Filed under: Events | Tags: Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival 2012, Baxter Winery, Drew pinot noir, Goldeneye Winery, Phillips Hill, Scharffenberger
Navarro Vineyards in Anderson Valley
Tickets for the 2012 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival are on sale now at the Anderson Valley Winegrowers’ website. The event is being held May 18 – 20, 2012 at various venues in the valley. The Pinot Noir Festival has been an annual pilgrimage for us for many years and this will be the fourth year Waits-Mast Family Cellars will be pouring at the Grand Tasting.
This year will also be the first year we are co-hosting and pouring wines at a winemaker dinner. Scharffenberger Cellars will host the dinner on Saturday night, May 19, in a private dining room at their tasting room in Philo and will pour a selection of their sparkling and still wines. Joining Scharffenberger will be Waits-Mast and Phillips Hill. The evening will begin with a sparkling wine reception followed by a sumptuous dinner perfectly suited to the wines prepared by local Chef, Karina.
Winemaker dinners at the festival hold a special place in our heart because our attendance at these dinners many years ago gave us the opportunity to meet the winemakers and learn more about their beginnings in the wine business. Because Anderson Valley is more remote and therefore less crowded than wine regions like Napa or Sonoma, visitors get a much better vantage point in which to meet winemakers and tour wineries and vineyards. At some of the first winemaker dinners we attended over 10 years ago, the time we spent with winemakers inspired us to make our own wine and even helped us develop relationships with growers from whom we would subsequently purchase fruit.
At the Grand Tasting on Saturday, which runs from 11am – 3pm, we’ll be pouring our 2009 Deer Meadows Vineyard Pinot Noir, which just got a very solid 94 point rating in Wine & Spirits’ April 2012 roundup of America’s best Pinot Noirs. With our 2010 vintage in bottle, it is likely that we will pour some of our 2010 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, but we’re still deciding which vineyard-designate wine to preview. In addition to Waits-Mast, there will be over 40 producers pouring at the Grand Tasting, including favorites like Londer Vineyards, Goldeneye, Foursight, MacPhail, Jim Ball, Elke, Baxter, Drew, Roederer Estate, Toulouse, and many more.
A plethora of wine at the BBQ
Also worth attending is the Friday night BBQ, being held this year at Husch Vineyards. There’s lots of great food, music and of course, Pinot Noir. It’s a very convivial atmosphere and guests and winemakers are encouraged to bring their own bottle. The table that holds these bottles quickly becomes a feeding-frenzy, getting the BBQ off to a roaring start.
And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the technical conference. For years, the technical conference has been a great way for us to get more immersed in the winemaking process. Presentation topics can span from yeasts and microbes to chocolate and cheese – all centered around growing, making and drinking the best Pinot Noir that Anderson Valley has to offer.
So, get your tickets now because they sell out fast. The winemaker dinners have very limited seating, the Grand Tasting is usually limited to about 600 or so attendees, and other events sell out quickly as well. Snatch up your tickets, do your research on all the wineries ahead of time, make sure you find lodging close to the valley (always challenging) and we’ll see you in May!
Filed under: Events, Tasting notes | Tags: anderson valley pinot noir, Mendocino County Pinot Noir, Pinot Days Chicago, Pinot Noir, Russian River pinot noir, Sta Rita Hills Pinot Noir, tasting events
Brian at the Waits-Mast table at Pinot Days Chicago 2011
We had an incredible time participating in Pinot Days Chicago on Saturday. It was our 4th time pouring at the event, and as in previous years, it was great to catch up with old friends and fans of Waits-Mast Family Cellars.
Each year has been memorable, in 2008 we met some folks who have become regular customers, in 2009 we were told that we had “bangin’ juice,” and last year we heard that the wine tasted like “fall in a glass.”
This year, we poured a selection of our 2009 Waits-Mast Family Cellars Pinot Noir releases throughout the day. Most who stopped by our table got to try our wines from Anderson Valley (Hayley Vineyard), Russian River (Amber Ridge Vineyard) and Mendocino (Oppenlander Vineyard). After we poured through those wines, we had visitors sample our release from Deer Meadows Vineyard in Anderson Valley and from La Encantada Vineyard in Sta Rita Hills.
Response to the wines was amazing and we experienced a first for us when a new fan actually started tearing up after trying our wine from Deer Meadows vineyard.
Here’s a quick sampling of some of our favorite reactions to the wines:
2009 Waits-Mast Family Cellars Pinot Noir, Hayley Vineyard (Anderson Valley):
Tasters called this wine “elegant,” said it had eucalyptus characteristics, and described it as “earthy” on the nose, yet “California” upon tasting. One person said, “this is a revelation” and remarked that it has “fabulous complexity in the nose.” Another said, “I’m an Oregon guy…that’s exciting.” Others said that it had a “roundness” and was “velvety” and “delicious” with hints of “strawberry.”
2009 Waits-Mast Family Cellars Pinot Noir, Amber Ridge Vineyard (Russian River):
One of the tasters inhaled this wine deeply and said he was “just getting high” off of the nose and said that it had a “hint of creme brulee,” and was “nice and soft.” He added that, “I’ve been to every Pinot Days from the beginning and this was definitely way up there.” Another person said that it was like a “blast off in your mouth.” Someone else said it was “smokier” than our other wines and that it had an “interesting finish.”
2009 Waits-Mast Family Cellars Pinot Noir, Oppenlander Vineyard (Mendocino):
Folks who came by our table and tried our Oppenlander Vineyard Pinot Noir described it as “tart,” with a “little more acid” than our releases from Hayley and Amber Ridge Vineyards. Another said that it was “earthy” and would pair well with steak. Someone else noted that it had an “unexpected dryness.” One person said that initially there’s a burst of fruit, followed by “tannins at the end” with a nice finish. At least one person said that it was their favorite wine.
Waits-Mast "super-fan" Luke
2009 Waits-Mast Family Cellars Pinot Noir, La Encantada Vineyard (Sta Rita Hills):
We only brought a few bottles of this wine to taste. The few who were able to sample it had nice things to say. One taster said that it tasted of “burnt cranberry, orange and raspberry” with “not a lot of earth.” Another person exclaimed that this wine was an “orgasm in my mouth.”
2009 Waits-Mast Family Cellars Pinot Noir, Deer Meadows Vineyard (Anderson Valley):
As with the La Encantada, we were only able to bring a few bottles of this wine to Pinot Days. This was the wine that made a taster cry and that others described as being like “velvet.” Waits-Mast “super fan” Luke (amazingly not the taster who was brought to tears) explained his love for the wine, saying, “I don’t want to stop drinking [it] with my nose.” He told us that tasting the wine was akin to listening to the “Star-Spangled Banner” in that it produced “goosebumps.” Luke added, “You saved me months of meditation.”
Thanks to everyone who stopped by our table at Pinot Days Chicago. It’s always a fun event for us, largely due to the warmth of the crowd.
Filed under: Events, New releases | Tags: 2009 Pinot Noir, holiday gift, holiday wine tasting, Pinot Noir, Presidio of San Francisco, Waits-Mast Pinot Noir
Inside the warm, inviting Presidio Cafe (photo courtesy of Presidio Cafe)
Want to try some limited production, hard-to-find wines and kick off your holiday season in style? On Thursday, December 1st, Waits-Mast Family Cellars will be hosting a Holiday Wine Tasting at the Presidio Cafe in San Francisco. The event will run from 6pm to 9pm and guests will be able to sample our new 2009 vintage Pinot Noirs that we just released in September. In fact, it will be the first event in which you’ll be able to try and buy all five of our new wines.
And in case you had a yen for a Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah, we are going to be joined by our fellow boutique urban winemakers, Michael James Wines, who will be pouring their offerings of these varietals from Napa Valley.
We’re excited to be hosting a party like this because it will be a smaller, more intimate venue for us to share our wines with fans, friends and family. And the venue is perfect for this time of year, when there is a chill in the air. The Presidio Cafe is warm and inviting, and the food is excellent. The fine folks at the Presidio Cafe will be serving a selection light and heavy hors d’oeuvres that will pair nicely with all of the wines, along with dessert and complimentary non-alcoholic beverages.
And if you try a wine that catches your fancy, you’ll be able to purchase it on the spot. So if you’re looking for that unique gift this holiday season, you’ll be able to say that you personally tasted through a number of wines to choose the right one for your friend or family member. And you’ll be able to say you met the winemakers, too!
We’d love to see you there and help us kick off the holidays, so here are the details:
DATE: December 1, 2011, 6-9pm
LOCATION: Presidio Café, Presidio of San Francisco. Conveniently located just off Jackson & Arguello Streets with plenty of free parking available. For more details on the Café, click here.
COST: $20.00 per person. Event is 21 and over only. Click here to purchase.
Space is limited, so please purchase tickets and RSVP by November 30
If you wish to order online in advance and pick up your order at the event, go to our web store to order and we’ll make sure to have your order on hand.
Filed under: Events | Tags: Pinot Days Chicago, Pinot Noir, Waits-Mast Family Cellars
2009 Pinot Days Chicago
It’s hard to believe that our first public wine tasting happened 4 years ago at Pinot Days Chicago.
I vividly remember setting up our table and anxiously awaiting customers. As one of the newest labels at the event in 2008, we weren’t sure that people would even stop by the Waits-Mast table. Our fears were unfounded, as plenty of people sampled our 2007 vintage at that event and we ended up making quite a few friends who we look forward to seeing at Pinot Days Chicago every year.
We’ll be pouring for the 4th time at the Pinot Days Chicago Grand Festival this Saturday, November 12, 2011 from 1pm to 5pm. At the tasting you’ll get a chance to sample a selection of our 2009 releases. If you are planning to attend, you can use the discount code WAITSCH11 to get 10% off your ticket. We hope to see you there.
Filed under: Events, Tasting rooms, Wine travel | Tags: 2011 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival, anderson valley pinot noir, Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival 2011, Apple Farm, Baxter Winery, Drew pinot noir, Fulcrum Wine, Greenwood Ridge Vineyards, Londer Vineyards, Mary Elke
One of the best things about the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival is the food. The options at the technical conference lunch (pulled pork sandwiches), BBQ (paella) and the Grand Tasting (grilled lamb chops) were all good, but the real treats are at the winemaker dinners on Saturday night and during winery open houses on Sunday.
Drew and Greenwood Ridge wines at the Apple Farm, Philo, CA (photo by B. Mast)
After a day of being on our feet pouring, talking and serving others at the Grand Tasting, we always enjoy sitting down and getting served at a winemaker dinner.
Of the three or four different winemaker dinners scheduled for the festival, we bought our tickets early for the dinner at the Apple Farm, with Drew Wines and Greenwood Ridge Vineyards. The dinner started with appetizers and white wines in the courtyard at the Apple Farm, a relaxed haven for slow food. Here’s the menu in full from the evening:
Olive oil tart with sweet onion and thyme
First local salmon tartare
Greenwood Ridge 2008 Riesling
Drew 2010 Albarino, Wentzel Vineyard
A soup of two peas with mint
Greenwood Ridge 2009 Sauvignon Blanc
Drew 2009 Pinot Noir, Morning Dew
Grilled & roasted leg of lamb in a coffee chile rub, creamy braised leeks and favas
Drew 2008 Ornbaun Syrah
Greenwood Ridge 2007 Merlot
A simple salad with Meyer lemon
Cheese plate
Drew 2002 Vogelzang Cabernet Franc
Citrus almond torte with kumquats and cream
Greenwood 2006 late harvest Riesling
The dinner was as delicious as the menu reads and both winemakers, Jason Drew from Drew and Allan Green from Greenwood Ridge, devoted a lot of time to visiting each table to talk about the wines.
It’s hard to imagine that we would have any room left for all the food at the open houses on Sunday, but we were up for the challenge. At the open houses being held at the different wineries in Anderson Valley, library releases and magnums (1.5L bottles) are poured alongside a tempting array of pinot-friendly foods. And since we don’t have a tasting room in the valley, and frankly had too few wines in our inventory to pour at anyone else’s open house, Sunday is a day for us to relax and enjoy being a wine consumer.
After a quick fuel-up of coffee and pastries, we hit the trail, starting at Mary Elke’s. We were excited to see a sparkling wine open, as that is Jennifer’s favorite way to start a day of wine-tasting. The Mary Elke Brut (NV) was a perfect pairing with the savory chicken tacos being served from a taco stand from Alicia’s Restaurant that Mary had arranged. We also sniffed, swirled and spat our way through her chardonnay, pinot gris and pinot noir selections – all incredible wines.
We motored down to the Madrones, a new complex of tasting rooms, shops and lodging in Philo and made our way through Berridge Wines, Lula and Drew. Each were pouring wines from some vineyards and AVAs that are off the beaten path – places like Comptche (where we get fruit from Oppenlander Vineyard), Mendocino Ridge and Manchester Ridge.
Have tacos, will travel, at Elke Vineyards (photo by B. Mast)
Sundays at the open houses wouldn’t be the same without a stop at the “Barn” at Londer Vineyards. We’re making pinot noir with fruit from Londer Vineyards, so it was great to stop by and say hi to Larry and Shirlee, enjoy their wines and get a warm greeting from their dogs. David Rossi of Fulcrum Wines was also pouring at the barn as he is also purchasing fruit from the Londers. We took a detour up the hill to check on the vines and it looks like they are doing well, despite the threat of frost in early April.
We wrapped up our day of wine tasting at one of our favorite open houses up at Baxter Winery. After the long, winding drive up the hill to their homestead, we were greeted with smiles and glasses of pinot noir by Phil Baxter and his wife Claire. Other friends and family were there helping out as well, serving up the always tasty lamb sliders.
Phil Baxter in Baxter's Barrel Room (Photo: J. Waits)
After tucking in to the fine lunch and trying a few of the current releases, we escaped the somewhat blustery day by heading into the barrel room to taste some of the 2009s still finishing barrel aging. Phil ages all of his pinot noirs in neutral (no new barrels) oak and therefore the wine can (and usually needs) to stay in barrel longer. This, and other winemaking techniques, were the topic of discussion as we drifted into “shop talk” towards the end of our visit. The friendly atmosphere of Baxter was typical of what we love so much about Anderson Valley and was a great way to end the weekend before our trip back to San Francisco.
For part 1 of our pinot fest recap, focusing on the technical conference, click here. For part 2 on the Grand Tasting, click here. And keep an eye out for an upcoming post on our visit to Wentzel Vineyard.
Filed under: Events, Tasting notes | Tags: 2011 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival, anderson valley pinot noir
Glasses at the entrance to the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival (Photo: J. Waits)
Although billboards across the land had warned of impending doom on May 21, 2011; what was utmost in our minds on that date was the 14th Annual Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival’s Grand Tasting at Goldeneye Vineyards.
This was our 3rd year pouring at the grand tasting and we couldn’t have been happier to be there on a breezy May day. Around 40 wineries offered samples of Pinot Noir made from Anderson Valley fruit to the crowd of eager tasters.
Although we’d hoped to be previewing our 2009 vintage at the tasting (which is still aging will be available in a few months), we ended up offering tastes of the nearly sold-out 2008 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir from Hein Vineyard and of the 2006 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir from Hein Vineyard (a library selection).
Jennifer and Brian at the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival
Just like last year, people were able to compare and contrast the vintages. We ran across fans of both wines, with tasters saying that our ’06 was “the best wine we’ve tasted today by far” and that our ’08 was “our favorite today” and had a “nice, earthy component” with “nutmeg and cinnamon.”
We also pulled out one bottle of our prized 2007 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir from Wentzel Vineyard from our personal collection (as it’s completely sold out) and were told that “it sneaks up on you” and paired well with the peanut butter cookies that were being served at the festival. We couldn’t be more excited to be producing more wine from Wentzel Vineyard in 2010 and 2011 (in a future post we’ll share photos from our recent visit to the vineyard).
Following the grand tasting we headed over to Roederer Estate to refresh our palates by sampling their line-up of sparkling and still wines before heading out to a winemaker dinner at The Apple Farm. In our next posts we’ll recap that dinner as well as our travels to various winery Open Houses on the closing day of the festival. And, if you missed it, our summary of the Technical Conference on Friday, May 20 can be found here.
Filed under: Events | Tags: 2011 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival, Anderson Valley, Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival 2011, Pinot Noir
Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival Technical Conference May 20, 2011 (Photo: J. Waits)
I clearly remember being at a wine event back in 2005, several months before we starting making wine, and snickering when during a Q&A session someone inquired about the name of the particular forest in France that a barrel was crafted from. To me, it seemed to be an extreme example of wine geekery and it reminded me of arcane conversations about stereo equipment or car parts. I also felt it was kind of a showy comment, perhaps meant to reveal the extreme wine knowledge of the questioner.
Well, now it’s 6 years later and Brian and I have become that geeky wine guy. As I sat through the Technical Conference at this year’s 14th Annual Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival last Friday, I was amazed to think about how far we’ve come. I can now understand why forests might matter to some winemakers, as there are so many factors that can influence the taste of a glass of wine, from the grape clone to the soil type (and numerous other farming practices including canopy management, watering, and pest management) to one’s philosophy about organic to the date that the grape was picked to sorting practices (hand sorting, whole cluster, etc.), to pressing strategies (free run? how hard of a press?), to fermentation practices (time, yeast strain or native yeast, cold soak, etc.), to the barrel type (forest, cooper, percentage new oak, type of toast, etc.), to the amount of time in barrel, to blending the wine, to the amount of time in bottle, and on and on.
This year’s Technical Conference featured presentations on “Fertility Management Strategies” (which dissected the types of soils in Anderson Valley and how that relates to winemaking practices and Pinot Noir), “Fermentation Issues and Strategies” (which looked at the science of color and fermentation issues that arise from “chasing color”), “Winemaking Techniques and Color Enhancement,” as well as a panel discussion about the use of whole grape clusters in making Pinot Noir.
A View of the Technical Conference (Photo: J. Waits)
I was particularly interested in the panel about whole clusters, as that’s something we’ve only done once in our winemaking career.
In our first vintage, when we made a pinot noir from the Amber Ridge Vineyard in Russian River Valley in 2005, we decided to throw in about 20% whole clusters of grapes (grapes with the stems attached) to see what kind of effect that would have. Since then we haven’t used any whole clusters, in part because we were under the impression that green stems were a “no no.” We’d assumed that green stems would lead to a more herbal or vegetal flavor. During the panel Jeff Brinkman of Rhys Vineyards said that he actually uses “neon green stems” in his winemaking practices and explained that what’s more important than stem color is the dryness of the stem and whether or not it is still running sap. He said that he will use whole clusters of grapes if the stems are dry when chewed on and have a walnut quality to them.
Examining the Clusters (Our Oppenlander Vineyard sort in Fall 2010. Photo: J. Waits)
Jeff also pointed out that doing 100% whole cluster wine is dependent upon vineyard practices and that the types of grape clones used (he said that the Swan clone works well for whole cluster Pinot Noir) can have an impact. Additionally, he said that picking the grapes early is best when doing whole clusters and added that hand sorting of the fruit after picking is also critical.
He explained that it can take him 3 to 5 hours to sort through a ton of fruit because they are doing it so methodically. There have been years when they have thrown away 50% of the fruit because they are searching for the ideal clusters to use and they are not picking off berries from a cluster. If part of a cluster looks bad, they will toss the entire cluster. Jeff said that the care taken with sorting also gets extended into the processing of the fruit.
When fermenting the wine, Jeff does punchdowns by foot because he is doing 100% whole cluster fermentation. He said that it’s impossible to use a punchdown tool because during fermentation the fruit is like concrete. He admitted that making 100% whole cluster Pinot Noir is “hard to do casually.”
Joe Webb, the winemaker at Foursight Wines, also talked about using whole clusters in his winemaking practices. He said that it’s really important to use gentler techniques during fermentation and he does hand punchdowns in order to take care with the stems. He said that he starts out with whole clusters on the bottom of the bin and never lets the punchdown tool touch the bottom of the bin.
View of Navarro Vineyards as Dusk Fell on the BBQ (Photo: J. Waits)
As was the case last year, the conference featured a more consumer-oriented series of sessions in the afternoon. Author and wine educator Karen MacNeil rhapsodized about the appeal of Pinot Noir, another session provided a comparison among wines crafted from fruit from Ferrington Vineyards, and the last session including a tasting of rose style Pinot Noir from Roederer and Toulouse.
Throughout the day some memorable statements were made about Pinot Noir, beginning with UC Cooperative Extension viticulture and plant science advisor Glenn McGourty’s comment that pinot noir is “kind of like a princess.” Karen MacNeil dissected Pinot Noir even further, suggesting that there’s a “non-obviousness about great Pinot Noir,” explaining that it is not someone with a “big fur coat.” She added that Pinot Noir is “essentially unknowable in one sip” and that in fact its texture may be more important than its flavor. Karen described the essential character of Pinot Noir as being “more primordial than other grape varieties” with its “good corruption of rotting leaves and sweaty men.”
Wine Options at the BBQ (Photo: B. Mast)
Following the technical conference we headed over to Navarro Vineyards for the official after-party BBQ. On a chilly May evening in Anderson Valley, we noshed on empanadas, paella, and a variety of donated Pinot Noir options, while chatting with wine writer Greg Walter, the man behind PinotReport (and also the MC for this year’s Technical Conference).
A band played classic rock tunes while winemakers and wine lovers danced, ate, and drank. At the end of the evening, with a warm cup of coffee in hand, we said goodnight to the winery sheep and turned in for some rest before the big day ahead at the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival Grand Tasting.
Filed under: Events | Tags: Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival 2011, Apple Farm, Drew Family Cellars, Londer Vineyards, MacPhail Family Wines, Mendocino, Rich Savoy
Tickets for the 2011 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival, happening May 20 – 22, 2011, are now on sale and there are many reasons to go. We’re going to count down our five top reasons, just ’cause. This festival is the highlight of our year and is one of the main reasons we are in the wine business today making California pinot noir. But enough about us, without further ado, five reasons to get your tickets to the AV Pinot Fest today, in descending order:
Hein Family Vineyard in Anderson Valley, near Philo, CA.
5. It’s beautiful. Just going to Anderson Valley, if you’ve never been, is reason alone. Even if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area and you drive the three hours over hill and dale to get there, you feel like you are removed from the urban jungle or the suburban sprawl. The air smells fresh, you breathe easier, the landscape is gorgeous and the people are friendly and welcoming.
4. Geek out at the Technical Conference. Have a strong opinion about native yeasts vs. inoculating? Want to know about the benefits and risks of whole cluster fermentation? Does all the technical stuff wash over you much easier when you’re drinking pinot noir from great producers and vineyards? For years, the technical conference has been a great way for us to get more immersed in the winemaking process. If you want to dive in head first, go for the full day session. Or, if you just want to dip your toe in the water, check out the afternoon session that is designed to be more consumer-friendly. Wine goddess Karen MacNeil will be there in the afternoon session guiding attendees “through an in-depth study of the inherent grace and beauty of pinot noir through the lens of other varietals.” That’s hot.
Eager Pinotphiles rush to the Grand Tasting in Philo.
3. Pig out on pinot at the Grand Tasting. It’s actually not that overwhelming for a grand tasting. The festival organizers limit attendance to the Saturday tasting to roughly 650 attendees, so you have an opportunity to get up close and personal, as it were, with the winemakers and their pinot noirs (some sparkling wines, too, as long as they are made w/some pinot).
Over 40 producers will be under the big tent at the picturesque vineyard behind Goldeneye Winery. Londer Vineyards, Foursight, MacPhail, Jim Ball, Elke, Phillips Hill, Drew, Roederer Estate, Roessler, and many more…so much pinot noir, so little time. And there will be plenty of food to keep your energy up and your wits about you for the silent auction (there are some seriously cool wines and packages – all the proceeds benefit the Anderson Valley Health Center.)
2. Winemaker dinners. These dinners, hosted at either wineries or local restaurants, are a real treat. Guests get to interact with the winemakers in an even more intimate setting. Two or three wineries pair their wines with amazing cuisine from chefs in the Valley or from the Mendocino Coast, and there’s usually a winemaker sitting at every table. Seating is limited — the Apple Farm dinner which we’re attending is limited to 34 guests and is almost sold out — so get on it! We’ve been to the Roederer Estate dinners before and they are spectacular. The dinners on the coast feature great producers like Baxter, Claudia Springs, Esterlina and Lazy Creek and are perfect if you are lodging in Albion, Little River or Mendocino.
1. Waits-Mast Family Cellars will be there. Okay, so it is a little about us! But hey, we’re excited because at the Grand Tasting we are going to be pouring our two newest Anderson Valley pinot noirs for the first time. Our 2009 Deer Meadows Vineyard Pinot Noir, from the 1600′ vineyard farmed by Rich Savoy, is savory and aromatic with notes of bright cherry, orange peel and coriander. And our 2009 Hayley Vineyard Pinot Noir strikes that perfect balance of Anderson Valley pinot with brilliant red fruit and a hint of earthiness and a touch of vanilla. Both of these wines, along with our three other 2009 pinot noirs, were recently bottled and are pending release, so stay tuned for their respective launches.
So hop on over to the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival website and get your tickets and we look forward to seeing you in the valley in May!
The calm before the storm at the Grand Tasting
Filed under: Events | Tags: 2011 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival, Pinot Days San Francisco, St. Patrick's Day, When Irish Wines
March 13, Rutherford, CA
Spring, you say? Okay, it’s still February in most of the country, but damn it feels like spring here in Northern California. The recent warm weather – yes, we know it won’t last – is getting us fired up for some of the spring and summer wine tasting events that Waits-Mast Family Cellars is planning to pour at. Here’s the short list for the first half of the year, so get our your calendars/smartphones/iPads and mark ‘em down.
Tasting Events:
March 13, 2011, 2:00 – 5:00pm. When Irish Wines Are Smiling. This Irish themed wine & food tasting returns for its second year, featuring wines from Irish owned, named and ancestry wineries served alongside freshly prepared traditional Irish Dishes & Irish Cheeses. Waits-Mast had a blast last year and is pleased that we now have a new St. Patrick’s Day tradition that involves wine (although Brian does enjoy his pint of Guinness). Cost is $35 per person in advance, $40 at the door.
Location: Rutherford Grange Hall, Rutherford, CA
Tickets on sale now: http://whenirishwinesaresmiling2011.eventbrite.com/
May 20 – 22, 2011. 14th Annual Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival. This will be our third time pouring at the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival. We’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve attended the event, too, but suffice it to say we’re regulars at this point. Why? It’s beautiful up in Anderson Valley and you get to taste Anderson Valley Pinot Noir from more than 40 wineries. Geek out on Pinot Noir at the technical conference on Friday (includes lunch) and dine with the winemakers at Saturday evening dinners held in Anderson Valley and on the Mendocino coast. But wait, there’s more! On Sunday, visit the wineries during their open houses for special tastings, seminars, food pairings, and more. Check out our recap from last year here. Well worth the trip!
Location: Anderson Valley (Boonville, Philo), Mendocino County, CA
Tickets go on sale on March 15, 2011. http://www.avwines.com/index.php/anderson-valley-pinot-noir-festival/
June 18, 2011. Pinot Days San Francisco. If you’re a pinot noir fan, you’ll be in hog heaven as over 200 producers are pouring hundreds of wines at this event in the Fort Mason center in San Francisco. There are a number of pinot aficionado events starting up to almost a week in advance, and then the Grand Tasting is on June 18. So as it grows closer, check back on the Pinot Days website to see more details. This will be the third time we have poured at Pinot Days SF (we also pour at Pinot Days Chicago).
Location: Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA
Website: http://www.pinotdays.com/
Stay tuned to our blog and our website’s News page for updates to the event calendar. And we hope that Spring comes fast wherever you are.
Filed under: Events | Tags: Amber Ridge Vineyard, Chicago, ENO Wine Room, La Encantada Vineyard, Pinot Days Chicago 2010, Pinot Noir, Waits-Mast Pinot Noir, wine tasting
Before the Crowds Arrived at Pinot Days Chicago 2010
After a cold summer and fall in San Francisco, it was a treat to fly into Chicago last week during their fall heat wave. The 70 degree temperatures when we arrived were a lovely welcome and were perhaps indicative of what a great weekend we had in store for us.
This was our 3rd time at Pinot Days Chicago and it’s always been one of our favorite events as we have family, friends, and a growing number of customers in the Chicago area. This year we decided to do a few more events than usual, and started things off with a distributor-only tasting on Thursday, Nov. 11th. We’re still not sure if we’re big enough for a distributor yet, but it was great to meet and greet and get some feedback on our wines. Following that event we headed over to the Eno Wine Room at the Fairmont Millennium Park for a special “Meet the Winemakers” tasting. Several wineries were dispersed throughout the lobby bar and folks were invited to stop by to taste the wines and chat with the winemakers. A few of our friends came to the Eno Wine Room tasting, so it was nice to see some familiar faces.
The Crew from the Chicago Food Whores blog
The big event was on Saturday, November 13th, with both the public Pinot Days tasting and trade tasting taking place at Navy Pier. We were floored by the number of people who came out for Pinot Days this year. For the first time ever, we completely poured through all of the sample bottles of wine that we brought. In case you’re curious, we poured our 2008 Waits-Mast Family Cellars Pinot Noir from La Encantada Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills and our 2008 Waits-Mast Family Cellars Pinot Noir from Amber Ridge Vineyard in Russian River.
We got some great feedback on the wines, but things were so hectic that Jennifer wasn’t able to capture as many great quotes as in 2009 and 2008. Tasters seemed to enjoy both wines, saying that the 2008 La Encantada “tastes like fall in a glass,” with “great acidity” and a lovely aroma. One person said that the La Encantada was in their “top 3″ wines of the entire day at Pinot Days, with others commenting, “this is my favorite so far.” In terms of the 2008 Amber Ridge, people said that it was “velvety,” had a “great aroma,” pointed out that “this could be a staple [wine]” and that it is “very food-friendly” and could pair with an entree right through to dessert.
Probably most gratifying of all, we had several people stop by at the end of the day (when things were starting to get sloppy at Pinot Days!) and said that after being around the entire room our wines were still their favorites. It was equally satisfying to meet people who had been to our table in past years, several of whom had bought our wines before.
Jennifer, our #1 Fan Luke, and Brian (Photo by Paul Riismandel)
Our “#1 Fan” Luke came by again this year and greeted us by exclaiming, “These are Alchemists!” He’s a charmer and we swear we don’t have him on our payroll, although his pronouncements about our wine would make great ad copy. He also said to us that our winemaking project is “like a cause.” We couldn’t agree more!
After talking all day, Jennifer was also happy to have a taster tell her, “You don’t have to talk, the wine speaks for itself,” especially since she was choking on a chocolate-covered espresso bean at the time. Sweet!
Thanks to Luke and to everyone else for making us feel like rock stars this past weekend. We’re not sure that we’ll be able to quit our day jobs just yet (as one taster predicted), but all of the kind words at Pinot Days Chicago surely made our day.
