Latest news with #Zinfandel
Mint
07-07-2025
- Mint
Water sommeliers say the simplest drink is the future of luxury
SIX ESTEEMED sommeliers sit silently behind a judging table. A waiter tops up their glasses one by one and they appraise the stuff: sniff, hold it to the light, sometimes swirl, sip, swish between cheeks, dump the extras and give it a score. But the liquid is no Zinfandel or Syrah. Instead the bon viveurs are tasting high-end waters. The competition launched this year's Fine Water Summit in the swanky Buckhead neighbourhood of Atlanta, Georgia. With 1,100 bottles imported from 35 countries, it is the biggest event of its sort. The assembled connoisseurs—from Hong Kong to France and California—have paid $975 each for a weekend of talks and tastings co-ordinated by Michael Mascha, the group's Austrian founder, who lives in Texas. Most are middle-aged, very foodie and unusually fit. Many are among the 250 water sommeliers ordained by Mr Mascha's academy. Months of training have taught them to appreciate how minerality changes water's flavour, how silica affects its mouth-feel and the size of bubbles its acidity. The waters taste as different from each other as wines do. One, from the glaciers of the Lofoten Islands in Norway, does indeed taste like melted snow. Another, from the highest volcano in the Peruvian Andes, is bitter and salty—not your correspondent's favourite. Nico Pieterse, a sommelier who runs a tasting room on South Africa's Western Cape, likes to pair the first with sashimi and the second with fried foods or anchovy pizza. As the attendees sample still and sparkling varieties, Mr Mascha comes by with a spectacular bottle. The 'Fromin" is 15,000-year-old Ice Age water from what is now the Czech Republic. Floating in it are flakes of gold. 'I don't bring wine to parties, I bring this," he says. 'For the rest of the evening no one wants champagne any more." Mr Mascha is a food anthropologist who collected wine before his doctor told him to ditch it. For ten years afterwards he switched to fine water. He was mercilessly mocked: at a live television event in Las Vegas he was given toilet water to taste. Now nearly 40 restaurants, some with Michelin stars, offer full 'water menus", thanks to his evangelising. Youngsters less keen on booze are taking notice. Doran Binder, an effusive blonde-bearded sommelier, has gone viral on TikTok. After buying a failing pub in the English countryside he discovered that his land produced some of the world's 'creamiest" water. He now sells trendy cans of it by subscription. He reckons corporate water companies are scamming people into drinking poison-infused water; restaurants too often ruin the good stuff by serving it with 'chlorinated ice cubes and a slice of fucking lemon". The summit is sponsored by Lake, a cryptocurrency firm that wants to decentralise the water industry. The aqua enthusiasts are eager for more people to invest. Elena Berg, a sommelier who doubles as an environmental scientist at a Parisian college, sees the movement as a way to talk about how precious clean water is as climate change threatens access to it. But to many in Atlanta this weekend it is more about enjoying life's small pleasures. Mr Pieterse, the South African, wants to put scannable barcodes on the bottles so you can listen to the water trickling at its source while sipping it. Doing so would allow customers to simply revel in the fact that they are drinking something that a mammoth once drank, too. Stay on top of American politics with The US in brief, our daily newsletter with fast analysis of the most important political news, and Checks and Balance, a weekly note from our Lexington columnist that examines the state of American democracy and the issues that matter to voters.
San Francisco Chronicle
28-06-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
How one call from California legend Robert Mondavi changed the fate of this historic winery
For decades, the charming Canard Vineyard has sat in the shadow of its neighbor: the gondola at Sterling Vineyards, one of Napa Valley's biggest tourist attractions. Canard's tiny, unassuming operation, which has some of the oldest, burliest vines in Napa Valley, is the antithesis of Sterling's white-washed mountain perch across the street. 'We've always been kind of under the radar,' said Adam Fox, Canard managing director and partner, 'and that's kind of how we like it.' But that could soon change. Despite its founding in 1983, Canard opened to the public a couple of years ago for the first time, unveiling a fascinating history involving the Donner Party and a fateful phone call from California wine legend Robert Mondavi. Offering a no-frills, old-school experience — complete with two friendly pigs — Canard may finally stand out in a sea of flashy, corporate-owned estates. When Rich Czapleski and his wife, Carolyn, purchased the Calistoga property (1016 Dunaweal Lane), one of the first things they did was hire a vineyard manager, who advised them to rip out the Zinfandel plantings on the property. 'Everyone was pulling out Zin. There was a lot of money (being paid) for the French varieties,' said Fox. Czapleski wanted to plant Bordeaux grapes. But a week later, Czapleski, a stockbroker, received a phone call. Robert Mondavi was on the end of the line, and he was inquiring about Czapleski's plans for the old Zinfandel vines. When Czapleski shared his decision, Mondavi urged him to keep the vines, explaining that 'the history of Napa Valley is right here in this vineyard,' Fox said; Italian immigrants planted many of Napa Valley's early grapes using vine cuttings they brought from home. Over time, Italian grapes were largely replaced with French varieties, like Cabernet Sauvignon, which ultimately put Napa Valley on the map. In the 1960s, when Mondavi was founded and Cabernet Sauvignon began its meteoric rise, acreage grew by more than 450% to over 2,500 acres, according to the California Grape Acreage Report. Today, there are 23,000 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon planted in Napa Valley compared to just 1,300 of Zinfandel. 'He was really adamant about protecting this vineyard,' Fox said of Mondavi. Two days later, Czapleski's phone rang again. Another Napa Valley visionary, Joe Phelps of Joseph Phelps Vineyards, was calling with a similar appeal. 'When you're the new guy in town and Mondavi and Phelps tell you not to pull out that vineyard, you listen to them,' said Fox. 'Those two phone calls literally saved that vineyard.' After Czapleski decided to keep the Zinfandel vines, three Zinfandel heavyweights — Ridge, Ravenswood and Storybook Mountain Vineyards — reached out saying they wanted to buy his grapes. 'He didn't know who to sell it to,' Fox said, so he created a friendly competition. 'He said, 'Give me a bottle of Zinfandel in a brown paper bag and whoever's wine I like the best with the lamb I'm grilling tonight will get the contract.'' Joel Peterson, the famous founder of Ravenswood, won and signed on as Canard's first winemaker as part of the deal. Czapleski replanted the rest of the estate to Bordeaux varieties, but the Zinfandel remains, taking up six of Canard's 23 acres. All of the Zinfandel vines are over 100 years old, and some as old as 140; these may now be the oldest Zinfandel vines in Napa Valley, according to the Old Vine Registry. While mostly Zinfandel, the block was established as a traditional field blend, with between 10 and 15 different Italian varieties interplanted. Because of their age, the vines don't produce much fruit, but Canard has no plans to remove them. 'For economic reasons, we should have ripped them out. Forty-two years later, and they still don't pay for themselves, they don't even cover the farming costs,' said Czapleski. 'But it's not always about money. Sometimes, it's about history.' When guests pull up to Canard, which translates to duck (Czapleski's nickname) in French, they're usually greeted by a pair of rescue pigs: the rambunctious Felix and the docile Wilbur. Stunning gardens, curated by Carolyn Czapleski, a master gardener who once owned a wine shop on the Sonoma Plaza, surround a farmhouse built in 1859. The original owner was Reason P. Tucker, an early Napa Valley settler who led the first rescue effort for the Donner Party trapped by snow in Lake Tahoe. In return, California general and statesman Don Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, who played a pivotal role in California's independence from Mexico, gave him a land grant for the Calistoga property. A social hot spot in its heyday, it's now a quaint hideaway where the Czapleskis live. Tastings ($75-$150) are hosted by Fox or Rich Czapleski, who, at 82, can still be seen driving his tractor through the vineyard. An old garage was converted into a simple, cozy and private tasting room. 'We want to keep the authenticity of what Napa used to be,' said Fox, though the price point is more in line with modern day. 'To me, that's farmers and winemakers, and it seems like that's changed a little bit.' Fox would know. When he met Czapleski in 2010, he'd just left a job at a corporate winery. 'It felt like a machine. The tasting bar was three people deep. It felt like there was nothing but tour buses,' he said. 'It didn't feel like the Napa in my head.' But when he stepped onto the Canard estate for the first time, he said it fit 'that image in my head of what a real Napa winery is.' He called Czapleski over and over, trying to convince him to turn Canard into a more serious business endeavor. At the time, Czapleski was semi-retired, selling most of the grapes and keeping a small amount for the Canard label. Fox ultimately won him over at a lunch, during which Czapleski said he 'hired him on the spot.' Fox became a partner in Canard, which now produces just under 4,000 cases of wine, including three Bordeaux blends and two Zinfandels — which Czapleski described as 'more elegant' than the stereotypical 'big, jammy, fruity' Zinfandels — annually. The winery doesn't make any white wines, but does have a rosé that's a rare blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and 100-year-old Zinfandel grapes, a 'red wine drinker's rosé,' said Fox. When he came on board, Fox wanted to host tastings at the property immediately, but the permitting process took years. Yet the timing may have been just right, coinciding with a noticeable shift in the industry: Some wine drinkers are trading lavish lounges and caviar pairings for more casual, unpretentious experiences that hearken back to Napa's early days of wine tourism. 'When you come down this driveway and an old guy on a tractor pours you a glass of wine, you taste the authenticity, that pride that goes into putting their name on the label,' Fox said, noting that Czapleski's personal phone number is also printed on it. 'He's the real deal.'
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A Napa Valley Estate With 13 Acres of Grape Vines Just Hit the Market for $21 Million
Oenophiles with a taste for the contemporary now have the chance to snap up a modern vineyard estate in the heart of Napa Valley. The $21 million wine country spread is located in the town of St. Helena, California, and for those interested in making their own bottles, the 13.6-acre vineyard is planted with more than eight acres of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and more than five acres of Zinfandel vines, some dating back to 1935 and 1979. Cyd Greer of Coldwell Banker Brokers of the Valley holds the listing. More from Robb Report This $72.5 Million Utah Ranch's 7,000+ Rugged Acres Include a Backcountry Camp Jeff Bezos Has Changed the Location of His Extravagant Venice Wedding Following Protests Wealthy Europeans Moving to Tax Havens Are Getting Hit With Exit Charges From Their Home Countries At the heart of the property is a 7,500-square-foot estate that offers five bedrooms and 7.5 baths. Field Architecture designed the abode, with interiors courtesy of Shawback Design. The two collaborated on a cedar-wrapped home with a light-filled interior, emphasized by the use of polished concrete floors, plaster walls, and wire-brushed white-oak cabinetry throughout. The great room makes an impression with its open-beam cathedral ceiling and a custom hand-blown glass chandelier over the dining table. A pop of color is added in the blue butler's pantry, which includes wine storage and a built-in espresso machine. RELATED: A Craft Whiskey Maker's Idyllic Coastal California Vineyard Estate Can Be Yours for $6.9 Million Gas fireplaces keep things cozy in both the formal living room and the family room, while hallways lined with floor-to-ceiling windows lead to the sleeping quarters. The primary suite sports vineyard views and a private terrace for basking in the warm NorCal weather. The additional four bedrooms get their own bathrooms, too. The main residence is completed by a laundry/mud room that draws on the same rich blue tone found in the pantry. Outside, there's a covered limestone dining terrace with overhead heat lamps for taking the nip off chilly nights and a lounge area for watching TV. The home and its ancillary structures are built in a U-shape around the pool and spa. The pool house's central room can double as a gym, with a custom ocean mural along one wall. There's a full bathroom as well, along with an outdoor shower for quick rinse-offs. Farther out on the grounds, you'll find a 1,300-square-foot barn with massive pocket doors and a custom glass and metal chandelier that makes a statement even from several yards off. While the building is meant as a nod to the land's agricultural roots, this one is for play rather than work: It's set up for lounging and dining inside, with a wet bar for mixing up drinks and an outdoor fire pit perfect for making s'mores. Best of Robb Report The 10 Priciest Neighborhoods in America (And How They Got to Be That Way) In Pictures: Most Expensive Properties Click here to read the full article.
San Francisco Chronicle
16-06-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
This California wine region's coolest tasting room? The visitor center
There are more than 60 wine tasting rooms in the budding Lodi wine region, yet the best stopover is the last place you'd expect: the visitor center. Here, it's not about the decor (minimalist), the vibe (amiable) or even the inexpensive tasting fee (just $12). The main draw is the incredible wine selection: over 200 bottles from more than 70 local producers, most of which don't have their own tasting rooms. Located 35 miles south of Sacramento and long overshadowed by glitzy Bay Area destinations like Napa and Sonoma, Lodi (San Joaquin County) is a quiet farm town with no Michelin-starred restaurants or fancy resorts. The longtime home of the Robert Mondavi Winery-founded Woodbridge, it's historically known as a commodity region; the majority of Lodi's grapes are sold in bulk to California's largest wine companies and often placed on the bottom shelf. But this affordable region is slowly gaining recognition as one that's more diverse and premium than its reputation suggests. The 25-year-old Lodi Wine Visitor Center (2545 W. Turner Road), which is also the only true wine shop in the city, is leading the revival. In the ivy-covered, Tuscan-style building, you can find plenty of Lodi's signature Zinfandel, as well as natural wines, the Greek white wine Assyrtiko and an off-dry Verdelho made by a two-time Lodi mayor. All bottles are under $70. 'You can really come in and visually do a 360 in the tasting room and see how far (Lodi has) come and how many different types of wines there are,' said Stephanie Bolton, the research and education director of the grower-funded Lodi Winegrape Commission, which operates the center. 'Once you walk in the door, that becomes very clear.' Local tourism boards typically operate regional visitor centers, but Lodi is the only California wine region that has a visitor center dedicated exclusively to promoting local wines. It may seem surprising this isn't found in a region overflowing with wineries like Napa Valley, but Bolton believes that would create an overly competitive environment. 'You have to set a lot of fear and ego aside to do something like (this),' she said. Growers, on the other hand, all benefit from the collective effort. In Lodi, there's roughly 80,000 acres of grapes, but only about 85 wineries, and many of those winery owners were growers first, Bolton said. Increased demand for Lodi wines should translate to higher demand, and prices, for the grapes. 'There's a camaraderie and deep-rooted (feeling of), 'We're all in this together,'' said Paul Marsh, the visitor center's manager and wine club director. Founded in 2000, the Lodi Wine Visitor Center is located right off a main thoroughfare next to what many locals refer to as Lodi's 'one nice hotel,' Wine & Roses. The hotel was recently renamed Appellation Lodi – Wine & Roses Resort and Spa as part of a major renovation by celebrity wine country chef and hotelier Charlie Palmer. His new cafe, Maison Lodi, adjoins the visitor center. To establish the tasting room, which welcomes over 20,000 people a year, the Lodi Winegrape Commission had to create a 501(c)(3) educational foundation to secure an Alcohol Beverage Control license to serve and sell wine, recalled executive director Stuart Spencer. When it first opened in the same building as the commission's offices, the wine region had just seven tasting rooms, so the vision was to exclusively highlight wines made from Lodi grapes, including wines produced outside the region. The center still takes this seriously: Jeff Perlegos, co-owner of Perlegos Family Wine Co., said the commission rejected one of his wines because it was only partially made from Lodi grapes. Locals and industry members make up about 40% of the center's annual visitation, said Marsh, a former restaurateur and sommelier with red-rimmed glasses. But for tourists, it's designed to be the first stop on their visit, a sort of concierge that can help them curate an itinerary fit to their specific tastes. 'We have to be the stewards for Lodi right now, especially during this weird, wonky time in the wine business,' said Marsh. 'It's our job to make sure we get that person to that place they didn't know they needed to find.' Part of that stewardship is hiring qualified tasting hosts. '(Marsh) has had success recruiting sommeliers, which provides a very professional style tasting. Sometimes, you go into a tasting room and you just have people pouring the wine and they barely know their own product,' said Jeffrey Farthing, the longtime winemaker for Lodi's Michael David Winery. He sells wines from his small side project, Purple Corduroy, at the center. 'They have had a lot to do with the success of my teeny tiny brand,' he continued, estimating that the wine center sells over 60 cases of wine for him a year, almost as much as his distributor. 'They know me, they've taken the time to get to know me, learn the story of my wines, and they present that to the customer.' Lodi native and second-generation farmer Perlegos said his brand also 'benefits' from the staff's expertise as he works with some unconventional grapes like the Greek Assyrtiko and Sicily's Nero d'Avola. 'Our varieties are very different,' he said. 'They're very knowledgeable and they do a lot of work with the folks that come in there to educate them and show off what's different in Lodi versus other regions.' Wineries like Perlegos are slowly helping debunk the stereotype that Lodi is synonymous with big, high-alcohol red wines — mainly Zinfandel. 'Old Vine Zin is definitely the heartbeat of the area, but so many people are searching out Lodi fruit, not only because of the accessibility of it, but the fact you can do something Italian, Spanish or South African,' said Marsh, pointing to Pinotage, the stigmatized red grape that's most famous in South Africa, as an example. 'Some people are doing incredible Pinotage (in Lodi).' A tasting of four wines costs $12, and Marsh switches up the eight-wine lineup every week. 'The part that gets me is seeing that eyebrow raise. Someone says, 'I only drink Pinot Noir,' and I'll ask, 'When's the last time you had Carignan? Or Cinsault?' And a light bulb pops in their head,' he said. 'Everyone loves that old pair of Levi's that fits perfectly, but every once in a while, you've got to try a new pair of pants on and see if that changes some things.' Those eyebrow raisers have kept longtime local Barbara Rankin coming to the center about every month for the past decade. 'Variety is what I'm after. I want to find a gem,' she said. 'It's the only place to find cool, otherwise unknown wines.' Lodi Wine Visitor Center. 2545 W Turner Road, Lodi.
Vogue
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Hailey Bieber Brings Frosé Nails to Her Wine Country Girls' Trip
Summer is fast approaching, and you've just had your behemoth beauty brand acquired for a cool $1 billion—WYD? If you're Hailey Bieber, it's time to head to the wine country on a girls' trip. The model and Rhode founder shared a carousel of recent images on Instagram earlier this week, which captured her latest getaway with musician and close friend Justine Skye. Amid the pics, Bieber posed next to wine barrels and in the Cali sun with glasses of red. In another Instagram Story, Bieber and Skye made use of the millennial-coded Boomerang function, cheering their glasses of pale pink frosé. California, Bieber's home state, is known for its rosé wines made from Zinfandel grapes—fruity flavors and light in body, which make them the perfect refreshing summer drink. Especially when iced to become a frothy little frosé. Bieber, then, matched her manicure to the icy pink drink. Photo: Instagram Stories (@haileybieber) Of course, we're talking about the original champion of the glazed donut nails here, the sheer, milky white mani that a legion of girls took to their nail techs in 2022. As well as other foodie-related beauty trends, from strawberry girl blush to the overarching tomato girl aesthetic. Of recent, too? Bieber opted for a set of zesty lemon drop nails by her go-to manicurist and L.A. it-girl favorite Zola Ganzorigt.
