Cultivar Wins Gold At 2016 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
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Jan 15, 2016 at 12:05 PM
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Sharing the Excitement of Harvest 2015 at Caspar Estate
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Oct 6, 2015 at 10:00 AMExperience Two Great Catches - Cultivar Wine & The Giants
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Jul 22, 2015 at 3:10 PM
Reverb & Cultivar Wine Happy Hour
One of the events we really look forward to here at Cultivar Wine is our quarterly happy hour with Wine Club Members. We love gathering over great food to talk wine and catch up with new and old friends alike.
This month we're especially excited to be introducing our wine club members to Polk Street's newest restaurant, Reverb Kitchen & Bar. We think Reverb's innovative comfort food crafted from locally sourced, sustainable, and peak-season ingredients is the perfect complement for our wines.
Cultivar Wine Club Members will enjoy tasting our selections for our May Wine Club shipment which include 2011 Cultivar Leaky Lake Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 Cultivar Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and two of our newest releases: 2012 Cultivar Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon and 2014 Cultivar Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc.
Will you be joining us?
Apr 21, 2015 at 11:00 AMHigh Style Collection Opening Celebration at Legion of Honor
Fans of fashion flocked to the Legion of Honor Wednesday March 11th, 2015 for the opening celebration of High Style: The Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection.
“Dazzle” was the theme and fans turned out in glamorous fashion for the collection’s unveiling during a black-tie dinner for supporters hosted by the FAM Board President Dede Wilsey.
Cultivar was happy to support the museum donating wines to pair with the sophisticated three course menu. We paired our 2013 Cultivar Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc with the first course Celery Root, Truffle, and Leek Potage.
For the main course of Filet aux Morilles we chose our 2012 Cultivar Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The sweet tannins and refined structure of the wine pulled out the morels in the sauce and complimented the cream sauce.
Guests finished the meal with a Black and White Duo: Chocolate Pot de Crème, Vanilla Bean Pot de Crème, and Santa Cruz Strawberries.
The collection is on view at the Legion of Honor through July 19th and shouldn’t be missed. Curated by Jan Glier Reeder, consulting curator for the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and organized by the Met, High Style captures key points in 20th-century fashion design with rare pieces from French couture houses, including examples by Jeanne Lanvin, Elsa Schiaparelli, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, and Hubert de Givenchy. Get your tickets today.
Apr 8, 2015 at 6:00 AMMen of Style 2015 Event
On March 5th, Cultivar Wine proudly partnered with San Francisco Magazine and Saks Fifth Avenue for the Saks Fifth Avenue Men of Style event. VIP guests enjoyed our 2013 Cultivar Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc that we donated
while enjoying passed appetizers and waiting in suspense as to who would be the 2015 Man of Style and which charity would receive a $5,000 donation.
San Francisco Magazine readers and fans of Saks Fifth Avenue and Cultivar Wine had a tough job, choosing between the 2015 Men of Style nominees:
- Scott E. Miller, principal and founder at Scott Miller Executive Search;
- Geoffrey De Sousa, principal of Geoffrey De Sousa Interior Design;
- Joseph Becker, assistant curator of architecture and design at SFMOMA; and
- Yves Behar, founder and principal designer at Fuseproject.
All nominees were well deserving, but there could be just one 2015 Men of Style winner.
Congratulations Geoffrey De Sousa and Ronald McDonald House at Stanford! Not only did Ronald McDonald House receive the $5,000 award, but Geoffrey generously matched the award with a $5,000 donation of his own.
Photography Credits: The third and fifth photos were taken by Rachel Bussières for Drew Altizer Photography and used with permission. The other photos were taken by Cultivar.
Mar 23, 2015 at 6:00 AMNew Release: 2014 Cultivar Napa Valley Rose
Nothing says Spring more than a Rose inspired by the Rivera. And we’re excited to announce our latest 2014 Cultivar Napa Valley Rose release, perfect to enjoy by itself, as a start to your springtime gatherings, or as the star of light meals.
Tasting Notes
For our 2014 release, we blended Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, with a splash of Sauvignon Blanc. Its pale pink, copper color catches your eye. Strawberry and cranberry aromas with hints of floral notes entice your nose. Then once you sip, tantalize your palate with cranberry and tart cherry fruit with spice and floral notes. Enjoy this bright and refreshing wine chilled.
Bottles are $17 / $14.45 Wine Club and Cases are $173 / $163 Wine Club. With only 229 cases produced, we expect to once again sell out of this popular wine. So stock up now!
Order before March 28th to have for Passover or Easter
If you’re planning on serving Cultivar Wine for your Passover or Easter gatherings, be sure to get your orders in before Sunday, March 28th, weather permitting.
Pairing the 2014 Napa Valley Rose
The secret to pairing a Rose is knowing how sweet it is. Unlike our 2013, which had a sweet finish, our 2014 release has a tart, dry, mineral finish. Here are three tips that will have your tastebuds singing.
- Look for dishes with ingredients complimentary to the aromas you’re smelling and the notes you’re tasting in the wine. For our 2014, think of dishes with cranberry, strawberry, and cherry. Turkey with cranberry relish on ciabatta. A spinach and strawberry salad.
- Bring out the fruit with mild goat cheeses. To extend the cranberry and strawberry aromas you inhale with our 2014 Rose, choose a creamy goat cheese that softens the dry, mineral finish and amplifies the fruit.
- Turn up the heat. When enjoying spicy Indian or Thai dishes a wine lower in alcohol is the beverage to reach for.
Here’s how two Bay Area chefs paired our 2014 Cultivar Napa Valley Rose.
From Chef Jeffrey Jake of Silverado Resort and Spa
Chef Jake of Silverado Resort and Spa showcased the flexibility of our 2014 Rose, pairing it with a cornucopia of fresh local vegetables, prosciutto, and a variety of spreads: Black Garlic, Olive Tapenade, Salmon Rillettes, Aioli, and Roasted Pepper.
Impress your family and guests with your own Salmon Rillettes with this recipe from Anna Zepaltas inspired by a dish at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon bistro.
From Chef Adam Rosenblum of Causwells
Chef Rosenblum of Causwells took toast, topped it with an herbed goat cheese spread and slice of radish.
If you want to enjoy this pairing yourself, try this radish, green onion, and herbed goat cheese spread recipe from Whole Foods Coop.
Mar 11, 2015 at 6:00 AMNew Release: 2013 Cultivar Oak Knoll District Chardonnay
We are excited to announce our first Napa Valley Chardonnay: our 2013 Oak Knoll District Chardonnay. This Chardonnay is the perfect wine to drink now: on its own, with a light meal, or with your starter course at dinner.
Stock up now to be ready for the Spring weather that’s just around the corner! Bottles are $28 / $22.40 Wine Club and Cases are $285 / $268 Wine Club.
Tasting Notes
Swirl your Chardonnay to coat the glass and then bring up to your nose. Inhale aromas of baked apples, pear and melon with a hint of spice. Close your eyes and savor the wine as it hits your tongue. Enjoy baked apple, caramel, and a hint of brown butter that ends with a delicate finish. Serve chilled.
About the Oak Knoll Appellation
The Oak Knoll appellation, located south of Yountville in the heart of Napa Valley is known for a climate that is cooler and more moderate than any region in Napa Valley outside of Carneros. This cooler climate delivers restrained, delicate Chardonnays with the perfect balance of sugar and acid.
Pairing the Oak Knoll District Chardonnay
One of the most popular and traditional California Chardonnay pairings is with Dungeness Crab or crab cakes. And you won’t go wrong with this match up.
To shake things up a bit and truly delight the taste buds of your guests, pick a few goat cheeses to start your evening: Bucheron, a fresh French goat cheese; Garrotxa, an aged Spanish goat cheese; or mild American goat cheddar. Goat cheese further heightens the fruit in the 2013 Cultivar Oak Knoll District Chardonnay.
Another less common match you should experiment with is sweet corn. For something off the beaten path that our guests may not have enjoyed, match our Chardonnay with either a Corn Chowder or Corn Salsa.
What will you pair your Chardonnay with?
Feb 18, 2015 at 6:00 AMAnnouncing the 2012 Cultivar Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
We are excited to announce the availability of our 2012 Cultivar Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, which we bottled this past August. This is our second offering from the Howell Mountain Appellation, one of the first regions in Napa Valley to gain American Viticultural Area (AVA) status.
And right now with the cold, grey weather the Bay Area is experiencing, I’m really enjoying the Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. For me, it’s the perfect wine to curl up with and savor. Why? Because thanks to its balanced acidity and sugar and long finish, the Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is great on its own or with food!
Our winemaster, Julien has advised that the Howell Mountain will age for another 10 years, but I’m having a hard time saving it. Lately, it’s my wine of choice to serve before heading out to dinner or a party.
Tasting Notes
Our 2012 Cultivar Howell Mountain is beautiful to look at with its rich, dark, smokey purple color. Once you stop staring and bring it up to your nose, you’ll smell cassis, currant, and blackberries. When you taste the wine, your palette is hit with these powerful fruits as well as more subtle notes of cedar and wood smoke and hints of truffles, licorice, and espresso. The distinct long finish and smooth tannins demands a leisurely pace. This is not a wine you want to open if you’re rushed for time. If you’re not already dreaming of mountain cabins and the outdoors, you should be. What I tell my friends is that if they like Mountain fruit they will love this wine as much as I do. One sip and I’m imagining myself seated in front of a roaring fire staring out at snow kissed slopes or fire pit overlooking the ocean.
For best results serve the wine at about 68 degrees Fahrenheit, just below room temperature. Depending where you store your wines, you may need to bring your wine up to temperature. If your wines are stored at room temperature, you may want to tuck them into the refrigerator for about twenty minutes before serving and use an aerator pour spout to decant if having just a glass. Before enjoying I then let them sit for a few minutes to breathe.
To truly appreciate the Howell Mountain you'll want to enjoy it in one of the Riedel wine glasses made specifically for red wine. The shape of the glass allows the wine to breathe. If your wine is below the optimal drinking temperature, you'll be able to use your hands to slowly warm it.
Because the Howell Mountain is so drinkable now and only 148 cases were produced, we expect it to sell out quickly like our first offering did. (We have many Cultivar and Caspar customers who needed to restock or missed out on last year’s offering lined up for this release.) Don’t delay and pick up a few bottles for enjoying today as well as a few for your cellar.
Purchase your Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon now. Bottle $72 / $57.60 Wine Club; Case $734 / $691 Wine Club
About the Howell Mountain Appellation
The Howell Mountain AVA is located on the Northeast side of the Napa Valley within the Vaca Range near the town of Angwin, overlooking the town of St. Helena. The boundaries of the AVA are dictated by vineyard land located at elevations of at least 1,400 feet. Often you will see photos of the cabernet sauvignon vineyards on Howell Mountain with the fog filling the Napa Valley below.
We were drawn to Howell Mountain for its unique nutrient poor soils, the decomposed volcanic ash called ‘tufa’ and the red clay that is naturally high in iron. The soil types found in the Howell Mountain appellation stress the vines planted there. The result of this stress is that the vines produce lower yields than other appellations. But these lower yields have fruit that is consistently intense in flavor with balanced acidity and sugar and a unique minerality from the volcanic ash.
Prior to Prohibition in the United States, Howell Mountain was best known for its Zinfandel. Now the slopes of Howell Mountain are dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. When you try our 2012 Cultivar Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon we’re sure you’ll see why we chose grapes from Howell Mountain and why we can’t wait to share our wine.
Pairing the Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
Because of the fruit’s balanced acid and sugar, you may be tempted to drink it now. (Be sure to stock up so that you have some left in your cellar to enjoy as the wine ages.)
The 2012 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is best paired with juicy steaks and hearty stews. For the holidays, it is the perfect complement to your standing rib roast.
Dec 17, 2014 at 6:00 AMCultivar Sauvignon Blanc Wins Gold Medal
We’re excited to announce that our 2013 Cultivar Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc was recently awarded a Gold medal from The Fifty Best and thrilled to see Sauvignon Blanc returning to the spotlight.
TheFiftyBest.com is an award-winning online guide to fine living, featuring rated listings from unbiased surveys and proprietary tastings judged by wine/spirits journalists, wine/spirits professionals, sommeliers, retailers, restaurateurs, and connoisseurs.
For this tasting of recent release California Sauvignon Blancs, they assembled a pre-qualified panel of judges. Judges blind-tasted the wines and rated them individually on a 1-5 point scoring system, with 5 being the best. After tallying the scores, The Fifty Best awarded medals based on the judges' impressions.
2013 Cultivar Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc Tasting Notes
We crafted our 2013 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc to be approachable and the perfect treat after a hard day. The grapes we selected for our 2013 Sauvignon Blanc and Musque clone come from three vineyards, two in St. Helena and one in Napa. This mix of grapes creates a crisp, refreshing wine with peach and nectarine on the tongue with just a hint of the grassy notes Sauvignon Blanc is famous for.
Individual bottles are $20 (Case Price $204 / Cultivar Wine Club $192). Cultivar Wine Club members enjoy 20% off. If you're not yet in our club, learn more about the benefits of membership.
Order your Sauvignon Blanc now.
Pairing Sauvignon Blanc with Food
Wondering what to pair Sauvignon Blanc with? Check out our tips for crafting the perfect seasonal cheese, salami, and apple platter. Sauvignon Blanc also pairs beautifully with turkey and sweet potatoes and would make a great addition to your Thanksgiving celebration.
To ensure your wine arrives in time for Thanksgiving, place your order no later than Friday, November 14.
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