A PAIR OF DISTINCTIVE BLENDS FROM A CELEBRITY WINERY! FESS PARKER WINERY & VINEYARDS

Non-Vintage Frontier Red 2005 Melange Blanc Lot #61 “California” • There were no awards or 2005 Red Wine reviews for this wine at the time of publication. • Gold Medal, 94 points at the California State Fair; 88 points, • Breathe in the fragrances Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine of pear, honey, nutmeg Advocate (August 2006): “… a and cinnamon, followed dead-ringer for a French Côtes by baked apple, pear, pie du Rhone … is a heady, crust and vanilla. hedonistic, complex… hints of Wonderful mouthfeel and sweet cherries, plums, earth, and creamy finish! black currants. The wine possesses the power and depth • Fruit for this lush white came from three different sources: Camp 4 to age for 5 years or more.” Vineyard (45%) and Rodney’s Vineyard (40%) from the Fess Parker • Aromas of black cherry, boysenberry, raspberry, black pepper, estate in the Santa Ynez Valley; and Scheid Vineyard in Monterey clove cinnamon and vanilla match with blackberry, blueberry, County (15%). anise, and chocolate flavors. An easy to drink wine! • After hand harvest, fruit was sorted, destemmed and crushed into • Fruit for this wine came from three sources: Santa Barbara County stainless steel tanks and into French oak barrels. Vineyards (48%); French Camp in Paso Robles (32%); Stonewall • Sixty-nine percent of the fruit was fermented in barrel, then aged in Vineyard in Ventura County (20%). French oak for 11 months; 31% was fermented in stainless steel and • After hand harvest, fruit was gently crushed, fermented and aged left sur lies for 11 months. in French, American and Hungarian oak. • The final blend was composed of 46% • The final blend for this rich red wine Chardonnay, 44% Viognier and 10% was: 43% Syrah, 17% Grenache, 14% Roussanne. Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Carignane, 5% Mourvedre, 5% Sangiovese, 3% • This wine makes a great sipping wine. Enjoy Cinsault and 3% Petite Sirah. it with a fruit plate or with light salads, chicken or fish dishes. • With a rich mouthfeel and long lasting finish this delicious wine is the perfect • Enjoy now or hold up to one year. compliment to any BBQ dish. • Alcohol: 15.5%; Total Acidity.: 0.59; • Enjoy now or hold 5 years or more. g/100ml; pH: 3.59; Cases Produced: • Alcohol: 15.5%; Total Acidity.: 0.68 923; Bottling Date: September 2005; berry Release Date: October 2005. g/100ml; pH: 3.81; Cases Produced: the rich 11,965; Bottling Date: April 2006; Release love the “We , and Tasting Room Retail $20 Date: May 2006. he red rs of t f this Restaurant Wine List Price Tasting Room Retail $14 flavo cter o ul chara (If you can find it - $36 - $42 Restaurant Wine List Price delightf blend.” (If you can find it) - $26 - $32 white unusual Member Reorder Price - Just $10.50/Bottle Member Reorder Price - Just $10.50/Bottle Save 25% off Tasting Room Retail Save 48% off Tasting Room Retail

J These Wonderful Wines! ust $ It’s Easy to Reorder Pe 10.5 r Bo 0 $12 ttle 6 Pe 800.777.4443 Hal r C f, a Mi Full se Save up to 48% while these wines are available. xed and Cas es O Call today, or visit us online at cawineclub.com. kay For other available wine selections, please see page 11.

Page 2 The California Wine Club · www.cawineclub.com · 1-800-777-4443 Fess Parker Winery The Story Behind The Wines... & Vineyards Blazing a Trail for Quality Location: Santa Ynez Valley at Fess Parker Winery Owner: Fess Parker and son-in-law and V.P. of Marketing & Sales Tim Snider with The Fess Parker Family CWC proprietors Bruce and Pam Boring beneath an ancient tree at Winemaker: beautiful Fess Parker Winery. Eli Parker Established: 1989 Annual Cases Produced: 60,000 Website: www.fessparker.com CWC Wines Featured: • 2005 Melange Blanc; • Non-Vintage Frontier Red Lot #61 “California” Red Wine

“It is well to remember that there are five reasons for drinking: the arrival of a friend; one’s present or future thirst; the excellence of the wine; or From Davy Crockett to Wine any other reason.” f you sat and watched Davy Crockett on a television with rabbit ears back --Anonymous Latin saying Iin the 1950s…and if you wore a coonskin cap to do so….you were not alone! With its debut in 1954, Davy Crockett became television’s all-time most popular show, and Fess Parker became a star. The tall young man from Texas IN THIS ISSUE: earned the role when Walt Disney caught his performance in a science fiction thriller called Buzz on the Vine ...... 4 Them, with James Arness. “Fess jokes that he thinks Walt chose him over Arness because he Recipe: Parker Burgers ...... 4 was less expensive,” says his son-in-law Tim Snider, Vice-President of Marketing & Sales at In Our Email Bag ...... 4 Fess Parker Winery & Vineyards and husband of Places to Stay: Fess Parker Inn...... 6 Fess’ only daughter, Ashley. Fess followed up that hit with the Daniel Boone series. America’s Top Three Wine Competitions . 8 By 1970, the charming fellow from Ft. Worth rode out Reorder Your Favorites ...... 11 of Hollywood for good, building a career by recognizing the potential in undeveloped pieces of property … and blazing a trail for fine wine along Game Room: Spooks in the Cellar...... 12 the way. Continued on page 5

Fun Fact ...... 12 Organic Central Coast Micro-Winery Earns Gold & Silver! On the Cover: Fess Parker enjoys Sample this month’s Special Edition before it disappears. his California wine adventure! Inset: Fess as Davy Crockett. Call 800-777-4443 for details. A Recipe From Fess Parker Winery Buzz on & Vineyards the Vine

ellar innovations: When Chardonnay ages in Cbarrels, winemakers poke a metal rod through a two-inch hole to stir up the solids to enhance the wine’s texture. Not easy. Instead, winemakers are using a new system of roller mounts that rotate the Parker Burgers barrels, and stir the lees easy… Pinot Alert: If “My mother saw this recipe in the newspaper you’re a Pinot Noir fanatic, and willing to spend 55 or 60 years ago. You take ground beef of some bucks, start marking your calendar for one of any kind and cook it,” says Fess Parker. “We the year’s biggest Pinot events: the annual add jalapeños or hot peppers. Put that in a bun International Pinot Noir Celebration in and then put grated cheddar cheese on top and McMinnville, Oregon next summer … Chile’s Hot: stick it in the oven. Brown the cheese and there Chile is attracting international players. France’s you go. You don’t have to put in the jalapeños; Mouton Rothschild and Italy’s Piero Antinori both the spicy part is up to you.” have wine ventures there … China Rising: Wine is Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat. gaining speed in China where 400 wineries now Saute 1 medium onion finely chopped and 3 operate. More than 100,000 acres have been cloves of minced garlic for roughly 5 minutes. planted to vineyards. Wine’s potential health Set aside. Brown 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef. benefits are widely recognized by the Chinese, and Add the onion mixture, 1 red bell pepper the color red is considered lucky…Organic finely chopped, 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce, 3 growth: According to the California Certified tablespoons vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon Organic Farmers, a state organization that Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon fresh designates as organic vineyards that meet its strict oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black standards, 7,761 acres of more than 500,000 pepper, hot sauce to taste. Simmer 10-12 acres of vines in California are minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. certified organic. Not much, Toast 6-8 hot dog buns lightly and spoon the but growing… meat mixture into the rolls and serve. Enjoy with your Fess Parker Frontier Red Lot #61! In Our “Unscrew” Your Fess Parker Email Bag Wines with Confidence! “We were in Boston, nice little restaurant… No corkscrew is needed for your Fess Parker with a fine wine list. Saw the 2002 Caparone wines, because they are capped with screwtops. Bien Nacido Merlot—recognized it from our Screw caps are becoming more and more popular recent monthly selection…it was superb—20 points, throughout the world, for several reasons. They’re hands down. Big, full bodied, with a stunning easy to open. Also, they protect you from ever ‘opening’, lots of fruit and then a very smooth finish. getting a “corked” wine. A corked wine has a musty smell, from something called TCA, a We came home and just ordered a case. VERY nice wine. compound used to clean corks before bottling. So, (BTW-Restaurant wine list price - $36).” “uncork” your Fess Parker wines with confidence! —Don and Linda Lincoln, PA

Page 4 The California Wine Club · www.cawineclub.com · 1-800-777-4443 Fess Parker Continued from page 3 Foxen Canyon Wine Trail Like any good scout, Fess saw a trail could be made where others failed to see it. In 1989, when there were only 16 wineries in Santa Barbara County, Fess purchased 700 acres on Foxen Canyon Road in the Santa Ynez Valley. Nearby neighbors were Firestone and Zaca Mesa, and at first Fess and his only son, Eli, were content to just plant grapevines and sell their fruit to others. “But Fess is from Texas—he’s not able to do anything small,” quips his daughter, Ashley. Eli had also caught The winery is surrounded by 118 acres of estate the wine bug, and soon plans were drawn for a winery vineyards with beautiful mountain view. facility. 2nd Generation Pioneers The scout had found the territory. The second generation took up the track of great wine, charging forward into the adventure like true American pioneers. Eli apprenticed to several winemakers, including Ken Brown, Mark Shannon and three years with renowned winemaking consultant Jed Steele. Meanwhile, Ashley returned from a stint at the Reagan White House as a Presidential Trip Coordinator to help with the winery’s marketing Vicki and Dan Czapla of Laguna Niguel, California, are among dozens of winery visitors each year who get a needs. In 2000, she married Tim Snider, who had warm greeting from Fess Parker himself. been marketing wine in Northern California for many years. Together, they realized “the game we are playing in the wine business is won or lost on quality,” says Tim. Quality Decisions To make the best wine at the best price—to win the quality game—this second generation has focused where Eli says 80% of the battle for fine wine is won—in the vineyard—and they’ve Bruce chats with Tim Snider about a possible Signature done this in creative ways. Series wine from Fess Parker Winery. Instead of buying more and more acreage to make all-estate wines, the Parker family has diversified its grape sources dramatically. In exchange for long-term grape contracts, it has sold off vineyards, partnered with growers to develop vineyards at new sites or simply purchased fruit from other outstanding sources. Continued on page 7 Fess Parker Winery is located on the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail in Santa Barbara’s Santa Ynez Valley. The California Wine Club · www.cawineclub.com · 1-800-777-4443 Page 5 Places to Stay

Fess Parker’s Wine Country Inn & Spa

eave it to Fess Parker to see the potential in a Lplace, and he saw just that when he bought the The comfortable lobby of the Fess Parker Wine Country Inn & Spa. Grand Hotel in Los Olivos and turned it into a first- class resort. Fess’ wife, Marcy, completely redecorated all 21 luxury rooms, adding homey touches and more, from fluffy down comforters to fresh flowers.

Spa Vigne is on-site offering a variety of spa treatments including Signature Massages and even Tuxedo Pet Massage. The Wine Cask restaurant (its Wine List is always a Wine Spectator winner), sister of the same in Santa Barbara, adjoins the Inn’s lobby. On Thursday nights, you’ll find locals and guests dining there before gathering around the Inn’s piano, often with Fess and Marcy, for an evening of live karaoke. That’s Fess’ Inn—as unique as himself, his career, and Luxury guest rooms feature fluffy his winery! down comforters and fresh flowers.

“Fess Parker’s Wine Country Inn & Spa dominates the town of Los Olivos in a quiet way, but don’t let visions of log cabins and coonskin Fess Parker’s Wine Country Inn & Spa caps mislead you. It’s a luxurious Inn with first class service and 2860 Grand Avenue, Los Olivos, CA 93441 rooms, plus a popular local restaurant serving wine country cuisine.” 800-446-2455 • Local 805-688-7788 —Wine Country Living, October 2002 Fax 805-688-1942

The Wine Cask Restaurant (with its award-winning wine list!) adjoins the Inn’s lobby.

Page 6 The California Wine Club · www.cawineclub.com · 1-800-777-4443 Fess Parker Continued from page 5 If you “This approach of not having all-estate vineyards has been part of caught the our evolution since 1999 when we began our Single Vineyard movie series of wines,” notes Tim. “We are excited about making wine Sideways, from specific sites with the idea of capturing the characteristics or you’re terroir of those sites. Eli, Ashley and I feel that on a long-term familiar basis, it’s an advantage for us to not own all the vineyards that with the Fess supply our grapes. It gives us more flexibility, diversity and allows Parker tasting room. us to be agile. That’s very important for someone like us who is “When the directors gave us the script to independent, family-owned and a lot smaller than others.” read, they said they had a fanciful name 152 they could use for our facility,” Tim 152 Calistoga152 recalls. “We thought that was strange, KingCalistoga of the Wild (Wine) Frontier until we read it…” The family learned Calistoga On their Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, the Fess Parker family’s efforts to their winery was the scene of Miles’ find Gold (Medals) in them thar’ hills began bearing fruit around 2001, meltdown, when he demands more wine when many of the wines produced by Eli and his young, enthusiastic and ends up gulping down the spit bucket! winemaking team began earning scores in the 90s from major reviewers like Robert M. Parker, Jr., the Wine Spectator and others. “Our upper end, Single Vineyard label, Epiphany, led the way, but you really see the strength of our winery when you look at a wine like our Frontier Red (our CWC selection). Not only can we make a limited quantity wine that earns 93 points, but we can also make an extremely affordable Frontier Red that has earned kudos and ‘Best Buy’ from Robert Parker, the Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, Gold Medals…the list goes on and on.” Meanwhile, this year Eli was named Andre Tchelistcheff “Winemaker of the Year” by the San Francisco Wine Competition where his Epiphany Grenache Blanc won “Best White of Show”. Three of the 43 Gold Medals awarded to 3,800 wine entries went home with Fess Parker Winery. You wouldn’t expect anything less of a pioneering family, led by a scout with vision, fast on a trail of quality that only gets better with age. Visit the King of the Wild (Wine) Frontier at 6200 Foxen Canyon Road, Los Olivos, CA 95441, 805-688-1545 or 800-841-1104. You may even see Fess in the tasting room! Salud! Davy: One of Television’s Most-Loved Characters!

With the release of “Davy Crockett —Indian Fighter” in 1954, Davy Crockett quickly became a national phenomenon (attracting well over 52 million television viewers) and transformed Fess into a national idol. Baby Boomers know him as “King of the Wild Frontier.” Here are a few of Davy’s biggest fans demonstrating their Wild Side.

The California Wine Club · www.cawineclub.com · 1-800-777-4443 Page 7 Some winemakers swear by them. Others swear at them! But none can deny the influence of America’s wine competitions. Based on their size, history and stature in relation to California winemaking, here are three of the top judgings.

Los Angeles County Fair Jerry Mead’s Age: 66-years-old Entries: Wines worldwide (3 days, 4,000 New World wines from 7 countries) International Wine Attitude: “I’m America’s oldest county fair wine competition! I’m into wine education too, and present a program for Competition the public during the fair that includes tasting from our Gold Medal Age: 16-years-old winners.” Entries: Wines from the “New History: Began in 1935 just after Prohibition. By 1991, included World” only, including the U.S., wines from North and South America and in 2002, entries opened Central America, South America, worldwide. Australia, New Zealand and South Judges: “professionally trained wine judges” Africa. Attitude: “I’m the wine lover’s best friend, because I’m the only one to match wines by price range, before deciding my “Best of Variety” awards. Orange County Fair History: Jerry Mead, a syndicated wine columnist, helped found the Age: 30-years-old Orange County Fair Wine Entries: Only California wines Competition before starting this Attitude: “I’m the world’s largest, California “New World” competition in 1990 wines only wine competition—so there!” held in Ontario, California. Size: In 2006, 92 judges tasted 3,189 wines from approximately Judges: A “double-blind” judging 730 labels/wineries. by wine professionals who aren’t History: This fair dates back to 1889, but the wine competition given the wine’s identity or a list of didn’t begin until 1977 spurred on by a wine writer and the Orange wines they will be judging. This County Wine Society. Unlike other competitions, no fees are was the first American event to charged for wine entries. offer “Best of Class” and “Best of Judges: Panels of five winemakers and/or winery principals. Show” wine awards.

UNCORKED™ is published monthly by Bruce and Pam Boring Proprietors. Judy Reynolds: Editor, writer, photographer The California Wine Club® · 2175 Goodyear Avenue Suite 102 · PO Box 3699 · Ventura, CA 93003 Tapia Studios: Graphic Designers Reorder your favorites, update your account and send gifts on line at www.cawineclub.com. To send or receive information on the CWC and a complimentary issue of Uncorked, Pam Boring: President please call us at 1-800-777-4443 or fax toll-free at 1-800-700-1599. Bruce Boring: Vice President Sales and Marketing

Page 8 The California Wine Club · www.cawineclub.com · 1-800-777-4443 ATTENTION You Be The Wine Connoisseurs and International Wine Explorers! Take a look at this month’s upper level club JUDGE Signature Series and our International Selections! Only Treats on Your Doorstep CWC Judges find only treats on their doorstep with their CWC wine deliveries, and their verdicts can testify to that. Send us your Judging Card, and we may send you an extra bottle of wine—if we publish your comments in Uncorked. A bubbly you can hold for Thanksgiving, the star And we will for sure enter each and every Judging Card in of Sideways and a classic French-style blend with our year-end drawing for a free case of CWC wines of the luscious California fruit … once again, the winner’s choice. Salud! Signature Series delivers! (Wines are rated on a 20 point system....with 20 points being the highest.) Savannah Chanelle Vineyards 2002 “Santa Lucia Highlands, Sleepy Hollow Vineyard” Pinot Noir 18 pts Mastantuono 2004 Syrah “Nice wine! Finish has a hint of • Gold Medal, 2005 Jerry Mead New World Int’l. Wine Comp. blackberry. Wonderful aroma. Our first time trying a Syrah. • Only 510 cases made! We loved it!” Domaine Carneros 1999 Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs - Sandie & Jerry Remaley, PA Sparkling Wine • 3 stars (out of possible 3—a rare rating), Connoisseurs’ Guide 19 pts Mastantuono 2004 Pinot Grigio “This Pinot Grigio beats all (December 2005) “… depth and richness … deep, mouthfilling Chardonnays! So popular on the East Coast. This was full flavors and texture … sensually satisfying …” flavored with great finish. A great product!” • Made from all estate fruit, this 100% Chardonnay is a - Jim & Dottie Mackay, MA world class bubbly. Ballentine 2001 Integrity Estate Grown “Napa Valley” 19 pts Drytown 2004 Malvasia Bianca “California” “Excellent! Hard Bordeaux Style Blend to find commercially. Brought back fond memories when my • Gold Medal, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition father made wine years ago.” • Only 850 cases made! - H.J. Casagrande, MA Morgan 2005 “Single Vineyard, Santa Lucia 19 pts Juliana 2002 “Napa Valley” Zinfandel “Fantastic Zinfandel. Highlands” Pinot Gris • 5 (out of possible 5) stars, Restaurant Wine (“… full bodied My husband doesn’t normally care for red wine…he liked … intensely flavored (roasted nut, lemon peel, peach), well this one though. Truly amazing.” balanced, and very long on the finish.” - Tarry A. Majewski, TN • Dan Lee is a pioneer in Monterey’s Santa Lucia Highlands, one of California’s most acclaimed appellations. 17 pts Ballentine 2005 Chenin Blanc “Old Vines, Pocai Vineyard” Napa Don’t miss out on four fantastic reds! Cost is $186 Valley Estate “Excellent with cheese and crackers. Fabulous (includes shipping and handling). Call 1-800-777- with a fig, feta cheese and salted pecan appetizer. We 4443 to learn how to join. highly recommend buying now while there are cases. THE CALIFORNIA WINE CLUB’S We immediately ordered after tasting.” - Tommy & Joann Dobbins, MS INTERNATIONAL From Our Signature Series: Wine Club 20 pts Morgan 2004 “Rosella’s Vineyard” Pinot Noir “This is the best This month members in our Not found Pinot Noir I have ever tasted! A rich full cherry/berry taste International Wine Club will anywhere with a wonderful ‘chewy’ finish.” eagerly uncork these wines from France’s else in the - Jeremy Freimund, CA world-famous Bordeaux region: U.S.! From Our International Selections: 2004 Chateau Grande Champ Bordeaux 17 pts Jacques Germanier 2002 Alpege Pinot Noir “Outstanding 2005 Chateau Grande Champ Sauvignon Blanc finish, initial nose is fragrant and fruity—deep ruby color is You’ll love this month’s International Selections, perfect—a light and charming wine.” just $64 and includes all shipping, handling and - Kathy Larson Day, MA import charges. Call 800-777-4443 to order! America’s only wine service featuring real working, smaller family owned wineries. www.cawineclub.com · 1-800-777-4443 Page 9 POPULAR SELECTIONS STILL AVAILABLE REORDER YOUR FAVORITES NOW AND SAVE UP TO 50% OFF RETAIL! Take a look at some recent selections still available in limited supply. Half, full and mixed cases okay! All wines listed are just $10.50 per bottle.

TO OUR MEMBERS One of the questions we often hear is, “Which wines have you featured in the past, and how can I reorder them?” The wines listed on the following page have been recently featured in our club. All are exceptional and have gone through our meticulous selection process. Reordering Is Easy: After you’ve read the Tasting Notes for each wine, decide which wines you’d like to try.. Since we feature only smaller wineries, quantities are usually very limited, so don’t wait, use the convenient Case Order form or visit our Wine Store at www.cawineclub.com. Warmly, Bruce and Pam Boring

CASE ORDER FORM Simply complete this case order form and return by fax or mail. You can also order via our Wine Store page at www.cawineclub.com.

Your Name:______Quantity Wines Desired Address: ______City:______State: ______Zip: ______Phone: ______o Please bill my card on file ______o Call me for credit card information ______o Check enclosed Save up to 50% off normal retail. Just another benefit from your friends at The California Wine Club. Half or full cases only. Mixed cases okay. *All prices F.O.B., Ventura, CA

To taste the best wine from California call us today or visit 1.800.777.4443 our Wine Store at www.cawineclub.com. Fax: 1.800.700.1599 Page 10 The California Wine Club · www.cawineclub.com · 1-800-777-4443 ALL WINES JUST $10.50 PER BOTTLE! HANNA WINERY & VINEYARDS - Sonoma County Hanna 2003 Merlot Jasmine 2005 Chardonnay

• Lemon and citrus waft from your glass, along with notes of • Dark ruby with scents and flavors of ripe black cherries apple in this crisp Chard. Its long finish is a winner! and hints of mint. Weighty on the palate! • Grapes for Hanna’s Jasmine Chardonnay are grown at its • This wine aged in French and American oak barrels for Slusser Road Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. This ancient 21 months. river valley is visited daily by cooling fog and marine breezes, • A fine companion to beef stroganoff, seared the perfect climate for Chardonnay. salmon, pasta and chocolate desserts! Among Sonoma’s most • A fine companion to Caesar salad, shrimp bisque, crabcakes, sought-after Portabello mushroom lasagna! grapes! CASA BARRANCA - Ojai, Central Coast 2004 Craftsman Red Wine 2003 Barrel Select Syrah

• Very drinkable now, this wine has the tannins and structure to hold • Luscious and rich with a nose of wild strawberries and red currants. it together over time. • When it was time to rack the wine to French oak, and during • Flavors are concentrated and delicious, offering aromas of crushed racking and bottling, it was gravity fed to the next level of the raspberries, nutmeg, clove and fresh blueberries. winery. Such gravity flow makes sure the wine is never transferred • Wonderful with rare to medium-rare grilled or roasted beef, One of the through plastic hoses that can transmit off tastes and chemicals to lamb or venison and full-bodied cheeses. Central Coast’s the wine. first organic • Great with cheese and red pasta! wineries! KITFOX VINEYARDS - Stanislaus County Top CWC Member 2003 Foxy “California” 2004 Foxy “California” Pick! Red Table Wine White Table Wine • Gold Medal & “Best of Class!”, 2006 L.A. County Fair, Wines of • 86 points, Wine Spectator (December 15, 2005): “Pretty apricot, The World; Silver Medals: Tasters Guild International Wine mango and spice aromas lead to rich and toasty flavors that Competition, 2006 Hilton Head Wine Competition; Bronze finish with a silky, oily texture. A catchall white blend dominated Medals: 2006 Riverside Int’l. Wine Competition, 2006 Finger by Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2006.” Lakes Int’l. Wine Competition. • Fragrances of ripe peach, orange blossoms and spice lead to an • Decadent and luxurious, this yummy red blend serves up exotic mix of flavors, from baked pears to lemon vanilla sorbet. aromas of cherry pie and dried cranberries. Silky finish! Enjoy the smoke on the finish. • Wonderful with BBQ of all kinds, roast chicken, pepper steak, • A lovely wine with Caesar salad, grilled salmon, sushi, clam spaghetti—you name it! sauce pasta and so much more. PIETRA SANTA WINERY - Cienega Valley Great for 2000 Sasso Rosso holiday 2000 Dolcetto • Singled out by the Wine Spectator as one of entertaining! • Plush, soft and round, this Cal-Ital (Italian variety grown on California California’s best wines under $15! soils) offers up lively berries, almond and licorice flavors. Silky tannins! • Fill your glass with ripe, black cherries, succulent • After 10 days on the skins, this wine was aged in French oak barrels cranberries and exotic spice in this fruity, rich red! (50% new) for 25 months. • Sasso Rosso (which means “red stone” in Italian) • “Dolcetto is very easy to pair with food and goes especially well with is a fine companion to pizza, pasta, beef stews, every day fare like pizza, spaghetti with red tomato sauce, tuna and hamburgers, BBQ fare. salmon. It’s my favorite wine,” says winemaker Alessio Carli.

Napa’s BALLENTINE - Napa Valley oldest vines! Ballentine 2000 Syrah Ballentine 2005 Chenin Blanc “Old Vines” Napa Valley “Old Vines, Pocai Vineyard” Estate Grown Napa Valley Estate Grown • Gold Medal, Florida State Fair, 2004 • Double Gold Medal, “Best of Class”, 2006 San Francisco • The intense color of deep red to purplish black hints at the Chronicle Wine Competition; Silver Medal, 2006 Pacific Rim power of this wine. The expressive Rhone-like aromas of International Wine Competition. leather, earth, spice and rose petals give way to a palate of • This one just overflows with fragrances of honeysuckle, green rich, complex flavors ranging from black cherries to dried apple, pear and vanilla; the palate is silky with zesty citrus and stone fruits. melon. Browse our on-line Wine Store for the full selection of available wines. Visit www.cawineclub.com

www.cawineclub.com · 1-800-777-4443 Page 11 The Game Room Spooks in the Cellar

Identify the spooks that haunt winemakers in the cellar!

1. “When I’m good, I’m very good, but when I’m bad—I can shut down the whole place!” 2. “You may have great grapes, but I can give your wine a bitter bite.” 3. “Watch out for me. I can REALLY trip you up.” 4. “I’m the reason you want to check out those barrels.” a. Stems in the crush. That’s why wineries invest lots of money in de-stemmers! b. Stuck yeast fermentation. This happens sometimes with commercial yeasts, but more often with native yeasts. c. “Off odors” in the wine. These can occur for a variety of reasons and winemakers need to know if a barreled wine is having a problem ASAP. d. Hoses. Ideally, wine will be gravity fed from tank to barrel, and barrel to barrel. Unideally, there are

hoses… Answers: c. 4. d; 3. a; 2. b; 1. Fun Fact A recent survey of wine lovers by the industry advocacy group Wine Institute found that of those who purchase wine in restaurants, 3 out of 4 purchases are by the glass, not by the bottle. The reason may lie in the high prices so many restaurants charge for a bottle of wine. If you don’t like the glass of wine, you’ve only lost a few dollars, not a bundle. How to avoid those prices and still enjoy a great bottle when you dine out? Bring your own wine to a restaurant that has no corkage fee (some have “no corkage fee nights”). Beware though—in some states, it’s illegal to bring your own wine to a restaurant.