OAKLAND DWELLERS - VERDAD ROSE AT FARMER JOES

Pay no attention to the label on the box -
but to what's inside - VERDAD 

Just saw one of my favorite roses ON SALE and AT THE LOCAL MARKET - Verdad 2012 Rose is just $11.99 at Farmer Joe's on Fruitvale in Oakland.

This normally sells for $18 from the winery.

Grown from biodynamic grapes in San Luis Obispo County, this is a summer MUST.

At this price - and right down the street - be sure to stock up!

Earth Day Open House (This Saturday) and Online $5 Shipping Sale at Qupe and Verdad All Month

The winery is here!

ONLINE SALE - APRIL ONLY

Qupe and Verdad are having an online shipping sale right now on all orders of 6 bottles or more - shipping is only $5!

Everything from Verdad is organic and/or biodynamically grown. Some of the Qupe wines (usually the costlier ones) are.

The Sawyer Lindquist vineyard wines are all certified biodynamic.
The Ibarra Young vineyard wines are certified organically grown.

For Verdad, I am a huge fan of their Albarino and their Rose. For Qupe, it's all about the Grenaches and Syrahs, for me. They also do great white Rhones (Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne).

CELLAR OPEN HOUSE, RELEASE PARTY AND SALE

Normally Qupe and Verdad (husband and wife wineries - he's a Syrah and Rhone master and she's queen of the Spanish varietals) allow visitors only to their tasting room in Los Olivos, a charming little town that's filled with wine tourists and tasteful tasting rooms.

But twice a year they have open house at their actual winery located near the legendary Bien Nacido vineyard in Santa Maria. (Near, not in.)

The site is about as amazing as it gets - this canyon reminds one of the great European valleys with its steep hillsides. It's famous for growing some of the best grapes in Santa Barbara County and California.

The open house sale is from 11-3 (wine club members admitted at 10:30 am). The event is $20 for the public, free to wine club members.

The new (organically grown) 2012 spring wines that will be released at the event include:

• 2012 Viognier - Ibarra Young Vineyard (organic)
• 2012 Viognier - Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard (biodynamic) - wine club members only

The telephone is 805-686 4200.

Sunset Magazine's Organically Grown Wine Winners

Sunset Magazine's annual wine competition took  place July 9 in Menlo Park. Among the hundreds of wines submitted, the judges chose the winners; the list (available online here) will be published in the Nov. issue of Sunset magazine.

Here are the organically or biodynamically grown winners among them. I've starred my faves.

Among the highlights:

Chardonnay: you can spend $80 for a Bergstrom Chardonnay or $14 for Bonterra's Chardonnay? I'm not sure the judges got this one right. Both got gold.

Bonterra's Chardonnay is good, esp. for the price, but hasn't ranked in the wine press like Bergstrom's, which won 94 points from Robert Parker. You might try your own taste comparison...or just stick with the Bonterra, knowing it's a budget-price Gold winner.

Italian Varietals: I am a huge fan of Chiarito (organic but not certified) so I am delighted to see this Mendocino traditional grower/winemaker getting two Golds for its Nero d'Avola and Negramoro, both traditional varietals grown in southern Italy and perfectly suited to our California interior climates (much more than the international varietals - Cab and Chard).

I personally buy these two wines by the case, (If you're a Chiarito wine club member, there's a 35% off sale going on now on both of these wines.)

Bonterra: Overall this widely available (in supermarkets, even) organic powerhouse swept the awards, winning 7 prizes, the most of any organically grown brand. That's not so surprising, given that it's the biggest brand in the organically grown space, but it's reaffirming to see that its quality survives despite its high volume production.

Albarino: I was dismayed to see Verdad get only a Bronze for its Albarino. The label has been a powerhouse for this varietal, so one wonders if the judges are really familiar with this Spanish grape. It was a pick of the week from the LATimes (a previous vintage but still), so the judging seems a bit off to me.

Brut Rose: I was happy to see Handley Cellars get a Silver for its fantastic Brut Rose, which also got a Gold medal in the SF Chronicle Wine Competition and a 91 point rating from Wine Spectator. It's a lovely wine and usually flies off the shelf. It's not made every year, so grab it while you can. It tied with longtime sparkling wine producer Schramsberg (not organically grown), just one more sign of its lovely qualities.

REDS

• Bordeaux Blend
Bronze
Stone Edge, Surround ($30)

• Cabernet Sauvignon
Bronze
Stone Edge Farm, 2008

• Italian Varietals
Gold
***Chiarito Vineyard, Nero d'Avola
***Chiarito Vineyard, Negramoro

• Merlot
Silver
Bonterra, 2009 Merlot ($18)

• Pinot Noir
Bronze
Bonterra, 2010 Pinot Noir ($16)

• Rose
Silver
Ceago Vinegarden, Syrah Rose ($16)

Syrah
Silver
Bonterra, 2007 The Butler ($36)
Ceago, 2010 Syrah ($22)

WHITES
• Albarino
Bronze
***Verdad, 2010 Albarino

• Chardonnay
Gold
Bergstrom, 2010 Sigrid ($80)
Bonterra, 2010 Chardonnay ($14)

Bronze
Handley, 2010 Chardonnay ($22)

• Riesling
Bronze
Bonterra, 2010 Riesling ($14)
Pacific Rim, 2010 Riesling ($32)

• Sauvignon Blanc
Bronze
Bonterra, 2010 ($14)

• Viognier
Silver
Bonterra, 2010 Viognier ($14)

• Sparkling
Silver
***Handley, Brut Rose ($40)

Qupe/Verdad Spring Whites Wine Tasting and SALE!

"Verdad" and "Qupe"...with son- one of tbe great His and Her winery couples of California!

Saturday May 19, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm - join the Qupe/Verdad team for a white wine tasting! Limited to 30 people - and priced quite reasonably at $15 a head - join one of Santa Barbara County's most illustrious wine couples for a special tasting of their Chenin Blanc, Roussanne, and a new Albarino from Paragon Vineyard.

They're even throwing in light appetizers.

The event takes place at their Los Olivos tasting room.

If you're into whites, you should know they make both superstar Spanish whites - Verdad's Albarino is renowned (whether from the organic Ibarra Young vineyard or Verdad's own biodynamic Sawyer Lindquist estate vineyard) and Qupe is a Rhone master par excellence (so the Ibarra Young Viognier is outstanding).

And did I mention there will be special discounts on wine for attendees only?

That ought to clinch the deal.

Their organically grown wines come from Ibarra Young vineyard (organic) or their own Sawyer Lindquist estate (biodynamic).

Send me your photos if you're lucky enough to attend!

Info here www.qupe.com/purchase/products-page/merchandise/maywhites 

Five Great Summer Wines - Organically Grown, Under $20

My new book Drink Green: 101 Organically Grown Wines for $20 or Less will feature the best American wine values that are organically or biodynamically grown.

Here's a sneak peak at some of the world class wine listings:

1. Albarino, Verdad, biodynamic, $18
2. Tocai Friulano, Cooper Mountain, biodynamic, $14 (free shipping on $200+ orders)
3. Muscat Canelli, Barra, organic, $16
4. Vermentino, Tablas Creek, organic, $15 (older vintages available online)
5. Grenache Rose, Cowhorn, biodynamic, $19

To learn more about when the book comes out, sign up to receive blog postings via email. It's coming in May or June!