Due to popular demand, I've updated my extract of Open Table's BYOB feature. It's suggested to verify with the restaurant when you make your reservation. 

Tasting Sun 4-6pm.  Enjoy a flight of 4 wines for $25; a full glass for $9.  Also open when we have special events, please check our Calendar of Events.  I selected all of these wines because they're local, small production, good value, and very enjoyable with or without food.  In cases where I haven't found a good local example, I've got an import on the list.

WHITE DESSERT

- 2009, Bonneau Wine, Late Harvest Chardonnay, Los Carneros.  $15/375ml bottle.  A little bit of yogurt tingle on your tongue is followed by orange zest with Bonneau Winery 2009 Late Harvest Chardonnay, Estate, Carneros. Aromatic, sweet, rich. 8% residual sugar. 100% Stainless Steel Tank, 100% Natural yeast, 3-1/2 months sur lies, stirred every 3 weeks. http://www.bonneauwine.com

- 2010, Uvaggio, Moscato Dolce, Bella Vigne Vineyard, Lodi.  $18.  Aromatic and flavorful - versatile as a low alcohol aperitivo or dessert wine.  Lively aromas and flavors of candied ginger, ripe tropical fruits mango, papaya, star fruit. Alcohol 8.4%. http://uvaggio.com/home.html

- 12-yr solera system aged, Wellington Vineyards, White Port, Sonoma Valley.  $30/500ml bottle. Field blend of Palomino, Monbadon, Semillon, Sauvignon Vert, Trousseau Gris, Sylvaner, Riesling. Aromas of coconut, cream, and spice cookies. http://www.wellingtonvineyards.com/wines.php

- 10 Years Old, Broadbent, Portuguese Madeira "Malmsey", PORTUGAL. $47.  85% Malvasia, 15% Tinta Negra. Pungent citrus aroma, decadent and viscous
feeling in the mouth, acidic tannic warm spice, toffee and bright orange zest finish.

RED DESSERT

- 2006 Pedroncelli, “Four Grapes” vintage Port, Dry Creek Valley.  $18/500ml bottle.  The grapes for this dessert wine came from Pedroncelli’s (est. 1927) estate vineyard in Dry Creek Valley. The four acre vineyard planted in 1995, local legend has it the vines were smuggled in by Raymond Burr the actor, with traditional Port varietals:  Tinta Madeira, Tinta Cao, Touriga Nacional, and Souzao. Harvested as a field blend, made by the vintage and aged in bottle.  Dark fruit aromas of blackberry and plum. Raspberry flavors with fruitcake, chocolate and black pepper finish.  http://www.pedroncelli.com/vineyards/

- 2005 Godspeed Vineyards, Estate “Trinity” blend Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah; Napa Valley. $18/375ml bottle.  Owner/Grower: Larry Stryker.  With a nose of black cherry, roasted coffee & black pepper, it's mouth filling, superbly balanced with a lingering chocolate finish exhibiting the unique terroir of Mount Veeder. At 13.5% alcohol, this is a very food friendly wine.  I sometimes use this as a dry wine pairing for chocolate dessert.  Only 390 cases produced.  https://sites.google.com/site/secretwineshop/wine/godspeed-vineyards

- NV, KOPKE, Fine Ruby Port, Porto, PORTUGAL.  $15/375ml bottle. From the oldest port makers in Portugal, dating back to 1638. This young ruby is perfectly balanced with light sweetness and a spicy finish.

Fantastic article about the Secret Wine Shop in today's SF Bay Guardian. 
http://www.sfbg.com/pixel_vision/2011/08/01/portuguese-delights-secret-wine-shop-and-lengalenga

It was picked up by WSJ > San Francisco News too.
http://onespot.wsj.com/san-francisco/2011/08/01/dbc70/portuguese-delights-at-the-secret-wine

Tasting Sun 4-6pm.  Enjoy a flight of 4 wines for $25; a full glass for $9.  Also open when we have special events, please check our Calendar of Events.  I selected all of these wines because they're local, small production, good value, and very enjoyable with or without food.  In cases where I haven't found a good local example, I've got an import on the list.

- 2008 Uvaggio, Barbera (97% Barbera, 3% Nebbiolo), Lodi, $20.  Winemaker Jim Moore, previously with Robert Mondavi, then Bonny Doon, before launching his own wine label Uvaggio.  Opening with a rich fruit nose of dark cherry and plum, the structured wine has been tamed into a soft, chocolate-brushed finish with just the perfect amount of acidity. The vines have been in the ground since the 1880s. Fermented with a yeast strain isolated in Barolo and aged 15 months in French and Hungarian oak.  http://uvaggio.com/home.html

- 2010 Muscardini Cellars, Barbera, Pauli Ranch, Mendocino, $36.  Barbera is famous for keeping its high acidity even when the fruit is ripe.  This fruit comes from the historic Pauli Ranch, originally planted by Robert Mondavi, in Ukiah Valley, on the banks of an old river bed with gravely soil. Cold soaked 3 days, fermented in open top tanks, aged 12 months in 30% new French and Hungarian oak. Opens up with aromas of bright red fruit, raspberry, wild herbs & roasted espresso. On the palate, lively flavors of ripe plum, raspberry and cherry, vibrant acidity, balanced tannins, silky mouthfeel and a long complex finish.  http://muscardinicellars.com

- 1996 Coturri, "Assemblage Millénaire" Red Table Wine, Sonoma Valley.  $42.  Winemaker: Tony Coturri.  This aged and perfectly stored zero-sulphites, natural yeast wine is a rare treat for the wine nerd, ahem connoisseur.  70% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Glover Vineyard, 30% Merlot from the Maclise Vineyard.  Fermented in large (1600 gallon oak) open top large vertical foudres at the top of Sonoma Mountain.  Unfined, unfiltered.  Mellow with age, light and still alive in the mouth, long finish of earth, mountain berries, and warm wood spice.  216 cases produced.  http://www.coturriwinery.com/

- 2004 Godspeed Vineyards, Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Mt. Veeder.  $42.  Owner/Grower: Larry Stryker.  100% estate grown and hand harvested.  This is a Mt. Veeder cab with a lovely nose of black earth, blackberry, plum, cassis, cedar, which paves the way for a lush mouthful of decadent black and blue fruit, with a chocolate finish... the tannins are refined and the structure framed by present acidity.  This wine has a wide pairing range from smoked salmon w/ cream cheese on rye bread to rich spicy ethnic foods to chocolate dessert.  A voluptuous and well-structured wine that is enjoyable now and will drink well for many years to come.  https://sites.google.com/site/secretwineshop/wine/godspeed-vineyards

- 2005 Travieso, "El Rey" Cabernet Sauvignon, Louvau Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley. $42.  Aged in 50% new French oak for 24 months.  Extracted character and classic tannins.  Smokey cedar and cassis aromas, continues to open up in the glass. This is the kind of wine that can stand up to a spicy meal! Four barrels held for an additional 12 months of aging EBA (Extended Barrel Aged). Quirky collectible bottles make a great conversation piece.  Less than 200 cases produced.  This is a new world noble wine, drink now through 2015. http://www.traviesowinery.com

- 2006 Wellington Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Morhardt Ridge, Sonoma Valley.  $25.  This unique mountainside location, only five miles away from the Pacific Ocean, produces high quality grapes, consistently. Cool afternoon ocean breezes prolong the growing season, allowing development of rich yet soft tannins while retaining good acid levels. Aromas of raspberry, black pepper, violets, with hints of olive and tobacco. This is my go-to weeknight local Cabernet Sauvignon! http://wellingtonvineyards.com

- 2009 Mica Cellars, Charbono, Babcock Vineyards, Suisun Valley.  $38.  Charbono, is that a style of steak, you say?  No, it's another Italian grape variety.  Aromas of violet and honeysuckle, mid-palate of figs and vanilla with a finish of clover honey and coconut milk.  During my themed wine pairings, I pair this wine with Bosc Pear gelato.  A wine that's meant to be opened and drunk at once, its complexity dissipates within a few hours.

- 2008 Mas del Périé, Malbec, Cahors, FRANCE.  $20.  Apparently Jon Bonné liked it too.  http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-04-11/food/20843362_1_cahors-malbec-argentine-wines-humble-grap  I usually don't carry imports except when it's a style I haven't yet found locally.  Part education for my wine club members' palates, part challenge to myself to find such a bottle locally.  This Malbec is from the birthplace, Cahors, France (not Argentina where many Americans think Malbec originated).  This is the purest expression.  Not too smoky which is typical from Argentina, but gripping tannins.  Importer & Distributor: Return To Terroir.

- 2009 Wargin Wines, “Big & Beautiful” Red (50% Montepulciano, 25% Aglianico, 25% Sangiovese), Solano County.  $16.  Three amazing Italian grape varieties all blended together!  This bottle is even better the 2nd day after its been opened.  Aromas of pepper and jammy briary red fruit, dark red cherries on the palate backed by hibiscus and oak note.  http://warginwines.com

- 2009 August West Wine, Pinot Noir, Graham Family Vineyard, Green Valley (sub-appellation Russian River Valley).  $42.  Graham Family Vineyard is located less than 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean.  Planted to Pinot Noir clones 667, 777, 828, Swan and Calera to cover a spectrum of Pinot aromas.  This particular vintage was made entirely of free run juice (the juice that runs freely out of the fermentation vat before the grapes go to press).  Free run wine is usually more concentrated with fruit than pressed wine, so the resulting '09 Graham has more weight, color and tannins than previous vintages.  Expect to drink well through 2017. http://augustwestwine.com

- 2010 Harrington Wine, Pinot Noir "Terrane" no added yeast, no sulphites, organically grown, Mendocino.  $45.  Fruit sourced from the organic Thompson Vineyard, planted 1968, a stony, west-sloping benchland, at 1000 feet, all Martini clone, abandoned 15 years, restored in 2008.  No added yeast, no sulphites, instead a natural extract of grape seed tannin, known as Oligomeric Proanthrocyanidin, was used to stablize the wine. The nose is dense and powerful with dried red fruits, five spice, rose hips, a touch of fresh pine and dusty wet gravel. Flavors of zingy cranberry, sour cherry, plum skins, pebbles, and cinnamon, with orange rind, hibiscus, black tea and brown sugar on the finish.  http://harringtonwine.com

- 2007 J. Keverson, Pinot Noir, Haas Family Vineyard, Sonoma Mountain.  $20.  This is an artisanal single vineyard Pinot from a high altitude on Sonoma Mountain.  It's considered a "warm climate" Pinot, which means the flavors are richer than Carneros Pinots.  You'll get a slight nutmeg and spicy fruit aroma and flavor.  This is a perfect pairing for light red meats & medium-bodied sauces.  Perfect for Vietnamese food!  (Retail Price: $38/bottle)  http://www.jkeverson.com/ourwines.php

- 2010 Sandler Wine, Pinot Noir, Clos Pepe Vineyard, Santa Ynez.  $40.  100% Pommard clone from Clos Pepe Vineyard.  Lovely forest floor, boysenberry & cherry compote, intense spice, plush, luxe, with insane depth and a fairly high tannin level.  This is a wine to put down and save for a special occasion.  Suggested drinking window 2014-2019.  "...the name Clos Pepe Vineyard on a bottle has become synonymous with quality.  Think California Grand Cru quality."  -PinotFile  http://sandlerwine.com

- 2008 Ruby Kurant, California Rhone Blend, $24.  Winemaker: Nils Venge.  Blend: 95% Grenache, 5% Syrah.  This wine is a secret find at Envy Winery in Calistoga.  Envy is Mark Carter's budget version of his famous Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon made from Beckstoffer & To Kalon fruit with legendary winemaker Nils Venge.  Mark's girlfriend, Sheri Dubey, is one lucky girl, getting to buy some high quality fruit on the side & getting some expert winemaking for her label Ruby Kurant.  She calls it "daily decadence."  You will agree!  http://www.rubykurant.com

- 2007 Travieso, Syrah, Santa Lucia Highlands.  $36.  The grapes come from Kirk Williams’ vineyard also known as Fairview Ranch. Travieso, Spanish for "trouble maker", is one of those wineries that pays by year, not by ton, so they work closely with grape grower to figure out how to get the best tasting fruit possible. It's about quality not quantity. Barrel aged in 33% new French oak for 24 months, that's right, double the amount of time for most reds.  You'll see it in the color, an almost black wine that's full of dark berries and soft smoke on the nose, blackberries and a bit of spice in the mouth, and a nice long chocolate-y finish.  The trouble making begins when you open a bottle and everyone at the table immediately needs a second pour. http://www.traviesowinery.com

- 2008 Sandler Wine Co., Syrah, Connell Vineyard, Bennett Valley.  $22.  Perfumed with dark flowers, white pepper and meaty-smoky accents, surprisingly zesty on the palate with black olives, a cornucopia of different kinds of roasted red peppers, all enveloped in dark violets. This kind of wine can stand up to a spicy hearty dish.  Already delicious, it will likely improve with a little cellar-time. 120 cases produced.  http://sandlerwine.com/

- 2006 Terra Bella Vineyards, Syrah, Paso Robles.  $35.  Awarded 90 points by Robert Parker who said: "Made by Andrew Murray, this beautiful Syrah displays wonderful elegance as well as a floral blue and blackberry nose, with hints of licorice and tar. The wine exhibits a balanced mouthfeel with outstanding ripeness and good acidity, giving vibrancy and freshness to its rich fruit. This wine should drink nicely for 5-6 years."  http://terrabellavineyards.com/

- 2009 Alta Mesa Cellars, Estate Tannat, Alta Mesa. $20.  Owner/Grower/Winemaker: Ron Silva. Tannat originated in South West France in the Madiran AOC.  A classic grape of Madeira, a fortified wine from the Portuguese Madeira islands, it’s often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Fer to soften its astringency. Tannat is dark, some say impenetrable.  This one has an aroma of blueberry and boysenberry fruit that melts in your mouth like a good beef stew. 125 cases produced.  http://www.thesecretwineshop.com/wine/alta-mesa-cellars  For optimal enjoyment, open this a couple hours before drinking, it will keep changing in your glass.

- 2009 Alta Mesa Cellars, Estate Tempranillo, Alta Mesa.  $20.  Owner/Grower/Winemaker: Ron Silva. Part Rioja, part Ribera del Duero but also uniquely Californian, Ron Silva uses a blend of French, Hungarian, and American neutral oak barrel to produce his Tempranillo. Ron farms sustainably thanks in part to his owl nests, 300 head of cattle and the used up pumice from the wine making which he uses to make his own compost for fertilization. Violets, cloves, plums on the nose, and a nice soft finish make this a very enjoyable low-alcohol red wine. 284 cases produced.  http://www.thesecretwineshop.com/wine/alta-mesa-cellars

- 2009 Argent, Zinfandel, Den Beste Vineyard, Russian River Valley.  $20.  Aromas of blackberries and green nettles; warm blackberry pie on the palate.  A nice, slightly jammy Zinfandel that will pair with all kinds of red meats, especially when garnished with wild berries or cranberries. One wineclub member said it went perfectly with roasted goose.  Winemakers Bill Wertzberger and Rick Spielman, who is a rocket scientist at Sandia National Laboratories by day.

- 2008 J. Keverson, Zinfandel, Buck Hill Vineyard, Sonoma County.  $27.  Aromas of ripe blackberries and chocolate to start, black pepper and warm spice finish. The structured tannins help to create a wine that is dry and smooth. Aged in 25% new French oak for 28 months. 312 cases made. BEST OF CLASS 2011 SONOMA COUNTY HARVEST FAIR!  http://www.jkeverson.com

- 2006 Wellington Vineyards, Organic Estate Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley.  2006.  $30.  Deep dark berry and earth aromas are rewarded on the tongue and in the finish.  A blend of Wellington's estate ancient vines with fruit from more recent plantings that were grafted using wood from our old vines. The result – old vine Zin 2 ways - aged in oak barrels 24 months and brought to you in its own time, an admirably made wine.  http://wellingtonvineyards.com

This latest event posed a new social media challenge for me.  It's a food & wine event, but the pop-up chefs didn't have their own website, hardly any facebook presence, and zero twitter existence.  The small production local winery has no website, no facebook, no twitter, you can barely find their name on google search.  So, without spending any ad dollars, how am I going to promote this event? 

I started trying the same trick as last time, trying to find someone with bigger social media fame than myself to help promote. I tried the only big winery whose wine I was pouring. I tried the local wine grape association whose appellation I was representing.  No luck.  Following is the anatomy of what did work for me, and it turns out it's all stuff I did myself (and you can do it too).  Again, I started out with my free tools arsenal:  direct email, social media, and my own website.

Step 1) Create a web page for the winery.  Mine is at http://www.thesecretwineshop.com/wine/alta-mesa-cellars
Step 2) Create an event page, with a purchase landing, on my website
Step 3) Set up Google Analytics custom reports.  (Actually didn't do this.  I already created reusable custom reports that worked like a charm for this event too!)
Step 4) List the events on both eventbrite.com and localwineevents.com.  Give a different URL to my own event page on both, so I can track where traffic comes from.
Step 5) Post on facebook and twitter.  Again, being a small business with a small following, I didn't expect much result for all my efforts at giving good content.

Yesterday a record 9 people all bought on the same day!  1 ticket came from localwineevents.  About half of the rest of the tickets were names I recognized, people who'd been to the shop before.  But where did the other ticket sales come from?  Swish! That's the sound of me opening my Google Analtyics report! This time I deep-dive directly into the event purchase page on one day=yesterday.  13 visits via 3 sources: direct, facebook & google (no twitter traffic this time).  Since it's the last purchase step, in theory a bounce rate of 100% means everyone's buying.  But bounce rate in this case has to be weighed against time on page to decide if those bounces are because of purchase or just bounces.


I start my analysis by trying to account for each ticket bought.  Each unique ticket purchaser buys 1.7 tickets each.  I use the same formula I invented for my last blog posting about social media ROI.  It turns out my calculations add up to the exact # purchases made, so I think I've figured out where each ticket came from.

Referrer    #visits   BounceRate  TimeOnPage  Calculated # interested   #purchases
direct        8         71.43%        0:47:39         8 * (1-.71)= 2              3.4 tickets
facebook    2         0%              0:02:41                          0               0 tickets
google       3        100%            1:14:09                          3               5 tickets
______________________________________________________________________
DAYTOTAL 13         63.64%        0:42:06                          5               8 tickets                              

( I'd be worried about those longer-than-average time-on-page, but I was wrestling with Google checkout the prior 2 weeks.  First there's a hard-to-find checkout setting to "allow unsigned carts".  Even though I'm using Google checkout itself, it considers itself unsigned.  doh!  that blocked me for a while! I filed a bug, but typical Google response was "nothing is wrong with our product".  No helpful suggestion to look for this non-intuitive setting.  Just the unhelpful response I'm so used to from Google - you're wrong!  I digress.  Second, since I hadn't figured out the unsigned cart setting yet, I thought maybe the bug was with the "google checkout gadget", so I tried another gadget called "buy now checkout gadget".  But that one only lets people buy 1 item at a time, and since most people want to buy >1 ticket at a time, they were stuck!  So, those times look whacky I know, but I don't think I'll be seeing that problem again. )

Back to figuring out the traffic. I knew I didn't do an emailing on that day, so I'm still wondering where the direct & google spike in traffic came from.  I have a hunch, I check my email, and sure enough, 4:45am July 19th, "The Juice" was sent to all subscriber's mailboxes, and our event was listed in that email!  So my conclusion this time? 

1) Localwineevents.com is a *great* way to promote your wine & food event!
2) Email lists have the greatest ROI, especially if your social presence is small (like mine and everyone I'm representing this time)
3) Make sure your website is ready & working, because if you've built up a loyal following, procrastinators (ahem, I mean people) will come looking for you. 
4) Even if the task looks daunting and you're a small business, just try it, you can do it!

It's time for me to 'fess up, and comment after all the Pinot Noirs I've tasted recently (64 blind tastings in one day during the Pinot Summit and another 100 wines tasted on another day during Pinot Days).  Here were some of my picks.

- Couloir Wines
Winemaker Jon Grant showed up on my radar this year as one of those nerdy Pinot makers, making a collection of vineyard-specific Pinots.  According to the Pinot File: "This is a brand new producer with the 2007 vintage of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. The founder and winemaker is Jon Grant, who is also the assistant winemaker at Turley Wine Cellars. Grant has learned his trade at several notable wineries including PlumpJack Winery, Corison Winery, and Robert Mondavi Winery. Couloir refers to a steep mountainside gorge and reflects Grant's love for ski mountaineering. Production is tiny and the wines are sold through a mailing list." Interesting to compare his Oppenlander to Baxter's.  Avg price $38 for Couloir 2009 Pinots. http://www.couloirwines.com

- Baxter Winery.  Interesting to compare Couloir's Oppenlander Vineyards to Baxter's same vintage, $45. (I think I tasted a total of 6 different wines that day from the Oppenlander Vineyards: Shandel's, Phillips Hill Estate, Navarro, Handley were the others). http://baxterwinery.com

Other "Pinot nerds": William Selyem, Ant Hill Farms.

- Bonneau Wine, 2008, Sangiacomo Vineyard, Los Carneros, $34.  Excellent example of a "typical" Sonoma Carneros Pinot Noir.  http://www.bonneauwine.com

- La Follette Wines.  Interesting to compare this to Greg La Follette's Sangiacomo vineyard production, burgundian style, $42.  http://www.lafollettewines.com

- Jean-Claude Boisset.  Speaking of Burgundian, the French empire of Pinot Noir that has taken root in Sonoma has a great tasting room on the Healdsburg Square, downtown.  Good chance to taste Pommard, Volnay, Mercurey, Macon.  http://www.boissettasteofterroir.com

- Clouds Rest, 2005, Limited Release Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast.  $108.  Outside my budget, but for wow factor (complex, feminine, blackberry, plum, pepper, smoke), this is it.  Again according to the Pinot File "This unique one and three-quarter-acre vineyard is actually on Sonoma Mountain but carries the Sonoma Coast appellation. Frequent fog drifts in from the ocean forming a billowy blanket about 50 feet below the vineyard fence. The Clouds Rest Vineyard is situated at 1250 feet and is the most intensely planted vineyard in the Sonoma Coast AVA, and may be the most difficult and expensive to farm. The vines are planted 3 ft x 3 ft (an arm’s length apart) in volcanic soils and farmed completely by hand. The planted clones are Pommard 3 and 115, 667, and 777.  The Clouds Rest Pinot Noirs are aged for 18 months in 50% new French oak and bottle aged an additional 18 months to 3 years. The noted winemaker since the first vintage in 2002 is Anthony Austin. The single vineyard-designate Pinot Noir is sold on the website."  http://www.cloudsrestpinotnoir.com

- Tarras Vineyard, 2008, Estate, Central Otago, New Zealand, $30.  Excellent example of Central Otago, my personal favorite Pinot Noir region in New Zealand (Marlborough sorry, I love your Sauvignon Blanc, but prefer Cental Otago's Pinot Noirs).  http://www.tarrasvineyards.com

- CRU, 2008, Appellation Series, Santa Maria Valley, $35.  If you like spicy Pinot Noirs, then Santa Maria is the appellation for you!  Locals refer to a natural jalapeno flavor in the wine.  http://cruwinecompany.com 

- Laetitia Wine.  Another great choice from the Santa Maria Valley region, and well priced.  Entry level Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir is a steal at San Francisco Costco right now for $19.99.  http://www.laetitiawine.com 

- John Tyler Wines.  Along this same vein, the little Russian River Bacigalupi vineyard is famous for its spice, almost on parr with Santa Maria Valley's.  The original is John Tyler's Bacigalupi, $58 http://johntylerwines.com

- Armida Winery.  Look for Armida's Bacigalupi, $38 http://www.armida.com. 

Bonus points went to
- Clos Saron.  I got to taste their "Out of the Blue Cinsault", a refreshing change from a day of just Pinot Noirs.  From the Pinot Files: "Gideon Bienstock and wife Saron Rice have developed a very small and young vineyard in the northern limits of the Sierra Foothills AVA. Gideon has over 28 years of experience in the wine industry as buyer, seller, educator, writer and winemaker (he is also the winemaker for the famed and nearby Renaissance Vineyard & Winery) and Saron has considerable knowledge of viticulture. Together, they have set a goal to transcend all of the preconceived notions that exist about what winegrowing possibilities exist in this region. What they have started, and what they have accomplished to date, is highly unusual from just about every point of view. They only work with organic fruit and farm all of their grapes, including sourced grapes, themselves. They specialize in Pinot Noir and non-traditional blends of other red and white varietals. Winemaking is pure and simple - no acid corrections, no fining or filtration, no inoculations, no racking and very minimal sulfur dioxide additions during barrel aging. The Home Pinot Noir Vineyard and tiny winery are located in a cool microclimate in the Oregon House Valley just west of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. 4,500 vines are planted on a gentle, well-drained, north-east facing slope." http://www.clossaron.com  This is a winery I have to keep my eyes on!

Tasting Sun 4-6pm.  Enjoy a flight of 4 wines for $25; a full glass for $9.  Also open when we have special events, please check our Calendar of Events.  I selected all of these wines because they're local, small production, good value, and very enjoyable with or without food.  In cases where I haven't found a good local example, I've got an import on the list.

SPARKLING

- 2007 Terra Sávia, Blanc de Blanc (100% Estate CCOF-certified organic Chardonnay), Methode Traditionale, Mendocino, $23.  Crisp and yeasty with eye opening bright citrus.  Break out the caviar if you’ve got it or grilled salmon with hollandaise would be just fine.  This Blanc De Blanc is harvested early while the grapes contain a lot of acid. Once bottled and fermented in the *same* bottle, the wine to stays on the yeast for a minimum of 30 months to add a yeasty quality similar to the smell of fresh baked bread. These wines will age well into the next decade.  1% of Terra Sávia sales proceeds support local Wildlife Rescue.  Alc. 12%.  http://www.terrasavia.com 

- NV Mary Elke, Brut Sparkling Wine (60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir), Methode Traditionale, Mendocino, $20.  For more than two decades the Elke Family has grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for Mumm Napa and for Roederer Estates. This brut is made at Rack & Riddle under the Elke label.  A yeasty sparkler with a tinge of sweetness that compliments almost any food.  For the Holidays, it makes a great pairing with a starter pumpkin apple soup for example.  Alc. 12.5%.  http://www.elkevineyards.com/ourwines.html

- 2010 Talai Berri, Getariako Txakolina (90% Hondarribi Zuri, 10% Hondarribi Beltza), Zarautz, SPAIN. $25.  Txakoli (CHAC-o-lee), from Basque country, a white wine, served in small tumblers and poured from a great height to accentuate its slight fizz.  Just right for tapas dishes like calamares and pimientos a la plancha. Very little Txakoli leaves Spain; it's sought after by American sommeliers, and its price is rising.  Only 60 cases of this one were imported.  The sparkle comes from "charmat" process winemaking in stainless steel tanks.  Stony meyer lemon aroma,  lemon, lime and mineral finish.  11.5% alcohol.  Importer: Vinos Unico http://vinosunico.com.

- NV Rosenere, Black Label, Lambrusco, Reggiano Lambrusco DOC, ITALY. $15.  Most Lambruscos I've seen in stores are the sweet ones.  This one is deep, dark, red, totally dry and sparkling! Pairs well with fat spicy foods, e.g. spicy sausage.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambrusco  11% alcohol.  Importer: Vintner Estates Direct.

WHITES

- 2008 Metate Hill Vineyards, Albariño Barrica, Calaveras County.  $22.  Barrel aged Albariño.  The well-integrated oak complements flavors of citrus and pear. Declared the best all-around oyster wine by SF oyster nerd Greg Babinecz http://sfoysternerd.blogspot.com. Fermented and aged in neutral French oak barrels for 8 months. 92 cases produced. Alc 14.5%  http://www.vinometate.com

- 2008 Godspeed Vineyards, Estate Chardonnay, Mt. Veeder.  $25.  Slightly buttery but balanced; Burgundian-style with ripe fruit and a light layer of oak in the background, reminiscent of a Puligny Montrachet at one tenth the price.  An elegant and unique single vineyard mountain Chardonnay selected as one of the top three Chardonnays of the Napa appellations by the San Francisco Chronicle.  ($14/glass at Carneros Inn http://www.thecarnerosinn.com/thecarnerosinn/gfx/pdf/boon_fly_wine_list.pdf)  https://sites.google.com/site/secretwineshop/wine/godspeed-vineyards

- 2010 Wertzberger, Old Vine Chasselas, Russian River. $15.  Winemaker: Bill Wertzberger. The original fondue wine in Switzerland, this grape is only made by two wineries in the US - Berthoud and Wertzberger. I helped Bill Wertzberger restore a 60-year old abandoned Chasselas vineyard (just behind J Winery in Healdsburg).  The 1st year he got nothing back.  The 2nd year only 4 cases.  The 3rd year, 2009, 100 cases.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chasselas  Aromas of ocean, seaweed, and pears, finishing with green apples and apple seeds.  Pair with melted Gruyere on toasts, or if you dare with a Washington oyster.  http://www.wertzbergerwine.com/

- 2010 Blue Plate Wines, Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg. $10.   86% Chenin Blanc, 12% Sauvignon Blanc, 2% Chardonnay.  This dry Chenin Blanc exudes supple melon aromas with a brilliantly crisp and layered fresh herbs and mint finish. A perfect complement to any meal, whether it’s on a white cloth or a picnic cloth.  Night picked, stainless steel fermented except the Chardonnay.  No ML.  13.3% alc.  http://www.blueplatewines.com/

- 2010 Y. Rousseau Old Vine French Colombard, Russian River.  $20.  It's hard to believe "French Colombard", or Côtes de Gascogne as it's known in South-West France, was the most-planted grape in the U.S. in the 1970's. Today, domestically, most Colombard vineyards have been replaced with Chardonnay. This "Renaissance" Colombard comes from a 35-year-old dry-farmed vineyard.  Maceration 7 hours on the skins, elevage sur lies 5 months, aged in 85% stainless steel, 15% neutral French oak barrels. 12.8% alcohol. Wine Enthusiast's Steve Heimoff says, "Sweet and sour acidity marks this dry wine, made from a variety that’s been out of fashion for decades. With just a touch of oak, its tart tangerine, citron, lemongrass and mineral flavors star. Drink as an offbeat, low-alcohol alternative to Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio."  http://www.yrousseauwines.com/

- 2010 Uvaggio, Moscato Secco, Bella Vigna Vineyard, Lodi.  $16.  Winemaker Jim Moore, previously with Robert Mondavi, then Bonny Doon, before launching his own wine label Uvaggio.  100% Moscato Giallo, cool fermented, no ML.  Refreshing aromas of mandarin, jasmine and rose on the nose.  Fresh cantaloupe,  ginger, mango star fruit on the palate.  13.2% alcohol.  Pairs well with delicate charcuterie.  http://uvaggio.com/home.html

- 2010 Monte Volpe, Tocai Friulano, Mendocino. $14. Tocai Friuiano is another name for Sauvignonasse, the most widely planted white grape in the Friuli region of Italy.  A staple wine in the region's taverns and trattorias, it's meant to be drunk young.  Italian grapes have always been an integral part of Mendocino viticulture, and winemaker Greg Graziano is paying tribute with his "Fox Mountain" line of wines.  This one has aromas of jasmine, wintergreen, beeswax and salt brine with vibrant tart starfruit and blanched almond finish.  Pairs great with a green olive. http://www.grazianofamilyofwines.com/montevolpe.html

- 2009, Alta Mesa Cellars, Estate Verdelho, Alta Mesa. $15. A dry white wine with peach skin and savoriness, hinting at pork, lavender and lemon verbena.  The tiny juice to grape ratio makes a weighty white that traditionally pairs with codfish. Ron Silva experienced his epiphany on a road with a sign that said “Zone of the Verdelho” in Ilha do Pico (the “island of Pico”). That was in 1997, when visiting the Portuguese Azores to see where his grandfather was born. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Silva planted 12 acres of Verdelho in the gravelly clay loam of Lodi’s Alta Mesa. 256 cases produced. Best served at a not-so-chilled temperature. http://www.thesecretwineshop.com/wine/alta-mesa-cellars

- 2010 Uvaggio, Vermentino, 30% Gayla's II Vineyard, 70% Bella Vigna Vineyard, Lodi.  $14.  100% Vermentino, cool fermented, no ML.  Aromas of lime, quince, pear, and a hint of oyster shell.  Green honeydew melon, green apple and other stone fruits on the finish.  A very light-style white at 12.3% alcohol..  Pairs great with Vietnamese green papaya salad or seafood.  http://uvaggio.com/home.html

PINKS

- 2011 Muscardini Cellars, Rosato di Sangiovese, Monte Rosso Vineyard, Sonoma Valley.  $22  Not saignée, but a separate earlier pick, for brighter acids than the red wine, this is how rosé is properly made.  The fruit comes from the historic planted 1880's by Louis Martini vineyard high up a mountain in Sonoma Valley.  Lively aromas of fresh rose petals, wild strawberry and red licorice. On the palate, the flavor profile is loaded with notes of wild berries, ripe watermelon, tangy citrus and subtle hints of red apple skins and fresh anise. The finish is crisp, clean and refreshing.  I love this wine with Caprese Salads (mozzarella, tomato, and basil), grilled fish and cheese/salumi platters.  http://muscardinicellars.com

ORANGES

- 2010 Von Holt, Chardonnay, Heintz Vineyard, Russian River Valley. $38.  Made in the "orange" style, with extended skin contact.  Light, cloudy yellow appearance. Picked at 3.18 ph (that's more acidic than most Chardonnays) from a CA "grand cru" vineyard at the outer edges of Russian River Valley bordering the Coast.  Heintz vineyard sells its fruit to California's top luxury producers including William Selyem, Duckhorn, Littorai.  This small production unique Chardonnay has a bouquet of spring blossoms and citrus, minerals, lemon rind, and stewed apricots on the palate, underripe bananas and smoke on the midpalate, carrying onto a soft, crisp finish.  100 cases produced. http://www.vonholtwines.com

- 2009 Field Recordings, Chenin Blanc, Santa Ynez. $20.  Cloudy Chenin Blanc, unfined and unfiltered to the extreme. A minimal interventionist approach taken by young winemaker Andrew Jones. Creamy ripe apple, melon, nuts on the nose with a finish of minerals and acidity. Aged in 50% stainless steel, 50% neutral French oak for 6 months. "The label art is taken from photographs of starlings in flight, unstaged patterns that can never be repeated nor replicated.  In the same way, each bottle of Field Recordings Wine captures the inimitable circumstances of each vineyard, vintage, and friendship that made it possible."  -Field Recordings Website   http://fieldrecordingswine.com

- 2009 Laureano Serres Mendall, "l'Abeurador" (Macabeo), SPAIN. $30
Mendall “Abeurador” (100% Macabeu) from Laureano Serres. Serres has a very small (4 ha.) property in Tarragona, and his label is called Mendall.  In 2002, he forgot to put sulfite in one of his tanks. First, he was able to see for himself that it’s possible to make wine without sulfites; second, he realized that he preferred his wine like that. And since that year, he decided courageously to make wine without sulfite.  A vibrant golden/orange color, achieved by extended skin contact, and according to Serres, “a wine with medieval character…really a wine from another time.” 
Importer:  http://www.josepastorselections.com/Jose_Pastor_Selections/Pecina_1/Pecina_1.html
Distributor:  http://farmwineimports.com

- 2003 Frédéric LAMBERT, Vin Jaune, Côtes du Jura, FRANCE. $55
Vin Jaune is made from Savagnin grapes in the Jura region, between Burgundy and the Swiss border. The grapes are conventionally fermented, then transferred to old Burgundy barrels partially filled in a well ventilated warm environment subject to temperature fluctuations. This allows for the "voile" or yeast film (like the flor of Jerez) to form on the wine’s surface, protecting it from oxidation while it develops and concentrates in barrel exactly six years and three months, then bottled in 62-centileter clavelin (short & squat) bottles. Generally a bottle is not drunk until ten years after bottling or 16 years after the vintage.  This one has a light golden yellow color, deep fino sherry nose, a delicate oily texture, and golden raisin, curry, almond, poached pear long finish.  It pairs decadently with Comté-based fondue.  Best served cellar temperature about 55°F.  Importer:  Return To Terroir.

Dear GiltCity Coupon holders for the Secret Wine Shop,

Please be sure to call/email me to schedule your tasting before it "expires"!  Click "contact us" on the left menu of this page & let me know your info.

Thanks,
Christy @ thesecretwineshop

P.S.
If your coupon has already expired, according to CA law, gift certificates that are paid for in cash do not expire!  http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/legal_guides/s-11.shtml

If you're holding an expired Gilt City coupon, you have 2 options:
1) ask for face-value refund of your gift certificate, they have to give you your money back!
2) use the expired certificate.  Once you book with me, give me the certificate #, I will try to get paid & give you your deal (merchants only get paid by proving they've fulfilled orders by giving these coupon # back to Gilt City).  So far, I've been able to honor expired certificates without a problem.


--- a look at the prepaid coupon market from the perspective of a small business ----

What people don't realize with prepaid coupons is the industry term "breakage" - the # of unused coupons. For GiltCity (and apparently some Groupons), the merchant doesn't get paid unless they can prove they fulfilled your order. So if you don't use your certificate, you aren't supporting your local merchant, you're only giving money to the coupon site itself.

"Industry experts" claim unused breakage rates are only 10-20%.  I personally saw 50% redemption rate. 

Yipit, see slide #7: http://blog.yipit.com/2010/08/19/slides-the-explosion-of-group-buying/
SmartySave:  http://www.prweb.com/releases/smartysaver/secondchance/prweb8576864.htm

Small businesses you have to count "breakage" into your coupon calculations, and the data is murky at best.

Are you a Pinot Noir fan?  Have you heard good things about Oregon Pinot Noirs and you're wondering how they compare to our own local cool climate Pinot Noirs?  Would you like to participate in blind tasting & judging about 64 Pinot Noirs? 

If the answers to any of these is yes (and since you've visited the Secret Wine Shop you've already been identified as an appreciative & adventurous wine drinker), you are invited to a VIP pass to the San Francisco Pinot Noir Summit on Sat. Feb 26th. 

While they last, enter the word SECRET at checkout to get the 2 for 1 deal.

After Monday night's Muscardini Cellars tasting at the Secret Wine Shop, one reviewer left me this sheet of paper, which I found fascinating. According to this wine reviewer's self-referential definition of good value wines, Muscardini Cellars wines are good value since the reviewer gave very short word descriptions of the wines: "good nose", "tannin & struct", "balance", "best, yummy". Last Monday, 20 people showed up to taste 6 different Michael Muscardini wines. Of the 20 people, 12 filled out their reviews and favorite rankings sheets.

Lesson #1 about tastings is when you greet people, get them to sign your signup sheet, then hand them a score sheet & ask them to score the wines & give you any comments. That way you'll get more ratings results and handwriting clues if you need them.

The results: 2008 Barbera won people's favorite wine 5 times! The 2009 barrel sample Zinfandel won 4 times. 2009 "Tesoro" won 2 x. The 2008 Sangiovese won 2 x. The 2009 Rosato won 1 x. One person voted a tie for favorite wine between the '08 Barbera, '09 Tesoro and '09 Zinfandel. With this tasting, I paired a very smoky sausage with the 2008 Barbera. Everyone, except 1 person, said they loved the sausage with the wine. Interestingly the 2008 Barbera won this tasting as most people's favorite wine of the evening; usually it's the Zin that wins.

Lesson #2 about tastings is food can make a big difference in how people perceive & rate a wine. Don't worry about getting the pairing perfect for everyone. Pairing is a matter of personal taste, so not everyone is going to love your choice but more people will love the wine.