The Perfect Case Project: Megan Henderson, Everyday Sommelier

Megan Henderson is one of my dear friends and she has been a huge part of my wine journey. She actually poured my first taste of Etude Heirloom Pinot Noir, the wine that sparked my passion. Below is her amazing perfect case project feature. Enjoy!

"I guess why I am "WineTastic" would be the desire that I have to share my passion and interest for wine with others. I have had a great many wonderful wine experiences through work, schooling and on my own, and I want the opportunity to share it. Wine, the industry and the culture that surrounds it is such an awesome thing that shouldn't intimidate people but allow people to explore and, in so doing, make people more aware of their community and a more conscientious consumer.

My company, Everyday Sommelier, tries to do just that! I host private, educational tastings, small events and wine consultations for groups interested in learning more about wine. People shouldn't be limited to a certain price point, expectation or level of understanding to order a glass of wine at a restaurant. The ultimate point of it all is to be enjoyed and have fun and whatever that means to you is great! This would also describe how I enjoy wine. There is no such thing as bad wine as long as someone makes a connection with it. I have a vast many friends with many different preferences and they are all right and good. That is the fun of wine and to me, the point!

The first bottle that made be fall in love with wine was a Salamandre Menage a Trois. It is a small producer from the Santa Cruz Mountains, my home town, and I tried it while in culinary school. It was so well balanced, smooth and elegant that I was immediately hooked! It definitely opened me up to a whole different world that I didn't ever think about until then. Still love it to this day!

Although there are many wine moments shared with friends or otherwise, I would say the most memorable wine moment was while working for Treasury Wine Estates. In their portfolio, they carry the Penfolds line from Australia. We would host different events for their luxury wines during times of releases. About five years ago, we were hosting a trade tasting called "The Rewards of Patience". There were about 12 wines being tasted from their world renowned Grange to a one time release of their Bin 60A from 1962! Once the tasting began, our manager noticed an entire table of guests didn't not arrive, and immediately sat all of his employees to participate! They had to have been some of the most dynamic and interesting wines I have been able to taste to date, and many things I will never taste again! It was a great opportunity that I will never forget.

My perfect case:

Penfolds Bin 707, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003
Equinox Blanc de Blanc, Vintage Champagne, 1997
Santa Cruz Mountain Winery Durif, 2007
Etude Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005
Penfolds Great Grandfather Tawny Port, NV
Stags' Leap Ne Cede Malis, Petite Sirah, 1999
Beringer Private Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2001
Pelican Ranch Babcock Vineyards, Pinot Noir, 2007
Veuve Cliquot Le Grande Dame Champagne Vintage, 2004
Bodegas Borsao Tres Picos, Garnacha, 2009
St. Clement Oroppas, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003
Bonny Doon Le Cigare Blanc, Rhone Style White Wine, 2007

I would love to have the opportunity to share all these wines! I think though, the one I would share the most would be the Etude Cabernet. I believe it can make a wine lover out of anyone and definitely has the power to make people want to explore wine more. I think the wine I would save for my last would be a toss up between the Penfolds Bin 707 and the Equinox Champagne. I have had many wonderful dinners surrounding the 707 and hope to have my next bottle the same way! At the same time, I am a sucker for Champagne, and LOVE this Champagne made in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It has a special place in my heart and I would probably hold on to those bottles for a long time.

Overall, I chose these wines because they all have a certain sentimental quality attached to them. Whether it be the Pelican Ranch Pinot, my first job in the wine industry, the St. Clement Oroppas, which I had one of my favorite meals with one my of best friends, or the Penfolds Great Grandfather, something I will never have again, unless I get to Australia! Putting these wines together have made me take a step back and not only think about how much wine is apart of my life, but also how fortunate I am to have had these experiences and how lucky I am to have shared them with some amazing people."

The Perfect Case Project

Would I Find These in Your Perfect Case?

 I recently went on a week long road trip...and we all know that the drive back home from a week away (especially over 600 miles) can feel like an eternity. However, the opportunity to spend so much time with Alex gave us both plenty of time to talk about everything...and nothing. About an hour shy of San Francisco we started talking about the perfect case of wine. What if your entire collection of wine vanished? Where would you start? What would be the 12 bottles that you would have to buy first? This was fun! Really fun!

We both had different opinions and it created an awesome conversation, that made the last 60 miles fly by. I wanted to post my perfect case, to tell you a little about my wine style and get you thinking about yours. After discussing our perfect cases, we started to think about who we would want to ask that question to, and developed a massive list of "perfect cases" that we need to discover! I plan to feature different people who have made an impact in my "wine life" including some of my followers in future posts as a side project to my winery experiences. This should give you many great ideas of new wines to try and maybe even a few wineries to visit. So to kick things off, click here to view my perfect case!

The Perfect Case Project: Michelle Nishikubo

Sipping Around Wine Country

 My love for wine began after my first taste of Etude Heirloom Pinot Noir four years ago. I quickly found myself searching all over Napa for other wines that gave me the same excitement as that first taste. Today I am an avid wine adventurer, documenting my experiences and helping others to find the unforgettable memories and wines that they are searching for. Here is my perfect case:

1. 2007 Etude, Heirloom Pinot Noir
2. 2008 Fantesca, Chardonnay
3. 2009 Nickel & Nickel, Reguchi Block 4 Cabernet Sauvignon
4. 2008 Tres Sabores, Zinfandel
5. 2005 Kenzo Estate, Rindo
6. 2008 Palmaz, Gaston Cabernet Sauvignon
7. 2009 Soter, Mineral Springs White Label Pinot Noir 
8. 2007 Schramsberg, Brut Rose
9. 2007 The Vineyard House, Cabernet Sauvignon
10. 2007 Merryvale, Profile
11. 2009 Cakebread, Rubiyat
12. 2008 Swanson Estate, Merlot

The wine that I would love to share with my friends is the 2009 Cakebread Rubiyat, there is just something about this amazing wine that made this vintage so special and unique. Each year the blend is very different, no two Rubiyats taste alike. This vintage featured a Pinot Noir/Syrah blend. I discovered it at an event at the winery and purchased every bottle that I could get my hands on...I am sadly down to my final bottle!

The wine that I would save as my very last bottle would be the 2007 Merryvale Profile. This wine was a beautiful, well balanced work of art. On my 25th birthday I tasted it for the first time, and I will never forget how delicious it was and how I immediately felt that I had found the perfect blend. This is a treasure that I would save for a very special occasion.

Each wine that I chose has a special memory, distinct taste, and will have a lasting experience as I enjoy them either today, or in years to come.

Cheers,
Michelle

Willamette Valley Series: Alexana Winery, A Behind The Scenes Look at a Great Oregon Winery

Alexana's Associate Winemaker - Bryan Weil

Alex and I met Bryan Weil, the Associate Winemaker of Alexana Winery, while wrapping up our evening at Soter Vineyards. He was very nice, humble, and extremely approachable from the get-go. He offered to give us a tour and tasting at his winery the next day…and of course, we jumped at the opportunity!

Alexana Winery

Honestly, we had no idea what was going to be in store for us at the winery, but by the end of the day we both felt that this experience truly blew us away. We arrived at Alexana on New Year's Eve, and began with a tour of this high tech new winery. One thing that immediately caught my eye was the soil display in the tasting room which showed off the vineyard's profile. It reminded me of a similar display at Nickel & Nickel Winery's (one of my Napa favorites), which gives a visual perspective as to why all of their wine taste so different, although they are essentially made the same. Alexana's 31 microblocks covering the 55 acre vineyard, provide many different soil profiles to pair with their ideal varietals.

Soils from the Vineyard

After poking around the amazing Gold LEED Certified tasting room, we made our way into the winery and learned about Alexana's gravity flow processes. Alexana’s facility is truly a winemaker’s dream with seemingly endless equipment representing the latest technology in pristine condition, and this was no mistake. The talented winemakers (Lynn Penner-Ash, with associate Bryan Weil) and passionate founder (Dr. Madiah Revana) built an amazing place from concept to the dream winery it is today. Once we were able to taste the finished product, we both agreed that the wines here were some of the best that we had tasted in Oregon.

Gravity Flow Winery

 Getting to know Bryan and being able to experience a “behind the scenes” look into the wine making process was incredible. He is very organized and meticulous, and it was great to discuss how much patience and diligence is required to develop these beautiful wines. The Revana Vineyard Pinot Noir ($42) and the Riesling ($30) were both very delicious, and all of the wines had price points between $26-$75 per bottle. It was great to see such a gorgeous facility and imagine all of the endless possibilities for this winery’s events in the future: maybe an outdoor barbeque or live music and wine pairings? Either way I know that we will be back, and we would love to attend another tasting or event at Alexana soon!

Enjoying the Views of the Vineyard with Bryan

Tips - Alexana Winery:

• The winery is open Monday-Sunday 11-5, and you can drop by for a tasting during that time.
•  Check out their Facebook Page for upcoming events.
• Make sure to try their Riesling, even if you're not a white wine lover - it is AMAZING!
• Plan to spend 30 minutes to an hour to enjoy your tasting.
• Looking for a special cabernet sauvignon? Ask about "Revana". 

The Amazing Reds