Monthly Archive for January, 2009

Limited Time Valentine Tasting

Published on January 29, 2009 in Joanie Hudson. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

With Valentine’s Day falling on a Saturday you have the whole day to bask in the company of loved ones.  In celebration of the holiday we will have a special tasting list starting February 11th and wrapping up on the 16th.  We carefully selected wines that are appropriate for the holiday from what foods they pair well with to the flavors that are brought forward. 

Wines to enjoy on Valentines Day…

Limited Time Valentines Day Tasting List

2007 Riesling 1.7

2007 Chardonnay Santa Barbara County

2007 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

2005 Lagrein

1999 Zinfandel Essence

We are open daily from 10am-5pm for tasting.  Tasting is just five dollars and includes your crystal glass.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Wine Spectator Quiz

Published on January 26, 2009 in Joanie Hudson. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Want to test your knowledge on California Wine and its history?  I like to take the ten question tests on Wine Spectator’s website every so often.  Here are a few fun questions from my most recent quiz.  Answers will appear below the questions.

1) Fume Blanc is another name, devised by Robert Mondavi, for which grape variety?

2) Which grape variety is produced almost exclusively in California with a small amount also grown in Italy? (hint: it is a red)

3) In the 1976 Judgment of Paris, subject of the recent movie Bottle Shock, which wineries won in the white and red categories over French wines?

4) Most of what is called Petite Sirah in California is really the French grape variety X?

I also came across an article discussing the positive effects of Wine, Tea, and Dark Chocolate (in scientific talk, this is because they are rich in polyphenolic compounds called flavonoids, but all I see is positive effects and wine and chocolate in the same sentence and I’m happy). 

Answers (in order of the questions):

-Sauvignon Blanc

-Zinfandel

-Chateau Montelena & Stag’s Leap

-Durif

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Upcoming Santa Barbara Tastings

Published on January 26, 2009 in Joanie Hudson and Pierre Lafond Bistro. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Calling all Santa Barbara oenophiles… Over the next two weeks there are three events that I can’t choose between so they all ended up pencilled in on my calendar.  A few blocks away from the winery, the Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro will hold two tastings next week – the Bottle Shock screening (Monday, February 2) followed by a blind tasting and the monthly Passport to the World of Wine (Wednesday, February 4).  

This month’s Passport theme is Cabernet Sauvignon.  If you are unfamiliar with this monthly themed tasting held at the restaurant, each one features a particular varietal from different areas of the world.  This theme captures what is to me one of the most intriguing aspects of a wine’s expression – how the same grape can take on particular characteristics depending on the weather and area that it was grown in.  Passport tastings are $25 and include a tasting of 5 wines and paired appetizers, by chef Nathan Heil, that always fill me up. Reservations are required 962-1455.

Following this theme of varying expression of the same grape, Spiritland Bistro puts on one of my favorite themed dinners.  This Wednesday January 28 will mark the first Wednesday Wine & Dine at Spiritland and will feature Shiraz from the Southern Hemisphere (Australia, South Africa, and South America).  Our tasting room neighbors, Seth Kunin of Kunin and Westerly Wines, and Martin Brown of Kalyra will be the speakers.  

The tasting portion of the dinner occurs during the stand up cheese course, followed by a sit down dinner that will include a wild mushroom fricassee over polenta to start, braised lamb shank as a main, and an apricot marzipan tart for dessert.  Email lesliewine@aol.com for reservations.  $45 all inclusive, just bring a bottle of Shiraz.  

Hope to see some familiar faces at each of these events.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

What is Primitivo?

Published on January 19, 2009 in Joanie Hudson and Primativo. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , .

Over the weekend I brought a bottle of our 2005 Primitivo to one of Santa Barbara’s oldest Italian restaurants, Arnoldi’s.  All of my friends were busy chatting, but the focus immediately turned to the wine once everybody took their first sips.  Declaring it a Santa Barbara Winery favorite took less than two minutes, but they all said they never would have bought it off the shelves of a store or in a winery without tasting it because of the fear of the unknown.  All the more reason to taste obscure varietals, read wine education books, and ask your tasting room host or sommelier one question too many.  You may be missing out on your favorite wine, and you don’t even know it.

Primitivo has recently been shown to be genetically identical to Zinfandel.  Growing well in warmer climates, it has a more “sun kissed” quality than wines that come from cooler areas in Italy, such as Tuscany or Piedmont.  Andrew Joughin’s Santa Ynez Joughin Vineyard has vines that have been grown from cuttings that originated in the cone-shaped Trullo house filled Puglia region in southeastern Italy.  We source 100% of our Primitivo from Joughin, with 2006 being the sixth Primitivo crop.

Primitivo is dark red with bold fruity flavors and an intense essence of sweetness while being bone dry.  It has a richness to it that really makes it stand out.  While it’s DNA is the same as that of Zinfandel, there are not by any means the same wine.  One main difference between the two grapes is that Zinfandel has a greater inherent acidity to it than Primitivo. 

This wine is outstanding with Grilled Beef or Marinated Short Ribs.  Pretty fantastic with Arnoldi’s New York Steak as well…

2006 Santa Barbara Winery Primitivo Joughin Vineyard $25

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Lafond Winery New Releases Open House

Published on January 15, 2009 in Joanie Hudson, Lafond Winery and New Releases. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

Grab your favorite wine tasting partner and make a note in your calendar to stop by Lafond Winery’s New Release Open House on Saturday, January 24.  The excitement of a new release always has us eagerly popping the cork in the tasting room to welcome the new kid on the block.  How does it compare to the previous vintage?  Will I like it as much?  These questions can be answered on your first sip of your winter wine tasting day at Lafond.  

What winter?  Yesterday was a sparkling clean eighty degrees in downtown Santa Barbara so most likely you won’t be wearing your scarves and beanies next weekend unless there is a dramatic weather turn.  I will always be happy to give you an excuse to go wine tasting, and here is the perfect opportunity to enjoy our out of whack summer weather, taste an assortment of wines that are being officially unveiled together, and take the windy ocean-view 101 freeway trip up or down to our vineyard.

Buying wine at a winery is much more fulfilling than running down to a wine shop an hour before dinner hits the table.  The wine has a story behind it, an experience, a day trip.  Laugh for a second time about something you laughed about the day that you bought it, reflect on a beautiful day in the vineyard away from the chaos of any downtown city, away from your dogs barking, or to do list that grows even as you cross things off.  

So come try the new releases with a celebratory selection of cheese and breads.

Lafond 2007 SRH Pinot Noir

Lafond 2007 SRH Syrah

Lafond 2006 Chardonnay Lafond Vineyard

Lafond 2006 Pinot Noir Arita Hills Vineyard

Lafond Winery New Releases Open House, Saturday January 24, 10am-5pm

6855 Santa Rosa Road (Sta. Rita Hills)

805-688-7921

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Exclusive Bottle Shock Screening & Tasting

Published on January 14, 2009 in Chardonnay and Joanie Hudson. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , .

I had given up on the opportunity to see Bottle Shock in theaters after I missed it over the summer, but there is one last opportunity to see an exclusive screening of the film on Monday, February 2 in Santa Barbara.  Metro 4 Theaters is playing the movie on the big screen at 6pm followed by a blind tasting of French and California Chardonnays in honor of the film’s competitive theme.  There will also be a table dedicated to Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noirs to taste and food pairings prepared by Bistro chef Nathan Heil.  Our special guest for the evening is Randy Miller, Director of Bottle Shock.  

Some have referred to this film as the “new Sideways.”  While I can see the relation in the wine theme, the stories are completely different, this story focusing more on a historical tasting that really put California on the international map in terms of wine.  

$35 covers the screening and the tasting, which is practically the cost of a movie ticket, popcorn and a soda these days.

Tickets are available at the Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro on State St. or by calling 805-962-1455. 

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

UniTea Inaugural Ball

Published on January 11, 2009 in Joanie Hudson and Special Events. 0 Comments Tags: , .

With the inauguration of President-Elect Obama on the horizon, Santa Barbara’s UniTea Inaugural Ball will be celebrating and recognizing Obama’s theme of “community helping community.”  The fundraiser, which will take place at the newly restored Granada Theatre on the evening of January 20, 2009, will feature local music, food, and wine in an atmosphere of “creative black tie.”  All ticket proceeds will benefit victims of the Tea Fire. 

The Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro will be one of several participating food sponsors at the event. 

To purchase a ticket for the event and to read more about the fundraising efforts behind UniTea and Unity Shoppe, visit www.uniteaball.org. 

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery

Open House at Lafond Winery & Vineyards

Published on January 10, 2009 in Lafond Winery, Open House and Wine News. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

New Releases
Saturday January 24, 2009
10:00am to 5:00pm

 2007 SRH Pinot Noir
2006 Arita Hills Vineyard Pinot Noir
2007 SRH Syrah
2006 Lafond Vineyard Chardonnay

With Cheese and Bread to pair with the wines

Pinot Passport Recap

Published on January 9, 2009 in Pierre Lafond Bistro and Wine News. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Joanie Hudson writes in the Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro Blog:

Last night’s Pinot Noir tasting provided an exciting look as to what the world of that varietal has to offer, literally. Taking samples from four distinct regions, and presenting them side by side is a lesson on wine that you can’t get from any amount of reading. The most crowded tasting yet took over the entire restaurant with the four tables spread around the perimeter of the room.

First stop was the Sta. Rita Hills, where we sampled two different vintages from the region from Santa Barbara Winery and Lafond. The only 2007 of the bunch was the Santa Barbara Winery Pinot Noir, which we sampled first as we snatched a deliciously spiced pulled lamb slider to bite into between tastes. A very concentrated vintage, this 07 Pinot really just jumps out at you with rich dark fruit and intensity. Vintage 2007 is from 10 vineyard sites up to 18 years old and from eight different Pinot Noir clones.

At the same table was another representative from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, Santa Barbara Winery’s sister label, Lafond. For the 2006 Lafond SRH Pinot Noir Winemaker Bruce McGuire chose very specific sites in the vineyard for each of his Pinot Noir selections. In 2006, Bruce chose 6 clones from 16 vineyard lots at two vineyards (Lafond and its neighbor Arita Hills Vineyard. Nice to be able to taste the sister winery selections next to each other – same winemaker, different vintage, different philosophy to wine productions. I grabbed a second irresistible slider to go with my second taste.

All the way on the other side of the restaurant were the other three tables. I went with New Zealand’s 2006 Wild Earth Winery Central Otago Pinot next. First I tried one of the sesame tuna on cucumber discs nibbles, which was so tasty on its own, but a tiny bit too spicy for the wine – would have been delicious with an off dry Riesling. But I enjoyed tasting it with the wine only to demonstrate how certain pairings succeed or fail. This wine was a screw cap so there was some debating going on in conversations around me as to what this does for the wine. For me, screw cap or no screw cap, I’m going for what’s inside of the bottle. Pinot is the most widely planted red variety in New Zealand, where the main star is Sauvignon Blanc. There is about half as much Pinot planted as Sauvignon Blanc in this up and coming wine region that has an ideal climate for growing Pinot Noir. This wine was fruit driven, yet savory and earthy – very approachable in its youth. The 30% new oak aging came through a little bit on both the nose and palate. Watch out for those New Zealand Pinots, it is definitely an up and coming player in the wine world…

Next was the French Burgundy, which was the 2006 Bouchard Pere et Fils, Bougogne Rouge. This was quite the departure from the other new world Pinots with a subtlety and finesse that is inherent in quality French Burgundies. It was more subdued and elegant than the rest of the bunch. Bistro sommelier Zach Blair was fielding questions left and right from behind the table, very excited about the quality for the value of this wine. Another delicious appetizer was served alongside the wine at this table – baked Camambert on crostini with a pear walnut dressing. This nutty and rich treat was so tasty, with most of the flavor coming from the oozing cheese.

Last stop brought me back to the United States with Oregon’s Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. The 2006 Benton Lane Pinot Noir table wins the award for best wine pairing of the night. Served with this wine was the classic pairing of mushrooms, prepared in a small tartlette that could be eaten in just one or two bites. This was an example of how when wine and food come together there are certain pairings that really just bring out elements of each other, highlighting certain strengths and flavors in each. In this case it was the intense and intoxicating aromas and flavors of earthy mushrooms. Each bite and sip seemed to exponentially bring out this element, definitely a perfect ending to the tasting.

Return to the Bistro website for information on February’s Passport to the World of Wine tasting. This event will happen on the first Wednesday of each month.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager, Santa Barbara Winery