If you’re wondering “Where have you been?” or “What the heck happened to JvB?”, well #WBC happened. This year the wine blogger’s conference was back in Somoma and after the fires, the wineries were SO ready for us! They are open, anxious, and are ready for YOU to return and help the area rebuild. Most of the wineries are in good operational shape and need your support. How better to do that than to buy some wine?
So here is a re-cap of my experience in this year’s #WBC17 White Wine Live Wine Blogging. This is like speed dating for wine; a table of ten writers get a quick pour, take a picture of the bottle, and cranks out a 140-ish character-sized review within a five minute window. It’s insane and fun! I had a ton of readers respond to my reviews from Santa Barbara and Lodi, so check these out for what you think you’d enjoy- and if you don’t see them locally, find them online!
READY, TABLE FIVE?
GO!!!
2016 Ledson Vineyard Estate Viognier – can you say peaches & cream? $32/bottle, 13.5%ABV, winner Best Viognier by Sommelier Challenge 2017 International Wine & Spirit Competition @ledsonwinery#wbc17
2016 Sauvignon Blanc -pair me with Thai food and #GetNaked! $32/bottle, 13%ABV, and perfect for those who adore the Naked Cowboy in Times Square. @nakedwinery #wbc17
2015 Matthiasson Napa Valley White Wine Blend is farm to table- and like a fresh fruit bowl of apples, peaches and melon, 2nd notes of citrus and honey with oyster shells and limestone on the finish. @matthiassonwine; $40/bottle, 12.9% ABV #WBC17
This is something very much out of the norm for me- Jardesca’s white apertivo by @Jardesca huge flavors, white wine mixed with ten botanicals- not your fathers white wine! 17%ABV #wbc17
2010 Anniversary Cuvée $40/bottle. Such great mouthfeel, gorgeous muted fruit and lots of baking spice -plate of oysters, please? YUM! #GiveMeBubbles @GloriaFerrer#wbc17
Turbiana 2016 from Selva Capuzza, Lake Garda, ITALY! This isn’t from Sonoma, but was sure fun to have included in the speed tasting! Screaming Meyer lemon, minerality and beautiful acidity! @VinoLuganaDoc#WBC17
2015 Mount Beautiful Chardonnay! Just as beautiful as their Pinot- half oak, half unoaked- all chard lovers rejoice! NZ Elegance and beauty; $22/bottle, 14.5%ABV! @MtBeautifulNZ#wbc17
2015 Antica A26 Block Chardonnay from Antinori Family Estates- whoa! Big fruit up front, lots of nice vanilla from the time in oak, massive acidity and high abv 14.5% $55/bottle. Serious chardonnay wine for those who adore it in this style! @AnticaWine#WBC17
2016 Hanna Sauvignon Blanc from Russian River Valley. Light on grapefruit, huge mouthfeel of mango, peach and tangerine! So fruity, with a touch of ginger on the finish; want to drink this for dinner! Only $19/bottle, 13.2%ABV. @HannaWinery#wbc17
2014 Leto Cellars Old Vine Chardonnay features lovely fruit, like drinking apple pie and sunshine- $30/bottle at 11.5% abv- This is a chicken dinner’s best friend! @Letocellars#wbc17
Look for Part 2- Red Wines from Live Wine Blogging, #WBC17!!
Furious Live Wine Blogging. Day 2- Reds!
13 JulIt’s hard to explain the insanity of Live Wine Blogging at the WBC14 Wine Blogger’s Conference, but let’s try: 300+ people crammed into a conference room with round tables for 8 with a number in the middle. 50 minute time limit on the event! Wine makers run around the room, changing tables every five minutes from table number to number (in order), trying to shout above the din what their wine is while they both pour tastes and answer questions. Bloggers furiously try to taste each wine, scribble notes, and tweet or record their findings as they try not to spit wine on themselves or their digital devices. All of this while the conference leaders shout furtively into a wireless microphone that only feeds a speaker in one small corner, far below the room volume. A tiny bit of insanity, strangely fun, while frustrating. Did I mention the intermittent internet connectivity, or the lack of good signal in the basement? Oh- never mind. 🙂
Regardless- we tasted some good, some not so good, from $8 to $60 (Jordan Winery’s 2006 Cab: Tasty!). Here is my pile of tweets for your enjoyment!
@JvBUncorked@adelaidecellars 100% Touriga from Paso Robles, ’10. Tasty nose, classic acidity & mellow tannin. Solid. $28
#wbc14 pic.twitter.com/QggJFRgr5I#banditwbc14 Cab Sauvignon, 1L 2014 Bold Napa-blend fruit bomb for just $9- picnic wine for sure!#wbc14 pic.twitter.com/7dxUlzqUUFLabyrinth Pino ’12 clone 667 “More Cary grant than John Wayne”
#wbc14 pic.twitter.com/1NOFLojM6S@consiliencewine 2011 SB Syrah Brett and barnyard on the nose, very mixed palate. Grill pleaser for sure.#wbc14 pic.twitter.com/D2ul5TZI5G@GarnetVineyards Monterey Pinot. Black cherry, boysenberry, nice tight finish. Stelvin & $15- easy to drink!#wbc14 pic.twitter.com/0AL0u99mmO@hollywood2vine 2010 vineyard 511 Cab- aged 30 mo’s in oak! Menthol & Forest, black fruit and long pull.#wbc14 pic.twitter.com/35ppPzj6bm@rsvineyards Symmetry Meritage ’11 Classic Sonoma, where’s my steak?#wbc14 pic.twitter.com/JOmQbAAzbR@Rios_de_Chile Carmenere Reaerve 2011. $13, earth & brown spice, ideal for Classic French aka boef bourg.#wbc14 pic.twitter.com/59s7ZwzDvo@jordanwinery ’06 Cab. Lovely Alexander valley, menthol and perfume- so old world! Luxury-Yum!#wbc14 pic.twitter.com/SKcAi46q6Wà votre santé!
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Tags: Napa Red Wine, Red Blend, red wine blend, Review, Santa Barbara Wines, Sonoma Wine, Wine Commentary