Friday Snippets

Just when we thought that it would never arrive, the harvest comes creeping in on little cat feet (sorry Carl Sandburg). Yesterday, Wente Vineyards' Large Lot facility received its first truck loads of fruit from the Central Valley. The Small Lot winery will see our first fruit on Wednesday as we bring in about 5 tons of Pinot Noir from the McIntyre Estate vineyard for the 2010 vintage of Blanc de Noir sparkling wine and Rosé.

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Did someone just scream SPARKLING WINE FROM LA ROCHELLE!!!!!?????? 

Oh...it was me. Anyway...we are very excited to be introducing a new wine club opportunity for white wine lovers...and the 2007 La Rochelle Blanc de Noirs Sparkling Wine will be the first release for this new club on October 23, 2010. Here is Steven talking about the new wine of which only 80 cases were produced in this first vintage. For more information about joining, click here.

29th Annual Harvest Wine Celebration

Sunday and Monday of Labor Day weekend will mark the 29th Annual Harvest Wine Celebration! This annual fundraising event by the Livermore Valley Winegrower's Association is always an action packed weekend and a great way to get out and visit your local wineries, meet winemakers, enjoy music, food and of course taste wine!

We're planning a fun weekend at Steven Kent and La Rochelle and will be debuting several new releases! For those who's first love is Cabernet, you won't want to miss the debut of our 2007 Livermore Valley Cabernet! Want to delve further into the varietal? For an additional fee you can taste your way through our Cabernet and Cheese pairing in the Barrel Room. On deck for this tasting...2007 Ghielmetti Vineyard, 2007 Smith Ranch and 2007 Home Ranch. Is Pinot your passion? Then head over to La Rochelle where we'll be pouring our 2007 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir, along with 2007 Classic Clones and a special Pinot Noir Program wine. Winemaker Tom will be on hand to talk about his fine creations. Click Here for detailed information about what's happening on our site.

If you'd like to join in on the fun, you'll need a ticket! They can be purchased online at the Livermore Valley Winegrower's website or you can stop by Steven Kent or La Rochelle and purchase one in person!

We hope to see you at the winery!
Tracey

We are Innovatively Delicious!

A couple of weeks ago, La Rochelle Winery's 2006 Pinot Noir - Classic Clones, Arroyo Seco was paired with a Squash Blossom Tamale created by the talented folks at Campo di Bocce restaurant in Livermore...and came away with the most innovative pairing award at the annual Taste of Terroir.

(Photo of La Rochelle's Tracey Morretta and Steven Mirassou courtesy of Vanessa Pelletier)

A blend of older clones from several Arroyo Seco vineyards, including the Mission Ranch, this new release is brimming with dark cherry, plum, and coffee notes. In the mouth, the wine is all silk and power...easily capable of aging 7-10 years.

The tamale, with its squash blossom shell, was stuffed with pinot noir-braised lamb, ricotta polenta, and fresh zucchini, brought out the wonderful fruit notes in the Pinot; the wine, in turn, highlighted the earthiness of the dish.

The Taste of Terroir is an annual event that brings together the talented vintners and restaurateurs of the Valley to give nearly 500 guests a hedonistic view of the progress of our ever-improving wine region.

And the wine's are improving dramatically: from Deer Ridge Winery's Moonstruck to Karl Wente's Nth Degree Merlot, our wines are showing more complexity, more classic structure, and even more value.

Not all the entries were equally successful, but if the pace of recent progress continues in Livermore, if more growers, producers, and consumers understand how capable were are of making world-class wines, it won't be long before the wine world as a whole embraces our appellation.