Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to pour our wine for Clay Reynolds, the Executive Beverage Director for both restaurants. I was hoping he would like one of our offerings and serve it at Coco500.

I first poured our 2008 Sonoma Coast from Split Rock Vineyard for Clay.  We were swirling, sniffing, tasting, spitting and then I calmly waited for feedback…. finally, “I like it! Really nice wine, smooth, red berries and elegant finish.”

We chatted a bit about wine making protocol, cold soak, barrel selection, the vineyard location, our low intervention practices and selection of sustainably grown vineyards , while I opened our second wine–the Lone Oak Vineyard from Santa Lucia Highland.  Same ritual, see, swirl, sniff, taste, spit. Longer wait this time…”Wow, you used the same wine making protocol?” Everything was the same, apart from a slight increase in new French Oak.  What he was noticing was the difference in the vineyard locations.  The Santa Lucia Highland location has specific flavor profile (a very long way to say “terroir”, which I try to avoid) versus the Sonoma Coast, Split Rock Vineyard.  ”Amazing how remarkable the differences are. I get more of the bass tones on the Lone Oak while the Split rock is a more high tones wine. I like this one too,”  says Clay.  His description also included these observations:  earthy undertones with a solid backbone of fruit, plummy with a lingering light acidity.  We both agreed the Lone Oak managed the new French Oak nicely.

It’s great tasting with someone who appreciates the fruit of your labor, especially if you learn something in the way of adjectives (high tones/bass tones.)

Clay could not make up his mind which one he’d take, so in the end he decided to take both. One for Coco500 and the other for the Moss Room.

Lorreta Keller , who owns Coco500 is an advocate for sustainably and locally grown ingredients. Keller is a co-owner of the Moss Room along with Charlie Phan (of Slanted Door fame), but is in charge of the kitchen where her style of cooking is carried on. Keller is known for her emphasis on using high quality, locally grown, seasonal ingredients in her Cal-Med dishes which produce bold flavors.  The Moss Room is a masterpiece of a restaurant built under the new California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. The Moss Room practices the same philosophy of locally grown, organic when possible, ingredients. Locally grown is taken to extreme some times–they grow some of the greens and berries they serve in the restaurant right on the roof!

We are really excited about this opportunity to showcase our wines alongside some incredible food made the way we like it and the way we make our wine. Local, sustainable, tasty!

Check it out before they run out!  Cheers!

Stomping Girl Wines is named in honor of Uzi’s independent and hardworking grandmother who grew grapes and made wine on the family property; for Uzi’s sister who was originally “employed” to stomp the grapes for the family wine; and for Kathryn, Lea and Hannah–our modern day Stomping Girls who stomp the grapes, punch the cap, press the wine and are involved in our family winery.  (read more about our history here)

To honor and recognize these women in our family and women everywhere, Stomping Girl is celebrating International Women’s Day this March 8th by donating 10% of our wine sales between now and March 8 to a non-profit group called Mujeres Unidas y Activas.  This group educates and advocates for Latina women, many working as domestic and childcare workers on issues such as immigration law, domestic violence and women’s health.  Stomping Girl is proud to be able to contribute to MUA.

To help you help us donate 10% to a good cause, we are offering Free Shipping anywhere we ship in the US on orders of 2 bottles or more placed by March 8th.  Click here to order and use promo code: IWD.

There is not a better day to raise a glass and salute the women who make a difference in your life than International Women’s Day.   Cheers!!

Our first official review came from the PinotFile Newsletter where our wine was reviewed alongside some formidable contenders.  He said this of Stomping Girl Pinot Noir:

Split Rock, Sonoma Coast–“Shy aromatics with hints of black cherries, spice and warm cookies. Nicely weighted cherry and strawberry fruits carry over to a pleasant finish of moderate length. Doesn’t have the firm tannins often found in Sonoma Coast Pinot Noirs. I admire this wine for its balance and finesse.”

And popular wine bloggers Brix Chicks had this to say about Stomping Girl Lone Oak, Santa Lucia Highlands, Pinot Noir:

“Yum!  This Pinot has the delightful nose coaxed from the tasty fruit of the warm, yet breezy Santa Lucia Highland area. I got a lot of ripe fruit in the aromas…lovely well balanced acidity…”

Other, less official but much more important, accolades are coming in from our customers and friends:

“What a beautiful and inviting blend of ripe red fruit and earthy characteristics like mushroom.  It was very well structured with pretty acidity and a lingering finish.” -DH

“The wine was fantastic, I especially like the hint of Cola.” -Brandon

“The wine is truly outstanding…” -Sheridan

“Delicious….” -Heather

“Excellent!” -Ramona

We also visited Beresini vineyard in Carneros, anohter source of our 2009 Pinot, to check out the vines and discuss a new pruning technique with Steve, the owner.  We are extremely happy with our ‘09 Beresini Vineyard Pinot Noir that’s in barrels right now and are keeping a close eye on our rows in his vineyard for the ‘10 harvest.  His two dogs and our son romped while we talked in the vineyards.  Steve sent us home with a bottle of his own wine–aptly named “Black Dog.”

Beresini's black dog

Uzi and Steve B.

Uzi had been been talking about this diner near Steve’s vineyard that has great biscuits–the Fremont Diner.  We were too late for breakfast but we stopped there for lunch.  It looks a little divey from the outside.  But the charm completely takes over as you notice the vineyards in the background, the lone chicken hanging with 2 friendly dogs outside  and the decor inside.  And the food is out of this world.  The food is down home cooking, all from scratch, fresh ingredients and definitely not for those on a diet.  I had the Whole Hog, a pulled pork sandwich with bbq sauce, coleslaw and these incredible beans.  I am already contemplating my next menu selection…

the Whole Hog

Fremont Diner

Fremont Diner chicken

crystallized violets

You know those crystallized lilacs or violets that you’ve always wanted to buy and put on a cake but they are so hard to find and expensive and often all broken that you never do?  Like those on top of Rose Levy Beranbaum’s White Lilac Nostalgia Cake, in The Cake Bible.  For several years I have admired this cake from afar.  I have always wanted to attempt it.  But then I take one look at the beautiful crystallized lilacs carefully laid by hand and I freeze…for the reasons above.  I suppose you can make these crystallized edible flowers–lilacs, violets and roses.  Ms. Beranbaum makes it sound pretty straightforward.  But even in my days of more free time, they didn’t seem easy.  So I have resigned myself to just admiring the photo in the cookbook.

Tonight, we opened a bottle of Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir to go with Uzi’s impeccably grilled bacon-wrapped pork chops.  Yes, my husband is a non-observing Israeli.  And yes, this is related to White Lilac Nostalgia.  Hang with me for another minute.  The Oregon Pinot paired perfectly with the pork, both parts of the pig.  That was no surprise.  I have yet to meet a pork and Pinot pairing I didn’t like.  What surprised me was that this wine was not love at first whiff, as I’d imagined it would be.  I wasn’t getting much aroma at all at first.  I was worried.  Did we buy this bottle under the spell of Oregon wine country tasting room allure?  Thankfully, it turns out it just needed a little time.  Once the aroma came through, this Domaine Drouhin suddenly took me back to the days of dreaming about baking that beautiful cake with candied lilacs because that what I was getting on the nose–candied lilacs, or maybe candied violets.  Later, after sitting open for an hour or two, the aromas evolved into those of soil and earth.  I didn’t get a lot of fruit, this is different from some of the more fruit-forward Pinots of California.  In fact, it is a different Pinot than most.  Lovely smells of…gardening.  And nostalgic thoughts of that gorgeous cake that I just may try to conquer now.

The moment we’ve all been waiting for is here! Come join us in celebrating the inaugural release of Stomping Girl wine. We’ll be pouring our newly released 2008 Pinot Noirs, serving food and enjoying good music.

What: Stomping Girl Release and Pick Up Party
When: February 6, 2010, 2:00 – 4:00pm
Where: 2323 4th Street, Berkeley, CA
Cross street is Bancroft, our driveway is across from Kiss that Frog

RSVP: Party@StompingGirlWines.com
Please RSVP by February 1

Why Pick Up? If you order wine by February 1, you can pick it up at the party, get 10% off and pay no shipping.  Order wine at stompinggirlwines.com using coupon code “PreRelease” or by calling 707-317-6617.

Order Now and Save

Order yours before February 1st and save 10%.  Just put your order in the shopping cart and use the coupon code: PreRelease.

Celebrate with us at our February 6th 2-4 PM Release Party at the winery at 2323 4th St, Berkeley, pick up your wine there and also save on shipping.  Just place your order by February 1st and designate Pick up/Local as your shipping option.

Otherwise,  wine orders will be shipped out on February 1st, weather permitting.

Unique Opportunity

Stomping Girl produces very small lots of handcrafted, artisanal Pinot Noir and 2008 is our first commercial vintage.  Consider this an opportunity to buy some to enjoy now and some to tuck away in your cellar for future special occasions before it’s gone.  After all, there is only one first release of Stomping Girl Pinot Noir.

Domaine Drouhin vines in winter

Domaine Serene

Stoller Vineyards

After a fun, relaxing and indulgent Christmas week with family in Seattle we rushed back to spend the 2nd week with our big, “stomping girl” who was home from college for a short break. I know it’s cliche but all I’m going to say about that is they grow up way too fast!!

Now it’s back to work and we are in high gear preparing for the release of our 2008 Pinot Noirs–putting the final touches on our online ordering site, printing up tasting and technical notes and planning the February Release Party.  Stay tuned and we hope to see some of you there!

So earlier this week at the winery, we sniffed, stirred, topped and tasted all 17 barrels of our 2009 Pinot Noir.  Pinot always seems to be evolving, from the moment of harvest all the way to the last drop in your glass.  But at this point in time, we found that our Carneros Pinot has an incredible nose, our Russian River Pinot already has a luscious mouthfeel and luscious flavors and our Sonoma Coast has nice fruit forward character.  Can’t wait to see what we discover next time…

in the barrel room