Wine Outlook

Miguel Boscana is back!! When I began my job at Rosenblum Cellars, there were a few things people asked about on a regular basis: when would the St. Peter’s Church be available, when was the next Open House, and how was Miguel (and when would he be back)… Well, the 05 St. Peter’s Zin has been out since November, the next Open House is the last weekend of July, and Miguel has been back since early March.

I can see why everyone loves him. He’s friendly, he’s fun, and he knows a heckuva lot about wine. If you haven’t seen him yet, come on in and say hello!

Or better yet, (more…)

Miguel Boscana, Rosenblum Cellars

If you are a Zinfandel fan, then surely you are quite familiar with the name Rockpile…

Around six years ago, Rockpile was recognized as its own AVA. Before that it was grouped in with the other areas of Dry Creek Valley, but it became obvious that the nature of the geography and wines produced there deserved distinction. Mountain vineyards throughout the new AVA have differences but tend to make the most of the rocky soils, cooler days and warmer nights. Despite their variations, they have one thing in common: good, often monster, wines.

Rosenblum Cellars recognized the beauty of this region early on. Ten years ago, to be exact. Jack Florence, Sr., and his son, Jack Florence, Jr., grow lots of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Syrah for us. Each one wonderful, each one distinct. (Though it was the Rockpile Road Zinfandel that truly put the vineyard on the map when it reached #3 on the Wine Spectator Top 100, I have to admit it’s the Petite Sirah that blows me away!)

Whichever (or all) Rockpiles you like, I have the destination for you. (more…)

Zinfandel fan, Rosenblum Cellars, Jack Florence, Rockpile Road Zinfandel

This week’s menu, available through Thursday… I promise I am going to start getting these up on time. They change every Friday morning. Don’t know where my head goes sometimes!

Complimentary Tasting

2005 Roussanne, Santa Barbara, Appellation Series $18
A romantic tryst between guava and pineapple, as they share
a butterscotch sundae and lock eyes over a vase of honeysuckle

2006 Zinfandel, Richard Sauret Vineyard, Paso Robles $25
Fresh bread toasted and slathered with raspberry and plum jam…
or maybe you’d rather pilfer a piece of strawberry shortcake

2005 Syrah, Abba Vineyard, Lodi $25
Vanilla plays second fiddle to the dark cherries, light smoke, and
minerality that work their mojo on your glass

*Reserve Flight - $8.00 * (more…)

***This week’s theme: Dessert in your glass (but not dessert wine)*** Sometimes, I confuse people with my themes, as when I compared the wines to ice cream flavors. But if you use your imagination a little…I’ll take you to some crazy places!

Complimentary Tasting

2006 Cote du Bone Blanc, Chateau la Paws $14
Dive into peach trifle layered with lemon custard
and wash it down with a Hansen’s Orange Creme Soda

2005 Zinfandel, Planchon Vineyard, San Francisco Bay $25
Take your choice of plum crumble cake
or rum raisin cake sprinkled with pecans … and grab a fork

2006 Petite Sirah, Heritage Clones, Appellation Series $18
Oooo and ahhh over the display of a decadent
molten chocolate cake with vanilla-coated raspberries on the side
(more…)

I’m a little late in posting this one. Sorry! It will change again on Friday.

Complimentary Tasting

2006 Roussanne, Fess Parker Vineyard, Santa Barbara $25
Take a sip of this tropical smoothie
with pineapples, lychees, mandarin oranges, and honeysuckle

2005 Zinfandel, Aparicio Vineyard, Amador County $25
A lone fig tree surrounded by an orchard of abundant cherries,
and further beyond — pines and peppercorns

2004 Syrah, Santa Barbara, Appellation Series $18
Vanilla beans dance with violets along a rocky stream
while a piles of plums look on with envy

(more…)

This Saturday the tasting room at the winery in Alameda will be closed due to a private event for wine club members. Regular (11-6) hours today and Friday and back to normal on Sunday.

Rosenblum Cellars tasting room hours

Rosenblum Cellars tasting room hours

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

Saturday the tasting room staff had planned to go to dinner with one of our growers and to taste through several older vintages of the Planchon Vineyard Zinfandel, one of my favorites. Unfortunately, things changed last minute and we had to reschedule. Since we were all a little sad about missing out on the yummy wine, Kelley—who works with us every other Saturday—brought in a bottle of 2001 Rosenblum Annette’s Reserve Zinfandel from the Rhodes Vineyard in Redwood Valley. The 2005 is currently another favorite of mine for its raspberry, blueberry, and loads of Chinese 5 spice. The 2001 showed some of the same, just to a deeper degree. On the nose, I found raspberry jam, cocoa, clove, raisin, and then later coffee. Upon tasting, it was plum, raisin, rich chocolate, anise, and hint of pecans. Pam found chocolate and coconut, like a Mounds bar in her glass. And LaMont seemed to agree with me when he wrote “ripe raspberry with cocoa—followed by dark chocolate with an Asian spice finish.”

The wine had aged beautifully, becoming a richer version of what it tastes like in youth. And our least expensive reserve, it’s quite the deal at only $35.

2001 Rosenblum Annette’s Reserve Zinfandel

***This week’s theme: Crayola crayon colors*** I have to say, this is one of my favorite tasting menus I’ve written so far. It was a lot of fun to do. Though when I told Kenny G about it, he told me I was “out to lunch.” Ah, well. You decide!

Complimentary Tasting

2005 Roussanne, Santa Barbara, Appellation Series $18
A cross between apricot and goldenrod— which sometimes yields a spicy honey—
this wine also shows guava and peach

2006 Grenache, Rhodes Vineyard, Redwood Valley $25
Though this wine is not carnation pink, it does give floral notes of violets and lavender, along with black cherries and cinnamon
(more…)

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…)

Come in and taste some wines with us.
WEEKDAY MENU
Complimentary Tasting

White
2006 Viognier, Kathy’s Cuvée, Appellation Series $18
Pineapples, apricots, peaches, and fuji apples will transport you
to an island in the middle of nowhere, as coconuts fall at your feet

Red
2006 Mourvedre, Contra Costa County, Appellation Series $18
Wake up to a cup of freshly brewed coffee
with a warm blueberry muffin flecked with chocolate chips (more…)

Don’t forget: Rosenblum Cellars will be closed Easter Sunday, March 23. Back to normal operations Monday—daily from 11 to 6.

Weekend revisions: We will be featuring a different menu than that during the week. Instead of 5 complimentary pours, there will be 3 and instead of a reserve flight of 3 wines for $5, it will be 4 wines for $8. We want to encourage people to enjoy themselves but not too much. And since the weekends have been getting busier, we truly want to focus on the idea of tasting wine rather than drinking it. Responsible tasting is important to us, and we hope that our loyal customers see this as such. We want everyone happy and safe.

Shipping updates: upgrades are coming along nicely and we have several more states we can ship to, bringing the total to 16.
Here are the ones with a green light— California, Washington, Illinois, Florida, Minnesota, New Mexico, Iowa, Alaska, Michigan, Texas, Oregon, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Nebraska, North Dakota.
(more…)

Here’s an update on the hours in our tasting room.

Tomorrow: Thursday March 13— 11 to 3 PM (closing a few hours early)

Easter Sunday: March 23—closed

normal tasting room hours: 11-6 daily

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

I’m a little late in posting this week’s tasting menu, but I’m not changing it this morning due to our Open House this weekend. The new one will be for Monday, though the notes won’t be available until I return Tuesday morning….

Complimentary Tasting

Whites

2006 Roussanne, Fess Parker Vineyard, Santa Barbara $25
A snack of gingersnaps and lychees
with a little trip to Orange Julius to wash them down

2005 Roussanne, Santa Barbara , Appellation Series $18
A little taste of the tropics:
Papaya, guava, coconut, cinnamon, and orange blossoms collide

Reds
2006 Zinfandel, Paso Robles, Appellation Series $18
Cinnamon-dusted cherries blaze down a gravel road
then make a quick turn into rampant raspberries
(more…)

Complimentary Tasting