geniousity

This blog spawned an idea that may lead to a movement. What is the most interesting idea, most innovative suggestion, most forward thinking reduce-reuse-recycle project you can think of, involving corks?

the mis-education of Garry K. McGuire, Jr

Copia needs to go away ascertains George Rose in todays Press Democrat. Agreed.

While it is a wildly decadent idea, a foodie's wet dream. It just never caught on.

When I lived in Napa I never once was enticed to visit Copia. My own loss. But at the same time shows a glaring problem. If you can't even get someone who lives three miles away and is a glorified soulful food enchantress to enter your doors - someone who LIVES for food and wine - how the hell can you get Joe 6-Pack into your gates?

Sadly, perhaps like everything else that is "Americana" the copia concept needs to be dumbed down to a Wonderbread and Concord Grape Jelly level. Because the multigrain farmstead loaves with organic stevia-seeped ollalieberry compote doesn't seem to be catching on . . .

Under 30

This article, from the Boston Globe, very credibly discusses the preconceived notions diners may have when encountering a wine sommelier who is young, say under 30 years old.



I am more likely to listen to someone who speaks my language despite age. Someone who can cleanly and succinctly describe a wine to me with words I understand. I respect someone who has taken the time to learn the wine inside and out and isn't relying on information passed down to them from mouth to mouth form vineyard to marketing firm to sales person.

A sommelier shouldn't be stuck in the 80's and recommending Chardonnays and Cabernet's left and right with wild nods to the old school big wineries from old world and new.

Give me someone who has taken the time to hunt down a true gem that stands out in price point, taste and food pairing compatibility.

Urban Wine Association

San Francisco recently launched their own Wine Association and I especially loved their rootsy, folksy, back to basics mantra

"You don't need the big chateaus and the estates and the fountains and the tasting room. You need great grapes, great winemakers, and you're going to make great wines."

Often, when anything gets too popular and too successful - what gets lost is the fundamentals that got you the attention and acclaim in the first place. So this dreary Monday, lets all salute small winemakers with a mission. A mission to produce quality wines n a small scale that are terroir driven and hand crafted.

SF Chronicle Top 100 Wines

Jon Bonné and his team of taster's top picks are out. These are some of my favorites that made the list. What are yours?

NV Domaine Carneros Cuvee de la Pompadour Carneros Brut Rosé ($36) Though the Domaine Carneros wines can sometimes feel a tad subdued, veteran winemaker Eileen Crane seems to have brought a bit more edge to the winery's fine rosé, which gives it lovely vibrancy. Clean notes of strawberry and peach are highlighted by a chalky mineral tone. Lifted acidity and the weight of 58 percent Pinot Noir fruit yields a wine with significant depth and versatility.

2006 Alma Rosa El Jabali Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay ($30) Richard Sanford shows his longtime talents with this lavish, ripe single-vineyard Chardonnay. Limpid, orange-driven aromas presage honeyed fig and citrus, with a bit of dry wood presence and a pleasing touch of sweetness on the palate, matched by firm, minerally bite. Balanced, well-defined Chardonnay from a parcel Sanford has farmed since 1983.

2006 Varner Spring Ridge Vineyard Home Block Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay ($39) Twin brothers Bob and Jim Varner harness their dry-farmed Portola Valley parcels to make some of the most taut, expressive Chardonnay in the country. This release from the original block is serious and tightly wound. White blossom, citrus and golden apple, bolstered by pitch-perfect acidity, wrap around a firm mineral core, giving it tons of aging potential.

2006 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Willamette Valley Pinot Noir ($45) Combine a solid, ripe growing season with Veronique Drouhin's Burgundian winemaking talents and you get a taut, perfumed wine, with darker fruit notes than some - blue plum, blueberry - a minerally edge and a touch of that quintessential barnyard depth. Generous, grippy, seamless Pinot.

And a big Hooraaah, to a great friend of mine, Jeff.
2005 Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard Branciforte Creek Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir ($32) Winemaker Jeff Emery originally apprenticed under founder Ken Burnap, whose pioneering work helped establish the area for Pinot. This bottling's profile is downright aggressive - the tannic grip isn't shy - but gorgeous aromas of pine needle, mint, gray mineral and vibrant red fruit help round out the minerally texture and lifted acidity. By no means the most approachable Pinot, but raw and complex in its expression.

2005 La Sirena Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($150) As plush and refined as Heidi Peterson Barrett's Amuse Bouche wines have been lately (and as much as we want to cheer for Merlot), it's still hard to outpace her latest release of La Sirena, which showcases her talents with a pitch-perfect Cabernet vintage. Big, sweet blackberry, rolled tobacco and a bit of roasted almond start things off, with high, taut tones of currants, a chamomile hint and those bold, silken tannins that Barrett finesses to perfection.

Dear Santa Baby,

Every year it's the same old, same old.

And we know, it's our fault. Our letter doesn't arrive in the North Pole in time. If only our emails to SantaBaby@Gmail.com actually didn't bounce back.

If you get this. Can we switch up from the usual?

Wine
Cheese
Jam
Nuts
Chocolate
Olive Oil

Wait.

On second thought. Are you going to bring these things for us for a Christmas Gift? Because if you are, we don't mean to be -- pushy. (We have been good girls and boys this year)
But we're a little bit special and we'd like more than a little bottle of over priced imported EVOO. Can we have the whole tree? Just adopt it for us, kay?

Thanks Santa Baby.

Don't forget to slip a sable under the tree, for me.

;)

Not Guilty

La Crema is hosting the kind of party that won't cause you to wake up, heart pounding, at 6AM, worried about the three wine glasses you broke, the 6 people you offended, the stain on the carpet, the tasteless joke you told your host's mother or all the "dancing" you did by yourself on the front lawn to the Say Anything soundtrack you blasted from your car stereo. 

Instead you'll learn something and connect with winemaking technique. 

Try it. 

Uruguayan Tannat

You made room for Chilean Carmenere and Pinot Grigio's. There's always space on the shelf for Argentine Malbec.

So how about Uruguayan Tannat?

Acidic and very, very tannic - Tannat is now recognized as the National Grape of Uruguay. It's grown in France, Spain, Australia and in Virginia, here in the States. Used as a blending grape in most places to lighten the load of its astringent body and tight tannins --- in Uruguay the traditional, savory meats of the barbecue are a perfect match for this bold wine.

We like trying new appellations and grapes. You know, being a from a new world appellation ourselves. It's important to open up doors to horizons you've never tasted before.

Crottin

Crottin is fancy french for an exclusive goat cheese, that can be aged or served raw. It is, without a doubt, delicious.

A crottin is also a term for horse dung which looks similar in shape to a Crottin goat cheese.

Crottin is a great Syrah cheese and it's also an excellent conversation starter at any Thanksgiving Table.

Spread the Crottin Love.

dis and dat

One of my favorite french wines in my collection was of a vintage and vineyard that everyone "detested" and thus the wine was reduced dramatically which prompted me to buy a case of it. I'm chancey like that.

So even though French newspapers are disparagingly calling the 2008 harvest a failure. I'm going to keep my eye's open for deals. And if any of you have a '94 Duhart Milon laying around, I'll come over and share it with you ;)

Château Duhart Milon, 4th Growth A.C. Pauillac

The Rothschilds bought this château, which is separated from the vineyards of Château Lafite only by the small hamlet of Milon, in 1962, and since then much has been done to re-establish the reputation of its 4th growth wine. The 50 hectare vineyard is planted to 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and 21% Merlot, with a tiny proportion of Petit Verdot.

Château Duhart Milon has the same family feel of perfume and suppleness as the wines of Lafite. Aged in oak barrels from Lafite, this wine has a fine aroma of black fruits, cedar and minerals, with blackcurrant flavours and plenty of subtle wood, hints of liquorice and mocha.

cork savvy

There are many applications on Facebook, these days. I have 146 "requests" sitting in my status updates, because I'm mostly over adding new boxes, bells, whistles and stuff to my profile.

The exception is a reading application that tracks books I've read and books that my friends are reading so I can find new books to read later.

I wonder if this concept will transfer over to wine ... will people track wines they've liked and abhorred and share notes online?

This cork savvy application is a worth a whirl, just to see what other people are drinking. And of what they drink - see what they love and what they detest. I worry people will lie about the price per bottle of what they're actually drinking. But that is overshadowed by my own eagerness to see what people write about wines.

You know, how they describe them.

I really, really like adjectives.

Would you drink it in a can? Would you drink it with flan?

Alternative packaging is enticing, especially if it has environmental merits.

Wine for one, in a can, means less waste, easier to recycle, less cost of freight/shipping.

But do bells and whistles equal less quality product?

We'll get our hands on some soon and taste test it for you. But if you beat us to the punch, let us know how it TASTES.

In the end, isn't that what matters most?

Tres Preguntas

This blog, posed three questions to a revered winemaker.

But if WE were asking the questions ... we might ask:

1. What were you listening to while you crushed the grapes?
2. Whats the dirtiest part of the job?
3. How do you know when you are in the midst of a making a GREAT wine?

Also, we might ask, what the winemaker was doing later. You know if he was good-looking and, ahem, single.

Cotes Du Rhone

PBS and the most famous Syrah region in France (Cotes Du Rhone) are putting together a reality show to launch the ambitions of potential winemakers.

I f I was competing, I'd want to create a wine brand called "DeMystify" and all the wine labels would be written in super easy to understand, straight-forward language. Bordering on American Ghetto Fabulous meets Appalachia.

What would you create?

Race to Thanksgiving

Aaah, Turkey Day. Much discussion about the correct wines to pair with all the diverse Americana dishes. Reds? Whites? Sparklings?

Here's a quick guide, over at our friends Richard Leahy's place. He makes a valid point about drinking locally.

Right on, man, Right on.

Drinking locally means less freight/shipping waste on gas, airplane maintenance, truck drivers, refrigeration and packaging used for transport. It also means supporting local business and tasting your very own backyard.

You never know you may discover an amazing treasure.

Sunday - Now just another fun day

In Michigan, in 1976, a ban on alcohol sales went into effect. Let the party begin, because on Voter Tuesday that ban was given the hammer by 67% of the populace.

So if you are looking for a good old fashioned vacation spot, Holland, MI is your man.

Behind the Scenes

Stay tuned for a hilarious Sarah Palin/Palin Syrah video, in time for election day.

Body, body, rock that body

I was watching Everybody Loves Raymond last night - and just about giggled out loud when one of that characters lamented their lack of motivation to work out after they've been drinking wine. Another character said "I love my body when I've been drinking wine. I feel good."

I came across this article about lack of health benefits associated with drinking wine and supposed reduced brain size. And if you do a google search there are articles and research data to support both the benefits and drawbacks of drinking red wine.

In this month's Bon Appetit there is an article explaining the health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, focused mostly on consuming Olive Oil. By the way, the Med Diet also touts red wine as a health benefit.

Somewhere, always there is someone telling us not to do this or that or that that or THAT!

Hot Baths - NO!
Meat - NO!
Fats - NO!
Sugar - NO!
Carbs - NO!

In the end, I'm just going to make my way as best I can in this lovely world and do everything in moderation. So pass the steak, the red wine and daaaaahling, draw me a hot bath. Life is just too short to always be worrried and fretting.

Enjoy your Weekends:)

mix'n'match

The Washington Post commented on the practice of mixing grape varietals together to create unique blends

Who doesn't love a serene Viognier/Syrah/Zinfandel blend, right?

Back on earth where we speak a more commonly lay version of language -- I want to know what unusual pairings are popular?

Personally, I love this with this:




I learned how to make it as a young girl, living in Spain. Sacriligious, sure. Tasty, sure sure. Perfect AM wine beverage? Absolutely? Probably going to get me in trouble with wine snobs everywhere, probably.

How to make Kalimoxo.
(see, now don't say I never taught you anything!)

Legacy of Martini

Do you know your family significance and history?





Three wineries in Napa in the 1930's: Beaulieu, Inglenook and Martini all began illustrious post-prohibition journeys. Today the Napa Register is celebrating the life and times of Louis Martini.

As times change and as time passes, new pioneers become important and interesting (Santa Barbara Syrah, anyone?). But it is always important to reflect and look back at once was -

Is wine worth losing a limb for?

So often I hear of winemakers waxing poetically about the grandiosity of the grapes, vineyard techniques, sturdiness of a their swiss bottling line or the purity of a cooper's barrel from a special forest in a special micro-climate.

And it is possible to get swept up in the headiness of dreams and ambition. Causing one to forgo safety in the name of product.

Our hearts go out to this man.
And at the same time, our hearts ask ...
Have you ever forgotten to protect yourself in the name of inspiration?

traveling the world, one bottle at a time

Key Syrah Locations 

• France: Northern Rhône Valley
• California: Central Coast, Napa Valley,
Sonoma County
• Washington: Walla Walla, Columbia Valley
• Australia: Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Heathcote,
McLaren Vale

Whats your favorite region to drink?

Well, what do YOU call it?

Syrah Pseudonyms 

Shiraz, Schiras, Sirac, Syra, Syrac, Sirah, Hignin Noir, Candive, Entournerein, Antourenein, Serene, Serenne, Serine, Marsanne Noir and Balsamina. 

No matter what you call it, it always looks just about the same. Glorious, plump, juicy, inky, dusty and fragrant. It's harvest time, the fruit is coming in and staining hands a glorious fuschia color.

Artful arrangements of naked stems are appearing all over the cellar floor and crush pad.

It's almost too tough to sweep them up into the trash.

Everything associated with SyrahShirazSchirasSiracSyraSyracSirahHignin NoirCandiveEntournereinAntoureneinSereneSerenneSerineMarsanneNoirandBalsamina is beautiful.

Sacrificing Canes for Quality

The Sacrificial Cane experiment is a technique used by Peter Fraser and the Santa Barabara County vineyard team at the Barham Ranch. This technique is employed to develop small, concentrated, dark Syrah berries with riper tannins and more elegant fruit flavor profiles.

How it works: At the beginning of the season the vines are trained to produce additional fruit on two extra canes. The vines are kept healthy and strong from budburst to flowering to encourage high yields.

Water is kept very tight from fruit set to verasion. Since the vines carry more fruit that needs to be ripened, the vine naturally limits the size of the individual berries, which is exactly what we want.

At close to 90% verasion the two sacrificial canes are cut and, in some cases, drop more than 1/3 of the crop. The timing is crucial on when to remove the canes. Cut them too soon and the berries will become fat. Cut them too late and the plant has been robbed of vital verasion energy.

The final and crucial part is irrigation from full verasion to harvest. The extra watering slows the ripening and the sugars began to plateau. If everything goes as planned, the vines will produce top-notch Syrah – bright fruit; the ripe tannins with concentration and lushness.

Vineyard Characteristics

Barham
Is the backbone, theBarry Bonds of the team. Dark, blackberry fruits. It
has big chewy tannins. And consequently dominates the team.

Neely
Is the spice, the finesse, dark cherry. The tannins are grainier and silky. This
is the "queer eye for the straight guy" part of the blend, the style police.

Tepusquet
Is bright, perfumed and red fruits, acidity and length. I can’t think of a
celebrity for this one? Definitely metro sexual too..., maybe the style
police travel in twos.

Put this all together to get a young George Clooney style

TOP 10: Racy Pairings

With a bold, jammy, exotic forest floor type of Syrah, you need matching bold and exotic food pairings. Here are our top ten racy pairings ideal for a glass of Kinton Syrah.

1. Warm Lamb and Mint Spring Rolls with a Peanut Plum Hoison Sauce


2. Pancetta Shiitake Mushroom Burger with fresh Homemade Mayonaisse Schmear



3. Pasta Carbonara (Easy, No Fuss - just like our Syrah)

4. Old Fashioned Macaroni & Cheese and Barbecued Ribs with Greens and Sweet Rolls

5. Black Pepper Crusted Steak with Roasted Rutabegas and Yukon Gold Potatoes

6. Thick Cut Pork Chop with a Candied Pear Glaze



7. A BLT: plenty of Smoked Bacon, Sliced Heirloom Tomato, Crunchy Ice Berg on Fresh Baked Sourdough


8. Seared Filet Mignon with Sheeps Milk Feta over Mache and Fresh Spring Greens

9. Cajun Andouille Sausage over Red Beans and Rice

10. Grilled Eggplant Lasagna with Hearty Meat Sauce served with warm French Bread

Et Voila!

TOP 10: shuffle, repeat

The Kinton Playlist
(available here as an Imix from Itunes)

1. Ella Fitzgerald, Black Coffee
2. Beck, Where its at
3. Seal, Violet
4. Elliott Smith, Memory Lane
5. Stereo MC's, Get Connected
6. James Brown, I got you I feel good
7. The Isley Brothers, Its your thing
8. Maria Creuza, Berimbau
9. George Michael, Careless Whisper
10. Bill Withers, Lovely Day

The 2005 vintage invoked beautiful rootsy notes in the nose (coffee and earth) followed immediately by luscious red and black fruit - enough balance to make you exclaim "This is where its at!".

The color, clarity, volume, textures, aromas and flavors make a smooth sail through your body. Experience it and enjoy.

Available at a market in your neighborhood, nearby!

wrap it up (I'll take it!)

It's been an interesting year between bowling at Hospice Du Rhone, star gazing at Gen Art film Festival & enjoying the views and aromatics at the SB VIntner's Festival.

Here's a cassette tape wrap up, for those of you who couldn't make it with us every step of the way.

Miami Herald --- Heralds Peter Fraser and Kinton Syrah

Check this out ---

Posted on Thu, May. 22, 2008
Surfer sorts out syrah, shiraz
By FRED TASKER
Paul Fraser, 34, is a surfer dude of sorts. He spends half the year near the beaches of his native Australia, half near the Pacific swells of California.
He doesn't get as much hang-ten time as he'd like, however. He's the full-time winemaker at Yangarra Estate Vineyard in Australia, helping to oversee its harvest in March. And the full-time winemaker at Kinton Vineyards in California, working with its harvest in October.

Fraser has another distinction I like. He makes shiraz in Australia, syrah in California. So he's the perfect person to grill about what the heck is the difference, if any, between those two grapes and their wines.

The back story: The syrah grape for centuries has been the mainstay of the best wines from France's Rhne Valley. Then about 100 years ago growers took syrah from there to Australia, renaming it shiraz along the way.

Today the Rhne's syrahs are big, powerful and worthy of aging; Australia's shiraz wines are soft and ripe, ready to drink upon purchase.

To add to the confusion, some California winemakers now are growing syrah grapes but calling the finished wine shiraz. As if wine fans aren't already adequately confused.

So: Are they the same wine?

Fraser shrugs: ``It's just marketing.''

He pooh-poohs the notion that the Rhne's syrah grape has mutated into something different in its 100 years in Australia.

``There's such a mish-mash of clones that the two are virtually synonymous.''

The biggest difference, he says, is that Australia is warmer, so shiraz gets riper, softer, sweeter. He says it can be seen in his 2006 Yangarra Shiraz and his 2005 Kinton syrah -- the same grape, the same growing and vinifying methods, yet the shiraz is riper, softer. Case closed.

Fraser is free to experiment because both wineries are owned by Jess Jackson, the iconic California wine pioneer who founded the Kendall-Jackson winery in 1982 and today is in charge of a wine empire.

''Jess wants gems,'' he says. ``He encourages experimentation, he gives a free hand, and he understands that it takes time and money. He's very inspiring.''

Even if it keeps Fraser from his boogie board.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

• 2006 Yangarra Shiraz, McLaren Vale, Australia: ripe black cherry and bittersweet chocolate flavors, ripe, soft tannins, smooth; $23.

• 2005 Kinton Syrah, Santa Barbara, Calif.: aromas of roses, tar and cassis liqueur, crisp acid, big, ripe tannins, powerful; $16.

• 2006 Yangarra ``Cadenzia'' (grenache, shiraz, mourvedre grapes), McLaren Vale, Australia: hint of oak, very rich black cherry and mocha flavors, smooth, ripe tannins; $26.

• 2006 Old Vine Grenache, McLaren Vale, Australia: concentrated, intense black cherry liqueur flavors, opulent and smooth and rich; $26.

RECOMMENDED

• 2007 Yangarra Grenache/Shiraz Rosé, McLaren Vale, Australia: crisp and tart, with maraschino cherry flavors and a hint of tannin; $15.

• 2007 Yangarra Viognier, McLaren Vale, Australia: crisp and fresh, with flavors of tart peaches and nectarines; $23.

• 2007 Yangarra Rousanne, McLaren Vale, Australia: peaches, minerals and spice, crisp and lean; $23.

• 2007 Yangarra Unoaked Chardonnay: McLaren Vale, Australia: crisp and creamy, with delicate citrus flavors; $14.





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

© 2008 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.miamiherald.com

Hospice du Rhone

Rhone n' Bowl : The 16th annual Hospice du Rhone, Rhone N’ Bowl, was a 1st annual for Kinton Syrah. Who would of thought that bowling and prestigious wines would pair well. Apparently they do! Winemakers, sommeliers and consumers from all over the world attend this event.

Kinton syrah was so lucky to be drunk next to the best. We won’t talk about our bowling scores, since bowling and drinking wine is not an easy feat, but we will say if you’ve never attended Hospice du Rhone you’d better book your seats for next year. Hospice du Rhone is a world renowned event and if you’re a fan of Rhone wines this is one event not to miss. The 2009 dates are, April 30th – May 2nd. www.HospiceduRhone.com

Santa Barbara County Vintner’s Festival 2008

The SB Vintner’s Festival was one windy and cold day in Lompoc, CA, but the elements didn’t stop the enthusiasm people have for wine tasting. Wine drinkers from across the country came out in droves to taste Santa Barbara County’s best wines, which include our favorite little wine that could….. Kinton Syrah.

It seems we have a common theme no matter where we travel—people love our Syrah. We actually overheard these comments at the event.
** “Great wine for the money”
** “WOW this is a different Syrah.”
** “Great aroma and texture”
** “This wine is creative and different from every other Syrah that is at this Festival.”

And our favorite………..
** “WHOA! Your winemaker is hot!!!!! Is he single???? Can I give you my card to give to him so the next time he comes to town he could call me?” Yes it’s true:)

Bamboo Club and Kinton

Attention Kinton Syrah fans in Arizona, Florida and Michigan---The rumors are true, the little-wine-that could is making a debut at The Bamboo Club Asian Bistro. The Bamboo Club is an upscale, yet casual, Asian Bistro with a menu that offers authentic flavors from across the Far East including; Malaysia, Thailand, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia. The Kinton Syrah is offered by the glass and it's sure to pair with any of the "non" spicy beef dishes. Enjoy!

Signing Off, Over and Out

Your two favoritest guest bloggers are signing off (for now) but not forever. We had so much fun with Kinton in New York. Truly, the little Santa Barbara wine that could, overtook the scene in just a week. To recreate these events at your home simply open a few bottles of Kinton Syrah and pair it with:

Fromage D'Affenois, herbed fines, and pair with a Blenheim Apricot/Green Curry Chutney over plain baguette crostinis.
Slow Roast 1lb Apricots on a baking sheet (150 degrees for 3-4 hours). Let cool. In a large bowl, add 3 tblsp brown sugar, 3 tblsp honey, 3 tblsp. green curry powder and a splash of apple juice. Slowly add in Apricts. Toss to coat and spoon over the D'Affenois. A delicate blend of international spicy with downhome sweetness. Unusual and Unexpected.

-or-

Cashel Blue Cheese, and pair with Walnut/Honey/Black Currant Chau Chau over water crackers.
Simply, blend equal amounts of honey, fresh cracked walnuts and dried black currants. A pinch of coarse sea salt and cracked pepper will add a new dimension to the chau chau. Layer over the Blue Cheese for a tangy blend of stinky and sweet. Of savory and fruity. Perfect for the roundness of the Syrah.

Delicious! Happy Entertaining!!

Love,

Closing Party

Two Shots from Closing night at GenArt by Angie Vetter.

Two from Opening Night

Kinton Rocks the After Parties

Film Festival Premiere

Kinton Syrah @ Touch

Film Festival continues

Starting to feel like Paris Hilton. These films and after-parties are so glamourous, exciting and full of beautiful people. Each night is more glamourous and socially intoxicating than the night before.

Tonight, is supposed to be the best night of the entire week. We shall see....

Here is a rewind of last nights party and whirlwind:

Kinton Kiss N Fly

Kiss and Tell Fly

After a sombering film involving crystal meth addiction, the Gen Art'ers came out in full force to Manhattan's meat packing district for a dazzling circular experience at Kiss & Fly, a new club on West 13th Street.

It must be said, first and foremost that Kinton Wine Drinkers were the life of the party because noone else sipping beer or whisky came near the dance floor. While Sexy Syrah Drinkers got things going to Al Green and Motown.

Californians know how to do things right. From crafting perfectly balanced wines to crafting perfectly disarrayed dance moves. Whether in a tank, barrel or dance floor - Californians know how to have a good time.

...

Last Night's overheard adjectives:

"Silky

Sexy and Spicy

Nice Squared + Infinity

Juicy and Oaky

Langous on the finish

This tastes so good!

Delicious

Warm and filling

good to the last drop

jumps with pounding black cherries

really good and really nice!"

Kinton at The Park

Live from the GenArt Film Festival . . . it's Kinton Wines

Matthew Broderick's film was a hit and shot film, Ctrl Z was a smash. After the film screenings, at the Ziegfeld Theatre, the beautiful people, including Nick Cannon, Amy Poehler and the film's cast & crew headed over to 10th Avenue and 17th Street on Manhattan's Westside for a party at The Park. An outdoor atrium extravaganza.

The line to get in, wrapped around two cold & windy blocks and inside the party was packed.
...

I was just putting the finishing touches on the cheese plates -

(1. Cashel Blue: an Irish triple creme cheese that I doused in a honey/walnut/black currant chutney & 2. D'Affenois: a french cousin of brie, also triple creme with a wrapping of green curry apricot chutney with tinges of fresh shaved ginger)

- when the first guests came to the Kinton table. As we poured them tastes of the wine, I began jotting down adjectives as they were blurted out in a cross between Cranium and Charades:

"Perfect.
Masculine.
Love it! - The taste is great!
Very Nice.
Decent. But with this CHEESE. Oh GAWD. DELICIOUS.
Lovely, very smooth.
Exquisite
Peppery
Fruity, winter time
Cabin-Feel
Voluptuous
Oaky
Sweet, but not too sweet. I love it. Verrrrry smooth.
Balanced. Nicely Balanced. "

Introducing. . . Kinton Syrah

Too many people think Cab is King. Maybe they are the same ones who put their left leg in their pants day in and day out.  The same ones who heed the various warnings on paper shredding machines ("Don't feed pony tails or men's ties into machine!")

Step outside the box with us.  Try something new and unexpected - but still balanced and food friendly.  Take a walk on the wild side with a sexy, forward, red fruit and forest floor. Put our delicate bomb in your glass and attack the steak on your plate. 

Kinton Syrah, Santa Barbara... introducing our inaugural vintage 2005

Kinton & Gen Art --- Is Kinton an Emerging Talent? Or are we just sponsoring a film festival?

Kinton & Gen Art--- Is Kinton an Emerging Talent? Or are we just sponsoring a film festival?

It’s sort of ironic that we chose to get involved with Gen Art, the industry leader in showcasing emerging talent in the U.S. We don’t necessarily fit into their standard criteria of fashion, music, film or art, and God knows they definitely don’t look for emerging talent in a vineyard. But Kinton is a little different: it’s racy, it’s adventurous, and it’s setting a new standard for Gen Art (they just don’t know it yet). Plus who said wine isn’t art? Art is critiqued. Art is felt. Art entices an emotion. Guess what……….so does wine.

Okay, we are sponsoring Gen Art’s film festival April 2nd – 8th. This is your chance to get a taste of some emerging talent, Kinton, while you’re checking out other emerging talents on screen. Kinton will be at every screening and every after party. Come by and give us a whirl. We’ll be waiting.

All movies premier at: The Visual Arts Theatre
After Parties are as follows:
April 2nd, The Park
April 3rd, Kiss-N-Fly
April 4th, Touch
April 5th, Prime
April 6th, Pink Elephant
April 7th, Bowery Hotel
April 8th, Spotlight Live

Winemaker

When it comes to winemaking philosophy, Peter believes it is less about technique and more about preserving the essential taste of the vineyard.

You see, Peter likes to do things the old-fashioned way, the way they did it back when cars were horses and computers were quills and parchment. Rather than being a prisoner of formulaic numbers, Peter makes wines by taste. Intuition and experience are his trusted Sherpas. He harvests when his palate says yes, to heck – and yes, we mean heck ‑ with brix, pH and acidity. He has one foot in the cellar and the other in the earth.

Santa Barbara Syrah: The Perfect Balance

Syrah is one of the world’s most compelling grapes. From warmer climes,
Syrah delivers inky, saturated wines that ooze sunshine and dark fruits. From cooler locales, Syrah is an exotic blend of spices, leather, pepper, and earth.

Kinton is located in Santa Barbara County, one of the most celebrated appellations for Syrah. It’s not by accident that Kinton is located in Santa Barbara. The unique conditions of our region let us create Syrahs displaying both intensity and balance. Kinton is dense and concentrated, elegant and sleek

Did you know this about Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara’s first vines were planted by Father Junipero Serra in 1782. The first winery, an adobe built in 1804, today stands as Goleta’s oldest landmark. Wine continued to be made during the pueblo and ranchero days, but after Prohibition production declined until the early 1970s.