Why wine is the new black

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Like Black Plague?
Remember the Dark Ages?  Well, you probably don’t actually remember them like they were yesterday but here is a neat little historical fact - wine was the preferred drink during the Dark Ages due to water contamination.  What sounds better to you, wine or the Black Plague?

What about prison?
Ok so wine can be an ice-breaker.  Ever go to someone’s house empty handed?  Ever show up with a good bottle of wine and blow everyone away with your suave demeanor?  You don’t want to be the scared version of Taylor Schilling in Orange is the New Black and run from your confrontations.  Instead, pretend it is day one of prison orientation - be a boss and bring a bottle of wine.

How new-classic can you get?
That is up to you.  You are the game changer.  You are the trend setter.  Think of all the things you consider classic from cars to that little black dress.   What about wine?  Stay classy but be the first to know, first to discover and drink what you find to be the new best thing - Turiya.  Then, spread the word.

Peace!
Happy New Year
Ang

 

4 Santa Barbara Wine Trends to Watch in 2015→

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4 Santa Barbara Wine Trends to Watch in 2015

By Gabe Saglie

Small is Big

I recently attended a gathering at the Zotovich wine production facility in Lompoc that brought local writers together with boutique producers.  And one thing was clear: the little guys are ready to carry the torch.  These are small operations – a few hundred cases a year, mostly – that may not have the marketing budget or name recognition of their larger counterparts.  But their love for specific grapes and vineyards is pervasive, and the techniques they’re adopting are leading to bright, clean wines that are as approachable as they are tasty.  Look for labels like Big Tar, Dreamcote, Turiya, Frequency and No Limit.

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Top Wines of 2014 - Wines that will blow your skirt up→

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Top Wines of 2014 - Wines that will blow your skirt up

There are always a lot of wines to choose from, and it can be difficult to know what are suggested purchases without having tasted a wine. Few are willing to spend $30, $50, or more on a wine, hoping it will be money well spent.

Vintages change, picking decisions change, blendings can change, and sometimes even winemakers change. I am fortunate enough to taste many wines each year. Some wines I taste at various events and dinners, some are samples sent to me, while others may be tasted in the tasting room. When I see a wine scores a 95 or a 90, they both communicate one thing to me. These are wines well worth drinking and bringing to the dinner table.

This is my annual post for what I call, "Wines that will blow up your skirt." No scores here. These are simply wines that were in my glass at some point in the past year, and I hope to drink them again...

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Level 3 Sommelier discovers Turiya Wines→

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"Turiya Wines capture the essence of a garagiste winery: small production, hands on at every step, and fine-tuned to express the winemakers style. These wines are unique, and offer the wine lover something that is different from the rest of the pack. Watch out for Angela Soleno, she could just be producing the next California “cult wine”." - Jim Newcomb, Level III Certified, ISG Wine Educator.

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Best of Santa Maria - Award→

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SANTA MARIA June 16, 2014 -- Turiya Wines has been selected for the 2014 Best of Santa Maria Award in the Bottle Shops and Wine Stores category by the Santa Maria Award Program.

Each year, the Santa Maria Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Santa Maria area a great place to live, work and play.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2014 Santa Maria Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Santa Maria Award Program and data provided by third parties.

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From the winemaker - pretty, shiny things...

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Hello wine friends,

Years ago when I worked at Consilience a tall Englishman walked into the place looking a bit lost.  If you know me, you may know I fall in love pretty quickly, especially with the 'lost puppy' type. Well, I probably pushed some other girl out of the way and walked over to him to see what he needed.  'Wine bottles' he replied, 'I'm looking for beautiful wine bottles'. 

He explained to me that he crafted chandeliers out of recycled wine bottles.  He showed me a few pictures.  Ah, an artist, I thought... and so I volunteered to run around town and collect pretty bottles for him.  We made a date for the next time he would be around.  I promised him a nice collection.

Greg, the fantastically tall, incredibly handsome, crafty and artistic chandelier-maker, came back to town periodically and grabbed his bottles.  Eventually I left Consilience and went to work for myself.  One day I got a text from Greg that he was in town.  I only had a moment to stop and see him and give him a 'HALF-FULL' version of the prettiest bottle I had ever seen, my own.

Greg recently surprised me by including a Turiya wine bottle in one of his gorgeous chandeliers.  And now I think I have to have one of these made for the winery.  Oh how I love pretty, shiny things...

Custom creation with a 24k gold screenprinted Turiya wine bottle glowing alongside some other collectables!



From the winemaker - private tastings

/ Turiya Wines/

Hello wine world,

Due to an increase in winery traffic and with harvest right around the corner, private tastings have been a little harder to manage when it comes to on-the-fly tasters.   Since I absolutely LOVE showing the wines but needed a better way to schedule these in-depth tastings, I have opted to work with an online reservation system to take appointments and decided to offer two types of wine tasting experiences, although I truly believe each and every time you visit me the tasting experience will be one-of-a-kind.

Here are the details for scheduling your private tasting. 

General Wine Tasting - $15

Each year I create a red wine blend, carefully selecting the grape varietals that will make up that years cuvee... Taste the individual grape varietals and the blends they create in this fun exploratory tasting.

Great for returning customers or people who want to explore Turiya Wines most current offerings. $15 tasting fee waived with wine purchase. This flight offers up a tasting of the three wines that make up an entire vintage!

Private tasting with the winemaker - $25

Enjoy a private barrel tasting (only your group) in the barrel room with me!  I take you on an wine evolution, explaining what processes were used to create the wines, and show you how wines taste throughout the aging process. You will experience three different barrel samples and two finished wines.

I am currently pouring the 2009 vintage which includes the 2009 Hither, Central Coast, a blend of Petit Verdot and Malbec, as well as the 2009 Petit Verdot, Solana Vineyard (Paso AVA), and the 2009 Malbec, Solana Vineyard.

Hope to see you soon!

Ang

 

Highlights from Crush Food, Wine and Art Festival - Santa Monica→

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'Turiya Wines : Small boutique wine from the central coast. Tasted their Syrah, Cabernet, and Perpetual Bliss blend. I love me some boutique wines. All three were fruit forward and ready to drink right now. I’d have to say the perpetual bliss blend would be the one I’d buy if I have to chose one. Good stuff.'

- TheYumYumFoodie.com

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Garagiste Vintners Gear Up! (SB Independent article)→

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Garagiste Vintners Gear Up! (SB Independent article)

'She’s a fan of aged wines, so those 2008s — all sourced from Camp 4 Vineyard in Santa Ynez, though she’s expanded to other properties in subsequent years — are just emerging from her cellar, including a syrah (with wet-dog leatheriness and a plum-pie flavor), a cabernet (deliciously chalky cherry), and the “Perpetual Bliss” blend of syrah and cabernet (super-soft with cola, cinnamon, and yeastiness pulling each varietal apart).' - Santa Barbara Independent

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Central Coast Wine Press→

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Central Coast Wine Press

Soleno is a big fan of the natural acidity in wines, especially reds, especially Italian reds, and looks forward to getting her hands on some Aglianico, perhaps from French Camp Vineyards outside Santa Margarita in San Luis Obispo County, she said.

“The more obscure the varietals, the better.”

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Timing

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timing is everything

Life, is timing.  A wise friend told me this once and it has always stuck there in my mind, whenever things do or don't go right… well, it has to be the timing.  It's the same for wine; time is a vital, crucial element, key in winemaking.  The time you pick your fruit, the time it spends in barrel, the times you pay attention to it and the times you don't, and the time it spends in bottle are all very important.  

Remember that wine, as life, is a living thing, an organism or multitude of organisms combining to create something that is ever-evolving.  Then, think of it as a sort of kaleidoscope.   When looking through one of these you must slowly turn it to watch the beautiful shapes change and move about but if you shake it all the pieces fall apart and the design is gone.  Wine is similar, being a delicate, living thing, it has to be cared for and certain things must happen at critical times.

Right now I am focused on bottling.  It has nothing to do with freeing up barrels for this years coming harvest.  Winemaking decisions should never be based on an economical outcome, rather the wines benefit.  I've got the wine at what I would call it's sweet spot (not literally), and it has evolved to the point where I feel the barrel can give no more and it must now enter a new phase of its life.   

So as this wine enters a new phase, I'll watch the other vintages, taste them and rack if needed and top, top, top, then start planning this years harvest once again.  

What are your winemaking philosophies? How do you feel about timing?

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