Pardon This Blog Interuption for News and Annoucements

You may have noticed a bit of a posting gap on Come for the Wine in the last month. I usually post weekly, but I’ve been very busy working on some exciting side projects I’d like to tell you about. Most of my wine blogging friends think I’m a travel writer with a wine blog, while my travel writing friends think I’m a wine blogger who writes about travel. Well both are correct. It’s like that old Certs commercial-- “it’s two, two mints in one.” My blog focus is wine tourism so it all works out.

I have news on both sides of the travel and wine mint.
First the Travel Writing News:

I’m pleased to announce my story about the first time I visited Sicily with my mother in search of our family roots, will be in the 2012 edition of Best Women’s Travel Writing, edited by Lavinia Spalding. This is the third year in a row I’ve made the cut for the annual Best Women’s Travel Writing collections and I’m extremely grateful to be included in such a great showcase for women’s travel writing.

I’ve also been very busy editing an anthology of travel humor called Leave the Lipstick, Take the Iguana that will be out around the end of August. The collection has 33 tales that will strike your funny bone and have you shooting wine out your nose like you did back in fifth grade lunch room. See if you can spot the wine bottle and corkscrew on the cover below!

I’ll be sending out announcements when the book is released, and a schedule of reading events--so follow @leavtheiguana on twitter for news and updates.

Travel Writing Workshop in Spain:

So if all this talk of travel writing has you thinking--“Hey, maybe I should add some travel to my blog!” -- you are in luck!  This October 7-14th, Lavina Spalding and I will be leading a food, wine, and travel writing workshop called Writing Away in Spain hosted and organized by Epicurean Ways. No matter what your writing goals are, I guarantee you’ll come away from the trip with new focus and plenty of ideas. Maybe even a few drafts of articles to pitch. And we cover that in the trip--how to pitch and work with editors to get your work published. The trip includes visits to local olive oil producers and of course winemakers. Spain! Food! Wine! Writing! What more do you need to know??

Click here for the full itineary and all the details. It’s a great read!

Combined Travel and Wine News:

Two world’s are going to collide...get ready. {Photo Credit: Lily Chou}

In the next few weeks I’ll be announcing a HUGE project that will snap your head back when you hear about it. It combines my two worlds -- writing and wine in the most extrondinary way. I can’t wait to tell you all about it.

Wine Tourism News:

I’m working to help promote the next Wine Tourism Conference {presented by our friends at Zephyr Adventures the hosts of our beloved Wine Bloggers Conference} that will take place in November in Santa Rosa. Last year’s Wine Tourism Conference in Napa was a great initial gathering and I met so many people that have been instrumental in many of my projects this year. If you work in the wine or tourism industries I encourage you to attend. And if you are a wine blogger, I highly recommend it for the contacts you can make and the perspective it lends on the tourism aspects of the wine industry. There will be special pricing and registration for wine bloggers who wish to attend. Follow @winetourismconf for an announcement about this soon.

And Now Back to Wine Blogging:
This Sunday I’m off to Penticton for an early preview of the Okanagan region of B.C. , Canada, where the 2013 Wine Bloggers Conference will be held --so stay tuned for a full report.

In fact stay tuned for EVERYTHING. Theres lot’s of great stuff coming up in the next few weeks here on Come for the Wine including a visit to Messina Hof winery in Texas for harvest, (yikes, Texas in August) and of course 2012 Wine Blogger's Conference in Portland.  Hope to see you there.

Cheers--

The Five Stages of Wine Blogging*

{*The Five Stages of Wine Blogging are based on The Kübler-Ross model, commonly known as The Five Stages of Grief.}

Denial — "I am NOT a wine blogger. I'm a writer! This can't be happening, not to me!" Denial is usually only a temporary defense as the individual realizes they have an irresistible urge to write a wine blog.

Anger — "Why me? It's not fair! How did this happen to me? Wine blog judges are idiots!" Once in the second stage, the individual recognizes that denial cannot continue. Anger and jealousy issues arise. "My blog is just as good as Dirty Mouth Wine or Grape-a-Saurus and Sniff This! Why don't I have more readers and awards? I want an award! And why can't I have a crazy unpronounceable name like Yalder Arrow? I'm somebody toooo!"

Bargaining —  "I will post every day for a year if I can just get a trip to France and several cases of wine samples every month. I promise I will only blog on weekends and days that end in 'Y" and I vow to see my family more than once a week."  The third stage involves the realization that you might get some free stuff because of your blog, but maintaining a wine blog is a lot of work. This stage is more difficult for bloggers who have non-blogging spouses and actual day jobs.

Depression — "Hey, what's with all those other bloggers I see going on press trips? And where are my wine samples!?! How come I'm not getting all that free stuff? My blog is not the ticket to respect and credibility I once thought it would be." The sad realization you are not, and never will be, The HoseMaster of Wine sets in.

Acceptance — "I am a wine blogger. I attend conferences. I have business cards. I go on press trips. I get free wine samples." Admitting that you are a wine blogger is the first step to a normal blogging life, quickly followed by complete acceptance. "I am a slave to my blog. I am so depressed." 

NOTE: I started my blog because I wanted to attend the 2009 Wine Bloggers Conference and the sign-up page required you submit the URL of your wine blog. So I bought a domain and started a wine blog. Just like that. I had no idea where this ruse would lead. But I must say wine blogging has been berry berry good to me.

If you don't have a wine blog I urge you to start one today. You'll be amazed at how many people you'll irritate and annoy if you do. Plus, the 5th Annual Wine Bloggers Conference is in Portland, Oregon this August, and you need to have a wine blog to attend. Hope to see you there.

ADDENDUM:  The Portland WBC is sold out. But I hear Ron Washam is holding a poodle grooming and blogger de-programming seminar that weekend. Apply now by sending Ron a 500-word essay on why you deserve to live, along with your $1200.00 non-refundable deposit check.

{*The Five Stages of Wine Blogging are based on The Kübler-Ross model, commonly known as The Five Stages of Grief.}

Wines of Italy Series: Puglia con Fabio-- Part 2

Adagio con Fabio Part 2

We dashed around Lecce in the rain stopping in a wine shop bookstore combination and in Maglio a chocolate store that was like a art gallery of confections. Books, wine and chocolate...now that's a perfect pairing for me. I showed some of what we ate and drank in the video on my last post, (see it again at the bottom of this post) but here are more details on the wine and food in southern Puglia with Fabio.

Lecce and Le Zie Trattoria

After poking around Lecce in the rain we had a glorious meal at the now famous, but still unassuming, Le Zie Trattoria, run by the Auntie of Franics Ford Coppola. Le Zie is small, with less than ten tables, it's like you are siting in someones living room. Coppola's picture hangs on the wall along above the chair rail where locals tuck their business cards.  

No menu. No wine list. Dishes just started to appear and it was all outstanding: A plate of cannellini beans was mind-boggling in it's simplicity and flavor. Also exceptional was the chickpea purée with chard and croutons soaked in olive oil, and the tipical Puglian orecchiette pasta with delicate pork and beef meat balls dusted with pecorino.

The end-cap of the meal-- homemade cannella (cinnamon) and bay laurel liquors were a tonic for my chest congestion and better than the Medi-Nait, the Italian version of Nyquil.

Cannella and Laurel liquors 

Wines of Puglia
Puglia is one of the few regions of Italy I had not previously visited. I got a great overview on the wines of Puglia during the sponsored tasting at the IWINETC conference and was looking forward to visiting the places Fabio had selected for my wine mini-tour.

Cantele

A visit to Cantele is a must. There is something special going on here. Paolo Cantele and his brother are carrying forward the traditions of the family wine business and doing a tremendous job of it. I found these wines to be elegant and balanced but very unassuming. I liked everything they poured from their spicy Negromaro Rose, to the solid Salice Salentino Riserva.

My favorite was the Amativo 60% Primitivo 40% Negroamaro-- soft and luscious with rich fruit balanced tannins. I also enjoyed the 2009 Teresamanara 100% Negroamaro a spicy and perfumed wine named after their grandmother. There is a great sense of harmony at Cantele. You can feel it in the people, the place, and especially in the wines.

Candido

At Candido, in San Donaci, we met with Francesca Mancarella who guided me through a tasting of several of their most popular wines. The delightfully dry Le Pozzelle Salice Salentino Rose was a standout as was the La Carta Salice Salentino Riseva made of 95% Negroamaro and 5% Malvasia Nera.

I also tasted the very bright Tenuta Marini Salento Fiano, that was full of fresh apple and mineral flavor. Francesca advised that the best way to experience their sweet red Aleatico was with a piece of dark chocolate and create a "Mon Cheri moment" as she called it. We took a bottle home and followed her advice and it was indeed the perfect pairing.

Apollonio

I liked the art and atmosphere at Apollonio, but I found the wines rather hit and miss. They came highly recommended, and I did try a 100% Negroamaro that  I liked very much at a previous tasting, as well as the Terragnolo 100% Primitivo. But the Valle Cupa 50/50 Negroamaro-Primitivo I purchased, while velvety at first, had no underlying structure and was not pleasing to my palate.  

Special thanks to Fabio and his cousins for hosting me. And to Cantele, Candido and Apollonio for their hospitality.

DETAILS:

Adagio con Fabio 

Wineries

Cantele

Candido

Apollonio

Dining

Le Zia Trattoria Cucina Caserccia 

Via Col. Costadura 19, Lecce, Puglia

Chocolate

Maglio Arte Dolciaria 

Adagio con Fabio-- Off the Grid in Puglia

 Auto Grill outside of Naples

It's the last day of May as I post this, but the memory of the deep freeze in Italy this past February is still present in my mind. After the International Wine Tourism Conference media trip ended in Naples, I met up with my friend Fabio who I wrote about previously here.  Despite the monumental amount of snow, we made it through the blizzard like conditions on the A16 to Puglia. There was an occasional burst of sun, but mostly I viewed the region through a scrim of grey.

We stayed on an organic farm outside of Brindisi with Fabio's cousins. Over the course of several days Fabio took me to Lecce and on a modified version of the food and wine tours his clients can experience. The short video below is just a little slice of what I experienced -- Adagio con Fabio.

The area around Brindisi, Lecce and San Donaci is flat and full of vines and olive groves. Olive tree forests really. Miles and miles of ancient twisted trees line almost every road. In between the olive orchards are acres of grapes, many of them growing on alberello vines that are like little trees and un-trellised.

The primary grape grown in Puglia is Negroamaro, a red grape that produces dark and earthy wines with rustic sensibilities.  Fabio set up tastings for me at Candido, Cantele, and Apollonio --I'll tell you more about that in the next post. 

One very personal aspect of my visit to Puglia was staying with members of Fabio's family on their organic farm outside of Brindisi. Is there any better way to experience a place than living with locals? Not really. But it helps to have a guide like Fabio bring you close to "native" status. We ate most of our evening meals with the family and each night I was amazed as more people appeared and squeezed in around the table for some hearty and delicious fare direct from the garden. 

It does not get any more "farm to table" than this. No photos of the meals, as I did not want to drive one more nail in the the coffin of crazy Americans and their rude eating habits.  Italians love their iPhones as much as we do, but you rarely see them on the table at dinner. An exception was made for the wine shots. When one of the youngest members of the family asked her father what I was doing, he replied-- "That's her job, to drink and take pictures." Her eyes grew wide at this news and her teenage siblings nodded in approval. Wine Blogger -- ersatz role model. Someone has to do it. 

All glasses were pressed into service for the farewell evening

Mystery wine, Primitivo, Apollonio Valle Cupa, Candido Aleatico, Grapppa

It's always been my experience when staying with Italian friends and relatives that the serious partying is reserved for your last night there. All the "artisanal" mystery beverages are brought out and things can get interesting quickly. I added to the offerings with a bottle of Apollonio Valle Cupa and the Candido Aleatico which we were all surprised to find was a deep ruby color, not the amber or orange color expected in a sweet wine.

This bottle marked Primitivo with a piece of masking tape showed great promise and I think it's likely to be quite good in a few years. Frankly, I liked it better than the 50/50 blend of Primitivo/Negoramo I bought at Apollonio. The home brew had some tannin chops, maybe too choppy, but give it some time.

Fear not the hand labeled bottles there's some good, albeit powerful, stuff inside. The homemade grappa packed a wallop and darn near took the enamel off my teeth, but after the third sip it mellowed considerably. As did I.

I have no idea what was in the re-purposed Alcool bottle, but we all drank it and survived. Needless to say I slept very well that evening.

If you are planning a trip to Puglia and want to have a personalized food and wine experience with much laughter-- contact Fabio via twitter @fabiopittella or visit his web site linked below.

DETAILS:
Adagio con Fabio 

Part 2--Touring Sonoma Wine Road: There's No Place Like Home!

Russian River Valley Vineyards

My Backyard Wine Road
Wine tourism is about more than wine, it's the food, the lodging and the people of a region that make it a complete experience. I live smack dab in the middle of one of the greatest wine regions in the world, and sometimes it's easy to take it for granted. Luckily I got a chance to see some places I was missing and gain a new appreciation for what's right outside my door.

On Day 2 of the Wine Road tour I met up with everyone for lunch at Corks Restaurant at Russian River Vineyards. I live less than 5 miles from the restaurant and I walk by several times a week on the trail that runs behind the vineyard, yet-- (repeat after me)-- I’d never been there! 

Food Bloggers vs. Wine Bloggers

I had to laugh when our host asked who would like some wine to start and no one replied. She set down the wine list and said order anything you like. Well, as the designated wine blogger I felt it was my duty to order wine for the table. I dare say for many of the bloggers, the amount of wine they were tasting over the course of three days was way more than usual.

That’s one difference between the food blogger world and the wine blogger world-- I’m positive a group of wine bloggers would never be given free reign of the wine list!

There are some beautiful (and expensive) wine’s on the list at Corks--but I kept it modest and chose a lively Atascadero Creek '10 Sauvignon Blanc and a 2009 Charbono from Russian River Vineyards.  I personally love Charbono and you rarely see it on wine lists. During the meal we also tasted several of the selections from the Corks tasting room which they poured for us tableside.

Wine Speed Dating 
After Corks, it was on to Paradise Ridge Winery for a round of speed tastings with winery representatives and winemakers. This was not like the wine speed tastings I’ve participated in before at Wine Bloggers Conference where bloggers sit a tables of 10 and the wineries go from table to table and pour. Instead, this tasting was more like a true speed dating set up, where each winemaker or representative sat at a single table and we did a musical chairs, round robin, and met for eight minutes with each person one-on-one. This was similar to the timed meetings at travel media conferences where you spend 10-15 minutes with each tourism rep.

I really liked this format for wine, as you got to interact with the winemaker on a much more meaningful level and had time to taste the wine without a rush. I knew more than half of the folks pouring, but it was fun to see old friends and participate in the speed tasting.

I was very familiar with the wines from Paradise Ridge, Hart's Desire, Foppiano, Papapietro Perry, Topel, Alexander Valley Vineyards, Dry Creek Vineyards, Carol Shelton and Hook and Ladder. {By the way, I liked the Cab Franc from Hook and Ladder so much, I went out and bought a bottle in their new tasting room the very next day.}

New to me wines were: Amorosa Bella Wines, Calluna, West Wines, and Dutcher Crossing.

No one was engaged at the end of the "speed dating" session, but I was very impressed by the few bloggers that were not used to tasting through so much wine-- they were real troopers. As any wine blogger knows, a wine press trip can be grueling in terms of the amount of wines you taste. And it’s truly hard work to taste and make notes and keep it all together wine after wine after wine.

The Lone Wine Blogger
I missed Day 3 of the tour around Dry Creek which included many of my favorite wineries including Quivira, but I was honored to be the lone wine blogger on board and hope to meet up with my new food and travel friends again very soon.

Thanks so much to Beth and Tracy from the Wine Road and Marla from Wagstaff for a well organized and informative event that even this slightly jaded local found to be full of surprises and great discoveries in my own backyard. I promise not to take it for granted ever again!

For an excellent round up of the event and beautiful photos check out Stacie Tamaki’s blog The Flirty Guide here.

Touring the Sonoma Wine Road --Part 1

RESOURCE LINKS:
Corks Resturant and Russina River Valley Vineyards
Paradise Ridge Winery
The Wine Road

Speed Tasting Links:
Paradise Ridge
Hart's Desire
Foppiano
Papapietro Perry
Topel
Alexander Valley Vineyards
Dry Creek Vineyards
Carol Shelton Wines
Hook and Ladder
Amorosa Bella Wines
Calluna
West Wines
Dutcher Crossing

Touring the Sonoma Wine Road: There’s No Place Like Home!

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of joining a three-day a press trip sponsored by the Wine Road of Northern Sonoma County. I was in the middle of a book deadline so, I could not participate in the entire three days, but since the tour took place practically in my own backyard, I was able to I pop in and out and meet the group around the area.

First off, I have to say what a great group it was (see Stacie Tamaki's list of participants here). I’m used to hanging out with travel writers and wine bloggers, but food bloggers are completely delightful in the most amazing ways. I should have known this already as I have a great friend who is a hybrid food/travel blogger and photographer-- and she is one of the coolest people I know. Food bloggers talk about completely different things than wine bloggers, (go figure) and they seem to have much better industry gossip too! Plus they are very well read--especially esoteric food mags named after fortuitous fruits. One in our group, Anita Chu is launching her own food themed magazine called Sated and I can’t wait to read it. I learned all sorts of things from the other participants and I could not have enjoyed myself more than if I hand picked the group myself.

The first stop of day one was in Geyserville at Williamson Wines. I'd never tasted their wines before and the visit was off to a great start when we were greeted by Jeff Hall and Dawn Williamson and handed glasses of “Fizz” their North Coast Sparkling wine made from 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir. I found the Fizz peachy and toasty with good acidity--a very easy sipper.

Dawn Williamson hosted us on their back patio for a light lunch along with a selection of their Bordeaux and Rhone style wines including Entice Cuvee a red blend, Elate Grange Cuvee and Enchant Trinity GSM that was my favorite.

After lunch we tried a few more wines in the tasting room including the Frolic Viognier with some curried cashews. The cashews, while interesting on their own, interfered with my enjoyment of the viognier, which was just great alone.

Williamson Wines firmly believes wines that are meant to be enjoyed with food and the tasting room offers food and wine pairings by appointment. Call and go.

On to Alexander Valley to the eponymous named Alexander Valley Vineyards-- At Alexander Valley Vineyards we took a tour of the caves with Scott Mansfield where we tasted some barrel samples and compared the wines in French oak and American barrels.  I’m well acquainted with the wines from Alexander Valley Vineyards but I’d never been to the winery and it was fun to hear the opinions of the other bloggers, a few who had never tasted barrel samples before.

Next we drove over to White Oak another winery where I was familiar with their wines, but, you guessed it…I’ve never been there!  The main building hosts the tasting room along with an upstairs room offering stunning views of the valley. When you visit, keep your eye out for a super weird but oddly adorable brontosaurus covered in dried beans, that looks like it just stepped straight off a Pasadena Rose parade float. Out on the patio we chatted with winemaker Bill Parker while White Oak owner Bill Myer prepared some fresh caught salmon for us. A hunter at heart, Bill Myer seems to be on the hunt for the best wine he can make as well as a few trophy fish.

Our last stop of day one was at Relish Culinary Adventures in Healdsburg. Of course I know of Relish and have been to many events they’ve catered, but I’d never been to their home base where they host private events and have a fully equipped demonstration kitchen.

Owner Donna del Rey greeted us with glasses of 2011 Michel-Schlumberger Pinot Blanc and gave us a brief overview of what Relish is all about and then turned us over to Chef Ciara Meaney who guided us through four courses, each paired with two wines for us to contrast and compare.

We began with a goat cheese and asparagus tartlet paired with a Sauvignon Blanc and a Dry Riesling. I really don’t understand all the wine-paring professionals out there that claim asparagus can’t be paired with wine--that's ridiculous. There are plenty of wines that go great with asparagus and Dutcher Crossing Sauvignon Blanc is one of them.

As the meal progressed our place settings got a bit crowded with all the wine glasses and I had to give my fellow writers some good natured ribbing when a few in the front row knocked their glasses off the narrow tables. I’m sure I could have done the same, especially when taking photos with my phone. It always looks like there is more room at the edge of the frame.

Anyway, all the smashing glass added to a jovial atmosphere-- Oopla! Well maybe not for the people cleaning it up.

Rock Shrimp and Avocado Salad with Lemon Aioli and Baby greens--Paired with Dashe Cellars Vin Gris, Grenache Rose and Cellars of Sonoma Joseph Jewel Pinot Rose. My preference in this pairing goes to the Dashe which I felt supported the lemony quality of the dish best.

Crispy Duck and Wild Mushroom Risotto paired with Philip Staley Vino Tinto and Amista Vineyards Syrah. --Hands down winner was the Syrah here which for me was perfect play with the savory and fatty aspects of the duck.

Strawberry and Rhubarb Galette

Strawberry and Rhubarb Galette  paired with Forth Vineyards Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc and Balletto Vineyards Vin de Paille. Both of these were great with this incredible dessert but my palate leaned towards the Balletto Pinot Gris which was just amazing and concentrated with rich flavors of pear and honey and wonderfully sweet without being cloying.

For an excellent round up of the event and beautiful photos check out Stacie Tamaki’s blog The Flirty Guide here.

Next Post:
Part 2--Touring Sonoma Wine Road: There's No Place Like Home!

RESOURCE LINKS:
Williamson Wines
Alexander Valley Vineyards
White Oak Vineyards
Relish Culinary Adventures 
The Wine Road

JURIS Wine Tasting at Bar Tartine-- A Smashing Success

On April 30th Frank Dietrich of Blue Danbue Wine hosted yet another great evening of wine and food at Bar Tartine in the San Francisco Mission featuring Austrian wines from Axel and Herta Stieglmar of Juris Winery.

Normally, the first wine that comes to mind when I think of Austria is Grüner Veltliner, the mineral forward, bright spicy and citrus white wine that is grown in much of the vineyards--not Pinot. But the featured Juris wines were Pinot and St. Laurent, also known as Sankt Laurent which is a variety in the same family as Pinot Noir, originating in France, and a grape that was new to me.

Axel's father Georg was captivated by the wines of Burgundy and he began to cultivate Pinot and St. Laurent in the 1960's. Now Axel has continued the line and from what I tasted I 'd say it's a worthy endeavor.

The initial line up of wine included the JURIS 2009 Pinot Noir and 2005 Reserve Pinot Noir as well as the 2009 St. Laurent, Reserve and the 2006 St. Laurent Reserve. I preferred the 09 JURIS Pinot over the 09 St. Laurent’s which I found to be fuller on the nose but thinner on the palate.

Alex and Herta personally poured the 02 St. Laurent, Reserve and a vertical line of St. Laurent’s from 05 to 09. I liked the 05 St. Laurent very much a powerful balance of fruit and earthy funk that I appreciate.

Nicolaus Balla and Cortney Burns chefs at Bar Tartine provided some excellent Austrian/Hungarian themed bites to pair with the wines and unfortunately I have no idea what most of them were called, so I made up my own names for the dishes including: Yum with meatballs, Yum on dark brown bread with radishes (that was exceptional), Yum in a shot glass, and Major Yum fried bread with some type of sour cream concoction. I saw lots of tantalizing looking items on other people’s plates too, but it was difficult to get access into the bar to try them all. The down side of being small in stature is I lack a boarding house reach when it counts.

Scenes of the rampage aftermath

The event was lively and crowded and then around 9pm a minor riot broke out when Frank brought out some BIBICh wines to sample. No, seriously, the BIBICh did not cause a riot, but the timing was uncanny, as out in the street a group of protesters clad in black marched down Valencia street wreaking havoc shooting paint balls, vandalizing cars and smashing windows. The front window of the restaurant was smashed and the energy inside hushed as we all turned our attention to the scene. Next thing we know the riot police were mobilized and marching down the street as well. It was surreal to say the least. And I’m not ashamed to say my first instinct was to take the bottles of BIBICh Frank had opened as a special treat, and hide in the kitchen. You know, just as a precautionary measure, to… ahem…protect the wine.

Eventually things on the street calmed down but the aftermath scene was surreal. Broken glass, yellow and red paint running down the facades of businesses as workers tried to wash the paint off, cars smashed and spray painted with anarchy symbols. I could only imagine what Axel and Herta thought about all this. Welcome to America!

Paint washed off windows pools in the etched sidewalk
creating a spot of beauty from the chaos

Unfortunately in the hubbub of it all I lost my tasting notes on the other St. Laurent’s that I’d written on the info sheet. But the 05 was the standout for me.

Special thanks to Frank for keeping me on his mailing list.