The Sonoma Valley Uncorked: Kunde Family Estate

It has been said; "the more things change, the more they stay the same" that sentiment rings true every time I visit wine country. Whether it's the Sonoma Valley or the far flung corners of Paso Robles, the one true constant, which never changes is finding great wines for reasonable prices. The second thing that never changes is finding great food, hanging with good friends and exploring exciting new adventures.

Having just returned from a fantastic week in the Napa and Sonoma Valley last week, I've many new stories to tell and of course a few favorite new wine-finds to share with everyone. I often like to say to myself and Mrs. Cuvee, "okay this trip, we are going to attempt to show some restraint in purchasing wine", a feat for me which is easier said than done. Especially, when the quality of the wine being tasted is so very good, like the wines we experienced in our [comped] sit-down Kinneybrook Room tasting experience. My son, Mrs. Cuvee and I had a opportunity to sample their Reserve Chardonnay, 2009 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008 Kunde Meritage 202 and for me an opportunity to revisit the 2008 Century Vines Zinfandel.

Mrs. Cuvee and I first experienced the Kunde Family Estate back in 2005 on a cold damp winter morning, where we had a chance to sample their wines, take the "cave-tour" which they still offer, we walked away with a few gems back then. Every time I have an opportunity to taste their wines, I always come away with a few favorites in tow. So much has changed since that last visit, they have modernized the tasting room, it's much brighter and inviting. Most of the observable changes come in the form of a new parking lot, a brand new deck over looking a newly built man-made pond, plenty of deck chairs and umbrellas which invite lounging and the flower strewn trail, leading to the large cellar doors.

Honestly, do yourself a favor if you find yourself in the area, Kunde Family Estate is a place you need to stop, sip and relax. Whether you choose the "Mountain-Top" experience, a Sustainable Hike, a Horseback Ride, the simple pleasures of the Kinneybrook Room like we did, or you just want to belly-up to the tasting-bar, they have something for everyone. Their prices for the tours and the wine are very reasonable, when compared to many of their counterparts in area, delivering  palate pleasing QPR in every sniff, sip and slurp.

Okay here's the skinny [or what some folks will call the tasting notes] on the wines I took home. I failed at showing any restraint having taken four bottles of each, nothing like putting your money, where your mouth is.

2008 Reserve Century Vines Zinfandel: This wine has a SRP of $35, under a cork closure. As I often say during these live tastings, like they guy with no filter, tasting the wines out of order at times, "this is the big boy in the room". To say this wine is a monster of finesse, would be a huge understatement. Depth and complexity draped over abundant red and dark fruit, making this Zinfandel the mother of all "old-vine" Zinfandel's. The Zen of Zinfandel's should really be the title of this wine. In a game of poker with other supposed old vine zins, this wine would be "all-in" sitting pretty with a full house and no I'm not bluffing.

Folks this Zinfandel is the "real-deal", not a pretender to the throne like so many other so-called Old-Vines Zins. This wine is produced from the Shaw vineyard [don't miss this] which is reported to be 126 years old, Booyah! This is my third encounter with this same vineyard and oh my the layers of flavor, piped with nice acidity, give the fruit real pop. This is how you do it, not a jammy note insight, this wine is seamless and the flavor sails on into the horizon. Well done, I give this wine 93 points.

2009 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley: Many folks think you have to go to Napa to get a decent bottle of "Cab" but nothing could be further from the truth, this wine blows that misconception out of the water, like a broad-side from old Ironsides [the oldest commissioned U.S Navy ship afloat]. Bold, fresh, and delicious are the words that immediately spring to mind for this 2009 Kunde Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Its glass staining ruby color immediately tells you this is a wine to take seriously, tasting great now, immediately approachable.

Bang, bang black cherry and fresh blackberries scents easily grab your attention. In the glass, right out of the bottle, no decanter in sight, after the first slurp, mouth-filling flavors of blackberries, ripe plum, rich toast and dark chocolate plays nicely in the background. A touch of chalky tannins on the finish, reminding you it's still a youngster, but one that has great aging potential. If you’re looking for pairing suggestions, this wine will be right at home with the “classic” complements to Cabernet: grilled steak and prime rib, it's also very impressive with the Duck Confit prepared at Bistro Ralph in Healdsburg, Ca. My score for this wine is 92 points and it sells for $45.

2008 Kunde Meritage 202: As for the 202 on label, it's a silent reminder of how long the Kunde Family Estate has been making wine, as the two hundred and second bonded winery in the U.S. The other name on the label, meritage, indicates that it's a Bordeaux style blend. One which incorporates, 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 8% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot. This wine is the recipient of a 3-day cold soak, barrel aged 18 months in 53% new French oak and pump-overs twice a day, producing a an elegant blend, which beams with rich red and dark fruit from start to finish, in a word this wine is plush. You will find this wine a bit flamboyant, putting my snout in the glass, wow a bouquet of roasted coffee, florals and plum liqueur inviting the first long slurp. After the first splash down, dark bakers chocolate, dark plum and ripe cherry, toasty oak is accompanied by a full-bodied, deep, luxuriously rich, framed with good structure. Again this wine is young, giving boat-loads of youthful flavors, but laying this wine down a bit will reward the patient. My score is 90 points and this wine sells for $30, well worth the price of admission.

Okay folks, I know it has been some time since I posted, nearly two weeks, "yikes" but I appreciate you hanging in there. I have much more on the launching pad, so keep your score cards handy it's going to be fast and furious. Until next time, please continue to sip long and prosper, cheers!

Tuscany Uncorked: 2003 Castellare I Sodi DI S.Niccolo Toscana

"It ain't so much the things we don't know that get us into trouble", 19th-century humorist Josh Billings remarked, "It's the things we know that just ain't so." 

One thing, I like to think I know; is how to pick winners and losers when it comes to wine. It does not matter if it's a varietal, I've never experienced before or a wine that is very familiar and or common place. Because once you've built a tasting frame work or foundation, you start to see patterns [or at least I do] and from this, the rather easy ability to give the thumbs up or down.

That said, I've finally uncorked a Tuscan treasure, I brought back from my first trip to Italy back in 2008. Wow, folks this wine is as good or perhaps even better than the day we purchased it while visiting Castellina in Chianti. A great little town to visit within the heart of the Chianti Classico area, replete with upscale restaurants in town, a modest but fun to see wine museum, a castle to climb into and a overall easy going laid back atmosphere to soak up the beauty of the Tuscan country side.

Mrs. Cuvee and I stayed on a vineyard right outside of town, about a stones-throw from Castellare di Castellina and just a short jaunt into town.  We were there in September, right before the harvest and oh-man was it humid like a San Diego August often can be. If you don't mind the heat, it's a great time to go, experience the harvest first hand, pick a few grapes yourself, along with plenty of opportunities to slurp down a lot wonderful styles of Sangiovese. If you happen to find yourself in the Tuscan region, tooling around the country side, looking for a great wine tasting experience, Castellare in Chianti is a wine destination which demands your attention. I wanted to bring back more of these wines, but between Mrs. Cuvee's stern glare and my burgeoning suit case I had to settle for just one bottle [sigh]. We tasted so many well made, layered and complex wines in their modern, well maintained, tasting room that day, it was a shame I couldn't bring more back with me.

Looking back at the details about this wine, this tasty blend of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Malvasia Nera appears to be their flagship wine and for good reason. This wine has made the Wine Speculator Top 100 wines list on numerous occasions and has even wowed the Cellar Tracker crowd, with an average score of 92.3 points. So when I slapped this bottle with 93 points, I see my score is in fine company. By the way their highly touted and high-scoring 2005 is available at the Mission Valley Costco for about $58, if I recall correctly, just a couple of cases in stock though.

This wine is completely shot through, with layers of complexity, that were only unwound and worked out in a two hour decanter session. On the nose, brilliant ripe plum notes, meaty earth and florals were abundant. After the first slurp, the
dried spices and flowers, red currant, dark ripe plum, shot through with unsweetened but very subtle black licorice, while this wine wonderfully, full-bodied, plush velvety tannins, there is abundant rich, ripe and yet delightfully complex fruit found in the first sip and the last drop. Again, this wine is another of those bottles in which you wish you had purchased the magnum.  I hope you find a few of these bottles for yourself in the near future, to see what I'm talking about, until next time sip long and prosper, cheers!

Travel Tuesday: Sonoma Canopy Tours

Wow, this is going to be an amazing road-trip this week, as Mrs. Cuvee, my son and I embark on a week long odyssey, exploring the best of both Sonoma and Napa Valley. There is so much to see and do, it's hard to know where to start. But from Zip-lines to medieval Tuscan Castles, we plan to squeeze as much into this trip as humanly possible. More exciting is this will be my son's very first time in either Napa or the Sonoma Valley and can't wait to share with him all the reasons cork-dorks like me are always up for a visit.

Often when you think about a trip to Sonoma, you think wine-tasting, busy tasting rooms, vineyards and avoiding the wine-club pitch. But what you may have not thought about, I know I didn't; was going on a Zip-Lining adventure through majestic old-growth forest, my feet skimming past the tops of a coastal Redwood forest, climbing up a spiral staircase like Robinson Crusoe and sailing across a deep natural ravine almost 300 feet below.

A visit to Sonoma Canopy Tours makes for a fun family outing, it also makes for a great destination to day-trip from San Francisco for a few quick, but zippy hours of fresh air and beautiful surroundings. I'm really looking forward to my first "real" zipline adventure, I'll let you know how it turns out. Until next time sip long and prosper, cheers!

About San Diego: Paint N Vineyard

“A writer should write with his eyes and a painter paint with his ears” ~ Gertrude Stein

Hopefully after tonight's class, I'll be a bit more confident in both of these artistic areas, but I won't count on it. The last time I had a brush in my hand was back when I needed to get my deposit back from the land-lady. So a new concept has come to the San Diego wine scene and yours truly has been invited to splash a few colors on a canvas, slurp some wine and perhaps even get in touch with my inner-artist.

That said, Paint and Vineyard color my interest, piqued. I can't wait to get that brush in my hand, a blank canvas before me and hopefully make a splash of artistic delight, but most likely it will turn out more like my finger painting projects when I was back in school. Mrs. Cuvee will be joining me for the evening and I can't wait to see how she colors her world.

The concept of Paint N Vineyard in Scripps Ranch area, is pretty simple, bring a few bottles of wine, a few friends and they furnish the rest, paint, the canvas, brushes and apron, coupled with the instruction of seasoned artists and step by step instruction, a great painting is easily within your grasp. The cost is $35 per student and is BYOB. It could make for a very unique first date night or even a smart way for professional folks looking for a great retreat venue. I've included a video below, which helps you get a good idea of what the glass is like and what to expect. I'll update this post with my finished painting tomorrow. Until next time sip long and prosper!

Here's part two, the day after my first, but hopefully not my last art class at Paint and Vineyard. You'll will find their studio neatly tucked away on the right side of the Carroll Canyon Road exit on I-15 in a small office park, back behind and to the right of the martial arts school. Don't drive too fast or you will completely miss it. Just below you can see my so-called work of art, hey don't scoff too loud, as you can plainly see I'm no writer and neither am I an artist, but I think in this case it's more about the journey, than the destination.

The part you don't want to miss out on; is the fun atmosphere of this art studio where you can learn some basic techniques on painting, while being encouraged at the same time to let go, seize upon that inner artist and above all have some fun. Mrs. Cuvee and I had a great time learning basic brush strokes, how to blend paints, add perspective, shadowing. But mostly the thing I came away with it's a fun evening out, something very different, and the opportunity to bring my own wine, perhaps a few snacks to share before hand with the other students. I'd would recommend giving Paint N Vineyard a swirl yourself, until next time sip long and prosper, cheers!

Russian River Valley Uncorked: 2009 Gary Farrell RRV Pinot Noir

Hey what's on the menu? Ah yes, the quintessential question we all want to know as we head home after long day at work. We may also be having that same thought, when we show up to a new restaurant, attempting to make our minds about whether we'd like dine there for the evening or move unto a something a little more enticing.

If you happen to be craving Pacific Northwest inspired recipes, as I often do, then could I recommend getting your hands on a good bottle of Pinot Noir from the great winemaking team at Gary Farrell in Sonoma, especially if wild-caught Sockeye Salmon will be part of the dining choices for the evening..

When it comes to smartly paired food and wine recipes, I like to follow the traditional line of thinking on the subject. It's often said that; "when in Rome do as the Romans do" a well known axiom providing folks with the basic rule of thumb, to pair regional wines with regional cuisine. While this rule works in most situations, it's something which doesn't always hold true for locally produced new world wines. Is there really any such thing as regional foods here in states, well yes and no, but what wines do you pair with them or does that even matter.

With the onset of the "modern" food movement many progressive foodies and chefs have advanced the idea that any wine, can be paired with any dish. While that may sound like one of those wonderful no boundaries concepts, I don't really think it's a viable premise. I mean c'mon most of us don’t or won't want to put freshly sliced dill-pickles all over our chocolate birthday cake [remember exceptions don't make the rule].

It could be the same reasons most of wouldn't consider pairing a delicate white wine, like Riesling, with a cowboy-sized grain-fed, perfectly broiled T-bone. Nor will most of us attempt a brawny, full throated Shiraz, with baked Tilapia covered in cilantro-lime sauce. And why, because they're mismatched flavors and textures, but hey feel free to experiment if you like. But remember, just because you can do something, that doesn't always, mean it's a good idea. That said, so what do we pair, well that choice is entirely up to you, but I just like to lead with the common sense approach, one that has worked pretty well so far, but when I'm in doubt, I turn to folks who've got the whole "pairing" thing dialed in.

What I'm setting the stage for is the review of another delightful sample of the 2009 Gary Farrell, Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma; while at the same time introducing you to one of my favorite pairings. I'm a pretty simple guy in this regard, I bust out the cedar planks, fire up the grill, seasonings, evoo, splash of lemon juice and I'm off to the races, coming along side is my famous bacon and mushroom risotto, so simple, yet so satisfying. The flavors merry together very nicely with Pinot Noir, but not just any Pinot will do the job. Because it's so difficult [if not impossible] to produce high quality PN, for a tiny cost to the consumer. So yes, you'll have to spend more than $10 to find the type of PN that will rock your palate like nothing else will and please I don't want to hear the same tired old line, that all wines are created equal.

This is the kind of wine that won't really be helped with those new fangled aerators, so I recommend decanting for at least an hour before dinner [if you can] with a traditional decanter. I know some have floated the idea that traditional wine decanting is "so-passe", oh-no on the contrary folks, it's those new "fangled" aerators which over promise and under perform. How do I know, I've been sent plenty to review and have purchased a few myself, I've not seen any appreciable differences, they remind me of a hamster wheel. Decanting takes time, it's not rocket science.

Swirly, Sniff and Slurp: Mean while back at the review, going in for the first fly-over the decanting wine, whoa a potpourri of cola, cherry, ripe raspberry and rich earthy notes. Giving it a few swirls in the glass, revealing a vibrant, but lightly colored ruby core. On the palate a dusting of cola, summer strawberries, baking spices flavors, adding a layer of complexity to the savory ripe plum note and touch of cranberry. Vibrant acidity, lean fruit and polished tannins round out this wonderful Pinot Noir sporting lovely alluring New World vibe, while tipping its cap to Old World at the same time. I scored this wine 90 points, it sells for a SRP of $42. Until next folks sip long and prosper cheers!