Tasting with Our Favorite Winemaker, Cuvaison's Steve Rogstad

Steve Rogstad, Jeff Toister, and Sally Toister (all with purple teeth)

Last Friday, we had the privilege of drinking wine with Steve Rogstad, the winemaker at Cuvaison. 

It’s not a big secret that Cuvaison is our favorite winery. Their entire portfolio of wine is consistently outstanding. Cuvaison wines almost always appear in our blind tastings and have even won two single varietal tastings: Pinot Noir and Syrah.  

We met Steve at Cuvaison’s tasting room in Carneros and tasted through their current releases while picking Steve’s brain about all things wine. It was an unforgettable experience.  

We have a tradition of talking about the high points of our wine trip as we make the drive home from Napa to San Diego. Here’s a re-cap of our conversation about our experience tasting wine with our favorite winemaker. 

What was one of the most surprising things you learned?

[Sally] It surprised me to learn that he didn’t like to make Zinfandel. Well, maybe it wasn’t that he didn’t like to make it but it was just harder for him to make. That was surprising to learn for something that’s so damn good.

[Jeff] Yes! It was interesting to learn that Zinfandel grapes had more variability even in individual clusters that many other varietals. 

[Sally] What about you? 

[Jeff] I think for me it was learning about the Sauvignon Blanc clone called Sauvignon Blanc Musque. We don't typically like Sauvignon Blanc that's fermented only in steel, but we like Cuvaison's. Now we know that we like Cuvaison's and Cade's (which is made the same way) because of the Musque clone. It doesn’t produce that high grapefruit taste that you typically get in Sauvignon Blanc.

[Sally] It was also cool learning about the concrete eggs that more wineries like Cuvaison are using for fermentation. We’ll definitely have to learn more about that.

[Jeff] Yeah, we found three wineries on this trip that are doing that (Cuvaison, Cade, and Reynolds Family.)

[Sally] I also liked learning about the flexible layout of their winemaking operation. It was cool that they could reconfigure everything to meet the demand of whatever they were working on. 

[Jeff] Yes. It seems like a real advantage to be able to adjust your capacity almost on the fly based on whatever grape you are harvesting. Didn’t he say that he learned about this “smart shed” design from a winery in Australia?

[Sally] That conversation about the smart shed really brought out our nerd side.

How would you describe the experience of tasting wine with Steve?

[Jeff] It was cool that we were really drinking and enjoying wine rather than just tasting it.

[Sally] One thing that struck me is that we usually take copious notes when we’re tasting, but we didn't this time. We know we’re going to like their wine as long as Steve’s the winemaker. To me, it was really more about the experience of sharing the wine and learning more about it. 

For example, I enjoyed learning about the location of the vines being the number one factor that influenced the wine.

[Jeff] He talked a lot about how the different factors such as irrigation, soil, weather, etc. are all connected to the location. He even talked about using a different winemaking style depending on where and how the fruit was grown. 

[Sally] For me, it was great to see his passion come out as we talked about his wine. 

[Jeff] I think it was fun to just sit there and talk. Never once did he stop and tell us we were supposed to get notes of leather or whatever.

[Sally] Yes. It was funny that he half-jokingly said they sometimes just make that stuff up. 

We tasted a lot of stuff, what was your favorite? 

[Sally] I really liked the Spire Pinot Noir. The other one that disappeared in my glass pretty quickly was the Brandlin Cab. It was… magical. 

[Jeff] You know, when you look at it, their wines aren’t cheap, but they’re very reasonable for the quality of wine you’re getting. They have an excellent quality-to-price ratio.

[Sally] They definitely have a high QPR. What was your favorite wine?

[Jeff] I would say your picks are really good ones. I’d also say that every time I have the Mariafeld Pinot Noir, I’m surprised by how good it is. It’s slotted price-wise between their higher-end Spire Pinot Noir and their larger production Estate Pinot Noir, but there’s something about the Mariafeld Pinot Noir that just hits my palate the right way.

Bonus notes: We both talked about their outstanding Pinot Noir. The 2012 Estate Pinot Noir just received a 91 point rating from Wine Enthusiast. Reviewer Steve Heimoff said, "It defines the Carneros style."

Getting to Know Rioja Wine at Village Vino

We’ve been trying to expand our wine horizons beyond California. 

The blind tasting at our 2014 Oscar party featured only one California wine. Our last two posts featured Spanish wines: a Granacha and a white blend called Auzells.

Yesterday, we met our friend Yolanda at Village Vino to try some Rioja from CVNE. This winery produced the #1 wine on Wine Spectator’s 2013 Top 100 list. That particular wine wasn’t being poured, but we had to check it out nonetheless.

We’re not too familiar with Rioja, but the grapes tell us this region is right up our alley. Red Rioja wines (Rioja tinto) typically feature Tempranillo grapes, which is a versatile grape that pairs well with food. 

Our tasting started with a Viura. This was a very dry white wine with lots of minerality and almost no acidity. It almost reminded us of a French Sauvignon Blanc with even less citrus. You could really taste the limestone soil that the grapes were grown in.

Next up was a Rosado (rosé) made from Tempranillo. We’re slowly discovering that a Rosado doesn’t have to be a nasty, semi-sweet, psuedo-wine. Many, like this one, can be light and refreshing with good flavors for a pre-dinner drink or to enjoy with a light meal.

We then took a tour of several levels of Tempranillo from Crianza to Gran Reserva. These levels are controlled by law in Spain and primarily reflect the different aging processes. (If you want to learn more, check out this excellent Rioja primer from Wine Folly.)

They were all lighter-bodied red wines, but had a nice underlying earthiness to them. We all agreed these would drink much better with food.

Village Vino has some very tasty light bites, so we decided to order a cheese plate and a flatbread pizza. Our tasting was almost finished by the time we realized we wanted food, so we opted to shift regions and share a bottle of Stoller Pinot Noir. Stoller is an excellent example of Oregon Pinot Noir with excellent cherry flavors coupled with that typical Oregon earthiness.

Sally and friend Yolanda enjoying wine at Village Vino

Petite Sirah holiday blind tasting party

Sally and I visited her family in Houston, Texas for Christmas and used the opportunity to host a dinner party at her Mom’s house. Joining us were Sally’s Mom Mabeth, Sally's brother Greg and his wife Jennifer, and our friends Will and Sherri.

The grape of the evening was Petite Sirah and we blind tasted a few bottles from our collection. If you’re not familiar with this varietal, it’s known for being big and bold, with dark fruit flavors and high tannins.  

Our stellar lineup of Petite Sirahs ready for blind tasting 

The Wines

We started everyone off with a bottle of 2011 Cuvaison Solitaire Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a light and refreshing wine and paired nicely with prosciutto-wrapped melon we served as an appetizer. As we noted in a recent blog post, white wine can still be heartily enjoyed in the winter!

Next, we moved on the the Petite Sirahs. They were served blind side-by-side so they could be enjoyed and discussed without any preconceptions. 

Here’s the line-up:

• 2007 Vincent Arroyo Greenwood Ranch Petite Sirah
• 2007 Seghesio Home Ranch Petite Sirah
• 2007 Simi Petite Sirah 

The Food

The tasting started off with a cheese course: 

• Lemon basil feta spread
• Aged cheddar
• Bellavitano Merlot Wisconsin cow’s milk cheese 

Dinner consisted of molasses bourbon glazed beef tenderloin, scalloped potatoes, and green bean bundles wrapped in bacon. 

The Winner

This may have been our closest blind tasting contest yet. The Vincent Arroyo and the Simi each received three votes as the best. 

The Vincent Arroyo received high marks for its outstandingly smooth taste and pleasant fruit. It was clearly the favorite for drinking on its own.

The Simi earned its votes for pairing so well with both the cheese and the meal. It was especially spot on with the lemon basil feta spread.

Everyone enjoyed the Seghesio, but agreed it wasn’t in the same class as the other two.

I was the only one who wasn’t drinking blind since I had served the wines, but I got to cast the deciding vote since it was a tie. For me, the Vincent Arroyo was my favorite.

This was the second win for Vincent Arroyo at a Share the Bottle wine party. They were also the top pick in our Cabernet Sauvignon blind tasting in 2012.

From left to right: Me (Jeff), sister-in-law Jennifer, Sally's brother Greg, Sally, Sally's mom Mabeth, Sherri, and Will.

First impressions of the Ramona Valley wine region

Sally and I were joined by our friends Sarah and Dave last Sunday as we took our first wine tasting excursion to the Ramona Valley wine region. While you shouldn’t cancel your Napa plans just yet, Ramona Valley can be a fun place to spend a day wine tasting if you live in or near San Diego County.

Our general impression was this is a very young wine region. Many of the wines we tasted were produced from vineyards that have yielded grapes for only a few years. The winemakers themselves typically didn’t have many vintages under their belts, but they were eager to learn and experiment. Give this region some time and we might see some great wine.

• Wineries
• Tasting Room Map

We met a few interesting characters along the way.

Victor Edwards was pouring wine on the Edwards Vineyard and Cellars wine patio. He and his wife, Beth, make the wine and run the winery with the help of their sons. Their story seems like that of so many people who love wine, plant a few vines in their yard, and one day find themselves running a winery.

Their wines are made in very small lots. Edwards only produced 47 cases each of the 2008 Syrah and 2008 Whale Mountain Red (50% Syrah and 50% Petit Sirah), their only current releases still available. 

The winery didn’t have much of a tasting venue, which is usually a good sign. They had a few tables and chairs, a wine bar, and a small shack where they stored wine and supplies. A couple of dogs welcomed visitors as they arrived. Everything was nice and casual.

Kim Nguyen-Hargett was our host at Mahogany Mountain Vineyard and Winery. She and her husband own the winery, which is situated on 43 acres on Mahogany Ranch Road.

Kim was pouring two vintages of their Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Mourvedre when we visited. She helped us have a bit of fun by pouring each vintage in a glass without telling us which was which. We all would taste the wine and try to guess the vintage based on the tasting notes on their wine list. Doing side-by side tastings is always a lot of fun and a great way to learn a little more about wine.

Our last stop of the day was Kohill Winery. Mike Kopp, the owner and winemaker, was on hand to pour us some wine when we arrived. We were his only guests so we kept talking and Mike kept pouring. We got to barrel taste several wines and he even opened a couple of bottles of unreleased wine for us to try.

Kohill’s current releases were good, but the stuff from the barrel has some real promise. I’m sure we’ll be back for his next vintage.

Barrel tasting with Kohill winemaker Mike Kopp.

Raymond Burr

Raymond Burr VineyardsOn our recent road trip through California Wine Country, we visited a number of new wineries recommended by fellow wine lovers.  One of these stops was a recommendation from our friend, Michele ~ Raymond Burr (yes, as in Perry Mason).  She discovered this place on a wine excursion to Napa/Sonoma, and we are so happy she shared it with us! 

Raymond Burr is a small production, 100% estate grown vineyard located in Healdsburg.  The tasting room is intimate, but has a great patio area with huge shade trees and wonderful views of the valley.  For those of you who are fans of the actor, you’ll enjoy all the memorabilia throughout ~ we focused more on the wine.  During our visit, Frank served us a tasting of their current releases of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, their Bordeaux-style blend “Quartet” and my personal favorite, Cab Franc.

2010 Chardonnay ($28) - Less than 313 cases produced

Portuguese style ~ crisp citrus flavors with a well-balanced creamy finish, without being buttery.  Great food wine.

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon ($38) – 91% cab, 9% Malbec

Smooth cab that is very drinkable on own, as well with a juicy steak.  Berry nose, with bold cab flavors slightly mellowed by the bright fruits of the Malbec.   Very tasty and excellent value (we brought some home!).

2010 Quartet ($44) – Bordeaux-style blend

Blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.  Bright fruit on the front palate, grows in intensity, and has a very smooth finish.  Universal food wine, and definite crowd pleaser.

2010 Cabernet Franc ($38) – 100% Cab Franc

No secret I am a fan of this varietal, and can be hard to find (good ones).  I was thrilled to see it!  Classic green pepper nose, light fruit forward flavors with smooth, well-balanced tannins and a hint of cinnamon on the finish.  Rich layers of great flavor – this one came home, too!

The wines are not distributed, but can be ordered online for shipping.  If you like big wines, it’s worth ordering on recommendation alone ~ thanks Michele for discovering and sharing this great find!

 Jeff and Sally outside Raymond Burr tasting room