September 21, 2022: Michael David Wines

 

Michael David Winery is family owned by 5th generation brothers, Michael, and David Phillips.  From humble beginnings of family farming, to being the #7 licensed and bonded winery in Lodi in 1984, to owning the largest winery in Lodi!  Mike and Dave are true pioneers and the epitome of the American success story.  They started the Sacramento farmers market, help found “Lodi Rules”, the only third-party certified sustainability program in CA while single handedly raising the stakes and putting Lodi on the map as a premium wine growing region.  

 

Presenter:  John Mangiaracina
Western Division Sales Manager

 

John grew up on the East Coast and made his way out to San Diego in 1999, searching for sunshine and surf.  Working in the restaurant business, John landed a server position at Georges on the Cove and shortly thereafter Greystone, The Steakhouse, where he was bitten by the wine bug.  19 years later, and after working for three distributors and three wine suppliers, the passion for wine is still evident.

 

Wines we poured:

  • Michael David Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Lodi - $28
  • Michael David Chardonnay 2021, Lodi - $24
  • Michael David Ancient Vine Cinsault (Bechtold Vineyard) 2020, Lodi - $30
  • Inkblot Cab Franc 2020, Lodi - $30
  • Politically Correct Bordeaux Blend 2018, Lodi - $49 
  • Rapture Cabernet 2020, Lodi - $59
  • Inkblot Petite Sirah 2019, Lodi- $30
  • Lust Zinfandel 2019, Lodi- $59

August 20, 2022: SDWG Summer Party

 

Yes, it happened, and we were ready! 

 

Members came together to enjoy tasting some of the wines that have been presented at past meetings plus much more. 

 

This is the BEST Wine Tasting DEAL in TOWN! Where can you taste over 80 wines and enjoy delicious appetizers catered by 

Yanni’s Bar & Grill? 

 

This year:

  • Wine glasses were provided. 
  • You were greeted with some Bubbly & a friendly face as you entered the patio. 
  • Guests were welcome, so many members brought a guest or two. 
  • This was a Summer time Casual wine affair! 
  • All who Attended has a Splendid time.

More photos of the event below!

July 20, 2022: Carol Shelton Wines

 

Carol Shelton has been Mastering the Zen of Zin since 1978. Focusing mostly on her favorite varietal, Carol is a guru of single vineyard Zinfandel. California has been the home of world class Zins for over a century, making it the benchmark varietal of American wine culture. Carol & Mitch Mackenzie, her husband and business partner, have sought out exceptional vineyards throughout California including Dry Creek Valley, Rockpile, Russian River Valley, Mendocino, and the Cucamonga Valley of Southern California. Many of her vineyard sources are organically grown and decades old. She develops close partnerships with each grower to ensure her wines maintain and express the unique terroir of the vineyard. 

 

GET WILD WITH CAROL! 

Carol's Wild Thing Old Vine Zinfandel has morphed into a family of Wild Things. Made in a wildly fermented style and free spirit, Carol has added Wild Thing Chardonnay, Wild Thing Rendezvous Rosé and a late harvest Zinfandel named Wild Thing Black Magic to the family. All unique in their own way, our Wild Things are packaged with a screw cap enclosure so that the bottle is as friendly as the wine. Even though they are wild, they don't bite!

 

Carol has had a 45-year career in the wine industry and she was one of the first women to receive her BS in Enology from UC Davis in 1978. Carol worked for Robert Mondavi and at Buena Vista under Andre Tchelistcheff and as the winemaker for Windsor from 1981 -2000, she was awarded the “Most Awarded Winemaker in America”, as well as “Winemaker of the Year” 4 times. Carol and her husband Mitch Mackenzie formed Carol Shelton Wines in 2000.

 

The wines we poured:

  • Coquille Blanc2020: A white Rhone Blend. Spicy pears, white peaches. 13.3% - $27
  • Wild Thing Rose 2021: Strawberry aroma, fresh orange zest, strawberry shortcake - $19
  • Wine Lines 2
  • Coquille Rouge 2020: Red Rhone Blend. Strawberry and Black cherry. 14.6% - $27
  • Monga Zin 2019: Black cherry, dried cranberry, orange zest, caramel oak. 14.9% - $28
  • Rocky Reserve Zin 2018: Rockpile vineyard. Black cherry, razzberry, cedar.14.8% - $40
  • Peaceland Zin 2017: 3 Zin clones, Jammy berry, chocolate, oak. 14.7% - $36
  • Florence Petite Sirah 2017: Sweet black razzberry, chocolate, oak. 14.8% - $40
  • Rockpile Reserve Cab Sauv 2015 or 2014: Cola, cedar, black cherry, tobacco. 14.8% - $50

 

June 15, 2022: GIOWine

 

This meeting will be a unique voyage accompanying the two most venerable Italian families as they make extraordinary wines within sight of the sea. In 1065 the Guarini family started making wines in Puglia and in 1114 they fell in love with how well vineyards in Torchierolo, just 3 kilometers from the Adriatic Sea, expressed the local grapes of Negroamaro and Primitivo. Duca Carlo Guarini is the oldest family winery in Italy. Now in their 25th generation they have converted all their vineyards to organic and sustainable. They have been making sparkling and whites in the last 20 years.

 

Equally famous, the Mazzei family was the first to talk about “Chianti” and since 1435 they have been widely considered as the gold standard for Chianti Classico. In the 1990’s they purchased vineyards in Maremma Toscana near the Tyrrhenian Sea and in 2003 they purchased vineyards in Noto, Sicily near the Mediterranean Sea and have been producing amazing wines in their new coastal properties.

 

The Massei family is also the 25th generation, in Puglia. They have 95+ wines from all the well-known wine magazines. They also make Prosecco and sparklers.

 

The wines to we poured:

  • Guarini - Taersia Puglia IGT Negroamaro Bianco - 1st ever Negroamaro white wine
  • Guarini - Nativo Sorrento IGT Negroamaro Rosso - Negroamaro - 2900-year history
  • Guarini - Vigne Vecchie Sorrento IGT Primitivo - Finally, an elegant Zinfandel
  • Mazzei - Belguardo Codice Vermentino Maremma Toscana DOC - Extreme Vermentino
  • Mazzei - Belguardo Serrata Toscana Maremma Toscana DOC - Intro to Maremma Toscana
  • Mazzei - Tenuta Belguardo Maremma Toscano DOC - Top 100 Wines of the World (WS)
  • Mazzei - Zisola DoppioZeta Noto Rosso DOC - "Cru" Nero d'Avola

May 18, 2022: Fallbrook Winery

 

This promises to be another great tasting with Euan Parker, the winemaker at Fallbrook Winery. He started in the wine industry 20 years ago in New Zealand. He was awarded a Master’s degree in Vine, Wine, and Terroir management at the Ecole Suprieure d’Agriculture Angers Wine program in France. He was a winemaker in New Zealand, and a winemaking consultant in France, Spain, and New Zealand before coming to Fallbrook.

 

At the 2022 Winemakers challenge in San Diego, the Tempranillo won Gold, the Rose, won Silver, and the Malbec won Silver. This meeting will be both enjoyable and educational for all.

 

"Fallbrook Could Be Southern California's Greatest Winery... Hardly anyone comes to San Diego for the wine. Maybe they should, for at least one San Diego winery, Fallbrook, left quite an impression on the judges at Winemaker Challenge II." ~Robert Whitley

 

The wines we poured:

  • 33 N Rose 2021 – 100% Sangiovese – Strawberry, Melon – special yeast
  • Sauvignon Blanc 2021 – nice acid, a subtle nose – SS fermentation
  • BDX White – Sauv Blanc, Semillon- Sem, barrel ferment. Sauv Blanc ½ barrel
  • 33 N GSM 2018—M is Merlot – Cassis, caramel, vanilla -smooth finish
  • 33 N WVC Malbec 2019 – Blueberry, mild tannins – French barrel
  • 33 N Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 4 2019- floral, herbaceous – 20% new French Oak
  • 33 N Montepulciano 2018 – Licorice, wild blackberry-neutral French barrels
  • 33 N WVC Tempranillo 2019 – Cinnamon, tar – American Oak

April 20, 2022: Niner Estates

 

Richard & Pam Niner founded the winery in the early 2000s. As an all-estate winery, we are committed to maintaining the long-term health of our land and creating a diverse ecosystem for generations to come. 

 

Great wine starts in the vineyard and our long-term viability as a business relies on treating our land with care. 

 

Niner wines are 100% estate grown and the integrations of farming and winemaking is the foundation of everything they do. 

We currently farm a total of 233 acres across three different vineyards in Paso Robles and Edna Valley and make all our wine in our LEED Certified Winery at Heart Hill Vineyard. We are known for our estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as well as our flagship blend Fog Catcher; however, we grow a wide range of varietals and specialize in small lot bottlings that we allocate primarily to our Wine Club Members. 

 

 

Presenters: Tucker Spear, Director of Sales and Patrick Muran, Winemaker 

 

Wines to be poured: 

  • 2021 Sauvignon Blanc - $30
  • 2021 Albarino - $30
  • 2019 Chardonnay - $30
  • 2020 Pinot Noir - $45
  • 2018 Bootjack Red - $30
  • 2018 Cabernet - $45
  • 2017 Fog Catcher - $100 

March 16, 2022: Gundlach Bundschu

 

For six generations and over 160 years, our family has farmed our Rhinefarm estate vineyard at the crossroads of the Sonoma Valley, Carneros and Napa Valley appellations. Today, we focus on making small lots of ultra-premium wines from this distinctive and historic property.

 

Since 1981, the Bundschu Family has crafted a limited Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve bottling from the most elegant and expressive barrels of the vintage with the designation Vintage Reserve.

 

We poured:

  • Gewurztraminer 2021 – $27 
  • Sauvignon Blanc 2021 – $27
  • Chardonnay 2019 – $27
  • Mountain Cuvee 2019 – $20 
  • Merlot 2019 – $45
  • Tempranillo 2019 – $53
  • Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 – $55

https://www.gunbun.com/

February 16, 2022: Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards

 

We were thrilled to have Louis Lucas, one of California’s premier wine grape growers and a legendary pioneer of the Central Coast as our presenter for our February meeting. Prior to co-founding Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards, Louis supplied premium wine grapes to many of the most famous wineries in Napa and Sonoma. Louis is known as an innovator and master at utilizing a variety of growing practices and techniques. His vast knowledge and viticultural expertise span over four decades making him a sought-after speaker, consultant, and advisor.

 

Louis studied the great vineyards of the world by touring wine regions throughout Europe, Australia, and Chile. He learned from these trips some of his theories on grape growing, leaf exposure to the sun, manipulation of canopy, and the importance to limiting vine stress. His travels also confirmed long held practices and specific techniques he had been using, essential for growing quality grapes, including going against conventional wisdom by planting more vines per acre and adaptations to existing trellis systems to fit specific varieties.

 

We poured:

  • 2017 Blanc de Noir, "Kiss of Oak" - $42
  • 2019 Sauvignon Blanc - $22
  • 2020 Chardonnay, Goodchild Vineyard - $33
  • 2017 Pinot Noir, Hi 9 - $38
  • 2018 Cabernet Franc - $34
  • 2017 Syrah - $36
  • 2019 Carmenere - $54
  • 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, Clone 6 - $64

https://www.llwine.com/