"Cellarmistress Conquers The World!"
Member Location:Urbandale, IA Member Since:November 2009 Website:cellarmistress.blogspot.comProfile:Italian-born, American-bred Wine Blogger, Wine Educator, Wine Lover, California Wine Country Enthusiast, Cat lover, Friend to Many, Wine Is My Passion
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Cellarmistress's Postings
Last Entry Posted 8/28/2010
1 to 15 of 46 | Page: 1 2 3 4
GENERAL POST
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Posted
8/28/2010 at 12:53 PM PST
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Thinking Pink: A Rosé Exposé
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It’s summertime and summertime begs for patio time with a nice, big refreshing glass of…pink…What???? No, I’m not crazy! I don’t mean for you to rush to the store to buy the first pink wine you see. (Chances are the first pink wine you’ll see in the grocery store aisle and is called White Zinfandel, a sweet wine that earned popularity in the 70s in Napa Valley. And it kind of just never went away. There are people out there that really like it and that’s fine. Nothing wrong with that, however, I am going to move away from this.) Today’s lesson is to teach you that there is more to “pink wine” than the obvious. Case in point--I have recently learned that there are Rosé wines made from nearly every red grape varietal. I’m so glad I've been introduced to the fabulous world of Rosé wines. I really can’t get enough of them!
There's a huge misconception about Rosé. Once people realize how wrong they were about it, it will be enough to make them, no pun intended, BLUSH!...
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
8/7/2010 at 2:28 PM PST
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WBC or Bust Day One: The Seattle Winemaker's Dinner
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Our first official evening in Seattle was spent on Pier 70 at the famous Waterfront Seafood Grill. It was so beautiful outside that evening and I soaked in every second of being near the Puget Sound, watching the boats and the sunset. What a great place!! In the midst of all this awaited a fabulous five course dinner with three to four wines per course and some winemakers along to speak about their wines. The host wineries were Sparkman Cellars, Nota Bene Cellars, Cadence Winery, Andrew Will Winery, Fall Line Winery, OS Winery and Sleight Of Hand Cellars...
When we first arrived, we were encouraged to grab a glass of wine and enjoy the view outside. It was gorgeous and I just relaxed and let my mind float away…all the while sampling my first wine of the evening, 2009 Sleight of Hand Cellars The Magician’s Assistant--a Rose’ of Cabernet Franc.
I strolled
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
8/7/2010 at 12:02 PM PST
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WBC or BUST Day One: Making More Great Memories in Washington State
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This week, I am doing something a bit different than my usual posting. I will be posting them back to back. How come? Because the first day of our WBCorBust adventure was so incredible that the afternoon and evening segments needed their own posts to give them justice. I love it when I get these bursts of creative energy and I need to act upon them! I hope you enjoy these stories as much as I enjoyed being a part of them. After a wonderful morning of touring and tasting in Woodinville, we made our way into The Barking Frog restaurant for lunch. This was no ordinary lunch but a dazzling three-course menu by Chef Bobby Moore and accompanied by three wines poured by DeLille Cellars’ owner/partner Jay Soloff. DeLille Cellars, housed in a gorgeous French Chateau-style winery, was founded in 1992. They produce exceptional and highly rated wines with an emphasis on Bordeaux and Rhone varietals. Jay was one of the most genuine and approachable... ... View Full Post >>
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
8/1/2010 at 10:18 AM PST
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A Chat With Winemaker Kent Rasmussen...
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Interviewing people, especially people I admire such as winemakers and grape growers, has always been a difficult thing for me. As I forge ahead in the blogosphere, I am going to be interviewing people more and more. As frightened as I am at the prospect, the thing I love the most about it is what comes after I've listened to a winemaker talk about their labor of love. It's such an awe-inspiring feeling!! And it makes me wonder why I was ever frightened in the first place! Recently, I was given the opportunity to interview Napa Valley winemaker, Kent Rasmussen of Kent Rasmussen Winery--a little goldmine of a winery that sits on the Silverado Trail. I was nervous, but excited because giving the small family winemakers all the exposure I can is what it is all about! He was great to speak with and made me feel completely at ease! My chat with Kent lasted around 50 minutes and during this time, he painted a beautiful and realistic picture of what life as a Napa Valley... ... View Full Post >>
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
7/25/2010 at 8:55 AM PST
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Passaggio Wines Does It Again!
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A few months ago, I introduced you all to a good friend of mine, Cynthia Cosco--winemaker and lab assistant at Crushpad, San Francisco's famous custom crush facility. Well, a lot has happened since then! Crushpad is now a reality in Napa Valley, having moved their crush facility to a location on the Silverado Trail--complete with a vineyard. And as for Cindy, she's still with them and still making her own wine and yes, folks, she has done it again! Cindy is on a roll, having just released not one but two excellent wines I feel everyone should know about! There's a big buzz out there about her wines and I have a feeling the buzz is about to get bigger!
I recently received samples of the new releases. The first release is the 2009 Passaggio Wines New Generation Unoaked Chardonnay. Last year, I went on and on about how refreshing the 2008 release was and how I'd learned to embrace unoaked Chardonnay because of Cindy! Well, I am here to say that the 2009...
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
7/10/2010 at 8:59 AM PST
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Cellarmistress Does Woodinville Part Two: The Grand Tasting
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Upon leaving Chateau Ste. Michelle, our group of bloggers was whisked away across the road to the Willows Lodge, home of the famous restaurant, The Barking Frog. As we walked through the building, I spotted a sign reading “Private Event Wa, Wine Bloggers. Thank You For Joining Us!” At that moment, I felt pretty special! In the courtyard stood many eagerly awaiting winemakers and winery representatives from wineries right there in Woodinville! This tasting would take awhile and in the interest of time, I’m going to discuss a few of the producers. You all know how long-winded I am! I’d be writing a novel if I mentioned every single detail! Anyway, I was like a kid in a candy store! What do I try first? Who do I meet first? Everyone began disbursing to the different tables so guess what?
I spotted vintner Bob Betz of Betz Family Winery. I approached with caution because I didn’t want to seem too eager but who was I kidding? I knew that Bob had a huge...
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
7/7/2010 at 5:27 PM PST
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Cellarmistress Does Woodinville Part One: Chateau Ste. Michelle
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Well, I'm back from Washington state! Most of you have probably figured this out from my never ending tweets--screaming how thrilled I was to be there! So, how was it anyway? Well, it all started on the evening of June 22nd, when I departed my humble abode for the thrill of the Pacific Northwest. A flight that was late, a run through the airport (again), a second flight that was a rollercoaster ride (sat next to some people from W. Virginia-their first flight-thought they were going to scream bloody murder!) and a long wait at the airport for my hotel shuttle...But, I finally made it, sleepy-eyed and dead to the world at 1 AM (which was really 3 AM my time!). Four hours later, my wake-up call rudely awakened me and I stumbled into the bathroom to make coffee, only I forgot to put the actual coffee pot under the coffee maker and made a complete mess all over the floor! Could it get any worse? I made it downstairs, woke up, ate breakfast and soon I was off my airport shuttle and... ... View Full Post >>
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
6/20/2010 at 3:20 PM PST
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WBC10 and WBCorBust Here I Come!!!
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It's finally here! The 2010 North American Wine Bloggers Conference will be taking place later this week in Walla Walla, Washington. I recently read an article stating that the state of Washington would love more wine lovers to visit and that they could use a boost for their wine industry. Well, I'm here to say that Walla Walla and the state of Washington had better watch out! They're not going to know what hit them! Talk about a boost! Three hundred wine lovers, writers, winemakers, media consultants etcetera will be descending upon this small town in southeastern Washington. They will be writing, blogging, tweeting, Facebooking, and broadcasting everything wine! After this week, everyone will know where Walla Walla, Washington is and that there are so many excellent wines coming from there and other parts of the state! It's going to be amazing and one of the biggest things to happen for the wine industry there! I am so happy and proud to be a part of this event! View Full Post >>
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
6/13/2010 at 12:34 PM PST
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Cellarmistress Tastes Live From The Livermore Valley!
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Over the past six months, I've had the rare opportunity to sample many wines from a winery I consider a great California staple. Wente Vineyards. When most people think of California wines, they think of Napa or Sonoma or the Central Coast. Wente Vineyards calls the Livermore Valley their home. I asked around and a lot of people were dumbfounded when I mentioned the area so I am here to shed some light on this mystery... The Livermore Valley is located 30 miles east of San Francisco, inland but off the bay. This area is ideal for grape growing because it gets the morning fog and cool air from the Pacific Ocean, resulting in warm days and cool nights. This climate coupled with the gravelly soils of the area were exactly what C.H. Wente had in mind when he started the winery 125 years ago. Five generations of family winemakers have been consistently making award-winning wines ever since. I have had the opportunity to taste from all the different tiers... ... View Full Post >>
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
5/29/2010 at 12:25 PM PST
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Dusted Valley-- 2010 Washington Winery of the Year!
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When self-proclaimed Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"/winemakers Corey Braunel and Chad Johnson chucked it all and moved their families to Walla Walla in 2003, little did they know that seven years later their dream, Dusted Valley, would be named Washington Winery Of The Year by Wine Press Northwest. I had never heard of them until a few months ago when a general e-mail announcing the accolade graced my inbox. It must have been a good sign. I was curious and wanted to know more. Who were they and what were their wines like? A couple weeks and a couple sample bottles later, I am sitting here beside myself and extremely impressed with my finding! Thank goodness for e-mail! Dusted ValIey is a small production winery located in Walla Walla, Washington. Most of you have probably never heard of them as they have limited distribution. However, I urge you to discover them through their website because their wines will woo you and find a special place in your hearts. As stated above,... ... View Full Post >>
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
5/16/2010 at 10:08 AM PST
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An Inspiration Worth Having...
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I've been really busy lately and sometimes I get so caught up in the whirlwind I call my every day life that I neglect to do what I love best--writing about my favorite wines and wineries. We bloggers all have our moments like this I'm sure! Sometimes all it takes is one special glass of wine to change all of that...
I've been an advocate of the small family winemaker for years! My fascination with their passion and hard work to handcraft special wines from the ground up just amazes me! One such winemaker is Jon Phillips, who along with his wife Barbara, owns Inspiration Vineyards, a small family winery in the Santa Rosa area of Sonoma County. Jon began his road to a career in wine during the 90s working at Mirassou Winery tasting room. He had always had an interest in wine as his great-grandparents were owners of a vineyard in San Martin in the early 1900s. Jon continued his journey by teaching wine appreciation classes and expanding his own education through UC...
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
5/2/2010 at 3:48 PM PST
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Say YES To Willamette Valley Vineyards!
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I really wish I could say I was more up to speed on Oregon wines and wineries. But I'm not. I'm barely starting to tap into this wonderful area for wines. I'd like to learn more...A few months ago, after posting a note about the upcoming Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, I received a message from Christine Collier, the Social Marketing Coordinator at Willamette Valley Vineyards in Oregon! She was interested in having me sample some of their wines. A few weeks later, I received three samples and a nice set of information.
Willamette Valley Vineyards is a beautiful winery located in Turner, Oregon. The estate site was purchased in 1983 by founder Jim Bernau and he had a lot of work to do. The land was once the home of an old plum orchard laden with blackberry vines that needed to be cleared away before anything else could be planted. With some diligence and hard work, he began planting Pinot Noir (Pommard and Wadenswil) and Chardonnay clones (Dijon and...
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
4/29/2010 at 9:31 AM PST
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Barrel Tasting To Combat Children's Illiteracy
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Now here's something fantastic! I found out that Twitter has teamed up with Crushpad, the world-reknowned custom crush facility now located in Napa Valley, and guess what? They are putting together a great event to help combat children's illiteracy in poor countries. The charity this benefits is called "Room To Read." On Friday May 7th at 7 PM Pacific time, Noah Dorrance of Crushpad will be broadcasting a live barrel tasting and anyone in the world can take part in it by tuning in! To really take part in it and do your good deed for mankind, there are barrel tasting kits available through BRIXR. The kits are $14.00 each. $5.00 from each kit will go toward the benefit of "Room To Read." This is a fantastic opportunity to do some preview barrel tastings of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that will be released under the label "Fledgling". These releases will further benefit the charity and bring attention to children's illiteracy around the world. What a great thing! So,... ... View Full Post >>
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
4/23/2010 at 5:01 AM PST
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Sbragia Family Vineyards: Family Unity and Great Winemaking
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It seems that lately, we folks here in Iowa have been getting a lot of California winemakers visiting us. Iowa is a hot bed for fans of California wines and when winemakers visit us, we just eat it up! I've met five in the past several months and nothing impressed me more than meeting Adam Sbragia of Sbragia Family Vineyards this past week. When I found out he was coming here to visit, I got really excited because 1) I'd never tried their wines before. 2) I'd never had the chance to visit the winery on my previous trips to Dry Creek and 3) I'd heard great things about the family and hoped that everything I'd heard was true! Well, it was and so much more! For those not familiar with the Sbragia Family, here is a great story. You've all heard of Beringer Vineyards. Who hasn't? For many, many years, Beringer has been a staple in a lot of households, not to mention grocery stores, wine stores etc. Adam's father is Ed Sbragia, who was Beringer's winemaker for 35 years. He... ... View Full Post >>
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GENERAL POST
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Posted
4/17/2010 at 7:09 AM PST
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Duck...Duck...Goose?
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Sometimes I fall for every gimmick in existence, because I'm gullible that way. (Now that I've said this, please don't play any tricks on me because I'll be on the look out! Ha!) Case in point, yesterday I received an e-mail from Cost Plus/World Market, a favorite shop of mine. I've been known to peruse the wine aisles there looking for bargain wine deals. They're famous for selling close-out wines and alternate label fun stuff. I wasn't prepared for what I found yesterday. The ad pointed to a Sauvignon Blanc made by a famous producer in the Rutherford area of Napa Valley. The story behind this wine was interesting. The winemaker wanted to move on to the next vintage and had a surplus of the 2008 vintage leftover. So why not bottle it under a different label and sell it to an unsuspecting public at a fraction of the cost??? This could be really good or really bad depending on how this vintage turned out for them. Now, I am not sure whether this producer was being funny and teasing... ... View Full Post >>
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