Loveblock Wines – Redefining New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

Written by Allison Levine on April 23, 2019

Wine

If there is any wine with a quintessential style, it is New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Grassy, herbacious and zingy, it is hard to miss it when it is in your glass. But, more and more, New Zealand winemakers are showing more restraint and making a different, more elegant, style of Sauvignon Blanc. One of those wineries is Loveblock Wines in Marlborough, owned by Kim and Erica Crawford. The same people famous for that classic style are making wines of balance, elegance and beauty, which I wrote about recently in the Napa Valley Register and am sharing here.

When one thinks of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, it is typically of a wine with big pungent aromatics of lime, gooseberry, grapefruit, passion fruit, pineapple, lemongrass, fresh-cut grass, green bell pepper, and jalapeno and zesty, high acidity on the palate.

This style of Sauvignon Blanc put the wine region of Marlborough on the international wine map. And, one of the brands that is the epitome of this style is Kim Crawford Wines. Today, the same people who started Kim Crawford Wines, Kim and Erica Crawford, are defining the style of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and more.

Titus Vineyards in St. Helena Celebrates 50 Years

Written by Allison Levine on April 4, 2019

Wine

When I first met Eric Titus and Titus Vineyards, I was a sales rep selling his wine. Flash forward 14 years, and now I am a writer. Instead of driving around Los Angeles trying to sell his wine, we sat down so that he could share the story of his family and Titus Vineyards, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. I shared the story in my column in the Napa Valley Register and now share it here.

Early in my wine career, I worked as a sales representative for Chambers and Chambers Wine Merchants. With a fantastic portfolio of wines primarily from California and France at the time, I was introduced to many wineries and would spend days working with the different owners and winemakers.

One was Eric Titus of Titus Vineyards. It was 2005 when we spent the day together driving around Los Angeles, selling his wine.

Titus Vineyards has grown a lot over the last 14 years. When I was selling the wine, it was a young brand. But, as we sat down together recently to taste through current and library releases, I learned that not only has Titus Vineyards grown, they are also celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.

Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Fiddlehead Pinkie’s Party

Written by Allison Levine on February 16, 2019

Lifestyle Food Wine

It is that time of year when the rosé wines from the last vintage will be released. Each year, Fiddlehead Cellars in the Santa Ynez Valley hosts a Pink Party. Guests dress in pink and pink wine is poured all night for a fantastic nite of fun. The Fiddlehead Pink Party takes place the weekend prior to Valentine’s Day, which means that it takes place around my birthday (and in the past has occurred on my birthday), so it is a dual celebration. For five years I have been attending this event! It is an event I look forward to each year and that is why this week’s Please The Palate Pick of the Week is the Fiddlehead Cellars Pink Party.

This year, the party moved from the Fiddlehead Winery and Tasting Room in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto to the restaurant Root 246 in Solvang. Open for ten years, I had not been to the restaurant in years and was impressed by the exciting new change. The modern decor restaurant is now run by Chef Pink, aka Chef Crystal DeLongpré. Chef Pink has been featured in Spike TV’s “Bar Rescue”, Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen,” and “Man vs. Child” on fyi,TM. Chef Pink took over Root 246 in December 2018 and has created a seasonal menu blending local ingredients with fine dining techniques. Read More +