10th Annual San Diego Food and Wine Festival: Southern California Wines Shine

10th Annual San Diego Food and Wine Festival: 

Southern California wines shine 

November in San Diego is always gorgeous and we can still enjoy warm weather and clear skies. The tourists for the most part have gone home and we have our city to ourselves… That is until the Food and Wine Festival happens. People come from all over the USA to attend Southern California’s largest and most talked about food and wine festival. This is the chance to experience firsthand the culinary genius of our city’s chefs, as well as the delicious wines that local and regional winemakers are crafting.

With Coronado Island and the Bay Bridge as a back drop, Embarcadero Marina Park, directly behind Seaport Village, is the perfect location for the festival’s finale, the Grand Tasting. Feel the ocean breeze as you walk through the grounds listening to music, tasting food and wine, chatting with winemakers and chefs.

Happy chefs!

The lovely outdoor venue

The Grand Tasting is the finale of a 7–day epicurean delight—a food and wine  (and this year beer) lover’s paradise, that showcases 170 wine and spirit purveyors and 70 of San Diego’s top chefs. Temecula wines were well represented. Callaway Winery, South Coast Winery, Wilson Creek Winery and Danza del Sol Winery and Europa  Village were showcasing some of their latest releases. While you only get a small taste of beer, wines and hard alcohol, many participants follow-up by going out to breweries and wineries and experiencing full tastings.

While this has traditionally been solely a wine festival, this year because San Diego has become a craft beer mecca, beer tasting was added to the fest. The first week of November, the city celebrated Beer Week. Brewers continued to educate participants of our burgeoning craft beer industry.

The city’s most talented chefs vie for the Chef of the Fest Competition, during the week. The winner is announced at the Grand Finale. This is a great opportunity for local chefs to compete with their favorite recipes and get their name known around town.

Shrimp and Avocado appetizer

Chef Rich Sweeney, from R-Gang Eatery and the soon-to-be-opened Southpaw Social Club was crowned “Chef of the Fest”. He won the competition with his Duck Fat-Fried Beignets with Burnt Orange Cream, Smoked Duck “Dust” and Crispy Glazed Duck Skin. The cash prize of $50,000 and other prizes will come in handy for him as he starts his new restaurant in downtown San Diego.

The entire week of this event includes cooking demonstrations, a Fit Foodie 5K run, a variety of wine tasting seminars and a sliders “take down”. In total there were 25 culinary and beverage events held throughout San Diego.

Southern California is becoming known for more than just great weather and good surf. Now we have an emerging wine region, talented craft beer brewers and a plethora of talented chefs tempting and satisfying our palates.            

Sliders

Robin Dohrn-Simpson Freelance Writer www.robindohrnsimpson.com

Cornville Arizona wineries

Cornville, Cottonwood and Jerome Arizona

The Verde Valley Wine Trail

In the early 1980’s these northern Arizona towns were sleepy villages with not much to offer. Fast forward 30 years and see a resurgence of history, culture, commerce and a newly created wine industry.



The famous, stunning Red Rocks of Sedona



Fifteen minutes south of beautiful Sedona is an emerging wine region, the Verde Valley. This vast valley is lined with a limestone and sandstone ridge that stretches for miles. Many cliff villages built by indigenous American cultures remain in this area. Remnants of a once vibrant mining industry in Jerome can be seen on a distant hillside. A wine trail snakes through the valley, leading you through villages, old and new, and high up to Jerome where you can overlook the Verde Valley, dine in great restaurants, sip wine, browse shops and imagine the life of a mining community.



Tuzigoot Ruins from Indigenous American Indians



To see this valley fully, you will need at least two days. First visit the three wineries in Cornville (no, there’s no corn in Cornville), drive into Cottonwood, overnight in Old Town. Here you will find a lovely boutique hotel, the Tavern Hotel, many gourmet restaurants, cute shops, art galleries and coffee houses. Wake up the next morning, walk to a coffee shop for breakfast and once fortified, wander the main drag to two wine tasting rooms. Continue outside of Cottonwood to Tuzigoot National Monument, view the ruins of the Sinagua people who occupied this valley during the 1100-1200’s. Continue up the scenic highway up to the once booming mining town of Jerome. Lunch awaits at one of many unique restaurants. Many of the refurbished restaurants are located in historic buildings; the former firehouse, Cottonwood’s Old Town Palace Theater, or a saloon, and designed to accentuate the past.

If you want to be driven around this region, many wine tours offer packages either from Sedona or Phoenix.


Cornville currently has three wineries located on Page Spring Road.

Javelina’s Leap Winery



Javelina Leap Winery Tasting Room Wall



Rod Snapp, a onetime executive chef, used his earnings from selling his Bed & Breakfast in Sedona to purchase a partially existing winery in Cornville and start the arduous journey of growing not only a winery, but a wine region. He sold off parcels of his land with the stipulation that purchasers had to start wineries, thus a wine region was born.

Javelina’s Leap property was originally part of the Page Springs Valley, which is known for its abundant natural springs. The winery is on the slopes of an ancient volcano. The gravely, rocky soil in this vineyard is good for stressing grapes and intensifies the characters of minerals and earth in the fruit grown in it.



Rodd Snapp
Owner and Winemaker



Rod currently has four acres planted and one more coming soon. Because this is a relatively new wine region, they are still experimenting with different grapes to see which ones will excel in this inner continental climate. He is growing Tempranillo and Barbera, which have already proven to respond nicely to this area. Snapp is happy with his Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Our first taste of Snapp’s creations was a 2010 Sangiovese, which is a light wine with hints of cherry, figs and vanilla and would definitely go nicely with food. Followed by a 2010 Cabernet Franc that retails for $27. Next we sampled a 2010 Merlot which I found rich and exciting. This wine definitely is unique, when compared to California Merlots. It reflects the extreme terroir of Arizona. It had hints of strawberry and watermelon with strong, yet balanced tannins. This wine is rightly priced at $40 and worth it.

Snapp doesn’t much care for blends, but he has tried his hand at a 2010 Rockslide. This single vineyard Bourdeaux-style blend is 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. Although quite young, (it can be laid down for 3-10 years). This deep red wine was rich and complex with raspberry, anise and pepper. It is an exceptionally smooth wine. Priced at $35 a bottle, it will be fun to taste this again in a few years.



Vineyards in Cornville



Visit the winery on a Saturday and enjoy a complimentary barrel cellar tour with retired professor and ornithologist, Dr. Russ Balda. The winery is located across from an Audubon bird sanctuary. Enjoy a picnic in the orchard.

Javelina Leap tasting room and gift shop is open daily from 11:00am-5:00pm. 1565 Page Springs Road, Cornville, AZ 86325. Phone: 928-649-2681.
For details see: http://www.javelinaleapwinery.com/

Oak Creek Vineyards

 Owner and winemaker Deb Wahl, a citizen of the world is Croatian by birth, but was raised in South Africa. She has a chemistry degree from Germany, worked for a Japanese company with resorts in the Caribbean, became a wine broker, invested wisely and eventually ended up in northern Arizona owning this winery.


 

Deb Wahl



Deb’s main focus is conservation and would like to be known as the “green winemaker”. She reminisces about living in South Africa and instead of throwing away a nail or a board, it was saved and reused. “Almost everything I have is recycled. If I don’t need it, chances are someone around here will need it.” Case in point when she rebuilt a shed in her side yard, she reused wood and proudly shows where the hinges are off kilter. “The hinges give it character,” she said.



Repurposed wood is used for buildings and picnic tables



In the name of conservation, and not wanting to cut down trees that are not easily replanted and grown, Deb ages all of her wines in stainless steel. If a wine calls for wood she will add wood chips or spirals.



Relax on the patio at Oak Creek Cellars. Notice the painted barrel on the patio.
These are throughout the Verde Valley

On her estate she grows Syrah, Merlot, Zinfandel and Chardonnay. In Wilcox she sources Viognier and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Viognier is a rich creamy white; fruity with a floral nose. Very enjoyable for a hot Arizona afternoon. Her Zinfandel was lighter than usual, there was a nice elegance to it. The Syrah and Merlot reflected the Arizona terroir and was rich and peppery. Definitely try the Arizona Port Wine which is a Zinfandel Port and the Cream Sherry made from buttery Chardonnay and brandy

 Oak Creek is celebrating their 10-year anniversary in 2012. The tasting room, located at 1555 N. Page Springs Road is open daily 10:00am-6:00pm. Go to http://www.oakcreekvineyards.net/ for the latest information.

Page Springs Cellars

Owner Eric Glomski has been called a pioneer in the Verde Valley region and the “area’s best known vintner” by Wine Enthusiast. Glomski is a strong voice for the region, wiping out doubts that Arizona can and does produce high-quality wines. Page Springs Cellars is his own venture and he partners with Maynard Keenan in another venture: Arizona Stronghold, in Old Town Cottonwood. Glomski is revered by his staff and the wine community. He shares his talent with other winemakers mentoring and assisting in getting their ventures started.



Eric Glomski



Their mission statement is so powerful, it bears repeating:

“Our goal is to create delicious wines that express

the unique character of our landscape. We trust that our wines and winemaking convey our philosophies concerning family, education and living life to its fullest. We believe that to make great wine, we must take just as much responsibility for the lands we steward as the

community we live in. Our aim is to help people expand and trust their own senses when tasting wine.”







 Page Springs Cellars started with four acres in 2002. He started with Rhone Varietals; Petite Syrah, Mouvedre, Grenache and Syrah. In 2011 he was experimenting with 64 different wines. Grapes like Cabernet Pfeffer (a crossbreed of George Pfeffer from Los Altos and Hollister, California) Trousseau (sometimes called Gray Reisling) and many more that are unknown to this writer. And that is the fun of this winery, experimenting and making unique wines that bring out the spiciness of the land.


Corey Turnbull, another winemaker and shining star in the Valley shares wine with patrons.






One panel of a mural on the ceiling, depicting Fall, hanging out with the family.



Local Artists have painted barrels throughout the Verde Valley



The tasting room includes an intimate lounge area with soft leather couches, rich cork flooring, a ceiling mural depicting

Arizona winery life in the four seasons and soft lighting. The outdoor patio overlooking Oak Creek is cool and inviting. Here you can munch on a variety of snacks plates made to accentuate their wines.



This winery is a wonderful experience and not to be missed. Located at 1500 N. Page Springs Road, they are open daily 11:00am-6:00pm, Fridays and Saturdays 11:00am-9:00pm. For more information go to: http://www.pagespringscellars.com/.



A view out the back, from the winetasting patio.






Keyways Winery Debuts "Traditions" 2009 Holiday Wine

Terri Pebley Delhamer, owner of Keyways Winery, is an inspiration to businesswomen. She is a strong and gutsy woman. Through a variety of twists and turns she ended up owning Keyways Winery. Suffice to say she was a real estate agent who ended up buying the property instead of listing it! She thought she would live in the house on the property and the renter who was in control of the winery would continue running the winery. She moved in and began to remodel the house in the vineyard. The renter decided to move out and not continue with the winery and Terri was left with an empty shell of a winery, rundown at best, and not knowing the first thing about making wine, let alone running a winery.

She and her husband spent many hours trying to decide what to do when they decided that she would have to learn how to have a winery. And that is what she did. She surrounded (and continues to surround) herself with competent and knowledgeable people and then allows them to do their job. This approach has allowed her winery to flourish.

Her warm and approachable personality is reflected in the Keyways Tasting Room. It definitely has a woman’s touch. The tasting room has a variety of tables and chairs, so her guests don’t have to stand while they sample her wine. This novel approach allows people to relax while familiarizing themselves with Keyway’s wines. The design is homey and inviting like a living room, with a huge fireplace surrounded by comfy chairs.

I stopped by to see what was happening at Keyways since there is a new winemaker. This holiday season Terri and winemaker David Raffaele are excited to introduce a new wine, called “Traditions” that is made to pair nicely with holiday cuisine, such as turkey or ham. It’s 100% Merlot and it’s finished in a lighter, almost Beaujolais style. It’s floral essences with hints of roses and lilacs are delightful. The fresh plum and mulberry flavors make it a perfect holiday red wine. I highly recommend that you give it a try. The cost is $31.00 per bottle.

This winter they have lit up the vineyards with green lights. This weekend is the last weekend for horse and buggy rides through the fields. You can enjoy live music on Saturday afternoons from 2-6pm while sipping wine or a Mojito.

I’m looking forward to the Valentine’s event on February 12th. The theme is “It’s Amore” and they’re being very secretive about what they’re planning. Check their website regularly to see what the plans are. This evening fills up quickly, so if you’re looking for a romantic evening, this will be it.

Keyways Winery is located at 37388 De Portola Road in Temecula. Check out happenings on their website http://www.keywayswine.com/.

Robin Dohrn-SimpsonFreelance Writerwww.robindohrnsimpson.com

Watching the expansion of Chapin Family Winery in Temecula,

Many people have different ideas about what retirement is going to be like. Some buy a motorhome and tool around National Parks and retirement villages in the desert. Some envision time spent with the grand kids. Some decide to take a class or teach a class. Some think of anything but work. Steve Chapin, of Chapin Family Winery’s idea of retirement is expanding his vineyard and opening a winetasting room at his boutique winery in Temecula.

Just a few short months after his retirement from his extensive career in diagnostic medicine, Steve revealed an artists’ rendering of his planned expansion.

“I’ve decided to embrace my passion and go for it. I’ve dabbled in winemaking long enough. Now is time to get serious.” Steve said taking time out of planting his new acreage one sunny morning in May. There will be three more acres of vines, a tasting room and a parking area, along with expanded winemaking facilities.

In 2002 he planted his vineyard with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The first vintage was the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon and released in 2006. Later he released his fruity Syrah and a bold Zinfandel.

He planted these varietals because he knew they did well in his terrior and was familiar with them. Later he planted Petite Verdot mostly as a blending wine and with the recommendation of his consultant he planted Montepulciano. In his next three acres Steve will focus on Italian varietals: Viognier, Aglianico and Montepulcino. This strategy developed with his consultant from Italy will set him apart from the other wineries in the Temecula Valley.

“These varietals should perform exceptionally well in Temecula in terms of fruit forwardness, color and body. These varietals can be more tannic than Cabernet or Syrah, however I believe my methodologies that I employ in my wine making can handle the tannic aspect.”

Speaking of winemaking, Steve is the winemaker. Employing his chemistry and microbiology education, he learned the fundamentals of wine making.

He says that understanding the fundamentals does not mean you are going to make excellent wines. “The wine making portion can be stressful because things can go wrong or at least not as well as planned and I have an incredible desire to produce excellent wines that people really love and enjoy. Over all I enjoy the beauty of the vineyard and the art and culture of wine making.”

When asked what his hopes and dreams are, he said, “My hope for the tasting room is a place for people to have a mini-vacation, where they can leave all their worries behind and experience my wines and share their thoughts. My wine tasting building will be the first “Road-House Winery”. Chapin Family Vineyards will have Italian wine varietals, but in every other way it will be pure American culture. I will grow my grapes and make wine in traditional old world methods but will utilize state of the art monitoring systems.”

He offered me a taste of his new “Chapin’s Summit Meritage” (a word invented that combines Merit and Heritage and rhymes with the latter) that is still barrel fermenting. It is a yummy mixture of Montepulciano, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. It was rich, seductive and elegant.

Temecula is a growing wine region that is still figuring out who and what it is. Steve has figured out who and what he is. I look forward to enjoying his wines for years to come. 2010 and 2011 should prove to be great years for Mr. Chapin. One thing’s for sure he is dedicated to making great wines.



Robin Dohrn-SimpsonFreelance Writerwww.robindohrnsimpson.com

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I love to travel and write about it. You can generally find me exploring somewhere, whether it's my hometown of San Diego, or a far off location, like the Fjords of Chile. I've visited 70 countries and still counting! I've tried to cure my wanderlust, but it is not possible!

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