Jefferson Cup Win, revised

Earlier this year we told you that the results of The Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition were announced and BookCliff received some top honors. We were excited when we finally received the prize that it is a trophy, our first actual trophy. The Jefferson Cup Invitational is an eleven-year-old competition founded by Doug Frost (one of only three individuals in the world to have achieved the titles of Master Sommelier and Master of Wine) that focuses on wine from all of America's wine regions. This year 21 states were represented and over 600 wines were judged, including some very well respected wineries. BookCliff Vineyards Petite Sirah 2009 was one of eight red wines to receive the highest honor, the Jefferson Cup. Our Ensemble 2008 was a Jefferson Cup nominee. This is our first Petite Sirah and we are very proud to have taken home this award. This wine is only available at the tasting room and at Salt Bistro in Boulder, so stop in to give it a try.

Organic Wine

-By Ulla Merz

At the Boulder Farmers Market we frequently get asked whether our wines are organic. Most of the time I respond with a quick No, as the answer is quite complex and would take some time to explain.

To receive the USDA organic certification, wine has to be made from organically grown grapes and the addition of sulfites is not allowed.

For John and me it was always important to get a grape crop every year and to be a good steward of the land at the same time. Right from the beginning we did not use herbicide and instead bought a grape hoe for in row weeding. We also do not use pesticide. We do use sulfur, which is considered organic, to spray for powdery mildew and if temperatures reach above 90 degree Fahrenheit we use a chemical as sulfur burns the leaves and leaves are needed to ripen the grapes. 2011 is the third year we have made our own compost from apple pulp, wood chips and chicken manure, which now replaces the chemical fertilizer we used before. At this point we have no plans to become USDA organically certified.

When it comes to wine making we will continue to use sulfites as a preservative to keep our wines from oxidizing and grow bacteria that negatively affect the flavor. Personally, I think it is fun to enjoy a 15 or 20 year old bottle of wine. Winemakers, us included, also use fining agents, which either precipitate out or are removed by filtering the wine. Some of the options for fining are egg whites, casein (milk protein), gelatin, isinglass (derived from fish) and bentonite clay. Whether to use any fining agents is a preference in the style of wine, just as different people are looking for different flavors in the wine.

If the grape growing and wine making practices used to make the wine are important to you, I suggest to ask the source, which is easy and another benefit when buying local.

For further reading here is a link to an article recently published in the LA times, that talks about the complexity of organic labelling and wine.

Wine & Food Pairing with Pizzeria Basta 1/20/11

BookCliff Vineyards will be pairing up with local chefs over the first few months of 2011 to bring you three food and wine pairing events. The events will be held at the winery where the chefs will prepare a meal to pair with a selection of our wines. Seating will be limited so that there is an opportunity to interact with the chef and the wine maker. So not only will you get some great food and wine, but you will have fun learning some new things about cooking and wine. Each event is $60 per person which includes the wine and food. For reservations call 303-499-7301. Tickets are still available for the 1/20 and 3/31 dinners, but make sure to call soon and reserve a spot!

January 20th at 6:00 pm featuring Kelly Whitaker, owner/chef of Pizzeria Basta

Menu

1. Kalmiche Sea Farms Mussel's | Toast | "Rouille"

-paired with Basta White (Muscat Blanc)

2. Beet Ravioli | Homemade Ricotta | Fennel Froth

-paired with Syrah 2008

3. Grant Family Farm Pork Shoulder | Celery Root Puree | Red Cabbage

-paired with Petite Sirah 2009

4. Sous Vide Short Rib | Smoked Potato | Dinosaur Kale

-paired with Reserve Syrah 2009

5. Wood Fire Brown Butter Huckleberry Cake

-paired with Allegretto

Annual Santa Clause Party

BookCliff Vineyards would like to invite you to our annual Santa Clause Party at the winery. On Saturday, December 4th from 1:00 - 6:00 pm, we will celebrate Santa Claus Day. The tradition of Saint Nicholas Day, usually on 6 December, is a festival for children in many countries around the world when Santa brings treats and sweets. This year he is again bringing Colorado wine and appetizers to our winery for you. There will also be some great discounts including 20% off a case (12 bottles) of wine and VIP members take an additional 5% off. So join us for a glass of wine and help ring in the holiday season.

Date: Saturday, December 4th

Time: 1:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Place: The BookCliff Tasting Room and Winery

Drinking Colorado wine with others is better than drinking alone

Written by Jacob Harkins from ColoradoWino.com

"The tasting room is open. Well, the virtual one is about to be anyway. Following in the footsteps of wine social media guru Rick Bakas, we’ll be hosting the First Ever World Wide Colorado Wine Virtual Tasting.

The premise is simple: Drinking wine with others is better than drinking alone. Join us by popping a bottle of Colorado wine from about 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 10. Best part is you can do this in the comfort of your home.

The key to making this work is to use your computer or mobile device to talk about the wine you are drinking and Colorado’s industry in general. If you are a Twitter type, use the hashtag #colwine. Try Hootsuite, Tweet Deck or any other number of programs that allow you to add the feed for #colwine to make following the evening a breeze. If you prefer Facebook, we’ll be using the event page to post comments."

Click here to read the rest of the article.

New Wines

If you are a red wine lover come on over. We have Merlot, Ensemble, two Syrahs, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah and of course the Friday's Folly to taste - a total of eight red wines. My favorite is the Petite Sirah 2009. Barely in the bottle it already received a gold medal and my sense is that it can achieve even more recognition. This dry red has a smooth finish for its young age, earthy yet elegant with lots of flavor in the body though lighter in alcohol at 13.5% - a perfect match with food. A beef roast, simply prepared, pairs well - I like mine marbled with some fat, marinated and cooked in a crock pot until the meat is soft an flakey. I also can imagine risotto with mixed mushrooms from Hazel Dell fresh from the Boulder Farmers Market. Come by soon to check out the new wines!

Back in the Saddle

Crush is here again. Where does the time go? Chardonnay grapes are crushed and the juice is just waiting to be turned into wine. We crushed about 3 tons of Chard yesterday for our first day this year. It went smoothly and was a pretty easy day. The grapes looked great and should make a nice wine. We are blessed that we didn't lose our vines with the cold weather last winter and we look forward to some great 2010 wines.