A Rocky Road for Ross Outon – Winner of PBS The Winemakers (Season 1)

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Aug 132012
 

Ross during filming of The Winemakers

For those who are willing to make significant sacrifices to live their dreams, there are often many paths, some with more stones than others. When it comes to Ross Outon, winner of the 2009 PBS reality contest The Winemakers (Season 1), I am reminded of a quote from Morgan Freeman’s character Red Redding in the film The Shawshank Redemption, “Andy Dufresne, who crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side.” Winning The Winemakers reality show may sound like an express pass to winemaking nirvana but for Outon, his rocky path included start and stop filming for two years, divorce,loss of his house to the bank, loss of his job, the unexpected passing of his beloved dog, threats of legal actions to obtain his prize money, other prizes never honored and post harvest unemployment. But though it all Ross came out “clean,” at least until his arms are elbow deep in the first bins of black Pinot Noir grapes from the upcoming harvest. Here’s Ross Outon’s story. Continue reading »

11 Napa and Sonoma Vacation Experiences Guaranteed to Leave You Wanting More

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Aug 032012
 
wine reviews, winery reviews, wine blog, wine education

Roger and Whitney at Jordan Vineyards

Wine country vacations, especially to Napa Valley and Sonoma County can be overwhelming to the novice and the experienced wine traveler alike. With over 400 wineries in Napa Valley alone and hundreds more in Sonoma, how do you choose which wineries to visit? Some offer small quaint tastings and tours while others have almost a Las Vegas feel. So what are the best wineries to visit Napa and Sonoma?

Recently I traveled with my daughter, Whitney, to Napa and Sonoma for her 21st birthday celebration. She certainly enjoys wine and grew up around great wines but to date, Whitney has not inherited her dad’s wine geek gene. Like many novice wine drinkers, Whitney has a discerning though still developing palate.

Whitney’s fist trip to Napa/Sonoma needed to be fun yet educational with enough glitz and glamor to spark her 21 year-old soul with a splash of wine geekiness for Dad. This wine country travel itinerary certainly fit the bill. Continue reading »

When in Napa Valley – Leave the Driving to Javier Calderon at Napa Private Tours

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Jul 292012
 

Javy with my daughter, Whitney

A few years ago I met an enthusiastic, service-oriented young man in the Ceja Vineyards Tasting Room. Javier (Javy) Calderon quickly became a family favorite and no trip to Napa was complete without tasting Ceja wines with Javy. While Javy still can be found occasionally at the Ceja Tasting Room, he has a new Napa touring service I want to let you know about, Napa Private Tours. Continue reading »

Jean-Charles Boisset – Powerful Combination of Old World Sensibilities and New World Zeal

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Jul 172012
 

Interview with Jean-Charles BoissetWe had the opportunity during the 2012 Aspen Food and Wine Classic to sit down with the stylish and charming Jean-Charles Boisset of Boisset Family Estates. To refer to Jean-Charles, Wine Enthusiast Magazine 2009 Wine Innovator of the Year, as a “force of nature,” may be selling short his infectious enthusiasm accompanied by his passion for life and wine. Jean-Charles is a powerful blend of Old World sensibilities and New Word zeal.

Born in Vougeot, in the heart of Burgundy to a winemaking family, Jean-Charles came to the U.S. as a teenager to complete high school. From there he obtained his undergraduate degree from the London Business School and his MBA from UCLA. It was during his MBA studies that he decided to expand his family’s French winery holdings to California. Today Boisset Family Estates is the largest Pinot Noir producer in Burgundy and the third largest winery operation in France. In California, they operate 11 wineries and labels including Raymond Vineyards, DeLoach Vineyards, Lyeth Estate, Lockwood Vineyard, JCB and Buena Vista Winery. History is integral to Boisset wineries both here and abroad. Most of their acquisitions have some viticulture historical significance. As Jean-Charles said “we are here to share together a unique moment, not be manufacturers of a beverage.

Today, Jean-Charles resides in Napa Valley with his wife, winemaker Gina Gallo, of Gallo Family Vineyards and their toddling twin daughters. Continue reading »

Kristy Melton – Clos Du Val’s First Female Winemaker

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Jul 042012
 
wine blog, best wine blog, wine blogs

Kristy Melton
First female winemaker in Clos Du Val’s 40-year history

How does a rodeo queen from West Texas transition from a career as an immunology researcher at the National Institutes of Health to ultimately becoming one of the up and coming Next-Gen Napa Valley winemakers, all by the age of 31?

We met Kristy Melton, Clos Du Val’s first female winemaker in it’s 40-year history, at a small tasting in Austin earlier this summer. As she says later in this interview, she is not the stereo-typical “older man with dirty work boots and a dog by my side” winemaker. We enjoyed her youthful enthusiasm and passion for winemaking, not to mention her sharp wit. Kristy Melton may not be a winemaking name you know today…No doubt however, it is a name you will be hearing much more about very soon. Continue reading »

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