Puttin’ on the Ritz

Posted on November 6, 2026 by thewineraconteur

With apologies to Irving Berlin, Harry Richman, Fred Astaire, Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle; I am not going to discuss any theatrical or cinematic entities.  I am going to discuss a “black tie” optional charity fund raiser that we attended.  This night was divided between our two birthdays and our anniversary, as I am reminded.

This was the Fourteenth incarnation of this charity event, and the second one we attended.  Needless to say, my Bride was chomping at the bit for the night to occur.  I think that she perhaps changed her wardrobe several times, until she was happy.  As for me, after two hernia operations I discovered that I needed new formal attire, as my tuxedo, nor my dinner jacket no longer crossed my girth.  I found a black-on-black dinner jacket, new trousers, a lavender formal shirt and the good news was that my “topper,” vest and formal pumps still fit.  So, off we went to the other side of the world to dine, drink, dance and perchance be seen. 

The outgoing president of the organization did an outstanding job, as there were ten tables filled with “Silent Auction” merchandise, three special raffle prizes with tickets to be sold.  There was an artist who paints portraits upside down, who then rotates the canvas on a special easel for everyone to identify the three prominent Detroiters who had painted, as an aside, the artist has donated many of his portraits that he does live and has raised several million dollars for local charities.  There was even a “barista” station.  The hall donated the food and managed two bars for the evening.  There was a huge table of appetizers, originally set up and afterwards, it was replaced with an equally huge dessert table.  There were six courses of food that were brought to each table of merry makers, and the food was served family style, and in case some of the family overindulged, the servers brought out more food, for those that were at the end of the plate passing.  We went up to the bar to order some wine, and to start off, I asked for wine and the choices.  The bartender said we have Chablis, and I said a French Chablis, sounds great, he pulled out a gallon jug of “American Chablis” and I passed.  Thankfully there were young ladies walking around with flutes of Sparkling Wine, and truthfully, I couldn’t identify the “bulk produced” sparkler, but it worked and I kept flagging and tipping the young ladies, until the product was finished, and it worked throughout the dinner.

The main thrust of the evening for us was the chance to trip the light fantastic with music furnished by a live band that knew that a loud throbbing bass was not necessary.  At the beginning of the affair, when we got there, one of the other complimentary items of the evening was a professional portrait of us, which was fun, instead of hoping for a selfie that works, or badgering strangers to take a picture of us.  We danced the night away, and then my Bride was hovering around one of the administration tables to discover if we had won any of the “silent auction” offerings, as we didn’t win any of the raffled items.  We did on the auctions, and then we thanked our host, who belongs to my dinner club and the long drive home wasn’t as bad, since it wasn’t during rush hour.  And yes, I will be a little snarky and let you know that after a couple of dances, I undid the neck button on the shirt and untied my bowtie, just as a silent admission that I can actually tie a bow tie, and that I don’t wear a pretied tie; I do this at every black tie event, my one moment of being pompous.

Posted in Dining, Uncategorized, Wine | Leave a comment

A Tasting with Mike Farmer – Part Three

Posted on November 3, 2026 by thewineraconteur

We now were at the part of the tasting at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan where Mike Farmer changed hats and discussed his other winery and this was the only location to buy his wines other then at the winery.  He was now doing a tasting for his two wines that he makes from ZFG Winery in Napa Valley.  The official name is “Zen From Grapes,” but it has a more colorful “Zero Fs Given” in a more casual discussion at times.

We started with ZFG Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Reserve Production Napa Valley 2023.  This wine began for the Mike and Jenny Farmer, just for fun, but through their association with Paula Kornell Wines, this is now a labor of love, and they are now producing seventy-five cases of this wine, which they sell in allotments of six-packs or twelve-packs and the first time available in Michigan.  The fruit is harvested from the Oakville Benchlands and exemplifies the famed gravel and loamy soils of the Oakville AVA.  The deep garnet wine offered notes of black cherry, blackberry and cassis, followed by violets and lavender, along with cigar box and toasted vanilla.  On the palate theis full-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of black and red fruits, mocha, leather and baking spices blending with silky tannins ending with a good medium-to-long count finish of fruit, crushed stones and graphite and the ethereal tones of Sous-bois blending with terroir.

The second wine that we had was ZFG Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain District AVA 2023 and only one barrel was made of this, or twenty-five cases.  Diamond Mountain District was established in 2001, though its first vineyard was planted in the 1860 by Joseph Schram which later became Schramsberg Vineyard property.  It is located south of and above Calistoga and there is five thousand acres of vineyards, scrubland and forests.  Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominate varietal, but the other Bordeaux grapes are grown, as well as some Zinfandel; and there is even some white varietal grapes grown there too.  This deep garment-colored wine offered notes of blue and black fruits, followed by minerals and Sous-bois.  On the palate this full-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed rich black cherries and currants, dark chocolate and spices blending with velvety tannins and ending with a long-count finish of elegant fruit, spices and notable terroir.

Just when I thought we were done, since it was only Jim, Mike and myself, Jim had a special bottle opened and poured for us, and I must admit, it was from one of my favorite communes on the Right Bank.  We were regaled with a tasting of Chateau de Sales Pomerol 2015.  Chateau de Sales is the largest estate in Pomerol and one of the few estates there that has an historic building, more commonly associated with the Medoc.  The property has been in the de Lambert family for over five centuries, though the chateau was built in the 17th Century.  Outside of losing three hectares during the French Revolution, the property limits have maintained the same since 1578.  The soil is mostly sandy (which contains some iron oxide), with fine gravel and some patches of clay.  The property is planted at seventy-three percent Merlot, fifteen percent Cabernet Sauvignon and twelve percent Cabernet Franc.  The grounds are maintained in the classic traditional ways, but with some environmentally friendly concepts being introduced, and the fruit is hand-picked.  The wine is aged in French Oak for twelve months, with about twenty percent new barrels, and the wine is usually bottled about eighteen months after the harvest.  This deep purple wine offered notes of plums, cranberries, blackberries and dark cherries followed by soft floral, cedar, leather, herbs and spices.  On the palate this medium-to-full bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of plums and cherries with some smokiness blending with velvety tannins and ending with a nice long-count finish of rich black fruit, vanilla, toffee/caramel and a bit of chalky terroir.

Posted in Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Tasting with Mike Farmer – Part Two

Posted on October 31, 2026 by thewineraconteur

I enjoyed a quiet time at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan.  For a brief period with Jim Lutfy, the proprietor, Mike Farmer of Paula Kornell Sparkling Wines and ZFG Winery.

As Mike Farmer explained, it was serendipity that he and his wife had been Paula Kornell’s first customers when she launched her inaugural vintage of her Napa Valley Blanc de Noir 2017.  They ended up bonding over their passion for wine, dogs and commitment to charitable work.  Paula Kornell was the president of the board of directors for Napa Valley Vintners and served on the boards of Napa Humane and Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa.  Mike Farmer was formerly president of commercial operation at Builders FirstSource and now serves on the board of directors for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  His wife Jenny, who as a labor and delivery nurse for twenty years, now serves on the board of Hope Scarves, which raises funds for metastatic breast cancer research and patient support.

After the first two non-vintage offerings, we then were going to taste two vintage wines and the first of the two was Paula Kornell Wines Blanc de Blanc Napa Valley 2020.  While all the wines from Paula Kornell are Methode Champenoise, this was the start of a vintage year and not a blend of years.  This bottle of wine is pure Chardonnay and after the harvest the grapes are pressed, and the juice is first in Stainless-Steel tanks.  The “tirage” was done on January 22, 2021, and this is a crucial step in the process known as Methode Champenoise.  A mixture of sugar and yeast (Liqueur de Tirage) is added to the still wine, which is then bottled; this mixture creates a second fermentation in the bottle and is essential for creating the effervescence qualities of this type of wine and explains the need for heavier and sturdier bottles.  Disgorgement is the next step and is the removal of dead yeast cells that have accumulated in the neck of the bottle.  The small amount of liquid is replaced with additional wine, and perhaps some sugar, and allows some fresh oxygen to let the wine “breathe and evolve.” The wine was a pale straw-color leaning towards a soft-golden shade with fine, persistent bubbles that offered notes of pear and lemon zest, along with white florals and baguettes and croissants.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of citrus and golden apples blending into a creamy-textured wine with a medium-count finish of fruit, brioche, chalk and almonds.

We then went with Paula Kornell Wines Blancs De Noir Napa Valley 2020.  This Methode Champenoise wine is a blend of seventy percent Pinot Noir and thirty percent Chardonnay.  The grapes were harvested in August 2020 and underwent Initial Fermentation in Stainless-Steel tanks, then Tirage occurred on February 1, 2021, to start the Second Fermentation.  The Disgorgement occurred in October 2024 after three years of “riddling” which is process to finally get the bottles upside down very gradually, to allow the art of disgorgement to proceed.  This golden-colored wine with tiny, persistent bubbles offered notes of lemons, strawberries and currents followed by freshly cut hay.  On the palate, this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of lemons, peaches and white cherries, followed by croissants and brioche ending with a medium-to-long finish of citrus, fruit, brioche and a whisper of ginger.

Posted in Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Tasting With Mike Farmer – Part One

Posted on October 28, 2026 by thewineraconteur

Another bright and crisp Autumn Day that found me at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan for a wine tasting with Mike Farmer of Paula Kornell Winery and ZFG Winery.

Hans Kornell arrived in America in 1939 with only a couple of dollars and hitchhiked to California and in 1951 began making sparkling wines in Sonoma County.  By 1951, he had saved enough money to buy the old Larkmead Winery, which was started in 1906.  Paula Kornell is a fourth-generation sparkling wine producer with over thirty years of experience, including time at Eleven Eleven Wines, Vichon and Robert Mondavi.  Last year, after Vintage Wine Estates filed for bankruptcy, Paula Kornell and some thirty-odd wineries were left unprepared and facing the auction block.  Then in November, Paula had new partners with Mike and Jenny Farmer of Calistoga.

The first wine of the session was Paula Kornell Brut California Sparkling Wine NV.  This sparkling wine was the perfect way to begin the tasting, as it is a California wine and comes from certified sustainable vineyards in the some of the coolest growing regions and are managed by fifth-generation grape growers.  The wine is entirely done using Stainless-Steel and then glass, without the use of any oak.  The wine is made in the classic Methode Champenoise and not by the bulk method.  A blend of eighty percent Chardonnay and twenty percent Pinot Noir.  After the Initial Fermentation the wine was aged for twenty-four months, before disgorgement and then a few more months before being released for retail.  A beautiful golden color with consistent small bubbles offered notes of peaches, apricots and lemon zest along with white florals.  This medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of green wines, fresh fruit, racy acidity, a mild toasty mousse and ending with medium-count finish of fruit and florals.  And way too nice for Mimosas.

We then had their second non-vintage sparkling wine, Paula Kornell Brut Rosé California Sparkling Wine NV.  This is a multi-vintage blend of seventy percent Pinot Noir and thirty percent Chardonnay using the classic Methode Champenoise.  The wine was aged for thirty-eight months on fine lees in the bottle and then an additional several months after the disgorgement.  A pretty salmon-pink colored wine with persistent small bubbles offered notes of strawberry, raspberry and watermelon along with wet stones.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of currants, cranberries, pomegranate seeds and tart cherries followed by lively acidity, a creamy mousse and ending with medium-count finish of fruit, terroir and some toasted hazelnuts. 

Posted in Wine | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

An Evening in Petoskey

Posted on October 25, 2026 by thewineraconteur

We finally got around to having dinner.  We ended up at Beacon Bistro where we ate before, in fact at the same table overlooking the water and some of the highway.  We had tried for the second time to try a new restaurant for us, that was highly recommended to us, but they were closed two different times, because of a private party.  We also learned of another location for dinner, that we will try the next time we venture back to Petoskey.

When we got to the restaurant, they were still organizing for the dinner crowd, so we had a drink at the bar with Sentio Brut Prosecco Veneto, Italy NV.  This wine is ninety-eight percent Glera (Prosecco) and two percent Perera.  This is a good basic Prosecco wine that is made using the Charmat Method, with first and secondary fermentation done in temperature-regulated Stainless-Steel tanks.  A pale straw-colored sparkling wine with constant medium-sized bubbles that offered notes of green apple, pear, grapefruit and lemon zest, followed with white florals.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of green apples and citrus with a decent mousse with pleasant acidity and ending with a medium-count finish of fruit and florals.

When we finally left the bar, as I mentioned earlier we were seated in the exact table as the time before, and we had asked our waitress to take our picture and she did from two different angles, but the sun was at such an angle that all there was, was intense glare and I am not adept enough to correct such photography. Hell, I sometimes have a hard enough time with my prose, let alone being a wizard in modern computer techniques. We started off by sharing an order of Beer Mussels prepared with beer, butter, lemon and red pepper flakes.  My Bride had the Walleye with Wild Rice Pilaf, capers, citrus and saffron Beurre Blanc, and Zucchini.  I had the Steak Au Poivre, an eight-ounce Wagyu Hanger Steak with Peppercorn-Crusted, crispy Black Garlic Parmesan fries, Zucchini, Garlic Aioli and Cognac Peppercorn Crème.  We then had our decaf-coffees and shared a Crème Brule.

I had to pick a wine that would work for both of our meals, because I didn’t want to get anything too overpowering for her fish.  I selected Le Garenne Sancerre Rosé Loire Valley 2024 and in a way, I was excited for the choice.  As a wine blogger I guess I must be doing something wrong LOL, as I seldom get wines to taste and critique, but then again, I have never asked; I mention this fact, because Le Garenne has graciously sent me at two different times wines for me to write about and this was the first time that I had encountered their wine, so I had to reciprocate in my own manner.  This wine is made from Pinot Noir grapes on the Silex, flint soils, calcareous clay soil, known as “Terres blanches.” This is a wine made from contracted family wine growers with sustainable growing practices located at or around the village of Verdigny.  This wine is crafted for Le Garenne by Laurent Reverdy, a sixth-generation winemaker of Sancerre from Reverdy Estates in Verdigny.  The wine is made with no additives for color, flavor, or texture and they use wild native yeast for fermentation.  I will venture to say that the wine is made with Stainless-Steel vats with a small production and a short period of aging to maintain the fresh, crisp fruit flavor of the wine.  This pale salmon-pink colored wine offered notes of red cherry, strawberry and citrus, with white floral following.  This medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of cherry, strawberry, lemon and lime citrus ending with a medium-count finish of fruit, terroir and a crisp steely minerality.

Posted in Dining, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

An Afternoon in Petoskey

Posted on October 22, 2026 by thewineraconteur

After lunch while we were still in the downtown area of Petoskey, the autumn sun was out and beating down on us.  There is a magic number of ten-thousand steps which is a mantra, and my Bride’s watch keeps track of such things, of course if it was really a smart watch, it would have realized that we were developing a thirst again.

We ended up climbing the steps to the historic Perry Hotel, and many still call it the Stafford Perry Hotel.  In 1819, Dr. Norman J. Perry opened the doors to the Hotel Perry, only four years after Petoskey became a city.  As in most places up north, there is certain bragging rights and in 1916, a young Ernest Hemingway checked in on his way to his family’s cottage at Walloon Lake. Then over the years, it has changed hands and expanded and remodeled to stay current to the trends of the traveler’s desires and demands.  In 2023, Jon and Lauren Cotton acquire the Hotel Perry and in 2026 launch the Cotton Collection of historic hotels and restaurants across Northern Michigan and Mackinac Island.  The collection includes Harbour View Inn, Hotel Iroquois and Bay View Inn, plus waterfront restaurants like the Carriage House, The Pier and Weathervane; while each property keeps its own name, history and character.

We have always been there on business trips, so we have never dined there, but we have had drinks at the lobby bar, and we continued that tradition with some Dominique et Janine Crochet Sancerre Loire, France 2025.  The estate is in the small village of Bué and they maintain thirteen hectares, with 9.5 ha for Sauvignon Blanc and 3.5 ha for Pinot Noir. They are in the process of converting to organic farming.  This wine is pure Sauvignon Blanc grown on soil that is fifty percent limestone, thirty percent clay and twenty percent flint (silex).  The fruit is both hand-harvest and machine-harvested, pneumatically pressed and they use natural yeast fermentation in temperature controlled Stainless-Steel vats and then aged in the vats for six months.  A soft-golden colored wine that offered notes of green apples and quince, white florals, and hints of asparagus and green pepper.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced crisp wine displayed tones of green apples, citrus and tropical fruits blending with fresh acidity and ending with a medium-to-long count finish of fruit, chalk and flintiness.

The bartender in the lobby bar had poured each of us a hearty glassful and then offered us another wine from Sancerre that was not on the menu, but he said was for some friends of the owners and they didn’t finish the bottle, and he said that it was too good to throw away, and he was right.  We had another hearty glassful of Domaine Serge Laporte Sancerre Les Boursicottes Loire France 2025 and another bottle was finished.  Domaine Serge Laporte has been a family business for seven generations at Chavignol, the gateway to Sancerre.  They have fourteen hectares devoted to Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.  This wine is from two estate parcels “Terre Blanches” and “Les Caillotes” and both are chalk and limestone soils.  Farming is organic, and the wine is fermented at cool temperatures in Stainless-Steel vats and aged in the vats for five to eight months on the lees and then bottled.  The pale straw-yellow colored wine offered notes of citrus, tree fruit, honeysuckle and lavender and hints of flint.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of fig, melon and citrus blending with bright acidity to end with a medium-to-long count finish of fruit, minerals and a saline lift which beckoned for another taste.

Posted in Uncategorized, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Morning of Shopping in Petoskey

Posted on October 19, 2026 by thewineraconteur

If you have never been up north in the lower peninsula of Michigan, you have missed a wonderful treat.  After a quick breakfast we began our traditional walk in the downtown district of Petoskey.  If you kind of use the Stafford Perry Hotel as your base, the downtown district is probably twenty blocks with a park, museums and an abandoned railway track traversing the region.

While she was reminding me that this was part of my birthday present and celebration, we were out shopping.  We walked into this hardware store that had an awesome collection of Polish Art Plates and Lawn Art as well, she was starting to gather up items for other people’s birthdays and Christmas presents and the staff told her to come back the next morning for a massive sale on the items that they were featuring, and we did bright and early with our suitcases pack and ready to load up the car.  We also went into a shop that turned her on to MacKenzie-Childs kitchen ware in their “courtly check” pattern of black and off-white, but they were now featuring several other colors as well, thankfully my prayers were answered, and she didn’t want to start another collection.  Then it was her turn to get nervous as we walked into a fine clothing store.  They were featuring some very rich and unique Tartan Tweed sport coats that were just eye-catching.  I saw a salesman “rigging” a sweater on a torso form, and I couldn’t help but offer my two-cents worth of suggestions, then he looked and me and smiled, as we are both a couple of old war-horses from the glory days of men’s wear.  While we were chatting, my Bride decided that the sweater was not a King’s ransom and she had me select a pair of trousers and a shirt to compliment it, but she reminded me that it was a Christmas present. 

We had worked up a hunger and a thirst, so we decided to go have lunch at Chandler’s.  Chandler’s, which is below and adjacent to Symons General Store, which opened in 1956, in the oldest brick building in the city.  Normally, we have our meals in the wine cellar, which is part of the basement of Symons, but for lunch we either had to eat in a courtyard or in a tavern across the courtyard from Symons, we went into the tavern.  Symons has a very nice offering of wine and noshes in their emporium, and a high shelf that circles the room features wonderful “old soldiers” of great vintage of bottles that were surely enjoyed in their day.  Chandler’s continues with the wines to accompany their menu, and almost everywhere that you look that there is a need to keep items consolidated, you will see that the goods are stored in empty wine crates.

As we got situated in the tavern of Chandler’s, we decided not to go big, and share some plates of food.   We had a plate of California Roll Starters with Lump Crab, cucumber, avocado, pickled ginger and Wasabi; and a plate of Beef Tenderloin Tartare which was a hand-cut filet, egg yolks capers, red onion, parsley, arugula, Parmesan crostini, Dijon Mustard, lemon-infused olive oil and cracked pepper.  We washed it all down with Domaine Jean-Louis Mothe Chablis Burgundy 2022.  This Domaine has been in the Mothe family since 1887, and in 1957 they decided to specialize in Chablis, and by the eighties they were producing their own wines.  This wine is pure Chardonnay and is grown on classic Chablis soil of gray marl with streaks of limestone and fossils.  The fruit is hand-harvested from vines that are about forty-five-years-of-age.  The wine is fermented with domestic yeast in temperature-controlled Stainless-Steel vats for two weeks, followed by thirteen months of additional aging in the vats.  The soft golden colored wine offers notes of green apples, grapefruit, white florals and flint.  On the palate this medium-bodied, well-balanced wine displays tones of green apple, pear, citrus blending with vibrant acidity to end with a good medium-count finish of fruit, chalk terroir and a steely minerality.    

Posted in Dining, Uncategorized, Wine | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Up North Again

Posted on October 16, 2026 by thewineraconteur

I am finally getting ready to discuss our little getaway back in August, that my Bride always ties into my birthday, which is OK, as the celebratory season keeps getting longer.  I also don’t like announcing to the world that my house will be empty, as I show live photos of us away.  It seems that we always start our up north trip with dinner at the Walloon Lake Inn.

We arrived at the Walloon Lake Inn early, but I knew that they offer a Wallon Wine Time period before the restaurant opens, out on the lawn looking at the boats and a marina. It began as a quaint country inn on the shores of Walloon Lake, back in 1891.  Originally called Fern Cottage, it was a haven for the travelers, who enjoyed northern Michigan by carriage, train, or steamboat. In 1981, it became the Walloon Lake Inn, as a “bed and breakfast” and a restaurant.  In 2014, there was a total renovation, and it became the current Walloon Lake Inn.  We decided to start the evening off with some bubbles, as we enjoyed some of the locals who wanted to share their “crack” with us of the famed Truffle Fries with herbs, Reggiano Parmesan and Truffle Aioli.  We began by enjoying Charles Ninot Methode Traditionelle Brut France NV from Famille Piffaut.  From what I can gather, this wine is made at a young winery in the Languedoc region, in a vineyard with a high altitude.  It is a French alternative to Italian Prosecco, made from Chardonnay grapes that are picked early in the season to maintain freshness and then produced under the classic method compared to the bulk method for sparkling wines.  A soft-golden colored wine with plenty of medium-sized bubbles that offered notes of citrus and exotic fruits.  On the palate this medium-bodied crisp wine displayed tones of citrus, pineapples, lemon zest with a touch of brioche, ending with a medium-count finish of fruit and candied lemon zest.

It was finally time to enter the restaurant for dinner. Of course, we were there to take advantage of their early bird (Senior’s Special) which is fine, because going back to almost the earliest days in retail, back in 1972, I was the low man on the totem pole and I was appointed to have my dinner break at 4:30 and to this day, it is a hard habit to break.  My Bride as her norm had their Caesar Salad which was Romaine lettuce, croutons, Heirloom cherry tomatoes, a Parmesan crisp and Anchovy Caesar dressing.  Then she surprised me and had the Lamb Shank with Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Sweet Potato Smash, Shallots and a House-made Demi-Glace.  She then had their Chocolate Mousse.  I started with the Mussels in a Garlic-herb Butter, Smoky Chorizo, Linguini and Crispy Shallots.  For my dessert I went with a classic Crème Brule.

We also enjoyed a bottle of Stephane Aviron Chenas Vielles Vignes Beaujolais Villages 2020 and imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.  Stephane Aviron has adopted an almost radical return to tradition in Beaujolais, with sustainable viticulture, extremely old vines and classic Burgundian techniques.  The vines used for this Chenas wine average about one hundred years of age, planted from 1900 to 1923, on a 13.6-acre parcel where the soil is light and made of mostly sand and small pebbles over a layer of clay and quartz.  This wine is pure Gamay.  The fruit is vinified using whole bunches, macerated for seven days in temperature controlled Stainless-Steel vats and then aged for twelve months in a cement tank to maintain the purity of the fruit.  This deep dark purple colored wine offered notes of black cherry, followed by violets, black pepper and Sous-bois.  On the palate this medium-to-full bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of rich dark cherries, raspberries and plums, blending with medium acidity and soft tannins to end with a medium-to-long finish of fruit, black pepper and terroir.  

Posted in Dining, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

After the Club Pickup

Posted on October 13, 2026 by thewineraconteur

I was just chatting a bit, a discussing some wines that I saw online, while I was at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan.  I tend to be a bit of talker, in case you hadn’t noticed and the next thing I knew, there were five wines pulled out and a wine glass, and I will mention the last three. 

The first wine that I will mention is Hourglass Wines Blueline Estate Merlot Napa Valley 2023, and I do have a natural affinity to Merlot.  Hourglass Wines is a small California winery known for quality wines and limited production.  It was founded in the 1990s by Jeff Smith, who take over farming the vineyard that his father Ned had planted in the Seventies.  The original vineyard was five acres which first was planted with Zinfandel and sold to other producers, and in 1992 it was replanted with Cabernet Sauvignon.  The name Hourglass was named for the topography of the vineyard shaped by the Mayacamas Range and the first vintage was 1997.  In 2006, they expanded with the purchase of the twenty-two-acre Blueline Vineyard that was planted with Bordeaux style blending grapes, and they have since added Sauvignon Blanc as well.  Hourglass Vineyard is in St. Helena and the Blueline Estate is in Calistoga, and the wines carry the Napa Valley AVA.  The wines are sold through allocation via a mailing list, similar to other smaller wineries in the area. This wine is a blend of eighty percent Merlot, seventeen percent Cabernet Sauvignon and one percent each of Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc grown on gravelly Cortina River Wash soils.  The grapes are destemmed with fifty percent crushed berries, and the others underwent a two-day cold soak, and fermented on skins.  The wine is aged for twenty months in French Oak, of which sixty-five percent was new; with a production of 625 cases.  A deep garnet colored wine that offered notes of dark plums, red and black cherries and crème de cassis with trace notes of mandarin orange, black olives, hazelnuts cocoa and crushed stones.  This full-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of red and black fruits featuring plums and cassis blending with rich acidity and supple tannins ending with a long-count finish of deep fruit, spices and a minerally terroir.

We then had an Azienda Agricola Talenti Rosso di Montalcino DOC  2024.  Azienda Agricola Talenti is a Tuscan winery just south of Montalcino, founded in 1980 by Pierluigi Talenti and is now by his grandson Riccardo. The estate is twenty-one hectares of which sixteen is planted with Sangiovese Grosso and the balance is a mix of indigenous and international varieties; planted on southeast facing soils of sandy loam, limestone plates and heavy stones.  The fruit is hand-harvested and sorted on a vibrating table, then the wine is fermented in temperature-controlled Stainless-Steel vats.  The wine is then aged in large casks of either Slavonian or French Oak, followed by additional aging in the bottle before release.   The deep ruby-red colored wine offered notes of ripe cherry, sour cherry and plum followed by violets and spices.  On the palate this medium-to-full bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of red and black fruits, blending with some bright acidity and silky tannins ending with a long-count finish of fruit, spices and terroir.    

We then had Chateau de Camensac Haut-Medoc 2010 and when you look at the label questioningly, this wine is a Fifth Growth from the 1855 Classification of the Medoc.  The estate is by St.-Laurent-et-Benon and just over the border from Saint-Julien.  The vineyard is documented from the 17th Century, but the estate was   established in 1799, when it was sold at auction after the French Revolution to Joseph Popp, a Hamburg-born merchant.  At one point in its history it was owned by the Forner family, a Rioja based family of Marques de Caceres fame.  It was purchased from them in 2005 by the Merlaut family who also own chateaux Chasse-Spleen and Gruaud-Larose.  The estate is seventy hectares of vines planted to Cabernet Sauvignon.  The soil is predominantly gravel or sandy gravel for the Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Merlot is planted in blocks around the borders of the property on chalky clay.  The wine is sixty percent Cabernet Sauvignon and forty percent Merlot.  The fruit is manually harvested, sorted and fermentation takes place in both temperature-controlled Concrete and Stainless-Steel tanks for six days, followed by three weeks of maceration and daily pumping.  After the blending of the grapes, Malolactic Fermentation occurs in French Oak, of which forty percent is new, for about eighteen months.  Fining with egg white and a final racking before bottling.  This deep garnet/purple colored wine offered notes of black cherry, black currants and plums followed by some whiffs of tobacco and cedar.  On the palate this full-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of rich cherries and plums, followed by distinct black pepper accents blending with good acidity and velvety tannins ending with an elegant long-count finish of fruit, pepper and some terroir.  

Posted in Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fine Wine Source Club – October 2026

Posted on October 10, 2026 by thewineraconteur

It was a pleasant trip to go visit The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan and pick up the Wine Club selections that are curated by the owner and his staff.  It is always a trip to look forward to, because one never knows what to expect.   This time there were two white wines.

Representing the Old World was La Bioca “Cyrogrillo” Langhe Rossese Bianco 2023.  La Bioca is a small winery in the Langhe near Serralunga d’Alba.  The winery has eight hectares of vineyards located in Monforte d’Alba, Novello, La Morra and Barbaresco.  The word “Bioca” is a Piedmontese local word to describe a decisive person with a “tough head.”   Their first vintage was in 2012.  Rossese is a mildly aromatic red grape variety found in Liguria, and along the Riviera in southern France to the Franco-Italian border.  It is rather rare to be seen on its own, and is often blended with Sangiovese, though a few wineries are staunch supporters of this grape.  There is a mutation of this grape known as Rossese Bianco, the most famous being Rossese di Dolceacqua.  This wine is a blend of eighty-five percent Rossese Bianco and fifteen percent Manzoni Bianco.  The fruit is manually harvested, destemmed, and softly pressed without maceration.  The wine is fermented in temperature-controlled Stainless-Steel tanks, and the two juices are vinified separately on the lees for about five months, and then the two wines are blended about two months prior to bottling.  This straw-yellow wine offered notes of lemon, chamomile, white florals, herbs, cut grass and minerals.  On the palate this light-bodied wine displayed tones of lemon-lime citrus, white pepper, traces of vanilla, good acidity with an oily-like texture and ending with a medium-count finish citrus and terroir.

The club selection representing the New World is from an old friend of the shop Korbin Ming who began producing Moonbeam Chardonnay Massa Vineyard Carmel Valley 2023, which is produced by Moonridge Vineyard, the parent company and estate of Korbin Kameron Winery.  Even the labeling is different and depicts a line drawing of Korbin’s dog Kiera.  While the wines of Korbin Kameron are from the family estate on Mount Veeder, this is a completely new venture, using the Massa Vineyard in Carmel Valley, with an elevation of 1,500 feet and ten miles from the Pacific Ocean.  Massa Vineyard was formerly Heller Estate and was a very early champion of dry farming and organic farming.  The Chardonnay rootstock was planted in the 1970s of unknown Chardonnay clones.  This wine was produced using an Oxidative Fermentation, with SO2 after fermentation to bring color back and to block Malolactic Fermentation.   The wine was aged for eighteen months on gross lees in Neutral Oak and Stainless-Steel drums with no lees stirring and racked to tank for bottling.  Oxidative Fermentation is like a controlled process found in Sherry or Vin Juane.  This initial wine created seventy-five cases produced and The Fine Wine Source purchased the entire lot.  This pale golden colored wine offered subtle notes of caramel and toasted almonds.  On the palate this light-to-medium bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of muted green apples and melons, with astringency and ending with a medium-count finish of soft fruit and nuts.  A very low-key and interesting Chardonnay. 

I will now mention the other wine that I tasted after I had picked up the September wine club selection.  We gathered around a table and tasted Chateau Haut-Batailley Pauillac 2016.  Chateau Haut-Batailley has the status of a Fifth Growth from the 1855 Classification of Bordeaux. It was once part of the larger Chateau Batailley, and it was bought in 1932 by the Borie brothers, who divided the property in two, for inheritance reasons.  The smaller estate without a physical chateau was named Haut-Batailley and later added purchased plots from Chateau Duhart-Milon.  The estate is now twenty-two hectares, and the Borie family also owns Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou and Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste. In 2017 it was purchased by the Cazes family.  According to my research this was a blend of seventy percent Cabernet Sauvignon, thirty percent Merlot with a small percentage of Cabernet Franc (about five percent) (sic).  The wine began its fermentation process in thermoregulated Stainless-Steel vats and then aged for sixteen months in French Oak, of which sixty-five percent was new.  A deep garnet colored wine that offered notes of black and red fruit, cedar and graphite.  On the palate this full-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of red cherry, currant, blueberry and cassis followed by cedar, graphite and crushed stones blending with firm tannins and ending with a nice long-count finish of fruit, a touch of tobacco and terroir; this wine is ready to drink or will still hold for more cellaring.      

Posted in Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment