wine in Paso.

§ Kendell-Jackson Grand Reserve Estate Merlot, Napa/Sonoma. 2005. $26. Best of breed at “KJ” with sourcing from Napa & Sonoma vineyards. Late harvest helped. Smooth, refined tannins. True Merlot!

§ Orfila Heritage Syrah, San Pasqual Valley, Ca. 2005. $28. Limited production, first reserve for Orfila, from Napa clones. Hand harvested & fermented from one of California’s pioneer Syrah-makers, since 1992. Sophisticated and smooth- next level of Syrah.

§ Renoto Feudi Maccari Nero D’Avola, Sicily, Italy. 2006. $10. Top value wine on the list. Small amount of Merlot to smooth out taste. From the best location Noto area of Sicily: dry, hot, and benefits from southeast coast breezes from the Mediterranean Sea. Volcanic soil a plus. Acidic backbone.

§ Rodney Strong Alexander Valley Symmetry Meritage, Sonoma Ca. 2005. $60. Acclaimed long-time winner from 30 year winemaker Rick Sayre, who blends Cab, Merlot and other traditional Bordeaux grapes in the finest French oak for up to 24 months. Blackberries and plum tastes are dominant with hints of sweet spices and chocolate.

New Concept Wine Bar & Boutique Opens in Palazzo

by Frank Mangio

Concluding my wine and food discoveries in the wondrous world of Las Vegas, next time you are in that timeless town, check out the new Double Helix Wine Bar and Boutique in The Shoppes at the new Palazzo Hotel for an exciting, breakthrough experience. First thing you’ll see is the beautiful open, circular bar in the middle of the main intersection of this indoor mall. The plush fixtures and dramatic lighting form a backdrop for some 45 wine selections by the glass in either 2 oz. or 5 oz. servings.

Next door is the Double Helix Wine Boutique shop where customers can purchase the wines they liked at the bar, and a lot more of the greatest wines of the world.

Ray Nisi, a New York restaurateur, enthusiastically conceived this new dimension in wine service. He told me that “Double Helix was a carefully chosen name to reflect the positive and proven benefits of wine on human health, and hence, structural DNA.” The bar offers weekly wine tasting events and features different vineyards, sometimes with the winemaker present.

For a schedule next time you’re in Vegas, call 702-735-WINE.

A Little of This a Little of That Makes Tasty Blend

by Frank Mangio

Wine, like food, always seems to be just a little more fascinating to the taste when it’s blended. A pinch of this, a measured amount of that, and you have a taste all your own and can now call it by some seductive name. Great chefs have done this for years and enjoyed celebrity status for their dishes.

In the wine world the same holds true. In Napa/Sonoma, it’s Opus One, Insignia and Symmetry. In Paso Robles, it’s Isosceles and Rhapsody. In Italy try Tignanello and Sassicaia. Virtually all French Bordeaux style wines are blends.

Into this mix, a Temecula winery is establishing itself as a blending specialist with its Amante blend. Falkner Winery recently held a blending party to celebrate its newest 2004 release which is described as a “Super Tuscan Style Red Wine.” Guests at the party were challenged on two fronts: blind taste several bottles of wine and pick out which of the bottles was the ’04, and from several 100% grape releases, blend their own creation.

Ray Falkner and his seasoned winemaker, Steve Hagata, presented an introduction to the process of making a wine blend before we all dove into mixing the juice. Ray, who is half Italian, told the story of how he came to name the blend Amante. “It was one of five romantic names that resonated well with a musical kind of sound to it,” he said. “When we chose Amante we felt we should know what it meant in Italian so we went to the dictionary and found it was the word for illicit lover or mistress” A perfect name for this mystical mix.

It turned out the blend they used for the ‘04 Amante was 50% Sangiovese, a famous Tuscan grape, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Amante is a distinctly Italian style wine with a pungent aroma, elegant cherry and a lovely hint of pepper on the finish. Price at the winery is $39.95.

Falkner Winery is celebrating its 8th anniversary with a lively party from Friday July 4 through Sunday July 6. There will be free jazz concerts, tours and discounts on wine and other gift items. Freshly prepared rustic dishes will be available at the award-winning Pinnacle restaurant at the winery which just launched a summer style menu with more salads, sandwiches, pastas and light seafood. For more information call 951-676-8231 or access their website at www.falknerwinery.com.

San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival is Just About Here

If there is only one wine event that you must experience, it’s the San Diego Bay 4^th annual Wine and Food Festival, ready to go Wednesday November 14 thru Sunday November 18, at several locations downtown. World of Wine Events, the producers, have five days of fun and education on wine and food, unmatched anywhere in Southern California.

I do hope my readers and viewers come to the Saturday Grand Tasting at the Embarcadero North Park next to Seaport Village from 12 Noon to 4pm.

Just beyond the entrance, Mike Bragg, executive producer of Taste of Wine Tv.com and myself, (shown in the attached photo) will be interviewing several wine and food personalities from Noon to 2pm and would love to have you stop by and talk wine with us. Over 160 wines will be poured, with food service from 60 restaurants and food suppliers. The “chef of the fest” is a highlight competition that’s sure to attract. Olive oil tasting, fine wine auctions and entertainment put a bow on the whole scene.

Start-up is the Wednesday “Wine Rave 2007” from 7 to 10pm at the Little Italy Urban Bar and Restaurant. A hip “Bling and Bubbly” will rock the downtown Ivy Hotel from 6:30 to 9pm with fashion and show-stopping champagnes and cuisine. Thursday has 7 seminars on wine and cuisine at the San Diego Wine and Culinary Center and Macy’s. Friday finds 8 seminars at the same venues, and a super Reserve and New Release Tasting from 6:30pm to 9:30pm on the good ship Inspiration, docked near Broadway and Harbor Drive. 150 wineries and spirits producers will wow the visitors, along with delicious cuisine from notable restaurants and caterers.

Sunday from a 10:30 am boarding to 1pm, the table is set on the Hornblower with a cruise around the bay that includes a lavish brunch, free-flowing Mumm Napa Brut and other fine champagnes from Mumm. The music’s on fire too with the David Patrone Band. Reservations are a must for this attraction.

Now to the most important part of this journey of wine and food, how to get tickets and get in on the action. Two ways to do it: Call 619-342-7337 for any date, or a package for all! You can also access ticket information on-line at www.worldofwineevents.com.