Podcasts about spring mountain vineyard

Mike Grgich – His 1976 Napa Chardonnay in USA/France blind tasting in Paris was The Shot Heard Round the World.   Winemaker Mike Grgich died Dec 13th 2023.  He was 100 years old. This is his story,  as told to yours truly into a nasty microphone in the lobby of the Hotel Vancouver 2016. He had just released his memoir A Glass Full of Miracles. (Note – on his way from Croatia to Napa he travelled across the Atlantic and by train across Canada to Vancouver for a lumberjack job he had applied for. The job was gone by the time he reached the west coast. So,  Mike washed dishes until he heard of a winemaking job in Napa and South he went)   Steven Spurrier, a wine expert from England who ran a fine wine shop in Paris, decided it would be fun to organize a blind tasting to coincide with America's Bicentennial celebrations in 1976. For the tasting, he gathered together the best French judges, and the finest French wines, and to salute America on its 200th anniversary he added in a few wines from some upstart winemakers in California. Steven hoped the tasting would bring favourable attention to his wine shop. But he didn't have any idea of the impact that his Bicentennial tasting would have on the world of wine. André Tchelistcheff, along with Jim Barrett, had hand-carried an armload of California wines to Paris for the competition. The blind tasting was held at the InterContinental Hotel in the center of Paris. The morning competition was devoted to white wines and the afternoon to reds. And Steven Spurrier brought together the very best white wines of Burgundy: a 1973 Meursault-Charmes, a 1973 Beaune Clos des Mouches, a 1973 Bâtard-Montrachet, and a 1972 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles. Alongside these French legends, there was the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay crafted by Mike Grgich, and other Chardonnays from California that the French judges had never heard of either. The judges expected to sniff and gag when they tasted the California wines. But it didn't happen that way. The nine French judges blind-tasted the white wines and graded each of them. The winner was the Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that Mike Grgich had made, with 132 points, the highest total scored of any of the wines, red or white, in the tasting. It was the champion! Then, to add insult to injury, the third and fourth places went to Chalone Vineyard and Spring Mountain Vineyard. In the afternoon tasting of the red wines, the French judges gave their top ranking to Warren Winiarski for his 1973 Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon, beating the best wines of Bordeaux, among them a 1970 Château Mouton-Rothschild, a 1970 Château Haut Brion, a 1970 Château Montrose from Saint-Estèphe, and a 1971 Château Léoville-Las-Cases from Saint-Julien. The judges were shocked as was Steven Spurrier.   Upstarts from Napa Valley had won both categories, against the very best wines of France. The French judges were speechless and a few tried to suppress the results, but without success. The following week, George Tabor's story in Time magazine announced the American triumph, and it sent shock waves throughout the world of wine. Mike received the news that they had won by a congratulatory telegram from Jim Barrett in Paris. That was the first he learned that his wine was even in the competition. Soon, though, the importance of what had happened began to sink in.. On July 4, 1977, Mike Grgich and Austin Hills, of the Hills Bros. Coffee Company, broke ground to start Grgich Hills Cellar, which from the start sold wines that were in high demand, based on Mike Grgich's reputation as the winemaker who won the Paris Tasting. Gradually, the winery purchased 366 acres, spread over five vineyards within the Napa Valley, allowing all Grgich Hills wines to be produced solely from estate-grown grapes. In recognition of that significant achievement, the winery changed its name to Grgich Hills Estate. The Paris Tasting revolutionized the wine world, establishing Napa Valley's reputation as a world-class wine region! First, it shattered the myth that only French soil can produce world-class wines. For decades New World winemakers had all been stuck in that mindset and this finally broke through it.  Second, the victory pumped new energy into the California wine industry, particularly in Napa Valley. Vintners were proud to be part of what was a revolution in American wine but they still had a long way to go. So they redoubled their efforts to make better wines each year. California's victory also inspired other winemakers in different parts of the world. Breaking the myth of French superiority gave new hope and energy to winemakers in South Africa, Italy, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, and even in Mike's native Croatia. Now they joined the race to make world-class wines, and as the years unfolded California winemakers also shared with them their technology and know-how. As part of that effort, Mike returned to Croatia in 1996 and started a new winery in order to share what he had learned with young winemakers in his homeland. George Taber, the Time magazine journalist who first reported the tasting, in 2005 wrote a detailed account of the event and its impact in his book, “Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine.”  As a result of his historic contributions to making world-class wine in California, Miljenko “Mike” Grgich was inducted into the Vintner Hall of Fame in 2008.   A Hollywood version of this story was true but not by much.  It was called Bottleshock.   We salute the great Mike Grgich.  

Originally posted in December 2020, I thought I'd share this story of Frog's Leap Winery once again in case you missed it. John Williams has had quite a career. The story of Frog's Leap didn't begin until after John worked with Napa Valley icon Warren Winiarski at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. He helped launch Glenora Wine Cellars in the Finger Lakes region. Afterward, he returned to Napa Valley as a winemaker for the esteemed Spring Mountain Vineyard. All this, before and during the founding of Frog's Leap, where early business decisions, like their comical slogan, "Time's fun when you're having flies" were made with his partners in the Frog Farm hot tub. 40 years on, John continues to evolve, innovate and successfully sustain the Frog's Leap brand, all while maintaining his sense of humor. Join me as John fills us in the details, with cameo appearances from former partners Larry Turley and Julie Johnson.

St. Helena's historic Cameo Cinema is beginning a series of performing arts fundraising events staged outside the theater's home on Main Street. “The Cameo is expanding the entertainment options for the Napa Valley by bringing unique live experiences to the community,” announces Cathy Buck, founder and proprietor. “Our first, Cabaret Noir, is a celebration of burlesque, an entertainment art form that is a fun mix of fantasy, old-school glamour and humor,” Buck adds.Cabaret Noir will be a magical night featuring dancing, hors d'oeuvres, a dessert bar, still and sparkling wines, a “Naughty and Nice Auction” and live performances by the internationally acclaimed burlesque star Frankie Fictitious. The festivities begin at 7:30 pm on August 19 at The Culinary Institute of America's Barrel Room in St. Helena. Tickets are limited and are $250/person and must be purchased in advance. Cocktail attire is recommended. The evening will benefit The Cameo Cinema Foundation.Frankie Fictitious is a well-known burlesque performer based in San Francisco. She has been named Miss Exotic World 2019 (Burlesque Hall of Fame), #1 Burlesque Artist 2020 (Risky Spotlight Magazine), Miss Viva Las Vegas 2017 and has been voted one of the top 50 burlesque industry figures worldwide. Her show-stopping act encompasses her artistic imagination, elegant and innovative dancing, impeccable musicality and dazzling, extravagant costumes.Between Frankie's performances, Napa-based DJ Rotten Robbie will keep the beat going on the dance floor. He has spun with musicians including The Bangles, Sister Sledge, Modern English, RuPaul, Martha Wash, Thelma Houston and Wynonna. He can be found making music in the VIP and Platinum lounges at Bottle Rock each year.Bubbles and wine sponsors include JCB, Chateau Montelena and Spring Mountain Vineyard. Other sponsors include The Napa Valley Film Festival and Culinary Institute of America/Greystone.https://cameocinema.com/cabaret-noir-burlesque https://www.frankiefictitious.com/ Burlesque Playlisthttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/6dIQK1lWWBcI9j7WSvw3Ip?si=0a1fec2dc77b47fc Follow The Swirl Suite:SwirlSuite@gmail.com@SwirlSuitewww.swirlsuite.com Sarita @VineMeUpTanisha @GirlMeetsGlassLeslie @Vino301Glynis @Vino_Noire

St. Helenas historic Cameo Cinema is beginning a series of performing arts fundraising events staged outside the theaters home on Main Street. The Cameo is expanding the entertainment options for the Napa Valley by bringing unique live experiences to the community, announces Cathy Buck, founder and proprietor. Our first, Cabaret Noir, is a celebration of burlesque, an entertainment art form that is a fun mix of fantasy, old-school glamour and humor, Buck adds.Cabaret Noir will be a magical night featuring dancing, hors doeuvres, a dessert bar, still and sparkling wines, a Naughty and Nice Auction and live performances by the internationally acclaimed burlesque star Frankie Fictitious. The festivities begin at 7:30 pm on August 19 at The Culinary Institute of Americas Barrel Room in St. Helena. Tickets are limited and are $250/person and must be purchased in advance. Cocktail attire is recommended. The evening will benefit The Cameo Cinema Foundation.Frankie Fictitious is a well-known burlesque performer based in San Francisco. She has been named Miss Exotic World 2019 (Burlesque Hall of Fame), #1 Burlesque Artist 2020 (Risky Spotlight Magazine), Miss Viva Las Vegas 2017 and has been voted one of the top 50 burlesque industry figures worldwide. Her show-stopping act encompasses her artistic imagination, elegant and innovative dancing, impeccable musicality and dazzling, extravagant costumes.Between Frankies performances, Napa-based DJ Rotten Robbie will keep the beat going on the dance floor. He has spun with musicians including The Bangles, Sister Sledge, Modern English, RuPaul, Martha Wash, Thelma Houston and Wynonna. He can be found making music in the VIP and Platinum lounges at Bottle Rock each year.Bubbles and wine sponsors include JCB, Chateau Montelena and Spring Mountain Vineyard. Other sponsors include The Napa Valley Film Festival and Culinary Institute of America/Greystone.https://cameocinema.com/cabaret-noir-burlesque https://www.frankiefictitious.com/ Burlesque Playlisthttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/6dIQK1lWWBcI9j7WSvw3Ip?si=0a1fec2dc77b47fcFollow The Swirl Suite:SwirlSuite@gmail.com@SwirlSuitewww.swirlsuite.comSarita @VineMeUpTanisha @GirlMeetsGlassLeslie @Vino301Glynis @Vino_Noire

We strike a harmonious cord in the wine world with this episode! Say hello to winemaker Shalini Sekhar. She wears many hats in her role as winemaker for Neely Wine in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Waits-Mast Family Cellars in Mendocino County, among others. She also finds time to make wine under her own label, Ottovino Wines. Our setting for this (socially distanced) episode, just before harvest 2021, is the beautiful Spring Mountain Vineyard, home of Neely Wine in Portola Valley, nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. We are surrounded by vineyards, redwood and oak trees. Discover how this former classical musician, who excels at the piccolo and aspired to be a concert performer and music teacher, became a leading Indian-American winemaker. She is carving out a path that allows her to persue her dream of teaching into being a mentor to women entering the wine industry, especially women of color. And, she'll share how she balances her very busy career, which involves lots of road trips to vineyards, with being a mom. Shalini also gives us an impromptu piccolo performance. So pour a glass and enjoy a delightful and engaging conversation!

First, thanks to listener and Patron Rafael C. for the podcast topic this week! It is the 45th Anniversary of the Judgment of Paris: a tasting of California and French wines, organized but the late Steve Spurrier, that opened the door for wines from the US and all over the New World to be recognized for their excellence. We should raise a glass to him, his partner Patricia Gallagher, and to journalist and author George Taber, all of whom made this event so very significant.  Here's a quick recap, all of which we cover in the podcast... In 1976, an English wine shop owner, Steven Spurrier, and the director of his adjacent wine school, Patricia Gallagher, wanted to introduce members of the French culinary elite to the wines of California. The goal was to show them the new developments happening across the world in wine (and to get publicity for Cave de la Madeleine and the Academie du Vin -- genius marketing!).   Photo: Berry Bros & Rudd Wine Blog In preparation, Spurrier and Gallagher researched, tasted, and carefully selected 6 boutique California Chardonnays and 6 boutique Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines. They brought these wines to France and on May 24, 1976 conducted a three-hour tasting that (unbeknownst to them) would change the wine world forever.   Nine French judges sat at the Intercontinental Hotel in Paris and sipped 6 California Chardonnays with a group of four high end white Burgundies (100% Chardonnay). They followed that up with 6 California Cabernet Sauvignons and four of the best Bordeaux from the Left Bank. The results were as follows:   Chardonnays 1973 Chateau Montelena, Napa Valley (family owned) 1973 Roulot Meursault Charmes, Premier Cru, Bourgogne 1974 Chalone Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains (owned by Diageo) 1973 Spring Mountain Vineyard, Napa Valley (owned by an investment company) 1973 Joseph Drouhin Beaune “Clos des Mouches,” Premier Cru Bourgogne 1972 Freemark Abbey, Napa Valley (owned by Jackson Family Wines/Kendall-Jackson) 1973 Ramonet-Prudhon, Bâtard-Montrachet, Grand Cru, Bourgogne 1972 Domaine Leflaive, Puligny- Montrachet, “Les Pucelles”, Premier Cru, Bourgogne 1972 Veedercrest Vineyards, Napa Valley (shut down for 20 years, resurrected in 2005 under a sole proprietor) 1972 David Bruce Winery, Santa Cruz Mountains (family owned) Photo: National Museum of American History -- Smithsonian  The Cabernets/Bordeaux 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Napa Valley (owned by Chateau Ste. Michelle/Antinori) 1970 Château Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux 1970 Château Haut-Brion, Graves, Bordeaux 1970 Château Montrose, St-Éstephe, Bordeaux 1971 Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello, Santa Cruz Mountains (owned since 1987 by a Japanese pharmaceutical company) 1971 Château-Leoville-Las-Cases, St. Julien, Bordeaux 1971 Mayacamas Vineyards, Napa Valley (family owned) 1972 Clos du Val, Napa Valley (family owned) 1970 Heitz Cellars, Martha’s Vineyard, Napa Valley (investor owned) 1969 Freemark Abbey, Napa Valley (owned by Jackson Family Wines/Kendall-Jackson)   Shocking and unexpected though they were, the results helped land California a seat at the table in the world of serious wine and paved the way for other regions to show that they were also capable of making excellent wines. Photo: Bella Spurrier The contest was not without objection. According to George Taber’s book (FYI -this is an affiliate link and I may earn a small commission from your purchase) the major ones were: The 20-point system was too limiting (but 20 points was standard at the time, I think any scale would have been criticized) For each category there were only four French wines to six California wines, so the odds were statistically in California’s favor (this is a very valid argument but the purpose of the tasting was for fun and learning, so we can’t really fault Spurrier for not knowing!) Spurrier didn’t choose the best French vintages (Spurrier picked French wines he thought would win, this was the best available) The French wines were too young (the tasting has been replicated and the California wines have aged better than the French wines!) Blind tastings suck – (this is very true but there was no "gotcha" here. It was just done to remove judgment, not to make people guess what wine was what Chateau!)   My additional objections: It is quite unfair to judge French wine without food. A small roll for palate cleansing isn’t enough. With a meal, the French wines would have been different. Food must be at the table for a fair judgement. The order of the wines in a tasting matters. Of course a lighter style wine tried after a heavier one will seem washed out. I don’t know what the case was here, but the “out of the hat” system was probably not the best order for the wines. We do need to realize that 1976 was a very difficult time for France. It was still rebuilding after the trauma of two World Wars in very quick succession and it took years to garner investment and get the wineries functioning and modernized. This was likely in the period of transition and that means the wines, made by traditional methods may have tasted less “clean” in comparison to the wines of California, which benefitted from cutting edge technology and scientific know-how, which was part of the culture of the reborn wine culture there.   That said, we all must raise a glass to Steve Spurrier, Patricia Gallagher, and George Taber for holding/covering this event, which improved and globalized wine for the modern times! Book cover from Amazon.com I highly recommend George Taber’s book "Judgment of Paris"  It’s a great read!   PS-- As we discussed in the show, check out my friend Tanisha Townsend's podcast, "Wine School Dropout" and her site Girl Meets Glass! ________________________________________________ Thanks to our sponsors: 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      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.  

In this episode, Shelley and Phil revisit the Judgement of Paris, which was held on May 24, 1976, in the year of the Bicentennial celebration of America’s independence. What happened on that day was not supposed to happen. The French wines, that wines from the upstart Napa Valley were going against, were supposed to put America in its place when it comes to great wine. The Napa Valley wines held their own, especially Chateau Montelena and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, who won the white wine and red wine categories, respectively. Shelley and Phil feature both of those wines on this episode and throw in a White Burgundy for good measure. #HappyFriday! #ItsWineTime!Wines tasted this episode: 2017 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay (From Fred Meyer, $55)2018 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Artemis (From Fred Meyer, $70)For more information on the 2017 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, please visit  https://montelena.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2017-Napa-Valley-Chardonnay.pdfFor more information on the the 2018 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Artemis, please visit  https://www.stagsleapwinecellars.com/2018-artemis-cabernet-sauvignon/5637245076.pA  special thanks to our sponsors: The Social Web, Cave B, Culinary StoneThe Social Web. Visit https://thesocialweb.news for more information. The Social Web AND The Social Web Inner Circle: Helping you untangle the web of social media marketing.Cave B Estate Cellars. ‘B’ inspired when you visit https://caveb.com To book an event, contact Carrie at carrie@caveb.com or to join the Cave B Estate Winery wine club you can reach out to Jayney at Jayney.evenson@caveb.com  Also find them on Instagram and Facebook @caveBESTATEWINERY. Culinary Stone. Looking for that special bottle of wine or a wine club that really over delivers? Considered a foodies paradise, The Culinary Stone is a gourmet heaven that was dreamt up for, and by, those with a serious passion for the culinary arts and gathering of community. For more information about The Culinary Stone, please 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:   Kirkland Signature Chardonnay (Sonoma), Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars KARIA Chardonnay, Chanson Reserve du Bastion Vire-Clesse’ White Burgundy, Tardieu-Laurent Tavel Vieilles Vignes Rose’, Miraval Cotes de Provence Rose’, Michael David Winery Petite Petit, Gerard Bertrand Cote des Roses Blanc (Rose’),  Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy Sancerre (bought from Desierto Alto) and Alias Sauvignon Blanc (bought from Desierto Alto)Mentions: Fremont Abbey, Chalone Vineyard, Spring Mountain Vineyard, Veedercrest Wines, David Bruce John Cleese, Mike Grgich, Roaming Travelers, Jovinea Cellars, Vine 46, Twisted Vine Wine Tours, Rivaura, Chelsea and Andrew Evans, Lindsay and Brian LaFaille, Terra Nova, Sam Lange, Beverly’s, The Coeur D’alene ResortPlease 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!

John Williams has had quite a career. Aside from stints at Napa's Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Glenora Wine Cellars in the Finger Lakes region, and Napa Valley's Spring Mountain Vineyard, he's been the founder, owner and winemaker for 40-plus years at Frog's Leap. John continues to evolve, innovate and successfully sustain the Frog's Leap brand, while maintaining his sense of humor.

John Williams has had quite a career. The story of Frog's Leap didn't begin until after John worked with Napa Valley icon Warren Winiarski at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. He helped launch Glenora Wine Cellars in the Finger Lakes region. Afterward, he returned to Napa Valley as winemaker for the esteemed Spring Mountain Vineyard. All this, before and during the founding of Frog's Leap, where early business decisions, like their comical slogan, were made with his partners in the Frog Farm hot tub. 40 years on, John continues to evolve, innovate and successfully sustain the Frog's Leap brand, all while maintaining his sense of humor. Join me as John fills us in the details, with cameo appearances from Larry and Julie.

Recorded at dusk inside the ghost winery Chateau Chevalier, Jason Wise and Keith Baker, Director of DTC and Winery Historian at Spring Mountain Vineyard, discuss the storied history of this 129-year-old property that survived the recent fire.

After a long unplanned delay my latest podcast is finally here. For you hard cider fans, you'll get a kick out of hearing from founder Jeffrey House. The former Brit brought his cider knowledge to the U.S. in the 1970s and opened Ace Premium Craft Cider in 1993. With his sons firmly in place Ace is still a family run business, now in it's second generation. Then you can join me on Spring Mountain Vineyard during harvest with their longtime vineyard manager, Ron Rosenbrand. You'll hear about the unique character of this 845 acre property and how this year's growing season was for their Bordeaux varieties. Buckle up, it's time to venture out On The Wine Road.

This podcast includes stops at a favorite winery and restaurant; Spring Mountain Vineyard and A16. As  you'll hear, Spring Mountain Vineyard in Napa Valley features three distinct vineyards and a history that makes it a special place. What I love about the experience there are the library wines they offer. In three visits I've tasted vintages from 1988, 2001, '04, '08, '10, and '15. The cabernet sauvignons and Elivette (reserve) blends are made in the Bordeaux style, meaning not a big, ripe, chewy Cab, but an elegantly complex wine that invites you to enjoy taste after taste. They also bottle a sauvignon blanc. Winemaker Justin Hirigoyen is my guest.  **Update: Wine Spectator just released scores for 2015 Bordeaux Blends in Napa Valley. Spring Mountain Vineyard topped the list with a score of 96. (BTW-15 of the top 30 are priced higher than Spring Mountain Vineyard). Don't hesitate, pay them a visit! San Francisco's A16 Restaurant offers authentic Italian Pizza Napolitana, fresh pasta, and house cured meats inspired by the Campania region. Wine Director Shelley Lindgren selects wines that highlight grapes of the Compania and nearby regions. We enjoy dining there. It's classy and casual at the same time.   

The new Spring Mountain Vineyard was once three separate properties each with its own vineyard and winery: Spring Mountain Vineyards (Miravalle) 257 acres, Chateau Chevalier (Chevalier) 120 acres, and Draper Vineyards (La Perla) 435 acres.The upper most property on the estate, La Perla, was founded in 1873 by Charles Lemme and expanded by the Schilling Spice family. Originally 285 acres it had the first Cabernet Sauvignon planted on Spring Mountain. The old winery remains today along with much of its original equipment and horse drawn carriages and wagons. Immediately below La Perla, and eventually added to it was the first vineyard planted by Fredrick and Jacob Beringer in 1882. These terraced hillsides were planted in a wide assortment of grape varieties to support the Beringer brothers fledgling winery.Adjoining to the north of the Beringer vineyard was a Frenchman, Fortune Chevalier, whose stone winery, Chateau Chevalier, was making wine in 1891. And finally, next door to Chevalier was Tiburcio Parrott who grew olives, citrus and grapes. Parrott built a grand home on the estate which he named Miravalle.

On this week's show, Salesforce selects Dreamforce Admin Track presenters. We'll discuss the number and the process. space. Then, we’ll discuss Fanboydom in its many shapes. Finally, the best vacations we've ever taken.   LINKS and ENDORSEMENTS How we Picked Admin Track for Dreamforce 2016- https://admin.salesforce.com/picked-admin-track-dreamforce-2016   Trader Joes' Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate - http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article/1708   Spring Mountain Vineyard- http://www.springmountainvineyard.com/   Marcella- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5269594/