Barbera: Food-Friendly Wine from the Sierra Foothills



Dick Cooper, "The Godfather of Barbera", who hosted
the Festival at his vineyard in Amador, shares a glass
of wine with Barbara Keck


 I’m fond of Barbera, and it’s not simply because it’s one wine varietal that I can pronounce easily. The Tahoe Weekly newspaper editor Katherine Hill and I went to the first-ever Barbera Festival in June in Plymouth, CA, on the grounds of Cooper Vineyards. Along with the fun music and food tents, the event was truly festive: more than 80 California wineries and a few Italian ones poured for an enthusiastic crowd of 1500.


Barbera originated in the Piemonte region of northern Italy. It was first imported into California in 1884 and the Italian Swiss Colony Winery used Barbera for several of its table wines. After prohibition, a wine labeled as Barbera was produced by Louis Martini in 1954. Today about 7000 acres are planted in California and Barbera is produced by nearly 200 California wineries.

The wineries of the Sierra Foothills are producing great Barbera, and it is a food-friendly wine that you will enjoy. It is characterized by structured acidity, smooth tannins, dark pigments, bright fruit flavor (spice and chocolate too), and it ages nicely – if only you don’t drink all of this scrumptious wine right away!

To my palate, here are some of the best and most interesting Barberas and Barbera-blends sampled at the festival:

Andis Wines

Andis Wines (Plymouth, Amador County, CA) poured its 2009 Andis Barbera. I found it rich and deep, aroma of plum predominating and taste of raspberry, black cherry, and cranberry with a lingering finishing of black cherry and a bit of spiciness. Grapes were sourced from the upper reaches of a hillside vineyard in Amador County’s Shenandoah Valley region. 15.5 percent alcohol. $24 the bottle. http://www.andiswines.com/

Pilot Peak at Barbera Festival

The 2008 Barbera from Pilot Peak Winery (Penn Valley, Nevada County, CA) is a medium-bodied wine with a smoothness in the mouth. It has the classic Barbera crisp fruit flavor of cherry and raspberry. Nice and balanced, it has a lingering finish. Fruit for this wine came from Placer County’s Duarte Vineyards. 13.7 percent alcohol. $25 the bottle. http://www.pilotpeak.com/

Avio Vineyards (Sutter Creek, Amador County, CA) offered its yummy 2008 Barbera for tasting. Aroma of black fruit such as blueberry and blackberry, maybe a hint of mint. On the palate, a delightful juiciness. Stefano and Lisa Watson, owners, say that this wine is “our favorite anytime, any meal, going to the neighbors after a long workday wine It’s rich without being aggressive, our Barbera is simply delicious with your favorite comfort (or take out) foods."  14.7 percent alcohol. $28 the bottle. http://www.aviowine.com/

The 2008 Estate Barbera from Lava Cap (Placerville, El Dorado County) is a classic, and, I confess, the Barbera that I tasted last summer that made me a Barbera convert. Winemaker Tom Jones offers these notes: “Lava Cap Barbera Reserve has a complex aroma of dark red cherry fruit, spicy with foresty herbs and a dash of licorice. The velvety taste of strawberry and plum are complimented by the white pepper finish.”. Grapes are sourced from their steep, west facing vineyard and to augment the depth and complexity of flavors, Tom added 8% Petite Sirah, 10% Sangiovese and 6% Zinfandel Reserve. 14.7 percent alcohol. $20 the bottle. They also offered samples of the 2009 Barbera, a very-berry yummy wine that is being bottled soon. http://www.lavacap.com/

Other tasty Barberas we tried:

• Boitano Family Wines (Mokelumne Hill, Calaveras County) - a wonderful 2006 Barbera that won a “Best of Show” at the 2008 Amador County Fair.

• Borjon Winery (Plymouth, Amador County) - a 2007 Barbera with 5% Zin blended in

• Easton Wines (Plymouth, Amador County) – a delightful Barbera with grapes sourced from the Cooper Ranch

• Latcham Vineyards & Granite Spring Winery (Somerset, El Dorado County) the 2008 Special Reserve Barbera

I look forward to the next festival!  Many thanks to Cooper Vineyards for hosting!
 
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© 2011 Barbara Keck

For more information on dining and the wide range of activities around Lake Tahoe, see the online version of The Tahoe Weekly. This article appeared in my column "Wine Adventures" in July 2011.

Book in Process: "Mountain High Wine: The Sierra and Its Foothills".

Sierra Foothill Wines: a Great Feature at Charity Event in Reno



Photo Courtesy of Atlantic Casino

 There are more than 7600 bonded wineries in the USA, and more than 3300 in California alone. So it is no surprise that I run into many wines from wineries that are new to me. I have to give credit to the organizers of the recent Toast and Taste of Summer event held at the Atlantis Casino Report Spa in Reno for finding 58 very compelling wineries to include in this interesting tasting event.

The function was a fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and featured gourmet food pairings from 17 restaurants including Lake Tahoe’s Sunnyside Resort, Wild River Grille, and Wolfdale’s, and also the new Campo soon to open in downtown Reno under the guidance of Mark Estee, executive chef at Moody’s in Truckee.

Among the wines I tasted was the Mt. Vernon Vineyard, Auburn (Placer County, Sierra Foothills,  Cuvee Blanc, a 50/50 blend of Viognier and Roussane. This wine, just released, was cold fermented with its own indigenous wild yeast for 32 days. This is a field blend created by winemaker Ryan Taylor. Aroma of honeysuckle, a crispness and a creamy finish characterized this wine. Only 240 cases made. 13.9% alcohol, $25/bottle. www.mtvernonwinery.com

Frogs Tooth Vineyards, Murphys (Calaveras County, Sierra Foothills), poured their flagship wine, the 2009 Pinot Grigio. It’s a perfect summer wine: it is delicate and fragrant, a bit floral, a flavor of lemon, and is a nice rich, round full-bodied white wine. 14.5% alcohol. $16/bottle. http://www.frogstooth.com/


The Atlantis Casino Resort Spa is located at 3800 S. Virginia St. Reno, NV 89502. It features the Atlantis Steakhouse, an upscale dining restaurant with a wonderful wine list. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 5PM to 10PM. Reservations call 775.824.4430 http://www.atlantiscasino.com/

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International is dedicated to finding a cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications. For more information, go to http://www.jdrf.org/

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© 2011 Barbara Keck

For more information on dining and the wide range of activities around Lake Tahoe, see the online version of The Tahoe Weekly. This article appeared in my column "Wine Adventures" in July 2011.

Book in Process: "Mountain High Wine: The Sierra and Its Foothills".

WINES MADE FROM AMADOR COUNTY GRAPES SHINE AT 2011 STATE FAIR

A recent press release lauds wines from Amador County grapes:
Wines made from Amador County grapes brought home 25 Gold Medals, including 8 Double Golds and 5 Best of California awards, from the 2011 California State Fair Wine Competition.

 “This year’s 2011 competition should go down as a proud moment for all the wineries in the Sierra Foothills Appellation,” said G.M. “Pooch” Pucilowski, Head Judge of the California State Fair Wine Competition.

 Eight wines from the Amador appellations (including Amador County, Shenandoah Valley, and Fiddletown) brought home Double Gold medals, while another 17 took Gold medals.

 Of 27 Best of California varietal wines, 5 were made from Amador grapes. Amador County grew the best Barbera, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, and Other Red (Touriga).

 Here is another interesting observation.  While Napa earned 23 Gold Medaled red wines, Sonoma earned 19, and South Central Coast (Paso Robles and Santa Barbara) earned 12.  Amador County brought home 25 Gold Medals!

 Less than 1% of the state’s wine grape acreage lies in Amador County. Why the disproportionately strong showing by Amador wines? “Footprints in the vineyard” said Dick Martella, president of the Amador County Wine Grape Growers Association, referring to the fact that Amador County vineyards are mostly small fields tended by their owners.

 Comments from judges reflect the quality of this year’s wine competition entries.  Peter Gamble, Wine Maker and Wine Consultant from Ontario, Canada stated firmly, “In over 25 years of my judging wines from around the world, the greatest single flight of wines I've ever had was at this year's California State Fair; over thirty of fifty wines presented in the regional finals were at the 'spectacular' level. Amazing!”

 The California State Fair Wine Competition has been judging California wines since 1854. This year 2,646 wines were tasted in the traditional blind wine judging method in which wines are sorted by varietal and divided up among the 72 judges. The judges know the type of wine, but they are not told the prices of the wines, the appellation, or the winery.

 Amador County is one of California’s historic grape growing regions and is home to the oldest still-producing Zinfandel vineyards. More recently, Amador County has become known for producing some of the state’s best Italian and Rhone varietals and in June, 2011 nearly 2000 Barbera aficionados converged in Amador for California’s first ever Barbera Festival.

 Fittingly, an Amador County (Fiddletown AVA) wine won Best Zinfandel and an Amador County wine won Best Barbera at the huge 2011 San Francisco International Wine Competition.

 For further information go to amadorwinegrapes.com or call 209-231-4318.

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(Barbara Keck is currently writing a book, Mountain High Wines: The Sierra and Its Foothills, which will include stories of pioneering winemakers in Amador County, historical anecdotes, and pairing recipes. Email her at mountainhighwines@gmail.com if you wish to be notified when the book publishes.  It will publish in both e-book and print formats. Barbara is the wine columnist for The Tahoe Weekly newspaper.)

Terre d Oro (Amador) 2007 Zinfandel- Great Review by Mike Dunne in SacBee

Mike Dunne could not be more complimentary about Terre D Oro's 2007 Amador County Zinfandel, part of his May 25 review on SacBee.com

The link to the full review is
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/25/3650959/zinfandels-the-foundation.html#ixzz1Nr6BZ1hU

but just in case you do not subscribe to SacBee's online edition (which is easy to do, and I recommend it!) , here are a few salient quotes:

"When we stopped by the winery not long ago, the Terra d'Oro 2007 Home Vineyard Zinfandel was especially likable for its earthiness, smokiness and length. Terra d'Oro's 2006 SHR Field Blend Zinfandel was a meatier and sweeter take on the varietal. And the Terra d'Oro Deaver Vineyard Zinfandel was the most voluminous and ripest representative of the varietal in the place, seizing the fully ripe flavors for which Amador County zinfandel is recognized without crossing into prune and raisin territory.

Our favorite of the four this day was the Terra d'Oro Winery 2007 Amador County Zinfandel. It was the first of the four in the lineup, acknowledgment that it also was the gentlest. Still, it's a zinfandel packed with the fresh blackberry and raspberry fruit and the clove spiciness for which the varietal is recognized in Amador. Of the four, it was the liveliest and longest on the palate. It's rich and solid, more medium-bodied than heavy, and while accessible now could benefit by three to five years of aging.


It fully captures the warmth and sunshine of Amador County, but in a manner that, well, is more mannerly than more brash and intimidating interpretations. And at $18, it offers the best value of Terra d'Oro's zinfandels.


Terra d'Oro winemaker Chris Leamy credits the wine's clarity and complexity to the winery's rolling 400-acre vineyard, in particular how it gives him grapes from varied elevations ranging from 1,000 feet to almost 2,000 feet, and stretching north and south across the valley.
"This geographic range helps to bring a bit more complexity and to really showcase what zin from this area can produce," he said. "I think this wine's most pronounced character is the classic spice/fruit nose that you don't find as much in other regions. The dominance of the clove/allspice character really speaks to the area."


Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/25/3650959/zinfandels-the-foundation.html#ixzz1Nr8Vs0O4

FLAGSHIP WINE: Lone Buffalo's "Where the Buffalo Roam"

IN HIS OWN WORDS:

"Where the Buffalo Roam” is our signature wine because the Rhone varietals from which it is blended thrive in our Mediterranean climate and our well drained, decomposed granite soil  We are all about making wines that showcase grapes that excel in Placer County."

Phil Maddux, Owner and Winemaker

LONE BUFFALO VINEYARDS

Auburn, California   (Placer County)

WINEMAKER NOTES:

This is a Rhone-style blend that was produced from Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache grown in Placer County.  We harvested the grapes at optimum ripeness  and vinified as simply as possible. We cold-soak for 24 -48 hours before fermentation to ensure maximum extraction of fruit flavors, and allow for long skin contact during fermentation.  We barrel aged the wine for a minimum of one year, using both French and American Oak.  The wine is minimally racked(2-3 times) not filtered. The result is a wine that is concentrated but shows lively fruit, silky tannins, depth with a hint of spice, elegant and easy to drink.     WHY A BLEND?    Blending different varieties offers the ability to create a wine with more balance, the flexibility to compensate for differences in individual varietals and fruit sources from vintage to vintage, and to create a wine that is better than its individual parts.  It was a wonderful experience to select and blend the grapes and wines which make up this blend.    This is a very smooth red wine not high in tannins; it goes well with most meats from pizza and burgers to Filet Mignon.   Extremely food friendly!

Alcohol 14/6%           350 cases produced

Suggested retail: $22/bottle

Buy it at:  http://www.lonebuffalovineyards.com/wines.html

Lone Buffalo Vineyard wines are also available at the winery and fine wine shops and restaurants in Sacramento, Roseville, Rocklin, Granite Bay, Loomis, Newcastle, Auburn, Truckee, Squaw Valley, Tahoe City and Northstar.  Click here for a list.

Where The Buffalo Roam:  Awards, Reviews

"...rich and concentrated, yet agile. Where the Buffalo Roam is all that, plus it's bright and juicy, with just a touch of peppery spice. Its build is sinewy, its texture supple, its tannins softer than buffalo hide. Mostly syrah, with backing from mourvedre, grenache and cinsault, the wine reinforces my belief that when varietals traditionally cultivated in France's Rhone Valley are blended they generally yield more expressive results than if they are released as individual varietals, whether in France or California." 
    -Mike Dunne's Wine of the Week/Sacramento Bee/ October 20, 2010
AWARDS -2009 Vintage

• Silver Medal - 2011 West Coast Wine Competition

AWARDS - 2008 Vintage

• Best of Class - Sierra Foothills Appellation, 2010 California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition
• GOLD Medal, Best of Class- 2010 West Coast Wine Competition
• Silver Medal - 2010 Grand Harvest Awards, Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine

AWARDS - 2007 Vintage

•  Gold - 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition 

Excitement in Fair Play as new Skinner Winery/Tasting Room opens to the public

The Fair Play AVA is unbelievably beautiful right now, and the official Open House for Skinner Vineyards and Winery on May 22 is a perfect way to experience these delights.

Mike and Carey Skinner, owners, and Ryan Skinner, General Manager, are debuting the new Skinner Tasting Room located at their Stoney Creek Vineyard and offering a few tours through the state-of-the-art GreenTech winery and into the vineyards too. It's a celebration of the Skinner heritage in the wine business that goes back to 1861 in El Dorado County, and the Skinner family is there to tell you the story of their passion for winemaking in the Foothills and continuing the Skinner tradition. Their Rhone wines, too, are fantastic!

Skinner Vineyards prides itself in the care they took to design the new winery with many forward-thinking Eco features. Chris Pittenger is winemaker, and vineyard manager Bryan Rahn is proud of the Stoney Creek Vineyards, with the wonderful view all the way to Pyramid Peak.

THE WINERY DESIGN WORKS WITH THE SUN – AND THE SHADE

The winery power needs are provided primarily by solar power; they’ve installed a 55 kW PV system. The Skinners also situated the building so the sun side (south) maximizes the solar-power generating potential, and assured that the solar panels line up to give the largest potential area for sun exposure.

They strategically situated the barrel rooms on the North more-shady side of the building for better energy efficiency. Their location here means this room requires less refrigeration and electricity, yet keeps the storage for Skinner's wines at ideal temperatures. Each of the 4 barrel rooms and the main cellar were built with temperature controlled sensors, which allows for sufficient cooling to be supplied by the cool outside air of the Sierra foothills evenings and mornings.

All of the fermentation tanks are located within the winery rather than being isolated outside. This simple design consideration reduces energy costs significantly. The result is use of much less electricity in order to keep the must and wines at a stable temperature in the tanks.

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE, USING THE PAST

A large percentage of the steel for the metal winery building is recycled steel – almost 80%. The Skinners sought out drought resistant California heritage plants and shrubs to minimize water needs. They also used the highest R-Value insulation available in order to reduce energy needs and keep the barrel rooms at proper temperatures. And a final conservation detail concerns the wastewater from the winery: after treatment, the wastewater is spread out onto the property, and the grey water is used for the tasting room's landscaping too.

THE VINEYARD DESIGN

Bryan Rahn, vineyard manager, is proud of how the vineyard was designed as well as the farming practices used. The trellising systems optimizes fruit temperatures, and the rows are run up and down the hills to minimize soil disturbance during development (preserves the topsoil and improves erosion control). Before planting, they performed an intensive soil study to match the rootstocks to the soil characteristics. Rahn is proud of the plant mapping and irrigation management program, and the Skinner policy of only using materials that are the safest for the workers and environment. The Integrated Pest Management includes new owl boxes. Last but not least, they matched the clonal selections to the local climate.

It's worth the drive.

Skinner Vineyards & Winery
at Stoney Creek Vineyard
8054 Fairplay Rd
Somerset, CA 95684
Fair Play AVA / El Dorado AVA

For a map, please CLICK HERE to go to the contacts page on Skinner Vineyards’ website, and then click on the MAP (lower left)

FLAGSHIP WINE: Terre Rouge's Ascent Syrah

IN HIS OWN WORDS:
"Ascent Syrah is our flagship wine because is offers great complexity and long term aging capacity. It represents the apex of of wine production from the Sierra Foothills region. First bottled in the 1999 vintage, it has consistently received stellar reviews from all major wine publications. It has fared well in world Syrah competitions, and was chosen as the top North American Red Wine in 2005 by Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine."
       Bill Easton, Winemaker & Winegrower
       DOMAINE DE LA TERRE ROUGE, Ltd.
       TERRE ROUGE and EASTON Wines
       Fiddletown, California  (Amador County)

WINEMAKER NOTES:

Ascent Syrah represents the pinnacle of Syrah production at TERRE ROUGE. Twelve of our very best barrels of Syrah are selected from our cellar each vintage to make a meager 600/6 packs of this luxury cuvée. All of the grapes are grown in selected Syrah sites scattered throughout the Sierra Nevada in granite and volcanic-based soils. This is a deeply concentrated wine with dense layers of aromatic complexity. Loads of deeply concentrated and incredibly spicy fruit aromas fill your glass. In the mouth you’ll find thick concentrated and riotous meaty Syrah flavors, smoky wood tones, exotic spices, mineral tones, and fine tannins. Great structure and aging potential. The grapes macerated for two weeks in an open-top fermenter with punch-downs two to three times a day. The wine was aged for 23 months in French oak barrels (100% new François Frères - from four different forests) and lightly egg-white fined prior to being bottled unfiltered. A sublime treat!

2006 was a special year. It was a cool early season, with a heat spike in late July, and a cooler August. Harvest was about normal time for our Syrah vineyards and the finished wines have a plush, elegant, and silky texture. It will still benefit from several years in the bottle.

14.5 % alcohol by vol.; 3.85 pH; 6.3 gm./liter total acidity - 600/6 packs bottled

Release date: November 2010

Suggested Retail: $85 a bottle

Buy it at http://terrerougewines.com/store.html
Three Vintages Available:   2004: $95.   2005: $85   2006: $85

Ascent Syrah Reviews 

“You could look on both sides of the Atlantic and in Australia as well and not find a deeper, richer,more complete Syrah for the money. Sure, you could pay $300 for the top wines from those places,but, if $80 is more in line with your interests, this dramatic, age worthy wine should go to the top of your list.”

   -Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wines - Charles E. Olken

2007 ascent syrah sierra foothills:

·         “92 points” - the Wine Spectator, January 31 - February 28, 2010   Firm and spicy, with a mix of white pepper, sage, mineral, and beefy berry fruit that’s taut, full-bodied, savory and layered, ending with a long, complex finish. Drink now through 2016. - James Laube

·         "92+ points" - Parker's Wine Advocate, August 2010

·         "95 points" - the Wine Enthusiast, May 2010

·         “93 points” - the Rhône Report, November 2010

2006 ascent syrah sierra foothills:

·         “92 points” - the Wine Spectator, February 28, 2009

·      "92 points" - First Place - the California Grapevine, Sept./Oct. 2009, "Very Highly Recommended"

·         "94 points" - CELLAR SELECTION - Top- Rated - the Wine Enthusiast, July 2009

·         Top 100 Cellar Selections for 2009 - Number 57 - the Wine Enthusiast, December 2009

·         “89 points” - One Star in Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine, July 2009

·         “88 points”- Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/June 2009

2005 ascent syrah sierra foothills:

·         “92 points” - the Wine Spectator, March 31, 2008

·         “90 points”- Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, June/July 2008

·         "92 points" - First Place - the California Grapevine, June/July 2008, "Very Highly Recommended"

·         “91 points” - Two Stars in Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine, July 2008

·         "90 points" - Parker's Wine Advocate, June 30, 2008

·         "93 points" - the Wine Enthusiast, May 2008

2004 ascent syrah sierra foothills:

·         “91 points” - the Wine Spectator, January 31, 2008-February 29, 2008

·         “89 points”- Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/June 2007

·         "91 points" - First Place - the California Grapevine, June/July 2007, "Very Highly Recommended"

·         “92 points” - Two Stars in Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine, July 2007

·         "90 points" - Parker's Wine Advocate, August 28, 2007

·         "92 points" - the Wine Enthusiast, June 2007