Archive for the 'Wine News' Category

Planting Chardonnay Lafond Vineyard

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Pierre
on April 29, 2008
in Chardonnay, New Planting and Wine News
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This week we started planting our new Chardonnay block – a little over 10 acres. We are using 5 different clones — some of these clones are already in some of our older blocks, and a few that are new to us, but have been tested in other vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills.

First the ground is softened by drip irrigation, although this may not really be necessary — the soil is very sandy – which we think ideal for Chardonnay. The Chardonnay has been grafted to a root stock that is well adapted to our soil — disease resistant, not too vigorous and good in sand.

Organic mulch is added at each vine location, hopefully to jump-start the plant’s growth. The vine is then planted and enclosed in a growth tube to protect it from the fierce winds and the blowing sand which are common in the Santa Rita Hills.

The first year is dedicated to establishing the vine — growing a solid root system. The following winter the vine is cut back to two buds — almost to where it started. The growth tube remains during the second year until the vine grows out of the tube and can be trained on the wire. The third year we get a small crop. Maybe.

The thumbnails show the planting sequence. Click to enlarge:


 

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Checking for Malolactic at Lafond Winery

Published
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Pierre
on April 29, 2008
in Articles on Wine and Vineyards, Lafond Winery and Wine News
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Winemaker Bruce MaGuire periodically checks the red wines from the 2007 harvest for completion of malolactic fermentation. Some varieties will undergo this secondary fermentation, the conversion of malic acid to lactic acid , very quickly. Others especially those varieties harvested late are slower to undergo this process — one reason is that, because it is later in the season, it is colder and cold inhibits fermentation.

There was a time, and not so long ago, when malolactic fermentation was not as understood as it is today – it was discouraged – with the unfortunate result that it sometimes occurred within the bottle and spoilt the wine. The benefits today, of a carefully controlled malolactic fermentation, are well recognized. And aside from a more stable wine it enriches the wine with more complex flavor and balance.

Malic acid is most easily recognized in apples. Some white wines are also encouraged to go through malolactic fermentation especially those rich buttery Chardonnays. If fruit flavors, however, are essential such as in Riesling, Rosé, and Sauvignon Blanc, the wines are kept chilled, until bottling, to prevent this from occurring.

The photo below is of Bruce in the lab, at Lafond Winery, ’spotting’ the different barrels. He puts several drops on each ’spot’ on a special paper. Each spot represents a different barrel, and when he places the paper in a solution it will tell him if the fermentation has been completed, or how far it has gone. He uses a small capillary tube, that he rests on the board at his side, to deposit the ‘drops’ on the paper. Slow but effective.

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Live Flamenco Guitar at The Bistro

Published
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joanie
on April 29, 2008
in Joanie Hudson, Lafond Winery, Restaurant News, Special Events, Tasting Room and Wine News
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Santa Barbara Winery Tasting Room Host Chris Fossek has performed Flamenco guitar at a number of Lafond and Santa Barbara Winery Events - including the annual wine club barbeque held during the summer, and most recently at Lafond Vineyards on the day of the Vintner’s Festival.  This Friday, May 2, he will be playing at the Bistro on State St. while guests can enjoy wine flights, appetizers, and dinner.  The candlelit room and big windows is perfectly situated to watch the energy of a Friday evening on State Street.

Chris has a Master’s Degree in Flamenco Guitar Performance from the California Institute of the Arts.  He has performed as a soloist and in ensembles at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, the RedCat Theatre at the Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles, the Getty Museum, and the International Guitar Festival locally.  With all of this internationally acclaimed experience one of his favorite places to play is still Santa Barbara.  Chris has also studied at the University of Bologna, Italy and lived for a period of time in Valencia, Spain.  His extensive experiences abroad and wealth of knowledge about music and wine make him one of those people you don’t want to miss having a conversation with in your lifetime.

Tapas Specials:

Ahi Tuna Cucumber Ceviche
Shrimp Avocado Mango Ceviche
Antipasto

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager

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Vegetarian Wine Pairing Dinner at the Bistro

Published
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joanie
on April 23, 2008
in Joanie Hudson, Wine News and Wine and Food Pairing
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In celebration of Earth Day the Pierre Lafond Bistro held its 1st Annual Vegetarian Wine Pairing Dinner last night.  Executive Chef Josh Keating created an elegant six course menu for which Assistant Winemaker Ryan Ralston matched the appropriate Santa Barbara Winery wine.  The theme of the evening seemed to be balancing out the elements - wines to counterbalance and complement the food, candles and floral arrangements to balance the open kitchen and big windows’ modern feel, and discussions from both Josh and Ryan about the pairing between each course.

Establishing a solid relationship between the Bistro and Lafond and Santa Barbara Wineries is one of the many goals of continuing to put together these pairing dinners.  We have the unique opportunity to craft both the food and the wine menus to really play off of each other.  Having the winemakers play such a large role in menu creation is great because they know these wines inside and out.  Josh can explain all of the elements of the food and how he created these dishes, while the winemakers discuss all of the elements of the wine from pH to sugar levels to desired flavor profiles.  At the winery we have the ability to give customers personal attention as we explain the wines and history of the grapes.  It is rare that this type of environment can be transferred to a restaurant setting.  Last night both Josh and Ryan were available to answer questions as they individually talked about each course.  Also, Chris and I, who both work in the tasting room, poured the wines at each table.  The idea was to create an elegant dining experience amidst approachable staff where everybody would feel comfortable, relaxed, and have any questions taken care of.

The ball got rolling with a fresh Spinach and Watercress Salad paired with the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc.  The zesty simplicity of the greens called for a light white wine with similar characterstics.  Josh and Ryan introduced themselves to the attendees.  Also on hand to speak and answer questions between each course was production assistant Cameron Bendetsen, who provided entertaining stories about the histories of the grapes.  Sauvignon Blanc’s natural acidity is the perfect match for a light starter salad with a vinaigrette dressing.

Moving onto the second course, which Ryan claimed was the most obvious pairing, the Bistro served up a crispy Asian Risotto Wonton alongside the 2007 1.7% Residual Sugar Riesling.  The idea of the pairing choice behind this dish was counterbalancing the off dry sweetness of the wine and the spicy kick of the wonton.  The Riesling is probably the most acidic wine made at the winery and for this reason it is a fantastic food wine with the ability to cut through certain flavors, cleansing the palate between each bite.  Sweetness and acidity go hand in hand as they play off of each other creating a balanced wine.

Complementing elements that go hand in hand is another way to match food and wine, and it was with this idea in mind that the next course was put together.  Roasted Portabello Ravioli with a creamy vanilla sauce came out with the 2006 Reserve Chardonnay.  This Chardonnay is 100% aged in oak barrels and goes through malolactic fermentation, so it is definitely a California style Chardonnay in terms of oaky butteriness.  What makes this wine so great is that while it is oaky, that element is balanced by the intense fruit that is also present.  While this was the toughest pairing to come up with once they figured it out it was a moment of “Aha! Of course!”  The vanilla essence in the sauce exquisitely complemented the toasty vanilla spice from the oak in the Chardonnay.  Here the effort was not to counterbalance, but rather to emphasize and bring out elements that go hand in hand.

As we move into the red wines, a note on the 2007 harvest in terms of white wines.  Ryan modestly credits our vineyard’s location in the Santa Rita Hills with providing such amazing fruit to make these white wines.  A “seamless harvest” provided fruit with correct sugars, correct acids, and correct flavors.  According to Ryan, who says these are some of the best white wines he has ever made, when the grapes came in he said, “I’m just going to put it in the press and walk away.”  

Course number four was all about decadence in both the dish and the wine.  The 2005 Primitivo was paired with a Blackberry Pomegranate Goat Cheese and Walnut Terrine served in a puff pastry.  Primitivo is a grape with a fascinating story, which Cameron shared with everybody.  Primitivo is genetically identical to the Zinfandel grape.  With origins in Croatia, clones were brought over to the Puglia region in Italy while Zinfandel was brought over to California.  As Cameron so cleverly notes they are like fraternal twins separated at birth - basically nature versus nurture has, over time, created two distinct varietals.  Primitivo’s explosive red fruit, low acidity, and essence of sweetness paired with the fruit forwardness of the dish.  Primitivo can be overpowering if the food cannot stand up to the wine, but here the flavors really work together.

The entree course of the meal was Eggplant Canaloni stuffed with organic spinach and caramelized onions topped with a sprinkle of Feta cheese and a Sangiovese reduction sauce.  This dish currently appears on the Bistro’s dinner menu.  The idea in choosing the 2005 Sangiovese to go with this dish was its high acidity (especially next to the Primitivo) and that it would not overpower the main course.  Sangiovese’s high acidity makes its versatility hard to match in terms of our red wines.  It is the dominant grape in Tuscan Chianti, which Italians can drink with almost any meal.  Beautifully prepared, the vibrancy of the vegetables of the season stand out.

Because nobody can resist the Bistro’s signature Wine Cake, everybody still managed to have room for the dessert course.  It is difficult to pair a dessert wine with some as sweet as cake because it can be too over the top.  The cake’s dense richness from the sherry and its glaze really have the ability to stand on their own.  Ryan came up with a way to pair the 2000 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc with this course by cutting the wine’s sweetness with club soda and making it a refreshing spritzer.  A fantastic end to a long meal as Ryan demonstrated how this could be done at home.  

Keep your eye out for more of these pairing dinners and the integration of the Bistro and the wineries.  Thank you to the Community Environmental Council for joining us.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager

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Food for Thought

Published
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joanie
on April 22, 2008
in Joanie Hudson and Wine News
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I have to share this great quote about wine appreciation that I got in my Italian wine class last night.  If you ever wonder why people spend their lives analyzing wines as both a hobby and a profession this pretty much sums it up.  

“Why do we submit a substance as ultimately trivial as fermented grape juice to such an extended analysis?  For many who find the appreciation of fine wine an enjoyable hobby, it’s a way of enhancing that enjoyment by turning it into an intellectual exercise that helps us compare one wine against another, develop an appreciation for its subtleties, and judge one wine against another.  

But it’s a little more than this: By training ourselves to stop, take a breath, and pay attention to the subtle elements that distinguish one wine from any other, we lean an important lesson about life — that it’s worth taking the time to slow down and appreciate ANYTHING that pleases us, from a glass of wine to a great work of music, literature or art, or a sunset on a scenic view.  It’s a simple way to learn to appreciate the little things in life that may in some small way enhance our enjoyment of every day.”

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager

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Santa Barbara Vintners Festival

Published
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joanie
on April 20, 2008
in Joanie Hudson and Wine News
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Cold gusts of wind swept through the 26th Annual Vintner’s Festival yesterday, which was held right outside Lompoc at the gateway to Santa Barbara County’s Santa Rita Hills Appellation.  Members of the Santa Barbara County Vintner’s Association pour a selection of their best wines for an enthusiastic crowd of tasters.  There are also restaurant vendors providing samples of tasty bites between pours, helping to delay the inevitable “palate fatigue” that occurs when tasting so many different wines.   

Upon arrival at the festival vendors were provided with Tri-tip tacos, fresh pico de gallo and guacamole.  Setting up early gave winery employees time to peruse and sample before the throng of attendees entered at 1:00.  All of the vendors set up in alphabetical order under their designated white tent space and fold up tables.  Navigating through the maze-like space, I first hit my usual favorites (Palmina, Melville, Jaffurs, Foxen, and Beckmann) while later in the day I tried some new ones (Fiddlehead).  Fiddlehead’s 2007 Pink Fiddle Rose from the Fiddlestix Vineyard in Santa Rita Hills was the wine that stood out the most for me from the day.  Maybe that was partly because I could picture it as the perfect summer wine and my anticipation heightened my senses.  I’ve recently been on a sort of Pinot kick ever since being reminded a few weeks ago while tasting Gainey’s Evan’s Ranch label how great a really well made Pinot can be. Another highlight of these events is watching winemakers, such as Steve Clifton of Palmina, interact with tasters.  He could not have been more friendly and personable, making the outstanding wines even better.  The sun slowly started to peak through at the very end of the festival, but the cold weather became less of a concern with every minute that passed through the day.  It was just more incentive for people to keep moving along from one winery to the next. 

We poured six different wines - 2007 1.7 Riesling, 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, 2006 Reserve Chardonnay, 2004 Sangiovese, 2004 Nebbiolo, and 2005 Primitivo - an Italian Reds day.  I saw wineries have as few as two wines to taste and as many as thirteen.  I definitely felt like the cold weather made it more of a red wine day, but we didn’t seem to have a problem pouring through the whites as well.   The Sauvignon Blanc and Primitivo definitely seemed like the hits of the day for us.

The opportunity to taste wines from almost every obscure to well-known winery in Santa Barbara is an event that any wine lover should not miss. 

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager

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White Rhone Tasting

Published
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joanie
on April 17, 2008
in Joanie Hudson and Wine News
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Last night I was reminded of the infinite amount of wine that is produced throughout the world.  I say this because I came to the conclusion that it is near impossible to choose a certain type of wine as a favorite across the board because it can be made in so many different ways.  

Up until last night I declared my favorite wine to be any white Rhone varietals (Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne), but in reality I made this decision based on only a couple of producers that make really great ones.  So what I arrived at after my tasting group’s latest meeting was that when talking about my favorite white wine I have to be more specific and say any Tablas Creek white Rhone is my favorite.  I was also reminded of how both wines and my palate can drastically change over time.  A Carina Cellars Viognier was one of the first Santa Barbara white wines I ever tasted, and I remember loving it.  

Ever since that day I have stuck by that memory, but last night the wine did not impress me like it had in the past.My tasting group met last night, and the focus was white Rhone varietals from anywhere in the world.  California, France, and Australia are a few of the main producers of these wines.  This tasting was very different than any other we have had because there were only four wines.  This allowed us to do a more focused tasting of the wines.  

Luckily it worked out that we had a nice geographical variety.  We had two from the Northern Rhone (France), one from Paso Robles, and one from California’s Central Coast.First up to the plate was a Marsanne-Roussanne blend from the Crozes-Hermitage Appellation in the Northern Rhone Valley.  The blend, which is 80% Marsanne, was produced by Etienne Pochon.  Crozes Hermitage is the largest of all of the northern appellations of Cotes du Rhone, and only 10% of the wine produced here is white.  The original estate here was founded in the 16th century.  

This deeply gold hued wine has rich aromas of ripe white peaches and exudes a sort of sweet spiciness.  It follows through with a full mouthfeel reminiscent of an oaked California Chardonnay with a more acidic backbone, waxier texture, and different flavor profile.  For me the richness of this wine was not adequately balanced out by crisp acidity and left me with a slightly bitter finish that I had a difficult time deciding on the degree to which it was unpleasant.  

While it was good with the mildly flavored hard cheese and pear and caramelized onion flatbread that we had, its creaminess was too intense for our grilled shrimp and asparagus.Next we had a Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne blend produced by Les Vins de Vienne in the Northern Cotes du Rhone region.  Its yellow gold collor in the decanter stood out from the rest.  The nose screamed huge honeyed melon to all of us.  

I wish we had had a roasted cauliflower dish to go with this wine.  I preferred the slightly higher acid of this wine to the Crozes Hermitage though it still did not give me the clean, crisp mouthfeel that I was looking for. Third in the bunch was my wine, which did not even come close to disappointing me.  I bought this wine when I went tasting up in Paso Robles at Tablas Creek, which is a winery dedicated to Rhone varietals and founded by the Perrin family of Chateau de Beaucastel.  

The 2006 blend of Viognier, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, and Roussanne, called Cotes de Tablas Blanc, is the perfect balance of aromatics, richness, minerality and crisp acids.  This is exactly the type of white wine that I prefer drinking.  I just love the full mouthfeel that is not creamy but instead clean and refreshing, blending pleasant flavors of white peach, melon, and citrus.  The acidity on the finish is not bitter because it is balanced by the minerality and fruit.  We unanimously picked this wine as our favorite.  

Last  we had the 2006 Carina Cellars Central Coast Viognier.  Carina Cellars has a tasting room in Los Olivos that I love.  For some reason this wine really did not do much for any of us and was disappointing mainly because I remember loving it.  I have two more bottles of it in my cellar that I’m looking forward to tasting.  Although it was aged in neutral oak barrels with its creamy richness I would not have guessed that.  

I did like the ripe apricot on the palate that I got upon tasting it, ut overall not much to say about this one.Foods to have with these wines should be on the richer side.  Go for silky pan-seared diver scallops, hard Goat or Manchego cheese, caramelized onions, and flatbread pizza.

Joanie Hudson, Assistant Tasting Room Manager 

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