Next Time I’ll Wear The Elastic Pants

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of supporting local, and I love what’s happening with Arizona wine. While I’m new-ish to the world o’ wine – at least in exploring wine beyond a casual fan’s interest – I’m amazed and delighted to have had the pleasure to partake in all that this state and its dedicated growers and producers have to offer. I’ll shout it from the rooftops unabashedly. I heart Arizona wine! 

But I owe a lot of that passion and knowledge to one person in particular – perhaps one of the greatest champions and advocates of Arizona wine in the nation…Pavle Milic.

Most Arizona foodies have encountered Pavle in some capacity, whether at his award-winning restaurant FnB, (which he co-owns with the ridiculously talented Chef Charleen Badman), at the Old Town Farmer’s Market (affectionately known as OTFM to regulars) or perhaps during his Ignite Phoenix presentation.

Now then…how to describe Pavle; he’s just downright rad. Beyond being a genuinely nice, incredibly generous guy with a big heart, he’s a community builder, and I credit him with my love for Arizona wine.

While Kent Callaghan put Arizona wine on the map, and Maynard Keenan and Eric Glomski have created some serious nation-wide buzz, Pavle has taken it one step further. He’s done something pretty ambitious that has paid off big for him AND Arizona. He created an all-Arizona wine list. That’s right. Every single wine (and beer) on the FnB menu is homegrown.

Pavle and chef Charleen nabbed some serious attention from the wine world, and even earned a mention in the New York Times, when they organized what they called “Arizona Judgement 2010.” They pulled together some of the wine world’s heaviest hitters to do a blind tasting, including Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV (now The Daily Grape), acclaimed New York City chef Laura Williamson, local favorite Chris Bianco and more.

To sustain that excitement and energy, each month, FnB does something special – a winemaker dinner series that highlights one Arizona winery, and pairs that grower’s catalog of wines with the most delicately, impeccably paired dishes, prepared by Chef Badman herself (what a killer last name, right?).

 

Last week I attended Dick Erath’s wine dinner (yes, the same guy who built the Oregon-based Erath brand that’s now a household name), who has built a vineyard called Cimmaron in Willcox, AZ. Cimmaron wines are a result of a collaboration between Dick, and Todd Bostock of Dos Cabezas, who produces the wines that Dick grows and cultivates in his vineyard. If you would like a bit of background on how that partnership formed, it’s a really interesting story, and worth a read.

 

Back to the FnB wine dinner. What I absolutely LOVE about FnB is their die-hard commitment to sourcing local, organic and sustainable products. That philosophy is reflected in both the food and the wine. It’s not hard to see why I love this place, and I am totally guilty of acting the pied-piper role. Friend’s give me a hard time for my fangirl ways, but when they’re pushing back from the table after having tried it for the first time, pants feeling euphorically snug, I never hear a single complaint.

 

For someone like me, who wants to soak up everything possible about wine and supporting local, this is quite possibly the best resource I have ever been lucky enough to stumble upon. I feel unabashedly giddy about the fact that I have someone like Pavle (one of the greatest community connectors and most generous people, period) living, creating and existing in my city. He and Chef Charleen are doing something truly special and unique here, and that movement is building steam.

If you’re lucky enough to have a Pavle in your city, or have a cool story to tell about Pavle, Chef Charleen or your own FnB experience, drop it in the comments below. I’ll be sure to forward on your thoughts and comments.

Behind the Scenes at Dos Cabezas WineWorks

Dos Cabezas wine. What’s not to love? My history with this winery dates back to 2007. I was sharing a bottle of Dos Cabezas Toscano with my mom, and took pause when I learned it was an Arizona wine. When the Pizzeria Bianco bartender shared this fact, I found it both troubling and altogether exciting. I was troubled by the fact that, at the time, I didn’t even know there was any kind of wine production happening in Arizona – let alone “wine country” – and excited at the fact that this was my gateway wine to more local exploration.

I was also drinking it the first time I drunk dialed my love (or more accurately, forced my tipsy mother to make the introduction over voicemail.) Ahhh memories. Let’s hear it for buzzed first impressions! I digress…

When I drank that glass, I had no idea the care, craft and passion that had gone into bottling these amazing wines. Some of my favorites not only in the state, but the world reside on the Dos Cabezas wine roster.

Let me preface this by saying, I’ve been incredibly lucky to have access to Todd and Kelly Bostock, and they’ve quickly become two of my favorite people in the industry (besides Pavle Milic, of course). I’m a total fangirl not only for their wines, but for them as people. Let me just tell you a bit about their generosity…

We (me, my love and two of our good friends) were lucky enough to be invited by Todd and Kelly to take a sneak peek into the back, temperature-controlled rooms last weekend for a few barrel samples. And by a few I mean a LOT. (Don’t worry, we had a designated driver, folks. Keep it safe.)

 Todd Bostock

Oh em gee. Just, wow! They have some truly amazing wines marinating in barrels of magical, unicorn goodness in store for the masses. Particularly the fortified, dessert wine that we tasted, and I’m not a dessert wine kinda chick…usually.  I wish I had taken better notes, but all I can remember is absolute bliss.

All of us held our glasses enthusiastically upright as Todd dipped into the barrel and released a sample of the wine du jour. As the “pour train” worked its way to me, Todd pouring into Kelly’s glass, Kelly pouring into mine, me pouring into my love’s and on down the line, I couldn’t help but think, this is community. This is what wine is all about. Savoring the fruits of the Bostocks’ labor, and enjoying the wine for the sake of the wine. No tasting notes, no hang ups about bouquets, no talk of interesting finishes…just pure and utter enjoyment, surrounded by good people. This is how wine is meant to be drunk. And there isn’t another winemaking pair I think I’d rather drink it with.

 

I won’t spend much longer waxing poetic about my adoration for this winery or the Bostocks. Quite simply, they’re amazing people who make equally amazing wine. If you don’t pick up a bottle at your local wine store, buy online or order a glass from a participating restaurant menu (or better yet, ask why you don’t see a Dos Cabezas wine on the menu) you’ll be missing out. This is one of those wineries for me that just makes my palate ignite.

Now then…a few of my favorites:

2010 Pink (Garnacha & Primitivo – from the Dos Cabezas vineyard in Cochise County)

Holy grapefruit bomb, but in SUCH a good way! And probably one of the best bouquets I’ve ever smelled. This wine is light, refreshing and absolutely perfect as we move into the summer months here in Arizona, or anywhere in the country really. It elicits the same feelings you probably remember as a kid when you plopped down with a big glass of cold lemonade…except it’s not lemonade. It’s magic. Serious.

2009 Meskeoli (Viognier, Riesling, Roussanne, Picpoul Blanc, Muscat & Malvasia – from the Cimarron vineyard near Willcox.)

Again, if you’re looking for a totally refreshing summer wine, this is it. It’s mellow on the nose, but has a sweet bouquet. On the palate, however, it’s not too sweet and not too dry, but the citrus and melon notes are hard to miss.

 2008 Toscano (Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc – from the Cimarron vineyard near Willcox.)

Reminiscent of a light Italian Pinot Noir, this wine is totally drinkable, and it will go down quicker than you’d like it to. Lots of strawberry and cherry, with some hints of savory vegetables like peppers and beets. Supper interesting, super yummy. 

2008 Aguileon (Tempranillo, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Souzao & Tinto Cao – from the Dos Cabezas vineyard in Cochise County)

This is my favorite. Hands down. Dominated by Tempranillo (90%), this wine is rich and jammy, with lots of red fruit, and is great with food – particularly a juicy ribeye. It’s incredibly smooth, and I like to pull it out when I want to impress my more educated wino friends. Give it a shot. If you’re a Zinfandel lover, you’ll love this.

If you take nothing more from this “Ode to the Bostocks” post, please take this away. If you happen to be dining in a locally owned Arizona restaurant that features a wine list, and you don’t see a Dos Cabezas wine (or ANY Arizona wine on the list for that matter) please ask the restaurant to reconsider that decision. Get out there and support our local wineries! They’re doing some pretty impressive stuff.

Have you tried Dos Cabezas wine? Do you have a favorite? Talk to me!

Callaghan Me Another Glass…Cheers to Arizona Wine!

I was a little nervous about writing this post, because I wasn’t sure if I could do this winery justice – particularly this wine maker, Kent Callaghan. First, a little background on Kent and his award-winning wines…

Let’s take a look at all of the raves and reviews he’s received over the years. Hailed as:

“An iconic winemaker”

“Well on his way to becoming a winemaking legend”

“Callaghan is a pioneer”

“One of the best kept secrets in America”

You name it. The credits and accolades go on and on, and the sources are no slouches. Even though I’m not sure how much I buy into the opinions of the upper echelon of the wine world, like Robert Parker and the gang, they’re pretty dead on with their assessment of Callaghan.

For anyone who has been following Arizona wine for any length of time, you’ll agree with this statement. While the emergence of Tool’s Maynard Keenan and Dick Erath’s impact and showmanship surrounding Arizona wine has been a tremendous help, Kent Callaghan has been the constant. His wines have been the ones that have made enthusiasts stop and take notice for years. 

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the Callaghan’s tasting room, and have run into Kent and his family at myriad wine events in the state. He’s a very quiet guy. One of those types that doesn’t say a lot, but when he does, you listen, and you listen intently.

So, now that I’ve painted a picture of Callaghan wines, and the many associated accomplishments, let’s get back to my conundrum. How do I review this man and his wines in a way that…well, let’s be frank – doesn’t suck. So here’s my take. I’m a noob. I’m going to talk about a LOT of great wines and winemakers, and there are going to be concepts that are way over my head, and well beyond the grasp of my adolescent palate. But like SNL’s king of daily affirmations, Stuart Smalley would say, “That’s…okay.”

So I thought, why take this on myself? I’ll invite over a gaggle of wine-loving geeks and we can tackle this beast together. And make no mistakes. I was the biggest geek of them all. I decided to get super official, and printed out tasting notes on each of the wines, and downloaded and modified tasting sheet templates for each of the guests to scribble their thoughts about what they were tasting.

Some of my guests impressed me, while others (as expected) made me laugh. I knew inviting my buddy Shannon would result in some awesome observational nuggets like this one:


 

Or this one:

 


Clearly, we had a pretty fun night, thanks in part to Shannon and lots in part to Callaghan wines. Our tasting list for the night included Ann’s Selection, Lisa’s Selection, Wayne’s Grenache, Buena Suerte and Padres.

A few thoughts on each from the Peanut Gallery:

Ann’s Selection – 45% Grenache Blanc, 35% Verdelho and 20% Symphony (A UC Davis cross of Muscat and Grenache Blanc)

·      Color/Appearance: very light, pale yellow

·      Nose/Aroma: lime, apple, smells sweet

·      Mouthfeel/Flavors: clean, mineraly, spiced apple on the finish, tasted much different than nose would indicate, apple, grainy, pear and oak, “great summer wine!”

Lisa’s Selection – 55% Viognier, 45% Riesling

·      Color/Appearance: very light, golden tone

·      Nose/Aroma: subtle apple smell, peachy, grapefruity (yeah, we made up lots of words that night), buttery

·      Mouthfeel/Flavors: Tingly on the tongue, slightly oaky, not too sweet, slightly buttery, semi-dry

Wayne’s Grenache – 100% Grenache ***By far the favorite of the night

·      Color/Appearance: deep red, “purply” (again…made-up words can be fun)

·      Nose/Aroma: Very berry-like, raspberries, strawberries and cherries

·      Mouthfeel/Flavors: “Mmmm so friggin’ good!”, “OMG I heart this wine!” “Did you just make a nummy noise?”…our intelligent vocabulary began to escape us at this point in the night…

Buena Suerte – 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot and 8% Merlot

NOTE TO READERS: All of the smelling and writing became a bit too much for this group of amateur winos. We stopped writing and started drinking. It got sloppy. It got giggly. It got REAL fun. Here are the official notes, though.

**FUN FACT! This is one of three wines that earned Callaghan some serious street cred, if you consider The White House a valid source of doling type of “cred” out…

Padres – 35% Tempranillo, 23% Petite Verdot, 18% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc

Umm…again, at this point we were just drinking like ravenous youth busting into mom and dad’s liquor cabinet, circa junior year of high school.  Needless to say, we loved the wines. We loved them a little too much.

Now don’t get me wrong, we started the evening in a very civilized, sophisticated-ish sort of way. My talented friend Lacey even brought her super fancy camera and snapped this photo of the spread. Take a look!

So, all in all, it was a ridiculously fun night, jam-packed with good friends, good nosh and some pretty incredible Arizona wines.

A few questions for you to ponder as you prepare to comment liberally, below (hint, hint). Have you ever tasted Callaghan wines? Thoughts? Favorites? Have you ever hosted a party like this of your own? Any ridiculous, fun stories to share? Tips to offer to others wanting to do the same?

And P.S. If you’re interested in taking a trip to the tasting room in Elgin, it’s WELL worth it. Lots of great family wineries in the area.  Speaking of great family wineries in the area…

Next week: Dos Cabezas Winewoks! Stay tuned.

Arizona Wine Country - Part Two

There’s a lot about Arizona wine that is new, or at least new-ish from an outsider perspective. Carlson Creek is one of the really exciting, promising new wineries in the state. Recently just celebrating one year in business, the family is planning to harvest their first grapes (planted in 2009) in 2011, according to The Tucson Citizen.

Here’s what I love about Carlson Creek, and it’s likely that like many others, I relate and am inspired by what they’ve accomplished together. This winery was very much a dream that the entire family shared together, and everyone is deeply involved in some capacity…Brothers, sister, mom and dad. Everyone has a very significant role in feeding their shared dream. Of course, this is true of many small wineries, but when you see it first hand, and drink with all members of the family in their modest tasting room, you can sense that passion.

The tasting room itself is a quaint, homey one, located across the train tracks from last week’s featured winery, and part one of this four-part Arizona Wine Country series, Keeling Shaefer.

 

Cheeks already warm from our first tasting of the day, we received a warm welcome from Liz Carlson upon entering the tasting room. It felt like pulling up a stool at a friend’s home, with great people pouring, a small nosh plate at the ready and plush leather bar stools with our names all over them.

Carlson Creek focuses heavily on Rhone Style wines

Be sure to stop by the tasting room, located at 115 Railview Ave in Willcox, AZ. 

Arizona Wine Country - Part One

They say the best way to learn about wine is to pick a wine growing region and really explore it. Oh how I love drinking exploring! It’s the best way to identify the area (or AVA) that most delights your palate.

That said, loving local the way I do, and being an Arizonan, why not start at home? So, that’s exactly what we did.

According to the Arizona Wine Grower’s Association, “…The modern state of Arizona wine started in 1973 in Sonoita at the southern end of the state. There are now 45 licensed and bonded wineries throughout Arizona.” Pretty impressive for a state that many would never guess was a bonafide producer of not only wine, but really great wine!

And so we set out on our journey to partake in the best this state could offer, starting in Willcox, and then Sonoita. We decided to hit four wineries, and rather than cramming them all into one frighteningly long blog post, each winery will receive a little extra TLC (because they work hard and deserve it). This post will dive into Keeling-Schaefer Vineyards, but keep your eyes peeled in future posts for a deeper look at Carlson Creek Vineyard, Callaghan Vineyards and Dos Cabezas Wineworks.

SIDE NOTE: Part two (The Verde Valley) will come at a later, undisclosed date – pretty much whenever I can scrounge up another group of devoted winos.

There are certain realities we must face when discussing Arizona wine, or any Southwestern wine for that matter. Chances of encountering a rootin’ tootin’ Wild West shoot out en route to the tasting room are, well…high.

But don’t let that folksy attempt at solidifying kitschy stereotypes fool you. The wine speaks for itself, and it speaks REAL good. When I saw this sign, I knew all was right in the world:


Our first stop was at Keeling-Schaefer Vineyards tasting room. The tasting room itself is ridiculously cool. Owners, Rod and Jan, have transformed the tasting room from a historic 1917 Willcox Bank & Trust building. I think filling an old bank with delicious wine is always a fantastic idea.  Take a look:


One of the reasons I like Keeling-Schaefer wines so much is because based on their wine-making style, they always want to let the fruit shine. Meaning, each drink is going to be incredibly fruit-forward and juicy. And, well…I likes me some juice.

While tasting at Keeling-Schaefer, we were pretty spoiled. TIP: If you’re in a tasting room and are lucky enough to be there while the winemakers are pouring, (and only do this if you’re serious…no faking it, people) ask them lots of questions. This is their passion and they pour their hearts (pun intended) into everything they do. If you’re eager to learn, and are genuinely interested in what they have to say, they might just “accidentally” pour you a little more than the standard tasting pour. Just sayin.’ 

Here are a few of the wines we tried, along with their tasting notes. (I’ve starred my favorites) As I get better at this, I’ll provide my own notes, but for now, I’m going to do us all a favor and leave it to the experts.

*2007 Partners GSM Blend, 264 cases produced: Ripe, fleshy and smoky, with mulled fig, plum sauce and spice bread notes liberally laced with black tea and vanilla bean. Rated “88” Wine Spectator. Ohh Emm Gee. Loved, loved loved this one!

2008 Three Sisters Syrah, 306 cases produced: Ultra dark, rich with boysenberry notes and a hint of licorice at the end

2007 Keeling Brothers Shiraz, limited release 72 cases: Dark and toasty, with raisin, roasted plum and fig jam flavors liberally coated with a roasted vanilla note. Rated “87” Wine Spectator.

*2006 Home Place Reserve Syrah, limited release 72 cases: Mature, with soft raisin, cinnamon, baked plum and licorice notes held together by a toasty frame. Rated “86” Wine Spectator. Son of a Nutcracker I could bathe in this stuff it’s so good. Inappropriate? Perhaps. Truthful? Indeed.

Now don’t get me wrong. I love drinking wine because it’s such a sensory experience. It’s not just a drink. I may joke about drinking it quite often, but I really respect wine for the art of it, and the care and meticulous management of every element that goes into the winemaking process.

Which leads me to the second reason I really love wine. It’s about the people. The people behind the wine, and the passion they bring to the table. In addition to being lucky enough to meet Rod and Jan, I was able to converse with their good friend and tasting room manager, Rosanna. Let me just say…I love Rosanna. She is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever come across, and I’m beginning to realize that much of the Arizona wine community fits this profile. I’ll save my gushing over the Dos Cabezas crew for the last Arizona post of this series.

Now, back to Rosanna. She’s a retired school teacher, and she started working in the tasting room because she wanted to learn more about wine. More evidence that the people you encounter in tasting rooms really care about the craft of wine making, and connecting with others who love it. I hope Rosanna won’t take offense to this if she ever reads it, but…Rosanna is one hip, seasoned lady. She’s also taken on handling all social media efforts for Keeling-Schaefer and is doing a pretty bang-up job of it. Go on… Fan their page!

And if she had anything to do with the website, I’m sending more kudos her way.  Do yourself a favor, and check out this page. It’s chalk-full of deliciously good content for anyone interested in learning more about the winemaking process, like me.

Are you ready to venture out to Arizona Wine Country?! (Willcox specifically) Keeling-Schaefer is a MUST. Put it on your to-do list. You will not be sorry. Serious.

Have you had any Keeling-Schaeffer wines? Have you tasted an AZ wine? I want to know about it. Give me some comment love, kids! J

FUN FACT: (courtesy of Rod Keeling) “There are 7 or 8 wineries in Arizona now that are consistently submitting to Wine Spectator. There are 9 labels with 56 wines that have been ranked - just in the past couple years - above 85. That’s pretty impressive.” I concur, Rod. Tip it for Arizona wine!

Me and Wine…A Budding Romance

Hi. My name is Libbie. I love wine. It wasn’t always this way. Growing up, I ate a lot of Peanut Butter & Jelly, Cheez Whiz, Ants on a Log (minus the log meaning I ate the innards and tossed the healthy celery stick when my mom wasn’t looking), McDonald’s cheese burgers, you name it… This carried well into my adulthood. I rarely ventured out and tried anything new. If it was green, chances are I wouldn’t eat it, unless it was green Sour Patch Kids, Skittles or M&M’s. Healthy, right?

Things started to change for me when others caught on to this oddly basic diet I had lived by for so long. At a staff meeting one day, a co-worker brought in bagels with cream cheese. Sure I’d had bagels before – never cream cheese, though. Normally I would have just passed, but something inside of me – perhaps the sad, malnourished, beyond bored portion of my stomach – pushed me to dip in my knife and try something new. And so I did. Explosions! Fireworks! A sensation of new flavors! All due to cream cheese. Cream cheese!! Seriously. My ecstatic reaction was evident. My coworkers glanced at me in bewilderment, wondering what all of the fuss was about. When I said, “I’ve never had cream cheese before,” there was a brief and awkward moment of silence. Then boisterous laughter. That tub of cream cheese was the catalyst for a whole new outlook on my gastronomic journey.

Now don’t get the wrong idea. This blog isn’t about food, though, it’s an important element of what will be discussed here. This story is simply meant to provide  context to pathetic nature of my former self, and to underscore the significance of how far my unsung taste buds have come.

Everything started to change. I tried green foods. I tried foods that I once avoided because of their “icky texture.” I know. I was a bullheaded 8-year-old standing in the way of my adolescent palate – one that had so much catching up to do. Then I started trying wine – at restaurants, client parties, friend’s homes. I never bought a bottle in the store, because it seemed way too daunting, and I was fresh off of the cream cheese shaming incident. I was in a very delicate state.

Then, one fateful day, it happened. The wine that changed everything. The wine that got away (because I came to find out it was a wine only available to “wine list” members – something I hadn’t even begun to consider). I digress. I tasted the juiciest, boldest, stop-me-in-my-tracks wine I had ever had the pleasure of ingesting. Papapietro Perry Pinot Noir. So good. So good I was in disbelief. So good I took the liberty of finishing the bottle. So good my passion had been ignited.

It was in that moment I realized I needed to know more. I needed to know everything there was to know about this winery. This grape. This industry. I now know, that with the countless AVAs and wine producers in the world, that’s an impossibility. But God as my witness, I’m going to do my damndest to try. I’m committed to this passion, and I’m committed to do whatever it takes (as long as I don’t end up here) to make that happen.

That said, I’m a novice. An absolute and total novice. But I know there are many others out there who are like me. I hope you’ll join me on this fun, often buzzed journey. There will be some interesting posts that will draw upon the knowledge of those much more grape savvy than me.  Hell, just a whole lot more savvy than me in general. There will be embarrassingly awful posts that are loaded with typos and run-on sentences due to my drunk, fat-fingered typing. But hey, that’s fun…right?

Anyway, that’s a little about me, and I hope many of you will chime in with your thoughts and experiences, too. As Kathy Griffin’s mom, Maggie, would say…Tip it!