2010 Sommelier of the Year, Southern California Restaurant Writers Association

Just recently, I went down to the OC for the Southern California Restaurant Writers Awards Banquet, because I was nominated for 2010 Sommelier of the Year. I'm pleased to announce, I won!
It was a really wonderful dinner, in the main room of the Long Beach Aquarium, where we sat under a huge 80 ft replica of a Blue Whale, and ate and drank our way through the evening. I had the pleasure of sitting next to Marilyn and Bob Gourley, the President of the Association, and John and Tom Papadakis who have run their restaurant longer than I've been alive. Also nearby were Aricia Alvarado, the 2010 winner Mixologist of the year, and her Husband Hugo Molina, the 2009 Chef of the Year, for Seta.
It was really both an honor and a humbling experience to receive this award, and more than anything, really lights a fire under my ass to keep getting out there and accomplish some of what these other members of the audience have...
Click Here for the link

Fun new wines from the OC portion of the NVV tasting

LA traffic's a bitch. 2 Hours to get down to the trade tasting, so I missed it. But luckily, Maureen Taylor was there to hand me off a half bottle of her delicious 06 Diamond Terrace, and I just happened to walk by a lonely bottle of 06 Neal, half gone, sadly waiting for someone who cared to stick a cork in it and take along for the rest of the day's journey- starting with meeting Sean Larkin and his winemaker Bruce Devlin, for drinks at Charlie Palmer's, which had, get this, electronic tablets, like iPads, for a wine list, AND, a retail shop, INSIDE, the restaurant, where you could buy your wine, and then pop it right there in the restaurant FOR NO CORKAGE FEE... As a consumer I love it, but as a somm, I don't get it, Really? I mean, hooray for cheaper wine, but does this work for the resto? I guess it must. Ah, how the world changes right in front of my eyes....
So then off to the evening's event at The District, an outdoor tasting of 30 or 40 Napa wineries. Lots of winners, and for some reason, I keep noticing the Sauv Blancs. What's up with that? How can I go to a big Napa Cab tasting, and walk away remembering the Sauv Blancs? Well, it's my notes, and I can remember whatever I'd like, so this time it was Three Clicks Sauv Blanc and Entre Nous. So there. Oh wait, lest I forget, the Signorello Estate Seta, Semillon and Sauv Blanc. Ha. Take that, Napa Cabs!

The Haul

It's been a big week of tastings and it's only Tuesday. Sunday started with a cheese wine and chocolate event at Learnaboutwine.com Monday was the Napa Valley Vintners, then Mosaic Wines, then, Napa Nightlife at "Elevate", the night club for Takami, Then today it was The Gelinas Portfolio. Tomorrow is Napa Valley Vintners in the OC, Thursday is the Henry Wine Group Portfolio... I may not make it to Friday. An interesting plethora of producers to be sure, but maybe too many to mention. Highlights?
From The Napa VV: Neal, Larkin, Trefethen, Shafer, Schramsburg, Peter Franus, Lang and Reed, Gemstone, Staglin, Barlow, Diamond Terrace.
New guys (to me):
A Bordeaux blend from Tournesol.
Coup de Foudre-from Danielle Price, the director of wines for Wynn resorts, John Schwartz, the owner of Amuse Bouche, and Frank Sinatra’s three children, Tina, Nancy, and Frank, Jr.


So then, the Gelinas tasting... great small book of really top producers, like my favorites (as always) Alta Maria, Native 9, Herman Story (Russell's awesome labels pictured below, which my godfather will especially appreciate) Sans Liege, etc. These three are the guys to watch, as well as newcomer, Field Recordings, with an unfiltered Chennin Blanc that spoke to me...



The middle picture is from Russell's "On The Road" Grenache. I love that wine. It's my third favorite Kerouac novel by the way, Dharma Bums and The Subterraneans being my first and second, respectively. Butanyfuckinghow, I love that picture, and when I heard Russell was coming into town, I brought him a piece of road that I'd found and kept, a piece with a bit of the yellow line still hanging on it. It's really quite beautiful, and one of those lovely things that transports you, particularly if aided by inadvertently ingesting rotten/ing matter of various forms. Here, for your viewing pleasure, are said pieces of road. Russell's:


And Mine:

Wine Pairings by Erika

Riedel tasting with Max

Max Riedel was in town, and came by The Learn About Wine Loft to do a demonstration and speak about the differences of tasting in his glasses. We went through his line up, and also a small wine glass and a plastic cup. The difference was startling. The biggest difference for me, was in the Sauvignon Blanc glass. Something about the lighter floral notes and acidity, really seemed to prefer the beatiful Riedel stemware. Now if I can just recover from the cost...

Family Winemakers

One of the biggest tastings of the year, I've learned to give up on even attempting to make it through the whole line up. I check in with old favorites, and try a couple of new ones when I can...
This year, I employed a new technique, starting at Z and working my way towards A. My thinking here was that I'd be able to rotate in the opposite direction of the crowds, and hopefully taste more wines and meet more people. I guess it sorta worked...
So, this year's stand outs:
Yates Family Vineyard, ( "Chevalier" 100% Cab Franc)
X Winery
Thorne Wine / Rio Vista Vineyard
Sojourn Cellars (Sangiocomo Vyd. Pinot Noir)
Silver Wines
Red Car
Ramey Wine Cellars ( Had a hard time picking a favorite between the three Chards)
Pride Mountain Vineyards (Always an amazing Viognier)
Paul Hobbs Winery
Michaud Vineyard
La Fenetre
Hitching Post Wines
Bink Wines (My favorite Sauv Blanc of the tasting)
Benovia Winery
B Wise Vineyards
Alfaro Family Vineyards (These guys are new to me, and doing a great job with Chard and Pinot)

Howell Mountain Tasting

So, the Annual Howell Mountain Tasting at the Petersen Auto Museum. Always a great one, and this year was no exception. Standouts:
Black Sears, Neal Family (as always), and Pina. New wines (To me): Notre Vin with a really great Cab Rose in 500 ml bottles, and Arkenstone's Sauv. Blanc in a strangely traditional Bordeaux style. I say strangely, because I've never experienced any Napa SB that could pull that off before...

AND got a chance to meet Mark Neal, which was really cool, because I've always admired his wines.

In Vino Unitas and Bordeaux Barrel tasting

First stop, Downtown LA to the City Club to taste through the VinoUnitas portfolio. These guys are a group of smallish, independent wineries that band together to sell their wines directly. A fun line up including amongst others:
Ehlers, Etude, Gemstone, Krupp, Larkmead, Merry Edwards, Quill, and newcomer, Vellum. Some great appearances by these guys, Merry Edwards, killin it with her Pinot Noirs as expected, Gemstone undoubtedly rocking the Cabernet Sauvignon of the tasting, and Vellum getting the newcomer award for coming on the scene with a really nice, complex, and rich, first effort.


Next stop, The Skirball Center off the 405, for a Bordeaux tasting of Mammoth Proportions. Some past vintages AND, Hooray, first looks at 09 for me. Stand outs: 2005 Teyssier. Retail $31. Grab it if you can get it, head and shoulders above the other 75 or so that I tasted. And as for the '09's, I don't want to start making blanket predictions from a small testing group, but from what I've tasted, these 09's are going to be damn good. Two stand outs, Rol Valentin and Boutisse. Big, juicy, hedonistic and luscious offerings, some of the most fruit forward examples I've ever seen. Boy did those show well. Will they age? I wouldn't be able to wait long enough to find out.

Picture o the day

How cool is this little girl? I'd adopt her in a minute, and let her eat all the pizza and candy she wanted.

Rose tasting

Hooray, we're tasting Rose today! No tasting notes yet, but I thought this might be an appropriate picture.


These guys were the winner, Cahteau D'Esclans... Dizope!

Well, you know...

Can't always be keeping my dog, Charlie on a leash. I took him to the zoo and was distracted by my ice cream cone that was dripping all over my hand. I let go of the leash for one minute and he decides to jump in the tiger cage and get it on. I suppose this kinda thing just happens...