Wine Stars

Wine Stories and News for the Young at Heart

SSU Winesense Club Tastings Announced for Spring 2013 – Hold the Dates

Great news! The Board of Directors for the SSU Winesense Club held their planning meeting this past Saturday evening, Jan. 18 and agreed on the dates for Spring 2013 wine tastings. Please hold the dates! January 24th- Hook & Ladder February 7th, Williamson Wines February 21st- TBA Wine, Bianchi’s Bakery March 14th- Blind Tasting with Fetzer & Bonterra March 28th-Bryter Estates, Bianchi’s Bakery April 11th- TBA April 25th- Silver Oak - tentative The Board of Directors for Spring 2013 is as follows: President-Chelsa Robinson Vice President- Cassandra Childers Treasurer- Alex Lazuriac President of Marketing /Social Media- Alexis Vice President of [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:36:36-08:00January 21, 2013|

Why Italians Link Wine to Food — and Recipe for Florentine Beefsteak

This January we are taking 26 Wine MBA and Wine Bachelors candidates to Tuscany for 2 weeks as part of a Winter Intersession class on global wine business. Most participants currently work in the California wine industry, and are excited to learn more about the Italian wine scene. We will be visiting wineries in Chianti Classico, Montalcino, Montepulciano and Bolgheri, and staying in both Florence and Siena. For more information on the tour schedule, see: http://tuscanwinemusings.wordpress.com/ One of the interesting facts about Italian wine is its linkage to food. In fact, in Italy, the experience of drinking wine is not complete without food [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:37:26-08:00January 2, 2013|

2012 Annual Report for Winestars Blog

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog. Here's an excerpt: 4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 14,000 views in 2012. If each view were a film, this blog would power 3 Film Festivals Click here to see the complete report.

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:37:48-08:00January 2, 2013|

What Dessert Pairs Best with Sparkling Wine? Korbel & Bianchi’s Provide Some Answers

Erica Mandl of Korbel Champagne Cellars For the last tasting of the semester at the SSU WineSense Club, we focused on a holiday theme of sparkling wine and dessert. The beautiful Erica Mandl, head winemaker at Korbel Champagne Cellars, led the tasting by introducing five different Korbel bubblies. These were matched to delectable desserts from the new bakery in Rohnert Park, Bianchi’s. How Sweet is Your Sparkling Wine? Erica cautioned that it was important to understand the level of residual sugar in a sparkling wine, in order to determine the type of dessert with which to pair it. [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:38:10-08:00December 16, 2012|

Average Vineyard Worker Wages in South Africa – Emerging as a BRICS Country

Sept. 2012 - Several times throughout my wine trip to South Africa I asked winemakers the average wage they paid their vineyard workers. The answer was it depends on the region, as well as whether or not the workers have housing and benefits on the property. In terms of regional pay differences, it appears that Stellenbosch pays the highest wages at 170 Rand ($21) per day for a basic vineyard worker who does not live on the estate. Wineries in Cape Point and the Constantia region said they paid 120 – 150R per day ($15 - $18). In Swartland I [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:38:32-08:00November 12, 2012|

The Source & Extinction of “Burnt Rubber” Taste in South African Wines

Last week I had the opportunity to attend CapeWine and visit five major wine growing regions in South Africa. During the course of my eight day visit, I realized that the vast majority of the more than 300 South African wines I tasted did not include the telltale “burnt rubber” note that I used to rely upon to identify “South Africa” in a blind MW tasting. Some people also refer to this taste as “eraser or band aid,” but it is a unique note that has plagued South African wines for many years now – especially in reds and primarily [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:38:57-08:00October 4, 2012|

Balletto and DeLoach Wineries Celebrate the Pinot Noir Harvest with SSU Millennials

Forty-four Millennials showed up to Thursday evening’s SSU Wine Club tasting called “Pinot Party.” Not only did the students get to taste pinot noir wines from both Balletto and DeLoach wineries, but they were also treated to fresh Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris grapes from the vineyard. Favorite wines of the evening were the 2011 Balletto Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($29), which has notes of dark cherry cola, violets, earth and rhubard, and the 2009 DeLoach Green Valley Pinot Noir ($45). According to the winemaker notes, this latter wine is very aromatic, with touches of raspberries, black cherries, rhubarb, [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:39:18-08:00October 1, 2012|

Kenwood and Valley of the Moon Winemakers Entertain SSU Millennials with Varietal Showdown

Another sold out crowd showed up this past week at the SSU Wine Club meeting to listen to veteran winemakers, Patrick Henderson of Kenwood Wine Estates and Greg Winter of Valley of the Moon. In addition to honoring the “end of summer,” the tasting featured a fascinating “varietal show down” of how two wines made of the same grape varietal can taste completely different based on appellation and/or winemaking techniques. Valley of the Moon’s Greg Winter started with out with an unoaked chardonnay and then compared it to an oaked wine. He explained that consumers liked different styles, and so [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:39:45-08:00September 19, 2012|

Benziger Winery Provides “How to Taste” Seminar to SSU Millennials

Kathy Benziger from Benziger Family Winery kicked off the first SSU Wine Club meeting of the semester by hosting a “How to Taste Wine” seminar. It was a packed house with 50 students, and some disappointed ones who had to be turned away from the door because there were no seats left. Kathy did an incredible job of telling the story of Benziger with its inspiring organic, biodynamic and sustainably grown wines. According to Kathy, “Every wine in our portfolio carries a third party certification of green farming practices history.” Favorite Wines of the Evening The favorite wines of the [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:40:16-08:00September 18, 2012|

A Tasting of the 20 Top Wines in the Beijing Market

Last week I attended an interesting wine tasting in Beijing with 18 Chinese Millennials between the ages of 21 and 34. It was a tasting of the top 20 wines in the Beijing market priced between 200 – 350 RMB ($30 – 55 US). My friend Qin, a wine professor at the Chinese Agriculture University, organized the tasting as part of a research project. The Chinese Millennials were wine buyers, sommeliers, and wine educators working in Beijing. She is also planning on conducting a similar tasting with a group of consumers and comparing the results in order to understand why [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:40:37-08:00September 5, 2012|

Why Millennials Don’t Read Emails

Last night we had our annual SSU Wine Club Board planning meeting at my house. This is usually a relaxed event where we identify the wineries we want to invite to campus next semester, and enjoy a BBQ dinner with many fun wines. This year’s planning dinner was equally enjoyable, but I was struck by our conversation about how we will promote our educational tasting seminars. “We will market the seminars via word of mouth and Facebook, of course,” said our new VP of Marketing. “Most college students never read emails.” As a college professor, I already knew this, but [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:40:58-08:00May 29, 2012|

Wine Galore! Five Wineries Pour for SSU Millennials – Silver Oak, Twomey Cellars, Corkscrew, Azari Vineyard and Dutcher Crossing

By Guest Author Jenna Riggan - The SSU Wine Sense club was fortunate enough to have five awesome wineries pour for us at the most recent Food & Wine Pairing! 50 students tasted wines from Silver Oak, Twomey Cellars, Corkscrew, Azari Vineyard and Dutcher Crossing. Our chefs prepared delicious food as usual, including tri-tip, asparagus and raspberry brownies. Favorite Wines The first favorite wine of the evening was a 2009 Dutcher Crossing Stuhlmuller Vineyard Alexander Valley Chardonnay. ($34.00) This wine was an instant favorite with its floral aromas, and lemon, vanilla and crème brulée flavors. Dutcher Crossing Winery is [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:41:17-08:00April 20, 2012|

What are Favorite Argentina Wines of SSU Millennials?

By guest author, Jenna Riggan - SSU Wine Sense goes to Argentina! We kick-started spring break with a special presentation of five Argentinean wines. SSU students enjoyed exploring new and different wine styles, accompanied by an internationally inspired menu. Our two chefs grilled two large pork loins, served with chimichurri sauce, multi colored potato salad, and dulce de leche crepes. Favorite Wines The first favorite wine of the evening won by a landslide. This 2011 Crios de Susana Balbo Rose of Malbec ($11.99) from the Mendoza region of Argentina wowed tasters with its bright red color, and just a touch of [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:41:40-08:00April 9, 2012|

B.R. Cohn and Shone Farm Shine With Millennials

By Guest Author Jenna Riggan - SSU Wine Sense welcomed Shone Farm and B.R. Cohn for the latest Food & Wine Pairing event. A total of 36 students enjoyed learning about both wineries, and a few attentive tasters walked away with a bottle of B.R. Cohn Estate Grown Olive Oil, and a bottle of B.R. Cohn California Golden Balsamic Vinegar thanks to a raffle hosted by B.R. Cohn’s Stephen Winston! Favorite Wines Shone Farm Winery, located in the heart of the Russian River Valley AVA, is where the Santa Rosa Junior College wine students have the opportunity to be involved [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-05T13:48:31-08:00March 24, 2012|

Blind Wine Tasting Battle with SSU Students and Quivera Winery

By Guest Author: Jenna Riggan - The latest SSU Wine Sense club meeting was full of conversation and member participation. Quivira Vineyards and Winery shared three of their lovely biodynamic wines with 23 students, who were both intrigued and impressed with the elements involved in biodynamic winemaking. Our chefs prepared a hearty meal of Lamb Shepherd's Pie, a mixed green salad with fig vinaigrette, and an insanely delicious rum cake to be paired with the Quivira wines. For a fun twist, SSU Wine Sense officers also organized a blind tasting competition, where SSU Wine Sense members (and Quivira guest Nicholas [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-02-01T22:42:53-08:00March 12, 2012|

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