June 22nd, 2009
What is in that bottle of Cabernet? In order to call an American wine a 2006 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine has to have at least 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 85% of the grapes have to be from Sonoma County and 85% of the wine has to have been harvested in 2006. Large wineries like Kendall Jackson strive for consistency and try to essentially make the same wine each vintage, a near impossible task considering that every year their vineyards sources change and the fact that weather can really influence the grapes/wine. Boutique wineries don’t usually follow any “formula” and just strive to produce the best wine possible.
Most wineries will do this blending right before bottling and the winemakers will taste the wine to access what the wine lacks. There are literally a myriad of possible combinations of what the blend could be and even adding as little as Read the rest of this entry »
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June 13th, 2009
Porto Vista Hotel
1835 Columbia St. San Diego
www.portovistasandiego.com
5 Skillfully paired food and wine pairings!
Costa Azul – Lake County – Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Humboldt fog chevre mousse, paddlefish caviar
CCV – Dry Creek Valley – Chardonnay 2008
Mini crab cakes, tropical fruit emulsion
CCV – Dry Creek Valley – Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 *** Gold Medal- 2009 Critics Challenge
Duck prosciutto, melon, 14 year old cherry balsamic vinegar
CCV – Dry Creek Valley – Petite Sirah 2007 *** Gold Medal- 2009 Orange County Fair
Braised angus short ribs, mashed fingerling potatoes, Lambert Bridge Demi
Costa Azul – “Mariani Ranch” Alexander Valley – Late Harvest Zinfandel 2008
Petite chocolate decadence with raspberry coulis
www.ccvwines.com
www.costaazulwines.com
If you have any questions about the event or would prefer to pay by check please contact chris@ccvwines.com
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May 29th, 2009
Photo was taken just after I pitched the yeast to this Merlot.
Every November when nearly all of the grapes have been picked, thousands of swallows descend on our vineyard and will stay for days. There are still some grapes left on the vine and some have actually started to ferment because of the indigenous yeast on the grape skins. Some swallows eat too many of these alcoholic grapes and become so inebriated Read the rest of this entry »
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May 18th, 2009
Nearly all red wines and some whites are put in oak barrels for maturation. The main reason for this is that the barrels soften the wine and add body and depth. The barrels actually “breathe” and some of the water content of the wine evaporates, concentrating the flavors. This small portion which evaporates at a rate 2-3 bottles of wine per 60 gallon barrel per month is sometimes called Read the rest of this entry »
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May 9th, 2009
One of the most important things a winemaker looks at when deciding to harvest grapes is the sugar level or Brix . A winemaker will usually walk the vineyard during harvest to select a random sampling of grapes from clusters from many different vines. They will than measure the Brix using a simple tool called Read the rest of this entry »
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April 30th, 2009
Did you know that 2 of the 3 grapes (Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir) that are used in Champagne production are actually red grapes? Nearly all red grapes used in winemaking have clear pulp but in fact derive their color from their skins. In red wine production, the grapes are crushed and left on the skins during fermentation to extract color and tannin. Tannins are a natural preservative that allow a wine to age and wine with tannin tends to really pair well with cheeses and red meats. Wines that typically have a lot of tannins include Read the rest of this entry »
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April 23rd, 2009
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March 12th, 2009
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March 11th, 2009
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57 degrees tasting room
Off the Vine San Diego @ 57 Degrees March 10th 6-9PM
Wine Education & 6 tastings for only $15!
Reduced-price bar menu for OTVSD members
Wine Education begins at 6:30 pm
Need Directions?
View Larger Map
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March 7th, 2009
Bubbly – 50˚F
Crisp White Wine – 52˚F
Rich White Wine – 55˚F
Blush – 55˚F
Light and Fruity Red Wine – 57˚F
Medium Bodied Red Wine – 62˚F
Full Bodied Red Wine – 64˚F
See you at 57 Degrees!
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