Category Archives: Wine Travel

APPLEGATE VALLY AVA – TWO WINERIES

March 12, 2016Oregon, wine, Wine Review, Wine Travel, Winery VisitAVA, Biodynamic, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Marsanne, Mouvedre, Oregon, Pinot Noir, Rhône Valley, Rousanne, Sangiovese, Syrah, Tempranillo, Viognier, wine, wine blog, wine tasting, wine travel, WineryJimLockard

Yesterday, several of us went to the Applegate Valley AVA area in southern Oregon to taste some wines. This area, just to the west of Ashland, is in the foothills of the Coastal Range near the Rogue River Siskiyou National Forest. Beautiful country, a growing number of wineries in the area , but you travel a bit of a distance to get from winery to winery.

The AVA does not have a signature varietal. There are a number of micro-climates present, soil variations, and annual rainfall amounts vary from around 20 to 40 inches in different parts of the AVA. So you have Italian varietals like Sangiovese, Spanish Tempranillo, Rhône Syrah, Rousanne and Marsanne, plus Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and others.

We wanted to taste some of the best of the area, so our local friends took us to Cowhorn Vineyard and Garden (LINK) and to Red Lily Winery both off of Route 238 southwest of the quaint town of Jacksonville.

Cowhorn represents a number of good things about growing and making wine. First of all, the quality of the wines is simply superb. Producing a total of 2300 cases of Rhône varietals – Grenanche, Mouvedre, Syrah, Viognier, Rousanne and Marsanne, the owners and winemakers, Bill and Barbara Steele, use state-of-the-art biodynamic techniques. The wines that we tasted (and we didn’t even get to taste the reserve wines, which are spoken for by the wine club – hint) were beautifully crafted, balanced, and tasted much like wines we have had in the Rhône Valley. Their wines consistently score in the low to mid 90’s from such reviewers as Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast and Robert Parker.

The 2012 Syrah was beautifully crafted and needs a couple more years in the bottle to reach it’s peak. The whites – a Spiral 36 Blend of Viognier, Rousanne and Marsanne is delicious and a bargain. The 100% Viognier was a revelation – a beautiful mouth feel with apple, pear, and other green fruit, some minerality, and a very smooth finish. The Marsanne/Rousanne 50/50 was also quite good – all of the whites could have been from top Rhône Valley producers. We did take some of these home with us.

2016-03-11 13.37.55 — Some of Cowhorn’s Wines

Second, they are operating a highly eco-sensitive and sustainable operation. Under construction is a new tasting room that is being built to the exacting standards of the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) (LINK), meaning that the building will add as much as it takes from the environment at every step of the building and operating process. While we were there, a beautiful table made from recovered wood and custom-designed for wine tasting by Barbara Steele, was delivered and set up. Here are a few photos.

If you can get your hands on some Cowhorn wines, do it.

Our next stop, after getting a bit lost on the scenic back roads of the area, was Red Lily Vineyards (LINK), a beautiful property along the roaring Applegate River. Here, Tempranillo is king. Les and Rachel Martin own and operate the vineyard and winery. The tasting room building is beautifully designed and contains facilities for special events. They also have a kitchen that produces some very good food. We had lunch here, accompanied by some of the Red Lily Wines.

2016-03-11 15.01.28 — Red Lilly Tasting Room

The wines that we tasted were primarily Tempranillo, some mixed with Cabernet Sauvignon. The 100% 2012 Tempranillo in the tasting was the best of that group. I had a glass of a 2006 100% Tempranillo that showed how well these wines age. Great tannin structure, well balanced between dark red fruit and minerality. A beautiful wine (and, at $51, the most expensive). They also sell some wines made in Spain to compliment the Spanish varietals grown here.

The wine tastings are available poured into test tubes and put in a rack that you can pour yourself when you are ready. There are tasting notes for each wine. You can also have the friendly and knowledgeable tasting room staff pour each taste for you. The Red Lily wines are very well crafted, not up to the level of the Cowhorn, which would be exceptional in any AVA or appellation, but very drinkable and reasonably priced.

Both of these wineries were a joy to visit, with the usual great people that one tends to meet in the wine industry. If you are visiting southern Oregon soon, make it a point to check these two out.

We will be doing some more exploration on this visit – so watch this space.

applegate_map11

THE BERKELEY WINE SCENE – A GLIMPSE

January 18, 2016Berkeley, Foodie, Spanish Wines, Uncategorized, wine, Wine Review, Wine TravelCalifornia, Carignan, Cinsault, Pinot Noir, Priorat, wine, wine blog, wine lifestyle, wine retail, wine tasting, wine travel, wineblog, WineryJimLockard

I was in Berkeley, CA for a week on business and I did a bit of exploration of the wine scene here. This is not my first time here, and I have blogged about Berkeley before (LINK).

The big news here is the possible scandal associated with the Premier Cru Wine Store bankruptcy (LINK). You can read about that if you wish. Of course, the great Kermit Lynch is here with his legendary wine shop (LINK) – I visited there in May. There are a lot of very good restaurants here with wine lists of varying length, breath an depth.

The wine highlight of this trip was two visits to Vintage Berkeley (LINK) a wine shop on College Avenue in the Elmwood neighborhood (I was staying nearby). The owners of Vintage Berkeley also own Solano Cellars Wines.

The shop on College Avenue has a focus on wines of the world priced under $30. There is a “back room” with more pricey bottles. I saw a lot of wine labels that were new to me, and a few that I recognized. Most of the latter were in the back room.

There is usually a wine tasting going on, and on my first visit, the proprietors were offering a couple of French wines from the Rhône Valley. There were about eight customers tasting and shopping. I had a good conversation with several of the customers and the staff. I was told that there would be a winemaker tasting of Clos Saron wines on Saturday.

On Saturday evening, I returned and met Gideon Beinstock, the winemaker for Clos Saron, which is located in Yuba County, California, in the northern section of the Sierra Foothills AVA. The total production of Clos Saron is 800 cases, so don’t be looking for these at your local supermarket. They are currently re-planting some of their vines, so they are only bottling estate Pinot Noirs, three of them. The rest of their wines are sourced elsewhere. Here is the list from the tasting, which is most of the wines that they produce:

I found the Cinsaults and the Carignans to be very interesting wines. The Cinsault vines were planted in 1885 and the Carignan vines in 1900. The blends that featured these wines were well-structured with relatively high acid and moderate tanins. They should age well and are interesting on a number of levels.

I was not a big fan of any of the Pinots, but to be fair, they are all young. Perhaps with a few years in the bottle, they will soften a bit. There was too much acidity for my taste, although each did have a distinctive nose and flavor range.

I bought a nice bottle of Terra Sanctus Priorat Blend from Catalunya and went home. The wine was excellent – well balanced, just short of chewy, with a nice viscosity and dark fruit and notes of minerality. I know I only scratched the surface of the Berkeley wine scene on this trip – but I will return!

2016-01-16 18.37.23 — The Tub at Vintage Berkeley Wine Shop

A DAY IN EDNA VALLEY AND A STOP AT KEN BROWN WINES

January 5, 2016Foodie, Restaurant, Uncategorized, wine, Wine Review, Wine Travel, Winery VisitCalifornia, Chardonnay, Edna Valley, Pinot Noir, Pismo Beach, Restaurants, Syrah, wine, wine tasting, wine travel, WineryJimLockard

We went up to Pismo Beach to join two other wine-loving couples for a couple of nights R&R on January 1st (I know, we just got back from Paso Robles on the 30th, but NYE was stressful). We stayed at the Kon Tiki Inn in Pismo (LINK), one of the better kept secrets in the area – no online registrations, you have to call!!!

We had some great meals – dinners at Avila Gardens Restaurant (LINK) and Guiseppe’s Cusina Italiana (LINK); and great lunches at the Los Olivos Cafe (LINK) on the way up; at Novo (LINK) in San Luis Obispo; and one at the Spyglass Inn in Shell Beach (LINK). All worth a visit.

But this is about the wine. And we did visit three, and only three wine tasting rooms on the trip. And the other couples brought some exceptional wines that we shared and took to dinner (a strategy: take your own bottle, but order a restaurant bottle first. It is likely that your bottle will then be served with no corkage fee – we did not aim for this, but that is what happened.).

Wine We Took to Avila Beach Inn

Wine We took to Guiseppe’s

The wineries, in order:

Baileyana/Zocker/Tangent/True Myth/Cadre (LINK): A tasting room outside of San Luis Obispo in the Edna Valley. All of the labels represented are made by a single producer and one winemaker. I am a fan of the Zocker label wines (and bought some) – a Grüner Veltliner, a Reisling, and a Late Harvest Grüner Veltliner. All are very true to the Austrian origins of these varietals. Light, crisp and refreshing – actually, great summer wines. The remainder of the 15 or so wines poured here are good, but not great. The tasting room and environs is very inviting, with boccie ball courts, picnic tables, etc., and there is a nice selection of wine-related gifts inside.

Talley Vineyards: An Edna Valley legend, Talley produces very good to excellent Burgundian-style wines. Their Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, especially the single vineyard productions, are wonderful. And their prices have hardly risen over the past decade. There is also a second label, Bishop’s Peak, with some nice red wines. The tasting room is beautifully appointed and overlooks some of the vineyards to the west. Out front, a beautiful courtyard has tables and chairs around a lovely fountain that has been converted to a succulent garden due to California’s drought.

Mike, our tasting room host, has been there a long time. He was curiously unwilling or unable to answer some basic questions about the winery, such as was there a map of the vineyards, etc. It was busy, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt. We left with some single vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

20160102_151419_001 — Talley Tasting Room

20160102_151406 — The Converted Fountain at Talley Vineyards

Ken Brown Wines (LINK): Dorianne and I stopped at Ken Brown Wines in Buellton on the way back down to Agoura Hills. Ken is one of the founders of the Santa Rita Hills AVA, and is responsible for the Zaca Mesa and Byron labels there. He decided to step back from large production and specialize in managing a few vineyards and producing some very fine wines in limited production. He produces six single vineyard Pinot Noirs, four Pinot blends from various vineyards, a fantastic single vineyard Chardonnay, a single vineyard Syrah, and several other wines, all in very small quantities – nothing over 240 cases per year.

I blogged about a visit here last year (LINK), but Dorianne wasn’t with me, hence the stop on this visit. Well, we might have stopped even if she had been along on the earlier visit.

We had another very enjoyable trip through parts of California’s Central Coast with friends, great wines, wonderful food, and all of the natural beauty that goes with this special part of the world.

As always, your comments are welcome.

PASO ROBLES TRIP, PART 2.TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD AND CALCAREOUS WINERY

January 1, 2016Restaurant, Uncategorized, wine, Wine TravelCabernet Sauvignon, California, Central Coast, Chardonnay, Foodie, Paso Robles, Picpoul de Pinet, restaurant, Rhône River, Tannat, Viognier, wine blog, wine travel, wneJimLockard

As I noted in my last post (LINK), Dorianne and I went to Paso Robles along California’s Central Coast region for three nights and two days of wine tasting with her sister and brother-in-law, Debby and Mike. Our daughter, Grace, joined us on the first day of wine tasting, but the four of us were on our own as we set out on Tuesday morning. We decided to keep it to two wineries to allow time for a nature walk later in the day.

Our first stop on the west side was Tablas Creek Vineyards (LINK) in the Adelaida AVA of west Paso Robles. Long known for their expertise in Rhône varietals, Tablas Creek has a Rhône River partner, Chateau Beaucastel (LINK) in France. You could spend months studying the Tablas Creek history, viticulture, wine making techniques, and tasting their wines (maybe a lifetime on that), but we only had a couple of hours.

From the website (LINK) with embedded links:

Tablas Creek Vineyard is the result of a decades-long friendship between the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel and Robert Haas, longtime importer and founder of Vineyard Brands. The families created a partnership in 1985 and in 1989 purchased a 120-acre property in the hilly Las Tablas district of west Paso Robles for its similarities to Châteauneuf du Pape: limestone soils, a favorable climate, and rugged terrain.

The partners imported the traditional varietals grown on the Perrins’ celebrated estate, including Mourvèdre, Grenache Noir, Syrah, and Counoise for reds, and Roussanne, Viognier, Marsanne, and Grenache Blanc for whites. These imported vines passed a rigorous 3-year USDA testing program, were propagated and grafted in our on-site nursery, and used to plant our organic estate vineyard.

Dorianne and I were members of the Tablas Creek wine club for a couple of years before we moved from Southern California. Their wines are beautifully crafted and many of their varietals are unique on the Central Coast, or even in all of California. They produce a few dozen wines, only three of which, called their core blends, are distributed widely. Here is the link to their wines page (LINK) for a more thorough description of each one.

Tablas Creek Vineyards and Tasting Room is located at the far west end of the Paso Robles area, which means that they are closer to the Pacific Ocean and its cooling influence. The tasting room is modern and state-of-the-art, with views into the winery. Several tasting stations surround a central core with displays of wines and other things for sale. As you approach the entryway, a display of grape vines for sale and a tub of stainless steel water bottles for guests to use during their visit.

The tasting room was crowded when we arrived. We found some space at a station being staffed by Suphada Rom, a very knowledgeable and well-traveled young woman from Vermont. Like many of the winery and tasting room workers in California, she arrived after some experience in Old World wine regions and developed a love for wine. Suphada writes a wine blog (LINK).

Suphada Rom

Tablas Creek Wines

The tasting experience at Tablas Creek involves the core blends and one or two varietals. To keep it short, I will just say that the core blends are always of a very high caliber. What I seek out at Tablas Creek are the single varietals. Our tasting included the 2013 Viognier and the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon. Both were very good – the Cabernet being smoother and lighter, more elegant than the typical Paso Robles-style Cabernet, which are big powerful wines.

Before departing Tablas Creek, we purchased a four-pack of varietals that included the 2013 Cabernet, 2012 Tannat, 2012 Picpoul Blanc (a varietal we enjoyed in France), and the 2013 Vermentino – a set that should provide many pleasures in the coming months.

Our next stop was farther east, up on a very high hill closer to Paso Robles on the border between the Adelaida and Willow Creek AVAs. Calcereous (pronounced with two hard “C’s”) is another wonderful Paso Robles wine experience. The name comes from the limestone soils of the area.

From their website (LINK): “Father and daughter Lloyd Messer and Dana Brown realized their dream of finding a place to express their passion for wine in 2000, when they established Calcareous Vineyards on one of the highest limestone plateaus on Paso Robles’ westside. Both Lloyd and Dana, experienced wine distributors in their native Iowa, recognized the westside of Paso Robles had potential to produce world class wines. Their acquisition of 342 acres atop solid calcareous rock reaching 1,800 feet above sea level confirmed their dedication to producing the highest quality, terroir driven wines possible. It is a labor of love to cultivate fruit on this challenging land, but the reward is immediately apparent when tasting the wines.”

Everything about Calcereous is beautiful – the wines, the land, the tasting room, and the experience. Our tasting room host, Karl Jepsen, is from Denmark. He gave an animated and informative “wine seminar” as we tasted six wines (five from the list and one additional).

Karl led us through the tasting, going over the provenance of each wine and adding some additional bits of information, such as how to determine which aspects of the bouquet of the wine come from the fruit and which come from the barrel.

Calcereous wines are premium wines – every wine we tasted was in the 90’s in my own mental ratings chart. We were given an impromptu tour of the vineyard & winery as well. I think we spent nearly 3 hours there. Wine highlights were the 2014 Estate Chardonnay, the 2013 ZSM (a fantastic blend of Zinfandel, Syrah & Merlot), and the 2012 Lloyd Bordeaux-style Blend, a truly exceptional wine Our 1/2 case purchase contained all three of those.

Karl Jepsen

Calcereous Vineyard

A note about the restaurant where we ate lunch after these great winery experiences – Fish Gaucho (LINK) in downtown Paso Robles did not disappoint. Very good Mexican dishes, large portions, and a nice atmosphere with good service. It’s worth a look when you are in Paso Robles.

There are over 200 wineries in Paso Robles, California. We visited just five of the more established producers on this short trip. I look forward to returning soon and exploring some of the smaller and newer producers.

As always, your comments are welcome.

And it was chilly – here are Dorianne and Debby clearing the ice from the car in the morning.

PASO ROBLES TRIP, PART 1. EBERLE, TOBIN JAMES & CASS WINERIES

December 31, 2015Uncategorized, wine, Wine Review, Wine TravelCabernet Sauvignon, California, Chardonnay, Marsanne, Paso Robles, Restaurants, Rousanne, Syrah, Travel, wine, Winery, ZinfandelJimLockard

Dorianne and I did a post-Christmas trip to Paso Robles this week. We were accompanied by her sister Debby and Debby’s husband, Mike, who live in Oklahoma, but love wine very much. The trip was really a good experience, so I will cover it in two posts.

Paso Robles has become the premier region of California’s Central Coast, which is saying something, as there are a lot of great wines coming from Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Monterey Counties. With over 200 producers, Paso Robles is the largest region (it includes 11 AVA’s), but it is also the place where the most experimentation and innovation is happening, which is by design. The focus is mainly on Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, but there are dozens of varietals being grown and the Rhône-style wines produced there are world-class.

I have written before of our trips there to attend the Garagiste Festivals (LINKS). This time, we selected just a few wineries to visit, three on the east side and two on the west side; HWY 101 is the divider. This post will speak to the east side and Part 2 the west side.

Our arrival on Sunday night began with dinner at Mistura (LINK), a Peruvian themed restaurant located at a golf course on the east side of town. This highly rated restaurant was an excellent choice for food and beverage, but our timing was off. The Sunday after Christmas is a very unpredictable night, and they were a bit over-crowded. We did not get seated for our 7:00 pm reservation until about 7:45 pm and our dinner did not arrive until almost 8:30 pm. That said, the staff was very gracious and helpful the wine list is very good, and the venue is very nice. Avoid the holidays and you should have a great experience.

On Monday, joined by our daughter, Grace, who was in the area with her father for the holidays, we began our tours at Eberle Winery (LINK) on Route 46. A relatively large producer for Paso Robles, Eberle provides a very good customer experience when you visit: complimentary tastings and winery tours (Dave Olcott and his team do a very professional job), a nicely appointed main tasting room, and knowledgeable staff. We felt well cared for and enjoyed our tour and experience very much. The venue is also available for special occasions and there is a VIP Tasting experience in the Wine Caves offered for a fee that looked very nice. Some photos from Eberle.

The wines at Eberle range from whites like Chardonnay, Viognier, and a Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc blend; a Syrah Rosé; and reds that include Barbera, Syrah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a red blend. Most of the wines on their website are available for tasting. You get to choose up to five wines to taste. Overall, I would rate Eberle as a very competent wine producer and many of their wines are good values. We particularly enjoyed (and purchased) the 2014 Viognier, Mill Road Vineyard, the 2013 Zinfandel, and the 2013 Barbera.

The next stop was Tobin James Cellars (LINK), farther east just off of Route 46 East. Tobin James has a unique branding look and their tasting room facility is set like a saloon in the wild west. Very campy. The place was packed when we arrived (about noon on a Monday), with three large bars pouring complimentary tastings. One thing that appeals to me – they have Tommy Bahama brand (LINK) shirts with their logo and name on them. Probably 2/3 of my wardrobe is Tommy B.

Tobin James takes a little getting used to for the serious wine drinker – getting past the colorful hype if you will. In the tasting room, you have your choice of a variety of wines on the tasting menu, but only one Zinfandel. Since I know Tobin James as a producer of high-quality Zinfandels, I asked Bethany, our very personable and competent tasting room staff person, if there was another menu. She smiled and produced a second menu with 6 Zinfandels, a Primitivo, and seven other Reserve wines. Also complimentary for tasting. Now we were getting somewhere.

Dorianne and I did side-by-side tastings of the 6 Zins, which were all excellent. We purchased three after getting Grace to expand her pallet a bit. When you get to the higher-end wines, Tobin James excels. Their other wines are good for everyday use as well.

2015-12-28 11.50.47 — The Gang at Tobin James

Our final stop of the day was a Cass Winery (LINK) in Creston, just southeast of Paso Robles. We know Cass Winery as a primary source of fruit for our Agoura Hills-based wine cooperative that I have posted about in the past (LINK). Cass, run by Steve Cass, is very well-known as both a reliable and innovative producer of a number of varietals. With 17 wines featured on their website, they are also very versatile. I am a big fan of Cass’s Rhône-style whites, particularly the Rousanne and Marsanne varietals.

Since our tasting included lunch in the winery cafe, it was an opportunity to experience their wines with some food. I opted for their award-winning burger, which was not the best choice for the whites, but . . . I was hungry.

Suffice to say that the Rousanne and Marsanne that we tasted were excellent – rich and fruity with a nice sense of minerality. The reds, a Syrah and a Cabernet Sauvignon, were also very nice.

2015-12-28 13.18.59 — The Burger at Cass Winery

So our first day of tasting came to a close at about 2:30 pm. Then we said farewell to Grace and headed for the market to get chicken and some other provisions for dinner at our AirBnB house that evening. The Eberle Viognier and Zinfandel purchased that morning would prove up to the task of the appetizer and main courses.

Wine travel is indeed rewarding, the wines, the places, and the people.

Next post – Paso Robles’ west side, featuring Tablas Creek and Calcareous Wineries, and a great Mexican restaurant.

HEY, IT’S THE HOLIDAYS – GIFT GIVING GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED WINE LOVER

December 19, 2015Uncategorized, wine, Wine Gear, Wine Opinion, Wine TravelCabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Christmas, France, Gadgets, Gift Giving, Petite Sirah, Semillion, Syrah, wine, wine retail, WineryJimLockard

Wine-related gift giving is always a bit of a challenge. Do you give wine, wine gadgets, wine books, wine experiences? Do you have some entry-level wine lovers on your list? Some experts (God forbid a Wine Blogger)? Is price a big concern? Are you a bit panic-stricken in the wine department?

Well, I know how you feel. The thing to do is to approach your holiday gift giving with a calm sense of purpose and a willingness to give someone something that they may not fully appreciate. Or even like.

Now no one wants to disappoint a loved one or a business colleague, but you’re not a mind reader are you? So do your best, be willing to be flexible, and relax. ‘Tis the season to ENJOY giving and receiving gifts. After all, you are probably more likely to receive a wine basket full of Barefoot Wine than you are to give one, right? (HINT: Do not give Barefoot Wine, Two-Buck Chuck, or “critter wines” – you know, the cheap Australians). No one wants those (they really don’t & they are filled with additives that nobody wants either) and you look, well, cheap and thoughtless for giving them. They are the equivalent of the fruitcake in Holiday wine gift giving.

My recommendation is to give wines that you personally enjoy and that, ideally, have a story. Maybe a little Syrah that you enjoyed at a restaurant or found at a winery that was off the beaten path somewhere; or a gadget that you particularly cherish. When a gift has a personal touch, it is both more fun to prepare and give and more special to receive.

If you live near wine country, or if your gift recipient has a trip planned to a wine region, you might consider the gift of a private tasting that includes a bottle of wine to take away. Most wineries can accommodate such a purchase and you get or make a certificate to give to the recipient. You can gift a wine class to a beginner, or a special wine pairing dinner to someone with more knowledge. And I can help you with the gift of a wine tour in France (if interested, PM me at JimLockardTravels@yahoo.com).

Gadgets are good gifts up to a point. A nice decanter or a set of nice wine glasses are good choices; it tends to go downhill from there. I probably do not keep about 2/3 of the wine gadgets I receive, either because I already have one or because they don’t work, or because it is something I just don’t use. Here is an example:

This stopper-thing is goofy and was given in fun. It might be okay except that it did not provide a good seal on the bottle. I would rather use the cork or twist cap that came with the wine bottle, because the goal is to preserve the wine.

Wine openers are a good choice, but a personal one. We all have our preferences. Here are links to posts about two openers that I have blogged about that I can recommend. However, you should remember that wine openers are personal and your gift may not be used.

(LINK TO CO2 GAS OPENER)

(LINK TO TRAVEL OPENER)

What about wine as a gift?

Always a welcome idea, however, there are some inherent issues in giving wine that you may want to pay attention to.

Shipping. If it needs to be shipped, this can be an issue. There are all kinds of restrictions, most importantly that the USPS, UPS and FEDeX do not take alcohol shipments from private parties. You can have a winery or a wine shop ship for you, but that will often cost more than the wine. I would stick to wine gifts that can be given in person or dropped off. Ship the gadgets.
Shipping Part 2. One exception (and it’s too late for this Christmas) is to use an online service like WTSO.com (LINK) to ship gift wine. You are limited to what they are offering, so you may have to check the site repeatedly, but it is an easier way to ship wine.
Giving the wine. If you take your gift of wine to a holiday party given by the recipient, it may just become part of the bar for the party. That may be fine, but it is not ideal. So bring a bottle for the bar and put your gift, well wrapped, under the tree.
Selection of the wine to give can be a minefield (see the idea of being willing to give something that the recipient may not enjoy). I try to avoid their favorite wines because I know that they will get them for themselves. I go for something unusual for them. Maybe a Petite Sirah for a Cabernet drinker or a Semillion for a Chardonnay drinker. Or a Port or Sauternes, and even Champagne or Cava or a local sparkler for anyone. If they like whites or reds, give them that, but help them to explore a bit. You can also get something like an Australian Cabernet for a Bordeaux drinker. Another idea is to get a mixed case for a new wine drinker; or for me for that matter.
Wine Baskets. The key to a good wine basket is the wine. Rather than picking up a pre-made basket, ask the staff at your wine retailer to make you one that you design yourself. (HINT: Instead of cheese, get a gift card for the cheese and put a description/photos of the recommended cheeses in the basket). Avoid the kinds of cheese that are usually in baskets that are full of preservatives and other non-cheese stuff.
Labels. it is said that 80% of wine purchases are made because of the label. Fine, do that if you must. Get some Skinny Bitch as a joke for a female friend, or some Fat Bastard for that male friend with the not-too-sophisticated sense of humor. Just be aware that it only encourages the bottling of mostly bulk wine with clever labels, thus entrapping another generation of new wine drinkers in rivers of barely drinkable wines full of additives. I’m just sayin’.
Price. It is easy for you to go overboard here. Those top-shelf wines are awfully appealing, especially when you want to impress someone (and many have nice labels, too!). I recommend that you know your budget and stick to it; that will make for a happier January when the credit card bill comes.
Get help. Your local wine shop, or even Costco (but probably not Target – don’t buy gift wine at Target) has someone who knows wine and will help you. Get their advice – you don’t have to take it, but a good wine department employee can be a big help. The same is true if you are buying from a winery. Tell them what you are looking for, they love to talk about their wines and will be helpful.
Status. I know that some are getting wines to give as corporate gifts. I will leave that to you, because you are clearly trying to impress people, which is fine, but that is not what the individual giver should be doing. The sad part of corporate wine giving is that many, if not most, of the wines go to people who do not appreciate them. I had a friend who does not drink wine and who received a case of Joseph Phelps Insignia Cabernet Sauvignon one year. He gave some away and used the rest in spaghetti sauce.

In short, wine-related giving is a field rich in opportunity with a few land mines here and there. I recommend again that you give thoughtfully, within your budget, and that you do your best to enjoy the process. Use your gift-buying time on-line or in stores to explore and expand your own wine experience.

Thanks so much for visiting this site, or even following it, this year. And have a very Happy Holiday Season and a Prosperous and Wine-filled New Year!

FIVE GOOD REASONS TO BUY WHEN YOU VISIT THE WINERY – FROM LAZENNE.COM

October 25, 2015wine media, Wine TravelAppellation, Bordeaux, California, Cava, Central Coast, France, Provence, Virginia, wine, wine media, wine tasting, wine travel, WineryJimLockard

Our friends at Lazenne.com (LINK), makers of wine luggage and wine travel accessories, have posted an excellent article giving five reasons to purchase wine at the winery. Here is a quote from the article by Chrissie McClatchie for Lazenne:

“In France alone there are over 300 AOC’s (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, or Controlled Designation of Origin), some counting just one or two producers (Palette in Provence) to hundreds (the simple Bordeaux AOC). Considering the scope, it’s easy to imagine how many of these wines don’t leave their region of origin. I lead wine tours through the Bellet AOC in the hills of Nice, one of France’s oldest and smallest appellations, boasting only eleven vineyards. With such a small production, the wineries can little keep up with the local demand, let alone consider opening up export markets. For most people, therefore, purchasing direct is the only access they have to wines which are simply not available in their home country.” – (LINK TO FULL ARTICLE)

2015-08-29 13.57.42 — Tasting Room at Chateau Manissy in Tavel, France

I would add that many of the same reasons hold true when you are visiting domestic wineries – good values, wines that are not otherwise available due to limited production, and knowing the provenance are also reasons to buy at the winery in California, New York, or Virginia.

2015-02-07 12.46.55 — Tasting at LaFond Winery in the Santa Rita Hills of California.

Dorianne and I will be visiting California’s Central Coast twice in the next two months, and Napa-Sonoma-Mendocino areas early in the new year. We are looking forward to tasting and buying some amazing wines.

Jim at Broc Winery — Me Tasting at Broc Winery in Berkeley, California.

WINE TIPS FOR TRAVELERS

October 21, 2015Wine Opinion, Wine Travel, WineOpenerCalifornia, corkscrew, Europe, Iceland, wine, Wine Apps, wine travelJimLockard

Dorianne and I have been on the road since March, in Europe and the U.S., and I have been blogging along the way. I thought it might be helpful to do a post about Wine Tips for Travelers.

And, of course, if you love wine travel – join me for our Tour of Bordeaux, Paris, and Champagne in March (LINK).

BEST TRAVEL CORKSCREW

The best travel corkscrew that I have found is this little gem, The Boomerang, I purchased for $6.99. After having a number of corkscrews confiscated by TSA agents at U.S. airports, I began to look for one that did not have a knife blade as a foil cutter. This one has four discs that cut very evenly around the top of the foil. The corkscrew itself seems a bit fragile, but I have opened over 100 bottles with it with no sign of it slowing down. I do, however, carry a backup.

The history since 9-11 is that all corkscrews were originally banned from carry-on luggage because of the knife blade as a foil cutter AND the corkscrew itself. This was relaxed a few years ago, but the ban on the knife blade has continued.

Since I always take a corkscrew with me and I fly dozens of times a year, I needed to find one that I could take in my carry-on luggage, because, well, you never know. A case in point – I was flying across country, and a friend happened to be one of the
flight attendants. My wife and I were in coach. The flight attendant brought us a package wrapped in plastic bags and said, “Mr. Lockard, you left this in the front of the plane.” Opening it, I found a bottle of very nice Chardonnay and two glasses from the first class cabin. My corkscrew was in the pocket of my backpack under the seat in front of me!

I have also blogged about the Best Corkscrew (LINK), the Cork Pops Legacy Wine Opener, but that model, being powered by gas capsules, is not suitable for travel. If you can only afford one of these, get the traveler – it’s much cheaper, and you can use it at home or on the road.

TRAVELING WITH WINE

There are a couple of things that you might want to know about taking wine with you on airlines and cruise ships. First, is how to pack the wine so that it is safe and does not spill onto the contents of your suitcase.

Many times, I have traveled with wine bottles in my checked luggage. What I usually do, if it is just a bottle or two, is either use a special wine bottle protector, or, absent that, wrap the wine in some clothing like a sweatshirt or a bathrobe (what, you don’t travel with a bathrobe?). It is best, of course, to have the protector.

If you are flying with more wine, like a case or so, it is best to get wine luggage and check it through. There are a number of products on the market. I like Lazenne (LINK), a light but stable product that works great for most uses. They also make wine bottle protectors.

I did a blog post on bringing wine into the U.S. and customs duties, etc. Here is the (LINK TO THAT POST). Actually, duties on wine are lower than you might expect, and paying the extra airline fee, if there is one, to ship a case of wine is a relative bargain.

Cruise ships can be another story. Oceangoing cruise lines often have a policy restricting bringing alcohol on board. If you make purchases on shore excursions, the booze is often taken upon re-boarding and held until you disembark. You can usually get away with having some wine in your luggage initially, but that will, of course, be somewhat limited. If you are concerned about this, check with the cruise line to see what their policy is.

River cruises are often different. We recently went on a Viking Cruise Lines (LINK) ship on the Rhine River. We were encouraged to bring wine purchases aboard to have with dinner – no corkage fees. The reason for this is that this cruise offers complimentary wine with meals, so any wine that you bring on board saves them money. I still liked the policy, and we did bring some wine on board to consume.

WINE APPS FOR TRAVEL

I am not a big fan of any of the wine apps I have used so far. I guess the best is Delectable (LINK), which lets you scan the label and view a bit of info and any other reviews that happen to have been posted. It also lets you review the wine. The problem is that, while it recognizes most wines that you find only in Europe, there is a paucity of information and very few, if any reviews on them.

For locating wine venues, from wine bars to châteaus to good wine restaurants, I use TripAdvisor.com and occasionally, Yelp.com and Google.com/maps. These work as well in Europe as in the U.S., meaning that they are okay, not really great. Better to find a local wine bar or wine shop, make friends with the bartender or proprietor and ask questions about the local wine scene. If you know of something better, please leave a comment to this post.

SOME PLACES JUST AREN’T GREAT FOR WINE

While wine has become more and more prevalent in many parts of the world, there are some places where wine either isn’t available, isn’t good when it is available, or is so pricey that there are better options.

We were in Iceland (LINK TO THAT POST) in May for a few days. There is wine there, but it is extremely expensive due to shipping costs and UK duties on New World Wines. As my post at the time indicates, we found some great local beers and did just fine.

Prague is near some decent wine regions, particularly in Hungary, but I found that my lack of knowledge of the local wines was a problem. So we went with the huge array of excellent beers there as well.

Next month, we head to Oaxaca, Mexico for a month of Spanish Immersion Classes and the amazing cuisine of that region (think chocolate, mole sauces, and coffee). Not a wine region in sight, and if there is wine, it will be served at room temperature – about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. No, we will stick with beer and the fantastic Mescals of the area.

FINAL TIPS

So my tips include:

Take a good travel corkscrew and a backup.
Select one or two good options for carrying wine with you.
Learn your online and local wine resources.
Remember – when there isn’t wine, there is always something else.

So never let your travels be dictated by your own failure to prepare. Sampling the local wines when you travel is a great experience (even if the wines aren’t always so good), and the people in the wine industry, from the vineyards to the retail shops, have been great people wherever we have traveled.

We aren’t done. After Cleveland, we head to Southern California, then Mexico, then Hawaii, then Southern and Northern California through January – then, who knows? But you can be sure that I will be blogging all the way.

LUXURY WINE TOURS TO FRANCE – BORDEAUX – PARIS – CHAMPAGNE

October 14, 2015Foodie, France, Wine TravelBordeaux, Champagne, Foodie, France, Paris, Tour, wine, wine travelJimLockard

A very special experience awaits you. If you are a wine lover and are eager to experience some of the greatest wine regions in the world, we have a journey for you. Seven nights in France, with time on the left and right banks of the Gironde River to explore the tastes of Bordeaux wines, followed by time in Paris, the City of Light, and a day in the Champagne Region to savor the famous wines of that historic area. This intimate, small group tour features lodging in fine hotels, meals in châteaus, visits to the legendary vineyards, and tastings of some of the great wines of the world.

In Paris, we will pair wine and food at specially selected restaurants, have a literary walking tour with a local author, and even have some free time to explore on your own or just relax and sit in a sidewalk cafè. All the while, you will learn more about wine in the vineyard and at the château. All tours will be in English, but there will be interactions with French people.

Led by American wine blogger Jim Lockard (JimLockardOnWine.com), who has traveled extensively in France and who will be joined by local experts, you will get the inside story of some of the great wines of Bordeaux and Champagne and have access to places not generally available to the traveling public. This small group experience will give you the opportunity to interact with the guides and the winemakers and sommeliers. You will be joined by a few other wine lovers and share gourmet meals and luxury transportation.

“The Bordeaux/Paris/Champagne Tour is unlike anything offered in the travel industry today. I looked for the trip I wanted to take and could not find it – so I created it, in partnership with travel expert Steve Hooks of Journey Different.” ~ Jim Lockard

Now you have the opportunity to join them for the wine experience of a lifetime.

For more information and to register visit DeluxeWineTours.com (LINK)

BORDEAUX AS A TOP TRAVEL DESTINATION

October 8, 2015Foodie, France, Wine TravelAlbarino, Bordeaux, Champagne, France, Paris, travJimLockard

This article from National Geographic Intelligent Traveler (LINK TO ARTICLE) shows how Bordeaux is a top travel destination now. Want to go?

You can join us on an amazing small group tour, not only of Bordeaux, but Paris and Champagne, too! March 15 to 22, 2016. Go to Deluxe Wine Tours (LINK) for all the information!

Jim Lockard On Wine

Wine Appreciation and Wine Lifestyle Blog