It's almost the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so I wanted to send along some links to stories I've written this October about breast-conscious winemakers whose rockin' projects support breast cancer research. Let's start with American Roots Winery, a project started in 2005 in support of Lori Ondaro, a single mom who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time. When the news hit, Lori and her family were blindsided by the news that this time the cancer had spread throughout her entire body. Lori's heroic story can be found here, at WineCountry.com, along with details on the critically-acclaimed wines her family's winery now produces, with proceeds going to support breast cancer research. (Pictured, Lori & Family.) Yay, family!

This also a terrific time to recognize the many other wineries whose programs support breast cancer. Read on for highlights of some of my top picks, which include Cleavage Creek Cellars, whose name makes good on the winery's unique geographic situation as well as its mission. Read about the rest

here, and support these wineries wherever you can! As far as causes go, this one ranks way up there in my book as one worthy of our attention and dollars.

Posted by Courtney at 06:10 PM • Comments (0)

Deciding when to pick from Adopt A Grape 2008 on Vimeo.

Dubbed the "first lady of wine" by one Robert Parker, Heidi Peterson Barrett makes damn good wine (think Screaming Eagle) in Napa, and now you can listen to her talk about how she decides what and when to harvest in this video just posted by one of her winery clients, Fantesca. Filmed on October 2, Heidi discusses not only Fantesca's harvest but that of the region as a whole, so it's a nice 3-minute primer on what's happening in the vineyards in and around Napa about this time. Personally, I was super lucky to meet Heidi earlier this year in Napa at a fantastic gathering of women in wine, and if you click the link to "read more" you can check out a pic of the two of us. Not my best pic - but then again, that hardly matters when one is so close to Ms. Hallowedness of Wine. Cheers!

Posted by Courtney at 11:07 PM • Comments (2)

As a big fan of New Zealand's Kim Crawford wines - I had the pleasure of pouring them at a number of my book launch events last fall - I was thrilled when the folks behind the wine asked me to create a series of custom party tips for their newly revamped website. Now, the tips are finally live, and I'd love to share them with all of you. There are party ideas for pairing wine with music (seriously!), creating your very own component tasting (for a funny explanation of component tasting, click here), and a whole new kind of brown bag tasting party. With the holidays upon us and more reasons than ever for staying IN this holiday season, I hope you'll check out my Hip Tips, invite over some friends and put them to good use. Check 'em out here!

Note: Illustration by Marcos Chin and courtesy of Kim Crawford.

Posted by Courtney at 10:14 AM •

Laura Catena is hardly your average emergency room doc. The Argentine native - who came to the US with her professor dad to attend high school and wound up staying to attend Harvard for undergrad and then Stanford for medical school - "moonlights" from her job as an ER physician at UCSF by making wine, and on another continent at that. That's right, the married mother of three (yes, she has a nanny) successfully holds down TWO glamorous jobs and apparently has energy to burn, as I witnessed when I interviewed her in San Fran's homey Cole Valley several weeks ago. But besides her fascinating resume and seemingly boundless energy, I was most intrigued by Catena's commitment to making small batches of totally world-class wine from Mendoza's top low-yield, high-elevation vineyards. And though you may have heard more about her family's OTHER winery, Bodega Catena Zapata (considered by many the preeminent winery in all of Argentina), I predict her own label, Luca, has a bright future all its own.

Read on for an exclusive interview with Laura, including her ruminations on pursuing multiple careers, living on two continents, and generally being fabulous (okay, that last part is totally my conjecture, but I have to say she's impressive). Enjoy!

CC: Describe Malbec for me in your own words.

LC: Malbec has everything that one would want in a red wine: intense black fruit aromatics, a dense mid-palate and a finish that is incredibly powerful yet smooth at the same time.

CC: I know you're passionate about Argentine wine country. What is so special about it?

LC: It is not only spectacular aesthetically, with vineyards perched in the foothills of the Andes Mountains, but the climatic conditions are ideal for high quality production of concentrated and smooth wines. The dry, cool mountain climate, the poor soils, the extremely sunny days allows for low yields, slow ripening and long hang times. The result: incredibly ripe fruit that has no green flavors and a richness that comes from staying on the vine for a long time.

CC: Is there a diversity of terroir in Mendoza? I really enjoyed your 2006 Luca Syrah but wasn't aware much Syrah was grown there (let alone could be this good).

LC: Yes, at each altitude and latitude there is a completely different microclimate. Malbec from Lujan de Cuyo is incredibly different from Malbec grown in La Consulta. There is not a lot of Syrah planted in Mendoza, because most people are planting Malbec. That is why the Laborde Vineyard, an old vineyard in La Consulta planted with a very special selection of plants that were originally brought from the Rhone Valley, is all the more unique.

CC: You've created your own brand, Luca, named for your eldest son, and are also part of your family's wildly successful Catena Zapata. Tell me about your philosophy on legacy building.

LC: We are all romantics in my family, and I still like to think that I am in some way living the dream of my Italian great grandfather Nicola Catena who came to Argentina in 1898 with the goal of owning his own vineyard and raising a family in the New World. I named my third child and only daughter Nicola in his honor. I feel really privileged to have been born into a wine family...There is so much art, passion and fantasy involved in making wine. But I am also aware that only wines of great quality are commercially viable. So if there is one thing that I would like to teach my children some day it's that they should always strive to make the best wines in the world.

CC: Why are so many wineries and growers family-run operations? Why do you think the connection between wine and family is so strong?

LC: I think I answered this question already, but maybe it has to do with the life of the farmer and with how difficult it is to make it as a winery. Only the very passionate and hard working survive and when children see their father or mother give their life and soul to making wine, they are inspired to continue the family tradition.

CC: San Francisco is your home, but your roots are still very much in Argentina. What appeals to you about living so fully in two countries? The Bay Area?

LC: There is a freedom that one feels in the Bay Area and a creative energy from the many cultures and types of people and businesses that reside in the area that feeds my own creative spirit. I really love going from Argentina to SF and enjoy each place for different reasons.

CC: Where cab readers find Luca wines?

LC: Production is limited but they can be found at independent retailers and restaurants in the area. K&L is a good place that usually carries a selection.

CC: Please tell me about anything else you feel would resonate with my readers. This is totally up to you!

LC: I started my professional life as a doctor and still work part time as an emergency physician. Many people ask me how I am able to do both things medicine and wine. I also meet many people that get tired of their jobs and want to find a completely new direction. I always encourage my friends to follow their heart but not to limit themselves in thinking they can only do one thing. There are so many ways to live one's life, and as long as the bills get paid, it is important to take risks sometimes in order to fulfill one's intellectual dreams and one's commitment to family and friends.

***

To learn more about Luca Wines and Laura's story, visit LucaWines.com

To find Luca wines online, visit Wine-Searcher.com or K&L Wines

TASTING NOTE: 2006 Luca "Laborde Double Select" Syrah, Mendoza

Details: from low-yield, 45 year-old vines situated at 3,400 feet in the foothills of Andes. The vineyard is planted to a selection of Syrah vines brought to Argentina from France's Rhone Valley - ground zero for the world's best Syrah - over a half century ago.

Appearance: super concentrated ruby
Nose: effusive aromas of dark bramble fruit including blueberry and wild raspberry followed by loads of other interesting stuff: saddle leather, tobacco chew, beef jerky, brown sugar, nutmeg, spice (anise), caramel chew, cocoa nib and black olive. It's tough to put it down.
Palate: On the palate the rather high alcohol (listed at 14.2%) is apparent but the wine is so concentrated it wears it well; the oak is also apparent but should integrate with time. Flavors echo the nose and are more one-dimensional than the nose, though still extremely appealing.
Conclusion: Overall, this is a classy, well-made wine with significant character that should develop into something really special with 3-12 years bottle age. It's definitely big in structure, so plan on tucking into some meat or equally hearty fare when pairing with food.

Score: 90 points

Tasted: late summer, 2008

Posted by Courtney at 03:53 PM • Comments (0)

Every year Wine & Spirits magazine hosts a simply fabulous event at which regular old people (read: those not necessarily carrying the title of sommelier, wine director, wine writer or wine retailer) can taste the spoils of some of the best wines recognized that year by the magazine. It's called the Top 100 Tasting - named for the magazine's list of fav wines ranked all year - and this year the banner event looks to be as fabulous as usual. Even better, it's right around the corner:

It's all going down next Tuesday, October 14th, at SF's Old Mint Building, beginning at 7pm. Tickets cost a plum $125, but they come with a magazine subscription and score tasters access to fabulous and hard-to-find wines and lots of delicious food (a sampling of purveyors: Local Kitchen, Bar Bambino, SPQR & Three Twins Ice Cream). Plus, this is a see-and-be-seen-at event for local wine personalities and hard core foodies, so if being around these types gives you a kick, it'll definitely be a great place to be.

For more info & a list of featured producers, click here

Posted by Courtney at 02:33 PM •

The web site for Philip Stein - purveyor of the new Wine Wand - claims that thanks to this nifty device "The full bouquet and taste of wine can be enjoyed within minutes, not hours." That's a bold statement, but one that can be tested on your very own at home, for the bargain price of just $325. That's right, that's the price of the Wine Wand, which Stein's site describes loftily as "a breakthrough device that uses natural energy to aerate wine, enhancing flavors and aroma almost instantly." Okaaaaay, so where's the catch?

The new product - which has already scored a brief mention in the Miami Herald - seems untested so far as I can see, though the manufacturer's web site insists it has been "sommelier-tested." Not to be a hater, but I have to say I would love to know just WHICH sommeliers have tested this product, and what they have to say about it. Believe me, I'm the first to want this product to be real - I get chills just thinking of the benefits to be gained from never again having to wait for a young Brunello to open up for clients who just plunked down hundreds for that special bottle, and a personal sommelier to boot - but I'm dubious, given the "natural energy" claim on the site.

Why hasn't this been created before? Why are there no concrete testimonials from reputable sommeliers? What's the deeeeeaaaaaal, yo? Hope I'll have an occasion to find out for myself soon enough. If it's the bomb, I'll let you know.

PS: BONUS POINTS for the wand's special packaging: it comes in alligator, crocodile and python-embossed carrying cases. NOW we're talking.

Pictured: Embossed Python-encased wand. Definitely a cool gift for the luxury-leaning gadget guru with a yen for good vino. Along with the caveat, of course, that actual effectiveness remains to be proven.

Posted by Courtney at 04:24 PM • Comments (1)

I couldn't resist dropping a line about McCormick & Kuleto's 15th Annual Shuck & Swallow Challenge, going down tomorrow eve in SF, because it's just so deliciously fun to say out loud. Those in the mood for shucking and swallowing are welcome to watch and score some oysters and wine in the process ($30 for food & wine). The 411: The competition between a dozen teams from Bay Area restaurants goes down at 5pm and showcases teams competing to shuck and eat as many oysters as possible in 10 minutes. (The current record is just under 200.) The shucking & swallowing is free to watch...

and will be immediately followed an oyster and wine pairing benefit for $30/person. It all goes down at McCormick & Kuleto’s Seafood Restaurant at 900 North Point in San Francisco, with proceeds to benefit The Marine Mammal Center (awwwww).

More Info

Posted by Courtney at 02:04 PM •

Er, I feel a little bit badly about posting this, but I just can't help myself because it's so freaking funny. It shows two women at a winery (quite picturesque!), one of whom is a news reporter, stomping grapes in buckets as part of a promotion for an upcoming stomp competition at the winery. It's all fine and well until the reporter tries to step out of the bucket and stumbles, doing a face plant into some seriously icky looking stuff below. I don't think anything really bad happened to her, but she sounds pretty awful right after her fall. Bottom Line: A lesson in what NOT to do when participating in harvest activities.

Posted by Courtney at 10:59 PM • Comments (0)

I just finished reading one of the best pieces of wine writing I've ever read, in no doubt because it's one of the rare pieces that actually lends real world perspective to wine instead of just playing up the "romance" that's so frequently associated with all things vinous.

In Michael Franz's poignant portrait of South African wine at WineReviewOnline, he speaks frankly - and eloquently, I might add - about incredibly troubling things going down near the cape...,

mostly having to do with racial inequality but also with some pretty crazy political goings-on that smack scarily of the third world. In one particularly memorable revelation he relates that less than 1% of the land under vine in South Africa is under black ownership, management or control. Yep - pretty disturbing. Franz - who "moonlights" from wine writing as a poli sci professor - makes a good case that for South African wine to move to the next level on the international wine scene, some serious stuff needs to happen at the political and industry level first. Thanks for a great piece, Michael.

Read the entire thing here

Learn more about South Africa's wine industry at Wines of South Africa

Posted by Courtney at 06:26 PM • Comments (0)

Just when you thought our tastings couldn't get sweeter, we went and did it again. Welcome to TRICK or TREAT, the definitive tasting of your favorite Halloween treats paired with - what else?! - tons of ridiculously good wine.

Back at SF's vintage-cool Pink, we'll be pouring a wicked sweet (pun intended) lineup of delectable stickies from around the world. We'll be pairing them with scary good treats fit for a fete on October 31st: Think Ice Wine & Almond Joy, Banyuls & Baby Ruth, Moscato & Mars Bars.

Why? Because at Hip Tastes, you're never too old to Trick or Treat.

Learn more & Sign Up

Posted by Courtney at 11:12 AM •