Recent Posts

Wente Vineyards and Sustainability – An Online Tasting and Conversation

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The other day we were sent some wine as tasting samples from Wente Vineyards for an online tasting. Wente Vineyards and Charles Communications do this every so often. It is a lot of fun plus we get to taste some nice wine. A group of bloggers are sent samples and we all get online at the same time to taste and share notes.

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Wines That Begin With “V”

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“V” wines were the topic of our Thursday night tasting at Fine Wines of Stockton (1). Does this mean grape varieties that begin with “V”? Or, maybe it’s the winery or region that begins with “V”. Let’s see.

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Heitz Cellar Winemaker’s Dinner

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We recently attended a Winemaker’s Dinner at the Brookside Country Club. The five-course dinner was prepared by Executive Chef Chris Isert and wines were provided for each course by Heitz Cellar. Kaj Hallstrom, Northern California Sales for Heitz Cellar was present to tell us about each of the wines. A long-time employee, and one of only 16 Heitz Cellar employees, […]

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Tannat — One of Our New Favorites

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This is a varietal we were introduced to by our good friend, Dave. One Monday night, a couple of years ago, he brought a bottle of 2008 Pasos Vineyards (1) Tannat. It was inky dark, had complex dark fruit flavors with eucalyptus and perfumed scents. The tannins were substantial, but well integrated. We loved the combination of fruit flavors and big tannins. This experience with Tannat was enough to prompt us to look for it on wine lists and in wine stores.

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Barbera — Italy vs California

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The focus of the tasting Thursday night at Fine Wines of Stockton was Barbera. We tasted four Italian and two California offerings. Will the California wines have a style of their own, or will they taste similar to the Italian wines? We shall see.

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The Rhone Rangers – Old World Inspiration, New World Innovation

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Our wine education continued recently at the San Francisco Weekend Celebration of American Rhone Wines. This two-day event was sponsored by The Rhone Rangers (1), “a non-profit educational organization, dedicated to promoting the enjoyment of Rhone varietal wines produced in the United States”.

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Chile — Carménère and Cabernet Sauvignon

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The tasting at Fine Wines of Stockton last Thursday night was all about Chile. We tasted six wines, two of which George told us were Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Carmenere. Our assignment for the evening was to identify the two Cabernets. As an aside, George wanted us to think about whether Carmenere could be a substitute for Cabernet Sauvignon.

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The Wines of Howell Mountain

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Howell Mountain American Viticultural Area (AVA), located within the Napa AVA, was the first sub-appellation to be designated in 1983. Howell Mountain is located on the northeast side of Napa Valley. The AVA ranges from 1400 to 2200 feet, putting it above the fog line.

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Right Bank Bordeaux Vintages 2005 to 2009

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The Thursday night tasting at Fine Wines of Stockton had us tasting Right Bank Bordeaux vintages 2005 to 2009. All wines originated from Pomerol. Kind of. Except for one. George, the wine shop owner, was short one Right Bank wine for this vintage range, so he chose a Left Bank wine with the highest percentage of Merlot he had in his cellar. He knows how to improvise.

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