Podcasts about simi winery

Simi Winery Landslide Vineyard Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon In this episode, Rob and Scott review the excellent Landslide Vineyard Cabernet from Simi.  So come join us, on The Wine Vault. 

Welcome to episode 1163 in which we delve into Low and non-alcoholic wine. Welcome to Wine2Wine Business Forum 2021 Series. The sessions are recorded and uploaded on Italian Wine Podcast. wine2wine is an international wine business forum, held annually in Verona Italy since 2014. The event is a key reference point for wine producers and a diverse variety of wine professionals eager to develop and grow their wine business worldwide. About the Speakers Dr. Monika Christmann Prof. Dr. Monika Christmann was born in Germany. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Beverage Technology and a Master of Science in Oenology from the Justus-Liebig University. At the same University, she became a Doctor in Agricultural Sciences. For three years she worked as Quality Controller and R&D Manager for Sichel Winery (Alzey). In 1991 Prof. Dr. Christmann became Laboratory Director and Member of Winemaking Teams at SIMI Winery, Healdsburg (California). More about this speaker: https://www.hs-geisenheim.de/en/persons/person/100/ Dr. Matthias Schmitt Dr Matthias Schmitt has been working as a researcher at the Institute of Oenology at Geisenheim University since 2010. He completed the Vinifera EuroMaster course with various European universities. His subsequent doctorate was dedicated to the prevention of steadily increasing alcohol content in wine. Since then, his research has focused on the investigation of new oenological processes and strategies for adapting wine and sparkling wine production to climate change. Let's keep in touch! Follow us on our social media channels: Instagram @italianwinepodcast Facebook @ItalianWinePodcast Twitter @itawinepodast Tiktok @MammaJumboShrimp LinkedIn @ItalianWinePodcast If you feel like helping us, donate here www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show Until next time, cin cin!

Here's what's trending - Reese Witherspoon teams up with SIMI Winery for Book Club, more Kardashians baby news, and the Best Lead Singer of All Time according to Rolling Stone readers

Nick Goldschmidt Winemaker Nick Goldschmidt is our in-studio guest today on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. He came from New Zealand and has been making wine in California for 32 years. Nick is the owner of Goldschmidt Vineyards. His studies included civil engineering, organics and biodynamics in New Zealand then a degree in viticulture and a post-graduate degree in enology in Australia. After that he worked in Chile in the late ‘80s and then came to California in 1989. He got a job at Simi Winery in 1990, owned by LVMH. Wine and More In 1992 he was appointed their Global Blender, responsible for blends across a wide portfolio of brands produced in several countries. In 1999 Constellation bought them. He left Simi in 2003 to another conglomerate with 58 wineries in 7 countries. He got to collaborate with many great winemakers. Then in 2008 he started his own label. He also owns a company that makes wine for other people, he holds some patents on machinery and he consults to several wineries. He continues to travel extensively in the southern and northern hemispheres. Nick's wines as precise scientifically, says Dan Berger, carefully produced and exhibits the character it is supposed to. For someone who makes so much wine in so many places, they are all excellent. Click the logo to visit our sponsor Bottle Barn online for the best deals on wine, beer and spirits. Dan Berger also has brought a cellar wine again. Since Nick mentioned that he likes Chablis, Dan got a 2006 Chablis from his cellar Joseph Druin Premier Cru. Nick says that this reminds him of where he was in 2006, he worked for the Jim Beam company at the time. He remembers the vintage and later he compared making beer and wine, and says that making wine is different every year, as the art of the practical. Nick prefers that to making beer, which he finds “boring” since it's the same day-to-day, batch after batch. Tastings The Singing Tree 2019 Goldschmidt Russian River Chardonnay that they taste comes from the Dutton vineyard. This is old vine Chardonnay that is planted in Sonoma County Goldridge soil. Dan Berger notices the shallot flavors in the background and a lemon or citrus note up front and a richness in the center. The Dutton vineyard produces less friut per acre but of extremely high quality. The next tasting is a wine of his production. He tells the story that he was living in Chile under the dictator, who cut off electricity to the winery, so he had to make wine without it. They converted all their processes to non-electric and called it an “unplugged” wine. It's named and labeled after his daughter Chelsea. They are located on Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg. They have a little tasting room. Call (707) 431-8277 for information. Next they taste a 2020 Alexander Valley Cabernet named Katherine after his middle daughter. It comes from a little valley east of Geyserville. The last Cabernet is the Forefathers label, a wine he started when he still worked for corporations. He thinks of certain places as the best for certain varieties (SV in NZ, Malbec in ARG, etc). He thinks Cabernet is best made on the north coast. Its label has a pair of boots he used to wear in the vineyard. They call it Lone Tree vineyard because there is one lone tree in it. It is very dark in color.

In the final part of this episode of Wine & Wisdom, Thomas, Cam and Chris weigh in on the hot topics that have made headlines over the past few weeks. They share their opinion on Harry and Meghan's Oprah interview, as well as Piers Morgan's departure from TV after receiving backlash for his comments on the topic. The boys ask the tough questions in their continued fight against ‘fake news', chatting all things Trump's Twitter ban, Australia's COVID vaccine rollout, the property market and finance. In this part, Thomas brings a 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon from Simi Winery, United States.

This week, it’s all about Cabernet Franc! Why? Because it’s #NationalCabernetFrancDay! Finally a wine day that lands on a Friday! Join Shelley and Phil as they taste a Cabernet Franc from Chinon, France and a 100% Cabernet Franc from Andrew Will Winery. The fruit is from Yakima Valley but the winery is located on Vashon Island, a short ferry boat ride from where Phil grew up! #ItsWineTimeWines tasted this episode: 2018 Messanges Rouge Chinon2017 Andrew Will Cabernet FrancFor more information on this Andrew Will Cabernet Franc, please visit https://andrewwill.com/wine/2017-two-blondes-cabernet-franc/For more information on this Chinon, please visit https://www.rarewineco.com/producer/pallus-chinon/A special thanks to our sponsors:Social Media Summit Coeur d’Alene. Visit https://www.smwcda.com for more information on the Pacific Northwests longest running social media conference, presented by The Social Media Web, and the Social Media Summit Inner Circle. The Culinary Stone. Looking for that special bottle of wine or a wine club that really over delivers, visit https://culinarystone.com or call them at 208-277-4116.And of course, a HUGE thank you to Tod Hornby who wrote and recorded our official Wine Time Fridays theme music which is ANYthing but average. Please contact him at veryaveragemusic@gmail.com Other wines we enjoyed this week: Mer Soleil Chardonnay, J. Lohr Chardonnay, Milbrandt Vineyards The Estates Malbec, Casa Santos Lima Red Blend, EIEIO Cuvee E Pinot Noir, Campillo Rosado Rioja, Edna Valley Chardonnay.Mentions: Jim Wiskerchen, Gary Vaynerchuck, Fred Meyer, Albertsons, The Culinary Stone, Rick Backus, Curt Knox, Eileen Wolcott, Vashon Theatre, $1.80 app, GaryVee Wine Club, Wine Library WineText.com, P-Hilly, Simi Winery.Please visit us at https://winetimefridays.com, and find us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WineTimeFridays), Twitter (@VintageTweets) and Instagram (@WineTimeFridays).

I had the amazing opportunity to speak with Melissa Stackhouse, Sonoma icon and director of winemaking for Simi Winery.  Melissa tells me all about her experiences and her wine, as well as the history (and future) of this truly, iconic winery. In this week's local restaurant segment, I am speaking with Carmella Roche, who's grandmother opened Villa Tronco (SC's oldest restaurant) 80 years ago (not to mention brought pizza to Columbia!) Also, in my second installment of 'Life Behind Bars' with Josh Taylor, we discuss several things, including:  "what does domestic actually mean?" Wines tasted this episode:  Simi Chardonnay, Sonoma 2018 Simi 'Landslide' Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 2016 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Erica Stancliff is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Erica Stancliff is the winemaker for Trombetta Family Wines, which she founded with her mother. Dan Berger is also back in the studio, after Coronavirus quarantine. During the time, he opened a lot of bottles from his extensive cellar. About half of them were no good but the other half were good. Erica Stancliff was on California Wine Country twice last year, in February 2019, together with her mother Rickey Trombetta, and again, with Tom Gendall, Assistant Winemaker at Cline Family Cellars, in a July 2019 show about Petaluma Gap wines. Trombetta is her mother's maiden name. They started the winery in 2010 after Erica graduated from Fresno St. with a degree in enology. Paul Hobbs Paul Hobbs was Erica Stancliff's mentor and consulting winemaker for the first few years. After extensive experience internationally and in California for various producers, she took over as winemaker for Trombetta Family Wines in 2014. Paul Hobbs has a great reputation, having worked with David Ramey at Simi Winery and elsewhere. Dan Berger says Paul Hobbs is very respected. He is the guy who lifted the Argentine wine industry up from its bootstraps. Dan says he can do everything, with every varietal. Erica says he was a great person to learn from. Fresno State Winery Tailgate White Speaking of Argentina, Dan says that Argentina makes very good wines that are produced at a much lower cost than here, so they are very inexpensive to us. Erica remembers that they did not have all the technological advances and other choices available there that we have in California. Top University Wine Programs in the US Erica got a degree in Viticulture and Enology from California State University, Fresno aka Fresno State. She chose the school because at the time, it was the only college campus that had a bonded winery. They had over 200 acres of farmland and their classes and exams were all very practical, from vineyard through winery all the way to sales. UC Davis and Fresno St. are the two most famous university wine programs. Others are Purdue, Mississippi St. and Cornell, with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo the newest one coming on. UC Davis is the oldest program, it was founded after the second world war. Petaluma Gap They taste a 2018 Dutton Goldfield Riesling, from the Petaluma Gap. Dan Berger says that the emergence of the Petaluma Gap AVA is a very important development. Petaluma Gap is hot by day with cool evenings, sea breezes and foggy mornings. The AVA is driven by its natural topography, which creates a wind tunnel. Dan Berger says that good acidity will always be a characteristic of Petaluma Gap wines. “This wine wouldn't grow anywhere else to deliver this character. This character comes from the Gap. This area is going to become world famous,” says Dan Berger. Erica Stancliff says, “As the president of the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance, I'm loving every word I'm hearing.” “This is world class stuff. This is not just good or great, this is world class. This is right up there with the very best wine made anywhere.” –Dan Berger on Petaluma Gap wines Erica tells that Petaluma Gap sells fruit to winemakers in Napa and Sonoma counties that love using their Pinot and Chardonnay. They have a longer growing season than anywhere else around here. They pick about two weeks later than Russian River. Dave Ramey makes a killer Syrah there too. Dan Berger reminds us about what Jeff Gaffner from Black Kite said recently on this show about his Petaluma Gap Pinot. All the great Pinot Noir specialists use fruit from Petaluma Gap, Erica names Gary Farrell, Kosta Browne, Three Sticks, Black Kite and others.There are also a few great wineries located there, Blue Wing and Keller Estate she mentions. Erica describes the Petaluma Gap area. Some parts are at higher and lower elevation, some a little more in the fog line. They harvest at least two weeks later,

Erica Stancliff is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Erica Stancliff is the winemaker for Trombetta Family Wines, which she founded with her mother. Dan Berger is also back in the studio, after Coronavirus quarantine. During the time, he opened a lot of bottles from his extensive cellar. About half of them were no good but the other half were good. Erica Stancliff was on California Wine Country twice last year, in February 2019, together with her mother Rickey Trombetta, and again, with Tom Gendall, Assistant Winemaker at Cline Family Cellars, in a July 2019 show about Petaluma Gap wines. Trombetta is her mother’s maiden name. They started the winery in 2010 after Erica graduated from Fresno St. with a degree in enology. Paul Hobbs Paul Hobbs was Erica Stancliff's mentor and consulting winemaker for the first few years. After extensive experience internationally and in California for various producers, she took over as winemaker for Trombetta Family Wines in 2014. Paul Hobbs has a great reputation, having worked with David Ramey at Simi Winery and elsewhere. Dan Berger says Paul Hobbs is very respected. He is the guy who lifted the Argentine wine industry up from its bootstraps. Dan says he can do everything, with every varietal. Erica says he was a great person to learn from. Speaking of Argentina, Dan says that Argentina makes very good wines that are produced at a much lower cost than here, so they are very inexpensive to us. Erica remembers that they did not have all the technological advances and other choices available there that we have in California. Top University Wine Programs in the US Erica got a degree in Viticulture and Enology from California State University, Fresno aka Fresno State. She chose the school because at the time, it was the only college campus that had a bonded winery. They had over 200 acres of farmland and their classes and exams were all very practical, from vineyard through winery all the way to sales. UC Davis and Fresno St. are the two most famous university wine programs. Others are Purdue, Mississippi St. and Cornell, with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo the newest one coming on. UC Davis is the oldest program, it was founded after the second world war. Petaluma Gap They taste a 2018 Dutton Goldfield Riesling, from the Petaluma Gap. Dan Berger says that the emergence of the Petaluma Gap AVA is a very important development. Petaluma Gap is hot by day with cool evenings, sea breezes and foggy mornings. The AVA is driven by its natural topography, which creates a wind tunnel. Dan Berger says that good acidity will always be a characteristic of Petaluma Gap wines. “This wine wouldn’t grow anywhere else to deliver this character. This character comes from the Gap. This area is going to become world famous,” says Dan Berger. Erica Stancliff says, “As the president of the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance, I’m loving every word I’m hearing.” “This is world class stuff. This is not just good or great, this is world class. This is right up there with the very best wine made anywhere.” –Dan Berger on Petaluma Gap wines Erica tells that Petaluma Gap sells fruit to winemakers in Napa and Sonoma counties that love using their Pinot and Chardonnay. They have a longer growing season than anywhere else around here. They pick about two weeks later than Russian River. Dave Ramey makes a killer Syrah there too. Dan Berger reminds us about what Jeff Gaffner from Black Kite said recently on this show about his Petaluma Gap Pinot. All the great Pinot Noir specialists use fruit from Petaluma Gap, Erica names Gary Farrell, Kosta Browne, Three Sticks, Black Kite and others.There are also a few great wineries located there, Blue Wing and Keller Estate she mentions. Erica describes the Petaluma Gap area. Some parts are at higher and lower elevation, some a little more in the fog line. They harvest at least two weeks later,

Greg La Follette is back on California Wine Country today, with Steve Jaxon. Dan Berger is still away but will be back. It's the first proper show in several months, after many weeks off due to Coronavirus precautions. Greg La Follette runs Alquimista Cellars today and he has been in the wine industry since 1984. Before that he was an early researcher on the Aids virus. He wanted to make wine so he moved from LA to Davis and studied there. His thesis was on how Burgundy winemaking techniques affect mouth feel. "And the rest is history." In 1984 he worked at Simi Winery as a Guest Scientist. Then he worked with André Tchelistcheff at BV and many others, including working for Kendall-Jackson when they called him to bring La Crema back out of bankruptcy. He had a winery under his own name La Follette and then sold it. The new owners wanted to pronounce it "la-foll-ETTE" differently than the way he pronounces his own name, "la-FOLL-ette". Greg mentions that the famous Bob La Follette of Wisconsin politics (a century ago) is an ancestor of his. Alquimista Cellars is his new label but he is using most of the same growers he has worked with before at various stops in his career, including some he has worked with for over 30 years. Greg says the name Alquimista was foisted on him. André was called the alchemist and some people called him that too. It also has the advantage of not resembling in any way the names of his clients. During the Coronavirus madness Greg spent a lot of time in the vineyards tending the vines and taking care of some clients, including one in upstate New York in the Finger Lakes district. They taste a 2018 Alquimista Cellars Lorenzo Vineyard Chardonnay. Their wines are mainly available through their website and wine club subscribers. They are also in a few choice local restaurants, such as Single Thread, Farmhouse Inn and Terrapin Creek. Greg started working with the Lorenzo vineyard in 1993. It is one of the oldest Chardonnay vineyards in the Russian River Valley. Each bottle of Alquimista Cellars wine has unique art work, which has been commissioned from different Sonoma County artists. Greg La Follette says that he feels it is important for him to give back and supporting local artists is one way to do that. They also support the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation and others. They mostly make Chardonnay and Pinot Noir but they also make a Pinot Meunier and has brought a 2018 of that. It is a very rare wine, normally a sparkling wine grape, lively and spritely. He also brought the Confluence, a wine made from 3 vineyards. The Pinot Meunier is a table wine, there are no bubbles in this wine. Usually it is used in sparkling wines and was until recently the most planted varietal in the Champagne region of France. Greg describes how his Pinot Meunier is made, by whole cluster fermentation, so each berry is a separate fermentation, and to accomplish this, they actually stomp the grapes with their feet. His kids grew up working in the winery and this was the most coveted job. "It's a fruit riot in the mouth." - Greg La Follette, describing the Pinot Meunier. He does it differently than anyone else. First they load up the fermenter into the pickup truck and they drive to the vineyard. They clip the cluster and gently deposit them into the fermenter. It's a very special pick. Before the end, they taste the Confluence Pinot Noir, a blend from three different vineyards. One is the Lorenzo vineyard, Hawk's Roost Vineyard and  the third the Mes Filles vineyard. All the vineyards that Alquimista Cellars works with are listed on their website at this page. The Confluence is Pinot Noir with some Chardonnay blended in. This is something Greg has done before, some of his most famous and successful wines were reds with Chardonnay blended in. Some winemakers objected but they were overruled because these wines kept winning first place in the blind tastings.

Greg La Follette is back on California Wine Country today, with Steve Jaxon. Dan Berger is still away but will be back. It's the first proper show in several months, after many weeks off due to Coronavirus precautions. Greg La Follette runs Alquimista Cellars today and he has been in the wine industry since 1984. Before that he was an early researcher on the Aids virus. He wanted to make wine so he moved from LA to Davis and studied there. His thesis was on how Burgundy winemaking techniques affect mouth feel. "And the rest is history." In 1984 he worked at Simi Winery as a Guest Scientist. Then he worked with André Tchelistcheff at BV and many others, including working for Kendall-Jackson when they called him to bring La Crema back out of bankruptcy. He had a winery under his own name La Follette and then sold it. The new owners wanted to pronounce it "la-foll-ETTE" differently than the way he pronounces his own name, "la-FOLL-ette". Greg mentions that the famous Bob La Follette of Wisconsin politics (a century ago) is an ancestor of his. Alquimista Cellars bottles with label art by local artists. Alquimista Cellars is his new label but he is using most of the same growers he has worked with before at various stops in his career, including some he has worked with for over 30 years. Greg says the name Alquimista was foisted on him. André was called the alchemist and some people called him that too. It also has the advantage of not resembling in any way the names of his clients. During the Coronavirus madness Greg spent a lot of time in the vineyards tending the vines and taking care of some clients, including one in upstate New York in the Finger Lakes district. They taste a 2018 Alquimista Cellars Lorenzo Vineyard Chardonnay. Their wines are mainly available through their website and wine club subscribers. They are also in a few choice local restaurants, such as Single Thread, Farmhouse Inn and Terrapin Creek. Greg started working with the Lorenzo vineyard in 1993. It is one of the oldest Chardonnay vineyards in the Russian River Valley. Each bottle of Alquimista Cellars wine has unique art work, which has been commissioned from different Sonoma County artists. Greg La Follette says that he feels it is important for him to give back and supporting local artists is one way to do that. They also support the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation and others. They mostly make Chardonnay and Pinot Noir but they also make a Pinot Meunier and has brought a 2018 of that. It is a very rare wine, normally a sparkling wine grape, lively and spritely. He also brought the Confluence, a wine made from 3 vineyards. The Pinot Meunier is a table wine, there are no bubbles in this wine. Usually it is used in sparkling wines and was until recently the most planted varietal in the Champagne region of France. Greg describes how his Pinot Meunier is made, by whole cluster fermentation, so each berry is a separate fermentation, and to accomplish this, they actually stomp the grapes with their feet. His kids grew up working in the winery and this was the most coveted job. "It's a fruit riot in the mouth." - Greg La Follette, describing the Pinot Meunier. He does it differently than anyone else. First they load up the fermenter into the pickup truck and they drive to the vineyard. They clip the cluster and gently deposit them into the fermenter. It's a very special pick. Before the end, they taste the Confluence Pinot Noir, a blend from three different vineyards. One is the Lorenzo vineyard, Hawk's Roost Vineyard and  the third the Mes Filles vineyard. All the vineyards that Alquimista Cellars works with are listed on their website at this page. The Confluence is Pinot Noir with some Chardonnay blended in. This is something Greg has done before, some of his most famous and successful wines were reds with Chardonnay blended in. Some winemakers objected but they were overruled because these wines kept winning first place in the bl...

We continue our series of podcast episodes featuring women in the wine business this week, since there is no new show today due to Coronavirus coverage on home station KSRO in Santa Rosa. This episode with Barbara Lindblom remembering Mary Ann Graf was originally recorded and broadcast  on April 17, 2019.  Mary Ann Graf Barbara Lindblom visits with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today, to remember Mary Ann Graf, a pioneering, iconic local winemaker who passed away recently. She also worked at Simi Winery (as laboratory director) then as a winemaker in some other places. She is now retired. Mary Ann Graf studied at UC Davis and was the first woman in the US to graduate with a degree in Oenology. She was the winemaker at Simi Winery, the first in a series of notable women winemakers there. Then, she ran a successful laboratory testing company called Vinquiry, which performed testing services for wineries. She was the first woman on the board of directors of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture. Here is a page about Mary Ann Graf at the Santa Clara University Women in Wine website. Mary Ann Graf worked with André Tchelistcheff. They will taste a non-vintage Simi North Coast Burgundy, which Dan can see is from 1973, from the code printed at the bottom of the bottle. This was Mary Ann's first year at Simi. Dan bought these wines at Trader Joe's for $1.99 per bottleMost of the major wineries in those days made a generic so-called Burgundy and most of them were blends. Mary Ann Graf started Vinquiry at about that time. Dan knows it as one of the most professional wine analysis laboratories at the time. She had a lot of clients in Alexander Valley. Barbara Lindblom started working at a harvest at Mondavi with Zelma Long. When Zelma got the job as Simi, she asked Barbara to join her, and she worked there for 10 years. Dan Berger says that Zelma Long and André Tchelistcheff were a strong team, since André was more inclinded to understanding wine from its sensory perception and Zelma understood it more from the technical standpoint. Barbara remembers Mary Ann was so generous with her time and her thoughts, and a steadfast friend. Her consulting business grew and grew because she and her partner were so smart and patient with their clients. Dan remembers when he and Mary Ann were judges in a competition in the midwest where the wine was really bad. Dan remembers she was so kind and quiet. A winemaker from Illinois asked her, “Did you like my wine?” She replied kindly, “We can talk about this, you've got potential.” She could not say anything negative about it. As a consultant, she would tell her clients what's there and what can make it better. She was always looking out for the best long-term solution, not a quick fix. They taste a 2000 Old Vine Zinfandel from Fanucci vineyards and a 2016 Stonestreet Estate Chardonnay that is a good example of Alexander Valley fruit having enough acidity to age well. Barbara Lindblom spent some time in France and Spain as well as working as a winemaker in California. Dan brought in a Simi North Coast Burgundy from 1973. This was Mary Ann Graf's first year at Simi. It is only 12% alcohol, mostly Carignane and a bit of Zinfandel. Dan says that wineries had their blends with all kinds of different varietals that they all called Burgundy. They were the varietals that were in their high end portfolios, but the leftover wines were also good. Dan Berger tasted wine with Joe Coulombe at Trader Joes in the 1970s and remembers tasting these wines. Giuseppe and Pietro Simi selected their location, five years before Italian Swiss Colony was founded. They used to call a generic red wine “Mountain Burgundy” often based on Carignane which was a workhorse variety that was never intended to be aged. Dan discovered some old bottles of it in the back of his cellar and they were fine. There was a little oxidation. There was some fruit flavor, but dried fruit,

We continue our series of podcast episodes featuring women in the wine business this week, since there is no new show today due to Coronavirus coverage on home station KSRO in Santa Rosa. This episode with Barbara Lindblom remembering Mary Ann Graf was originally recorded and broadcast  on April 17, 2019.  Barbara Lindblom visits with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today, to remember Mary Ann Graf, a pioneering, iconic local winemaker who passed away recently. She also worked at Simi Winery (as laboratory director) then as a winemaker in some other places. She is now retired. Mary Ann Graf studied at UC Davis and was the first woman in the US to graduate with a degree in Oenology. She was the winemaker at Simi Winery, the first in a series of notable women winemakers there. Then, she ran a successful laboratory testing company called Vinquiry, which performed testing services for wineries. She was the first woman on the board of directors of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture. Here is a page about Mary Ann Graf at the Santa Clara University Women in Wine website. Mary Ann Graf worked with André Tchelistcheff. They will taste a non-vintage Simi North Coast Burgundy, which Dan can see is from 1973, from the code printed at the bottom of the bottle. This was Mary Ann’s first year at Simi. Dan bought these wines at Trader Joe’s for $1.99 per bottleMost of the major wineries in those days made a generic so-called Burgundy and most of them were blends. Mary Ann Graf started Vinquiry at about that time. Dan knows it as one of the most professional wine analysis laboratories at the time. She had a lot of clients in Alexander Valley. Barbara Lindblom started working at a harvest at Mondavi with Zelma Long. When Zelma got the job as Simi, she asked Barbara to join her, and she worked there for 10 years. Dan Berger says that Zelma Long and André Tchelistcheff were a strong team, since André was more inclinded to understanding wine from its sensory perception and Zelma understood it more from the technical standpoint. Barbara remembers Mary Ann was so generous with her time and her thoughts, and a steadfast friend. Her consulting business grew and grew because she and her partner were so smart and patient with their clients. Dan remembers when he and Mary Ann were judges in a competition in the midwest where the wine was really bad. Dan remembers she was so kind and quiet. A winemaker from Illinois asked her, “Did you like my wine?” She replied kindly, “We can talk about this, you’ve got potential.” She could not say anything negative about it. As a consultant, she would tell her clients what’s there and what can make it better. She was always looking out for the best long-term solution, not a quick fix. They taste a 2000 Old Vine Zinfandel from Fanucci vineyards and a 2016 Stonestreet Estate Chardonnay that is a good example of Alexander Valley fruit having enough acidity to age well. Barbara Lindblom spent some time in France and Spain as well as working as a winemaker in California. Dan brought in a Simi North Coast Burgundy from 1973. This was Mary Ann Graf’s first year at Simi. It is only 12% alcohol, mostly Carignane and a bit of Zinfandel. Dan says that wineries had their blends with all kinds of different varietals that they all called Burgundy. They were the varietals that were in their high end portfolios, but the leftover wines were also good. Dan Berger tasted wine with Joe Coulombe at Trader Joes in the 1970s and remembers tasting these wines. Giuseppe and Pietro Simi selected their location, five years before Italian Swiss Colony was founded. They used to call a generic red wine “Mountain Burgundy” often based on Carignane which was a workhorse variety that was never intended to be aged. Dan discovered some old bottles of it in the back of his cellar and they were fine. There was a little oxidation. There was some fruit flavor, but dried fruit,

There is no new California Wine Country episode this week, due to statewide Coronavirus precautions. For this week's podcast episode, we begin a series of reruns of episodes that feature women in the wine business. This episode was originally broadcast on August 23, 2017. Cheers!  Megan Schofield, winemaker for Robert Mondavi Winery, joins Tom Simoneau, Dan Berger and Steve Jaxon, who are all excited to have a 2014 Robert Mondavi To Kalon I-Block Fumé Blanc to taste, which is a rare treat. Steve asks Tom to tell about Mondavi and how Robert Mondavi had a falling out with a brother about the direction of the family winery. He started it in 1966. He brought Napa Valley into the forefront, was the master marketer. Tom considered Robert Mondovi to be a mentor in the business. He brought a class to the vineyard. Megan Schofield The To Kalon I-Block is the particular parcel that produces an astounding Sauvignon Blanc. Dan says it needs a lot of time in the bottle and is similar to the greatest wines of the eastern Loire Valley in France. Most people just don't put it away long enough, it needs 7 to 10 years. It can only be purchased at the winery, not at retail. Dan says this particular wine is worth the trip over the hill. Megan tells that she has been at Mondavi for about two and a half years and she is one of three winemakers there. She handles the Burgundian reds and this year the Sauvignon Blanc. They have another Bordeaux red winemaker and their director is Geneviève Janssens. She grew up in Canada in the Niagra region and saw a career path with her college, Brock University, had opened to train Canadian winemakers. She has worked as a winemaker for many years at different wineries including Simi Winery. Steve tells how Mondavi is known for both technical winemaking and marketing. He promoted labeling wines varietally rather than generically. Dan knew Bob Mondavi well and says he was dedicated to the overall quality of wines especially from Napa Valley. He encouraged quality above all else. The feud he had with his brother in the mid-60s caused a separation. Part of the reason was that Bob wanted to focus on quality. They were both reared in Charles Krug winery. Bob wanted to emphasize the greatness of the different varieties. He changed the name of his Sauvignon Blanc to Fumé Blanc, which is the name they have always used. He was also into comparisons with the best European wines. He said, “We belong at the table with the best wines.” From 1966 to 1970 they were on the road 300 days a year for four years, selling aggressively. Tom tells the legend that there was a train that passed by a vineyard leaving a trail of smoke and dust and that inspired the name. Pouilly Fumé and Sancerre are the French names. Now they taste the To Kalon I-block wine. To Kalon is a very special piece of soil that Robert Mondavi discovered to produce some of the finest wines he was making. Megan explains that it is Greek and roughly means “highest beauty” and the name came from the vineyard owner in 1800s and that Robert Mondavi used the name. Dan says that it gets less total sun because it is shaded by a hearby hill. Megan says it is only about 5 acres and produces only 250-300 cases per year. Dan, of course, suggests that this wine needs 6-10 years in the cellar. He tells that it is made with great care. There is a little hazelnut flavor in the wine. Megan says it does get lies contact, so it has more body than other Sauvignon Blancs. This bottle is sold only at the winery and goes for $90. They believe the vines were planted in 1945 and they think they may be the oldest Sauvignon Blanc grapes in America. Next they taste a Chardonnay. Tom says he told Megan that Steve likes Chardonnay so she brought a special Reserve Mondavi 2014 Carneros Chardonnay. Steve is in love! Dan suggests this would go with seafood, such as fresh Halibut. Tom describes this Chardonnay as creamy, with good acidity,

There is no new California Wine Country episode this week, due to statewide Coronavirus precautions. For this week's podcast episode, we begin a series of reruns of episodes that feature women in the wine business. This episode was originally broadcast on August 23, 2017. Cheers!  Megan Schofield, winemaker for Robert Mondavi Winery, joins Tom Simoneau, Dan Berger and Steve Jaxon, who are all excited to have a 2014 Robert Mondavi To Kalon I-Block Fumé Blanc to taste, which is a rare treat. Steve asks Tom to tell about Mondavi and how Robert Mondavi had a falling out with a brother about the direction of the family winery. He started it in 1966. He brought Napa Valley into the forefront, was the master marketer. Tom considered Robert Mondovi to be a mentor in the business. He brought a class to the vineyard. The To Kalon I-Block is the particular parcel that produces an astounding Sauvignon Blanc. Dan says it needs a lot of time in the bottle and is similar to the greatest wines of the eastern Loire Valley in France. Most people just don’t put it away long enough, it needs 7 to 10 years. It can only be purchased at the winery, not at retail. Dan says this particular wine is worth the trip over the hill. Megan tells that she has been at Mondavi for about two and a half years and she is one of three winemakers there. She handles the Burgundian reds and this year the Sauvignon Blanc. They have another Bordeaux red winemaker and their director is Geneviève Janssens. She grew up in Canada in the Niagra region and saw a career path with her college, Brock University, had opened to train Canadian winemakers. She has worked as a winemaker for many years at different wineries including Simi Winery. Steve tells how Mondavi is known for both technical winemaking and marketing. He promoted labeling wines varietally rather than generically. Dan knew Bob Mondavi well and says he was dedicated to the overall quality of wines especially from Napa Valley. He encouraged quality above all else. The feud he had with his brother in the mid-60s caused a separation. Part of the reason was that Bob wanted to focus on quality. They were both reared in Charles Krug winery. Bob wanted to emphasize the greatness of the different varieties. He changed the name of his Sauvignon Blanc to Fumé Blanc, which is the name they have always used. He was also into comparisons with the best European wines. He said, “We belong at the table with the best wines.” From 1966 to 1970 they were on the road 300 days a year for four years, selling aggressively. Tom tells the legend that there was a train that passed by a vineyard leaving a trail of smoke and dust and that inspired the name. Pouilly Fumé and Sancerre are the French names. Now they taste the To Kalon I-block wine. To Kalon is a very special piece of soil that Robert Mondavi discovered to produce some of the finest wines he was making. Megan explains that it is Greek and roughly means “highest beauty” and the name came from the vineyard owner in 1800s and that Robert Mondavi used the name. Dan says that it gets less total sun because it is shaded by a hearby hill. Megan says it is only about 5 acres and produces only 250-300 cases per year. Dan, of course, suggests that this wine needs 6-10 years in the cellar. He tells that it is made with great care. There is a little hazelnut flavor in the wine. Megan says it does get lies contact, so it has more body than other Sauvignon Blancs. This bottle is sold only at the winery and goes for $90. They believe the vines were planted in 1945 and they think they may be the oldest Sauvignon Blanc grapes in America. Next they taste a Chardonnay. Tom says he told Megan that Steve likes Chardonnay so she brought a special Reserve Mondavi 2014 Carneros Chardonnay. Steve is in love! Dan suggests this would go with seafood, such as fresh Halibut. Tom describes this Chardonnay as creamy, with good acidity, a little bit of lemon,

André, The Voice of Wine This episode was originally recorded on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. There is no new show today due to unforseen circumstances. . In this repeat episode, Ed and Adam Sbragia from Sbragia Family Vineyards and Mark Tchelistcheff join Steve Jaxon, co-host Dan Berger, Tom Simoneau and Barry Herbst.  Ed Sbragia of Sbragia Family Vineyards is introduced, with his son Adam. Ed was the winemaker at Beringer Winery for a long time but now he has started his own family winery. Mark Tchelistcheff is the grand nephew of the great André Tchelistcheff, widely known as the godfather of wine in California. He has produced a documentary film about his great uncle, called André, The Voice of Wine, which will debut at the Mill Valley Film Festival next week (in October 2017, as this show was recorded). The 1991 Beringer Cab magnum. André Tchelistcheff was 92 years old when he died in 1994. Steve says that over the 8 years of this show, no name has been dropped more than André's. Mark's film permiered at the Berlinale, the Berlin International Film Festival, which is one of the three great international film festivals. Out of 600 films that were entered, it was one of 5 that had a gala reception and they brought California wine in for the event. Steve asks Ed about working for Beringer. He was at Beringer for 32 years, from 1976 to 2008. He started making Sbragia Family wines at in 2001 with their first releases in 2004. Adam first started working at Beringer in 2001 and then followed his father, learning how to make Chardonnay and Cab with his father. Tom says that after fermentation, he likes to extract every bit of flavor from the wines. They are tasting a 1991 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, in a magnum. Tom says it is concentrated and balanced and that this is an example of how long these wines can live. This one is 26 years old and still needs more time. They even age slower in a magnum, as Adam explains surface area to volume ratio. Dan says what is impressive in this wine is the level of fruit. He remembers that it was a good vintage. 1990 and 1991 were back-to-back excellent vintages. This one really shows that. Dan reminds us that in those days that wine would not get released until 1995, as they were on a four-year release cycle. Today wines get released after 2 and a half years. Ed says that most of the vineyards for this wine were from high in the hills, where the vines had to struggle and then produced very intense wines. Dan says that despite it being 26 years old, it is still a baby and will still age well from this point. That's why Steve calls him Dan “Lay it Down” Berger, the most patient wine collector in the world. Steve reads that André Tchelistcheff was America's most influential post-prohibition winemaker. Mark mentions the different spellings and pronunciations of the name, in different languages and countries where he lived, but that when he worked with Ralph Fiennes on the narration, they settled on the Russian pronunciation, “chel-LEEST-cheff” more or less. Mark describes going to live in Russia to get André's “terroir” and how he worked with a top Russian composer and orchestra for the music. He even found the original 1925 Cadillac in which George de la Tour drove André drove over the Golden Gate Bridge in 1938 when he first arrived here. It took him ten years to produce the movie, with financing from different sources, in cluding some important winemakers who are in the film and who were touched by André. He hopes that his spirit of sharing comes through in the movie. He got production funding from some important wine makers and he was able to spend time with people, with the winemakers who made the wine, to remember André. Ed and Adam Sbragia have brought a Chardonnay, which is Steve's favorite wine. Ed was working at Foppiano Wine Co in 1975, when André was a consultant up at Simi Winery. He got a pink powder at the bottom of a bottlin...

In this episode of Wine & Wisdom, Thomas, Cam and Chris are joined by Richard Martinesi who owns Wiseberry Five Dock. They discuss the Annual Wiseberry Awards Night which is held in Sydney this Saturday, an exciting event. If you do not ‘win', you are still a winner if you can take a lesson from it. They discuss what one needs to do in order to win the award and whether winning shows as much of someone as losing does. This episode, Thomas brings a 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon from Simi Winery, Alexander Valley in California. Cam brings ‘Cricket Pitch' (2017), a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz blend from Brokenwood in the Hunter Valley and Chris brings ‘Up Rising', a 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon from South Eastern Australia.

Zelma Long is known for her pioneering work at Robert Mondavi Winery in the early 1970s, at Simi Winery for 20 years, and for mentoring young winemakers including Paul Hobbs, Dave Ramey, Geneviève Janssens, and others. She entered the U.C. Davis winemaking program in the late 1960s, established Long Vineyards, and has done groundbreaking work in South African wine. Enjoy! For more visit: vilafonte.com and cape-ardor.com

Barbara Lindblom visits with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today, to remember Mary Ann Graf, a pioneering, iconic local winemaker who passed away recently. Barbara Lindblom also worked at Simi Winery (as laboratory director) then as a winemaker in some other places. She is now retired. Mary Ann Graf studied at UC Davis and was the first woman in the US to graduate with a degree in Oenology. She was the winemaker at Simi Winery, the first in a series of notable women winemakers there. Then, she ran a successful laboratory testing company called Vinquiry, which performed testing services for wineries. She was the first woman on the board of directors of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture Mary Ann Graf worked with André Tchelistcheff. They will taste a non-vintage Simi North Coast Burgundy, which Dan can see is from 1973, from the code printed at the bottom of the bottle. This was Mary Ann’s first year at Simi. Dan bought these wines at Trader Joe’s for $1.99 per bottleMost of the major wineries in those days made a generic so-called Burgundy and most of them were blends. Mary Ann Graf started Vinquiry at about that time. Dan knows it as one of the most professional wine analysis laboratories at the time. She had a lot of clients in Alexander Valley. Barbara Lindblom started working at a harvest at Mondavi with Zelma Long. When Zelma got the job as Simi, she asked Barbara to join her, and she worked there for 10 years. Dan Berger says that Zelma Long and André Tchelistcheff were a strong team, since André was more inclinded to understanding wine from its sensory perception and Zelma understood it more from the technical standpoint. Barbara remembers Mary Ann was so generous with her time and her thoughts, and a steadfast friend. Her consulting business grew and grew because she and her partner were so smart and patient with their clients. Dan remembers when he and Mary Ann were judges in a competition in the midwest where the wine was really bad. Dan remembers she was so kind and quiet. A winemaker from Illinois asked her, “Did you like my wine?” She replied kindly, “We can talk about this, you’ve got potential.” She could not say anything negative about it. As a consultant, she would tell her clients what’s there and what can make it better. She was always looking out for the best long-term solution, not a quick fix. They taste a 2000 Old Vine Zinfandel from Fanucci vineyards and a 2016 Stonestreet Estate Chardonnay that is a good example of Alexander Valley fruit having enough acidity to age well. Barbara Lindblom spent some time in France and Spain as well as working as a winemaker in California. Dan brought in a Simi North Coast Burgundy from 1973. This was Mary Ann Graf’s first year at Simi. It is only 12% alcohol, mostly Carignane and a bit of Zinfandel. Dan says that wineries had their blends with all kinds of different varietals that they all called Burgundy. They were the varietals that were in their high end portfolios, but the leftover wines were also good. Dan Berger tasted wine with Joe Coulombe at Trader Joes in the 1970s and remembers tasting these wines. Giuseppe and Pietro Simi selected their location, five years before Italian Swiss Colony was founded. They used to call a generic red wine “Mountain Burgundy” often based on Carignane which was a workhorse variety that was never intended to be aged. Dan discovered some old bottles of it in the back of his cellar and they were fine. There was a little oxidation. There was some fruit flavor, but dried fruit, being 40 years old. Zinfandel doesn’t age as well as Carignane, but it does live long. Dan says the smell this 1973 wine has is a precursor of oxidation. Dan and his wife were in Madrid at the Sporting restaurant in Madrid. They said they had a 1971 Baron Delay Rioja, which cost him $11 US. The waiter said the Spanish don’t like aged wine, since they age the wine in the barrels.

Tom Simoneau has brought David Ramey and the Ramey family in to join Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today on California Wine Country. Barry Herbst is back from a trip to France where he visited all of the Boisset family properties. Boisset wines were mentioned on Tom Simoneau's 2018 Wines of the Year show last December.) David's wife Carla, their elder daughter Claire, who has worked in the family business for six years and her brother Alan who also works at the winery. David Ramey got a MS in Oenology from UC Davis in 1979 and then worked at Pomerol in France, then he worked in Australia. The had his first harvest job in Sonoma County in 1978. In Spring 1980 he became assistant winemaker to Zelma Long at Simi Winery. A lot of his fellow students got winemaking jobs straight out of college but David was happy to learn as an assistant from a great master. His career continued through several great wineries. They stated their own winery when he went to Dominus to run everything. He started making Chardonnay in 1996. He got some grapes from Larry Hyde, and he still makes Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay. David remembers being chosen as Tom Simoneau's Wine of the Year several years ago when his daughter was a young child. David was also on California Wine Country on this show from  February 28, 2018. They taste a 2016 Russian River Chardonnay. It is the largest production wine that they make. This is a blend, they also make single-vineyard productions, which they will also taste. This comes from several great vineyards in Sonoma County. David Ramey explains that the story of his wine is native yeast, native bacteria from malolactic fermentation and no filtering. They do not own a filter.  There are two types of acid in grape juice, tartaric acid and malic acid. After alcoholic fermentation, there is a class of bacteria that is similar to the ones in yoghurt look for the malic acid which they turn into lactic acid, hence the name "malolactic fermentation" or ML for short. All wines would undergo this unless the winemaker intervenes. This is what he calls Neo-Traditional or Neo-Burgundian. This is the way wine has been made in Burgundy for hundreds of years. They usually don't bottle one year until after the harvest of the next year. They spend a year on the lees, which are the spent yeast cells. When you short-circuit the time on the lees, you lose the texture and delicacy that otherwise it might have. Dan says that David makes wines that have unbelievable acidity and good terroir characteristics and they deserve time in the bottle. Dan goes on to say that Chardonnay is like red wine without color and Pinot Noir is like white wine but with color, because of its feeble phenolic constitution, with weak tannins. Ramey Wine Cellars makes seven different Chardonnays. Tom SImoneau notes that all of their Chardonnay wines have unique character. Barry Herbst says that Bottle Barn has lots of Ramey Wine Cellars wines and that they are easy to sell. David Ramey says that Bottle Barn is one of the best places to buy wine in the whole country. David Ramey talks about their plans for a new winery in the heart of Sonoma County Pinot Noir country. He hopes will be ready for the 2021 harvest. There are two now historic hop kilns and a bailing barn on the property. They currently have two long-term leased buildings in Healdsburg by appointment at 10 am or 2pm. The Pinot Noir is smooth and elegant, says Tom Simoneau. Dan Berger says it's perfectly balanced and the acidity is perfectly balanced with the fruit flavors. As they pour a taste of a Syrah, Dan Berger makes a prediction that in 100 years, David will be more famous for Syrah than for anything else.

David Ramey is the owner of Ramey Vineyards which he started with his wife Carla in 1996. He has one of California’s most impressive winemaker resumés and shares many of his experiences on this episode. Fresh out of UC Davis, and with an internship at Jean-Pierre Moueix’s, Château Pétrus under his belt, David started his winemaking career in 1980 as assistant to Zelma Long at Simi Winery.  He subsequently became chief winemaker at Matanzas Creek and then Chalk Hill before taking on the task of winemaking and building the new winery at Dominus. He later helped rebuild and replant what had been the Girard Winery into Rudd Estate. David is a legend in the winemaking industry and shares his entrepreneurial journey! http://whatgotyouthere.com/   Vuori Clothing 25% off with discount code “WGYT” https://www.vuoriclothing.com/ GlobeKick 10% off with discount code “WGYT” https://globekick.com/ 15% off Four Sigmatic with discount code "WGYT" http://foursigmatic.com/wgyt   http://www.rameywine.com/ https://www.facebook.com/RameyWineCellars https://twitter.com/RameyWineCellar https://www.instagram.com/rameywinecellars/ https://twitter.com/ramey_david https://twitter.com/WhatGotYouThere https://www.instagram.com/whatgotyoutherepodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/whatgotyouthere/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-delaney-00909190/   Intro/Outro music by Justin Great- http://justingreat.com/ Audio Engineer- Brian Lapres 

Can you really be friends with an ex? What challenges arise when romance shifts to platonic affection? And if you’re fighting hard to keep the friendship going, are you truly over the loss of the mate? On this week’s show, Jacqueline discusses the intricacies of being friends with an ex with her guest co-host, Jonathan Wiener, who’s currently struggling with how to be friends with the man who hurt his heart. What steps does he need to complete to get himself to a better place? And since Jacqueline’s headed next week to the wedding of the ex she dated for almost a decade, what advice can she share? Then the team is joined by Steve Viksjo and Lukas Volger, two of the threesome behind Jarry Magazine, a biannual mag that celebrates the art of gay domesticity. What holes in the food media world did they see needed filling? How sustainable are professional relationships in a world where food and drink easily make things feel personal? Have a listen to find out. Today’s wine sponsor is Simi Winery’s 2014 Dry Rose! This beautiful rose is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon finished with Merlot, Malbec and Syrah. Shell-pink with notes of citrus, strawberry, and tart cherry, it’s the perfect pairing for summer fried chicken or raw mussels. More at SimiWinery.com. Our Spring/Summer Theme Song is Josh Dion‘s GIVE LOVE! We both fell hard for Josh‘s insane drumming skills and deliciously expressive vocals (smooth like honey, ladies, and then wild and raucous as hell) way back when we first moved to NYC, dancing our hearts out to the Josh Dion Band all over town. Now he performs all over NYC (and in residency at Rockwood Music Hall) as The Paris Monster. Find, chat, listen, and buy on Twitter and iTunes.

Laurie shares Simi's Sauvignon Blanc and Simi's Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon determining "red to bed"! is the way to go. The post Simi Winery appeared first on Laurie Forster | Wine Expert | Wine Coach | Wine Speaker.

This brilliantly clear, pale-straw-colored Sauvignon Blanc leads with fresh and appealing aromas of Meyer lemon, lime zest, stone fruit, grapefruit, tart apple, and hints of flowers followed by a lively palate which reprises the lemon, lime, and grapefruit themes of the nose. The post Simi Winery & Vegetable Pairings appeared first on Laurie Forster | Wine Expert | Wine Coach | Wine Speaker.