Drink, Pray, Make Wine

Alice Feiring's Edith Whartons of Wine Making

Alice Feiring's Edith Whartons of Wine Making

Grand Dame of Wine Blogerville, Alice Feiring gave the keynote address last night at the Wine Blogger Conference dinner held at Sonoma's Sebastiani Winery. And by all means, she was the epitome of Ms. Wharton: turned out in prim but modern-chic dress, Ms. Feiring was directly pleasent with her speech. She took her standing ovation quite well even as it were the largest crowd she as yet addressed. Go Wine Bloggers!

In the Q&A after dinner I asked Alice who she thought of as her Edith Whartons of her vignerons-style of wine making. This reference I picked up on her blog. Last night she clairfied it as her way of describing these wine maker types as appearing all prim and proper yet inside they are a rebel or as Ms. Wharton might have said "rabid imperalists."

So who came to mind last night for Alice?

1. Richard Figiel from Silver Thread Vineyard
and
2.  Steve Edmunds from Edmunds St. John

Amy Atwood of MyDailyWine Does Blind Tasting

This was taken at our one and only "blind tasting." I think it was before we lost in the first round. Urgh! For some strange reason both Amy and I pegged the vintages, but not the varietals. Maybe they switched our Pinot Grigo and Chardonnay?

I am sure Amy has the palate of a goddess and her wine reviews can be found at:

www.mydailywine.com

 I guess I am definitely enrolling in the WSET Certification program this coming spring.

Sent from my iPhone

speed tasting part two: BINK WINES

ok here it is: woman winemaker/owner Deb Schatzlein left her environmental engineering career in 2001 to make hand-crafted wines from small lots of sustainably grown fruit in the Yorkville AVA! Dry farmed Pinot Noir from Weir Vineyard farmed by Cindy Paulson, Winegrower we need to hear more about.
Some how she is coaxing out bright pretty flavors from teeny teeny dry clusters. So good! She uses custom crush in Santa Rosa. You go girl. Photo 2 follow. I am blogging from my teeny teeny Iphone! Not easy after 4 hours of wine tasting, I mean spitting!

www.binkwines.com

live wine blogging/speed dating

just tasting the 2004 McNab from Bonterra who specilaize in organically grown fruit. Big tasting 2004 McNab from Bonterra who specilaize in organically grown and biodynamic processing. Big and balanced with meaty mineral dark fruit. Best wine after at this 4th round. Virused 45 year old Petite Sirah vine with farmed biodynamic the soil remains healthy enough they only lose a couple of rows a year. That is dedication. The P.S. give it's distinctive edge. 6 percent Merlot/14 percent P.S./26 percent Cab Sauv.
Bonterra is experimenting with a dry farmed vineyard called "Poor Ranch"- will look into it further.

Searching for Synergist Vignerons

Here's my top interest list as I head over to the blogger conference:

1. Searching for signs of intelligent life about submachine gun/musical bow maker synergist vignerons. I know they are out there, and I hope to report back on their stories of vivacious winemaking.

1. Dry Farming, anyone really doing this in Sonoma/Napa Mendocino? Is it possible? Is the fruit really better? Success and failures reported.

2. Non-mechanized vineyard management practices. I know of a couple women vignerons who are working with baby doll sheep to keep the weeds down, and developing plans for plow and horse.

3. Winemaking with wild yeasts. Can't we leave those virulent yeast strains to Monsanto-style of winemaking.

4. Misc. amazing factoids currently unknown to me now that need to be shared. For example when my friend and winemaker, Steve Ryan toured me Eagle Point Ranch in Mendo the vineyard manager Casey explained how bat boxes need to be set up or they don't work.
Apparently a lot of them in vineyards don't attract bats. They work best if they 1) Face East and 2) have a structure, like a tree or a post about 20 yards in front of the box so the babies have a safe place to practice flying to....Priceless information for us all!

More from the conference later today!
-Pamela

First Annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference

Have you noticed all your friends junking their corporate jobs and blowing up their lives in the name of fine wine? This is the beginning of a blog for women working and entering the wine industry as a first, second...or...whatever career. Whether in the vineyards, cellars, tasting rooms, restaurants, or wine shops, these risk-takers are interesting/interested, hawk-eye observant and shaking things up by doing it their way!
Launching this site from the 1st Annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference in Santa Rosa Oct. 24 2008. Stay tuned for inspirational stories and a place to find information on how you too can make wine, not war.

US Wine Bloggers Conference Santa Rosa, CA 
Schedule of Events
Friday, October 24
12:00 noon Registration and Meet the Sponsors (Courtyard 1 & 2)
12:00 noon Tasting & Lunch at Kick Ranch Vineyard (shuttle provided)
2:45 PM Registration and Kick Ranch event end
3:00 PM Welcome and Conference Overview (Flamingo Room)
3:30 PM Live Wine Blogging (Flamingo Room)
5:15 PM Blind Tasting Challenge (Flamingo Room)
6:30 PM Self-paced New Zealand Wines tasting (Flamingo Room)
8:00 PM Dinner at the Flamingo with Keynote Speaker Gary Vaynerchuk (Empire Room)
Saturday, October 25
7:00 AM Breakfast on your own
9:00 AM Vans depart for Vineyard Walks
1:30 PM Breakout Session I
Increasing Visitors to Your Blog (Flamingo Room)
Beyond Blogging – New Technologies and Social Media (Courtyard 1)
Wine Blogger Credibility (Courtyard 2)
2:45 PM Breakout Session II
Making Money from Your Blog (Flamingo Room)
Blogging For Your Wine Business (Courtyard 1)
Wine Blogger & Industry Interaction (Courtyard 2)
5:00 PM Grand Tasting of Sonoma Wines (Empire Room)
6:30 PM Bus departs for evening events
7:00 PM Dinner and tasting at Sebastiani with Keynote Speaker Alice Feiring
Sunday, October 26
7:00 AM Breakfast on your own
9:00 AM Blogger “Unconference” (Flamingo Room)
11:30 AM Final “Luxe Sonoma” tasting and lunch (Empire Room)
1:00 PM Conference Ends