Make the Move to the New Windsor Vineyards Wine Blog

New Blog!

We’re moving on up like George and Weezy and have moved our Carpe Vino Wine Blog to a new internet location.  This wordpress.com blog will eventually go away so make sure you make the switch in your bookmarks, RSS feeds, and email subscriptions so you don’t miss all the action.

To get to the new blog page simply click this link:  http://blog.windsorvineyards.com/

To access the new RSS feed click this link: http://feeds.feedburner.com/carpevinowineblog

We can’t wait to continue our collaborative exploration of wine, personalized gifting, food and general wine country goings on… won’t you join us?

Pinot Noir, Always a Fan Favorite

What’s your favorite style of Pinot Noir and where is it produced?  Of course, we are a little biased and feel northern California, namely Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast and Carneros regions, make some of the finest Pinot Noir in the world.  So, for one day of the year, we dispense with the stance of Swiss neutrality and demystification in the wine world, let our freak flag fly and enter the terroir-dome that is the 2nd Annual Pinot Smackdown this Thursday, August 18th.  We encourage you to do the same.

Like we have discussed before on this blog, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate which makes many vineyards throughout Sonoma County ideal locations.  This allows for more controlled maturation in the vineyard for optimum flavor and aroma development while keeping good acid levels, making Pinot great with many dishes, and preventing over-ripeness.  The main attributes to think about with Pinot Noir is perfume and texture.  The lower to moderate level of tannins and significant level of acidity allows the aromatics of the wine and mouthfeel to be more distinguished.

Pinot Noir is like a chameleon, more distinctly expresses its location compared to other wine grapes and is as stubborn as a mule to manage in the vineyard and the winery.  For these reasons, you can be assured of something unique no matter where you look for your Pinot.  Some of the major Pinot-producing areas include California, Oregon, Burgundy, Champagne, and New Zealand to name a few.  Check out this excellent post from Eater.com for a crash-course in understanding the major Pinot-producing regions of the globe.

Challenge yourself and host your own Smackdown to learn a little something of the nuances of place and climate.  Or perhaps, you already have some favorites and want to support the cause by “voting” along on the social interwebs, you can do that too.

Where is your favorite Pinot Noir from?  Share with us in the comments.  Cheers!

Windsor Vineyards Welcomes Foursquare to San Francisco

Foursquare usage has been growing fast and in June they surpassed 10 million users!  In other significant news, they decided to expand beyond their headquarters in New York and opened offices here in San Francisco.  Windsor Vineyards was lucky enough to pour wine for their housewarming party and welcome them to the neighborhood.  We also decided to give Foursquare something special to show them how much we appreciate their decision to come to town and, of course, to keep them informed that wine country is less than an hour away!

Welcome to the world of Social Media.  While the concepts of building relationships, treating your customers right and rewarding your most loyal fans are nothing new, the ways in which we are able to have dialog with each other and share our thoughts with friends have changed considerably.  Furthermore, we certainly believe WINE is the ultimate social beverage on the planet.  Foursquare is an app that allows you to “check in” at locations like your favorite restaurant, shoe store or even a winery or tasting room.  You can then share tips, photos and comments and earn points and badges.  Many places of business offer real, tangible rewards and incentives for you to check in to their location.  For example, if you check in at our tasting room in Healdsburg (Sonoma county) you will earn a complimentary tasting flight.

So, we presented the Foursquare team with a 1.5L etched bottle of 2008 Windsor Cabernet Sauvignon Mendocino County with their logo, the Super Mayor badge and commemorative text.  Take a look at this photo and let us know what you think.  For more pictures go HERE.  Not only do we etch bottles for any occasion, we can also do personalized labels.  The custom labels are complimentary with your wine order, while etching is just a little extra (but well worth it!)

Ultimately, we received some kind comments from the staff at Foursquare and they seemed totally excited about the gift.

Once again, wine IS the ultimate social beverage and pairs well with any occasion, special or otherwise.  Enjoy your holiday weekend!

Wine & Oysters: A Perfect Pairing

One of the coolest places, both literally and figuratively speaking, I have been in Northern California is Tomales Bay, where I enjoyed the freshest oysters I have ever had.  This occurred over an entire Saturday, which left me with such joy and amazement, not to mention a serious sunburn, the wife and I have been on an oyster binge ever since.  Not only were the oysters themselves just fresh as can be plucked right out of the bay over our shoulders, but when paired with wine, it was truly one of the choicest life experiences to date.

Some of the wines for a perfect oyster pairing include bubbles (sparkling and Champagne), Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadet and anything that is crisp, minerally or even has essence of ocean, like a Picpoul Blanc.  But, nothing is stopping you from being creative and find that perfect pairing for your palate.  That’s why the Vintage Wine Estates Tasting Room in Healdsburg is teaming up with The Oyster Girls to create some palate pleasing combinations on July 16th, 2011 from 1-5pm.  Oh, and it’s only $25 ($15 for VWE Club Members)!

Purchase tickets here:  http://vweoysterfest.eventbrite.com/

      

 

THE LINEUP:

Enjoy intoxicating pairings of our award-winning wines with Tomales Bay oysters and luscious mignonettes. Learn the art of pairing wine and food through these palate pleasing combinations!

Pink & Sassy 
Wine: 2007 Sonoma Coast Vineyards Blanc de Noirs Sea Fog Cuvee
Oyster: Golden Nugget Mignonette: Sassy Pink

Fresh Kiss 
Wine: 2010 Windsor Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley
Oyster: Miyagi Mignonette: Classic Rice Wine

Purely Naked 
Wine: 2010 Sonoma Coast Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Laguna Vista
Oyster: Golden Nugget Mignonette: Naked

Tropical Thrill 
Wine: 2009 Windsor Sonoma Chardonnay Russian River Valley
Oyster: Golden Nugget Mignonette: Mango Chutney

Sweet Finale
Wine: 2009 Windsor Vineyards Muscat Canelli
Oyster: 2 Golden Nuggets Mignonette: Naked and Mango Chutney

Complemented by baguettes and cheese, plus music by Mike Hall.

VWE Wine Club Members - please use the Discount Code provided to you via email for preferred club member discount.

Notes

Price includes 6 oysters and 5 wines per person. Must be 21 years of age or older.
Supply will be limited, advance ticket purchase strongly recommended. Day of ticket purchase subject to availability. For questions, please call us at 707.921.2893.

Flash Mob on the Healdsburg Plaza

“Tuesdays on the Plaza” in Healsdburg are a weekly summer treat where locals and visitors alike chill in the beautifully small park in the middle of town, dubbed “The Plaza,” sip on cool beverages, catch up with friends and listen to some of the best bands in the area.  Last week The Pulsators kept the dance floor hopping and the Vintage Wine Estates Tasting Room, as a sponsor, created a mini-Flash Mob on the dance floor to a certain crowd favorite, “Sum a Dat.”

Visiting Healdsburg soon? Have a complimentary tasting for 2 on us… print the comp card HERE and present to the tasting room staff.