Category Archives: Wine Travel

Turf War over To-Kalon

To-Kalon (pronounced toe-kah-lon) is one of the most historic, famous and disputed names in Napa Valley history. Is it a vineyard? Is it a brand? Some of the Valley’s most prestigious personalities – Robert Mondavi and Andy Beckstoffer – have been battling each other over these questions for decades.

Why is this specific piece of land in Napa Valley’s Oakville AVA so special? Here the soils have a high portion of gravel, which makes them free-draining, forcing vines to root deeply in search of water. When vines struggle, they become healthier, more resistant to drought and disease, and produce lower yields of better quality fruit.

Some of the best, most prestigious wines in Napa Valley come from the To-Kalon vineyard, which is reflected in very high price tags. Today, there are eight owners of the parceled off vineyard – Mondavi, Opus One, MacDonald, Detert, Andy Beckstoffer, U.C. Davis, Wilsey/Traina and the Napa Valley Grape Growers. Opus One sells $300/bottle, Schrader’s Beckstoffer To-Kalon sells for $400, and MacDonald sells for $700.

In the beginning…

It all began in 1868 when Hamilton Walker Crabb purchased 240 acres of farmland in Oakville. He planted the land with a wide variety of experimental grape vines and named it Hermosa Vineyards. In 1881 he purchased an adjoining 119 acre parcel of land and renamed the business To-Kalon, meaning “the place of highest beauty” in Greek. In 1891, he expanded for a third time, adding on another 135 acres. He became the third largest winemaking in Napa at the time and garnered both domestic and international claim for his wines.

In 1899 Crabb died and his land was fragmented and sub-parcels changed hands a number of times until Robert Mondavi began purchasing plots of To-Kalon in 1966. He started with a 12-acre parcel and by 1978 was the majority owner of Crabb’s original 1881 plot. In 1988, Mondavi trademarked the name “To-Kalon” and in 1994 trademarked “To-Kalon Vineyard”. Today, the majority of the vineyard as well as the trademarks are owned by the behemoth, Constellation Brands, due to its purchase of Robert Mondavi in 2004.

The battle ensues…

The second largest holder was Beaulieu Vineyards with 89 acres. This parcel was purchased by famous Napa grapegrower, Andy Beckstoffer, in 1993 who sold grapes from this parcel to other winemakers. Beckstoffer convinced Schrader Cellars to label their wine “Beckstoffer Original To-Kalon Vineyard.” Mondavi then sued Schrader for use of the To-Kalon name.

Both Schrader and Beckstoffer filed separate counter suits on the basis that To-Kalon is a place, not a marketing concept. Beckstoffer argued that Mondavi was misleading consumers by labeling their wines “To-Kalon” when the grapes being used were not from the original Crabb vineyard.

The conclusion…

The suit was settled in 2003 under undisclosed terms, but Beckstoffer reserved the right to allow his clients to use the To-Kalon name. The result has led to labeling confusion. Wines made from Beckstoffer’s grapes using the To-Kalon label are subject to labeling laws based on geographic location, meaning 95% of the grapes in such a bottle must be from the To-Kalon vineyard.

However, since Mondavi’s claim to the name is based on a marketing trademark, it is not subject to the same rules. So Mondavi may use the To-Kalon name on any bottle it desires, regardless of where those grapes come from! Constellation’s position is that To-Kalon is not a place, regardless of the historical records that suggest otherwise.

There are two other owners of smaller parcels of Crabb’s original To-Kalon vineyard – MacDonald and Detert – highly acclaimed, family-owned wineries that are not allowed to use the To-Kalon name on their wines.

But wait, there’s more!

In 2017, Constellation started a new wine brand called To-Kalon Vineyard. They attempted to file further trademarks on the To-Kalon name, but Beckstoffer put up firm opposition in court and Constellation abandoned the effort.

MacDonald has also filed a petition to have the To-Kalon vineyard added to the National Registry of Historic Places, which is being fought by Constellation. At the same time, a suit was filed against Constellation by The Vineyard House (owned by Far Niente and Nickel and Nickel proprietor, Jeremy Nickel) claiming that Robert Mondavi’s To-Kalon trademark was obtained fraudulently and deceptively. The suit was dismissed by a federal judge, but Constellation in turn sued The Vineyard House for their use of To-Kalon on one of their wine labels.

Constellation continues to adamantly support the position that To-Kalon is a brand, not a place. While defenders of the vineyard, MacDonald and Beckstoffer, are concerned the original vineyard and its special terroir will be forgotten someday due to these trademarks being used on wines that can originate anywhere.

 

The Scandalous Wine Classifications of Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux

When you see “Grand Cru” on the label of a bottle of Saint-Émilion wine, what does that really mean? I’ll give you a hint – it’s not the same as the Cru system used in Burgundy. The classification system in Saint-Émilion can not only be confusing to consumers, but it has been fraught with controversy, scandal, legal battles, and criminal convictions!

For those unfamiliar with the nuances of this case, let’s dive a little deeper into Saint-Émilion, its wines, and its controversial classification system.

The Wines of Saint-Emilion

Bordeaux is split in two by the Gironde Estuary, which then splits into the Dordogne and Garonne rivers. To the right of the Gironde is the Right Bank and to the left of the Gironde is the Left Bank.

Saint-Émilion is located on the Right Bank of Bordeaux where clay and limestone soils are found in abundance. This soil type does a good job of retaining moisture while also draining excess water. Due to that water content, it also stays cooler, which means it is best planted with grape varieties that don’t need a ton of heat. As a result, Cabernet Sauvignon, which needs long periods of warm temperatures to ripen, doesn’t do quite as well here. Merlot, on the other hand, thrives on these cooler, wetter soils, as does Cabernet Franc.

These clay soils, along with the varietal character of Merlot, result in wines that are softer and fruitier with lower tannin and acidity than the Cabernet-driven blends of the Left Bank. They tend to be more approachable when young, although the better wines can certainly be cellared.

Saint-Émilion Classification System

So now that we’ve established that Saint-Émilion is on the Right Bank and produces softer, fruitier Merlot-driven wines, how do you know what bottle to buy when you walk into your local wine shop? Saint-Émilion’s wine council tried to help consumers with this question by establishing a classification system for wine quality.

The Saint-Émilion Classification system was established in 1955 with four increasing quality levels:

  1. Grand Cru (hundreds of estates)
  2. Grand Cru Classé (63 estates)
  3. Premiere Grand Cru Classé B (15 estates)
  4. Premiere Grand Cru Classé A (4 estates)

Quality Criteria

A number of different criteria are used to evaluate the quality of an estate (called a Chateau in Bordeaux). These criteria are then weighted and scored, with those weightings varying based on the classification level being sought. An example of some of the assessment criteria includes:

  • Sampling of an estate’s wines from the previous 10-20 vintages
  • Terroir (location, soil, geography, topography, etc.)
  • Estate reputation
  • Promotional activities including social media
  • Presence of public tasting rooms and involvement in wine tourism
  • How the wines are distributed and priced
  • Technical production of the wines for quality production

Pros and Cons

The benefits of having a classification system are primarily:

  1. To help consumers make better purchasing choices and give them confidence about the quality of the wine on which they spend their hard-earned money.
  2. To contribute to the reputation of an estate, and allow producers at the upper classification levels to charge higher prices for their wines.

However, not all classification systems are created equal, and not all meet these goals. Sometimes these systems end up creating even more confusion. For example, in Saint-Émilion, Premiere Grand Cru Classé estates are essentially the First Growths of Saint-Émilion. However, in contrast to Burgundy, which places “Grand Cru” at the top level, Saint-Émilion places “Premiere Cru” at the top level and Grand Cru as their lowest level, causing a fair amount of consumer confusion.

Also, there has been some debate as to why things like social media presence and the existence of a tasting room are used to assess the quality level of an estate’s wines, which has only led to the ongoing dispute over this classification system.

Further, unlike the Left Bank’s 1855 Classification system, which was established 150 years ago and is pretty much etched in stone, the Saint-Émilion classification was meant to re-evaluate estates every 10 years. As a result, it was updated in 1969, 1986, 1996, 2006, 2012 and 2022. However, it has been fraught with controversy and scandal for the past several decades, mainly driven by producers who have been unhappy with how they have been classified.

Let’s take a look at the timeline of controversy, where the classification system stands today, and whether consumers can actually trust this classification when buying a bottle of wine from Saint-Émilion.

Timeline of a Controversial Classification System

Sept 2006: The 2006 Saint-Émilion classification was challenged in court by four producers who had been demoted in quality level. The legal dispute claimed several members of the assessment panel had conflicts of interests (e.g. were involved in business dealings with some of the estates), and thus could not be impartial.

March 2007: A tribunal suspended the 2006 classification indefinitely due to the court case.

Nov 2007: The French supreme court overturned the suspension, reinstating the 2006 classification. However, this ruling essentially only determined that the case brought by the four estates should not void the entire classification. A hearing was still to proceed on the suit brought by the four estates.

July 2008: The court ruled that the wine tasting process used in the 2006 classification was not impartial, again invalidating the entire classification. It was determined that appealing this ruling to try to reinstate the 2006 classification would take about two years with an uncertain conclusion. Therefore, upon request by the French regulatory body for wine, INAO, the French Government used emergency powers to reinstate the classification by extending the validity of the 1996 classification. As a result, the four demoted estates that brought the suit were able to keep their classification, but other estates that had been promoted in 2006 were not. This created not just ill will with those producers, but potentially hurt them financially and damaged their reputation.

Dec 2008: The French senate allowed the total of eight estates that had been demoted or had their promotions retracted to regain their promotions.

Jan 2009: The French government constitutional council overruled the judgment to promote the eight estates and demoted them once again.

March 2009: The French Court of Appeal made a final ruling that the 2006 Saint-Émilion classification will not stand and voided it.

May 2009: A law was passed clarifying that the estates promoted to Grand Cru Classé in 2006 would be able to keep their status and back date it to the date of the classification. As a result, the status of the classified estates of 1996, plus the eight chateaux promoted in 2006, was mandated by law until 2011.

June 2011: The Saint-Émilion classification was given permission to move ahead with the 2012 evaluation. The 2012 classification was conducted differently by outsourcing tastings and inspections to independent groups (e.g., wine professionals from Burgundy, Rhône, Champagne, Loire and Provence). There was also no longer a fixed number of estates that could be classified.

January 2013: Three estates that had been demoted or not promoted in the 2012 classification filed complaints, claiming there were procedural errors in the selection process.

April 2013: Those same three estates filed a criminal complaint of ‘illegal interference’ due to members of the assessment panel also being owners of estates that benefitted from the new classification.

Dec 2015: A tribunal upheld the 2012 classification as legal. The three complaining estates appealed the ruling.

Aug 2019: The owners of Château Angélus and Château Trotte Vieille were ordered to stand trial on criminal charges of having an illegal conflict of interest in the reclassification that saw Angélus elevated to Grand Cru Classé A and Trotte Vieille retain its Grand Cru Classé B, while both owners were in positions of influence in the organization that oversaw the classification system.

Oct 2021: The owner of the very prestigious Château Angélus, was found guilty of influencing the 2012 Saint-Émilion classification to benefit wineries in which he had financial interest or acted as an advisor. He was fined €40,000. The second defendant in the case, who owned Chateau Trottevieille and was a member of the assessment panel, was acquitted.

March 2022: A Bordeaux court of appeal dismissed the civil lawsuits brought by the three estates, re-establishing the legitimacy of Saint-Émilion’s 2012 Classification.

Jan 2022: The upcoming Saint-Émilion 2022 Classification process is currently underway, but has already taken an enormous hit to its reputation and potentially to its future. Three of the four ‘Premier Grand Cru Classé A’ estates from 2012 – Châteaux Angélus, Cheval Blanc and Ausone – have all independently said that they do not want to be part of the 2022 ranking process.

June 2022: The fourth ‘Premier Grand Cru Classé A’ estate, Chateau La Gaffelière, also announced their withdrawal from the Saint-Émilion classification.

So where does that leave Saint-Émilion’s 2022 classification? Saint-Émilion’s wine council said they are proceeding with the 2022 Classification, despite the high-profile withdrawals of the region’s top four estates. The final classification is slated to be released in September 2022.

What to Buy?

So as a wine consumer, where does this leave you? Should you even still buy wines from Saint-Émilion? Can you put any faith in the wine’s classification? The short answer is yes! Regardless of the politics involved in the classification process, many Saint-Émilion wines are delicious and worth seeking out.

The wines classified as Premiere Grand Cru A and B are reliably stunning, ageworthy and of the highest quality. They are, however, very expensive. For example, a bottle of Cheval Blanc will set you back at least $500.

Although there are definitely excellent wines that are in the Grand Cru category, there is a significant difference between Grand Cru and Grand Cru Classé. To achieve Grand Cru status, a vineyard just needs to be located in an area that has been classified as Grand Cru, and the producer must also meet some local rules and regulations. Over 200 vineyards are classified as Grand Cru, and estates using these vineyards are automatically granted this status without needing to apply for it.

Grand Cru Classé wines are from better vineyard sites, the estates must apply for this designation, and a committee assesses the quality of the wines via a blind tasting. In 2012, 63 estates met the established criteria for Grand Cru Classé. However, they are still going to set you back $40-$100+.

There are always exceptions to the rules and there are some excellent Grand Cru wines that meet or exceed the quality of some Grand Cru Classé wines. As with all wines, the safest option is to get to know producers and buy the ones that you’ve had a good experience with. Here are some that I have enjoyed:

  • Château Barde-Haut St.-Emilion Grand Cru ($35)
  • Chateau Troplong Mondot St.-Emilion Grand Cru ($45)
  • Clos de l’Oratoire Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé ($50)
  • Château Canon-La Gaffelière – St.-Emilion Grand Cru Classé ($90)
  • Chateaux Garcia Saint-Émilion Grand Cru ($125)
  • Clos Fourtet -Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé ($125)

PRODUCER SPOTLIGHT: Lang & Reed, Napa Valley

What’s rarer than a cheerful teenager? A winemaker in Napa Valley that doesn’t produce any Cabernet Sauvignon! Meet Lang & Reed, a rare breed of Napa winery that focuses on the other Cabernet – Cabernet Franc, as well as Chenin Blanc.

When I was in Napa Valley a few weeks ago, I had time for only one winery visit. I had a plethora of well-known and highly regarded options to choose from – Opus One, Stag’s Leap, Far Niente, Chappellet, etc. Yet rather than booking a visit to those hedonistic Cabernet Sauvignon strongholds with their grand tasting rooms surrounded by stunningly picturesque vineyards, I went in a completely different direction. Instead, I chose to celebrate the completion of my wine exams with Lang & Reed in their quaint tasting room in a historic house located in the heart of St. Helena’s downtown.

I first had a glass of Lang & Reed Cabernet Franc in February 2021 at the California Grill restaurant in Disney World, one month before the world entered pandemic shut down. It was an unusual choice for me – I had never ordered a glass of Cabernet Franc before, which is why I chose it. I wanted to try something different, something not Cabernet Sauvignon, from a wine list dominated by well-known California labels. That glass stayed with me – it was medium bodied with light tannins, red fruit and a very distinctive earthy, dried leaf character. It was nothing like your typical rich, jammy, high alcohol California red. It made me want to know more about Lang & Reed.

When I walked in the door at Lang & Reed two years after that first introduction to their wine, I was immediately greeted by owner John Skupny. He led me to a cheerful tasting room where we proceeded to spend the next two hours chatting about his long and storied journey in the wine industry. A born and bred mid-Westerner, John and his wife Tracey spent decades working in the restaurant industry in Kansas City, which led to positions as wine stewards/buyers.

They eventually moved to Napa in the 1970s during the time of the “Judgement of Paris” and watched Napa evolve from a hippie farmer community to one led by elite, cult winemakers. John moved from restaurants to working at wineries and spent formative years working with Francis Ford Coppola, during the time Coppola was filming Godfather III. John helped convince Coppola to purchase the historic Inglenook winery, which solidified Coppola’s place in Napa history.

Ultimately, John decided to try his hand at winemaking without any formal training. He wanted to make something unique and expressive. Cabernet Franc was already planted in pockets across Napa as a blending varietal with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for Bordeaux-style blends. However, John’s love of the Loire Valley, where Cabernet Franc is produced as a single varietal, inspired the creation of Lang & Reed. The winery is named for the middle names of his two sons, J Reed and Jerzy Lang.

John purchases grapes from partner growers to make his wines. However, sources of Cabernet Franc are limited in Napa. In fact, Lang & Reed produces some very special, extremely limited bottlings of which only 1-2 barrels were ever made! For example, the 2010 Franc de Pied was produced from bare rooted (rather than grafted) old vines that were producing very small yields of fruit, but fruit that was highly concentrated and complex. Only two barrels were made, and the 2010 is the last vintage of this wine since the ungrafted vineyard eventually succumbed to the ravages of the root louse, phylloxera, and no longer exists.

Lang & Reed’s Cabernet Franc bottlings are complex, intriguing and unique, but let’s not forget they also produce excellent Chenin Blanc, the other main grape of the Loire Valley. Their Chenin Blanc was the idea of John’s son, Reed, who partnered with his dad to produce this bottling. Sourcing Chenin Blanc grapes was exponentially more difficult than finding sources of Cabernet Franc, but they eventually found their ideal fruit in cool Mendocino County, north of Sonoma.

Lang & Reed is truly a family business producing wonderfully unique, small production wines. The Lang & Reed entry level Cabernet Franc can be found in larger wine shops around the country for $30. Their more unique, limited bottlings will need to be purchased on their website. Even better, make it a point to visit Lang & Reed the next time you find yourself in Napa Valley and need a break from Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cheers!

WINE SPOTLIGHT: Swartland, South Africa Chenin Blanc

A few weeks ago I Coravined a glass of the 2019 Mullineaux Quartz Chenin Blanc ‘Leliefontein’ from Swartland, South Africa in preparation for my WSET Diploma tasting exam to meet the “high quality Chenin Blanc” recommended tasting. It was so amazing that a few days ago I popped the cork and finished off the bottle, by myself! Then I bought a few more bottles from my fave wine shop.

So let’s talk Chenin and Swartland. Chenin Blanc is a grape that makes it primary home in The Loire Valley of France where it can be found in dry versions (Savennieres), off-dry to sweet versions (Vouvray), and even sparkling. However, its second home is in South Africa, which produces more Chenin than any place else in the world.

In South Africa, Chenin will always be dry and typically riper and fuller than in Loire (which will have more minerality and higher acidity) due to the warmer climate and different soil types. Chenin Blanc has a wide range of flavors, but generally tastes like yellow apples, pear, peach, ginger and passionfruit.

South African Chenin can vary in price and quality, with uninteresting, one-dimensional versions as low as $10/bottle, all the way through beautifully complex and rich versions, such as this Mullineaux in the $60/bottle range. The best Chenin Blanc in South Africa comes from Swartland, an area I am kind of obsessed with due to its new generation of young winemakers that have revived very old abandoned vines, and are producing wines with minimal intervention that reflect a true sense of place.

Swartland is located about an hour northeast of Cape Town. It is hot and dry, with infertile granite and shale soil, making any form of agriculture challenging. It was mainly a region for bulk wine, dominated by low quality co-operatives that essentially neglected the existing vines. Then, in the late 1990s, some young winemakers, led by Charles Back of Spice Route, purchased old vineyards in the area and started something amazing.

These winemakers saw the incredible value in these old, bush trained vines (grown into low bushes rather than upright on trellises) that were decades old and producing very low yields. These vines had learned to survive in a dry, hostile environment, completely neglected and without any irrigation. To find water, the vines had to develop deep rooting systems to seek out meager water being held deep in the soil. The result are vines that are hardy, drought resistant, dry farmed and producing very low yields of deeply concentrated fruit.

These winemakers wanted to express the uniqueness of Swartland and started an organization called “The Swartland Independent Producers Association”, made up of a small group of like-minded producers. They adhere to the following standards:

  • The wines must grown, vinified, matured and bottled in Swartland
  • At least 80% of a producer’s entire wine production must be under his/her own label, meaning no selling grapes to co-ops or large companies
  • The wine must be naturally produced with minimal intervention: only wild yeasts, no added acid, no added tannin, no chemical fining, no technological processing (such as reverse osmosis)
  • Only specific grape varieties are permitted, such as Syrah, Cinsault and Chenin Blanc – Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are not allowed!
  • No more than 25% new oak barrels are permitted, so the new oak flavors don’t mask the character of the grapes and the land

The result are wines of intense concentration and complexity that are produced with tremendous care and respect for the land. Some excellent producers to look for from Swartland are Spice Route, Mullineaux, The Sadie Family and A.A. Badenhorst.

South Africa’s wine industry has been devastated by Covid-19, since they were restricted from selling wine five different times throughout the pandemic. Many wineries did not survive, and there is a glut of wine that has remained unsold. There is no better time to support South Africa’s wine industry than now. The export situation is getting better and we are starting to see better quality South African wines on the store shelves in the U.S.

If you do decide to purchase a wine from South Africa, spend the money on a better bottle. There aren’t a lot of “value wines” (meaning low priced, good quality). For South African wines, you get what you pay for, so if you can spend a little more, you won’t regret it. I am a huge fan of South African wines. Cheers!

Winemakers & Cowboys: A Weekend in Paso Robles

There are many amazing wine regions throughout the world, which means I have plenty of vacation ideas on my bucket list. However, I find myself returning to California over and over again. The state is not only rugged and beautiful, but they produce some of my all time favorite wines.

 

When you think of California wine, most people will automatically think of elegant and sophisticated Napa Valley, and perhaps even  somewhat more laid back Sonoma. While I have travelled to both places quite a few times, and my cellar is dominated by Napa Cabernet, my husband and I love visiting less well-known Paso Robles.

If you like big, red wines with lots of balanced fruit and body, this is the region for you. There are definitely more refined and elegant styles of wines being made there these days, but Paso is well-known for it’s powerful, juicy and full-bodied reds.

Paso Robles is considered the Wild West of California wine regions. In fact, it was founded by Jesse James’s uncle, Drury James. Folks in Paso say the cowboys give the winemakers a wild edge and the winemakers help refine the cowboys. Either way, in Paso the winemakers and the cowboys are one and the same.

Paso Robles is the fastest growing wine region in California with over 200 wineries today, mainly made up of small family-run producers. It is located in the Central Coast of California, about 2 hours drive north of Santa Barbara, and halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The closest airport is San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, which requires a brief layover in LA or San Francisco when flying from the east coast. From the airport, Paso Robles is a 30 minute drive east over the Santa Lucia coastal mountain range.

Paso Robles has a warm Mediterranean climate, characterized by long dry summers, warm autumns and rain mainly during its short winters. During the summer grape growing season, daytime temperatures can soar to 105 degrees F. However, the region has the largest day/night temperature swing of any other wine region in the state. At night, temperatures can plummet by 50 degrees. It is this constant fluctuation in temperature that makes this such an amazing region for grape growing.

Many of the grape varieties grown in the area require warm to hot conditions to ripen fully. Yet cooling at night is essential for the grapes to retain fresh acidity, so they don’t get over-ripe, jammy and flabby. This cooling effect in Paso Robles is helped by coastal breezes that blow inland through the valleys every afternoon, as well as by altitude. The west side of Paso Robles, where the most highly regarded vineyards are located, rises up to 2400 meters above sea level, helping to moderate the climate. These factors result in powerful, ripe wines that still have vibrant acidity and freshness.

Paso Robles is known for its “Rhône Varietals”, which just means they grow the same grapes in Paso that are also grown in the Rhône, France. These are dominated by Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan. However, Paso Robles is also a region capable of growing the widest variety of grapes in California (over 40 different varietals), so you will also find reds such as Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Spanish and Italian varieties, as well as whites including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Rousanne and Albariño. 

More than just the incredible wines and weather, I love visiting Paso because of the people. The wine industry in Paso is like one big family. There is no competition between wineries. It’s a small community of winegrowers and winemakers and families that have all worked together at some point in their careers and been helped and mentored by each other. The support and encouragement they show each other is inspirational.

It is also an incredibly approachable, unpretentious wine region. It isn’t uncommon to see children and pets in tasting rooms. Everyone is welcome. It’s also an area where it is still possible to visit a winery and find the owner or winemaker strolling the grounds and wandering over to say hello and strike up a conversation with the patrons.

   

One of my best experiences was visiting Epoch Estate and sitting outside on a picnic table with my husband when a big guy in a cowboy hat sits down with us and introduces himself as Bill Armstrong, the winery’s owner. We had a great conversation with him and left with free bottles of wine and one signed by Bill that said, “Dave and Dina. Move to Paso! -Bill Armstrong”. That kind of thing just doesn’t happen in Napa.

Paso Robles is a beautiful place filled with phenomenal people and amazing wines. There is no where else like it. If you decide to visit Paso Robles, here are some recommendations of accommodations, wineries and restaurants. The best experiences are the tours and private tasting appointments that can be booked in advance via the winery websites, so plan ahead.

Wineries:

Clos Selene Winery, 2040 Niderer Rd, Paso Robles, CA 93446, http://www.clossolene.com/ – Clos Selene is a family-run vineyard with seven generations of wine making roots in Langeudoc and Bordeaux, France. The tasting room is a covered outdoor patio situated right next to the owner/winemaker’s home, with views of the surrounding vineyards. It makes for a cozy and intimate experience with beautiful wines that are influenced by a French winemaking style.

Daou Vineyards, 2777 Hidden Mountain Rd, Paso Robles, CA 93446 , https://www.daouvineyards.com/ – The only thing better than the wine at Daou is the utterly breathtaking view. The winery sits atop Daou Mountain, providing panoramic vistas from the gorgeous outdoor patio. Buy a bottle of wine in the tasting room, pull up a comfortable table by the outdoor fireplace, order a charcuterie plate and sit back, relax and take in the scenery. Daou makes for a magical afternoon.

L’Aventure Winery, 2815 Live Oak Rd, Paso Robles, CA 93446, http://www.aventurewine.com/ – L’Aventure has very nice wines, but they are also provide one of the best tasting room experiences. Not only is the staff incredibly friendly and accommodating, but you can take a tour of their wine caves, which is a fun experience.

Law Estate Wines, 3885 Peachy Canyon Rd, Paso Robles, CA 93446, http://www.lawestatewines.com/ – When many of the vineyard owners you meet around Paso tell you the best wine in the area is being made at Law Estates, you have to try it. I can tell you from first-hand experience, Law absolutely produces some of the best wines in the region. The tasting room is also a stunning hilltop masterpiece of concrete, steel and wood with unbeatable views. It’s a not-to-be-missed experience.

TH Estate, 870 Arbor Rd, Paso Robles, CA 93446, http://thestatewines.com/ – In an area where big, powerful red wines are everywhere, TH Estate produces beautifully elegant, sophisticated and balanced wines. They are also a winery that runs on a budget and may not have the latest and greatest wine production technology. Instead, they do things the old fashioned way, which makes for a very fun and educational tour of the facilities. The best wine we had on our last trip to Paso was a barrel tasting of TH Estate’s 100% Syrah that hasn’t yet been bottled. We’ll definitely be buying some when it is released!

Tin City, https://www.tincitypasorobles.com/ – Tin City is an industrial warehouse complex that has been reclaimed by boutique wineries and delicious restaurants that turned it into a hip and trendy enclave where you can spend an afternoon walking from one tasting room to another. If you get tired of wine, there is also an excellent brewery and distillery. Many new wine brands led by young rising stars in the wine industry get their start in Tin City, making some really interesting and unique wines that you’ll never find in your local wine shop at home. Some of my favorites are Benom, Jacob Toft and Top. For lunch, stop into Tin Canteen, and for a very unique dinner experience, check out Six Test Kitchen (see below).

Restaurants:

BL Brasserie, 1202 Pine St, Paso Robles, CA 93446, http://www.bistrolaurent.com – BL Brasserie, formerly known as Bistro Laurent, stands out amongst a plethora of California cuisine by offering decidedly French fare. As a lover of France cuisine, I can attest that BL Brasserie does not disappoint. The food is delicious and the service attentive. The chef has been in Paso for 20 years, and his longevity in running this restaurant is a testament to its quality in a area with so much excellent competition.

Kitchenette, 105 S Main St #1, Templeton, CA 93465, http://kitchenettetempleton.com/ – Kitchenette is 10 minutes south of Paso Robles in the town of Templeton, but it’s a must visit breakfast spot. The corn beef hash is like none you will have ever eaten anywhere else (I dream about that hash)! They also make amazing breakfast burritos and perfectly executed ricotta pancakes.

The Hatch, 835 13th St, Paso Robles, CA 93446, http://www.hatchpasorobles.com – The Hatch is a trendy location one block from the Paso Robles Downtown Park. They have a wide selection of wines on draft, micro brews, small batch whiskey, and delicious hand-crafted cocktails. The menu is centered on seasonal comfort food with a twist, and it’s delicious!

Thomas Hill Organics, 1313 Park St, Paso Robles, CA 93446, https://www.thomashillorganics.com – Thomas Hill Organics is a farm-to-table restaurant using the freshest organic and regionally sourced ingredients. Sit outside on their covered patio for a beautiful and very tasty dining experience.

The Restaurant at Justin, 11680 Chimney Rock Rd, Paso Robles, CA 93446, https://justinwine.com/visit-justin-winery/restaurant.html – If you are feeling adventurous and have a rental car, it’s well worth your time to take the 30 minute journey along winding country roads to reach Justin Winery and Restaurant, a vineyard oasis in the middle of untouched forest. Justin is a well-known large producer  of excellent wines with price points for everyone. The restaurant, located off the tasting room, offers a beautiful chef’s tasting menu with optional wine pairings. However, if you’re going to Justin, it’s a no-brainer to pair your courses with Justin wines. The service, food and wine pairings are impeccable.

Accommodations:

Hotel Cheval, 1021 Pine St, Paso Robles, CA 93446, https://www.hotelcheval.com/

I am a big fan of VRBO.com, and have had nothing but fantastic experiences renting short-term vacation homes through the app. I have found that I really enjoy the space, privacy and peace of staying in a house rental, especially in places that I feel comfortable exploring on my own and don’t feel the need to concierge assistance or hotel ammenitites. Also, with two growing kids, having extra bedrooms at the same or cheaper price than a studio hotel room is definitely the way to go. If you are interested in exploring a house rental, here are two phenomenal options:

Homestead Hill Vineyard, http://www.thacherwinery.com/stay/ – This home is owned and rented by Thatcher Winery. It is located at the mid-point of a small hill with vineyards stretching out before and behind the home. A large front porch afford gorgeous views of the vines while enjoying morning coffee or an afternoon glass of wine. The updated home has three comfortable bedrooms, a large kitchen and dining area, and is very well appointed. It also has a bonus cottage next to the house with a cozy lounge perfect for reading a good book or just enjoying some solitude.

Willow and Vine, https://pasoroblesvacationrentals.com/rental/willow-vine/ –  If you don’t need as much space as that offered at Homestead Hill, the two-bedroom Willow and Vine home is a perfect option. The home has been lovingly updated with rustic wine country touches and modern amenities. The bed is probably the most comfortable that I have ever slept in during my entire life. The home also has a beautiful front porch with astonishingly  comfortable chairs that you can sink into while listening to the peaceful sounds of surrounding birds and other wildlife.

If you have any wine-related questions, wine tasting/review requests, or suggestions for future blog posts, please send me an email at [email protected].

New Jersey Wine Is On The Rise

Believe it or not, every state in this country grows grapes and makes wine. In my home state of New Jersey there are over 50 wineries, with quite a few of those within easy driving distance of me. However, the last time I actually tasted a New Jersey wine was at least 10 years ago. At that time, NJ tasting rooms were filled with syrupy sweet bottles of blueberry wine, raspberry wine and other similarly flavored sugary concoctions. After that experience, I wrote off New Jersey as a state entirely unable to produce quality wines. However, I can admit when I am wrong.

This past weekend I decided to attend a local Fall Portfolio Tasting event held by The Winemakers Co-Op, a group of local wineries that have come together to research, educate and ultimately improve the NJ wine industry. The co-op includes Beneduce Vineyards in Pittstown, Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery in Rio Grand, Working Dog Winery in East Windsor, Unionville Vineyards in Ringoes and William Heritage Winery in Mullica Hill. It was the perfect opportunity to taste and learn more about wines from a variety of local producers in one place. What I found entirely changed my perception of NJ wines.

In the last decade, a lot has evolved in NJ vineyards and wineries. Rather than turning out predominently sweet berry wines, producers are creating interesting, yet approachable styles from grape varieties like Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Albariño, Roussanne and Marsanne, as well as popular international varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. There is also no fear of experimentation, with several wineries producing funky, natural wines that are rustic and textured.

During the VIP session with the winemakers prior to the general admission tasting event, there was significant discussion about the current harvest as well as environmental sustainability in the vineyards. The winemakers are currently in the process of harvesting the 2019 vintage, and it is promising to be the best vintage in memory.

This past season began with its share of challenges. Todd Wuerker, Winemaker at Hawk Haven Vineyard, described it as a “tale of two weather patterns.” Frost damage in early Spring caused crop loss, with Beneduce losing almost 30% of their yield. Then the Spring weather turned wet and vine growth was rampant. Additional workers had to be hired to manage the canopy, keeping the vines in check and pruned back. Too much green growth means the vine diverts resources to growing leaves instead of grapes.

Then summer hit and settled into an absolutely perfect weather pattern of dry, sunny conditions during the day and cool temperatures at night, allowing the grapes to ripen fully, concentrating sugars and maintaining natural acidity. Michael Beneduce, of Beneduce Vineyards, said this year produced the best grapes he had ever seen in his life. Conor Quilty, Winemaker at Unionville Vineyards, said the higher yields allowed them to “call their own picks” and select the best grapes for each wine style. The perfect weather also reduced disease pressure, with less risk of fungal issues that could require spraying.

Talk then turned to sustainability and the efforts being made by New Jersey vintners to keep their vineyards as free from chemical herbicides, pesticides and fungicides as possible. Although some spray treatments may be necessary, they are only done when absolutely necessary, and usually no more than once or twice a season.

The invasive spotted lanternfly, which has a fondness for grape vines, has been making its way into western New Jersey from Pennsylvania over the past few months. Some vineyards, such as Unionville, have begun spotting some of these colorful moths on the vines, but other vineyards further east and south remain lanternfly-free for the moment. However, there is a sense that the lanterfly will become a more wide-spread issue, and one they will have to be prepared to battle.

Beneduce also stressed that sustainability lies in the hands of the consumer even more than in the vineyards due to the carbon footprint associated with shipping wines, and the importance of buying local. For those who want to support local vintners, but don’t want to sacrifice quality, there is a wide variety of excellent wines being produced in New Jersey today. Here are some my favorite picks from The Winemakers Co-Op Fall Portfolio Tasting.

William Heritage 2018 Pét-Nat Sparkling Chenin Blanc, $35

2018 is the first vintage made of this really interesting and tasty sparkling wine. Pét Nat is short for Pétillant Naturel, a very old process for making sparkling wine invented by 16th century monks in the south of France. It is a more rustic style of wine-making in which yeast is often left in the bottle rather than being filtered out, resulting in a cloudy wine with bready/yeasty flavors. This dry wine from Heritage has been gently filtered, so it is clear, but enough yeast has remained behind to add texture and flavor. The Heritage Pét Nat has aromas of honey and pear with a slight creamy texture and notes of pastry and brioche.

Unionville Vineyards 2016 Hunterdon Mistral Blanc, $26.95

Unionville’s Mistral Blanc is a blend of 70% Viognier, 15% Marsanne and 15% Roussanne. This dry wine has nice body and a round, creamy texture with flavors of peach, pear and apricot. The rich texture is balanced by bright acidity. If you like Chardonnay, but want something slightly different, you will definitely enjoy this wine.

Beneduce Vineyard Blue 2 Blaufränkisch, $30

Based on my tastings, New Jersey produces better white wines than red wines, but Blue 2 had a full body and concentrated fruit flavors that made this red wine a stand-out. Blaufränkisch is an Austrian grape variety known to produce medium to full bodied wines with juicy, spicy fruit flavors. Beneduce describes Blue 2 as “Pinot Noir’s bigger, badder cousin” and it didn’t disappoint. This wine had nice structure and tannins with dark fruit flavors and peppery spice on the finish. It has the juiciness of a Pinot Noir, but with a richer and bolder dark fruit profile. Bigger and badder indeed.