Wine Outlook

Tuesday after work, we had a baby shower for Sean and his wife, Jolie. They are expecting their first baby May 23, though Jolie and the doctor think little Harper may come into the world a bit early. I attended, despite my unjust depiction as one who does not like children. We had wine (of course) and cheese while the two opened gifts, including preciously cute socks, onesie’s (not for their cat), and four months of diaper service from the tasting room staff. Way to go, being environmentally conscious you guys!

If you’re a club member or other Rosenblum customer reading this, be sure to wish Sean good luck when you see him next.

Other tasting room news. One of our most talkative hospitality representatives, Paul, is now a certified sommelier! He went back home to Texas (a fellow southerner— that warms my heart and thickens my drawl) to take the introductory level class test a little over a month ago. Then Sunday before last, he took the certification, which included a test, service, and blind tasting, and passed.

Congrats to both these guys. Cheers!

At Rosenblum Cellars we make about 25 different Zinfandels, from all over the state, each one different. One of my absolute favorites is the one from the Planchon Vineyard. This bottling is classified under the San Francisco Bay appellation, as the fruit is from Contra Costa County (near Oakley). This wine is also one of the reasons Wine & Spirits pronounced us America’s best producer of wine from SF Bay. Most Saturday afternoons, we get a visit from Frank, who grows grapes for the vineyard designate, and his lovely girl Helen.

The Saturday crew has been trying to plan a dinner with the two of them for a while now, but schedules made it hard. Finally, this past Saturday, we all came together at Angela’s Restaurant for a vertical tasting of the Planchon wines. We had been working hard that day at a wine club event, so it was nice to relax among friends with really good food and an amzing line-up of wines. Frank even brought some wines from Franus, that also use the Planchon grapes, which enabled us to do one horizontal comparison.
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Planchon Vineyard, San Francisco Bay appellation, wine from SF Bay

Rosenblum fans out there, dessert wine lovers, sweet tooth addicts, have I got a class for you. Our next wine seminar is coming up quickly, and there are still a few spots left.
EDIT: class cancelled!
So often, people fill up on dinner and neglect to save room for dessert. We think that’s a shame but realize that it does happen. However, don’t be scared to think outside the box. Have you ever thought about having dessert wine with dinner? One of the most classic pairings, and one that I adored when I finally got the chance to taste it, is foie gras with the decadently rich Sauternes. While we don’t have that kind of budget for this class (both are super expensive), we do have some pretty tasty dessert wines here at Rosenblum Cellars. And they’re quite affordable ($16-$18 per bottle). We’re going to show you how to pair them with both savory and sweet items. It’s a whole new world over here in Alameda, and we want you to help us explore!

When: Wednesday, April 16, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Where: the reserve room at Rosenblum Cellars (check in at the tasting room)
What: learn about dessert wines and what to pair with them, tasting your way through the lesson
How much: $40 per person, with a $5 discount for wine club members
Who: you… and a friend…or maybe even a date (I know I’d be impressed!)
How to reserve a spot: Call Samantha at 510-995-4100 before it’s too late

Hope to see you there.

dessert wine with dinner, wine classes in the East Bay, dessert wine pairing class, fun things to do in Alameda

Fun wine events in the near future
Don’t forget about the Passport to the East Bay Wine Trail event coming up Saturday, April 5 from noon to 5. This is your chance to sample some great wines from wineries across Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, and Emeryville. Food pairings to boot. Go here for cheaper, advance tickets.

More shipping news

We’ve gotten the go-ahead on a few more states. As of now, we can ship to the following— (more…)

Wineries in the East Bay, you ask? But of course! And more than you probably think. Of course, there’s Rosenblum Cellars, JC Cellars and Dashe Cellars. And maybe you’ve heard of Lost Canyon Winery as well. However, it doesn’t stop there. Throughout Alameda, Oakland, Berkeley, and Emeryville, there are over a dozen wineries scattered about. Some are quite small with no tasting room and some have limited hours that they are open.

That’s why you need to jump on the Urban Wine Trail—with a passport to the East Bay. The East Bay Vintner’s Alliance has put together an event for a little over two weeks from now that should be a load of fun.

The details— (more…)

Wineries in the East Bay, Urban Wine Trail, passport to the East Bay, East Bay Vintner’s Alliance

Another success! Rosenblum Cellars Open House March Madness this weekend went amazingly well. We had around 1300 guests on Saturday and 1000 on Sunday. But the funny thing is that you don’t feel like it’s that many people. There is a line of tables wrapping around two walls, with three wines being poured at each. In the center of the cellar are tables of delicious food, with a carving station off to one side. Meanwhile, the registers are located on the far side of the area, where I and my co-horts sat waiting to help people take home wine. It really made me feel special when I had quite a few customers wait to see me specifically. Some came to see me because we’ve had good chats in the tasting room, some because they enjoy my tasting notes, and one lady even said “I have to get help from Buffy!” (due to my Halloween costume I wore to work).

There is a whole other area of wine and food outside under a tent. Balloons everywhere, a stage for live music, and a very long line for Tucker’s Zinfandel ice cream, as always. Psst, I heard a rumor the shop has it for sale, over on Park Street. Typically, the reserve wines and many of the new releases are located outside to help keep traffic moving. Plus, there is also the whole front area of the winery, where people sit at tables and along the deck, taking breaks from tasting or just enjoying the sun.

Overall, it was a beautiful day with tasty wine, yummy food, and happy people. Kids and dogs, too!

Rosenblum Cellars Open House, March Madness, Tucker’s Zinfandel ice cream

March Madness is upon us….at Rosenblum Cellars, anyway. It’s Open House this weekend: the best party on the island.

When: March 8 & 9—this Saturday & Sunday–noon to 5 pm

What: dozens of wines will be poured including new releases
2006 Rhodes Grenache**
2006 Richard Sauret Zinfandel
2006 Kontrabecki Zinfandel**
2006 Rominger Syrah
2006 Monte Rosso Zinfandel
2006 Abba Syrah
2006 Pickett Road Petite Sirah
2006 Pato Petite Sirah**
2005 Holbrook Mitchell Trio
2006 Rosie Rabbit Late-harvest Zinfandel

**wines that are making their Rosenblum debut

What else: great food from Angela’s Restaurant, Zinfandel ice cream, live music

Added bonus: chance to taste barrel samples and buy futures of 2007 Maggie’s Reserve Zinfandel and 2007 Holbrook Mitchell Reserve Syrah

Where: the Alameda winery
2900 Main Street, right before the ferry building

How: tickets online will run you less–$30, $20 for club members, with a nominal processing fee from the ticket company
tickets also available at the door–$40, $25 for club members and ZAPpers or Rhone Rangers with membership cards

to buy tickets online or get more information, visit our website.

Cheers and hope to see you there! It’ll be a blast.

With tonight being Open That Bottle Night, I think it’s as good a time as any to say how our To Age or Not To Age wine seminar went. Smashingly, thank you for asking. I have to say, I was a little worried about this one going into it. What if people wanted definitive answers? What if the information was too dry?

Not to worry….everyone had a grand time and said they learned a lot. Not only did we present a variety of suggestions for how to decide if aged wine is your style, we gave the class a run-down on how to cellar wine, what to avoid, and some quick-fix ideas.

The wines we tasted provided some fun comparisons. (more…)

Open That Bottle Night, To Age or Not To Age, wine seminar

Our third wine seminar is coming up in approximately two weeks. To Age or Not To Age will take place Wednesday, February 20, from 6:30 to 8:30 at the winery in Alameda. Sean and I will address ways to decide whether you should hold on to certain bottles or if they’re ready to drink now. We’ll do tastings of Rosenblum wines that tend to take more time to become accessible, including some wines from the library. (Always a treat to pull those out!) I will also discuss one of my favorite wine-related events: Open That Bottle Night, created by Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, and will give attendees a chance to participate in the celebration which takes place the following Saturday, February 23.

Speaking of… (more…)

wine seminar, To Age or Not To Age, Open That Bottle Night

Everyone seemed to have a grand time at last week’s wine seminar, the second in our series. Sean and I were joined this time by Kevin, our enologist who’s been at Rosenblum for ten years. He explained the specifics of Rosenblum’s vineyard management and winemaking techniques and how the two can affect the profile of wine specific to our style. Sean discussed components and the aspects of tasting wine, while I addressed the myth of the tongue map and issues of taste and smell and how the two are combined. I even conducted a fun experiment, courtesy of Jancis Robinson, to demonstrate how important the sense of smell is.

Of course, there was tasting: a span of six Rosenblum wines, while we passed out samples of different fruits, spices, and other components common to our wine.

Another full house, I think this one may have been even better than the Zinfandel History and Tasting

wine seminar, tasting wine

Sometime Wednesday afternoon, an RV pulled into Rosenblum’s parking lot with a trailer behind it. And on that trailer was a giant armadillo. Now, I’m from Mississippi, and I have never seen an armadillo that big. Turns out, it’s from Texas (hence, the lone star on its tail) and as you’ve probably heard, everything is bigger in Texas…. This one is actually a grill and smoker, made by Ray—who drives up and over every year about this time. He barbeques ribs for the Good Eats portion of the ZAP extravaganza, and he’s well known around these parts. (Perhaps due, in part, to the armadillo’s giant cojones.) Good BBQ—and this is really good BBQ–and fruity Zinfandel is an amazing combination, you have to try.

Kent allows him to park his RV at the winery while he’s in town, and Ray returns the favor by cooking up some good eats for us lucky employees. I got a sneak preview on Wednesday when I took these pictures, which was fortunate, since it was pouring buckets all day Friday when we had the real shindig. Over the past few days, Ray and I had some quality chats about potato salad (find my recipe here), boiled peanuts (on which we don’t agree), and the lack of real BBQ here in California. And he might just be doing something about that if plans to open a place here pan out.

Hope to see you sooner than later, Ray. I’ll have the glasses ready.

giant armadillo, armadillo smoker, big things at Rosenblum

Sean and I are hosting our second wine seminar, along with Kevin Wiens, our hard-working enologist.

The topic is Component Analysis, where we’ll wake up our senses and figure out just what the heck is in that wine. We’ll see, sniff, and sip our way through different flavors. I even ordered a special treat for everyone to take home and assist in further studies.

It’s next Wednesday, January 30, from 6:30 to 8:30 in the reserve room at the winery. I believe there are only 4 slots left, so don’t wait. Call Sam at 510-995-4100 to reserve a spot for only $40 or $35 if you’re in our wine club.

It looks to be another good one, so I hope to see you there.

wine seminar, Component Analysis

The first Rosenblum wine club member/shareholder I met and still one of the nicest–Mark Hardwick– is really excited to help bring the Slow Food movement to Alameda. I’m excited he is, as well. My last experience with the organization was at the festival for East Bay Vintner’s Alliance, and I tell you, the food is amazing, as is the idea. This is the beginning of something amazing, where people come together over food that’s produced nearby in a safe and sustainable manner. Locals seem very happy to have this organization in our own backyward. In fact, Mark told me so many restaurants in Alameda wanted to participate, they had to tell some no or there would have been too much food!

The Kick-Off Event will be held at Rosenblum Cellars Friday February 1 from 5:00 to 7:30 PM. It will include wine, appetizers, and a special raffle that will help Ploughshares Nursery farm an acre of land across the street from the winery.

Here’s the website for more information.

Slow Food Movement, Slow Food in Alameda, Rosenblum Cellars event

The great thing about working at Rosenblum is that when we work very hard, we make up for it by playing very hard. Such was the case last night. In December, on a random Thursday, we had our busiest day ever. We even passed the famous Rockpile day. I wasn’t here for that, but I think it was after the 2003 Rockpile Road Zinfandel hit #3 on the Top 100, and calls poured in. (If I’m wrong, please feel free to leave a comment, as my memory has been known to fail me.)

Anyway, as a thank you to those of us in retail who were busting our butts that day, Kent and Kathy took us to the Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge right here in Alameda. (We didn’t even need to travel.)

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2003 Rockpile Road Zinfandel, Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge

This is just a quick note to say last night’s class went extremely well. Every slot was filled except the couple set aside for employees who couldn’t make it. Everyone seemed to have a grand time, and one club member even wants Sean and me to teach the class again for his friends. So we must have done something right, huh? Since this one filled up a few days in advance, be sure to take a look at the schedule and call with plenty of notice.

p.s. Thanks for the help, Kelly, and for the encouragement, John!

Rosenblum wine seminars