Some may know Lompoc, California for its federal prison, or its air force base.  But real wino’s know Lompoc as California’s “wine ghetto.”  The concept all started in Santa Barbara back in 1998 when Rick and Diana Longoria decided to make wine full time.  They rented a 5,400 square foot building at Sobhani Industrial Park in Lompoc, which was previously used as a carpet warehouse.  This is how the Wine Ghetto was born.

The Wine Ghetto is a far cry from the lavish facilities of Napa.  Sheet metal buildings house wine making equipment, which is often shared or rented between different wine makers.  This is the birthplace to some of the most intriguing wines produced in California today.  Often these wines carry hefty price tags, and are extremely limited in production.  Some of the top producers in Lompoc’s Wine Ghetto include Sea Smoke, Brewer-Clifton, Fiddlehead, and Palmina.  Other Pinot Noir producers including Ampelos Cellars and Bastianich have followed suit and taken over nearby industrial parks (dubbed “Pinot Prison” and “Pinot West”).  Saving money by renting inexpensive warehouses allows more funding to be put back into the vineyards.  Most of these wineries are making world class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

The sense of community is strong in these newer wine making areas, where Steve Clifton says “We all support each other without obligation.” and “You no longer needed to have a chateau on the vineyard to be taken seriously.”

I expect this industrial trend to continue growth as winemakers adopt a more economical, “no-frills” approach.

]]> http://www.adamswineguide.com/2010/03/09/lompoc-californias-wine-ghetto/feed/ 0 http://www.adamswineguide.com/2010/03/07/2008-las-brisas-cures-spring-fever/ http://www.adamswineguide.com/2010/03/07/2008-las-brisas-cures-spring-fever/#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:58:17 +0000 Adam Weiner http://www.adamswineguide.com/?p=382 We’re getting close to spring, and warmer weather means time for more white wine again.  I’ve always been a fan of Las Brisas, a Spanish white wine produced by Bodegas Naia.  The current 2008 vintage continues to please.  This blend of Verdejo, Viura, and Sauvignon Blanc delivers a fine balance of fruit, minerality and acidity.  The peachy, grapefruit nose follows through on the palate, with a nice herbaceous, citrusy finish.  And the best part is Las Brisas usually retails for under $11.  This low price tag makes the wine great for cooking as well (I love using it when I make mussels).  Pair it with seafood, lighter meats, and salads.  And a great food and wine pairing tip: if you cook with the same wine you serve, you are almost guaranteed a great pairing .

The grapes are from Southern Australia; 90% Langhorn Creek and 10% Limestone Coast.  This tasty blend is full bodied, showing smoky notes of strawberry, blueberry and spice.  The Stickleback red will pair nicely with roasted or grilled meats and heavier sauces.  Just stay away from spicy foods with this wine.  The ‘08 gets a solid 87 points in my book.  You should be able to find it in your local wine shop for under $15.

The 2006 MollyDooker “GooseBumps” sparkling Shiraz is one unique wine!  It’s a full blown Shiraz, done MollyDooker style (15% abv).  This robust, jammy fruit bomb is then treated to the “charmat method.”  Basically the wine does its secondary fermentation in large pressurized tanks.  The wine is then bottled under pressure, to preserve the carbonation.  This process is much cheaper than the more traditional Champagne method, where the wine goes through secondary fermentation in the bottle, producing finely integrated natural carbonation.

This wine should be served ice cold, as other sparkling wine would.  And pair it with heavier fare than you would pair with traditional sparklers.

The breakdown– this wine exudes aromas of dark chocolate, raisins, strawberry, blueberry and violet.  And the fruit on the palate matches the aromas well, exploding with effervescence.  Just keep in mind that this wine will do some damage at 15% abv, compared to most sparkling wines that weigh in around 12% alcohol.

Ben Parsons changed that when he started The Infinite Monkey Theorem winery last year.  Located on 5th and Santa Fe Drive, in the Santa Fe Art District, Ben is paving the way for quality Colorado wines.  The concept behind the name dates back to an old mathematical theorem, dubbed “The Infinite Monkey Theorem,” that tests our understanding of infinity.  It goes something like this: if you set a monkey at a typewriter for an infinite amount of time, eventually he will type all of the great texts of William Shakespeare.  Hell, eventually the monkey will type every text written by man.  While the odds are extremely small, eventually the monkey will type the correct combination of keystrokes.  It’s simple probability, no matter how unlikely.

So Ben applied this theory to his winery.  There are an infinite number of decisions that must be made to produce the wine, from the decisions the grower makes in the vineyards, to the decisions made in the winery.  And all of this comes together in a back alley at his winery in urban Denver.  Ultimately, beauty comes from utter chaos, in the form of his wines.

Ben is amongst the modern era of young winemakers.  Now 34, he got his start making wine in Australia while studying for his oenology graduate degree.  He made wine in New Zealand, and eventually found his way to Colorado, where he spent several years producing wine on the Western slopes.  He was head winemaker at Sutcliffe Winery, where he made wine through the 2007 vintage.  Here he established his modern style of big, fruit driven wines which he produces under his own label today.

Ben is a quick witted, intelligent individual and his personality shows in his wines.  Even the packaging is extremely well thought out; from the Warhol-esque image on the label to the glass Vino-Lok enclosures.  His winery is the epitome of the “local” concept we see at many restaurants these days.  The community has shown him great support, as his wines are poured at almost 100 local restaurants and wine bars. We recently hosted a tasting with Ben, and here’s what we poured:

2008 Infinite Monkey Theorem Chardonnay– 70% of this wine spends time in new oak (for 9 months), while 30% is stainless steel.  Without the use of malolactic fermentation, this wine retains its crisp acidity as Chardonnay should.  While a little on the oaky side for me, it shows nice pear, fig and citrus notes, while delivering a smoky, toasty note.

2008 Infinite Monkey Theorem Syrah– oak aged for 12 months, this big boy shows nice blackberry and wild berry fruits, white pepper, tobacco, coffee, mocha, licorice,  and a slight hint of tar.

2008 Infinite Monkey Theorem Malbec– this monstrous wine is 90% Malbec, 10% Petite Verdot, aged in oak for 14 months.  This goliath has an intense inky purple color.  In the words of ben: “as dark as the halls of Mordor.”  Loaded with dark fruits, coffee and chocolate.

2008 Infinite Monkey Theorem Petite Sirah– another behemoth, showing intense notes of coffee, chocolate, cola, raspberry and boysenberry.

If you live in Colorado, visit your favorite wine shop to pick up Ben’s wines.  If they don’t carry IMT wines, tell them they should.  During summer, Ben participates in “First Fridays.”  In this Denver tradition, art galleries are open and have free drinks and appetizers on the first Friday of every month.  At The Infinite Monkey Theorem, Ben pours his wines and has a DJ in the courtyard.  Also stay tuned as Ben is planning on opening a professional kitchen at the winery, where he will host many local (and not-so-local) celebrity chefs.

Visit Ben’s website: TheInfiniteMonkeyTheorem.com

I prefer to brine the turkey for two days in a Riesling brine, and then roast the bird.  I have been cooking the family turkey for years, and this is my favorite method.  And if you perfect this method, I promise the bird will come out juicier than deep frying it.  Although it is fun to fry stuff.

Riesling: This is one of the classics.  Most turkey brine recipes call for Riesling, and this wine just goes really well with most turkey preparations.  Sweet or dry, Riesling just works with Turkey.  I prefer the drier Alsatian style Rieslings, because they balance out the natural sweetness of the bird.

Pairing Tip: Incorporate some of the wine you will be serving into your cooking.  You will set yourself up for the perfect pairing. And NEVER cook with wine that you wouldn’t be willing to drink!

Gewurztraminer: Just like Riesling, this rich full bodied white will pair quite well with your Thanksgiving bird.  If you prepare your bird in a slightly spicier style (think Cajun, for example), this is the perfect wine for you.  Gewurztraminer has a natural spiciness that will lend itself well to spicier preparations.

Pinot Blanc: Another great Alsatian white that pairs really well with Tukey.

White Blends: This is a very vague category, but think full bodied blends that maintain a nice acidity.  My father has always enjoyed Sokol Blosser’s “Evolution.”  This is a field blend style, made up of 9 different varietals: Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Semillon, Pinot Gris, Muscat Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Sylvaner.  I know this is only 8, there’s a mystery 9th varietal that I can’t seem to track down .

While whites make the perfect pairing with turkey, there are some lighter reds that will work well too.  Pinot Noir and Beaujolais will pair well.  Just stay on the lighter side when pairing reds with the bird.

And don’t forget to serve some bubbles.  I love Champagne just about any day of the week.  I’ll be pouring Pierre Peters Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, as I do every year.  If you don’t feel like dropping the cash for Champagne, keep in mind that a nice Prosecco (from Italy) or Cava (from Spain) will work just as well.

Beaujolais is always a very light wine, and the Nouveau is typically even lighter.  It is made from the same year’s vintage, and goes through a quick carbonic maceration.  In this process, the grapes are not pressed.  The weight of the grapes clusters pressing down on each other crushes them, leaving a very light wine with minimal extraction.  And they won’t break the bank either, most of them are under $15.

Truthfully, I’m not a big Beaujolais guy.  But the Nouveau always marks a special time of the year for me and my family; a time of celebration, and a time to share special holidays with the ones you love most.  So drink up, people.

In 1983, the vineyards gave birth to the first vintage of Dominus. Christian has since been running things at the estate, and purchased the estate outright in 1995.

Twenty years later, Moueix released his 20th vintage, the bottling of 2003.  Initially it smelled like a true bordeaux.  But it morphed into a beautiful, classically styled Napa Meritage.  Simply magical.

Initially, it showed tart Bing cherry, with cassis undertones and a dusty graphite on the nose.  After an hour, the nose changed to a beautiful stewed plum.  The cassis turned jammy, and it developed the most incredible dark violet floral aroma.  The slight lead pencil and cedar notes still remain in the background.

This is a classic.  And it shows that exceptional winemaking skills can overcome a less-than-average vintage.  This gets 90 points on my scale.  Moueix did well with this vintage.  I wouldn’t want to age this wine much longer, but that’s just my style.

This is a great wine.  It took the gold medal at Denver International Wine Festival, in the “Other New World” category.  And this wine is deserving of the honor.  Hailing from Tupungato, a sub region of Mendoza, Argentina, this is a blend of 50% Bonarda and 50% Malbec.  Planted in sandy soil at an altitude of 3600ft, the vines are grown on a high trellis.

This full bodied wine sees 18 months in oak.  Aromas of dark fruits, vanilla and cocoa, tobacco and truffle lead into the flavors of blueberry, currant and stewed bing cherries.  It finishes with a refreshing acidity and spice that goes on and on.  There’s also a minerality on the finish that adds a nice complexity.  I would rate this wine 90 points on my scale, and would highly recommend it at it’s $20 price tag.

I would recommend pairing this wine with grilled or stewed meets.  Also pair with stronger cheeses such as Camembert or Teleggio.

“The first thing on the nose are big resiny hops. Also some candy sugar, which is faint but still noticeable.”

“2 finger beige head. Rocky like the mountains. Color is maple/amber. Very classy looking. The beer is fairly clear, although I don’t see a ton of life inside. “

“Wow the bitterness is HUGE in this one, although I’m not surprised at 104 IBU. Me likey. This hopped up bomber coats every part of your mouth and sends tingles to all your nerve endings. I can feel the caramelly malt trying to make an appearance but it is getting shoved aside by the hops. Still there is enough to distinguish this beer from a DIPA.”

“I like it, but don’t love it. I’m really glad I finally got to try an Avery beer as I’ve heard alot about them. Looking forward to their other products.”

“Braised meats, pulled pork, and even heavier sushi/sashimi will work with this.  But it pairing with fish, take note of the “perceived sweetness” and fruity complexes of this beer.”

First try the beer  alone, then start mingling it in with cheese and other foods.  Since this big boy  does so well on its own, there are endless possibilities that can work with this most special of beers…