syrah Archives - On The Wine Road

Hospice du Rhône in Paso Robles

With this podcast you can join me on a trip to the Hospice du Rhone event. It’s not a typical wine tasting. The Côtes-du-Rhône region in France features a great number of delicioius wine varieties. Twenty two of them were featured, and 125 wine producers from California, Oregon, Washington, and France were on-hand sharing their versions. The orginization’s slogan is “Twenty-two Varieties. One Vision.”

I spoke with General Manager and family member Jason Haas from Paso Robles’ Rhone winemaking pioneer Tablas Creek Vineyard. The co-Founder Robert Haas had the foresight to partner with Rhone Valley producer Château de Beaucastel.

Just off the Paso square I met up with winery owner Ted Ross of Hayseed and Housdon. I liked his wines, especially the La Macha Spanish blend, and Warrior. When you listen to the podcast and you’ll be impressed with his charitable generosity.

I also visited with Elena Barrios, who with her winemaking husband Stanley, are gaining attention with their outstanding Rhone varietal blends at Top Winery.

In conclusion, if you like Grenache, Syrah and Viognier but haven’t tried Picpoul Blanc or Bourboulenc, you’ll want to join the fun next year. Otherwise, visit Pas Robles for their own style of popular and rare varietals. Listen to the podcast and get inspired!

Tablas Creek

With Jason Haas at the event

The distance to their French partner

The large neutral oak French barrels behind glass in the tasting room

Hayseed and Housdon

Ted Ross with 3 of his wines that benefit charity partners

The back half of the tasting room

The building of Heyseed with versatile garage door

Top Winery

Sharing a taste with Elena

The clever labels of Top’s wine blends

My wife Meredith with a majority of the tasting room behind her

Amador County, Wineries

Winemakers Easton and Sobon of Amador County

Today’s offering comes to you in a timely fashion. The Stay at Home Order in California has been lifted. As a result, winery tasting rooms opened again last week for outdoor service. However, the order went into effect the day we arrived in the Sierra Foothills region back in December. Nonetheless, both winemakers were happy to meet with us, at a safe distance, of course.

Both interviews in this podcast feature winemakers in Amador County; Bill Easton of Domaine de la Terre Rouge and Easton Wines, and his neighbor Paul Sobon of Shenandoah Vineyards, Sobon Estate and his boutique brand, Paul J wines. I get a kick out of the winding country roads and the small towns of the Sierra Foothills, and the welcoming nature of the people who enjoy the slower pace there.

For years, winemakers Easton and Sobon have shown you don’t have to live in a world-renowned wine region to make world-class wines. That said, the time is coming when the wine regions of the Sierra Foothills will be mentioned in the same discussion as Napa and Sonoma counties.

Here’s to a return to a more normal year in 2021!

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Winemakers Easton and Sobon of Amador County

The mid-December day we visited was comfortable enough to interview Paul Sobon in his backyard. It wouldn’t stay that way.

Behind the bar with Bill Easton. Notice the recently received Wine & Spirits Magazine award between us. It’s one of several awarded to him.

Later that day, winter arrived. It was welcomed as it brought the holiday season to life in downtown Placerville.

Central Coast - California, Wineries

Two Wineries Gathering Accolades in the Santa Rita Hills

I kick off 2019 with interviews from two wineries the Santa Rita Hills. You’ll meet Chad of Melville Vineyards and Bryan of Babcock Winery in the Santa Ynez Valley of California’s central coast. Primary wine varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. Bryan is also bottling Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc and a few surprises. Both offer sparkling wines when they’re not sold out.

This trip to Santa Barbara offered plenty of wine and craft beer options, blue skies, palm trees and the Funk Zone. The distinctive pleasures tied in well with Chad’s unconventional winemaking style and Bryan’s innovative vineyard management. Both are gaining high praise. Melville was chose by Wine&Spirits Magazine as one of the world’s Top 100 in 2018. Babcock has received some flattering press including Food&Wine and other respected publications. Needless to say, they deserve your attention as well!

Interviewing Chad in the storage and fermentation building

Interviewing Bryan in the Vineyard Tasting Room

Babcock’s larger tasting room space

The outdoor patio of Melville’s winery tasting room

Babcock’s Soul Struck Lounge

Melville’s modern tasting room in Santa Barbara

One of the many spaces in Babcock’s hangar-sized tasting room that is jam packed with 20th century relics, some of which are for sale.

The Library Wine tasting room just off Melville’s barrel room

Events

Russian River Valley Winegrowers’ Paulée Event

This over-the-top Paulée event brings winemakers and collectors together to enjoy an elegant multi-course meal paired with wines from winemakers and guests’ personal cellars, including special, limited and rare vintages. The date is Friday, August 31st at Sonoma-Cutrer. This Annual Paulée features over 30 Premier Russian River Valley Wineries pouring world class Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc.

Click below for my conversation with Sonoma-Cutrer’s Director of Winemaking Mick Schroeter, and Winery Chef Kevin Markey. For tickets visit Russian River Valley Winegrowers. We hope to see you there. Cheers!

Kevin Markey

Mick Schroeder

Tables from last year’s event at Hop Kiln Winery

A happy crowd with plenty of well crafted wine and food

Events, Russian River Valley

Russian River Valley Winegrowers Single Vineyard Night

Join Russian River Valley Winegrowers for an amazing tasting experience of Russian River Valley single vineyard wines. More than 30 wineries will be pouring small-lot, single vineyard wines from the Russian River Valley, including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc. Guests will dine on delicious appetizers while enjoying single vineyard wines.

This year the event takes place at the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country

My interview with RRVW Board President Giovanni Balistreri and Executive Director Wendy Hilberman is below. I apologize ahead of time. We were drinking Russian River Vineyards Rosé.

I hope to see you there!

Russian River Valley Winegrowers

Anderson Valley, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Wineries

Radio-Coteau, A Wine & Spirits Magazine Top 100 Winery

Each year Wine & Spirits Magazine chooses the Top 100 wineries of the world. Each winery is featured in their Winter Issue and is invited to attend their annual tasting event in San Francisco. It’s quite an event! This is the third year Eric Sussman of Radio-Coteau has been chosen. He makes remarkable cool climate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Syrah, and Zinfandel. As a “pioneering micro-climate negociant” he works with as many as 16 different vineyards. His property in Occidental is quite historic and has its own story to tell. His vineyards there are maturing nicely. I find it interesting that he only has two subject tabs on his website yet it’s deeper in content than almost any winery website I’ve seen. Eric is quite prolific. I was happy to have finally tracked down this highly respected winemaker.

Eric at the Top 100 event, 2017

Tag Archive for: syrah

Tablas Creek

Hayseed and Housdon

Top Winery