Prince of Wine » sonoma http://www.princeofwine.com Prince of Wine Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:00:14 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Wine Review Short #35: Valdez Family Winery-Mexican Immigrant Success Story http://www.princeofwine.com/wine-review-short-35-valdez-family-winery-mexican-immigrant-success-story/ http://www.princeofwine.com/wine-review-short-35-valdez-family-winery-mexican-immigrant-success-story/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:58:40 +0000 princeofwine http://www.princeofwine.com/?p=1251 Most of us day dream of doing things we are passionate about ( a mid career change anybody?) whether it is becoming an actor, best selling writer, an accomplished chef or a winemaker. The reality is there is a tremendous amount of work to be done behind the scenes to accomplish our dreams. Enter Ulises Valdez a field worker who landed in Napa/Sonoma in 1985 as an immigrant from Michoacan, Mexico. Ulises joined the thousands of immigrant field hands who are the backbone of the agricultural miracle we call California and specifically the vine growing valleys of Napa/Sonoma. Behind all the fancy labels and the “superstar” winemakers this small army tends to the vineyard, protecting, nurturing, pruning and harvesting. Ulises, a hard worker climbed up the ladder and ended up owning his own vineyard management business. Although the history of Napa/ Sonoma is primarily a success (and heartbreak!) story of italian immigrants who over the generations rose to the top (Mondavi, Gallo, Sebastiani etc.), there are few Mexican field workers who rise to become winemakers themselves (other notable mexican immigrant success stories are listed below). Valdez took the big leap bottling his debut wines in 2006 producing varietals like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel to critical acclaim. Valdez has the advantage of picking and choosing the source for his wines from the various vineyards he manages for his clients. I tasted the 2006 Lancel Creek Russian River Valley Zinfandel (one of 5 different single vineyard Zinfandels Valdez makes) and found it to be very elegant with the characteristic varietal fruitiness but without the sticky mouthfeel of bigger Zins. The wine was made with the help of consulting winemaker Jeff Cohn and was sourced from a tiny 2 acre parcel with a production of 400 cases. 15.5% alcohol. POW 92 points.

As the new generations grow up within the vineyards, my prediction is that the story of Valdez will be more of the norm than the exception. For further information please visit valdezfamilywinery.com.

Here is a list of other notable and successful Mexican immigrant stories:

Ceja Vineyards cejavineyards.com
Renteria Wines renteriawines.com
Madrigal Vineyards madrigalvineyards.com
Delgadillo Cellars dcellars.com
Shafer Vineyards shafervineyards.com (The longtime winemaker is the respected Elias Fernandez)

Walid Romaya
Prince of Wine

]]> http://www.princeofwine.com/wine-review-short-35-valdez-family-winery-mexican-immigrant-success-story/feed/ 1 iPOW- A few photos from our TV pilot shoot in Napa/Sonoma http://www.princeofwine.com/ipow-a-few-photos-from-our-tv-pilot-shoot-in-napasonoma/ http://www.princeofwine.com/ipow-a-few-photos-from-our-tv-pilot-shoot-in-napasonoma/#comments Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:24:28 +0000 princeofwine http://www.princeofwine.com/?p=1087 I am sharing with you a few photos we took from the TV pilot shoot we just had in Napa/Sonoma, California. We had great time shooting at several wineries: Harvest Celebration at Bouchaine, Carneros, , visiting the stunning Palmaz Winery hosted by the warm and hospitable Palmaz family who cooked a traditional Argentinian Asado (BBQ) and some mouthwatering home made empanadas. Blending wine with a scion of a famous wine legend, Robert Mondavi Jr at Folio . Visiting Murphy-Goode vineyards and having a backyard BBQ with Hardy Wallace, winner of a social networking dream wine job, and tasting olive oil and Syrah wines at a biodynamic winery with the Ciolino family of Montemaggiore . We also did some food and wine pairing footage at Oxbow market in Napa, Hog Island Oyster Company , Oxbow wine merchant, Oxbow cheese company, Napa Valley wine train and Zin restaurant in downtown Healdsburg. Additionally we met with a great and talented wine label artist, Bob Johnson. Thanks to our great Crew!! The show is currently in post production and is being marketed to various TV channels domestically and internationally.

Walid Romaya
Prince of Wine
www.princeofwine.com

Bouchaine Bouchaine Bouchaine Harvest Celebration Hog Island Oysters at Oxbow, Napa With Bob Johnson, label artist Palmaz Winery Palmaz Winery Palmaz Winery Napa Wine Train Napa Wine Train Palmaz Winery Palmaz Winery The Great Crew Empanadas at Palmaz Winery Argentinian Asado at Palmaz Winery Cheers at Palmaz Winery Blending Wine at Folio with Robert Mondavi Jr Wine and Food Intervention at Zin Restaurant, Healdsburgh Zin Restaurant, Healdsburgh With Hardy Wallace, Murphy Goode Winery Murphy Goode Backyard BBQ Vikings Fans at Murphy Goode Winery ]]> http://www.princeofwine.com/ipow-a-few-photos-from-our-tv-pilot-shoot-in-napasonoma/feed/ 1 Wine Review Short #14 – Interview with Gary Vaynerchuck of Wine Library TV http://www.princeofwine.com/wine-library-tv-gary-vaynerchuck/ http://www.princeofwine.com/wine-library-tv-gary-vaynerchuck/#comments Fri, 07 Nov 2008 08:56:22 +0000 princeofwine http://www.princeofwine.com/?p=63 A quick chat with Gary Veynerchuck, the host and star of the Wine Library TV video show at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Sonoma where he was giving the keynote speech. I am impressed with his energy and zeal for everything wine. I know many ‘purists’ may find his style of wine reviews a tad unconventional, but to me that is the draw and it simply says that we each has a unique voice and passion that we should share with the world. So Gary, here is to another 500 episodes. Cheers!

For more information and to watch Gary’s shows, please visit www.tv.winelibrary.com

Walid Romaya
Prince of Wine
www.princeofwine.com

]]> http://www.princeofwine.com/wine-library-tv-gary-vaynerchuck/feed/ 1 Wine Review Short #13 – Carica Winery- Terroir in Sonoma! http://www.princeofwine.com/carica-winery-terroir-sonoma/ http://www.princeofwine.com/carica-winery-terroir-sonoma/#comments Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:17:13 +0000 princeofwine http://www.princeofwine.com/?p=62 Interview with winemaker Charlie Dollbaum of Carica Wines at the Kick Ranch tasting event as part of the Wine Bloggers Conference event in Sonoma County. Charlie makes a minerally charged Sauvignon Blanc as well as a bold but well balanced Rhone style Syrah. Both grapes sourced from Carica Wines partner Dick Keenan’s Kick Ranch, a vineyard that believes in little intervention in the grape growing process and sustainable farming practices. They have a terroir state of mind! For more information you may visit www.caricawines.com

Walid Romaya
Prince of Wine
www.princeofwine.com

]]> http://www.princeofwine.com/carica-winery-terroir-sonoma/feed/ 1 Wine Review Short#11- Siduri Winery, Sonoma County http://www.princeofwine.com/siduri-winery-sonoma-county/ http://www.princeofwine.com/siduri-winery-sonoma-county/#comments Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:55:50 +0000 princeofwine http://www.princeofwine.com/?p=61 I met Adam Lee of Siduri Winery at the 1st US Annual Wine Bloggers Conference held in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California. I tasted a few of his single vineyard pinot noirs sourced from appellations ranging from St. Lucia Highlands, Russian River Valley all the way to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Adam and his wife Dianna, both Texas transplants, moved to Sonoma in 1993 intending to write about wine (also working in wine tasting rooms to make ends meet) but ended up getting the winemaking bug (and using their whole life savings of $24,000) by releasing their 1994 Pinot Noir under the Siduri label (named after the Mesopotamian Goddess of wine). As a winemaker without his own vineyards, Adam has pursued a quest to source grapes from vineyards buying by the acre instead by the ton (i.e lower yields but improved quality). This gives him the freedom to manage the various aspects of grape growing (grape thinning, trellising etc.) as though he owned the land himself. The effort shows well. I was very impressed with the multi layered, spicy and earthy 2006 Keefer Ranch Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) (239 cases, $52)(POW 93). The 2007 Sonoma County Blend Pinot Noir is a nice effort with well defined and relatively complex bright red fruit characteristics, and a medium finish. (1,374 cases, $20)(POW 89). For more information you can log on to www.siduri.com

Walid Romaya
Prince of Wine
www.princeofwine.com

]]> http://www.princeofwine.com/siduri-winery-sonoma-county/feed/ 0 Wine Bloggers Conference – “Speed Dating” Wine tasting http://www.princeofwine.com/wine-bloggers-conference-speed-dating-wine-tasting/ http://www.princeofwine.com/wine-bloggers-conference-speed-dating-wine-tasting/#comments Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:08:48 +0000 princeofwine http://www.princeofwine.com/?p=59 Wine Bloggers Conference

I am sitting in a hotel ballroom in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California with over 200 attendees of the first US annual Wine Bloggers Conference. Right now we are having a “speed dating” segment where a winemaker has 5 minutes to pitch his/her wines to your table by describing and pouring (10 people at a table). Then they move on to the next table and so on.So far we have had Sean Minor of Four Bears Winery (2005 Napa Valley Merlot, www.seanminorwines.com), Leon Glover of Lionheart Wines (2006 Angel’s Share White Rhone Blend, Russian River Valley, www.lionheartwines.com), James Caudill of Bonterra Vineyards (2004 Meritage Blend, Mendocino County, 60% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Petit Syrah, www.bonterra.com), Cheryl Durzy of Clos Lachance Wines (2005 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, www.clos.com, Deb Schatzlein of Bink ( 2005 Weir Vineyard Pinot Noir, Yorkville Highlands, Mendocino County, www.binkwines.com)., Karen Lesley of Boho Vineyards (2006 Central Coast Chardonnay, 3L Casks in a BIB ,bags inside a box www.bohovineyards.com), Paul Sloan of Small Vines Wines (2006 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, www.smallvines.com), Nicholas Tucker of Cupcake Wines (2007 Central Coast Cupcake Chardonnay www.underdogwinemerchants.com), Steve Kanzler of Kanzler Vineyards (2007 Barrel Sample Pinot Noir, to be bottled in 2009, 400 cases www.kanzlervineyards.com), Jeff Stai of Twisted Oak Winery (2006 Spaniar, Caleveras County, 66% Tempranillo, 20% Graciano, 14% Granacha, www.twistedoak.com) and  David Cole of James David Cellars (2007 Paso Robles Dry Barrel Fermented Muscat, www. jamesdavidcellars.com).

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