Podcasts about california chardonnay

Send us a textHave you ever tasted a wine from Tasmania? For most wine enthusiasts, the answer is likely no – making the Devil's Corner Tasmanian Chardonnay 2023 a delightful discovery worth seeking out. This gem from one of the world's southernmost and coolest wine regions offers something genuinely different from your typical Australian or California Chardonnay.What makes this wine special starts with its terroir. Tasmania sits off Australia's southern coast, creating an ideal cool-climate environment where grapes ripen slowly, developing complex flavors while maintaining higher acidity and lower sugar levels. This translates to a moderate 12.5% alcohol content – reminiscent of how wines tasted decades ago before global warming pushed ripeness and alcohol levels higher worldwide. The result is a medium-bodied Chardonnay where flavor nuances shine through without being overshadowed by alcohol heat.The Devil's Corner (named after a treacherous bend in Tasmania's Tamar River Valley) delivers a fascinating flavor profile dominated by an unexpected but pleasant saltiness that becomes more pronounced with each sip. Supporting notes of melon, coconut milk, pear, nectarine, orange zest, and soft spice create a harmonious and lengthy finish that punches well above its $16-17 price point. Produced by Brown Brothers (who also make the excellent Innocent Bystander line), this limited-production wine (approximately 2,200 cases) represents tremendous value for anyone looking to expand their wine horizons beyond the usual suspects.Want to experience something truly different in your wine journey? Seek out Devil's Corner Tasmanian Chardonnay at your local wine shop. Its distinctive character, excellent balance, and surprising complexity make it both an educational experience and, more importantly, a thoroughly enjoyable glass of wine. Share your thoughts if you've tried Tasmanian wines or other cool-climate discoveries that have surprised your palate!Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

Send us a textWine bargain alert! I've just discovered what might be the steal of the year hiding in plain sight at Trader Joe's. The evaluna Mendocino Chardonnay 2023 is quietly sitting on shelves for a mere $9.99, while the same bottle commands $30-50 at other retailers nationwide.This isn't just any budget wine—it's a certified organic, sustainably farmed Chardonnay from Mendocino County crafted by the prestigious Boisset Collection. Jean-Charles Boisset, the renowned French-American wine entrepreneur behind brands like JCB, Deloach, and Raymond, clearly put serious care into this bottling before apparently discontinuing the Evaluna line. Their loss is our tremendous gain.What struck me most was how this wine defies typical California Chardonnay stereotypes. Instead of overwhelming butter and oak, you'll discover a more elegant, French-inspired style—lean, complex, and beautifully balanced with moderate 13.5% alcohol. Each sip reveals different flavor notes, from subtle toasty brioche to bright fruit, creating a sophisticated experience that would feel right at home alongside bottles three times the price. The cooler Mendocino climate gives this wine remarkable restraint and nuance.The current wine market downturn has created amazing opportunities just like this, reminiscent of 2008 when premium bottles were suddenly available at fantastic discounts. If you appreciate high-quality, organic wine and love a genuine bargain, grab several bottles while you can—this deal won't last forever. Have you discovered any exceptional wine values recently? I'd love to hear about your finds!Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

Occidental winemaker Catherine Kistler grew up with an in-house wine legend: California Chardonnay icon, and also her dad, Steve. But Catherine came home to make Pinot Noir in 2017, and they landed at No. 2 on Wine Spectator's 2023 Top 10 Wines of the Year. “In California we're always self-conscious of being young compared to the Old World,” she tells host James Molesworth. “And to have the opportunity to work with 25-year-old vines now, I'm absolutely excited about it. Are we seeing changes as the vineyard matures? Of course, the answer is ‘Yes.'”.Wine Spectator senior editor for news Mitch Frank joins the program as well, for a chat about the latest wine and health news, what proposed tariffs on wine could mean for consumers, and more.And don't forget, there's always more free content at WineSpectator.com!• 2025 Wine Spectator Grand Tour Tickets & Info• Occidental: Steve Kistler's Final Frontier• Opinion: Surgeon General Opts for Simple Slogans Over Solid Science• Wine Caught in Trade War Crossfire• Opinion: Fear and Tariffs• Wine Spectator's James Laube: 1951–2025• Health News: Wine Does Not Raise Risks for Healthy Older Adults• California Pinot Noir Tasting Report• Latest News and Headlines• Ask Dr. Vinny• Sign up for Wine Spectator's free email newsletters• Subscribe to Wine SpectatorA podcast from Wine SpectatorMarvin R. Shanken, Editor and PublisherHost: James MolesworthDirector: Robert TaylorProducer: Gabriela SaldiviaGuests: Catherine Kistler, Mitch FrankAssistant producer, Napa: Elizabeth Redmayne-Titley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a textDive into the world of premium yet affordable Chardonnay with our exploration of La Crema's 2023 Sonoma Coast offering. At just $15 from Costco, this wine delivers remarkable quality that punches well above its price point, making it a must-try for wine enthusiasts seeking value without compromise.What sets La Crema apart is their consistent house style applied across different growing regions, allowing the unique terroir characteristics to shine through while maintaining their signature approach to winemaking. The Sonoma Coast Chardonnay undergoes meticulous barrel fermentation and ages for six months with a thoughtful combination of 25% French oak (contributing refined spices) and 25% American oak (adding vanilla and butter notes), all while developing complexity through on-lees aging.The cool Sonoma Coast region, with its fog-covered mountain valleys along the Pacific, creates the perfect environment for a more Burgundian-style Chardonnay. The 2023 vintage experienced a growing season 3-4 weeks longer than usual, resulting in perfectly developed fruit with balanced 13.5% alcohol content – a telltale sign of cool-climate viticulture. Whether you're a casual wine drinker or a serious oenophile, this bottle offers a fascinating glimpse into how location, climate, and winemaking techniques converge to create distinctive character in the glass. Try it yourself and discover why La Crema continues to be a benchmark producer for accessible, high-quality California Chardonnay!Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

Tonight we are tasting our first Iowa wine on the show. We just tasted this wine for the first time last week and enjoyed it immensely. Petite Amie is French for “Little Friend”. I'm told it often refers to your little girlfriend.This dry white wine has fruit and floral aromas. There is also a hint of melon on the nose. The wine is aged in Neutral oak (barrels that are not being used for the first time), adding subtle flavors and body without overpowering the flavor.Petite Amie is described as being a Muscat type wine. This would include rose and fruit flavors. It also typically has lower acids.Tonight, we are enjoying an Iowa Petite Amie and a California Chardonnay: 2023 Petite Amie purchased at the Soldier Creek Winery (https://www.soldiercreekwinery.com/) for $17.76. It has 11.0% alcohol and was aged in neutral oak barrels. Aromas of melon, pear, and rose with similar flavors. 2020 Z Alexander Brown Uncaged Chardonnay. This wine was purchased for around $19.00. White peach, floral orange blossom with hints of honey and baking spice. A rich, velvety mouthfeel is supported by core flavors of juicy stone fruit, vanilla, and toasted oak. Fermented and aged in a combination of stainless steel, French oak, and American oak. Some of the wine goes through partial or complete malolactic fermentation. The wine comes from Monterey, CA.Next week we will continue to explore Hybrid wine grapes, and will taste:2019 Stone Hill Winery Chambourcin purchased at the winery for $19.00. Stone Hill is located in Hermann, Missouri.

Tonight we are tasting our first ever Greek wines.Yamas is a Greek word that means “to our health” or “cheers”. (accent on the second syllable)According to retailers in Des Moines, good Greek wine is hard to find here. According to the “Oxford Companion to Wine” over 85% of Greek wine is consumed in Greece. We were also told that much of the better wine is sent to high-end Greek restaurants in the eastern US. Tonight, we are enjoying two Greek wines including:NV Merastri Red Wine. Blend of Kotsifali and Mandalaria. 12% Alcohol. Fermented in stainless steel tanks. Aromas of plums, leather, and pepper. Flavors of dried red fruit and round tannins. Serve with meat BBQ, sausages, and medium-aged cheeses. NV Merastri White Wine. Vilana, Vidiano, Moschato, and Moschofilero grape blend. 11.5% alcohol. Each variety is separately fermented in stainless steel tanks before blending. It has aromas similar to Muscat with citrus fruits, and tastes of stone fruits with lemon notes. Pair with seafood and white meats.Next week we have our first Iowa Wine Challenge. We will blind taste an Iowa Petite Amie and a California Chardonnay: 2023 Petite Amie purchased at the winery for $17.76. 2020 Z Alexander Brown Chardonnay purchased for around $19.00.

C.H. Wente came to America in the late 1800s from Hamburg Germany, learned to make wine from a German by the name of Charles Krug in the Napa Valley, and in 1883 established his first 47-acre Estate and Winery. He chose the Livermore Valley as it was famed for its excellent soils and climate. In 1908, C.H. planted the first Chardonnay vines in the Livermore Valley.In 1912, second generation and a UC Davis student, Ernest Wente, persuaded his father and founder, C.H. Wente, to import Chardonnay cuttings from a well-known vine nursery, F. Richter Nursery n Montpellier, France, to the Livermore Valley.Ernest hand-picked vines that showed the best health and pronounced flavors, grafted the two together, and propagated those characteristics forward. Ultimately creating what is known as the ‘Wente Clone.'  Today, over 75% of all California Chardonnay stems from the Wente Clone and the Wente Family property. Wente produced sacramental wines throughout prohibition to keep the winery and vineyards in production. After the repeal of the National Prohibition Act (Volstead Act) in 1933, Ernest and his brother Herman Wente released the nation's first varietally-labeled Chardonnay, a 1936 vintage.Ernest and his son Karl L. Wente pioneered new vineyard plantings in 1964 in the Arroyo Seco region of Monterey County. Here they plant Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Chardonnay. In 1966, Wente Vineyards Tasting Room opens in Livermore Valley, and is one of the first tasting rooms in California. Throughout the late 1970s and till today, the fourth generation Winegrowers Eric, Philip, and Carolyn Wente head operations of the winery, continuing expanding vineyards, winery, and related visitor facilities. In 1986, The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards opened California's third winery restaurant. In addition, the Wente Vineyards annual series launched the Concerts, attracting top entertainers and thousands of guests annually. In 1998, The Course at Wente Vineyards, an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Greg Norman, was opened, enhancing the wine country lifestyle of the Livermore Valley. At the same time, Wente Vineyards has become one of California's most extensive wine exporters to over 75 countries. In 2010, Wente Vineyards received one of the first certifications for a California Certified Vineyard and Winery, and The Course at Wente Vineyards received Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary statusToday, fifth generation winegrowers Karl, Christine, Jordan, Aly, and Niki Wente are actively working in various roles in the winery from operations, viticulture, and marketing. Their legacy is yet to be determined, but they are very passionate about continuing the family tradition of sustainable farming and producing the best-quality wines. 

Send us a textJawbreaker California Chardonnay-Unoaked Central Valley Chardonnay Plus SkeletonsIs a wine from Chateau Diana a winery founded in Sonoma in 1981 that is family-owned and operated.This is a non-vintage wine, but most of their labels are non-vintage, listen to the PODCAST for possible explanation. This is a very tasty un-oaked Chardonnay.Check out https://cheapwinefinder.com/ and listen to the PODCAST for all the details!!Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

When it comes to California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, few names command as much respect as Sonoma's Kistler Vineyards. Kistler president and winemaker Jason Kesner joined Straight Talk host James Molesworth to tell us about growing up in the Napa wine industry—including where Robert Mondavi bought the weekly staff donuts—and how he strives to do a little bit less in the vineyard and winery with each passing year.Wine Spectator senior editor for news Mitch Frank joins the program as well, shedding light on a recent health study that's made big waves in the mainstream media, for all the wrong reasons.And don't forget, there's always more free content at WineSpectator.com!• 2024 New York Wine Experience Tickets and Info• Kistler's Dark Side: Jason Kesner's Pinot Noirs• 2020 Top 10 Wines of the Year: Kistler Chardonnay• Health News: Wine Does Not Raise Risks for Healthy Older Adults• Vintage Wine Estates Bankruptcy• California Pinot Noir Tasting Report• Wine Spectator's Sept. 30, 2024, issue• Latest News and Headlines• Ask Dr. Vinny• Sign up for Wine Spectator's free email newsletters• Subscribe to Wine SpectatorA podcast from Wine SpectatorMarvin R. Shanken, Editor and PublisherHost: James MolesworthDirector: Robert TaylorProducer: Gabriela SaldiviaGuests: Jason Kesner, Mitch FrankAssistant producer, Napa: Elizabeth Redmayne-Titley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BEST WINE DEAL OF THE YEAR! 19 Crimes California Martha's Chardonnay - $40 per CASE! Forget that it's Martha Stewart on the bottle...whether you're a fan or not, we've got 19 Crimes Martha's California Chardonnay for $40 per CASE! That's only $3.33 per bottle. It's got 91 POINTS from Wine Enthusiast and it's the best darn wine deal we've come across in a long time. Visit select stores and grab a case or two or ten and make this your easy drinking, "open as many bottles as you want with friends" Chardonnay this summer. The wine is straight down the middle Cali Chard with all the tropical fruit, vanilla, and oak you would want. Consider most places charge $15 for a GLASS of Rombauer, you can buy 5 BOTTLES of Martha's Chardonnay for the same price. If you are planning a wedding this summer or just need back up Chard on standby when things heat up, this is your deal! WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!!!

Patz & Hall co-founder James Hall is still pinching himself: After selling the iconic California Chardonnay brand in 2016, Hall was able to buy it back earlier this year. He tells us how he did it, and then takes us all the way back to landing his first winery gig in Napa … by pretending he could speak Italian?!Straight Talk host James Molesworth also welcomes Wine Spectator senior editors MaryAnn Worobiec and Mitch Frank to the newest episode. Dr. Vinny explains malolactic fermentation, James and Mitch take a hard look at the 2023 Bordeaux futures campaign, and much more.And don't forget, there's always more free content at WineSpectator.com!• Patz & Hall Co-Founder James Hall Buys His Winery Back• 2023 Bordeaux Barrel Tastings and Futures Campaign• Wine Spectator's June 30, 2024, issue• Latest News and Headlines• Ask Dr. Vinny• Sign up for Wine Spectator's free email newsletters• Subscribe to Wine SpectatorA podcast from Wine SpectatorMarvin R. Shanken, Editor and PublisherHost: James MolesworthDirector: Robert TaylorProducer: Gabriela SaldiviaGuests: James Hall, Mitch Frank, MaryAnn WorobiecAssistant producer, Napa: Elizabeth Redmayne-Titley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“About that date?”In 3 parts, by Member389. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.School went quickly, with nobody lingering on a Friday and Ellie got a ride to work. She thought about what the specials had been today and decided to whip up something special for Luke. It wasn’t easy on a Friday night, it was pretty busy, but the regular clientele dropped off quickly after dinner, knowing that the café closed at 8. A couple tables sported coffee sipping hipsters but for the most part the place had cleared out by then. Ellie had whipped up a little dish for them to share while she cleaned up the kitchen.“Damn.” Came a voice through the little window. Jody, one of the servers had whispered loud enough to be heard. “He’s hot.” Ellie popped her head up and scanned where Jody was looking and saw look scanning back and forth. She grinned ear to ear.“Back off, he’s already taken.” She said softly, but with a little edge of threat in her voice. He may not be taken yet, but she didn’t need any competition from the bubbly little server. “Can you sit him over at the chef’s table.Jody chuckled. "Some chef’s table, it’s just the table nearest the kitchen door. What’s his name?”“His name is Luke, and be nice, I have a large selection of cutlery at hand, and I know how to use it.”Jody walked over and introduced herself. Saying that Ellie had told her she had a friend stopping by. “She said a dark eyed handsome stranger was coming to pick her up. I told her to snap out of it, Prince Charming isn’t real. Then you have to go and prove me wrong.” She smiled, and steered him over to the table against the wall near the kitchen, and fawned over him for a moment and got him a drink. Ellie made sure nothing was burning and wiped her hands on her apron and snuck out of the kitchen.A smile spread across Luke’s face when he saw her, which warmed her heart. She walked over and he stood up, such a gentleman she thought. She couldn’t help herself and walked right up to him and kissed him softly. At first he seemed surprised but he didn’t take long to return it.“Hi.” She said drawing it out. “Are you hungry?”“You mentioned dinner, so I haven’t eaten since lunch.” He grinned.“Good, park it, and I’ll go whip it up.” She winked at him and turned and wiggled back into the kitchen. Her ponytail danced back and forth as she peeked over her shoulder to make sure he was watching. She put herself into work mode and started pulling ingredients together. When in work mode Ellie was a sight to behold, like a kitchen ninja she got more done with fewer moves than anybody else in the café.What seemed like only a few minutes later she walked out of the kitchen with two plates of seared scallops and linguine, setting one down in front of Luke and the other across from him.“One second.” She said as she reached down and pulled the apron string sliding it off her waist. She unbuttoned the chef’s coat she wore and dodged back into the kitchen to hang them up.She sat down and they began. Ellie peeking up to see if Luke was enjoying it. The speed with which he was eating told her what she wanted to know.“I should have asked you if there was anything you didn’t like. I didn’t even think of that beforehand. Seafood can be touchy for some people. Hell I didn’t even think to ask if you were allergic.” She said getting frustrated with herself.“No, it’s delicious!” He was being completely genuine. He saw her getting upset and reached across the table to take her hand and rubbed the back of it with is thumb. “I love seafood. My family used to go out to the beach in the summer;” He trailed off, his expression softened.It was Ellie’s turn to comfort, and she took his hand firmly in hers. "Tell me about it. I bet you had a blast.” Luke went on to tell her about a trip to the beach they’d taken years earlier and he and his dad had gone fishing and he caught a striper that nearly hauled him overboard. He went from excited to wistful. She knew he was thinking about his mother, his dad had told her the previous week, and sympathized with him.“I baked a small batch of cookies when I got here. Want to try one? They’re sort of an experiment, but I think they came out pretty good.”Never one to pass up a cookie he smiled and nodded.“That’s what I love about working here. I get indulge my creativity, and if things work out sometimes it makes it on the specials board.” She said setting down the frosted lemon sugar cookies. They talked for a while longer and a loud scrape of a chair pulled them out of their reverie. Jody had been sweeping and Ellie noticed the time. They had closed nearly half an hour before.“Oh my god. I’m sorry Jody. I lost track of time.” Ellie hopped up and started clearing the table.“No worries hon. I can see why. You just need to clean up that and we’re out of here. I’d ask if you need a ride home, but I think I already know the answer to that.” She chuckled.Ellie wiped down the table and Luke helped out by flipping the last few chairs up onto the tables so Jodie could finish sweeping. He waited in the front while the girls finished up in the back. He looked out the window at the darkened street, the old style street lamps lending small town charm to the night. They came out of the kitchen whispering between themselves.“You’re sure you don’t need a ride? This one looks a little dangerous.” Jodi said laughing.“I’m fine, besides he knows where I live, he’s my landlord.” Ellie grinned.“I wasn’t talking to you, I’m worried for him.” They all got a chuckle out of that as they locked up and made their way to their cars. Luke opened up the door and held it for Ellie, these small gestures went over much bigger than he realized.On the ride neither spoke when Luke felt Ellie’s hand lay on the back of his giving it a squeeze. “Thank you for saving my ass today.” He just looked over and shrugged.“You would have done the same for me I’m sure.” He smiled at her for a moment and turned back to the road. He was honestly elated that her car hadn’t started.Ellie sighed. “I hope it’s nothing major. My dad had the car gone over before I came back to school. I can’t afford anything big.” She looked out the window, the lights of town faded behind them as they entered the suburbs.“Tomorrow’s Saturday, I can take a look at it if you want, if it’s something simple I can probably fix it.”“Oh, would you?” She squeezed his hand harder. They got back to the house and Ellie reached over the seat to grab her bag. Luke watched her lean frame twist, and her rear end stick up, her jeans stretched over it nicely. He remembered just how nice it felt too and longed to hold it again. Ellie was no fool, she knew full well Luke was staring at her ass while she pretended to be looking for something in her bag. It didn’t hurt to pique his interest though. She sat back in the seat dragging the bag over with her.“You coming up?” She asked smiling.“I don’t know, you probably have stuff to do. You know school work or something?”“I do have some reading to do, but I can do that later. I’m feeling a little restless and I can’t sit still and read when I’m like this.” Luke’s eyebrows went up a bit.“You don’t have to. I mean if you want to come up and grab the car keys in the morning that’s fine too.” Her smile began to fade.“Oh, I can get them now, that way you can sleep in if you want to.”“Have something planned for tomorrow yet?” Ellie asked sweetly. Luke just grinned. “You’re not going to give me a hint? A girl needs to know how to prepare for a date you know.”“Jeans will be fine, and bring a sweater or sweatshirt in case it gets cold. Oh, and walking shoes.”“So something outdoors? Okay then.”He wouldn’t give her any more information than that. He enjoyed keeping her guessing.“Would you like to play a game? I found a box with my bucket of Jenga blocks while I was unpacking some stuff last night.” Luke nodded smiling and Ellie went and got the game. They sat on the couch and Ellie started stacking blocks and handed the bucket to Luke and directed him to keep stacking and she went to the bedroom and slipped off her jeans putting on lounge pants with some mall store logo down the leg and came back.“That feels better. Do you want something to drink? I’ve got a bottle of wine, or something else maybe?” He agreed to whatever she wanted. She opened the bottle of wine and poured a couple glasses and brought it over to the table putting them out of the way of game.“Have you ever had wine before?”“I’m nineteen, I haven’t been under a rock.” He chuckled. “My mother liked wine so I’ve tried several different types and I like it.” He took a sip and swirled around his mouth taking in a little breath of air. “Stone fruit, oak, I’d say a California Chardonnay.” He added. It was Ellie’s turn to raise eyebrows.“Very good! Napa Valley to be exact.” She looked at the blocks and noted he hadn’t put the last one on the top yet. She took it and put both hands behind her back. Luke noted just how nicely her top stretched across her chest as she did this. “Pick a hand.” He picked the one with the block winning the starting move.“What are we playing for?” He asked, sounding crafty.“I don’t know. What do you have in mind?” She smirked, wondering if he had the same thing in mind that she did.He shrugged. “Loser has to perform a strip tease for the winner.” She grinned ear to ear hearing this.“Okay hot shot. I’ll have you know I’m a master at this game. I hope you’re wearing cute briefs.”“Maybe, you’ll have to win to find out.”They both concentrated on the game intently for a few moves, and then the smack talk began. They taunted one another as the blocks started to wobble. “I don’t know, maybe you should stay in the kitchen and let us real men handle the engineering.” Luke said. Ellie reached over and flicked his ear sharply causing him to yelp in pain while he giggled.The game progressed more slowly as the tower got more shaky. Eventually the tower fell to Ellie placing a block on top. “Shit.” She said, but she didn’t really mind it. She was actually excited about this idea. She had hoped to see him perform for her but the exhibitionist streak in her wanted to show off to him too. “Put the blocks away and find some music you like. I’ll be right back.”“Where are you going?” He asked picking up the blocks watching her stand. She leaned over and turned the lights down.“Well if I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it right.” She winked and went into the bedroom again. He had toted up the game and set it aside and grinned to himself that he’d pulled off the coup. After the other night all he’d been able to think about is her body. Her pert breasts, and smooth skin, now he was going to see her strip for him. He was flipping through music until he found some dance music. He started tapping his foot and realized she didn’t have much room, so he slid the coffee table aside toward the window. The window! He drew the curtains so nobody would see her. The song he was listening to finished and she still hadn’t come back. He wondered momentarily if he’d gone too far when he heard her open the bedroom door. She must have turned off the lights before opening it because he didn’t get a peek until she walked out into the room.She had put her hair up in a lazy twist on top of her head, and changed into a red satin top and gray skirt. She had even gone so far as to put on heels. She looked absolutely stunning as she walked out and noted that he’d made room for her. A small smirk touched her now red lips as she noted the look on his face. She was happy with the reaction but didn’t want to let on that she was enjoying his prize as much as he was. She looked off into the distance and listened, then nodded.“Are you ready for me, Luke?” She asked, her voice husky.He knew the line she quoted was from a movie, but he just sat there, his mouth hanging open.She quirked her lips in a wry smile. She began to move with the music stepping carefully, heels on a carpet weren’t conducive to graceful movement. She reached down and slipped the heels off tossing them aside and continued. Her sensual movements were already having an effect on Luke and for the first time he didn’t care if he hid it or not. Ellie was beautiful, and he was totally captivated by her. She had turned sideways and began unbuttoning the cuffs of her blouse, she turned her back to him, her hips swayed to the music as she got into the music. She reached up and pulled the hair clip out and shook her head, letting her hair cascade down around her shoulders. She looked over her shoulder shooting him a sensual gaze, her hands worked the buttons of her blouse open. She spun around holding the front of her blouse closed and stepped towards him letting her hands fall as the blouse opened giving him a peek of the red and black bra she was wearing beneath it. He swallowed audibly and his jaw dropped open again.“Thirsty?” She reached over and handed him the half empty wine glass. He took the glass and practically gulped the remaining wine. “Now we hadn’t spoken of limits before this all started. Am I on my own with regards to how far I let this go?” She quirked an eyebrow at him, knowing full well she was going all the way, but let him wonder just what he was going to see. She reached up and lifted the blouse from her shoulders and let it slide down her arms slowly. She flipped the blouse over the back of the couch next to him. He could smell her perfume, it was stronger than before.He swallowed audibly. “Yes, as far as you're comfortable with.”“Is it how you imagined it would be?” He just nodded at her open mouthed. She tapped his ankles wider and danced between his spread legs swaying to the music and lifting her skirt giving him a peek of her smooth thighs. She noted that his jeans were straining to contain him. She couldn’t wait to get a look at him either. She turned with the music and reached behind her making a come hither motion with her finger and pointed at the zipper on the back of her skirt. He didn’t move for a moment and she looked over her shoulder at him and he was staring at her shimmy back and forth. He didn’t move, and she directed his attention back to the zipper. As he reached forward she swayed to the side then back again avoiding his grip. He managed to catch the zipper and slide it down slowly exposing the back of her black satin panties. He reached up and pushed the fabric together releasing the hook. She took his hands and laid them flat on her hips as she swayed with the music. She gave them a small nudge downward and he understood she wanted him to remove the skirt. The skirt gave way as it slipped past her hips, and he gasped at seeing her beautiful behind swaying in front of his face. She stepped free of the skirt and he bent to pick it up and laid it next to her blouse on the back of the couch as she turned.“How am I doing?” She asked softly. He just nodded excitedly. Ellie was pretty sure that if she asked him to, he’d rob a bank for her right now. It was an exhilarating feeling for her to have him in this state of excitement. “Good.” She smiled.She danced slowly to Wonderful Tonight. How appropriate he thought. As he stared in wide eyed wonder at this beautiful girl.She ran her hands up and down her body slowly, her head swayed from side to side, her hair partly covered her face as she did. She peeked up at him as the song ended. She nudged his legs together again, and reached down and pulled his knees together. She turned and sat on the very edge of his lap, her ass just barely on his knees. She reached behind her and fanned out her hair and gathered it up over her head. The next song began and she waited for him to take the cue.“Undo me.”Luke wasn’t sure who’s undoing it was when he reached up and unhooked her bra, his hands shaking. She let her hair fall as soon as he did and took the shoulder straps down one at a time before standing again. She held it in place as she released first one then the other shoulder straps. She turned her back to him and tossed the bra to him over her shoulder. He put it with the rest of her clothing. She was standing there swaying in only her black lace panties. He noticed they had a tiny red bow on the front when she had walked over to him a minute before. She spun around with the music, her hands cupping her breasts as she took a step towards him, her nipples stood out hard and pink. She swayed to the music losing herself in the beat. She leaned forward placing her hands on his shoulders.“We’re done, right? I mean, you didn’t want me to take everything off did you?” She was clearly taunting him. Luke closed his mouth, swallowing hard and opened again to speak and nothing came out.“No? Okay, I guess we’re done then.” She said standing again.“No! I mean please; I;” Luke stammered."Please what, Luke?” She asked innocently.“Please take them off.” He whispered desperately.“No Luke, if you’d like them off, then you take them off.” She replied turning her body in a few circular sways. She banged her hips side to side with the beat of the music, and looked over her shoulder to see what he was doing. His eyes were following her ass as she swung it back and forth. She stopped moving.“Well?” She asked over her shoulder. Luke raised shaky hands from his lap wondering if this was real or if he was going to get slapped away at the last minute. His hands were like fire on her skin sending butterflies to her core as he ran his thumbs down, pulling the lacy fabric with them. He was going slowly, the fabric peeling off like the skin from a fruit. They slipped over her beautiful behind and the fabric stuck between her legs for a moment, but he kept pulling, down her smooth thighs past her knees. He let go and saw the slightest peek of her lips, they were pink and very wet. She stepped out of the panties and took a step away from him and turned covering herself with her hand.The scent that bloomed now that her panties were off made his breathing even more shallow and fast. He honestly wasn’t sure why his jeans hadn’t exploded yet.“Are you sure you want to see?” She said, her voice low and husky as she swayed with the music again.He only nodded slowly as he stared at the hand she was covering herself with. She drew her hand lightly against her body and slowly ran it up over to her hip uncovering herself for him. She was shaved and pink, moisture shone on her slight lips. She danced for another song, winked at Luke and disappeared into the bedroom.Luke started panting, not believing what had just happened. Ellie was so turned on she had to force herself to keep her hands off herself or she’d explode. There would be no telling what Luke would do if he heard her moaning in the throes of an orgasm. Though part of her hoped he wouldn’t contain himself and burst in the door throwing her on the bed and having his way with her. She took several deep breaths as she grabbed her bathrobe pulling it on, the soft fabric grazing her taut nipples. She walked back out into the living room and Luke swiveled to see her. A momentary crest-fallen look came to his eyes. Until she sat next to him and nestled against him giving him a long deep kiss.“You’d better brush up on your dance moves buddy, next time I’m going to beat the pants off you, literally.” She said as she softly bit his lower lip. They made out for a while longer, Ellie slowing him down when he got excited. "We should probably get to bed.“ She said, and Luke’s eyes went wide. Ellie stood and went and got her keys pulling the car key free of the chain and brought it back to him. "Thanks for the ride today. You really saved my ass.”“Any time.” He said reaching for the key, realizing tonight was done he seemed to get puppy eyes and Ellie just wanted to wrap him up and bundle him off to bed herself but she made herself a promise that she wasn’t going to jump him on the first date. Little did Luke realize that tonight was, in her mind, their first date. No matter what he planned for tomorrow, she was done teasing him, she was going to have him. She walked him to the door.“I can’t wait for tomorrow. I bet it will be fun.” She smiled and kissed him and grabbed his ass giving it a squeeze through the jeans. “I can’t wait to get you out of these.” She thought before she reached for the door.Luke made his way down the steps and went into the house putting his hands into his pockets to hopefully disguise the bulge if his Dad was still up. He walked in and heard the TV and poked his head in to let him know he was home and going to bed.“Did you two have fun?” He asked. Luke said yes, not entering the little den, but speaking from the dark of the doorway. He turned to go to his room and his dad burst out laughing. He looked over his shoulder and wondered what was so funny, and figured it was just something on TV. He had a distinct problem and figured a shower would help him out with it. He hadn’t closed his door for more than a minute when there was a soft rap on it.“Yea?” He said. The door opened and dad peeked in.“Hey, I’m glad you two are getting along so well, just be careful Luke.”“What do you mean?”Dad took a deep breath and started. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt. She’s a pretty girl, but this is her last year, right? I just don’t want you to fall head over heels and have her leave you high and dry.”“I won’t, we’re just friends.”“Mmm  hmm.” His dad stepped forward and reached behind him and tugged the black lace panties from the back pocket of his jeans and held them up. “Just make sure you protect yourself.” He grinned, handing them to Luke, his face was beet red. Dad smirked and left the room closing the door behind him. He went to take his shower shaking his head.To be continued in part 3, by Member389 for Literotica.

This week the girls pop open a California Chardonnay with our #1 girl from Tennessee. Miley has made so many moves we're trying to keep up. One thing is for sure, if she can buy flowers and write her name in the sand we can love this wine and album pairing just as well as you can. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wines: Wayfarer Vineyard 2021 Estate Chardonnay & 2021 Estate Pinot NoirPrepare to embark on a vinous journey with Cleo Pahlmeyer, the mastermind behind Wayfarer Vineyard. We'll kick off with a tasting session of Wayfarer's 2021 Estate Chardonnay as Cleo enlightens us on her relentless pursuit of the perfect Chardonnay. Hear the captivating story of Wayfarer's origins, an intriguing tale steeped in a father's love for Burgundy wines and an almost purchase of a French property.In the next act of our wine narrative, we transport you to the scenic Fort Ross Seaview AVA, a wine region famed for its serpentine mountain roads and ridge lines. As we savor the 2021 Estate Pinot Noir, Cleo highlights how the region's proximity to the ocean and elevated terrain shape the taste of the wines birthed here. She also unveils her personal voyage back into the wine world and the legacy she continues from her father's initial planting of the Wayfarer Vineyard.Our final act takes you deeper into Cleo's world of wine tasting and the personal influences that have contributed to her approach to winemaking. From a vivid discussion about her beloved Chardonnay, to the myriad of dishes it complements, Cleo shares her insights into the art of wine and food pairing. She also divulges the impact of her parents' influence, her stint at Sotheby's, and the wisdom collected from her mentors. Join us on this enriching exploration of wine, personal narratives, and the spark of inspiration.Stay in the know and join our WTF Cru.About UsBuy us a Mimosa!We have been listed in the Top 50 wine podcasts! https://blog.feedspot.com/wine_podcasts/Music from https://filmmusic.io "Night In Venice" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Thank you for making us part of your wine story. If you enjoyed this episode, please write a review and share with your wine loving friends and family. To connect with us or to inquire about being a guest on Wines To Find, visit our social media pages Instagram https://www.instagram.com/winestofindpodcast/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/winestofindpodcasts/Til the next glass ~ Cheers!And, remember, join us next time on Wines To Find!Sandy & Michelle

Ever wondered how a buttery Chardonnay gets its creamy, smooth character? This episode promises to transport you into the world of Aldi's Intermingled California Chardonnay 2020, a fantastic budget-friendly find at just $6.99. We dive deep into the story behind the label, highlighting the winery of record - Sutter Home - a brand under the Trinchiro family of estates, known for their vast portfolio of top-notch wines. You'll learn how this affordable white wine lives up to its buttery claim, through processes like oak toasting, malolactic fermentation, and lees stirring.As we sip and savor the wine, I'll share my tasting notes, revealing an impressive balance of melon, lemon curd, green apple, dried pineapple, and a hint of nectarine. Listen in as I discuss how the wine's character evolves as it warms up, becoming more balanced and unveiling more flavors. A lover of buttery Chardonnays or just on the hunt for a reasonably-priced daily wine? This episode is just for you. And stay tuned for a special segment where I'll be sharing my upcoming Costco wine haul! Let's raise a glass to the joy of wine-tasting!Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

We're welcoming summer with wall-to-wall California Chardonnay! Straight Talk host James Molesworth welcomes senior editor MaryAnn Worobiec and an all-star cast of winemakers and grapegrowers, including Larry and Chris Hyde, Kistler's Jason Kesner and Arista and Ferren's Matt Courtney.Later in the episode, our wine advice columnist Dr. Vinny walks us through some dinner party etiquette, and stay tuned til the end for James'  sneak peek wine pick!Thirsty for more? Check out this related content• July 31, 2023, issue of Wine Spectator• WS website members: California's Best Chardonnay Vineyards• WS website members: More on Larry Hyde• Latest News and Headlines• Ask Dr. Vinny• WS website members: More on James' Sneak Peek PickA podcast from Wine SpectatorMarvin R. Shanken, Editor and PublisherHost: James MolesworthDirector: Robert TaylorProducer: Gabriela SaldiviaGuests: Matt Courtney, Larry and Chris Hyde, Jason Kesner, and MaryAnn Worobiec (as herself and Dr. Vinny)Assistant producer, Napa: Elizabeth Redmayne-Titley

This is the weekly newspaper column.Wente Clone made California chardonnay 5-10-2023If you enjoy California chardonnay, you likely have Charles Wente and his children to thank for it.Wente came to America in the 19th century. Upon arrival, he learned how to make wine from famed vintner Charles Krug. In 1883, he established a 47-acre estate and winery in the Livermore Valley, 45 miles east of San Francisco.In 1908, Wente planted the first chardonnay vines in the valley. In 1912, Charles's son, Ernest, a UC–Davis student, convinced his father to import chardonnay cuttings from a well-known vine nursery in France. Ernest picked vines that showed the best health and the best flavors, grafted them together, then continued to propagate and improve them.Very early Wente photoErnest propagated vines differently than others. While many selected for yields—the higher the better—Ernest focused on vines with very concentrated flavor and abundantly fruity berries. Flavor took precedence over yield.Historical Wente photoThe decision paid off. Ultimately, Wente developed the “Wente Clone” variety of chardonnay vines. Chardonnay makes up more than half of white wine acres in California, and more than 75% of all California chardonnay comes from the Wente Clone.Today, Wente Vineyards, is the oldest continuously-operated, family-owned winery in the country. Wente enjoys the honor of being continuously-operated because they produced sacramental wines during Prohibition. After repeal of the Volstead Act, Ernest and his brother, Herman, released the nation's first varietally-labeled chardonnay in 1936.Others have built on the Wente foundation, but all acknowledge the Wente Clone is the basis of California-style chardonnay. Bold. Full-flavored. Fruit-driven. The concentrated juice also is well-suited for the use of new oak, a technique often used. California chards now come oaked and unoaked, and with and without malolactic fermentation. Doesn't matter. Almost all the chardonnay grapes used to make the wine trace their lineage back to Charles Wente and his son Ernest.Tasting notes• Wente Vineyards Riva Ranch Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco, Monterey 2021: Smooth, rich. Excellent ripe, delicious fruit. $17-21 Link to my review• Stags' Leap Winery Chardonnay Napa Valley 2020: Impressive complexity, depth in oak-and-butter genre of Cali chards. Done with elegance and style. Very smooth, rich, fresh, clean. $20-28 Link to my review• Textbook Chardonnay Napa Valley The Pey Family 2021: Pey family set out to make Napa wines that were “textbook Napa wines;” And this fits that definition. $22-27 Link to my review• Gary Farrell Russian River Selection Chardonnay 2018: Fresh, tasty, silky-creamy, smooth, graceful. Nice equilibrium of superb fruit, acidity, oak nuances. Made with Wente Clone. $30-35 Link to my reviewLast round: What do you call a duck that breaks into people's houses? A robber ducky. Quak—wine time.This is a reader-supported publication. Upgrade to a paid subscription ($5/month) for access to bonus material and complete archives. Opt out at any time.Thank you for reading Gus Clemens on Wine. This post is public so feel free to share it.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  gusclemensonwine.comFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter: @gusclemensLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

Trader Joe's Grower's Reserve Organic California Chardonnay 2022- $6 Fun ChardonnayOk, it is 6 bucks and organic.Oh yeah, it tastes good.Should you buy it?Oh no, stay away from $6 organic tasty wines.Let me drink them all.For more info check out https://cheapwinefinder.com/ and listen to the PODCAST!!!Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

High Guard Chardonnay 2021 Trader Joe'sThis is a no-issue $6.99 California Chardonnay.It tastes like a $10 to $12 Chardonnay, only it's not!I like wine bargains and so do you.For more information read the review at https://cheapwinefinder.com/ and listen to the most excellent PODCAST.Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

Tom Simoneau, co-owner of Simoneau Vineyards is here with his annual Wines of the Year show for 2022, on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon, Harry Duke and Dan Berger. Every year, Tom Simoneau brings us his favorite wines of the year at the end of December. You can hear the episodes for 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 here on the CWC website and you can read about the years 2017, 2016 and 2015 on Tom's website. Book of the Year Food IQ, 100 Questions, Answers, and Recipes to Raise Your Cooking Smarts by Daniel Holzman & Matt Rodbard. ($35) You're probably thinking Food IQ? Is that a wine book? Well, wine is food, sans aucune doute, e senza dubbio! The more you become involved with wine, you will tend to choose wine to match what you're serving for dinner. So this fun and informative cookbook will help even the most timid cook take a walk on the wild side! The extensive website is a bonus, www.foodiq.co On the following list of Tom Simoneau's Wines of the Year for 2022, the wines are listed with their approximate retail price, and those available at Bottle Barn are marked with @BB after the price. Best Whites Sparkling Wine Caraccioli Cellars 2016 Blanc de Blancs, Escolle Vineyards, Santa Lucia Highlands, $85. I love my job! Every year I discover something new. This year it's Caraccioli Cellars. This sparkler took my breath away. Tiny, tiny bubbles that tickle the tongue. Can a glass smile? With this wine in it, it does. Winemaker Scott Caraccioli says all the wines he makes are estate grown, so he has complete control. And it shows up in the glass. They make small lots, so their wine club is highly recommended. caracciolicellars.com Chardonnay Cuvaison 2020 Coeurtina, Napa Valley, Los Carneros, $60. We recently learned that there are now 8 billion people in the world today. That's almost as many Chardonnay brands on the market! But, I'm up to the challenge. I'll taste them all so you don't have to. This Cuvaison Coeurtina Chard is one you do not want to miss. From its shimmering gold color, to its floral aroma and complex mouth feel, what else do you need? Maybe a nice piece of salmon? Check out their beautiful facility in Carneros. cuvaison.com Click the logo to visit our sponsor Bottle Barn online for the coolest bargains on wine, beer and spirits. Sauvignon Blanc Dry Creek Vineyards 50th Anniversary 2021 Fume Blanc, Sonoma County, $16, @ BB All together now - Celebration now, come on, du ta du da du du.  Not much of a singer but Dry Creek Vineyards brings me to song. Celebrating 50 years, that's a long time! 50 years ago founder Dave Stare planted Sauvignon Blanc in Dry Creek Valley. Today his daughter, Kim and her husband, Don Wallace, run the winery. Can I call them the first family of Dry Creek Valley? Why not! Here's to the next 50! drycreekvineyard.com Off Dry White Morgan 2021 Double L Vineyard Riesling, Santa Lucia Highlands, $24, @BB. Morgan opened their doors in 1982 after Dan Morgan Lee met a banker that shared his vision of starting a winery. That banker would eventually become his wife. Wondering what a really good California Riesling tastes like, wonder no more. From grapes grown on the only certified organic vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highland. These foot stomped grapes made a 10.6% alc. wine showing apple and white peach, more fruity than sweet. Kabinett style. Bright and dry. morganwinery.com Most Fun Wine Harry, Tom, Dan & Steve. 19 Crimes, Martha's Chard, California Chardonnay, $11.99, @BB Can you ever have too much of a good thing? Now, a Martha Stewart Wine. Let's see, Martha's name appears on cookbooks, magazines, TV shows, home wares, restaurants, mail order meal kits, she's also a home designer and now wine! Martha, what took you so long? With a click from the back of the bottle, Martha tells you all about it. Who knew? Even her bottle talks. Click and hear her for yourself. Martha's Chard, it's a good thing.  https://19crimes.com/products/19-crimes-marthas-chard

HAVE A NICE HOLIDAY Tom Simoneau's Wines of the Year 2022 Best Whites Sparkling Wine: Caraccioli Cellars 2016 Blanc de Blancs, Escolle Vineyards, Santa Lucia Highlands, $85 I love my job! Every year I discover something new. This year it's Caraccioli Cellars. This sparkler took my breath away. Tiny, tiny bubbles that tickle the tongue. Can a glass smile? With this wine in it, it does. Winemaker Scott Caraccioli says all the wines he makes are estate grown, so he has complete control. And it shows up in the glass. They make small lots, so their wine club is highly recommended. caracciolicellars.com   Chardonnay: Cuvaison 2020 Coeurtina, Napa Valley, Los Carneros, $60 We recently learned that there are now 8 billion people in the world today. That's almost as many Chardonnay brands in the market place today! But, I'm up to the challenge. I'll taste them all so you don't have to. This Cuvaison Coeurtina Chard is one you do not want to miss. From its shimmering gold color, to its floral aroma and complex mouth feel, what else do you need? Maybe a nice piece of salmon? Check out their beautiful facility in Carneros. cuvaison.com   Sauvignon Blanc: Dry Creek Vineyards 50th Anniversary 2021 Fume Blanc, Sonoma County, $16 All together now - Celebration now, come on, du ta du da du du.  Not much of a singer but Dry Creek Vineyards brings me to song. Celebrating 50 years, that's a long time! 50 years ago founder Dave Stare planted Sauvignon Blanc in Dry Creek Valley. Today his daughter, Kim and her husband, Don Wallace, run the winery. Can I call them the first family of Dry Creek Valley? Why not! Here's to the next 50! drycreekvineyard.com   Off Dry White: Morgan 2021 Double L Vineyard Riesling, Santa Lucia Highlands, $24 Morgan opened their doors in 1982 after Dan Morgan Lee met a banker that shared his vision of starting a winery. That banker would eventually become his wife. Wondering what a really good California Riesling tastes like… wonder no more. From grapes grown on the only certified organic vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highland. These foot stomped grapes made a 10.6%alc wine showing apple and white peach, more fruity than sweet. Kabinett style. Bright and dry. morganwinery.com       Most Fun Wine 19 Crimes, Martha's Chard, California Chardonnay, $11.99. Can you ever have too much of a…

Sun California Chardonnay 2021-From The Folks Who Brought You Caymus And Meiomi!!A delicious California Chardonnay by the Folks who know what wine drinkers what.Check out https://www.cheapwinefinder.com/ for all the details and listen to this excellent PODCAST!Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

Big Churn Chardonnay 2021-TJ's $7 Old School California ChardonnayOld School California Chardonnay, especially from Napa were Butter Bombs.Tastes change and Chardonnay becomes balanced with loads of fruit and citrus flavors.The Big Churn is a throwback wine, not all the way back, but with enough butter to be a change of pace from modern Chardonnay.Check out https://www.cheapwinefinder.com/ and listen to the PODCAST for all the info!!!Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com

Sebastopol Oaks California Chardonnay 2019Chardonnay is the #1 selling White wine in the world!In the value-price range (that is our thing) there is plenty of competition.Winemakers have to pull out all the stops to get you to notice their Chardonnay.That is a very good thing.For more information check out www.cheapwinefinder.com and listen to the most excellent PODCAST!!!

David Ramey revolutionized modern-day winemaking and helped to elevate California to the forefront of the international wine community. Hailed as “Professor Chardonnay” by Wine Spectator, David's groundbreaking work with indigenous yeasts, whole-cluster pressing, sur lies aging and malolactic and barrel fermentation yielded a new California Chardonnay style that was richer and more complex. A stint working for the Moueix family at the renowned Château Pétrus in Bordeaux introduced David to the time-honored methods of winemaking in France. He brought these lessons back to California where he helped establish a number of wineries that would soon become household names such as Matanzas Creek, Chalk Hill, Dominus Estate and Rudd Estate. In 1996, David and his wife Carla founded Ramey Wine Cellars in Healdsburg, California. They live just outside Healdsburg, not far from the winery. Their two children are now actively involved in the business, continuing the tradition of crafting some of the most sought-after wines in California. Please drink in this master class in winemaking with the Legend himself, David Ramey.

Coppola Diamond Collection Chardonnay- A Tasty Classic California ChardonnayEvery California winery and Washington too for that matter, have their own take on the classic New World Chardonnay.No 2 are the same.The Coppola Diamond Collection Chard is a crowd-pleasing Chardonnay with ripe tasty fruit flavors and a well-balanced French oak influence.Great tasting. well-priced, readily available, and well-made equals quality wine.Check out www.cheapwinefinder.com and listen to the podcast for all the details!!!

Hook or Crook Cellars Lodi Chardonnay 2020- A Costco Bargain ChardonnayThis is a classic California Chardonnay in the style of the great Napa Chardonnay's, but sleek and modern.If you are a no oak Chardonnay person maybe this is not your style.But if you are a great-tasting Chardonnay person then you are right at home.Check out www.cheapwinefinder.com and listen to the podcast for all the details!

Chardonnay is one of the most popular white grapes grown in the US, and California style Chardonnay has a very distinct profile.  Chardonnay shows different characteristics depending on where in the world its made.  I have decided to share a clip from an interview I did with Natalie Ellis, the enologist for La Crema Winery located in the Willamette Valley in Oregon.  In this clip she talks about the difference between a California Chardonnay, and one made in the Willamette Valley.  

In this weeks episode, the first of season 3, Shelley and Phil BOTH do a blind tasting while navigating through multiple recording challenges. Two Charles Shaw wines, from California, otherwise known as Two Buck Chuck, a Chardonnay and a Merlot verses a California Chardonnay from Kendall-Jackson and a California Merlot from Blackstone. How will Two Buck Chuck stand up in a blind tasting verses like wines from California? We'll see! #HappyFriday! #ItsWineTime! #CheersingWines tasted this episode:2019 Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay ($11.99 from Fred Meyer)2021 Charles Shaw Chardonnay ($3.49 from Trader Joe's)2019 Blackstone Merlot ($6.99 from Fred Meyer)2019 Charles Shaw Merlot ($3.49 from Trader Joe's)For more information on Trader Joe's, please visit https://www.traderjoes.com/homeThanks to our sponsor:   Studio 107, Elsom CellarsStudio 107 At Studio 107, in the heart of downtown Coeur D'alene, Idaho, we believe that small towns deserve great wines, too!  Come join us in our wine bar and gallery for an afternoon or evening escape. For more information, please visit https://studio107cda.comElsom Cellars. Good times are meant to be shared and so are great grapes and great wines! Since 2006, Elsom Cellars has been producing brilliant Washington wines. For more information about Elsom Wines, please visit http://www.elsomcellars.com or call them at 425-298-3082.And of course, a HUGE thank you to Tod Hornby who wrote and recorded our official Wine Time Fridays theme music (as well as The Social Web sponsorship music!) which is ANYthing but average.  Please contact him at veryaveragemusic@gmail.com Mentions: Nicole Barnett Wine Time Fridays Wine Word of the Week: MouthfeelMouthfeel refers to the physical sensations in the mouth caused by wine, making it distinct from taste. It is a fundamental sensory attribute which, along with taste and smell, determines the overall flavor. Mouthfeel is also sometimes referred to as texture.Wines we enjoyed this week:   Cor Hogback Ridge Vineyard Malbec, Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnay, Cadence Tapteil Vineyard Red Blend, Sleight of Hand The Conjurer Red Blend and Decoy Sonoma County ChardonnayPlease find us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WineTimeFridays), Twitter (@VintageTweets) and Instagram (@WineTimeFridays). You can also “Follow” Phil on Vivino. His profile name is Phil Anderson and will probably “Follow” you back!

Toad Hollow Unoaked Chardonnay 2019 - Affordable, Interesting, Whimsical, ExcellentOk, students...today's lesson is California Chardonnay.No, not the oak barrel Chardonnay, unoaked Chardonnay.The Toad Hollow Unoaked Chardonnay 2019 is one of the original unoaked Chardonnay.It sees no oak, no "on lees" (check out www,cheapwinefinder.com to see what that is all about).But it does undergo malolactic fermentation.Check out the review on www,cheapwinefinder.com to understand why that is totally cool!

In today's episode of the podcast I talk all about how you can use the knowledge you have of your perfect customer to create content for social media they are going to love!   KEY TAKEAWAYS COVERED IN THE PODCAST   We have to think about our perfect customer when we are posting on social media. When we think about our perfect customer, we have to go deeper than just gender, occupation, location, etc. We need to know what their pain points are, what their aspirations are and what they do in their spare time. A pain point is a problem your customer has that your product or service fixes. Understanding who your perfect customer is really helps you to create content that really serves them. People love emotion – post content that gets their emotions. If you have your perfect customer at the heart of all your content, it will ultimately perform better as you are speaking directly to them.   THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE…  Before you post ANYTHING on social media, think back to your perfect customer and make sure your content is interesting, valuable or entertaining for them.  HIGHLIGHTS YOU SIMPLY CAN'T MISS  Defining your perfect customer 07:12 How to create content for your perfect customer 22:10   LINKS TO RESOURCES MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE  https://teresaheathwareing.com/captivate-podcast/the-importance-of-creating-your-own-customer-avatar/ (How to find your perfect customer – podcast episode) http://www.teresaheathwareing.com/buildmylist (Build My List Course) https://www.instagram.com/dollarshaveclub/ (Dollar Shave Club) https://www.instagram.com/marthabrookldn/ (Martha Brook)   Transcript Below   Hello and really warm welcome to this week's episode of the podcast. How's things. So I thought I would just have a quick check in and a quick hello. If you've not listened for very long, or if you're brand new to the podcast.   Welcome. I am really grateful that you've decided to listen to this and you know, see what I've got to say, which is lovely. You'll soon realize my style is very natural and you know, I like to call it authentic slash maybe a little bit unprofessional, which is hilarious. Cause I came from corporate worlds or has to be really professional.   But now it's like, I just want to be myself in my business. So, you know, so I just come as I am, as it were, you know what I mean? And, and do this episode just chatting as if you and I were sat having a coffee. I would be having uh, probably two shots of whatever. Cause I like strong coffee with some oat milk, but I particularly like the utterly barista edition.   I don't know if you can get it anywhere else of UK, in case you're wondering. So I'd be starting with that or we'd be at in the evening. And I would be having a drink gin and tonic, probably one of the most expensive super gins that got there because I seem to naturally have expensive tastes even without trying.   And or I'd be with lots of Prosecco or maybe a nice Chardonnay. I love the Chardonnay. The shopping went through really bad patch. Didn't it? When people thought it was like a cheap drink, but I, we've got friends in California, we go to California quite a lot when we're not in lockdown. And, uh, California Chardonnay is just the best.   Anyway, I didn't come on here to share with you my drinks, um, that I liked to drink, but yeah, I record it as if we're just chatting. I don't tend to, when I say I don't tend to edit it a whole lot, Phil, the editor he does. But you know, he doesn't take out my ramblings. So yeah. So I just come on here, I chat, I share all things, marketing and small business marketing with you guys.   And. I love hearing from you. I think it's so nice when you guys reach out, when you share on social, when you tell me you've listened, tell me what you've got from it. And I get it right. I totally understand, because I...

Justin Seidenfeld Tom Simoneau has brought two guests on to California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today from Rodney Strong Vineyards. They are Head of Winemaking Justin Seidenfeld and Director of Communication Chris O'Gorman. Their story begins 55 years ago when a celebrated American dancer, Rodney Strong, retired to wine country after a career dancing on Broadway and in Paris. He was a famous dance prodigy from Washington state. He was asked to bring American dances to the Parisian audiences and he fell in love with wine when he lived in France. When Rodney Strong planted the Chalk Hill vineyard in 1965 there were 300 acres of Chardonnay in California in 1965. Then he planted 100 acres of it and truly, the rest is history. Tom Simoneau remembers when he first came to California in 1978 and was playing music at the time, he lived in Healdsburg and they had a big band house Fitz Mountain where they would rehearse. Then they would drive down to their tasting room and taste through everything. This is when he got into wine. Rodney Strong passed away about ten years ago but remained active at the winery into the 1990s even after the Kline family purchased the winery. Wine Enthusiast's American Winery of the Year in 2013. Justin Seidenfeld is only the third winemaker at Rodney Strong Winery, the first was Rodney Strong and the second was Rick Sayre. First they taste a Rosé of Pinot Noir that Justin calls an “intentional” Rosé, meaning that these grapes were grown and harvested just for Rosé, earlier, like 20-21 brix. They have watermelon and strawberry components, jasmine, and lower alcohol. Dan Berger explains that some Rosés are made from juice bled off the red wine tank, which makes a stronger Rosé. This wine, on the other hand, is more like a white wine with a bit of color, more delicate and fragrant than other Rosés. They have a new label which is part of their rejuvenation project. They have converted to screw caps which have a lot of advantages. They find that their consumers appreciate. Dan Berger explains that the kind of liner in the cap determines the OTR Oxygen Transfer Rate for the wine. They still use cork for the big reds though. “Comitted to Community since 1959” is their slogan. They have always supported the arts in Sonoma County. They are not going to do the big Summer concert series but they are working on a smaller scale Americana concert. Next they taste the 2019 California Chardonnay which has evolved over the years. Now they are looking for cool climate vineyards, to get the tropical character, and the Sonoma County grapes compliment with their flavors, like green apple. Dan says it's meant to be enjoyed immediately. Like the Rosé, Steve finds it unique. Tom says this one might take an award away from some more expensive Chards. It is creamy, rich and tangy. Justin Seidenfeld declares his philosophy that, “The wine is made in the vineyard” and that if there is one term to define his wine, it is balance. Tom Simoneau tells about a Cabernet Sauvignon he is making called True Love, that he and his wife Brenda picked and made. They taste a 2019 Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir, from the newest AVA in Sonoma County. This AVA is truly distinguished by its climate. This is the most southernly vineyard in Sonoma County, on the top of a hill about 275 feet elevation.

Tom Simoneau has brought two guests on to California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today from Rodney Strong Vineyards. They are Head of Winemaking Justin Seidenfeld and Director of Communication Chris O’Gorman. Their story begins 55 years ago when a celebrated American dancer, Rodney Strong, retired to wine country after a career dancing on Broadway and in Paris. He was a famous dance prodigy from Washington state. He was asked to bring American dances to the Parisian audiences and he fell in love with wine when he lived in France. When Rodney Strong planted the Chalk Hill vineyard in 1965 there were 300 acres of Chardonnay in California in 1965. Then he planted 100 acres of it and truly, the rest is history. Tom Simoneau remembers when he first came to California in 1978 and was playing music at the time, he lived in Healdsburg and they had a big band house Fitz Mountain where they would rehearse. Then they would drive down to their tasting room and taste through everything. This is when he got into wine. Rodney Strong passed away about ten years ago but remained active at the winery into the 1990s even after the Kline family purchased the winery. Wine Enthusiast’s American Winery of the Year in 2013. Justin Seidenfeld is only the third winemaker at Rodney Strong Winery, the first was Rodney Strong and the second was Rick Sayre. First they taste a Rosé of Pinot Noir that Justin calls an “intentional” Rosé, meaning that these grapes were grown and harvested just for Rosé, earlier, like 20-21 brix. They have watermelon and strawberry components, jasmine, and lower alcohol. Dan Berger explains that some Rosés are made from juice bled off the red wine tank, which makes a stronger Rosé. This wine, on the other hand, is more like a white wine with a bit of color, more delicate and fragrant than other Rosés. They have a new label which is part of their rejuvenation project. They have converted to screw caps which have a lot of advantages. They find that their consumers appreciate. Dan Berger explains that the kind of liner in the cap determines the OTR Oxygen Transfer Rate for the wine. They still use cork for the big reds though. “Comitted to Community since 1959” is their slogan. They have always supported the arts in Sonoma County. They are not going to do the big Summer concert series but they are working on a smaller scale Americana concert. Next they taste the 2019 California Chardonnay which has evolved over the years. Now they are looking for cool climate vineyards, to get the tropical character, and the Sonoma County grapes compliment with their flavors, like green apple. Dan says it’s meant to be enjoyed immediately. Like the Rosé, Steve finds it unique. Tom says this one might take an award away from some more expensive Chards. It is creamy, rich and tangy. Justin Seidenfeld declares his philosophy that, “The wine is made in the vineyard” and that if there is one term to define his wine, it is balance. Tom Simoneau tells about a Cabernet Sauvignon he is making called True Love, that he and his wife Brenda picked and made. They taste a 2019 Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir, from the newest AVA in Sonoma County. This AVA is truly distinguished by its climate. This is the most southernly vineyard in Sonoma County, on the top of a hill about 275 feet elevation.

Riddle Edna Valley Chardonnay 2018 is a $6.99 Trader Joe's wine sourced from vineyards in the Edna Valley AVA inside San Luis Obispo County, inside the Central Coast AVA of California. Edna Valley is to the east of the Santa Lucia Mountains, and the Pacific Ocean provides a cool climate ideal for Chardonnay vines.As a Trader Joe's wine, there is no technical information available for the Riddle Edna Valley Chardonnay 2018. I can guess which winery facilities were used to produce this Chardonnay, since one of the largest American wineries owns property in the area. I don't know they made it, but it would seem to be a good guess. The front label says "Estate bottled", which means there was an estate involved.The back label offers no info other than the stuff that California mandates have to show up on a label. No general tasting notes that may indicate oak treatment, no hints at all. The good thing is that Trader Joe's has a history with Edna Valley Chardonnay at value prices.The Edna Valley AVA has a high-quality reputation as a source for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, and several well-respected wineries are residing here. I thought that the Riddle name, along with the puzzle maze on the label, offered clues as to the source of this wine. But the Riddle Edna Valley Chardonnay 2018 does not offer any clues or hints that I can decipher.All the clues we will get will have to come in the tasting portion of the Riddle Edna Valley Chardonnay 2018 review. The alcohol content is ripe but typical for today's California Chardonnay, 14.1%.Riddle Edna Valley Chardonnay 2018 Tasting NotesThe color is butter yellow with a hint of gold. Sometimes the color of Chardonnay can indicate if the wine saw oak aging, and the color says, maybe. The nose is melon, apple, honey, vanilla, lemon, grapefruit, stone fruit, and spring flowers. The honey, vanilla, and rounded fruit aroma would point to some malolactic fermentation and oak use.The Riddle Edna Valley Chardonnay 2018 is a bright fruit-forward Chardonnay with bright acidity and oak flavoring. It tastes like a mix of lemon curd and vanilla, followed by brown butter and tart grapefruit. The mid-palate brings dried apricot, exotic spice, a touch of cream, and a nutty, salty taste.I sometimes think you can pop the top a pour a $6.99 Chardonnay, but the Riddle Edna Valley Chardonnay 2018 needed a little time to open up. The oak influence needed to settle down before this wine started to show its best.The SummaryThe Riddle Edna Valley Chardonnay 2018 is a solid Chardonnay. I wouldn't go as far as to say it was delicious, but it was an interesting wine that was well worth drinking and hit above its price tag.It may not be the most seamless and balanced wine, but it does have its charms and has more depth than the typical value-priced Chardonnay.

In this show we take another look at the regal Chardonnay grape and talk about how it has changed over the years. This is a refresh of a previous show done years ago, so we cover everything we do in a normal grape mini-series. Once you get to know Chardonnay, you realize what a chameleon it really is and how important it is to understand place and producer to get the styles that you like. Here are some brief show notes (with special focus on writing out regions that you may not have caught while listening)!   Chardonnay originated in Burgundy, and is a cross of Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc. In the vineyard it is early budding and ripening, so frost can be an issue, however it grows very well on a multitude of soils and growers the world around love it for how it takes to most sites. Powdery mildew, coulure (shatter), and rot can cause a headache in the vineyard but with more than 28 clones to choose from, growers can pick what is best for their site.   The variety does different things in different climates – it has lower alcohol and higher acidities with mineral and citrus aromas and flavors in cool climates and is tropical, fruity, and full bodied with low acidity in warmer climates. Soils make a difference too – well drained soils are best. Limestone is generally considered the best type for Chardonnay with bits of clay and marl to give the wines dimension, but there are lots of different soils that yield beautiful wines from Chardonnay. Drainage and low yields make a world of difference with this grape too. Chardonnay is a non-aromatic, generally neutral grape that can take on flavors from the vineyard or be a blank canvas on which winemakers show their skills. The grape can and does express terroir, as we see in places like Burgundy, its homeland, but often it is subjected to full malo-lactic fermentation (yielding buttered popcorn notes), oak aging in a high proportion of new, heavily toasted barrels (vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, smoke/char), and battonnage (stirring of the dead yeast cells or lees, to create bready, toasty, yeasty notes in the wine).   Chardonnay is ideal for sparkling wine. In cool climates it is floral with low acidity and brings a lightness and elegance to sparkling wines. Champagne, with its long aging on the lees (sur lie, dead yeast cells – basic Champagne is aged this way for at least 12 months, vintage Champagne 30 months and the Tete de Cuvee, the best Champagnes, even longer), has shown us the changes that can occur with this contact over time –amino acids, peptides, proteins, and fatty acids for to add aromas and flavors like hazelnuts and honey.     Old World Burgundy Chablis: Steely, minerally wines that are a great expression of the grape. Affordable Grand Cru Côte de Beaune: The most age worthy and famed Chardonnay in the world. Grand cru vineyards that straddle the towns of Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet: Le Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Corton-Charlemagne Côte Chalonnaise Mâconnais: Pouilly-Fuisse is good and improving Champagne: Blanc de Blancs is pure Chardonnay   Other France: Loire: Used in Crémant and the white blends of Saumur, Anjoy, Touraine Jura (as we call it, Bizarro Burgundy) Languedoc-Roussillon: most Chardonnay is bulk and is bottled under Vins de Pays d'Oc Limoux: Does sparkling Crémant de Limoux, barrel-fermented still wine. Italy Often mixed in with Pinot Bianco in the northeast areas -- Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia Franciacorta: Used in this fine sparkling wine of Lombardy Piedmont: Excellent Chardonnay when it’s not too oaky   Other Old World Spots Spain: Used in Cava as a small proportion of the blend, used in some other white blends Austria and Switzerland Eastern Europe: Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia Israel England: Excellent in sparkling, more varietal wine being made _________________________________________  New World United States California: Most important variety Napa: Carneros, Russian River Sonoma: Sonoma Coast, Petaluma Gap, Russian River Central Coast: Santa Barbara (my favorite region), Santa Lucia Highlands, Mendocino: Anderson Valley Central Valley: BULK Washington State: Lots of fruit, maybe less MLF Oregon: The one to watch in the U.S. NY State: Finger Lakes and Long Island Virginia: Linden, Pollak make especially good versions   Canada: Niagara, BC   Australia New South Wales: Hunter Valley – tropical, fruity, buttery, opulent Victoria: Yarra, Mornington Peninsula, Macedon Ranges – lighter, more acidic wine with good terroir expression South Australia: Eden Valley, Adelaide Hills, nice, still oaky sometimes Margaret River: Can be complex, fruity, good acidity Tasmania: Delicate to complex, good acidity, used in sparkling   New Zealand: Ripeness with Acidity, nice herbal character often, excellent from Hawkes Bay where the styles are fatter, to Martinborough, and to Canterbury where the acidity is pronounced.   Chile Casablanca Valley: Ripeness with acidity, not much oak or malolactic fermentation Leyda, San Antonio: Similar to Casablanca Other cool regions: Limarí, Bío Bío and Itata Valleys   Argentina Very much like California Chardonnay. Promising in cooler, higher vineyards - Tupungato.    South Africa – hot, except in Walker Bay Walker Bay, Elgin: Soft with mineral and nut notes Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl: Fuller, can have a lot of oak    Aging Top Chardonnays can age and need the age: 30 years is not unheard of from great producers of Grands Crus. With Premiers Crus – more like 20 years is appropriate. Village – within 8-10 yrs. New World wines generally age for less time, but the length of aging depends on the producer and the area   Flavor: We discuss the difference between primary and secondary flavors and how knowing the difference can help point you to styles you prefer: Primary flavors from the grape: Cooler sites: lemon, chalk, minerals, flint, green apple, citrus, pears, grapefruit (higher acidities, lower alcohols, lighter bodied) Warmer sites: baked apple, pineapple, guava, melon (also fuller bodied, lower acidity, higher alcohol) Secondary flavors from winemaking: Oak notes: Smoke, toast, spice, coconut, vanilla, cinnamon, butterscotch, caramel Malolactic fermentation: buttered popcorn, clotted cream Sur lie aging: toast, nuttiness, yeasty notes Serving temperature effects the flavor. I prefer it a little cooler than is often recommended: 48˚-50˚/9˚-10˚C is what I prefer, although many recommend 55˚F/12.8˚C   ___________________________________________________________ Thanks to our sponsors: Wine Access      Visit: www.wineaccess.com/normal and for a limited time get $20 off your first order of $50 or more!  Wine Access is a web site that has exclusive wines that overdeliver for the price (of which they have a range). They offer top quality wines by selecting diverse, interesting, quality bottles you may not have access to at local shops. Wine Access provides extensive tasting notes, stories about the wine and a really cool bottle hanger with pairings, flavor profile, and serving temps. Wines are warehoused in perfect conditions and shipped in temperature safe packs. Satisfaction is guaranteed! Check it out today! www.wineaccess.com/normal    Thanks to YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help! Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople

A salute to the left coast, Brad and Keith taste a luscious California Chardonnay with guest, Hollywood TV and film actor, Dingani Beza. Dingani talks about his journey from the stages of local community theatre to the bright lights of “Tinsel Town,“ adding some hilarious stories about life in Cali. 3 Top Picks: 3 top wild or wonderful experiences in the state of California! welikethatpodcast@gmail.com www.welikethatpodcast.com https://www.facebook.com/welikethatpodcast http://www.instagram.com/welikethatpodcast

The Ashokawna Russian River Chardonnay 2018 is an $8.99 Aldi exclusive. The Russian River Valley AVA is in western Coastal Sonoma County. The Sonoma Coast AVA is west of the Russian River Valley AVA.The Russian River Valley runs north/south parallel to the coast. The river originally flowed east/ west until a cataclysmic event thousands of years ago changed its source forever.The name Ashokawna meant water to the east and was the indigenous people's name for the Russian River. Sonoma's Russian River Valley sub-AVA is a premier location for farming Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes.Aldi seldom gives technical information concerning the production of their wines. That is to be expected; they do make an effort to keep costs in check to offer good affordable wines. Aldi has an outstanding reputation in Europe for selling bang-for-the-buck wine.The back label of the Ashokawna Russian River Chardonnay 2018 mentions aromas of "pineapple, citrus, and vanilla." Also, flavors of "butterscotch, brioche, and baked apple."This would suggest that the Ashokawna Russian River Chardonnay 2018 underwent partial malolactic fermentation and had considerable oak barrel aging. The citrus may indicate that some of the Chardonnay is unoaked and did not undergo malolactic fermentation.Aldi has price advantages over typical retail wine. I am not privy to their contracts with the winemakers but typical with store brand wines, payment in full is made upon delivery. Wineries often have to wait for their wines to sell before receiving a return on their investment.Aldi does no advertising or marketing; you would be surprised how much of the cost of a bottle of wine is marketing. Store brands do not need full distributorship services, so there are savings there too.An $8.99 store-brand may be the equivalent of a $12 or $13 retail wine. Twelve or thirteen dollars will buy you an excellent California Chardonnay. Aldi store brand wines can offer excellent value if they deliver in the taste department.I have high hopes for the Ashokawna Russian River Chardonnay 2018. The winery that I suspect made the wine is known to produce high-quality wine. If a winery's name is not on the label, then it is not their wine; this is Aldi's wine.A store-brand wine may not be the exact wine that a winery would produce as their own. These wines are made to the customer's specifications, so while store brands might not be exactly the wine that would fit the producer's portfolio, I know of no winery that would ever skimp on quality. The alcohol content is 13.5%.Ashokawna Russian River Chardonnay 2018 Tasting NotesThe color is a clear, clean wheat yellow. The nose is ripe, apple, the aforementioned pineapple and vanilla, lemon/lime (kind of a non-sweet Sprite), spice, and spring flowers.The Ashokawna Russian River Chardonnay 2018 comprises clean, crisp flavors and more rounded oak-influenced flavors.It tastes like a stew of tart apple, lemon curd, butterscotch, and spice. The mid-palate brings buttered bakery bread, lime, stone fruit, creamy vanilla, and guava. The acidity is well-balanced; it provides enough backbone so all the flavors can unfold.The SummaryThe Ashokawna Russian River Chardonnay 2018 is one of those wines where I feel like a jerk for complaining.This is a delicious Chardonnay, but it is not as seamless as the best Chardonnay.Yes, I know that is nitpicking because the top Chardonnay seldom sells for $8.99, and even comparing this Chard to the best is actually high praise.If you find this wine at Aldi, buy it, it drinks well above its price tag.

It is the five year anniversary of the Vacation Mavens podcast! To celebrate, we are talking about one of our favorite topics -- wine (and travel)! This week we are joined by Mary Jo Mazanares, from Traveling with MJ, to talk about how to go wine tasting and some of our favorite wine regions. About Mary Jo Mazanares Mary Jo is an avid traveler with over 16 years of digital publishing experience. She publishes at Traveling with MJ with a focus on value luxury travel, luxury for real people, not celebrities, and is currently working on Secret Seattle, to be published by Reedy Press in 2021. She and her husband Tony own Leeward Media, LLC, and publish six travel and lifestyle sites. You can follow Mary Jo at @travelingwithmj on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Wine Tasting and Wine Travel Tips If you are new to wine tasting, it helps to start with smaller wineries where you will get more personalized service because they aren't as busy rushing around and serving other customers. Don't be afraid to tell the pourer that you are a newbie and let them help you choose which wines to try. They will often ask some questions about what you like and then get feedback on what you taste to go on from there. When doing virtual wine tastings, you also want to keep it to a small group where you can have a more intimate conversation. See more about MJ's virtual wine tastings with Washington wines or get ideas for other virtual wine tastings. When going wine tasting for a day, make sure you either hire a driver or set a designated driver. If you are going to be just sipping and tasting, not drinking the full pour, you can probably get to three to four wineries a day. However, if you really want to leave yourself time to take a tour or really engage with the staff, two to three might be a better number. If you are tasting with someone else, you may be able to share a pour. Don't be afraid to use the dump bucket for wines you don't enjoy or if you just don't want to drink too much. If you drink a full tasting pour each time, by the end the wines might blend together and you may have a harder time differentiating between them and identifying what you enjoy. In some regions like Walla Walla, the downtown have a number of tasting rooms within walking distance to each other, making it easier to visit a few without needing a designated driver. You can also find this in Napa, Carmel, Sonoma, and Santa Rosa. Be sure to plan who and when you are going to eat during your wine tasting day. Either make a lunch reservation or plan a wine and food pairing tasting. Many wineries will also sell charcuterie boards that you can enjoy with your tasting or after. Three big things to consider when doing a tasting are how does the wine look? How does it smell? And how does it taste? For looks -- swirl the wine, hold it up to the light, see how it clings to the side of the glass, is it dark/light/opaque? For smell, put your nose in the glass and breathe in. Can you pick up any particular aromas? Does it change over time or after you swirl? For taste - take a small sip and see how it feels on your tongue and your palate. Give some time to see what flavors might linger or where it hits you in your mouth. Taste again after a few minutes to see if it has changed at all. To learn a bit more, you can purchase a wine wheel (this is an affiliate link. If you click and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission.) Just remember that wine tasting and wine preference is a personal thing and there is no "best wine" just the best wine for you. Favorite wine regions: In Europe, MJ is a fan of Tuscany and sangiovese-based wines In Northern California, MJ loves downtown Napa Her home state of Washington is MJ's favorite, especially Walla Walla If you are planning a trip to Tuscany, Tamara had a terrific wine tour with Tuscan Organic Tours. It is nice to know what varietals wine regions are known for and plan a trip based on wines that you enjoy. It will also help to have that knowledge before you do tastings. Oregon is well-known for Pinot Noir. Wineries in the south tend to specialize in sweeter wines or whites. The Finger Lakes region in New York is known for Dry Reislings. The South of France, including Languedoc and Provence, are known for rosé, among others. Don't be afraid to try something new when you are traveling, especially if that is the dominant varietal in the region. It can be very different at the source from what you may have had at home. When you are traveling, you can't always ship home. Some wineries are limited to certain states where they can ship and some countries, like France, charge so much that it just isn't worthwhile. So you may want to leave some space in your luggage to wrap up a couple of bottles and bring them home that way. Keep in mind that your tastes will change over time. It is a journey and the object is to enjoy it along the way. Just be willing to experiment. Wine tastings can range from free to $30 per tasting, depending on the region and the winery. Typically if you buy a bottle or a certain dollar amount, your wine tasting fee will be credited. If you ask questions, show interest, and build a relationship with the pourer, they are likely to share some wines that aren't typically on the tasting menu because they see true interest. Full Episode Transcript [00:00:00.120] - Kim Tate Cheers to five years. Today, we're talking about wine.   [00:00:16.100] - Announcer Welcome to Vacation Mavens, a family travel podcast with ideas for your next vacation and tips to get you out the door. Here are your hosts, Kim from Stuffed Suitcase and Tamara from We 3Travel   [00:00:31.100] - Kim Tate Tamara. Happy Anniversary podcast partner. Woohoo! Five years we've been doing this together. We're so lucky.   [00:00:39.530] - Tamara Gruber We're so lucky that we found each other and that we've, you know, managed to pull this off for five years. And we've developed such a special friendship through it. And I'm so glad I'm very thankful for you. I'm thankful for our podcast listeners. It's just been a great experience.   [00:00:54.050] - Kim Tate I agree. I think it's funny because our podcast, if any of you, our fellow podcasters, you'll know it's you know, we'll be very upfront, there's not a lot of money in podcasting. But Tamara and I always say there's just something about getting to chat with your best friend weekly and have people listen to you and get to know you. And, you know, when you guys email us or message us on Facebook or on Instagram, it means so much to us.   [00:01:17.810] - Kim Tate It makes us happy. We'll take screenshot and share it with people. And it's really good. So it's nice that we've created kind of a little community here and it means a lot to us.   [00:01:26.780] - Tamara Gruber And can you just imagine this last year? I know we're doing fewer episodes a month. But if I didn't have you to reach out and talk to, it would have been even worse this past year.   [00:01:37.400] - Kim Tate Agreed. It's great. I mean, technology is so awesome that even though we've been separated by a country, we're still going strong.   [00:01:45.020] - Kim Tate We just need to get back to our trips because we've had some pretty epic trips. And I know today we are going to be talking all about winetasting, kind of some tips and then also a few destinations. But, you know, I thought it'd be good time before we get talking to Mary Jo all about some of our, you know, memorable trips together, maybe to celebrate our five years. I'm sure a lot of our longtime listeners will have heard of most of these, but might be kind of fun. Do you have any trips that stand out to you?   [00:02:13.310] - Tamara Gruber Well, you know, the nice thing is that all of them have involved some wine. But, you know, I love when we go wine tasting together because while we may have very different opinions or tastes, I should say in some things like you love coffee and I hate the smell of it, you know, you're an early riser and I'm a late riser. But like we we seem to hit the similar notes when it comes to wine.   [00:02:35.510] - Tamara Gruber I'm so glad that we're both like, no, no, we want the dry. We don't want the sweet. No, we don't want to oaky Chardonnay. Like, there have been things like that.   [00:02:43.430] - Tamara Gruber And I've always been very impressed by your wine knowledge when we do go to tastings and it always makes for like a nice conversation with whoever's pouring or if we get to talk to the winemaker. And so you're very good travel partner when it comes to visiting wineries.   [00:02:58.520] - Kim Tate Oh, that's so nice. I have actually the same feeling about my experience with you because I feel like we're kind of on the same level of awareness and we both enjoy the same things. And so I agree. I think that's funny. I just had this funny trip memory pop up and this will show people like how much we love wine and being like with each other. We took a trip to Clearwater, Florida for a conference and Tamara got in earlier than me and I was letting her know that I was like in the Uber almost at the airport or I mean, almost at the hotel. And she ran out to some like I don't even remember where you went.   [00:03:32.750] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, a grocery store.   [00:03:34.400] - Kim Tate Yeah. It was like she's like, I'm getting a bottle of wine. We need to chat. And so literally, I came in from, you know, the airplane and everything, and we popped open a wine and poured ourselves a glass and sat down. And it was an awesome start to just kind of a, you know, a work trip with your best friend is pretty awesome.   [00:03:51.050] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we've tasted wine in Texas. Remember Texas.   [00:03:57.830] - Kim Tate Grapevine. Right. That's I mean, literally called Grapevine for a reason.   [00:04:02.300] - Tamara Gruber It was funny because I remember being I don't know if we were together at this part of the trip, but I was at one place where we're doing a tasting and everyone got super excited about, like the chocolate tasting red wine, I'm like, oh, yeah, no, that's OK.   [00:04:18.380] - Kim Tate It is funny about the South because that was that experience that we had in New Mexico with El Paso as well. Was it was what was it like? Chili flavored that was really bad.   [00:04:29.330] - Tamara Gruber And that was the one where I'm like, OK, I could have a glass of this or like a half a glass. But I'm not like going to have more than one. I was actually just talking to some friends recently and I had said, like, clearly I will admit that I'm not usually a person to have one glass.   [00:04:47.470] - Tamara Gruber And so therefore if I'm going to have more than one glass, it's going to have to be something that I want more than one glass of, because we have this winery that's kind of down the road from us. And I made the mistake of going there when I first moved in here, not knowing that it was all like fruit wine and we were the only ones in there tasting. So I felt really bad to just like walk out that.   [00:05:06.950] - Kim Tate Yikes. Yeah. I'm not into the flavored wines. Like the grapes have enough.Well I guess they flavor, I mean there are flavored wines, people add stuff   [00:05:15.920] - Tamara Gruber But I do like that New Mexico one though because it was the we had a chance to talk to the wine maker, the wine he was from Chile. And so he kind of said like, look, this is not like I also make these like big Chilean reds. But I also I do this to satisfy, like, you know, a slice of our audience, like he knows where he is and what people are looking for. But then he also kind of did some of the wines that he loved, too.   [00:05:41.540] - Kim Tate Yeah, well, and I was also remembering when we were in Santa Rosa and we got to do I love the wine tastings that go along with like food or snacks with it. And I think that's really fun. And I know Paul and I did one of those in Northern California, I guess it was more close to central California as we were leaving the redwoods once. And it's kind of fun to see how much it can really change the flavor of stuff. So, yeah, it was a fun experience with you.   [00:06:05.300] - Tamara Gruber Glenn I did one of those in Mondavi once and it was, you know, completely different, you know, when he's like, OK, you know, have a bite of this now taste it again. We're like, whoa, totally different. Although I did learn when we went to where was it, Kendall Jackson together the year. You're not quite as into cheese as I am.   [00:06:23.390] - Kim Tate Yeah, no, I'm not a cheese person and I shouldn't be really a dessert person either.   [00:06:27.580] - Tamara Gruber Yeah and I have lactose issues, but I still love them.   [00:06:31.310] - Kim Tate But yeah, I don't.   [00:06:32.770] - Tamara Gruber What is wrong with, you know, cheese and dessert, this is why you stay healthy.   [00:06:36.860] - Kim Tate Yeah. I don't know, I yeah. I'd much rather eat a bunch of vegetables or nuts   [00:06:41.630] - Tamara Gruber But yeah I'm like bring me the fried stuff in the cheese.   [00:06:45.320] - Kim Tate There's some fried stuff I like but yeah. So I think you know, some of those memories are so awesome. I'm excited that we've had five years of experiences together   [00:06:54.920] - Tamara Gruber So we'll have to talk to Mary Jo and get some ideas and where we're winetasting next. Maybe it's up by you.   [00:07:01.700] - Kim Tate I definitely think. Yeah, we definitely need to. Washington wine tasting. I also would love to do the Willamette Valley in Oregon. I've never really spent time there and I think we're due for a trip there. But I know somewhere I'm definitely due for a trip with you. And that is Italy, because you know a lot about Italian wine and I know very little. So and I also would love to go get a champagne tasting and learn more about champagne. So I have some international wine tasting trips I need to do with you.   [00:07:29.330] - Tamara Gruber Well, let's talk to Mary Jo all about wine tasting and hopefully we can inspire some of our listeners to plan their next trip.   [00:07:36.350] - Tamara Gruber Sounds great.   [00:07:45.930] - Tamara Gruber So this week, we're here with Mary Jo Manzanares, and she is an avid traveler with over 16 years of digital publishing experience. You can see her traveling with M.J. where she focuses on value luxury travel, which is luxury for real people, not celebrities, and is currently working on Secret Seattle, which is going to be published by Readers Press in 2021. Congratulations on that. And she actually publishes six different travel and lifestyle sites. So welcome, Mary Jo.   [00:08:13.380] - Mary Jo Mazanares Welcome. I'm so glad to be here.   [00:08:16.050] - Tamara Gruber Well, we are always happy to talk about wine because we probably have been enjoying a little too much of it in the last year. But it's nice when you cannot just, you know, knock it down in, you know, but you're actually doing it with a purpose. And that's one of the things I always love about wine tasting when we are traveling. And even some of the virtual things that are available now is to to really sit back and enjoy the experience.   [00:08:40.830] - Tamara Gruber And I know that you've actually hosted a few virtual wine tastings over the last year. And so we thought it'd be nice to talk to you.   [00:08:49.010] - Mary Jo Mazanares Well, it's always nice to talk wine with friends.   [00:08:51.680] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, I wish we were drinking it right now, but it's a little bit early, is a little early for you. But before we get into it all, I have to ask, do you have a favorite varietal?   [00:09:01.850] - Mary Jo Mazanares Well, OK, so this is like asking a parent to choose their favorite child and every winemaker will tell you their favorite is the one that's currently in their glass. So with those caveats in mind, you know, I'm a fan of the big reds, so I lean toward the the cabs and the merlots that are big and juicy. And when you take that first sip, they just explode in your mouth.   [00:09:27.320] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, I like those too. Sometimes I'm just like, really in the mood for, like, I'm all back or something, actually.   [00:09:32.000] - Mary Jo Mazanares With a good steak.   [00:09:33.110] - Tamara Gruber Yes, of course.   [00:09:35.420] - Kim Tate Sounds amazing. So we thought we would kind of talk to you and just, you know, winetasting is such a huge part for Tamara and I when we travel. We love it. And neither of us have amazing you know, we don't have credentials, we're not experts, but we've come to realize that you can enjoy wine even if you aren't an expert. So what do you think for people who are kind of considering wine tasting or wine region or visiting wineries near them?   [00:10:01.300] - Kim Tate What tips do you have when they choose, like what wineries to go into or try a tasting at?   [00:10:07.750] - Mary Jo Mazanares I think it's really easy to start with smaller wineries. It just feels a little bit less intimidating. And you really have that direct connection with whoever happens to be running the tasting room. Sometimes it's the winemaker or a family member of the winemaker.   [00:10:25.120] - Mary Jo Mazanares And just there's nothing wrong with saying I'm a newbie at this. I don't know what I like. I don't know what I don't like. And they are generally thrilled to help you with that path of discovery.   [00:10:37.810] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, I have found that sometimes people gravitate towards like the name brands. And whenever you go into those, it's like a factory in there. You know, it's very busy. The pourers don't have time to really spend with you. It's kind of really here's our five. You know, here's my little recitation of what the description is. But when you go into those smaller ones, I end up like spending a lot of time and usually a lot of money, but it's so fun.   [00:11:06.040] - Tamara Gruber And those are the ones where, you know, if you really enjoy something, they're always like, you know, if you like that, let me show you this, too. And it gets you know, it just turns into a whole experience.   [00:11:15.760] - Mary Jo Mazanares And it's it's not it's a journey, not a destination. And sometimes that means finding that you don't like a whole bunch of stuff, a whole bunch of flavors that just don't suit you. And then you find the one that you just love.   [00:11:31.630] - Mary Jo Mazanares And the one thing I found visiting small wineries is when you meet the winemaker or the family and there's the winery, dog or cat, there's something about falling in love with the experience that I think has a direct influence on how you feel about the wine.   [00:11:47.590] - Kim Tate Oh, 100 percent absolutely agree.   [00:11:50.140] - Kim Tate I think you gave a great tip about look for those smaller wineries, because I you know, it's the same thing I've had some of the best experiences have been when either I'm almost all alone in there or, you know, there's one person pouring for when people come in and it's just it feels more focused on you versus the larger ones that are going to attract a lot of people. You know, like you said Tamara, it's almost like you're on an assembly line and you got them running and they're like, OK, which one are you at?   [00:12:17.920] - Kim Tate And they don't even remember where your tasting is at and they're just pouring you another one. And so I think I think that's a good tip because like you said, you can kind of end up in this relationship and really discover things you wouldn't have considered before. And I think when people are starting out with wine tasting, that's one of the, you know, most, I guess, joyous parts of it is when you discover a varietal or you discover something and you can actually put words to it and go, oh, yeah, OK, that's what I like. That's what I don't like. And I think that's cool.   [00:12:47.710] - Mary Jo Mazanares And I think when you visit a smaller winery, or especially one that's not really busy, it's it is about a relationship, as you said, and you have that time to actually enjoy and learn and taste. And that's just all part of the experience. Yeah.   [00:13:04.930] - Tamara Gruber And, you know, I'm just kind of thinking and transitioning of the to the virtual world that some of us are in now. And I think it goes hand in hand, like I joined the virtual wine tasting. I think it was like through wine enthusiast. And, you know, of course, there's thousands of people. You're just listening in. You're not actually interacting. And it was more about like, let's use this celebrity name to try to get a lot of attention. And sell a lot of wine. And it wasn't as much about what are we really tasting. You know, it was more about like, let's just impress you with this, like, name and back story. So I think it must go hand in hand, like when you're doing the virtual tastings where you can get a little bit more of an intimate experience.   [00:13:48.490] - Mary Jo Mazanares Well, and I've kept my virtual tasting small. I don't want more than ten people because that does simulate if you were actually at the winery and you have direct interaction with the winemaker to ask questions and get information. So I've really enjoyed keeping it far more intimate than that because that's the experience I prefer. Now, that's not for everyone. I get it. But I really do prefer small, intimate group when I'm enjoying my wine.   [00:14:16.150] - Kim Tate Yeah, I think the virtual wine tastings have become, you know, kind of a really neat thing that has evolved because of, ah, you know, what am I trying to say because of the pandemic, because it wasn't as popular then. But some of these wineries have done amazing things where, you know, you can order the wine, you know. Three bottles, six bottles or whatever, and they'll ship it to you and you, you know, sit down one night and you can taste it with the winemaker.   [00:14:42.840] - Kim Tate And again, like you said, Tamara, the smaller wineries, sometimes you're almost one on one with the winemaker, and it's really fun. So I highly recommend people who are interested to look into that. And it's a great way to support an economy, you know, that's definitely struggling, especially Mary Jo. You and I know on the West Coast, our wineries are really, you know, they need our help as much as possible. So I think it's a great way for people to buy and help them out. I mean, I think people need to realize that there are a lot of great virtual opportunities.   [00:15:13.470] - Kim Tate But let's start and consider that in the future we are all able to travel again and we are going to be going on a wine tasting trip.   [00:15:21.810] - Kim Tate Why don't you start with some tips like how many wineries should you plan to visit a day? Because, yeah, you don't always consider that the big question.   [00:15:31.320] - Mary Jo Mazanares And first of all, I think any time you talk about alcohol, you have to make really clear that, you know, don't drink and drive, have a designated driver, all of those kind of things, because that's just part of the prudence of wine tasting.   [00:15:47.340] - Mary Jo Mazanares I usually can do three, sometimes four.   [00:15:52.170] - Mary Jo Mazanares However I taste, I don't drink. And I think that you need to decide if you're going to taste, which really means, you know, taking a few sips of a variety of wines or if you're going to actually enjoy a full pour for my husband and I, you know, if we will, one full pour of a taste is more than enough for both of us to decide if we like it or not.   [00:16:16.380] - Mary Jo Mazanares Plus dump in the bucket so so we can do three, four if they're if we really have to. But any more than that, it just all blurs together. And we don't know what we've tasted and what we'd like to what we didn't like.   [00:16:32.230] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, I agree. We've sometimes done that where it's like, you know, OK, this one I think I really want to taste my own if we have different opinions. But other times we will sometimes split a tasting flight and and do it that way, although I will say, you know, a good plug so that you're both enjoying it and you can do whatever you like is he could hire a driver? Definitely. I mean, we've done some wine tours, actually.   [00:16:54.220] - Tamara Gruber We did a wine tour in France and one in Italy. And it was just amazing. You know, it's just so nice to have it all taken care of for you because they're also making the appointments and setting everything up in advance for you.   [00:17:06.120] - Mary Jo Mazanares Well, you know that you you want to totally indulge and drink a full pour of several at several locations, just find some that are close together and easily walkable from one to another. If you're in an urban setting, you can like downtown Walla Walla. You can easily walk from tasting room to tasting room. And you don't need to worry about driving if you're going someplace farther, farther out than you do need to think about either an Uber or a car and driver for the whole time.   [00:17:34.590] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, I like that idea that some of the towns, you know, we'll have tasting rooms. So some of the times the wineries will have their own tasting room at the vineyard. But like in town, they'll have a little tasting room. And I know, like in Carmel we did that we had like a little wine passport and we just kind of walked around town. And that was it was great. But sometimes I definitely love that winery experience.   [00:17:54.360] - Mary Jo Mazanares And downtown Napa, it has the same thing. You can taste a number of the tasting rooms downtown rather than drive out to the wineries, which are so spread apart.   [00:18:04.200] - Kim Tate Yeah, and I think another thing to consider is food during that time. And, you know, if they offer any charcuterie boards and things on that line, it's always good to make sure. Do you balance a little bit of food with the drinking?   [00:18:16.140] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. Like you can schedule a lunch or you can do a you know, like you said, sign up for a food and wine pairing kind of tasting or cheese and wine.   [00:18:25.140] - Kim Tate Like you and I did when we were in Sonoma. I was remembering that when we went they had a big Mary-Jo, they had a big festival. What was that? It was like the Winemaker's Awards. I can't remember the name of it now in Santa Rosa. And Tamara and I, it was nice, you know, to Uber from her hotel over.   [00:18:42.300] - Kim Tate And while we we certainly drank a lot that night and they had an Uber back.   [00:18:49.020] - Tamara Gruber Not as much as some of those, not as much as some of the people.   [00:18:51.480] - Kim Tate It was funny. I mean, people watching at that event was quite you know, you walked in and everything seemed normal, but by, you know, two hours in, it was quite the show.   [00:18:59.880] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. Once I saw some some shoving going on, I'm like, yeah, it's time to go.   [00:19:05.370] - Tamara Gruber Well, I mean, that's kind of covers, you know, some things to think about when you're planning a, you know, planning your day, when you're planning a wine tasting day. But when you're actually, you know, sitting down or standing up to taste your wine, do you have any tips or someone like what should they look at? What is your method for tasting wine? You know, what should they be looking for in terms of like taste or appearance or, you know, just without getting too fancy? But I think a little bit of understanding, you know.   [00:19:35.500] - Mary Jo Mazanares Well, everyone will tell you that there are three things to consider when you're doing a tasting are, you know, what does it look like? What does it smell like? How does it taste? And that's way oversimplifying the whole science and art of wine tasting.   [00:19:51.370] - Mary Jo Mazanares But I try to follow that at a novice to intermediate kind of level.   [00:19:56.920] - Mary Jo Mazanares I mean, I look at what it looks in the glass. I swirl it. I put my nose deep into the glass and see what it smells like. What does that what does that do to my senses?   [00:20:06.850] - Mary Jo Mazanares And then I sip and I have never been able to master that art of somehow breathing in and sipping and making that noise as you're tasting. I mean, I can't do that.   [00:20:20.500] - Mary Jo Mazanares I give that up to the experts and the Soms who really know what they're doing. I just take a sip and see what that first sip feels like in my mouth and what my reaction to it is. And then I take my second sip to really see how it it lingers on the palate.   [00:20:36.760] - Tamara Gruber You know, it's funny, my husband does that little gargle kind of thing. I'm like, I can gargle mouthwash without choking. So that's not going to happen.   [00:20:45.400] - Tamara Gruber But I really like to do that, you know, nice, good sniff and like, see what I'm picking up then and then see like when you taste it, are you catching those same things, you know, are you tasting something different? And then it's really, truly amazing how much wine changes, you know, when it's had time to breathe or if you just had something else on your palate. Sometimes I love doing those tastings where it's like, OK, take a taste now, take a bite of this and taste it again. You're like, oh my gosh, it's a completely different thing. You know, it makes you realize, like, the differences there.   [00:21:18.900] - Mary Jo Mazanares And we found that when we started doing some tastings and wanting to learn a little bit more about it, we purchased a wine wheel and I think we just got it from Amazon or something. And to help us identify what we were tasting. And the other thing we learned was there are some flavors I will never be able to recognize because I don't know what they are.   [00:21:42.300] - Mary Jo Mazanares And some people just can't taste certain things and some people can.   [00:21:46.770] - Mary Jo Mazanares I always pick up the leathery, earthy mushrooms, the smoky kind of flavors and wine, and my husband rarely notices those.   [00:21:57.420] - Mary Jo Mazanares He picks up the dark cherries and the stone fruit. And those are just really sort of, you know, I don't even notice. So it's like, yeah, yeah, there they are. So very much it's a personal thing, which is why there's not really a best wine. It's just the best wine for you.   [00:22:14.400] - Kim Tate Yeah, I think that's a good thing to consider. And I mean, I think people will learn that as they taste. And the more you do it, you'll soon start to see like, oh, you know, that's a that's a lighter in appearance. You know, maybe that's a pinot noir, you know, and OK, this is the color I'd expect from it versus OK, now they're pouring me a, you know, Malbec. And it's going to look very different. And and I think, like you said, it's fun, I mean, I love when I smell wine and then I taste it. I love those moments when it's not what I expect because I'll pick up, you know, a lot of that. Earthy, leathery, very. Yeah. Earthy tone in the smelling. And then I'll taste it. And it's so jammy on my tongue and I'm like, whoa, that was not what I was expecting at all, you know? So it's kind of funny how you can have those experiences.   [00:22:59.250] - Tamara Gruber I always love, like the blind taste test, too, you know, when they do like the black glass or something. And and you need to to guess and I know some people are doing that with virtual wine tastings, too, but it adds like that fun element to it and almost like little competition element. You know who got it right? My husband, he's he loves wine.   [00:23:16.110] - Tamara Gruber And he I think one of the first times he went to Napa, he was like, this is what I would like to do when I retire is like go work in one of these places. So he actually he has gotten is like level one WSET, but then he never had time to go pursue number two. And I was it sounds terrible, but he now that we've been home so much, I'm like, oh, if only you could have done it online. Like now you have all this time to do it because before he's always traveling and never able to, you know, go to the actual class.   [00:23:47.430] - Tamara Gruber But he it's funny, he doesn't have the same palate that I do, not just in differences of taste, but he has a lot of trouble picking up on some of it. And I always pick on him. I tell him it's because he drinks so much coffee. It's like deaden his taste buds. But who knows? Like, people are like you said, they're just very different.   [00:24:03.660] - Mary Jo Mazanares Well, you can do a couple of levels of the WSET at home because I was looking into it thinking, well, you know, I've always wanted to do it, but with travel, I've never been able to make the commitment maybe I should do it for from home so it can be done.   [00:24:20.160] - Tamara Gruber I'm going to have them look into it because, you know, it's it's been his dream. He's wanted to do it. And so we'll see. Maybe now would be a time to to get that next level.   [00:24:28.770] - Kim Tate I have a friend who retired and she's a pourer in a local little winery here in Washington State. So she loves it. It's fun because she gets to say social and she works very part time hours and just enjoys it.   [00:24:41.880] - Mary Jo Mazanares So, yeah, well, and it's not uncommon with family owned wineries that you'll have multiple generations working at the the winery, whether it's doing the book, serve the tasting room or or some of the consumer facing activities. So it's a multigenerational.   [00:25:01.470] - Kim Tate Yeah, I think that's fun when you you sit down on some of those, like you said, the smaller wineries, and you find out like, oh, you're the winemaker. Oh, OK.   [00:25:09.390] - Kim Tate Is it totally different than when it's just you're just a hired hand who's pouring and, you know, isn't as emotionally connected to the wines as a winemaker is.   [00:25:20.610] - Kim Tate Well, we've talked about kind of some tips for what people should look for and taste and what you know, let's imagine that we're all ready to book a wine trip and we're all safe to travel again. Do you have some favorite wine regions that you just love traveling to?   [00:25:37.430] - Mary Jo Mazanares Oh, now you're just going to be breaking my heart.   [00:25:40.800] - Kim Tate No, I mean, we've got to come in again. We'll just, you know, pretend we're going to be imagining where we're booking our next trip.   [00:25:48.990] - Mary Jo Mazanares Oh, well, I think I'll give three of my favorites. So I'm not offending too many people in Europe. I'm really a fan of Tuscany dominantly because I like the big super Tuscans Brunello Sangiovese is.   [00:26:05.160] - Mary Jo Mazanares And that's just, you know, where to go to the source. And I just I just loved wine tasting there. And we always wind up shipping wine home. So, you know, a. It's also a very expensive trip, so in Europe, that would be one of my recommendations outside of Washington because my home state is obviously my favorite. I really like downtown Napa. And the reason is that you can stay close in, you can walk everywhere.   [00:26:34.960] - Mary Jo Mazanares You don't need a car. It's easy to get to from a variety of airports, San Francisco, Oakland or Sacramento, the latter. I think it's the easiest to fly in. And you can really get a lot done both tasting and having fun without having to have a car and worry about driving.   [00:26:53.550] - Mary Jo Mazanares And there's some great wines there and locally. Oh, it's hard to choose a favorite, but my favorite locally here in Washington would probably be Walla Walla.   [00:27:03.570] - Mary Jo Mazanares The given that they have several different districts, you can really focus on a district without having to do too much driving and really get some great flavors plus there downtown. So if you stay close in to downtown, you don't have to drive everywhere. So those would be my three recommendations.   [00:27:24.930] - Tamara Gruber Well, I'm going to give a little plug and a shout out to someone that we had a great time with when we were in Tuscany a couple of years ago, and that's Tuscan organic tours. So they focus on like small, organic, biodynamic type of wineries.   [00:27:37.290] - Tamara Gruber And we worked with their owner, Giacomo, and it was like one of the best days of our lives. It was so, so wonderful. Like all the little like family run kind of wineries that we visited had an amazing lunch in a tiny village, you know, learned so much about kind of the local agritourism. And, yeah, it was fantastic. So if anyone is going to go to Tuscany, definitely check them out.   [00:28:00.390] - Kim Tate I think one of the things, Mary Jo, that you mentioned that I think is good for people to realize, especially I mean, people who are not novices will know this, but for people who are kind of not as into it, but want to get into wine tasting, it's good to know that a lot of times regions definitely have certain varietals or certain wines that they're known for.   [00:28:19.470] - Kim Tate And so if you know that you really like, you know, bold reds, then a Tuscany trip might make sense.   [00:28:25.530] - Kim Tate And of course, Tuscany, I mean, they've got everything. But, you know, you might want to choose based on wines you really like, whereas, you know, Tamara and I, it's kind of funny to even mention this, but we were in El Paso and they drove us over the border. And do you even remember where that was to in New Mexico? Yeah, but I mean, I don't remember the winery. But anyways, they drove us over the border to New Mexico to do a wine tasting.   [00:28:49.380] - Kim Tate And it was very you know, Tamara and I are not into sweet wines. And they were a lot of sweet whites. And part of the reason they said, you know, they're down south and people are really, you know, they're craving a kind of cold and quenching drink as opposed to, you know, if you live in the north, a big, big red isn't that big of a deal because you're not going to be in sweltering hot weather.   [00:29:10.770] - Kim Tate So I think, you know, that's something to keep in mind when you're planning a trip or thinking of doing a trip that's going to do some wine tasting is figure out maybe what that region is known for. I mean, there are areas, of course, all over California and Washington state, even we've become quite, you know, known what used to say Oregon would be the home of Pinot Noir. But, you know, some regions definitely have a few varieties, but it's a good thing to keep in mind.   [00:29:36.840] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, definitely. I mean, we you know, I'm thinking here on the Northeast, you know, in New York state, the Finger Lakes very well known for their dry Rieslings, like their German style dry Rieslings. And just thinking about when we were in the south of France, like the Languedoc in the Provence, very well known for their roses, you know. So definitely that's something good to keep in mind.   [00:29:59.460] - Tamara Gruber And I find, like a lot of the newer regions that are still developing, you know, their vines are not as old. So, you know, the flavors are probably going to still continue to develop. But a lot of those regions tend to kind of have a sweet and a dry like tasting menu.   [00:30:16.860] - Tamara Gruber Even I think they know that their audience is, you know, may be new to it as well. And so they're like, well, what do you like? And they kind of direct you one path or another.   [00:30:26.430] - Mary Jo Mazanares The other thing that we found is that certain choices that we might avoid at home that we try on when we're traveling are totally different now and we're predominantly red wine drinkers. But at home, we would never go buy a bottle of Chablis. It is just not anything that would ever occur to us.   [00:30:47.610] - Mary Jo Mazanares We were on a barge cruise in France and actually went to Chablis and visited the Chalbis' there. Totally different experience. Not at all. But we would find here at home, at the store. So, yeah, you have to be willing to to do a little bit of experimenting when you travel and and realize that things aren't necessarily the same when you're at the source. As when you're you're in your home region.   [00:31:15.600] - Kim Tate That's such a good point. I was just going to quickly say, like Chardonnay, California chardonnays, I would normally run screaming from the brand before they put a California Chardonnay in front of me. But, you know, it's kind of fun because as they've evolved, you know, the tasting rooms have learned because some winemakers are like, OK, we want to reclaim Chardonnay for California. And they'll be like, no, you have to taste this. It's not your traditional California Chardonnay.   [00:31:37.470] - Kim Tate And sure enough, they've you know, it's not as oaky and buttery. They put it in a steel barrel and stuff. So it's just kind of fun to, like you said, to be able to do a tasting because it can you wouldn't want to spend, you know, thirty bucks on a bottle when you're trying something out. But yet, if you're at a tasting, you you know, it's a minor fee to just try something.   [00:31:58.350] - Tamara Gruber That's one of the things I love and miss about travel, too, is that, like you said, Mary Jo, like you're in a particular region, they're known for something. And maybe it's something that you didn't think you like or maybe something you never heard of before and you would have never ordered because you had no idea what it was.   [00:32:14.550] - Tamara Gruber But when we were in France, I fell in love with the Picpoul de Pinet. It's like a white wine that has like a lot of minerality in it, you know, because it comes from the coast and I just. Now, I'm, like, obsessed with it in the summer. I'm like, let's get oysters and Picpoul, you know, like it makes me so happy when I can find it at home. But it just brings back those travel memories to, you know,   [00:32:35.510] - Mary Jo Mazanares You have to go back and send some home.   [00:32:38.510] - Tamara Gruber You know, I will say when we talk about shipping home, when we were in Tuscany, it was very easy to ship home a lot of times if you bought enough, they included the shipping. They took care of the shipping. It was all good. It was not outlandish.   [00:32:51.440] - Tamara Gruber When we were in France, the wine was so cheap, but you could not ship it home like nobody shipped. And if you tried to find, like, one that shipped, it was going to definitely cost as much as the wine. And so it really made it not worth it.   [00:33:04.130] - Tamara Gruber It was so disappointing because we found so many that we fell in love with. So now, you know, we just made sure we brought back a list to our local wine shop and, you know, try to get them to get what they can. A lot of these smaller wineries just don't distribute that much, you know. So it's enjoy it while you're there.   [00:33:19.880] - Mary Jo Mazanares I guess, to you know, when we find a small winery that we always figure we'll put a bottle in our our checked luggage coming home and we've never had a problem with breakage. Yeah. And then if there's someplace that'll ship, we try to take advantage of that. But you're right, some of the small places, they're just mom and pop operation, then you just have to grab it and be willing to carry it home.   [00:33:43.380] - Tamara Gruber Yeah, exactly. Or carry it and drink it the next day.   [00:33:50.210] - Kim Tate So do you have any final wine tasting tips that you could share with our listeners if they're considering, you know, getting into wine tasting and checking this whole, like, passion of ours?   [00:34:01.790] - Mary Jo Mazanares Well, yeah. I mean, it's it's a journey. And what I like 10 or 15 years ago is not what I like now. And that's because I've explored and learn new things and leave your preconceptions at the door. Don't bring them to the bottle and be willing to try something, even if you think you won't like it, because you know you might be right. It might be. Oh yeah, no, don't like this one.   [00:34:27.620] - Mary Jo Mazanares Or you might be pleasantly surprised, but generally speaking, you will still learn something sometimes the path to finding your favorite wine or your favorite wine for the week or the month, it's just learning what you don't like.   [00:34:41.600] - Mary Jo Mazanares So my biggest thing is just be willing to try to experiment and, you know, don't be a jerk. Don't try to impress people with everything that you know or think you know about wine. Just it's community. It's family. Just go and have a good time.   [00:34:56.240] - Kim Tate That's a really great advice. Yeah, I was going to also mention for people who are novices with this, maybe we could also talk about really quickly pricing so people understand, like, you know, you buy a wine tasting, but normally that's credited if you buy a bottle.   [00:35:11.750] - Kim Tate So what do you see as the average tastings that you're used to?   [00:35:15.350] - Mary Jo Mazanares I mean, well, right now it's just all over the board. And I think that it changes based on the region in California. When I started wine tasting there, it was always free. And there may be a fee if you were getting a premier, you know, wine or something from, you know, the seller that was more spending. Now, pretty much every place is is fee based around Washington. You know, it's really hit or miss.   [00:35:46.550] - Mary Jo Mazanares Some places are fee based. Some are not. Sometimes it's rebated against the wine if you buy it. Sometimes it's if you buy three bottles, they'll rebate it. It really is all over the board.   [00:35:57.380] - Mary Jo Mazanares And during covid, I think the the differences in what people are doing is even greater. So just just check the wine winery or the wine tasting rooms website and hopefully they'll have have updated it.   [00:36:12.380] - Mary Jo Mazanares But if I'm going to spend, you know, more than a nominal amount, it it has to be one superb tasting. I know there were a few tasting rooms in California that were charging twenty five dollars for a flight of three wines and yeah, that's that's it.   [00:36:30.110] - Tamara Gruber It better be tasting real premium wines and that better be the reserves.   [00:36:34.770] - Mary Jo Mazanares Yeah, exactly. Exactly.   [00:36:37.100] - Mary Jo Mazanares Or they're their club wines or something. Limited edition. Absolutely agree.   [00:36:41.970] - Kim Tate I would say I mean, most often I see five five dollar tastings is kind of pretty common, especially in Washington. But like you said, sometimes they're not even going to charge it and especially the smaller ones are just so happy to talk to you. And then you almost always end up finding something you like and walking out of there with a bottle. So it works well.   [00:36:59.940] - Mary Jo Mazanares But I've what I've found is, is that sometimes when you're talking with them and they really know that you're interested and you want to make some purchases and you want to learn more, you know, they break out some stuff that maybe wasn't on the tasting list or they add something in because you're not there just to get that cheap drunk on.   [00:37:18.420] - Mary Jo Mazanares You're actually there to learn about them and and to discover something.   [00:37:22.590] - Tamara Gruber Exactly.   [00:37:23.400] - Kim Tate I think that's a good tip. I think the good that, you know, pulling that out a little more is make a relationship with the person doing the tasting with you, you know, actually be interested, actually try and learn. And like you said, I think, you know, you might be surprised by some stuff that you might get a sneak peek at.   [00:37:39.750] - Tamara Gruber Yeah. Ask them questions. You know, talk about how you you know, what you're thinking of the different ones. Like, definitely it's I've seen that happen many, many times because they just get excited and they're like, yeah. And you would like this one.   [00:37:51.870] - Kim Tate Yeah. Great. Well, we will wrap up and ask you our question that we ask all of our guests, and that is, what do you wear when you travel? Do you have a favorite brand of clothing or shoes or anything? That's a go to travel gear item for you?   [00:38:05.490] - Mary Jo Mazanares Well, I'm a comfort girl, so I want I want comfortable clothes. Nothing too short, too long, too tight. So I, I tend to pretty much stick with, you know, leggings and an oversize top. And I'm not particularly brand loyal in that regard. If I know that I'm going to be doing a lot of walking, you know, my feet are where I probably pay a little bit more attention. I really like Skechers. They give me lots of support. They have a variety of styles from a true trail or walking shoe to something that I can easily wear yet cobblestone streets in in Europe without standing out. So I'm all about the comfort.   [00:38:48.660] - Tamara Gruber We are right there with you.   [00:38:49.890] - Kim Tate Yeah, I was going to say Tamara and I are with you.   [00:38:52.290] - Mary Jo Mazanares Good. Well, can you remind our listeners where they can find you online anywhere in lots of places, but maybe give a few.   [00:38:57.930] - Mary Jo Mazanares I'll give you my primary sites. I met traveling with MJ that's traveling with MJ Dotcom. And you can find me at all the social channels at traveling with MJ as well. Great. Thank you so much. Oh, ladies, it's so good talking wine, and I just can't wait till we can get together and do this in person.   [00:39:17.260] - Kim Tate I agree, especially, you know, now that we're we're semi local, so once we can socialize it, be easy for you and I to meet up and Woodinville or something and do some tastings, pick a winery.   [00:39:26.860] - Mary Jo Mazanares I'll meet you there. Yeah, sounds good.   [00:39:29.080] - Tamara Gruber You guys can face time, me in. Sounds good. Well, enjoy. Thank you so much.   [00:39:39.010] - Tamara Gruber OK, so we are back and I just want to give a shout out to one of our listeners, Heather Hill. She sent in a message. We were talking about places to go this summer that were good for the outdoors. And she had suggested Michigan, which I've actually thought about a lot, because there's so many places there that you wouldn't really think that you're in the northern part of the country.   [00:39:57.820] - Tamara Gruber You know, the water is so beautiful or there's sand dunes. You know, there's just so much there. So she had mentioned the national parks and Mackinac Island and Traverse City. So I may not be pronouncing that entirely correctly, but so that was, you know, a suggestion. And she also was looking for some episodes about other kinds of vacation rentals. So we're going to look into that as well. But I just want to say thank you, Heather, for writing in to us and for giving us the suggestion.   [00:40:25.330] - Kim Tate Yeah, that's a great one. I know Michigan's really popular with, you know, like cabins and lake getaways and stuff. So it sounds like a good episode we should check out.   [00:40:36.100] - Kim Tate Well, if you guys are joining again in two weeks because we're still on our biweekly schedule, we are going to be talking all about tips for finding hotel deals. And we've got something kind of cool interviewee.   [00:40:48.340] Talk to you then.  

In US history books, many of the sacrifices made by African Americans go unreported. You don't hear of a successful black man, you only hear of a downtrodden one. It's even more so for women.  We thought this week that we would shed some light on some of the lesser-known female black historical figures that have contributed to capitalism. Their slave chains were turned into gold chains and we are here for it. Dana tells the story of Madam CJ Walker who went from rags to riches with her hair products. She believed in giving others a hand up instead of a handout. Nydia does the story of Mary Ellen Pleasant. She was an entrepreneur who used her money to fight the good fight. Cindy covers some present-day black female entrepreneurs who are using food blogging as their platform.  For dinner this week, Cindy prepared some Southern baked chicken and honey glazed carrots using a recipe from the Grandbaby Cakes blog. For dessert, she made us a sweet potato cheesecake using a recipe found on the Lenox Bakery blog. The meal was paired with a 2019 Wente Morning Fog Chardonnay. A traditional California Chardonnay with a great balance between tropical fruit and toasty oak on the finish. You can find the links to the stories and food photos on:www.winedineandstorytime.comCheck us out on Social too!!  https://www.facebook.com/winedineandstorytimehttps://www.instagram.com/winedinestorytime/https://twitter.com/WDStoryTimeor call us some time 6093003094 This week we also got to work with some other podcasts we think you should check out! You can find them here:Twisted and Uncorked  Sound Credit:DunDunDunnn 

What's up bro on this hella chill episode we drank and discussed a bunch of California Chardonnay that we are completely ambivalent about. Just go with the flow and catch some tubes. Kowabunga

The Mantenere Russian River Chardonnay 2019 is a $6.99 Trader Joe's wine sourced from vineyards inside the Russian River Valley AVA which is in turn inside the Sonoma County AVA of Northern California.The trademark for Mantenere is own by Francis Coppola Wines and Mantenere Cellars is located in Geyserville, California. Which also happens to be the home of Coppola Winery. I do not know if the Mantenere Russian River Chardonnay 2019 is simply a private store brand or if at some time this wine will be available at retail wine shops.That does matter to the point that if it is a wine that will be sold everywhere then it is a Coppola wine. A store-brand may be produced to the wishes of the wine buyer for the store. A doubt a winery would ever compromise quality to produce a store brand, but it could possibly be made in a style not consistent with their own brand of wines.Trader Joe's seems to be specializing in value-priced wines from high-end growing regions. The Russian River Valley AVA is a premier Pinot Noir and Chardonnay area in western Sonoma County. Chardonnay from vineyards here never sells for $6.99 except for store brands such as Aldi, Costco, and Trader Joe's.A retail Chardonnay that has California on the label as a place of origin is not really a lesser wine, especially at this price-point. Large wine companies have vineyard holdings and partnerships in various areas of California's wine country. Making effective use of their grapes helps them keep the selling price in line.A Chardonnay incorporating grapes from a warm growing region added to grapes grown in mountain foothills then blended with Vally fruit will make a complex wine that belies its price.Not that Russian River Chardonnay grapes can not also offer diversity. It is just that when a producer gets an offer for grapes from a high-end growing region at an excellent price I doubt if they are overly concerned if the grapes came from complementary regions.Trader Joe's does not offer information concerning the production techniques used for the Mantenere Russian River Chardonnay 2019, so if have to rely on the back label to find some useful information.The back label mentions ripe apple, lemon curd, and a creamy texture. Apple is one of California Chardonnay's prime flavors so no hints there, but lemon curd may indicate some sort of oak conditioning and at least partial Malolactic fermentation. A creamy texture can come from aging the Chardonnay "on lees", along with oak.At $6.99 you do not expect fancy new French oak barrels, but that is not the only way to get those flavors into value-priced wine. The important issue is not so much how those flavors were incorporated into the wine, but how it tastes. Oak barrels are mandatory for more expensive wine, but cheap wine gets points for ingenuity. The alcohol content is 13.5%.Mantenere Russian River Chardonnay 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is wheat yellow with a tint of gold, sometimes the shade of yellow in a Chardonnay will give a clue if the wine was oak-aged or not. The nose is apple, canned peaches in a light syrup, pear, lemon, pink lemonade, and a light floral edge.This is a medium-bodied Chardonnay with a firm mouthfeel, with a mix of smooth and tart flavors. It starts with a slightly sour green apple, grapefruit, spice, and lemon. The mid-palate brings coconut cream, vanilla, and lime.The acidity is well-balanced by the body the wine.The SummaryThe Mantenere Russian River Chardonnay 2019 is an interesting and tasty Chardonnay.There is a pleasing mouthfeel and the flavors contrast well with each other.$6.99 Chardonnay does not get much better than this.An excellent party wine, three bottles for $21.The Mantenere Russian River Chardonnay 2019 is an excellent bargain.

One Tree  Cranberry Cider: https://www.onetreehardcider.com/seasonal-ciders/Rombauer Chardonnay: https://www.rombauer.com/shop/?view=categorieslist&slug=winesJohnny Drum Bourbon: https://www.kentuckybourbonwhiskey.com/the-whiskeys/johnny-drum-private-stock/  

1:40 minutes: What motivated Matt to make Chardonnay and why from Oregon?3:17 minutes: Eugenia thoughts on Siduri's first Chardonnay.4:20 minutes: Differences between making Pinot Noir and Chardonnay  8:10 minutes: Why did Matt decided on Oregon to make his Chardonnay?9:50 minutes: Types of Chardonnays that come from Oregon, brief history of Oregon Chardonnay and how Siduri fits in.11:40 minutes: Why is Oregon Chardonnay just now getting the attention it deserves?13:30 minutes: Differences between California Chardonnay and Oregon Chardonnay.

The Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay 2019 is sourced from vineyards in Monterey County south of the San Fransico Bay inside the Central Coast AVA of California. Cupcake Vineyards is one of The Wine Groups' sixty-plus labels of wine.Check out the link above, their wines are available everywhere and I figure your local supermarket sells at least 10 of their brands. They say that over-all the quality of wine has never been better. The expensive wines have always been pretty good, it is the more affordable end of wines that have shown great improvement.Cupcake Vineyards is a "taste of the world" wine brand. The Pinot Grigio is from Italy, the Sauvignon Blanc is from New Zealand, and the Malbec is sourced from Argentina. The Prosecco is from Italy, the Cava is from Spain, and the Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay 2019 is from California's Central Coast.Monterey County is an interesting wine destination. The water off the Pacific Coast is some of the coldest in the whole ocean. The vineyards can be found in coastal areas, high altitude Mountain regions, valleys, plateau's, foothills, flat ground, and rolling hills, they have a little of everything.As a brand wine, that means the wines are not tied to a single winery or vineyard, there is not much information available about the making of this Chardonnay. They did offer a couple of pertinent details, first, this Chardonnay is oak barrel fermented. That is a production technique seldom seen in ten dollar Chardonnay. They actually do not mention any oak barrel aging.As a 2019 vintage wine, it could not have had too much aging of any kind. The second detail is the wine underwent malolactic fermentation. That is a process that changes the naturally occurring tart flavored acids in the wine to rounded, softer tasting acid. Almost all Red wines use malolactic fermentation and Chardonnay is one of the rare White wines to benefit from the process.It is typically used with wines that have some sort of oak conditioning. Central Coast, Monterey County grapes, barrel fermentation, and malolactic should make the Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay 2019 a solid example of California Chardonnay. The alcohol content is 14.1%.Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is a clean, clear wheat yellow. You can often tell how much oak conditioning a Chardonnay had by the color, the deeper the yellow the more time in the barrel. It is hard to tell anything about the oak program with wine this young, 2019 vintage selling in 2020.The nose is apple, peaches, and pears, with butterscotch, a hint of butter, and lemon chiffon pie. This is a tasty little Chardonnay, creamy, and lightly buttery.It tastes of butter, apples, lemons, lime, soft spice, and tart grapefruit. I sometimes find the butter in certain Chardonnay to be a bit too much, but here it flows with all the flavors. The mid-palate brings a slice of Key West lime pie and apricot. The acidity is fine, it allows the flavors to get where they need to good and does not bite.The SummaryThe Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay 2019 is a well-made, tasty wine and a bargain. I found it for $8.99 and it is a solid Chardonnay.The Cupcake website that they have a female winemaker, Jessica Tomei. I am always kind of surprised when they make a big deal about the winemaker's gender. Why wouldn't the winemaker be female? It is not like the job requires massive upper-body strength. I can not think of one reason why a man could do the job better than a female or why a woman would be preferable to a man. Winemaking is about dedication and talent and those are not gender-specific traits.Anyway, Jessica did a really nice job with this Chardonnay.

Nice melon and buttery feel to this Chardonnay.  The buttery feel is light and the oak doesn't take a front seat to the introduction to this nicely priced and pretty flavorful wine from the Miller Brothers.  great $8.99 price point as well from Naked wines.

The Trader Joe's Reserve Carneros Chardonnay 2019 is actually Carneros Napa Valley Lot #204. There is a Lot #205 which I imagine is from a different producer. Some Trader Joe's get the 204 and others get the 205, both are $9.99.Carneros is an interesting AVA, it is located half in Sonoma and half in Napa. If the vineyards are on the Napa side you almost always see Napa shown on the label. Sonoma side vineyards just say Carneros, which shows you the name recognition for Napa,The San Pablo Bay, which is the northern part of the San Fransico Bay defines the southern border of Carneros. Without the Bay, Carneros would be too far inland and too warm to be a premier Pinot Noir and Chardonnay growing region. But with the Bay providing cold Pacific winds Carneros is home to many high-end wineries and vineyards.The Trader Joe's Reserve Carneros Chardonnay 2019 is a young, drink-it-now wine. As a 2019 vintage, the grapes were picked about a year ago, which does not leave much time for fermentation and aging. Young wines are not common in Carneros, as a premier wine location they prefer to offer higher-end wines.This is a $9.99 2019 vintage wine, but if a Carneros winery produced a Chardonnay to ready a year later, the 2018 vintage, they can easily charge twice the price. There is not much incentive to offer a ten buck young Carneros Chardonnay.That is where a store like Trader Joe's comes in handy. TJ's is good at finding grapes from some of the best growing areas but turned into wine with value-priced wine production methods. Young wines do not experience complicated production techniques, they let the qualities of the grapes shine through.When you have grapes from an expensive growing region, such as Carneros, letting the qualities of the grapes shine is a good thing. It is not common to find Carneros Chardonnay at a bargain price.The back of the bottle says this wine was vinted and bottled by Avid Winery, which may be related to Avid Vineyards in the Sonoma Coast AVA, they are both headquartered in the same town. Avid is a producer of expensive, boutique Pinot Noir.There are clues that whoever made this wine for trader Joe's is a high-end producer. The bottle is heavy this is no inexpensive eco-bottle and the cork is an actual cork. I save my corks, for some reason, so I can verify that under twenty dollar wines almost never use real cork, it is always a composite or some plastic thing.Wineries that are used to producing value-priced wines have cheaper bottles and corks in stock. The boutique wineries use what they have on hand.The only tasting notes available for the Trader Joe's Reserve Carneros Chardonnay 2019 is a sentence on the front label. It gives very little detail but does mention oak as a flavoring. That usually means a little spice and some vanilla. The alcohol content is a ripe 14.6%.The Trader Joe's Reserve Carneros Chardonnay 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is pale golden yellow. The Chardonnay you can often tell how much oak aging the wine had by how deep the color is. This is a moderate yellow. The nose is a mix of lemon, melon, apple, and spice, along with unsweetened pineapple, a whiff of butter, and a little tropical fruit.This is smooth well-balanced Chardonnay with a nice mix of fruit-forward and tart flavors. It starts with peach, pear, and Golden Delicious apple, a touch of spice, and a little grapefruit. The mid-palate shows a salty, nutty "on lees" thing and nectarine. The acidity is well-balanced it allows the flavors to unfold but otherwise stays out of the way.The SummaryIf you are looking to explore California Chardonnay the Trader Joe's Reserve Carneros Chardonnay 2019 is a must-try.It is a rare opportunity to find a well-made Carneros Chardonnay at a value price.

California Chardonnay, your ABCs and a majestic interview with Beth Pearce MW. ON THE ROAD with Chuck Cramer is about California’s cool, aspirational lifestyle and awesome wines hosted by Chuck Cramer, a California native, living in London and is the Director of European sales & marketing, Terlato Wines. This is a wine journey covering the hottest topics in the business of wine, chatting along the way with the key influencers in the trade who make it all happen. This week’s episode includes an interview with Beth Pearce MW, wine buyer, Majestic Wines.

In this episode we talk about Chance’s glorious mustache and more importantly Burgundy white wines. Most whites from this French region are Chardonnay. Much different tasting than a California Chardonnay! You can pick up Dustin’s bottle for $25 here -> https://bit.ly/2TOqhnx Thanks so much for listening! We hope you enjoy!! #Cheers

The StoryThe Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc 2019 is a young wine sourced from vineyards in the Stellenbosch region of South Africa. Ken Forrester is one of the leading wineries in South Africa, their farm dates back to 1689 with grapevines first planted in 1694. Ken Forrester bought the rundown derelict estate in 1993 and started producing wine in 1994. he is acknowledged as one of the best growers of Chenin Blanc.The Stellenbosch region is situated in the Western Cape not far from Cape Town. It is one of the oldest wine-producing areas in South Africa and is considered to be an elite growing region. The summers are warm and dry and the climate is considered to be similar to the Mediterranean, think Italy or the south of France. Chenin Blanc is a grape that is originally from the Loire Valley in France. But like how now Sauvignon Blanc is well known from New Zealand, South Africa is the place for Chenin Blanc.The Petit is the wine name that means this is a "young" wine that receives little or no aging. These are the real drink-it-now wines, the sooner you drink it from its release date the better. These are wines that are not meant to be put away for a year or two. In 2020 drink the 2019 vintage, next year in 2021 grab the 2020 vintage. South Africa has its seasons the reverse of the US, these grapes were probably picked last May. Give them a little time to produce the wine, maybe a little bit of aging, a month or two and then the bottles are shipped out. As a young wine, this Chenin should be bright, crisp and fruity/citrus. Chenin Blanc is an extremely versatile grape, it can get the full winemakers treatment with loads of oak barrel aging that will cellar for decades, or made into wonderful sparkling wine, and everything on down to a young drink-it-now wine.That may well be one of the reasons that a delicious wine such as Chenin Blanc is not more popular. It can take on so many personalities that you may love one brand and not be impressed by the next. Chardonnay is also a versatile grape, but most US wine drinkers know what to expect from California Chardonnay in each price range. They are all different, but usually variations on a theme. Chenin is more of a mystery from one bottle to the next. But not with the Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc 2019, a young Chenin Blanc should have reliable characteristics. the alcohol content is 13%.Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc 2019 Tasting NotesThe color is pale wheat yellow. The nose is pretty, tangerine, peach, pear, apple, lemon/lime, spring flowers, and pink grapefruit. This is a very tasty wine with a more substantial mouthfeel than I was expecting for a young wine. The mouthfeel has a lightly syrupy feel, it tastes of a mix of lime, apricot, orange, and light spice. There are lemon curd and green apple.The mid-palate adds a salty sensation, a little tropical fruit, and tart grapefruit. the acidity is real good, it allows the flavors to unfold and will have you smacking your lips and reaching for the next sip.The Summary The Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc 2019 is a delicious, reasonably priced (I found it on sale for $11.99) White wine. Yes, it is a young wine, but there are loads of flavors and a ton of personality. This is a very likable wine. This is one of those wine where you need to buy twice as many bottles that you originally intended to, don't worry there won't be any leftovers. 

Laurence Sterling from Iron Horse Vineyards is here today with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country. Barry Herbst, the wine buyer at Bottle Barn, is also here. The Iron Horse Vineyards property was one of the original post-gold-rush farm estates. The owners sold it to Rodney Strong, who had a vision in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s that it would be an ideal place to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Then Laurence Sterling's father who was an international attorney living in Paris, brought back a large wine collection when he bought the vineyard and moved to California. He realized that he liked Pinot Noir because his cellar had less of it because he liked to drink it. They are tasting the 2015 Estate Chardonnay. Barry Herbst says they have it at Bottle Barn. They started a significant replanting of their vineyard in 2005, to focus on clones. 80% or so of California Chardonnay is Clone 4, the Wente clone. He wanted to get away from that by planting other clones. He had planted some Dijon clone Chardonnays, which were good for sparkling. He found two that he liked, one a version of the Wente called Heidl, and another, called Rued, after the California viticulturalist who developed it. That combination allowed them to develop a Chardonnay wine of unique character. Dan Berger describes opening a bottle of 2005 Rued Iron Horse Chardonnay recently and letting it set in a decanter for about an hour. He says, “This stuff is just totally phenomenal. It's why I bought as much as I did at the beginning.” Steve asks Dan to tell him why he likes this Chard so much and the answer is, it is transitional. In another three or four or ten years this 2015 will be even better. Dan says that most California Chardonnays are not made with the carefully selected grapes and the highest level of skill in winemaking, but the Iron Horse ones are, and it shows. They can last 15-20 years. Laurence Sterling Their winemaker looks for a perfect oak balance and one of his techniques is to use water-bent or steam-bent barrels. Most barrel staves are bent over flame, which toasts the wood and imparts a kind of raw openness. They do toast them, but only after they have steamed them. The other trait is that they will use some malolactic fermentation, as needed. Laurence and his wife and two children moved to Sonoma County from Los Angeles in 1990, after working there as a corporate attorney. He eventually took over vineyard operations. They also taste a 2017 unoaked Chardonnay, which Dan Berger calls the most transparent wine you can make in California, because there is no barrel and nothing else between you and the wine. Decanting it for an hour or a day allow it to open up a lot. It's like Chablis, with no oak, in that way. The unoaked Chard came about “totally by accident” at first. Since their bladder press broke they had to extract the juice differently, in the de-stemmer, which had the effect of moderating the acidity. Also, barrels were scarce. So their motto is “adapt, improvise, improve.” The unoaked slightly outsells the estate Chardonnay at Bottle Barn, says Barry Herbst. All the Wente clones date back to the Wente vineyard planted in 1913 from Chardonnay rootstock delivered from the University of Montpellier, France. From there, they distributed cuttings which ended up all over the state and nobody really kept track of where or when.

Laurence Sterling from Iron Horse Vineyards is here today with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country. Barry Herbst, the wine buyer at Bottle Barn, is also here. The Iron Horse Vineyards property was one of the original post-gold-rush farm estates. The owners sold it to Rodney Strong, who had a vision in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s that it would be an ideal place to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Then Laurence Sterling’s father who was an international attorney living in Paris, brought back a large wine collection when he bought the vineyard and moved to California. He realized that he liked Pinot Noir because his cellar had less of it because he liked to drink it. They are tasting the 2015 Estate Chardonnay. Barry Herbst says they have it at Bottle Barn. They started a significant replanting of their vineyard in 2005, to focus on clones. 80% or so of California Chardonnay is Clone 4, the Wente clone. He wanted to get away from that by planting other clones. He had planted some Dijon clone Chardonnays, which were good for sparkling. He found two that he liked, one a version of the Wente called Heidl, and another, called Rued, after the California viticulturalist who developed it. That combination allowed them to develop a Chardonnay wine of unique character. Dan Berger describes opening a bottle of 2005 Rued Iron Horse Chardonnay recently and letting it set in a decanter for about an hour. He says, “This stuff is just totally phenomenal. It’s why I bought as much as I did at the beginning.” Steve asks Dan to tell him why he likes this Chard so much and the answer is, it is transitional. In another three or four or ten years this 2015 will be even better. Dan says that most California Chardonnays are not made with the carefully selected grapes and the highest level of skill in winemaking, but the Iron Horse ones are, and it shows. They can last 15-20 years. Their winemaker looks for a perfect oak balance and one of his techniques is to use water-bent or steam-bent barrels. Most barrel staves are bent over flame, which toasts the wood and imparts a kind of raw openness. They do toast them, but only after they have steamed them. The other trait is that they will use some malolactic fermentation, as needed. Laurence and his wife and two children moved to Sonoma County from Los Angeles in 1990, after working there as a corporate attorney. He eventually took over vineyard operations. They also taste a 2017 unoaked Chardonnay, which Dan Berger calls the most transparent wine you can make in California, because there is no barrel and nothing else between you and the wine. Decanting it for an hour or a day allow it to open up a lot. It’s like Chablis, with no oak, in that way. The unoaked Chard came about “totally by accident” at first. Since their bladder press broke they had to extract the juice differently, in the de-stemmer, which had the effect of moderating the acidity. Also, barrels were scarce. So their motto is “adapt, improvise, improve.” The unoaked slightly outsells the estate Chardonnay at Bottle Barn, says Barry Herbst. All the Wente clones date back to the Wente vineyard planted in 1913 from Chardonnay rootstock delivered from the University of Montpellier, France. From there, they distributed cuttings which ended up all over the state and nobody really kept track of where or when.

This is a brief discussion that occurred between Steve Matthiasson and myself before we started recording for the podcast episode published previous to this publishing. In this conversation, Steve and I discuss the human element in wine in regards to terroir. This subject came up after myself speaking to comparative tastings of white Burgundy and California Chardonnay, the differences between the two in terms of minerality and richness, followed by the stylistic differences. Steve argues that the primary difference is the human element and style, which more often that not is left out of the conversation of terroir.

Wind Song Chardonnay 2018 ALDIThe StoryThe Wind Song Chardonnay 2018 ALDI is a $7.99 Aldi exclusive sourced from vineyards in the Margaret River district of Western Australia. Most Australian wines in the under twenty dollar price range come from South Australia or Southeast Australia. Margaret River is on the other side of the country, near the city of Perth and has a very different climate from the rest of the Australian grape growing areas.Margaret River is a cooler grape growing area with some of the lowest rainfall totals in Australia, cool and dry is exactly what grapes need. The wineries around here tend to be low production and boutique. They are getting a reputation in high-end wine circles for Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion blends (Bordeaux White style) and Chardonnay. Not the region that you would typically find producing $7.99 grocery store brand wines.The statistic I read in several publications is Margaret River produces 2% or 3% of Australian wine production, but 20% of its high-end wines. So in its own way this Western Australian Chardonnay is an anomaly in the same way the occasional twelve dollars Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is when featured at Trader Joe's or Costco.Aldi does not give tasting or technical notes for its wines, but since the climate is more in keeping with Burgundy in France (if not necessarily the soil), this is a Chardonnay that may be produced in the French style as opposed to Eastern Australia or the familiar California Chardonnay. This is one of the things I love by the exclusive brands from the Aldi, Trader Joe's, Costco, etc., there are wines that would not exist at this price range if not for store brands.If the wineries here can easily sell there Chardonnay for $35 or $40 there isn't much incentive to make one for eight bucks. That makes the Wind Song Chardonnay 2018 ALDI an interesting wine well worth trying. Is it the same as the usual more pricey wines from the region? Probably not, it may be made in a more drink-it-now style, which is fine because I am going to drink it, like right now.But  I thoroughly expect the Wind Song to be a somewhat new experience. I have tasted Western Australian wines at Trade Tastings, but never a value-priced one. I am looking forward to what the tasting experience offers. The alcohol content is 13.2%.Wind Song Chardonnay 2018 ALDI Tasting NotesThe color is clean, clear, pale wheat yellow. The nose is not shy, there is lemon curd, green apple, melon, peach, Anjou pear, light spice, a little vanilla, coconut milk, and spring flowers. It has a great nose.  The Wind Song Chardonnay is dry with a firm mouthfeel and rich flavor. It starts with a stew of grapefruit, melon, and very tart apple, followed by dried apricot pieces, and soft spice. The mid-palate shows a touch of cream, a little of that salty, cashew thing, and tangerine. There is good well-balanced acidity, you know the usual, the acidity allows the flavors to unfold and adds enough of sizzle on your palate to get you reaching for another sip. The finish is full and of reasonable length.The Summary * I have found in my years of writing CheapWineFinder.com that I often find very good Chardonnay, but rarely find great Chardonnay. * The Wind Song Margaret River Chardonnay 2018 is a very good Chardonnay and you have to give it extra points for not only being valued priced but being value-priced from a region that does not do value-priced wine. * Finding greatness in sub ten dollar Chardonnay isn't realistic,

The Story The Sean Minor 4B Chardonnay 2018 is 100% Chardonnay sourced from several contracted vineyards in California's Central Coast AVA. Sean Minor Wines do not have their vineyards but have long term contracts with selected vineyards. They have a full line-up of wines from affordable White and Red wines to single-vineyard Pinot Noir, though they concentrate more value-priced wine. You may remember this wine from when they were 4 Bears Wines, there is still a 4B on the label. The 4 Bears name came about when the Minors were tasting different blends of their wines. Something along the lines of one was too big, one was too small, and another was just right and their four-year-old thought the process reminded him of the story of the 3 Bears. Well, they had four kids and they couldn't leave one kid out, so the wines became 4 Bears wine.The 4B Chardonnay is made the way I usually like my Chardonnay, a little oak barrel, a little malolactic fermentation. A percentage of this Chardonnay was fermented in smaller French oak barrels with the rest fermented in stainless steel tanks. Oak barrels are of course watertight but they do allow a tiny amount of air transfer with the Chardonnay. Stainless steel tanks are watertight and airtight. Everything you do to the wine causes some sort of change, so the Chardonnay that had a tad bit of air contact will be different from the Chardonnay that was kept from oxygen exposure, And then there is the difference from a small barrel and a huge stainless steel tank.That brings us to malolactic fermentation which is something that almost always occurs in Red wine. This is a process or a fermentation that takes the tart-tasting naturally occurring acid in the wine and converts it to a more rounded tasting acid. Most White wines want to keep the tart acidity, but Chardonnay that sees a bit of oak barrel conditioning responds well to Malolactic fermentation. Since only a portion of the wine saw oak barrels only a portion undergoes malolactic.Producing a Chardonnay this way gives the wine varied flavors and complexity. Both tart and rounded flavors, some of that butter and vanilla that French oak brings to Chardonnay, but not too much. It is a style that gives a little bit of something for everybody. The alcohol content is 13.5%.Chardonnay Tasting NotesThe color is bright and shiny butter yellow. The nose is ripe and juicy, there is apple, lemon, pear, peach lime, honey, apricot, and a floral edge. This wine has a nice rounded mouth-feel along with an interesting flavor profile. It tastes of melon and lemon mix, followed by grapefruit, a little honey, and pear. The mid-palate brings apple, a dash of butter, a little vanilla cream, and lime. There is also that salty, nutty thing from "on-lees", but the tech notes didn't mention "on lees". The acidity is solid, enough to allow all the flavors to develop, but not enough to be sharp on the palate. The finish is full and lasts a decent length of time.The Summary The Sean Minor 4B Chardonnay 2018 is a tasty, well-priced Chardonnay (I found it on sale for $9.99). It is a well-made classic California Chardonnay. The Central Coast is a great place to find delicious value-priced wines. Yes, you can find Chardonnay from fancy well-known AVAs, but there is typically an additional price to pay for the famous growing regions. And these places do produce great Chardonnay, but when you need a tasty, well-priced, everyday Chardonnay the Central Coast AVA matches up well. This is one of those wines that get you reaching for your glass without actually thinking about it. Your brain just says MORE. Check out the companion Podcast below!!!!!!

The StoryThe Lagranja 360 Verdejo Viura 2018 is a $4.99 Trader Joe's import exclusive sourced from vineyards in the Castilla y Leon region of northeast Spain. The Verdejo grape is indigenous to Spain and widely planted and the Viura grape is also known as Macabeo which is one of the 3 grapes traditionally used to make Cava. Trader Joe's carries a whole line of Lagranja 360 wines which are very representative of the types of wine that average Spaniards drink every day.The Castilla y Leon region wraps around the northeast corner of Portugal but does not extend to the Ocean either north or west. The wines of this region are Vino de la Tierra wines which are one step below the DO wines and are roughly the same as IGP wines of Italy and France. The grapes come local communes.A commune is a group of small farmers who band together to pool their resources and produce wine on a scale much larger than they could provide individually. Lagranja 360 seems to have tapped into these communes in different regions of Spain to produce their wines. In the ranking order of wine, a commune is seen as a step or two below wineries with their own estate vineyards. But when dealing with value-priced wine a commune is a great way to get a good wine at a good price.This is the type of wine that folks in Spain who drink wine with lunch and dinner drink. The crazy thing about this Trader Joe's import wine is that it is sold in the US for about the same price it would be in Spain. The majority of people who use wine for their daily meal never spend more than ten bucks for a wine. Wines selling for a few Euros routinely are paired with the meal.One thing you need to remember with wines that are produced particularly for food consumption is that they are designed to reach their balance when sipped with food, they may seem a little too acidic when sipping alone. The Lagranja 360 is produced for export so concessions are made for how Americans drink wine. It will probably be a little more fruit-forward than its Spanish equivalent to better appeal to the American palate.This White wine is Vegan-friendly and uses natural yeast for fermentation. Natural yeast is the yeast that floats in the air and is naturally attached to the grapes' skins. It is thought these yeasts are better suited for the grapes, though I doubt if most people could tell the difference between natural yeast and commercial yeast. Then again natural is usually the way to go when possible. The alcohol content is a mild 12.5%.The Verdejo Viura Tasting NotesThe color is barely there, just a little pale wheat yellow. The nose is ripe and fresh, sort of reminds me of California Chardonnay, there is apple, peach, apricots, pears, lemon, lime, and orange blossom honey. This is a flavorful, crisp wine with just a hint of sweetness (nectar sweet, not sugar sweet). It tastes of grapefruit, peach, green apple, soft spice, and dried apricot. The mid-palate offers lime, the tasting notes mentioned banana and I don't know if it the power of suggestion, but I tasted banana cream. The acidity is solid, this $4.99 wine will make a very good food wine. The finish is strong and sticks around.The Summary * Four ninety-nine never tasted so good. * In a blind tasting with regular ten bucks White wines you would never pick out the Lagranja 360 as the five buck wine. * Cheap and delicious is a very good thing. 

For this week’s California Wine Country podcast here is a repeat of our interview with Byron Kosuge from February 7, 2018. (Due to a live NBA game on home station KSRO in Santa Rosa, there is no new show this week.) Byron Kosuge, winemaker, is today’s guest on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Byron Kosuge is the winemaker at his own label, B Kosuge Wines, in addition to having been the winemaker at Saintsbury and many other labels. Today’s Tastings from B Kosuge Wines: 2016 Gamay Noir, Carneros 2015 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 2015 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, The Habitat Today’s guest is Byron Kosuge who has been making wine for 30 years, but a lot of it was under the radar. He was with Saitsbury in Carneros, Napa Valley, but he didn’t get a lot of publicity. Byron says he liked being behind the scenes. He got into wine to make it, not sell it or represent it. He grew up in Davis and his dad was a professor there, though not in wine. He started as an English major but had an aptitude for chemistry and entered the wine program. He makes his wine in Sebastopol, but does have one Carneros vineyard he works with. Dan points out that B Kosuge wines is a small brand and he makes small quantities. Typically small quantity producers charge a lot but he does not. He says it was important to him for his prices to seem fair on “the global stage.” His wines are available on his website and he has been sold at retail in Bottle Barn sometimes, when there is supply, since he makes so little of it. Dan says of the Chardonnay that they are tasting, that it is delicate, fragrant, citrussy, blossomy. It’s not a sipping wine, it’s for having with food so its beautiful structure will work within that context. About 2/3s of it is done in oak and some in a concrete egg, which Steve and Dan insist he explain. It’s a little tank, shaped like an egg. His interest in it is for properties associated with the egg shape, but he wanted it in concrete and not stainless steel. He wanted to ferment and age in the same tank, which he can’t do in stainless steel. He says the wine gets a little bit of oxygen so it develops more quickly as it would in stainless steel. The end result is a portion of the wine that is quite fresh and perfumed and bright, and another part that is rich, which has more oak, typical California Chardonnay, and they get put together. Steve says the result is very subtle. Dan says you start to salivate as soon as you taste it, “…it entices you with its little nuances.” Byron Kosuge was the winemaker at Saintsbury. Dan notes that they never made ostentatious wines and he asks Byron Kosuge whether their style was already set when he started working there. He says the style was established since 1981 when he started in 1985. The founders were Burgundy lovers and that was their inspiration and their standard. They make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, almost exclusively. Byron Kosuge tells how he thinks many young winemakers come out of school with a good idea of the way they want to make wine; he had no idea at that stage, he just wanted a job. He feels that he was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Dan suggests that this Chardonnay is an all-purpose wine and it will be even better in three or four years. Byron Kosuge says he does not necessarily set out to make a long-lived wine, but rather for it to be balanced, complete and refreshing. He thinks it’s a by-product of making wine that way, that it will also age well. Dan thinks the bottle is worthy of a $55 or $60 price, even if it sells for $35. Next they taste a Gamay, which is typically used to make Gamay Beaujolais or Beaujolais Nouveau. That trivializes the variety, but this is Gamay Noir as it should be: serious, top drawer stuff. You don’t have to age it very much and it goes with everything. It can be chilled or served at room temperature. Byron Kosuge does not have a tasting room,

The StoryThe Tempest Bay Carneros Chardonnay 2018 is a $7.99 Trader Joe's wine sourced from grapes grown on the Napa side of Carneros, the Carneros AVA is half in Sonoma and half in Napa. The Carneros AVA is located a good distance from the Pacific Ocean, but its southern border is the San Pablo Bay (the bay just north of the San Fransico Bay) which brings cool Ocean breezes and morning fog. Carneros is one of the premier Chardonnay regions in the US (they are known for Pinot Noir, too) and many of the wineries located here are the Whos Who of California wine. So, a $7.99 Carneros Chardonnay is a welcome find.Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer states that "you normally wouldn't find a Carneros Chardonnay of this quality for under $20" and that is not an exaggeration. You may find a brand (a wine not tied to a specific Winery) Chardonnay for around $20, but Carneros Chardonnay gets expensive in a hurry. I checked the COLA website (the government website that keeps alcohol records) and found that the Tempest Bay label name is owned by a very highly respected Sonoma winery. I won't name them since how they fit into this can vary. Since this seems to be a wine that Trader Joe's contracted with them to produce and this isn't one of their own wines, you can't infer too much other than they do know how to make high-quality wine.The Tempest Bay Chardonnay does have a write-up in Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer, which gives a few clues on how this Chardonnay is produced. They mention vanilla, baking spices, and toasted oak which would indicate a fairly serious oak seasoning program. There is no mention of oak barrels, so how those flavors were imparted into the wine isn't specified, but you wouldn't figure that new French oak barrels are used on a $7.99 wine. Then again, it does not make much sense to be too critical or demanding of an 8 buck Carneros Chardonnay. The alcohol content is 13.4%.The Tasting NotesThe color is a wheat beer yellow with a touch of gold. The nose is full of ripe fruit and citrus, there is an apple, lime, orange blossom honey, lemon, vanilla, candy spice, pear, peach, and melon. This is a Chardonnay with balanced acidity and subtle flavors. It tastes of lemon curd, tart green apple, melon, vanilla, ripe peach, and Anjou pear. The mid-palate is slightly spicey, with that nutty, salty sensation from "on lees", and banana cream (faint). The acidity is very well balanced, the flavors have plenty of time to unfold. The finish starts strong and slowly, very slowly fades away.The Summary With writing for Cheapwinefinder.com, I do not have a great deal of experience with Carneros Chardonnay. Its almost always out of the price range for the website and while I do get to sample it now and again at tastings, I really didn't have a good fix on what to expect with the Tempest Bay. The Tempest Bay is not as fruit-forward as the typical $10 California Chardonnay, there is a subtlety there, it builds slowly in flavor. I actually really enjoy several Chardonnay wines in the ten buck price range, they are bright and fruit-forward and often delicious. But this Carneros Chardonnay is not exactly the same, it hits your palate in a slightly different way, the acidity seems more integrated. My favorite value-priced Chardonnay are still my favorites, but I am glad I bought this wine. It brings elegance to $7.99 California Chardonnay. CHECK OUT THE COMPANION PODCAST BELOW !!!! 

The best way to learn about wine is to drink it. A lot of it. No, this isn’t us saying “get drunk all the time”, but it does mean that studying wine in a book will only get you so far. At some point, you’re going to have to crack open a bottle and take a sip.If you’re new to wine, we recommend you try wines from varying styles and see which you think. Eliminate any you don’t like, and continue to explore those that taste good. Easy peasy.For those who are a bit more experienced, maybe try various wines in a certain category like 2010 Pinot Noir, or California Chardonnay across vintages.There’s no “right” way to conduct a wine tasting - any theme can be chosen. The only way to do it wrong is if you overthink it, because keep in mind…it’s not what wine you drink, but who you drink it with.

This is a disappearances episode folks. Remember when Olivia Newton John's boyfriend disappeared? Nydia recaps the story and shares some updates. Dana dives into the dark theories behind Amelia Earhart's mysterious disappearance. We have takeout from a local eatery and share a bottle of Cycles Gladiator a California Chardonnay.  You can find the links to the stories and recipes on:www.winedineandstorytime.comCheck us out on Social too!! https://www.facebook.com/winedineandstorytimehttps://www.instagram.com/winedinestorytime/https://twitter.com/WDStoryTime

This episode focuses on wines for the traditional Thanksgiving feast.   If you're the host, the easiest way to choose the right wines is to put the task on your guests. Everyone asks "what can I bring?" Tell them one bottle of their favorite wine and a second bottle of a wine type that you specify based on what you learn in this episode.   If you're the host and providing all the wine, figure on 2-3 glasses per person.   One standard (750ml) bottle of wine equals 5 generous glasses.   So, if you expect 10 people at dinner, 10 times 3 glasses is 30 glasses, divided by 5 equals 6 bottles.   However, if you expect a LOT of wine drinking -- perhaps because many people are staying over, walking home, or getting an uber home -- just figure on one bottle per person to be safe.   Insider tips   For Champagne, get "non-vintage" as its best bang for your buck   Lambrusco is a red, slightly sparkling to fully sparkling wine that is OUTSTANDING with food, and especially good with Thanksgiving dishes   Riesling is also a GREAT match for Thanksgiving dishes Look for Alsace, Germany, Washington state   Both Riesling and Lambrusco come in various sweetness levels From bone dry to sweet   Almost any white wine from Italy will work with just about everything on the table, because Italian whites tend to be food friendly.   Similarly, almost all rose wines will work as well. The best rose wines in the world are from the French regions of Provence, Tavel, and Bandol.   Put Beaujolais wine in the fridge for 15-20 minutes before serving. A slight chill brings out the flavors of this light and fruity red wine.   Wine Recommendations FULL DISCLOSURE, these brands are marketed by my employer, Kobrand Corp. More info on all of these wines can be found at http://www.kobrandwineandspirits.com/.   California Chardonnay brands - Cakebread - Sequoia Grove - St. Francis - The Seeker   Champagne - Taittinger   California sparkling wine - Domaine Carneros   Cava - Poema   Prosecco - Caposaldo   Lambrusco - Medici Ermete   Riesling brands - Domaine Zind-Humbrecht - The Seeker - Shades of Blue   White Burgundy Three levels: Bourgogne Blanc (AC), Premier Cru, Grand Cru Areas: Macon Village, Macon Lugny, Chablis Brands: - Louis Jadot - Domaine Ferret   Sauvignon Blanc brands - Craggy Range (New Zealand) - Infamous Goose (New Zealand) - Montes (Chile) - Cakebread (Napa) - St. Francis (Sonoma) - Pighin (Italy) - Jacques Dumont (Sancerre, France) - Michel Redde (Sancerre, France) - Michel Redde (Pouilly-Fume, France)   Pinot Grigio brands - Pighin - Caposaldo - Bollini - Masi - The Seeker   Other Italian white wines - Villa Matilde Greco di Tufo, Falanghina - Michele Chiarlo Gavi "Rovereto" - Michele Chiarlo Gavi "Le Marne" - Michele Chiarlo Roero Arneis "Le Madri" - Agricola Punica Vermentino "Samas Isola dei Nuraghi" - Campo al Mare Vermentino di Bolgheri DOC - Feudo Maccari Grillo - Feudo Maccari Contrada Santo Spirito Animalucente Etna DOC - Tenuta di Salviano Orvieto     Zinfandel - St. Francis   Pinot Noir From Burgundy There are three levels: Bourgogne Rouge, Premier Cru, and Grand Cru. Brand: Louis jadot   Pinot Noir Brands from California - Cakebread - St. Francis   Pinot Noir from Oregon - Resonance   Beaujolais Make sure it is Beaujolais AC, Beaujolais-Villages, or a "Cru" Beaujolais Crus include: Brouilly, Chenas, Chiroubles, Cote de Brouilly, Fleurie, Julienas, Morgon, Moulin-a-Vent, Regnie, Saint-Amour Nouveau is highly promoted at this time of year but not necessarily recommended. Maybe get one bottle for fun, and make certain it is from this year. Brands: - Louis Jadot - Chateau des Jacques   Rose brands: - AIX (Provence) - Louis Jadot (Burgundy) - Jacques Dumont (Sancerre) - Masi (Veneto) - Bollni - Salviano (Umbria) - Alta Vista (Argentina) - Montes (Chile) - Caposaldo (Italy) - Chateau La Nerthe (Rhone Valley) - Chateau d'Aqueria (Tavel) - Feudo Maccari (Sicily) - Maison Saleya (Provence) - The Seeker (Provence)   Find more Thanksgiving wine tips at http://insidewinepodcast.com/2   Have a question, comment, or idea for a future episode? email joe@insidewinepodcast.com  or leave a voicemail at  (917) 727-9242

The Story The Franciscan Napa & Monterey Chardonnay 2017 is sourced from vineyards in 63% Napa County (mostly Carneros and Southern Napa) and 37% Monterey County (including Arroyo Secco and San Bernabe). These are excellent Chardonnay growing regions where the average Chardonnay is far more expensive than the Franciscan's $14.99 list price. The list price for a wine and the price that you see on a wine shop shelf are rarely the same. Wines in this price range are often discounted. I actually found it in Chicago for $7.99, but that is something I will touch on in the companion podcast. This is a value priced Chardonnay with boutique-like technical details. The Franciscan Napa & Monterey Chardonnay 2017 under went malolactic fermentation and was aged "on lees". Portions of the Chardonnay was fermented with native yeast. That is the yeast that naturally floats in the air and also attached itself to the grape skin. 76% of the wine was fermented in oak barrels, 24% in stainless steel tanks. The barrel fermented portion was aged an additional 7 months in small French and American oak barrels. 30% of the barrels are new, the rest used. They even name the cooperage (the company that made the barrels) in the tasting notes. I can't remember ever seeing that detail in a wine in this price range. The Franciscan Chardonnay 2017 is a wine sourced from top-notch Chardonnay growing areas. Has production techniques that are common in far more expensive Chardonnay. But is priced with the value wines. The alcohol content is 13.5%. The Tasting Notes The color is a pale wheat yellow. The nose is husky melon and lemon, with sweet peach and pear, green apple and lime, spring flowers and a little spice. This is a medium-bodied Chardonnay, full flavored, with nice viscous mouth-feel. It tastes of a mix of peach and lemon, ripe Golden delicious apple, candy spice (not sweet), and Bosc pear. The mid-palate rocks, French vanilla, guava and custard, with a light slap of butterscotch. The acidity is well-balanced, though I think this is more of a sipping wine. Mainly because of the strong and distinct flavors, it may not balance well with all foods. But if you can get inspired and match up the flavors you should be well rewarded. The finish lingers for quite some time. The Summary * The Franciscan Napa & Monterey Chardonnay 2017 is an extremely well priced Chardonnay at its list price, it is a "think about buying a case" wine at the $7.99 price I found it at. * If you are worried about all the oak with barrels being used for both fermentation and aging, don't worry too much. This is "new" California Chardonnay, not the "old school" butter bombs of a decade ago. * This Chardonnay will stack up well with most Chardonnay under $25. Of course, preferring certain wines is subjective, but this is a quality Chardonnay.

This week we are talking about Monterey County wine region. This area is part of the larger Central Coast AVA that stretches from San Francisco to Santa Barbara County. There are approximately 46,000 acres of wine grapes making it one of the larger growing area in California.   Wine Recommendations Wente Riva Ranch Chardonnay 2016 - priced around $22. Aromas of golden apples, vanilla, melon and toasted marshmallow It’s dry, fuller bodied, with medium acidity with flavor similar to aromas Like the balance of acid, fruit and those oak aging flavors although it is fuller bodied the wine, it doesn’t feel like a heavy wine This is California Chardonnay done right   Birichino Malvasia Bianca 2016 - priced around $17. This wine has intense aromas of stone fruit, white flowers and orange It’s dry with medium acidity, medium body with flavors like the aromas- stonefruits, white flowers and orange oil Very unique and interesting wine, very fruity and intense wine   Hahn Pinot Noir 2016 - priced around $15. This wine has a light nose of red berries - cherries, strawberries and raspberries as well as sweet baking spices like Allspice as well as some savory, mushroom aromas It’s dry with medium plus acidity, light tannins, light body and flavors very similar to aromas just more intense fruit and mushrooms notes We did really enjoy this wine but we think it’s best with food. This Pinot has quite a bit of acidity and needs some fat to cut through it and really elevate the wine - maybe something earthy with mushrooms or lentils It's a great Pinot for under $20 Sources: Wikipedia  Wine-Searcher  Monterey Wine Country  Book: American Wine

The Carpe Diem Anderson Valley Chardonnay 2015 is 100% Chardonnay sourced from vineyards in the Anderson Valley AVA (about 100 miles north of San Francisco) which runs along the Pacific Coast of Mendocino County in Northern California. Carpe Diem is a joint project between the winemakers of Roederer Estate (the Champagne House's California holdings in Mendocino) who handle Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (both sourced in Anderson Valley) and Christian Moueix (Dominus Estate) who handles the Cabernet Sauvignon out of Napa Valley. The Carpe Diem is slightly out of CWF's normal price range of under $20, but this was found as an "end of bin" sale wine and selling for $12.99 ($22.99 list), so this is a cheap wine tip...look for close-outs and end of bin sales, they don't last long, but great bargains can be had. The Carpe Diem is a great change of pace, normally a value wines technical notes has more information about how great your life is going to be because your drinking their wine and little actual wine info. The Carpe Diem Chardonnay is offers a wealth of information, for instance they use natural yeast to start fermentation, that means the yeast floating naturally in the air and clinging to the skin of the grapes is what ferments the grape juice, no commercial yeast added. The use of oak with value-priced wine has become so vague that it has become a guessing game, what does aged "on" oak actually mean? They pour the juice "on" a barrel, over a barrel, under a barrel? I sort of know why they are not explicit, but trying to hide what they are doing is a little fishy. With the Carpe Diem they tell you the name of the cooperage that made the barrels, no did we or didn't we. The barrel regimen is 74% of the Chardonnay was fermented in 15% new barrel, 15% one use barrel, and 70% older barrels, 26% was fermented in stainless steel tanks, all the wine underwent malolactic fermentation. After fermentation the wine was aged an additional 9 months (in both barrel and tank) "on lees". The Chardonnay grape clones were 2 types of Burgundy clones, the main California Chardonnay clone in use today is the Wente clone, created over 100 years ago by Wente Vineyards, it is the clone you think of when drinking California Chardonnay. The Carpe Diem Chardonnay is not going that direction, this will be Burgundian in style. The alcohol content is a not so Burgundian, 14.2%. The color is pale golden yellow. The nose is not your usual 12 buck fruity and bright California Chardonnay, here the nose is complicated, there are distinct barrel aromas, not just the typical vanilla and spice, slightly smokey, the scent isn't just apple, it's a spiced apple pastry, there is Meyer lemon, exotic spice, flowers, the nose is worth the price of the bottle. This is a Chardonnay that you may wish to decant, if you pop the top and pour, you will be missing out on about half the flavor this Chardonnay has to offer. It tastes of crème brûlée and pear, mixed with not so tart ripe apple and melon. The mid-palate adds a little salty cashew, a mix of spice and lime, and lemon. The acidity is really, really good, if you tell a winemaker from Burgundy that their wine has terrific balanced acidity and great length, they are happy, that's exactly what they were going for. The Carpe Diem has balanced acidity and great length. This Chardonnay tastes better with each sip. I have heard that the wines that win gold in wine judging competitions are the wines that are in a different style than the other wines in its category, the similar wines all cancel each other out and the wine that was different stands out from the crowd. I write about value priced wine and in California that means bright, juicy, and fruit forward and the Carpe Diem Anderson Valley Chardonnay 2015 is a major stand-out for me.

Joined by American's Michele Brooks and Larry Hazen, we discuss a California Chardonnay, Philip Pullman, and the American Midterm Elections.Support the show (https://www.buzzsprout.com/210926/podcast/website)

In the 2nd episode of the ‘Matt Talks Wine & Stuff With Interesting People’ Podcast Matt gives some advice on the proper etiquette at wine tastings (Get out of the way once your glass has been poured!). This week’s recommendation is a tasty California Chardonnay and Matt interviews a master of Chianti Classico Prince Duccio Corsini.

Richmond, California: A City of Pride and Purpose. When one hears about the City of Richmond, they could not be faulted if the first images that came to mind centered around crime and violence. But that is not the full story of Richmond. The City of Richmond is endowed with a long, rich history that plays an important role in our own country's history. Here to shed some more light on Richmond's proud history is Melinda McCrary of the Richmond History Museum. A very educational episode while we enjoyed a 2016 Unruly Rampant Chardonnay available at Bevmo for $17. This wine is buttery and a classic California Chardonnay that will rival the big boys | Guest: http://bit.ly/2AFJaS1 | Wine: http://bit.ly/2AHNWhJ Address: 400 Nevin Rd. Richmond, CA        Hours: Wed- Sun 1-4pm Museum Website: richmondmuseum.org        Admission: Adults $5, Students/ Seniors $3                                                                         Kids get in Free Starting with the wine Unruly Ramport Chardonnay From Mendocino Can be bought at BevMo Getting started Lived in Richmond for the past 8 years, originally from Chicago Fell in love with the architecture/ style of Richmond Saving Historical Buildings Old Mechanics Bank Building Brick Buildings across from Nevin Park Museum Director of the Museum Interests in past and contemporary Richmond Started as intern, moved up in 5 years Talk about the Museum Carnegie Library until 1949, became a branch library in the 50's or 60's Remolded late 70's into a museum Richmond Prior to WWII Ohlone Indians lived along Bayshore Mexican Government take over Americans move in during the Gold Rush Geographical Situation Lots of room for ports Industrial companies wanted space on the Bay Richmond soon became a wine haven, leader in wine production After WWII Shipyards closing led to loss of 75,000 jobs No pay discrimination Hilltop Mall another blow to Richmond economy Pricing out and gentrification Back to the Museum Panoramic Photo: Picture taken in 1914, shows past agriculture climate WWII brought a lot more homes 3 Significant Events 1: Francisco Castro arrives in Richmond, first European settlement 2: Richmond Refinery established in early 1900's Led to arrival of Standard Oil/ Chevron, Railroad 3: Denzal Dahl Murder in 1968, led to increased Black Panther movement in Richmond Protests in Sacramento, Regan governor at the time Crime in Richmond Media fatigue on crime Changing the narrative Admissions and Donating Donate on the website Research Room Lots of old books, maps Anyone allowed to use for research Records date back to 1908, been collecting since 1951 Exhibits 1931 Model A Ford- one of the first off the assembly line purchased by museum for $1 mint condition, fully restored Old Reed Boat- part of Native American Exhibit Working on updating it, will be interactive Developing/ restoring old black and white photos Location/ Hours/ Website/ Wrap up

Brian interviews Bryan Schneider, the beverage director for Quality Branded restaurant group in New York. He has created inventive cocktails on menus across the city since 2005, from Michelin-starred Daniel to Brooklyn’s Clover Club, including the maybe-way-too-inventive “California Chardonnay.” *This podcast is forging an alliance between Brians and Bryans for the betterment of BRY-uhns everywhere

This week's episode explores California Chardonnay including the history of the grape, styles of winemaking, and wine recommendations.

Who better to talk with about the diversity and history of our most popular white wine grape than a member of California’s First Family of Chardonnay? I welcome Wente Vineyards CEO and Fourth Generation Winegrower Carolyn Wente to the show. We talk about the variety of styles available to suit anyone’s palate as well as food pairings that make your … Read more about this episode...

The history of California Chardonnay with Kevin O'Connor of Lioco Wine Company.  For shownotes go to www.understandingwine.tv