cvwine.com Blog

Some people observe the amazing popularity and fanatical connoisseur obsession with South African wines lately and assume this is just some sort of whirl-wind trend that has simply come to pass and will sputter out when the next “fashion” arises on the scene.

These people clearly don’t know their wine or their history. South African wines are well beyond merely being a temporary “hot ticket” item taking the entire world of premium quality, small production specialty gourmet wines by storm.

In fact, the truth is, as early as 1659, many South African wines, including the ever popular “Constantia” were enthusiastically proclaimed to some of the greatest boutique quality wines in the entire world.

Sadly, the uncertain political environment kept most of the world from being able to partake of the flavorful fountain of fruity freshness expertly put into every bottle. This of course led to South African wines being the hard to come by, rare specialty finds that ONLY the wealthiest and well connected gourmands and aficionados could afford to enjoy!

Since the fall of apartheid, South African wines have surged in international popularity with its recently found “open access” to world wide markets. This newly encountered “free and clear” pathway to the world has unleashed a tremendously gigantic burst of excited energy and new investment in this delectable delicacy, once limited to being the exclusive epicurean experience of the rich and famous.

The style of wines coming from this “reborn” nation seems to symbiotically straddle the New & Old Worlds, combining the ripe flavorful fruit of the former, with the traditionally elite elegance and rustic restraint of the latter.

Despite the exceptionally perfect warm climate, humidity levels and soil that leads to the ultimate red wines, South Africa had amazed the world with it’s equally impressive white wines as well.

Particularly beloved and renowned is the South African “Chenin Blanc,” also known around the globe as “Steen.” Of course the South African” Cabernet Sauvignon” and “Syrah / Shiraz” are absolutely mouthwatering! And if you have never tried the Cape’s own variety, called “Pinotage,” you are truly missing out!

Hey, why would you miss out! Coastal Vineyards Wine Club is proud to introduce you to our increasingly popular South African Wine Club. Come check it out for yourself and see why wine experts around the globe can’t get enough of the wonderful wines of South Africa! http://www.cvwine.com/southafrican/wineclub.html

As the proprietor of the Coastal Vineyards Wine Club I get to taste a lot of different wines to determine which wines go into our wine clubs. We welcome you to our private cellar and our video series called Message in a Bottle. Today we will be tasting the Lomond Merlot 2005.

As a reminder our wine reviews aren’t meant to be a high society snob review. We are just going to drink and talk about the wines that we regularly feature in our wine club. So kick back, relax and enjoy.

Lomond Wines was created in 2004 in South Africa. For those of you who aren’t up on there South African wine and grape growing geography, Lomond is located in the Gans Bayi area in the valley of the Uilenkraal River. Yes I know its hard to pronounce but it drinks very well. – hey if you asked someone about napa 20 years ago, they would say what’s that or where’s that? So I didn’t expect you to know.

At first glance you will see that this merlot is a very Vibrant, lively red color. Its nose is gives off a mulberry aroma. Your palate will pick up some sweet plums and a hint of smokiness.

This wine has a great balance between fruit and wood make it a great wine!

Watch the video to see the rating we give this wine that is apart of the Coastal Vineyards South African Wine Club.

Cheers!
Rocco Loosbrock
www.cvwine.com

As the proprietor of the Coastal Vineyards Wine Club I get to taste a lot of different wines to determine which wines go into our wine clubs. We welcome you to our private cellar and our video series called Message in a Bottle and our review of Kahn’s Cab Frank for our Cabernet Wine Club. Today we will be tasting the Cab Frank.

As a reminder our wine reviews aren’t meant to be a high society snob review. We are just going to drink and talk about the wines that we regularly feature in our wine club. So kick back, relax and enjoy.

Today we will bring back a classic wine that we featured a few years ago in our wine club. It is the Cab Frank which is a blend of merlot / cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. This vintage has an interesting story. The wine maker who was a Sinatra fan, played the swining sounds of Sinatra through the entire process, they even put a radio with a Sinatra CD on top of the barrel and looped the CD. Well as it turned out the Sinatra family heard of this project and actually gave approval to use the Sinatra name on the label.

This wine was hand-crafted and bottled with a passion and enthusiasm by Kahn Winery. The wine maker is Andrew Kahn who trained Fess Parker eventually becoming an Assistant Winemaker. During this time he began to experiment with small lots of wine on the side, while he made wine for a half dozen other winemakers who also used the facility.

This wine is a must try for any Sinatra fan. Good luck getting your hands on a bottle, the remaining bottle are now selling for over $150 a bottle. I only have two left my self.

Watch the video to see the rating we give this wine that is apart of the Coastal Vineyards Cabernet Wine Club.

Cheers!
Rocco Loosbrock
www.cvwine.com

As the proprietor of the Coastal Vineyards Wine Club I get to taste a lot of different wines to determine which wines go into our wine clubs. We welcome you to our private cellar and our video series called Message in a Bottle and our review of Beckman Wines for our Cabernet Wine Club. Today we will be tasting the Beckman Cabernet Sauvignon 2005.

As a reminder our wine reviews aren’t meant to be a high society snob review. We are just going to drink and talk about the wines that we regularly feature in our wine club. So kick back, relax and enjoy.

Beckman wines was founded in 1994 by Judy and Tom Beckmen, Beckmen Vineyards is a family-run, estate-grown winery in the Santa Ynez Valley. The Beckmen’s grow grapes on two vineyards, one of which is the Purisima Mountain Vineyard in Santa Ynez Valley area. The vineyard represents one of the most ambitious hillside vineyard endeavors in the Santa Ynez Valley. Yet, the high elevation, unique microclimate and rare limestone subsoil make this special vineyard a winemaker’s dream. Beckmen Vineyards has stayed true to the land, and true to its vision. Believing that the wine in the bottle begins in the soil.

The winery now produces a full line of excellent estate grown Rhone varietals including Syrah and Grenache. It also produces small quantities of first-rate Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc made from smaller vineyard lots that are well suited to these varietals.

The 2005 growing season was a great year for the California Cab. The 2005 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is bold cab with a jammy black cherry smell. You can taste the red berries and fruit flavors and the Wine has a chocolaty flavor to it.

Tom’s son Steve who is the wine maker tells us that this wine will store for up to about 10 years, however it is good to drink right now!

Watch the video below to see the rating we give this wine that is apart of the Coastal Vineyards Cabernet Wine Club.

Cheers!
Rocco Loosbrock
www.cvwine.com

OK everyone, I don’t mean to startle or scare you, but the holidays, or as they sometimes seem amidst all of the craziness, time constraints and “hustle and bustle,” the “Holi-Daze” are just around the corner with Thanksgiving in the lead and Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa closing quickly on the outside.

But relax my friend, there’s no need to panic, because now you can easily and inexpensively be completely prepared long before the very first guest steps foot inside your doorway! Here’s a very simple guide to providing your guests with the perfect holiday wines, without spending an arm and a leg by going overboard and buying too many bottles, or coming across as a miserly “Scrooge” and not having the proper quantity and quality to go around!

Here’s the trick:

Appetizers: For appetizers and pre-meal snack food, a nice moderately chilled Sauvignon Blanc goes excellent with finger foods, cut veggies, pasta salads, chips and gourmet salsas and hot sauces. If you plan on serving something cheesy, like a fondue or cheese slices with cold cuts, add a room temperature Cabernet to the mix.

These are both extremely great choices because they well known and established, popular favorites, so they serve and excellent “ice-breakers” for those novice who haven’t quite yet developed their “wine wings” and for those Tea Totalers and beer drinkers who might at first feel somewhat out of their element.

Perfect, the first third of the party is handled by just 2 classic, popular wine choice that can’t go wrong.

Dinner: It’s best to always have both a red and a white available, no matter what the menu is or what rules you have been taught as a kid about wine and food paring. For your white I suggest a moderately dry Riesling to most effectively accompany your seafood platters and dishes, any white meats served, as well as any side dishes consisting of fresh veggies, fruit or cream based sauces.

For your red, you can’t go wrong with a Pinot Noir, which is a light, tasty red wine originating in the Burgundy regions of France, but now many wonder Pinot’s are made right here in the States. This versatile red that can pair with many foods, especially meats and side dishes with onions, steamed veggies and heavier sauces, like a garlic and leak mushroom sauce.

Dessert & Coffee: get yourself a few medium priced bottles of Port, a wondrously luscious and smooth dessert wine created to be served a room temperature or slightly warmed with your deliciously delectable and delightful dessert dishes. This is a stronger, fortified wine with my punch to that you might expect from its sweet fragrance, so it is intended to be slowly sipped and savored in small portion. Port is perfect for everything from cakes and pies, nuts and fresh fruit, to elegant truffles and chocolates alike. Enjoy!

Cheers!
Rocco Loosbrock
www.cvwine.com

I recently sat down with Taylor Kim and enjoyed a bold and fresh cup of coffee with him at a local coffee shop. The purpose of our meeting was to learn about JW Imports. In our conversation about wine and life I learned that his Korean name is Jong-Won, hence the name JW was used when he created an all new South African Wine importing/ Distribution company based in Los Angeles with warehouse distribution in both Southern and Northern California. Prior to the entering the world of wine, Taylor spent 3 years in the import/export arena of sporting and electronics goods. It was that experience that lead him to create his own company with the support of his friends in South Africa, Pierre Falerne and Cobus Joubert. On his first visit to Cape Town, South Africa he visited over 30 different wineries. Among them was the Neethlingshof Wine Estate which opened his eyes to the quality of wines in South Africa. During this visit Taylor’s associate Cobus was working with Capelegends which was a big in for Taylor in being introduced to the top winemakers of South Africa! Taylor learned that he had intimate knowledge of the wineries in South Africa and would be the perfect partner in selecting the very best South African wines to import to the U.S.

Taylor told me that the main reason that South African wines are generally unknown is that over the past decade the United States has basically ignored South Africa because of the politics and their international import/export laws. Today, with laws being more flexible and politics settled down, South African wines are now the fastest growing category in Canada, UK, Sweden, Switzerland, Scandinavia, the of course the U.S. Domestic and International wine competitions with judges from all corners of the world vote Australia, France and South Africa to be the top 3 most awarded wines of the world. Feel free to count the awards at www.iwsc.net.

I wasn’t to up to South African Culture, so Taylor gave me a big and friendly introduction to South Africa. He told me that stars such as Dave Matthews, Charlize Theron, Laura Logan are from there. South Africa is also known for Rubgy and Soccer. They are also known for surfing, food, wine, high education, terroir, the Cape Floral Kingdom and its beautiful animals and species. Taking the best blend of the UK and California could sum this up.

Lastly I asked Taylor about what every wine drinker should know about South African wines? He told me that the viticulture soils of South Africa dates back hundreds of millions of years which is why so many Europeans settled in 350 years ago for winemaking. The Indian and Atlantic Ocean surrounds its lands where cool winds and fogs reside and all the special 9,600 indigenous plants found only in South Africa help shape the unique characters of the wines. You will see Dutch, English, Russians, French, Italian, Ukrainian, Indian, Chinese, Korean, and many other ethnic backgrounds. There are 11 different languages, where each person speaks at least 2 or 3 and English is spoken and understood clearly.

To learn more about Taylor and JW Imports, visit www.jw-imports.com

Taylor will be working exclusively with the Coastal Vineyards Wine Club as the wine aficionado who will make the wine selections for the South African Wine Club found at www.cvwine.com/southafrican/wineclub.html that will be launched in late November 2008.

Cheers!
Rocco Loosbrock
www.cvwine.com