The Crus of Beaujolais

Written by Allison Levine on November 13, 2018

Wine

November is here and that means Thanksgiving is around the corner. Looking for the perfect wine to enjoy with your Thanksgiving meal? Try a Beaujolais. Not a Beaujolais Nouveau but one from one of the Crus of Beaujolais, which I wrote about in my recent column in the Napa Valley Register and you can read here.

Have you been waiting for November to drink Beaujolais? I hope not!

Beaujolais is so much more than the Beaujolais Nouveau released each November, just after harvest and just in time for Thanksgiving dinner. But if you have been waiting for November to drink Beaujolais, it is time to get serious about Beaujolais.

There are different styles of Beaujolais that will satisfy all palates, styles and desires. And Beaujolais prices are affordable. So, when you cannot afford to spend hundreds of dollars on a bottle of Burgundy, a bottle of Beaujolais will satisfy.

Beaujolais is located immediately south of Burgundy. While it is sometimes considered a part of Burgundy, it is not. Unlike Burgundy, which grows Pinot Noir, the grape of Beaujolais is Gamay. Gamay is not the shallow one-dimensional grape you might think it is but rather a grape that will charm and has the power to seduce.

Setúbal – an old region is new to the U.S.

Written by Allison Levine on November 6, 2018

Wine

I love exploring wine regions and trying new wines and the newest region that I tried for the first time is an old region. It is the Peninsula de Setúbal located in the Southwest of Portugal. Most famous for their fortified Moscatel de Setúbal, which is very delicious, they also produce high quality still wines that are also great values. I was so impressed with the wine that I wrote my column in the Napa Valley Register about them which you can read here.

Living in the United States, we are exposed to many wines from around the world: France, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and Spain, to name a few countries. But, what about Portugal? I am familiar with the fortified wines of Madeira and Porto and have tasted some still wines from Alentejo and Dao. But when I was asked to organize some intimate events for the region of Setúbal, my curiosity was piqued.

The first challenge was saying Setúbal properly. After some practice with the Portuguese speakers, I was finally able to properly say it – “StUbal”. Remove the first “e” and stress the “u” and you, too, can sound like you speak Portuguese.

Fiddlehead Cellars Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary

Written by Allison Levine on October 30, 2018

Wine

I have been working in the wine industry for over 15 years and one of the first winemakers I met was Kathy Joseph of Fiddlehead Cellars in Sta Rita Hills. Kathy has been an energetic, passionate, driven personality in wine and has always inspired me. I had the privilege to celebrate her 30th anniversary with her and many others when she hosted Fiddlestix 2.0 earlier this summer. There she opened multiple vintages of her wines, including a bottle of her very first wine from 1989. I wrote about it in my column in the Napa Valley Register and share it with you here.

The 2018 harvest marks the 30th anniversary of Fiddlehead Cellars, a winery in Santa Ynez Valley owned by winemaker and head fiddle, Kathy Joseph. Thirty years is a significant marker in the California wine industry, especially for Santa Barbara County, where post-Prohibition commercial plantings date only to 1960.

It is also noteworthy that 30 years ago, “There were very few women who owned wineries, very few women winemakers,” Joseph said. In addition, “There were very few people making high-end quality Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc and very few people interested in the viticultural frontiers of Santa Barbara County and the north Willamette Valley.”

But when you meet Kathy Joseph, you understand.

Please The Palate

Tag Archives: Napa Valley Register

The Crus of Beaujolais

Setúbal – an old region is new to the U.S.

Fiddlehead Cellars Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary