Zelma Long & Anya Gallaccio present 'Motherlode' wine project in Healdsburg, California

Wines of the Motherlode project

SlaughterhouseSpace is proud to present Motherlode, an extraordinary living art event drawn directly from Mother Earth by world renowned artist Anya Gallaccio.
Well known for her sculptural investigations of nature, Anya Gallaccio has exhibited extensively including the Turner Prize Exhibition, Tate Modern, the Sculpture Center in New York, and Camden Arts Center, London. Questioning how to create artwork in response to landscape, Gallaccio's project is a unique attempt to produce a picture of Sonoma County using only material of its land: the soil and fruit. In collaboration with Zelma Long, one of the first women winemakers in California, the two produced this series to distill the essence of Sonoma County. Through five Zinfandels, they chartered the terroir of five different appellations stretching the breadth of the county. A sixth blends the regions into a portrait of Sonoma.

Our presentation of this project will feature flights of their handiwork paired with locally produced cuisine by Sonoma county's own Tara Wachtel. Tara has worked for over a decade directly with wine producers to construct perfectly balanced pairings and is currently sous-chef at Zazu Restaurant, a hub of local sustainable cuisine. The wine pairings have been crafted to realize a representation of this place: the colors, textures, and feelings expressed through this experiential artwork.

Anya Gallaccio has achieved a complex and vibrant work of art that truly needs to be experienced with all the senses. The artist and winemaker will be in attendance and curator Lee Plested will present a talk about the historical context, development, and realization of this conceptual project.

Space is very limited so reserve early to assure your participation in this unique Sonoma County event. Tickets are $75 per person and include flights of the 6 wines paired with 6 delectable courses for a full art / dining experience. August 25th, 6 TO 9 PM

For more information about this once in a lifetime event,please call Lee Plested at 415.336.2827 or email pat@slaughterhousespace.com  

We are deeply honored to host this project and wish to thank Anya Gallaccio for her generous participation.

SLAUGHTERHOUSESPACE
280 CHIQUITA RD
HEALDSBURG, CA 95448
707.431.1514
http://www.slaughterhousespace.com/

Vilafonte 'Series C' 2003 is starting to get some rave reviews ahead of the Nederburg Auction

Hints of spring at the Nederburg pre-Auction tasting

By: Jeanri-Tine van Zyl, Published: 13 Jul 10

Yesterday I attended a boxing class when, in the middle of the routine, the gym instructor blared to the group of sweating bodies "you are halfway through winter it is time to start working on those summer bodies!" With the wine calendar heating up the signs of a hinting spring aren't just found in Virgin Actives.

That same afternoon I was at Nederburg for a preview of a selection of the wines that will come under the hammer at the annual auction in September. With public pre-Auction tastings taking place this week (view details here), the advent of the Nederburg Auction is an indication that winter is slowly drawing to a close.

Seasonal appeal aside, this premium event is a highlight on the wine calendar. On 3 and 4 September prestige, passion and pedigree descend on the Paarl winery's grounds, and the wine industry comes to a halt. Stringently selected, the wines on offer at the auction range from the quirky to the absolutely amazing with rare vintages being particularly fascinating.

Dave Hughes presented some of these older vintages to members of the media on Monday. An honour that was coupled with the necessary etiquette: "if a wine is older than you, you demonstrate your respect for the wine by standing up when tasting it".

There were ample "respected vintages" at the tasting which commenced with a flight which included a JC le Roux Pinor Noir MCC 1989.

Others included:

Nederburg Eminence 1988

Nederburg Edelkeur 1977

Zonnebloem Shiraz 1974

Chateau Libertas 1967

Monis Collection Marsala 1983

KWV Port Limited Release 1961

Monis Collectors Port 1948

Of these I preferred the Nederburg Eminence 1988 which with its layered nose of tangerine, peaches and flowers reminded me of summer. The Zonnebloem Shiraz 1974 showed a wine that is aging gracefully with the Chateau Libertas 1967 its cheeky friend. I simply wrote "wow" next to the Monis Collectors Port 1948.

                                                  

Some of the wines I urge you to try at the Nederburg Auction tastings this week are (*please read disclaimer below):

Vrede en Lust Sauvignon Blanc Limited Edition 2007 - Summer fruit with a creamy finish.

Nederburg Private Bin D215 Sauvignon Blanc 2007 - An absolute explosion of passion fruit.                                         

Mountain Oaks Chenin Blanc Reserve 2005 - Some fellow tasters struggled to understand why this wine was included in the auction line-up. I liked it for its generous perfumed nose with its layers and layers of melon and honey.

De Wetshof Unfiltered Chardonnay 2006 - Tinned peaches and nuts with a voluptuous palate.

Rijk's Private Cellar Semillon 2001 - Another wine that was either loved or hated. There is no more single bottling of this varietal on the farm, which adds to the appeal. And I love the opulence of this wine.

Of the reds:

Diemersfontein Carpe Diem Pinotage 2001 - Think Lindt white chocolate and juicy finish. I really, really liked this.

Remhoogte Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 - A fairly light-bodied wine with a layered nose that will keep you intrigued.

Vilafonté Series C 2003 - Cherries, sweet tannins and a velvet finish make this a noteworthy wine.

Nederburg Private Bin R109 Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot 2000 - Rich, floral notes interlaced with spice.

Of course the Nederburg desert wines are pure seduction in a bottle.

*Disclaimer: Due to the competitive nature of bidding I do not disclose my favourite wine of the tasting in this entry.

Receiving the enormous British Airways cheque as part of winning the small business development grant

A REPORT ON THE FOOD & WINE BLOGGERS CLUB MEETING LAST NIGHT

Written by Chris van Ulmenstein and posted to her blog www.whalecottage.com/blog/

Free-lance writer and second-most read South African food blogger Jane-Anne Hobbs, writing the Scrumptious South Africa blog, described food bloggers as “desperate for attention” at the Food & Wine Bloggers’ Club meeting last night, and their genre of writing can be called “vanity publishing”, she said.  The bloggers present felt that this description probably applies to bloggers across the board! 

The Food & Wine Bloggers’ Club was started earlier this year, and “pairs” a different food blogger and a wine blogger every month.   The wines of the Wine Blogger are tasted, and Warwick/Vilafonte’s Mike Ratcliffe brought along his Warwick Professor Black, the unique Warwick Blue Lady without vintage, and Vilafonte Series M 2006 (the highest rated Merlot blend according to Wine Spectator), for the bloggers to taste.  Food was served by Cafe Max.  Meetings are informal, and questions are answered during the two-hour meeting, encouraging fledgling bloggers to obtain input and tips from more experienced bloggers.

Jane-Anne said that through social media, “opinion has been democratised”, creating a serious threat for traditional media, with their short lead times in publishing restaurant reviews, or food information, compared to traditional magazine and newspaper publishing, and this is leading to tension between the two media types.  She started her blog three years ago, and it reflects her love for cooking and for developing recipes.   While one may not get financial reward out of a blog, especially if one does not accept advertising, which is Jane-Anne’s policy (nor does she accept freebies), she feels that she is adding value to her readers, and she herself receives emotional, intellectual and entertainment satisfaction from writing her blog.  She advised that food blogs must focus on accuracy in terms of ingredients and method of preparation, but also in terms of spelling and grammar. 

Online integrity is vital, and one must trust one’s palate in expressing what one experiences, even if it is not the popular view, one blogger said.  One should track one’s performance, and Jane-Anne advised that referring to, and tagging, names of chefs such as Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and Gordon Ramsay leads to increased web traffic.  She also advised that one “should find one’s voice” through the blog, and allow one’s readers to “get to know you”, and one’s personality should come through, whatever one’s communication style might be.  While content is king, a “yummy and descriptive” headline is vital in attracting readers into the content, and photographs should be of a “reasonable quality”.   Jane-Anne feels that it is sad to see so many young people’s idea of food and cooking being shaped by chefs and cookery book writers such as Ramsay, Lawson and Oliver, without them having exposure to a more classic cooking culture.  With her Scrumptious blog, Jane-Anne hopes to broaden their cooking knowledge.  

Mike Ratcliffe is probably the most experienced social media marketing wine marketer, and impressed with the different tools he referred to and uses: Blogging, Twitter, FourSquare, Twideo, Google Maps Latitude, and Nice to Meet You.   He has opted out of Facebook, due to the lack of control.   He writes a Vilafonte and a Warwick blog, being the Managing Partner of the former brand, and the Managing Director of the latter brand.  Vilafonte grapes are grown near Sante Wellness, between Paarl and Franschhoek, and the wines are made in a state-of-the-art venue at Bosman’s Crossing in Stellenbosch, while the Warwick wines are made the traditional way by Mike’s mother Norma on their farm.   Her 25th vintage celebration will take the Warwick wines around the world with 40 dinners, at which 10 vintages of their wines will be tasted.   Mike is an irregular blogger, as he travels a lot, and finds he has more time to blog when he travels.  He “leans to controversy” in what he writes, he says, yet he will not pick a fight, and will step back in a fight.  He complimented www.wines.co.za for their platform on which he is encouraged to write, creating huge exposure to their 40000 unique readers per month.    

Mike advised bloggers to be responsible in their blogging, as one influences views.  One must check one’s information sources, and not use a blog as a platform for retaliation.  If one disappoints one’s readers, they will no longer follow the blogger.  A blog is successful when one is passionate about one’s topic, and about writing.   Twitter is on a growth trend, he feels, and positional tweeting (crowdsourcing) will be introduced soon.  Mike uses traditional marketing communication media too, such as advertising and PR, and the 2000 members of the Warwick Wine Club are an important testing and tasting ground for new wines developed.   He claims that his marketing is spontaneous and dynamic, but one gets the impression that Mike Ratcliffe knows exactly what he is doing in marketing his brands, and is acknowledged by his peers in this respect.   He was praised by a fellow blogger as a professional.  

The next Food and Wine Bloggers’ Club meeting is on Wednesday 18 August, and will “pair” Sam Wilson of Food24 Blogs, and Rob Armstrong of Haut Espoir in Franschhoek.  Bookings can be made by e-mailing info@whalecottage.com

Warwick/Vilafonte wine and Scrumptious food bloggers paired

The third Food & Wine Bloggers’ Club meeting takes place next Wednesday 28 July, from 18h00 - 20h00, and will pair Jane-Anne Hobbs Rayner of Scrumptious food blog, and Mike Ratcliffe of Warwick and Vilafonte wine blog.
Mike Ratcliffe is the Managing Director of Warwick wine estate and Managing Partner of Vilafonte. He has a B.Comm (Economics) from the University of Stellenbosch and a Graduate Diploma in Wine Marketing from the University of Adelaide. He is a Board member of Wines of South Africa (WOSA), has been involved on the marketing committee of the Stellenbosch Wine Route, is the Deputy Chairman of the South African Wine Industry Trust (encouraging black economic empowerment and land redistribution), and is President of the United States/South Africa Foundation, a fundraising charity based in the USA. He is an international wine judge, industry commentator and marketing co-ordinator, and is an industry leader in embracing social media marketing in the marketing of his wines.
Jane-Anne Hobbs Rayner of Scrumptious blog is a freelance journalist, editor, author of three books (on local touring routes, and on raising toddlers), cook, food writer and recipe developer. She writes as Juno, and her blog is independent, in that she does not accept any advertising or sponsorship, nor does she accept freebies. She does use Google Adsense. She is passionate about “food, fresh local ingredients and punchy flavours”. She loves writing recipes. Jane-Anne was a speaker at the Food Bloggers’ Conference earlier this year.
The Food & Wine Bloggers’ Club was formed to reflect the tremendous growth in and power of food and wine blogs in forming opinion about food, restaurants and wines. Most bloggers do not have any formal training in blogging, and learnt from others. Each of the two bloggers will talk for about half an hour about their blog, and what they have learnt about blogging. The Club will give fledgling as well as experienced bloggers the opportunity to learn from each other and to share their knowledge with others. Attendees can ask questions, and get to know fellow bloggers. The Club meetings are informal and fun.
Other writers that will be talking at future Bloggers Club meetings are the following:

Wednesday 18 August: Sam Wilson of Food24 Blogs, and Rob Armstrong of Haut Espoir
Wednesday 22 September: Dax Villanueva of Relax-with-Dax Blog, and Hein Koegelenberg of La Motte and Hein Koegelenberg Blog
Wednesday 20 October: Clare Mack of Spill Blog, and Simon Back of Backsberg Blog
Wednesday 24 November: Emile Joubert of Wine Goggle Blog

Wines are brought along by the wine blogging speaker, and Mike will introduce the Warwick & Vilafonte wines served. Snacks will be served to match the Vilafonte & Warwick wines. The cost of attendance is R 150. Bookings can be made by e-mailing info@whalecottage.com.

The meeting of the Food & Wine Bloggers’ Club will be held at Cafe Max, 126 Waterkant Street, in De Waterkant, Cape Town. From Somerset Road turn up Highfield Street (opposite Green Point Traffic Department), alongside the Tafelberg Furnishers/Kfm building, and turn left into Waterkant Street. Cafe Max is about 200 meters further down the road, on the left.

The most beautiful Winter morning at Warwick Wine Estate

Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe

The #wc2010 stadium - up close. Breathtaking

Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe

On the train to Soccer City - the world Cup final vibe is awesome

Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe

Zelma Long talks about Vilafonte being offered at the 2010 Nederburg Auction - a first for a former guest speaker

What becomes a wine industry legend? My breakfast with Zelma

There are only a few people in the U.S. wine industry for whom, if you mentioned their first name, everyone would know exactly who you were speaking of. Zelma Long's lifetime achievements would overwhelm anyone, but for Zelma, it's just been a matter of intense curiosity, high standards and focus. I caught up with her earlier this week to chat over scones at Jimtown Cafe in Alexander Valley.

Zelma was one of the first women to receive a Masters Degree from UC Davis and went on to become head winemaker at Robert Mondavi and Simi Winery during the 1970's and 1980's. Today she is co-owner of Vilafonté Winery in South Africa and consultant to wineries in Mendocino, Washington state, Israel and France. She has always had wide-ranging interests which explains why she has been influential not only in winemaking, but also in viticulture, making 'winegrowing' a term we take for granted today. She also plunged into the business end in the 1990's, taking the reigns as CEO at Simi Winery and marketing at Chandon Estates, at the time both units of luxury firm Moet Hennessy. Zelma's curiosity has taken her to scores of wine regions in seven countries as consulting winemaker, working on a variety of grapes from cabernet in Napa Valley to Riesling in the Nahe Germany to chardonnay in Chianti.

Zelma has had a lifelong interest in other cultures beyond that of wine regions, travelling to Tibet four times in the 90's. She appreciates the arts ranging from Asian, Southwest Indian to contemporary South African genres. And she "doesn't dabble" in the arts. Her desire to learn is so keen that she is currently working on a PhD in the field of performance arts from UC Davis.

Her most recent accolades include the Culinary Institute of America's induction into the Vintners Hall of Fame earlier this year and UC Davis' American Society of Enology and Viticulture's 2009 Merit Award for excellence in education, technology, research and business. Her standard for excellence has had a wide-ranging, global impact when you consider all the people she has hired or who have worked under her over the years. Winemakers like Genevieve Janssens, head winemaker at Robert Mondavi, Peter Sisseck at Pingus - one of the most expensive wines in the world - in Ribera del Duero and Dr. Monika Christmann, head of enology at Geisenheim University in the Rheingau, now set the bar high for the next generation of international winemakers. Other renowned winemakers who have worked for Zelma include Paul Hobbs and David Ramey (most recently at Rudd Estate), both of whom worked for five years as assistant winemakers to Zelma at Simi, and Dawnine Dyer who was Chandon's winemaker for over 20 years.

One of the qualities you notice when you speak with Zelma is that she is focused on the goal in whatever she does. Potential limitations, like being one of the few women in a male-dominated wine industry in the 1970's through the 1990's, never seemed to register with her, although today she is gratified that she might have made it easier for all the women she hired subsequently. Some might think going for a PhD in performance arts without an undergraduate and masters degree in the field would be an obstacle, but not for Zelma. Why not go directly for the goal?

Zelma keeps an active schedule, travelling around the world for her consultancies and winemaking at Vilafonté. She just returned from the Rhone, where she participated in the first Grenache Symposium and is now racing off to Bordeaux where she will make a presentation on Old World and New World wines at the Institute of Masters of Wine Symposium.  Gathering perspective from her experiences and through her many activities, Zelma Long continues to lead an impactful life.

Vilafonté Winery in Stellenbosch South Africa receives visitors. Check the website for information. Vilafonté Wines are imported by Broadbent Selections in San Francisco.

June 21, 7:51 AMNapa Valley Insider ExaminerAnnette Hanami