Change is in the air for us. We are transitioning over to http://socalwinenews.com so follow us on over!
Downtown Riverside is all aglow for the Riverside Festival of Lights, sponsored by the Mission Inn and Spa which is owned by Duane and Kelly Roberts. Over three and a half million lights lit up the night. The festival runs from November 27th thru January 3rd.
It was my first time visiting downtown Riverside despite the fact that I’ve lived in Southern California off and on for the past 23 years. I know, shame on me.
The festival had something for people of all ages. A large ice ring in the middle of the square will cost you $13 for one hour plus skate rental. Vendors abound up and down Main Street Square selling everything from funnel cakes and hot dogs, to flashing bubble guns and swords. Grandparents sipping hot chocolate and coffee watch their grandkids skate.
Free entertainment can be heard every evening during the festival. While we were there Pan-Jammin’ played steel drums to Caribbean music from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., then my friends Deek and Long rocked the stage from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Lisa was under the weather but still managed to be an all-out rock & rolla’.
The music stage is located near the skating rink. While listening to the music I noticed a row of people on the rail of the ice rink doing the same. They asked my wife if Deek and Long were going to be playing for a while, to which she replied to them they play until 10 p.m. They all left the rail, changed out of their skates and planted themselves in front of the stage to enjoy the music. I think they even managed to get Deek and Long to do a request, Fleetwood Mac I believe.
Whatever your plans are, this is a perfect opportunity to get out and enjoy Riverside County. After all, we pay county taxes so why not reap some of the results?
Many wineries are starting to realize the value of the multitude of media at their disposal to promote their wineries.
Many of us are still old school and are resistant to change. Unfortunately for them media is ever changing and it’s here to stay. You can either jump on the bus or be left at the stop watching the world go by.
There are three types of people, Those that make things happen, those that watch things happen, and those that wonder what happened. Personally, I prefer to make things happen. I prefer actively seeking wine afficionados and seeking out stories as opposed to letting my website sit there waiting for people to find it.
Here are the Temecula Valley AVA Wineries that currently are on Twitter. I suggest you follow them. I have every one of them set so I recieve their tweets on my blackberry, as I like to keep up to date ya’ know.
Some of them have contests and send out tweets. Cougar Vineyard sent out a tweet this morning saying:
Crisp, cool & time for another contest. 1st person in the winery today to say “winner, winner, chicken dinner” wins a bottle of Vermentino.
Happy tweeting everyone. If you use any of the information given to you that benefits the public exposure and promotion of wineries please let the wineries as well as myself know that ROGERLEEPAIGE is making a difference.
Saturday my wife and I had the opportunity to head out to the vineyards with our friends Tom and Laura of WINEormous. We started out at Maurice Car’rie and had a late lunch at Wilson Creek, then finished out at Cougar Winery and Vineyard.
This was the first time I have had the opportunity to see their winery from the inside. When you pass by you would mistake it for a large storage building. Nothing spectacular, just large and tan, made of sheet metal and no windows. A single steel door is the entrance. I had to remind myself of what the wise ancestors of yesteryear have said:
You never know what’s in the pickle barrel until you take the lid off
They do have plans to build a new building if all goes as planned. I saw the layout and it is NICE.
Inside you will find Rick and Jennifer Buffington’s entire operation. Everything from the wine tastings bar, and tables where the musicians frequently play, to the steel tanks and bottling machine. There are no secrets and nothing up their sleeve. You know, I think they like it that way.
Every area of the winery is divided by their stacks of barrels representing walls. On every barrel is a though provoking or humorous fact for their patrons to ponder. From one barrel reading the wine and year it was barreled, to another stating that there are 30,000 one ounce tastings inside of it.
Remember the post I did back in August called Why Do We Wine Club, where I said ~ Did you ever meet the winery owner or their wine maker? Do they converse with their cash cow or are they like punxsutawney phil and stick their head out only at events designed for their own publicity.
Well I had the opportunity to meet Jennifer and Rick while I was there. They were out and about talking with friends and patrons. Jennifer also introduced me to their yellow lab named Diego. Yup, he was a great door greeter. Walk in the door and he rolls over waiting for a scratch on the belly. That dog has marketing skills.
Our pourer was Jamie. WE LOVE YOU JAMIE!!!
She was great fun and knew everything about every wine she poured for us, which is a breath of fresh air. Many, and I mean many wineries that I visit have pourers who are in the wrong occupation. They take your ticket and pour your wine, period. God help them if you asked how long the wine was barreled, or how big the property is. You either get a deer in the headlights look or one that clearly tells you that they would rather spit in your glass when your not looking.
She would give us the low-down on every wine she poured, and she poured every wine. Here’s a little tidbit – they are the only vineyard in Temecula Valley to grow Vermentino grapes. The aroma is a knockout with the lemongrass giving it some moxie.
There’s a great story of how a wine club member started a legitimate petition requesting that Cougar bring back their Chardonnay. It resulted in the creation of their ass-kicking 2009 Petizione Chard. Rick was hesitant to do it, and you can see the I got the last word in on their label.
Rick seems pretty happy about all the wines they have made, as he should be. Very few wineries have a list that I would choose every wine from, and they have it.
I have the same philosophy on the wine classification as Richard Paul Hinkle ~ there are only three types of wine 1) I like it; 2) I don’t like it; and 3) I will drink it if someone else pays for it.
I honestly have to say that all are number one, and that’s not lip service. That’s the beauty of writing about someone who is not a sponsor. I praise and slam as I see fit. Treat me like crap and I will reciprocate the same. I’ve grown this year to having over 3,500 visitors per month, so word of mouth has it’s effect.
I tell no one that I am a member of the media when I walk in the door. I want to see how everything plays out naturally. The game changes once you open your kisser and blurt out that your a press or media member and toss out your card. I don’t want anyone to give me more service than that bloke standing next to me. I want to observe them like a creature in the wild and not a zoo. You know, in their natural environment.
They are on Twitter and Facebook, and I suggest you follow them. They are one of the few that I have where I get tweets on my blackberry. They even have periodic contests for prizes. One last month said, whoever comes in and says if I were any better I’d be a twin wins a prize. Damn, and I was at work in San Diego county. My friend Tom walked in, blurted it out and voila – winner, winner, chicken dinner!
Tags: Wineries
Well, well, well my friends. It’s been a prodigious four days of mystery and suspense, but the game has played itself out.
A mere three wineries out of thirty-four went above and beyond the call-of-duty and not only decorated their wineries, but their vineyards as well. What better way to acknowledge their efforts than by putting them in the spotlight with a friendly competition.
The votes did vacillate several times, but one came out the Grandios Champ.
Congratulations to South Coast Winery for being the winner of the 2009 Best Holiday Decorated Vineyard in the Valley Award!
I was joking when I said that I will see if I can scrape together change in my Crystal Light container. I will present you with your award as soon as I get your name inscribed on it.
Thanks for voting everyone. Much like the existence of the Temecula Valley Wineries, without your loyalty this contest would not have been possible, and for that I thank you all. Maybe next year other wineries will jump on the bus too! To Keways Winery and Ponte Winery ~ thanks for being a good sport.
The Temecula Valley, as well as San Diego have phenominal wineries with an amazing array of wine. Some are Artisan, and by appointment only, while others are open every day of the week for their visitors. I am here to show you them all, one by one.
Napa, Paso Robles, Sonoma, and all other well known northern California AVA regions are realizing that they have some severe competition in the Southern California Region, and I’m the voice to do it. I am tenacious, light-hearted, vocal, and inquisitive. Seems a good blend to be in the business. Salute!
Tags: Wineries
In Temecula Valley there are currently 34 Wineries. Some have evening events during the holidays and want visitors to come and see their vineyards all aglow.
Right then and there the idea of the the Best Decorated Vineyard in the Temecula Valley Contest was born by yours truly.
To my amazement there are only three of the thirty-four wineries decorating their vineyards and winery above and beyond the normal white lights that stay up all year long. What up people? I know there are not that many Jehova Witnesses that own wineries.
Ponte Winery, South Coast Winery, and Keyways Winery were the only ones to burn a few extra watts this season.
The contest is relatively simple, and the rules are straight forward. All wineries entered in the contest will be voted on by you the visitor. Simply state who you vote for in the comments section. The winner will be tallied by the number of comments that winery received. The winner will be announced Christmas Day.
What do you win? Bragging rights. You may even get a traveling plaque depending on how much change I’ve collected in my Crystal Light container by then.
Contest rules for wineries are as follows:
In life you have one shot at first impressions. Just the same as visitors driving past your winery, the photos represent the first glimpse they have to decide whether they will visit or not.
1) All photographs are taken from the same vantage point at all wineries ~ the street. You know, where people get the first glimpse of your winery and vineyard?
2) All photographs include the vineyard and winery in the same shot.
3) All photographs were taken with the same exposure f7.1, tripod, and wireless remote. Blah, blah, blah.
4) Obvious effort must be seen in decorating the vineyard. The same lights that stay on all year do not apply.
5) The judges are visitors.
6) The contest ends at 6:00 p.m. PST. on Christmas Eve. The winner will be announced Christmas morning as soon as I have my morning cup of Joe.
7) Don’t be sore if you do not win. However, please remember that second place is commonly known as the first loser.
C’mon, lighten up Francis. Temecula Valley is the cats meow of Southern California and we all know it. We are free spirited with a sense of humor and a dash of competitiveness.
You may enlarge the photos full size by clicking on them. Now for the entrants in alphabetical order, happy voting:
Keyways Winery owned by Terri Pebley Delhamer
Ponte Winery owned by Claudio Ponte
South Coast Winery owned by Jim Carter
Tags: Wineries
Dear FTC, I disclaim that this wine was purchased through a group effort of friends attempting to get enough cash together to consume the listed bevy. If you need the receipt, too damn bad. It’s located with the other receipts that I failed to remove from my pockets, and is now part of the lint filter in my dryer.
If you are not familiar with the name, DO NOT say it around law enforcement under any circumstance. You’ll sound like a drunken idiot and be subject to sobriety testing despite being stone sober. Go ahead, try to say it.
Now, as the sound of the jeopardy game show dissapears you can laugh at yourself for making weird facial expressions as you were trying to say it. If you say you didn’t you are a frickin’ LIAR!
I have been enjoying this vino for some time, and still cannot formulate the name. That’s neither here nor there, anyway…
A little historical background:
Six generations of care and nurturing go into this Sonoma zin. Agoston Haraszthy emigrated from Hungary to the U.S. in 1842 in search of what everyone else came to California for – gold. In 1857 he built Buena Vista winery in Sonoma, and is rumored to be The Father of California Viticulture. Yes, they definitely have “street cred”
There family motto is on their label, SOLUS STO, Stand Alone. It dates back all generations, but now refers to the Haraszthy family specializing in a single cultivar, zinfandel. I believe they made a pretty good decision.
The Sonoma County Zinfandel is awesome from the get-go. It’s nose is like that of Jimmy Durante – big, bold, and you can’t ignore it. Tart cherry and raspberry, with hints of dark chocolate and pepper.
For the attack. Hmm, wait one. The first sip into the mouth is the attack? What the hell are we doing, a frontal assault here? Nah, I prefer to use my own word. I am a big time cigar goober, and the proper term a gentleman uses for taking in the smoke of a quality cigar is the draw. Yup, that’s my word for it, the draw. Anyway, the draw is beautiful. Bold fruit and pepper, along with the expected mild tannins that you notice on the tongue’s bitter buds.
The finish is like a motivational speech, it leaves you with a feeling of wonder and lasts a heck of a long time.
Historical data was retrieved from the Haraszthy family site.
As I have stated in earlier posts, any information regarding wine interests me. Truth be told, I guess you could say I’m a wine information goober.
While gallivanting across the internet for more wine propaganda, I happened to cross the Tax and Trade Bureau’s monthly report on the United States wine production.
We already know our beloved federal government keeps tabs on everything. When it comes to wine, they track it to the gallon, every month, in every state. They break wine down into two types – still wine, and effervescent. I am not going to including effervescent wines in this post.
According to the last report issued by the TTB, the United States bottled over 46 million gallons of wine in August alone.
Here are the top ten. Remember, these are bottled gallons, and not bulk gallons. That’s another story of its own.
1) California 38,652,895
2) New York 3,072,007
3) Washington 1,888,519
4) Oregon 629,012
5) Pennsylvania 247,776
6) North Carolina 158,665
7) Indiana 133,784
8) Florida 129,898
9) Texas 123,721
10) Michigan 113,319
As expected, all states are a mere shadow to their big brother, California. It’s no surprise when you consider that there are 195 Authorized Wine Appellations of Origin for the United States; and California possesses 109 of them. That only leaves 86 left for the rest of the U.S. That too, is another story.
As I come to a close for this post I can’t help but here the song “Ventura Highway” by America playing in my cranium.
Tags: tax and trade bureau, Temecula
Back in September I wrote a story on the Australian Wine and Bacon Food Pairing, and how I won the grand prize. A dinner for six prepared by Dave Townsend, the California Sales Manager for The Grateful Palate.
Well my friends, tonight is the night.
I am sharing this fantastic feast with @DeekandLong, as well as @WINEormous. We can’t wait to try everything. Tom Plant requested that he be allowed to choose the wines, and who am I to refuse his request?
I sent the menu to Tom but I still don’t know what he will select for the pairing. I do, however, have our menu.
I can’t wait until tonight, and to share the story. I think I will get a jump on it by letting you get a peak at the menu -
STARTER
Deconstructed Croque Monsieur with Field Greens
SOUP
Roasted Summer Squash with Blue Crab, Crème Fraiche, and Truffle Oil
MAIN
Roasted Chicken Breast with Polenta, Wild Mushrooms, and Rosemary Jus
SWEET
Terrine of Bunuelos with Kahlua infused Marscapone and Blueberries
Tags: @DeekandLong, @WINEormous, Grateful Palate
Last week I tried to interview the Facility Manager of the new Wine Store aboard the base. It went from nice to nasty in about two minutes.
It was so ridiculous I decided to write a little satire story about it.
Disclosure: To protect the innocent, and the pure fact I respect people’s requests, the names of persons and places have been renamed. The Marine Corps Community Services (not renamed) will not allow any off base publication to disclose that is sells specific types of “alcohol”. You can say that it does, but not specific types.
However, they did not say you couldn’t give the origins of the “alcohol” sold. Ding ding!
I had a brief interview with the overlord whom I shall refer to as Androgynous Pat. Remember him/her from Saturday Night Live? You didn’t know what sex it was? Well, I do know what sex the overlord was but I will remain neutral. I know that Pat would have let me do and interview if it were possible, but the hands of the overly-protective MCCS clamped down on Pat’s hands.
I work my main job aboard a Southern California Marine Corps Base. I retired three years ago after 20 years of service, but I still love being among my brothers and sisters.
Recently, this base opened up a new store for “alcoholic” purchases. We will call this establishment Landing Zone Tango Victor (LZ TV). As I drove past LZ TV during lunch, I thought to myself, that is a perfect opportunity to give the outside world a look into what awesome “alcohol” is being offered to its service members, dependents, and retirees. By the way, we don’t pay state or federal sales tax on “alcohol” purchased aboard the base.
So I parked and pulled out my camera, put the flash on and checked the memory. It read -E-; what the hell? I had forgot to put my memory card back after I uploaded photos the day prior. Oh well, I set it back and went into LZ TV.
They have dramatically improved their selection from what I saw when they had their grand opening. New distributors were added.
I found Pat while perusing the establishment. I explained who I was, that I was a retired Marine, and what I had would like to do for an interview.
After that point it got pretty cold in there. I told Pat that not many people read the MCCS website for information (because it sucks) and that a lot of people review my site, I am in many social medias, such as twitter, face book, Open Wine Consortium, ewinjunkies, foodbuzz, etc.
After I was frisk searched for a camera (just kidding) Pat went on to say that MCCS does not allow outside media to disclose what they sell specifically, as they do not want to attract unwanted and unauthorized visitors.
You’re joking right? Everyone knows that in order to purchase anything on base you have to present your military I.D. No military identification = no purchase. Plus the fact that you just can’t waltz onto the base to buy anything without a sponsor.
Pat also went on to say that absolutely no photos are to be taken of LZ TV. Well golly, tt’s a good thing I forgot my memory card, hey?
The entire time Pat glared at me as if I had an alternative motive. Sorry to disappoint, but no. As LZ TV is located in a strip-mall I did have the inclination of taking a photo of the store directly to it’s left and right, but better sense took hold.
I informed Pat that I was quite impressed with the new selection of “alcohol” they offer. Selections include the origins of, oh, let’s say places like Lodi, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Napa, and Australia. Sonoma, Napa, and Australia was there before, but not the selections I now saw.
As I closed our ungainly colloquy, and chose the fastest route for my abandonment, I was reminded of Pat’s suspicion by the comment, “Do you have a military I.D.?” I looked at Pat and reminded that person that I was a retired Marine, and I would be back to purchase two “alcoholic” containers after I got off work, as I can’t bring them in my government office and it is too hot to store in my vehicle.
Sorry I couldn’t give a more insightful rendition of one thing the Department of Defense did well for a change, to afford its servicemen and women, their families, and retirees.
If, however, you want to know exact specifics I will gladly answer all emails with detail.
I tried to tell them I could spread the word light years faster than their website would, but would they listen? Nyet…
