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Posts from the ‘California’ Category

May 29

Introducing Red Car Wines

We are psyched to introduce Red Car Wines, the latest addition to our Domestic Portfolio.  Founded in 2000 by Carroll Kemp and Mark Estrin with 50 cases of Syrah from a single ton of grapes, Red Car Wines came fresh off the press with a highly scored Syrah, before releasing a value brand called “Box Car” that gained traction and fans all across the country. However, they soon came to realize that neither one of these projects spoke to their true calling: investing in the idea of balance and terroir in California.  So in 2004 they recalibrated, and purchased land atop a coastal mountain range on the “True” Sonoma Coast (now Fort Ross/Seaview AVA) with neighbors that include Hirsch, Marcassin, Peay, and others.

And this is where their third, and most important, chapter in life begins.

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May 14

The Wines of Celia Welch

At our ladies’ luncheon with Celia Welch, Celia led us through a tasting of six of her wines.  And as she discussed the trajectory of her career, we hung on her words and followed her tour throughout all of Napa Valley .

Joining Keever Vineyards, “a total family vineyard” as Celia described it, when the winery opened in 2006, Celia crafts their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and their more recently planted Sauvignon Blanc.  Located in Yountville, Napa Valley, Keever is owned and operated by Bill and Olga Keever who work the vineyards and the tasting room alongside their children, Jason and Ashley.  Just south of Domaine Chandon, where there are “alluvial fans” on the west side of Napa, Keever’s 7-acres of vineyards sit on a hill of fine grained loam and “tennis ball sized rocks,” which help provide excellent drainage.

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May 10

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Ladies’ Luncheon with Celia Welch

Celia Welch of Corra Wines

This week, we’ve been blessed with the good fortune of having Celia Welch in town!  And even better, to celebrate women in the industry, we were able to share the wealth with a selection of female sommeliers and buyers from a handful of select accounts.  With PC at the kitchen’s helm, we sat with Celia at Studio TEW to a roundtable luncheon of Sliced Duck Breast and Melted Vegetables, the perfect accompaniment to pair with her wines.  And while Celia Welch is certainly a household name when it comes to California’s cult Cabernet Sauvignons, it was an enlightening experience to hear her humbly discuss her rise to present fame.

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Nov 30

Mauritson

Located in Sonoma County, the Mauritson family has six generations of farming coursing through their veins and 230 acres of vineyards throughout Dry Creek and Alexander Valley.  Down from 4,000 acres in the early 1960′s, the Mauritson family has been growing grapes in Dry Creek since 1868.  In 1884, it was their great-great-great grandfather, S.P. Hallengren who first planted grapes in the Rockpile Region.  And when the Army Corps of Engineers coveted the land for the constructing of Lake Sonoma, the family’s then remaining 700 acres that sat atop the ridge were left to wild coyotes, sheep and pigs.  Nearly 40 years later, in 2000, brothers Thomas and Chris Mauritson reestablished their roots atop Rockpile by planting vineyards.

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Nov 28

The Donum Estate

“I came from a small town in Middle Rhine [Germany] to Sonoma,” said Anne Moller-Racke, the beatific President and Winegrower of The Donum Estate.  ”It’s been 30 years…I didn’t know I would stay after a year, but I love my work.”  And her youthful glow shows it.  ”Every year it’s a challenge, understanding the vintage, making something of quality…How could you not love California?  The wine industry is very open; there’s a lot of experimentation.”

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Sep 21

VHR–2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, The Inaugural Vintage

On Friday morning, Bruce Phillips and Francoise Peschon, of VHR, or Vine Hill Ranch, in Oakville, Napa Valley, came by Studio TEW for a visit.  Here to debut their inaugural vintage–the VHR Cabernet Sauvignon 2008–Bruce discussed the inspiration for the wine, along with the history and transformation of his family’s vineyards.

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Sep 16

Bebame Red–Red Wine from El Dorado County

We welcome Bebame (“drink me” in Spanish), a blend of Cabernet Franc and Gamay, the most recent addition to our Domestic Portfolio. What follows are a few words from the winemaker:

WE LOVE TRANSPARENT, DELICIOUS, EASY, CHARACTERFUL, AND DEEPLY FLAVORFUL WINES THAT ARE FINELY STRUCTURED AND RELATIVELY LOW IN ALCOHOL: CHINON, BOURGEUIL, BEAUJOLAIS, MONDEUSE, MARZEMINO, LAGREIN, BARBERA, ALBARINO, VERMENTINO, TXAKOLINA . . . . YOU GET THE IDEA.  WHAT WE DON’T UNDERSTAND IS WHY THIS STYLE OF WINE IS RARELY MADE IN THE NEW WORLD.  WHILE THERE IS A SCHOOL OF THOUGHT THAT SAYS NEW WORLD WINE HAS TO BE RICHER, HIGHER IN ALCOHOL, AND RIPER, WE DON’T BUY IT.  WE BELIEVE THAT IF THE GRAPES ARE PLANTED ON COOL, APPROPRIATE SITES, AND ARE WELL-FARMED AND PICKED RIPE AT REASONABLE SUGAR LEVELS, AND TRULY MINIMALLY HANDLED IN THE CELLAR, THEN WE CAN MAKE JUST SUCH WINES WITHOUT COMPROMISE IN THE NEW WORLD.

–BEBAME TEAM


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Sep 7

Wine Advocate #196–Antonio Galloni on the Wines of Craig Jaffurs

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Advocate #196

This is Antonio Galloni’s first piece on the wines of the Central Coast.  Many reviews and points for certain producers fluctuated dramatically from last year when Parker, not Galloni, was at the helm of the California Book.  The below statements from both of them is proof that Craig Jaffurs has instituted himself as one of the most dynamic and sought after winemakers in California today!

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Aug 24

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Détente-Old World Meets New in the Bottle

Born from an introduction that was arranged by Tom, Détente is old world meets new in the bottle. In 2008, Joey Tensley of Tensley Wines met Cécile Dusserre of Domaine de Montvac to create  Détente, or “relaxation”, our original Trans-Atlantic blend of 50% Tensley Wines Colson Canyon Syrah and 50% Domaine de Montvac Vacqueyras Variation, Cécile’s top release.

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Aug 22

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Tensley Wines & Colson Canyon Syrah

In 1998, Joey Tensley launched Tensley Wines, a winery in Santa Barbara County, where the mountain range runs from east to west.  In that same year, TEW began its relationship with Tensley Wines, a union that’s been growing and running solid since.

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