Mama Mia that is some good wine!

Fortunati means lucky in Italian and Gary & Ellen Luchtel are very lucky to be able to follow their passion of making wine in the heart of the Oak Knoll district in Napa. Gary & Ellen, met in college and soon found themselves traveling the world tasting wines, but were especially fond of wines from Napa and Sonoma wine country. Both had successful businesses in San Francisco, but their hearts were in the wine country.

Gary soon found he had a great wine palate, especially when he beat out professionals at the State Wine Tasting Championship in Mendocino. It wasn't long after that Gary was working harvest with his good friend who had been in the wine industry for years. And as the story goes, one thing leads to another and Gary & Ellen made their first home wines in the late 90's. With encouragement of friends and a burning desire to bring forward quality wines that everyone could enjoy, they both sold their businesses and searched for a location to establish their own vineyards. Gary & Ellen found their diamond in the rough on Salvador Lane in Oak Knoll. The property was over 10 acres of overgrown field, surrounded by vineyards from Hill Family and Beringer and with soils diverse enough they could grow a Viogner to Cabernet. They planted their first vineyards in the early 2000's and released their first vintages in 2008 when Fortunati became a bonded winery.

The name Fortunati comes from Ellen's rich Italian heritage as does the name for each of their red wine blends. As a child Ellen would summer in Italy with family and remembers drinking wine as a young child. Of course in Italy they alcohol percentage is only about 8% and when “Mama” adds a little water to it is hardly anything. So when you arrive at Fortunati Vineyards for a tasting your greeted with the beautiful smile from Ellen inviting you to enjoy some wine and soak up the beauty of the vineyards and surrounding mountains. Ellen will walk you through each wine, discussing the bouquets and flavor profiles. All the while you feel your at a table with a friend just enjoying the afternoon. Ellen runs the day to day operations of the wines, while Gary manages the vineyards, together they make a wonderful team that shows in the quality of their wines.

Trying to decide which wines I wanted to feature was difficult, so I had to go with the ones I seem to gravitate most often too. All the wines can be drank on their own or paired nicely with food.

2011 Viogner is definitely the cougar juice of the year and is so refreshing in the hot summer afternoons. As soon as you open the bottle the aromas of peach and apricot permeate your nose making your mouth water just to take a sip. As you sip the Viogner you can taste the layers of fruit; honeysuckle, lemon custard and that beautiful finish of lychee that leaves your mouth just wanting more. You better not wait to buy this estate grown Viogner because they only produce 65 cases and it is selling like hot cakes at $28.00 a bottle.

2008 Vinto is a red Rhone blend with 95% Syrah and co-fermented with 5% Viogner (yes I said Viogner). Both varietals are grown on the estate and Gary & Ellen did an amazing job selecting the right grapes to blend together. I love the aromas of black cherry's, blueberry and rich earthiness and the flavors on your palate are an explosion of chocolate, coffee with a finish that stays with you. A 100 cases of Vinto were produced and it was released in the fall of 2011. It is reasonably priced at $34.00 a bottle.

If you love Bordeaux blends you will also enjoy their recently released 2009 Fortivo a blend of their estate Cab Franc and Cab Sauv. The Cab Franc brings out the deep crimson colors, with aromas of cassis and blackberry and a lovely finish of sweet French oak, cola and rich tannins. 150 cases produced and only $40.00 a bottle.

Fortnati also offers 2011 Pranzo a rose of Syrah which is a great patio wine at $16.00 a bottle. 2010 Chardonnay which is very palate friendly from being aged in neutral oak at $30.00 a bottle. A yummy 2009 Zinfandel at $36.00 a bottle. To top it off a 2007 Porto Fino which is almost sold out at $68 a bottle.

You can purchase their wines or visit the estate by calling Ellen at 707-255-9300 or email her at ellen@fortunativineyards.com. Ellen hopes to launch their website www.fortunativineyards.com by the end of summer.

As always, wine tasting is about the people, the place and the wine!

Stacy Su

Stacy's Wine Tours

707-266-6168

IT'S A WONDERFUL NIGHT TO DRINK MOONDANCE!!

Yes, I've missed you too!! I know it's been way to long since my last article, but I have been BUSY, BUSY, BUSY doing wine tours. This is the best time of year here in God's Country, so get your end of year tour booked soon! See the grape leaves turn colors! See them fall to the ground!! See them be raked together and set on fire! The excitement never ends!!

Speaking of excitement, have you heard about Moondance Cellars in Glen Ellen? No! Well let Lou tell you all about it! David Cohen (winemaker) and his lovely bride Priscilla (the boss) founded Moondance in Sebastopol with their first vintage in 1992. They operated a tasting room in Kenwood from 2008 thru early 2010, then moved to their present location on Arnold Drive Glen Ellen in May 2010. They currently produce about 1,500+ cases per year. They produce under the Moondance label, plus Orchard Station (sauv blanc and chard) and The Friendly Dog Winery. I have been drinking Dave's wines for years and they are consistently excellent. I highly recommend stopping by when driving thru Glen Ellen.

Now let's talk about Dave's delicious wines!

2010 Sauvignon Blanc - 150 cs/$20 btl - Crisp and clean with no caffeine!! no grassy minerals, just yummy fruit with pink grapefruit nose. Nice acidity will make it a great food wine.

2010 Sonoma County Chardonnay - cs/$24 btl - Pear and apple flavors with just a hint of oak and np butter. This Chard is right up my alley!! Imminently drinkable!!

2008 Napa Reserve Merlot - 215 cs/$24 btl - Life Unleashed! the label says. Dave has always made beautiful Merlots, and this is no exception. Rich berry flavors coat the palate with a nice lengthy finish. 15% of proceeds from each bottle sold donated to Canine Companions.

2009 Sonoma County Zinfandel - 150 cs/$32 btl - Major blueberries all over the mouth!! Super Smooth Zin! Hand selected from 3 small vineyards it's a winner. Get some before its all gone.

2009 Napa Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - 215 cs/$30 btl - A killer Napa Cab for thirty bucks!! Nice berry nose with bright cherries on the tongue. Smooth balanced finish. A Winner!

I must say Moondance is my favorite stop in Glen Ellen with consistently excellent wines. You can also sample ports from Sonoma Portworks, amazing mustards, Olive Oil and next door is the chocolatier Wine Country Chocolates making fresh truffles and other chocolate delights daily!! It's a can't miss on your wine tour!

Moondance Cellars 14301 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen, ca
www.moondancecellars.com


Lou

Return of the Charbono!

It's another perfect day here in God's Country and I have the mighty Lincoln headed West towards Russian River Valley, where the climate and terroir are perfect for Pinot's, Chards, Sauv Blancs and some very elegant Zins! Cruising down the Gravenstein Highway to the lovely hamlet (not a breakfast sandwich) of Forestville where today we will go to Russian River Vineyards and sample their wares!

Russian River Vineyards was established in 2008, when the partners purchased the property from Topolos. The tasting bar is located off the entrance to their restaurant "Corks" on a beautiful vineyard property (a great place for weddings). Corks does an excellent brunch (the dungeoness crab eggs benedict are awesome!) with fantastic service. Every one I have recommended Corks to has given glowing reviews. You can also order sandwiches, charcuterie and cheeses at the tasting bar!

Enough blather, lets get on to the Vino!! Russian River Vineyards serves 11+ wines to choose from, so I will just discuss my favorites.

2009 Russian River Valley Chard - $22/btl - crisp and balanced Chard with hint of minerality. Good example of classic RR Valley Chard.

2009 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc - $25/btl - Full citrus and melon with a touch of lemon grass. Very drinkable!!

2008 Syrah Anthony Austin - Sonoma - $30/btl - smooth seamless structure with a full mouth feel and pleasant, smoky finish. Ready to drink Now!

2008 Syrah - Bella Sonoma Vineyard - $30/btl - Tobacco and leather nose, big tannins, this will be a beautiful Syrah when the tannins fully integrate in 3 plus years.

2009 Mendocino County Charbono - $34/btl, 480 cases produced - Every Charbono I have ever tasted (prior to RRV's) has been a tannic leathery nightmare. Not this one!! The Fruit is Beautiful!! The wine is elegant!! If every Charbono was like this one, there would be more than 85 acres planted in the USA. RRV hit a Grand Slam with this one, I personally plan on drinking a great number of these!!

Russian River Vineyards also has Pinot's, a Reisling, Cab, Zin, and desert wines. The restaurant is excellent with great service. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. So, when in Russian River Valley stop and taste at RRV and have some grub at Corks, you'll thank me later. Until next time,

Lou

Twenty Rows - Napa

TONIGHT'S EPISODE - Wine Nuts Unite or How I learned to stop worrying by drinking more of "THE GRAPPLER". Why? Because it's THE BOMB!!

Hello again my friends, Isn't it supposed to be Summer? I for one am getting a wee bit tired of the constant precipitation. The Grape Vines NEED SUN!! I managed to slog my way to visit the only winery and tasting room in Downtown Napa, and it's a winner! VINOCE (which means "wine nut" in Italian divided by German) Winery is our subject today and you get 2 wineries in one! Vinoce produces a Sauv Blanc, a Mount Veeder Estate blend, and a reserve Cab Sauv. Their other label, Twenty Rows, produces a Sauv Blanc, a Napa Valley Merlot, a Napa Valley Cab Sauv, and THE GRAPPLER. We'll just call everything Vinoce until I get to tasting info, to make things easier on me.

The Nuss family, Brian, Lori, and son Tim planted their Mt Veeder Estate in 1989 and began producing Vinoce in 1996. They started Twenty Rows in 2003 to bring to market a quality affordable wine for everyday drinking. Twice they won Best Cab for $20 and under and I have to give them a lot of credit for staying the course and continuing to produce excellent, yet affordable wines. The tastings are usually handled by Tim or Lori in the barrel room, or you can do a sit down in the foyer. This is a great place to sit down, relax and enjoy the people, wine, and pleasant atmosphere they provide. Now let's talk about the wines!

2009 Vinoce Sauv Blanc - $22 btl/1200 cases - a very rich SB with melon and grapefruit tones and easy to drink.

2009 Twenty Rows Merlot - $20 btl/2000 cases - Spring Mountain and Oakville grapes this Merlot sports a nice blueberry and spice nose, slight smoky chocolate mouth with a soft finish.

2009 THE GRAPPLER - $20 btl/800 cases - 75% Napa Valley Zinfandel/25% Amador (Sierra Foothills) Syrah blend. Powerful ripe spicy cherry with tobacco hints and full mouth feel. Lingering dark fruit finish with a touch of raspberry. This wine smacks you right in the kisser and doesn't let go! I Like It!!! A definite for my top wines under $20 list(coming in September) and a great value. I'm buying a case.

2009 Twenty Rows Cab Sauv - $20 btl/10,000 cases - 90% Mt Veeder and Yountville Cab, with 10% Oak Knoll Merlot. Light tannins with luscious dark fruit notes. Very accessible, enjoyable Cabernet.

2007 Vinoce Mount Veeder Estate - $60 btl/450 cases - a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Merlot. Has a cornucopia of flavors! Dark berry, mineral, and cedar all well integrated. Beautiful texture and lingering finish. Will age well.

2007 Vinoce Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - $75 btl/120 cases - 90% Cab Sauv, 5% Cab Franc, and 5% Merlot. Great nose dark fruit, chocolate, and tobacco. Medium tannins. Great flavors but still a little tight. I would drink 2014 thru 2020.

What more can I say? A great wine tour stop with outstanding affordable wines and hand crafted family Estate wines. Lou highly recommends you check this place out!! Check out their websites: www.vinoce.com and www.twentyrows.com

Lou

Michael Bernard Wines

Oh it 's one of my favorite times of the year, bud break. The grape vines are beginning to sprout their little green leaves which means a new and exciting year for the grapes to grow into delicious wine!! Well. I'm leaving out a few important steps but you catch my drift. Speaking of new and exciting, today's ramblings will be about Michael-Bernard Winery, which opened their tasting room on Westside Road in Healdsburg in September of 2010. MBW is located about 3/4 mile southwest of Healdsburg Plaza (Near Madrona Manor). It has a beautiful, new tasting room with a large wrap around deck, tables for a pleasant picnic lunch overlooking the brand new vineyards. Christine and Allison do a wonderful job pouring and educating in the tasting room. MBW has a number of different labels being poured, and I will try to lay it out for you so as not to confuse.

Michael-Bernard is owned by 2 growers, Mike Kuimelis and Bernie Orsi and they custom crush their (1)Michael-Bernard label. (2) Orsi-Papale is Bernie Orsi's grapes and Lawrence Papale the winemaker. (3) Mantra and (4) Mobius are Mike Kuimelis' grapes with Mike Kuimelis Jr. the winemaker, Mobius is his 2nd label. (5) Orsianna is Bernie Orsi's grapes with the wine made by 2 of has friends. Got all that? I'm so confused I need a drink!! Speaking of drinking, here's the lowdown on some of their wines:

MBW 2008 Sparkling Wine $25/btl, 130 cases - Organic certified bio dynamically farmed Mendocino County grapes, this is an easy drinking smooth blend of Pinot & Chardonnay grapes.

MBW 2009 Sauvignon Blanc $18/btl, 290 cases - Russian River grapes, notes of grapefruit and citrus, light and refreshing.

Chardonnays
2009 Mobius $20/btl, 400 cases - Russian River grapes all stainless steel fermentation makes a very crisp drinkable Chard.

2009 Orsianna $15 btl, - Mendocino grapes, stainless steel fermentation, well balanced apples, pears with a clean finish

2009 MBW $25/btl, 385 cases - Russian River grapes, 50% French Oak. Nicely balanced apples, melons and light oak. A nice food Chard.

Cabernet Sauvignon
2006 Orsianna $23/btl, 1500 cases - Mendocino grapes. Red fruit nose, bright strawberry on the palate with smooth finish. Good value and ready to drink now!

2008 Mobius $24/btl, 850 cases - 90% Cab with 5% each Merlot and Zin. Nice currant aroma with touch of white pepper. Nice and full in the mouth with medium finish. Aged in Hungarian Oak, this is an incredible value!

2006 Orsi-Papale $40/ btl, 100 cases - Shining example of a Dry Creek Valley Cab! One of my faves with generous fruit and a dry finish. Excellent structure, I am looking for to drinking this from now thru 2017

2006 Orsi-Papale La Mescalanza $45/btl, 50 cases - Cab/Merlot blend of Sonoma and Napa grapes. Soft yet full mouth feel, medium finish - a very nice wine!!

Michael Bernard offers more wines, but you will just have to discover them for yourself on your next trip to Healdsburg! Michael-Bernard Winery has become a staple on my SoCo tour because its a great place to visit with very good wines at reasonable prices. Enjoy!!!

Lou

Hawkes Winery - Alexander Valley

Hello Again,

It's the dead of winter here in the wine country which means the sun is shining and it's a balmy 65 degrees in the valleys, and The Lou is out doggedly doing research for your wine tour enjoyment!! Today I will be extolling the virtues of Hawkes Winery in Alexander Valley, right after this LATE BREAKING NEWS!!!

1) Congrats to winemaker/owner Don Payne of Cahill Winery. Now, you read in Lou's News months ago as I made a BOLD PREDICTION that Don would either win some MAJOR medals or someone way higher on the wine chain than humble me would write a glowing review or give his wine a high number. Well, Don entered 16 wines and won 14 MEDALS AT THE 2011 SF CHRONICLE COMPETITION, INCLUDING DOUBLE GOLD FOR THE 2008 CAHILL PETITE SIRAH!!!!!! You read it here first people!

2) Paradigm 2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is to be released march 1st! Jennifer Harris turned Stacy and I on to a pre-release taste and it is PHENOMENAL!!! At Sixty something bucks a bottle, this Heidi Barrett made Oakville Cab is going to go fast!!

3) Steltzner Family Vineyards (Stags Leap Appellation) released their 2007 Estate Merlot, and after enjoying a bottle with friends I can firmly state that this may be winemaker Tim Dolven's best effort to date. This is a world class Merlot!

4) Mercury update - Brad released the 2007 THE FATHER Cab Franc blend and its a winner. They also released a late harvest Pinot Blanc that may be the most delightful dessert wine I've tasted yet. At $30 bucks per 375 mml bottle get some before its all gone.

HOORAY FOR HAWKES!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stephen and Paula Hawkes bought their first of 3 Alexander valley vineyards in 1971 and sold all of their grapes until 2002, when they made their first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon. Their 3 vineyards are Stone (aka Home), Pyramid, and Red Winery Road. The original Hawkes tasting room in Alexander Valley is located right next to the Jim Town Store on HWY 128 and they have opened an additional tasting room right off Sonoma Square next to The Girl and the Fig Restaurant. Their son Jake mans is the next generation of wine making and general mans the day to day operations of the winery. Jake and his father Stephen pour pure love into the making of their wines. The Alexander Valley tasting room is generally manned by Alex and the tasting room in Sonoma Square is manned by Corrine, with Jake and a few family friends filling in at both locations. Both locations have a homey atmosphere to relax and enjoy some excellent Sonoma County Wines. Speaking of the wines, HERE WE GO!

2008 Home Vineyard Chardonnay - 380 cases/$20 btl - no malo or new oak, nice fruit nose of pears and apples, nicely balanced acids make this a great food wine.

2006 Red Winery Road Merlot - 450 cases/$30 btl - Aged in 40% new french oak this BIG Merlot will benefit from at least 1 more year of bottle age - then look out - it will be a monster Merlot!

2006 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - 800 cases/$40 btl - This is a 100% cab with grapes from all 3 of the Hawkes Vineyards and....DING DING DING!!! WE HAVE A WINNER!!! Great fruit and light oak on the nose, a luscious full mouth feel with a lingering finish, this is a great example of a beautiful Alexander Valley Cab! You gotta taste it!! A bargain at $40 bucks.

2006 Red Winery Road Cabernet Sauvignon - 150 cases/$60 btl - slight pepper and tobacco nose, smooth mouthful of leather and dark cherry with a little dust on the finish. A fine example of a 100% vineyard designate Cab.

The 2006 Stone and pyramid vineyard designates will not be available until March 1st. I did taste the Pyramid about 4 months ago with Jake Hawkes and have to say it will be a big bold Cab, right up my alley!! When in Sonoma downtown or up in Alexander Valley if you miss tasting at Hawkes, You are missing out!!

Lou

Paradigm Winery - Oakville Appellation

Hello Again!! Happy New Year!! As promised the news articles are coming at you fast and furious!!

I get alot of questions about how I choose wines for purchase. Well for starters I do ALOT of tasting, and this is the best way to find out what you like, and also what you DON"T like. You will taste the most wines when either out on a wine tour or at a tasting or promotional event. Remember many moons ago when speed dating was big? Big wine tastings are kind of like that, you only get to spend a brief moment or two with a small taste, then on to the next one, etc. Now say if you really like what you see and taste, you will want the opportunity to get to know the wine better. at this point I will purchase a bottle or two for later, when my palate and other senses are not being bombarded. After spending an evening with a friend and savoring the wine, I can form a decent opinion if this a) wine I want to buy. b) Is this wine to drink or cellar? c) how much to buy? This depends on your personal budget, storage capacity, etc.

Speaking of wines worthy of taking home for Mom, today's winery is Paradigm!! Located in Oakville, Napa, Paradigm is owned by Ren and Marilyn Harris. The Harris' started growing grapes in 1975, with their first Cabernet vintage being 1991. Their winemaker is Heidi Barrett and she has been at the winemaking helm since the first vintage. The Harris' have 55 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Petit Verdot grapes which yield approx. 220 tons of fruit. Their annual case production is about 6,000 cases.

Now let's get on to the wines, shall we?

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon - $68/btl, 4900 cases - 88% Cab Sauv, 10% Merlot, & 2% Cab Franc. This cab starts with an excellent aroma of chocolate and fruit. A full mouth feel, lush and velvety. Well balanced with solid finish. Start drinking now through 2015.

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon - $62/btl, 4,100 cases - 94% Cab Sauv, 4% Merlot, & 2% Cab Franc. Big fruit, spicy oak nose. Full, voluptuous feel with cherry, slight wood vanilla tones. Much like the 05 but with a little more structure and firmness that makes Lou say hold until 2013 then drink thru 2020.

2006 Merlot - $44/btl, 1,200 cases - 92% Merlot & 8% Cab Sauv. This is an excellent drinkin', medium bodied Merlot. Nice spicy plum nose, soft on the palate with a slightly dusty finish that I find appealing (I drank a lot of Rutherford Cabs in my mis-spent youth).

2007 Merlot - $44/btl, 1,239 cases - 90% Merlot, 6% Cab Sauv, 2% Cab Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. DING DING DING!!! This one rings my bell!! This is a beautiful, big, fat slap you in the face wine with luscious fruit flavors all along the palate. Me thinks '07 is going to be a great one for Merlot lovers.

Paradigm also produces limited quantities of Zinfandel $38 a bottle and Cab Franc $48, but current vintages are almost sold out, so you better act quick or you will have to wait for the new releases.

Lou's News gives Paradigm WAY HIGH marks for producing excellent quality wines, and having a knowledgeable, friendly staff doing the tasting and vineyard tour. I also commend the Harris Family for keeping their prices reasonable (Very Reasonable considering their prime Oakville location, and a "Rock Star" wine maker). Other Napa "labels" charge Two and a half times Paradigm with out the quality. Great Job Paradigm!!! I will keep bringing my tours here as long as they keep letting me in!! Happy New Year Everybody!!!!



Lou