However, if I were forced to sum the trip up with one word it would be “RAIN”.  Northern California was plagued with some torrential down pours over this past week. We only had one day of palatable weather, the others, rainy & cold, comparable to Cleveland’s days of grey (winter).  For the most part, the floor level vineyards were flooded, and the mountain vineyards were soaked.  My initial thoughts were this is going to be a very challenging vintage, and in speaking with winemakers some of them agreed.  We will just have to wait and see, so enough of the somewhat negatives.

First stop…Kuleto Estate (www.kuletoestate.com), never heard of it, precisely the reason of the visit.  Kuleto is a beautiful Tuscan estate on Sage Canyon Road, east of the Silverado trail.  It was founded by restaurateur Pat Kuleto in 1992.  The property itself is a massive 850+ acres and overlooks the entire town of Rutherford.  There are 82 individual vineyard blocks growing chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and few other varietals. 

Our tour guide was Giovani Verdejo, the Cellarmaster.  He is David Lattin’s (winemaker) right hand man.  Gio & David construct some of the best wines coming out of Napa, in my opinion comparable to, if not better than some of the region’s top estates.  Our tour started with a glass of rose (from cabernet franc grapes) as we made our way to the barrel room.  As we casually hovered around the barrels of beautifully aging juice Gio spoke about David’s and his philosophy as winemakers.  To summarize, they simply allow the fruit to stand on its’ own and their interference is kept to a minimum.  Gio could see our anxiety building so he suggested we taste right out of the barrel, and who are we to question such expertise, so we graciously accepted his offer!  Our first wine was the 2009 estate Syrah.  This wine was loaded with aromas of coffee, ripe blackberries, dark cherries, and a beautiful floral component.  The Syrah was absolutely stunning and scheduled for bottling in two weeks.  The single vineyard 2007 India Ink Cabernet Sauvignon was our next sampling, the highlight of the day it was full of ripe dark fruits, toasted coconut, and vanilla crème brulee.  This wine was so impressive, I begged Gio for another glass.  I couldn’t get enough of this wine. 

Our barrel sampling lasted for approximately an hour.  We drank as Gio explained each and every wine with a passion only a winemaker could have.  The wines were as beautiful as the estate itself, perhaps having a bit of an edge. I thought to myself if the remaining visits were at the level of this visit, we were going to be in trouble because it is going to be difficult to leave!

I strongly urge those of you who want a boutique wine in your collection to seek these wines out, otherwise you will be on the outside of the bottle looking in…

We're often asked about the benefits of motorizing shades.  Imagine coming home, tossing your keys and touching a "Welcome Home" button on an elegant keypad or Touchscreen...or on your iPhone or iPad for that matter, that adjusts your lights to a pre-set level, turns on your favorite music, and raises your shades to the perfect late afternoon setting.  That's the beauty of home automation.  You can access them remotely for increased security or lower all the shades in home with the touch of 1 button at your bedside for added convenience.  Aside from these wonderful lifestyle benefits, here are some functional uses outlined by somfy, a leader in the industry.

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Chardonnay is a great example of a wine that works well in any season.  For the warmer months an un-oaked chardonnay will be crisp, clean, and full of citrus, perfect for lighter dishes.  But in the cooler months an oaked chardonnay is just right. Oaked chardonnay displays characteristics of butter, cooking spices, and toasted oak, perfect for winter nights and menus. 

But for the red traditionalists, this is your seasonal stage.  Your desires can take you around the world to Italy for Amarone or Barolo, to France for Bordeaux or Burgundy, to Australia for Shiraz or Cabernet, and even Austria for Pinot Noir.  It is the New Year, be adventurous and break the routine with something new odds are you won’t regret it. 

Whichever axiom you follow, remember this, your options are limitless, so seize the day, grab that glass and pour something extraordinary.  Below are a few of the wines that I will be enjoying this season. 

Cheers,

Jim Fink - Sommelier    

Far Niente Chardonnay $60 – aromas of Meyer lemon, melon, toasted hazelnut and nutmeg. 

Drouhin Chassagne Montrachet $60 - Intense nose of flower, brioche and candied lemon aromas, evolving towards nuances of grilled hazelnut and spice as the wine matures. On the palate, the wine is straightforward, with a nice texture and finesse. It has a long aftertaste where floral and gingerbread notes dominate".

Massimago Amarone $75 - The wine is a purple-red in colour. On the nose it has aromas of fruits of the forest and spices such as cloves, vanilla and sweet tobacco.

Weingut Brundlmayer Blauburgunder $70 - Classic fresh Pinot fruit of red berries that follows through on the palate and is joined by flavors of minerals and spices; soft texture, elegant with still youthful tannins; structured and balanced with integrated acidity and persisting fruit, decent sour cherry, and toasty vanilla aromas in the elegant finish.

Your local Audio/Video retailer can advise you on the best technology.  This a bigger value than most would think especially if you are one of the hundreds of people who bought electronics to meet a certain need only to find out that the particular model you purchased does not have that feature.  TV’s are great example; we tend to purchase them on price alone because we do not know what all the features mean much less which ones do I really need!  Most people do not realize that your local Audio/Video dealer typically matches the “Big Box” prices on the TV’s they carry.  The big difference is that the “Big Box” stores focus on the least expensive TV’s with the fewest features capitalizing on consumer’s lack of “tech” knowledge while your local Audio/Video dealer chooses TV’s with the best features to maximize your investment.

We get phone calls every week asking for help to install components purchased on the internet or at “Big Box” stores.  The manuals are not user friendly and often show multiple ways to connect their equipment.  And by the way, how do we control all this gear?  Your local Audio/Video dealer can not only install the components for you but they can provide a good universal remote control solution so that you can actually use it!

“what else do you need?”  

•      Surge protection?  Power surges and “brown-outs” are one of the biggest causes for electronic component failures.  Sorry, the plug strip you paid $5.00 on is not going to save your electronics! 

•     Temperature Control?  Heat build up from cramming electronics into cabinets is the leading cause of component failure.  Your Audio/Video dealer supplies whisper fans and/or A/V furniture specifically designed to house electronics. 

•     Connecting Cables?  Which ones guarantee the best performance?  Please do not use the cables supplied with the components…there is a reason professionals throw them in the trash!  There are different grades of cables and components, a professional can help you match them up sensibly.  With the Analog Sunset coming, some of your equipment using component video cables may lose the ability to watch newer BluRay movies as content providers exercise the right to use the Image Constraint Token. For more information on the Analog Sunset Rule go to this Blog: http://www.avi-sti.net/?cat=13  

•      Audio/Video Furniture?  I know we typically shop for furniture at furniture stores, but when it comes to housing your electronics, you need to use furniture specifically made for this purpose.  Heat exhaust, ease of service, wire management, and hiding the gear are all factors to consider.  

•     Remote Control(s)?  Can you manage 5 remote controls or would you like to have a professionally programmed universal remote control that simplifies everything?  How about your Smart Phone or iPad?

•     Video Calibration?  What is it?  Manufacturers ship TVs with their video settings setup for showrooms with bad lighting.  Professional Audio/Video dealers have special equipment to re-calibrate the video display for maximum performance and longevity.  Look for dealers who have I.S.F. (Image Science Foundation) certified technicians on staff to properly setup your TV.

•      What are you going to watch on your TV?  TVs, BluRay players, and video games have the capability to watch content from the internet.  Setting up your home WiFi, router/switch, and installing the connection to your broadband are all necessary.

If you would like answers to some of these questions, try your local Audio/Video dealer.  Better yet, visit our new showroom, Environments By Design, and speak to our expert staff!

Join us August 20^th at 10am when the doors to Environments by Design are officially open! Come stroll through this unique design showplace and get inspired! Interested in meeting any of our design or product partners?  Please fill out the quick form at the Contact Us link and we’ll schedule a time to discuss your project.