OLNEY Speaks........

Winegrowing Industry of Nevada County

2012-01-04T17:45:00.000-08:00

History of and Guide to the
Winegrowing Industry of Nevada County
A booklet by John M. Olney

After 18 months of careful research on the internet, at Nevada County libraries and parks/museums, contact with the great wine industry libraries at UC Davis and Bancroft Library at Berkeley, local governmental agencies and hours of tasting interview visits with the owners and winemakers of most of the 23 bonded winery operations claiming a Nevada County address, our founder, John M. Olney, is about to publish what just might be the most thorough review of the Winegrowing Industry of Nevada county.

Mr. Olney first develops the arrival of wine grapes in California and how the gold rush period sped up the introduction of wine production to Nevada County. For the remainder of the booklet, Mr. Olney shifts from historian to tour guide providing the reader with the experiences he encountered in locating the mostly remote countryside vineyards and wineries, meeting directly with owners and winemakers and tasting their products with them. Mr. Olney commented, “What a unique experience compared to most of the more well known wine country regions surrounding the Bay Area.”

You will want to own and keep this special edition historical resource and tour guide to the "Winegrowing Industry of Nevada County." The first release will be a limited edition production run. It contains over 100 pages of color photography of the owners, winemakers, vineyards, wineries and tasting rooms of the facilities and grounds open to the general public. Plus it includes historical information about its beginning and growth of the industry since the gold rush days.

When interviewing Alan Haley, founder of the first modern era winery in Nevada County (1980), Mr. Olney found quite interesting the sidebar comment made by Alan as they closed out their visit: ”You know John, you have the distinction of having tasted more Nevada County wines than any other Bay Area wine writer I know.”

To read the full and detailed review of the booklet click here
http://jolney.blogspot.com/2012/01/history-of-and-guide-continued.html

To review the Table of Contents, click here
http://jolney.blogspot.com/2012/01/table-of-contents-copyright-information.html

Barrel tasting and dining in the Borreo Building

2012-01-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

The Borreo Building Third and Soscol

The comment on the Napa Register internet site about turning the 1887 Borreo Building on the corner of Third and Soscol into a winery is very interesting. Back in 1888, Borreo built the “Bay View Vineyards and Winery” (BVVW) on the south side of Soda Canyon Road (Shown left) where he grew crops and maintained farm animals which became the products he apparently sold out of the downtown Borreo Building. The Bay View winery building is located near the old site of the Napa Soda Springs ruins which was a very popular resort location for the wealthy of San Francisco in those early days.

The BVVW property (aerial view left) is now owned by the Ron and Diane Miller, owners of Silverado Vineyards located in the Stag’s Leap District just north of Napa. Diane is the daughter of Walt Disney and Ron is a former head of Disney Studios
Turning the building into a resurrected“Bay View Winery” would be a very interesting concept. There are probably too many environmental impacts to actually build a fully operating winery, such as waste disposal; but perhaps it could be turned into a barrel storage and aging facility with restaurant, tasting room and event center. When wine tasting, there is nothing better than walking around a barrel room with all the fragrance of developing wine and tasting the wine from the barrel.

The parking situation might be mitigated if a stilted parking deck and outdoor tasting/dining lounge along the west and northern ends of the building could be authorized (building show above right) , On the waterfront and city lights at night !-- food for thought?

My opinion:COPIA future in Napa Reg, Dec. 28,2011

2011-12-28T16:02:00.000-08:00

Napa Regisyter Home / News / Opinion / Letters to the Editor / Letters to the Editor
Copia should be mixed-use development with high-end shops
Posted: Wednesday, December 28, 2011 12:00 am |

On Jan. 2, 2009, I wrote my opinion, “A magnificent emporium from Copia’s ashes,” about the Copia facility and its surroundings and it was published in the Napa Valley Register. Since that time, I have been giving considerable thought to what this area could, and should, become.

First of all, this whole area was once known as “Little Italy.” There was no tourism along First and Third streets, between Soscol Avenue and Silverado Trail. Just about where Copia meets the Oxbow in the Napa River, old man Bacigalupi dumped his collected neighborhood garbage into the river to be carried away. The area was about as “local” as it could be. Those days are gone forever, never to be seen again.

The area has been turned into an exclusive visitor and tourism-oriented world with very expensive hotels (River Terrace and Westin), Napa Valley Wine Train excursions terminus and the Oxbow Public Market as major anchors. And, more exclusive visitor- and tourism-oriented businesses are salivating over the possibilities in the near future to be part of this “Park Place and (Boardwalk)” area of downtown Napa.

With the announcement of the Rogal + Associates partnership with owners of Copia to reopen the defunct building and grounds complex, there will be a horde of entrepreneurial business folks anxious to discuss the possibilities of their involvement in its rebirth. Unfortunately, there will be those who will strongly advocate that the complex should be turned into something community-oriented and, as such, would be a nonprofit activity. This should not be considered for such a primary tax revenue–oriented area for two reasons: The latter exclusive use of the facility would probably displease Copia’s neighbors, who pay healthy property tax, etc. and they would want a change in those taxes since a nonprofit would probably lower property tax values throughout the area; and the costs to remodel the facility, and subsequent annual operating and maintenance costs on such a large complex, would be too great for anything but a highly subsidized nonprofit to raise and keep in annual and long-term endowments from private wealthy interests and government agencies.

Remember that Copia was initially a highly endowed nonprofit business that could not sustain its endowments, nor raise sufficient revenues to keep its doors open.

Copia should become a mixed-use building and grounds complex. As I envision the building complex, the entire first floor would contain for-profit, high-end clothing, jewelry, art and other similar shops. It would have small cafes, wine-tasting bars, etc. All of these features would be designed around high-end products and goods.

The entire front garden area would be replaced by a spectacular glass-enclosed building containing additional high-end shops.

The second floor would become home to a five-star nightclub or restaurant seating 300 or so on the eastern third of the building overlooking Napa River and the downtown lights at night. The remaining two-thirds of the upper floor would contain the American Wine Industry Hall of Fame, Museum and Foundation. Within it could reside the California Vintners Hall of Fame, if they were so inclined to move the location from St. Helena.

Based on its accomplishments to date, Rogal + Associates has obviously displayed the forward thinking and business acumen to carry off such a project as I envision.

John Olney / Napa

2011-12-27T12:29:00.000-08:00

Copyright information i

Acknowledgements ii

Table of Contents v

PRELUDE vii

SECTION I INTRODUCTION 1

SECTION II "Quick Reference" to the Tasting Room Facilities 3

Getting Around the Wineries of Nevada County 3
Nevada City Tasting Rooms 3
Grass Valley Tasting Rooms 4

Other In or Near Town locations 5
Lake of the Pines 5
Truckee 5

Wineries Having No Public Tasting Room Facilities 6

Other Wineries not yet visited 6

How good are the Wines? 6

The Wine Competition Circuit 6

The Prestigious Winemakers 6
    JED STEELE - Indian Springs Vineyards 6
    JACQUES MERCIER - Solune Winegrowers 6
    MARK FOSTER - Nevada City Winery 7
    TONY NORSKEG - Nevada County Wine Guild 7

SECTION III History Overview - Arrival of the Wine Grape in Nevada County 8

Land Possession Before the Gold Rush 8
Land Possession Following the Gold Rush 9

Introduction of Winegrowing 9

The Beginning Wine Industry in Nevada County 11

Pre-Prohibition Years: 1840’s-1930’s 11

A Little Historical Commonality Between Napa, San Francisco & Nevada Counties 15

My Speculations About the Early Winegrowing Industry 16

Background On The Modern Nevada County Wine Industry 16
Wine Producers 18
Grape Growers 17

Marketing and Advocacy Organizations 18

Media Exposure 18

SECTION IV Local Perspectives - The Future of the Nevada County Winegrowing Industry 20

Sierra Vintners - Interview with President Alex Szabo 20
   Recent expansion 20
   Re-branding 20
   Quality of wines produced 20
   Master Plan and Budget 20
   Near future expansion 20

Sierra Wine and Grape Growers Association - Interview with President Tom Besemer. 21

Nevada County Agriculture Commissioner 21
Some Views from Other Winery Owners - Responses to questions asked by John Olney 22

“What do you see happening for this area in the near as well as in the distant future.” 22
Rob Chrisman - Avanguardia 22
Mark L. Henry Montoliva 22
Lynn Wilson - Pilot Peak 22
Jacques Mercier- Solune 22

How do you plan to increase consumer visitation and thus retail sales, or do you even wish to increase these? 23
Rob Chrisman - Avanguardia 23
Mark L. Henry Montoliva 23
Lynn Wilson - Pilot Peak 23
Jacques Mercier- Solune 24

SECTION V Nevada City - Downtown Wineries & Stand-Alone, Second Tasting Rooms 25

The Town of Nevada City 25
Wineries Located Downtown 26
INDIAN SPRINGS VINEYARDS 26
NEVADA CITY WINERY 28
Wineries with a Stand-Alone Tasting Room 31
B.Y.O.B. WINE SELLERS 31
CLAVEY VINEYARDS 32
SZABO VINEYARDS 33

SECTION VI Grass Valley Area -
Downtown Wineries and Stand-Alone, Second Tasting Rooms 34
The Town of Grass Valley 34
The Holbrooke Hotel 34
The Famous Ladies 35

SIERRA STARR VINEYARD and WINERY 35
AVANGUARDIA WINES    35LUCCHESI VINEYARDS and WINERY 36
SMITH VINEYARDS   36

“Collective” Tasting Rooms 36 151 UNION SQUARE - Event Center and Retail Wine Tasting Room- 36Coufos Cellars 38 Double Oak Vineyards and Winery 38
Montoliva Vineyard and Winery 38
Naggiar Vineyards 38

GRASS VALLEY WINE CO 38
Bent Metal Winery 39
Pilot Peak Vineyards and Winery 39
Solune Winegrowers 39

Hwy 49 Near - Lake of the Pines 39 BEAR RIVER WINE TASTING 40

SECTION VII SOUTHERN COUNTY - LAKE OF THE PINES 41
Bear River Wine Tasting Facility 41
SIERRA KNOLLS VINEYARD and WINERY 42
NAGGIAR VINEYARDS  WINERY  43
BESEMER CELLARS 45
CHARLES TRAVERS WINERY 47

SECTION VIII CENTRAL COUNTY EAST OF HWY 49
The Narrow-gauge Train - Began in 1876 - Colfax- Grass Valley 49
The Transcontinental Railroad - Completed 1869 - Cape Hood 50
Chicago Park 50
CLAVEY WINERY 50
MONTOLIVA VINEYARD and WINERY
511LUCCHESI VINEYARDS and WINERY 54
SMITH - VINEYARD and WINERY 55
Empire Gold Mine 56
SOLUNE WINEGROWERS 57

SECTION IX CENTRAL COUNTY - WEST OF HWY 49 61
BENT METAL WINERY 61
PILOT PEAK VINEYARD and WINERY 63
The Community of Penn Valley 65
GRAY PINE WINERY 66
OAKSPRINGS VINEYARDS and WINERY 65
SIERRA STARR VINEYARDS 70
The Town of Rough and Ready 72
COUFOS CELLARS 73

SECTION X NORTH CENTRAL COUNTY AREA 75
SZABO VINEYARDS 75
AVANGUARDIA WINES 77
VILLANELLE ESTATE 79
Bridgeport Wooden Covered Bridge 80
French Corral - Site of 1st Long Distance Telephone Call 81
DOUBLE OAK VINEYARDS and WINERY 82

SECTION XI EASTERN COUNTY INCLUDING TRUCKEE 85
Hydraulic Mining Scars 85
Washington Township - The Gold Discovery in 2011 Was a Hoax! 86
Almost Lost in the Sierra's 87
The Town of Truckee 89
TRUCKEE RIVER WINERY 90

SECTION XII The Growers 92
Sierra Grape Growers Association 92
“HISTORY OF SIERRA GRAPE GROWERS ASSOCIATION - By Peter Arnold 92
The Current Association 93
Largest Vineyard in the County - S and L Vineyards 93
Other growers Not a Member of Either the Grower or Vintner Associations 93
An interesting Unattended Vineyard 94
Sierra Wine and Grape Growers Association Annual Picnic 95

GLOSSARY 97
BIBLIOGRAPHY 99

History of and Guide (continued)

2011-12-27T03:00:00.000-08:00

History of and Guide to the
Winegrowing Industry of Nevada CountyBy John M. Olney

(Continued)

Mr. Olney incorporates interesting notes and tales of the people and places since wine grape vineyards were first planted in the Gold Rush days in the 1850’s, right up to the Fall season of the year 2011. You will meet the richest of families as they amassed great fortunes in gold mining, water supply and distribution systems, introduction of mechanization with associated energy resources and many more tools that helped transform America from an agrarian society into a mechanized one.

Then after the flash of surface (or “placer”) mining was quickly over he reviews the rebirth of the gold industry as corporations began subsurface operations (also known as “hardrock”) mining. Some of the names you may already be familiar with such as the William Bourn Family of the peninsula who eventually controlled the Empire Gold Mine of Grass Valley (the richest producer in the state), vineyards and the largest stone winery located in Napa’s wine country, the entire water supply to San Francisco County and many more businesses. The notorious Sam Brannan, the exiled Mormon leader, who proclaimed the discovery of gold and continued advertisement of it that led to the mass migration of mostly men and a few women from the states east of the Mississippi River to California thereby upsetting and shifting the power basis in Congress. Brannan built merchandise stores before his proclamation so he could sell mining equipment and food stocks at greatly inflated prices while amassing large land holdings and possibly becoming the first millionaire of California. He was also involved in the wine business in Napa Valley among his many and substantial business endeavors. And, there are more exciting characters of those old days gone by with roots simultaneously in Nevada, Napa and San Francisco Counties.

Mr. Olney traces the major events associated to the very first production of wine in the state of California pointing out the important players and their contribution to the California Winegrowing Industry, indeed for all of America, leading up to the commencement of grape growing and wine production in Nevada County. Then came the disasters! Wine grapevine disease such as Phylloxera, surface gold depletion, and the failed social experiment of the Prohibition era calling for the halt of alcohol production and consumption. All these major factors led to serious declines in the Nevada County population as well as the economy but the subsurface mining continued. This failed economy wiped out the fledging winegrowing agriculture from about the late 1890s through 1940’s.

But A few bright farmers recognized that the fertile soils and moderate climate of the lower Nevada County lands were well suited to fruit and wine grape growing. Slowly wine growing was being re-introduced through a cottage industry type approach in the 1950s through 1970s.

Then a very bright guy was born and raised in Nevada City who went off to law school to find his path in life. Enter one Alan Haley. He acquired a taste for fine wines during his collegiate years at Harvard. He commenced his legal career in Honolulu, Hawaii and noticed that fine wines were not readily available; only ordinary wines, That meant he needed to form an import & distribution system so he could once again enjoy fine wines at home and supply his favorite restaurants with these products too. Bacchus Imports was born. Then he noticed there were no refrigerated facilities available to properly store all the imported wines of not only his business but that of other broker distributors. He leaped into action and built the first refrigerated wine warehouse in Hawaii. But yet another discovery would come to his attention that he found totally unacceptable. Hawaii was taxing imported wines but not locally produced wines. Talented, young and ambitious he feared no one! He attacked the Hawaii laws that taxed imported wine but not domestic wines. He found a very large adversary in Hawaii but like David he eventually slue Goliath taking his unfair taxation case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Along the monotonous court procedures and legal interpretations road he found new friends to support him in his quest for equal playing ground rules such as the giant Gallo Brothers operation of the Central California Valley. They prevailed and taxes that had been withheld over all the long years of court battle were returned to non-resident alcoholic beverage distributors on a percentage basis. By the time of the Supreme Court decision, the amount in escrow that Hawaii could not spend exceeded $100,000,000. That’s correct, over $100 million!. Alan was a hero in the wine business and a key precedent was set because of his tenacious attack of the unfair tax law which is still cited in legal hassles today.

But as would be expected, Alan’s days of successful law practice in Hawaii were numbered. It was time to go home. Hawaii did not need such a rabble rouser! Once back in Nevada City in the late 1970’s Alan discovered that wine was being produced on a very small scale. He made some inquires and eventually got a chance to taste locally made wine from locally grown grapes. During these sessions he realized that Nevada County could support commercial grape growing and wine production. All the essential ingredients were there - soil, climate and interest among locals. He asked what was needed to launch such an industry and the responses were all the same - a locally based grape crushing and production facility. That was all that Alan needed to hear. He responded, “Maybe I can do something about that!”

With that local wine tasting experience, the first modern era winery in Nevada County was born. When completed about two years later, Alan and partners blessed the rebirth of the winegrowing industry in the county by appropriately naming their facility “Nevada City Winery,” 100 hundred years after the first one to be so named which was also located in the downtown area. Then Mr. Olney provides you with descriptions of how the wine grape growing and wine production facilities have experienced rapid growth since the early 2000s going from just over a handful before that timeframe to the current number of 23 bonded wineries.

For the remainder of the booklet, Mr. Olney shifts from historian to tour guide providing the reader with the experiences he encountered in locating the mostly remote countryside vineyards and wineries, meeting directly with owners and winemakers and tasting their products with them. Mr. Olney commented, “What a unique experience compared to most of the more well known wine country regions surrounding the Bay Area.”

He often describes the wines he tasted in terms of how they pleased his palate as opposed to trying to fit them into some sort of subjective point system as if the wine was in a beauty contest. You will also frequently read the reactions of his friend who often accompanied him on his winery visits and who lives in the Grass Valley community of “You Bet,”

The wineries are typically separated by an average of 30 minute drives between them and/or the major towns of Grass Valley and Nevada City. Because of the travel time and perceived loss of wine sales, the majority of wineries have opened a second individual or collective tasting room away from the original winery building in and/or near the major cities of Grass Valley and Nevada City. Mr. Olney provides the reader with plenty of photographic visual aids to assist the reader in knowing how to find these downtown tasting rooms and what readers can expect once there. Additionally, he provides the reader with a hefty amount of color photography designed to give the reader sufficient visual record of what he or she will encounter as they elect to make the associated vineyards and wineries destination and tasting sites for future visits to the area. The interviews with the owners and/or winemakers will provide you with interesting reading as he and his friend get them to open up and tell us how and why they selected Nevada County to become their winegrowing home.

When interviewing Alan Haley, founder of the first modern era winery in Nevada County (1980) Mr. Olney found quite interesting the sidebar comment made by Alan as they closed out their visit. ”You know John, you have the distinction of having tasted more Nevada County wines than any other Bay Area wine writer I know

Robert Craig 19th Anniversary & 6th Annual Holiday Party Dec. 3, 2011

2011-12-06T09:51:00.001-08:00

Last Thursday, December 1, 2011, I stopped at Cuvee Napa Restaurant (www.cuveenapa.com )on way home from a business meeting with my associates and had the pleasure of meeting Rachel Miller, Director of Wine Club and Retail Sales at Robert Craig Winery
(http://robertcraigwine.ewinerysolutions.com/ ) who was just sitting down to have her dinner. (Pictured here)

She had a long day at the winery tasting room preparing for the Saturday, December 3, 2011, celebration of their 19^th anniversary of operations. We discussed their wines in general and the location of the vineyards and winery all of which certainly perked my interest to know more about the vineyards and winery. She invited me to attend the celebration and I quickly accepted. It was held for wine club members and other invited guests.

When I returned home I immediately went to their web site and learned that the event was also their 6th Annual Holiday Party to be held at their downtown Napa tasting salon (625 Imperial Way at the intersection with Jordon Lane), just a long block off Soscol Avenue and very close to Cuvee Napa. From the web site I learned that their winery facility is located high up Howell Mountain on Summit Lake Drive close to the town of Angwin.

The event started at 2 pm and by 3 pm it was filled elbow to elbow with well wishers and wine
tasters a bunch.

They were offering tastes of new releases -- the 2010 Durell Chardonnay, 2008 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and 2009 Zinfandel-Howell Mountain --, in addition to their current releases and some library wines all of which was presented with great appetizers and a four piece group playing soft jazz-like music in the background. The first wine tasted was the new release 2010 Durell Chardonnay, (Sonoma Valley) lightly oaked and no Malolactic Fermentation which was very much to my liking. This is the style of Chardonnay I find most enjoyable as the fruit is still recognizable.

All the rest of the wines I tasted were reds. They included from their current releases the 2008 Affinity Cab (Magnum), 2008 Howell Mountain Cab (Magnum), 2008 Mt, Veeder Cab (Magnum) and new release 2009 Zinfandel from Howell Mountain. From the Library wines I tasted 2006 Affinity Cab, 2006 Howell Mountain Cab and the 2006 Mt. Veeder Cab. To my palate I was wowed by the 2006 Mt. Veeder Cab. My next favorite wines where the Chardonnay, 2008 Mt. Veeder Cab (Magnum) and the 2009 Zinfandel from Howell Mountain. However, all of the wines tasted were very good.

From their web site I learned that the winemaker is Stephen Tebb. Tebb’s holds a B.S. Degree from University of California, Davis. Stephen started his winemaking career with atesa Vineyards & Winery located in the Carneros District within Napa County. He then moved to Clos LaChance of the Central Coast where he guided all winemaking and the estate vineyard programs. Stephen returned to Napa Valley in the Fall of 2008 to become winemaker at Robert Craig Winery.

If you would like to learn more about his philosophy, you can read an interview with him conducted by “Behind the Burner” at
http://www.behindtheburner.com/expert/stephen_tebb.html.

Quoted from web site:
“Behind the Burner is an emerging culinary media brand that creates expert-based content about food, wine, mixology and nutrition. We package the best tips, tricks and techniques from our network of over 500 master chefs, mixologists, restaurateurs and other culinary visionaries and serve them to our viewers in the form of videos, articles and blogs. Our videos are syndicated on TV to NBC New York Nonstop as well as 49 online media properties.”

Founder/Owner Robert Craig (pictured above talking with the guests) comes from a distinguished career in the wine industry. While he was serving as General Manager for the Hess Collection Winery on Mt. Veeder during the 1980’s, he developed 300 acres of vineyard land. While there he was a major player in developing the Mt. Veeder Appellation application and review process and then he provided consulting services on the development of the Spring Mountain Appellation. He started his own winery in 1992 with three others. His first wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon, was released in 1995. Seven years later in 2002, they completed their state-of- the-art winery on the summit of Howell Mountain. Tours of the winery site are arranged by appointment only and I am certainly anxious to visit the site.

Wine Tourism Conference - Tourism and Costs - Part 2

2011-11-29T09:35:00.001-08:00

By John Olney, Nov 29, 2011

Mr. Gregory, President & CEO of Napa Valley Destination Council (www.legendarynapavalley.com/nvdc/), e-mailed me (11/28/2011 4:00:27 P.M.) his comments regarding my blog posting of Nov. 27, 2011, (www.jolney.blogspot.com/2011/11/tourism-doesnt-come-without-cost.html ).

Mr. Gregory thoughtfully provided me a copy of the Tourism fact sheet for Napa County which I have included below. He also suggested I might want information about TID’s which can be reviewed at:
www.tourismimprovementdistrict.com

I thank him for this information and I pass it on.

Although Mr. Gregory says that the promotional campaign is “strategically” targeting off-season, off-peak days to improve tourism numbers, it is nevertheless a promotional campaign, and as such it increases the general awareness by the reader/viewer audience of the subject location of that campaign, no matter the day of the week or season of the year. I understand the use of special and reduced rates, etc. as incentives to pull in visitors at select times of the year, but those visitors who become enchanted with that destination will likely return and that could be during the regular season as well as off-season.
　

The community should not lose awareness that a successful promotional campaign not only gives rise to increased visitor numbers but it also excites the businessperson who sees opportunity to sell his/her goods to that visitor total. More hotels, more restaurants, more shops, etc., soon follow. That translates to impacts on the infrastructure for which maintenance and expansion must be considered. That is not to say this is bad but rather it should be fully understood what impact tourism - indeed, increased tourism - is likely to bring and plan for it in advance.

I reiterate my comment about not being against tourism. But, it does not come for free.! There are associated costs to a community attempting to attract it.
Fact Sheet

Tourism is Everybody’s Business in Napa County
Tourism in Napa County generates over $1.3 Billion in economic impact annually

The visitor serving industry is the second largest sector of Napa County’s economy.

Every 24 hours, guests of The Napa Valley spend approximately $4 million in local businesses.The

Tourism dollar has a tremendous reach - Tourism spending affects 196 different industries in Napa County.

Tax revenue generated by tourism spending is $125 million annually.

Tourism-generated tax revenue directly supports Napa County and its jurisdictions to provide police, firefighting and numerous social services.

If tax revenue generated by the visitor serving industry was to disappear, the annual tax bill of each resident of Napa County would increase by over $1,000.

The visitor serving industry employs 17,500 people in Napa County.

Over $500 million in Payroll is generated by visitor serving businesses in Napa County.

The potential returns generated by effectively managing and marketing tourism in Napa County are enormous. If the NVDC’s targeted marketing activities were to stimulate the spending by just 1.5%, $20 million in additional direct visitor spending would be the result.

A study conducted by California Travel & Tourism Commission indicates that every $1 invested in targeted destination tourism marketing results in $203 in visitor expenditures and $13 in tax revenue.

Wine Tourism Conference - Tourism Doesn’t Come Without Cost

2011-11-27T21:26:00.001-08:00

Wine Tourism Conference Presentations and Conclusions Aside,
Tourism Doesn’t Come Without Cost
By John Olney Nov 27, 2011

Paul Franson wrote his summary review comments about the recently held “Wine Tourism Conference” (Nov. 16-17) in his article, “Wine Tourism Brings People and Profit - Napa hosts Wine Tourism Conference: Why and how to promote your region.” for the publication, “Wines & Vines,(www.winesandvines.com/) published on its web site ( with date Nov 22). You can read more about the conference and its speakers by visiting the web site www.winetourismconference.org/.

Tickets to the event were $350 each. I could not afford such expensive tickets to attend this undoubtedly prestigious event focused on such an important element of the winegrowing industry of the counties, sub-regions and states of the American Winegrowing Industry in which many of us are involved through study, participation, and writing about it.

Mr. Franson says: “Allen Shoup best summarized the appeal of tourism, however: “Tourism brings in dollars without the need for homes, schools, hospitals and other services. On top of that, tourism creates jobs and makes people happy.”

I find Mr. Shoup’s quoted comment rather interesting. It is, in my opinion, an excellent example of an ox·y·mo·ron: a statement in which incongruous or contradictory concepts are said in the same breath. A couple of examples: “deafening silence, jumbo shrimp, etc.”

He seems to say that tourism increases revenues to a community without requiring reciprocal infrastructure costs. Then he appears to claim that that same tourism creates jobs. Somehow or other I fail to make the same connection that he makes. If tourism creates jobs then it follows that those so employed require housing, roads to get to and from work and their homes, merchants to provide goods, schools for their children, and all the other services that are provided to those in a community not employed directly by tourism.

And, by the way hospitals are needed for the tourists and the service industry employees. How often do we hear about car and pedestrian accidents, heart attacks and clogged throats at restaurants and hotels, recreational boating incidents, and more?

Who is going to pay for the expansion and maintenance of the expanded road system required to accommodate the tourist and those who fill the jobs to provide services to them?

Where are the dollars to provide for the expanded medical, educational, recreational, etc. services to support the tourists in distress and those who fill the jobs created by and for tourism?

Mr. Franson also gives credit to Mr. Clay Gregory, Legendary Napa Valley ( Napa Valley tourism agency), “….for helping to sell a Tourism Improvement District [TID] that adds 2% to lodgings costs to fund promotion. ” I have not yet heard of a tax being collected -- exclusively earmarked for and untouchable by government bodies -- to pay for the costs of the expansion of the infrastructural needs, or for the costs of operation & maintenance of just the existing infrastructure that would be required by an effective tourism promotion campaign until additional infrastructural needs can be constructed.
I am certainly in favor of tourism but not at the expense of not controlling its expansion without developing the co-existent revenue generation plan to support the costs of the changes that we will need to be made to the infrastructure modifications to accommodate growth in tourism and all that such growth requires.

An Argument for an American Wine Industry Hall of Fame - Part 2

2011-07-22T05:39:00.001-07:00

By John M. Olney
July 22, 2011

Part Two of a Three Part Series

The Concept of a “Hall of Fame” and the Overlooked Greats

Regarding the Nominees. A Hall of Fame (HOF) needs to be designed to :

1. Recognize those individuals and entities who, after examination of conclusive evidence, have contributed to one or more of these measurement factors:

- A significant skill above that of the average person in that trade/profession

- Design and development of a processing methodology that becomes routinely adopted by the
industry

- Equipment product that significantly improves the overall quality of the end result of the subject industry

2. Recognize multiple recipients’ who as a team contributed to the industry one or more of the aforementioned measurement factors. An example would be a winery owner who supplied all capital backing necessary for his/her winery to produce a quality wine although those owners were not necessarily involved in the daily operation of the wine production. The initial years of founder Jesse Jackson of Konicti Winery and his winemaker Jed Steele producing the award winning Chardonnay that launched K-J on its fantastic growth. Jackson has been inducted into the CVHOF but the man, Steele, who actually was responsible for its production has not been inducted. Another example is only half o the team that most in the trade credit with the development of the sun degree days table has been inducted when both should have gone in at the same time..

Regarding the Electoral College of a HOF. The HOF has to have a comprehensive understanding of the background and experience levels of those associated to the subject industry of the HOF who would be voting upon the nominees. One must avoid establishing a voting body consisting of a great number of individuals whose age, historical knowledge of the wine industry and experience level preclude them from comparing “old timers” to their contemporizes so they vote for the “known entity” thereby bypassing some of the most important contributors to the American Wine Industry or a smaller segment of it like say the State of California.

1. A HOF needs to be based on a solid foundation recognizing those throughout the history of the subject industry of that HOF.

2. The HOF must include all of the various aspects of that industry. In the case of wine, it must include recognition of individuals and groups from the planting and management of the vineyard, to the winemaker & winery owner, public relations & marketing divisions, wine writer/critic & historian, to the distributor & retailer, all of which make it an industry.

3. The HOF needs to have the ways and means to verify the “credentials” of the names submitted for possible nomination for election to, and induction, in such HOF

4. It is essential that the organizational body of a HOF design and prepare unbiased, accurate and complete biography sheets on each candidate for the voting body to review and consider in their individual selection process.

This latter point is where I believe the creators of the CVHOF make their most crucial misjudgment. They believe that they must use short statement abstracts of no more than about three sentences because they believe that the electoral college members would not take the time to read a full biographic background on each of the 30 plus nominees the CAHOF normally proposes on its ballot each year. This abstract or biographical write-up is what I consider the most crucial criteria in order to have a valid HOF of the most worthy inductees and not just a bunch of inductees decided by “popular vote.”

When the HOF organizations selects individuals to be part of the electoral college, that prospective voter needed to be aware that he will be reading biographical statements that may require his/her time in order to understand the true value of that nominees contributions relative to that of another candidate. If the candidate of the electoral college does not feel he/she can commit to such time then they should be forthright and upfront and decline to become part of the voting body.

http://www.ciaprochef.com/winestudies/events/vhf_inductees.html The CVHOF has been in existence now for four (4) years and has inducted 33 individuals. You can review its history at the web site shown above. Many of these individuals are important contributors to the California Wine Industry but they are certainly not more important than many other individuals, who in my opinion, made much greater significant contribution to the industry and should already be inducted into the CVHOF.

I do not understand how such giants as the following - some of whom have been nominated at least once and some more - are not inducted.

I know of at least one other writer who appears to think along similar lines to me and it is Dan Berger, who published in February 25, 2011, in his article, ““Not in the Vintners Hall of Fame — but they should be,” for the Napa Register the following paragraphs in quotation and italics. Dan Berger’s mentioning of Petri reminded me of the list of large wine operations shown below.

Big Five U.S.A. Winemakers as of the 1952-53 timeframe (listed by capacity in gallons)
1 - Roma - 30 million

2 - California Wine Association (CWA) - 29.65 million

3 - Italian Swiss Colony (ISC) - 26 million

4 - Wine Growers’ Guild - 22 million

5 - Petri - 20 million

“Louis Petri. One of the most important people in the history of the wine industry, Petri, president of powerful Allied Grape Growers, was the dominant force in American wine following World War II — a marketing force, innovator, and the man who changed the way wine was shipped to market.” By Dan Berger

Let me give you an example of the magnitude of his accomplishments with just the comments listing below

Petri’s purchase of ISC moved him to the largest producer in the USA. Nobody from any of these five companies (Except as a member of a subsidiary winery) has yet been elected to the CVHOF, yet Gallo Brothers are in! Robert Mondavi is in! How can that be a true HOF?

Let me add a little to the Petri legend. Petri was so forward thinking that he modified a tanker ship renaming it the “Petri.” He was shipping by sea his wine to the East Coast cheaper than anyone else at the time using all the other transportation methods.

Allied Grape Growers was the sister company of United Vintners, the marketing firm, also headed by Petri, that eventually absorbed the great Napa-based Inglenook Estate created by Gustave Niebaum and then taken to new fame under his great grand nephew, John Daniel. His firm also maneuvered the Napa Valley-based Beaulieu Vineyard estate created under Georges de Latour and its famed winemaker Andrè Tchelistcheff, into the Allied/Vintners domain. All four of these gentlemen are inducted in the CVHOF but Louis Petri is not? What Petri accomplished during his lifetime in the American Wine Industry is, in this writer’s opinion, well deserving of being inducted into the CVHOF.

Berger goes on to mention other greats in the earlier history of the California Wine Industry.

“Eugene Hilgard, the 19th-centurybotanist and visionary who paved the way for grapes to be planted in Livermore Valley and numerous other locations where he theorized great wine could result.” By Dan Berger

“Byron and Alice Nightingale of Cresta Blanca and later Beringer? The two jointly invented a complex process to make world-class dessert wine. Myron, chief wine maker at Beringer, was one of the most respected wine makers until his death in 1988.” By Dan Berger

I would both agree with and add to Mr. Berger’s list the following candidates.

Percy Morgan
He who essentially designed and then managed the giant California Wine Association (CWA) and lead it to become a completely vertical integrated wine producer. It once owned and/or controlled over 80% of the wine produced in California from 1894 to 1920 At that time CWA was also the largest wine company in the world. It included all seven of the great San Francisco based wine brokers and merchants of the times and the Napa Valley Wine Company. By 1900, the majority of the state's wineries had joined the CWA, including Stag's Leap Cellars, Greystone Cellars at St. Helena, the Italian Swiss Colony, Cucamonga Vineyards, Glen Ellen Vineyards and more. At its peak, 52 wineries were members of the CWA. It was totally vertically integrated because it controlled all aspects of winemaking from the planting of the grapes, to production, bottling, marketing and shipment of its wine. Some of those who were the directors and/or shareholders in the winery operations owned/controlled by the CWA have already been inducted into the CVHOF, but why not Percy Morgan?

Kohler and Frohling
The most likely beginning point for wine production, distribution and marketing of California wine can be attributed to Charles Kohler and John Frohling of San Francisco. They originally operated out of the Los Angles area in the year 1853. By 1856, Kohler & Frohling were exporting bulk wine from their large Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City wine warehouses to European, South American, Asian, and Pacific Rim countries. At the high point of their operation they owned wine production facilities in Los Angeles, Sonoma County, and the Central Valley.

Hamden McIntyre
/He completed conceptual design of several wineries during the 1870s to 1890s that still stand today as monuments of the early Napa Valley Wine Industry. They are:

The great stone structures

Inglenook (Now owned by movie mogul Francis Ford Coppola)

Chateau Montelena (now owned by the Barretts family)

Far Niente (Now of Nichol and Nichol ownership)

Bourn and Wise nicknamed “Greystone” was the largest stone winery in the world. (Became best known under the ownership of Christian Brothers 1945-1996 and now occupied by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and home of the California Vintners Hall of Fame.)

Ewer and Atkinson (Now the inner-core of Beaulieu Vineyards winery complex)

The giant wood structures

He also was a significant contributor to the Leland Stanford giant winery, Vina, located in Tehema County.

Eschol (Now home of Trefethen winery)

Christian Pugh Adamson, (Now home to Frog’s Leap)

It should also be remembered that although Gustave Niebaum (inducted into the CVHOF) was well read on the subject of vineyard management and winery operations, he did not do the work. It was Hamden McIntyre who was vineyard and winery manager.

MARKETING THE NEVADA COUNTY WINE INDUSTRY

2011-07-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

By John M. Olney, July 19, 2011
Copyright, all rights reserved by Wine Country Marketing and Promotions,
1370 Trancas St., #409, Napa, CA 94558 Phone: 707-299-9548
Web site: http://www.twccwcmp.blogspot.com/ E-mail: winecountrypromo@aol.com

THE GOAL: Attracting New Vineyard Growers, Vintners & Consumers to Nevada County

Growth/Expansion
The Nevada County Wine Industry underwent tremendous growth and expansion during the last 12 months covering the period July 2010 through June 2011 Clearly all of the changes and expansions listed below speak of an enthusiasm, individually and/or collectively, to build a solid wine industry in the county. These moves also seem to represent that the Nevada County Wine Industry is on an economically sound footing particularly when considering the current depressed economic conditions.

Here is what happened during the past 12 months:New wineries were added to the already existing 17 wineries to bring the current total to 19.

Expansion - Both began bonded operation in late 2010

Besemer Vineyards - Grass Valley area - Tom & Kristi Besemer. He is also President of the Sierra Wine & Grape Growers Association - http://www.besemercellars.com/ /

Gray Pine Winery - Penn Valley, - R Guy Lauterbach, no web site developed yet

Bonded and Calif. ABC licensed are listed below but they do not advertise in any publications nor are they a member in any of the local county wine industry associations

Villanelle Wine - Nevada City area -" founded in 1996, by G. M. Johnson" - http://www.villanellewine.com/ - no email address provided on web site

Oaksprings Vineyard and Winery - Penn Valley - www.oakspringsvineyardsandwinery.com/California_Wines.html

Leslie G. Fleming - Penn Valley - have not found a web site yet thus no email available

Charles Travers Winery - near Lake of the Pine intersection Hwy 49 - Nick C. Robunson - have not found a web site yet thus no email available

Actual and commitments to expansion of the number of acres of new vineyard planting:

Expansion acreage:

Clavey Vineyards adding seven (7) acres bringing it to a total of about 14.5 acres.

Sierra Starr adding three and a half acres bringing it to a total of about 15 plus acres

Committed expansion:
Szabo Vineyards adding 12 acres bringing it to a total of about 52 acres

Expanding/relocating Winery production facility:

Sierra Starr’s and its new winery and barrel storage facility currently under construction taking its production Facilities from about 1,000 to over 4,000 sqft,.

Clavey Vineyards production facilities moving from Meyers to Power Line

Tasting room additions/relocations:
Winery License

Clavey Vineyards opened its off-site tasting room in downtown Nevada City

Grass Valley Wine Company relocated its multiple member of participating wineries (Bent Metal, Pilot Peak and Solune) from its inaugural location to a new, remodeled site across the street.

Sierra Knolls constructed off-site second tasting room located along Hwy 49 near Lake of the Pines in thesouthern part of the county.

Szabo Vineyards opened its off-site tasting room in downtown Nevada City

Retail License

151 Union Square, a retail wine licensed event center features the wines of four local wineries - Coufos, Double Oak, Montoliva and Naggiar

B.Y.O.B. Wine Sellers opened a unique tasting room and sales outlet just outside of Nevada City with the environmentally focused concept of refillable wine bottles.

With these additional tasting rooms, now the wines of 15 of the 19 plus wineries located in Nevada County can be experienced within the two communities of Grass Valley and Nevada City located only about 3.5 miles apart. Before June 2010 there were only eight wineries spread among the two towns.

Sierra Vintners - Re-Branding of organization representing 15 of the wine producers of the county who have joined forces

Attracting New Vineyard and/or Winery Owners

When I interviewed Mr. Alex Szabo, President of the Sierra Vintners association representing 15 of the Nevada County wineries, I asked him about what he sees as the future growth of the wine industry in the coming years. He responded that it might be possible to see as many as 10 new wineries come into product in the next about 8-10 years.

The new tasting room constructed by Sierra Knolls Vineyard and Winery along Hwy 49 in the southern part of Nevada County community of Lake of the Pines will become the wine country gateway site for all the wine outlets in the county because it will significantly raise the awareness of the traveling public that Nevada County has wineries. This will be particularly true should the owners continue to plan for and then implement planting of a vineyard on the land surrounding the tasting room property.

Coupling this new Hwy 49 roadside wine tasting room with the fact that the two downtowns of Grass Valley (11 wineries) and Nevada City (4 wineries) now have the wines of 15 of the county’s wineries readily available to the wine consumer who does not need to travel 20-40 minutes along winding and narrow two lane backroads between wineries to taste the wines of Nevada County.

Now add the fact that travelers on their way to camping sites, swimming & fishing spots and gambling casinos of the Sierra Foothills, Tahoe and Reno who will come to these downtown cities for interim lodging, dining and shopping will suddenly discover themselves running into six (6) storefronts in Grass Valley serving the wines of 11 wineries while four (4) storefronts in Nevada City represent four more wineries of the county.

Many travelers would not have realized that Nevada County had this many wineries if it were not for those who will gain their first exposure to Nevada County wines at the Hwy 49 location of “Bear River Wine Tasting” facility of Sierra Knolls and then pursued the tasting rooms located in town. Truckee River Winery could also become such an initial marketing arm for all the Nevada County Wine Industry. In order for these entities to realize such positions, they will need to lobby for very visible signage marking them as the “Northern Nevada County Wine Industry Gateway” [Truckee River] and “Southern Nevada County Wine Industry Gateway” [Bear River Wine Tasting-Sierra Knolls Vineyard and Winery]

There are a few market analysis and programs that I believe would substantially assist the Nevada County Wine Industry to realize its dreams of sustained but controlled growth.

Statistical Data Collection and Analysis
I want to suggest that those involved in the Nevada County Wine Industry participate in a questionnaire survey designed to assess where these entities are deriving their tasting room clientele. To encourage the consumer to complete the survey, the wineries might consider waiving the tasting fee for those who participate. The questionnaire needs to be simple so it does not scare off the participant but thorough enough to provide an accurate measurement of the way consumers discover the Nevada County Wine Country . The survey needs to be sure that it covers the many ways the consumer could have learned about the wineries of Nevada County. It should probably run continuously for the next three to five years so that the Nevada County Wine Industry can access their strong and weak points in marketing and acquiring consumers.

A Nevada County Wine Industry Master Plan for Future Growth
The Nevada County Wine Industry needs a document that lays out all the important factors about the vines-to-wines industry from which potential investors in that industry can reasonably gage the chances for them to be successful as a new operation in the county. After 15 months of document research and data collection, and contact and interviews with private and governmental entities, I can conclusively say that no such comprehensive document and/or plan exists, or at least was exposed to me for review.

Such a document should show and/or include at minimum:

- location of all the existing wine grape vineyards (whether part of a collocated winery operation or not) with elevation range, associated list of varietals being grown, and wineries and separate off site tasting rooms (if applicable).

- geographical land areas of highest to lowest probability of successful wine grape production where county land zoning codes will allow for such use and in association with list of “best” or “most suitable” grape varietal for planting

- statistical information on annual vineyard grape harvest tonnage and wine production by gallons & cases separated by varietal

- And other import economic investment indicators

This publication should not be formatted as a boring ”government” tool but rather as a marketing instrument that presents the story in a business-like prospectus format.

“Take It On The Road!” Marketing Events
I would suggest that the Nevada County wineries who have a large enough number of wine case production to do so, provide a sufficient amount of wine each that could be used in a ‘traveling road show’ approach to marketing the NC wineries and growers to attract new consumers and new growers/vintners. Such events should have “trade only” as well as “Open to the public” tasting hours.

Since the Nevada County Wine Industry does not, to my knowledge, have a master/comprehensive growth plan to show those in the trade and the consumers, I would of course, have my booklet, "Olney's Guide to the Wineries of Nevada County" (in draft) at each show and would do autograph sessions. Although this may sound self serving, my booklet nevertheless will be the most comprehensive summary in print of the past and present history of the Industry and thus it can be used to show the attendees what they can expect to find - not to mention increase sales of my booklet. You can click on the picture to enlarge it.

The initial road show might consist of seven stops visiting Sacramento, Roseville, Rocklin/Loomis, Grass Valley/Nevada City, Truckee, Tahoe and Reno. I’m still thinking about whether a tasting charge should be made or not. If a charge was made it should be fairly low. I would also hold a separate “for free” tasting period - say two hours before letting the general public in the door - conducted for “trade only,“ registered attendees. For this latter portion of the marketing events all wineries would hopefully provide tasting samples for the trade folks.

I would suggest that Corti Brothers ( http://www.cortibros.biz/ ) be invited to host the first such tasting and book autographing event for the Sacramento area. Darrell Corti helped establish Bob Trinchero/Sutter Home in the Zinfandel wine business, and is probably the most respected wine retailer in California at this time. He was recently inducted into the California Vintners Hall of Fame. We would want to find the “best and most popular” retailers of wines in the other communities to host such a special tasting and book autographing event.

I also believe that witnessing and participating in these events might help to entice Besemer, Gray Pine, Clavey and Truckee River as well as possibly some of those winery operations mentioned above who I recently learned about, and make them realize that membership in the Sierra Vintners would indeed benefit their individual business interests and therefore they might reconsider their position and join.

I also think that this road show should include representation from the Sierra Wine and Grape Growers Association to speak about their successfull operations and the benefits they realize as only growers selling their crops to vintners instead of producing their own wine label.

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ABOUT THE "OLNEY'S GUIDE TO...." The Nevada County Guide will be the first in a series of booklets that will eventually encompass all the gold counties of the Northern Sierra's

Additionally, Mr. Olney has been developing a book which will include the history of the rise of wine production amoing the early days of mining through the present day in the industry. The draft cover to this book is shown below. You can click on the picture to enlarge it.

An Argument for an American Wine Industry Hall of Fame

2011-07-19T04:31:00.000-07:00

By John M. Olney
July 4, 2011
Part One of a Three Part Series

The Premise

The thought of a Vintners Hall of Fame for those who own and/or are employed in and about the California Wine Industry is a noble notion but what is really needed is an American Wine Industry Hall of Fame that recognizes those individuals, institutions, private corporations and governmental agency’s who have contributed to the birth of wine in what would become the USA, nurturing it through its adolescent years and then managing it into its current state of maturity where its wines are produced for the appeal of the palate of just about every possible consumer market across the USA; indeed the world!

Background

Although the wine snob cannot stand to hear about, see, smell or taste “sweet wines” or acknowledge that there are wine producers who dare to invent or create “designer” or “fad” wines, nevertheless the market sales numbers tell us that the wine snob is distinctly in the minority view.

In today’s market place, the consumer can pick from bottles of wine that are allegedly “premium” and are “what any wine consumer of any real quality should be drinking” - at least so says the wine snob and critic - that cost hundreds of dollars; indeed even ranging into the thousands per bottle! These wines are produced in quantities of way less than hundreds of thousand cases per year. Compare that to the sales of wines with catchy names and clever eye catching labels that are produced in the millions of cases per year at large winery facilities that sell for less than five dollars per bottle down to three dollars a bottle or less! Wow, what a range of diversity in price but not necessarily in quality, since “quality” is a relative term that depends on the likes and dislikes of the consumer making an evaluation of a wine being tasted. What one person or critic thinks is a quality wine, another turns their nose at it. And, in my way of thinking, there is no problem with this concept!

The most important point here is that the above description of the range of wine styles produced in America is exactly what growing regions of those countries. Such rules & regulations can makes it a wine industry! You have the small, family vineyard of a few acres and winery owner personalizing everything he or she does in the vineyard and in the winery to manufacture the product they believe represents the type and quality of wine to which they wish to associate their name. At the other end of the wine industry scale is the wine producer, whether family-owned or a corporation, which is totally vertically integrated owning thousands of acres of vineyard, its own harvesting equipment, one or more wine production facilities - each looking more like a giant oil refinery operation than what one usually thinks of as a quaint farm like scene - analytic laboratory, bottling building and lines capable of handling millions of bottles - indeed cases, label, carton & box design & printing shop, trucking line distribution system, and marketing & public relations divisions and more. The only significant difference between these two ends of the spectrum is the likes and dislikes of the consumer when drinking the wine produced by these completely different operations both in style and magnitude.

The difference in the above spectrum of wine production is also what America experienced as it hungered for the wines of the “Old Country” when the 13 Colonies were organizing, growing and maturing into a cohesive body that would no longer suffer the rule of a distant foreign government trying to control and absorb the abundant resources found in the North American Continent and specifically what would become the United States of America. While enduring this foreign rule, the colonists found an abundant amount and species of grapes in their “New World” that certainly suggested they could produce a wine product for their tables. Indigenous grape varietals were everywhere. Soon the idea of picking and crushing the local grape, fermenting the juice and aging the resultant wine became almost an obsession for many who relished wine as they knew it from their home countries.

The Palate

The driving force to “premium” wine consumption from our earliest days in the Colonies to what we drink today is that our forefathers and the wine critics of the times were and remain as palates used to the familiar tastes of wines pro-duced from foreign varietals and made in foreign vintner fashion as prescribed by the laws of each foreign country controlling the classifications of wines in the various stifle individuality, ambition to improve varietal development, wine production techniques and thus quality of the wines that can be produced.

The USA does not have such strict government involvement in the business of wine grape planting and production. Growers and vintners can plant what they want on their land and as many vines per acre as they feel will work for them. We do not employ a strict “classification system” such as used by the French where traditional classifications of wineries within regions that were defined centuries ago regardless of the current quality of the wine being produced today nevertheless remain carved in stone.

In the USA, the winery and the wines, stand alone to be judged by each consumer and critic!

As our forefathers learned from their many experiments attempting to make wines from the indigenous grape of the USA that tasted like from their original homeland, the resultant wine just did not have the “right” taste. Thus, they would start importing rootstock from their homelands in attempt to reproduce a fine European wine in and on American soil and climate. Once again these ambitious and industrious wine producers experienced set backs as the foreign varietals did not hold up well in the soils and climates of our eastern states. This forced those interested in “fine” wine production to start experimenting in crossing foreign varietals with indigenous varietals. Meanwhile others took a completely different road in wine production. They looked to other sugar developing fruits and berries, and the ancient source of wine - honey - to produce a wine product. Once again the traditional wine snob pushes his/her nose up in grimace at the thought of having to tolerate the existence of these wine products much less to be stuck having to drink any!

All this background information now brings us back to the concept of an American Wine Industry Hall Of Fame. This title purposely avoids the use of the word “grape” because there are a number of states in the USA where many wineries make their product not from grapes but from other sugar-based crops. If you are of the grape exclusive persuasion you wouldn’t even bother to read further or to experiment with or train your palate to enjoy non-grape generated wines. But, such wines enjoy a very large following that results in serious agriculture derived revenues to those producing states.

A Little Bit of Interpretive History

As we began our expansionist movement from a nation of just 13 former British Colonies and dared to push west and south while justifying such conquests of indigenous people and their lands under the delusion that it was our “manifest destiny” to populate the land from ocean to ocean and the Great Lakes to Gulf of Mexico, we brought with us our appetite for wine. We pushed aside indigenous peoples as we moved into the great Ohio and Missouri Basins and plains. The Louisiana Purchase gave us the largest acquisition of land more than doubling the size of our nation. We annexed the Mexican controlled lands of Texas and started a war with Mexico to gain even more of their lands north of the Gulf of Mexico and stretching to the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile we negotiated a settlement with the British thereby avoiding another war where land in the Pacific Northwest was divided between the two nations with the USA gaining what we now call Oregon and Washington and other lands stretching along the latitude line intersecting with the Great Lakes.

Upon finally reaching the Mexican controlled land of California and winning rights to it along with other important lands of the southwest during the great war with Mexico, we finally had what would prove to be control of the perfect land and climatic conditions upon which we could grow the European varietals we so longed for our palate - Washington, Oregon and California.

Since those adolescent years of our national growth, wine production in the USA has been dominated by the eastern states of New York, and Pennsylvania, the mid west states of Ohio and Michigan, the south with Texas and Virginia and western states of California, Washington and Oregon. Many of the early names who helped to develop the wines as we migrated west came from the east and settled in the west when they realized what an asset it was for wine production. However, that migration did not mean the doom of wine production elsewhere in the USA. Just the opposite occurred as migration pushed all the other wine growing regions to search for ideal varietals clones and cross breading from which wines could compete in an open market place. The best evidence of this is the fact that every state in the union today has wineries with product in the market place. This achievement is exactly why there should be an American Wine Industry Hall of Fame that recognizes the talents that brought us to this point of our maturity in the wine industry of our country.

Future Growth of Nevada County Wine Industry

2011-06-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

By John M. Olney
Phone: 707-299-9548 Web: http://jolney.blogspot.com/ Email: OlneyJohnM@aol.com

(You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.)

In the past year the wineries associated to the two towns of Grass Valley and Nevada City have undergone a phenomenal change and all for the better. The highlights of what I have witnessed are cited below.

Nevada City has gained two tasting rooms that are an extension of the tasting room they each have at their vineyard and winery site. This means that Nevada City now represents four (4) of the 15 wineries in close proximity to each other. They are Nevada City, Indian Springs, Clavey and Szabo. The latter two wineries opened their new tasting rooms in the second half of 2010.

Then there has been the addition of a very interesting new concept in wine retailing. It is called “B.Y.O.B Wine Seller” and is located in Nevada City. Here, you buy a BYOB bottle of wine and the concept is to reuse, not recycle, the bottle by returning to the shop and refilling the bottle at a discounted price.

Grass Valley has also made great gains in looking like a wine industry. Avangardia, Lucchesi, Smith and Sierra Starr continue their individual tasting room presence in the cities where they are now joined by two “collective” like tasting rooms. The Grass Valley Wine Company represents three wineries (Bent Medal, Pilot Peak and Solune). 151 Union Square, a retail wine licensed tasting room and events center offers four more of the outskirt wineries: Coufos, Double Oak, Montoliva, and Naggiar. Both of the latter collective-like tasting rooms opened during the second half of 2010.

Between the two cities of Grass Valley and Nevada City 15 of the 17 Nevada County wineries are represented in the downtown shopping and socializing areas.

The remaining two wineries are located a good distance from these two towns. In the far eastern corner of the county is the Truckee River winery which is just outside of downtown Truckee. Located along Hwy 49 near Lake of the Pines, the southern most populated community of the county, is the new second tasting room of Sierra Knolls winery which just opened in May 2011.The latter is named "Bear River Wine Tasting."

On Saturday and Sunday (May 28-29), of Memorial Day weekend the Sierra Vintners (http://www.sierravintners.com/) association (formerly known as Northern Sierra Wine Country) consisting of 15 of the 17 Nevada County wineries, conducted their annual Wine Trail event. Last year I attended this event on just Sunday but this year I went both days .Attendance this year was noticeably down from that I witnessed last year and it maybe that the cold and rainy weather both days this year kept many away from attending. It rained on and off both days and was cold ranging between the upper 30’s and low to mid 40’s.

Solune Winegrowers
On Saturday, I had my good friend Nanc Boyce with me who lives locally in the community of “You Bet,” located along Hwy 174 between Colfax and Grass Valley. The first winery we visited was Solune Winegrowers ( www.solunewinery.com/ ), also located along Hwy 174. We tasted mostly reds but we were not long at this winery because we wanted to get to the next where we would be able to listen to live Blue Grass music.

Montoliva Vineyard and Winery
Our next stop was Montoliva Vineyard and Winery (www.montoliva.com/) located in the old Italian farming community of Chicago Park. The one acre vineyard is shown to the left with livestock of the neighbor in the background. It is still a rather pleasant farming community atmosphere.

(You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.)

The owner/winemaker Mark Henry- shown to right explaining Italian varietals to attendees - has a beautiful black cat that absolutely demands that all visitors pay attention to it. After awhile the cat decided to survey the attendees from a height about eye level to them.

Notice the Owl (statue) to the right looking at the cat with a question as to why the cat is perched up there on the vine post!

Naggiar Vineyards
The next winery we visited was Naggiar Vineyards ( www.naggiarvineyards.com/ ) who is the largest grower among the 17 wineries with 60 acres of vineyards of which he sells 70%
of his crop to other wineries both in and outside of Nevada County, including both Napa and Sonoma Counties. The remaining 30% of crop is used for their own labels for the 4,000 cases they produce annually. The relatively new tasting room and event center is shown here.

(You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.)

Szabo Vineyards
The final winery we visited was Szabo Vineyards ( www.szabovineyards.com/ ) which is located northwest of Nevada City. Pictured to the left is the tree that Alex Szabo, owner/winemaker retained in the middle of the vineyard when he excavated the land and planted the vines. He loved the tree and just could not bring it down. His eye saw that it would make a great background for his labels.

Alex is also the President of the 15 member Sierra Vintners Association.

His winery and grounds have earned him a number of awards and honors for being environmentally friendly and energy efficient.

Overall, the attendance appeared to be quite a bit down from that I saw the year before. This winery had the most visitors at it of the four we visited on Saturday. It was cold all afternoon, hovering in the low 40’s and the rain really came down about 3:00 pm until 4 pm.

Kane’s Restaurant
Nanc and I then went out to dinner at both our favorite restaurant in downtown Grass Valley, “Kane’s “ ( www.kanesrestaurant.net/ ) where we shared a delicious steak dinner.

It was the same night as the Nevada High School Senior Ball so we got quite a fashion show as all the young ladies escorted by their gentleman wore their stunning evening gowns

(You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.)

Lucchesi Vineyards and Winery
The next day, Sunday, I visited wineries by myself as Nanc had other obligations she had to pack for and make arrangements to travel. My first stop was Lucchesi Vineyards and Winery ( http://www.lucchesivineyards.com/ ) which located on a very narrow backwoods dirt and gravel road that ends at the winery on a street appropriately named “ View Forever Lane,” Grass Valley . As you can see from these scenic pictures, the name is very accurate!

Owners, Mario and Linda Clough, created a great attraction at their event. As you might notice there are three boxes to the right of them filled with wine bottles. Each attendee had the opportunity to throw three wicker rings at these boxes. The closest box was marked 30% discount, the middle 40% and the furthest away 50%, I was lucky enough to ring a bottle worth a 40 % discount on any and everything I bought that day at the winery. I liked their Sauvignon Blanc very much so I bought a couple of bottles using my 40% discount to give me a great price on the wine.

They had an interesting presentation where they had Tahoe artist Red Regan, pictured here with his wife Julie, conducting real time art painting for all attendees to watch and enjoy.

Smith Vineyard
Next on my schedule is Smith Vineyard ( http://www.smithvineyard.com/ ) pictured to the left behind 2nd generation owners Gary and Chris Smith. The winery tasting area is show to the right. I also stopped by their downtown second tasting room which I will discuss later.

(You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.)

Sierra Starr Vineyard

The third winery I would visit is Sierra Starr Vineyard. (http://www.sierrastarr.com/) Last year this was the busiest winery I visited (pictured to the left). But this year, there was less attendance (pictured to the right). The Starr’s have been undergoing expansion with planting new vineyards and constructing a new winery and barrel storage building.

Shown to the right is what the winery barrel cave looked like at last years’ Wine Trail. To the left is the new construction under-way at this time which is right on top of the old cave area.

Downtown Grass Valley
After this winery, I went into downtown Grass Valley and found that there was a street closure art display event along central Mill Street which is perpendicular to Main street. It ran on the same blocks where four of the downtown tasting rooms are located.

To the right is the traffic at the Grass Valley Wine Company
(http://www.gvwineco.com/ collective like tasting room feature the three wineries of Bent Medal, Pilot Peak and Solune. To the left is the traffic at the Smith Vineyards ( http://www.smithvineyard.com/ ) tasting room.

(You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.)

Sierra Knolls Vineyard and Winery
The fourth winery I visited on Sunday was the new Sierra Knolls “Bear River Wine Tasting”(http://www.sierraknollswinery.com/) building that just opened in mid May 2011, It is located about a mile south of the Wolf/Combie road intersection at the entry to the southern most populated community, Lake of the Pines.

This site had the most people both in the tasting room and outside on the grounds. They were serving both drop-in traffic from people stopping as they drove by and saw the winery as well as serving those who bought the ticket to the Wine Trail event.

A Suggestion
On May 7 , 2011, I published my predictions (http://jolney.blogspot.com/2011/05/sierra-knolls-bear-river-wine-tasting.html ) about the near term future of the 17 Nevada County wineries. I mainly focused on the new tasting room constructed by Sierra Knolls Vineyard & Winery along Hwy 49 located only about a mile plus south of the Nevada County community of Lake of the Pines. I believe that this location, because its easily visible along a major highway route into Grass Valley and Nevada City, while cause the passing traffic to think much about wine and Nevada County.

I believe that this tasting room will become the wine country gateway site for all the wine outlets in the county because it will significantly raise the awareness of the public that Nevada County has wineries. This will be particularly true should the owners continue to think and then implement planting of a vineyard on the land surrounding the tasiting room property. These predictions were based on my observations over the past one year plus that I have been visiting, tasting the wines, talking to the winery owners and winemakers and attending events where I could roughly estimate attendance.

Coupling this new Hwy 49 roadside wine tasting room with the fact that the two downtowns of Grass Valley (11 wineries) and Nevada City (4 wineries) now have the wines of 15 of the county’s 17 wineries readily available to the wine consumer who does not need to travel 20-40 minutes along winding and narrow two lane backroads between wineries to taste the wines of Nevada County.

Now add the fact that travelers who come to these downtown cities for lodging, dining and shopping will suddenly discover themselves running into six (6) storefronts in Grass Valley serving the wines of 11 wineries while four (4) storefronts in Nevada City represent four more wineries of the county. Many of these visitors would not have even realized that Nevada County had this many wineries if it were not for the Hwy 49 location and the downtown tasting room locations.

I am aware that the Sierra Vintners have contracted a consultant to assist them in their branding marketing plan but I would still like to make a suggestion based on my operations analysis background. If the marketing firm has not already developed a plan for statistical analysis, I want to suggest that it try to convince the 17 wineries, Sierra Vintners, GVWC, 151 Union Square and BYOB Wine Sellars to participate is a questionnaire survey designed to assess where these entities are deriving their tasting room clientele. To encourage the consumer to complete the survey, the wineries might consider waiving the tasting fee for those who participate. The questionnaire needs to be simple so it does not scare off the participant but thorough enough to provide an accurate measure of the way consumers discover Wine Country Nevada County. The survey needs to be sure that it covers the many ways the consumer could have learned about the wineries of Nevada County.

I believe that the Nevada County Wine Industry is going to experience a rapid growth in interest and retail sales during the next two-three years that none of the 17 wineries would have thought might occur just a couple years ago.

Copyright, all rights reserved by Wine Country Marketing and Promotions,
1370 Trancas St., #409, Napa, CA 94558 Phone: 707-299-9548
Web site: http://www.twccwcmp.blogspot.com/ E-mail: winecountrypromo@aol.com

Sierra Knolls Bear River Wine Tasting

2011-05-08T14:55:00.000-07:00

“The Gateway Tasting Room and Experience to the Nevada County Wine Industry”

By John M. Olney
based on a visit to the winery on May 7, 2011
Web site: http://www.jolney.blogspot.com/

(You can click on the pictures for enlargement)

The under construction new tasting room, a second but separately located facility from the original Sierra Knolls vineyard and winery, (web site: http://www.sierraknollswinery.com/ ) is going to change the whole feel of wine tasting in Nevada County!

You’ll find it at 10024 Linnet Lane, Auburn, CA, just a mile plus south of the Nevada County border and about 13 miles or so southwest of the actual vineyard and winery location.

The new site, located along side a very easily viewed road adjacent to Hwy 49 is probably going to change the Sierra Knolls business plan beyond the initial most wild expectations of its owners. John Chase, one of the four principal owners in the Sierra Knolls vineyard and winery is also the primary winemaker. He told me that a number of people within the wine industry, as well as those who are just wine consumers, have tried to explain to him and his partners in a most favorable way, the potential impact that sudden and mass exposure can cause as a consequence of a simple but potent move that one makes such as their new tasting room. Personally, after talking with two of the principals I don’t think they realize what they are creating and where it is going to force them to go,

Sierra Knolls, and the 15 other wineries located in and about the Grass Valley-Nevada City area are about to experience market exposure and thus consumer visitation and retail sales growth that is reminiscent of what happened in the late 1960s in the Napa Valley when Robert Mondavi had the audacity but also the foresight to build a winery and tasting room along the Hwy 29 corridor in Oakville near the Oakville Grade and Oakville Cross Road centered in a beautiful and famous vineyard that attracted the consumer like a moth drawn to a light bulb.

John Chase reminded me when the consumer drives along the main Hwy’s of 20, 49, 80 and 174 without seeing a vineyard or even a winery per say. Coufos is the closest the wine consumer will come if that driver happens to transverse the Rough and Ready Road. On the contrary, down in the “flatlands” that’s all you see if you are driving along say Hwy 12, 29, 101,121 and 128 in the Napa and Sonoma County winery areas. He added that their plan is to plant a vineyard around the wine tasting room thereby cementing what this new structure is in the minds of the travelers going by.

Back in 1967, Robert Mondavi had both his mother and brother arguing with him over marketing plans and the substantial costs Robert wanted to incur for marketing the Charles Krug wine and property in St. Helena, CA. He was unceremoniously discharged from the family and its money. However with help of a few close friends he survived and found financing from Rainier Brewing to allow him to build the facility we all recognize as we exit Yountville and head into Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena - the womb of the birth of the finest Napa Valley wines. This site quickly became the gateway winery to the Napa Valley Wine Industry. Consumers flocked to it and consequently soon realized that there were many great wine experiences to be undertaken within about a 30 minute drive of Oakville in all directions.

I am predicting that this undertaking of a new tasting room location separate from their winery and vineyards, and adjoining Hwy 29 at the point where travelers and existing wine consumers enter Nevada County at its southern most border, will be a very well visited site. At first this will be almost by accident: “Hey, did you see that, Maggie? We just passed a winery? I never knew Nevada County had such. Let’s go back and see what it’s all about.”

Then folks from close-by communities such as Loomis, Rocklin, Roseville and Sacramento will become aware of the winery tasting room so close to the highway and convenient for sample wine tasting. Recreation bound hikers, bike riders, campers, boaters, gold mine tourists and other travelers coming from as far away as the Bay Area and Peninsula will quickly follow suit. In a short amount of time, wine consumers will no longer be saying “I didn’t even know that Nevada County had wineries let alone 17 of them!”

This Sierra Knolls vineyard and wine tasting facility will rapidly become the tourist’s first source of information about not just wine but also what other wonderful activities are offered within Nevada County. The Sierra Knolls Bear River Wine Tasting staff will soon become the verbal guide for travelers seeking things to see and do in Nevada County. I would think that county/city offices responsible for tourism and the Chambers of Commerce will see what develops and quickly seek to get co-located with the Sierra Knolls project.

When I spoke with John Chase I tried to explain to him why Robert Mondavi, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and other wineries were sold for so much money and it has to do with sales of what is called a “second label.” Second labels were the Woodbridge line for the Mondavi’s and Hawk Crest for Warren Winiarski of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. These second labels provided the cash flow and bottom line financial statement that the “premium label” of both gentlemen could never attain. I suspect the four principals of Sierra Knolls will be “forced to expand” production to meet demand just because of the construction and opening the “second tasting room” concept at this particular location, Development of a quality second label using grapes from other sources will be the probable route they will end up taking while maintaining their currrent “premium and estate wines” produced from their own vineyard grapes.

Sierra Knolls Bear River Wine Tasting site, with its location near the intersection of Hwy 49 only about a mile plus from the Wolf- Combie intersection, the main street in and out of the Nevada County area known as “Lake of the Pines” is situated in the open beautiful land just north of the strip mall, after strip mall, compacted light industrial area of northern Auburn. This location could well cause a significant growth to the entire wine industry of Nevada County. It probably will not be on the scale of what a Mondavi winery created but it will be at a level that probably none of the Nevada County winery owners ever expected to see in such a short time.

All this is magnified even more when the consumer learns that all of the other wineries in the surrounding area of Grass Valley and Nevada City (15 of the 17 total wineries) can have their wines tasted in the comfort of tasting rooms in Grass Valley (six buildings housing 11 wineries) and Nevada City (four buildings housing four wineries). In each of these cities the tasting rooms are less than a couple minutes walk away from each other. The other two county wineries are Sierra Knolls, the southern most winery in proximity to Lake of the Pines, and the eastern most winery, Truckee River, near downtown Truckee. It should be noted that only four separate tastings rooms existed in Grass Valley before 2010 and two in Nevada City . So, the industry has essentially doubled its presence in the downtown cities in less that a year!

I have listed addresses and tasting hours for all 17 wineries below.

The in- and near-town “second tasting room” concept offers the consumer the absolutely best of all opportunities, They can taste the wines of the county industry without the often excruciating experience of driving 30 or more minutes on back roads that are mostly narrow, full of mountain curves at slow speeds, with steep drop offs and frequently composed of only dirt and gravel between wineries. Advocate of the “no more drunk drivers” philosophy can thank all of the winery owners for their efforts to bring their product to the consumer without increasing dangerous driving conditions. It is true that consumer parties still need a designated driver, but the concept of downtown tasting rooms certainly is an important contribution to safer driving conditions among wine tasting parties.

Oh, I must suggest that you also visit the actual site of the existing vineyards, winery and tasting room located at 19635 Kingswood Court, Grass Valley. It is actually located just a few miles northeast of the community of Lake of the Pines.

You will not only enjoy their wines but the magnificent views of the distant Sacramento Valley and hills but the outside BBQ and picnic grounds always available for your use.

1370 Trancas St., #409, Napa, CA 94558 Phone: 707-299-9548
Web site: http://www.twccwcmp.blogspot.com/ E-mail: winecountrypromo@aol.com

WINE TASTING NEVADA COUNTY

Back in April, 2010 when I first visited the Nevada County wine industry, there were 17 wineries scattered mostly around Nevada City and Grass Valley with one winery located about an hour plus drive away in Truckee. Grass Valley had the only separate second tasting rooms of the local wineries. A year later, the industry has undergone a number of very interesting changes as shown below.

Truckee remains with one (1) tasting room in close proximity to its downtown area.

There were two (2) wineries with tasting rooms in Nevada City. Today there are four (4).

Back in April 2010, Grass Valley had four (4) stand alone separate tasting rooms from their sponsoring vineyard & winery, and one (1) “collective-cooperative-type” tasting room containing four wineries which totaled eight (8) wineries available to the consumer in very close proximity to each other. Today there are still four (4) stand alone separate tasting rooms but there are now two (2) “collective/cooperative-type” tasting rooms representing a different four (4) Nevada County wineries each. Combined, these six downtown locations represent 11 Nevada County wineries available to the consumer.

A new, separate stand alone tasting room is located in the Lake of the Pines/Auburn area alongside Hwy 49 that was not there a year ago.

From the consumer standpoint, the Nevada County wine industry has moved in a very positive direction to be sure that the consumer has a convenient chance to taste, enjoy and purchase their wines with a minimum of slow, country-road driving times associated to moving from one remote vineyard/winery site to the next. The advantage of this approach is that travelers passing through with different end goals in mind can now come upon a wine district they may have never even known existed, discover wonderful wines and then schedule specific tours and tasting at those of the 17 they found very interesting. I suspect the Nevada County wine industry is going to realize very favorable results from their approach to make it easier for the consumer to discovery them. Below is the distribution of wineries and their tasting hours.

The following four winery operations only offer direct pouring at their vineyard and winery location. But through special agreement, these wineries have their wines stocked and tastings conducted at a retail wine shop like lounge tasting room in downtown Grass Valley.

Coufos http://www.coufoscellars.com/
- 10065 Roughand Ready Rd, Rough and Ready: Saturday and Sunday Noon - 5:00 PM or By Appointment Only (BAO)

Double Oak http://www.doubleoakwinery.com/ - 14510 Blind Shady Rd., Nevada City: Saturdays 11-5 February through December and also by appointment January through December

Montoliva http://www.montoliva.com/ - its actual winery site at 15629 Mount Olive Road Chicago Park and is open Saturday and ; Sunday 12 – 4 pm.

Naggiar http://www.naggiarvineyards.com/- 18125 Rosemary Lane, south of Grass Valley: Monday - Thursday BAO and Friday through Sunday: 12 pm to 5 pm

There is one winery tasting room in the vicinity of Truckee

Truckee River (http://www.truckeeriverwinery.com/ - 11467 Brockway Road, near downtown Truckee, just off Hwy 80. Open 11:00 AM TO 7:00PM everyday except Tuesday

There are four winery tasting rooms located in downtown Nevada City.

Two of these operations own do not own vineyards, thus they source their grapes from other growers. They offer tasting as follows:

Indian Springs (http://www.indianspringswines.com/ - 303 Broad Street - Sunday thru Thursday - 11:30AM to 5:00PM and Friday and Saturday 1:30AM to 6:00 PM

Nevada City (http://www.nevadacitywinery.com/ - 321 Spring Street - Open Sun-Thursday 12-5pm, Fri-Sat 12-6pm

Two wineries opened their stand alone second tasting room during the last year.

Clavey Estate Winery http://www.claveywine.com/ and its vineyards are located in Chicago Park (Tasting and tours BAO) but also opened a tasting room at 115South Pine Street in Nevada City. The latter tasting room hours are: Closed Monday, Tuesday - Friday: 3-8 pm, Saturday: 12 noon - 8 pm and Sunday: 12 noon - 6 pm

Szabo Vineyardshttp://www.szabovineyards.com/- Winery and vineyards are located at 14293 Gold Fork Road Nevada City: They offer group tastings at the winery BAO. They also recently opened a second tasting room in downtown Nevada City at 12-7316 Broad Street which is open as follows: Thursday and Sunday 12– 5 pm and Friday and Saturday 12 – 7 pm

One winery tasting room in the Lake of the Pines/Auburn area off Hwy 49

Sierra Knolls http://www.sierrastarrwine.com/ original tasting room is located at 19635 Kingswood Ct… Grass Valley, Tours and tasting at the actual winery site are BAO. Open Saturday & Sunday 12 – 5 pm. They just opened a second tasting room located on 10024 Linnet Lane, Auburn, a frontage road, along Hwy 49 and about two miles south of the Wolf Road-Combie Road intersection of the southern most Nevada County community of Lake of the Pines. They have named this location Bear River Wine Tasting Closed Tuesday and Wednesday, Open: Sunday 12 – 5 pm, Monday and; Thursday 12 – 6 pm and Friday and Saturday 12 – 7

Off Winery Site tasting rooms located in Grass Valley

Eight (8) wineries not only have their original tasting room located at their vineyard/winery site, but also maintain an off-site tasting room in downtown Grass Valley.

Stand alone Tasting Rooms

Sierra Starrhttp://www.sierrastarrwine.com/- First winery to open a tasting room off-premise at 124 West Main Street. Open everyday 12-5pm. Actual vineyard and winery located at 11179 Gibson Drive, Grass Valley and tours/tasting are BAO.

Avanguardia (http://www.avanguardiawines.com/located at 209 West Main Street. Open daily 12-5pm. Actual winery site located at 13024 Jones Bar, Nevada City: Open Saturday and Sunday 12 – 5 pm during the months of May-October

Lucchesi (>www.lucchesivineyards.comlocated at 167 Mill Street which is the central cross street to Main. Open daily from 11:00am-6:00pm. At actual winery site: 19698 View Forever Lane Grass Valley open Monday through Friday 9 am – 5 pm. BAO for weekend hours

Smith ttp://www.smithvineyard.com/ - located at 124 Mill Street. Open everyday, 12-5pm. Tasting/tours at actual winery site of 13719 Dog Bar Road, Grass Valley are BAO

Cooperative and Collective like Tasting rooms

Grass Valley Wine Company http://www.gvwineco.com/ - located at 128 Mill Street. The first “collective tasting room” site operated for a short time during the summer of 2010 before conflicts of event scheduling with the owner of the leased facilities forced the collective to seek another location. The original group of wineries included four wineries - Bent Metal, Montoliva, Pilot Peak, and Solune. The group was reformed without Montoliva who opted to remain in the original facility location. Bent Medal, Pilot Peak and Solune moved to a new site located on Mill St. The operation hours are: Daytime: Thursday through Monday 12 - 6 pm and Evenings: Thursday through Saturday 6 - 8 pm

Tasting at the actual winery sites can be accomplished as follows

Bent Metal - http://www.bentmetalwinery.com/14364 McCourtney Road, Grass Valley.Open Saturday & Sunday 12 – 5 pm or by appointment

Pilot Peak http://www.pilotpeak.com/ vineyards and winery are located at 12888 Spenceville Road, Penn Valley. Open: Saturday and Sunday 1 – 4 pm, November through December, Saturday and Sunday 12 – 5 pm , March through October, and “Saturday Sunsets” 6 – 10 pm June through September

Solune - (http://www.solunewinery.com/ -
16303 Jewett Lane (Off Hwy 174), Grass Valley, offers tastings on Saturday and Sunday 12 – 5 pm or by appointment

Union Square Event Center and Wine Bar http://www.151unionsquare.com/ - located at 151 Mill Street which is the central cross street to Main. This is unique operation that combines a lounge atmosphere usuable for such events as weddin receptions, dinner theater, special occassions parties, and the capability of completing wine tasting all in one large, vwery well decorated room and mezzazine. The owner has elected to feature the four Nevada Counties listed at the beginning of this summary: Coufos, Double Oak, Montoliva and Naggiar. Wine tasting is offered from four wineries during the following hours:open 6 days a week from noon til 5pm closed Tuesday.

Book, Booklet and Poster updates

2011-04-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

Below I have listed the URL's for all to read the current staus of the projects listed as of April 6, 2011.

NAPA COUNTY
“The Essence of the Modern Napa Valley Wine Industry”
http://jolney.blogspot.com/2011/04/status-report-4611my-book-essence-of.html
This publication will ultimately contain 27 interviews (20 completed) varying in length from 2 to 4 hours each with some of the greatest names in the Napa Valley wine industry. I have seven (7) more interviews to complete. They all addressed the same five questions.

The individuals are representative of the various elements of what makes up an industry so you will hear from vineyard managers and owners, winemakers both small and large, winery owners both small and large, marketing/public relations experts, Napa County officials responsible for AG Preservation and definition of what constitutes a winery, insurance execs who had to figure how to assess the risk of insuring a vineyard/winery, a wine owners wife and mother and her perspectives, woman winery owners and much more.

NEVADA COUNTY
"Empire Gold: Mines to Wines -- The Past meets the Present".
http://jolney.blogspot.com/2011/04/status-update-my-book-empire-gold-mines.html
This publication will contain the history of wine production in the county which held the largest yielding gold mine in California's gold rush era.

"Olney’s Guide to Nevada County Wineries"
http://jolney.blogspot.com/2011/04/status-update-my-book-olneys-guide-to.html
This publication contains narrative directions about how to get to these widely spaced wineries, their second tasting rooms in Grass Valley, and the wines they produce.

The Nevada County Winery Poster and Fold-out Brochure
http://jolney.blogspot.com/2011/04/status-update-4611-my-project-nevada.html
These publications include a guide to the wineries, golf courses, parks, lakes and other merchants of this very beautiful and relaxing foothill community.

Status update my book: "Empire Gold: Mines to Wines --The Past meets the Present

2011-04-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

This will be the first documentation of the history of the wine industry of Nevada Gold Country where the most productive gold mine in California’s history existed: The Empire gold Nime.

I have to visit UC Davis and the Bancroft libraries to see what info exists on wineries before 1980. There is almost no historical info avail through the Nevada County or city offices of Nevada County. I have most of the post 1980 stuff done through my previous visits in the county.

I have re-established talks with our artist Stephanie to complete the cover art work and we are working on suggested changes you all have made.

CORRESPONDENCE EXCHANGES
Subject: Re: Wine and winery history Nevada County Date: 4/4/2011 11:37:30 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time From: ssnyder@library.berkeley.edu To: Thewinecntryclb2@aol.com

Dear Mr. Olney,

It looks like you have a fairly ambitious project with a very wide time range.

For pictures, I would start you off with Calisphere - http://www.calisphere.universityofcalifornia.edu/ /. You may type in all sorts of keywords in the search field, but remember, the words you use must appear in the captions of the photos in order to get those results, so it's most advantageous to keep your searches on the simple side.

For manuscript sources, please use the Online Archive of California - http://www.oac.cdlib.org/ - to search the existing finding aids to manuscript collections. Our online catalog may be of help for collections which do not have these finding aids - http://oskicat.berkeley.edu/

An article search would best be done from computers on campus in order to use the online electronic resource databases, many of which are limited to campus IDs. But you may see the list of options at http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/find/types/electronic_resources.html.

For such a large project, you may be interested in hiring a freelance researcher to help you. I am attaching a list of people who have particular experience with Bancroft collections.

Best of luck.
Susan Snyder Head, Public Services The Bancroft Library University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA 94720-6000 510 642-1595 510 642-7589 (fax)
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Subject: Re: Wine and winery history Nevada County Date: 4/1/2011 12:58:17 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time
From: Thewinecntryclb2@aol.com To: vwgeraci@me.com

Vic - Thank you very much and I will contact her next week. Have a great weekend. John Olney sends
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In a message dated 4/1/2011 11:52:42 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, vwgeraci@me.com writes:
Subject: Re: Wine and winery history Nevada County Date: 4/1/2011 11:52:42 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time
From: vwgeraci@me.com Reply To: To: Thewinecntryclb2@aol.com CC: ssnyder@library.berkeley.edu

John; Yes, I remember. My office only handles oral histories. If you wish to access any photos or collections at the Bancroft library you will need to contact Susan Snyder. I have included her on this email. Vic Geraci
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On Mar 30, 2011, at 4:41 PM, Thewinecntryclb2@aol.com wrote: Victor W. Geraci, PhD, ROHO Acting Director, The Bancroft Library Dear Dr. Geraci: We met through the media luncheon given by Dario Sattui in SF last year.

Presented below is my request and a response from UC Davis for historical info on the wines and wineries of Nevada County. I will be pursuing info from them and hope that you/your Bancroft Library staff can give hints where I might find Nevada County pix, stats, articles, etc. of wines & wineries in that beautiful county from 1850's through 1970's

Best regards John Olney Phone: 707-299-9548 Email: thewinecntryclb2@aol.com

Blog site: “Olney speaks…” http://www.jolney.blogspot.com/ Web site: “Wine Country Marketing & Promotions” http://www.twccwcmp.blogspot.com/
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Subject: Re: Wine and winery history Nevada County Date: 3/30/2011 5:02:35 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time

From: dmorrison@lib.ucdavis.edu To: aeborg@ucdavis.edu CC: Thewinecntryclb2@aol.com , skarstad@lib.ucdavis.edu, dmorrison@ucdavis.edu

Mr. Olney,
John Skarstad, our University Archivist is on vacation until Monday. I will talk to him about your request when he gets in. A thought-- have you tried looking at Sanborn Insurance maps? They are fire insurance maps of cities that did outlines of buildings and coded what they were made of for fire purposes? Used year after year, the outlines of buildings were pasted over one another as building shapes changed. But perhaps, wineries are more likely to be in outlying areas, so that won't work? Sanborn maps are also available on microform.

Ms. Daryl Morrison Head, Special Collections General Library, UC Davis 100 North West Quad
Davis, CA 95616-5292 Phone: (530) 752-2112 Fax: (530) 754-5758 dmorrison@ucdavis.edu
www.lib.ucdavis.edu/specol
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Subject: Fwd: FW: Info and pix on "The Secret Room" ATTN: MS Jane Hall Date: 3/30/2011 4:45:00 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time From: Thewinecntryclb2@aol.com

The sample DPR 245A form is included in the Filming Guidelines, beginning on page 32 of the weblink I included below. Depending on what you want from us determines what other forms you fill out, so I would need to know what it is you want from California State Parks to proceed. Look at the DPR 245A - some of the questions we’ll need answered are on there in a checklist format.

If you want access and copyright permission for the existing model photographs that Natalie Davenport referred to in the TMS System, also below, you may contact her directly, and she will help you with the release forms for those items.

Hopefully this will get your project started.
Jane Hall, Unit Ranger Empire Mine SHP (530) 273-8522 x 202 jhall@parks.ca.gov
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From: aeborg@ucdavis.edu To: Thewinecntryclb2@aol.com , skarstad@lib.ucdavis.edu, dmorrison@ucdavis.edu Sent: 3/30/2011 4:06:43 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time

Subj: RE: Wine and winery history Nevada County

Dear John, My office number is (530) 752-6176. I am in and out so it might be better to arrange a time to talk. I have copied John Skarstad and Daryl Morrison in our Special Collections. John is the University Archivist and a photo expert. Daryl is the Head of Special Collections. I suspect that if we have anything, it will most likely be in Special Collections.

Statistical information is hard to come by and you have probably found most that is available. We can certainly talk about other possibilities. Axel
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Subject: Wine and winery history Nevada County Date: 3/30/2011 3:45:51 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time
From: Thewinecntryclb2@aol.com To: aeborg@ucdavis.edu BCC: shrikef4@aol.com, ynld@chevron.com , 2346@comcast.net , jabadie245@sbcglobal.net , susanparks@sbcglobal.net

Attn: Mr. Axel Borg My name is John Olney and I'm a wine writer in Napa, CA. During the past year I have been researching wines and wineries of Nevada County. I have completed interviews with all 18 winery owners located in the county for my guide and for my more complete book on the history of wine in the county, titled, "Empire Gold: Mines to Wines - The past Meets the Present."

Trying to find pictures of any wineries prior to 1979 through any city/county offices have been unfruitful. I cannot find old stone/adobe walls or foundations or wood buildings except for the 1880's original Nevada City winery.

There is very little statistical data on wine varietals and production between the Gold Rush days through the 1970's. I am hopeful that UC Davis and the Bancroft Library might hold the key to what I am looking for: statistics, photo's, articles, etc

Let me have your phone number and I'll call you on this project if you don't mind. Best wishes John Olney Phone: 707-299-9548 Email: _thewinecntryclb2@aol.com _ (mailto:thewinecntryclb2@aol.com) Blog site: “Olney speaks…” http://www.jolney.blogspot.com/ _ (http://www.jolney.blogspot.com/) Web site: “Wine Country Marketing & Promotions” http://www.twccwcmp.blogspot.com/ (http://www.twccwcmp.blogspot.com/)
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Subject: Re: FW: Info and pix on "The Secret Room" ATTN: MS Jane Hall Date: 3/30/2011 3:57:31 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time From: Thewinecntryclb2@aol.com To: JHALL@parks.ca.gov BCC: shrikef4@aol.com , 2346@comcast.ne t, jabadie245@sbcglobal.net , ynld@chevron.com , susanparks@sbcglobal.net
Jane:

Please send copy of the release form you need from in order to view the pictures and the standard fees/form you require in order for me to reproduce any pix should would elect to publish any in my book. Thanks much in advance John sends

Phone: 707-299-9548 Email: thewinecntryclb2@aol.com Blog site: “Olney speaks…” http://www.jolney.blogspot.com/ Web site: “Wine Country Marketing & Promotions” http://www.twccwcmp.blogspot.com/
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in a message dated 3/9/2011 5:15:12 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, JHALL@parks.ca.gov writes:
Mr. Olney, here is some info for you, please contact me, or Natalie Davenport directly, for any further questions you might have.Jane Hall, Unit Ranger Empire Mine SHP (530) 273-8522 x 202 jhall@parks.ca.gov

From: Davenport, Natalie Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 11:53 AM To: Hall, Jane Subject: FW: Info and pix on "The Secret Room" ATTN: MS Jane Hall Hi Jane,

I know it has been a while since I was forwarded your email about the mine model photographs, but at the time I received the message, I hadn’t begun training on The Museum System. Anyhow, I was recently able to find 6 photographs of the mine model in TMS. They were all taken in 1988 by Larry Paynter before the mine model “room” existed. They are all black and white photos, and they all have people in them…which is good for scale. Anyhow, if Mr. Olney is interested, there are photos that in TMS that would require the same copyright permission you indicated previously. Let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Thanks for your patience, Natalie Natalie Davenport Museum Curator II Sierra District ndavenport@parks.ca.gov (530) 525-5055
------------------------------------

From: Davenport, Natalie Sent: Friday, January 07, 2011 11:49 AM /To: Davenport, Natalie Subject: FW: Info and pix on "The Secret Room" ATTN: MS Jane Hall From: Lindemann, Bill Sent: Monday, December 20, 2010 11:05 AM To: Davenport, Natalie Cc: Hall, Jane Subject: FW: Info and pix on "The Secret Room" ATTN: MS Jane Hall

Natalie, Here is the request regarding the Empire Mine Model. Access to the model room for photographic purposes should be evaluated carefully. Bill,
------------------------------

From: Hall, Jane Sent: Saturday, December 18, 2010 3:45 PM To: Empire Mine; 'Thewinecntryclb2@aol.com ' Cc: Lindemann , Bill Subject: RE: Info and pix on "The Secret Room" ATTN: MS Jane Hall John Olney, Thank you for contacting me regarding the Empire Mine SHP model. Your project sounds like an interesting one. First let me tell you that if we have any photos on file from angles other than can be seen by the general public, those images belong to the State of California and cannot be used by anyone without our permission, as they would be copyrighted. I am not aware of any photos unless there are some in The Museum System, an archival source for California State Park artifacts. The acting curator might be of more assistance in this area. I am forwarding a copy of this email to our acting curator, Bill Lindemann, as he may have additional information for you.

The same goes for any written information. The only written info that I know about directly is the “Model Room Interpretation” script - a written copy of the taped dialog that is used in the public automatic presentation. Again, this item is copyrighted. Permission would be required to utilize it, and again the acting curator could assist you with this matter. Another consideration for your project is the use of your own images of the model room. I have attached a link to the Filming Guidelines for California State Parks below. If you are using images for profit, you will need to review this information and follow the guidelines.

Still photography used in a book for sale falls under the “commercial” still photography catagory as described on page 35 of the Filming Guidelines document. Other important information regarding still photograph, such as regarding park hours and fee payments, are also included in the document.

You may fill out a form DPR 245A (a sample is in the below document), and proceed from there by using the instructions for the form. www.parks.ca.gov/pages/782/files/film.pdf

I hope this information is helpful to you. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Jane Hall, Unit Ranger Empire Mine SHP (530) 273-8522 x 202 jhall@parks.ca.gov
----------------------------

From: Empire Mine Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 12:02 PM
To: Hall, Jane Subject: FW: Info and pix on "The Secret Room" ATTN: MS Jane Hall

Hi Jane, Looks like this is for you. Glen
-------------------------------

From: Thewinecntryclb2@aol.com [mailto:Thewinecntryclb2@aol.com] Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 10:51 AM To: Empire Mine Subject: Info and pix on "The Secret Room" ATTN: MS Jane Hall Ms Hall:

My name is john Olney. I am drafting my book, "Empire Gold: Mines to Wines -- The Past Meets the Present" in which I am writing the history of wine in Nevada County from 1848 to the present. You can read some of my stories by clicking here: http://norsierrafoothillswine.blogspot.com/

As a part of the book, I deal with the major mines of the county, A short time back I visited your site and I was totally captivated by the scale model of the shafts under the city. I am trying to isolate literature explaining the model and hopefully pictures of it from below, side and top. Your name was mentioned as one who might assist me to obtain such info/pix if they exist.

Thank you in advance on any guidance and assistance you can provide me. John Olney Phone: 707-299-9548 Email: thewinecntryclb2@aol.com Blog site: “Olney speaks…” http://www.jolney.blogspot.com/ Web site: “Wine Country Marketing & Promotions” http://www.twccwcmp.blogspot.com/

Status update my book: "Olney’s Guide to Nevada County Wineries"

2011-04-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
I am feverishly working on this book. I need to make just two more winery visits to get pix and some more facts. I will go to the printer I used to get production quotes on the brochure/poster to see what their pricing will be like for the guide as soon as I know the number of pages it will be.

I’ll be visiting the wineries and merchants during the next two weeks to determine if the brochure/poster project has any interest by the merchants of Nevada County.

CORRESPONDENCE EXCHANGES
None during this period

Status update 4/6/11 my project "The Nevada County Winery Poster and Fold-out Brochure"

2011-04-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

This project will be hansome 18X24” Poster which is also the cover of a folded brochure advertiser of the wineries, restaurants, lodging facilities, etc. of Nevada County.

I received a very favorable printing quote that will make the project viiable.

CORRESPONDENCE EXCHANGES

Subject: Re: box dimensions and shipping costs Date: 2/22/2011 8:37:42 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time
From: Thewinecntryclb2@aol.com To: us493@alphagraphics.com CC: ynld@chevron.com , shrikef4@aol.com, susanparks@sbcglobal.net , jabadie245@sbcglobal.net , 2346@comcast.net
Eileen:
Thanks much for all the info. Will keep you informed on status of mock up and final product development
which begins 2nd week in /March.with me visiting businesses in Nevada County.
John sends
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In a message dated 2/21/2011 3:46:19 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, us493@alphagraphics.com
writes:
/Good Afternoon John,
Here are the weights and counts:
500 Posters - 2 poster cartons 24x36x2 - 100 lbs --500 map fold brochures - 7 cartons 12x9x8 - 175 lbs -- pallet weight 48x40x16 - 100 lbs total weight - 375 lbs.

500 Posters - 2 poster cartons 24x36x2 - 100 lbs -- 5,000 map fold brochures - 14 cartons 12x9x8 - 350 lbs Pallet weight 48x40x16 - 100 lbs total weight - 550 lbs.

$282.00 for shipping to our location from corporate plant in Southern California.

Hope this is what you need. I apologize for the delay, I had several people to rely on to get all of these figures together. I look forward to working with you on these projects.

Kind regards,Eileen BrownPrint Solutions SpecialistAlphagraphics Walnut Creek925.937.4700
www.us493.alphagraphics.com

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Subject: Alphagraphics Quote Date: 2/11/2011 10:08:23 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time From: us493@alphagraphics.com Reply To: To: thewinecntryclb2@aol.com
Good Morning John,

The quote you requested through our online services is attached. I have priced according to the

specifications supplied. There are two types ofpaper used. The Wine Label Map Fold Brochure is quoted on a 70# Glossbook, it is not recommended to use any thicker of a stock for pieces that will be folded. The Wine Label Poster is on the 100# Gloss book because it is not folded

I hope our prices are comparable to others you receive. I would appreciate if you would let me know how we compare, as we are very competitive in our pricing. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,Eileen Brown Print Solutions Specialist Alphagraphics Walnut Creek 925.937.4700
http://www.us493.alphagraphics.com/
-------------------------------------------------------
Subject: new poster-map specs for printers Date: 2/2/2011 10:10:47 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time

From: Thewinecntryclb2@aol.com To: shrikef4@aol.com , susanparks@sbcglobal.net , ynld@chevron.com, jabadie245@sbcglobal.net , 2346@comcast.net , Thewinecntryclb2@aol.com
first quote request went to AlphaGraphics Walnut Creek just a few minutes ago

Brochure four color separation, on light weight glossy (or varnished) paper measuring 18 1/4" X 25" (or thereabouts,) color on both sides. primary side is wine labels, and restaurant, spa, golf , etc ads made to look like wine labels. secondary side is printed word "classified- like ads" mixed with four color display ads of all sizes.

Poster-map folds in half horizontal-long way then into one third panels measuring 8 1/4" X 9 1/8" each again folded in half measuring 4 1/8" X 9 1/8" to show backside first when folded out as a guide. The lower left 1/3 panel represents the front display page with name of poster-map, etc, and adjacent other panel will be the back side of the completely folded and closed brochure.product measuring 4 1/8 X 9 1/8"

looking for number of copies quotes as follows
500
1,000
2,500
5,000

Also desire quote on heavier poster quality on just the wine label side of the brochure, four color, etc glossy (or varnished) Would be limited edition poster-map desire quote on 500 and 1,000 copies only.

Status report 4/6/11my book “The Essence of the Modern Napa Valley Wine Industry”

2011-04-06T08:13:00.000-07:00

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Over this past weekend, I have contacted Harvey Grant, founder of Elypsis, Inc. of Napa ( http://www.elypsis.com/ ) to open discussions on getting the ways and means of charging to read the interviews up and running.

I believe I have figured out a way to get this book on line and making money I am researching how to establish subscription channels for each of the 27 interviews. Consumers will be able to subscribe to read each of the 27 interviews but will not be able to copy them. I have devised a one time payment plan that offers discounts compared to individually purchasing right to read each interview.

As we derive income from the interview sales, we will use it to transcribe the next interview to be placed on line.

The subscription route will provide us with a mailing list.

Once we have all the interviews done and I can complete the book summarizing all the interviews, we can begin selling it on line also.

Costs will be relative low since we won’t be publishing the interviews in book form until we have generated many individual interview reading sales.

CORRESPONDENCE EXCHANGES
None during this period

2011-03-30T16:13:00.000-07:00

March 30, 2011

I just noticed that three of the four original participants in Nevada County's first cooperative tasting room --Pilot Peak, Solune and Bent Metal -- are about to reopen the Grass Valley Wine Company in a new location. You can read about it by clicking on their Facebook page here: ; http://www.facebook.com/pages/Grass-Valley-Wine-Company/119901761355670

My new book: Innovators and Pacesetters of the Modern NV Wine Industry

2010-12-02T07:45:00.000-08:00

December 2, 2010 Update

By John M. Olney
Web site: http://www.jolney.blogspot.com/E-mail: jolneytwcc1@aol.com

Copyright November 1, 2008 all rights reserved
Wine Country Marketing and Promotions (WCM&P)
1370 Trancas St., #409, Napa, CA Phone: 707-299-9548
Web site: http://www.twccwcmp.blogspot.com/ E-mail: winecountrypromo@aol.com

The Essence

of the

Napa Valley Wine Industry

A Trilogy of Contributions by Individual and Team Greats

Resurrection- ---- Innovators and Pacesetters ------- Inheritors

1930’s into the 1960’s ----- 1960’s through1990's ------ 2000’s and the future

Some comments about my books

from those participating in the interviews:

Click here to read: http://jolney.blogspot.com/2010/02/comments-about-my-book-concepts.html

     BOOK I: The Resurrectors of the NV Wine Industry
     Abstract:
     Using the Bancroft Library oral tapes and printed media interviews as well as similar materials at other libraries and depositories, build a book discussing how the individuals and teams unscrambled the thirteen years of the great failed social reform era brought about by enactment of Prohibition to rebuilt the once vibrant wine industry of Napa Valley
     I have been given a great opportunity by the PR firm for Peter Mondavi, senior owner of the Charles krug Winery and brother of Robert Mondavi He is turning 95 and the winery is about tio celebrate its 150th anniversary. Also accepting to be interview is Mrs. Eliabeth Martini, wife of Louis P. Martini, second generation of this 1st winery in St. Helena now owned by Gallo Brothers. And Harold Moskowite twice Napa County Supervisor, farmer, businessman and winery owner whose family has lived in the upper valley area where Lake Berryessa is located has accepted to participate.

BOOK II: The Innovators and Pacesetters of the Modern NV Wine Industry
Abstract:

This may be the first book published of the trilogy and contains the results of interviews with figures who have molded the Napa Valley Wine industry into what it is today.

20 have already been nterviewed, 4 have accepted to particpate and I await only one more to accept and I'll have 25 in the book. Scroll down to view the complete list. Just to mention a few, there is Jack Cakbread, Michael Mondavi, Ric Forman, Dan Duckhorn, Dr. Richard Peterson, Bob Trinchero, Andy Becksoffer and the list goes on. You can click here to go to the list of all participants and the status of my interview with them: http://jolney.blogspot.com/2010/02/innovators-and-pacesetters-interview.html

BOOK III: The Inheritors of the NV Wine Industry
     Abstract:
     We will select 35 (plus/minus) appropriate off spring and new comers to discuss a common set of questions addressing the reasons why they did not or did continue family businesses or why the decided to start up a winery operation.

If you are interested in the questions and the invitees, continue reading below.
1. Major Contribution(s) to the wine industry. What would you most like to be remembered as having contributed to the American Wine Industry? This is probably a difficult question in that you might feel that it requires you to be “bragging” but it really is not that at all’ It is simply your assessment of the contributions you think you have made and continue to make.

2. Significant influence on you. What and/or who do you consider the most significant influences in guiding your thinking and actions in the history of your contributions to the American Wine Industry and how so?

3. Essence of Napa and its wine. Mr. Joel Lewis, retired ad & marketing executive and resident of Napa, recently posed a very interesting question to me as I drove him to SFO which I would like to pass on to you for your comment. “What do you consider to be the ‘essence’ of Napa Valley and indeed, its wine?” The word “Essence” is being defined as “the intrinsic nature of anything; that which makes a thing what it is.”

4. Land Use Codes.
     Part 1: Today there are winery owners who are large foreign and/or USA corporations, and wealthy individual members of the association who are not home based within Napa County and have the potential for exerting great influence within and on the NVV and county/city governmental leaders. Ultimately they can conceivably exercise substantial influence on local agricultural and non-agricultural ordinances and codes through the votes of their employees.

The Napa Valley wine industry employs over 39,000. My question is, do you ever foresee, given this large number of outside-of-the-county ownerships, the possibility that they could join forces and erode the agricultural preservation codes that have been enacted to date? What I am trying to drive at is: Could some of these large multi-national companies/ wealthy and influential owners decide that some of their land holdings would be better suited to high-end housing development for the wealthy desiring the “Lifestyle” that beautiful Napa Valley and its hillsides could offer if the land was removed from AG Preservation? They could legally, through subtly suggestion, that there would be employee job losses because of down turns in the economic conditions of wine production; unless they got the land use votes they wanted to build homes/mansions to shore up their bottom lines.

     Part 2 - Recent times have shown the lack of interest by the off spring of old time family wineries in assuming the role of owners and producers to continue the family wineries. In some cases there is even legal action taken among the siblings some of whom just want to take their inheritance percentage out of the winery and move on with their own business interests. Do you foresee the possibilities that these off spring could conceivably take legal action against the county to remove AG Preservation codes on their family land so they can inherit rights that might lead to more money than staying in the AG business?

5. American Wine Industry Hall of Fame.
     Since the early 1850’s most of the great minds in grape feedstock for the production of wine have been moving and concentrating in the Pacific coastal states, particularly in California and more specifically in the northern counties above the Los Angeles basin.
     There is still significant wine production on-going in all the other states where their principal feedstock are fruits, berries, honey and native grape varietals, with some production from foreign grape varietal hybrids. These latter areas enjoy loyal wine consumer following and generate impressive tourism and wine sales numbers but nothing like that witnessed among the Pacific coastal states and in particular Napa and Sonoma Counties.
     To date I have identified a number of wine industry related Hall of Fame (HOF) programs but none are all-inclusive by representing the many facets associated to wine production, marketing and sales.
     What would you think of the potential marketability of an “American Wine Industry Hall of Fame, Museum and Foundation” located within the City of Napa to recognize those who significantly contributed to the growth of the industry (including all feedstock types used to produce a wine) since the discovery of the “new world” and display important artifacts associated to that history and from which the monetary proceeds would support academic pursuits in the history associated to all sub fields of the American Wine Industry?
     Please visit the Web site: http://amerwine.blogspot.com/2009/05/american-wine-industry-hall-of-fame.html n for the description of what the American Hall of Fame would encompass and encourage.
     I have even suggested such HOF, Museum and Foundation could fit well in the COPIA Complex - click here to read about those thoughts: http://jolney.blogspot.com/2009/05/copia-resuurected-in-new-format.html

THE INTERVIEW STATUS

Primarily Growers/Vineyard management & development
Andy Beckstoffer -- Interview completed - - - http://www.beckstoffervineyards.com/
Very large vineyard owner in North Bay counties

Volker Eisele -- Interview completed - http://www.volkereiselefamilyestate.com/
Vineyard/winery owner. Activist for greenbelt, AG preserve, hillside ordnances, etc.

Ken Laird - waiting for reply- - - - - - http://www.lairdfamilyestate.com/
Very large vineyard owner in Napa county.

Salvador “Sal” Renteria -- Interview completed www.renteriawines.com/
One of first large managers

William “Bill” Hill -- Interview completed, - -- http://www.bighorncellars.com/
Created the establishment of what would become the Hess Collection, William Hill on Atlas Peak Road now owned by Piero Antinori of Italy, and now co-owner in Big Horn. is on my 1989 SERIES “B” Wine Label Poster-map

Primarily Winemakers
Mitch Cosentino -- Interview completed - http://www.cosentinowinery.com/
Created Cosentino winery in Napa and Crystal Valley Cellars in Lodi and contributed to establishing Merlot as great wine by itself. Cosentino is on my 1989 SERIES “B” Wine Label Poster-map

Randy Dunn - -Interview completed - - http://www.dunnvineyards.com/about.htm
Often considered a “cult” winemaker/winery who re-established Howell Mtn name.

Ric Forman -- Interview completed.- - http://www.formanvineyard.net/
Started as partner in Sterling then moved on to Madrone and now has own winery and consults many. is on my 1989 SERIES “B” Wine Label Poster-map

Tony Soter -- Interview accepted, DTBD, Spring 2010. http://www.sotervineyards.com/ .
Soter was a consulting winemaker in the Napa Valley where he guided such wineries as Araujo, Niebaum-Coppola (Now Rubicon), Shafer, Spottswoode, Viader and Dalle Valle. He now owns and operates Soter Vineyards in Williamette Valley, Oregon.

Primarily Small/Mid sized and/or Family owned wineries
Jack Cakebread -- Interview completed - http://www.cakebread.com/
Creator of Cakebread winery, wine photographer, land preservation, tourism guidance and many more wine business related organizations. is on my 1987 SERIES “A” Wine Label Poster-map

Dan Duckhorn -- Interview completed.- http://www.duckhorn.com/
Created Duckhorn and contributed to establishing Merlot as great wine by itself.

Agustin Huneeus -- Interview completed.- http://www.quintessa.com/
Partner and acting President of Franciscan Estates in 1985. Under his leadership, the ailing company was transformed into a successful group of premium wine estates. In 1999, Agustin sold his interest in Franciscan Estates. Today, he devotes his time to Quintessa. He also maintains vineyard holdings in Chile, Alexander Valley and Napa Valley. Franciscan is on my 1987 SERIES “A” Wine Label Poster-map.

Francis Mahoney -- Interview completed http://www.mahoneyvineyards.com/
Creator of Carneros Creek winery. A major player in establishing Carneros as a great Pinot Noir district. Is on my 1987 SERIES “A” Wine Label Poster-map

Elizabeth Martini -- Interview accepted DTBD No web site

A view of the industry from the perspective of a wife and mother.
Mary Novak -- Iinterview completed www.spohttp://www.spottswoode.com/
Before there were “cult” wineries, she was one by starting Spottswoode

Warren Winiarski -- Interview completed No current web site
Founder: Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars (http://www.cask23.com/ ). Beside the winner of the 1976 taste-off, strong advocate of AG Preserve. . Is on my 1989 SERIES “B” Wine Label Poster-map

Primarily Executives in Larger Corporate type winery operations
Michael Mondavi -- Interview completed - - - http://www.foliowine.com/
Heir of a great wine and Napa Valley ambassador. Was once Robert Mondavi winery CEO. Now owns Folio Wine Partners. R. Mondavi is on my 1987 SERIES “A” Wine Label Poster-map.

Michael Moone -- interview accepted DTBD in spring 2010 http://www.lunavineyards.com/
Top notch large corporate executive who, through Silverado Partners headed a machine that took Beringer Brothers to a major player in the wine industry. As Beringer, is on my 1987 SERIES “A” and LUNA is on my 1989 SERIES “B” Wine Label Poster-map when it was originally St. Andrews

Dr. Richard Peterson -Interview completed - - - http://www.richardgrantwine.com/
Winemaker and business leader at large, medium and small wineries in a multiple number of counties. Wialliam Hill Winery is on 1989 SERIES “B” Wine Label Poster-map

Dario Sattui -- Interview completed - http://www.vsattui.com/ & http://www.castellodiamorosa.com/ Created the highly successful V. Sattui winery, deli and picnic grounds. Most recently completed the Castle de Amorosa, a 15 year building construction project, which is already a major destination for tourists. V. Sattui is on my 1989 SERIES “B” Wine Label Poster-map

Louis “Bob” Trinchero -- interview completed - - - http://www.trincherowinery.com/
Creator of “White Zin and much more.

Ancillary Business (Insurance) development for the Industry
Ed Brovelli -- Interview accepted, DTBD- - No web site .
Developed first models to enable the insuring of winery operations.

Marketing/Advertising/Public Relations
Gary Ramona -- -Interview completed -- no web site
Headed teams at R. Mondavi and most recently at Fred Franzia’s Bronco - creator of “$2 Buck Chuck,” and now consulting with Antigal Winery and Estates of Argentina.

Industry Advocacy Group
Dr. Joh DeLuca -- Interview accepted DTBD No web siyte
Headed up the California Wine Institute fom mid 1970's thru early 2000s

Writer/History
Charles L. Sullivan -- Interview completed- - - - - No web site.
Well noted historian, published writer and University Professor

Government Policymaking
Jim Hickey -- Interview accepted DTBD No web site
Planning Dept. leader of the determination of the definition of what constitues a winery

Harold Moskowite -- Interview accepted DTBD No web site

Family owned ranch in upper valley area of Lake Berryessa where they were farmers. Harold first became County Supervivior just as county struggled with land preservation codes, then built a winery and returned to be re-elected supervisor as the American Canyon area underwent huge growth.

Navigating My Blog site

2010-11-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Click on the highlighted heading below

to go to my articles on that subject matter

November 20, 2010

Nevada County Wine

I am trying to wrap up my book, "Empire Gold: Mines to Wines - The Past Meets the Present" on the 17 wineries of Nevada County. Last Monday I interviewed the owner of Truckee River Winery and this past Thursday I complete the 17th and final interviews when I met with the founder and the winemaker at Nevada City Winery. Now I can get busy writing up the history of the pre 1900 wine operations and the rebirth of wine productin in the county since 1980.

After meeting with the folks at Truckee River Winery, I went on into Reno to have a little play time gambling at the Atlantis Casino. I stayed overnight and decided I would collect some more driving time amd mileage data between Nevada County wineries on my way back to the Bay Area. I took off on Hwy 20 from Hwy 80 and turned onto the Bowman Lake Road as shown on the map in the publication, "Nevada County Gold 2010-2011 Official Guide to Nevada County." This turned out to be quite an experience! Click here --http://jolney.blogspot.com/2010/11/so-i-had-map-of-nevada-county-that-is.html -- to read my story,"Almost Lost in the Sierra's."

Napa County Wine

Work as slowed down on my book, "The Essence of the Wine Industry of Napa Valley." The status of the interviews is shown below:

Completed interviews (20)
Andy Beckstoffer -- largest vineyard owner
Jack Cakebread -- Cakebread winery
Mitch Cosentino -- Cosentino winery
Dan Duckhorn - - Duckhorn winery
Randy Dunn -- famed winemaker and owner Dunn winery -- reestablished Howell Mtn fame
Volker Eisele -- famed organic grower and owner Eisele winery Pope Valley
Randy Forman -- famed winemaker and owner Forman winery foot of Howell Mtn
William Hill -- vineyard/winery development
Agustin Huneeus-- famed former Chilian winery owner, hired to save Franciscan; now owns Quintessa
Francis Mahoney -- Restored Carneros district fame while owning Carneros Creek Winery
Michael Mondovi -- of R. Mondavi fame and now owns FOLIO
Peter Mondavi -- Founder of the Charles Krug - Mondavi Family Era
Mary Novak -- Spottswood - before the word cult existed her winery was “cult”
Dr. Richard Peterson -- vineyard/winery development, Monterey, Atlas, etc.
Gary Ramona -- PR/Marketing, formerly of R. Mondavi and Bronco/Fred Franzia - Two Buck Chuck
Sal Renteria -- vineyard/field hand management
Dario Sattui --creator of hugely popular Sattui winery and deli and now of the “Castle”winery in Calistoga
Charles Sullivan - famous wine historian/writer and college professor
Louis "Bob" Trinchero -- popularized Zinfandel and creator of Sutter Home White Zin.
Warren Winiarski - The man who founded Stag’s Leap Wine cellars and won French taste off in 1976

Accepted. Now discussing date for interview (7)
Ed Brovelli -- devising ways to calculate and set risk for winery insurance underwriting
Dr. John DeLuca -- head of The Wine Institute, mid-1970 through early 2000’s
Jim Hickey -- gov’t policymaking side of industry
Elizabeth Martini -- perspectives from a winery owner wife and mother.
Harold Moskowite -- Winery owner, former County Supervisor
Michael Moone -- Last head of Beringer Estate now owner Luna winery
Tony Soter (in Oregon) -- Probably the first recognized “cult” winemaker creating some of the greatest

Hope to receive decision to participate soon (1)
Ken Laird -- large vineyard owner

I have over 60 hours of interview recording to be transcribed at the rate of about $200 per hour and a half of recorded interview time. I have to plan the transcriptions to be completed to my monthly cashflow thus the current slowdown in developing the final draft book.

Recent articles

Lake County

I created separate blog site for my articles on Lake County wine-related activities and my write ups. http://lakecountywine.blogspot.com/ My article on the 11th Annual Lake County Wine Auction is presented there.I attendiedthe sold out Lake County winery auction event at which Jed Steele, now of Steele winery and consultant to Indian Springs Winery in Nevada County, will be receiving a conressional commendation from Congressman Mike Thompson honoring Jed's contributions to the Lake County, indeed, California and American Wine Industries. Jed was the original and famed winemaker of the Kendall Jackson Chardonnay that launched K-J on the path to becoming one of the top 10 largest American wine producers.

Calif. Vintners Hall of Fame

Well. the voting ballots closed on Sept. 17 for selection of the 7-9 nominees to be inducted into the California Vintners Hall Of Fame (CVHOF) come january 2011. I had a particularly hard time with the abstracts that were presented on the ballots to the Electoral College to assist them figure out which were the best candidate this year to select. Many of the abstracts contained false information, personal opinion, non=-germane civic and charity donation citations, and just plain bias comments which I cannot support. I tried three tiimes have the representatives of the CVHOF sponsor - Culininary Institute of America, Greystone-St. Helena Campus- ammend the abstracts but to no avail. Click here to read my comments on these problems and my recommendations for the future years ; American Wine Industry - Hall of Fame Programs - CVHOF Class of 2011 abnstracts

The CVHOF recently announced its selection of wine industry greats to be inducted as the Class of 2011. You can read more at the site: http://www.ciaprochef.com/winestudies/events/vhf.html

My articles on other restaurant and winery visits

Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance and held in Menlo Park, CA. Click here: http://jolney.blogspot.com/2010/04/paso-robles-ava-event.html

Swanson Vineyards and Winery, Rutherford, Napa Valley. Click here to read the full article: http://jolney.blogspot.com/2010/04/media-tasting-event-at-swanson-winery.html

125th year anniversary of V. Sattui first making wine in America http://jolney.blogspot.com/2010/03/sattui-wine-family-celebrates-125-years.html

Click here = Martinez, Ca, - Louie Bertola’s Restaurant and the Beaver Dam

Click here = A Tasting at the Famous Spottswoode Winery The original owner, Mary Novak, will be interviewed for my wine book described below

My articles on just fun things I find in my mind wanderings:

I Have to Question What We Are Doing With the Celebration of our Heritage! CLICK ABOVE FOR FULL ARTICLE: Highlights of article are below:
February is Black History Month. With only about two weeks of time past in the month, I noticed that there are quite a few references to Black History as spot-like ads on many TV channels and radio stations.

I got to thinking about this in terms of my awareness of other nationality groups getting as much, or creating as much, exposure for their respective sub-nationalities.........What About Celebrating Being An American?

Posted 2/18/10 ABOUT COLD WAR SOVIET SUBMARINE OPERATIONS IN THE PACIFIC THERE IS SOME NEW INFO HERE JUST RELEASED BY THE CIA SINCE THE MOVIE DOCUMENTARY WAS RELEASED Originally Posted: 12/20/09 Click here =The CIA funding of Glomar Explorer salvage attempt of a sunken Soviet Submarine, K-129 The article related directly to my novel below: "The SOSUS Man."

Posted 10/28/09 Click here = Olney Returns to UOP Alumni Swim Meet - WOW!

My books in development

My non-fiction WINE RELATED book draft currently in development.LAST UPDATED: 3/24/10 Click here = The Essence of the Napa Valley Wine Industry - Book II - The Innovators and Pacesetters - 1960s to 2000’s featuring interviews with 25 of the top Napa Valley industry stars

My NAVY OPERATIONS novel draft currently nearing completion: LAST UPDATED: 10/27/09 Click here = The SOSUS Man About Soviet submarines in the Pacific featuring espionage and romance during the years of the Cold War with Russia (Then the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republic -USSR)

My articles on redevelopment in Napa County

Posted; 6/24/09 Click here = http://jolney.blogspot.com/2009/06/downtown-redevelopment-cha-ching-thank.html I have to applaud those with vision to buy when others would not!
Posted 6/24/09 Click here = http://jolney.blogspot.com/2009/06/downtown-napa-right-mix-of-stores.html Got to bring quality products to quality stores to bring buyers

My articles on COPIA, NV Wine Train and Napa River Oxbow District

Posted: 1/2/09 Click here = The Boardwalk and Park Place of Napa County - Oxbow River Walk District River Terrace, Mckinstry, 1st St from Soscol to Silverado Trail.

Posted: 5/5/09 Click here = What COPIA Could Become

Wine/Vintner Halls of Fame

California
LAST UPDATE: 11/25/09 Click here =The 2010 Inductees

America
LAST UPDATE: 6/9/09 Click here = A proposed national American Wine Industry Hall of Fame, Museum and Foundation

Almost Lost in the Sierra's

2010-11-20T05:30:00.000-08:00

So I had the map of Nevada County that is presented in the publication, “Nevada County Gold 2009-2010 Official Guide to Nevada County,” in my car as I was heading back from Reno. My intention was take the right hand turn onto “Bowman Lake Road” that the map shows departing in a north direction from Hwy 20 just after the Hwy 20 exit from Hwy 80. The road is shown going by a number of lakes (Spaulding, Fuller and Lindsay) continuing to Bowman Lake where the road turns westerly heading to Graniteville, North Bloomfield, North Columbia before finally intersecting with Hwy 49. The map route is shown below to the far right.(you can click on the images for enlargements)

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. I decided to take this route because it seemed ideal for what I wanted which was a scenic drive in route to see the Malakoff Diggins hydraulic mining area. It was also a good route because it would take me towards Double Oak Winery which I include in my book, “Empire Gold: Mines to Wines -- The Past Meets the Present,” that will document the history of winemaking in Nevada County since the Gold Rush days starting back in 1848. I hope to have ready for publication by the summer of 2011.

It was about 9 am as I started up the road and I was thinking about how beautiful a day it was with blue sky and temperature about 60 degrees. The road was narrow but one lane in each direction and it was in great shape.

I came upon this valley near the beginning of the drive.

What I found of particular interest were the loose boulders scattered on the ridge above the tops of the tree line across the canyon.

Pictured below is a magnified photo of the boulder area.

As I drove on I found myself slowly climbing in altitude. What I particularly liked about the road was the mile markers letting me know how far along the road I was since turning off Hwy 20. It was about mile maker #4 that I noticed I was starting to run into patchy snow on the road where it was shady. This snow was from a storm that swept through the area a couple of days before my trip through this area. The snow was acting more like ice than that wonderfully powdery stuff.

I continued climbing and the amount of snow/ice continued to collect on the shadowed turns and dips away from the warming thus melting Sun. But I looked at the map and I was sure that I was okay as I passed the roads that led off towards Fuller then Lindsay Lakes and more. I kept going as I passed the 8, 9 then 10 mile maker but I was still climbing. But now the road became dirt and gravel. Every once in awhile I would run into a pool of melted snow water among the snow ruts and I wondered if I went through it that there would indeed be solid ground underneath or a deep hole? I found both as just about every other time I went through such spots, my car bottomed out hard against the sides of holes in the road.

By my mental calculations I thought for sure by now I would be descending and thus the snow and ice would be decreasing. Not true, in fact the snow and ice was increasing and the height of the middle grove of the snow/ice was reaching the height of trucks and SUV’s with their higher suspension systems. I was getting a little nervous about being out here all alone as I had only seen one truck coming down the road since I left Hwy 20. I thought about those travelers we have all read about who took off on what promised to be a scenic drive only to find themselves lost and/or stranded due to a combination of weather and hazardous road conditions. I imagined myself sliding off the road and falling down the mountainside lost forever until a stray hiker found my car and skeleton inside mauled over by bears, wolfs and big cats.

Now I had just passed another mile maker, #11, and I didn’t like the way the snow/ice were becoming more frequent and piled higher, meaning that very few vehicles were passing through this area. I decided I needed to turn around and get out of potential trouble. But, I couldn’t find an area where I could keep traction of my back tires while I turned the car and moved forward a few feet, then backwards a few feet, and repeating this process while slowing reversing my position on the road.

It was just about the 12 mile marker that I cam upon the sign that indicated that continuing on this Bowman Lake road was not recommended for regular cars or RV’s, but only high clearance vehicles. “Oh fine,” I said to myself, “why wasn’t this sign posted much lower on the road!” In fact it should have been posted at the beginning of the road where it departed from Hwy 20!! Needless to say, I finally found a place where I could turn around and I got the heck out of there as quickly, but safely, as I could.

When I got back home, I decided to look up on the internet the area where I had been driving . I found this web site: www.waterfallswest.com/waterfall.php?id=293 . It provides a great description of the lake with it’s waterfalls and the following comments about getting to the lake:

QUOTE
Location: Emigrant Gap, Bowman Lake, Tahoe National Forest, Nevada County…..
Elevation: 5600 ft. (+ 100 ft.) …….
Season: Jun-Sep……
Directions: From Auburn, drive east on I-80 for 40 miles to the Hwy 20 exit to Nevada City. Drive west on Hwy 20 for 4.3 miles to Bowman Lake Rd (Road 18). Turn right and drive about 15 miles to Bowman Lake. The last 5 miles is on a dirt road. At the end of Road 18, continue on the very rough dirt road for 3.2 miles to the east end of the lake, where Jackson Creek dumps into Bowman Lake, just past the campground. Park anywhere along here. High clearance vehicle are highly recommended.
UNQUOTE

I found many other web sites referring to visits made to the lake and unanimously they pointed out how rough the road was to reach the lake and cautioned those willing to try to only use 4X4 type vehicles. I guess this drive was my "Hastings Cut Off" like the Donnor Party experienceds!

“Old” SLHS Swimmers (1958-1962) Honor Coach

2010-07-10T07:07:00.000-07:00

Back in June swimming great, Brian Foss and his wife Marcia, coordinated and hosted a reunion of nine swimmers coached by perennial league winning coach Bob Brown during the years 1958- 1962 at San Leandro High School (SLHS) and A.A.U. days with the “RAD LAB” (Lawrence Radiation Lab., Livermore, CA.). Brian was able to locate more than shown below but distance prevented some from attending. Those who were able to attend are pictured below. (click on any pictures to enlarge and/or if you want to copy)

From left to right: (Year graduated is shown in parenthesis) Roy Childs (‘59), John "Kip" Olney (’60), Jerry Macedo (’61) Frank DePace (’62), coach Bob Brown and Mike Chinn. (’61) Front rowTed Barstad (’62), Morgan Edwards (’62), Jim Perry (’62) and Brian Foss (‘60)

The reunion was held at the Foss home in Santa Cruz, only a few hundred yards from the ocean where we watched breaking waves through their living room window.

Coach Bob Brown, now 80 years old and in fantastic condition, was the focal point of the reunion as all in attendance thanked him for what he did for each of us not only in swim training and competition, but as a friend and counselor guiding his swimmers on to colleges and ultimately being better men. Brian presented coach Brown with a plaque thanking him for all those things he did for us during our teenage years.

During his tenure at SLHS, Coach Brown won the A.C.A.L. Swim Title three years in a row (1958-1960). A number of his swimmers achieved selection to High School All-American. He went on from San Leandro High School to become coach at Chabot College. and continued his career in helping swimmers achieve all that they could.

Colleges and Universities graduated from were Denver University, Univ. of the Pacific,and Univ. of Southern Calif, These nine swimmers have career backgrounds in Port Director (1- Foss) ,insurance (1 -Chinn), law (2 - Morgan and Perry), print shop owner (1- Barstad), univ. professor (1-Childs), swim coach (1- Macedo), wine writer (1-Olney ), and computer graphics designer (1-DePace)

The current home towns of attendees: Santa Cruz (Foss), Parker, CO. (Morgan), Napa (Olney), Almaden-San Jose ( Macedo), Fairfax (DePace), Stockton (Childs), Lafayette (Perry), Diablo-Danville (Barstad), Orinda (Chinn) and Tucson, Az (coach Brown).

Of those attending, Jerry Macedo went on in swimming to coach and manager Almaden Swim and Racquet Club for over 35 years. He also was in the army and coached swimming at the U.S. military academy West Point. John "Kip" Olney while serving as an officer in the Navy coached and swam for the 12th Naval District swim team (1967-68).

The reminiscing, which often took the form of telling some stories about each other back in the day, were refreshing and so worth getting together to share.

Performing the multiple roles of food preparation and servers, picture takers and just plain perfect hostesses were Marcia Foss and Jodie Blackburn. Jodie also was a former swimmer but in the Fresno area.

Marcia and Brian Foss

Brian getting Jodie ready to take picture of the group

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Pictured below are photos extracted from the 1960 San Leandro High School Yearbook. The butterfly swimmer upper right is John “Kip” Olney, to the right is Diver Floyd Plumlee and below them are pictured Coach Brown and group of the swimmers from left to right top row: Dave Leonard, Gary Henning and Larry Pearson and front row: John “Kip” Olney, Jim Foley and Brian Foss.

The second page of photos is labeled appropriately.

NEVADA COUNTY: Mines To Wines

2010-05-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

The Past Meets the Present

PART ONE of a three-part series:

An Introduction to the
Northern Sierra Foothills Wineries

By John Olney
(All photos by John Olney unless otherwise so stipulated)
Web site: http://www.jolney.blogspot.com / E-mail: jjolneytwcc1@aol.com

Phone: 707-299-9548

1370 Trancas St., #409, Napa, CA 94558 Phone: 707-299-9548

Web site: http://www.twccwcmp.blogspot.com E-mail: winecountrypromo@aol.com

April 28, 2010
The day started with dark skies looming over the northern Sierra Foothills along a backroad residential community, named “You Bet.” The area is nestled in the typical rolling hills mix of dirt and gravel roads occasionally connected by short segments of privately paved sections.

This area is located about three miles plus east of historic Grass Valley, California and mile from the famous Empire Gold Mine. It is situated along Highway 174 which connects Colfax and Grass Valley. Colfax is the heart of the first discovery of gold by John Marshall in the stream of the lumber mill of John Sutter and Grass Valley represents the once largest gold producing mine in California. Its second owner was the William Bower Bourn family of San Francisco. William, the Second, brought the mine to its highest production before it was purchased by North Star Gold Mines.

But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me start at the very beginning.

Introduction
What brought my attention to this area is an interesting story that started with my decision to attend for the first time my San Leandro High School anniversary event scheduled for September of this year. Signing up for this function gave everybody my e-mail address and sure enough it wasn’t very long before some class members started contacting me. In particular was Nancy (“Nanc”) Boyce. She was my dream girl in my senior year and when we both moved on to College of the Pacific -- now the liberal arts college of the University of the Pacific, Stockton, California. But, a romantic relationship just was not going to happen.

After way more years than either of wish to mention, we re-contacted back in January and agreed to a meeting at which we spent a fabulous four hour lunch in Walunt Creek getting reacquainted. Then in April, Nanc and I decided to get together again. We both enjoy wine and Nanc had experience in the tasting room and private events at Arrowhead Winery of Sonoma while unbeknown to both of us, while I was working in Napa wineries (Mumm, Silverado and Andretti). I wanted to get away from the north Bay Area wine country so I suggested that I come up her way and we go to a couple of the local 15 wineries of the Northern Sierra Wine Country Association (Click here: http://www.nswinecountry.com/ ). She was fine with my recommendation, so I began looking up each winery on the Internet. I quickly found out that these wineries operated at different hours that I was used to back in the Napa-Sonoma wine counties. I was looking at mostly a Saturday and Sunday tasting room opening schedule and most did not open until noon. As I was interested in also doing an article on the couple of wineries we would visit, I would not be able to complete an interview on their busiest consumer days so I set about to schedule visits by appointment. I e-mailed them all and happily I received many favorable responses. I found myself now going to the northern Sierra Foothills to visit more than just a couple of wineries. Click here to see the participating wineries,and visit their web sites: http://norsierrafoothillswine.blogspot.com/2010/05/participating-wineries.html

The Past - A little historical Commonality Between Napa and Nevada Counties

In looking up the wineries and the major towns which they surround, Grass Valley and Nevada City, I could not avoid reading about the gold rush days which created these towns. This brought to my attention a number of characters who had simultaneous ties to Napa County.

The gold country area was familiar with a very important Mormon gentleman named Sam Brannan. It was Brannan who ran around spreading the word about the discovery of gold at Sutter’s mill but only after he established three mercantile stores between San Francisco and Gold Country from which his inflated product prices made him one of the early wealthiest men in California. Brannan took a consort by the name of Lola Montez who would eventually leave him. She was famous/infamous in Grass valley as well. This was happening during the 1860’s when Brannan was founding the northern most city of Napa County, Calistoga, where his dream of soda springs resort fizzled out..

There were the names of William Bower Bourn, the First and Second, who purchased the Empire Gold Mine and developed it into the largest, deepest and most productive gold mine of California. It was in Grass Valley that William, the 2nd pushed for electrical power for his mines and forced the convergence of smaller power companies into what would become Pacific Gas and Electric (PG and E), founded in Grass Valley. The Langley and Bourn Mine just south of St. Helena, Napa County was rich in iron ore in the 1870’s. Important to Nevada County is the fact that simultaneous with gold mining in Nevada County, the largest mining production of cinnabar from which mercury is produced, was in Napa County.

In the mid 1870’s Bourn, the 2nd, was producing wine just south of St. Helena, in Napa County. Then in the early 1880’s, Bourn also built the great stone winery in north St. Helena across from the Charles Krug winery, known as “Greystone," that now houses the Culinary Institute of America with its California Vintners Hall Of Fame. This was the first building in Napa County to have electrical power.

Back to the Present - The Wineries of Nevada County

As of this writing, we have visited nine of the wineries either at downtown tasting rooms and/or the actual winery/vineyard site. The natural beauty of the foothills cannot be avoided. Everywhere we went and looked there were just beautiful views and settings.

Five wineries on Wednesday the 28th of April and four more on the 29th. I’ve got to tell you, I certainly should have figured out before I started driving to the wineries that I was dealing with country roads. Naively, I measured distance on a map between two points - BIG MISTAKE! All day long, except for the first winery on the days list, I was apologizing profusely for being late. Each winery in sequence totally accepted my being late and told me that they thought it was going to happen when they saw my schedule published to all. I say “my being late” because none of it was the fault of Nanc - it was all my doing. We’d finally arrive, I would apologize like crazy and they would just invite us on in with great big open arms as if we were right on time! Winery after winery we only experienced the most gracious of hosts so willing to share their wine and stories with us.

On Wednesday, Nanc had suggested that she might make some sandwiches for us to eat along the way between winery visits. But no, I had it all planned out and we would catch lunch at a restaurant as we went along our visits - BIG MISTAKE, AGAIN! We were running so late between visits that lunch was skipped. She wouldn’t leave her house on Thursday without bringing along sandwiches she made for us -Smart Girl!

In between the winery visits on Wednesday we were frequently caught in heavy rain downpours and even hail storms. We must of looked like two drown mice! The skies were dark but beautiful.

On the next morning, Thursday, I awoke to a beautiful, but thin layer of snow on the decks of the house, grounds and clinging to tree branches surrounding the home. This day gave us some sunny breaks mixed again with rain and hail then back to sunshine. It did not matter that we were at the very end of April and had anticipated the weather to be blue skies and warm. Over the two day period we got a little bit of it all!

PART TWO of three:

My next article will be about the wines we tasted, but I want to wait until we have completed our tasting with as many of the wineries who will participate in our little project. Wednesday, May 5 we visit four more and I hope to talk the last two into joining us this coming week.

Vineyards and Wineries of the Northern Sierra Foothills

2010-05-02T21:53:00.000-07:00

WE VISITED THE FOLLOWING SITES ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28

* These wineries will be leasing space under the landlord, “Grass Valley Wine Company.”

Lucchesi Vineyards and Winery - Click here:
http://www.lucchesivineyards.com/
Downtown Tasting Room - open daily from 11:00am-6:00pm Phone: 530.274.2164
Address: 167 Mill St, Grass Valley, CA 95945
Winery/Vineyard - 19698 View Forever Ln, Grass Valley, CA 95945 By Appointment Only
WE WILL VISIT THE WINERY AND VINEYARD IN EARLY TO MID MAY

Pictured below is Tasting Room representative, Megan McCreary.

Naggiar Vineyards - Click here:
http://www.naggiarvineyards.com/
Address: 18125 Rosemary Ln., Grass Valley, CA 95949
Winery Tasting Room: Friday- Sunday: 11am to 5pm and Monday - Thursday: By appointment only. Phone: 530.268.9059 E-mail: info@naggiarvineyards.com

Below are pictured owner Mike Naggiar and his niece Alyssa

* Pilot Peak Vineyard and Winery - Click here:http://www.pilotpeak.com/
Co-Located Winery Downtown Grass Valley Tasting Room Coming Soon at 151 Mill Street, Grass Valley
Winery and Vineyard Adress: 12888 Spenceville Rd, Penn Valley, CA 95946 Phone: 530.432.3321 E-mail: info@pilotpeak.com
Winery Tasting Room open Saturday and Sunday noon to 5 pm. Other days by appointment only Complimentary tastings

This is owner/winermaker, Lynn Wilson

Sierra Starr Vineyard - Click here: http://www.sierrastarr.com/
Downtown Tasting Room : Open everyday, 12-5pm. Phone: 530.477.8282 E-mail: sierrastarr@sbcglobal.net
124 W. Main Str., Grass Valley, CA 95945
Winery and Vineyards: By Appointment Only : 11179 Gibson Dr., Grass Valley, CA 95945 Phone: 530.477.8277
Mailing address: 203 Prospect Street, Nevada City, CA 95959

Photo below is Phil Starr (right) and son Jack.

Smith Vineyard - Click here: http://www.smithvineyard.com/
Downtown Tasting Room Mill Street- Weekdays: 12-6 pm, Weekends: 12-7 PM Closed Tuesdays
Phone: (530) 272-7032 E-mail: christina@smithvineyard.com142 Mill St., Grass Valley, CA 95945
Winery and Vineyards: By Appointment Only. Call for time and location
WE WILL VISIT THE WINERY AND VINEYARD IN EARLY TO MID MAY

One of the family owners, Christina Smith, is shown below

WE VISITED THE FOLLOWING SITES ON THURSDAY, APRIL 29

Coufos Cellars - Web site is under construction and they hope to have it up and running within a week
Address: 10065 Rough & Ready Road, Rough and Ready, CA 95975
Winery Open for Tasting: Saturday and; Sunday, 12-5pm only. Or call for appt other days
Phone: 530-274-2923 E-mail: coufoscellars@comcast.net

Owner/grower, Henry Coufos, starts to pour us tasting samples

* Montoliva Vineyard and Winery - Click here: http://www.montoliva.com/
Co-Located Winery Downtown Grass Valley Tasting Room Coming Soon at 151 Mill Street, Grass Valley
Address: 15629 Mount Olive Road, Chicago Park, CA 95712
Open Saturdays and Sundays, 12-4pm. Phone: 530-346-6577 E-mail: mark@montoliva.com

Photo below: Mark Henry describing winemaking process to Nanc

Sierra Knolls Vineyards and Winery Click here: http://www.sierraknollswinery.com/
Highway 49/Colfax Tasting Room Coming Soon
Address: 19635 Kingswood Ct, Grass Valley, CA 95949 Phone: 530.268.9225 E-mail: sierraknolls@yahoo.com
Winery and Vineyard Tasting Room open Saturday & Sunday, 12 -5pm. Weekdays by appointment.

Owners Brenda Taylor and John Chase serving us their wine and guiding us around the grounds.

Szabo Vineyards - Click here:http://www.szabovineyards.com/
Address area: Gold Fork Rd., Nevada City
Winery Tastings by appointment only. Phone: (415) 328-5611 E-mail:info@szabovineyards.com

Owner, winemaker, and hands on site construction laborer, Alex Szabo , presents his wine to us.

WE VISITED THE FOLLOWING SITES ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 5

Avanguardia Wines - Click here: http://www.avanguardiawines.com/
Address:
Downtown Tasting Room, Grass Valley
Address: 13028 Jones Bar Road. Nevada City, CA 95959
Open weekends, 12-5pm Free tasting. Or call for appt other days at 530-274-9482.

* Bent Metal Winery - Click here: http://www.bentmetalwinery.com/
Co-Located Winery Downtown Grass Valley Tasting Room Coming Soon at 151 Mill Street, Grass Valley
Winery and Vineyard Address: 14364 McCourtney Road, Grass Valley, California, 95945
Phone 530-559-9533 E-mail: getbent@bentmetalwinery.com
Mailing address: PO Box 2508, Grass Valley, CA 95945-2508

Double Oak Vineyards and Winery - Click here http://www.doubleoakwinery.com/
Address: 14510 Blind Shady Rd., Nevada City, CA 95959
Winery Tasting Room: Open Saturdays only 11 to 5, Mid-February through December. Open by appointment all year. Phone: 530.292.3235 E-mail: imailto:info@doubleoakwinery.com

* Solune Winegrowers - Click here: http://www.solunewinery.com/
Co-Located Winery Downtown Grass Valley Tasting Room Coming Soon at 151 Mill Street, Grass Valley
Winery and; Vineyard Address:16303 Jewett Lane, Grass Valley, CA 95945
Complimentary tasting at the winery, weekends 12-5 pm or by appointment during the week.

Phone: 530-271-0990 E-mail: taste@solunewinery.com

WINERIES FOR WHICH WE HAVE NOT YET BEEN SCHEDULED FOR A VISIT

Indian Springs Vineyards - Click here: http://www.indianspringswines.com/
Address: 303 Broad Street, Nevada City, CA 95959
Downtown Tasting Room - Open daily 11am to 5pm. Phone: 800.375.9311 E-mail:isvjulie@qmail.com

Nevada City Winery - Click here: http://www.ncwinery.com/
Address: 321 Spring Street, Nevada City, CA 95959
Downtown Tasting Room: Open daily. Tours Saturdays at 11:30. Phone: 530.265.9463 / 800.203.9463

Paso Robles AVA Event

2010-04-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

28 Wineries Offer Their Products
to Media and Trade Members

By John Olney

April 24, 2010

Web site: http://www.jolney.blogspot.com/ E-mail: jjolneytwcc1@aol.com
Phone: 707-299-9548

1370 Trancas St., #409, Napa, CA 94558 Phone: 707-299-9548

Web site: http://www.twccwcmp.blogspot.com E-mail: winecountrypromo@aol.com

Thursday, April 22, 2010. Stacie Jacobs, Executive Director, of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (PRWCA) was the Master of Ceremonies and opened the one hour event kick-off seminar with a general review of the location, mission, objectives and characteristics of this large and geologically diverse AVA . The AVA is located in the Central Coast area of California, just about halfway between San Francisco to the north and Los Angeles to the south. To examine this AVA in greater depth, click here: http://www.pasowine.com/ (Click on any graphic/photo for an enlargement)

(map courtesy of Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance)

That’s Stacie standing in the picture below: (all photo’s by John Olney)

Following her presentation, Stacie turned the balance of the seminar session over to the well known wine editor of Sunset Magazine, Sara Schneider, co-author of Sunset’s 2007 edition of its very popular magazine/booklet series, “California Wine Country - A Sunset Field Guide.” The earliest version of this Sunset series was published in August 1968. Click here to read her thoughts on tasting wine: http://www.sunset.com/food-wine/wine-pairings/taste-wine-like-pro-00400000012545/ \

I first met Sara back in 2008, when we both served on the Nominating Committee to select the ballot list of potential inductees to the California Vintners Hall of Fame, Class of 2009, sponsored by and housed at the Culinary Institute of America, Greystone Branch, St. Helena, California. Click here for details on the Hall: http://www.ciaprochef.com/winestudies/vintners.html

Sara, pictured above, performed the duties of moderator among three distinguished Paso Robles AVA winery representatives who would be speaking about their wines, and the seminar attendees who would present them with their questions. The seminar was limited to a small group of about 32 media/trade representatives. Needless to say, I was very pleased that I was able to submit my RSVP early enough to be accepted to attend.

The seminar format was to taste and compare red wines of two distinct price points with each of the winery representatives providing us their rationale supporting the difference in pricing structure. This was a very interesting wine seminar theme and concept which comes at a particularly relevant point in time given the general economic downturn of the past couple of years plus. So, what the attendees did was first taste the wines of all three in the price range of about $15-16 per bottle. Then we moved to the wines priced between about the $35 to $50 range.

“Value Priced” Wines

J. Lohr Vineyards and Winery
The first winery representative she introduced was Steve Lohr, Executive VP/Chief Operating Officer of J. Lohr Vineyards and Winery. (He is pictured below)

Steve gave us a little insight into the history of his family in the American Wine Industry. His father Jerry Lohr started the first family vineyard in the Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County, back in 1972 and first winery in 1974 in the San Jose area. Next on the growth plan was a vineyard purchase in St. Helena of the Napa Valley AVA. Then in 1986, Lohr again decided to expand and this time chose acreage in the Paso Robles AVA. You can view much greater details on the family members, history, vineyards, wineries and their wines by clicking here: http://www.jlohr.com/ .

Steve selected the 2007 J. Lohr Los Osos (the bear) Merlot: Los Osos and Creston Vineyards. You can visit their web site listed above to review vineyard location and winemaker notes. The wine was certainly indicative of a “value priced” product as supported by my third extensive swirl it opened up quite nicely into a very enjoyable wine.

Clayhouse Wines

The next presenter was David Frick (pictured above), Winemaker at Clayhouse Wines. The winery derives its name from the 150 year-old adobe house that the proprietors, the Middleton Family, restored. As a historian, I am looking forward to visiting and touching the walls of this old classic. Click here to review all the history and chronology of growth and production for this winery: http://www.clayhousewines.com/ . For the “value priced” wines he brought the 2008 Clayhouse Malbec from their Red Cedar Vineyard. Much of his discussion about this wine focused on the nuisances and difficulties of working with this grape varietal.

I only recently have begun tasting this varietal wine so my palate is still gaining experience with it. I found it with a long lingering spicy influence which I liked very much.

Ancient Peaks

The final presenter was Mike Sinor (Pictured below), Winemaker for Ancient Peaks Winery. Click here for history and details on Mike’s background, the owners, and their wines: http://www.ancientpeaks.com/

I found extremely interesting this little fact on their web site: “Margarita Vineyard resides in the historic Santa Margarita Ranch, which was first planted to vines by Franciscan missionaries in 1774." Their web site also says that, “ Ancient Peaks and Margarita Vineyard are owned by three longtime local winegrowing families—the Filipponis, Rossis and Wittstroms….”

For the “value priced” Ancient Peaks wine, Mike presented us with their Cabernet Sauvignon from the Margarita Vineyard. My immediate reaction from the first sip was “Wow!” And, it just kept getting better with each additional intensive swirling and sip through three iterations. What a value wine! I had to see its blend: 92% Cab. Sauv., 4% Zin., 2% Malbec and 2% Petit Verlot. I don’t know what percent of which varietal made me like this wine so much, but I want some more of it, particularly at this price - $16/btle!

Higher Priced Wines

Now Sara got us all excited for round two of our tasting - the higher priced wines - when she really encouraged the winery representatives to give us the meat of why these wines are so priced.

J. Lohr Vineyards and Winery

Steve presented the Lohr Hilltop Vineyard Cab., a blend consisting of 90% Cab. Sauv., 4.6 % Petit Verdot, 2.8 % Merlot, 2.3 % Cabernet Franc and .03% Malbec. I must admit, the immediate effect on my palate and senses was that I was enjoying a very smooth wine. Steve described how the grapes were hand selected not only on the vine but in the sorting process on the way to the crusher. This wine just kept getting better with each swirl and sip.

An attendee asked Steve to discuss the move afoot to further specialize the AVA into eleven (11) distinct sub-appellations. He described his winery's efforts to spearhead the segmenting which will be based on better defining the geological and climatic differences that exist as one moves around in the large Paso Robles AVA. He feels optimistic that they will be successful in their attempts to better define the unique difference in the AVA.

Clayhouse Wines

David presented the Clayhouse Estate Petite Sirah-Show Pony from Red Cedar Vineyards. This wine also improved significantly as I swirled and sipped it. It had a most enjoyable flora- like nose to it. David gave us his insight into how much more of an in-field vine/grape selection process defines the final product of fine wine.

Ancient Peaks

For the final wine, Mike presented us the Ancient Peaks Oyster Ridge, a blend of grapes from Margarita and Whittstrom vineyards. This was a blend of 46% Cab., 24% Petite Sirah, 15% Merlot and 15% Petit Verdot. Again, I found a most enjoyable wine. Mike also provided his description of the increased selectivity process used to produce this more expensive wine.

Mike was asked by an attendee to comment on a rather local alleged debate about whether the East or West side produced better wines. Mike carefully placed this question in perspective to the fact that Highway 101 basically divided the AVA and what the gentleman was referring to was simply that and not intended to reflect of wine quality on either as being better than the other. He suggested that people were making more of the loose statement than they should be.

Wrap Up

Other than the Ancient Peaks 2007 Cab., the third wine tasted and priced at $16/btle, the higher price wines, $35 to $50/btle, were more pleasurable to my taste. That is not to say I didn’t find the lower price point wines just fine, because I did. I suppose that probably just like most folks during these economic times, my budget would require me to purchase the lower price point wines but when I have those extra bucks, I’m going to splurge with a purchase of the higher end wines.

This seminar session was very well organized and coordinated by the PSWCA. It was a great educational as well as delightful tasting event. Congratulations to Stacie and Sara. And, a special thanks to Steve, David and Mike for letting us hear their expertise and taste their wines.

As I still had a fairly long ride back to Concord, California, I only had time to taste a few of the wines of the other attending wineries. I tasted the Sauvignon Blanc from the booth of the Vina Robles Vineyards and Winery (http://www.vinarobles.com/) and found it very much to my liking.

The next booth was Robert Hall Winery (http://www.roberthallwinery.com/ )/ selected to taste the same varietal. This was also an enjoyable wine matching the style I like best.

Then I went back to reds. At the Opolo Vineyards (https://www.opolo.com/ booth, I first tasted their 2006 Sangiovese and found it much to my liking. I followed that with a taste of what seemed like an interesting blend of 2006 Barbara and Sangiovese that they call Montagna-Mare. I am a big fan of Sangiovese but this blended wine was just not for me.

My final taste was the 2005 Pinot Noir of the Maloy O’Neill Vineyards. (http://www.maloyoneill.com)/ This wine left an excellent lingering taste on my palate as I exited the event satisfied that I now knew some of the tastes in another AVA beside Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma.

This was an afternoon well spent and now I plan to travel to the Paso Robles AVA to experience more of their wines and expand my taste buds and experiences!

A Media Tasting Event at Swanson Vineyards, Rutherford, CA

2010-04-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

By: John M. Olney
Phone: 707-299-9548
Web site: http://www.jolney.blogspot.com/
E-mail: jjolneytwcc1@aol.com

Copyright, all rights reserved by
Wine Country Marketing and Promotions,
1370 Trancas St., #409, Napa, CA 94558
Phone: 707-299-9548
Web site: http://www.twccwcmp.blogspot.com/ /
E-mail: winecountrypromo@aol.com

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 Media Tasting Event

Double click on the picture-map below to enlarge it
and roam around the valley.

Swanson Winery and Vineyards are highlighted in red.

(Copyright map reproduced by permission of Swanson Vineyards, Aril 22, 2010.
Further reproduction with advanced permission of Swanson Vineyards only)

But before featuring the tasting event, let me give you some history of the winery site and its owners
.
Background
Swanson Vineyards (http://www.swansonvineyards.com/index.cfm ) is located on a narrow side road, named Manley Lane, on the west of Hwy 29., in Rutherford which is just south of St. Helena, California. The site was originally occupied by the Cassayre-Forni Winery (founded in the mid-1970s and closed in the early 1990‘s).

The current owners, W. Clarke Swanson, Jr. (http://www.swansonvineyards.com/wcs ) and wife Elizabeth Pipes Swanson (http://www.swansonvineyards.com/eps ) reopened the winery site in the year 2000 but have owned vineyards in the Oakville area since the mid-1980s.

In the 1950s, Mr. Swansons father and uncle developed the innovative “Swanson TV Dinners” (for some history click here: http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/tvdinner.html ) which revolutionized how American families could meet the time required to work, raise the family, juggled with meal preparation, and watch a relatively new media called “Television,” which in those early days was mostly only available during the late afternoon and evening hours. Swanson's TV dinners were first advertised in 1954 and were immediately a hit with consumers who were just beginning to afford and appreciate Television (or simply, “TV“). Swanson was eventually acquired by the Campbell Soup Company which ranks fourth behind Nestle (makers of Stouffer's and Lean Cuisine brands) in a $4 billion industry today.

First the Swansons acquired 100 acres located along Oakville Cross Road (runs between Hwy 29 to the west and Silverado Trail to the east) and it is sandwiched between Opus One and Groth vineyards and wineries. The second purchase was the 40 acre vineyards formerly known as “Schmidt Ranch,” located against the Mayacaymas Mountain range to the west of Hwy 29 and between the famous Napanook vineyards of Dominus winery, and Far Niente and Harlan vineyards and wineries.

The April 21, 2010 Media Awareness Event

Swanson Vineyards (www.swansonvineyards.com/index.cfm ) has been quietly undergoing cosmetic surgery with the addition of what is being called “The Sip Shoppe.” It is immediately adjacent to the original tasting room labeled “The Salon,” and occupies the area formerly used for bottling. Let me get to wine tasting event that we were invited to and then I’ll come back to “The Sip Shoppe” in a short while.

Today, eleven of us representing rather unique sectors of the media trade, were gathered in “The Salon “ to taste Swanson wines with winemaker Chris Phelps (www.swansonvineyards.com/index.cfm?method=pages.showPage&pageid=c1ad32a6-0b39-53b0-b2e0-ae6bf4182c24 ), who joined Swanson in 2003. Attending media invitees were:
Autumn Millhouse, blogger and author, ( http://www.romanticnapavalleybook.com/ )
Fred Swan and wife Eva, NorCal Wine, (http://www.norcalwine.com/ )
Jim White, Napaman, ( http://www.napaman.com/ )
H. Annette Hanami, blogger, frelance writer, Wine Muse, (http://www.wine-muse.com/ )
Daedalus Howell, dhowell media group, (http://www.dhowell.com/ )
John Olney, Wine Blogger & Historian ( http://www.jolney.blogspot.com/ )
Ziggy Eschlimann, radio show host (KRSH Santa Rosa/nationally syndicated, (http://www.ziggythewinegal.com/ )
John Cesano, wine blogger,( http://www.johnonwine.com/ ) with friend, Fred Albrecht
Mary Orlin, blogger and videographer, On Line Media, ,(http://www.onlinemedia.com/ and http://www.shopeatdrink.com/)

Representing the winery were:
Mr. Clarke Swanson, winery owner, (www.swansonvineyards.com/index.cfm)
Chris Phelps, Swanson Winemaker, (www.swansonvineyards.com/index.cfm)
Julie Ann Kodmur, Publicity/Marketing ( http://www.julieannkodmur.com/ ) who was coordinating this event.

As we entered the winery at the classic “The Salon” room, we were offered the first of many wines we would taste; a wonderful 2008 NV Pinot Grigio. As Winemaker Chris would later share with us, he would prefer that the varietal was called by the French name, Pinot Gris, (PG) than the Italian. Ever since Chardonnay’s were being made with too much malolactic fermentation (MF) making them very milky (also known as “buttery) and they were over oaked, I have preferred either Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio and Swanson’s PG is right up there in the top labels I desire. Lots of fruit making it very refreshing while it lingers in my mouth before the inevitable swallow. Hate to see it go but alas there is yet another sip to be taken! However, it disappoints me when the bottle seems to have evaporated just when I wanted yet more. Go figure!?

Next in order was a Merlot tasting of the 2005, 06 and 07 vintages. I particularly liked the 2006. That is not say that there was anything objectionable with either the 2005 or 2007, it is just that the 06 matched what my palate liked the most. Next favorite was the 07. As it breathed, it kept getting better. Because of that, I went back to retry the 05, but it still wasn’t the merlot for me.

Now we moved into the Cabernet Sauvignon, vintages 2005 through 2007, with anticipation at least from my standpoint. These Cabs are named, “Alexis,” after the Swanson daughter, Alexis Swanson Traina (http://www.swansonvineyards.com/ast) , who performs at the winery as the Creative Director.

There are some pictures of “The Salon.” Double click on the picture-map below to enlarge it

Mr. Clark Swanson, II is the gentleman seated near the center of picture, at the back table.
Seated to his left is H. Annette Hanami. That's Swanson winemaker Chris Phelps standing
and checking his tasting notes.

We took a break to now go next door to experience “The Sip Shoppe.” For this portion of the show, Shawn LaRue, Salonnier, provided us with an explanation of what Swanson Winery was going to implement. My overall immediate impression was that I was entering a circus tent. Now please, understand that I mean no disrespect to Swanson Winery owners and management, but we just exited the rather classic elegant Salon and within a few small steps we were in a tent-like decorated room with bright white and red narrow strips running vertically from the floor to the peaked ceiling.

Now let's look at some pictures of “The Sip Shoppe.” Let me reiterate, I have no objection to the décor of “The Sip Shoppe” whatsoever. It is just that to me it is such a shape contrast to the image that Swanson Vineyards presents through its ‘The Salon” tasting and education sessions.

If I didn’t know about “The Salon” and my visit took me from the parking lot into “The Sip Shoppe” without a stop at the other tasting room, I wouldn’t know anything different and visa versa. But, the two rooms are only a few feet away from each other. Right outside the door way is a lovely courtyard.

Swanson does plan to offer a limited food menu that can be paired to the wines being tasted in 'The Sip Shoppe.”

I guess my concern is how will Swanson keep visitors from wandering back and forth between the two co-located tasting rooms and wondering why they were taken to one room but not the other.
Double click on the picture-map below to enlarge it

That's Shawn LaRue, Salonnier, on the right

I’m guessing, but I think the plan is that the more formal and thus pricey wines will be offered in the traditional and classic Salon tasting room while the more casual tastings will be offered in the whimsical "The Sip Shoppe" and patio area. I am truly looking forward to visiting Swanson to experience a tasting in “The Sip Shoppe” when it opens in late spring/summer.

From this room, we were escorted into the barrel room where Chris was about to spoil us rotten with tastes of 2008 Merlot (Oakville), 2008 Alexis - Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, 2009 Chardonnay (Oakville) and 2009 Zinfandel (Napa Valley). In each varietal tasting, everybody present was only complimentary to Chris and Swanson Winery for what they were producing. Just a couple of comments here.

Again, I was particularly fond of the Chardonnay which had no MF thereby eliminating that “buttery quality which I despise in Chardonnays as well as those which are treated to lots of influence of oak, because these treatments seem to cover up the taste of the grape.

The Cab is a wine I’m going to be looking forward to when it is bottled and released. Great nose and lingerer on my palate until the next sip. Another wine that I’ll be happy to see released will be their 09 Zin which was full bodied yet very comfortable as I let it sit in my mouth before swallowing a small amount.

We closed out the media event with a very enjoyable lunch prepared by Chef Shannon Kelley, Knickerbocker’s Oak Avenue Catering,(http://www.knickerbockerscatering.com/about/)

Winemaker Chris paired this lunch with the 2008 Salon chardonnay and 2008 Rosato of Syrah. As I said before, I fully enjoy his Chardonnays since you can actually taste the fruit. I have yet to develop a palate for Syrah so the Rosato was still a different and unfamiliar taste to my palate. This has nothing to do with the quality of Chris’s wine but rather my inexperience with the varietal which I just have not warmed up to yet.

Chris then paired the dessert of Country Apple Galette with his 2005 Tardif, Late-Harvest Chardonnay. What a marvelous finish to a wonderful educational and promotional event.

Congratulations to Swanson Vineyards for giving this media group the opportunity to better understand their winery, their wines and their plans for the future. A job well done, guys and gals, thank you very much.

2010-04-02T07:36:00.001-07:00

My name is John Olney and I have been Maria Kitzmiller’s best friend for over 20 years. I am sad to report that Maria’s two daughters elected not to hold a memorial or celebration of life service for their mother.

In March, six months after Maria’s passing, the daughters have filed suit to contest Maria’s will and trust desires The primary reason for their contest is that they claim I had undue influence on her and convinced her to change her bequeaths significantly from spitting her estate between them to giving the largest sum (about 60%) to leukemia charity. Of course, these charges are false and the daughters will not prevail.

I will attempt to hold a celebration of Maria’s life in the new future. Please stay in touch via the web site I created for her at www.mariakitz.blogspot.com/ or call her phone for messages at 925-825-2901.

The Sattui Wine Family Celebrates 125 years in America

2010-03-29T21:18:00.000-07:00

March 25,2010

By John M. Olney

(photo’s by John Olney except where acknowledged)

Web site: http://www.jolney.blogspot.com/
E-mail: jjolneytwcc1@aol.com

Wine Country Marketing and Promotions,

1370 Trancas St., #409, Napa, CA 94558
Phone: 707-299-9548

Web site: http://www.twccwcmp.blogspot.com/ /
E-mail: winecountrypromo@aol.com

Dario Sattui sits to on the left hand seat of the Napa Valley wine industry seesaw while Robert Mondavi held the right hand seat with Napa Valley at the fulcrum. Both men shared one major theme in their approach to wine, food and life and that is that they are passionate in their beliefs and never ceasing goal to offer that pleasure to their followers - their consumers. The fundamental difference between the two men is their perspective as to who the wine consumer is.

If you had been fortunate enough to be included in the V. Sattui media and industry related groups to celebrate the 125th year of the Sattui Family, you would have witnessed a man speaking with immense enthusiasm, joy and passion about producing wine. But that is not the only passion he expresses. He spoke in terms of food and the simple enjoyment of company with whom to share these pleasures. In his exuberant presentation of his philosophy, he made a very simple comparison between the right hand seesaw rider and his left hand approach and I quote, "While they post signs 'Keep off the Grass,’ we at Sattui encourage all to sit, stand, sprawl, and picnic on the lawn!’ Dario went on to say, “We are certainly interested in making money but that is not our only objective. We want our consumers to enjoy both our facilities and themselves.”

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me back up and report on the media/trade event 125 years since they first started wine production in San Francisco (1885) and then followed that with a resurrection of wine production in Napa Valley, California (1976).

The North Beach Restaurant (Click here for full details: http://www.northbeachrestaurant.com/ ), located near the corner intersection of Columbus, Green and Stockton, was only a couple blocks away from Dario’s Great Grandfather’s original winery site back in 1885, which was our meeting place at high noon. Here is what “Open Table” has to say:

“Since 1970, the North Beach Restaurant has been renowned as San Francisco's #1 Italian Restaurant for its Tuscan culinary excellence, relaxed ambiance, warm hospitality, and great service by Bay area families, tourists, romantics, conventioneers, business managers, politicians, sports celebrities, and movie stars!”

We were seated in the downstairs banquet room; about 60 of us representing just about every form of media outlet to the consuming public; magazine and newspaper columnists, TV/radio, bloggers, twitters and all the rest of the social media communications links as well as in-the-trade representatives.

I arrived a few minutes after noon and was among the first about 20 guests milling around after Pat Krueger, Sattui’s VP of Sales & Public Affairs, escorted me to my seat located among Veronica Stone (District Director, State Assembly Member Noreen Evan’s office ) on my right, and Tom Luther, (former owner of Food and Beverage Magazine) on my left. Across the table from me were Robert O’Malley (Vice President at V. Sattui) and Eric Christoffersen (Executive Director of “The Mint Project.” Click here for details: http://www.themintproject.org/)

I started looking at the extensive media package when I noticed that there were pictures hanging in front of the wine racks behind the seats and tables and my curiosity required me to go look at then. Click here to view the picture: http://jolney.blogspot.com/2010/03/sattui-family-wine-in-san-francisco.html . They were all of the San Francisco winery operations and are presented herein courtesy of V. Sattui Winery and family.

Dario called the group to order and then provided an outline of the speakers who would fill us in on the celebration of 125 years and their knowledge of Dario in relation to the wine industry. He then introduced his President of V. Sattui operations, Tom C. Davies.

Following his opening remarks, Tom introduced Francis Tsang, community liaison for Mayor Gavin Newsom, who read and presented Dario with a proclamation dedicating March 25, 2010 as “V. Sattui Day.”

This was followed by the introduction of Professor Victor W. Geraci, Ph. D. Author, Food and Wine Historian, from the Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley (Click here for background: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ROHO/projects/food_wine/bio.html ) , who provided us all with a presentation that featured the importance of the Italians who had migrated to America, specifically California, and their impact on the wine industry.

While he spoke, we were treated to a magnificent lunch accompanied by five fabulous V. Sattui wines as described here: http://jolney.blogspot.com/2010/03/v-sattui-125-year-aniversary-luncheon.html

The beginning portion of Dr. Geraci’s presentation was most interesting but this speaker was difficult to hear for many attendees seated towards the back of the long tables stretching the length of the room. Consequently many of those distant from the speaker broke off in side conversations. I however, was close enough to be able to pay attention to his excellent historical and statistical review of the Italians and their contributions. This was easier for me than most because I am a student of the history of wine in America, particularly California and especially Napa Valley. But, it may have been a little too technical for many others in attendance. From my standpoint, I hope to contact the Professor and try to obtain a copy of his verbal and slide presentation for future reference purposes.

The Professor was followed by another Proclamation presentation and this time it came from the office of the State Assembly and was presented by Laurie Puzo, (Field Representative/Principal Consultant, Select Committee on Wine) representing Assembly Member, Noreen Evans (7th District - encompassing Napa Valley)

Speaking next was the genius behind the creation of the modern day Sattui wine production empire, Dario Sattui. In only a style that fits Dario very well, he carefully laid out the chronological history of the Sattui Family’s arrival in American 125 years ago and their start up in the wine industry. (Click here: http://vsattui125th.wordpress.com/ ). His great grandfather used grapes from the St. Helena area in the production of his wines.

St. Helena Wine Cellars at 722 Montgomery (now Columbus Avenue),
North Beach, S.F., 1899 (Photo courtesy of V. Sattui)

What I particularly appreciated about Dario’s team preparation for our time with him, was the inclusion of a detailed paper document (12 pages) in the media package. It essentially provided the story in the same detail as he verbalized, but for obvious reasons wasn’t nearly as interesting as to hear his enthusiasm and passion through his voice inflection and intensity as he described his drive to build his dream winery. Click here for the web site: http://www.vsattui.com/

Dario was not afraid to talk about how he recognized that his peers doubted his potential for success. Nor did he shy aware from describing how he made huge personal sacrifices to accomplish his dream, including the toll it took on his family life. In those early years he was a man driven with a goal and the issue of money was just not going to stop him. I could go on and on about this drive but suffice it to say, Dario’s dedication, enthusiasm and sincere effort to please his visitors is obviously carried over to his staff as can been seen when one tours the V. Sattui winery, deli and picnic site. It is no wonder the winery is so popular. As just one example, click here to follow a tour I recently gave on the property: http://jolney.blogspot.com/2010/03/v-sattui-touring-with-john-olney.html

As if the building and nurturing of the V. Sattui Winery complex wasn’t enough to ware down most individuals, he then undertook one heck of an ambitious project: The creation of Castello di Amorosa or as tourists and local alike simply call it, “THE Castle,” and all know exactly what they are talking about. Click here: http://www.castellodiamorosa.com/index.cfm?method=homepage.showpage

The property that Dario purchased on which to locate his castle has a rich historical background. It was originally owned by William H. Nash, His property was commonly known as "Walnut Grove," named for the imported British walnut trees he grew. Nash constructed the first schoolhouse in Napa County and it was only the second in the entire state in 1847. He became a substantial member of the community with one of the larger estates of the times with the mansion (Now the Dario and Yana Albert-Sattui home) containing 10.000 sqft, with a wrap-around veranda of 1,800 sqft.

It is on this veranda where I spent just about two hours back in November 2009 interviewing Dario for my forthcoming book, "The Innovators and Pacestters of the Modern NV Wine Industry." (Click here for an overview: http://jolney.blogspot.com/2009/08/my-new-book-innovators-of-modern-nv.html)

Nash made a small quantity of wine and it is possible that it was produced and cellared in the small brick building on the property as mentioned by Dario. But it is more likely that the building was constructed under the Shramp Brothers tenure. I'm still researching this information. Nash sold the property circa 1870 to the Shramp Brothers who greatly expanded the wine production. and the home was renamed "Maplewood." The history is scant after this exchange.

When I arrived in Napa in 1985, the estate was named "St. Michael's Villa."

Enough on that early history!; Now back to the Sattui media luncheon presentations.

The final speaker was John A. De Luca, Ph.D. Former President and CEO of The Wine Institute, former San Francisco deputy mayor, and currently he serves as Special Advisor to the Gallo Family as well as chairman of the Board of Directors for the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at UC San Francisco. ( click here for his complete background: http://www.galloresearch.org/index.php/about/boardofdirectors/5-boardofdirectors/9-johndeluca.) These positions are just a couple of his many hats.

Dr. De Luca provided the attendees with a number of interesting highlights of his association to Dario over the years, the impact of the Italians on the California Wine Industry and perspectives of the future of the industry on the whole. A truly remarkable gentleman with an extensive knowledge of the wine industry particularly from the perspecttive of once heading up the largest and strongest wine advocacy trade association in probaly all of America. If there is anybody who should unanimously be installed in the California Vintners Hall of Fame, located and sponored by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), it is this gentleman.

The final reward of the media briefing was a walk with Dario up the street from the restaurant to visit the location of the original V. Sattui Winery. Dario, in all his tall, lanky figure, with long strides which I could barely keep up with, mesmerized his entourage of about 25 attendees with quips and comments. People along the sidewalk cafes and shops, and business people and local residents who were walking to from work or shopping watched us with question while we attentatively gathered in the comments of the man. We were with the Pied Piper of Wine.

As we were returning to the restaurant. I got a chance to sneak in next to Dario and ask a question; “So, Dario, now that you are obviously successful with both Napa Valley wineries, where are you going to build your next?”

Dario, looking way down at me while placing his hand on my shoulder, responded, “Well, John, I don’t think another winery is in the future. I’m too old now (he is only 68), but another project I might consider.”

I wanted to delve into that comment further but others came up and were quick to ask him their questions.

You know, with all of his talk about and love for Italy, I would not be surprised that we will hear of Dario restoring something in Italy itself. Perhaps a castle, perhaps something in his father's village, who knows, but for sure, DARIO IS NOT DONE CREATING!

Incidentally, V. Sattui is definitely fully aware of social media propectives. Here are their sites:

Blog/Blogging:
http://blognapavalley.com/
http://www.vsattui.com/index.cfm?method=pages.showPage&pageid=4a90bc06-9aa2-8af3-30ae-2a25b9e4a0a8

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/V-Sattui-Winery/106717801030

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/Vsattui1885

Sattui Family Wine in San Francisco

2010-03-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

St. Helena Wine Cellars at 722 Montgomery (now Columbus Avenue), North Beach, S.F., 1899

)

Cellar at Bryant Ave. Winery (left to right: Romeo Sattui, Vittorio, cellar worker & Mario), 1903

Bryant Avenue Winery (later V. Sattui Winery) at 23rd & Bryant in Mission district, S.F., 1904

Mario, Vittorio's son, delivering wine by horsecart, 1908

V. Sattui touring with John Olney

2010-03-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

V. Sattui 125 Year Aniversary Luncheon Menu

2010-03-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

The lunch absolutely lived up to the quoted praise of this restaurant by "Open Table" listed previously and the V. Sattui wine pairings were superb.

IL MENU

ANTIPASTO MISTO

Burrata con Pomodoro e Basilico
Burrata (Creamy Mozzarella from Puglia) with Tomatoes, Basil and Olive Oil & Vinegar

Calamari Fritti e Prosciutto
Fried Calamari and Prosciutto

These were served with 2008 Vittorio’s Vineyard Napa Valley SAUVIGNON BLANC. It was a light grassy SB, the kind I particularly enjoy. It was a Gold medal - Winemaker’s Challenge (Robert Whitley-San Diego

PRIMO PIATTO

Linguine alle Vongole e Salsa di Vino Bianco
Linguine with Baby Clams in a White Wine Sauce

Served with 2007 Reserve Stock Napa Valley CHARDONNAY. (Blend from Carsi and Henry Ranch, touch of new oak and mild malolactic fermentation)

Spaghetti alla Carbonara con Prosciutto
Una Specialità del Ristorante North Beach
Spaghetti Carbonara with Prosciutto - A North Beach Restaurant Specialty

Served with 2007 Crow Ridge Russian River ZINFANDEL This was particularly wonderful wine on my palate. It was a Platinum Medal winner at Critic’s Challenge and Gold Medal winner at the California State Fair

SECONDO PIATTO

Osso Buco con Riso e Verdure
Baby Veal Shank braised with Tomato Sauce, served with Rice and Vegetables

Served with 2004 “Steve Lee” Reserve Napa Valley CABERNET SAUVIGNON, a blend from Preston and Morisoli Vineyards

DOLCI

Zabaglione con Fragole Fresche
Cold Zabaglione (Custard with V. Sattui Madeira) with Fresh Strawberries

Served with MADEIRA to which Dario pointed out the following about the blend in this Port: “A small amount of this solera-made Port was originally produced byVittorio Sattui prior to 1900.” It was awarded four Gold Medals and “Best of Class at the Los Angeles County Fair. I do not frequently order such wine but I must admit, this could make me start ordering Madeira on a routine basis following a meal

2010-02-15T21:26:00.000-08:00

The CIA funding of Glomar Explorer salvage attempt of a sunken Soviet Submarine, K-129

Well. it is begunnung, The article below is going to be just the first of many. I'm just glad I was able to play a tiny role in the whole operation as we detected the sub just outside Petropavlvsk harbor as she began her mission Click below:
http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/cia-releases-details-on-cold-war-mission-called-project-azorian/19357242?icid=mainhtmlws-main-ndl1link1

Originally posted on Saturday, February 13, 2010
SOSUS AND K-129
I just received my copy of the newly released documentatary film about a Soviet Submarine operation in which I was involved in the first detection of the boat after it started its patrol from the Soviet submarine port of Petropavlask, Kamchatca Pennisula, in late February 1968. At the time, I was the Evaluation Cemter Officer at the headquarters of a system known by the acronym "SOSUS." It stands for SOund SUrvellience System, which back then was a super secret land based Anti Submarine Warfare platform providing frontline early warning to Washington D.C. military leaders of Soviet missile launching capable submarine threats on both coasts.

This Soviet submarine threat is one of the five Soviet submarine transit operations that I use in my novel, “The SOSUS Man.” You can read my synopsis and first couple chapters of my book by clicking here: http://thesosusman.blogspot.com/

This is a system which, at the real time in 1968, we thought it had detected the explosion or implosion of this submarine in March 1968 but as I learned through the discovery and release of information by Michael’s work, which was previously unknown to me and my command senior officers, indicates we were incorrect in our real time post- analysis re-examination and reporting of a possible detection.

The documentary film is described below:

Produced, written and directed by Michael White Films, Vienna Austria;(please scroll down for purchasing information)

“AZORIAN - The raising of the K-129

A mysterious CIA cold war operation.
A secret journey into the oceans depths
A challenge of ingenuity and imagination
A story of man’s unprecedented resolve"

Michael’s work, through his team of consulting experts, information data collection and verification technical advisor and meticulous computer animation and graphics by his production staff, have woven a factual visual presentation and story about one of the most controversial events undertaken by our CIA.

This is a spectacular documentary film which finally appears to have revealed all of the highly classified sensors, intelligence, detection and tracking, sinking, search & localization and ultimate salvage attempt of a Soviet diesel-electric ballistic missile launching capable submarine during the height of the cold war period of 1968-1973 in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean.

Purchasing information follows: (extracted from Web-site of Michael White Films)

"Please help DVD copyright protection. This DVD can only be purchased new via this website [ http://www.projectjennifer.at/ ]. If you purchase this DVD new elsewhere, you are buying an illegal copy that is not authorised by the Producer of this film. Title: Azorian The Raising of the K-129 (Region 0/PAL - DVD)
Language: English
Run Time: 104 minutes
Sound: Dolby 5.1
Rating: NR
Format: 16:9 PAL
Please note: You are buying a PAL/DVD. Please check your DVD Players compatibility.Price: € 33.00 Applicable taxes included. Without shipping.
To see total price please choose your country, quantity and shipping speed."

I Have to Question What We Are Doing With the Celebration of our Heritage!

2010-02-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

By John Olney

Web site: www.jolney.blogspot.com E-mail: jolneytwcc1@aol.com

WINE COUNTRY MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS (WCM&P)

1370 Trancas St., #409, Napa, CA 94558 Phone: 707-299-9548

Web site: www.twccwcmp.blogspot.com E-mail: winecountrypromo@aol.com

(This article may be copied, reprinted and forwarded to others as long as no fee is

collected specifically for this article and the name of author and copyright holder are cited.)

February is Black History Month. With only about two weeks of time past in the month, I noticed that there are quite a few references to Black History as spot-like ads on many TV channels and radio stations.

I got to thinking about this in terms of my awareness of other nationality groups getting as much, or creating as much, exposure for their respective sub-nationalities.

I say sub-nationality because first of all, if they were born here, they are therefore Americans by birth and the other heritage is derived by parents or /grandparents born in some other country. If they are nationalized citizens, then their birth place nationality takes a back seat to their new adopted citizenship. Thus, this latter category falls into the same definitions as if they were originally born here.

If you think about it for a minute, we are basically dealing with three primary terms here: racial, ethnical and cultural differences. Collectively I merge these three terms into one which I refer to as “heritage groups.”

But, I’m getting off my primary point, so let me get back to nationality heritage months. My curiosity prevailed so I began googling the Internet to see if any other nationalities had such a special designation.

Wow, I was surprised by what my search results which are shown below:

February - Black History Month
We celebrate Martin Luther King Day in January but we marked February as Black History Month
I’m not sure that we are being fair by allowing two months to be dominated by one sub-heritage group.

Black Heritage Month was instituted in 1926 when it was celebrated as “Negro History Week" during the second week of the month. This period incorporated the birthdays of “two Americans who greatly influenced the lives and social condition of African Americans: former President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass.”

March - Irish-American Heritage
Sure, we all like to wear a bit of the green and hoot and holler and devour corn beef & cabbage on St. Patty’s Day. But celebrate all month? I certainly can’t recall such dedication to the American-Irish citizens of our towns, states and indeed in the nation lasting all month. Certainly, I cannot recall seeing much Irish history spots on TV or hearing the same on radio.

The American Foundation for Irish Heritage wants to have the same national recognition as other ethnic cultural sub -groups; There are “lobby-type” groups who are trying to conduct a grass route campaign to get all the Governs to sign a proclamation marking March as the Irish heritage month. They claim that there are about 44 million Americans having a bit of the Irish in them.

May - Asian Pacific American (APA) Heritage Month
In June 1977, congressional representatives introduced a House resolution to proclaim the first ten days of May as Asian/Pacific Heritage Week. That initiative was quickly followed by Senate action. Then in 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a Joint Resolution designating the annual celebration. In 1990, President George H. W. Bush designated the entire month as the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The selection of May was based on the following rationale (in italics):
- To commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843,
(We probably shouldn’t mention the events of December 7, 1941)

- To mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869 because the majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.
(We should also thank them for the dyke system in the California Delta, and caves in mineral mining and California
wine country)

It just might also be wise of us to also recognize some other important contributions by the citizens of Japanese ancestry to our nation such as during WWII when the Army’s 442nd Regimental Combat Team composed of American-Japanese soldiers - the most decorated army unit of its size in the history of America - fought so valiantly while their parents, grandparents and siblings languished in internment camps and had their personal and real property carpet-bagged away from them.

We also need to recognize the Koreans, Vietnamese and many others of Asian ancestry in this celebration.

But what about the Phillipinos who have also accomplished so much in support of the US? They are not Asians but are Islander’s in the Pacific.

Where are we going to put the Aleuts and Eskimo’s? They are not Asians. Aleuts are Pacific Islanders though, just locate way up north. The Eskimo is neither Asian nor an Islander. What do we do with them, as both are the original inhabitants of lands now included in the USA? We might have a serious dilemma here.

September - October - Germans, Hispanic and Italians all claim this timeframe
The September - October timeframe is simply a poor marketing strategy by the three groups that are competing for public service allotments in the media.

Middle of Sept to the middle of Oct - German American Heritage Month.
September 15 to October 15 - National Hispanic Heritage Month
October - National Italian American Heritage Month

German Heritage
Well over 60 million claim German ethnicity. We all know how much they have contributed to our nation. We probably shouldn’t mention WWI or WWII even though we offered many in the military sciences following WWII to come to America to build our early missile and space technology programs.

Hispanic Heritage
Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California were once part of Mexico and they sold it to the USA, albeit under duress. Cinch de Mayo celebrations are big particularly in the western states of the USA. Once again, like the Black Heritage Group, we have multiple months of major celebration for one heritage group.

Our current bountiful agriculture production would be stalled without their participation in harvesting and processing our food. The western and southwestern portion of our country represents the largest concentration of Hispanic descendants distributed between actual citizens and those in our county illegally.

Italian Heritage
This heritage group celebration coincides with festivities associated to Columbus Day. Over 5.4 million Italians immigrated to the United States between 1820 and 1992. Today there are over 26 million Americans of Italian descent in the United States, making them the fifth largest ethnic group.

Do you recall from your history classes that the USA is named after an Italian? It comes from an explorer and geographer named Amerigo Vespucci.

November - National American Indian Heritage Month,
Started in 1915 with one day in May and finally in 1990 President George W. Bush signed the proclamation marking November as National American Indian Heritage month. About 400 years after the foreigners first arrived, we finally recognized the original inhabitants of the land finally gained through the great Manifest Destiny.

Who’s Missing?
Three groups we have not yet discussed for inclusion in Heritage Months are briefly mentioned below:

The British - They started the original 13 colonies and this whole thing about America rolling!
The French - They sold us the Louisiana Territory and gave us our great symbol of freedom - the Statue of Liberty.
The Russians - They sold us Alaska

What About Celebrating Being An American?

We have to put all this heritage thing in proper perspective. Please realize I have no objections what so ever to celebrating any heritage group. But number 1, all that are born on USA soil whether within the lands of the USA and it Territories, or sovereign USA government property within foreign countries, ARE FIRST AND FOREMOST USA CITIZENS until they decide to disclaim such. Number 2, almost none are exclusively of one sub-heritage group so how do they decide to align themselves?

I propose that all government literature, including school history books teaching our USA citizen and legally in-country foreign children about the USA, MUST USE any “HERITAGE “ designation starting with the key word “AMERICAN” to which would be added the sub-heritage category the author and/or individual wishes to discuss, or be known as.

It will takes some years, possibly a generation or two, to get used to saying the word “AMERICAN” first but it will finally happen and when it does, shouting out loud the slogan, “I am proud to be an American,” will truly carry the weight it deserves.

July - American Heritage Month

To further enhance, encourage and enforce the use of the “AMERICAN” designation first in naming heritage groups, I suggest a month long celebration under the umbrella of the theme, “I am proud to be an American,” using the 4th of July, our INDEPENDENCE DAY, as the kick off for celebration.

All month long, we should encourage our schools, and local leaders of our towns and cities to return to community action to celebrate being an American by developing interactive projects focusing on what it is to be an American! Bring back the school play, the local pancake breakfast, park softball, sack race, carnival, picnic day, the local parade, and all the other homey things we have let go by the way in our rush to payday gold only!

“Yes sir, yes, ma’am,

I am proud to be an American!”

(Oh yeah, I’m about 50% Portuguese, 40% Welch and 10% French)

Martinez, Ca, - Louie Bertola’s Restaurant and the Beaver Dam

2010-02-09T11:24:00.000-08:00

       On a very rainy day, in January 2010 I had to go to the Probate department of Superior Court in search of a definition of a probate code. After going to the wrong building first and after removing all my metal items, I discovered I was at the wrong building and was instructed to go next door for the office I wanted. I bundled back up and ventured out into the rain once again. I dashed to the court house building only find I had to take off the jewelry and belt, empty my pockets and get scanned again. I passed the scan and found the elevator to the 2nd floor. As I approached the office door, I saw a big sign indicating that it was not open until 1:30pm daily during the work week. Looking at my watch I found it was only noon. But more importantly, if I left the building I would have to go through a third metal scan. I didn’t have a choice so I left to find a place to have some lunch.

Beaver Dam
     As I walked down Main Street going west, I recognized the creek area when the now famous Beavers built their nest and family. If you haven’t heard of the famous little critters, here are some of their press they’ve gotten since their arrival.

http://articles.sfgate.com/2007-05-21/bay-area/17245241_1_beavers-dam-martinez

http://www.martinezbeavers.org/
Oops, I overlooked this one but after a well desserved slap on the hands here it is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martinez,_California
Just scroll down in the article and you’ll find these creatures highlighted

http://www.ktvu.com/news/14881366/detail.html

The Restaurant
      I called my good friend Michel Campbell to find the name of a restaurant he liked in the area near the little creek. He told me it was in an old house and it’s called “Louie Bertola’s.” I finally reached it - located at 611 Escobar Street - and climbed the stairs up to the main floor. Now, this is truly a family-style restaurant. All the non-load bearing walls were gone. To my left (west) was the main dining area which stretched from a bay window facing Escobar Street (south), all the way back to the stair well ( and restroom area) at the north end. These stair led to the third floor which was the banquet room that can accommodate parties up to 50 guests. Hardwood floors everywhere.
     Immediately to the right of the entry door was the stairs down to the kitchen area located on the first floor. Running north of those stairs is your basic plywood rustic bar sanded and stained to be dark. The area between the dining tables and this bar was open and could easily be used for some good dancing room. It was a very large empty area.
     Michael told me to look for one of the two owners and introduce myself as his friend. Well, sometimes that can really be good but sometimes it can backfire if who you are about to meet doesn’t like your friend anymore. Mike (last name “Abel“) was working as bartender, waiter and whatever else needed to be done. Apparently Michael was not in trouble with him as he was most polite to me. Mike Abel has partner named Dan Murphy.
     I don’t know what it was about the place but I felt very comfortable sitting by myself at the bar. I ordered a glass of cheap (oops, I mean inexpensive) red wine and kicked back to kill another hour before I could back to Probate. Mike doesn’t talk to much so I just sat and watched some sports on the only TV at the bar. I looked around and saw that the very northern portion of the floor I was on had a deck area outside, I asked Mike about it and he said is was only used by his real die hard smoking friends.

Lunch
      I was starting to get a little hungry so I got the lunch menu from the waitress, Pat, working theis main dining and bar floor .   I almost fell of my bar stool! Prime Rib, Steak, or Calamari sandwiches were only $9.45. Their special cheesebuger was $6.45 or you could have Pot Roast for $9 dollars. They came with either salad or pasta. Wow! Did I just step back in time?
     Complete lunches included choice of soup or salad, some pasta, fresh veggies and hot bread. Besides the Prime rib, beef or calamari steak plates for $9.45 Louie’s offered a pot roast for $9 even. One could have chicken or ground beef or grilled egg plant for only $8.45, and they offer fresh fish (when available).
      But if you were a light eater, Louie’s let you have minestrone soup or Italian salad - all you can eat - with tons of bread and butter for only $5.45. Finally, one could just enjoy pasta with plenty of bread and butter. I opted here and it was only $5.45. There was so much I took half home. The food was perfectly fine and filled my needs. Was it gourmet? Heck no! But I didn’t go there for that anyway. I just wanted a glass of red wine and some good home-cooking and that was exactly what I got.
      I asked Mike about the famous Beavers who were his neighbors. He said that they were definitely a boon to his business but the recent heavy rains broke up their Beaver dam home. He thinks they are re-establishing a new dam just down stream from his restaurant going north towards the river.

Dinner Menu
       Well, it was nearing time to go back to the court house to get my information. I asked Mike for a copy of their dinner menu. It is shown below.

As you can see, great prices.

The style is home-cooking and genuinely good tasting food, very fairly priced, in a comfortable setting. You can go there with friends and just plain enjoy each other in a relaxed atmosphere. I will definitely be going back and taking friends with me.

Innovator

2010-02-08T07:40:00.000-08:00

The Essence of the Modern Napa Valley Wine Industry
Book II - Pacesetter and Innovators - 1970s to 2000

THE INTERVIEW STATUS
(September 12, 2010)

* indicates inducted into Calif. Vintners Hall Of Fame

Primarily Growers/Vineyard management and development
*Andy Beckstoffer -- Interview completed - - - http://www.beckstoffervineyards.com/
Very large vineyard owner in North Bay counties

Volker Eisele -- Interview completed - http://www.volkereiselefamilyestate.com/
Vineyard/winery owner. Activist for greenbelt, AG preserve, hillside ordnances, etc.

Ken Laird - waiting for reply- - - - - - http://www.lairdfamilyestate.com/
Very large vineyard owner in Napa county.

Salvador “Sal” Renteria -- Interview completed www.renteriawines.com/
One of first large managers vineyards and pickers

William “Bill” Hill -- Interview completed, - -- http://www.bighorncellars.com/
Created the establishment of what would become the Hess Collection, William Hill on Atlas Peak Road now owned by Piero Antinori of Italy, and now co-owner in Big Horn. is on my 1989 SERIES “B” Wine Label Poster-map

Primarily Winemakers
Mitch Cosentino -- Interview completed - http://www.cosentinowinery.com/
Created Cosentino winery in Napa and Crystal Valley Cellars in Lodi and contributed to establishing Merlot as great wine by itself. Cosentino is on my 1989 SERIES “B” Wine Label Poster-map

Randy Dunn - -Interview completed - - http://www.dunnvineyards.com/about.htm
Often considered a “cult” winemaker/winery who re-established Howell Mtn name.

Ric Forman -- Interview completed.- - http://www.formanvineyard.net/
Started as partner in Sterling then moved on to Madrone and now has own winery and consults many. is on my 1989 SERIES “B” Wine Label Poster-map

Tony Soter -- Interview accepted, DTBD, Spring 2010. http://www.sotervineyards.com/ .
Soter was a consulting winemaker in the Napa Valley where he guided such wineries as Araujo, Niebaum-Coppola (Now Rubicon), Shafer, Spottswoode, Viader and Dalle Valle. He now owns and operates Soter Vineyards in Williamette Valley, Oregon.

Primarily Small/Mid sized and/or Family owned wineries
Jack Cakebread -- Interview completed - http://www.cakebread.com/
Creator of Cakebread winery, wine photographer, land preservation, tourism guidance and many more wine business related organizations. is on my 1987 SERIES “A” Wine Label Poster-map

Dan Duckhorn -- Interview completed.- http://www.duckhorn.com/
Created Duckhorn and contributed to establishing Merlot as great wine by itself.

Agustin Huneeus -- Interview completed.- http://www.quintessa.com/
Partner and acting President of Franciscan Estates in 1985. Under his leadership, the ailing company was transformed into a successful group of premium wine estates. In 1999, Agustin sold his interest in Franciscan Estates. Today, he devotes his time to Quintessa. He also maintains vineyard holdings in Chile, Alexander Valley and Napa Valley. Franciscan is on my 1987 SERIES “A” Wine Label Poster-map.

Francis Mahoney -- Interview completed www.mahoneyvineyards.com/
Creator of Carneros Creek winery. A major player in establishing Carneros as a great Pinot Noir district. Is on my 1987 SERIES “A” Wine Label Poster-map

Mary Novak -- Iinterview completed www.spottswoode.com/
Before there were “cult” wineries, she was one by starting Spottswoode

*Warren Winiarski -- Interview completed  No current web site
Founder :Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. http://www.cask23.com/   Beside the winner of the 1976 taste-off with French, strong advocate of AG Preserve. . Is on my 1989 SERIES “B” Wine Label Poster-map

Primarily Executives in Larger Corporate type winery operations
Michael Mondavi -- Interview completed - - - http://www.foliowine.com/
Heir of a great wine and Napa Valley ambassador. Was once Robert Mondavi winery CEO. Now owns Folio Wine Partners. R. Mondavi is on my 1987 SERIES “A” Wine Label Poster-map.

Michael Moone -- interview accepted DTBD in spring 2010     www.lunavineyards.com/
Top notch large corporate executive who, through Silverado Partners headed a machine that took Beringer Brothers to a major player in the wine industry. As Beringer, is on my 1987 SERIES “A” and LUNA is on my 1989 SERIES “B” Wine Label Poster-map when it was originally St. Andrews

Dr. Richard Peterson -Interview completed - - - http://www.richardgrantwine.com/
Winemaker and business leader at large, medium and small wineries in a multiple number of counties.

Dario (Daryl) Sattui -- Interview completed - http://www.vsattui.com/ and http://www.castellodiamorosa.com/ Created the highly successful V. Sattui winery, deli and picnic grounds. Most recently completed the Castle de Amorosa, a 15 year building construction project, which is already a major destination for tourists. V. Sattui is on my 1989 SERIES “B” Wine Label Poster-map

Louis “Bob” Trinchero -- interview completed - - - http://www.trincherowinery.com/
Creator of “White Zin and much more.

Ancillary Business (Insurance) development for the Industry
Ed Brovelli -- Interview accepted, DTBD- - No web site .
Developed first models to enable the insuring of winery operations.

Marketing/Advertising/Public Relations/Trade Advocacy
Gary Ramona -- -Interview completed -- no web site
Headed teams at R. Mondavi and most recently at Fred Franzia’s Bronco - creator of “$2 Buck Chuck,” and now consulting with Antigal Winery and Estates of Argentina.

John DeLuca -- Interview accepted DTBD. Headed up The Wine Institute 1970-2003

Writer/History
Charles L. Sullivan -- Interview completed- - - - - No web site.
Well noted historian, published writer and University Professor

Government Policymaking
Jim Hickey -- Interview accepted DTBD No web site
Planning Dept. leader of the determination of the definition of what constitues a winery

Harold Moskowite -- Interview accepter DTBD no web site
Family owned ranch in upper valley area of Lake Berryessa where they were farmers. Harold first became County Supervivior just as county struggled with land preservation codes, then built a winery and returned to be re-elected supervisor as the American Canyon area underwent huge growth.

Comments about my book concepts

2010-02-08T07:15:00.000-08:00

Volker Eisele - grower/winemaker, land preservation

Date: Sep 6, 2009 phone message

This is Volker Eisele with a message for John Olney. John, I got your thing on Napa interviews you want to do. I think this is very exciting so I shall cooperate with you … I’m looking at questions and it should be an interesting interview and congratulations on good idea.

____________________________________________

Ric Forman - Primarily a winemaker
Sep 12, 2009
John, good morning to you. It’s Ric Forman calling in rwsponse to your offer to interview me….. Sounds very fascinating and I’d be glad to be included....... Great! I’ll make the time for you. I think it’s a great idea and I’m looking forward to it.

___________________________________

Charles Sullivan - Noted Wine historian, writer and Instructor
Date: 9/15/2009 12:30:32 P.M. PDT
Dear John,
I have your email with all the info on your project. I read it with great interest and will be happy to participate in its development. I have plenty of time open in the coming months, so I don't think we'll have any problem making a date for an interview. I also think I can be of some assistance with the historical aspects of the piece. Feel free to have me take a look at such material as you put it together. I have a lot of experience in such a process, having traded mss regularly with Tom Pinney over the years. Keep in touch and let me know how I can help. Cheers! Chas Sullivan

__________________________________

Bob Trinchero/Sutter Home
Date: 9/11/2009 4:28:39 P.M. PDT
Greetings John,I'm the Public Relations Specialist at Trinchero Family Estates and Barry Wiss forwarded your message on to me that you'd like to interview Bob Trinchero. Barry has spoken with Bob and I believe he has agreed to do theinterview. It sounds like a great book and I think the Trincheros would be a great addition! So, at your convenience, please give me a call and we can get the ball rolling on setting up an interview. Thanks!-Juliana -Juliana French-Arnold Public Relations Specialist, Trinchero Family Estates

------------------------------------------------------

Beckstoffer Vineyard

Date: 7/27/2009 2:53:43 P.M. PDT
Hi John,
Thanks again for your interview with Andy Beckstoffer - I know he enjoyed it and I hope you did too. Tara - Tara L. Thomas Balzac Communications

-----------------------------------

Mahoney Vineyards
Date7/15/2009 8:49:47 A.M. PDT
John
Thank you so much for inquiry concerning a interview with Francis Mahoney. I would be very happy to help establish a day and time for this to occur. Do you have some dates in mind? Like many of those on your list, has some sales travel planned before we head into harvest. Please provide me with some dates and I will coordinate it with him. Thank you again and we look forward to the book. Sincerely Stacy Manley -

--------------------------------------

Dario Sattui
Date: 7/9/200912:32:29 P.M. PDT
Dear Mr. Olney,
Thank you for reaching out to us. I apologize for the delay in response. I know Dario would be humbled to be considered an “Innovator” of the modern Napa Valley wine industry. I also know he would be interested in participating in your project. He is however out of the country until mid to late August. Do you have any dates available in September we can schedule an interview? Looking forward to working with you.
CHEERS! Claudette Shatto - Vice President of Marketing

Marin Institute, Family Wine Myth and “Big Alcohol.”

2009-12-13T13:59:00.000-08:00

By John Olney e-mail jjolneytwcc1@aol.com

December 13, 2009,

Wine Country Marketing & Promotions

1370 Trancas St., #409, Napa, CA 94558 Phone: 707-299-9548

Web site: http://www.twccwcmp.blogspot.com/

E-mail: winecountrypromo@aol.com

When I first read about this organization it was in the piece, “Watchdog group has no cheers for wine industry,” by Andrew S. Ross which was published in Wine Business Daily on Tuesday, December 8, 2009. Then, the next day I accessed the full paper as written by the Marin Institute (MI). I must say, I was amazed at what I would have to call either the naivety or the outright arrogance of the MI writer(s) who prepared the report they titled, “The Myth of the Family Winery - Global Corporations Behind California Wine.”

The use of the word “Family” in company literature - small or large -is not restricted to the wine industry. It can be found in many business industries as a “friendly, loving nurturing, etc. ” attitude descriptor to the consumer. The term as used in business literature is not necessarily descriptive of the people owning the company but rather the way the company likes to think it operates or at least what it wants its consumer audience to think. MI cites the following: Trinchero Family Estates and Jackson Family Wines even use the word “family” in their corporate names.” This is not a bad or even a misleading descriptor when you consider who is top management and ownership in these organizations -- because they are family.

The consumer who bought R. Mondavi wines before it went public, then after it became a traded winery stock and still bought it after being gobbled up by Constellation, understood the use of the term “family” throughout all the transitions. The consumer who buys Dunn, Forman, Spottswoode, Caymus, Screaming Eagle, and many more similar small, mid and family owned and produced wines does not necessarily read the ads of Constellation, Foster’s, Gallo, Sutter Home and other such giants. Two entirely different audiences.

Both the Wine Institute and The Family Winemakers of California claim that membership is based on one vote per membership payment and thus their leadership is not based on just the size production of their winery. Like any other organization, this does not preclude the joining together of common interests to vote in a block on matters that pertain to that voting block. This can be seen in our Congress where there are special interest caucuses. It can be seen in the voting stock of all corporations where proxy’s are solicited to be voted for one candidate of the board over another. There has been and always will be such legal solicitations of support for one person or issue over another.

Production, marketing and sales programs for a company with millions of cases of wine to sell are greatly different than what a “cult” winery with under 1,000 cases of wine production has to cope with. And, this is not bad! No large corporation is going to let such a small producer “talk” or negotiate for them because the very little guy does not necessaily really hold a true understanding of what even a few percent of a cent tax means on a giant producer with a Board of Directors caring fudiciary duties to its stockholders.

As to lobbyists, I can only say tha MI is either naïve or refuses to consider the truth about what all trade association advocacy organizations such as the Wine Institute do in Sacramento and Washington D.C. -- THEY LOBBY for the interest of their group members. Does MI think that lobbying against taxing wine is any different than taxing alfalfa? The farmers in the latter group are surely going to protest and fight against being taxed any further than they are already

MI states.” Wine producers’ success in gaining authorization to ship their product directly to consumers sets a precedent for beer and distilled spirits producers to circumvent the three-tier system as well.” Wow! Where did this come from? MI offers absolutely no background laying the foundation for making such a scare tactic statement as they have made. MI should do some very important historical background research as to why alcohol after Prohibition, was the only commodity allowed to be controlled independently by each State while all others were allowed free transport across State lines.

MI says that it cannot discover the composition of the membership in the Congressional Wine Caucus. MI says Rep. Radanovich declined to give them a list of the members. Did Senator Thompson also decline? I wonder if MI has tried the Freedom of Information Act to gain access to the list of members?

My Conclusion:

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophism , I quote the following: (bold emphasis by john Olney, or me )

In modern usage, sophism, sophist, and sophistry are derogatory terms, due to the influence of many past philosophers.

A sophism is taken as a specious argument used for deceiving someone.

It might be crafted to seem logical while actually being wrong, or it might use difficult words and complicated sentences to intimidate the audience into agreeing, or it might appeal to the audience's prejudices and emotions rather than logic, i.e. raising doubts towards the one asserting, rather than his assertion.

The goal of a sophism is often to make the audience believe the writer or speaker to be smarter than he or she actually is, e.g., accusing another of sophistry for using persuasion techniques.

California Vintner’s Hall of Fame - Class of 2010

2009-11-25T11:13:00.000-08:00

The California Vintner’s Hall of Fame (CVHOF) -- click here for abstracts on the inductees -- http://www.ciaprochef.com/winestudies/vhf.html/ -- sponsored by and located in the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), St. Helena, CA, has announced it’s five inductees for the 4th class -- the Class of 2010.

I am very honored to be a member of the Nominating Committee of eight that prepared the list of candidates for the full CIA Electoral College of wine writers and previous CVHOF inductees to vote upon. The remaining members of the Nominating Committee are:

W. Blake Gray, chaired by noted wine journalist:
http://wblakegray.blogspot.com/

Charles Sullivan, well noted wine historian and published author

Jim Gordon, Wines and Vines Publications:
www.winesandvines.com/

Sara Schneider, Sunset Magazine:
www.sunset.com/food-wine/

Alder Yarrow, well noted wine blogger at http://www.vinography.com/

Darrell Corti, Corti Brothers, Inducted CVHOF in 2008: www.cortibros.biz/WEBSITE/About%20Us/Aboutus.asp

Carole Meredith, UC Davis Professor Emerita and Lagier-Meredith Winery, Inducted CVHOF in 2009: www.lagiermeredith.com/scripts/historyPg.cfm.

2010 California Vintners Hall of Fame Inductees include the following:

Special “Pioneer” inductee

Leon Adams (1905-1995)
Leon Adams was a founder of the Wine Institute, a public policy and advocacy group for California wineries.

Books by Mr. Adams:
The Commonsense Book of Wine (1958)
The Commonsense Book of Wine, 2nd Edition (1964)
The Wines of America (1973)
Leon D. Adams’ Commonsense Book of Wine, 3rd Edition, revised and expanded (1975)
The Wines of America, Second Edition, Revised (1978)
Striped Bass Fishing In California and Oregon
The Commonsense Book of Drinking
The Wine Study Course

The Bancroft Library - Regional Oral History Office - California Wine Industry
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ROHO/projects/food_wine/wine.htmlLeon
Leon D. Adams - Revitalizing the California Wine Industry, 1974, 154 pp. Transcription

All Other Inductees
Andy Beckstoffer - www.beckstoffervineyards.com/
Back in 1968, he began his career in the wine industry when he convinced the Chairman of the Board of Heublein, Inc., headquarter in Conneticuttet to enter the wine business by purchasing a majority interest in United Vintner’s which had previously purchased the former Inglenook Winery of Gustav Neibaum/John Daniel (now know as Francis Ford Coppola’s “Rubicon.”). Shortly after this purchase, and now as a Heublein executive heading up the wine oriented division, he negotiated the purchase of the Beaulieu Vineyards which also dated back to the late 1880s. The purchases of these two old family prestigious wineries sent shock waves throughout the wine world. In 1973, Heublein’s Board of Director’s no longer could support the slow growth, low yield business of wine and began it’s withdrawal from the business.

During the 1968-1973 timeframe, Beckstoffer had become quite well informed in vineyard development and management, and the potential of the industry when held in private versus corporate ownership. He was only 33 when he conceived a financing plan that would allow him to purchase much of the Heublein vineyard property. The finance plan included contracts for the purchase of the grapes. He was off and running on his spectacular career in the California wine industry.

Since that time, Beckstoffer Vineyards has become one of three of the largest privately held vineyard ownership and management services companies in the North Bay wine country. He has been instrumental in organizing and developing agricultural, land and river preservation practices and ordinances in Napa County.

Beckstoffer devised a grape value, or suggested price method, that is tied to the value of the finished wine product. His most recent and ambitious project is the mapping of the history of Napa County vineyards.

In September of this year, I had the privilege of interviewing him for my draft book tentatively titled “The Innovators and Pacesetters of the Modern Napa Valley Wine Industry.” Click here for a synopsis
http://jolney.blogspot.com/2009/08/my-new-book-innovators-of-modern-nv.html

The Bancroft Library - Regional Oral History Office - California Wine Industry
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ROHO/projects/food_wine/wine.html
Andy Beckstoffer - Premium California Vineyardist, Entrepreneur, 1960s to 2000s, 200 pp.

Al Brounstein - http://www.diamondcreekvineyards.com/
Established Diamond Creek vineyard in 1968, Brounstein's Diamond Creek Vineyards was planted with Cabernet Sauvignon only in the three distinct soil types located on his property. He named each soil type with the names Red Rock Terrace, Gravelly Meadow, and Volcanic Hill. He became one of the first wineries to grow and produce different Cabernet Sauvignons wines designating them as single vineyard products. The 1978 Lake Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon was reportedly the first preimum wine carrying a suggested retail price of $100 a bottle. Before the term “Cult Wine“ became popular, he was already respected as such..

The Bancroft Library - Regional Oral History Office - California Wine Industry
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ROHO/projects/food_wine/wine.htm l
Al Brounstein - Diamond Creek Vineyards: The Significance of Terroior in the Vineyard, 2000, 82 pp.

Randall Grahm - https://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com/
Randall Grahm known for bringing back the good name of Rhone varietials. He, his web site and writings are zany, interesting and outside of the “normal” characterisation of winemakers but wines, and his contributions are very well received.. He is already the recipient of a number of prestigious awards further justifying his nomination and induction into the CVHOF.

Zelma Long - http://www.vilafonte.com/framework/zelmalong.asp?M=ThePartners&CPage=zelmalong
She studied enology and viticulture at UC Davis in the late 1960s, She became chief enologist at Robert Mondavi Winery, while establishing Long Vineyards. Following her stint at Mondavi, she went to Simi Winery as winemaker and CEO. She was one of the first modern day women to perform both the winemaking and business management duties of winery. She has been inducted to the James Beard Hall of Fame (1996) and receiving The James Beard Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year(1997). Zelma and her husband, Phillip Freese, are producing wine (Vilafonte label) in South Africa.

The Bancroft Library - Regional Oral History Office - California Wine Industry
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ROHO/projects/food_wine/wine.html
Zelma Long - The Past is the Beginning of the Future: Simi Winery in its Second Century, 1992, 103 pp.

Olney Returns to Swim at UOP Alumni Meet

2009-10-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

Wow!

Waiting 45 years to once again compete in a swimming race may just have been a little too long! I attended then College of the Pacific from 1961-1964, now a college of the University of the Pacific, on a full ride for swimming and water polo.

I had not returned to the campus for an alumni event until October 24, 2009. On this date, the UOP swimming program held a three-way swim meet consisting of the current varsity men’s and women’s teams divided into black and orange teams, and UOP graduates being the alumni team. Click here for the Pacific Swim Program write-up of the event: http://pacifictigers.cstv.com/sports/m-swimonly/spec-rel/102709aaa.html

Pictured here are the oldest of the alumni participants . From left to right are )Bob Hayes (class of '73), Joe Dietrich ('74), ), Rick Ingraham ('73) and John "Kip" Olney ('64),

Head swimming coach, Adam Kennedy,, organized and coordinated the fun day event. Earlier in the morning I had a chance to talk to him about his program. He indicated that he has 43 swimmers between the men’s and women’s teams with five full athletic aid rides for men and ten for women. Compare this to the team size in 1964 at 13 men only with something like three full and five half and quarter rides dished out.

I broke out my 1964 Senior yearbook which listed some times that John Ostrom and I established as records. I compared them to the times listed on the UOP web site . John Ostrom, who I learned from my old polo/swim team mate, Clay Clement (dropped by but didn‘t swim), sadly passed away in the early 1980’s,. Back in 1964 he established the NCAA 100 yard butterfly record at 53.3 The record today at UOP is 47..84 set in 2005, while the 2009 NCAA winning time was 44.18.

Olstrom won just about every event he swam and along with winning the 1964 NCAA 100 yard butterfly while establishing the NCAA record time and taking 3rd in the 200 yard butterfly, I hope the Athletic Department nominates and elects him to the Pacific Athletes Hall of Fame at UOP.
1964 was my senior year and I had met qualifying times to compete at the NCAA’s, but then it was discovered that there was an error in the male student body enrollment count when I swam varsity as a Freshmen which meant I wasn’t red shirted and thus was not eligible to swim in the NCAA’s my Senior year. Oh well, I loved my four years at COP and wouldn’t have changed a thing!
My records, were established between 1961 and 1964 and which still stood when I finished that senior year, were in the 200 yd butterfly (205.9), 500 free (5:24.3), 1650 (19:58.3) and 400 individual medley (5.04.2). That year, I was also President of the Block P Letterman’s Society and was awarded the Kris Kjeldsen Trophy.

Oh by the way, our '64 water polo team finished the year ranked #7 in the nation.

The 2009 NCAA finals listed winning time was 1:40.75 almost 25 seconds better than my time for the butterfly and 4:08.92 for the 500 free, or a minute and 16 seconds better. Darn, these kids have gotten good!
But, for the 1650 free, the 2009 winning time was 14:30.91 or almost 5 and a half minutes better than my time. Heck, everybody could have gotten out of the pool after they finished, had a cup of coffee or soda and then come back to see me finally finish!
My 400 IM was almost a minute and a half slower than the 2009 winning time at the NCAA’s (3:35.98).

At the UOP alumni swim meet I swam only the 50 yard free -- and I wasn’t even sure that I could complete just two laps without getting sick! It did take me a long time 42.13 seconds ! Please notice that all the others are relaxed and rested while I’m dying to get air!

Then those other “old alumni” talked me into being on the relay team swimming the same distance as part of the 200 freestyle relay. My best time was during the first leg of the relay when I hit 38 seconds flat. My best time when I was at Pacific was about 27.5. I was never a sprinter; all long distance.

I have an excuse or two. I am now 67 and 40 plus size pounds heavier!

Now, I'm going back next year tp redeem myself with much better 50 yard times. Who knows, if I get in shape, I might try eight laps---the feared 200 yard freestyle!!!

Thanks Mr. Kennedy and all you young swimmers for letting me have so much fun with you all.

Good luck this coming year.

And thanks for all the encouraging yells-I heard you pushing me on along the sidelines!

SWIM WELL
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The Territory of American Samoa Revisited by Internet

2009-10-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

<THIS IS A DRAFT ARTICLE UNDER COMPLETE REVISION BECAUSE OF THE RECENT TSUNAMI AND ITS DESTRUCTIVE WAYS TO MUCH OF WHAT I WAS GOING TO WRITE ABOUT. I SHOULD HAVE THE ARTICLE READY BY ABOUT OCTOBER 20, 2009

I have started to add pix from the late 1970's/early 1980's when we were
contracted to manage the implmentation of the grant. Just scroll on down.

Back in the mid-1970’s, along with two partners, I formed Action Resources, Inc.,(ARI) based in Honolulu, Hawaii . I was President, CEO and Chairman of the Board and my partners were the VP’s.

All three partners had been formerly employed at Pacific Analysis Corporation, also of Honolulu, where I was Executive Vice President and my partners were Senior Analysts conducting operation and systems analysis on Naval contracts. All three of us wanted to expand into private enterprise commercial work and local government consulting while the owners of PAC wished to focus only on military work and thus we pulled away and formed our own entity.

The U.S. Congress enacted the National Energy Conservation Policy Act of 1978, which in part, created grants for each state and all the territorial possessions of the U.S. to form a continuing program to implement conservation techniques through public awareness campaigns. As this was new field, almost none of the state and territorial governments possessed on-board talent to draft the grant application required to be completed in order to receive the grants. At ARI we had sufficient expertise to bid for the grant writing of the State of Hawaii’s application for the funding of Energy Conservation and Public Awareness grant unde the above cited act.. We won request for proposals issued by the state and subsequently were successful in writing the grant which was awarded to Hawaii in the sum of approximately $2 million (1979 dollars). ARI was subsequently contracted to implement the grant while searching for candidates to fill state governmental positions to continue the implementation of the grant.

The Territory of American Samoa also qualified for grant funds under this act if they could produce an acceptable grant application to Washington D.C. They had used two different consulting firms who attempted to draft the grant application but each failed to produce an acceptable product. The deadline to submit a successful grant application was approaching the expiration date when they leaned that we had been successful in drafting Hawaii’s grant and thus they contacted us to see if we could help them. We responded that we thought we could and advised the Governor’s office that we could send our team down for an estimated initial cost of about $6,000 (1979 dollars) to commence the initial draft. They replied saying they did not have that kind of money on hand but they would find it later to reimburse our expenses. We negotiated over a couple of days with the Governor’s office but upfront money for us would not be available. If we wanted to attempt the grant application using our own money they promised to find a way to reimburse us at a later date. My partners and I agreed that we would take the risk of completing the grant application on their terms.

The Rainmaker Hotel is set alongside a small beach overlooking Pago Pago Harbor. The hotel offered standard rooms and bungalows for guests, had a restaurant with full bar, a neat swim pool and deck and fabulous small beach area looking out at the mouth of the bay. It was built in the 1960's; The hotel had a long wing of standard hotel rooms running west from the main lobby area and towards the stairwell across the road that lead up to the Governor’s mansion. It is here in nthis wing of the hotel that we established the first Territory Energy Office (TEO). Pictured below from left to right are AS Gov't rep High Chief Brownie Tuiasosopo,and then ARI exec's Jim Merrill and John Olney.

In the photo's below you will see how thr Rainmaker looked when were routinely visiting and working on the Energy projects in Pago Pago.

Today, photographs show that the hotel in a complete state of degredation caused by the decision to not repair the facility. Scavangers have had their way with the rooms. There are doors hanging off hinges, broken roof slates sliding off the roof and laying broken on the ground and pool formerly green from algae is cracked and chipped.

Below are the principal facts about the complex which the government hopes to lease to entrepreneurs.

(Extracted from the government’s Web site info is couple years old)

Subject Property: The Rainmaker
Hotel, Utulei Village, Island of Tutuila, U.S. Territory of American Samoa.
Geographic Location: In the South Pacific, 14 deg. South, 170 deg. West approximately 2,300 miles SW of Hawaii and 1,800 miles NE of New Zealand
Land Area: 5.03 acres
Improvements: Rainmaker Hotel including 140 guest
rooms in two attached buildings plus detached fale
(cottages) as well as
related improvements.
Age: Thirty to forty (30-40) years
Condition:
Unfurnished, unoccupied, and in disrepair; requires major renovation or to be
razed and rebuilt
Utilities: All major public utilities serve the property
Fee Owner: American Samoa Government
Leasehold Owner: American Samoa
Development Corporation
Zoning: H, Hotel
Offering Price
The American Samoa Development Corporation (ASDC) wishes to lease the Rainmaker Hotel property at a minimum lease rate of twenty five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) and 2.5% of gross revenues per month up to year 2050 on an “as is” basis. The investors can utilize the property for hotel or any other suitable commercial purpose with prior concurrence from ASDC.

Maria Sophie Kitzmiller - My best friend since 1986 passed away

2009-09-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

Maria Sophie Kitzmiller (maiden name: is Soldavini), born in San Rafael in 1935, passed away in her sleep (cardiac arrest) on Friday morning, September 18, 2009, at her residence in Concord, California. She is survived by her two daughters, Liz Murray (Arizona) and Mary Key (Concord), her son-in-law, John Murray (Arizona) and her long time friend and companion, John Olney (Napa). Maria was buried on Thursday, September 24, 2009 in Tulocay Cemetery where her eternal soul mate since high school and husband, Glenn Kitzmiller (1934 - 1984), is buried. Burial was completed among immediate family members and her best friend.

The Kitzmiller’s moved from San Rafael to Napa in the early 1980’s . Her many friends and associates will remember her best from her retail sales position in the jewelry Department at the former Mervyn’s store in downtown Napa, She was also a co-founder of the former Napa County Junior Golf Club where she provided many volunteer hours along with her co-founders, Bob Ellis and John Olney. Maria was also an instrumental participant in the Napa Valley Wine Label Poster-maps conceived and marketed by John Olney in the late 1980’s.

Maria moved to her Concord residence in 2001 where she became a member of the local home association’s Southend Hookers Club, which is a social knitting group donating their finished products to local hospitals and other organizations. She was also an active member of the weekly Pleasant Hill Senior Dance group. Maria totally enjoyed gardening and growing vegetables at her home. She loved taking extends rides along the back roads throughout the Bay Area.

Plans are being completed for a Celebration of Life social in Napa and at Maria’s housing association in Concord. Please watch for an announcement at http://www.jolney.blogspot.com/

Burial arrangements were completed through Tulocay Funeral Directors. Please feel free to sign the on-line guestbook for her at www.tulocaycemetery.org

A Tasting in the Garden of Spottswoode Estate

2009-08-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

Story and photo’s by John Olney, August 22,2009Web site: http://www.jolney.blogspot.com/ E-mail: jjolneytwcc1@aol.com

***Copyright, all rights reserved by Wine Country Marketing and Promotions,1370 Trancas St., #409, Napa, CA 94558 Phone: 707-299-9548
Web site: http://www.twccwcmp.blogspot.com/ E-mail: winecountrypromo@aol.com

***

[You can click on the pix's to see an enlargement]

***

It had been years since I last visited the graceful estate of the Spottswoode vineyards and winery estate.Click here for Web site>> (http://www.spottswoode.com/content/home.html ) My initial visit was back in the mid-1980’s when I was busily producing wine label poster-maps of Napa Valley wineries. My intention was to include their label on my third poster but I stopped after the second was released and marketed in 1989 amidst much controversy over my presentation of certain wine labels on the same product containing the Napa Valley Wine Train. Anyway, that’s another story under development at this time.

Site Background
The Spottswoode Estate dates back to the very early days of Napa’s development into one of the already most respected wine producing regions in the world of the wine industry. The estate was established in 1882 by George Schoenwald. He named the property “ Esmeralda.”

According to Irene W. Haynes, as she wriote in her photo-book, “Ghost Wineries of Napa Valley,” (1980) Schoenwald sold his wines to the Palace Hotel located in San Francisco. It was built in 1875, by William Chapman Ralston and William Sharon, wealthy bankers, and was described by others as “the largest, most luxurious and costly hotel in the world.”

Historian/Author, Lin Weber, in her book, “Old Napa Valley - The History to 1900,” Schoenwald was a San Francisco-based real estate developer who promoted the Del Monte holdings in Monterey, in 1880. It was said to be the” most elegant seaside resort in the world.” It burned down in 1887 and again 1924. It is now the site of the U.S. Navy Post Graduate School.

Frank Kraft purchased a northern piece of the original 31 acres of Schoenwald property in 1884, upon which he built a farmhouse and sandstone wine cellar known as the “Kraft Winery“. It operated until the 1890s.

Starting in 1906, the Victorian-style home estate property was sold to three succeeding parties: Schoenwald to a Joseph Bliss, who renamed the estate Stonehurst, Bliss to Dr. George Allen who named it Lindenhurst , then Dr. Allen sold to Mrs. Albert Spotts, who renamed it Spottswoode and finally in 1972, Mary and Jack Novak bought it. They moved their family from southern California onto the estate property. Her husband passed away before all the dreams could be realized but Mary Novak decided to go on and with her five children, built the elegant winery estate that is such a pleasure to visit today.

Winemaking
The Novak’s first winemaker was Tony Soter (1982-1991), who produced such fabulous wines that before the word “Cult” winery existed, Spottswoode “was, and remains cult “producing outstanding wines. It was during his tenure that Mary Novak and family reunited (1990) the original two parcels of the original Schoenwald estate when they acquired the former Kraft property. Today that property functions as the operations center for wine production, barrel storage, marketing and distribution.

Soter is acclaimed as one of great modern day consulting winemakers with a list of clients to be envied and are considered “cult” Cabernet Sauvignon producers: Araujo, Dalla Valle, Rubicon Estate, Shafer, Spottswoode and Viader. His own Napa Valley brand is Etude , located in the Carneros District and Beacon Hill winery represents his Willamette Valley, Oregon, production. Soter was followed by excellent winemakers such as Pam Starr (1992-1996), now of Crocker & Starr Wines and consultant to others, Rosemary Cakebread (1997-2005), now consulting Spottswoode, and Jennifer Williams (began in 2006) who is the current winemaker

Late Summer Garden Party, Saturday, August 22, 2009On a beautiful Saturday, in the heart of Napa Valley’s Wine County, with my associate, Maria Kitzmiller we walked under the entry gate and on to the 1882 estate of the Novak family to experience what would become one of my fondest tasting experiences to date.

After registering at the entry table, receiving our tasting menu and our complimentary Reidel etched wine glass, we immediately stepped to Table 1 where members of the Novak family (pictured here) greeted the guests and poured the first of six Spottswoode wines being served this day; the Spottswoode 2008 Sauvignon Blanc. That’s the matriarch, Mary Novak shown to the far right.

I am current writing a book tentatively titled “The Innovators of the Modern Napa Valley Wine Industry,” and Mary Novak is one of my 20 selected candidates to be interviewed. She has accepted to participate in my project. I have already interviewed Michael Mondavi and Andy Beckstoffer. 11 others have also agreed to participate and I wait for the remaining six to make their final decision.

This Sauvignon Blanc is perhaps the best my palate has tasted to date. Just enough grassy aroma to the nose and fruit forward taste, and slipping over my tongue with a very refreshing finish as I swallowed. There was no way this wine would be spat out!
I must confess, I actually went back for a second small taste just to be sure my first assessment was not a fluke. It wasn’t! As I finished off this second taste , the garden filled rapidly with guests. As I would later discovery, their office received over 650 RSVP’s confirming their desire to attend this event. This picture gives you an example of the crowd size about noon. An hour later there was barely elbow row to get by and go to a table to experience the next offering.

Because I enjoyed this wine so much, as soon as I got home and on my computer, I went to the Spottswoode Web site to look up its tasting notes. It is 67% SB, 24% Sauvignon Musque and 9% Semillion. I don’t recall having tasted such a blend before so I looked up the Sauv. Musque and found it to be a clone of SB that tends to provide a richer fruit taste to a wine. Well, I guess that is probably why I found the wine so good. I am now seeking out yet other wineries with such blends so I can verify that it is indeed the Musque that captured my taste buds.

Next up at Table 2 was the Spottswoode 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon. After my first sip of this wine, I wrote in my real time notes the following: “It is no wonder their wines were so difficult to get!” This wine was simply so smooth and balanced I just wanted to sip it all afternoon, but I still had four more wines to taste. Could it just keep getting better, I wondered? As I would discover, yes it could.

Table three contained the Field Book 2007 Rhone Style Syrah Grenache. It was very smooth but stayed on my palate until my next small sip. I confess I have not much experience with this varietal so when I got home, I checked their Web site to read about it. It was only released on August 1, and only 179 cases were bottled. It is a blend of 19% Grenache and 81% Syrah. I’m afraid I’m going to develop a strong liking to this wine, darn it!

It was time to experience some food so Maria went over to the first food table which offered cheesy duck pizza slices that were a piece of heaven. The pizza’s were made right there on site as shown here. This device was a center of attraction as many guests went up to the pizza makers wanting to know who manufactured the oven and where they might be able to purchase one. I think I heard the gentleman in black, who was the primary cooker of the pizza’s, say that he made the device but he only made it for his purpose. He didn’t want to be in the business of manufacturing them. I’m sure that on the Monday following the event, the Spottswoode office received many calls to find out which of the catering firms this guy and his oven belonged to and he’ll get lots of pressure to build more!

The pizza got us in the mood for some more food so I wandered over to look over the main station while Maria surveyed the desert area.

I took this picture where I crossed the garden to the long tables . It looked like the line was reasonable so I went back to our table to wait for my Associate. Bad move, indeed!

By the time we finally decided that we would go fill a small plate, the crowd had at least doubled and the line for the food represented about a 20 minute wait minimum. Obviously the food was great because so many were so willing to wait out the line to get to it. We are sure we missed out on some fabulous foods to go with the wines

We scurried over to the pizza table with a shorter line and snatched a couple of pieces which would hold over through the tasting of the remaining three wines, the next of which was the Lyndenhurst 2007 Cab. This wine was bigger than the previous Cab displaying more oak and tannin influence and was quite good. There were two ladies at our table who came in from out of county who stressed that the Lyndenhurst was their very favorite Spottswoode wine and I could see why they liked it so much..

The last two wines to taste were on the opposite side of the garden from our table so I started my walk to taste the Spottswoode 2006 Cab. I thought I heard the pourer say it was 100% Cab but a later check on their Web site shows a pinch of Cabernet Franc was blended in (1.5%), but I can tell you that I honestly would not have been able to tell you that at the time I tasted the wine. All, I can say is, “Wow!” These wine just keep getting better tasting to my palate which prefers smooth reds but bold enough to remain on your tongue until the next anticipate sip. Spottswoode reds certainly accomplish this.

Now I was ready to leap at the Spottswoode 2007 cab which was being spotlighted as a pre-release offering. It will undoubtedly be a popular wine for all Spottswoode patrons.

Here’s my problem! I’m blogger, a freelance writer, published only in a couple of resources and mostly not paid, just earning publishing inches. What do I go and do? I fall in love with wines that are currently out of reach but I’m confident I will eventually sell one of my books and I have a list of wines that will immediately be placed in my cellar. You can rest assured that all of the products of Spottswoode will be at the head of the list of my first purchases.

Thanks to the Novak team for a fabulous day with great wines and in a perfect setting.