Thursday, Sept. 2
5:30 pm to 9:00 pm

John & Steve Dragonette and close friend Brandon Sparks-Gillis formed Dragonette Cellars in order to pursue a long-held dream to produce wines of the utmost quality and purity from the finest vineyards in Santa Barbara County and the Central Coast.

Brandon will be pouring:
20008 Sauvignon Blanc
2009 Rose (65% Syrah, 25% Grenache & 10% Mourvedre)
2008 Pinot Noir, Fiddlestix Vineyard
2007 Syrah
2007 MJM  (96% Syrah, 3% Grenache and 1% Viognier)

A few weeks ago I went up to the new Dragonette Cellars tasting room in Los Olivos. Brandon and John poured all their current releases for me. I thought they were all outstanding and the 2008 Fiddlestix Pinot was my favorite. In the last few weeks I have had the opportunity to taste many of the new Pinot Noir releases from dozens of outstanding wineries, and without a doubt, the 2008 Dragonette Pinot Noir from the Fiddlestix Vineyard is one of my top favorites. It is a great example of a handcrafted pinot.

I highly recommend that you attend this wine event and taste these exceptional wines from Dragonette Cellars.

For more information on Dragonette Cellars, visit their website at:   http://dragonettecellars.com

$17. Drop by anytime that evening.

Wine Lab Newport hosts wine tastings during store open hours from Tuesday thru Sunday.

Wine Lab Newport
2901 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 100
Newport Beach, CA 92683
(949) 515-VINO (8466)

Find Your Taste at the Wine Lab Newport

Newport Beach’s Only Wine Bar and Wine Store

Over 160 Wines in Stock for Under $20.00 and 200 wines for under $25.

Friday, July 16
5:30 pm to 9:00 pm

Alta Colina, a new winery on the westside of Paso Robles, was started by Bob Tillman in 2004. Alta Colina is a family owned and operated winery. 2007 was the first bottling and their wine is 100% estate fruit farmed sustainably.

Maggie will be pouring:
2008 Alta Colina “Claudia Cuvee” (Marsanne/Roussanne/Grenache Blanc)
2009 Alta Colina “12 O’Clock High” (Viognier/Roussanne/Marsanne/Grenache Blanc)
2007 Alta Colina GSM (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre)
2007 Alta Colina Syrah
2008 Ann’s Block Petite Sirah

I met with Maggie yesterday at the ‘Stars of Paso Robles’ Wine Tasting Event at the St. Regis pouring the same lineup that she will be pouring tonight at the Wine Lab and they were all outstanding, especially the 2009 12 O’Clock High (White Rhone Blend) and the new 2008 Ann’s Block Petite Sirah (WOW). I look forward tasting them again tonight at the Wine Lab.

$19. Drop by anytime that evening.

For more information on Alta Colina Winery visit their website at: www.altacolinawine.com/

These wines will only be available for sale the day of the event, so come down and get your selection of these wines. For full detail on the event, see http://winelabnewport.com/

$19 per person

Wine Lab Newport hosts wine tastings during store open hours from Tuesday thru Sunday.

Wine Lab Newport
2901 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 100
Newport Beach, CA 92683
(949) 515-VINO (8466)

Find Your Taste at the Wine Lab Newport

Newport Beach’s Only Wine Bar and Wine Store

Over 160 Wines in Stock for Under $20.00 and 200 wines for under $25.

Come meet Bryan Kane, winemaker at VIE Winery at the Wine Lab in Newport Beach tonight!

Friday, July 9
from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm

Come meet VIE Winery’s winemaker, Bryan Kane, and taste the latest, highly rated releases from VIE before they are gone! After receiving medals for all 11 of their wines at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, an unprecedented feat, VIE has been on a roll and the wines have been selling out quickly. Although all 11 wines are not available for sale, Bryan will bring the following sampling of the award winning wines for you to sample and purchase at the event:

The wines being poured are:
2008 VIE Belle Amie Rose
2007 VIE L’Imaginaire Grenache
2007 VIE Las Madres Syrah
2007 VIE L’Etranger (The Stranger)
2007 VIE Beatty Ranch Zinfandel

I had the opportunity to meet with Bryan Kane and taste many of these outstanding wines at the “Stars of Santa Barbara” event on June 9, 2010 at Scott’s Seafood Restaurant. I highly recommend that you attend this winemaker event. This is definitely a winemaker event not to be missed!

For more information on VIE Winery visit their website at: www.viewinery.com/

These wines will only be available for sale the day of the event, so come down and get your selection of these wines. For full detail on the event, see http://winelabnewport.com/

$19 per person

Wine Lab Newport hosts wine tastings during store open hours from Tuesday thru Sunday.

Wine Lab Newport
2901 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 100
Newport Beach, CA 92683
(949) 515-VINO (8466)

Find Your Taste at the Wine Lab Newport

Newport Beach’s Only Wine Bar and Wine Store

Over 160 Wines in Stock for Under $20.00 and 200 wines for under $25.

Riley will present the new L’Aventure 2008 releases including the first 100% estate Optimus, Cote-a-Cote, and Estate Cuvee.  A tasting comparison will be made to the 2007 releases of Cote-a-Cote, and Estate Cuvee – a mini vertical!

L’Aventure is one of my favorites wineries in Paso Robles with outstanding wines year after year. The Côte à Côte is the shining star of the L’Aventure wine collection and Riley always does a great job in presenting the wines.

For more information on L’Aventure and their selection of wines, visit their website at: www.aventurewine.com/

$15 per person. 10 % off all bottles – Tuesday night only.

Wine Lab Newport hosts wine tastings during store open hours from Tuesday thru Sunday.

Wine Lab Newport
2901 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 100
Newport Beach, CA 92683
(949) 515-VINO (8466)

Find Your Taste at the Wine Lab Newport

Newport Beach’s Only Wine Bar and Wine Store

Over 160 Wines in Stock for Under $20.00 and 200 wines for under $25.

I had a chance to spend some time talking with Brandon Sparks-Gillis of Dragonette Cellars at the “Stars of Santa Barbara” wine event on June 9, 2010 at Scott’s Seafood Restaurant in Costa Mesa. We talked about their great new wine releases and their new tasting room in Los Olivos.

I decided to go up to Los Olivos and visit Dragonette’s new tasting room and meet with Brandon Sparks-Gillis and John Dragonette. The new tasing room is located in Los Olivos on Alamo Pintado Avenue, across the street from the Stolpman tasting room.

Brandon and John poured all their current releases for me, including the 2009 Rosé, 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 Pinot Noir from the Cargasacchi-Jalama Vineyard, 2008 Pinot Noir from the Fiddlestix Vineyard, 2007 Syrah and the 2007 MJM (a Rhone blend made from 96% Syrah, 3% Grenache and 1% Viognier) from York Mountain (located in the Central Coast on the eastern side of the Santa Lucia Mountains, west of the Paso Robles AVA) and the Santa Ynez Valley.

John and Steve Dragonette and close friend Brandon Sparks-Gillis formed Dragonette Cellars in order to pursue a long-held dream to produce wines of the utmost quality and purity from the finest vineyards in Santa Barbara County and the Central Coast.

I enjoyed all of their current releases and the 2008 Fiddlestix Pinot was my favorite. In the last few weeks I have had the opportunity to taste many of the new Pinot Noir releases from several outstanding wineries, and without a doubt, the 2008 Dragonette Pinot Noir from the Fiddlestix Vineyard is one of my favorites. It is a great example of a handcrafted pinot.

The Fiddlestix Vineyard, located at the cool western end of the Santa Rita Hills, is ideally situated for Pinot Noir. They selected two blocks, consisting of clones 113 and 777. The 113 provides a nice bright cherry tone and spicy aromatic lift, while the 777 provides waves of darker fruit and structure.

Their tasting notes on this wine are: Bigger and weightier than its sibling, the wine provides classic aromas of black cherry and iron, with a dusting of baking spices. On the palate, the wine is full bodied and silky, with a nice balance between the waves of black cherry and blue fruits and the complimentary notes of cola, cinnamon, balsa-wood, leather and gently toasted vanilla. The wine is lifted by clean, round refreshing acidity and ripe tannic structure, leading to a long echoing finish. The texture was wonderful.

The 2008 Fiddlestix Pinot Noir tastes great now, but it is still very young and I recommend that you lay in down for 2 to 4 years and then it will be absolutely incredible.

For more information on Dragonette Cellars, visit their website at:   http://dragonettecellars.com

Dragonette Cellars
2445 Alamo Pintado Ave
Los Olivos, CA 93441
805-693-0077

Friday, May 7
5:30 to 8:30

Tres Sabores is a small family farm & winery growing grapes, pomegranates, and olives located in Rutherford: the heart of the Napa Valley Wine Country. They have been certified organically grown by CCOF since early 1991 and grow and produce wines made from their Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wines being poured are:
2008 Sauvignon Blanc
2007 ¿Por Qué No? (Red Wine Blend)
2008 Zinfandel
2007 Petite Sirah (normally only available at the winery)

$10 – drop by anytime that evening.

I have had the opportunity to meet Julie Johnson at two other wine events in the last couple of months (Napa Valley Vintners event in Orange County and ZAP [Zinfandel Advocates & Producers] at the Islands Hotel in Newport Beach) and I highly recommend that you attend this winemaker event at the Wine Lab in Newport Beach. Julie Johnson makes a killer Zinfandel and her 2008 Sauvignon Blanc is one of the best Sauvignon Blanc’s I have tasted in the last year.

For more information on Tres Sabores, visit their website at: www.tressabores.com/

Wine Lab Newport hosts wine tastings during store open hours from Tuesday thru Sunday.

Wine Lab Newport
2901 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 100
Newport Beach, CA 92683
(949) 515-VINO (8466)

Find Your Taste at the Wine Lab Newport

Newport Beach’s Only Wine Bar and Wine Store

Over 160 Wines in Stock for Under $20.00 and 200 wines for under $25.

on Thursday, April 22
from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm

This is an winemaker event not to be missed!

A few weeks ago I made a trip to San Francisco to visit the Winery Collective at Fisherman’s Wharf and meet up with Bryan Kane and taste his new Sol Rouge wine releases. All the new releases are outstanding, but my personal favorite is the 2007 Viognier from Catie’s Corner vineyard in the cool climate of the Russian River Valley. It is a complex wine with a mineral scented nose and hints of peach and apricot on the palate.  My second favorite is the 2007 Gypsy Blanc, a classic Rhone-style white blend with 48% Marsanne, 48% Roussanne and 4% Viognier.

The wines being poured are:
2007 Gypsy Blanc
2007 Viognier
2006 Gypsy
2007 Syrah
2007 Zinfandel
2007 Petite Sirah
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County

$15 – Drop by anytime

For more information on Sol Rouge, visit their website at: www.solrouge.com/

Wine Lab Newport hosts wine tastings during store open hours from Tuesday thru Sunday.

Wine Lab Newport
2901 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 100
Newport Beach, CA 92683
(949) 515-VINO (8466)

Find Your Taste at the Wine Lab Newport

Newport Beach’s Only Wine Bar and Wine Store

Over 160 Wines in Stock for Under $20.00 and 200 wines for under $25.

on Friday, April 16
From 5:30 pm to 9ish

Ted Plemons wll be pouring Cass Winery’s new releases! Their new wines were a highlight of the recent Family Winemakers of California event. PLUS there will be a drawing for a double magnum (3 liter) bottle of Cabernet!

Some of the wines poured will be:

2009 Viognier
2008 Grenache
2008 Mourvedre
2006 Petite Sirah
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

$15 – drop by anytime that evening.  They expect a SRO crowd, so reservations are recommended and are limited to 90 minutes.  To make a reservation, send an e-mail to: info@winelabnewport.com

I have had the opportunity to taste all these new Cass releases and this is a wine event not to be missed.

For more information on Cass Vineyards and Winery, visit their website at: www.casswines.com

Wine Lab Newport hosts wine tastings during store open hours from Tuesday thru Sunday.

Wine Lab Newport
2901 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 100
Newport Beach, CA 92683
(949) 515-VINO (8466)

Find Your Taste at the Wine Lab Newport

Newport Beach’s Only Wine Bar and Wine Store

Over 160 Wines in Stock for Under $20.00 and 200 wines for under $25.

Meet Ken Brown at the Wine Lab in Newport Beach

on Wednesday, April 7, 2010
6:00 pm to 8:45 pm

Ken Brown is one of the most respected winemakers in Santa Barbara County. He produces very small lots from some of the region’s most highly acclaimed vineyards, including Cargasacchi, Clos Pepe, Bien Nacido and the historic Sanford & Benedict Vineyard.

Drop by on Wednesday, April 7 to chat with Ken and taste his amazing Pinot Noirs and a Syrah:

2008 Santa Barbara Pinot Noir
2007 Santa Maria Pinot Noir
2007 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir
2007 Cargasacchi Pinot Noir
2007 Clos Pepe Pinot Noir
2005 “A” Cuvee Syrah

$10 – drop by anytime that evening.

Ken Brown is recognized as one of Santa Barbara County’s pioneering winemakers and innovators having created wines in the Santa Ynez Valley area for over 30 years. He was among the first vintners to realize the great potential for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in this cool-climate appellation in the mid-1970’s.

I have had the pleasure of meeting with Ken Brown on several occasions and I highly recommend that you attend this event and meet Ken Brown and taste his great wines.

For more information on the Ken Brown Wines, visit their website at: www.kenbrownwines.com

Wine Lab Newport hosts wine tastings during store open hours from Tuesday thru Sunday.

Wine Lab Newport
2901 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 100
Newport Beach, CA 92683
(949) 515-VINO (8466)

Find Your Taste at the Wine Lab Newport

Newport Beach’s Only Wine Bar and Wine Store

Over 200 Wines in Stock for Under $25.00