Best of Taste N Trip 2012

My first year of blogging about tasting events around California (mostly) has been very rewarding.  I've met lots of great people involved with wine, beer, and spirits.  Some of them even produce wine, beer, and spirits!  Other than wine and food tasting, you can probably tell that my favorite part of blogging is taking pictures of people pouring wine and serving food.

Some of my favorite pictures from the hundreds I shot this year are below.  You can download hi-res versions of any of these pictures by clicking on the link for each section (just credit Taste N Trip if you publish them anywhere).

Taste N Trip Blog 2012 - Wine
These are my favorite shots of wine at festivals and wineries.  You don't always see it while shooting, but when you look at the picture later on there is usually a lot of stuff in the background!  Some creative cropping, blurring, and sometimes decreasing the brightness help focus the composition.

Bill from Wades Wines with Sundowner Wines at Ojai Wine Festival

Doug and Terrie of Toucan Wines at A Taste Of Camarillo

Malibu Discovery wine tours pouring Surfrider & Rosenthal wines at Calabasas Malibu Wine & Food Festival

Surfrider 2010 & 2009 Chardonnay at Rosenthal Estate Winery

Domaine Du Grand Cros/Jules Wines at Provence in the City, Los Angeles

Donald Thiessen Owner and Winemaker of Stacked Stone Cellars at Santa Barbara California Wine Festival

PAMA / Hpnotiq / Harmonie Liqueur at Calabasas Malibu Wine & Food Festival

Veronica & Tim from Magnavino at the Conejo Wine & Jazz Fest
 

Lauren & Corey at SIP Malibu Wine Bar

Artiste Winery at Santa Barbara California Wine Festival
 

Marc Spellman of Bridle Trail Wines - CabIn at the Calabasas Malibu Wine & Food Festival

Cambria at Santa Barbara California Wine Festival

Hirsh Malibu Estate, Cielo Wineyards, Woodstock Collection, Black Widow at the Conejo Wine & Jazz Fest


Taste N Trip Blog 2012 - Pouring Wine

Getting a good picture of someone pouring wine while showing the wine label clearly and looking at the camera, hopefully while smiling, has become one of the Taste N Trip signature shots. With some coaching the technical challenge of aligning the label and the measure pouring spout can be overcome. Then the general hand-eye-glass coordination has to be working well. And for the best visual it's always easier to see red wine in a glass. These issues can usually be worked out after 2 or 3 or 4 pours though.  It's OK, I can be patient, and if it's a good wine all the better! Notice that 19 out of 21 people pour with the bottle in their right hand. 

Vines Of The Marycrest, Conejo Wine & Jazz Fest

Calcareous Estate Wines / Twisted Sister, Ojai Wine Festival
 

Toucan Wines, Santa Barbara Wine Festival

San Vicente Cellars, LA Wine Festival

Ojai Ridge, Ojai Wine Festival

Poalillo Vineyards, A Taste Of Camarillo

Panaro Brothers, Ojai Wine Festival

Rosenthal Estate Winery, LA Wine Festival

Reyes Winery, LA Wine Festival

Inception Wines, Santa Barbara California Wine Festival

Grassini Family Vineyards, Santa Barbara County Vintner's Festival

J Ludlow Vineyard, Santa Barbara County Vintner's Festival

Hoyt Family Vineyards, Santa Barbara California Wine Festival

Magnavino Cellars Carnivale Pick Up Party, Oxnard

Kiamie Wine Cellars, A Taste Of Camarillo

Becca at Justin Vineyards & Winery

Hart Family Winery, LA Wine Festival

Cliff Creek Cellars, Santa Barbara California Wine Festival

Calabasas Vineyards, Calabasas Malibu Wine & Food Festival

Hearst Ranch Winery, Santa Barbara California Wine Festival

Adam at Brian Benson Cellars


Taste N Trip Blog 2012 - Scenic Places
These are some of the places visited while traveling around California and in the Finger Lakes wine region of NY.

View from Terry Hoage Vineyards, Paso Robles

Rancho Ventavo Cellars, Oxnard

Niner Wine Estates vineyard, Paso Robles

Magnavino Cellars barrels, Oxnard

Head Trained Zin, Paso Robles

Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars, Hammondsport, NY


Taste N Trip Blog 2012 - Celebrating
Various pictures of wine events with everyone having a good time!

Vince Pantess/San Vicente Cellars & Gary Stewart/Four Brix Winery at the LA Wine Festival

Faye Hawes of Ventavo Cellars and Aloha Steakhouse interviewed by KADY

T-Rex at Santa Barbara Wine Festival

Thousand Oaks Inn Tapas Bar at Ventura County Wine Trail Celebration in Oxnard

The Westlake Junior Women's Club Sipping in Springtime benefit at the Stagecoach Museum, Newbury Park

Pierre's Catering at the Conejo Wine & Jazz Festival

Fun at the Santa Barbara California Wine Festival

Patron girls at the Calabasas Malibu Food & Wine Festival

Wine recommendations for the holidays (also published in Calabasas Style) 


Taste N Trip Blog 2012 - Food
I tasted some awesome food this year. Unfortunately some of the best treats disappeared before I could focus my camera on them!  Amazing how people can attack a plate of appetizers in a nanosecond. I've got a couple of good pictures with blurry hands coming in for the grab. Sometimes it's also a challenge just to find the good food before it's all gone for the day. During three festivals in Santa Barbara I had the assistance of my good friend, Richard, in scouting out the best food and wine.

Ventura County Wine Trail Celebration, Oxnard

Appetizers at Provence in the City, Los Angeles

The Willows, Santa Barbara County Vintner's Festival

Rosenthal Sliders at the Ventura County Wine Trail Local Food & Wine Challenge

BBQ at Carmody McKnight Estate Vineyards, Paso Robles

Firecracker Summer Salad at Santa Barbara Wine Festival

Grapes in Naples, NY

KIND bar at Calabasas Malibu Wine & Food Festival

Lisa Pretty with new book at Santa Barbara California Wine Festival

Spanish Hill CC food entertainment

Aloha Steakhouse at Ventura County Wine Trail Food & Wine Challenge

Richard, the festival scout, at work ... Swirl N Sip? Santa Barbara California Wine Festival

Taste N Trip Blog 2012 - Beer 
Sometimes it seems that there are almost as many craft brewed beers as there are varieties of wines. And there are many great micro/nano breweries all over California that I have yet to visit.  According to a 2011 study published by the California Craft Brewers Association there are 243 craft breweries in California and 12 of them are in the top 50 largest craft breweries (by volume) in the country.  I was able to catch a few of my favorite local brewers at wine festivals or at their brewpubs this year.

Wolf Creek Restaurant & Brewing Co. Calabasas

The LAB Brewing Co. with 'Moo' at Sipping in Springtime, sponsored by the Westlake Village Junior Women’s Club

Santa Barbara Brewing Co, Santa Barbara California Wine Festival

Ladyface Ale Companie, Agoura Hills

Enegren Brewing Company, Moorpark 

Hope you have enjoyed my Taste N Trip pictures.  And if your in the wine business, it's always a good idea to practice your wine-pouring-while-showing-the-label-and-looking-and-smiling technique! Just straighten up your pouring spout and try it on your friends or customers.  That way, you'll be ready to be featured in Taste N Trip in 2013. 

Here's to more tasting trips in 2013, cheers!


LIKE Taste N Trip (www.facebook.com/TasteNTrip) and Calabasas Style (www.facebook.com/CalabasasStyle) on Facebook

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Articles and photography in Calabasas Style magazine:

March/April - Exploring the Ventura County Wine Trail
July/August - Wine tasting in the Bu

September/October - Calabasas Food & Wine Festival, Malibu Beaches

November/December - Wine for Holiday Gatherings and Gifts  

Holiday Wine Tasting

OK, so what do people actually think of the wines that I recommended in the 'Wine for Holiday Gatherings and Gifts' post? To find out, we invited twenty of our friends and neighbors to help us taste the featured wines along with food pairings that they contributed - based on the recommendations in the post, of course.

It was a colossal undertaking to organize all the food and wine pairing collateral, so we hired a consultant to create rating forms, 'tasting tents' and name tags for the wine glasses.

Decanting The Reds

Wine & Food Pairings

1.) NV Roederer Estate, Sparkling Brut, Anderson Valley paired with Shrimp Coconut Beignets

2.) 2009 Schug, Rouge de Noirs, Pinot Noir, Carneros paired with a Apple, Brie & and Honey Bruschetta

3.) 2011 Tablas Creek Vineyard, Rosé, Tablas Creek Estate Vineyard paired with Gambos al Ajillo and Spanish Tortilla

4.) 2009 Flowers Vineyard Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast paired with Butternut Squash, Apple & Onion Galette

5.) 2011 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley paired with Blue Crab & Leek Frittata
 
6.) 2011 Four Brix, Smitten, Camp 4 Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley paired with Endive with Bleu Cheese, Candied Walnuts & Cranberries

7.) 2009 Inception Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills paired with Quinoa, Barley, Corn, Red Bell Peppers, Green Beans

8.) 2009 Inception, Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills paired with Beef Short Rib Sliders with Red Cabbage on Hawaiian Rolls

9.) 2009 San Vicente Cellars, San Stefano’s Blend, Santa Barbara County (Syrah) paired with Smoked Turkey Breast & Smoked Gouda Cheese Rolls

10.) 2009 Justin Vineyards Isosceles, Paso Robles paired with Meat & Vegetarian Lasagna

11.) 2009 Herzog Wine Cellars Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley paired with Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Nut Clusters

Wine Ratings and Food Pairing Ratings

Our guests made some fantastic dishes for this tasting event!  Generally, the wine and food pairings ranked around a 4 out of 5.  People seemed to like the Justin Isoceles wine the best; and the food winners were the Shrimp Coconut Beignets and the Apple, Brie & and Honey Bruschetta.  Whatever the ratings, everything was very good!

As a bonus, friends brought a few more bottles that we enjoyed along with the food pairings - another Rosé and a Cabernet Sauvignon.  The 2011 Doyenne Rosé was from Yakima Valley, De Lille Cellars, and was a blend of 63% Grenache and 37% Mourvèdre.  The Cabernet Sauvignon was a Double Magnum bottle of Howell Mountain 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Howell Mountain appellation of Napa Valley. It served well as the after-tasting wine and somehow it completely disappeared before everyone left!

Cheers!
I hope you have an opportunity to try these wines during the holidays. For more holiday wine information check out Taste N Trip on facebook at www.facebook.com/TasteNTrip.

LIKE Taste N Trip (www.facebook.com/TasteNTrip) and Calabasas Style (www.facebook.com/CalabasasStyle) on Facebook

FOLLOW @TasteNTrip on Twitter (twitter.com/tastentrip)

Articles and photography in Calabasas Style magazine:

March/April - Exploring the Ventura County Wine Trail
July/August - Wine tasting in the Bu

September/October - Calabasas Food & Wine Festival, Malibu Beaches

November/December - Wine for Holiday Gatherings and Gifts  

Wine for Holiday Gatherings and Gifts

Planning on celebrating the holidays with a festive glass of wine? Already know what to buy? With so many wine selections in California alone, it can be a real challenge. What are your preferences in wine? What food will you be pairing it with? Will you be serving it at your party or giving it to a friend as a gift? And what is your budget? This last consideration may cause you to revisit some of the other criteria!

Tastes vary and there is no single right answer for everyone. If there were a single answer though, I’d go with Pinot Noir! That’s because Pinot Noir, with its higher level of acidity, is very food friendly, and it’s even good without food too! It pairs well with appetizers and a wide variety of main dishes. Pinot Noir is even in sparkling wines! The sparkling wines on this list are made with Pinot Noir and will go well with a variety of food, should you want to drink them along with the main course.

General wine suggestions for pairing with holiday foods:

Why Pinot Noir?
Notice that you can enjoy appetizers, ham, turkey, chicken, duck, goose, lamb, or vegetarian dishes with Pinot Noir.  If you’re undecided about what to buy, I recommend this style of wine because of its flexibility with food.  Pinot Noir pairs very well with almost the entire spectrum of foods, though at the extreme ends (white fish and steaks) the way you prepare the dish may drastically affect the pairing.

There are many fine Pinot Noir wines available in stores, but the specific one that I’m recommending is the 2009 Inception ‘Origin’ series Pinot Noir. I discovered it at a wine festival in Santa Barbara this year. At $55 a bottle, this Pinot Noir is well worth the price to add a versatile wine to your holiday festivities. The Pinot Noir grapes are grown at the highly regarded La Encantada Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills AVA. The Santa Rita Hills AVA is a small appellation in the Santa Ynez Valley. The terrain, soil and climate have earned it an international reputation for its Pinot Noir. According to Jonathan Hirsh, “The cool climate in the Santa Rita Hills gives this wine just the right amount of acidity that result in a bright, ripe red fruit flavor, with fuzzy tannins, and a nicely oaked, smoky, buttery sweetness.” You can buy it at the Whole Foods Market in Thousand Oaks, or online at Inception Wine (www.inceptionwines.com).
 
Kosher Wine
If you are interested in an excellent Kosher wine for celebrating Hanukkah, then I recommend trying the wines from Herzog Wine Cellars. (And I recommend them even if you’re not looking for Kosher wine.) In particular, I like the 2009 Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley, which has a retail price of $38. A 2009 Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is also available at the same price. Both wines are excellent with lamb, steak, beef brisket, or potato latkes.

Joe Hurliman, the winemaker at Herzog Wine Cellars, explained to me that the Alexander Valley cab is aged in French and American oak and it has a taste of red cherry with herbal notes, while the Napa Valley cab has plum and fruit flavors and is aged in small French oak barrels, which adds a vanilla- toasty finish. Except for some of Herzog’s Pinot Noir and high-end red wine selections, these Kosher wines are ‘mevushal’ – a requirement for Orthodox Jews. 

iPairing
Want to go techno? Try using the "hello vino app" on your iPhone. You can either choose a wine based on your criteria or you can find out what food to pair with a wine you already have.

An example for Thanksgiving leads you through these choices:
Wine for an Occasion > A seasonal event or holiday? > Thanksgiving > Turkey Preparations > Smoked Turkey: Syrah, or Other options: Chardonnay & Pinot Noir
 
This app recommends specific brands, but you can substitute those with the wines recommended in this article, or other brands you may already have on hand.

These are my recommendations for wines to serve with holiday meals.
 
Sparkling Wines
 
2009 Schug, Rouge de Noirs / Pinot Noir, Carneros - Pairs with Brie & Gouda, shrimp and shellfish, salami, veggies, smoked salmon, stuffed mushrooms, sweet bread and mascarpone cheese, fruit-based desserts, shortbread cookies, chocolate, raspberries, chocolate covered berries. 

NV Roederer Estate, Sparkling Brut, Anderson Valley - Pairs with Appetizers, ham, and any roast fish. Pairs with just about anything but red meats. It is especially suited to seafood such as raw oysters and clams, sole and sand dabs.

Rosé

2011 Tablas Creek Vineyard, Rosé, Tablas Creek Estate Vineyard - Pairs with Salmon, sushi, sausages, tapas, Mediterranean cuisine, preparations with garlic and olive oil. (A Rosé can fill in for a red or a white as needed.)

Chardonnay (Oaked)
 
2009 Flowers Vineyard & Winery, Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast - Pairs with Caesar salad, Chicken, Eggs Benedict, Fish, Grilled veal chops, Ham, Pork, Salmon, Steak béarnaise, Vegetables - red peppers, corn, butternut squash and pumpkin.

Viognier

2011 Four Brix, Smitten, Camp 4 Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley - Pairs with Blue cheese and candied walnut on endive leaf, Clam or oyster chowder, Chilled Thai noodle salad, Chicken and couscous salad, light appetizers.

Sauvignon Blanc

2011 Merry Edwards, Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Valley - Pairs with Asian-style Pan-Fried Sea Bass with Sauvignon Blanc-simmered leeks and Shiitake mushroom.
 
Pinot Noir

2009 Inception, Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills - Pairs with Ahi Tuna, Salmon, Braised (short ribs), Cheese – Creamy Bleu, Parmesan, Gouda, and Brie, Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Goose, Squab, Pheasant, Filet Mignon, Lamb, Pasta & Risotto, Pork, ham, prosciutto, sausage, bacon, and other charcuterie, Rabbit, Roast beef (brisket, prime rib), Shellfish, Veal, Venison, Elk, Antelope, Ostrich, Buffalo, Mushrooms, beans, lentils, wild rice, quinoa, cooked spinach & kale.
 
Syrah

2009 San Vicente Cellars, San Stefano’s Blend, Santa Barbara County - Pairs with Beef, ham, lamb, pork loin, smoked turkey, steak, and wild game.

Cabernet Sauvignon

2009 Herzog Wine Cellars, Special Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley - Pairs with Red meats, flavorful and heartier (red) pastas, lamb, strong-flavored cheese, and dark chocolates.

Red Blend

2009 Justin Vineyards & Winery, Isosceles, Paso Robles - Pairs with Asian Chicken Salad on Endive Spears, Avocado and Papaya Salad, Balsamic Grilled Radicchio with Shaved Pecorino, Basic Basil Pesto, Chicken, Game birds, Lamb, Lasagna, Pork, Salmon, Indian curry, Tandoori flavored dishes, Roast Turkey with gravy, Venison.
 

Cheers!
I hope you have an opportunity to enjoy - or give - these wines during the holidays. And send me any thoughts or your experiences with your holiday wine selection on facebook at www.facebook.com/TasteNTrip. More information about these wines and where to buy them is available on Google Docs, just click on this link - Where to buy wine.

For more frequent updates...

LIKE Taste N Trip (www.facebook.com/TasteNTrip) and Calabasas Style (www.facebook.com/CalabasasStyle) on Facebook

FOLLOW @TasteNTrip on Twitter (twitter.com/tastentrip)

Also, check out my articles and photography in Calabasas Style magazine.
March/April - Exploring the Ventura County Wine Trail
July/August - Wine tasting in the Bu

September/October - Calabasas Food & Wine Festival, Malibu Beaches

November/December - Wine for Holiday Gatherings and Gifts