Tag: wine


Feb
2017

Odonata Wines 2014 Syrah

categories: Booze, Wine

Oh how I love discovering boutique wineries. There’s just something special about the personalities behind them — and I, inevitably, feel a certain camaraderie even if our only communication is through wine.

Odonata is owned and operated by winemaker Dennis Hoey. He has a lifetime worth of experience in the wine industry working with vintners big and small throughout California. In 2005 he started his own label, Odonata, and as of 2014 he’s focused, full time on his boutique winery, located in the Salinas and Santa Cruz area. He is a winemaker who sources his grapes predominantly from the Central Coast region, but is looking forward to planting his own 2 acre estate vineyard this year.

(more…)


Feb
2017

Zenaida Cellars 2014 Wanderlust

categories: Booze, Wine

On my last trip through Paso, I stopped by Zenaida Cellars, a winery I had come across when they kindly sent me a few bottles to sample. While their Syrah was outstanding, I truly fell in love with their Fire Sign red blend. But for some reason I held on to their GSM waiting for the opportune moment to pop the cork (or, this this case, twist the cap). And, honestly, I think it’s because of the name. I’m an itchy-twitchy girl who can’t hold still for more than a moment and wanderlust is something that’s truly in my heart. Well, I’ve come to a point in my life where I’m traveling — like, a lot. Admittedly, my recent travels are primarily taking me to various California wine regions, but in so doing I feel like I’m traveling to world as I learn and taste through each grape’s heritage, each winemaker’s journey. And so, now is the time to twist off the cap of Zenaida Cellars 2014 Wanderlust.

(more…)


Feb
2017

Nagy Wines 2013 Pinot Blanc

categories: Booze, Wine

If you couldn’t tell by now, I’m a fan of Nagy Wines. She packs a respectable amount of depth and complexity into varietals I thought I knew so well. And yet, for all of the intricacy, each wine maintains a well-rounded refinement, simply celebrating the fruit and opening its ability to pair with a variety of cuisine.

Well, Nagy Wines 2013 Pinot Blanc has a slightly different approach. A well-rounded celebration of the fruit is is. Deep and complex, it is not. Not every wine has to have layers and layers of diverse tastes and textures to be “good.” Sometimes it’s about a few good flavors, a consistent texture — sometimes it’s just about drinking wine for fun. Well winemaker Clarissa Nagy has crafted a wine that says, sometimes, girls really do just want to have fun. So let’s have some fun!

(more…)


Feb
2017

Flora Springs 2014 Trilogy Red Blend

categories: Booze, Wine

Flora Springs winery was established by John and Carrie Komes and Julie and Pat Garvey in 1977. But, as anyone at the winery will tell you, the property as a vineyard has history dating back to the early 1800s when Napa was just forming its roots as a California wine region. So the families already had a jump start on success by purchasing fertile land perfect for crafting what they’d soon be known for — Bordeaux blends. 1984 marks the first vintage of Flora Spring’s now infamous flagship blend, Trilogy — originally a traditional Bordeaux-inspired red wine consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, but today taking on a more modern, California approach blending together up to 5 Bordeaux varietals (including the addition of Malbec and/or Petite Verdot in certain vintages). The 2014 vintage marks the 30th anniversary for the flagship blend and it just so happens to coincide with the winery’s 40th anniversary. Quite a celebration! Unfortunately i was unable to attend the combined release-anniversary party thrown at Flora Springs earlier this month, but the kind folks from the winery were kind enough to send me a bottle of their celebratory wine.

(more…)


Feb
2017

Winery Review: Kukkula – A One-Man Wine-making Show

categories: Booze, Winery Reviews

One of the best things about visiting a boutique winery is being able to meet and greet with the proprietor, the vineyard manager, or the winemaker. The best thing about visiting Kukkula is you can meet all three because all those roles are each filled by founder Kevin Jussila.

Kevin, whose professional background is in business money management, has always been an agricultural enthusiast — an enthusiasm that transformed him into a hobbyist winemaker. In 2003 he decided to turn that hobby into a parallel career path (Kevin is still in the corporate business game), purchasing his 80-acre property off of Chimney Rock Road in the Adelaida hills of Paso Robles. ” In December of 2004 we moved to the Central Coast and started to build the dream,” Kevin says. And he means this literally. An avid architect enthusiast, Kevin’s are the hands that built both his family home and his current tasting room — both of which sit atop his beautiful estate vineyards.

The vineyard is appropriately named, Kukkula being the Finnish word for “the hill” or “high place.”

(more…)