Reminder: Don’t Forget to Come Have Wine and Fun
Tuesday, November 13th, 2007
Greetings, readers and drinkers! This is just a quick reminder to say that Rosenblum Cellars Open House is this weekend, November 17 & 18 from 12 to 5. Tickets are available online even up to the day of the event, with better rates for wine club members.
I also wanted to let you know which wines will be highlighted as new releases:
2005 Cullinane Vineyard Reserve Zinfandel (we’ve been making this one from the very beginning, and it got started running when it won a gold medal the first year)
2005 Kick Ranch Reserve Syrah
2006 Heritage Clones Petite Sirah (good thing because the highly-rated 2005 just sold out this weekend)
2006 Contra Costa County Zinfandel (part of the Appellation Series, formerly known as San Francisco Bay)
2005 Anthony’s Merlot (Anthony is Holbrook Mitchell’s son and also a grower)
2005 St. Peter’s Church Reserve Zinfandel (which people are always asking about and Premier club members got a sneak preview of in Septmeber)
2005 Holbrook Mitchell Syrah (quite possibly my favorite of the bunch)
Cuvee XXX Zinfandel (just in time for the winery’s 30th anniversary)
I may be leaving out one or two, but there’s going to be so many more, anyway, with what’s available currently. And there will also be barrel samples. I’ll be working the registers again, but I plan to thoroughly enjoy my break both days. You know it’s a good place to be when everyone working is having almost as much–if not more–fun as/than everyone attending the party….
Rosenblum Cellars Open House, wine fun, East Bay wine events
Remember how much fun 
What do hard-working ladies decide to do one random Friday afternoon? Go to Old Oakland and have themselves a leisurely, well-deserved luncheon. Plus, it was the day before Kathy Rosenblum’s birthday…and what better way to celebrate with everyone’s favorite 2nd mom? We went to 
We ordered one bottle off the menu, a 
After that, it was all Rosenblum wines, especially Kathy’s Cuvee Viognier (so named for being the wine of choice for the birthday girl). We also had some of the Chateau la Paws Cote du Bone Blanc–a blend of Viognier, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne, and Roussanne. Both wines are extremely refreshing and full of tropical fruit flavors. The only complaint would be that it took quite a while to get them opened!
The food was very good, though. Despite their being out of my choice of pulled pork with skillet cornbread, I enjoyed the light preparation of halibut over corn, spinach, and tomatoes. I also got to sneak bites of Kelly’s duck confit sandwich and Shauna’s boxed chicken salad. All yummy.
Goodbye Peninsula, hello East Bay…Tomorrow is the big day! I’m moving into my new (much bigger, cheers) apartment in Alameda. Readers and drinkers, do you know what this means? Instead of an hour or so to get to work, I can now be there in 10 minutes. What does this mean to you? More time to write! Once I get settled in, I promise to catch up on my many unwritten posts. Also, I’ll have a dining area now, so when I get a chance to purchase a table, that means more wine dinners and pairings.
This update is a little late in coming, but if you missed out on the second annual East Bay Vintner’s Festival, you definitely need to make it to the third! Fifteen wineries cheerfully poured a sampling of their wines, with many of the winemakers and owners proudly telling you about their goods. Though I only got to sample a small portion of what was offered, I know I’ll be back.
These luscious cherry tomatoes were drizzled with olive oil and herbs over freshly baked bread. The Slow Food booth definitely made my mouth water and my senses spring to life. What a great idea–to only use food that’s freshly prepared and in season. Check out their 
A fan of 
Last but not least was this tiny scoop of divine peach ice cream. Even though I enjoyed 
The morning started off correctly when Aura brought in baskets of homemade scones (courtesy of the ever-thoughtful Anne Marie): currant, hibiscus flower & ginger, or the savory ham & cheese. All was right with the world to get the day going with some coffee and nourishment and, of course, a few bottles of bubbly during our staff meeting before the madness began.
Though this is the smallest turnout of the four open houses we have, the crowds were sizable all weekend (somewhere over 2000 people flowed through the doors). Things seemed to go more smoothly on Sunday, and from what I hear, that’s always the case. Maybe practice does make perfect. Don’t get me wrong—people were having a grand time both days. Plus, BK and my Irish friend accepted my invitation to come visit, and they definitely enjoyed themselves. I even got to walk around at the start of each day, tasting just a handful (mainly new releases) of the 51 wines on hand. I know for a fact the food was good stuff because co-workers kindly made sure those of us chained to the registers got a sampling of meat balls, sausage, gnocchi, cheeses, and more. 
This particular table of reserve Zinfandels was definitely one of the most popular and a must-stop on my list. It had the ever-favorite Monte Rosso, the brand new Lyons, and the last-ever vintage of Hendry (and my top pick) to be made by Rosenblum. Many wines were poured by eager volunteers,such as Dee there on the right, although some of the growers travel to pour the wine made from their own grapes. Overall, I think there were seventeen tables, with about sixty volunteers a day.
And of course, the day would not be complete without a taste of ice cream made from Zinfandel and chocolate chunks. Last time they used the Rockpile Zin, but the man serving up scoops didn’t know which wine went into this batch. I tried to figure it out from the taste, but then I was a little too busy saving precious drops from sliding down the cone and onto the pavement….
I bet you didn’t know there even was an East Bay Vintner’s Alliance. Well, if not, I’ll cut you some slack because I didn’t either until just a couple months ago. It was founded last year to bring attention to the wineries doing their thing in the urban setting of the East Bay. No sprawling vineyards and countryside landscapes here. But that’s what makes us different: shipyards, a naval base, apartment complexes, Chinatown, etc. right down the road. I also bet you didn’t know there are 15 (and counting) wineries sprinkled throughout Alameda, Oakland, Berkeley, and Emeryville. Some are quite small and therefore not normally open to the public.
