Honestly, I can’t possibly keep up with all the PS I Love You member accolades (Petite Sirah brands of the advocacy group, for which I’m the director) .

There’s just not enough time in the day. It’s not that it’s not fun to watch or not memorable for each one of them; there’s just not enough time.

When an award’s given for a brand that I’ve watched begin - from its chef/winemaker colleague, always a powerful combo - then it’s really worth my time to take note. [It's like watching one of your kids perform his or her first solo, and s/he's just come out on top.]

That’s what Greg Masset of Masset Winery just did with his Masset Winery 2005 Petite Syrah (as well as his Masset Winery 2005 les Vignes de Marcoux meritage). Always for me, it’s going to be interesting to watch Petite Sirah grown outside of the state of California. In Greg’s case, his winery is in Washington’s Yakima Valley. He’s told me that this high desert location does warm up, and doesn’t experience all the foggy days for which Seattle’s most known.

Dozens of Yakima Valley wines took honors in the annual Washington State Wine Competition, and Masset wines both received silver medals. Greg’s Basket Press Sirah and/or Reserve Sirah scored a “90″ in the June issues of Wine Spectator. Scores being somewhat subjective, when it’s all said and done, it’s still remarkable…

Greg’s stuck with PS I Love You for years now… Even when times were tough with his just starting out. He is also a full time Executive Chef at the Yakima Valley Country Club, and manages three tasting rooms with his wife Michaela’s help. He and his artist wife enjoy showcasing the wonderful wines that they know Yakima Valley is capable of producing.

Greg makes his wines from grapes that he hand selects from well established hillside vineyards, and Michaela is the artist of their label, as well as tasting room director, and head of QC.

For more information on Masset Winery, click here.

It’s great to know that Greg’s persistence has paid off… I remember when he just started and had to buy California fruit…

Andrea Immer-Robinson, recognized both within and outside of the wine business as one of our preeminent wine educators, is offering a Weekend Immersion Wine & Food Pairing Course at COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts on August 1st & 2nd in Napa, California.

During her course, you’ll learn from one of our best resources the wonderful relationship between wine and food, and how to taste and pair like a professional sommelier. According to Andrea, once you’ve completed her class, you’ll “be able to select the most appropriate wine at any restaurant, confidently predict how a wine will taste just by looking at the label, and greatly improve your hit rate on buying wines you love.”

As in all formal wine education classes, Andrea’s is geared toward providing a whole new perspective, vocabulary, and confidence in dealing with wine and pairing food with wine. Additionally, her focus is always to make if fun and enjoyable, removing the elitist stigma that knowing anything about wine must mean that you’re some sort of wine freak-geek.

Andrea has gathered an exceptional line-up of world-class wines, valued at more than $1500, for you to taste and compare. These wines, which include high-end bottlings from Gaja, Bollinger, Chapoutier, and classified Chateaux in Bordeaux, will be paired with delicious and perfectly matched foods.

If you love wine, this remarkable course will provide rewarding benefits for years to come. Don’t wait; course size is limited. For complete details about the Weekend Immersion Wine & Food Pairing Course and the wines we will be tasting visit her Website by clicking here. [Cost is $495 per person.]

This promises to be an outstanding event!

If there is a quintessential piece written on Petite Sirah, it’s been undertaken by co-publishers Dr. Mike Potashnik and Jay Youmans MW of the International Wine Review. [Mike's on the left, Jay's on the right.]

I can write this with complete certainty, because I’ve been deeply involved as one of the founders of PS I Love You, the advocacy group for Petite Sirah. (Louis Foppiano and Christine Wells are my two partners in creating PS I Love You).

The creation of PSILY was a deliberate attempt to gain publicity for the variety; consequently I’ve been monitoring everybody’s writings on behalf of Petite since October 2002.

It was declared at the Petite Sirah Symposium Louis held at his winery, “We need publicity for this variety.” I saw that declaration as a major opportunity to get a job done for something that had become an underdog…. I put my cape on, and off we went!

So, in the process, not only have I seen some great things written about Petite, but I’ve also come to understand that it’s nearly impossible for people to:

• Know the difference between Petite Sirah and Syrah (Syrah + Peloursin = Petite Sirah)
• Divorce themselves from wanting to think about it and write about it as Petite “Syrah” (Unless it’s on a label that way, it’s only acceptable from the BTT if it’s spelled with an “i” for all future bottlings)
• To understand Petite is a significant heritage cultivar (Along side Zinfandel, it’s been with us since 1884, and in the 1960’s Napa was planted to Petite by 60 percent!)

Along came International Wine Review, ready to take on the challenge in Issue #1 of their new publication.

It took lots of time to help Mike and Jay get it up and running with Petite. I remember telling Mike, take anything you want from the PSILY Website, because that’s why it was created, as a resource.

When his first issue was printed, I was literally blown away, as were all the members of PS I Love You. I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined anything so comprehensive. It serves as the best written resource on Petite Sirah to date.

This past week, Fulton Mather of David Fulton Winery sent an E-mail to me. He wrote the following and I asked permission to quote him:

Jo: I wanted to thank you for encouraging me to have our wine reviewed. We did go ahead, as you suggested, to have Mike Potashnik and associates taste and rate our wines. The result was to find our Petite Sirah listed at the top of the sixty Petite Sirahs considered.. This represents the first time we’ve had our wine professionally evaluated.”

His score was a 94, and he couldn’t have been more pleased. This was the highlight of my day.

It’s taken people like Mike and Jay, both of whom are academics in every sense of the word, with totally open minds and a burning desire to completely understand Petite Sirah, to write something so sophisticatedly comprehensive for this historical variety.

Now, they’ve just revisited and released a follow-up to their first issue in their Issue #12, and it adds to the quality available on Petite Sirah.

Incidentally, every issue takes on cultivars and dissects then in ways that each variety deserves. Their explorations are a credit to academia and tenacity. I subscribe to their newsletter, because I not only want their research close at hand for each variety, but I also believe in supporting those within the business that support us all. These independent voices are so very important. Without this kind of talent, we’d all be left to our own devices. I urge you to go to International Wine Review, and bookmark it as one of the places where you need to visit when you need in depth variety information.

Experiencing my own segue from working in rock n’roll radio to wine country living, I can appreciate how others who have entered the wine business have also evolved from that exciting, high intensity lifestyle into this wine appreciating one.

The opening act:

It appears that Kermit Lynch was the opening act for this rock n’roll segue. Don’t let this “opening act” fool you, though. Lynch’s career is nothing but the most stellar and accomplished. He simply arrived first and foremost, as far as I can tell.

If I’m wrong about any of this history, please advise. I don’t take being edited personally.

I want this blog entry to begin what could be a solid historical perspective of this phenomenon. As with most bloggers, these aren’t billable hours. To my amazement (as a publicist) phone call messages and E-mails weren’t returned… I only send one communication as a blogger who’s looking for more info. I don’t have time to dog anyone, because I have a day job. I just move on. I’m thinking writers do that, too… Heads up.

Kermit Lynch (1972)

California native based in Berkeley, California, Kermit Lynch of Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, recorded and released an album in 2006 of his own songs entitled “Quicksand Blues.” This was a collaboration with Boz Scaggs, Alvin Youngblood Hart, and members of Bonnie Raitt’s band.

Wine legend Lynch abandoned his 1960s-era San Francisco Bay Area garage band, moving on to become a wine importer, author, and French winery owner. After meeting Boz Scaggs at a wine dinner in Berkeley and then meeting again at Lynch’s Provence home, the pair teamed up to transform the old garage tapes into “Quicksand Blues.” Meanwhile, Lynch has been in the wine business since 1972, when he opened a retail wine shop and later began importing and distributing nationally. In 1998, Lynch purchased the historic Domaine Les Pallières in Gigondas in partnership with his friends, the Bruniers of Vieux Télégraphe.

Robert Foley (1977)

In the late 1960s, Bob Foley and his friends created a high school band, which still continues to perform at wine events, with Foley on lead vocals and guitar. In 1969, while still in high school, Foley tasted the 1968 Charbono at Napa’s historic Inglenook winery (Guess they didn’t card him back then.) This was the defining moment that led to his becoming a winemaker.

Today, Bob makes his cult Charbono at his Robert Foley Vineyards, on Napa Valley’s Howell Mountain. He also has achieved high acclaim for his Bordeaux-style reds at Napa’s Pride Mountain Vineyards, Switchback Ridge, and Hourglass. They all share his trademarked Foley style: flavors of intensity, aromatic density of finely tuned wines.

Although Foley’s career has led to the Robert Foley Vineyards performance, there were many prior acts worth noting.

In 1977, Foley graduated from UC Davis graduate with degrees in both enology and viticulture. His first job was at Heitz. A year later he moved on as the founding winemaker at Markham Vineyards, a position he held for 15 years. In 1993, Foley became the winemaker at Pride on Spring Mountain, but as of January, 2008, he became their consulting winemaker only. He’s also taken on winemaking duties at Hourglass and Switchback Ridge. Now, with his Robert Foley Vineyards he’s truly pulling a solo.

Olivia Newton-John (1983):

Yes! There’s a woman to “represent!” Koala Blue Winery produces Chardonnay and Shiraz. Koala Blue, founded by Olivia Newton-John and Pat Farrar, captures the unique “flavours and colours” of Australia. Crafted for Olivia and Pat by Great Stone Wines, the building block of Koala Blue wines is the high quality grapes grown in Great Stone Wines’ own Limestone coast vineyards. Their winemakers work side by side with the vineyard managers to ensure that grapes are grown to the highest standard, and each vintage produces quality consistent with the best of the previous vintage.

Doobie Brothers (1984): Bruce Cohn is not only founder and proprietor of B.R. Cohn Winery, but he also managers The Doobie Brothers; two careers, both led with passion. Taking directly from his Website:

Founded by Bruce Cohn in 1984, B.R. Cohn Winery is located in the heart of Sonoma Valley. Bruce Cohn bought the land now known as Olive Hill Estate Vineyards in 1974. The small family operated winery is surrounded by the 90-acre Olive Hill Estate Vineyards, where soils warmed by underground natural hot springs and gentle ocean breezes create a unique microclimate resulting in ideal growing conditions for ultra-premium Cabernet Sauvignon. B.R. Cohn also produces Merlot, Pinot Noir, SyrCab (a unique blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon), Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Port, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. These award-winning wines have placed B.R. Cohn among the leaders of great California wine producers.

Boz Scaggs (1997)

In 1997, Boz Scaggs and his wife Dominique bought land in the Mayacamas mountain range that divides Napa and Sonoma counties. By 1998, he planted just over two acres of Mourvedre and Grenache, and a small amount of Roussanne, working with Rhone varieties. The grapes are farmed organically, but not with the intention of going through the lengthy process of having the vineyard become certified. His Website as yet doesn’t have any wine vintages on it, but from an earlier article in the San Francisco Chronicle, there’s intent.

Mick Fleetwood (2002)

Like cuts on an LP (okay, CD, but these are all rockers of the 60s and 70s, remember), Mick Fleetwood is crafting a unique riff for each of his cuts on this current CD offering.

Working with established brands/partners in the Santa Barbara area, Mick chose Lucas & Lewellen Vineyard in Buellton, California to produce an interesting 2002 Cuvée: 25 percent Cabernet Franc and 75 percent Merlot grapes (grown in Santa Barbara County). Aged for 30 months in French oak casks and 18 months in the bottle for optimal flavor development and structure, this wine earned the distinction of Mick Fleetwood, Private Cellar 2002 Cuvée.

Looking for a bright crisp wine, Mick Fleetwood also chose to work with Casa Cassara Winery & Vineyard, producing his 2005 Sauvignon Blanc. These grapes were sourced from the eastern Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County, California, another Mick Fleetwood Private Cellar 2005 Sauvignon Blanc.

He’s also chosen Winemaker Mike Brown to blend 25 percent Cabernet Franc and 75 percent Merlot grapes from Westerly Vineyards in Santa Ynez for his Mick Fleetwood Private Cellar 1998 Cuvee

Click here for a walk down memory lane with some great Fleetwood Mac!

Jerry Garcia (2005)

Greatful Dead’s late singer Jerry Garcia’s art inspired Clos du Bois winery to launch J. Garcia wines featuring his art on the labels. The initial release included three wines: 2002 Sonoma County Chardonnay, 2000 Sonoma County Merlot, and 2000 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon. There’s also a 2001 Zinfandel out there. The Jerry Garcia Website that used to support these wines has been pulled from the Internet; however, the wine is still being offered through on-line retailers. Christopher Sabec, the chief executive of the Jerry Garcia Estate L.L.C., controlled by Mr. Garcia’s heirs, is responsible for expanded the Garcia company into Jerry’s art being displayed on the Clos du Bois wines.

Mötley Crüe (2005)

Not a band that would be considered “wine country” fodder, it’s written that when frontman Vince Neil sang about “Fine, Fine Wine” on his 1993 solo album, he was actually talking about sex. Neil has since released a Napa Cabernet and a Sonoma Chardonnay ($20 each) under the Vince Vineyards label… An interesting segue, n’est pas? don’t look for the Website, because it’s not functioning, however, here’s an image of the label, and off you go! Jerry Shriver of USA Today quotes John Ott of Alder Fels, “We weren’t sure if it was going to be a big deal or a small deal when Vince’s agents approached us, but it’s been fantastic,” says John Ott, president of Adler Fels winery in Santa Rosa, CA, where the wines are made.

No Website yet, Boys and Girls!

Bob Dylan (2002)

1974 Planet Waves album segues into 2002 Planet Waves wine. The wine label was created by Italian brand Fattoria al Terrazze of Le Marche, a wine region on the Adriatic coast of Italy. Like all things with Bob Dylan… hazy and shaded by what is and what it could be, Bob’s signarure appears on the back label of the 2002 Planet Waves Table Red. Today, Le Terrazze is operated by Antonio Terni. Antonio is an avid Dylan fan who’s also former nuclear scientist. Doesn’t it all make perfect sense? Antonio created a first wine dedicated to Dylan, 1997 Visions of J (for Visions of Johanna). By 2002, it all came together to at least get that Dylan signature for the back label.

Yet to be developed into this story… because the weekend is quickly wasting away… from a Syndey Morning Herald Story that I just discovered, originally written by The Telegraph London: “The latest development of this gentrification of the music world is that the rockocracy is moving into wine. Sir Cliff Richard owns a vineyard in Portugal; Mick Hucknall of Simply Red has one in Sicily, where he produces a Nero d’Avola called Il Cantante (”the singer”); Sting has one in Tuscany (he makes a chianti called Il Serrestori, but it is for friends and family only); and Nyetimber in West Sussex, which produces sparkling wine, is owned by the songwriter Andy Hill - who appropriately wrote all the hits for Bucks Fizz.”

Looks like it will continue to flow…

I first met Ann Rea when she was commissioned to do some work in Suisun Valley. The Suisun Valley Grape Growers Association is one of our clients, and they were about to celebrate 25 years as an American AVA on December 27, 2007.

This may not sound like a huge historical event, but as I’ve written elsewhere on this blog… American Viticultural Areas only began to be documented about 26 years ago… So they are historical treasures, as it currently stands… Getting in early was very innovative and leading the parade that was to soon follow.

I immediately connected with Ann’s work; impressionistic, but with really vibrant colors… not Monet, Manet, or Renoir-esque, but still in that genre for being muted lines that leave a lot to the imagination for emotional and intellectual development by the beholder.

Her current work above is The Colors of Terroir at Silver Oak Cellars ~ Alexander Valley Spring Vineyards

This spring, the winemakers from Silver Oak took Ann Rea on a tour of their Miraval and Red Tail vineyards in Alexander Valley. They brought her to their favorite places, explaining their terroir. Then Ann planted her easel among the vines, and proceeded to capture the spring color in oils.

Her work is available on her Website, and a beautiful addition to anyone’s home, office, tasting room, etc.

I also like this You Tube video…

This week, I tried two French wines. The first was the 2006 Le Drunk Rooster Chardonnay from Languedoc. Priced at $9.99, this unoaked Chardonnay was very enjoyable - once I got the bottle open. It was sealed with a synthetic cork. I’m not sure that I’ve addressed this before here. I really dislike synthetic corks. I’m a huge fan of stelvin closures, or screw caps; the synthetic corks, not so much. When opening the bottle last night, this one got stuck - really stuck. I’m no weakling, and it’s not as if I haven’t opened my fair share of wine bottles. This fake cork got stuck half-way out and I had to use my husband’s vice grip pliers to get the thing out. By that time, I was so frustrated (and I’d actually worked up a sweat - I’m not kidding!) that I didn’t know if I’d be able to taste the wine with an open mind. The first sip of this divinely balanced unoaked Chardonnay put my frazzled nerves at ease, however; it was thoroughly enjoyable. The notes on the back label refer to the wine as “liquid gold.” It really does look that way in the glass, and I found it to posess just the right balance of fruit (peaches and citrus) and acidity. I would buy this wine again, even with the knowledge that I might just have to have the pliers handy.

My second selection this week is the 2005 Domain des Rozets Coteaux du Tricastin. Also priced at $9.99, this wine from Rozets in the South of France is a delicious blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault. Presenting lots of fruit on the nose and the palate, I found this to be one of the best summer reds in the $10 and under price range that I’ve tried in a while. Blueberry, cherry, and plum flavors are abundant followed by just a touch of spice. Lovely in the glass, and thoroughly enjoyable at the end of a warm summer day.

There’s very little that can be said about Boston that’s not already been said, given that it’s a city with so much history. Having grown up in Maine, spending part each summer with my Aunt Edith in Stoneham, Mass., I know the town well. I just didn’t know the history until recently. I was studying my own genealogy when I discovered that one great grandmother’s grandfather was the Reverend William Blackstone (1595 - 1675). In 1623, King James sent Blackstone to the new world to preach the King James version of the Bible. His property is now Called Beacon Hill and the Boston Commons… Ah, that I could have been an heir, had he not sold the land and moved to Rhode Island in his later years.