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Sip & Tell Blog

...Wineries, Tasting Rooms, & More

Back to the Tasting Room                                         ...California wineries are beginning to reopen

6/13/2020

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Just this weekend, Monterey, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz,
El Dorado and Amador County wineries and tasting rooms
flung open their doors to tasters!

Yes, exhale with joy!
Winemakers and their staff are as eager to see you as you are to see them.

After almost four months of sheltering in place, California is starting to open up wineries.

Before you plan your customary day of tasting, here are a few tips on what’s happening in the tasting room scene:

  • Most wineries are asking guests to make reservations for their tasting experience, online or via phone call.
  • They will likely be monitoring capacity limits, so go with an open mind. There may be limitations on the length of your stay, seating, food brought in, or on site. (please check with the winery)
  • If you feel sick, stay home. Just like other public venues, no symptoms are allowed.
  • More and more wineries will be reopening as they are able to accommodate the new changes.
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When you arrive for your tasting appointment:

  • Most wineries are asking that you text/call upon your arrival and wait in your car for your appointment. They’ll let you know when you’re set to come in.
  • Expect reduced interactions: Wineries will offer as many contact-less interactions as they can, while still wanting to make guests feel welcomed.
  • Masks, masks, masks: Go ahead and wear it into the tasting room/winery for everyone’s comfort and safety. The staff will let you know when to go mask-free, depending on the distancing, seating, and when your tasting starts.
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Your favorite wineries are anxious to see their tasting fans again!
Contact them if you have any questions about their current—and evolving—tasting practices.

And bringing a note of thanks, a big air hug, or a treat to your best loved winery is always in style.
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A toast to the new ways of sipping!

Shondra Savadkohi


Gain more from your next tasting with Nose & Palate wine traits...
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Pierce Ranch Vineyards, Monterey                         ...a welcome change

5/8/2020

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Pierce Ranch Vineyards' tasting room is within slingshot distance to Cannery Row and
bucket list hotels right on the Monterey Bay.


I've had the chance to taste there a few times, but was eager to pick up some wines again.
The Iberian varietals are a welcome change from the California rinse-and-repeat varietals you often see. These wines are terrific on their own or with food.
Anticipate personality!


Just before the SIP, I messaged Josh and let him know I was in the area and
hoping to come by for a tasting.
He pinged me, and fast forward, there was a glass of Pierce Ranch wine in my hand
as my husband and I were chatting it up with his amazing staff.


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Owner, Josh Pierce, is often sharing and pouring his wines at
Monterey County Vintners & Growers events, such as: trade tastings, winemaker tastings, and more.

His tasting room is a relaxing place to savor the wines and enjoy a
leisurely chat with a friend.
While I've featured Josh's wines a way back, I do love the chance to taste current vintages.

Here's a look at my tastings.

  • 2018 Albarino. If you crave a change in your white wine line up, then try the Albarino. Soft stone fruit, appealing citrus, and the salinity (which I love) makes this wine refreshing on its own, with fish, or an arugula salad with apples and pecans.

  • 2017 Tinto Cao. This red is lite in body and a great walk-around wine. Ideal for meandering in and out of the house to the yard, or for small bites and visiting with friends. Pairs well with cured meats and hard cheeses or grilled fish.
 
  • 2017 Touriga 100%. Smooth, while offering nice acidity to tannins, the palate of dark berry/floral/spice balance this red wine.

  • 2017 Zinfandel. The cool, coastal growing influence on this Zinfandel fruit makes for a non-jammy wine. This Zin offers the classic flavor profiles of dark berry fruit and spice, but it also offers terrific acidity (yet it's not as acidic or sharp as Italian wines can often be.)
 
  • 2014 Petite Sirah. The nose on this wine makes me so happy! Hints of chocolate and chalk, a smooth mouth-feel, and just enough tannins to leave a slight pucker in the mouth make for a lovely pour. Try something new and enjoy this with seasoned grilled ribs (skip the jar of BBQ sauce) or with baked brie cheese with apricot jam in phyllo dough.
 
  • Also look for: 100% Malbec, GSP, Claret, Graciano, Tempranillo, and a Vinho Doce.

While we're waiting to get back to the tasting rooms, Pierce Ranch Vineyards (Link) can be found online, with available curb-side pick up.
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Health to you and yours!
Shondra Savadkohi


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Do you have wine questions during SIP?
Or do you wish you had your own wine guide?
CalWineJaunt.com offers Personalized Wine Consulting for your shelter-in-place wine needs.

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Covid-19 & Wine                                                  ...How to find Bay Area wines during            Shelter-in-Place

4/13/2020

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Wine is meant to be shared.

It's the liquid for celebrations, community, and for gathering with friends and family.


I want to acknowledge that all of this has come to a screeching halt.
We all are, to some degree, dealing with Covid-19.
Some are instantly without work. Others are on the front line.
And hopefully, all are making efforts to shelter in place for everyone's health and safety.
It's difficult to be separated from our loved ones and experience this much change at once.


For a piece of bright news, Bay Area wines are, thankfully, still available. At this time, wineries are not allowed to be open to the public for purchases in the tasting room or wine tasting on site.

But winemakers are being creative and resourceful in an effort to keep their businesses--
and to keep sharing their wines with tasters.

If you're still in a place to purchase wine and enjoy it, now is the time.
Here's how:


  • Most wineries and tasting rooms are selling their wines online! (we tasters thank you!)

  • Your health is looked after. Order, purchase, and pay for wine online or by phone.

  • Curb-side pickup lets you collect your wine at the winery while keeping distance (even with the kids in tow)

  • Most wineries now offer free or reduced shipping and some even provide free local delivery.
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  • Many wineries are offering tremendous discounts. Everything from 10% off and up, to case specials.

  • Enjoy winemaker-led in home tastings via online streaming, complete with samples kits of multiple wines. (Mark Hoover of Integrity Wines in Watsonville is offering this.)
 
  • Look for take-out food and wine pairings! Wineries and local restaurants are partnering to offer easy wine & food take out, with convenient curbside pickup.
 
  • Note: if you opt to have your wine shipped to your home address, an adult 21 or older will need to be present and sign for it (your teenager schooling remotely at home can't sign for it.)
 
  • Think of those who have to shelter-in-place alone, and brighten their week with a bottle of Bay Area wine. Or, gift a bottle to a neighbor, a mom, or to your friend who lost their job

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For a list of wineries and their current offerings and shipping, visit the following links.
The specials will likely vary and change as needed.


Wineries of Santa Clara Valley
The site currently lists their winery options for delivery, curbside, shipping, and specials.
Visit Santa Clara Wines.



Monterey County Vintners & Growers
Find wineries in Carmel, Soledad, and Monterey. Contact the winery directly for current offerings.
Visit Monterey County Wines.



Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrower Assoc.
Find a listing of pick-up, delivery, and discount options by winery.

Visit Santa Cruz Mountain Wines.
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Health to you and yours in this time, and a few words of comfort...


God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalms 46:1

A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord.
'Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you!' Psalms 102:1
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Blessings to you,
Shondra Savadkohi




Travel from the comfort of you home and snag a few ideas from this Home-Tasting of 3 Reds...
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Wine Collage                                                               ...the 2019 Silicon Valley Wine Auction

7/3/2019

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The Annual Silicon Valley Wine Auction offered a collage of wines from the region.
Winemakers from Corralitos to the Peninsula gathered to pour their wines.

The commonality?
All the wines were made with grapes sourced from the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA.
 Enjoy the tour!

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Hosted at: Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga.
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Thank you, Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Growers Assoc., for the invitation to cover the 2019 SVWA!

I volunteered for the Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association (Link) for almost four years.

During that time, I cut my teeth on SCM varietals.
These local wines became the foundation for my wine palate.
Without meaning to, I often compare and contrast the wines from other regions to my local wines.

Some SCM wines are smooth, some silky, others light, others hearty.
Producing wines that are tannic, to raw, to elegant in palate, the region is a wine playground
within reach of the beach and the nation's tech capital.
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A toast to your collage of wines!
Shondra Savadkohi


Looking for wines in Monterey County? Read on...
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Choices, Choices!                                                      ...Monterey Winemaker's Celebration 2019

6/20/2019

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Winemakers gathered to pour and chat about their Monterey County wines.
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Georis Wine. Greg Freeman, Winemaker

Explore these seductive wines.

The table was busy, the line of tasters was long. And no wonder.
Georis crafts Bordeaux varietal wines with estate grown fruit from the Cachagua Valley
area of the Carmel Valley.


The three pours of the day were:
  • 2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Monterey
  • A beautiful Les Abeilles Rose' in a long neck bottle
  • La Chapelle Bordeaux Blend of 5 varietals: this is a make you stop and ignore
everyone around you kind of wine.
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Albatross Ridge. Garrett Bowlus, Winemaker

Casual Elegance.

Pet Nat is quickly coming back into wine fashion and is an enticing alternative to Champagne.
The lightly, bubbly, fizzy wine is fresh, approachable, and a wine to enjoy on the deck.
Yet the hint of yeast gives it the elegance to serve during the holidays.


2018 Rose' Pinot Noir Petillant Natural a.k.a Pet Nat, : Estate grown, Monterey.

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J.Lohr Vineyards and Wines

Valdiguie', a red varietal to add to your repertoire.

2018 Valdiguie', Arroyo Seco Monterey, estate fruit.
Michael of J. Lohr Wines shared that the Valdiguie' grape is a cousin to Gammy,
sharing earthy flavor characteristics..

Bright flavors and good acid on the mid-palate make for an appealing wine with flavors
of fresh pomegranate and hints of flint.

This wine could be the poster-child for the color “garnet-red” in the dictionary,
or for you design people, the next Pantone color of the year.

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Caraccioli Cellars

A Rose' of its own.

Caraccioli Cellars is known for its sparkling wines, but its Rose' was a stand out in the crowd.

2018 Rose' of Pinot Noir Escolle Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands.
Enjoy hints of lemon, pineapple, and soft watermelon.
Dry, with just a hint of sweetness; sunset blush in color


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Scheid Vineyards

A local Cabernet for your local foods.

2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Grown, Monterey: flavors of dark cherry and
raspberry are balanced with soft oak, along with hints of spice and green pepper.
Ruby in color.


The generous tasting pours gave me a chance to sip this wine and with food.
It's versatile and would pair will with blackened salmon, lamb, or steak.


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I. Brand Family Wines

La Marea...True love.

Vince from I. Brand Family Wines was pouring a Cabernet Sauvignon.
But this time, it was their La Marea 2018 Albarino that caught my attention.
With a nod to the mineral and flint often found in Sauvignon Blanc, this white
varietal evoked feelings of the first of Spring, early mornings, fresh grass and leaves.

Thank you, Monterey County Vintners & Growers, for the invitation to cover the 2019 Winemaker's Celebration! For more on these wineries visit montereywines.org/
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Chalone Vineyards. Gianni A. Abate, Winemaker

Wines from an intriguing region.

While Chalone Vineyards crafts beautiful Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, their Grenache is just as enticing.
2016 Grenache, Chalone Vineyard, Estate Grown Heritage Vines, Chalone Appellation.
This wine offered hints of salinity that begged to be served along side paella or cioppino.

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Shale Canyon. Keith Prader, Winemaker

Coastal-influenced Tempranillo with just the right balance.

2014 Tempranillo, Arroyo Seco, Monterey County.
The Arroyo Seco area is an ideal growing region for Tempranillo.
It offers heat but is close enough to the coast to keep the grapes from getting too hot.


This Tempranillo is tannic, dry, dark, and lightly syrupy (but not jammy or too sweet.) Enjoy cherry, and spice in this medium-body wine.
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Silvestri Wines

A Pinot Blanc to remember


2017 'Il Campione' Pinot Blanc, Carmel Valley, estate fruit.
This lightly acidic white wine gives way to soft florals on the palate,
then to a slightly toasted sweetness similar to roasted marshmallows.


Pair with grilled shrimp or dishes with toasted hazelnuts.
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Lepe Cellars. Miguel Lepe, Winemaker & Owner

Don't just think dessert wines for dessert

2016 Petite Verdo, San Antonio Valley, Monterey County.
Today I made two new friends.
Miguel's Petite Verdo, along with a dark chocolate, fuggy brownie. The perfect match!


Think out of the box, and try wine with your dessert.
Sometimes dessert wines can be too sweet, or the flavors may compete with a dessert.
So instead, look to dark reds and creamy white wines to pair with chocolate, nuts, fruits, and cheeses.

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Pierce Ranch Vineyards. Josh Pierce, Owner & Winemaker

I'll be back for this Cosecheiro blend!

2016 Cosecheiro, San Antonio Valley, Monterey County: a thoughtful blend of Tempranillo, Malbec, Touriga, Petite Verdot, and Souzao.
I'm always intrigued with Josh's Iberian varietals,
and the chance to expand my notions of local wine.


This wine is smooth with soft acidity and back tannins that make it
inviting on its own—or a companion to a meal.
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Monterey County Wines have a good thing going.
They are one of my favorite  'go to' regions.
Always offering flavor, consistency, and that something amazing.
Be sure to check out Wine Enthusiast magazine, June 2019 page 59,
for their shout-out to a handful of Monterey Winemakers!


Cheers to your summer wines ventures & tastings!
Shondra Savadkohi



For a few tips on wine care, visit my feature on Wine Closures...Keeping a Lid on It
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