Handley Continued from page 5
Transcription
Handley Continued from page 5
Celebrating 20 years of wine adventures! Volume 21 • Issue 9 ® Judy Reynolds photo Featuring California’s Best Artisan Wineries TWO COOL CLIMATE BEAUTIES FROM ANDERSON VALLEY’S HANDLEY CELLARS 2007 Dry Creek Valley Chardonnay 2008 Mendocino County Pinot Noir H 9 Highly Recommended • Gold Medal, Critics Challenge Award • This wine was just released and and 9 Silver Medals: California State no awards were available for this Fair, Orange County Fair, Sonoma wine at publication. However, we County Harvest Fair, Beverage Testing expect many, because its pedigree Institute, Houston Int’l. Wine Comp., is spectacular: the ’07 was “Highly San Francisco Chronicle Wine Comp., U.S. Recommended” at the Ultimate Professional Wine Buyers Comp., Beverage Challenge and received Sonoma Marin Fair, Los Angeles Int’l. six Gold Medals, two “Best of Wine Comp.; “Highly Recommended”, Class” and ten Silver Medals. 2009 World Wine Championships, Beverage Testing Institute. • “This wine represents our best expression of Pinot Noir from • Complex fragrances of apple, pear, banana, orange and even cocoa 2008,” says winemaker Milla Handley. “The aromas are merge with flavors of pear, marmalade, baking spices and sweet oak. reminiscent of rose petals, hibiscus, cherry blossom, and exotic This is a crisp Chardonnay zesty with bright fruit. spices, while the palate comes through with good texture, intense dark cherry, cola, and a milk chocolate finish.” • Fruit for this wine came from Handley Vineyard in the cooler, southeast end of Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley. Fog from the • In 2008, severe frost led to loss of 70% of the estate fruit, so Russian River to the west and warm afternoon temperatures yield Handley Cellars made only one Pinot Noir. Five vineyards with grapes of outstanding flavor and balance. “We have been making multiple clonal selections supplied the fruit in Potter Valley Chard from this site since the 1980s. Vines were replanted in 1992,” (47%), Anderson Valley (35%) and the Handley estate (18%). says winemaker/founder Milla Handley. Due to a long, cold frost season, crop levels were low everywhere. • Mild weather prevailed in 2007 with heat showing up at harvest. “It was a wonderful year with good acidity.” Fruit was hand picked on • After hand harvest, fruit was crushed and then fermented with Aug. 29th and September 3rd - 5th. 40% whole berries. After fermentation, the wine settled for three days before aging in 20% new French oak barrels for 14 • 87% of the fruit was fermented and aged in French months. oak (16% new); 13% fermented in stainless steel tanks. Approximately half the wine underwent • “With its mild acidity, this 2008 Pinot malolactic (secondary) fermentation. “If you do Noir would be a great 100% malolactic and 100% barrel fermentation, you accompaniment to many cheeses, will have a richer wine, but we want a brighter but would also complement entrees, wine.” This Chardonnay aged for six months in oak such as salmon, lamb, or duck,” barrels. notes Milla. • A great choice with simple grilled halibut or • Enjoy now or hold three to four years. dishes with a bit of spice, such as chicken mole, “Both our reds and whites really age paella, or barbecue. well.” • Enjoy now. • Alcohol: 13.8%; pH: 3.65; e v a T.A.: 0.58g/100mL; Cases Produced: h s • Alcohol: 14.5%; pH: 3.51; T.A.: 0.60g/100mL; o wine w 1,828; Bottling Date: December 10, t Cases Produced: 2,317; Bottling Date: May 20, e s e h 2009; Release Date: August 2010. 2008; Release Date: April 2009. Wow! T d a combined e v i t Suggested Retail $22 s e c a l Suggested Retail $20 re over the Restaurant Wine List Price s l Restaurant Wine List Price a d e ! 45 m (If you can find it) - $33 - $39 s e (If you can find it) - $25 - $31 g a vint t wo Member Reorder Price - Just $10.99/Bottle Save 45% off Tasting Room Retail Member Reorder Price - Just $10.99/Bottle Save 50% off Tasting Room Retail It’s Easy to Reorder These Wonderful Wines! 800.777.4443 Save up to 50% while these wines are available. Call today or visit our online wine store at cawineclub.com For other available wine selections, please see page 10. Page 2 The California Wine Club® · www.cawineclub.com · (800) 777-4443 Handley Cellars Location: Anderson Valley, Mendocino County Owner: The Story Behind The Wines... Wine, Women and “WOW!” Wine Country at Handley Milla Handley Winemaker: Milla Handley Established: 1982 Annual Cases Produced: 14,000 Website: www.handleycellars.com CWC Selections: • 2008 Mendocino County Pinot Noir • 2007 Dry Creek Valley Chardonnay “I sit here sipping my glass of wine & I wonder, Do I have a problem? Sure as $#!T I do - There’s only about 1 glass left in the bottle.” —www.squidoo.com/Quotes About Wine Milla Handley with Bruce and Pam, CWC founders, beside the solar panels recently installed at Handley Cellars. Mothering Nature Reorder Your Favorites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Nurturing the vines came naturally to Milla Handley, founder of Handley Cellars in Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley. As a young mother and one of U.C. Davis’ first women enology graduates in the mid-1970s, she began to see similarities between motherhood and winemaking. “People who don’t have children sometimes think they have control over things in the world. But as a parent, you quickly learn that your goal is guidance, not control,” Milla says. “With children, I want them to retain the essence of what they are. That is what I look for in winemaking, too. We don’t want to overwhelm the wine with winemaking. We try not to have a preconceived flavor profile for each wine. Each vintage and region has a personality, and we adjust our winemaking to that to bring out its best.” Magic in the Bottle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Continued on page 5 IN THIS ISSUE: Tips for Summer Sippin’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 In Our Email Bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Recipe: Hummus with Paprika and Whole Chickpeas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 A Handley Cellars Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 “Aged Cabernet” and “Old Vine Zin” Redux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Wine & Weight Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Buzz On The Vine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 On the Cover: The renovated vintage pump house at Handley Cellars recalls an earlier era of agriculture in the Anderson Valley. ’S E CLUB IA WIN LIFORN THE CA GOI NG ON NOW! Save $36 shipping per case! PLUS save up to 64% off retail! See page 12 for details. Tips for Summer Sippin’ A Recipe from Handley Cellars Whether you are on the go wine tasting in Napa or sharing wines with friends by the barbecue, this summer your sippin’ will go even better if you keep these few tips in mind: Hummus with Paprika and Whole Chickpeas 1. Remember water. The alcohol in wine depletes electrolytes, so for every glass of wine, drink a glass of water. This will keep your body hydrated and maintain your energy level. 2. Forget the calories. Six ounces of red wine is less than 150 calories – less than a few potato chips! So enjoy your wine. (And ladies, some studies show wine encourages weight loss in women – See page 8 in this issue.) 3. Don’t like the wine? Don’t drink it! Life is too short to drink wine you don’t enjoy. 4. Know and respect your drinking limits. If you’re 5’2”, 115 lbs., don’t let your 215 lb. brother-in-law browbeat you into having “just another glass.” Rule of thumb: don’t drink more than 4 ounces of wine per hour. This recipe was developed by retired Handley staff chef Sindy Sellers. Feeling that most hummus recipes are too heavy on the garlic, lemon, and cumin, she developed this one. Its flavor is delicate, yet rich—a perfect match for Handley Cellars Chardonnay. (Serves 4-6) 1⁄2 pound dried chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) 1 Tbsp baking soda 6 large garlic cloves, unpeeled 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1⁄4 tsp ground cumin 1⁄4 cup sesame tahini, at room temperature, stirred thoroughly 1⁄4 cup lemon juice Salt For Garnish: 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1⁄4 cup sesame tahini, at room temperature, stirred thoroughly 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp chopped parsley Paprika and cumin for sprinkling Reserved cooked chickpeas Pita bread, for serving In Our Email Bag Cover dried chickpeas with 2 inches of water in a bowl, add baking soda, refrigerate overnight. Drain and rinse. Place chickpeas and garlic into a medium saucepan, cover with 2 inches of water, bring to a boil, lower heat, and barely simmer for about 40 minutes, or until soft. Reserve 2 tablespoons of chickpeas, and a cup of the cooking water. Peel garlic cloves. High quality, great varietals, new experiences… In a food processor, puree the chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, cumin, tahini, and lemon juice until very creamy. Add some of the cooking water if needed for a smooth consistency. Taste for salt. Garnish mixture: In a clean processor bowl, combine the “My wife and I were discussing just this past lemon juice, tahini, and olive oil, plus salt if needed. weekend how happy we have been with our Place the hummus into a serving bowl, make a small membership in TCWC. Actually, we were sipping well in the middle and pour in the garnish mixture. one of your very good red wines at the time. We Sprinkle with parsley and the reserved cooked commented on how the wines have become better and chickpeas. Sprinkle with ground cumin and better over the years. High quality, great varietals, new paprika. experiences. Congrats and best wishes for continued success.” —William V. Day, PA Page 4 Serve with pita bread and your Handley Cellars Chardonnay. Salud! The California Wine Club® · www.cawineclub.com · (800) 777-4443 Handley Continued from page 3 Every wine is an individual in Milla’s eyes, and each must be approached in its own way. For her Mendocino County Pinot Noir (our CWC selection), she focuses on the diversity of fruit sources.“Each vineyard has different exposures. The vineyard in Boonville for this wine is on the western side of the valley facing east, and is protected from the hot afternoon sun, whereas vineyards on the eastern side ripen earlier. Exposures here are really important.” For Handley’s Dry Creek Valley Chardonnay (our second CWC selection), “We want wine with good structure and acidity so we adjust things in the vineyard and in the winery to make sure we make a balanced wine.” Not A Coven! The catalyst for starting Handley Cellars in 1982 was Milla’s first daughter. “I saw the wine industry wasn’t set up for motherhood. I wanted to be able to balance both motherhood and winemaking. I needed the ability to choose my hours, and be able to choose what games to go to.” Milla’s husband was in real estate and enjoyed that kind of flexibility. Top: the Anderson Valley is unique wine country for its great diversity of agriculture, including vineyards, orchards, and row crops. Handley staff Colleen Bassett shows off the crew’s latest puppy to dog-lover Pam. Various clones of Pinot Noir are planted at the Handley estate. Along with flexible hours, Milla soon found her winery brought an unplanned for, high proportion of women to her team. “The guys here sometimes call us a coven, so we do have a tradition of women working here,” Milla laughs. “But actually, we only recently hired our very first female assistant winemaker.” Though many females have worked in the Handley Cellars tasting room and office, “so have men, but often, many of the best candidates have been women.” Continued on page 6 A riddling rack for sparkling wine. The bottles are placed in the holes and then turned every day during aging. An ancient oak is part of the blend at Handley Cellars. The California Wine Club · www.cawineclub.com · (800) 777-4443 ® Page 5 Handley Continued from page 5 Secret Wine Country Whether male or female, Milla’s employees were delighted to find a good job in Mendocino’s remote Anderson Valley. It was an unusual choice for Milla’s wine career. While her peers were opening the cellar doors in up-and-coming regions like Napa and Sonoma, Milla gravitated toward this peaceful, magical valley first working at Edmeades, one of a handful of wineries in a region still sometimes called California’s best kept secret. Located just 20 miles from the quaint seaside town of Mendocino and three hours from San Francisco, the Anderson Valley is scenic to a fault with forested mountains, bucolic valleys, diverse agriculture and a chilly growing season that is the cat’s meow for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, sparkling wine and other cool climate favorites. Sparkling wine appealed to Milla, and at first, she wanted to focus on it at Handley Cellars. “I have this folder that shows my planning for the winery with a spread sheet going out five years as a sparkling wine only winery. It shows I couldn’t break even!” Though Milla changed her plans (she produces 10 wines, including Brut sparklers), her instincts that the region was bubbly friendly were spot on. Two years after the start of Handley Cellars, the prestigious French Champagne house Roederer (famous for its coveted Cristal Champagne) purchased hundreds of acres in the Anderson Valley and built a winery where it has produced outstanding sparklers for more than 25 years. Bruce displays Bettie Miner’s Wine Art Portfolio that he will share with Milla Handley. Above left: Exotic art from around the world, a passion of Milla’s parents, is a feature in the Handley tasting room. Above: Mendocino County’s bucolic Anderson Valley near the coast is home to Handley Cellars. Intuition Among the Vines Today, Milla produces both red and white wines from her Anderson Valley estate (28 planted acres), a Dry Creek Valley Vineyard in Sonoma County owned by her father and select Mendocino County growers. In 2006, her winery estate was certified organic. “Organic farming involves a lot of thinking before you act. You learn from each year.” Milla has tried to blend intuition with analysis along her winemaking path. “You need that kind of feel for winemaking. You have to listen to that voice and remember, winemaking is not a situation where you have control.” Enjoy a mother’s approach to Mother Nature in your glass of Handley red and white. The cellar door is open for your visit in the gorgeous Anderson Valley at 3151 Hwy. 128, Philo, CA 95466, (800) 733-3151, fax (707) 895-2603. Salud! Page 6 The California Wine Club® · www.cawineclub.com · (800) 777-4443 Milla’s Milestones with Handley Cellars Milla converts her basement in the Anderson Valley into a winemaking facility. First sparkling wine produced with labor-intensive traditional champagne production techniques. Handley Cellars 1982 Chardonnay wins a Gold Medal at the Orange County Fair! “It was the only wine I entered! This got recognition for the Anderson Valley. Wine critic Jerry Mead brought his whole group up here.” Bought the 32-acre property where Handley Cellars now stands. Planted first estate vines (1/2 Chardonnay, 1/2 Pinot Noir) and acquired 20-acre property next door. 1982 1984 1984 1985 1986-87 “I was never going to make Pinot Noir. It changed our focus.” Replaced used bladder press with a 1978 small tank press from a Santa Cruz winery. “We still have it. It is run manually. We hit it with a rubber mallet to get the door to open sometimes, but it works very well. There is something about running the program by yourself that you pay more attention to taste.” First estate Pinot Noir. “I was never going to make Pinot Noir. It changed our focus.” 1987 1989 —Milla Handley First estate Chardonnay. “We planted a vineyard at our own home. This gave me understanding of what I could expect and what I could demand of my growers and workers.” Anderson Valley Estate is certified organic. Handley named “Value Brand of the Year” by Wine & Spirits magazine. 1997 1999-2001 2006 2008 The California Wine Club® · www.cawineclub.com · (800) 777-4443 Page 7 Cabernet” a d e nd g “A “O ld To Your Health Wine & Weight Loss x u d Vine Zin” Re Connoisseurs’ Guide publisher and Uncorked Guest Editor Charlie Olken has words of wisdom on the topic of aged Cabernet and Old Vine Zinfandel. “An aged Cabernet has no specific ‘years old’ definition. The purpose of aging is to integrate the parts, to soften the tannins and to allow a character known as bottle age, a kind of elusive richness, to develop. “...twelve is... fairly young for truly age-worthy Cabs...” If one is referring to Cabernets that are intended to age, the magic number for me is twelve years, because it is at that point that the primary fruit has begun to become complex and the wine has begun to reveal its inner self. But, twelve is also fairly young for truly age-worthy Cabs, most which get even better after twelve and can last up to thirty or forty years in good vintages. I know that the comments above do not give a hard and fast rule, and that is because there is not one— save for the notion that age involves the resolution of tannins and the acquisition of pleasing secondary characteristics that are not present in young wines. As to Old Vine Zinfandel, there is no legal definition. Twenty years seems to be the operative minimum because vines begin to slow their growth at that point, and it is thought by some that such vines then can concentrate more completely on the grapes than they could when the vine itself was growing. Twenty years, however, is really not “old” but sort of middle-aged because vines stay fairly vigorous in their productive capacity up to about forty years. So, I like forty as a more useful minimum since the vines have lost their youthful characteristics by that point. Healthy vines last well over one hundred years, but usually at reduced production levels.” UNCORKED® is published monthly by Bruce and Pam Boring, Proprietors. The California Wine Club® · 600 Via Alondra, Camarillo, CA 93012 Reorder your favorites, update your account and send gifts online at www.cawineclub.com. Pam Boring: President Bruce Boring: Vice President Sales and Marketing Page 8 The Archives of Internal Medicine recently reported on a study that followed the eating and drinking habits of 19,220 women aged 39 years and older for nearly 13 years. It found that women who drank a glass or two of wine per day put on less weight than those who did not. The differential was an eight pound gain for non-wine drinkers compared to a 3.5 pound gain for wine drinkers. The study was conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. (Researchers were quick to caution that their study was not a recommendation for alcohol use or for wine as a diet aid.) FUN FACT Growing up in the Napa Valley during the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, the most likely crop a family harvested was not grapes but prunes and peaches. But with the influx of vineyards, grapes soon replaced those orchards. By 1997, Napa’s Sunsweet packing plant cut its workforce from 100 to 25 people. Judy Reynolds: Editor, writer, photographer Tapia Studios: Graphic designers To send or receive information on the CWC and a complimentary issue of Uncorked®, please call us at (800) 777-4443 or fax toll-free at (800) 700-1599. or email info@cawineclub.com The California Wine Club® · www.cawineclub.com · (800) 777-4443 Two More Exciting CWC Clubs to Try! You Be The Signature Series for serious wine collectors and connoisseurs JUDGE Summer is for Chardonnay Ah, Chardonnay! Our CWC Judges are sharing their reasons why they love this perfect summer sipper. In return, Judges whose comments we print receive an extra bottle in their next shipment. All Judging Cards are entered into our year-end drawing for a case of CWC wines hand-selected by the winner. It’s free, it’s fun. Share your CWC wine impressions by sending in your Judging Card enclosed in this shipment. Salud! (Wines are rated on a 20 point system...with 20 points being the highest.) 20 pts Tulip Hill Winery 2008 Mt. Oso Vineyard Chardonnay “WOW! Complex, clean, citrus zest. Green apple in Chardonnay!! Great with shrimp/red pepper pasta. One of the very best Chardonnays ever from CWC.” - Russell Balda, AZ 18 pts Tulip Hill Winery 2008 Mt. Oso Vineyard Chardonnay “This was our very first CWC experience, and so I felt compelled to share my feedback. I am traditionally not a Chardonnay fan, but this wine was wonderful! The aromas were pleasing and the excellent flavor lasted from taste-to-finish. If this first-bottle experience is a sign of things to come, we are excited for future shipments. Thank you CWC!” - John Kessler, OH 17 pts Dan Gehrs Winery 2008 Oakfree Chardonnay “This wine had a wonderful taste and went well with food or alone!!” - Sheila Reynolds, PA 16 pts Lucas and Lewellen Vineyards Chardonnay “Refreshing change to a traditional California Chardonnay. The stainless steel, rather than oak fermentation, brings out wonderful fruit flavors, especially peach. Nice light color, great Spring/Summer sipper. Excellent with grilled chicken, marinated in lemon, olive oil, chives, and fresh thyme.” - Kathleen Mooneyhan, MD International Selections: 19 pts Baracchi Winery: Ardito Toscana 2006 “Really good aroma of baked cinnamon bread…tasty on the end.” - Cindy Fiddler, TX Aged Cabernet Series: 20 pts Fisher Vineyards, 2000 Coach Insignia Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon “We opened our 2000 Fisher Coach Insignia Napa Valley Cabernet that we had received with our Aged Cabernet Series membership. And WOW, we were not disappointed. Very smooth tannins, wonderful dark color, and deep fruit and berry flavors.” - Tracy Burton, GA ® www.cawineclub.com · (800) 777-4443 ® Our upper-level club featuring limited production, highly-rated wines is a superb peek behind the cellar doors of some of California’s top wineries. This month, Signature Series members receive: Stone Pine Estate “Sage Brush Annie’s” 2006 Santa Barbara County Cabernet Sauvignon • 4 Gold Medals, 2 “Best Cabernet” awards, Tri-Medal (Gold) and “Best of Class” • Just 450 cases produced. Paradise Ridge Vineyards & Winery 2007 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir • Sweepstakes, “Best of Show,” 3 Gold Medals • Only 800 cases produced. Try the Signature Series and receive half off this month’s selection. Just $58.50 for new members. International Selections features “mom & pop” wineries from around the world. The Boschetti family of the famous winegrowing region Barolo in Piedmonte, Italy, has dedicated generations to handcrafted wines. They tend their 30 acres of estate wines with traditional methods, and each wine is a bit of art from a country famous for art and wine. Gomba Boschetti Nebbiolo d’Alba 2007 Aromas of cherry and dark fruit harmonize beautifully with the rich, earthy flavors accented by spice. A nice tannic backbone makes this traditional Italian red a match for pungent Not found cheeses and savory pastas. anywhere else in the Gomba Boschetti Barbera d’Alba 2007 U.S.! Another rich Italian red with dark red and black fruit showing off in the nose and palate. Raspberry, blueberry and cherry notes merge with a fine texture and tasty finish. Chicken sausage and roast pork would make it excellent companions. Try the International Selections and receive half off this month’s selection. Just $44.50 for new members. America’s only wine service featuring real, working, smaller family-owned wineries. Page 9 YOUR WINE STORE – Reorder Your Favorites! CURTIS WINERY - Santa Barbara 2006 Ambassador’s Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley Syrah H 2006 Santa Barbara County Heritage Cuvée H 4 • Gold Medal, Critic’s Challenge Wine Competition; 4 out of 5 stars, “Exceptional”, BevX.com • Plum, violets and white pepper on the nose lead to flavors of black cherry, blackberry and vanilla. What a lovely, supple texture this wine has. Enjoy the long finish. • A fine choice with richly textured foods like tenderloin, rib eye, cassoulet and spicy foods. Normal Retail: $22 STARS H 4 STARS • 4 out of 5 stars, “Exceptional”, BevX.com • Aromas of plum, mocha, vanilla and oak toast merge with jammy flavors of black cherry, raspberry and pomegranate. • Terrific with leg of lamb, pork, blue cheese hamburgers, steak fajitas, red sauce pastas and flat bread with sausage and herbs. Normal Retail: $20 SYLVESTER WINERY - Paso Robles H 2007 Kiara Private Reserve Paso Robles Syrah 2008 Kiara Private Reserve Paso Robles Sauvignon Blanc H 87 points! • Silver Medal, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. • “Tantalizing aromas of fresh, wild berries. Subtle vanilla and oak flavors with a delicious spicy finish. Sure to complement all manner of wild game,” notes winemaker Jac Jacobs. • Very drinkable now and will age five to ten years. • Double Gold, Taster’s Guild Int’l. Wine Competition; 87 points, Wine Enthusiast (Oct. 2009); Silver Medals, Central Coast Wine Competition; California State Fair; California Mid-State Fair; Bronze Medal, San Francisco Int’l. Wine Competition. 3 H • Aromas of grapefruit and honeysuckle with an underlying grassiness. Normal Retail: $19 FinelyAged Mountain Merlot Normal Retail: $15 RENAISSANCE WINERY - Sierra Foothills 1999 Estate Bottled, Sierra Foothills Merlot H • This purple-red Merlot offers aromas of plum, cherries and spice. Medium to full-bodied, it is rich with concentrated fruit, earthy complexity and a lusty, long finish. • Enjoy with roast meats and stews, especially lamb. • Enjoy now or hold up to 10 years. “Our Merlots age beautifully well. They gradually melt down, open up, relax and exhibit richness,” says winemaker Gideon Beinstock. Normal Retail: $25 “Da Vinci” 2002 Sierra Foothills Cabernet Sauvignon • Bronze Medal, Tasters Guild 2007 • Medium brick red in color, this Cabernet begins with soft berry fruits on the nose. Expressive fruit on the palate melds with a soft texture, yet the wine is complex with a deep, long finish. • This is definitely a wine for red meat. Enjoy it with a grilled steak, roast beef, pork chops or game meats. Normal Retail: $30 A Message from Bruce & Pam We are often asked “which wines have you featured in the past and how can I reorder them?” The wines listed here are all recent club features, each one has been hand-selected by us and comes with our 100% guarantee. Whether you would like to try one or all of them, please call or visit our website to place an order…in fact, feel free to mix a case with 12 different wines! Please remember that the wines we feature come from small “mom & pop” wineries and supply may be limited. (800) 777-4443 Page 10 Page 10 The California Wine Club® · www.cawineclub.com These Recent Selections are Available, Just $10.99 per Bottle. H PEDRONCELLI WINERY - Sonoma County 90 87 BEST BEST points! points! BUY WINE 2006 Dry Creek Valley “Mother Clone” Zinfandel 2008 Dry Creek Valley Bench Vineyards Merlot • Gold Medal & Best Buy, 90 points, Beverage Testing Institute; 87 points, Wine Enthusiast; Listed in Wine Spectator as “2008 California Values: Best Wines to Drink Now.” • Great with BBQ ribs, rack of lamb, spicy foods, red sauce pastas and of course, pizza! • Flavors lean toward plum, freshly ground black pepper, and tart cherry. The subtle toasty oak complements the rich fruitiness in the mouth. • You can cellar this bottle for 3 – 5 years or enjoy it for dinner tonight. Normal Retail: $14 w! o n N County TAMAYO FAMILY VINEYARDS - ContraOCosta g oin CANA 2007 Proprietary Estate Tamayo Family 2008 Contra G e l a Contra Costa County Red Blend Costa County Red Wine S g • Gold Medal and 92 points, i World Wine n 91 • Bronze Medal, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Championships; Silver Medal, San Francisco ipp 92 92 96 points! h Our latest Competition; 91 points, Beverage Testing Institute. Chronicle Wine Competition; 96 points, S H H points! points!points! 1 Special and 92 points, $Justwinepoints.com • Meat off the grill, well-marbled beef, hearty braised Normal Retail: $17 H Edition! Beverage Testing Institute. • This is a uniquely versatile wine that goes wonderfully well with a variety of entrées ranging from salmon to duck, braised short ribs to herb crusted lamb. Normal Retail: $30 dishes and full-flavored cheeses are among the terrific pairings that make this red such a good companion at the table. Normal Retail: $15 EHRET FAMILY - Sonoma County DANIEL GEHRS - Santa Ynez Valley 2008 Knights Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Monterey Chardonnay • 89 points, “Cellar Selection,” Wine Enthusiast; 88 points and “Top Values for 2009,” Wine Spectator; Bronze Medal, 2009 Sonoma County Harvest Fair Wine Competition. 88 points! • This wine is tropical and spicy, with an underlying grassy note. In the mouth it is balanced and soft, with a crisp, elegant finish. • Just 500 cases were produced. Normal Retail: $17 89 points! • A fruit-forward rendition of America’s favorite white wine with appealing green apple, white peach and baked pear nuances. • Enjoy over the next 2-3 years. H Normal Retail: $20 MISSION TRAIL VINEYARDS - Monterey County 2 2 2 2006 Monterey County Syrah 2007 Monterey County Sauvignon Blanc • Gold Medals: Beverage Testing Institute World Wine Championships, Finger Lakes Int’l. Wine Competition; Silver Medals: San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, Florida State Fair Int’l. Wine Competition. • A great pairing with ripe cheese and anything grilled. • Enjoy now or hold from 3 to 5 years. • Silver Medal, Beverage Testing Institute 2009 World Wine Championships; Silver Medal, 2009 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. • Herbal and floral on the nose, this wine offers delicate tropical notes on the palate with a crisp citrus finish. A lovely quaffer! • This is a great wine with vegetables, Coconut Shrimp, Curried Chicken or roasted turkey. Normal Retail: $17 Normal Retail: $19 H HH H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H Magic in The Bottle H H H H H H H H H H H H H With all the technical articles written about wine, terroir, viticulture and wine regions, it’s easy to lose sight of a very important fact: wine is magic in a bottle. First of all, it captures a moment in time when beautiful fruit reached its peak of flavor. In a way, wine is summer in your glass. Then, wine is a living thing. It ages and changes as the years go by. A fine wine will even change in your glass during a meal as it responds to oxygen. Like a flower, it can blossom, revealing more and different layers of aromas and flavors. Finally, wine (in moderation!) can have magical effects on us. It can make us feel warm, unleash our sense of humor or a torrent of ideas. A group of friends with a bottle of wine can yield an evening to be remembered years afterward. Enjoy the magic! www.cawineclub.com · (800) 777-4443 Page 11 IA LIFORN THE CA LUB’S WINE C Buzz On The Back by Popular Demand! Time for you to STOCK your cellar for the holidays and SAVE on award-winning wines. There are so many to choose from that you may just need a bigger cellar! Reorder all your favorites and give a few new wines a try. Pay Only $1 For Shipping! SYLVESTER Kiara Reserve 2008 Paso Robles Sauvignon Blanc Retail $15 Sale $9.00 H 89 points! EHRET FAMILY WINERY 2008 Knights Valley H Sauvignon Blanc Retail $17 Sale $9.00 87 points! 3 H PECT 93 OIN T PECT 87 OIN T S P ES THE CHÂTEAU de la SELVE Saint Régis 2008 White Retail $27 Sale $18 OR AT WIN S P ES OR AT WIN HARTWELL VINEYARDS 2005 Misté Hill, Stags Leap District, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Retail $60 Sale $44 H Check out our website for hundreds more awardwinning wines to choose from or call us at Save Up to 70% Off Retail... p lus save $ per case o36 n shipping (800) 777-4443 www.cawineclub.com Don’t wait to order, inventory is limited! Sale ends on September 30th, 2010. Half, full and mixed cases okay. e n Vi • Saucy Sommeliers: For the first time, women were among the top 12 contenders for World’s Best Sommelier, an annual competition held in Santiago, Chile this year. Also, eastern Europe was represented among the top 12 for the first time. • No Napa Weddings: Want a summer wine country wedding in Napa? Maybe not. Most wineries cannot host weddings, according to a Napa County regulation that limits nuptials only to wineries built after 1989. The ordinance is currently under review • Congrats, Century Oak: This CWC alumnus (our holiday winery this year) just won “Best Cabernet in its Class” at the prestigious Pacific Rim Wine Competition. • Hong Kong Wine Auction Capital: More wine will soon be sold in Hong Kong at wine auctions than in the U.S. Auction proceeds totaled $51 million in Hong Kong in the first six months of 2010. • Boxed Beauties? Wine-in-a-box (3-liter table wine) sales have increased 19.9% from April 2009-April 2010 according to Nielsen market researchers. Suppliers are working to make boxes more attractive, disguising them as mini-barrels, giving them octagonal shapes and replacing the cardboard with wood. Advocates say boxes are more eco-friendly than glass and, once open, can store wine for up to six weeks.