Yolo County Wines Receive Silver Medals?!?

This past Saturday I walked into the office and found a very large envelope on my desk, plastered with the phrase “DO NOT BEND.”  Curious, I opened it immediately and was somewhat in shock at what I found: our results from the Winemaker Challenge International Wine Competition in San Diego.  These results were positive enough to make me smile throughout the weekend (even though the Colts lost the Superbowl…).  Our 2005 Yolo County Syrah and 2004 Herren Vineyard Red Wine both received Silver Medals!!  I am very proud of these results for 2 reasons.

First of all, this is a wonderful testament to the dedication and passion that went into the creation of these wines.  Everyone at Rominger West Winery is whole-heartedly invested in the production and perfection of delicious, sustainable wines and we are proud of every wine we produce.  So it’s nice to have someone (or a group of people) give our efforts public accolades.

Secondly, this is a great accomplishment for Yolo County.  Far too often wine critics bypass wines from Yolo County for more established regions, without giving the fruit of Yolo County a chance to distinguish itself within wine circles.  Yolo County has great agricultural diversity and promise, I am proud of Rominger West Winery for embracing this and using Yolo County as their primary fruit source.  Yolo County deserves much recognition in regards to its wine and grape production, as well as potential.

All in all, I am ecstatic to see these results.  It gives everyone here at Rominger West a bit of encouragement; however, the real encouragement we receive is from our customers.  We thoroughly enjoy seeing your faces and listening to your comments when you stop in for a bit of tasting, or dance the night away at one of our many concerts.  You are the support we rely on and we hope this support will continue to grow as we grow.

Cheers and Congrats to Yolo County!

Patricia

Pocket Guide to Wine Terminology

I will never forget my first experience with “wine people.”  I was familiar with wine at the time, but the terminology surrounding wine was foreign to me.

They poured me a glass and started ranting about the “bouquet,” the “body,” the “varietal,” the “vintage,” the “tannins”…I was lost, confused, intimidated and felt unworthy to drink the wine.

Looking back on the conversation now, I can’t believe that I was baffled by the context, but I work at a winery.  This terminology follows me wherever I go.  The average wine drinker doesn’t spend their day analyzing and debating wine flaws, flavors and marketing techniques, so it makes sense that this terminology is somewhat excluding to those who drink wine casually.  I don’t think that wine should be exclusive, so I am going to do a bit of “translating.”  One should never feel intimidated by a “wine related” situation because of the terminology…I think that wine people just made up new words so they could feel cool (kind of like all of the trendy texting acronyms…lol, g2g, dl, nvrmd, rotfl…).

Here are a few terms that I have heard over the course of my wine drinking:

Bead: Used to describe the size of the bubbles in a sparkling wine.

Body: Tasting Term.  Not very specific, but can be used to describe wines with plenty of flavor, alcohol and tannins.

Bordeaux Blend:  Wine that is made of 2 or more of the 5 Bordeaux varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

Corked:  Term used to describe wines that have been contaminated with trichloroanisole.  It is a result of an infection in the cork.  The wines may be musty, mushroomy, and moldy smelling.

Dry: Tasting term used to describe wine that is the opposite of sweet.  Typically a wine with very little or no residual sugar.

Finish:  Tasting term.  Used to identify how the wine tastes just at or after the point of swallowing.  It directly follows the “length.” (See below)

Forward: Tasting Term. Used to describe wines that have been aged properly, not overly tannic and have a lush, complex flavor.  (To describe the opposite, unsurprisingly, we use the term Backwards)

Green Harvest: When unripe clusters of grapes are removed during the summer months in an attempt to reduce yield and increase quality.

Hollow:  Tasting term.  Used to describe a wine that lacks flavor and texture through the midpalate.

Lees:  Heavy sediment that predominately consists of dead yeast cells and grape pulp.  Wine may be kept “on the lees” to add extra flavor and body.

Legs: Refers to the tear-like tracks that run down the glass after a wine has been swirled.

Length: Tasting term.  Used to describe how long the flavor of a wine remains on the palate.

Marc:  Mixture of grape skins, stems etc after the juice has been removed.

Must:  Mixture of fermenting grape juice, skins, stems etc.

Nose:  The term is synonymous with smell.

Oxidation:  Degrading result of a wine’s over exposure to oxygen.  The wine will taste “off.”

Racking: The transfer of wine from one container to another, leaving the lees behind.

Structure:  Tasting term.  Used to describe the tannin and acidity of a wine.  These give wines a “presence” in the mouth, and without them they tend to be flabby.

Tannin:  Often astringent compounds found in grape skins, stems and seeds.  They leave a dry, puckering sensation in the mouth.  Overly tannic wines will benefit from some bottle aging, as the tannins will precipitate over time.

Texture:  Tasting term.  Used to describe how a wine feels inside the mouth.  This is meant to be more specific than the body of a wine, as the body describes the overall impact of the wine.

Ullage:  This is the small bit of air in the bottle between the top of the wine and the cork.

Vintage:  Simply refers to the year in which the grapes were grown for that particular wine.

Whew! Well I know this is a rather small vocabulary list, but I hope that it is enough to help a new (or veteran) wine drinker feel a bit more comfortable when having a wine related conversation; after all, wine is meant to be enjoyed and shared!  Why should we ever feel uncomfortable talking about something so delicious?

Cheers!

Patricia

1 Jan 2010 Newsletter

The first of January, Twenty Ten; five years and counting for Rominger West Winery.  2010 will be a eventful and pivotal year as we work to fulfill the challenge we set for ourselves: to produce superior quality, Yolo County grown wines in a responsible and sustainable way.

From the start Rominger West has incorporated ‘regional stewardship’, our focus on supporting and improving our community, as a primary factor in how we managed our business.  With the recent downturn of the economy, it might have been easy to reduce or eliminate these efforts as a means of cutting costs.  Instead we have expanded them, primarily through providing space for fund raising activities of groups supporting our local schools, farm land preservation and environmental conservation to name a few.

We believe that In order to improve our region, we need to invest in the economic viability of our local community.  By keeping our money in the local economy, we expand the pool of resources that are available to meet the needs of the community.  In 2010 we will be looking to continue this investment by expanding our business with local providers, by partnering with other local businesses who share our commitment, and by improving our products and services for our customers.

Over the next few months we hope you will enjoy the changes that we have in store.  New wines, new products and packaging options, more events with a increased variety of live musical offerings, improvements to the tasting room to make your visits more comfortable and enjoyable, and more opportunities to support the organizations that are working to improve our region.

We hope you will join us in supporting these efforts.  If you have ideas on how we might improve our products and services please share them.  We are always looking for ideas and suggestions for improving our business, and new organizations that we may work with and support.

On behalf of the other owners and staff of Rominger West Winery, I wish you all a prosperous and healthy New Year.

Sincerely,

Mark West

Mark West,
Owner / Winemaker
Rominger West Winery

To Open Or Not To Open

Almost everyone has one, and no I am not talking about a dirty little secret, rather I am referring to that “special” bottle of wine.  Maybe you received it as a gift on your birthday or you bought it from a small winery you visited while on your honeymoon, regardless, it is a prized possession and you are waiting for the perfect occasion to pop it open.  My “special” bottle is from a small winery in Mendoza that I visited while studying in Argentina.  I have stared at that bottle numerous times debating whether or not it was the “right time” to indulge.

(Now, it may be important to note that I am not a collector; I am not one to save bottles for periods of time in the hopes that they accumulate value.  I buy wine to drink it. End of story.)

Ok, so when is the “perfect occasion?”

First I usually consider the event…Birthday?  Anniversary?  Holiday?  Visiting friends and family? Promotion at work?  Vacation?  Etc.

Next I tend to think of the people that will be present when drinking my special bottle of wine…Will they appreciate the wine?  Do they even like wine or that specific varietal (my roommates only drink white wine so I wouldn’t want to open a special red on one of their birthdays)?  Is this bottle significant to them as well? Are they special people in my life? You get the idea…

A fear that I have always held is the fear that the wine in question will not live up to its name…perhaps it is corked or was improperly stored at some point in time and therefore overheated or I just overestimated the wine altogether.  Either way, it would be such a bummer to anxiously await your first sip of your “special” wine, just to be disappointed with the actual product.  Sometimes it is just better to open up a familiar, “safety” wine.

Maybe I’m a little weird, but my fellow wine enthusiast friends have all concurred that they too partake in this semi-ridiculous mind debate.  So after weighing all of the possible occasions and scenarios, I have finally developed a theory when mulling over that “special” bottle of wine.

- Open a special bottle on an ordinary day, but with an extraordinary person -

Why not uncork that bottle on a Tuesday night after a long day of work with that special someone in your life? Or pop it open during a Sunday afternoon football game with your friends (GO 49ers!)? Or maybe you stop in to say hi to your parents one day and bring this special little bottle with you?  In all of these scenarios, the wine really just adds a little bit of “umph.”  The occasions themselves aren’t too special, but the people you share them with are.  Opening your special bottle during events such as these, make the event a little special and show your loved ones that they mean something to you…well enough to open a nice bottle of viño

So why not make a normal night a special night?

I can guarantee you that my special bottle will be opened by the end of the week…on a random evening…when I have no special plans

Chau and Drink Up!

Patricia

A Surprise Visitor!

WiseGuy of WineWiseWeb stopped by our tasting room one late afternoon in November during a trip down I-80.  He and his wife tasted through our current selection (the 2007 Chardonnay was not in bottle yet) and fell in love with our wines! He was so excited to find such high quality wine from Yolo County, that he bought a bottle of everything to pour at his holiday tasting; we were immensly honored!

It is quite a delight to hear positive reviews such as his from wine enthusiasts, lovers, and drinkers, and is always appreciated by everyone here at Rominger West Winery.

If you would like to read his review of our wines and facility, or to learn more about him, click on the link below.

WineWiseWeb

A New Wine for the Holidays

The Holidays have brought a new wine to the Rominger West Tasting Room!!!  For those of you who have not had the opportunity to visit us since Dec 4^th, we have a new addition to our lineup…2007 Yolo County Chardonnay! (In case you can’t tell, we are quite excited about it)

In December 3^rd, Andrea and her stalwart crew arrived in the wee hours of the morning to prepare the winery for the day’s excitement.  The bottling line arrived on trailer and everyone mastered their posts before the mass bottling was to begin.  Like a conductor presiding over an orchestra, Andrea coordinated the bottling chaos with ease.  Chardonnay moved from barrel to bottle, corks were put into place, labels were slapped on and then…Ta-Da!  2007 Yolo County Chardonnay!

It was undoubtedly a long, tiring day for the entire Rominger West crew, but it was satisfying…how could it not be?  We got to spend all day playing with the tastiest beverage on earth…yum

I’m quite happy that we were able to bottle it before the Holiday Season really got rolling, as it completes the wine necessities at my house.  My dad is a “red only” kind of guy, so I please him every time I come home; whether it’s the Herren Vineyard Blend or the Yolo Syrah.  My mom, on the other hand, is a “ONLY CHARDONNAY” kind of woman (not any white wine, JUST chardonnay).  So now I can finally come home for the holidays with a special wine for her!  Let’s just hope that she decides to share it…

I hope you can find some time in your chaotic schedule to visit us at the winery and try our 2007 Yolo County Chardonnay.  It promises to round out your wine list and compliment a great variety of holiday delights.

Cheers to Chardonnay!

Patricia

P.S. – Check out more of our bottling pictures under our photos tab!

Uh oh…forgot a gift?

Sustainability

I don’t know about you, but I am tired of being with bombarded with promises of “sustainability” and being told products are “sustainable” when shopping.  What is sustainability?!??!! According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “sustainable” is an adjective that means: “A) of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged B) of or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods.”  Unlike the term “organic,” there aren’t any laws that outline what methods a producer must employ in order to use the term “sustainable.”  So how is a consumer supposed to know what kind of action a producer is taking to make their product sustainably?? Well, tired of this confusion as a consumer myself, I have decided that it would be hypocritical of me not to share the sustainable practices Rominger West utilizes.

The Rominger Brothers who operate the farming side of the Rominger West collaboration have been dedicated to the concept of sustainability for many years.   They have built their entire operation around that very word.  The first component of RW’s sustainability is with our no tillage policy; rather we only mow the cover crop residue.  By not tilling our ground we reduce the amount of soil erosion and promote greater biodiversity.  The cover crops are a natural way to add nutrients to the soil; thereby increasing the longevity and fertility of the soil.  Compost is also used to increase soil fertility and crop yield.  We never use more than the absolute minimum when applying any type of chemical, and we only use organic and soft chemicals.  In an effort to avoid any possible chemical use, we have planted shrubs around our vineyards as a part of our Integrated Pest Management program.  These shrubs also attract natural pollinators and native bugs, encouraging greater biodiversity.  We are currently in the process of incorporating sheep into our production.  Sheep can be trained to eat only predator plant life within the vineyard and will help us to eliminate certain chemical usage.  We are always looking for new, more effective ways to farm sustainably and are in continuous communication/participation with the government and UC Davis regarding new studies.

Well, there you go!  That is Rominger West Winery’s sustainability in a nut shell.  I hope I defined it enough to satisfy any lingering questions one may have concerning our commitment to producing Yolo County’s finest wines sustainably.  Please feel free to comment if you have any further questions or if you have any new ideas regarding sustainable practices.  We are always looking for new ideas/methods.

Cheers to delicious sustainability!

Patricia

Gobble Gobble

I am so excited for this upcoming Thanksgiving!  Turkey day is one of my favorite holidays because it is a time for friends and family to reconnect and share a warm, home cooked meal with some delicious wine without the worries of gift-giving.  This year my family has made a collective decision to have a local and sustainable feast.

My mom has been at the forefront of this decision and I fully support her.  She ordered our free range turkey from a local farm and our side dishes will consist of veggies from local growers.  To round out the meal you can be certain that I will be bringing some of Yolo’s finest wine to the table (my mother just recently informed me that I will also be responsible for the dessert this year…does  Chapman Hill Syrah count as dessert??).

Everyone is quite interested to see the bounty of our local community and even more excited to share it with one another.

Bon Appétit!

Patricia

Chester the Winery Cat

I’m a bit of a newbie when it comes to blogging so I hope you will bear with me as I work out all of the kinks…but WELCOME to Rominger West Winery’s NEW blog! We are very excited about it and eventually hope to make this site your first stop when it comes to wine.

As you may have already seen on the Our Team page, we have a new mischievous member of our crew, Chester the orange cat.  Chester at first was just a fleeting shadow, a bit of a winery mystery, however as time has proven, this little cat has become a Rominger West crew member!  We are winos, not creative geniuses, so when it came to naming the little fellow we turned to our most trustworthy friends, YOU!  We received dozens of names and after some intense debates (ok I’ll be honest…we drank champagne and ate chocolate in the tasting room) we decided upon the name Chester.

Chester is still quite skittish (probably because the only time he has had human contact was when we took him in to the SPCA to be neutered…) but recently he has been playing among the barrels and equipment well within our sight.  He also has very good taste in food, as he always seems to find our secret stash of cheese and fresh bread…

Maybe the next time you drop in for a glass of wine you’ll get a glimpse of our newest, sneakiest crew member Chester!

Cheers, Patricia