With the holidays fast approaching, I thought it would be an appropriate time to ask the question:

How early is too early to start drinking for the holidays?

I posed this question to the experts, my coworkers at Windsor Vineyards. After all, a whole group of people working in the wine industry and surrounded daily with great wine should know when it’s appropriate to be drinking. Here’s a little video of their recommendations.

From my Twitter friends

@WineInkByTia: Oh, of course I’ve started.
@ntalukdar3: 3 PM is a good start time
@707wine: After 10am is acceptable.
@Catie: what holiday? I started drinking 2009 New Years Day!
@winecountrydog: howl. you humans are funny.
@WhatDebPours: what? you haven’t started yet?
@Vinquisition: That assumes you stopped after last year’s holidays!
@slourie: started at noon today to make sure we have what we want for TDay.

From my Facebook friends

Tim Baccus: I don’t think you should start any sooner than Tuesday. [with a name like Baccus, you gotta believe he knows what he's talking about.]
Russ Beebe: Alternately, don’t start any sooner than yesterday!
Linda Steele: Now would be a good time.
Thea Dwelle: NEVER!!!! [too early]
Shana Ray: My “holidays” start on SEPTEMBER 23, so I usually start on September 1.
Carolyn J. Stack-Griffin: You are dragging behind. I already started!
Danica Sattui: Now is good! Remember a glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away!
Rick Bakas: too late
Frank Gutierrez: I like to start between 3-4pm
Thea Dwelle: Frank 3-4 pm TODAY or on T-day! Eric is WAY behind the rest of us. [I will catch up soon.]
Frank Gutierrez: T-Day. Unless the festivities are in walking distance.
Thea Dwelle: no no Frank that is ENTIRELY too late! What do you drink when we’re cooking! lol

And the results are in…

After my thorough and extensive research, I must conclude that more than half of all respondents believe that it’s never too early to start drinking for the holidays. So feel free to open than bottle any time because now is a great time to enjoy!

What’s all the excitement about? Our new holiday labels feature an edge-to-edge “full bleed” color. Don’t worry, this isn’t some outdated medical practice. Full bleed labels simply mean that colors and graphics are printed right up to the edge of the label, sort of like getting borderless prints from the photo-finisher.

You can select & personalize your labels online, or for help choosing the perfect wine for the holidays, just call one of our helpful wine consultants, who can set you up with both wine and labels.

If you are an artist yourself or have a graphic designer you like to work with, another popular option is to use your own creative wine label design. A personal wine consultant can help you with that too. Either way, you’ll receive outstanding wine with a personalized touch which you’ll be proud to serve or give as an unforgettable gift to friends, family and business associates. Get started now to receive your wine in time for the holidays.

As I promised in the previous post, I’m offering some suggestions for Thanksgiving wine and a great recipe, with a secret ingredient, to pair with our new 2008 Windsor Vineyards Late Harvest Riesling. If you didn’t figure it out from the title of this blog, I’m a big fan of Pinot for the Thanksgiving meal. Why? Mainly because the Pinot grape is so versatile that it pairs well with all the mix of tastes that are brought together at one time for this holiday meal. But also because Pinot Noir is a lighter red and on a day when you’re likely to stuff yourself with lots of great food, you really don’t want a big heavy wine. If you’re a Pinot fan also, here are a few suggestions for your Thanksgiving feast:

Aperitif

2006 Windsor Blanc de Noirs, Carneros, Private Reserve, $25

Holidays are just more festive when you pop open a bottle of bubbly and nothing goes better with Aunt Janine’s rumaki appetizers and your own spinach dip than a crisp and dry Windsor Blanc de Noirs. This sparkling wine is made using Méthode Champenoise and has spent 30 months en tirage (on the lees) imbuing it with complex aromas of fresh apples and baked bread with a rich yet refreshing palate of strawberry, figs and asian pear. Perfect not only with appetizers, but throughout dinner as well. Order extras with your own label and send some home with your guests.

Dinner

2006 Sonoma Coast Vineyards Pinot Noir, Balistreri Vineyard, $75

If Thanksgiving this year is at the in-laws, and you want to make a lasting impression, bring along a bottle of our Sonoma Coast Vineyards Pinot Noir. But not just any of the three vineyard designated Pinots, bring the 2006 SCV Balistreri Vineyards, made in the Burgundy Grand Cru style. Everyone will love the complex flavors and how it enhances the food, while those in-the-know will also be impressed with the 92-point rating from Wine Spectator. But the real points will be those you score with the in-laws. On the other hand, if you don’t really like your in-laws, you can bring a bottle of…nevermind. We won’t go there.

2006 Sonoma Coast Vineyards Pinot Noir, Freestone Hills, $45

The SCV Pinot Noir, Balistreri Vineyards has been so popular that it is sold out. But we have the 2006 SCV Pinot Noir, Freestone Hills which is another example of pinot perfection. With rich flavors of black raspberry and Bing cherry combined with warm spice and aromas of soft vanilla, it is wonderfully balanced with just right amount of acidity to make this a perfect Thanksgiving food pairing wine.

2007 Windsor Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Platinum Series, $30
2007 Windsor Pinot Noir, Central Coast, Platinum Series, $28

If you want to serve a great Pinot Noir without breaking your holiday budget, our Windsor Vineyards Pinots from the Sonoma Coast or Central Coast is the answer. Try our award-winning Pinot from the extreme Sonoma Coast with its big earthy aromas, cherry flavors and a silky smooth finish. Or serve the equally impressive Central Coast Pinot with its spicy cherry fruit flavors and lively finish. Either way, you’ll have a wine that’s powerful enough to stand up to all the heavier savory flavors in a holiday meal—be it turkey, ham, or even roast beef—without overpowering the more subtle food flavors of your favorite side dishes. Add your own label to make it even more impressive. It doesn’t cost any extra, but you don’t have to tell the relatives that.

2007 Girard Pinot Blanc, Russian River Valley, $26

If a red wine sounds just too heavy for you, but you want to something more than the typical Chardonnay, give the Girard Pinot Blanc a try. It has wonderfully lush aromas of pears, honey and a touch of woodsmoke with a creamy smooth palate and a bit of spice that pairs well with turkey and stuffing, but can also cut through the richness of the gravy and green bean casserole.

Not a big Pinot fan? That’s okay, because we produce many other wines to suit your tastes that will pair nicely with Thanksgiving foods. Here are a couple of my favorites.

2007 Windsor Gewürztraminer, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, $11

For pairing with turkey, Gewürztraminer is hard to beat. It doesn’t overpower the flavors of the meat but is substantial enough to stand up to the gravy and those heavier side dishes. The Windsor Gewürztraminer has floral and tropical fruit aromas and flavors of peach and spice. Since it’s an off-dry wine with perfectly balanced acidity, you can even continue drinking this wine with dessert.

2007 Windsor Rosé, California, $14

Rosé is the happy medium when you can’t decide on a red or a white and the Windsor Rosé is a great choice. It’s a dry rosé for red wine drinkers made from Syrah and a touch of Viognier. It has soft red berry aromas with fresh melon and citrus flavors and just the right amount of acidity to stand up to all the flavors going onto your plate. And if you’re somewhere with warmer temperatures in November, you’ll appreciate this refreshing alternative.

Dessert

2008 Windsor Late Harvest Riesling Ice Wine, Yakima Valley, $30

If your traditional dessert is anything like mine, then pie is the choice. Pies, just like the dinner itself, can have a wide variety of tastes. From rich pies like a pecan or cream pie to fruit pies like pumpkin or apple, the Windsor Late Harvest Riesling Ice Wine will pair with all of them wonderfully. Sweet baked apple flavors and nutmeg aromas are offset with just enough acidity to make you think, “Hey, liquid apple pie.”

Windsor Rare California Port, Private Reserve, $22

Do your desserts lean more toward the chocolate side? If so, you can’t beat the rich Windsor Rare California Port to accompany your dessert. It’s like a glass of plum pudding with all the luscious spices, ginger and almonds. Paired with chocolate or fresh fruit and hearty cheeses, it makes a great finish to your holiday gathering.

So there you have it. I’ve got it covered for all the wine you’ll need for Thanksgiving dinner. All you have to worry about now is setting the table and brining that turkey. Give the peach galette recipe a try and let me know how it turns out.

Cheers,

Eric

My boss, Ray, my coworker, Katie, and I were sitting around tossing about ideas for our upcoming Thanksgiving post and of course the conversation turned to food and wine pairings. This holiday seems to create anxiety for many people who have a tough time trying to pair wines with all the variety of foods served at Thanksgiving. Naturally, we started thinking of which Windsor Vineyards wines would go best with some of the more traditional food and eventually we got to dessert. What do you usually have for dessert on Thanksgiving? Pumpkin pie seems to be the hands-down favorite. Heck, pie in general is what makes dessert so special. And the wine to pair with pie? Well, the 2008 Windsor Vineyards Late Harvest Riesling that we just got in today is the obvious choice. It’s so new in fact, that we don’t even have it on our website yet. I’ll be sure to post the link as soon as we have it available.

“Have you tasted it,” asked Katie.

“Well, no,” Ray replied. I added, “But we need pie to try with it.”

With a McDonald’s right next door, the solution to this little dilemma seemed obvious.

“I’ll pick up some pumpkin pie,” says Ray and heads out.

Katie says, “I’ll grab the bottle of wine,” and immediately heads back into the warehouse. Isn’t research fun?

Ten minutes later, we’re sitting in the conference room with two McDonald’s hot apple pies and two pumpkin pies. If you don’t get out too often to the Golden Arches supper club, the pumpkin pie is a seasonal thing and actually quite tasty.

But the big question was: how did they pair with our newest dessert wine? Actually, quite nicely. The Late Harvest Riesling is like a liquid apple pie itself with a nose of baked apples and nutmeg and just the right balance of sweetness and acidity to easily pair with a tart and sweet apple pie, as well as a spicy more subtle pumpkin pie—even the fast food version. It’s so good, in fact, that we’ve found just the recipe to pair with this wine and we will post it along with our wine recommendations in the next couple of days. Look for it.

With research complete, it was time to write up our results. I know, it’s a tough job, but I’m willing to take one for the team in the interest of expanding your knowledge (and my waist size.)

Part 3 of a series

Just days before harvest, I visited one of our Extreme Sonoma Coast vineyards with Sonoma Coast Vineyards’ winemaker, Anthony Austin, to walk with him as he showed us what he looks for in the fruit. In this first of several videos in the vineyard, Anthony talks about the color of the fruit, how the leaves on the vines are pruned to allow air circulation around the grape clusters and other factors that affect the quality of the grapes.

Anthony mentions some terms in this video which may need clarification:

Botrytis – scientifically known as Botrytis cinerea or commonly referred to as the noble rot, is a sometimes desirable fungus which removes water from the grapes, leaving behind a higher concentration of sugars, fruit acids and minerals. This often results in more intense aromas and flavors in the wine. While it can add complexity to the wine, as Anthony states in the video, it can also add complexity to the winemaking process since Botrytis can sometimes stop the fermentation before enough alcohol is created.

Baseline – setting initial values of key measurements of the fruit such as sugar levels, acidity and pH from which to gauge the progress of the grape. While this may be useful to know when grapes are ready for harvest, it doesn’t measure such things as flavor and aroma, which can only be tasted by a person such as the winemaker.

Fisherman’s Wharf, Bodega Bay and Dungeness Crab. The opportunity to have fresh seafood is one of the tastiest benefits of living in the wine country, so close to San Francisco and minutes from the Pacific coast.

Here at Windsor Vineyards, we’re excited because it’s almost that time again! No, not the holidays; its almost crab season again, which begs the question: which wine should I pair with crab? Well, that depends on how you like to eat your crab. Do you like to dip your crab in melted butter? Then one of our rich, creamy Chardonnays will pair nicely, enhancing the buttery flavors. But if you’re like me, and you like crab with a tangy seafood sauce or simply a squeeze of lemon, then a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, with its grapefruit and citrus flavors and soft smooth finish would be the perfect pairing.

And for a truly special treat, you couldn’t do better than a Sauvignon Blanc from the extreme Sonoma Coast, just minutes from Bodega Bay. I’d recommend the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma Coast Vineyards, one of our excellent sister wineries.

And speaking of Sauvignon Blanc, I recently made some short videos of our winemaker, Anthony Austin, talking about barrel fermentation and how that improves the wine. After watching that, you’ll definitely want some of the 2007 Sonoma Coast Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc to have on-hand for your next seafood feast.

…now where did I put those crab crackers?

Part 2 of a series

In our last episode, winemaker, Anthony Austin, part of the Vintage Wine Estates winemaking team, spoke about how and why he chooses to barrel ferment the Sonoma Coast Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc. In this video he shows us how he uses sight, smell, taste and even sound to check on the progress of the fermentation. Yes, you read that right: sound. Listening through the bung (the hole on barrel), he can tell you what’s happening inside. I’ve never listened to wine before and last sound of wine I remember is the pop of the cork, so this was a really unique experience worth recording. So put your ear up next the computer speaker and imagine it’s an oak barrel and give this video a look and listen. Ahhh…I can almost smell the aromas right now.

A couple terms used in this video may need an explanation.

Headspace: The air space in the bottle (or in this case, a barrel) between the wine and the closure.

Reduction: A fault during fermentation that occurs due to a lack of oxygen in the container, resulting in a suphide (rotten egg) smell.

Wine Thief: Someone who steals your wine. No, seriously, in winemaking, it’s a tubular instrument used to steal a taste of wine from a barrel.

Last week, I had the pleasure of following winemaker, Anthony Austin, part of the Vintage Wine Estates winemaking team, as he made his rounds checking on the barrel fermentation of the Sonoma Coast Vineyard’s Sauvignon Blanc. This is the first of several videos featuring Anthony and in it he explains the process of barrel fermentation and why it is used. Take a look and see why the Sauvignon Blanc tastes so good. And if find yourself a little thirsty after watching the video, you can go to the Windsor Vineyards website and order a bottle of the 2007 Sonoma Coast Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc and taste the benefits of barrel fermentation yourself.

This past Saturday, Windsor Vineyards gave back to the community by participating in the KRCB Wine & Epicurean Auction. In addition to staffing the phone lines, Windsor Vineyards donated wine and a tasting event for 6 people. Our own Jonathan Kesser, Sr. Director of Sales, was the auctioneer for the evening and helped to make the evening’s auction a success.

We’d like to thank everyone who called or went online to place a bid. Your support is very much appreciated. Windsor Vineyards is proud to be part of the community that KRCB serves and we enjoyed being part of the wine auction to help keep KRCB on the air.

Greetings. I’m Eric Hwang, and I am the new Social Marketing Manager for Windsor Vineyards here in Windsor, California. It’s been nearly two weeks since I moved down to Santa Rosa from Seattle and started working here. I would have written this sooner but I’ve been in the spin-cycle since I arrived and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing. Since I’m going to be communicating with you through this blog, I think, at the very least, I should introduce myself to you, tell you a little bit about me and find out what you think I should be blogging about.

I’ve been a serious wine drinker for about 9 years now (and a casual drinker for even longer.) Combine that with over two decades in the technology field and you get a serious wine geek in every sense of the word. I started a wine blog at the beginning of this year and quickly became proficient with all the latest social media tools and platforms. This past June and July, I participated in another winery’s search for a Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent which gained enough notoriety for me to be recognized by other wineries and eventually landing me a job here—smack in the middle of wine country—doing my dream job: learning about wine, winemaking and the wine industry and using social media to share it with others. Along the way, I’ll introduce you to some great wines, notable winemakers and, hopefully, share some useful information.

That’s all for now, but stay tuned for more postings coming soon. Thanks for visiting. Here’s a little video of my drive down from Seattle to Windsor: