Napa and Sonoma Trip

My trip to Napa Valley and Sonoma
There are 200+ different soil types in Napa Valley which is why the wines are so varied in both style and varietal.

Typically 300 bottles will come from 1 barrel.

Numbers varied from winery to winery but there is somewhere between 600-900+ wineries in Napa Valley and yet it is only 4% of California’s total wine production. Oakville has the strictest laws in Napa, but there is no chapatalization (addition of sugar to the wine) throughout California. Although the wines at Raumbauer will make you think there has been sugar added.


Day 1 - 10am 
Cuvaison: 180 acres of Chardonnay, produces 40,000-50,000 bottles a year, it spends 11 months
in oak of which 20% is new oak. They have been using an Optimal Sorter only 10 made
in the world. This revolutionary new technology made in Switzerland uses laser scans to choose the best grapes, the ones with the best density of juice, ect. Will be using for the 2010 vintage onwards. This was by far my favourite tasting experience and the one I would recommend everyone take the time to stop by and enjoy. They have a beautiful deck from which you can sit, sip and enjoy the beautiful rolling hills Napa is famous for.

Tasting notes
2010 Chardonnay Carneros- Colour: Pale yellow with a greenish tint
Nose: nutmeg, bright nectarine, hint of creaminess
Palate: apricot, lime, mineral
2010 S Block Chardonnay- Coulour: bit darker but still has the greenish tint
Nose: nuttier with a crème brulee
Palate: lemons, cream, bright ocean minerality.
2009 Pinot Noir Carneros – 57 acres planted, and spends 15 months in oak.
Colour: light pinky red
Nose: Raspberry and strawberry
Palate: Fresh strawberries, chalk, sour cherries
2010 Block #5 Pinot Noir – Colour: light ruby red pink
Nose: Cranberry, red currants
Palate: smoky, raspberry, spicy, currants.
2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder – 91 pts. Colour: Purple ruby red
Nose: black cherry, blackberry
Palate: chocolate, coffee, black fruits
2009 Brandlin Cabernet Sauvignon – 2000 cases made 92 pts. Colour: Ruby red
Nose: Cassis, black cherry
Palate: Chocolate, pepper, black fruits
Day 1 - Noon
Silver Oak: 25 months in 100% new oak. First winery in Napa Valley to make a single varietal wine (Cabernet Sauvignon) and that is it. Were greatly ridiculed by the wine making community at the time but have proven themselves more than successful.  Tasting room in Napa was ravaged by a fire in 2002, but they rebuilt better than ever. Beautiful grounds and tasting room to walk among. They produce 2 types of Cabernet Sauvignon; 1 from Napa Valley (the more expensive one) and 1 from Alexander Valley in Sonoma. They have also expanded into a new label Twomey that produces varietals like Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Tasting Notes
2007 Alexander Valley – Colour: dark rich purple
Nose: dill and black fruits
Palate: black fruits, cherries, vanilla, dill. Rough tannins.
2000 Alexander Valley – Colour: dark purple
Nose: leather and black fruits
Palate: barnyard, black fruits, softer tannins.

Day 1 - 3pm
Frank Family –Former Disney Executive, had a hand in big movies like Pretty Women, Lion King, Aladin and t.v. shows like Cheers, Taxi and the Golden Girls.
Tasting room is filled with pictures of Rich Frank with famous people like Oprah. They make every type of wine from a Blancs de Blancs Sparkling wine, a Sangiovese, to a decadent dessert Port. This is a huge tourist draw so be prepared to share your tasting with a lot of other people and  truthfully it felt very hectic and not very relaxing at all.

Tasting Notes
2008 Blanc de Blancs- Spends 30 months sur lit Nose: almond
Palate: Apple
2009 Chardonnay & Pinot Noir- Nose biscuit
Palate: Hazelnut, lemon, bread.
2010 Carneros Reserve Chardonnay- Nose: Butter, cream
Palate: apricot, caramel, vanilla, roasted pecans
*Spends 16 months in toasted oak.
2010 Carneros Reserve- Nose: Black currant cranberry
Palate: cranberry, sour cherries, black currants
2009 Napa Zinfandel- Nose: mild bouquet
Palate: chocolate, jammy, black fruits.
2008 Rutherford Reserve Sangiovese- Nose: Sour cherry, gamey
Palate: dry sour cherries.
2008 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon- Nose: black cherry, chocolate
Palate: leather, chocolate, coffee, black berry jam
*decanted it becomes very soft
2008 Winston Hill Rutherford- Nose: capsicum, barnyard, black fruits
Palate: Intense black everything, red pepper, dill.
2009 Petit Syrah – Nose: Violet, blackcherry
Palate: Floral Herbal, black cherries.

Day 2 - 10am

Chateau Montelena-3 soil types (1) Alluvial (2) Sedimentary (3) Volcanic. No malolactic
fermentation. Famous for being the winner of the Paris tastings 1976 and 2006,  and it is the setting for the movie “Bottle Shock”. Had a slight disagreement with our guide here when she kept trying to tell me that Chateau Montelena Chardonnay's were of a Bordeaux style. I said 'Surely you mean Burgundy, as it is the home of Chardonnay in France not Bordeaux'. But she kept to her guns so rather than embarrass her I let it slide. But trust me their Chardonnay is made in a Burgundy style, Chablis to be more exact. Which means more minerally less buttery.

 
Tasting Notes
2010 Sauvignon Blanc- Colour: almost clear
Nose: lime, green apple
Palate: melon, pineapple, spicy, green apple
*Great with Thai and Sushi
2009 Chardonnay- Colour: Straw yellow
Nose: crème brulee, lemon
Palate: lemon, lime
* barely any oak aging.
2009 Zinfandel – Colour: brownish ruby
Nose: violet, black cherry
Palate: blackberry, blueberry, jammy
*Good with BBQ, pizza, pasta
2007 Petite Syrah – Grown at Oakville block
Colour: dark purple
Nose: plum, baked cherries
Palate: velvet, green pepper, plums
2009 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon – drink right away
Colour: dark purple
Nose: black cherry, cranberry
Palate: cassis, eucalyptus, mint, cedar
2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – can age up to 35+ years
Colour: bit lighter
Nose: more chocolate, plum, black cherry
Palate, mint, black cherry, bit of chocolate
2004 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon- it was a drier year
Colour: garnet, brown
Nose: leather, plum
Palate: velvet, leather, black berry
2005 Esate Cabernet Sauvignon
Colour:bit darker garnet
Nose: plum, black cherry, blackberry
Palate: stronger tannins, black berry


Day 2 - Noon

Pine Ridge – 4 labels underneath them; (1) Pine Ridge (2) Seghesio (3) Forefront used
only for wholesale (4) Fortis. Winery started originally by Olympic skier Gary Andrus who was inspired by the Bordeaux region. They use gravity fermentation for their Oregon Pinot Noir. They are 1 of only 4 in Napa Valley that use a technique called ‘Oxell’ where the barrels are spun instead of being battonaged.
Next to their tasting room is a demo vineyard that the staff tend to, and that guests can
have a closer look at all the different types of vines. The leaves of a Malbec vine are very big and
have a 3 pronged arm on their leafs, whereas Cabernet Sauvignon has a 5 pronged leaf.

Tasting Notes
2011 Forefront Pinot Gris- Colour: straw yellow
Nose: floral and honeydew
Palate: melons, honeysuckle chamomile, citrus
2011 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc/Viognier- Colour: almost white
Nose: green grass, pineapple, lime, green apple
Palate: tropical fruits, fresh
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Barrel sample- spends 16 to 20 months in oak.
Colour: purple ruby red
Nose: tomato leaf, tobacco
Palate: tomato, cranberry, tannic, cheesy quality
2008 Pine ridge Merlot- Colour: light red, cranberry
Nose: black cherry, plum
Palate: chocolate, cherries
2009 Forefront Cabernet Sauvignon – Colour : light ruby
Nose: cranberry, sour cherry
Palate: mocha and cassis
2009 Pineridge Cabernet Sauvignon – Colour: ruby
Nose: blackberry, cherries and plum
Palate: plums, chocolate, cassis. Blackcherry pie
* this was my favourite from Pine Ridge
2007 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon Pine ridge – Colour: ruby red going on purple
Nose: vanilla chocolate, black cherry
Palate: velvet, cocoa, chocolate, plum
2008 Pine Ridge Stag’s leap Cab Sav – Nose: Bacon fat
Palate: black fruit
2007 Fortis Cabernet Sauvignon – can age 10 – 15 years
Colour: purple ruby
Nose: plum and leather
Palate: plums, blackcherry, chocolate
2008 Fortis Cab Sav – Colour: purple ruby
Nose: Cherry sauce
Palate: chocolate and plums

Day 2 - 3pm

Tuck Beckstoffer, now this was a bit of mis-communication because we ended up at Tuck's actual office (very stylish) not his tasting room, but Tuck was kind enough to not only open up some bottles right there for us at the office but he even gave us all the bottles of wine he opened to take with us, which we thoroughly enjoyed over the next few evenings. I love these wines!! The names are creative and there is something for every taste. They are fresh, crisp with just the right amount of fruit. The best part they are affordable, and can be every day wines.

Tasting Notes
2011 Hogwash Grenache Rose- Colour: light pink
Nose: rhubarb strawberry
Palate: fresh, lively, red fruits
*1500 cases made
2011 ‘75’ Sauvignon Blanc – 75 is the date the family first moved to the Napa Valley
Colour: light white, greenish tint
Nose: lime, kiwi, grapefruit
Palate: gooseberry very clean beautiful finish
2009 Siempre Pinot Noir – first year this wine was made
Colour: light cranberry colour
Nose: cranberry, sour cherry
Palate: sour cherry, banana, little bit of spice, very elegant
2010 ‘75’ Cabernet Sauvignon- can age 20+ years 100% cab Sav
Colour: dark ruby, chocolate
Nose: bit of an alcohol smell, dark rd fruits
Palate: Leather, chocolate, nutty finish with some bramble in there too.
2008 The Sum 75%Cabernet Sauvignon 15% Petite Syrah
Colour: dark red, purple, rich
Nose: cherry, plum
Palate: bacon fat, black cherry, plum
*Rated 92 pts, but Tuck has said he will never raise the prices of his wine if they get a
good rating he prices them according to what he thinks it is worth and then sticks to it

Day 3 - 10am

Nickel & Nickel
30 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon. This is the winery that the guide seemed like he had
drank way too much coffee so I wasn’t able to take as many notes as I wanted
to. But maybe it was just the early hour after spending the previous 2 days drinking wine. They use 100% Cabernet but feel that aging them is not necessary. They get 3 tonnes
per acres and have a very low yield policy. This was one of only 2 wineries out of 11 that provided a little snack of delicious cheeses alongside the wine. (Quintessa was the other)

Tasting Notes
2008 C.C. Ranch Colour: Ruby red, purple
Nose: black cherry, nutmeg
Palate: juicy, jammy, black cherry, velvet tannins, maple syrup came out after 10 minutes
2008 Copper Streak- Colour: softer colour
Nose: bit of Jalepeno, bit more coffee,
Palate: capsicum, black cherry
* both these spent 18 months in French oak ½ new ½ 1 year old
2008 Rock Cairn Vineyard- Nose: red fruits
Palate: red fruits, jalepenos, green pepper
2008 State Ranch – Nose: fruit bomb
Palate: blackberry, cherries, plums

Day 3 - Noon
Duckhorn – Started with Duckhorn famous for their Merlots, you can even see framed dinner menus from White House events in which Duckhorn was the wine of choice. Then they expanded into Decoy a value brand focusing on the same varietals as Duckhorn, then came Paraduxx focusing on Zinfandel, then Goldeneye focusing on Sonoma Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley,
then Migration focusing on Sonoma Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley. They were extremely generous with us letting us try so much wine in their beautiful garden, but sadly we were on a bit of a time constraint and couldn't stay. (Although if I had known how the next tasting was going to go I would have stayed at Duckhorn)

2011 Napa Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc- Colour:light white with a green tint
Nose: Very light slate and mineral scent
Palate: spicy pink grapefruit, pineapple, melons, flint and slate.
2010 Migration Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Colour: light straw yellow
Nose: butterscotch
Palate: spicy, lemon, crème brulee
*70% malolactic fermentation
2009 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir- Colour: light pinky ruby
Nose: cranberry, strawberry, hard cherry candy
Palate: hard cherry candy, red fruits, clove spice
2009 Napa Valley Merlot – Colour: dark ruby
Nose: red licourice
Palate: spicy red candied fruits
2009 ‘3 Palms’ vineyard – Colour: ruby
Nose: cherry, plum
Palate: tobacco, cinnamon, earthy and grassy
2009 Decoy Merlot- Palate: chalk black cherry, under ripe plum
2010 Decoy Cabernet sauvignon – Palate: ripe red fruits like cherry and a bit of tobacco
2009 Duckhorn – Palate: more bacon fat leather, and tobacco
2009 Paraduxx C Blend – Palate : maple, black cherry, butterscotch, black fruits
2008 Duckhorn ‘the discussion’ Merlot/Cab. Franc/Zinfandel blend only the 3rd vintage
Palate: black fruits, tobacco
Will age 15+ years

Day 3 - 3pm
Raumbauer- Same family as ‘Joy of Cooking’ author. Has the nickname of 'crack for
cougars'. This tasting room sitting high atop a a beautiful hill with some exquisite gardens surrounding it is a great place to walk around, but that is it. Do not expect any kind of special attention or even a passion about the wine, they pour let you taste and that is it. Plus what you are tasting is incredibly sweet, if that is what you like, by all means enjoy. I would have liked something more from the guide there though instead a simple here is your wine. Some wines have become so popular they don't even try anymore that is the sense I got from this tasting room.

2007 Diamond Select Cabernet Sauvignon- Nose: olive, blackberry
Palate: spicy, strong tannins, mocha, blueberry, blackberry. Very rich
2010 Carneros Chardonnay- Nose: butter, lots of it, cream
Palate: butter cream, bit of almonds, biscuit, melons
2010 Zinfandel- Nose: jammy black fruits
Palate: blackpepper, spicy black fruits, chocolate, velvet tannins
2009 Napa Valley Zinfandel- Nose: vanilla, black plums, raspberry
Palate: brown sugar, jammy fruits
2009 Fiddletown Zinfandel – 100 year old vines
Nose: violets, black fruits
Palate: nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar
* more of a dessert wine
Ruby Port – Palate: raisin, figs, very mellow

Day 4 - 10am
Quintessa – They use stainless steel and cement to ferment. First vintage was in 1994.
The Huneis family owns it Augustin and Valeria, same people as Concha y Toro. Family
the land belonged to before them made a contract with them saying ½ needs to be kept
as forest land can’t all be vineyards. So 170 acres are planted with vines the other 100 is
left unplanted they have 15 owl homes. It is also a biodynamic farm. They have rituals
to ask the gods for good weather. Fava beans, sweet peas, and other legumes are planted
throughout the vines to help the nitrogen flow. They drop 50% of their fruits to insure the
best quality. Terroir is very important to them. They use a Meritige blend (not meritage,
refuse to use the French pronunciation) and use Carmenere instead of Malbec as their
Bordeaux blend. They must use only 2 out of the 5 varietals allowed, but there has never
been a year without Cabernet sauvignon. Every vintage is different. They use gravity
fermentation, and also have a optic sorter. The winery itself was carved into the land.
There are 15000 feet of caves. Fruit to glass takes 3 years 2 in new French oak, and 1 in the bottle. If you prefer more than just a Meritage you can try one of their other 6 labels. Illumination makes a zesty Sauvignon Blanc, Saldo The Prisoner an inventive Zinfandel blend, Flowers the classic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir we all love, Neyen and Veramonte for something outside the USA comes from Chile and both produce a wide range of varietals, but if you love Cabernet and just Cabernet look no further than Faust.

Tasting Notes
2010 Illumination Sauvignon Blanc- Colour: bright yellow
Nose: Pineapple, melon, honeydew, gooseberries
Palate: very smooth green apples
*60% from Napa Valley 40% from Sonoma
2009 – Colour: Dark ruby purple
Nose: black cherry plums, sweat and leather
Palate: bit astringent, coffee, sweat, leather, chocolate, fruit is mild
2008- Colour: purple, ruby
Nose: nutmeg, cinnamon, black cherry
Palate: bit more fruit, but all dark fruit, cassis, finish of leather
2007 – Colour: same as 08
Nose: mocha, and cheese
Palate: violet, sweaty, cheesy, black fruits, leather

Day 4 - 3pm
Peter Michael - Now this was a tour my connections as a Sommelier earned me. It lasted almost 4 hours and was lead by none other then acclaimed winemaker Nicolas Morlet. He took me all the way up to the top of the Knights Valley (some 2000 ft up) in Sonoma that Peter Michael's incredible wines grow upon. They sat with me and did a personal tasting of their entire line plus 2 special wines chosen from the library. They have 620 acres but only 120 acres are planted. Between 520ft- 2000ft above sea level. Family has a 100 x 100 plan to have the winery in the Michael family for 100 years to develop a reputation on the same level as the vineyard specific grand crus of Burgundy. Let me tell you I don't think they are too far off already. They have a great climate, and very rocky soils for good drainage. They spend $2 on each cork to ensure the best quality and can guarantee the wine can be aged without worry over the cork. There are little pockets of marine air that heats the vines. The Cabernet Sauvignon is planted at the bottom, La Carrière is the steepest vineyard. Belle Côte is in a spoon shaped bowl of 15 acres. Ma Belle Fille, a Hudson clone is at the top of the mountain 2000ft above sea level, it is south facing and provides great minerality, and boy do I mean great. Chateau Montelena ain't got nothing on these babies.  Mon Plaisir is comparable to Montrachet. Mon Plairsir and La Carrière have thicker
soil while Belle Côte and Belle Fille have thinner soils. 2006 was the longest growing
season for Esprits. 2009 was the first vintage of Ma Danseuse soucred from the Sonoma
Coast. Each wine is vineyard specific. They never do any finning or filtering because it
increases the wine’s aging time and it’s length. They do whole cluster gentle pressing,
and all the fermentation occurs in 100% French oak barrels, that Nicolas has selected
himself as being the top quality. Nicolas also believes it should never be manipulated, so
no acidification, adds very little sulphur. He says ‘no Quasimoding it’. Solar powered, 3
springs provide the water. You can see the different colours of the soils when you look at
two different sites. 2/3 of their wine goes to their mailing list, therefore if you love wine and have the money to invest in it (because these are priced like the great Crus of Burgundy are) I strongly recommend you get on that list!

Tasting Notes
2009 Mon Plaisir- Colour: straw yellow
Nose: lemon, cream, crushed stone
Palate: honey, spicy, cinnamon
*40% from Alexander Valley 60% from Estate
2009 La Carrière – Colour : straw yellow
Nose: white flowers, flour, stone fruits
Palate: more floral, more mineral, better sculpted.
This is considered the most feminine of the Chardonnays and has the steepest slope
2009 Belle Côte- Colour: bit more yellow
Nose: lychee, rose petals, walnuts
Palate: orange creamsicle, spicy finish
*oldest vines
2009 Belle Fille – Colour: slightly hazy
Nose: baked apple, chamomile, nectarine, herbal
Palate: pastry, intense and powerful
*highest vineyard, considered the Brother to La Carriere
2003 Cuvée Indigene – Colour: dark gold
Nose: brioche, oyster shell, lemon custard, burnt sugar
Palate: marmalade, hazelnut, caramel, crème brulee
2003 Point Rouge: Colour: dark gold
Nose: dried apricot, candied lemon, hazelnuts and almonds
Palate: nugat, cinnamon raisin brioche, white truffle, bit spicy
*My favourite, comparable to Batard Montrachet. Old Wente vines
2010 Ma Danseuse – Colour: light purple
Nose: sandlewood, almond liquor, cranberry, strawberry
Palate: red currant, graphite, black truffles, new leather, raspberry and strawberry
* Fall release, big hot wine, high alcohol
2007 Moulin Rouge – Colour: bit lighter, more purple
Nose: strawberry, kamphur, cedar
Palate: ripe cherries, cranberries, pencil lead, strawberry
*from the Monterey Area
2010 Aprés Midi – Colour: straw yellow, green tint
Nose: tropical fruits
Palate: papaya, guava, pineapple, and lemon oil
2009 Les Pavots – Colour: dark purple
Nose: blueberry, moha, cassis, black cherry
Palate: blueberry, black truffle, plum sauce, blackpepper, black sherry liquor
*very masculine
2009 Esprit des Pavots – Colour: dark purple
Nose: black cherry, red pepper, blueberry
Palate: tobacco, grey pepper, cigar box
*freer style, never jammy

So there you have it, a very detailed account of my trip to Napa Valley. I hope it inspires you to do your own visit, or at the very least, inspires you to crack open a bottle, and Enjoy!

Tasting Notes

Over time I will promise to try and get these more organized

'09 Bouchard Pere at Fils Grande Vin de Bourgogne
-Bouchard Pere et Fils was created in 1731 in Volnay,one of the appelations of the Cote de Beaune of Burgundy, in the Chateau Beaune. The Domaine now owns 130 hectares of vineyard in the heart of the Cote D'Or that includes 12 hectares of Grand Crus vineyards and 74 1ere Cru vineyards.
My notes: Coulour was a pink ruby red, and it had ripe cherry, wet earth and iron on the nose. The palate had sour cherry, and pomegranate with some wet earth, white pepper, and a clove spice finish.

'08 Syrah Jean Luc Columbo, Les Ruchets, Cornas
- Les Ruchets is french for beehive, and is also the name of a vineyard with upwards of 90 year old Syrah vines. Les Ruchets is in Cornas which is one of the AOP's of the Northern Rhone. Jean Luc Columbo and his wife Anne founded the winery 25 years ago, their daughter Laure is the most recent addition to the team.
My notes: The wine had a purple red coulour and was pink at the edges. The nose was barnyard scents mixed with blackberry, black currants and tobacco. On the palate the blackberry repeated itself as did the barnyard flavours, there was a bit of floral violet and a soft black pepper finish.

'06 Nickel & Nickel Cabernet C.C. Ranch
- Nickel and Nickel founded by the Far Niente Company in '97 focuses on growing single varietal and single vineyard specialty wines. C.C. ranch is located in Rutherford next to the Silverado Trail. Nickel and Nickle uses only 15 acres to produce this Cabernet. Dolce and En Route are two other sister companies. A very green company, uses solar power and produces more power than it consumes, vehicles use biodiesel or are hybrids, and of course farming is organic.
My notes: I found 2 sets of tasting notes for this wine. On both I said the coulour was a purple red that the nose had blackberry, although on one it was jammy, and on the other I had some wet tobacco notes, while on the other I said it was more leather and sweat. On the palate for both it was mostly ripe jammy fruits like blackberries and blueberries, with a little leather on the finish.

Vosne Romanee, Burgundy Avg Prices range from $50 to $12,000
-15 Premiere Cru and 8 Grand Cru split between the two communes of Vosne Romanee and Flagey- Echezeaux  both of which are located in Burgundy, in the Cote de Nuits. The pinot noir produced there is said to be the perfect balance between elegance and power. The wines are often described as having silky characteristics.
My notes: Colour was a light ruby and pink at the edges. The nose was sour cherry, licorice, wet earth and mushrooms. On the palate it was light body and had mild tannins. The wet earth and sour cherry repeated itself on the mouth and it left me with a herbal spice.

'08 Brandborg Pinot Noir,
-Grapes for this wine are chosen from multiple vineyards all located near the Umpqua River which is part of the Southern Oregon AVA. Soil ranges from alluvial river stones to sedimentary clay.
My notes: Pinky red colour, strawberry and raspberry nose. On the palate more ripe red berries with a hint of mushrooms, and a mild spice finish.
Brandborg says this wine is a lovely brilliant garnet color. The aromas and bouquet show a complex mix of strawberry fruit, mushrooms, earth and sweet oak. The mouthfeel is round and full, tannin is well integrated into the whole impression.
 
'89 Pomerol
- The Pomerol AOC is a part of the right bank of Bordeaux. Although home to the great Chateaux Petrus it is more of a co-op where the vineyards are shared. Makes sense as it is the smallest Bordeaux AOC at less than 2,000 acres.
My notes: Colour was a murky brown on the nose had a muddy earth smell with some floral aspects and raspberry. The same notes repeated themselves on the palate plus there was a little fresh grass too and no mud. It was light bodied and had light tannins.

- Montes Alpha '08 Chardonnay Avg price $22 US$
My notes say buttery lemon cream pie. It says the wine receives monthly battonage which explains the buttery flavour.  It was also supposed to enhance the complexity of the wine but for me it really only had the 3 notes and the tropical fruit elements that I was supposed to find were lacking.
-From the Casablanca Valley located in the Valparaisa Region. This is one of Chile's colder regions and is often compared to Carneros region in California.

-Montes Alpha '08 Pinot Noir Avg price $22 US$
My notes say strawberry and violets, with a chalk finish. It was a easy drinking wine great for those who like simplicity but boring for others.
-From the Leyda Valley. This location is only 14km from the Pacific Ocean so the vineyard gets lots of cool breezes that moderates the temperature and cleanses the vineyard.

-Kaikun '10 Malbec  Avg. Price $15 US$
My notes say ripe black fruits with notes of leather and tobacco. I enjoyed this Malbec it was easy drinking, juicy and had soft tannins.
-This Malbec is from Mendoza the largest wine producing region of Argentina. It lies at the foothills of the Andes.

Outer limits '10 Grenache, Carmenere, and Mourvedre
On this wine I immediately noticed the bouquet it was very rich and pungent black fruits. On the palate there was plum, strawberry and black pepper on the finish. A delicious combination.

Montes Alpha '08 Cabernet Sauvignon Avg. price $19 US$
-A salty cheese nose with red fruit and leather on the palate. I found it lacked roundness and any real kind of definition. They said there was 10% Merlot. The tannins were soft and it had a blackcurrant finish.
-From the Colchagua Valley located in the Rapel district of Valle Central

'06 Liable Scheurebe
-Scheurebe is a cross of Rielsing and Silvaner grown in the region of Pfalz (Germany). It has flavours of  grapefruit and vanilla tang. They say you either hate it or love it. Best producers include Muller-Catoir, Lingerfelder, Pfeffingen.
My notes registered the vanilla and grapefruit but also caught some honey and passionfruit.

'96 Comtes de Niepperg
Chateau Canon-la-Gaffeliere a grand cru classe of St. Emillion history dating back to the 17th century when the Comte de Malets-Roqueforts bought extensive real-estate, including the site of a leper colony, and rented out large parts. This vineyard came to prominence when Boitard de la Poterie family bought and cultivated what became known as Canon-Boitard, Both the estates apply the word gaffet, which translates to leper In 1971 the estate was bought by Joseph-Hubert, Graf von Neipperg, and in 1985 passed control to his son Comte Stephan von Neipperg, the current proprietor. Accredited with much of the success of the estate,his other properties include Clos de L'Oratoired and the "super-cuvée" La Mondotte. Since the early 2000s he has reverted Canon-la-Gaffelière to a style of moderation aiming at a truer expression of wine, and is quoted saying "I don't make plum pudding". The vineyard area extends 19.5 hectares with the grape varieties of 55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
My notes say it had a chestnut garnet colour with chalk, chocolate, and dark cherries on the nose. On the palate it was very earthy with a hint of mint.


Condrieu
-Condrieu is made from 100% Viognier. It is located in the Northern Rhone.
My notes say there was apricots, pear and apple, some lillies and a hazelnut characteristic to it.  With a hint of vanilla

Legende Rivesaltes Ambre Millesime 2006

- Rivesaltes is a vin doux naturel wine AOC in Rousillion (Southern France) Largest sweet wine appellation in France.

My notes say it had a gold orange colour with nuts and apricots on the nose. That on the palate it was very nutty with some ripe peach and apricot too.

Month 1

Well it has been one crazy month. It is true what they say though, sometimes it really is better to be just thrown into it. You either sink or you swim. Now I may have gone under once or twice but I think it is safe to say the hardest part of starting a new job is over.  I am swimming.
It's pretty intimidating for your first week as a Sommelier to be working alongside a James Beard award winning expert on cheese, but thankfully she was genuine and kind and really put me at ease and made my job easy. Of course the cheese week didn't go off without a couple of hiccups, I may have slightly over poured, got the blend incorrect in a Cabernet, and said a wine was from Oregon when actually it was from Washington. But better the guests find they have too much wine instead of not enough. Does it really matter if it 2% Cabernet Franc or 2%Merlot? and Columbia Valley AVA is in both Oregon and Washington, so really come on!
Then after that it was straight into the opening of my restaurant. Which brought it's own batch of problems and pleasures. Pleasure at getting to organize my own cellar, pain at not having enough fridge space. A problem I am sure many Sommeliers have encountered. Some of my bin #'s are ridiculously long for example BF2A4F. For anyone not in the industry reading this a bin # is a way to allocate a particular wines location, should a server need a wine and you are not there. The example I provided represents a wine that is in bar fridge 2 (I have 3 fridges so giving them numbers was the only way), It is on shelf A, which is the top shelf furthest to the left 4th bottle in and the final letter will either be a F or a B which means it is either at the back of the fridge or the front. I warned you it was ridiculously long and convoluted.
I am truly enjoying training the staff on the new wines. I think they really benefited from my tea training session which taught them about tannins. Brew tea for 3 minutes 6 minutes and 10 minutes and you will get a clearer picture of a light tannin wine, a medium tannin wine, and a strong tannin wine.  I also brought some fruit in so they could associate the fruit with the tasting descriptors, but that kinda fell flat. Hard to teach someone about cherry flavour when all you can get at the grocery store is dried cherries. It's just not quite the same. I still think it is a good idea in theory though.
The best part and the scariest part of my job though is actually going up to tables and talking about wine. I am gaining more confidence by the day but for the first few weeks I was content on just bringing people what they asked me for. Now I am truly trying to find the best wine for each person based on what they tell me they like. The job I found has many highs with the occasional low, just when you think your menu is perfect some new wine needs to be added or one needs to be taken off. Your wine glasses no matter how long you polish them for, always seem to have a spot. And at the end of the day no matter how happy you made a guest you need to have high sales to please the overlords. But I am really starting to get the hang of it all. The best part of my day is at the end when I get to go to my mentor's cellar and do blind tastings. I will be sharing my tasting notes with you on here so stay tuned for more wines, whines, and winnings.
Cheers!

My hometown

Trivia question: What is the smallest province in Canada? Answer: My hometown Prince Edward Island, it is also the birth place of Canada as well. The trouble is deciding if my "hometown" is the capital town of my Province, Charlottetown. The one more easily recognized. The one I for the most part went to school in, worked in, and partied in. Or the very small town of Cherry Valley, where my actual home is. The one I grew up in. Played with neighbors in. Had my first kiss in.

                                                             My Back Yard in Cherry Valley
Ultimately, I had to go with familiarity. Even if you were able to find Cherry Valley there is not much to do there besides take in the view and the scent of earth as the potatoes are being planted, and I would give you about 5 minutes on my property before my Dad chased you off.
So let me paint the picture of Charlottetown that I grew up seeing. When you live there and see it's beauty day in and day out, and when you see it's beauty tainted by the late April muddy snow piles it becomes average, just like any other city. I had to live in other cities before I came to realize just how special Charlottetown is. Sitting on Richmond St. also known as The Row a block closed down to cars you may think you've just entered the third pig's neighborhood because everything is brick. Except the collection of restaurants and art galleries would never be blown down by the big bad wolf they have withstood the test of time since the late 1800's. The afternoon sun shines down on the four outdoor patios as you past the first "Cafe Diem" the wonderful robust scent of coffee beans roasting drifts out. As you walk by the second "Globe world Flavours" you never know what you will hear. It could be an upbeat dance tune by Girl Talk, or you just might get lucky and catch Adam rocking out on the piano. As you walk by the third "Fishbones" your mouth starts to water at the sight of their expansive oyster bar. By the time you get to the fourth "Castello's" an Italian place you realize you have no idea which one to sit at. Since it is a favorite for most locals and tourists alike, sometimes your only choice is the place that has an available table, but thankfully there seems to always be at least one table ready and waiting for you. One of the many pros of having such a small population, other pros include; no high rises to block the sun and your view, as well as no 6 lane highways. In fact on some roads you can stick your hand out the car window and pick the colourful lupins that cover our ditches. With so many sea shores what with it being an island, a walk on the beach can easily be found, most times the beaches are so secluded that if you were looking for more than just a romantic walk privacy is not an issue ;).

                                                Blooming Point Beach (clothing optional)
But if you would rather do a little people watching the boardwalk that runs along Victoria Park is a wonderful choice. Grab an ice cream at Kiwanis' and watch the sun set. Victoria Park only a ten minute walk from the downtown core of Richmond St. is also a wonderful place to fly a kite with the wind coming straight off the ocean. I do feel it would be irresponsible of me not to warm you to be sure you have a good grip of your kite winder. If you lose your grip the wind will snatch that kite and possibly take it all the way out into the water forcing you to go for a potentially chilly dip as my room mate learned the hard way one night.

                               Room mate's kite went in just to the right of where this shot ends

 The best thing about coming home to Charlottetown is remembering that you can look people in the eye when you pass them on the street, that you probably should or you could miss seeing a relative, or a family friend. Even if you are from away all you will find in the eyes of the locals here on P.E.I. is kindness. I am very proud of where I am from if this description didn't already convey that feeling, but like I said I had to leave and come back to remember what makes it special. The world is so big and so diverse that a place this small could never contain a personality that is this curious. I love where I come from but I love where I am going more...No offense Charlottetown.

Paragliding into Baby Shower Bliss

Maria Tremonti's confident yet smooth voice gently floats into my room breaking into my subconsciousness. Monica's alarm is going off, it's 9 am and even though I would rather stay in bed I know those sandwiches certainly will not make themselves. I still can't believe that today I will be going to my first baby shower, and even stranger I am the Host. The mother has been my mentor, my comedian, my best friend for 16 years. I force myself to leave that wonderful warm spot on my bed and head straight for the coffee maker. While it percolates Monica and I talk over what still needs to be done and decide who will do what. I say a silent prayer of thanks for good friends and start to settle into the routine of putting peanut butter and jam on bread. I take the first sip of coffee and the sweet aroma takes me back 3 years to the Dominican republic. Jess (the new mother), and I had planned it last second as a graduation gift. I am half in a trance reliving the trip when I realize sandwiches are done, and it is now time for me to grab a shower. I hop in and let the warm water rinse away the anxiousness and allow myself to be completely transported. I am on a boat and the gentle waves are giving it a slight rocking motion, the wind is warm and smells sweet like pineapple and coconut, or maybe that's the pina colada I had before we signed our lives away just to get a rush and a good view of the island. The boat is actually pretty nice, and the 4 other people willing to take the same risk for $60 US makes me feel a bit more secure. We head out into impossibly clear water and one of our...well I guess I can call him our guide but what his actual training was I dare not ask, says" Who will like to go first?" I always tell Jess that I have no idea why my hand shot up before the others could even realize the guide had spoken, but truth be told I wanted to get up in the air so badly (even if I was slightly skeptical of our equipments quality). Next thing I know I am strapped into a harness with Jess strapped into one behind me. Then all too quickly my stomach drops and that impossibly clear water becomes a distant turquoise.  "Were flying!" I say to Jess, she replies with an albeit nervous yet joyful laugh. We proceed to shout out a few hoots and hollers to let out some of the anxiousness we were feeling and then we allow the incredible beauty of the image before us to soak in. A silence overtakes us and we just stare. At the seemingly never ending white sandy beach. The many resorts just like ours that lie directly behind the beach. The incredible lush forest that still covers the majority of the Puerta Plata region. The beautiful Mt. Isabel de Torres as it rises from the sea green all the way to the top. I say in almost a whisper that I am really glad we did this. Jess says me too, and I say not just paragliding but the whole trip, to which she replies I knew what you meant. And I laugh realizing of course she knew. Then suddenly we begin to lower but the closer and closer to the water we get I realize the boat is nowhere close to us. I guess were going for a dip! My feet hit the water and I let out a squeal of pleasure, the water seems cold, really cold. That's when I remember I am in a now very cold shower and it was all a day dream. A lot has changed since that trip, the biggest change being the star of today's party Miss Willow Romona Redding, Jessica's new baby girl. I quickly get dressed and start to get everything organized for transportation over the the hall. We pull up to the hall and my mind is racing, balloons first, streamers second, put out tables for food, and for sitting. Monica always the savior sets up the sound system and puts some Neko Case on knowing it will help me relax. An hour flies by but we manage to get it all set up and guests are starting to float in. Everything looks wonderful. Just as I start to worry about where Jess and Willow are they pull up. As she steps out of the car and goes to get Willow out of her car seat my stomach drops and I become silent as I let the incredible beauty of the image before me soak in. My best friend is a Mom.

How to Shuck an Oyster

If you are a Seafood lover like myself than you know oysters reign supreme. You may also know that the East Coast of Canada provides a mecca of some of the best Seafood in the world. Granted I am slightly biased seeing as I grew up here, however, I've sampled Oysters all over the world including New Zealand, New England and Vancouver and I say we have the best oysters out there!

Now we all love to sit on a sidewalk patio enjoying the sun and sipping on wine while someone else shucks our oysters, but sadly most budgets can't really handle that sort of lifestyle. So what do you do? Sure it's easy to go to any local market and buy a box of fresh oysters, but how the hell do you get them open?  Well, no fear I've taken it upon myself to give you a step by step lesson.

First things first you will need a Shucking Knife found at any kitchen store. Shell out the extra few dollars for the nice one trust me the investment is worth it! (sorry about the shell pun it could not be avoided). You will also need a rather large kitchen cloth to protect your hands and to hold the oyster in place. Find yourself a nice flat counter surface that comes up to your waist. Believe me you will want to have leverage on those Phat Bastards ( A common brand of Oysters found on P.E.I.)

Now let's get down to it! Place the Oyster inside the cloth with the thicker edge sticking out. Hold the Oyster inside the cloth with one hand and take the knife with the other. Push the knife into the lip of the oyster. Once you get in start to rotate the knife in your hand so it pries open the shell but be careful. You don't want the top of the oyster to come off yet, you just want it to be open wide enough to be able to get your knife in. Once your knife is in the shell slide it along the top as close to the shell as possible so you can dislodge the meat from the shell, hopefully without tearing it too. Don't worry the first 20 times you probably will tear it but you will get the hang of it and in the meantime the oysters can still be eaten. After you have removed the top of the shell take your knife and gently slide it underneath the meat almost like you would if you were peeling an apple. Finally use your knife to gently clear away any shrapnel that may have come off the shell during the delicate operation. Now here's the best part pour a nice cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc cut a few lemon wedges and grate some fresh horse radish, then all you have to do is sit back relax and enjoy the fruit of your labours. Mmmmm oysters

Assignment 1

Hello,
So since this blog will be for the most part about traveling I thought a brief history of my past adventures would be fitting.
I think my love of seeing a new place came from my Mother, she works in Tourism and as a child was very generous in letting me tag along on different press tours. I fell in love with the bustle of New York at age 12, the history in Montreal at 13 but it was 16 and Paris that truly took my breath away and confirmed my addiction to traveling.
Since Paris I have made it my goal to take every opportunity to see a new place I could. Unfortunately, universities tend to drain any funds you may have saved and requires that you stay where the campus is for the most part. However, they also can offer some great travel destinations if you keep your eyes peeled. Spending a summer studying at the Universidad Salamanca in Spain was a dream come true in more ways than one. I studied at one of the Oldest Universities in Europe, saw the running of the Bulls festival, and fell in love with a dreamy European….ahhh what a summer.
I have since finished my BA in Philosophy and have gone on to have adventures in New Zealand, San Francisco, Hawaii, Seattle and Vancouver. I want to see it all and experience it all. I love a good adrenaline rush from an extreme activity like sky diving or white river rafting, but I also enjoy a quiet day at a museum with a nice play. I think my favorite part about traveling though is the food and the landscapes. To me there is no finer moment in life when I am enjoying an authentic local meal with a great bottle of wine looking out on an incredible view.