07/13 JOHN HILLIARD, HILLIARD AND BRUCE WINERY, LARRY SCHAFFER, TERCERO WINES

JOHN HILLIARD – WINEMAKER & PROPRIETOR, HILLIARD AND BRUCE WINERY

For the 2014 harvest, all Hilliard Bruce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were received, sorted, pressed, and are now barrel aging in a new state-of-the-art estate winery. It has been awarded LEED Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council on January 31, 2015 - the very first in Santa Barbara County. Embracing sustainability in the vineyard has translated to every aspect of the winery's purposeful design. Among the many features at the gravity-flow winery is a subterranean naturally humidified cellar with ambient temperature-controlled aging rooms, solar power, no-maintenance core-ten steel siding, creative LED lighting, as well as 40ft solar tubes that bring natural sunlight into the cellar. Views of the Sta. Rita Hills through 120-foot-wide by 2.5-story-tall glass windows can be seen from virtually every corner inside the building - a perfect reminder of the beautiful natural landscape that surrounds us.

WINEMAKERS & PROPRIETORS: JOHN HILLIARD & CHRISTINE BRUCE
Though husband and wife team John Hilliard and Christine Bruce grew up near one another in Houston as children, they didn’t meet again until after both had firmly established creative careers as adults. Christine was a horsewoman and a musician, and left Texas to study classical piano at Boston University before transferring to the Berklee College of Music. There she fell in love with the contemporary jazz music scene and began working as a professional keyboardist upon graduation. As a young man, John Hilliard studied finance and pursued a career selling maritime insurance, until deciding to follow his dreams of painting full-time. He was director and president of Diverse Works, a Houston-based arts organization, and a committee member for both the Museum of Fine Arts and the Glassell Artists in Residence Program. He later took over his family’s shipyard business, where he grew the company from one shipyard to four in just a few years. After they met, the couple took wine tasting classes together at Rice University, and earned certifications as Master Gardeners from Texas A & M and the University of Arizona. They bought a ranch together outside of Houston so Christine could continue her equestrian practice. Cultivation seems to come naturally to both of them, and it wasn’t long before they had not only a thriving garden with every possible vegetable that might grow in the Houston climate, but also a small breeding operation for Arabian horses.

John and Christine left their home in Texas in 2002, after purchasing the 101-acre Hilliard Bruce ranch in the Sta. Rita Hills. Christine wanted a ranch where she could expand her business of breeding Arabian horses, and John was open to new adventures after surviving two life-threatening illnesses. With a love of wine and an eye for precision and design, they planted 21-acres to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, using their own background as gardeners, along with key advice from some of the industry’s best viticulturalists. To further their winemaking experience, they took courses at UC Davis Extension Program, Allan Hancock Viticulture and Enology Program, and the Grayson County College Viticulture and Enology Program.

Today John and Christine are intimately involved with every step of running Hilliard Bruce Vineyard, from viticulture and winemaking to sales. Christine heads Hilliard Bruce’s Chardonnay production, while John focuses on several Pinot Noir bottlings.

WWW.HILLIARDBRUCE.COM



LARRY SCHAFFER – OWNER / WINEMAKER, TERCERO WINES

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 (heh heh heh), 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 . . .

VINEYARDS
Camp 4 Vineyard - Santa Ynez - This vineyard, located in eastern Santa Ynez, was planted in the fall of 1999. It is comprised of approximately 250 acres of vines, with a plethora of varieties planted, including syrah, grenache, mourvedre, cinsault, counouise, carignan, grenache blanc, viognier, marsanne, rousanne, and more. The warmer climates and loam soils of this site have already shown what they can produce for leading wineries including Fess Parker, Epiphany, Tensley, Alban, Curran and more. We source grenache, mourvedre and grenache blanc from here.

Larner Vineyard - Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos - The southern most vineyard in Ballard Canyon, a north/south canyon in the Santa Ynez Valley, is Larner Vineyard. This vineyard was created when Stevan and Christine Larner bought their 133-acre ranch in 1997, fulfilling a dream of owning a vineyard with their children. A Hollywood cinematographer whose credits include "Roots" and "Winds of War," Larner had lived in Italy and so planted a little Malvasia Bianca, one of his favorite grapes, along with the Rhone varieties more typical of the region. They planted approximately 60 acres in the nearly entirely sandy soil. The site and wines produced from their have garnered a tremendous amount of attention from leading reviewers, newspapers, and magazines. Leading wineries that purchase grapes and produce wines from here include Jaffurs, Herman Story, Paul Lato, Bonaccorsi, and many others. We currently source both syrah and grenache from here.

Tierra Alta Vineyard - Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos - This vineyard also lies along with Ballard Canyon area of the Santa Ynez Valley, but is the northernmost vineyard along the canyon. It's soils are somewhat varied, with bits of limestone, but it's mainly gravely loam. It is a beautiful vineyard to see, seemingly rising up to the sky. We purchase syrah from this wonderful vineyard.

Thompson Vineyard - Los Alamos - The steep hillsides and south facing exposure of the Thompson Vineyard ensures complete ripeness and produces an amazing concentration, robust dark crimson color and equally rich flavors. The Thompson vineyard consists of 37 acres planted in Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, and Pinot Gris, but it is known primary for its Estrella Clone of Syrah. The grapes from this vineyard produce chunky and fruit-driven wine in its youth and, with a few years in bottle, develops complex animal notes and subtle Indian spices. The level of viticulture (from Jeff Newton and team) is amazing with the soils depleted of nutrients and the vines rarely crop over 2.5 tons per acre even in the most robust of years.

Watch Hill Vineyard - Los Alamos - Planted in the late 90's and maintained by Coastal Vineyard Care, one of the leading vineyard management companies in the state, this vineyard is planted on a rather steep south-east facing hill. The soil is sandy loam, and the climate is rather cool, with the fog oftentimes settling into the area at night and through mid mornings. It then heats up nicely during the day, leading to grapes that have dark colors and great natural acidity. We currently purchase grenache from this vineyard.

WWW.TERCEROWINES.COM

07/06 DAVE PRAMUK, ROBERT BIALE VINEYARDS, JOHN MICEK, RED STITCH WINE

DAVE PRAMUK - CO-FOUNDER & MARKETING - ROBERT BIALE VINEYARDS
HISTORY THE BIALE FAMILY

For over seventy years beginning in 1937 the Biale family has grown Zinfandel and a variety of produce on their farm located on the outskirts of the town of Napa. A large population of white leghorn chickens once produced a steady supply of eggs that a young Aldo Biale regularly delivered around town to customers. Most of the Zinfandel grapes were sold to Napa wineries but some grapes were reserved so Aldo could make homemade wine for family and relatives. In 1953 Aldo met his future wife Clementina while on a trip to Italy where his mother, Christina was from. Aldo and Clementina were soon married and began raising their family in Napa in 1954.

HISTORY THE BLACK CHICKEN
photo credit: Keith BorgesAlong with the eggs and produce, a teenaged Aldo began discreetly selling his homemade wine to a few wine-loving Napans. Because his rural home phone was a “PARTY LINE” frequented by nosy eavesdroppers, enterprising Aldo used a code name whereby his customers could order wine without the risk of revealing his secret Zinfandel operation. Thus “Black Chicken” was born – the nickname for a jug of homemade wine from young Aldo’s barrels hidden in the barn
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ABOUT DAVE
Dave Pramuk was born and raised in Napa in a medical family. After graduation from CSU Chico and newspaper work, he began a career working in sales and public relations at Napa Valley wineries. A Founding Partner in Robert Biale Vineyards and lifelong friend of Bob Biale all the way back to grammar school, Dave is a board member of the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley and active in Appellation St. Helena, Zinfandel Advocates and Producers and Petite Sirah’s P.S. I Love You. Dave is responsible for the Biale winery’s marketing, sales, and communications.

WWW.ROBERTBIALEVINEYARDS.COM


JOHN MICEK – OWNER, RED STITCH WINE

Drawn together through a blind tasting group, our families (the Aurilias, Miceks and Roberts) have become close friends and devoted wine enthusiasts. Beginning in 2007, we have enjoyed incredible tastings in our homes and at our favorite restaurants across California and around the world. As our love for wine brought us closer together, our relationships across Napa and Sonoma grew deeper as well. After the 2008 baseball season ended for Rich and Dave, we started to lay the groundwork for our venture into the wine business. Enjoying one incredible tasting after another across the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, visits with Rolando Herrera of Mi Sueño Winery, and the story of his passion for the art of fine wine, led us to friendship and an ultimate partnership. Rolando's knowledge,
relationships and enthusiasm for Red Stitch have given us the opportunity to source incredible grapes from some of the finest vineyards in the Napa Valley.

Since the formation of Red Stitch, Rich, Dave, Tricia, John and Noelle have been intimately involved in the winemaking process, and have worked closely with Rolando and the entire Mi Sueño family to craft a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec that would stand the test of time. This hands-on approach defines our group's desire to be involved in all aspects of the winemaking process. The inclusion of the Malbec varietal in our flagship Cabernet Sauvignon is both due to the varietal's outstanding characteristics and the layers that it brings to the wine, as well as the fact that a fantastic Malbec tasting first brought our families together in San Francisco!

Since our inaugural 2007 vintage, we are proud to have deepened our relationships with the wine community. In 2011, we were fortunate to partner with the renowned vineyards Soberanes and Sierra Mar in the Santa Lucia Highlands, to craft two outstanding vineyard designate Pinot Noirs. Both wines have become an integral part of the Red Stitch portfolio, and we could not be more thrilled!

ABOUT JOHN
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, John and Noelle Micek have long shared a passion for fine wine and the beauty of the California wine country. First meeting during their time at Goldman Sachs, the two have shared many trips to wine regions around the world including Argentina, France and Italy. They have also completed Viticulture courses at the University of California at Davis, including Sensory Evaluation of Wine and the Wine Marketing curriculum.

Noelle graduated from Boston College and after a successful career in finance, founded An Organized Nest, Inc., a company delivering organization and design consulting to many of the Bay Area’s most discerning residents. John graduated from the University of Notre Dame and has spent the past 12 years in finance. He is currently working at Criterion Capital Management in San Francisco, where John and Noelle reside with their children, Charlotte and Jack.

WWW.REDSTITCHWINE.COM

06/29 PAULINE LHOTE, DOMAINE CHANDON, DAVID HUNT, HUNT CELLARS

PAULINE LHOTE - WINEMAKER, DOMAINE CHANDON - LIMITED EDITION AMERICAN SUMMER BOTTLES 

As winemaker at Domaine Chandon, Pauline Lhote is responsible for the day-to-day cellar operations, including tirage, crush, blending and dosage trials. To say that Pauline is passionate about Champagne is an understatement. She grew up in Champagne, knew she wanted to make Champagne from an early age and chose her higher education based on attaining that goal.

While earning a National Diploma of winemaking in Reims, Champagne, Pauline gained hands-on experience at Moët & Chandon where she performed maturity controls, winemaking trials and cellar work. Her work there in 2004 coincided with the Champagne house’s increased focus on crafting rosé champagnes, so she spent time creating red wines used in producing rosé sparkling wines, including the coveted Dom Perignon Rosé.

In 2005, Pauline took her experience to another esteemed

Champagne producer, Nicolas Feuillatte, as consulting winemaker, making reds for rosé sparklers in addition to creating more base wines, performing dosage trials and learning the art of blending.

Pauline then felt an urge to have international winemaking experience—but remaining true to her Champagne roots, she set her sights on Domaine Chandon in the Napa Valley, the first French-owned sparkling wine house in California. Pauline arrived in Yountville for a three-month contract in late 2006, fell in love with Napa Valley and stayed.
Today, Pauline leads the winemaking team in crafting America’s premier sparkling wines.

WWW.CHANDON.COM


DAVID HUNT – OWNER & WINEMAKER, HUNT CELLARS

Our Story
It started over 20 years ago as a fantasy: living on a lush beautiful vineyard, producing your own style of favorite premium varietal wines that are well received and appreciated by those who have discovered the wines and shared them amongst friends.

Now, drive along the scenic Highway 46 West, about three miles west of the 101 Fwy at Oakdale Road, you will find this dream has become reality for David Hunt, Winemaker and owner of Hunt Cellars, a winery committed to producing “Memorable Wines”. We believe that great wines leave indelible impressions when poured with wonderful meals and great friends and scintillating conversations. Hunt Cellars was founded on the philosophy of producing wines that you will look forward to simply sipping by a cozy fireplace or pairing with your favorite meals to enhance that special event or moment in time.

How It Began
When The Hunt Family decided to pursue their dream they were uncertain where they would choose to build their vineyard. The Hunts spent exhaustive days and weekends traveling to various premium wine regions from Oregon, Washington, and throughout the State of California. They finally narrowed their decision down to the Central coast to San Luis Obispo County. Paso Robles was selected because of its rich diversity in soils, superb growing climate and unique styles of wine making along with the spirit of graciousness and traditional American values.

Eventually after looking at numerous parcels of vineyard potential property, they settled on uniquely beautiful property containing over 550 acres on Highway 41 in Creston. This unique property met their criteria in topography, soil composition and unparralled beauty. Within the 550 acres there are four terrior’s with varying elevations containing soil composites that mirror the great wine regions of the world. They were convinced that they could grow wonderful exciting intense fruit here on this property.

Destiny Hunt
The Hunt Family decided to name their vineyard, “Destiny Vineyards,” in honor of their new baby girl they named Destiny who was born in 1996. Just ask Destiny who has the best wines today and she will certainly tell you.

Destiny Vineyard’s first planting consisted of: Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Syrah, Petite Syrah, Cab Franc, Viognier and Zinfandel. The Hunts decided to build a tasting room for their premium wines, which opened in October of 1999.

In 1997 they began producing their first releases of memorable wines… Experience has taught Hunts that in order to make great wines you must simply have the best fruit. At Hunt Cellars, we believe passion, hard work and never giving up until we have put together all the components and structure that will give our wine the varietal character, flavor and velvet finish that will become a trademark of our wines.

View of Destiny Vineyards
As you enter The Hunt Cellars Tasting room, the fun wine experience begins, as you are greeted with either live music or our white grand player piano, which can play any song. Stroll up to our Cabernet Bar, where our warm and friendly staff are eager to lead you through a light hearted and fun sampling of our wines. You may also choose to sip your wines on our spacious 1200 foot veranda, smoke your favorite cigar under our pavilion or simply stroll through our lush inviting landscaped lawns. We want you and your guest to simply have a wonderful time at Hunt Cellars and bring your friends and family back on your next visit to the Paso Robles Wine Country.

How Hunt Cellars Wines Differ from Others
There are many different wineries in the Paso Robles area; few compare to the quality of Hunt Cellars. Hunt uses only the best and rarest mountain grown fruit to produce the best harvest of grapes. Their vineyard’s location has been specifically chosen for its composition and diversity – every step of the production process is designed so Hunt Cellars produces the highest caliber of wine for you to enjoy.

HUNTCELLARS.COM

06/22 SANDRA NEWMAN, CEBADA WINE, FORBIDDEN FRUIT ORCHARDS, MICHAEL GREEN

SANDRA NEWMAN - OWNER & WINEMAKER, CEBADA WINE & FORBIDDEN FRUIT ORCHARDS

Cebada Vineyard is part of Forbidden Fruit Orchards, an award-winning boutique farm and winery located between Buellton and Lompoc, just west of the Sta. Rita Hills Appellation.  This working farm sits on 100 acres of stunning property and harvests everything from year round organic blueberries, homemade jams, syrups and applesauce, mulberries, hardy kiwis, avocados, currants, tea, apples, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wine grapes to rare, amber-colored honey made by the honey bee hives which pollinates the crops.

All of our Estate Wines are grown on a southern slope just 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean and enjoys the cool, coastal weather which preserves the natural acids in the wine without accumulating high sugar contents.  The sandy soil adds a silkiness to the wines.  The east west mountain range of the farm funnels cool, temperate weather inland making Cebada Vineyard perfect terrain for producing great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  We are a small case producer, only making wines from fruit grown on our farm.  These are sophisticated Burgundian style wines.

To request a private, by appointment only wine tour and tasting, please go to our website http://www.forbiddenfruitorchards.com/farm#visit.  Let us know the time, date and how many persons will be coming. $45/person ($30 is credited toward a wine purchase). Reservations need to be made in advance; please contact the winemaker Sandra Newman at (805) 735-4648.

FROM SANDY NEWMAN
My passion for the land and being outdoors started early in my life when I learned how to plant my first vegetable garden from my Grandmother. Throughout my childhood, I was the producer of vegetables for my family and the ornamental gardener around the house. It was a given by all that knew me I was destined for Agriculture School. I received my B.S. and M.S. from the University of Delaware in Plant Science.

Years went by and as I painstakingly saved my pennies and was finally able to purchase my own piece of heaven. In 2002, I bought 100 acres in North Santa Barbara County with apple trees. The parcel needed a lot of tender care to get it back on its feet and by the spring of 2003, I planted 2 acres of blueberries on a southern slope about 12 miles east of the ocean under frost protection. I decided to farm them organically and hoped that the blueberry plants would stay evergreen through the winter. Our plants stayed evergreen and did not go dormant. This was important because we could produce fruit off-season and not compete with the large growers. Our season started in September and ended in July. So we planted another 4 acres.

As I watched how our plants preformed, I took note that our fruit had a very long ripening hang time on the plant compared to other blueberry locations. My parcel is located at the western edge of the Santa Ynez appellation (where the movie Sideway’s was filmed). The east west mountain range funnels cool, temperate weather inland making for great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards. This allows us to let the fruit hang and ripen slowly adding wonderful flavors but maintaining its crispness.
In 2005, we planted about 200 tea plants (Camellia sinensis) as a trial planting in conjunction with the University of California, Small Farms Co-operative Extension. In 2007, planted 6.2 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and made our first wines in 2011. In 2007-2008, we also planted Pakistani mulberries, currants, hardy kiwis and avocados.

WWW.CEBADAWINE.COM 


WINE CELEB MICHAEL GREEN                

ABOUT MICHAEL:
As wine consultant to Gourmet Magazine for 20 years, a highly sought after personality on national television (MSNBC, CNN, The Food Network, Today Show) and at major wine & food festivals worldwide, Michael’s range and depth of experience is unmatched in the industry.

Harnessing the power of food and drink to build relationships, Michael is able to articulate a company’s mission through the exploration of wine, cocktail mixology, and food, making him a favorite talent for blue-chip companies worldwide who want to create memorable brand-building events.

No one is more knowledgeable about wine, or the business and pleasure of food and drink, than Michael Green. And just as important, no one makes the subject as accessible and entertaining. Michael’s relentlessly energetic and utterly accessible style effortlessly blends information and audience engagement into an unforgettable experience that is low-pretense, high-impact, and supremely entertaining.

Uniquely, Michael Green understands the language of business as well as he understands the language of food and drink, and crafts customized tasting experiences in synergy with the goals and objectives of your business and your event. To be sure, his experience and knowledge in the epicurean world put him at the top of his field, but it is his ability to translate that knowledge into the vocabulary of his audience that sets him apart.

It is Michael’s unique combination of experience, energizing performances, and fluency in the language of business that has kept clients coming back, again and again, for 25 years.

WWW.MICHAELGREEN.COM

06/15 MICHAEL SILACCI, OPUS ONE WINERY

MICHAEL SILACCI – WINEMAKER, OPUS ONE WINERY

THE STORY
Château Mouton Rothschild winemaker Lucien Sionneau and Robert Mondavi’s son Timothy made the partnership’s first vintage at the Robert Mondavi Winery in 1979. The following year the partners officially announced their joint venture.

In 1981 a single case of the joint venture wine sold for $24,000 at the first Napa Valley Wine Auction – the highest price ever paid for a California wine. In 1982 Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild began label design. The partners agreed to choose a name of Latin origin for the joint venture, allowing for easy recognition in both English and French. Baron Philippe announced his choice, “Opus,” a musical expression denoting the first masterwork of a composer. Two days later he proposed an additional word: “Opus One”.

The 1979 and 1980 vintages were simultaneously unveiled in 1984 as Opus One’s first release. Opus One then became known as America’s first ultra-premium wine, establishing a category of wine priced by the bottle at $50 and above.

Following Lucien Sionneau’s retirement in 1985, Patrick Léon joined Château Mouton Rothschild as winemaker and Timothy Mondavi as co-winemaker of Opus One.

Three years later, Baron Philippe de Rothschild died in France at the age of 85; and Baroness Philippine de Rothschild took the reins of the family wine business. This same year Opus One exported a share of its 1985 vintage – and became the first ultra-premium California wine to be sold in France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland. International demand for the wine continued, and in 1999 Opus One celebrated its 20th anniversary by holding vertical tastings and gala dinners in Oakville, New York, Paris and London. In 2001 the release of its 20th vintage – the 1998 – was met with gala events in Tokyo and Hong Kong.

The winery’s board of directors appointed David Pearson CEO in 2004, the first person singly responsible for Opus One. Michael Silacci was thereafter named winemaker, the first to assume full responsibility for viticulture and winemaking.

Constellation Brands, Inc. purchased Robert Mondavi Corporation and assumed 50% ownership of Opus One in 2005. Baroness Philippine de Rothschild and then Constellation Brands President and COO Robert Sands announced the Opus One Accord between Baron Philippe de Rothschild, S.A. and Constellation Brands, Inc. Opus One assumed operating independence in three key areas: vineyard management, domestic and international sales, and administration.

WWW.OPUSONEWINERY.COM