Although a bit removed from downtown itself (located at the end of Chimney Rock Road in the Adelaida Valley) on the West side of Paso Robles, its definitely worth the ride. Besides some outstanding wines (which I will get to in a moment), the grounds include an inn, restaurant,  well-maintained  gardens and place to picnic as well as for those of us really into wine, examples of various trellis systems including one designed and implemented in the Justin vineyard itself.

One of the more iconic wines produced is the Justin Winery ISOSCELES Bordeaux blend (first production year was 1987), somewhat akin to a left-bank Pauillac or Margaux with a different blend each year of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and perhaps Petit Verdot). Not sure where the name came from except to say that the definition of “Isosceles” as a triangle  is having two sides of equal length. Perhaps the origin for naming it Isosceles was the concept of equal parts of each variety (although in practice the Cabernet Sauvignon normally plays the major part of the blend). In any case, this blend has been lauded with a London International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande trophy in 1994 for the Best Blended Red Wine Worldwide and named number 6 wine in the world by Wine Spectator in 2000 for the 1997 ISOSCELES offering.

However, in this very competitive industry great wines are not enough. In the most recent Justin Winery Newsletter Justin Baldwin explained, “I am often asked what the most important thing at a winery is. The answer is easy – great wines! However, that answer is always followed up by a list of the next most important items on the list. They are in order of importance – marketing, marketing, and marketing!”

Unlike some owners, Mr. Baldwin has put into action that which he has preached – from hiring a well known and successful luxury wine brand marketer – Jason Shorrock as VP, Director of Sales and Marketing, to a strong Social Media effort including Facebook and Twitter, its own Justin Winery blog, Smart Links (using QR codes), its own Newsletter, Wine Club (Justin Wine Society),  hosting events, charitible giving, and certainly its bed and breakfast and restaurant.

While all of the marketing activity above provides brand recognition and buzz for the winery, at the end of the day personal attention, friendly service and knowledgeable staff are essential to building a strong wine brand. I can happily say that this is exactly what I experienced when visiting the tasting room earlier this Fall. Not only were the wines all well made, but the staff were enthusiastic about their product and their company.

“To belong in the company of the finest wines in the world” is Justin Baldwin’s mission statement.

I can confidently say that he  has put together a strong team and the right strategy to achieve what he set out to do. So when visiting Paso Robles be sure to take the drive out to Justin. You’ll enjoy the grounds, the courteous staff, and certainly the wines.

Share

Courtesy Paso Robles City Website

It wasn’t very long ago that I mentioned I was heading to Paso Robles to visit some wineries. A colleague at work responded  “oh, so your heading to Spain?”. OK for those into wine we all know Paso Robles is just about half way between San Francisco and Los Angeles, but to many Paso Robles is still somewhat of an unknown.

Compared to Sonoma or Napa Valley, Paso Robles is very young in wine terms having been known more for its cattle and cowboys until only a few years ago. Sure, there have been wineries in Paso Robles for some time, but until just a few years ago that number was closer to a dozen versus the couple of hundred you will find today. Whether you drive North, South, East or West from Paso, you will run into one winery after another. My kind of vacation spot!

Whether you are partial to red or white varieties, table or port (try Roxo Cellars, – the tasting room is right downtown on the square) you won’t be disappointed!

Share

On the West coast we have the Inglenook name puchased by Francis Ford Coppola (adding to a previous purchase in 1975).

Inglenook is one of the oldest wineries in America founded in Rutherford, California in 1879 by by Gustave Niebaum. Although shutdown during Prohibition, it was subsequently reopened by his widow who brought in fresh talent, and finally under the management of his great-nephew, John Daniel Jr. , the winery once again was seen as one of the best. Unfortunately, after being sold to Heublein in 1969, the focus was not on quality wine, but instead on jug wine. This continued with the subsequent sale to Constellation (at the time Canondaiqua) in the early nineties.

On the opposite coast, we have the Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyards in Charlottesville, Virginia. Based on the description from the Kluge website: “Established in 1999, Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard aspires to be one of the East Coast’s most prestigious wineries. Helmed by Patricia Kluge, the winery is tucked into Carter’s Mountain on the edge of the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains in Charlottesville, Virginia. Kluge’s 2,000-acres are just miles from the birthplace of American viticulture, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.” For more background on the story check out this article in the Washington Post.

In this case the purchaser of the winery is Donald Trump, a 776 acre estate valued earlier at $70M and purchaed for $6.2M. The plan apparently is to keep the same team (Patricia Kluge / William Moses) in place.

So which name do I expect to see great things happening? Let’s see…..

Mr. Coppola intends to restore the prestige to the Inglenook name. In order to do that he has hired the estate director of Chateau Margaux (Philippe Bascaules) and consultant Stephane Derencourt (who has been working with Rubicon since 2008).

On the other hand we have Mr. Trump, who in his own words said: “I’m really interested in good real estate, not so much in wine. This place had a $28 million mortgage on it, and I bought it for $6.2 million. It’s a Trump deal!”

Well…. perhaps Mr. Trump has not done his home work this time. There is an old saying “it takes a large fortune to make a small fortune” in the wine business. For those seeking profit as the main objective, the wine business may not be the best bet.

Inglenook or Kluge Estate?   My bet is on Inglenook.    As they say … “It was the best of times … it was the worst of times…..

Speaking to a packed crowd of about 100 attendees, Patrick provided a feel for the wines and culture of Spain starting in the North with a wine from Bilboa (2009 Berroia from Chacoli de Bizkaia), then tasting South and East to Rioja (2009 Cortijo Blanco, 2007 Bodegas Rugvino Big Band, 2007 Cortijo Calma), then farther South and West to Toro (2007 Cal Blanca)and then a bit to the East to Ribera del Duero (2008 Barca de Piedra). He completed the tour of the country with two more flights. First, comparing a blend of Garnacha, Mazuel0 (Carignane), Cabernet, and Syrah from the Priorat (2008 La Cartuja) with a Tempranillo from the Ribera del Duero (2006 JC Vizcarra). The last flight positioned a very inexpensive wine from Valencia (2007 Bodegas Enguera) that saw no oak, with a  premium priced wine from Toro (2005 Bodegas Matarredonda Libranza) that spent several months in new French oak.

During this wine tour he related several interesting anecdotes to keep the crowd engaged while they tasted different wine varietals and styles. (I appreciated seeing a picture of a castle that I took pictures of while in Ribera del Duero a couple of years ago on my way to a visit to Abadia Retuerta).

One of these anecdotes poked some fun at the aristocracy of Rioja, relating how some local farmers have somewhat turned the table on the well established “chateaus” by offering well made and reasonably priced wines that sometime outmatch the established labels in the region. The example given was two offerings from El Cortijo (Cortijo Blanco and Cortijo Calma). The rub is that El Cortijo in Spanish translates as “the shack”, poking fun at the more established and well funded wineries of the region.

Another anecdote described the origins of the French name for Monastrell, a varietal that originated in Spain, but that is also now well establish in Southern France (very prominent in Bandol in particular). The story goes that in the 16th century wine was shipped from a small town around Valencia called Murviedro. When the wine arrived they were unable to read the name of the varietal, but they could read the name of the town, thus naming the varietal “Mourvedre”.

I was curious to know if this was true. So I did some snooping and low and behold.. some interesting history. Murviedro was the name of the town in the 16th century, but this particular town has a quite a bit of historical importance.

This was actually an ancient city in Eastern Spain by the name of Sagunto (Saguntum in Latin), and the first casualty of the Second Punic Wars falling to the armies of Hannibal in 219, who at the time had set his sights on Rome (that’s why I am fascinated by wine – always something new to learn!).

My favorites for the evening included the 2009 Berroia (90% Hondaribbi Zuri, 6% Folle Blanche, 4% Riesling), the 2008 Cartuja (50% Garnacha, 30% Carinena, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah), and the 2006 J C Vizcarra (100% Tempranillo), although I felt all the wines presented were of good quality and worth tasting.

So if you are looking for “unique, terroir-driven wines of extraordinary value” check out Ole Imports. Don’t forget to download their catalog, which is full of information about Spain, wine making, and details about the winemakers and wines represented. If you happen to be in Massachusetts, you can find many of these wines at Yankee Spirits in Attleboro, Swansea, or Sturbridge.

Salud!

I originally was introduced to Cameron Hughes Wine two years prior during a tasting event at another location. Bill Erwin of Classic Wine Imports was pouring (I have seen and always enjoy speaking with  Bill  at  local wine events).  At the time I had the pleasure of tasting a Dry Creek Valley Merlot (Lot#61).  I was quite impressed by its quality and reasonable price.

It is with that background that I introduced myself to Cameron last evening. Like many people I have met in the wine industry, he was open, engaging, and passionate about his business. This was even more evident as we tasted through eight of his wines ( see more below). Cameron took the time to walk the attendees through details of each of the wines – origin, varietal, vinification methods, as well as answering more indepth questions about his company and each of the  wines. It was clear from the start that he is not only passionate about his wines, but also getting them introduced to new potential customers looking for quality wines at reasonable prices.

So what is a “négociant”? According to Wine Pros Archive (derived from the Oxford Companion to Wine), it is a “French term for a merchant  and one used particularly of wine merchants who buy in grapes, must, or wine, blend different lots of wine within an appellation, and bottle the result under their own label.”

From the Camerone Hughes Wine  website,  “Our focus is on buying at the high-end, small available ‘Lots’ of super premium wine. Because not all wine at the high-end is bottled, we rescue those ‘Lots’ do some stylistic blending and get it to you at a great price.

Our company produces and markets wine under Cameron Hughes Lot Series, Flying Winemaker, Hughes-Wellman, RockRidge, and Evergreen. We do not own vineyards or ferment wine. Our business model is built around what we call in the industry the “spot” market for super/ultra premium bulk wines. We use our own palates as guides to deliver delicious, super premium wine that is easily accessible price and style-wise.”

For this particular tasting, there were four varietals representing the Flying Winemaker series as well as an additional four wines from the Lot Series.

From the Flying Winemaker label (unlike the Lot Series that represent  limited quantities of wines purchased, bottled and offered only until they run out, these are varietal wines that are sourced from a particular winery on an on-going basis), we tasted a Chardonnay (Margaret River, Western Australia), a Tempranillo (Compo de Borja, Spain),  Cabernet Sauvignon (Maipo Valley, Chile), and a Zinfandel (Lodi, California). Each of these wines were meant to represent their origin and style.

From the Lot Series an additional four wines were offered including Lot 91 a Russian River Chardonnay, Lot 112 a Merlot from Napa Valley, Lot 102 a Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford, and Lot 74 another Cabernet Sauvignon from Oak Knoll in Napa Valley.

I also  had the pleasure of tasting one additional wine that is soon to be released: Lot 100 a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley. This one is very typical of Stags Leap Cabernet and sure to please.

Considering the current recession and price pressure to find good value wines at reasonable prices, it is not surprising that Cameron Hughes Wine is growing fast (Cameron Hughes Wine was ranked #18 of the fastest growing privately-held companies in the US by Inc. Magazine), and based on the enthusiasm, skill  and passion of Cameron and his staff, I expect that growth to continue.

To learn more about Cameron Hughes Wine, vist them at their website, follow them on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, or better still get on the Cameron Hughes Wine mailing list (scroll down on the left hand side).

However, I couldn’t put my pen (ah, keyboard) aside when I read the latest story this morning from ABC News ‘Two Buck Chuck’ Wine Aims for Both Quality and Quanity.  Why? Because I have always been one to view things from a logical perspective, and this is simply illogical to me.

So .. here goes:

• Granted the Bronco Wine Company can muster huge economies of scale, but at $2 to $3 per bottle there is likely less than $.35 worth of grapes in every bottle of Two Buck Chuck. If it takes approximately 75 grapes per glass  or 300 grapes per bottle, there can’t be much attention or care paid to the main ingredient.
• It costs almost $1200 for a new French oak barrel (don’t think these wines see much new oak
• Other than Beaujolais Nouveau (focus here again on marketing not on making great wine), I see few who would suggest that any wine let alone red wine is at its best the day after fermentation ceases.
• If all wine is equal, there likely would be just two to three huge wine produces per country – like a wine Walmart or Lowes or Home Depot, that slugs it out in the market with wine being just another commodity with the only differentiation being the label and perhaps the shape of the bottle. (Its not.. there are almost 7,000 wineries in North America and 1o times that worldwide.)
• One can argue that the Central Valley produces the same quality of grapes as Napa, or the Northern Rhone, or Walla Walla.  But if that were true, the cost per acre in the Central Valley would rival those in the other named appellations, or the converse, the cost of acreage in the other appellations would be closer to that of the Central Valley. Further, why in the world would a vineyard owner want to plant grapes on the side of mountains where only hand picking (expensive) is possible instead of on flat valley floor where picking can be mechanized, unless there is the ability to produce something more appealing and of higher quality?

The whole point is that quality in any agricultural product comes from great seed or rootstock, favorable conditions, meticulous farming methods, and a passion for producing the best product possible. (Maybe that’s why tomatoes or corn grown locally by passionate farmers always tastes so much better than produce that has endured tough transit conditions from far away farms. )

Now in a great year you can get lucky – wine from the same vineyard may be better.  Under perfect conditions the wine may be better based on perfect weather, less pests and longer hang time, but this to me is the anomaly not the norm.

Now to be fair on the other side of the coin, it is also true that high price has little to do with quality. What is the main difference between a $100 wine and a $600 wine… yes … you guessed it: $500!  The price difference at this level is primarily demand and/or prestige, not higher quality –  just a supply that is often much less than the demand.

Two more comments and I’m done:

• I had the misfortune of tasting the latest Two Buck Chuck a few weeks ago at a gathering.  I tried with some apprehension, but with an open mind. The color and clarity was fine, but the nose (smell)  was ho hum at best, and the taste was so poor (translation: simple fermented grape juice with little redeeming qualities) that I clandestinely poured out my glass when no one was looking as the calories were not worth it!  If this is indicative of what a quality or any decent wine should taste like, I think I will switch to water – less calories and more satisfying.
• Wonder what Paul was drinking in Sideways when he said, I won’t drink no ….Merlot!

Again, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, Mr. Franzia to his and me to mine. But I think I would totally lose my enthusiasm for wine if Two Buck Chuck was considered the standard in quality wine. My opinion.

Since then I have traveled all over Western Europe many times, but I had never returned to Spain – not by choice, simply circumstance.  So it was of particular importance that I ensured I visited some wineries during a trip to Madrid this past year.

Beyond delightful side trips to Toledo and Segovia (of which I would highly recommend – they are short direct train trips from Madrid), we made our way to Sardon de Duero (“the Golden Mile”) for a visit to Abadia Retuerta.

Abadia Retuerta sits on the site of a 12th century abbey (Santa Maria del Retuerta). Currently the winery is transforming part of  the Abbey into a hotel where visitors can come to the area and discover more wineries and destinations along the Golden Mile.

From the website, “The Abadía Retuerta Estate occupies over 700 hectares of terrain, and its name comes from the combination of two words that define and describe the territory: Rívula (river bank) and Torta (twisting, winding).

Over 204 hectares of vineyards are spread out on hillsides ranging in altitude from a maximum 850 metres down to the southern bank of the Duero River. We have a wide variety of soils, with representations of most of the world’s best varieties, and state-of-the-art technology (meteorological stations, anti-frost towers, etc.)”

Abadia Retuerta vineyards

When we arrived we were met at the Abbey and then driven into the vineyards to get a sense of the soil, climate, and a great view back towards the abbey.

After a lengthy discussion we drove back to the main road, turned right and drove a mile or so to where the grapes are processed. Here we were provided an in depth explanation of the methods used at Abadia including their use of gravity

Barrel Room Abadia Retuerta

racking. I am afraid that I likely asked more questions than the rest of the group were comfortable with, since the last stop was back at the Abbey for a tasting!

When we arrived at the Abbey there were three wines opened:  Seleccion Especial and Cuvee Palamar from the Abadia collection, and one estate wine, Pago Negralada.

I can say that without exception, everyone in the group was very happy with each selection. These were all very dark in color, full bodied and complex wines, one building upon the other. My only regret was unlike years past, it is much harder now to bring back wines via plane.

The winery personnel could not have been more gracious or friendly, and I would highly recommend a visit should you find yourself on the Golden Mile in the future.