Wine Outlook

Wow, it’s hard to believe it’ll be 2008 any minute now. I hope that everyone has a great and safe holiday and big dreams for the next year. Mine just seem to keep getting better and starting to work at Rosenblum during the past one has definitely been a part of that. I look forward to more exciting adventures ahead.

In case you’ve forgotten or need to know, here are the Rosenblum tasting room holiday hours:

Today–New Year’s Eve–11 to 3
Tomorrow–New Year’s Day–closed
Wednesday–back to normal (11-6)

Now, get your glasses raised!

Rosenblum tasting room holiday hours

Merry Christmas!

I hope that you have a good one. Rosenblum Cellars will be closed and I’ll be in Sacramento, hopefully eating good food and drinking plenty of wine. I know we’ll have some Bonfire Vineyards, my favorite Thomas Fogarty wine–the 2002 Napa Cab, and at least one Rosenblum wine, most likely the Planchon Vineyard Zinfandel, second favorite only to the Hendry.

Rosenblum Cellars holiday tasting room hours
Christmas Eve 11-3
Christmas Day closed
New Year’s Eve 11-3
New Year’s Day closed

Then we’ll be back to normal: everyday 11-6. Except I’m happy to say I won’t be there next week because I’ll be going to Mississippi to see my family. I cannot wait!

Merry Christmas!, Rosenblum Cellars holiday tasting room hours

Last Saturday, I followed through on my promise to make something sweet for the tasting room (which I planned to get double use out of by tripling the recipe and taking one third to a dinner party that night). Waking up early that morning, I got out the ingredients for these cranberry cupcakes with maple cream cheese icing. I followed the insrtuctions, except for adding more cranberries and more maple syrup. Once they were cool and frosted, I loaded them up on plates– with extras in tupperware– and headed over to work. Because they were more like muffins and the only sweetness came from the syrup, I decided to go with the dessert wine with lowest residual sugar: the 2004 Rosenblum Syrah Port from the Castanho Vineyard in San Francisco Bay. The wine showed light spice, smoke, and cherries and cranberries that went quite nicely with the cupcakes. Yum.

cranberry cupcakes with maple cream cheese icing, 2004 Rosenblum Syrah Port, Castanho Vineyard

Don’t forget that Rosenblum’s tasting room will stay open one hour later this Thursday (closing at 7 instead of 6) to get that holiday shopping in before it’s too late. We had a good turn-out last Thursday and customers enjoyed light snacks such as cheeses, grapes, bruschetta, etc, and wines while they picked out their favorite bottles. Speaking of, I’ve got to start deciding which wines I’m going to take home with me–which ones to give as gifts and which one to drink with our meals. But that’s my problem! We’ll help you solve yours this week. And don’t forget you can give wine seminars as gifts, too.

gifts for wine lovers

Disclaimer: This is the holiday version, so don’t expect complete accuracy…. Not that any tasting menu is ever accurate. More like don’t expect complete seriousness.

Complimentary Tasting

White

2006 Chardonnay, RustRidge Vineyard, Napa Valley $25
Davit brings over green apple, limes, and pears that represent the “first fruits” (translated from a Swahili phrase where Kwanzaa comes from)

Reds & Dessert
2005 Zinfandel, House Family Vineyard, Sonoma County $25
Chestnuts roast on an open fire while Meg demands her figgy pudding

2005 Syrah, Abba Vineyard, Lodi $25
Mistletoe hung in the hallway with care and an elaborate wreath of pine on the door, as Jonathan lights the menorah on the mantle (more…)

Holiday gift ideas:If you find yourself unable to think of a gift that will knock the socks off the wine lover in your life, let me give you some ideas… Rosenblum Cellars gifts packs

Rock Your World (Rockpile Trio) ~$130.50
Our Rockpile Road wines are among our most popular and world famous, thanks to Wine Spectator’s Top 100 List, which put our 2003 Rockpile Zin in the No. 3 spot. This box contains our 2005 Rockpile Road Zinfandel, 2005 Rockpile Road Petite Sirah, and 2005 Fran’s Vineyard (Rockpile) Syrah. (This gift box is very limited because these wines are in such short supply.)

Zinful Ladies of Rosenblum ~ $110.50
Perfect for every occasion, these irresistible Zinfandels are elegant, voluptuous and drop-dead gorgeous. Containing our 2005 Maggie’s Reserve Zinfandel, 2005 Annette’s Reserve Zinfandel, and 2005 Carla’s Vineyard Zinfandel.

Syrah Sensation and Logo Shirt ~$60.00
This gift box contains our 2005 England Shaw Syrah, the latest in a long line of exceptionally rated Syrahs (the last 3 vintages each earned 91+ points in Wine Spectator). It also includes our 2005 Sonoma Hillside Syrah with another award-winning pedigree. The classic (free!) polo shirt adds a stylish element and comes in M,L or XL. Please indicate size when you place your order. (more…)

Holiday gift ideas, Rosenblum Cellars gifts packs, Rockpile Road Zinfandel, Zinful Ladies of Rosenblum

When Aura asked me to put the Christmas tree up at work a couple of weeks ago, I protested quite a bit. After all, it wasn’t even Thanksgiving yet. But our Open House was soon approaching and she wanted everyone to get into the holiday spirit, so I gave in. Plus, she’s my boss. After Sean went out and bought one of those pre-lit fake trees (since it was too early for a real one), Meg and I set to the task of decorating. I might have gotten into the spirit a little more easily if we’d been sipping on some egg nog, but there will be time for that later…. And not the non-alcoholic kind because, after all, this is Rosenblum.

We, of course, went for a wine-themed Christmas tree. Making use of our excess of corks–cork ornaments:we pierced them with paper clips and hung them sporadically. Celeste’s idea (the Healdsburg tasting room maven) was to put old wine labels back to back. Then I was struck with inspiration (more…)

wine-themed Christmas tree, cork ornaments