8/29 BRIAN TALLEY, TALLEY VINEYARDS, TONY LOMBARDI, LOMBARDI WINES

BRIAN TALLEY - OWNER/WINEGROWER, TALLEY VINEYARDS - CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF WINEMAKING 

THIRTY YEARS FOR TALLEY VINEYARDS

Celebrating 30 years of winemaking and three generations of family farming history, Talley Vineyards specializes in estate grown Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Arroyo Grande Valley in San Luis Obispo Wine Country. The winery’s vision, “to make and share wines that capture the special character of our place,” is a legacy from Talley Farms, a specialty vegetable operation established by the family in 1948. It wasn’t until 1982, with the planting of the Rincon Vineyard, that Talley transitioned into the wine business and produced its first vintage in 1986. As the winemaking program evolved, Talley has increased its single vineyard selections to reflect the unique personalities of each of its vineyard sites. Talley Vineyards also continues to partner with Talley Farms, which is now a leader in the local farm-to-table movement, enjoying enormous success with Fresh Harvest, its CSA program that launched in 2012. The newest collaborative effort launched this summer is the Talley Farms Fresh Harvest Farm Stand, which is open to the public and sits adjacent to the Talley Vineyards tasting room.

HISTORY
For three generations the Talley family has farmed in Coastal San Luis Obispo County. The tradition began in 1948 when Oliver Talley founded Talley Farms and started growing specialty vegetables in the Arroyo Grande Valley. During the 1970s extensive planting of wine grapes began in the neighboring Edna Valley and Santa Barbara County areas.  After observation and extensive analysis, Oliver's son, Don Talley, was convinced of the potential to grow high quality chardonnay and pinot noir on the steep hillsides above Talley Farms.  Don planted a small test plot in 1982 on the west hillside of the Rincon Vineyard that included chardonnay, pinot noir, riesling, sauvignon blanc and cabernet sauvignon. Over time the varietal and clonal selections were refined and planting expanded to a total of 190 acres in the Arroyo Grande and Edna Valleys.

Talley Vineyards produced its first wine in 1986 with the production of 450 cases. The winery's first five vintages were produced in a small winery adjacent to one of Talley Farms’ vegetable coolers. In the fall of 1991, a winery was completed at the foot of the Rincon Vineyard. A 12,000 square foot barrel and case goods storage building was added in 2000, followed by a new tasting room in 2002. Talley Vineyards currently produces about 36,000 cases annually.  Brian and Johnine Talley own and operate Talley Vineyards, while Brian, Todd, Ryan and Rosemary Talley manage Talley Farms.

ABOUT BRIAN TALLEY, OWNER/WINEGROWER
Brian Talley is a third generation farmer born and raised in Arroyo Grande.  While attending UC Berkeley, where he earned degrees in History and Natural Resource Economics, he worked in a wine shop called Curds and Whey where he fell in love with wine.

Brian began his career in the family business at age 12 when he started harvesting vegetables at Talley Farms.  He became General Manager of Talley Vineyards in 1991 and now serves as President of Talley Vineyards and Talley Farms.  Brian is recognized as a leader in the local wine industry and was cofounder of the World of Pinot Noir, has served as President of the San Luis Obispo Wine Country Association and been recognized by both Robert Parker and the local wine industry as a Wine Industry Person of the Year.

Brian loves cooking, wine and travel as well as running, cycling and golf.  He lives at the edge of Talley Farms with his wife Johnine and daughters Elizabeth and Olivia.

WWW.TALLEYVINEYARDS.COM
WWW.TALLEYFARMSFRESHHARVEST.COM
WWW.LASVENTANASRANCH.COM


TONY LOMBARDI – FOUNDER, LOMBARDI WINES

ABOUT LOMBARDI
Lombardi Wines crafts small lots of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the finest vineyards in the Sonoma Coast. Founded in 2013, Lombardi Wines honors a rich family history of wine, food and tradition. Small lots of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are crafted from the finest vineyards in the Sonoma Coast and are born from Passion, Inspiration and Family.

ABOUT TONY:
A Sonoma County resident for over 40 years, I've been in the retail and wine industries since 1989. After leaving a ten year career managing Safeway retail stores throughout Marin and San Francisco, I took a leap of faith into the wine industry and haven't looked back.

Though the wine industry is ever evolving, it's still about the wine, the people, the lifestyle and our enthusiasm for it. PREVIOUS: PR for Kosta Browne
Winery, Ascentia Wine Estates, J Vineyards & Winery

WINES

Sonoma Coast 2014 PINOT NOIR
AROMATICS
This 2014 Pinot Noir reveals aromas of blackberry,black cherry and ripe currants in the nose with a dust of cocoa. Very pleasing with a slightly creamy texture.

ON THE PALATE
The 2014 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir delivers dark black fruits that slowly melt into all areas of the mouth. There is focused acidity and fine tannins that carry the rich blackberry, anise, cedar, black licorice and mocha flavors toward the mid-palate, leading to a lingering finish of black cherry and dried currants.

Sonoma Coast 2014 CHARDONNAY
AROMATICS
The 2014 Chardonnay shows beautiful aromas of layered green apple, lemon-lime citrus, orange blossom, honeysuckle and sweet vanilla.

ON THE PALATE
This Sonoma Coast Chardonnay offers layers of tight, vibrant peach, pear, and tangerine flavors on the palate, followed by a subtle crème brûlée texture. The finish gradually turns crisp with a final wash of mouthwatering natural acidity.

WWW.LOMBARDIWINES.COM

8/22 ED SBRAGIA, SBRAGIA FAMILY VINEYARDS, Joshua Klapper, La Fenêtre / TIMBRE WINERY

ED SBRAGIA – SBRAGIA FAMILY VINEYARDS - 1ST 2016 HARVEST REPORT

OUR FAMILY
SBRAGIA FAMILY VINEYARD IS A DREAM THAT I've had for some time, a small, family-owned winery making limited, individual lots of wine from grapes grown in select blocks of my favorite vineyards. I've always had one foot in Sonoma and the other in Napa. Both areas mean a lot to me emotionally. I'm more attached to Healdsburg and Dry Creek Valley because it's where I raised my kids. But the wines that I've made at Beringer are like children, so Napa is also a very special place for me. Either way, the wines are intensely personal, an expression not only of terroir, but of my family's winemaking heritage.

Our history in Healdsburg dates back to my grandfather who came from Tuscany in 1904 and worked in many wineries including the historic Italian Swiss Colony. I had the pleasure of working with my father in our family vineyards in Dry Creek Valley while growing up. His philosophy was that winemaking was a natural process; all you needed for good wine was good land, good grapes and good techniques. He was right, and that has been my guiding principle since the start of my career.

A big part of the appeal of doing my own label is working with my family. My son, Adam, makes the wines with me. My youngest son, Kevin, works in the cellar during harvest. Adam's wife, Kathy, runs our HR, and my wife, Jane, and daughter, Gina, are often found helping out in the tasting room. With the birth of Adam and Kathy's two daughters Siena and Gemma Julia, the fifth generation of the Sbragia family continues to thrive here in the beautiful Dry Creek Valley.

The family vineyards are my father's legacy to me and my children. I love this land and making wine from it, and bottling it under the family name affirms all the work my father did for me. It's something I had to do to say thank you to him, my dad, Gino. -Ed Sbragia

VINEYARDS
At Sbragia Family Vineyards, we source grapes from about 50 acres of family-owned estate vineyards that the Sbragias have been farming for over 100 years in historic Dry Creek Valley, just outside the town of Healdsburg. Ed and Adam also purchase grapes from thier favorite vineyards throughout Sonoma and Napa Valleys.

I've always had one foot in Sonoma and one in Napa, with a deep appreciation and passion for the unique character of each growing region. After 32 years of making wine in the Napa Valley, I returned home to Healdsburg and Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma to start a small family-owned winery making limited, individual lots of wine from grapes grown select blocks of my favorite Sonoma and Napa Vineyards." - Ed Sbragia

WWW.SBRAGIA.COM


Joshua Klapper – Winemaker, La Fenêtre / TIMBRE WINERY 

ABOUT La Fenêtre / TIMBRE
La Fenêtre was founded in 2005 by a sommelier with a simple idea — to produce balanced, food friendly wines from some of the worlds finest vineyard sources. Expressing the terroir of the Santa Maria Valley, and the Central Coast at large is our guiding principle. That means picking at the perfect balance of sugar and acidity, employing minimally invasive techniques in the winery, stringent barrel selection, and a long, slow aging period, both in barrel and bottle.

WINEMAKING
Philosophy
In my opinion, winemaking is a method of expressing terroir, and not just any terroir, but great terroir.

What is ter·roir (terˈwär/)? The complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate. It includes the characteristic taste and flavor imparted to a wine by the environment in which it is produced.

To recognize great terroir, one needs to have experienced it in its many facets, and that is where my background as a sommelier gives me a leg up. Having tasted many of the world’s greatest wines, greatest vintages, and greatest winemakers, I have learned to read the intrinsic quality of a wine, and through that wine, the place from which it was born.

The goal of our winemaking is to express a snapshot of a place (vineyard) and time (vintage) that will never occur again. That goal is achieved through enhancing and showcasing the terroir, not hiding it. We strive to produce wines of balance which serves to convey not any one element – aroma, sweetness, acidity, alcohol, minerality, earth, complexity – but all of the elements in the wine in perfect harmony. To that end, the fruit is picked at a reasonable level of potential alcohol (nothing obscures terroir like over-ripeness of fruit), and is then handled gently in the winery using minimally invasive techniques. The wine is then given the time in barrel that it needs to become fully realized. No wine is bottled before its time!

Practice
Pinot Noir:
Pinot Noir is certainly finicky. You must pay attention to Pinot Noir, but don’t try to poke and prod or you will have destroyed its essence. I believe the key is to start with fruit that has been grown to the highest standards from a place where the terroir’s beauty is evident. We typically destem the fruit into small fermenters, but sometimes, it is added as whole clusters. The wine is then punched down by hand, or gently pumped over until the fermentation is complete. We then collect the free run and press juice in barrel for a long, slow maturation until the wine is ready to be bottled.

Chardonnay:
Chardonnay is whole cluster pressed in order to keep the harsh elements in the skins and seeds from adulterating the flesh of the grape. The juice is collected and settled before going into barrel where it will spend its entire life in the cellar, from fermentation to aging on the fine lees through to bottling. Chardonnay’s beauty lies in its aromatics and texture, and its ability to take in oxygen during the barrel aging and produce flavors like almonds, coconut, and passion fruit and the texture of silk to accompany the bright citrus qualities inherent in its grapes from the moment of picking.

Riesling:
Riesling, like Pinot Noir, is a great expresser of terroir. Unlike Pinot Noir though, which likes to be handled very carefully so as not to upset its precarious balance, Riesling can be stripped down to its bare bones. The fruit is picked more for its high level of acidity than any other factor inherent in the grape. After whole cluster pressing, the juice is fined with a natural clay, which pulls out solids and leaves the juice perfectly clear. Then, the juice is chilled to 50 degrees to await the start of fermentation, which is slow and methodical (at around 55 degrees) taking from 4-8 weeks to complete. Once the sugar has balanced the acidity in the fruit, the wine is chilled all the way down to 30 degrees to stop fermentation, where it stays until it is ready to be bottled.

WWW.LAFENETREWINES.COM
WWW.TIMBREWINERY.COM

8/15 AMANDA HEAD, THE HOLLYWOOD CONSERVATIVE, ITALIAN FOOD/WINES, DAVID HEJL, DOMAINE DELLA

AMANDA HEAD - HOST OF THE HOLLYWOOD CONSERVATIVE ON AM 1360 WNJC | AM 1180 WFYL & WEEKLY GUEST ON THE JOHN CARDILLO SHOW CHATs ITALIAN FOOD/WINES, TRENDS AND PAIRINGS 

Born and raised in the South, Amanda Head's strong conservative background is highly evident in both her professional and personal life. A Birmingham, Alabama native, she's lived in Los Angeles since graduating with her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Auburn University. In addition to her business degree, Amanda acquired her minor in Applied Music (voice.) Amanda was the first freshman ever to become Miss Auburn University, where she advocated for music as a form of therapy in schools for students with learning disabilities and in hospitals and nursing homes as therapy for the elderly.  Upon graduation, she moved to California to pursue music and film. Amanda is a seasoned classical singer and has performed in such venues as the Hollywood Bowl, Ford Amphitheater and in Austin, Texas at SXSW Music Festival. Prior to moving to Los Angeles, Amanda performed all over the southeast and New York, in musical theater and opera. Amanda's classical background allowed her to be vocally flexible and because of that, she has achieved success in many genres, notably, opera, jazz and pop. Amanda was the lead singer of an electro-pop duo whose first single charted at #36 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40. Her duo toured nationally and found notoriety for their singles “Tear Me Down” and “Strip Me Bare.”

From 2006 to 2016, Amanda was bound to various music contracts which prevented her from speaking publicly about her political positions. After a great deal of consideration, in January of 2016, Amanda decided to step away from the entertainment industry. She had grown increasingly concerned with her generation’s lack of incentive to be involved in our country’s future and wanted to make a difference. Amanda’s first step was to start a video blog called The Hollywood Conservative. With her political persuasion in Los Angeles, she felt she had a niche and a unique perspective for reaching audiences nationally who also are dissatisfied with the direction our leaders are taking our country. In the process of creating branding and putting together her first video blog episode, Amanda was invited to go to CPAC. She gained a great deal of attention in the political realm at CPAC where she was offered her own radio show on Conservative Commandos Radio in Philadelphia. Her show, The Hollywood Conservative, airs every Wednesday on WNJC 1360AM in the Philadelphia market. You can also listen on iheartradio andtunein. Amanda also serves as a weekly guest on The John Cardillo Show on CRN.

THEHOLLYWOODCONSERVATIVE.US


DAVID HEJL - PROPRIETOR AND WINEMAKER, DOMAINE DELLA

Proprietor and winemaker David W. Hejl launched DELLA (now Domaine Della) wines with fellow founders, his sister and brother-in-law, Lee and Ernie LeRoy. Domaine Della honors their mother, Della Winifred Dale, who died long before her time.

Hejl developed a passion for fine wine working as a waiter, sommelier and chef while in school, but found true inspiration living in Paris. He has been crafting Pinot Noir since 2010 and the first releases are scheduled for 2014. The winery will focus on Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast and will be sold through a mailing list.
__
Domaine Della is my passion realized from the shared vision of fellow founders; my sister and brother-in- law, Lee and Ernie LeRoy. Domaine Della honors our mother who died long before her time. Della Winifred Dale was a strong woman with a relentless commitment to life, raising eleven strong, intense and complex children. She was an extraordinary woman who believed in living the life you always imagined and in pursuing one’s dreams no matter the obstacles.

My passion for fine wine began while putting myself through school working as a waiter, sommelier and chef, but I found my true inspiration while living in Paris. It was there that I first experienced the art of wine, food and culture in a way that was spiritual. Having been a student of fine wine and food my whole life, this project is a culmination of three decades of experience.

I have been hand crafting distinctive Pinot Noir since 2010. Domaine Della was created around my obsession and enchantment with Pinot Noir. I am so grateful to my many mentors over the years to get me to this place. My quest is to create an exceptional wine for you and your shared special moments and memories while executing against the envisioned future of a timeless brand which will endure the generations.

Our mission is to craft intense and adventurous wines by partnering with the very best growers to create an exceptional wine. Scheduled for release in 2014, these wines are extremely limited production. I invite you to experience Domaine Della, a true expression of the place from where it was grown, in harmony and balance from the finest vineyards of Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast.

ABOUT DAVID:
David Hejl is the Founder / Winemaker of Domaine Della and the former General Manager and CEO of Kosta Browne Winery in Sebastopol, California. At Kosta Browne, the team's value creation successfully led us to a letter of intent to divest to a synergistic buyer; that deal is now closed. Prior to joining Kosta Browne, David accumulated over 30 years experience in growth-oriented strategy execution within the food and consumer products industry and held executive positions with Nabisco, Berkshire Hathaway, Gourmet Award Foods, Ruiz Food Products as well as 15 years of private equity experience as a Partner and Operating Team Member with Unique Partners and currently sits on various Boards of Directors.

David received his BS in Accounting and Finance from the University of Nebraska, is a CPA, holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management as well as a graduate of the Wine Executive Program at the University of California, Davis. David is also a noted speaker and has been on the Marketing faculty of the University of San Francisco, McLaren School of Management, Marquette University and the University of St. Thomas.

David and his two boys Andrew and Zachary have lived in Sonoma County for over fifteen years and reside in Bennett Valley. David enjoys running, surfing, skiing, BBQ, winemaking and wine collecting, travel and adventure and spending time with family and friends.

DOMAINEDELLA.COM

8/8 BOB CABRAL, THREE STICKS WINES, DANA MERRILL, POMAR JUNCTION VINEYARD AND WINERY

BOB CABRAL – DIRECTOR OF WINE MAKING, THREE STICKS WINES – SAVE THE DATE FOR BOB CABRAL'S FIRST ESTATE WINES!

There is very good reason Bob Cabral’s name is synonymous with great Pinot Noir. With decades of experience in Sonoma County, Bob’s passion, experience and following for his work with the varietal is second to none. From 1998 to 2014 Bob was winemaker for Williams Selyem. There, he led the winery into a new era, overseeing an expansion of new vineyard sources and bottlings for the brand, along with the construction of a state-of the art winery.

Bob’s interest in wine and farming began in childhood helping his grandfather make wine in a barn. Growing up pruning grapes, irrigating vineyards and harvesting grapes became routine on his family’s 70-acre ranch near Escalon, CA. A fourth generation farmer and grape grower from the great San Joaquin Valley, he took all he learned at the family farm and applied it to his degrees at Fresno State University.

While in college, his passion for Pinot Noir became evident as he spent every spare dime, and a good chunk of his student loans, on buying wines from all over the world—mostly Burgundy and Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs. After graduating in the mid-1980s, Bob knew that Sonoma County was where he could best hone his skills and make wines to rival the best in the world. He spent 11 vintages in various winemaking positions—associate winemaker at DeLoach Vineyards, custom crush winemaker at Kunde Family Estate, winemaker at Alderbrook Vineyards and winemaker at Hartford Court Winery—before taking his seminal position at Williams Selyem.

Bob’s winemaking philosophy has remained constant throughout his career—to source and farm the best fruit possible, with minimal intervention in the cellar. He was awarded the 2011 Wine Star Award from the Wine Enthusiast as “Winemaker of the Year.” He joined Three Sticks in 2015, with fervent enthusiasm. Bob lives in the Russian River Valley where and is a devoted husband and father to his wife and daughter.

SAVE THE DATE FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 16TH!
This is the one you've been waiting for! Bob Cabral debuts his vision of our Estate Pinot Noirs and Chardonnay in our upcoming Fall Release. Bob and the team are excited to share these wines and our Sonoma Cabernet with you! Update your account now and check out the wines below to get ready for the big day.

• 2014 Durell Vineyard Chardonnay
• Durell Vineyard Pinot Noir
• 2014 Gap’s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir
• 2013 Moon Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon

To reserve your allocation early, contact us at: info@threestickswines.com or 707-996-3328 ext. 1

WWW.THREESTICKSWINES.COM

DANA MERRILL – OWNER, POMAR JUNCTION VINEYARD AND WINERY | PRESIDENT, MESA VINEYARD MANAGEMENT

The Merrill Family’s agricultural heritage and grape growing history dates back at least 8 generations on California’s central coast. A former family ranch still is home to a grape arbor planted in the 19th century. Today, Dana and Marsha Merrill and son Matthew farm the vineyards, while Matthew's winemaking is complemented by winemaker par excellence, Jim Shumate.

After nearly 30 years of growing grapes for many of the finest wineries in California, ranging from ultra premium small producers to the largest international brands, the  Merrill’s decided to produce their own wines.  In addition to the family estate, the finest blocks of grapes from Santa Barbara and Monterey Counties are selected from vineyards managed by a sister firm, Mesa Vineyard Management, Inc. All wines produced are exclusively farmed by the Merrill's who believe that control from planting and pruning through harvest, fermentation and cellaring is critical for success. It also ensure a uniform dedication to Sustainability, which led our recent Certification to the  SIP program within the Central Coast Vineyard Team.The family believes in community and industry involvement. Dana Merrill was the first San Luis Obispo County Chair of the California Assn of Winegrape Growers,  a charter member of the pioneering vineyard Sustainability group, the Central Coast Vineyard Team and is a past two term Director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance.

ABOUT DANA
Dana is a seventh-generation Californian with roots on the Central Coast dating back to the days of the California Missions. Raised in the Santa Ynez valley, he is a lifelong farmer, having graduated from Cal Poly with an Agriculture Business degree and continuing on to full-time farming soon thereafter. He began raising winegrapes in 1981 and eventually gained extensive experience managing vineyards for top premium brands in Monterey, Santa Barbara and Paso Robles. He founded Mesa Vineyard Management in 1989, and industry leader on the Central Coast, which has allowed him to work side-by-side with many of California wine's biggest players and most coveted vineyards.

In 2002, Dana had the good fortune to discover and purchase one such vineyard on Templeton's South El Pomar Road: what is now called the Pomar Junction Vineyard. For six years the Merrill family labored to bring the 40-acre vineyard up to the standards of the Central Coast Vineyard Team's "Sustainability In Practice" (SIP) certification (one of the program's first participants and champions) and to renovate the existing building for a tasting room. The Pomar Junction tasting room opened in 2008 followed by a production estate winery in 2011.

Dana's community involvement includes acting as a founding member of the widely-respected Central Coast Vineyard Team which teaches and encourages sustainable vineyard practices; chairing the California Association of Winegrape Growers as a representative of Paso Robles; serving on the California Pierce's Disease Board; and serving two terms on the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance and Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association boards, among others.  Dana has recently been honored as the 2012 Paso Robles Wine Industry Person of the Year.

HISTORY OF MESA VINEYARD MANAGEMENT
Mesa Vineyard Management Inc, was founded in 1989 by Dana and Marsha Merrill to offer premium vineyard management services to the Central Coast. Mesa Vineyard Management Inc. specializes in San Benito, Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Clients include winery and grower-owned acreage.

Mesa Vineyard Management, Inc. continues to be a leader in developing the region’s reputation for quality wine growing and in developing new growing techniques, especially Sustainable Farming. It is a founding member of the Central Coast Vineyard Team (SIP The Good Life), and non profit promoting such efforts among local growers and wineries.

In 2001 a corporate headquarters was established in Templeton, CA, which is in the Paso Robles growing region. the company has vertically integrated by establishing Mesa Vineyard Custom Services, a subsidiary specializing in supporting other browsers and wineries with vineyard construction and mechanical harvesting operations.

The Merrill family believes in community and industry involvement. Dana Merrill was the first San Luis Obispo County Chair of the California Association of Winegrape Growers,  a charter member of the pioneering vineyard Sustainability group, the Central Coast Vineyard Team and is a past two term Director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance.  Dana has been the "Wine Industry Person of the Year" from multiple organizations including the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance.

WWW.POMARJUNCTION.COM
MESAVINEYARD.COM

8/1 LARRY SCHAFFER, TERCERO WINES, THE RHONE RANGERS, LARRY VAN AALST, SONOMA HAPPENINGS

LARRY SCHAFFER FROM TERCERO WINES - THE RHONE RANGERS CALIFORNIA TOUR LOS ANGELES EVENT ON AUGUST 6

Los Angeles Tasting Events 2016
Rhone Rangers California Tour | Los Angeles Event on August 6

The Rhone Rangers ride into Los Angeles on Saturday, August 6, 2016 with over 40 wineries pouring their American-grown Rhone wines at the Skirball Center. The one-day event includes a new winemaker luncheon, seminar and a grand tasting with a new VIP section. It’s the largest tasting of Rhone wines in Los Angeles.

Date                Saturday, August 6
Location         Skirball Cultural Center
                       2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd
                       Los Angeles, CA 90049
                       Complimentary Parking
Time               11 am – Winemaker Seminar - Red/White Rhone Blends
                       12:30 - Trade and Media Tasting
                       12:30 pm  - New Event: Winemaker White/Rosé Luncheon
                       1:30 pm – VIP Grand Tasting
                       2:30 pm – Grand Tasting General Admission  

Saturday, August 6
LA - Saturday Pass – Spend the day with the Rhone Rangers and kick off your Saturday with a seminar: The Past and the Future. The Rhone Rangers will look at Rhone blends, encompassing both wines made in the southern Rhone tradition and newer, more unusual wine blends. Featuring 100% Rhone varieties Patrick Comiskey, Los Angeles based writer for Wine & Spirits and the Los Angeles Times, and the author of a soon-to-be published book on the American Rhone movement, will moderate a panel of winemakers. A flight of red wines and a flight of white wine will be included as the basis of the discussion. Your day continues to the White/Rosé winemaker luncheon to rub elbows with some of your favorite winemakers while tasting a variety of White and Rosé wines and enjoying a buffet-style lunch. After lunch take advantage of VIP status which gives you early entrance to the Grand Tasting of more than 40 Rhone wineries, access to a private lounge with hors 'd oeuvres and special wines. The Seminar begins at 11 am followed by the luncheon at 12:30 pm and VIP Grand Tasting at 1:30 PM.

Saturday Pass - $150
LA - VIP Grand Tasting – VIP status at the Rhone Rangers Los Angeles event secures early entrance to the tasting of more than 40 Rhone wineries. NEW in 2016 is a special lounge area featuring unique wines, appetizers and seating. VIP guests may enter at 1:30 pm.

VIP Tickets - $85
LA - Grand Tasting General Admission – Join the Rhone Rangers as part of their California Tour in Los Angeles. Enjoy wines from more than 40 Rhone Rangers wineries during the Grand Tasting from 2:30 – 5:30 pm.
Grand Tasting  Tickets - $65


ABOUT TERCERO:
The idea for tercero wines surfaced a number of years back. Larry Schaffer had been in the educational and trade publishing industry for a number of years and had achieved all he had set out to do. It was time for a change . . . . but to what? Larry’s dreams of becoming a professional volleyball player were never going to happen, so he looked towards something he had always been interested in but never understood completely – winemaking. One thing that really interested him was the ‘why’ involved – how in the heck do you start with a grape and end up with this wine? Or that one? He needed to know more – and he needed to challenge his brain.

Fast forward four years . . . and Larry begins his new career in earnest as the Enologist for Fess Parker Winery, a well-respected winery in the Santa Ynez Valley. Why Santa Barbara County? The winemaking community is willing and wanting to help each other, but more importantly, it is simply an incredible place to raise children!

Fast forward another year, and Larry is ready to ‘take the plunge’ and start buying grapes to make his own wines! It’s scary and challenging at the same time – no matter how much you read about it or do it for others, it’s quite different when it’s ‘your own baby’ . . . But it’s also a way for Larry to ‘marry’ his past with his present – to use his sales/marketing skills along with his technical winemaking skills to see what he can produce . . .

TERCEROWINES.COM
RHONERANGERS.ORG



LARRY VAN AALST – SUMMER WINE TRENDS & SONOMA HAPPENINGS

LARRY HOSTS A WEEKLY PROGRAM ON CRN AND IS AN EXPERT ON WINE WHO IS SOUGHT AFTER FOR, TASTING AND MAJOR SOMMELIER EVENTS IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA. HE COMMENTS ON THE INDUSTRY, WHATS GOING ON IN THE SOMNOMA AREA AND HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT WINE.