Here are some pictures from our first event that took place at 5A5 Steak Lounge this past monday. I would like to thank all who attended it was a huge success. We had roughly 120-150 people show up and I think from the pictures you can see that everyone had a great time. Also I would like to thank the participating wineries and distributors who graciously poured their wonderful wines. Enjoy
Hello everyone, I am going to speak a little bit about one of the best wine labels in the US – Littorai. I will also be touching on its creator and the genius behind one of the most progressive and Biodynamic properties in the wine world – Ted Lemon.
The New Littorai Winery from the Vineyard
It was a beautiful perfect Monday afternoon on the drive to Littorai. We were waiting outside where Ted came out to greet us with a gentle nature and ready to take us on a educational tour of his vineyards and the philosophies of Biodynamic winemaking. He started by grabbing a pitchfork and we were off to the vineyards. He began with a strong explanation of his vineyard philosophy and by the end of the day we knew that Biodynamic farming wasn’t a process but a way of life. Biodynamic farming is about fully natural sustainability in a property that is dependent on the natural and random life forces and plant life in a specific region and property. Ted explained his ideas and vineyard practices in great detail and showed us some of the most important tools he uses in his vineyards, such as the wild flowers growing amongst the vines and his very proud naturally organic compost piles aging and waiting for their turn to nourish the land. There are many different misconceptions about Biodynamics, but one thing is certain of this philosophy: those who practice Biodynamics have great understanding of their land and grapes. You can’t make great wine without great grapes and that is a Biodynamic producer’s main goal.
Ted Lemon in the vineyard.
Learning what feeds the earth.
After an amazing tour of some of the most beautiful vineyards in Sonoma and some of the coolest (by degrees) in the state, we moved into the winery to taste the final product. We tasted through a long line of Pinot Noirs first: Sonoma Coast, Les Armes, Hirsch, Roman, Haven and One Acre. Ted’s Pinot Noir grapes are sourced from these sights, which stretch from Sonoma up to the reaches of the Anderson Valley in Mendocino County. We then began tasting the Chardonnays after the red because of their brilliant acidity and clean and refreshing qualities. The wines are expressive of their specific sights, mainly because of the winemaking decisions in the cellar. All wines are produced and selected for the highest quality and from there they are all put into barrels at the same time – the same barrels, in the same amounts, for the same length of time. This is truly a commitment to the expression of these sites and shows clearly in the delicious final bottlings.
If you ever have the pleasure and the luck to taste one of these wines is will surely be an experience you won’t forget, especially with great food. These wines are made for pairing with an entire spectrum of foods and should be enjoyed with one of your upcoming great meals – it will only enhance your experience!!!
Thanks for reading and never stop searching for amazing wine, though it is rare that one like the Littorai wines are easily found.
What makes a healthy bunch after flowering.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am excited to talk a little about Beauregard Vineyards based down in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I know that I have been spending quite a bit of time in this AVA, but it is for good reason because too many of these great producers have been hiding out in one of the most exciting wine regions of America perfecting their creations!!!
The Beauregard family bought their first land for vine growing in 1946 and have been making quality wine ever since in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Four generations have passed since that first purchase and now at the lead for the family business is Ryan Beauregard. I had the pleasure of meeting with Ryan through a good friend and business partner Jesse Katz from the Davenport Roadhouse, where we are slowly building The Wine Key project (more to come on that topic later:)
Ryan has been taking the family business to completely new levels in wine quality, selection and exposure. They have recently taken over the wine tasting room that used to house Bonny Doon wines and have truly given it a warm welcoming touch. The wines are fantastic; I especially enjoyed the Pinot Noir from Trout Gulch vineyard that Beauregard is currently offering. The wine shows hints of lighly smoked cherries and raspberry tones with hints of crushed rock and touches of French oak on the palate. It is medium bodied and smooth as silk as it crosses the palate. Ryan’s Chardonnay is equally appealing; it boosts lots of tropical fruits tones (pineapple and mango) with a rich mid-palate and long finish brought home by the balanced use of oak. The wines are not found in many locations in the city yet, but if you are coming by the first Monday Night Flight at 5A5 Steak Lounge on the 22nd of June you will get a chance of experiencing the wines for yourself.
If you can’t make it to the Monday Night Flight then you should check them out sometime in Santa Cruz, they are located on Bonny Doon Rd. right off beautiful HWY 1. You can also learn a little more about the winery at www.beauregardvineyards.com.
Thank for reading and enjoying wine!!
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am excited to talk a little about Beauregard Vineyards based down in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I know that I have been spending quite a bit of time in this AVA, but it is for good reason because too many of these great producers have been hiding out in one of the most exciting wine regions of America perfecting their creations!!!
The Beauregard family bought their first land for vine growing in 1946 and have been making quality wine ever since in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Four generations have passed since that first purchase and now at the lead for the family business is Ryan Beauregard. I had the pleasure of meeting with Ryan through a good friend and business partner Jesse Katz from the Davenport Roadhouse, where we are slowly building The Wine Key project (more to come on that topic later:)
Brown Ranch Vineyard outside of the tasting room.
Ryan has been taking the family business to completely new levels in wine quality, selection and exposure. They have recently taken over the wine tasting room that used to house Bonny Doon wines and have truly given it a warm welcoming touch. The wines are fantastic; I especially enjoyed the Pinot Noir from Trout Gulch vineyard that Beauregard is currently offering. The wine shows hints of lighly smoked cherries and raspberry tones with hints of crushed rock and touches of French oak on the palate. It is medium bodied and smooth as silk as it crosses the palate. Ryan’s Chardonnay is equally appealing; it boosts lots of tropical fruits tones (pineapple and mango) with a rich mid-palate and long finish brought home by the balanced use of oak. The wines are not found in many locations in the city yet, but if you are coming by the first Monday Night Flight at 5A5 Steak Lounge on the 22nd of June you will get a chance of experiencing the wines for yourself.
Beauregard Wine Tasting Room on Bonny Doon Rd.
If you can’t make it to the Monday Night Flight then you should check them out sometime in Santa Cruz, they are located on Bonny Doon Rd. right off beautiful HWY 1. You can also learn a little more about the winery at www.beauregardvineyards.com.
Thank for reading and enjoying wine!!
Australia is very well known for their affordable, fresh and young red wines, but now they have a new star producing stunning whites for a fraction of the price of competitors from around the globe: Cooralook. I had the oppurtunity to taste the line-up of these delicious and vibrant young white wines made by Tod Dexter (veteran wine-maker of Stoniers) from grapes grown in some of the coolest areas of Victoria, Australia.
The stand-out wines of the tasting were definitly the white wines. Starting with the Sauvignon Blanc which was light, moderately high in acidity and with the slight grassy tones we love so much about this superstar from the southern hemisphere.
The following, my personal favorite of the line-up, was the Pinot Gris. The color of the wine relfects its name with the slightest of grey tone and a lean and mean body, filled with melon and honeysuckle, with still a hint oily in the finish.
The unwooded Chardonnay was the following wine with clean and vibrant tropical tones and a light and approachable body and a long finish. The Pinot Noir and the Shiraz are two wines not to be missed in this line-up, though, both holding their own group.
The Pinot Noir is soft and very aromatic with hints of bing cherries and fresh wild raspberries. The body has a little tannic grip but is medium bodied at most with a full-filling finish. The Shiraz is the great BBQ wine of the summer, hints of roasted meat and bacon all wrapped around a fleshy blackberry and grilled!!!
These wines are just now showing up in Northern California and shouldn’t be missed – they are delicious. The best news of this line-up is that all are under $20 and the whites being under $15 – most restaurants are pouring them by the glass for under $10. Adventure is out there!!!!
So as many of you may or may not know we are having our first wine event as Markris Wine Group. The process from concept to final product has been quite a journey and we are quite happy with what we have put together. We are excited to give you Monday Night Flight (MNF) at 5A5 Steak Lounge. 5A5 is a new restaurant located in the same space that used to be occupied by Frisson Restaurant. If anyone was familiar with Frisson, they will remember the circular dining room and ceiling lighting. 5A5 has sexed it up a ton by adding faux-snake skin patterns on walls and chairs along with white seating and a sound system/ DJ area that gives most SF clubs a run for their money. Upon entering you’ll be greeted by a modern play on a fire place turned ornamental fire display and get a superb view of the dining room and bar/lounge area. Our event will be occupying the lounge and back area of the restaurant which also has an ornamental modern fireplace. This is where we will have wineries set up pouring their wonderful wines. Here is a photo of their amazing dining room…
We named our event Monday Night Flight ( a play on the term wine flight: Wine flights, also sometimes referred to as tasting flights, are tastings of multiple wines, in order to get a feel for breadth or depth. Wine flights are usually intended for those new to the experience of tasting wine, or those who want to increase their understanding of a specific region, vintage, or varietal. ) and all event things i.e. flyers, poster, terms and logo are airline/flight related. You’ll notice the flyer resembles a boarding pass. Here is a look at the poster our designer (Josh from Treasure Photography) and I threw together…
Words cannot express how excited we are to be doing this event and we already are planning the next one!!! This will be a monthly event at 5A5 so stay tuned for updates and info regarding this and other exciting things we have coming up.
Here is a list of participating wineries: (more may be added…)
Tickets can be purchased ***here*** online for a mere $10 dollars!!!!! at this price they will go fast. This event is going to be great so dont miss out.
When I first met Mark Bright several years ago, I was struck by the way the twentysomething wine guru seemed wise beyond his years…
Wine etiquette? Forget Ms. Manners. SF’s sommeliers tell us what to do…
According to Mark Bright, a former Michael Mina sommelier…
Mark Bright’s career began at the ripe age of 17, where he trained under the master sommeliers at Aqua at the Bellagio. After becoming a sommelier at age 21…
