October 26, 2008 at 9:37 am · Filed under Wine Club
Doug Rogers - Cameron Hughes Wine
The Wine Tasting Club held their monthly wine tasting event at the home of Sharyn and Larry Rossi Saturday night and had a great turnout. The event was sponsored by Cameron Hughes Wine and Doug Rogers who graciously provided the wines and did a short presentation about their unique business model. Their focus is buying at the high-end, small available ‘Lots’ of super premium wine, and because not all wine at the high-end is bottled, they rescue those ‘Lots’ do some stylistic blending and get it to you at a great price. You can check out their great wines and great prices at www.chwine.com . The evening proved to be another great social event with everyone bringing food. The highlight was Sharyn’s mashed potatoes served in wine glasses with various toppings that people could select to doctor them up the way they like. Speaking of doctoring, Dale’s husband Bob, in the spirit of Halloween, came dressed as a doctor with a pair of forceps embedded in his head. The real scary thing was that he came equipped with rubber gloves. In addition to the regular crowd we had some new members join us. Bernard and Sylvia Gibbons who live in the Twin Creeks area in San Ramon. They are originally from England where they had a little pub for a while and worked with a recruiting company. They have been in the U.S. now for eighteen years off and on. We all talked real estate for much of the evening but we were able to discover that Sylvia is an artist who used to sell her paintings at a gallery in Carmel. The evening concluded with a pumpkin cheesecake dessert provided by Sharyn and a sparkling wine also provided by Cameron Hughes Wine.
August 27, 2008 at 4:44 am · Filed under Wine Club
“Join with the Wine Tasting group and meet and greet Doug Rogers from Cameron Hughes Wines. Doug will present Domestic and International wines. He is a “negociant” - come and discover how this has become a new way of distributing excellent wines at affordable prices.”
At the Rossis October 25, 2008 Please send $15.00 per person and bring an appetizer. 1171 Stoney Creek Drive San Ramon, CA 94582 925 361-6121
WEAR A HALLOWEEN COSTUME AND BE ELIGIBLE FOR A PRIZE.
Join with the San Ramon Wine Tasting Group and meet and greet Doug Rogers from Cameron Hughes Wines. Doug will present Domestic and International wines. He is a “negociant” - come and discover how this has become a new way of distributing excellent wines at affordable prices.
At The Rossis
The video below says it all, but here is the list of wines that Gil & Bobbi Jardine shared with the group on Friday night.
Wines From Gil’s Cellar- Wine Appreciation Group, 4/19/2008
Argentina: 2005 Altos Las Hormigas Mendoza Reserva Vina Hormigas: The Wine Spectator: Very ripe, but also racy, with an exotic array of graphite, tar, sweet dark chocolate, plum, fig and violet. Has great structure and drive through the grip-filled finish. Drink through 2009– 3000 cases made
France (Bordeaux) : 2000 Chateau Siran Grand Cru Exceptionnel Margaux: The Wine Spectator: A lovely wine from this château. Aromas of crushed blackberries and raspberries. Full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and a long refreshing finish. Very racy. Best after 2009. 6,665 cases made.– Anticipated maturity: 2005-2020.
Simi Landslide Cabernet Sauvignon 2001: Alexander Valley: The Wine Spectator A delicious Cabernet at a terrific price—smooth, rich and juicy, with tiers of lively black cherry, wild berry and blackberry fruit that are deeply concentrated with a supple, elegant mouth feel. The tannins show some grip on the finish and a nice dusty, cedary oak quality adds a note of complexity. Best from 2005 through 2011. The Wine Enthusiast: This fabulously complex wine shows how you can merge power and nuance with the most complex and satisfying results… Shows an exciting finesse throughout– hard to exaggerate the quality. A perfect companion at the table.
Michel Magnien: 2002 Gevrey-Chambertin—Les Seuvrees Vielles Vignes: The Wine Advocate (89 - 90 Points): This is a fabulous single-vineyard wine that showcases Gevrey-Chambertin’s special terroir. The 2002 has unquestionable concentration and strength, yet it maintains Pinot Noir’s regal character. The aromas kick off our magical mystery tour with blackberries and toasty oak, while the flavors of medium-bodied dark fruit, herbs and a bit of tar lead to a hefty dose of smooth, ripe tannins. The smooth, round flavors make this a nice match with roast chicken and even grilled fish.
2002 Acacia Vineyard Pinot Noir Carneros: Deep ruby red color. The nose exhibits a delicate balance between primary fruit and rich, meaty, savory notes. A deep, black cherry aroma intermingles with subtle blackberry, cassis, roasted meat, wet earth and Provençal herb notes. The wine is creamy and mouth-filling on entry with a strong cola impression at mid-palate that leads to vanilla and tar on the long, broad, red cherry finish.
Yalumba Museum Reserve Antique Tawny Dessert Wine (Australia): The Wine Advocate: The medium amber-hued non-vintage Museum Reserve Antique Tawny, which has had more than 15 years of oak aging, is a sensational fortified that could easily be confused with a high quality, 20- to 25-year-old Tawny Port. Delicious notes of prunes, sweet raisins, over-ripe strawberries, and caramel soar from the glass of this incredibly intense wine.
February 26, 2008 at 8:25 am · Filed under Wine Club
The forecast for a major storm did not stop our wine enthusiasts from braving wind and rain for a night at Wine Styles in Danville.
The San Ramon Valley Newcomers Club wine group meets once a month to sample different wines and enjoy pot-luck hors dourves. This month’s hosts were Craig & Tracey Harper
27 attendees demonstrated the power of wine over matter or in this case - weather.
Wine Styles on Camino Ramon in Danville always help us to have a good time.
Thanks to our host and hostess, Larry & Sharyn, for another GREAT evening with friends at this month’s Wine Appreciation Group get together. This months theme was Stony Ridge Wineryat Stoney Creek. The following is a fabulous cake that Sharyn made for us. Not even a crumb was left. It’s a keeper!!!
STONY RIDGE MALVASIA WINE CAKE
1 ¼ C. Malvasia Bianca Wine
1 Pkg. yellow cake mix (no pudding)
1 Small vanilla instant pudding
¾ C. Cooking oil (Canola)
4 Eggs
1 t. Vanilla
¼ C. Sugar
2 t. Cinnamon
½ C. chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter bundt pan and sprinkle with nuts. Mix first six ingredients on high speed for 8 minutes. Pour half of batter into the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, then top with rest of batter.
Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes before removing from the pan.
Enjoy with a dollop of whipped cream and some chilled Malvasia Bianca Wine.
All you wine drinkers save this date: February 23, Craig & Tracey are hosting a special romantic Valentine Wine Tasting Evening to also celebrate national “Open A Bottle Day” (it’s true!)
September 20, 2007 at 6:46 pm · Filed under Wine Club
Well it was another great evening of good friends and excellent wine. Hosted by Jan and Paula (way to go ladies) and held at Wine Styles in San Ramon. The theme was Wine from around the world. From France to Australia to Italy to Chile and oh don’t forget California. There was something for everyone. The overwhelming favorite was “McNabridge Winery - Niemi Vineyard French Colombard - 2006″. Several of us left with more than one bottle. This is a white wine that is crisp, clean and fun to drink! And at $11.99 a bottle, not badly priced.
If you’re not a wine connoisseur and feel a little intimidated by wine stores, Wine Styles is for you. Their concept is SIMPLE. All wines are grouped into one of eight styles - four whites: Crisp, Silky, Rich or Bubbly and four reds: Fruity, Mellow, Bold and Nectar.
It was another fun evening full of cheers and great conversation. The nectar of the gods (wine) was provided by Pat and Ron Shockley, who hosted the event at their beautiful home in San Ramon. The theme for the evening was California summertime red and white wines and there was a variety of tasty treats provided by all the guests. If you enjoy good wine and great conversation with a truly eclectic group of people, come and join us at the next SRV Newcomers Wine Club get together.
On Sunday, March 25th the Wine Club met at Cork’s in Danville to sample wines from the Livermore Valley. Steve Barth, proprietor of Cork’s, provided the local lore and wine comments.
