The Scottsdale Culinary Festival featured a special event called Cooks & Corks. Guests paid $65 a ticket to be wined and dined inside the Scottsdale Center for the Performing arts. Within this special event was an even more exclusive Arizona Wine Seminar. Seating was limited to just 65 guests who were treated to a run down on the Arizona wine industry featuring guests speakers, Pavle Milic, Todd Bostock and Kent Callaghan. Bellow you will find 3 videos of the seminar.
Christine Slomski
I recently became acquainted with Christine Slomski through the wonders of the Twitter machine and she expressed an interest in writing and learning about wine. I decided to invite her and a friend down to my favorite little wine hangout on a Thursday night as they were having an interesting tasting featuring an all star list of Organic Wines. First a little bit about Christine: She is a branding and marketing professional based in Phoenix, Arizona. She is a self-described “wine novice”, but is eager to expand her knowledgebase—and her palate. Here is her impression of the evening:
Arizona Wine Company holds wine tasting events each Thursday, and on March 10, I got my first taste of this tucked away strip mall treasure in Scottsdale. This particular event featured some fantastic California wines, soulful acoustic music, five-star food, and an overall delightful setting for intimate conversation and Wine Country exploration.
My favorite selection of the night was a smooth Dos Fincas Malbec, which tantalized my palate with subtle flavors of plum, raspberry and red spice—the magic elixir I had been waiting for all evening! To add to the experience, I ordered from Atlas Bistro, the small five-star (and Zagat-rated) restaurant hidden in the Wilshire Plaza next to Arizona Wine Company. Chefs Brandon Crouser and Joshua Riesner run the bistro and put me over the moon with a roasted quail entrée (at times I had to block out the images of the little quails I see scurrying across residential streets, but I managed), served alongside spicy mizuna greens and smoky lentils, laced with a sherry reduction sauce. To my surprise, a robust cheese board put together by Chef Joshua was brought out, displaying a variety of goat, cow, sheep and water buffalo cheeses (they say you can milk anything with nipples, right?). Being lactose intolerant my whole life, I was surprised to learn that most aged cheeses are lactose free. With this news, I of course tried every single one. True to Chef Joshua’s knowledge, I awoke the next morning with no symptoms of my allergy. I could get used this!
With wine in one hand and cheese in the other, my companions and I finished the evening listening to the acoustic guitarists gathered in the corner lounge, jamming to improvisation cover songs and original sounds. “It doesn’t get any more intimate than this,” said one of my friends. My eyes spanned the room; I took a sip of my wine; I felt the moment. And true to his point, it really didn’t get any more intimate or any more authentic than the people, the sounds, and the tastes in that room.
Christine Slomski on Twitter
This Saturday night the Scottsdale Waterfront will play host to one of valley’s signature charity events.
“The Original Taste,” will be held on Saturday, April 2, 2011 from 7:00 to 10:00 pm. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation, The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale, and other children’s based charities supported by Executive Council Charities.
Attendees of “The Original Taste” will have the opportunity to discover flavors from around the globe that are available at some of Metropolitan Phoenix’s finest dining establishments. Over 40 of the Valley’s most recognizable restaurants will be showcasing their talents and over 70 varieties of wine and spirits from around the world will be available to sample.
Tickets are priced at $100 (General Admission) and $200 (VIP access) if purchased before March 1, or $150 (General Admission) and $250 (VIP access) between March 1 and the evening of the event. Information regarding sponsorship opportunities is also available on “The Original Taste” website.
In addition, the after party, known as “Late Night” will be held immediately following “The Original Taste.” Pricing for “Late Night” will be $25 (General Admission) or $100 (VIP access) and can also be purchased (independently of The Original Taste tickets) on The Original Taste website.
“We’re incredibly excited to hold this event on a Saturday night at the Scottsdale Waterfront as it allows us to draw from the thousands of individuals who head to Old Town Scottsdale each weekend,” said EC70’s Dane Fernandes, Chairman of The Original Taste. “Those who would typically dine at a nearby restaurant can experience a vast array of food and beverage options. Plus, ‘Late Night’ will present a unique, one-of-a-kind experience. Ultimately, these events give us an opportunity to raise more money for the children of Arizona.”
For tickets and more information regarding “The Original Taste” and “Late Night,” visit the Original Taste WEBSITE
Updated LIST of participating restaurants
Phoenix Art Museum was the setting for Palette to Palate 2011
The people who snapped up the 250 VIP tickets for Palette to Palate last Friday night at the Phoenix Art Museum were treated to some of Arizona’s finest food and wine pairings.
The lineup of Chef’s included Payton Curry and Geoffrey Gersten with the team at Guerrilla
Payton Curry and The Guerrilla Gourmet
Gourmet, James Porter and Randy Slack from Petite Maison, Aaron Chamberlin chef and owner of St. Francis and James Angel and last but not least Silvana Salcido Esparza from Barrio Cafe with Hector Ruiz.
Aaron Chamberlin's Salmon and Beet creation
Arizona wine makers Sam Pillsbury (Pillsbury Wine Company), Todd and Kelly Bostock (Dos Cabezas) and representatives of Arizona Stronghold Vineyards were on hand pouring wines to be paired with the Chef’s creations.
Check out the Weekly Wine Journal’s FACEBOOK page for more photos from this event. Don’t forget to hit the “LIKE” button (but only if you really do like!)
Below is a video summary of the event including interviews with Chef James Porter and Chef Aaron Chamberlin.
Posted in Food, Wine Event, Wine Tasting
Tagged aaron chamberlin, arizone, blog, blogger, devoured culinary classic, Guerrilla Gourmet, james porter, Palette to Palate, payton curry, petite maison scottsdale, phoenix, phoenix art museum, Sam Pillsbury, Scottsdale, St Francis Phoenix, Todd Bostock, weekly wine journal, Wine
Devoured (www.phxart.org/devoured). Independently edible award-winning culinary event, a showcase of Arizona’s finest local restaurants, chefs, wineries and industry purveyors in a distinctly Phoenix setting. Hosted by Phoenix Art Museum, benefiting Local First Arizona and Phoenix Art Museum, and produced by R Entertainment Co.
WHERE
Phoenix Art Museum (1625 N. Central Ave) Central Avenue and McDowell Rd.
Dorrance Sculpture Garden and Great Hall
WHEN
Friday Saturday & Sunday, March 11, 12 & 13
Fri., March 11, Devoured *Palette to Palate, 7:30pm (limited to 250 guests)
New this year at Devoured. Phoenix Art Museum Great Hall
An adventurous pairing of artists & chefs – developed by Local First Arizona & the Men’s Arts Council of Phoenix Art Museum. Integrating harmonious styles of food & art – and exploring the results! Featuring St. Francis Chef Aaron Chamberlin & painter James Angel; Petite Maison Chef James Porter & painter Randy Slack; Caffé Boa Chef Payton Curry & painter Geoffrey Gersten; Barrio Café Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza & painter Lalo Cota
*heavy hors d’oeuvres & Arizona wines
Sat. & Sun., March 12 & 13, Devoured Culinary Classic, 11am-4pm
A grand tour of Arizona’s finest culinary talents & pioneering winemakers…Taste, discover & meet them – up close & personal.
TICKETS
Devoured, a grand culinary experience…at a remarkable value
Tickets & Information at www.PhxArt.org/Devoured
Tickets via www.ProTix.com or call 1.866.977.6849
Daily Tickets. $59 through March 11; $69 at the door.
Two-day Tickets. $90 in advance through March 11. $118 at the door.
Weekend Pass. (3days). $118 through March 11
Museum Members. 2-days $90. Members call 602.257.2124
HIGHLIGHTS
SubZero/Wolf Ferguson’s Chef Demonstration Stage
Saturday
11:30 – Jacques Qualin, J&G Steakhouse
12:30 – Silvana Salcido Esparza, Barrio Café
1:30 – Anthony Dias Blue – James Beard Award winner & among world’s leading wine experts…Mr. Blue talk Arizona Wine scene
2:30 – Julia Baker, Julia Baker Confections
3:30 – Aaron May, Vitamin T
Sunday
11:30 – Payton Curry, Guerrilla Gourmet
12:30 – Bernie Kantak, Citizen Public House, with mixologist Richie Moe
1:30 – Matt Smith, Boa Bistro/Caffé Boa, with Empty Glass Wines
2:30 – Justin Beckett, Beckett’s Table
*each chef’s dish featured with a suggested wine pairing
AJ’S Fine Foods Dessert Lounge. A new feature inside Phoenix Art Museum’s Great Hall featuring AJ’s bakery specialties; Urban Cookies, Delicious Dishes and Espressions Coffee Roastery.
Musical Entertainment
Saturday
11:00am – What Laura Says
1:30pm – Hot Birds and the Chili Sauce
Sunday
11:00am – Steve Ansel & The Jackson Street Band
12:15pm – Roger Clyne (& promoting his new tequila, Mexican Moonshine)
1:30pm – Calumet
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
In its debut year, Devoured was named 2010 Critic’s Choice for culinary events by The Arizona Republic. Additionally…
Posted in Arizona Wine, Food, News, Wine Event, Wine News, Wine Tasting
Tagged arizona, chefs, culinary event, Devour, devoured, local first, local restaurant, phoenix, phoenix art museum, Scottsdale, wine blog, Wine Blogger, wineries
Sometimes we all need a thick slice of humble pie to chew on. If you find yourself routinely puffing your chest out or staring for long periods in the mirror at your handsome reflection, I suggest a blind tasting.
Lots of wines, no labels
Not only are they grounding, but blind tastings are also a great way to test your “wine chops”. A while back, I attended a blind tasting at a local wine bar. There were 4 wines, 2 whites and 2 reds. We did not know the varietals or where they came from– known as a “Double Blind” tasting. We were given only one clue: The wines were single varietals, not blends.
The first white wine was placed before us like a microorganism beneath a microscope. Guests put their noses in the glasses, taking notes, swirling and gazing into the distance searching for analogies. This was repeated several times, as gazes turned to puzzled, contorted facial expressions.
Next came the reds. The first red wine had me completely stumped. It was unlike any red wine I had ever tasted before, and not in an amazingly good way either. I found it to be one of the single worst tasting wines I have ever tasted and I couldn’t finish it. The other guests finished theirs, and the girl next to me remarked that she really like it. I thought to myself, “if you like flavors of nail polish and forest fire with a muddy dirty mouth feel and very little in the way of fruit, this is right up your alley.”
Guests at the Grand Tasting
This past week the Paso Robles Grand Tasting Tour visited El Chorro Lodge in Paradise Valley. The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance and their local partners put on a week long celebration of the Paso Robles wine region. In all 34 wineries and vineyards were represented. For a list of the vineyards scroll to the bottom of the page.
The week of wine started off on Monday, February 7th with wine maker dinners at Petite Maison and Ranchot Pinot. The very next night saw more wine maker dinners at 5th and Wine, Cowboy Ciao and Big Daddy’s BBQ. There were some after hours events held at Kazimierz Wine Bar in Scottsdale, as well as a special “Staff Meal” at Petite Maison and a walk through wine tasting at AZ Wine Company.
Industry seminar
The big day for wine tasting was Wednesday February 9th. Starting at 1pm there was an educational seminar held for about 40 local distributors, retailers and restauranteurs . Executive Director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, Stacie Jacob started out by introducing us to the wine makers and letting us know where exactly the Paso Robles AVA is. Paso Robles is about a one hour flight and a half hour drive from San Luis Obispo. People in the metro Phoenix area would find this to be a very convenient weekend getaway.
Stacie then handed the seminar over to the wine makers. Ted Plemons of Cass Winery, Doug Beckett of Peach Canyon, JC Diefenderfer of Hope Family Wines and
Steve Peck red wine maker for J. Lohr
Steve Peck of J. Lohr talked for about an hour. Each wine maker talked about the uniqueness of the Paso Robles AVA and especially the value. They really stressed the value, and Steve Peck put it succinctly stating that their neighbors to the north might say “Well if so and so is getting $50 a bottle then I should get $60, well in Paso Robles it’s not like that”. In Paso Robles the pricing is very closely related to the direct costs rather than who has the “best” Cabernet or what other people are charging.
Doug Becket from Peachy Canyon
I sat at a table with Doug Beckett, proprietor of Peachy Canyon Winery. Doug spoke passionately about the region and sustainable practices versus organic certification. He received a warm round of applause when he stated boldly that organic farming “Is Crap”, he explained why by saying “You may have heard of something called WIND. Well even if you are certified organic, if your neighbor is spraying chemicals then it blows onto your property” He went on to explain how much more comprehensive sustainable farming is than organic certification.
Tasting the wines
While we were listening to each gentleman speak, we were also enjoying examples of their wines. In all their were 8 wines to taste. These wines were presented as value driven wines, ready to drink now, primarily for use in a restaurant setting. There’s no use pouring a wine for a customer and then telling them that it will be great in 5 years. It needs to be great right now. We tasted a wide variety of styles and price points from a Viognier Marsanne blend from Cass Winery with a retail of $20 to a Cabernet Syrah blend from Hope Family Wines retailing for $50. One of the wines that I found to be particularly good was J. Lohr Hilltop Vineyard Cabernet which is actually a blend of 80% Cabernet, 6% Petite Sirah, 4% Malbec, 4% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. I managed to get a little interview with Steve Peck the following night at a special wine tasting at AZ Wine Company.
Sun setting on El Chorro Lodge
After the trade seminar there was a media tasting between 2 and 5pm. Guests tasted wines from the 30+ wineries that made the trip out to Arizona. I tasted A LOT of wine. I carried around my own spittoon as ingesting all of this wine in the middle of the afternoon would have had a rather unpleasant result! By four o’ clock I had overloaded my palate, but a few wines managed to stand out for me. Derby Wine Estates Reserve Pinot Noir and Kenneth Volk Vineyards Touriga Nacional.
The evening festivities
At 6 p.m. the public event got underway. Guests were treated to the wines and a very nice catered dinner on the patio while the sun was setting on an absolutely perfect Arizona winter day. The next night I attended a wine tasting at AZ Wine company featuring Justin, Opolo, J. Lohr, Ancient Peaks, L’Aventure and Sextant, see more pictures of the weeks events on Facebook.
Wineries List:
Adelaida Cellars
Alta Colina Vineyard and Winery
Ancient Peaks Winery
Caliza Winery
Cass Winery
Clavo Cellars
Clayhouse Wines
Derby Wine Estates
Eberle Winery
Grey Wolf Vineyards and Cellars
Halter Ranch Vineyard
Hansen Winery
Hearst Ranch Winery
J & J Cellars
J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines
Justin Vineyards and Winery
Kenneth Volk Vineyards
L’Aventure Winery
Le Vigne
Lone Madrone
Midnight Cellars
Niner Wine Estates
Opolo Vineyards
Peachy Canyon Winery
Robert Hall Winery
Sextant Wines
Silver Horse Winery
Thacher Winery
Treana and Hope Family Wines
Ventuex Vineyards
Victor Hugo Winery
Vina Robles
Posted in Wine Event, Wine Tasting
Tagged adelaida cellars, alta colina vineyard winery, ancient peaks winery, arizona, caliza winery, cass winery, clavo cellars, clayhouse wines, derby wine estates, Eberle winery, el chorro lodge, grey wolf vineyards, halter ranch vineyard, Hansen Winery, hearst ranch winery, hope family wines, J and J cellars, J. Lohr Vineyards and wines, Justin vineyards and winery, Kenneth Volk Vineyards, L'aventure Winery, Le vigne, Lone Madrone, Midnight Cellars, Niner wine estates, Opolo Vineyards, Paso Robles Grand tasting Tour, Peachy Canyon Winery, phoenix, robert Hall Winery, Scottsdale, Sextant Wines, SIlver Horse Wines, tasting, Thacher Winery, Treana, Venteux vineyards, Victor Hugo Winery, Vina Robles, Wine, wine blog, wine dinner
Two of my three favorite things in the world, women and wine, came together one recent fateful evening at Fleming’s Steakhouse in Scottsdale, Arizona. Their “Women & Wine” dinner featured three of America’s top wines, all of which are produced by, you guessed it… women. Like my recent five part series focus on affordable California Cult Wines, I’ve opted to give each of these fabulous females their time in the spotlight.
A modest 3,200 cases were made of this wine. Also still available in magnum format for $240, this is the perfect bottle to buy for anyone looking for a long term cellaring, “cultish” California Cabernet.
Edited by Jon Troutman
Robert Craig, one of Napa Valley’s most dynamic and hard working winemakers, recently took a small break from his busy schedule to visit the Phoenix area. I was lucky enough to be invited as a guest at a wine maker dinner he was hosting at the outstanding, newly designed restaurant, Bistro Laurent Tourondel (BLT).
Dining room and wine cellar
Returning to the dining room, Robert Craig entered to a warm round of applause. Craig took us on a journey of his winery’s history and experiences before delving into an important piece of his wine making philosophy. He critically referred to the American culture of always looking out for what’s next, always trying to get bigger and bigger and bigger, especially in business. At this point in his life, which he jokingly refers to as “getting on in years”, he is not concerned with producing more wine as many of his neighbors are. Instead, his focus is on quality. It became obvious that his philosophy is taken from many smaller, boutique European producers, as he continually referenced the ideals of these overseas cohorts.
Guests enjoying champagne before dinner
The first course was a country style duck pate with brandied cherries, pistachio and arugula paired with the 2008 Robert Craig “Durrell Vineyard” Chardonnay from Sonoma Valley. This Chardonnay is the only wine he makes outside of Napa, and the only white wine in his entire portfolio. Aged in a mix of 10% new French oak, 65% neutral French oak and 25% Stainless steel, it is a wine that is light on oak, focused on fruit purity and a distinct sense of the Durrell Vineyard terroir. Less than 500 total cases were produced.
I just had to take this picture!
The third course was a Grouper stew featuring lobster mushrooms, chirozo and northern beans, a great but non-traditional pairing for the 2006 Robert Craig Mt. Veeder Cabernet. A big and chewy wine with rich tannins, this is a bigger style than the Affinity, requiring a slight decant for maximum enjoyment.
Free wine tastings can be a great way for wine companies to get exposure in the market place. For Cameron Hughes Wine Company, however, the free wine tasting held in Scottsdale, Arizona last Thursday night, was a way to say thanks to their customers. The private, invite only event was a “customer appreciation” wine tasting held to say thanks to their loyal supporters and early adopters of the Cameron Hughes Wine concept. Cameron Hughes Wine Co-Founder Jessica Hughes flew out from San Francisco to personally thank the 100 or so VIP guests who gathered at North Scottsdale’s Hodson Jewellery Gallery. The evening featured 12 new releases from one of America’s most successful wine negociants, and even a few unreleased small lots. Guests were also treated to the culinary creations of Hashana Baker from I Love it Gourmet.
An impressive selection
The wine list was impressive, even by Cameron Hughes standards. California was well represented, and in particular the sub appellations of Napa including Atlas Peak, Stag’s Leap, Oakville, Rutherford. There were also wines from Alexander Valley, both sides of Carneros and there were also some interesting lots from Chile and Washington State. Here is a quick list of the Lots that were sampled: Lot 182, Lot 189, Lot 190, Lot 191, Lot 197, Lot 200, Lot 208, Lot 216, Lot 222, Lot 225, Lot 227
I found Lot 182 particularly approachable, and I learned that this particular Lot is labeled as a Meritage, but is actually a blend of 90% Cabernet, 5% Cab Franc, and 5% Petite Verdot. This wine is a 2005 vintage and has over 4 years in the bottle and it is drinking amazing right now. With only 1,700 cases produced and selling for $15 a bottle this wine won’t be around for long. See my complete review of Lot 182 here.
I also found Lot 197, a 2008 Napa Valley Merlot to be quite interesting. I am not normally a big Merlot drinker, but this Merlot was more like a big powerful and ripe Cabernet. This lot has yet to be released and should sell out very quickly as only 518 cases are available. I was talking with Jessica Hughes and I remarked that I was really enjoying Lot 197 and she said “Oh that is reeeeallly nice, it’s from…” and she just barely managed to cut herself short. Everyone who knows the way Cameron Hughes Wines work, knows that the sources of the wines are a closely guarded and legally protected secret. The wines are often purchased with lengthy Non Disclosure agreements to protect the brands that are selling pretty much the same juice for $100+ a bottle. See my complete review of Lot 197 here
Jessica Hughes
In my conversation with Jessica I also asked her about the dynamic between her and Cameron. I asked her whether they were like two peas in a pod, or more like a Ying and a Yang. She said the latter. Jessica said that Cameron has an absolutely amazing palate and actually writes most of the wine descriptions himself, Jessica on the other hand is a natural promoter. 
This is evidenced by the fact that she mingled and chatted enthusiastically and non-stop with customers for close to 3 hours.
As the event wound down you could tell the guests were so enjoying themselves that they didn’t want to leave! Most guests placed orders for multiple cases and I got thinking that this was actually an interesting way to set up a new channel of sales. 
Cameron Hughes has been relying heavily on sales through Costco, but it can be quite difficult to sell when you are not allowed to taste, and don’t have time to interact on a personal level with your customers. Cameron Hughes Wines plan to set up more of these types of private tastings across the country. How do you get invited? If you’ve bought a significant amount of wine from their website, you will most likely get an invite.
A short video of the event and Jessica speaking:
See more pictures from this event on my Facebook Page
Cameron Hughes Wine Homepage
Posted in Wine Event, Wine Tasting
Tagged arizona, Cameron Hughes Wine, costco wine, lot 182, lot 189, lot 191, lot 197, lot 200, lot 208, lot 216, lot 222, lot 225, lot 227, lot190, Scottsdale, tasting, Wine, wine negociant
Narcisse Champagne and Tea Lounge put on what is sure be regarded as one of the biggest and best parties of 2011 last Thursday night. The Grand Opening Celebration was an all out extravaganza.
I arrived a little before 9 p.m. and the lineup was huge to say the least. So thought I’d try the VIP side entrance. There was a security door and a little velvet rope section with two security men in suits with ear pieces. There were people attempting to bribe, con or name drop their way in. These guys were professionals, they didn’t even look at the list and politely informed them that the entrance is around the other side. I gave them my name and for once in my life I was “on the list” !
A packed house
Security escorted me in the building, down a utility hallway to an elevator. He swiped a card, the door opened, he punched in some numbers, the doors closed and the elevator rose. The doors on the other side opened into a small room with a black door. I could hear the music thumping. I opened the door.
The VIP entrance is at the end of a little hallway next to the DJ stage, as I walked in I was hit by a wall of sound. The music was loud, but appropriately so. I finally entered into the massive main room. Narcisse is a 6,500 square foot rectangular shaped room with massive windows on 3 sides. There are two balconies overlooking the über fashionable Scottsdale Quarter.
The Bar
This party was packed! Shoulder to shoulder wall to wall. There were photographers flashing away, there were party goers dancing all over. It felt like New Year’s Eve, or an Oscar after party.
The Dancers
Then there were the go go dancers. They were dressed edgy and just classy enough to make it appropriate. There’s a lot to be said for a gal dancing in lingerie with feathery wings and a masquerade.
I wandered around and found some champagne and quickly began recognizing faces from the social media/public relations scene. Narcisse promotional strategy was second to none. They managed to invite pretty much every Twitter personality, blogger, PR firm in the metro Phoenix area. The tweets and retweets and the facebook albums should keep the initial buzz going for quite some time.
Posted in social media, Wine Event, Wine News, Wine Tasting
Tagged Champagne, Kierland, Narcisse champagne and tea lounge, photos, Scottsdale, scottsdale quarter, Wine
The rest of my photos are on my Facebook Fan Page HERE
Paso Robles Grand Tasting Tour Hits Scottsdale, February 7-11, 2011
Signature Event Series with Marquee Grand Tasting, Featuring 30 California Winemakers.
(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) – Thanks to a growing number of sophisticated wine enthusiasts in the Valley, the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance has targeted Scottsdale and the greater Phoenix metro area to kick-off its 2011 Grand Tasting Tour. Part and parcel of a fiercely expanding local culinary scene in the Valley, the group of Paso Robles, Calif, winemakers will showcase their wines through a series of winemaker dinners, a marquee Grand Tasting event, and special tasting opportunities at area retailers. This ‘Paso Robles Wine Week’ is set for February 7-11, when over 30 winemakers, winery owners, and tourism representatives converge on the Valley to express the flavor and personality of the Paso Robles wine region.
The most attended event will take place on Wednesday, February 9, with a marquee Grand Tasting at El Chorro Lodge from 6 – 8 p.m. This is a rare opportunity to meet and mingle with all of the traveling winemakers under one roof – the likes of winemaking legends Robert Hall, Gary Eberle, and Vic Roberts of the acclaimed Victor Hugo Winery, as well as many more, are all scheduled to attend. El Chorro Lodge will showcase their culinary delights alongside unlimited tastes of over 100 wines. Tickets are $55 per person and include unlimited tastings and an array of gourmet appetizers that include pork sliders, a bruschetta bar, and imported meats. Wine enthusiasts are encouraged to visit www.pasowine.com for a list of participating wineries and to purchase tickets.
Prior to the Grand Tasting, two nights of wine dinners will showcase multiple Paso Robles brands along with meals prepared by local chefs. On Monday, February 7 and Tuesday, February 8, multi-course, wine-paired dinners will take place at restaurants 5th & Wine, Rancho Pinot, Petite Maison, and Cowboy Ciao. During each dinner, the celebrity winemakers and chefs will explain the inspiration behind the pairings. Rancho Pinot Chef/Owner Chrysa Robertson, for instance, is looking forward to complementing her simple, comfort food style of cooking with these elegant and often non-traditional wines. One other dinner, on Tuesday, February 8, will come with a twist—taking place at Big Daddy’s BBQ, Paso Robles wine will be paired with platters of smoky barbecue and served on picnic tables in the backyard-themed restaurant.
“There’s an event for every budget and level of wine enthusiasm,” says Wine Alliance Executive Director Stacie Jacob. “We want everyone to experience these wines and meet the personalities behind the label. Enthusiasts can join Paso Robles in a variety of places: an intimate restaurant setting, at your local retailers, or a walk around tasting showcasing all that Paso Robles has to offer.”
Paso Robles Wine Week continues on the evening of Thursday, February 10 when Chef James Porter of French bistro, Petite Maison, plugs the region’s wines into his popular “Staff Meal” (a late-night menu of fun, often lower-brow fare). Chef Porter is planning a “wine late-night” where he plans on “inviting a few of the winemakers into the kitchen to see if they can plate tartar as well as they grow grapes,” Porter quipped.
To purchase tickets for the Grand Tasting on Wednesday, February 9, visit www.pasowine.com or call
800-549-WINE. Wine dinner reservations can be made directly at each individual restaurant.
I created The Weekly Wine Journal 
in November of 2009 out of a passion for wine and writing. The initial inspiration and motivation came as a result of seeing Gary Vaynerchuk speak at an event in Mesa, Arizona. Gary was out on his Crush it! promotion tour and he spoke passionately about why now is the time to “cash in on your passion” and why now, more than any other time it is easier to do so. So I quickly went out and registered www.weeklywinejournal.com which I was quite surprised to see still available. I created a Facebook fan page, a Twitter account, a Tumblr page and a YouTube Channel and started blogging!
I am happy to report that the first year far exceeded my expectations! I met a lot of really nice people over the past year and attended many great events. Lets take a look back month by month and see what happened…
January 2010: In January I organized my first wine Tweetup.
My 1st wine tweetup at FnB
It was held at Scottsdale’s fabulous FnB Restaurant. Special guests included Ty Largo, Colleen Chase and fellow wine blogger Josh Wade. Josh had come down from his base of operations in Spokane to run in the PF Chang’s marathon. Josh started his blog at virtually the same time as I did, and we became fast friends. Happy birthday to Drink Nectar by the way!
February 2010: I met 3 amazing wine makers: Jeff Mangahas wine maker at Hartford Court wines,
Sam Pillsbury
Sam Pillsbury, from Pillsbury Wine Company and Greg Graziano from the Graziano Family of wines. Also Sandy Wasserman made his big screen debut in an interview with Greg. Also in February I travelled to Vancouver British Columbia to catch some Olympic hockey action. While I was there I visited the Salt Tasting Room and was treated to some excellent wines of British Columbia.
March 2010: In march I met Robert and Louisa Lindquist of Qupe wines and Brian Loring of Loring Wine company. Brian was really a funny guy, he had me laughing out loud with some of his off the cuff remarks. Also in March I was introduced to two interesting businesses. First is AZ Wine company on Scottsdale Road. Great group of people including Ray the owner. They allowed me to sit in on wine tastings free of charge, which helped me to review wines and meet wine makers! Also I was introduced to Michael at The Chef’s Loft by my friend and sommelier Lizbeth Congiusti. The month of March ended with a trip to the Tempe Festival of the arts Arizona wine tasting. At this event I met Rhonni Moffitt, executive director of the Arizona Wine Grower’s Association and she introduced me to ALL the wine makers at the event!
April 2010: In April I took a road trip up to Cottonwood and Jerome and met up with Sam Pillsbury at his brand new tasting room.
Pillsbury Wine Co.
May 2010: In May my friend Susie Timm introduced me to Dave Johnson, sommelier at Oakville Grocery at Kierland.
oENOlogy at the Hotel del Coronado
Dave is a warm and friendly guy who really knows his wines and is a great story teller. At the end of May I took a trip to San Diego and visited the Hotel Del Coronado. At the hotel Del I found a cool little wine bar called oENOlogy and was treated to some fantastic wine and cheese pairings.
June 2010: June was a huge month. The Judgment of Arizona wine competition was held at FnB restaurant. I was granted 1 of only 2 non traditional media passes by the the organizers and after the competition I was invited to have dinner with Gary Vaynerchuk.
Judgment of Arizona judges
At this point I was starting realize that if you put your mind to it, good things will happen. It was almost surreal, sitting there thinking, wow just last fall I was sitting in the audience and now I’m sitting right next to Gary! Also in June was the BIG wine tweetup. This event was pretty big, there must have been at least 30 people in attendance. One of the guests was Seattle Wine Gal. It was cool to meet one of the other big players in the Washington State Wine scene.
July 2010: July was a bit of slow month
Bitter Creek Tarot Labels
for me but I did manage to take another trip up the mountain to Jerome and visit with John McLoughlin of Bitter Creek Winery to take a look at his new releases. He released 9 new wines all with really interesting tarot card labels.
August 2010: The Wrigley mansion and Arizona Strongholds put on a private wine
Arizona Stronghold's Dayden
tasting which was a very interesting cross promotion. At this event I meet pro blogger Stephanie Quilao who had some helpful suggestions. I also met Jeff Hecht and Molly Maguth who are crushing it in the PR world, they would go on to hook me up with Paula Woolsey, national sales manager for Arizona Stronghold. Paula invited me up to Jerome for a showing of the movie Blood into Wine and to get a chance to participate in a little Q&A with non other than Mr Maynard James Keenan. 
August also saw the highest page views in a single day which coincidently happened to also be on my birthday! 1,076 page views in 24 hours occurred when the Weekly Wine Journal was featured on the WordPress homepage for the article on the new Winematch Wheel.
September 2010: Legendary Napa Valley wine maker Robert Craig visited Arizona in September and I was lucky enough to be invited to dine with him at Bistro Laurent Tourondel. My friends said that I had a man crush on Mr Craig and I said yea, well have you tried his wines!?
Phoenix Cooks
Also in September I poured wine at the Arizona Wine Grower’s Association booth at Phoenix Cooks! The event was held at the JW Marriott at Desert Ridge and featured the most amazing foods. On Labor Day weekend I travelled up to Page Springs Cellars for their annual fall harvest party. And what a party it was! Thanks to Rhonni and Josh Moffit for keeping me out of serious trouble… Also at this event I met up with wine maker Eric Glomski. Also in September I took a trip to San Antonio, Texas. While there I tried out a Viognier by Texas’s very own Becker Vineyards, and I liked it!
October 2010: In October I must have gained 10 pounds! I was treated to fine dining at both Morton’s and Flemings steakhouses and previewed the menu at the Biltmore’s new Seasons 52 restaurant.
I felt like this after dinner
The Morton’s event was in conjunction with the Make A Wish foundation and featured some amazing wines from the Mondavi Family including the 97 point $200 a bottle “Continuum”. The Flemings event was part of their “Women & Wine” series and featured wines by Corison, Konig and Franciscan. Also in October I attended a preview of the Society of Wine Educators certified wine expert examination and learned how much there really is to learn! And I inadvertently poured out some of the wine samples trying to help with clearing out the old samples! Doh!
Georg Riedel
Last but not least I met Georg Riedel, 10th generation glass master. And I managed to mispronounce his name while shaking his hand. It is pronounced Reedl not R eye del. After attending Mr Riedel’s fascinating seminar on stemware I am now a fanatical believer in using the correct stemware and use the Riedel Vitis series.
November 2010: My first year of blogging came full circle with the Arizona Wine festival on the farm.
Festival on the Farm 2010
I had started my blog in ’09 a just a week before the festival and so there wasn’t enough time to prepare for the event, to meet the right people and I didn’t even have $65 to afford a ticket, so I missed it. Well a year later I was invited as a guest to both the VIP event on the Friday night as well as the Festival on the Saturday. I even got a special “media” badge to wear around me neck!! November turned out to be the best month of the year in terms of traffic thanks in large part to Maynard Keenan of Caduceus cellars linking my articles on his twitter account.
Official declaration and cheers!
A nice feather in my cap was when the Weekly Wine Journal turned out to be the only media outlet that bothered to show up for the Governor’s declaration of Arizona Wine Week. Whats up with that?? Also in November I had a chance to sit down with Nicki Pruss, winemaker for the legendary Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars..imagine that – little ol me sitting down with the winemaker of a $185,000,000 winery!
December 2010: December’s highlight was a 1,700 mile road trip from Phoenix to Vancouver, British Columbia. While up in Vancouver I had a chance to try out quite a few wines of British Columbia. I dined at Jule’s Casual French Bistro and visited Salt Tasting Room again…wine reviews to follow!
I also want to take a moment to mention the guest writers: Ryan O’Connor, Sandy Wasserman and Brooke Young…thanks for contributing! So there you have it folks, that is some of what I’ve been doing for the past year. I am looking forward to taking this blog to the next level, I am in the process of laying the ground work for that to occur. Look for some big changes in mid 2011.
And for all you stats junkies here are a few:
busiest day: 1,076 page views
busiest month: November 2010 – 3,982 views
Roadtrip! Who doesn’t like a roadtrip? 
Especially a really long haul in a short period of time. I am helping a friend move and deliver two vehicles. We will be leaving Phoenix, Arizona early Thursday morning (Dec 17th) and arriving in Vancouver British Columbia, Canada sometime on Friday night. On Saturday, Sunday and Monday The Weekly Wine Journal will be scouring the city in search of great wine and great places to drink wine, so if you have favorites feel free to comment! I will be bringing my flipcam and blogging on the way up. Follow me on Twitter for updates!
Posted in Wine Event
Tagged blog, vancouver BC, weekly wine journal, Wine, wine blog
Weekly Wine Journal
