I recently tasted with the Director of Joseph Drouhin, Frederic Drouhin. It was a slightly rainy day in San Francisco which has been the norm for the last few weeks. We meet briefly and had a short talk about the history and the future of this famous Burgundy estate, which I am sure many of you have tried atleast once, hopefully. They are based in Beaune and were founded in 1880, after hundreds of years in the hands of the King of France and assorted Duke’s. An amazingly long history, almost as long as the collective distance of the many cellars that lie just meters below the town of Beaune.

The tasting was delightful, offering the reds before the whites as many producers organize their tastings from this region. We tasted five reds, my favorite lying in their Gevrey-Chambertin 06′, which is a blend of village vineyards and some of their 1er cru vineyards – a little rustic with some darker berried fruits and the fullest wine of the line-up. The other wines listed lightest to fuller, also showing quality and concentration: Santenay 07′, Chorey-les-Beaune 06′, Nuits-St-Georges 07′ and the Chambolle-Musigny 06′.

Domaine de Vaudon (Sorry for the blurry)

We proceeded to the white wines, eight in total and this was the most impressive portion of the tasting. All the wines are delicious, but they all have their distinct styles and structure. We stared with the Macon-Villages 08′, Saint Veran 08′ and the Chablis 07′, which were all open and oppulent in their youth. We then tasted his Chablis “Domaine de Vaudon”, which is a village AOC, but considered to be a higher lieu-dit vineyard by those who are familiar with this vineyard named after the 18th century watermill. The wine was filled with a great flinty quality and mineral, a small amount of citrus and tropical pineapple fruit – a delicious wine which will shine with food, especially oysters:) Moving along we next had the “Vaudesir” and “Les Clos” Grand Cru vineyards which stand to their elevated status. Both wines were fuller and richer than the previous (obviously) they have both seen oak and the “Les Clos” is from parcels which have not been plagued with disease in any recent history. We finished our afternoon tasting with the Puligny-Montrachet 07′, full yet not profound and ofcourse one of the flagship wines the Beaune “Clos des Mouches” Blanc 06′. The wine comes from a ripe vintage and if full bodied and rich, lots of fruit and mineral tones, hints of honey and caramel, but still not ready to drink in its prime.

Frederick wanted to share a story about how the “Clos des Mouches” Blanc came to be, and I couldn’t down the oppurtunity to learn, being a fan of the location. Frederic’s grandfather was preparing to plant this vineyard, but before he picked up a book on traditional planting techniques and practices of Burgundy – research is always good. Since this vineyard was classically planted to Pinot Noir, he was learning about some of the best ways to successfully achieve these goals. In reading he learned that it was common technique to plant some Chardonnay along with the Pinot Noir, so he proceeded with his task. A few years down the line a vintage offered a difficult situation – the Pinot Noir was ripe and harvested, but the Chardonnay was not ready and needed to hang longer and longer and longer. It came to a point were the red was already fermented and resting in cellar while they were picking the Chardonnay, not allowing the natural blending to take place. He wrote this wine off as house wine and bottled the two barrels produced. Down the road he began to consume this wine at home and soon realized that this wine was good, even amazing. From that point he decided to remove some of the Pinot Noir and replant Chardonnay and begin bottling this amazing vineyard!!!

It always amazes me how much we learn everyday. Hope you enjoyed this little story.

WOW, that is all I have to say about the tasting that I recently had the pleasure of attending with my good friend Noah Dranow at Bond Estates in Napa Valley. 

If anyone hasn’t heard yet of this amazing estate yet – then you are in for a treat. Not only are these wines amazing on the palate, but they are created by from some of the best vineyards in all of Napa Valley!!! There has been over 27 different vineyards being produced through their cellars and only 5 have been produced from those amazing lots, and that is with the most recent release!!

We were lucky enough to taste with Master Sommelier Paul Roberts (Krug Cup for us Sommeliers!!) and truly learn that all sights are from different soils and completely different origins – beyond most selections in the valley – check out the picture below – wines with the soils beneath them!!

Must we say more?? The 2006 Harlan was also stunning for those that are lucky enough to taste in its youth. By Mark Bright

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!!

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…)

• Frias Vineyards
• Beauregard Vineyards
• Cooralook
• EQ
• NQN
• Cannonball
• Fritz
• Gloria Ferrer

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.

Today I took a trip up to Napa not only to get out of the hustle and bustle of the City (and the less than stellar weather) but also to visit two fantastic wineries, ZD Winery and Robert Sinskey Winery. My first stop was at Cornerstone Place in Sonoma for a quick sandwich from Sage Fine Foods and then popped into the Roshambo tasting room to say hi and get in a quick game of Pac man. It was an overcast and slightly humid day but perfect weather to taste a little vino and make some new friends. I headed to the CA-29 and cut over the 128 to Silverado Trail (which I later found out was named for it being one of the original trails during the silver rush built from Napa to Calistoga as a major trade route). As I pulled into the ZD winery parking lot the sun just began to peek through the clouds. ZD Winery is located along the Silverado Trail a short drive from Lake Hennessy and neighbors to Mumm Napa Winery. It’s set on 6-acres of prime Rutherford real estate and from the back of their facilities they have a stunning view across the valley. I met with ZD’s regional sales manager, Kendra Gillette and she showed me around the facilities. She gave me the history and a quick peek into the “library” (a collection of bottles from each vintage and varietal produced at ZD starting from 1969) I then got to look at their bottling equipment and barrel taste some of their upcoming pinots and cabernets mmmmmm. ZD stands for the two gentlemen that started the winery, Norman deLeuze and Gino Zepponi. It also stands for “Zero Defects” a term used in aerospace engineering (a profession that both owners were in prior to becoming wine makers) also a practice that ZD applies to their wine making. ZD is also a certified organic winery that has been using sustainable organic practices since the 80’s but became certified by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) in 1999. On top of farming organically in the fall of 2007 ZD installed 712 solar panels to power its winery. Some interesting facts about the solar panels used by ZD: over the course of a year…
They could Power 22 homes for a year

Remove the equivalent CO2 that 32 acres of trees would process
Power 1,238 100 watt light bulbs a year

Remove the equivalent of 16 cars from the road a year
This blog is slowly beginning to turn into a short story and I haven’t even begun to talk about Robert Sinskey yet. I’ll have to save that winery for another post. I would like to mention one of ZD’s standout wines, 2007 Founders Reserve Pinot Noir. This wine was absolutely delicious cherry cola, raspberry, spice and beautiful hints of herbaceousness (made up word) most of these aromas followed through on the palate with the addition of structured tannins that give it a great backbone, an absolutely wonderful pinot that has won more than a few gold medals in wine competitions throughout the country.

Another post will follow with my dynamic time at the biodynamic winery of Robert Sinskey.

I have to say, meeting Jerold O’Brien of Silver Mountain Vineyards is like meeting the beginning of organic vine growing from before it was known.

Jerold is one of the few Irish vine-growers and winemakers in the state of California. He began his love of wine when he was in the Air Force and was stationed in Europe. One of his first statements to me was that when you are in the military you learn many things and one is “drinking.” He was never a big beer or distilled spirits fan, but quickly found a love of wine. That is one of the main reasons why he asked to be stationed in Northern California – the center of modern wine-making in the country.

He quickly found his amazing plot of land and bought it when he was stationed here in San Francisco. He planted and farmed organically ever since 1980, and it wasn’t until 2001 when he was certified organic (at that time the first in Santa Cruz Mountains). The only reason he wasn’t pursuing it before was because he didn’t realize such a recognition existed – it was just how he farmed – with the earth.

No one should ever miss his small production wines – they are as amazing as anything else in the state – but he focuses on fruit forward and powerful wines!!! These wines are for the Burgundy driven drinker – and for the experience drinker – they are an experience in the intensity of fruit and power that Pinot has to offer. Enjoy (and don’t miss the Muns Vineyard). All Pinots are under 200 case production – contact us at markriswine.com to taste and attain some of these amazing wines.

Not only is Jerold into organic farming but he is into completely sustainable farming. He recently added a new steel canopy that covers his entire winery. This is what he is accomplishing with this simple structure:

1. No longer needing to use energy to cool his cellar – the shade and natural elevation and wind keeps it a natural and cool 55 degrees.
2. He is adding over 200 solar panels to power his entire facility and others.
3. The canopy collects over 50,000 gallons per year in natural rain water, eliminating the need for water from other sources and depleting our collective resources.

What else can we say – Genius.

P.M. Staiger is another producer in the Santa Cruz Mountains that has been invisible for a long time. These wines have been produced in such small qauntities for such a long time, no one can find them besides the mailing list members themselves.

Amazing high altitude wines that sit high above the rest of the Santa Cruz Mountains!!! They only produce Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in extremely small quantities. With the best barrels produced and often re-using these barrels, you find some of the best producers with price thought wines – for the purity of the vineyards.

Finding P.M. Staiger is a gem in the mountains – start looking my friends – the details will lie in the search, unless we find them for you