Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: KNTV, NBC Bay Area, San Francisco winemakers, urban winemaking, Waits-Mast Pinot Noir
Brian philosophizes about urban winemaking
Last night we were excited to be featured in a news story, “Urban Vintners Uncork the Stigma of Fine Wine” on NBC Bay Area TV (KNTV, Channel 11 in San Francisco) about urban winemakers.
In the segment we talk about what it’s like to make wine in the city of San Francisco. Also included in the story is one of our neighbors, Steve Goldbeck, who makes award-winning Zinfandel in his garage in Glen Park.
Filed under: Promotions | Tags: chocolate, La Encantada Vineyard, Pinot Noir, poetry, Recchiuti, valentine's day, Wine
“come winter, come frozen night
in fog, come drink the grape
tug on its green-glass vine*” (a poem)
“layers of artisanal chocolates
Madagascar, Venezuela, Columbia
hand-crafted, a dapple of cocoa to whet your palate” (a bite)
“unfolds with lush sweet cherry
and blackberries, spice, floral notes
and a hint of cola” (a taste)
Individually, poetry, chocolate and wine are inviting and enjoyable…together they are seductive and luxurious. Our special Valentine’s Day gift set brings all three of these favorite escapes from the every day together into one romantic and delectable box of love.
For a limited time only we are offering a Valentine’s Day gift set of 2007 Waits-Mast La Encantada Pinot Noir, featuring a 4-pc varietal box from San Francisco’s renowned boutique chocolatier Recchiuti. Included in the gift set is a limited edition 2009 Waits-Mast Annual Poetry Collection book. We only have a few cases of the 2007 La Encantada left and only a few copies of our poetry collection left as well, so this is a great opportunity to get your honey a unique gift.
The price for the gift set is $49 total (which is our normal SRP for this wine, so the chocolates and poetry are free) and will be available through Valentine’s Day only in our online store. Click here to order today.
Waits-Mast Annual Poetry Collection 2009
SHIPPING NOTES: In order to ensure your gift arrives by Valentine’s Day, please follow these deadlines for GROUND shipping. We also offer 2- and 3-day air shipping.
East Coast/Midwest: Order needs to be placed by 2/3
West Coast (and any air shipping/express packs): Order needs to be placed by 2/8
For sub-freezing climate customers, we recommend that you ship via air to ensure the safety of the wine. We often have a hold on wines being shipped via ground to the areas experiencing sub-freezing weather to avoid any wines being frozen/damaged.
For customers in the SF Bay Area can save on shipping costs by choosing “local pickup” from the shipping options. You can then pick up the wine at the Crushpad shipping and logistics center in San Francisco, located at 566 Minnesota Street, just off of Third Street and Mariposa. Call ahead at (415) 558-9181 to schedule your pickup.
*Jay Rubin, Tasting Ojai (from the 2009 Waits-Mast Annual Poetry Collection)
Filed under: Retail | Tags: Anderson Valley, Draeger's, Hein Vineyard, Los Altos, Pinot Noir, Waits-Mast Pinot Noir, Wine
Draeger's Market in downtown Los Altos
South Bay and Peninsula pinot noir lovers rejoice! You can now find Waits-Mast Pinot Noir at Draeger’s Market in Los Altos, California. It is located at 342 First Street, just off of Main Street in downtown Los Altos. Draeger’s has always been known for its exceptional wine department. The Los Altos store has a great selection of domestic wines, including many local wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains, and a strong selection of European wines. They are now stocking our latest release, the 2008 Hein Vineyard Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley.
Draeger’s, a Bay Area institution, is a favorite haunt of Brian’s. He often finds himself in a grocery store many days a week, seeking out ideas for the evening’s dinner or just stocking up to feed the child, and locally-owned markets are always the best. Jennifer has been going to the same hairstylist in Los Altos for many years, so Brian and their daughter often drive down from the city and while away the time ambling about Draeger’s and downtown Los Altos. They have great produce, meats and fish and lots of hard-to-find groceries.
Stop by Draeger’s and say hi to Stacy in the wine department and she’ll help you out with all your wine needs. And we’ll see if we can get our wine into the other Draeger’s markets as well for you San Mateo, Menlo Park and Danville folk.
Filed under: Events, Retail | Tags: August West, Ed Kurtzman, Hein Vineyard, La Encantada Vineyard, San Francisco Wine Trading Company, Sandler Wine, Urbano Cellars
San Francisco Wine Trading Company on Taraval, near West Portal
Waits-Mast Family Cellars is happy to announce that SF Bay Area locals can find our wines at the San Francisco Wine Trading Company (SFWTC). Located at 250 Taraval at Funston, the Sunset/West Portal neighborhood wine shop is currently carrying our 2007 La Encantada Vineyard Pinot Noir and 2008 Hein Vineyard Pinot Noir on its shelves. We really feel like our wines are in a good home (or rather, way station) since the shop is as fog-bound as we are in this Cool Grey City of Love. Owners Julia and Gary, and knowledgeable staffers like Suzanne and Alex, are very friendly and helpful, and have an amazing selection of wines for such a seemingly small store. They definitely maximize their shelf-space and have a knack for getting a hold of difficult-to-find, smaller lot wines.
Jennifer samples our wine and awaits the neighborly crowd
We kicked off our latest retail availability by pouring our wines at SFWTC’s Neighborhood Winemaker’s Tasting this past Friday. SFWTC holds this type of tasting once a quarter, inviting SF-local winemakers to pour their wares. Julia and Gary have loyal, discriminating, yet very neighborly customers and we were eager to gain their approval with our wines. Also pouring excellent wines were Bob Rawson and Fred Dick of Urbano Cellars and Ed Kurtzman with his August West and Sandler wines.
We poured the La Encantada and Hein pinot noirs at the early evening event. Each of the wines quickly found its own following among the attendees who often returned to our side of the tasting bar for repeat pours. Comments on the La Encantada included a “Rhone-like nose” with “sawdust” “minerality” and “intense fruit.” The Hein generated a number of pleasantly pensive pauses and lots of surprised looks that a 2008 was showing so many layers at such a young age.
Everyone was in good spirits as the Friday, 5:30pm start time found visitors easing into their weekends with warm smiles and empty glasses ready to be filled. There were lots of regulars and newcomers alike. A formidable crew of our fans showed up, including family from Massachusetts (where we can’t ship direct!). It’s always great to see these different worlds overlap where old friends re-connect and new friends are made. Paths cross and stars align. From our vantage point behind the bar, it was a blast. While we all had our fair share of wine chatter, a convivial feeling swirled around the place and everybody was genuinely having a great time. Before we knew it, it was 8pm and we were starving.
Brian pours pinot noir for a happy crew of locals and fans
So, definitely check out SF Wine Trading Company if you are achin’ for a bottle of our wine, if you are in search of other hard-to-find wines or just looking for a good recommendation on a $10 bottle of something to go with Thursday’s dinner. And then dip down into West Portal and enjoy the cool shops and restaurants. It’s a neighborhood that sometimes feel like it is caught in another time…but, we’ll save that for another post.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Beverages and More!, Canyon Market, Dan Berger, Hein Vineyard, Jon Bonne, neighborhood winemakers, Paul Lukacs, Pinot Noir, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, San Francisco Wine Trading Company, Wilfred Wong
2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Tasting on Feb. 20
The results from the 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the first and largest competition of American wines, came out today and the 2008 Waits-Mast Hein Vineyard Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley won a gold medal in the $40 – $49.99 pinot noir category. Brimming with over 4,900 entries overall, the competition was judged by some of the leading experts in the wine media and industry, include Wilfred Wong, cellarmaster for Beverages & More!; Jon Bonne, wine writer for the San Francisco Chronicle; Dan Berger, syndicated journalist; and Paul Lukacs, wine writer and educator out of Baltimore, MD. Lukacs wrote the book American Vintage: The Rise of American Wine, one of the first books that got Brian deeper into the history of wine.
We harvested the Hein grapes in early October of 2008 and co-fermented 115 clones and Pommard clones. Pommard can impart a more robust, fleshy characteristic, while the Dijon clone 115 tends to be lighter and brighter.
The result is what we strive for with our Anderson Valley wines – bright red fruit balanced with earthy and woodsy undertones. The 2008 Hein also shows some nice warm spices, which we felt made it go well with our holidays meals this past Christmas. Good acidity and subtle tannins provide structure to make this an enjoyable, food-friendly wine for years to come.
2008 Waits Mast Hein Vineyard Pinot Noir
In addition to being available at our online store, our 2008 Hein Vineyard pinot noir is available locally in San Francisco at Canyon Market in Glen Park. We will also be pouring it at a Neighborhood Winemaker’s tasting at the San Francisco Wine Trading Company on Taraval Street in the Sunset on Friday, January 15 from 5:30 – 8:00pm. We currently have about 13 cases left of the 2008 Hein Vineyard Pinot Noir.
And of course we’ll be pouring the gold-medal-winning wine, along with some of our other wines, at the Public Tasting of the 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, which will be held on February 20 from 2:00 – 5:00pm at the Festival Pavilion in Fort Mason. You can find out more information about the tasting and buy tickets here.
Filed under: Restaurants, Retail, Wine bars | Tags: 2007 Waits-Mast Cellars Wentzel Pinot Noir, Glen Park, Glen Park wine bar, Red & White, Red & White wine bar, San Francisco wine bars, wine bar
Red & White in Glen Park
For years we’ve been hoping that one day there would be a wine bar in our neighborhood and last night that wish was finally realized with the opening of Red & White in Glen Park (678 Chenery Street, near Diamond in San Francisco).
Last night’s opening was part of their “soft launch” of the wine bar and retail space. They entertained guests for several hours in this warm and inviting neighborhood haunt and featured both a by-the-glass tasting menu, along with a selection of charcuterie, cheeses, and gougeres (french cheese puffs).
Beginning on Tuesday, January 5th, Red & White will also be open for lunch and owner Juliana Flores promised us that there would be gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches on the menu.
Since Red & White is also a retail space, you can pick up bottles of wine to either enjoy in the bar or to take home. They have a great selection of wines to choose from, including some unusual bottles from California and from all over the world (we even spotted a sparkling wine from Australia). They are also selling our remaining 12 bottles of the 2007 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir from Wentzel Vineyard in Anderson Valley (which made the San Francisco Chronicle’s Top 100 Wines of 2009 list).
Waits-Mast on the Shelves
It was a treat to see the wine bar open and buzzing with people and we couldn’t be happier for owners Juliana and Peter. Since this was a date night for us, we tried as many wines as we could in 3 hours. Jennifer had a delicious glass of La’ Antica Quercia Prosecco di Conegliano Brut, 2007 (Italy) that was crisply refreshing.
The menu’s poetic description of the wine (written by owner and former ad guy Peter Bell) certainly caught Jennifer’s eye: “Imagine a sparkling wine conceived and created by Milan designers-understated with a fresh aesthetic and organic inspiration.”
Brian started with a glass of French viognier and we paired both wines with a plate of the amazing savory cheese puffs with gruyere, black pepper and thyme (they plan to expand the list to include sweet cheese puffs with blue cheese and dried cherries!).
Gougeres at Red & White
Throughout the evening we also sampled an intriguing California-made pinot noir made with French grapes (Rutz Pinot Noir French Cuvee 2005 Sonoma/France), a cinnamonly slice of heaven Cabernet Sauvignon (Blacksmith Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Alexander Valley), an aromatic and viscous Petite Sirah with a smooth mouthfeel (Chronic Cellars Petite Sirah 2006, Paso Robles), and a tasty nightcap of a Syrah Port (Steele Syrah Port 2004, Lake County).
By the Glass Menu at Red & White
Along the way we paired the wines with a charcuterie plate, the creamy Mt. Tam cow’s milk cheese from Cowgirl Creamery, and a Spanish manchego.
General Manager Derek Cienfuegos walked us through the wine list and told us that they planned to change the by-the-glass list every few days. The idea is to rotate all of the wines on their shelves through the tasting list, so customers will have the chance to try something different each time they come in. Additionally, anyone is welcome to purchase a bottle of wine from their shelves to enjoy in the wine bar (for an additional $10).
We’re all about embracing the neighborhood joints and feel so lucky to be able to add Red & White to the growing list of reasons why we continue to love (and hype) Glen Park.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Waits-Mast 2007 La Encantada Pinot Noir from Sta. Rita Hills
Just a last minute reminder for those wanting to ship gifts from Waits-Mast Family Cellars, that today is the last day to ship via 2-day air and Monday is the last day to ship via overnight air delivery. Our holiday specials, including our limited gift pack with Recchiuti Chocolates, are still going until 12/31/09, so avail yourself of the deals while they last! Check them out here.
And for those in San Francisco Bay Area looking for a last minute gift, you can order and pick up at our logistics center in San Francisco, located at 566 Minnesota Street, just off of Third Street and Mariposa. Call ahead at (415)558-9181 to schedule your pickup. You can also swing by Canyon Market on Diamond and Chenery in the Glen Park neighborhood. They have plenty of other yummy accompaniments to our 2008 Hein Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, including a great selection of cheeses, chocolates and for dinner, lovely salmon, pork and beef.
Good luck with all of your last minute shopping and take some time to enjoy the season!
Filed under: In the news, Tasting notes | Tags: Anderson Valley, Jon Bonne, La Encantada Vineyard, Pinot Days Chicago, Pinot Noir, San Francisco Chronicle, Sta. Rita Hills, Wentzel Vineyard
Our first commercial releases, the 2007 Wentzel Vineyard Pinot Noir and 2007 La Encantada Pinot Noir continue to get positive feedback, and this week we were floating on air after being included in the San Francisco Chronicle’s Top 100 Wines 2009 issue. If you weren’t the recipient of fervent Facebooking and torrential Tweeting from us on Sunday, read on about this review and a couple of reviews from our Pinot Days Chicago visit:
SF Chronicle's Top 100 Wines 2009 issue
San Francisco Chronicle Top 100 Wines 2009 (12/6/2009): Waits-Mast Family Cellars 2007 Pinot Noir from Wentzel Vineyard in Anderson Valley is included in the San Francisco Chronicle’s annual list of top 100 wines. Jon Bonne writes: “Jennifer Waits and Brian Mast found a style that invokes old-fashioned Anderson Valley Pinot, full of woodsy conifer aromas, with a lighter touch and rhubarb-like highlights.”
It is gratifying to see our longtime passion for Anderson Valley pinot noir recognized, especially in the company of other incredible West coast pinot noirs. Alas, we must admit that we are now sold out of the Wentzel, but for SF locals, you can have one last sip of this amazing wine at Red + White wine bar, opening soon in Glen Park. Stay posted here for opening festivities featuring Waits-Mast wines.
Broke Wino (11/24/09): Regarding our 2007 Pinot Noir from La Encantada Vineyard in Sta Rita Hills, Broke Wino writes, “Their 2007 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir is what stole me, its nose had this crazy mushroom, sawdust play that not only do I adore, but almost makes me forget to sip.” It’s true – the aromatics on this wine are haunting and brooding, but Broke Wino sez it better!
Chicago Food Whores (11/17/09): On Twitter they cited our 2007 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir from La Encantada Vineyard in Sta Rita Hills as their top pick from the Pinot Days Chicago tasting: “Favorite wine pick from Pinot Days- Waits-Mast 2007 Santa Rita hills, organic!” and wrote on their blog recap that it is “one outstanding wine.”
Filed under: New releases, Tasting notes | Tags: Bacon, Bourbon, Hein Family Vineyard, holiday meals, Little Kings, Londer, Meetinghouse Biscuits, Pinot Noir, South Bend, Thanksgiving, Waits-Mast Pinot Noir, Wentzel Vineyard, wine pairing
The "in progress" Cornbread, Bacon, Pecan Stuffing
It’s a treat during the holidays to experiment with new recipes and find dishes that pair beautifully with a particular wine.
This year for Thanksgiving, Jennifer found a cornbread/pecan/bacon stuffing recipe and with the help of all members of the immediate Waits-Mast clan, we were able to try it out.
We were absolutely amazed by how beautifully it paired with our newest release, the 2008 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir from Hein Vineyard in Anderson Valley.
The stuffing was truly decadent, utilizing a heaping helping of bacon fat, which lent an enchanting smoky quality to the dish and it was perfect for Pinot Noir.
The remaining bits of wine after dinner
In addition to the stuffing, we served a brined Heritage turkey.
Jennifer’s mom made some family favorites: spiced yams with marshmallows, jello with sour cream and fruit, and fresh cranberry sauce.
Jennifer’s sister provided pumpkin pie as well as green beans piled with bacon (also an excellent match to the Pinot). Brother-in-law Martin added a new vegetable dish featuring winter veggies and carrots.
Also on the table: Stove Top stuffing (the family would mutiny if we didn’t) and our traditional pairing of Meetinghouse Biscuits with Shirlee Londer’s raspberry jam (a bonus for Londer Vineyards wine club members every year).
For dessert we sampled the aforementioned pumpkin pie, chocolate truffles and cookies from Trader Joe’s, as well as Jennifer’s homemade salted caramel ice cream. Yes, there were a lot of left overs!
In an effort to find out about other magical pairings with our wines, we solicited stories from a few friends who also imbibed a little Waits-Mast for Thanksgiving. Here are their tales:
Dave’s Thanksgiving Dinner with the 2007 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir, Wentzel Vineyard (Anderson Valley)
“The last time I had Thanksgiving Dinner with my parents in our family home outside South Bend, Indiana, was probably in 1984. I would have Amtracked back from college in Massachusetts that year, getting in several hours late as usual, but presumably in time for dinner.
The train was always due in South Bend around 8am, but generally arrived around 11 or noon. “Lametrack” was in fact one reason why eventually I stopped coming home for TG while I was in college. Little did I know then that I’d go to grad school in England and then end up living in Europe, and that 25 years would fly by before I’d make it back home once again, in 2009, for our family’s Thanksgiving meal.
On my 1984 trip back home for Thanksgiving I hung out with my high-school friend Brian Mast. He was a freshman at Notre Dame that year so he was in “the Bend” over the long weekend. Brian and I probably hung out at his dorm room rather than at his parents’ house or mine because hanging out in a dorm would have been so much cooler. We also probably drank…but not wine. [editor's note: it was Little Kings]
Dave's Thanksgiving in South Bend: Mr. J raises a glass while Julie digs in
On my 2009 trip back home for Thanksgiving I didn’t see Brian in person, as he has long since moved on to warmer climes where grapes grow. But he was with us in spirit (and “en bouteille”).
We had his and Jennifer’s wonderful 2007 Anderson Valley Pinot with dinner. Yum! Another high school friend of Brian’s and mine, Julie, provided the bottle. (Sadly, I cannot –yet– get the wine in Switzerland.)
My Dad, in particular, loved that Waits-Mast Pinot. He and Julie may even have had a bit too much of it, to judge by their faintly giddy and giggly demeanor in the attached photo. But hey, Nihil in moderatione, right?”
Sande’s Thanksgiving with the 2006 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir, Hein Vineyard (Anderson Valley)
“Of course our wine for the evening was Waits-Mast. It was actually fairly simple, turkey breast, stove top stuffing and asparagus. However the sauce Anders [the Swedish chef] made was killer and went so perfectly with the wine it was unreal…almost spicy. I’ll ask him about the sauce when he wakes up because that was the key. FYI, I also had the wine with turtle pie for dessert…no kidding. Stay tuned. Christmas should be better.”
Sarah’s Thanksgiving with the 2007 Waits-Mast from La Encantada Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills
Aftermath of Sarah's Thanksgiving
“We poured (and drank) two bottles of 2007 Pinot Noir, La Encantada Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills to enjoy with our bourbon roasted turkey, pear chanterelle stuffing, and acorn squash with apple (don’t forget the cranberry-orange and red onion w/ bourbon jam – bernard).
This is probably our favorite wine right now, perhaps because we’re especially fond of Santa Barbara pinots.”
Thanks to all of our friends for sharing their Thanksgiving stories with us. It’s always gratifying to hear how people have enjoyed our wine, especially amongst friends and family.
Filed under: Promotions | Tags: holiday special, La Encantada Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Recchiuti chocolate, Sta. Rita Hills
As we clean up the remaining dishes (and wine glasses) from Thanksgiving, our thoughts now turn toward the winter holidays, which are now just around the corner. As a little incentive to get you started on your holiday shopping, we’re offering a couple of specials:
Waits-Mast Pinot Noir and Recchiuti Chocolates for the Holidays
HOLIDAY GIFT PACK: WINE AND CHOCOLATES
For a limited time only we are offering a Holiday gift pack of 2007 Waits-Mast La Encantada Pinot Noir, featuring a 4-piece varietal box from San Francisco’s renowned boutique chocolatier Recchiuti.
Celebrate the holidays by sending a wine gift-set to your foodie friends. The gift set includes one bottle of La Encantada Pinot Noir and one 4-piece box of chocolates, all for $49 + tax/shipping. You’ll find the gift pack listed in our webstore through the holidays.
HOLIDAY SPECIAL: SAVINGS ON SHIPPING
To lighten the load on your holiday expenses, we’re offering two different specials on shipping: For 50% off shipping for any orders of 11 bottles or less, enter HALF in the coupon code box and hit “submit.” For free ground shipping on a case (12 bottles) or more, enter CASE for the code. The special applies to any products in our store including the Holiday Chocolate Gift Pack. The shipping special runs from November 30, 2009 through December 31, 2009.
As a reminder, if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area you can save shipping costs by picking up your wine. Just select “local pickup” during the purchase process. You can then pick up the wine at the Crushpad shipping and logistics center in San Francisco. Call (415) 558-9181 to schedule your pickup.
