We were recently introduced to the wines of The Steven Kent Winery located in the Livermore Valley via an online Twitter tasting (#WineStudio) Tuesday evenings with PROTOCOL wine studio. During the online discussion, we talked wine education and tasted two Steven Kent wines. First the education talk, then we will move on to the wine.
The potential ways to further your wine education are countless. Some begin with magazine subscriptions, books and wine tastings. That’s enough for many wine lovers. Some, though, move on to formal wine education, either just for fun or as preparation for a career in the wine biz.
Which path you choose to further your wine education depends upon your goals, where you live and your budget. We were joined by Adam Lapierre MW of the San Francisco Wine School (SFWS) and Adam Chase DWS, owner Grape Experience Wine & Spirit School. The two discussed a veritable alphabet soup of wine certifications available via classroom and online settings.
A nice summary of the educational options (and the meaning of all those initials behind wine folks’ names) is available on the San Francisco Wine School website.
Also joining the conversation was Tracey Hoff, VP Sales & Marketing with The Steven Kent Winery. Tracey has completed the Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW from the Society of Wine Educators) as well as Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). She believes in continuing education. That applies to the tasting room associates at Steven Kent Winery as well. The group recently completed the CWAS (California Wine Appellation Specialist®) course at the SFWS.
Tracey feels the program gave the tasting room associates a great historical perspective on California wine as well as in depth knowledge of the Livermore Valley. A tasting room experience is often the first impression a potential customer has of a winery. Well-educated and engaged wine tasting staff members are more able to provide customers with a positive tasting experience and effectively represent the establishment’s wines.
Steven Kent Mirassou, a 6th generation winemaker, established his Livermore winery in 1996. Grapes are sourced from five unique vineyard sites in the Livermore Valley. Multiple clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec are included in the vineyard plantings. Not to forget the white Bordeaux varieties, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion are represented as well.
Interestingly, in addition to blended wines, The Steven Kent Winery releases a 100% varietal bottling of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. Sounds like an interesting (and educational) list of wines to taste.
And speaking of wines, The Steven Kent Winery provided us with two samples for tasting as we talked wine credentials. Steven Kent Mirassou established The Steven Kent Winery with one goal in mind: to produce Cabernet Sauvignon in the Livermore Valley that rivals the best Cabernet made anywhere.
2011 The Steven Kent Winery Cabernet Sauvignon — medium ruby in the glass with generous aromas of blackberries and red fruit. Flavors of plums and blackberries combine with just a hint of herbs and a bit of earth providing interest and complexity. Moderate tannins are well integrated into the flavors of the wine, which has a medium body and moderately long finish. A bit of cedar spice lingers on the palate. ABV 13.5%
This wine provides all of the familiar flavors I love about Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s easy to drink on its own thanks to well-integrated tannins, but has ample flavor, nice acidity and modest alcohol – all of which make it a great food wine too.
2011 was a challenging vintage, with cooler than normal temperatures and rain at the beginning of harvest in the Livermore Valley (and beyond). In the hands of a skilled winemaker, though this vintage has produced some very elegant Cabernet, and this is one such example.
This Cabernet is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc harvested from the Ghielmetti Estate Vineyard and Home Ranch Vineyard. Each lot was vinified separately and blended, then bottle aged for 6 months before release.
Oak aging took place for 24 months in mostly French oak, with just a bit of American oak. About 60% of the oak was new. This wine carries the oak aging very well.
2011 The Steven Kent Winery Petit Verdot — inky dark ruby-violet in the glass with aromas of blueberries and hints of toast and vanilla. Flavors and textures are bold. Earthy dark fruit flavors, black currant preserves and backnotes of vanilla combine with significant tannins for a long, flavorful finish. ABV 13.5%
This rich, textured wine has so much flavor, it cries out for food. A grilled steak would make a perfect dining partner for this wine. The fatty, smoky meat flavors will not trample the fruit flavors of the wine, and I would expect the wine to cut through the fatty goodness of the steak. Oh, I’m making myself hungry.
Only 142 cases of this Small-Lot Offering were produced. The Petit Verdot was harvested from Block 3 of the Ghielmetti Estate Vineyard. Fermentation took place in open-top fermenters and aging in 60% to 70% new French and American oak followed. Only the 6 barrels were selected from the larger lot to produce this Small Lot 100% Petit Verdot.
Online discussion noted that sadly not much varietal Petit Verdot is produced. This is a delicious example of Petit Verdot, and one that I would like to come back to in a couple of years’ time. I think it would be interesting to see how this wine evolves with time in the bottle.
A quick review of the San Francisco Wine School and Grape Experience Wine & Spirit School websites will provide you with a long list of wine education programs and formats. For those living near classroom locations, in-person classes are an option. Those living farther away have online education as an option.
If you live close to the Livermore Valley, or are planning a vacation around wine tasting, you could further your wine education with the well-informed tasting room staff at The Steven Kent Winery. I’m sure it won’t seem at all like going to school!
Thanks to PROTOCOL wine studio for furthering our wine education, it was a fun and informative discussion. And to The Steven Kent Winery we extend our thanks for providing the tasting samples. Tasting wine really is essential to learning about it.
Cheers!
Thanks very much for your kind words. The Livermore Valley has a rich and lush history of producing some of the best examples of Cabernet Sauvignon in California, and I am incredibly bullish on the prospects for the other Cabernet – Franc – and for Petit Verdot.
All of the avenues for educating oneself about wine that you mention are terrific options. I would also emphasize to those folks that are wanting to know more that the best education is also the most fun…taste wine, and taste a lot of wines!
One of the great things about wine is that it is a living and breathing thing, and like other living and breathing things, there is no end to its personalities and complexities, moods and idiosyncrasies. No one really masters wine. The most that should be hoped for is that one forms an enthralled and passionate bond. Wine will, I think, repay thrice-fold all the interest and love that is showered upon it.
Steven Kent Mirassou
Our pleasure. Thank you for participating in #winechat and for your comments.
Cheers!