My favorite widely-attended wine event in Monterey County happened on August 24th – the Monterey Winemakers Celebration! I like this event because these are “our” local wineries – the ones we can drive to and the tasting rooms we frequent. And this time the Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association was very generous to me and comped me VIP tickets! My chance to taste some of the special wines before everyone else shows up – excellent. A huge THANK YOU for your generosity!
And we could not have had better weather for the Winemakers Celebration – it was warm and sunny – not something you can bank on in August on the Monterey Peninsula! And how fun to see so many of our winemakers in attendance including Sabrine Rodems, Ian Brand, Jack Galante, Greg Freeman, Greg Hill, Russell Joyce, and Keith Prader.
In today’s post, I’ll walk you through some of the wines we tasted – but then hone in on specific noteworthy wines.
ABOUT THE MONTEREY WINEMAKERS CELEBRATION 2024
“Join us in Carmel-by-the-Sea for the Monterey Winemakers Celebration, now in its 31st year! This year, the event has moved to late August to celebrate the beginning of the 2024 harvest. Celebrate with winemakers and growers from one of the world’s premier wine regions at this beloved street festival on Saturday, August 24, on Dolores Street (between Ocean and 7th) and 7th Street (between Dolores and San Carlos).
“Experience incredible wines and culinary delights from renowned chefs and local food purveyors who will showcase their craft. Event proceeds will benefit the Monterey County Vintners & Growers Foundation Peter Figge Memorial Scholarship Fund.” This fund is still open for donations!
Please click on the event link to see all of the wineries and eateries who were there to make this a fun event!
THE EVENT ITSELF – Winemakers Celebration
My Strategy: My usual strategy at the Winemakers Celebration is to focus on wineries that were new or ones I had never presented in my blog, sample one wine, and dump the rest. But only one winery that fit that category, so we went looking for the special reserve wines! However – with a twist – my partner wanted to go through once only tasting rosé and white wines and to leave the reds for the trip back through. It was an incredibly warm day, but it meant more wines and smaller tastes to come out even!
We sampled rosé wines from Dawn’s Dream Winery, Lucy Wines, Talbott Vineyards, Tira Nanza, Chalone Vineyard and De Tierra – and more!
And a few whites: Dawn’s Dream 2023 Chardonnay had a buttery nose with honey and tropical notes on the palate. Scheid Vineyards 2023 Sauvignon Blanc was pale in glass with melon and pineapple on the palate – a good wine. Plus Rexford Winery’s flavorful 2022 Tondre Grapefield Dry Riesling and nicely balanced 2019 Escolle Chardonnay. Lucy Wines (by Pisoni) had an interesting 2023 blend named Pico Blanco (Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc) which was light yellow and tropical on the palate. And JL Wood Wines was back with its line of Chardonnays from Arroyo Seco – the 2022 Premier was buttery and balanced.
There were lots of sparkling wines that were oh so bubbly: Common Thread Wines, Folktale Winery & Vineyards, Scratch Wines, Puma Road, Holman Ranch and Caraccioli Cellars.
And some notable reds, including Odonata Wines tasty 2020 Malbec from Paicines, Holman Ranch Syrah (drinking so well!), and newcomer Lyndon Fog Cellars 2023 Zabala Vineyard Syrah (where can I get some, please?). Plus standout red blends, including the 2021 De Tierra Coco The Rescue, 2022 Galante Vineyards Legacy, 2016 Puma Road TKO, 2016 Pessagno Wines Quattro, and 2019 Silvestri Vineyards Eugenia.
And then we capped off the Winemakers Celebration by tasting every single one of Shale Canyon Wines reds: 2017 Mourvèdre, 2019 GSM, 2017 Tempranillo, and we even got to taste the club-only 2019 Consortium! At that point, we were invited to the winery to help them bottle wines later in the fall. Why not?
THE CULINARY DELIGHTS – Winemakers Celebration
Before I get to today’s wines, I just wanted to mention a couple of eateries which stood out to us. We did not try them all, but we especially enjoyed the Cafe Guarani empanadas and the The Grill on Ocean Ave. flaky triangles with artichoke dip.
THE WINES – Winemakers Celebration
As I did with the last Monterey Wine Trade Event, today I want to highlight a few standout wines from wineries I rarely or have never covered in this blog. I did not capture detailed tasting notes at the Winemakers Celebration, so I’ve cobbled together my notes from memory. Any errors are mine and mine alone.
This post focuses on Common Thread Wines, De Tierra, Lyndon Fog Cellars, and Pessagno Wines . Each is worthy of a future visit and a full tasting. Any winery notes are from their websites or from the presenters at this event.
ABOUT COMMON THREAD WINES:
David Baird, winemaker at Folktale, started this label as a personal effort to make a difference for the special needs community. I encourage you to read the moving story about Common Thread Wines here: It all began in a moment.
“…My winemaking career began in 2006 while attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I’ve had the pleasure of working for some of the best winemakers in the Central Coast of California and honing my craft and style along the way. A goal of mine was to someday create wines of my own, but timing was never right. That all changed in 2021 when finally gaining the courage to take a risk and begin a wine brand of my own, and Common Thread was born. The name comes from a similar trait I share with my two boys – a single palmar crease on our left hands. This crease is one of the physical markers of Down syndrome, along with almond shaped eyes, stunted growth, etc. It is not an indication of any mutation, and can be an uncommon inherited trait that is often passed down among males. I’m proud to share this special trait with my two boys, and is my Common Thread.
“A large part of my desire to make wine is getting an opportunity to give back to the community in a meaningful way. I’m proud to donate 10% of proceeds to organizations that support individuals with special needs. Those individuals share a common thread with my son, and all deserve to live life to the fullest.”
2023 Common Thread Brut Rose, Central Coast AVA, 12.7% ABV, $34 (#1427) 66% Pinot Meunier, 21% Chardonnay, 13% Pinot Noir
Winemaker’s Notes: “Originally associated with royalty and wine for the gods, sparkling wine has always been made with love and care. This bottle honors the past, with a bottling of the classic varieies in traditional sparkling wine and the Méthode Champenoise. Depending on your preferences, pair this with caviar or popcorn on the couch. The individual components were hand-picked and gently pressed. The individual components fermented in Stainless-Steel before being blended and bottled for the secondary fermentation. The bottles were riddled by hand and disgorged in the fall of 2024.”
My Notes: A little cloudy in glass and very tasty. Unlike many of the bubblies at this event which were all bubbles and, if you were lucky, a touch of yeasty notes, this one actually tasted like something. I’d serve to guests. We circled back to tell him that it was our favorite sparkling wine of the event! August 2024
ABOUT DE TIERRA:
“De Tierra Vineyards is a family owned and operated winery producing handcrafted, award-winning wines from the California Central Coast. Owners, Jeff Meacham and Andrew Schoenfeld are dedicated to the rich history and traditions of De Tierra. “We are very fortunate for our continued close partnership with the Russell Vineyards where De Tierra’s founder planted our first varietals in 1998. The Vineyard’s location affords us favorable and unique soils lending to our consistent premium wines of superb quality. Jeff and Andrew continue De Tierra’s commitment to producing superior quality boutique wines.”
2021 De Tierra Rosé of Pinot Noir, Central Coast AVA, 14.2% ABV, $35 (#1428)
Winemaker’s Notes: “Won SILVER MEDAL at the California State Commercial Wine Competition 2023!…IN THE GLASS: Watermelon and silver tones. Fresh and bright…”
My Notes: This was one of the most flavorful rosé wines we tasted this afternoon.
ABOUT LYNDON FOG CELLARS:
This was the first time Lyndon Fog Cellars participated in this event. They are a joint venture by Laurel Livingston and Glen Caughell. She works for Ian Brand and he also works in the wine industry. They brought several wines for us to sample, including a fun “Chillable Red.” But, when she told me her Syrah grapes came from Zabala Vineyards, I needed to try no others!
2023 Lyndon Fog Syrah, Zabala Vineyard, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County (#1429)
My notes: Cinnamon candy on the nose, followed by that lovely Zabala Syrah fruit. I need to get some! August 2024
ABOUT PESSAGNO WINES:
“Pessagno Winery brings to life a family’s 20-year dream of producing exclusive wines from prestigious vineyards throughout the Monterey and San Benito Counties. Winemaker Stephan Pessagno left behind a legacy of extravagance for all in the industry to enjoy. His deep rooted passion and devotion elevated the Pessagno name to what it is today… Franscioni’s team of winemakers welcome all wine lovers to indulge in their exclusive product. They capture the natural flavors of the San Lucia Highlands among other local regions to give Pessagno wines their unique flavor. Come savor the tastes and aromas of our luxurious wines…”
2016 Pessagno Quattro Red Blend, Pedregal de Paicines Vineyard, Paicines AVA, San Benito County, $40 (#1430)
Winery Notes: “Four Varietal Blend of 37.5% Cabernet Franc, 37.5% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Malbec. The 2016 Quattro entices with rich aromas of spice, tobacco, oak and dark cherry. The palate is rewarded with a rich and velvety mouthfeel, flavors of leather, intense dark cherry, and hints of spice and vanilla, with a long, satisfying finish.”
My Notes: The Pessagno Quattro was one of best fruit forward red blends we tasted at this event. I would present this wine in one of my classes! August 2024
THE TASTING ROOMS
Only two of these wineries have tasting rooms. Please contact the others directly for more information.
De Tierra Tasting Room:
The De Tierra Tasting Room is located at Mission and 5th in charming Carmel-by-the-Sea.
“De Tierra provides a one of a kind tasting room experience in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Just 1½ blocks off Ocean Ave., our tasting room is located in a cozy cottage that opens up to the sights and sounds of downtown. Come visit us and experience our extensive wine portfolio which features many single varietal wines, unique blends, sparkling and dessert wines. Make it a perfect match with our available locally sourced small bites.
“The Tasting Room at De Tierra Vineyards is open to the public Mon-Thr: 1pm-6pm and Fri-Sun: 1pm -7pm. Reservations are not needed, but are encouraged. We are family and dog friendly. We can’t wait to see you at the Tasting Room – we know you’ll love it here.”
Pessagno Tasting Room:
The Pessagno Tasting Room is located at 1645 River Road, Salinas, CA 93908, on the Monterey Wine Trail!
“WE’RE OPEN FOR TASTINGS – WITH AMPLE COVERED & HEATED OUTDOOR SEATING!
“We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued support over the past several years. We are delighted to welcome you for on-site tastings and look forward to seeing you soon! Reservations are recommended. Please call 831-675-9463 or email info@pessagnowines.com for our River Road Winery & Tasting Room.
“Current Hours. We are currently operating with Spring Hours and are open Thursday-Monday, from 12-5pm; closed Tuesday and Wednesday.”
© Decanting Monterey 2024
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