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honeypirate · 3 years

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Chocolate Jinx

Tendou x f!reader

So I know time skip he’s a chocolatier in paris. But in this fic he’s in Sendai. It’s how I wrote it before I even remembered he’s in Paris and I don’t feel like changing the whole story now.

Your breaths came out in puffs, each inhale and exhale lasting four of your steps as you ran down the sidewalk, counting as you ran so you could focus on your stamina, inhale one two exhale one two. Towards the chocolate shop that you had an appointment at, an appointment that you are currently late for. "shit shit shit" ran through your head like a prayer that would somehow make you run faster. You knew that you would be late, your mom had asked you to help her with her grocery shopping since your father wouldn't be able to do it for her today, you couldn't say no, you couldn't tell her about this appointment because it was a secret, a surprise for her that will be special goddam it!

You open the door and step into the air conditioned shop, the scent of chocolate hitting your nose making you smile "y/n?" a voice asks, when you finally make eye contact with the man behind the counter you smile "Tendou?" you ask with a breathless chuckle "I’m so sorry I’m late I know it‘s not very professional and I can explain" he chuckles and cocks his head "but? you're not late? Our lesson isn’t for another twenty minutes” "what?!" you exclaim and then laugh, still breathless, as you place your hands on your knees and bending over a little to catch your breath. "This whole time I thought Iwas ten minutes late. I have it written down that it’s 3 but now that you said that I remember" he laughs and walks around the counter holding out a bottle of water "no worries, we can start early if you would like, water?" you nod and take the bottle from him "thank you! I’m glad I’m not late but don't let me bother you if you have other things to do before our lesson." you take a drink and your throat thanks you for the relief.

Tendou turns the shop sign to closed, then locks the door. "it's no issue. when you’ve caught your breath from your run" he chuckles "we can start. Come with me and I will show you where to put your things and give you an apron. did you bring a hat?" you nod and pull one out of your back pocket as you walk behind him, following him into the kitchen. its an old black Yankies baseball cap, you hold the bottle under your arm as you pull your (h/c) back into a low pony before putting the hat on.

"You can put your jacket and things in the office here, there’s a bathroom in the back to the right, aaand.." he reaches up on a shelf and gets down a white apron "here is this, i'll wait for you in the kitchen whenever you're ready" you take off your hoodie, leaving you in a black blouse with flowy long sleeves that you roll up along with your black skinny jeans with the ankles tightly rolled and a pair of checkered vans, you leave your things on the seat of the chair in the office before making your way out to the kitchen again.

You put the apron around your neck with a smile, tying it around your back as you stood next to him at a counter top. In front of you were a few ingredients, cocoa, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, sugar, as well as a few others and multiple tools. “Ready?” He asks with a smile and you nod “ready!”

“So since you booked the premium one on one lesson, instead of just teaching you to be a chocolatier and just making things out of chocolate, I will also show you how to make the chocolate, so mixing the ingredients, heating, and tempering. I’ve laid out all of the ingredients so we’re ready to go. We will both be doing the same things together so you can see what it’s supposed to look like.” You nod and bounce a little excitedly in your toes “let’s do this!” He gets you set up in your station across from his and goes through the tools with you and after that he talks about how you get from cocoa nuts to chocolate.

He starts his speech that you can tell he’s said hundreds of times “Chocolate is a product that requires complex procedures to produce. The process involves harvesting coca, refining coca to cocoa beans, and shipping the cocoa beans to the manufacturing factory for cleaning, coaching and grinding.” You’re watching him as he speaks, how he moves his hands while he talks, you’re trying to pay attention to the history of your favorite candy that fascinated you as well as admire the handsome man in front of you. His long fingers and expressive eyes, the way he obviously loved his job, he was beautiful. You realize you weren’t paying attention and zone back into his speech and hope he didn’t notice you zone out.

“needs to be harvested manually in the forest. The seed pods of coca are first be collected; they will be selected and placed in piles. These cocoa beans will then be ready to be shipped to the manufacturer for mass production.” You raise your hand a little and he chuckles before nodding at you “Why picked by hand?” he smiles brightly at you, like you’re the first to actually care about the history and ask questions, “good question! The answer is that machines could damage the tree or the clusters of flowers and pods that grow from the trunk, so workers must harvest the pods by hand, using short, hooked blades mounted on long poles to reach the highest fruit.” You smile “what comes next?” He looks so much more passionate about this now that you asked a question, now that you’ve truly shown your interest, before he was going through the motions of the many classes he has taught before to the same people who don’t ask anything just zone out until the cooking starts.

“Well after the cocoa pods are collected into baskets, they are taken to a processing house. Here they are split open and the cocoa beans are removed. Pods can contain upwards of 50 cocoa beans each!” He’s gets more animated as he goes along, you found him to be the most adorable man you’ve ever met. “then the beans undergo the fermentation processes. They are either placed in large, shallow, heated trays or covered with large banana leaves. If the climate is right, they may be simply heated by the sun. Workers come along periodically and stir them up so that all of the beans come out equally fermented.” “How long does that usually take?” You notice him get ever more excited with another question asked “usually 5-8 days” his smile is so gorgeous it makes your stomach flip.

"Chocolate factories take these cocoa beans and use machinery to break down the cocoa beans into cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, and cocoa powder. All which we will be using today.” You match his energy now, excited to be able to learn this today. “Amazing!” Your smile mirroring his. He tells you how much of the ingredients to add to the bowl to double boil and you’re whisking it together as it melts, talking with him was easy as you followed his directions. “So why have you wanted to learn about chocolate?” His eyes are on his bowl as he asks and you flick your eyes up to his face, studying his handsome features as you whisk in the same pace as he is, you’re admiring his fingers as he holds his whisk, his other hand resting the counter, when you look back to his eyes you find him looking at you with a smirk, you blush a little embarrassed as you respond “My grandpa used to be a chocolatier but since he’s in America and unable to make it now, I can’t have him teach me. My mom's birthday is coming up and I thought it would be a nice gift, to give her some handmade chocolate” he smiles wide “that’s so nice of you! I’m sure your mom will really love that” he says “Now we should be ready to temper it so grab your pot and follow me over to the marble counter”

“So to temper, you need to cool it by spreading it out and then folding it into itself to build the right kind of proteins, after it gets thicker we will warm it back up and it should be ready to mold” you nod and reach up to turn your hat backwards so you can see better before taking a spatula from him. “Follow my lead” he begins to pour two thirds of his chocolate out on one side of the marble countertop which was about six feet in length giving you both enough space to work side by side. You pour yours like he does and begin to work it back and forth, copying him. “That’s good!” He points out and you blush “thank you!” You chuckle “I have an amazing teacher” you wink at him, the blush rising to his cheeks makes your heart race so you turn your attention back to spreading the chocolate.

You finish tempering the chocolate and adding it back to the pot, using the still hot water underneath with the third of still warm chocolate to raise the temperature to the right consistency. “I thiiink” you stretch out the word, a little embarrassed to admit what you’re about to admit, “Tendou I think I screwed something up” your eyebrows are furrowed looking into your mixture that has now began to look grainy. He comes closer and looks over your shoulder “hmmm” he says and you look up into his eyes, your expression a little anxious “it’s seized a bit, but don’t worry we can probably fix it and if we can’t we can start over!” He smiles and you and you feel some tension drain from you, for some reason you felt like this would be easy and now that you’re having a hard time, you felt tense. if you ruin this you will just buy some chocolate from here but it wouldn't be the same.

He grabs some of the cocoa butter from the other counter and brings it over to you, "lets add a little more cocoa butter and mix it together, it should come back-" you stir and it incorporates but it doesn't get better "ahh I guess not." he laughs "must have been too hot still and too much steam, no worries, let's start over!" his cheery attitude made you smile. It’s like he doesn’t really mind that you just wasted these ingredients. That he’s just happy to be teaching you and helping you. "If I fail again, I don't want to waste anymore of your ingredients, okay?" he quirks his eyebrows as he throws away your ruined chcolate " I think I should be the one to decide what to do with the ingredients y/n" he cocks his head and smiles brightly "we will make it until it's perfect! for your dear mom!" your heart beats quickly in your chest, this sweet man, you felt butterflies flood your stomach "thank you Tendou" you smile with your eyes closed and he about dies with how cute you are.

After four more tries you sigh and throw your arms in the air "Tendou I think I'm a chocoalte makers jinx! You are a superb teacher and you make amazing choclate, even with your help at the end it still siezes" your voice is frustrated and overwhelmed as you place your hands on your hips and stare at the, once again, siezed chcocolate. "lets go through it one more time, I'm sure you can get it this time!" he says with the same amount of energy he had in the beginning. you look at him with wide eyes for a second before they soften and you smile at him "you are the sweetest guy, do you know that? okay. one more time, but if I dont get it then I’m paying you for all these ingredients" he laughs, his cheeks blushing, as he cleans out your bowl for the fifth time "ya know what they say y/n! a sixth time is a charm!" you chuckle and shake your head before finding yourself back next to him by the stove.

"you have the ingredients and steps memorized now huh?" he laughs as you add the right ingredients to the bowl of the double boiler."I will most likely always remember these ingredients and this experience" you laugh with him and slowly whisk the mixture together as it melts. "wait" he says just now noticing how youre whisking "try it like this" he walks around you and places his hand on yours, holding the whisk and your hand, slowing down your stirring so it was more gentle and smooth, your heart racing as you feel his strong hand on the back of yours "o-okay. thanks Tendou'' your voice is quiet since he's so close. "yes, this is perfect now, lets temper it" his voice was soft and right by your ear, your cheeks get warm and your voice stutters again when you respond "o-okay"

He lets go of your hand and you go over to the marble slab again, pouring out two thirds again, and using a spatula to smooth it out, again. "is.. is this right? I'm doing this right?" you’re secretly hoping he grabs your hand again to help you but you don't think he'll take the bait, how wrong you were. When his hand covers yours once more you gasp softly and smile as he guides your hand back and forth through the chocolate "like this, it’s close. usually people use a thermometer but since I've done this so long it's by feel for me" you're looking at him from the side of your eye with a smile on your lips, his eyes are hooded as he smiles wistfully at the chocolate, his cheeks are dusted pink and his hand on yours is slightly clammy like he's nervous.

To be honest he was nervous, here’s this beautiful woman who he's been teaching for the last two almost three hours now, who's flirting with him and who is kind and funny, and who is so incredibly bad at making chocolate. If this fails he’ll never let you pay for ingredients. He will just offer you another class and hope you accept. "it’s perfect, now" he lets go of your hand and studies your sweet face as you scrape the tempered chocolate into your bowl, you hope your face wasn't as red as it felt.

You go to stir it all together slowly before pausing and looking up at him with a shy smile, "maybe.. you could.. help me with this too?" his eyes widen and his cheeks flush "of course" he moves to stand behind you, looking down at the bowl over your shoulder, his left hand over yours holding the whisk and his right arm around you, his hand holding the bowl halfway over yours, he whisks slow and smooth, his breath hitting above your ear, your voice quiet with his proximity "have you always been good at this?" his chuckles quietly "no I actually struggled a lot in culinary school. I fell in love with chocolate though so I never gave up." your cheeks are so warm you're sure you looked like a tomato "I like that determination, plus you ended up with the most popular and delicious chocolate shop so you're definitely in the right line of work." he blushes with your praise "thank you." he goes quiet as the chocolate finally looks correct "look!" you exclaim "look Tendou! it's perfect! it's shiny and amazing! I did it! I’m a chocolatier!" you’re bouncing on your toes and in his arms as you dance in excitement "time for the molds!" he exclaims and lets you go, moving away so you could go pour your batch into the already set up molds, the only empty ones on the row, the ones he used for his batches already set up.

You pour the chocolate slowly into the heart shaped molds that already have macadamia nuts in each one, after they are full you scrape the top like he showed you when he made his last four batches and put the excess back in the bowl. "these should be set in about an hour if we put them in the fridge but that will be pretty late, you could come back tomorrow to pick them up if you would rather that" he says and takes your bowl, putting the excess in a random mold and then putting the bow and utensils in the sink.

You pull your phone from your back pocket and gasp at the missed texts “oh no. yeah that would be better. I'm supposed to walk home with my brother from his volleyball practise but I lost track of time here with you. shit. i'm sorry i really wanted to stay and help clean up and talk but i have to go" you frown until you meet his eye, they're looking at you inquisitively with a huge smile, "volleyball? what school does he go to?" he asks not even caring about cleaning up alone "oh! he goes to Shiritorizowa. he’s a second year middle blocker! hes quite good although I’m not very knowledgeable about it" you chuckle and then full laugh when he gets extremely excited "that was my school and my position! whats his number?" you raise your eyebrows and get as excited as him, steping towards each other at the same time "hes number 5" "NO WAY!" he shouts and laughs "that was my number! what a small world!" you gaze into his eyes and smile softly "this is so cool. you have no idea how much i want to continue this conversaton but i really have to go" you frown and look back to your phone "how long will you be here tonight?" you look back up into his eyes and he’s cocked his head "probably a while, have to make tomorrow's candies. why?" you grin "can I come back? I’ll walk my brother home and then would you mind if I came back? I could help you and I could get my chocolates for my mom" he grins "that would be great. I would love that" he says, your butterflies return to your stomach "perfect!" you take off your apron and hand it to him "i really had an amazing time here. you’re a great teacher even if i was a jinx five times. i'll see you in like forty minutes max!" you exclaim before running out of the kitchen, unlocking the front door, and running down towards the school, your phone already ringing calling your brother. Tendou walked up front and locked the door again, chuckling softly and thinking about how cute you are. he cant wait to see you again when you return.

when you and your brother get home you stop at the door "do you mind if i bring a friend to your next game?" he shrugs "yeah sure I don't care. wait. do you mean a friend or a boyfriend?” you laugh at his accusatory look "it's a boy but he's not my boyfriend. He used to play the same position and team when he was in high school. I thought it would be nice" your brother lights up "yeah that's so cool! bring him so I can ask him tips! are you coming in?" he has the door open halfway and you shake your head "i have to go finish mom's birthday project" he nods "okay i'll cover for you" you thank him and make your way back to the handsome redhead.

You take off your hat and run your fingers through your hair, shoving the hat in your back pocket again before you knock softly.

A soft knock to the door catches his attention and his heart races "finally" he says softly before walking out to the front, surely enough there you stand, with a smile on your lips and your arms around your body hugging yourself in the cold he smiles bigger when you wave at him, you were sooo cute. he unlocked the door and let you in, locking it again behind you "welcome back y/n" "glad to be back" he chuckles as he gazes down at you, your cheeks flushed and nose red from the cold. "i forgot my hoodie" you shiver and he reaches out, placing his hands on your arms and rubbing them up and down to create friction "do you want some hot chocolate?" you nod excitedly and he chuckles again, your cuteness will be the death of him, "come, sit, i'll make us some" he leads you to a table by the counter and begins to prepare two cups of cocoa.

Now that you have more time since you’re not focused on seizing chocolate, you study his face as he works. he had sharp features that made him so beautiful, beautiful red eyes, he had his hat off now, his red hair disheveled and all over the place but you loved it, you wanted to play with it. His uniform jacket was off, leaving him in a black t-shirt, he had long arms that were lithe and strong. "Do you want to come to my brother's volleyball game with me?" your eyes widen, a little shocked that it just came flying out, you didn’t mean to ask him now. He chuckles at your expression, he's been able to read you so well, you keep everything on the surface and he really likes that. "like a date?" he asks as he returns his attention to pouring the hot chocolate mixture in the cups. you laugh "I don't know if it qualifies as a date, just meaning like, it's not very romantic. maybe we can have a real date after that" you say and his smile widens "you have no idea how much I’d love that" he makes his way over to sit by you, placing a saucer with a cup of hot chocalte and a biscotti in front of you "i'm glad! I was really hoping you would say yes" you chuckle and then hum in delight as you bring the cup to your lips, the smell enveloping you even more than it does just being inside the shop.

You take a sip and find the chocolate to be perfectly sweetened with a touch of cinnamon and chilli, it was perfect, not too hot not too cold. "this is so amazing Tendou. thank you so much" you take another sip, feeling it warm you from the inside out, he smiles warmly "you're welcome. i'm glad you like it!” He wiggles his eyebrows at you “so about this date you're taking me on'' he takes a sip of his own while maintaining eye contact over the rim of the glass "when is it happening?" he smiles as he watches your cheeks blush "oh! his game is in a week. the preliminaries for nationals" the look of excitment in his eyes makes you laugh, makes your heart race and your stomach feel the familiar butterflies that seem to be constantly around when you’re with him. "the prelims! I am so there!" his excitement causes his leg to bump into yours, causing you to spill some of your hot chcolate "oh my god I’m so sorry! I get a little excited and don’t realize sometimes. i've been told its annoying" you shake your head and reach out, grabbing his hand from the air "no. it's not annoying. I like it. you're like a breath of fresh air to me" you smile warmly looking into his eyes. his heartbeat is rapid and his breath hitches. "you’re so sweet, do you know that?" his voice is a whisper and you blush, recognizing your words you used earlier. "I do know that. Doesn't it make sense then that someone as sweet as me would date a chocolatier?" you cock your head as you tease him, smiling warmly watching his cheeks flush, your hand is still in his and he brings it gently to the table, brushing his thumb over your knuckles, your breath hitches and you feel your cheeks flush “saturday, their game is at 1 but i'll be there from the beginning in the morning. do you wanna meet me there for just his game or..?" he finishes off his drink "I’ll be there in the morning! if you dont mind! We can spend the whole day together and after that we can get dinner together at this new italian place downtown. I think you’ll love it.” He stands and takes your empty cup from you "that sounds amazing, Tendou. I know my brother will want to ask you questions and ask for tips so it's perfect. Plus pasta is my favorite” you chuckle and stand from the table to follow him over to the sink “what can I help you with tonight?" he smiles at you and shakes his head "I actually finished everything quickly, considering I did make five batches of chocolate earlier” he chuckles ”other than these dishes I am done for the night. maybe I could walk you home?" he’s turned to put the cups and saucers away, his back is to you when he asks and you're grateful he cant see the crazed happy smile on your lips "yes please!" you get a little embarrassed with your excitment and feel your cheeks flush even more "let me just go grab your hoodie and chocolate from the back and we can head out" he says and dissapears in the back again.

You pull out your phone and send a quick text to your best friends that consisted of many exclamations. When he returned you beamed up at him "ready?" he asks "ready" you put on the hoodie he hands you and exit the shop with him, he locks the door and then turns to you "uhh where do you live?" he chuckles and scratches the back of his neck "I live in the new apartments that are down near the school" he laughs "no way. That's where I live too! this is so.. cool" his voice is soft, completely blown away by how perfect everything has been. how completely meant to be it seems. a feeling he would have many times as he gets to know you, many times as your relationship grows. a feeling that warms his bones and makes him realize what he's been missing for so long. He'd give your brother all the tips he has and train with him whenever he needed. he’d make you chocolate surprises every day, ultimately finding your all time favorite, white chocolate raspberry bonbons. he’d make them for you for every special occasion and make your mom anything she ever wants. It’s like in this moment he could see every possibility with you, he couldn’t wait to get to know every part of you.

But for tonight, he’ll wait for the right moment to hold your hand on this walk, he’ll ask you questions about your family and your job, he’ll get your number and kiss your cheek at your door, and he’ll think about you every second until he gets to see you again.

#chocolatier tendou #tendou x y/n #tendou satori #tendou x you #hq tendou #tendou fluff #haikyuu tendou #tendou imagine #tendou fanfiction #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu fanfiction

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wineanddinosaur · 4 years

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The 12 Best-Value Bottles You Can Buy at Total Wine Right Now

VinePair wine enthusiasts, we hear you! Readers have told us how hard it has been to discover new wines during the pandemic. Somms are in short supply, as many restaurants are still closed. Online wine platforms have algorithms that prioritize the same big brands, and many customers are still picking up their wine shop orders curbside. So we reached out to wine professionals we admire to ask for their help. With the challenge to build a 12-bottle case for under $250, these wine pros sifted through hundreds of bottles to find the best case possible — so you don’t have to. (And for wine pros who work with a brand, we also let them choose one of their own wines to highlight.) Then, we choose a retailer that ships nationally, and the pros only learn which retailer they’ll be choosing from after they accept the challenge. Their only guidance? Find wines that will wow wine enthusiasts.

First up is Philippe André, a bubbly-loving sommelier and the founder of The Grand Cru & Co., who accepted our challenge to build an exceptional 12-bottle case from Total Wine. André is a Chicago-based, second-generation sommelier and restaurateur who serves as the U.S. brand ambassador for Charles Heidsieck Champagne. As of June, he is also a board member of the United Sommeliers Foundation. When he’s not educating about wine, André “geeks out” about cigars and foreign cars. He also dabbles in the world of DJing. “Like wine, music can be so personal, intimate and barrier-breaking at the same time,” he says. “Pair the two together, and you’ve got some serious soul healing and recharging going down!”

André grew up in the hospitality industry, working in his family’s restaurant, Oceanique, in Evanston, Ill. While waiting tables, André learned he had a passion (and a gift) for wine. “I put on a Tom Ford suit, and the rest was history!” Today, as the U.S. Ambassador for Charles Heidsieck Champagne, he is the eyes and ears of the winery in the States. He works closely with importers and distributors — as well as with sommeliers and wine collectors through tastings and dinners. Amidst the ongoing pandemic, he is currently “working from home and utilizing video meetings for tastings, presentations, and educational trainings.”

Always looking to discover new wines, André’s approach has had to change a bit during the pandemic: “My success to finding great new wines in this time is subscribing to passionate wine shops and reading their offers and powerful descriptions,” he says. “Kogod Wine Merchants, Tribeca Wine Merchants, Verve Wine, Benchmark all have great consistent offers that I read almost daily.” He recommends that imbibers looking to try new bottles do the same, doing some follow-up research if a particular wine’s description speaks to them. Most important is to “try everything and let yourself be the judge,” he says.

When approached with this challenge, André “literally said out loud, ‘hell yes!’” Though he initially called the team at VinePair “crazy” for requesting 12-bottle cases at this price point, he was apparently “crazy” enough to take on the challenge. To André — a sommelier with Champagne taste (literally) — shopping at Total Wine was “like taking a master chef to Kroger and asking her what she would buy or what she looks for in quality ingredients, it’s fascinating and very personal — was a blast!” He says he’s always been impressed by Total Wine’s vast selection and bang-for-your-buck prices. A lover of large-format wines, he says he never leaves a Total Wine without a 3-liter bottle in hand.

When selecting wines for this case, André had two main goals: Picking bottles with “epic value,” and proving that you can have a “great range of styles while balancing the budget.” He takes pride in the fact that he was able to sneak in a bottle of his beloved bubbles, while still staying within the price limit. “As it takes two decades to make a finished bottle of Charles Heidsieck,” he says, “I’m confident in showing off-the-charts value, and I hope that everyone will agree!”

1: Terre di Talamo Morellino di Scansano Riserva, 2013 ($16.19)

Terre di Talamo is a winery based in the Tuscan Maremma. Located by the sea, the wines from this vineyard are characterized by distinctive minerality. This Sangiovese was aged in small oak barrels. “I love a full bodied red that’s silky smooth. With some nice age and classic Tuscan terroir, the Morellino di Scansano Riserva 2013 by Terre di Talamo is a great representation from one of Italy’s most popular regions. Dried earth and stewed fruit collide to erupt out of the glass of this Sangiovese. I’m loving the value from this, and for a wine that is ready to drink, we are right in the sweet spot. I would pair with a pot roast, decant for 15 minutes, and serve at cellar temp.”

2: Susana Balbo Malbec, 2015 ($19.97)

Susana Balbo is a family-run winery whose owner and namesake is considered one of the most influential women in wine. The winery is located in the heart of Luján de Cuyo Mendoza, an Argentinian region near the Andes Mountains. This Malbec is part of Balbo’s Crios collection, which is dedicated to her children. “The Susana Balbo Malbec is a refreshing representation of balance in a world that is often celebrated for decadence. The restraint and finesse makes this your go-to Malbec from Argentina. Family-owned and operated since 1999 by one of the most influential female winemakers of our time, … this property is always on my radar. Pair with a marinated flank steak and chimichurri. Decant for 20 minutes, and don’t forget that cellar temp!”

3: Chateau Musar Cuvée Jeune Red ($16.19)

Chateau Musar is a family-owned winery located two and a half hours outside Lebanon’s unheralded Bekaa Valley region. This wine is a blend of Cinsault, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon, and was fermented in cement-lined vats; it is unoaked. “By far one of the coolest historic wineries you’ll never hear about. The Chateau Musar Jeaune Red shows a polished approach and incredible value from the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. Unoaked Cincault, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon are the players here providing medium tannin and herbaceous aromatics that tie in the total package. Pair with rack of lamb, and grab an extra bottle to drink while prepping. Decant for 15 minutes and, as always, serve at cellar temp!”

4: Can Blau Montsant, 2016 ($13.94)

Can Blau is a winery run by one of Spain’s great wine dynasties, the Gil family. It is located in Montsant, a wine region right next to world-famous Priorat that is becoming known for its wines. This wine is a Carignan, Grenache, and Syrah blend that’s aged for a short time in oak. “I first tasted this wine years ago back in my restaurant days while working the floor and was thoroughly impressed. Spain as a country has always over-performed and Can Blau is a killer value. I love the texture and how approachable it is for all wine lovers. This is a wine that will break some barriers without breaking the bank. Decadent package caries to the palate, throw some chorizo or a pork chop in a cast iron and thank me later. Decant for 20 minutes, and serve cellar temp, pretty please!”

5: Hedges Family Wines Cabernet Sauvignon ($16.19)

Another family-owned producer, Hedges Family Estate produces wines in Columbia Valley and Red Mountain — two of the most renowned regions in Washington State. This Cabernet Sauvignon was produced in the former region and was fermented in both American and French oak barrels. “I have had an affinity for the wines of Washington State for quite some time. I’ve found they show a sense of place, vintage variation, and give an authentic representation of the varietals. Hedges is a leading family-owned small producer that checks all the aforementioned boxes. Hitting above its weight class, this is a balanced representation of Cab Sauv that will surprise many wine lovers. Pair with a thick patty, mid-rare burger, and don’t forget to sauté some onions! Decant for 30 minutes. And like a broken record, serve cellar temp, yall!”

6: Château Bertinat Lartigue St.-Émilion ($20.69)

Château Croix de Bertinat produces wine from four appellations, including this Merlot-based Bordeaux blend from a site near the village of Saint-Émilion in Bordeaux, France. Grown in sandy soil, this wine is flavorful and easy drinking. “Bordeaux y’all! Step into this freshness and let’s go! Loud aromatics, classic terroir St.-Émilion is here to stay. Ballin’ on a budget is this golden ticket [to] kick off your weekend or impress the in-laws. Fresh plums and black cherries in a lush garden of lavender. Pair with a curated charcuterie board — don’t skip the bresaola! Decant for 30 minutes and like your boy said, serve cellar temp!”

7: Elk Cove Pinot Noir Willamette, 2016 ($24.97)

Elk Cove Vineyards is a family-owned winery based in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The vintners consider themselves “Oregon winegrowing pioneers,” having planted their first vines in 1974. This Pinot Noir was made from fruit grown at all six of Elk Cove’s vineyard sites, representing various soil types. “I’ve visited the Willamette Valley in Oregon more than any other wine region. There is an excitement every time I land and I know I’m back in my home away from home. Elk Cove Vineyards is a 45-minute drive from Portland. A beautiful property, including a few legendary Pinot Noir vineyards run by second-generation family-owner and winemaker Adam Campbell. The 2016 Pinot Noir is a boss in the glass and represents a region founded by hard work and passion — something I experienced while working harvest in 2013. An awesome balance and complexity, [this wine] offers one of the best representations of Pinot in this great nation. Pair with baked salmon and decant for 30 minutes and please serve at cellar temp.”

8: Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc Te Muna Road Vineyard, 2019 ($17.09)

Craggy Range is a vineyard located in New Zealand. Owned and operated by ex-billionaire Terry Peabody and his family, the winery produces grapes in multiple regions of New Zealand, though the winery itself, is situated in Hawke’s Bay. His wife, Mary Peabody, runs Craggy Range’s award-winning restaurant. This Sauvignon Blanc was grown in a cooler climate and in rocky soil, giving it fruit-forward flavor balanced by minerality. “So fresh, so clean, New Zealand’s vibrant expression of Sauvignon Blanc is well harnessed by the team at Craggy Range. Family-owned and female-run is a powerful combo that sets this property apart from the rest. The Te Muna Road Vineyard is cooler than the other side of the pillow, which brings out great texture and mineral[ity] on the palate. Pair with pork belly buns and kimchi, yup!”

9: Leitz Dragonstone Riesling ($13.87)

Leitz Wein, a winery located in the Rheingau region of Germany, is a family operation run by Johannes Leitz. This Riesling is from Leitz’s Drachenstein (or Dragonstone) vineyard. It is marked by its yeasty, minerally character. “People ask me what I drink the most outside of Champagne, and always in my top three is German Riesling. The Dragonstone Riesling by Josef Leitz is a versatile, bright, and refreshing representation. From the historic Rheingau, [this bottle] is an epic value. Orchard fruits like green apple, pear, and grapefruit are finished with a kiss of honey. The Dragontone will pretty much pair with anything you want to throw at it, but I love it with rich fried fish or seafood. Think McD’s Fish Filet. Do it!”

10: Jadot Bourgogne Chardonnay ($13.49)

Located in Burgundy, France, Maison Louis Jadot was founded in 1859. This is a larger winery, owning 528 acres of vineyards. “My second favorite wine of all time, white Burgundy! This is Chardonnay with pure finesse and structure. Nuance and detail are also at play to give you [the] alter ego to the rich and sappy Chard that made you hate it. Louis Jadot is one of my favorite larger houses that can talk the talk and walk the walk. They make an incredible range of wines from $10 to $1,000, yet I find the level of effort across the board to be a true stamp of integrity and dedication. Orchard and stone fruits with vanilla and baking spice and hint of brioche. Get classy for your afternoon Zoom calls and pair with some chèvre and Brie, or turn off your camera and smash Annie’s White Cheddar Mac — don’t forget to hit the bowl with a turn of fresh black pepper, BAM!”

11: Domaine Loubejac Chardonnay Willamette Valley, 2017 ($14.39)

Domaine Loubejac is a winery located in the Willamette Valley, owned by Laurent Montalieu. This medium-bodied Chardonnay was fermented partly in neutral French oak and partly in stainless steel. “On my first trip to Oregon’s Willamette Valley, I quickly realized how amazing the Chardonnay is. Domaine Loubejac’s 2017 is a Chardonnay with body and structure. Volume is up on this with aromatics and medium-plus weight on the palate. I’m feeling the balance and ripe peach and melon that [are screaming] to be paired with chilled king crab and drawn butter — live a little! And your boy says to make sure you use a big glass to let it breathe (and to boss hog it at the same time).”

12: Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve NV ($54.97)

Charles Heidsieck is a Champagne house founded in 1851. Of course, as a Charles Heidsieck ambassador, André went with a bottle of the brand’s Brut Reserve — a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blend. This bottle is the most expensive in André’s case, but as he’ll tell you, it’s worth every penny. “If you know me, then you know my first love: Champagne! It’s the perfect wine, every time. There is one for every moment, dish, and, of course, the celebration of life! As the first ambassador of the winery to the U.S. in over 160 years, I have some big shoes to fill. Thankfully, the winery team has my back and put two decades of work into this bottle. The Brut Reserve is a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Meunier grapes grown in the historic Champagne region about an hour outside of Paris. At Charles Heidsieck, we vinify each individual wine separately, using only the first pressing’s taste, and then carefully decide when to blend. The final result is a bottle with over 40 percent of aged wines along with a recent base vintage to create the long finish and vibrant, tiny bubbles we demand in our glasses. There is no greater way to set the stage than popping a bottle of the real deal Holyfield. Charles Heidsieck, a.k.a. “Champagne Charlie,” was the first ambassador of Champagne to come to the U.S., and the Brut Reserve is our walk-up song. I love pairing this wine with decadent and rich dishes, but my favorite of late is the one and only Popeye’s fried chicken sando — a home run!”

Cart Total: $256.20

My Discounts: 10% off box of Winery Direct Wines

Total Savings: -$14.25

Subtotal: $241.95

The article The 12 Best-Value Bottles You Can Buy at Total Wine Right Now appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/12-best-value-wines-total-wine-2020/

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isaiahrippinus · 4 years

Text

The 12 Best-Value Bottles You Can Buy at Total Wine Right Now

1: Terre di Talamo Morellino di Scansano Riserva, 2013 ($16.19)

2: Susana Balbo Malbec, 2015 ($19.97)

3: Chateau Musar Cuvée Jeune Red ($16.19)

4: Can Blau Montsant, 2016 ($13.94)

5: Hedges Family Wines Cabernet Sauvignon ($16.19)

6: Château Bertinat Lartigue St.-Émilion ($20.69)

7: Elk Cove Pinot Noir Willamette, 2016 ($24.97)

8: Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc Te Muna Road Vineyard, 2019 ($17.09)

9: Leitz Dragonstone Riesling ($13.87)

10: Jadot Bourgogne Chardonnay ($13.49)

11: Domaine Loubejac Chardonnay Willamette Valley, 2017 ($14.39)

12: Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve NV ($54.97)

Cart Total: $256.20

My Discounts: 10% off box of Winery Direct Wines

Total Savings: -$14.25

Subtotal: $241.95

The article The 12 Best-Value Bottles You Can Buy at Total Wine Right Now appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/12-best-value-wines-total-wine-2020/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/629422456329895936

0 notes

johnboothus · 4 years

Text

The 12 Best-Value Bottles You Can Buy at Total Wine Right Now

1: Terre di Talamo Morellino di Scansano Riserva, 2013 ($16.19)

2: Susana Balbo Malbec, 2015 ($19.97)

3: Chateau Musar Cuvée Jeune Red ($16.19)

4: Can Blau Montsant, 2016 ($13.94)

5: Hedges Family Wines Cabernet Sauvignon ($16.19)

6: Château Bertinat Lartigue St.-Émilion ($20.69)

7: Elk Cove Pinot Noir Willamette, 2016 ($24.97)

8: Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc Te Muna Road Vineyard, 2019 ($17.09)

9: Leitz Dragonstone Riesling ($13.87)

10: Jadot Bourgogne Chardonnay ($13.49)

11: Domaine Loubejac Chardonnay Willamette Valley, 2017 ($14.39)

12: Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve NV ($54.97)

Cart Total: $256.20

My Discounts: 10% off box of Winery Direct Wines

Total Savings: -$14.25

Subtotal: $241.95

The article The 12 Best-Value Bottles You Can Buy at Total Wine Right Now appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/12-best-value-wines-total-wine-2020/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/the-12-best-value-bottles-you-can-buy-at-total-wine-right-now

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tylerthewinegeek-blog · 7 years

Text

May 2017 CALI TRIP

Sunday May 7th 2017 After a bumpy flight with a nice loud crying baby and heavy turbulence, I was ready for nothing more than to be in sunny California. We landed in beautiful San Francisco to begin our journey in wine country just before noon. After finding the right shuttle we finally made our way to the Hilton to check in to our rooms for the night before a dinner with Wente Family Vineyards. Mark, Aaron, and I took an Oceanside stroll down to a local Elephant Bar and got what I thought was a delicious lunch. (boy was I wrong with the food to come after this, there was no comparison.) After lunch we got settled in our rooms and got ready for the 1st producer visit. We got on the bus and made our way to Livermore. We arrived at Wente and were greeted by a fifth generation Wente Family member, and now winemaker, Karl Wente. He was such a great guy, full of knowledge and very laid back, willing to hang out and chat with us as we had a beautiful dinner which he helped hand select the food and wine pairings for, which were all seamless. I especially liked the meatball slider with the sandstone Merlot, fantastic! Karl informed us of the importance of the Wente Clone of chardonnay which is used all over California is the primary clone for chardonnay in the new world. Look into that clone its very impressive! We finished our tasting of mostly NB items and headed back to the Hilton where we were all ready to go to bed early.

Monday, May 8th 2017

We checked out in that next morning and headed to a tasting at Viansa Winery in Sonoma, We were greeted by Vintage Wine Estates as well as bubbles when we got off the bus, NV Brut, which was delicious to start the day. The Highlight of the tasting was getting to try a new chardonnay made just for us under the label “Butterknife”. The wine was fantastic as well as the packaging. It was creamy and full bodied with a nice oak backbone. It was everything you want a buttery Californian chard to be, I cannot wait to start slicing through sales of this product like a knife through butter. The winemakers who make these wines are also winemakers for Girard and BR Cohn, Nancy Walker and Glen Hugo were again a wealth of knowledge. We really got into the Emily story and I encourage everyone to go back and check the Emily website to get acquainted with the story again, it is refreshing to see all that has been given back to the cause by sales of these wines.

We left Viansa to go to Lunch and Tasting at Ram’s Gate with O’neil Vintners (cloud break, firebrand, magna terra). Once again we were greeted with bubbles, NV Brut froms Ram’s Gate. O’Neil was interesting, they make an incredible amount of wines and spirits at their large facility but quality and over delivery is their forte, firebrand is a prime example, 100% barrel fermented chardonnay with battonage(lee stirring) for 10 dollars, that’s hard to do and they do it! Cloud break Pinot Noir is going up in quality as the grapes are now sourced from Clarksburg so lets keep our eyes on that one! The other surprise for me was firebrand merlot, Its Wednesday night give me a burger and a bottle of firebrand merlot and call it a day, very smooth, great fruit, easygoing everyday red.

It was now time to go check into our hotel for the rest of the week, Flamingo Resort and Spa. What a cool place! Huge heated pool with a fun courtyard to hangout in? I could tell we would be spending our nights our here sipping some fine wine after a long day of tastings! The rooms were great, good size and lots of fun stuff to do throughout the hotel! Well upon checking in we couldn’t stay long as we were once again right off to Francis Ford Coppola Winery. What a beautiful place with rich history! We had a fantastic lunch and were able to get more in depth with why kicker cane came to be and what was next for the partnership as it continues to grow. Kaia Rose was great on that hot day by the pool. If you haven’t tried that one yet, well Kaia rose is made for a nice hot day! My favorite note at Coppola was that by 2019 they hope to be 100% sustainable, including everything they source, which is 98% of their fruit! They also think of the Press run line as Directors cut grade, and the kicker cane line as directors cut grade until you get to the napa Sonoma blend and the Rutherford, because those vines are mostly from estate grown fruit. (For example the rubicon vineyard)

Next we were off to the Hotel to do a meet and greet with 13 different producers. AW direct, Balck Cordon & 16 x 20, Calcareous, Line Shack, Macchia, Owl Ridge, Sobon Estate, Flor de Sole, Lloyd Cellars, Oak Ridge, Sextant, and St. Amant. We were split into groups and each group of 4-5 people had 1 producer to really get the details about. I was tasked with AW direct. AW Direct started in 1979 as Adler Fels Winery. They have changed hands, names and owners 2 times since then as Sonoma Estate Vintners merged with AW Direct in 2015. They make many wines for total wine including, coastline, kitchen sink, alterra, abbeyville, cold water creek, third wheel, buffalo grove, barrelhouse, Coyote creek, and a new wine im extremely pleased with under the label “Melt”. Melt is a melt in your mouth buttery chardonnay, I hear a secondary facing for this wine! AW direct’s goal is over delivery for the price and consistency, something I think they hit right on the nose with their wines. I got to see an old buddy who took great care of me and my family when we visited the beautiful calcareous, John Terry, that was great fun for me. I will say surprisingly, my favorite producer at this tasting had to be sextant. Im so familiar with most of the others so I was intrigued by sextant and it was fantastic and an amazing value, I hope to work on getting ahold of some more sextant in this market! St. Amant was another stand out, some of their vines were planted in 1901 and still produce fantastic fruit. That barbera and tempranillo were stunning for very reasonable pricing! Once we powered through that tasting most of us were ready for bed! Long days and lots of wine will do that to you!

Tuesday, May 9th 2017

We left the hotel just after 7 to get to Barnett on the top of Spring Mountain. What a beautiful drive! Upon arrival we were in awe at the vineyards first planted in 1984, and still only producing about 7000 cases annually since 1989. We were met the Fionna and Hal Barnett as well as David Tate. David Tate the winemaker has been with them for 10 years now after a career at Ridge(no big deal) and they seem to be a tight knit family. They built the beautiful terrace we were perched on for their daughters wedding and friends like David have since used the terrace for the same purpose, gorgeous weddings! We tasted through the incredible Barnett line of which most I am familiar with but the two eye openers had to be the Merlot again, bringing me back to merlot, show this to any high end cab drinker and save the some money while bringing them back to the beauty of a good full bodied merlot. AMAZING! Next the rattlesnake cab, this thing was gorgeous now but seems like it could age for decades gracefully. David Tate seemed to agree as he said his wines were best enjoyed 10-15 years after production. The story of rattlesnake was fun too, you must literally beware of rattlesnakes at Barnett because when they were clearing the fields to plant the vineyard, they came across 33 rattlesnakes! Oh my! I never wanted to leave the perch atop spring mountain but to Truett Hurst we go!

We arrived at Truett Hurst to see what seemed like a days worth of wines. A beautiful square setup with multiple people pouring had this well oiled machine going steady. Ginny Lambrix the head winemaker was the guest of honor as we all asked question after question and her genius showed through with her ease in answering. Truett Hurst makes many wines and many WD exclusives including California square, mad duck, eden ridge, harbor front, paso ranches, etc. The thing I remember the most is the inexpensive estate grown Marlborough Sauvingon blanc that is going to flip the SB market on its axis! Rikirra Bay(spelling?) was fantastic and exactly what you look for from Marlborough. The other surprise was the hint of gewürztraminer in Eden’s Eve, I couldn’t tell until I was told it was in there and then BOOM the beauty of the blend was in my face. What a fantastic insert into the blend. Next we tried to bourbon barrel aged paso ranches cab, Holy High Octane Batman! Smelled and tasted like bourbon on the entry and finish, fantastic for what it is! Probably the best bourbon barrel aged wine we will be selling so far. Before we left I set into the tasting room to purchase a Brut Reserve NV Blanc de Noir, I am such a sucker for bubbles!

Next was a tasting and lunch with Courtney Benham and Bill Batchelor of Martin Ray Winery. We participated in a blind tasting formatted like a sommelier exam and that was a dozy for me! Called number 1 and 2 right and then when 3 came around she through a blend of petit verdot and cab franc at us, well I had no clue what I was looking at there! After initially calling petit verdot I switched to a sangiovese based blend and was obviously very wrong.(im going with because I was so hungry J) It was a very fun experience and eye opening to me, I need to blind myself more! We then headed to meet the fine people of MacMurray Ranch and E&J Gallo Family. None other than Kate MacMurray, the daughter of the award winning actor and vine grower, Fred Macmurray. She gave us the complete history of her estate and the true story of the handshake agreement with the Gallo’s when they took over. It was like going back to the 50’s it felt so real, you could feel her passion and her family’s roots. And the estate was absolutely STUNNING! Initially when seeing this stop on the itinerary I wasn’t impressed, but boy was I wrong. They produce some fantastic chardonnay and pinot noir on a family run estate that is encompassed by one single fence line and sustainable farming. Purchased in 1941 when Fred was 32 this estate hasn’t changed much since those days, just more vines than cattle now. It was very impressive. Once again I didn’t want to leave the view!

We finished our Tuesday at River Road with our boy Ron Rubin! As Aaron and I got off the bus we were greeted by a huge genuine smile and a bear hug by Ron Rubin. We felt like VIP’s and Ron even stated that to the group J which felt pretty cool! River road was extremely impressive. They split us into three groups and showed us more on their teas, their new tasting room and crush facilty, as well has had their in house cooper take us through a training on the ins and outs of barrel usage! We had a very educational tasting with Joe Freeman as we tried to find the “alcohol sweet spot” in his chardonnay. It was very interesting tasting the same wine at 3 different alcohol levels! The coolest thing about his winery is not only are the grapes and vineyards certified California sustainable but so is the entire winery. Not many places have that certification! Next was dinner and Ron held nothing back here, the best fired chicken I have ever had, raw oysters and incredible food options from around the world, then came an unreleased rose to the STL table(all you gotta do is ask and Ron delivers). Another highlight was there wasn’t just wine there, but Ron had Russian river beers! Blind pig and Pliney the Elder for dinner was an amazing turn of events after a day of wine and palate fatigue.

Wednesday, May 10th 2017

We got up and headed to the chillingly beautiful estate of Chappallet on Pritchard Hill. It was so surreal it felt like an oasis. The Chappallet family greeted us like family and Philip Titus showed off his impressive winemaking skills with the beautiful juice of Chappallet Family Vineyards. I cant pick one thing to stand out here other than the romance of all of it. This place left me at a loss for words. The Pritchard hill cabernet was exquisite, as were every Sonoma-loeb product, but it was merlot again that left me floored. Why does no one like this grape in our market? That is going to have to change! The estate is absolutely amazing. It is so impressive that they can make so many great wines from their estate vineyards. Picking grapes from your back yard holds new meaning to me after visiting Barnett and Chappallet estates.

As I figured I had just left heaven, we then proceeded to Blankiet estate, and let me tell you Paradise Hill holds up to its namesake. It was literally paradise. Lavender and sage as you walk up to the vineyards, beautiful stone structures and incredible South facing slopes of vineyards (merlot are the only vines facing north) planted by David Abreu with the help of NASA. The likes of Helen Turley, Michel Rolland, and Dennis Malbec have graced their vineyards to make their wines. Crafting incredible Bordeaux blends, is their expertise and I hope they never stop. The wines left you salivating and wanting more. I’ve never seen such an impressive lineup of wine. Each one possessed amazing quality and a gigantic critic point score to boot. TheBlankiets passion for merlot and St. Emillion inspired blends was well received and I am glad they have such a passion it inspires me to give merlot more of a chance than ever!

We left Paradise to head to Titus Vineyards and see Philip again as well as my old friend Eric, who right off the bus greeted me with a big ol’ Eric Titus handshake and a “Long time no see Tyler!” Philip and Eric started this winery together in 1990 and have had 25 vintages together, they are primarily estate grown and sell 1/3 of all production to total wine, and it will continue to be that way for the foreseeable future, fantastic news! We took the bus through their vineyards and Eric hopped on to point out some facts about the vines with us. Next Lunch! Everywhere we ate was incredible and Titus was no disappointment there, I think I can hold off on big lunches and dinners for weeks after this!

We left Titus to head to Brassworks where we met with Larry and Mary-Ann Tsai of Moone-Tsai. Greeted with 2015 Napa Chardonnay we began walking the facility to see barrels from some of the best producers mixed in with moone-tsai barrels. (Fun fact you could see Philippe Melka’s house and winery from their tasting room, right across the street, even closer to Titus Vineyards but still such great proximity for their winemaker to be close by!) Larry Tsai informed us that Melka is very hands on with Moone-Tsai unlike many of his consulting winemaking projects, they see almost every day and inspect the wine up to 5 times a week. The goal is create more 100 point wines and now, much to phillipe’s dismay in the beginning, award winning chardonnay as well. (It was hard at first for the strictly Bordeaux varietal man that he is but he is making some of the best chardonnay in the world now!) What I loved about this visit so much, besides the incredible wine and snacks, was Larry’s approach to describing wine with analogies using people. He called his 2013 howell mountain red Tina Turner cloaked in Chanel. So true to what this wine is, it’s a massive beast of a personality in a wine wrapped in a shroud of velvet. Like the Prince(the artist) of wine.

Upon leaving Moone-Tsai’s Brassworks facility, we headed up to meet Allison Crowe of Plata Wine Partners. They craft a huge array of wines and are the single largest vineyard holders in all of the California coast with access to 25,000 acres of vines. They get first dibs at many premium vineyard sites spanning across multiple AVA’s and produce the seven rings line, the Rock View Pinot Noir, Soldiers of fortune, Big 6, Verada, and Buttercream. The Artisinal Pizzas were a fantastic way to keep us warm as the cold winds of carneros wrapped around us on top of the hill at Plata. Pinot and Pizza kept me happy. It was nice to taste the 4 soldiers of fortune lineup next to each other and see that they are true to their appelations, not just 4 pinots, they are AVA specific that smell and taste like their AVA, try the Carneros and the Sonoma again if you haven’t revisited them lately, they are my personal favorites.

Thursday, May 11t h 2017

We start today with an hour long voyage to Black Stallion Winery. It is a beautiful estate with very fun atmosphere surrounding the winery. We were there to not only taste black stallion wines but to have an educational seminar from the Napa Valley Vintners Association. Check out napavalleyvintners.com and Napa Valley Rocks, very informative! Those representing NVV were none other than: Black stallion, Cain, Hestan, Long meadow ranch, Nickel & nickel – far niente, silver oak – twomey, D R stephens – Hunnicut, Rombauer, Melka, Roy estate, Red mare, Honig, and Vinrock Caves. The highlight to me was the hunnicut wines, they were fantastic and better than I ever remember them being. Another was Cain who pulled ut 3 different PNV lots for us to try…. What a treat! (the petite verdot ruined my palate for the next hour or so but it was soooo worth it!)

It was going to be hard to get much better than that, or so I thought. We then went to meet the Michael Mondavi Family at Rob Mondavi’s personal home. Grandson to the legendary Robert Mondavi, Rob Mondavi Jr treated us like family as he accepted us into his home. This was the second time I saw something on the itinerary and was not expecting to be impressed but it very well could have been my favorite part of the entire trip. Sitting down and eating lunch with Rob Mondavi across from me at the table and being so open and informative avout his wines and his process and his desire to build his brand off estate wines and small production, it was amazing, the wines were fantastic, especially his late harvest muscat which was an overall better dessert wine than the last time I tasted dolce by far neinte! (I know bold statement but just look at it!

Rob then bestowed upon us a split of the 2015 PNV Cabernet Sauvignon… and he and his assistant winemaker Sabrina signed my bottle! Amazing man and amazing hospitality, paired with incredible food, wine and a view that was unrivaled, I cannot imagine this trip ever getting bested by anything I do in life!

We left Mondavi to taste at the firehouse vineyard with the Pina family and rockstar winemaker Anna Monticelli. Anna worked at Bryant family for 5 years with John Pina before coming to work with Pina exclusively. (Johns wife works for silver oak) Anna has worked at many wineries but most notable was here year spent as an associate winemaker at Cheval Blanc. That is impressive right there! They wines are all spectacular and I was surprised to find out that their biggest problem with their vineyard is Wild Boar!! Wow, so I naturally had to try their boar sausage with firehouse cabernet sauce, it was fantastic, beautiful family recipe! I knew I loved Pina wines as I always have and their Chardonnay was an eye opener again for me, it is fantastic and worth a higher price than what is tagged, single vineyard farmed by the pina family and crafted by none other than Anna, that beautiful peach and pear with green apple and subtle creamy finish was fantastic! I will say nothing has changed though, as the firehouse vineyard cabernet is still my favorite Pina bottle!

Leaving Pina was hard but only until we got to Baldacci. As we pulled up we were informed we would be led by a fantastic author. “Karen Macneil?!” I exclaimed and was so happy when the answer that followed was, “yes”. I got off the bus to see the guru that is Karen Macneil waiting for us, the Author of The Wine Bible, which is one of the reasons I have been able to learn so much and retain so much about wine. She is one of my idols!

What an experience. The Baldacci’s led us through their vineyards as winemaking legend Rolando Herrera and his son Jaquin showed us more about the grape vines and the beauty of stag’s leap district. We then proceeded into the barn to taste with Karen Macneil. With Rolando seated at my table we had another fun blind tasting where we put three (or four if you include the Stag’s Leap which was not blind) different AVA cabs against eachother, the coombsville was easy to call but the Oakville and Calistoga were very similar and a bit harder to distinguish. Karen led us to understanding these ava’s and the wine that would be produced from them! She then signed some copies of her book, which of course I had to snag, and then we sat for an incredible dinner with amazing Baldacci wines, including some small production Ruppert!!

Friday, May 12th 2017

Going into the last day it was going to be hard to top any of that, but I had my suspicions we might be able to compete with what was to come next. So we started our Friday off with the Corley Family at Monticello Vineyards. Pulled up to the beautiful estate to see the replica of Thomas Jefferson’s home, “Monticello” it was a fantastic estate with a huge family tradition. You could see how each brother controls their aspect of the company but hold eachother together and to their core values with a nice system of checks and balances between them. For example winemaker Stephen Corley will get excited and want to do another varietal or another lot and the other brothers will bring him back to what they have always traditionally done. Another cool fact was that Stephen believes his wines are made for aging. He likes to drink them young because he is impatient but exclaimed he believes they are best after at least 7 years, and can go up to 30 or more. I love the lasting appeal that these wines have. The chardonnay from Monticello is beautiful, 1/3rd malolactic and 1/3 new French oak makes a very nice fruit driven chard with a delicate finish without the blast of butter or oak from many napa chardonnays. The Corley line is much more ML and much more New French Oak and much more ageworthy than the Monticello line, they are not a second label, but 2 separate stand alone styles of winemaking. The tasting was excellent and we were given some beautiful breakfast paninis to fill our tummys, thanks Corley Family!

Next we went to Rutherford Ranch to meet with ASV(arroyo seco vineyards) and Dominican Oaks producer Rutherford Ranch. Each of these producers does a wide spread of wines for us, including oak grove, muirwood, canyon oaks, melodramatic, and Rutherford ranch makes Dominican oaks, cuboid, and grand pacific. Lots of new packaging coming as well as our insight was given to the marketing team to find a better way to distinguish the different labels of one brand on the shelf as some are very similar to the eye. Put the Domincan Oaks Merlot on the tasting bar but tell no one it is a merlot, then sit back and watch merlot sales rise! That merlot is fantastic and smooth, easily approachable great red! New cuboid packaging is awesome as well, stronger box wont smash like the old ones! Great!

We then headed towards the beautiful vineyards or Caymus. Greeted by Jenny Wagner first who spoke about caymus overall and especially her wine Emmolo, then Charlie to talk about his chardonnay project Mer Soleil and his role in conundrum wines. We then proceeded to lunch with none other than Chuck Wagner, winemaker for Caymus, 1858, Red Schooner, and so on. It was fun to meet such huge names in the business and again to be greeted with the feel of being a part of the family. Chuck was gracious enough to taste us on the 2009 special selection side by side the 2014 special selection which was a treat in itself! He then opened up his grand durif petit sirah just for kicks! It was a wonderful experience to rub elbows with the biggest name in the business of napa valley cabernet sauvignon. And getting a bottle signed by the man himself was a special special moment!

We proceeded on to meet the most colorful son of the wagner family, Joseph of Copper Cane Wine and Provisions. Joey’s set up was incredible. Camp Fugly, or La Cana as he likes to call it now, was gorgeous and tasting the wines was a great moment. Tuli Chardonnay and Torial Red are coming soon and are fantastic! Torail red was one of my favorites and is a blend of Zin, Grenche and carignan, I cant wait to get that and sell it, so good! Torial seems to be very dear to Joeys heart which makes me happy because it is a Total Wine Exclusive! I really loved learning about the meanings in the names of his wines. Tuli means sharing, Elouan means good light, las Alturas means the heights, boen means farm, beran means bear, torial means by way of. Carne humana stands not for human flesh but for rancho carne humana where most of the fruit comes from. Joey also produces hand crafted cigars called Avrae, light to medium bodied cigars that pair fantastically with his wines, especially the zins according to Joey.

It cant get better than all that right? Wrong! Amici Cellars dinner is next to finish off the trip! We got to Amici and were greeted wit ha huge smile from Bob Shephard and his team. I was so pleased to meet Amici winemaker Tony Biagi (formerly with cade and plumpjack) and Olema winemaker Bobby Donnell with the help of Jesse his assistant winemaker. We were greeted with a rose from Provence that hasn’t been released yet! Olema Rose! 91 points from suckling for the 2016 vintage we should receive in june! It was beautiful, true to preovence, subtle coloration, perfect for the price and for summertime!.

One thing we learned was the quality of the No curfew line. They entered No curfew into a competition in San Francisco where no curfew cab bested decoy cabernet in a double blind tasting! What a deal! They have also received bronze medals for all no curfew wines and a silver for the no curfew chardonnay! For a value wine, that is fantastic! Sell more no curfew is the point I’m making here! Another new wine is Eschion, a high end cabernet made exclusively for Total Wine that will be near 200. It is sourced from two small vineyards, the legendary Missouri Hopper vineyard and the unrivalled To-Kalon vineyard in the beckstoffer vineyard. It was amazing! Can not wait to have that in store, 96 points from Suckling! We tasted through their lineup and the higher end cabernets blew me away. We ate an amazing meal with the help of some more Pliney the elder and other great hard to get beers to refresh our palate before Bob pulls out about 6 PNV Missouri Hopper Vineyard cabernet’s for us to taste, capping of the week with our 5th PNV lot in 6 days! Look at the pure joy as I try to hide my pruple teeth!

Finally we got back to the hotel and surreally the trip was over. We spent the last night by the pool finishing up whatever wines we weren’t bringing back home or was already open enjoying the company of the new friends we had made. It was the trip of a lifetime and I can not wait to go back. Next time with a little less wine and a bit more time, because man that was a canon blast of a power tasting! I learned so much, and I met so many great people! Thank you so much for this experience to everyone who helped make it happen. Like I said it was the best time of my life, the trip of a lifetime!

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