The winemaker is Mark Cargasacchi. Perfectly balanced, medium tannins.

Here is video of one of Southern California’s largest wine, beer, food, art and music events. Measuring two football fields in length by one football field in width, the festival features over 200 wines, 25 restaurants, 10 of California’s best artists (brought in by the Santa Clarita’s Arts and Tourism Board) and a rock concert featuring 10 outstanding musicians from groups including: Santana, Christina Aguilera, Josh Grobin, Alicia Keys and more. The All Corked Up International Festival is dedicated in helping raise monies for the College of the Canyons K-12 Arts and Education Foundation which will affect 10,000 children this year! Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCGEcm8MBXk  to view.

Cooking Class

Saturday, March 27th 1:00-3:00pm

Come learn how to prepare and enjoy tasting these delicious recipes that are great for a Sunday or Easter Dinner!  Includes instruction, entrée, and two perfectly paired wines!

Recipes
~Romaine & Fennel Salad with Shaved Manchego Cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette~
~Brie and Apple-stuffed Chicken Breasts~
~Israeli Cous Cous with Scallions and Pecans~

Wines:
~2006 Cantele Salice Salentino Riserva~
~2008 Sean Minor Sauvignon Blanc~

$29.00 per person
**Not valid with other coupons, discounts promotions or private parties**

Executive Chef Michelle Razzano of LA Trends

Space is limited!
Call now for your reservation! (Credit card required at time of reservation.)
(661) 799-7979

Tobin James Wine Pairing Dinner
Thursday, March 11, 2010  
6:30pm - 9:00pm

CROSTINI – Caramelized Onions Topped with Gruyere Cheese.

Heirloom Tomato, Arugula, Corn and Beet Salad, with Asiago Cheese and a Basil Vinaigrette Dressing.

Grilled Filet Mignon with a Cabernet Reduction Sauce, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Roasted Butternut Squash and French Green Beans.

Three-Chocolate Mousse Parfait

Featured Wines:
Tobin James Chardonnay

Tobin James Cabernet Sauvignon
James Gang Reserve

Tobin James Zinfandel
James Gang Reserve

Tobin James Late Harvest Zinfandel
Liquid Love

$49 per person + tax & gratuity
Reservations Required
(Credit Card Required at Time of Reservation)
Seating Limited to 28 People
661-799-7979
www.allcorkedup.com
26340 Diamond Place, Santa Clarita, CA 91350
**Not valid with other discounts, promotions or private parties**

THE END: Results from "Pour Into Haiti"

On January 21, in between rain storms that threatened all of Santa Clarita, over 250 residents stepped out and into a cause: “Pour Into Haiti”.

The brain-child of Roman Weiser (Santa Clarita Valley Vintners and Growers Association), Eve Bushman (writer and marketing) and David Schutz (owner, All Corked Up) a fundraiser was planned and executed in one week.  Over $4000 was given that night to Shannon Hoffman and Brendie Bandara of Three Angels Children’s Relief in Haiti.

Besides taking over both front rooms of All Corked Up, guests were also treated to a tour for their tasting in both the temperature controlled wine locker facility and the large retail store.  Music was provided by Chris Sobkowich and a limited menu was available.

Wine, original art and raffle items were donated by Steve and Amy Elzer, Chris and Jeannie Carpenter, Michael and Karen Perlis, Shaunna Hoffman, Derrick and Maureen McKaughan, the Santa Clarita Valley Vintners and Growers Association and All Corked Up.

Seen at Pour Into Haiti were Dave Bossert, Mary Bradway, Gerri Brehm, Tora Brown, Eve Bushman, Dan Carpenter, Chris and Jeannie Carpenter, John Carter, Diane and Jim Ghilardi, Steve and Rose Chegwin, Chris Connolly, Steve and Megan Lemley, Corry and Carol Derobertis, Tim and Erin Dixon, Mark and Ann Drexler, Steve and Sandra Enerle, Christine Calderon, Mark and Maybeth Francone, Jim Griffin, Nate Hasper, Mo and Linda Hafizi, Tim and Jenny Ketchepaw, Patrick Lage, Marlee Lauffer, Jeffey Levine, Tomas and Jenny Lukas, Steve and Cathy Martin, Michale and Karen Perlis, Derricke and Maureen McKaughan, Danny Mascari,  Sandie Plush, Joe and Andrea Pohlot, Robert and Elizabeth Teagle, Roman Weiser, Shelly Patterson, David, Jay, Mark and Tony Schutz.

Coverage and info from Eve's Wine 101 blog at http://evewine101.blogspot.com/2010/02/end-results-from-pour-into-haiti.html

Many talented talented artits will be displaying their work at the All Corked Up International Wine and Beer Festival.

All Corked Up WINE FESTIVAL Artists

• Cecily Willis (watercolor paintings)
          http://cecilywillis.net/places.htm

• Bob Hernandez (folk art, fine art, drawings)
          http://bobhernandezdesign.com

• Eve Cook (graphics art)
          http://www.theinspirationalcanvas.com/

• Sandy Fisher (fine photography)
           http://www.santaclaritaartists.org/Members%20Web%20Pages/fisher_sandy/Sandy_Fisher.htm
                             
• Dean Hess (metalwork)
          http://hessoriginals.com/meet_the_artists

• Jane Mick (paintings)
          http://www.janemick.com/Gallery/celebration.html

• Lisa Barr (paintings)
            http://www.santaclaritaartists.org/Members%20Web%20Pages/barr_lisa/Lisa%20Barr.htm

• Melanie Cristescu (Belle Pottery)

        http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5482615&section_id=5339880

• Mel & Karen Carll (fine photography)
          http://www.melcarll.com/?p=17

• Romeo Downer (paintings)
          http://www.caribbeanartist.com/

Sinverguenza (pronounced: seen-ver-goo-en-zaa)
definition: shameless music with no limits,creative,energetic,fun.

Delivering an effortless professionalism to the stage that only years of experience allows.
They have recorded,produced,written and directed on Grammy Award winning projects and performed with todays
exceptional artists in all categories of music.( santana,christina aguilera,ozomatli,patti labelle,steve winwood,
willie nelson,josh groban,jane's addiction,alanis morisette,maxwell,and prince. just to name a few.)

Sinverguenza is:

wally reyes jr.-Drums          
oskar cartaya- bass
matt rohde-keyboards
andy vargas- Vocals
tariqh akoni- Guitar
serafin'el toro'-trumpet
shef-trombone
ramon yslas-percussion
damon reel,lilliana de los reyes,andy vargas- vocals

Sin Verguenza consist of a latin-funk-urban mix with a cocktail twist. A great energy that is a must experience!
Get ready for some excellent wine and booty shakin'fun.
More info. at  www.sinverguenzamusic.com

All Corked Up was the scene of international intrigue last night as we featured some new

wines from a far away place, the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. I have mentioned some of these

wines before and now they were unveiled to our customers. Doug and Greg from Terrell Wines were

on hand to guide us through these new wines made from grapes such as Katsiteli, Kindzmarauli and

Tsolikouri. They also represent some wines from Chile. Their Carma Chardonnay 2008 was a hit and we will

soon have it in stock.

As many of you know, All Corked Up is gearing up for a huge International Festival on October 3rd. We will feature over 200 wines from all over the world. We have been tasting and selecting these wines. Needless to say, it is a daunting but tasty task. This past week I have tasted wines by Trefethen, Cakebread, Mi Sueno, Bell and Tobin James and wonderful wines from small Paso Robles wineries like Bodegas Paso Robles. They make wonderful Tempranillo! All are interested in participating. Hope to see you there!

Part of my job as All Corked Up’s Wine Buyer is to meet winemakers and winery representatives and learn or brush up on their wines. I attended two recent luncheons recently. The wines of Spain’s Vega-Sicilia Winery were featured at Valentino Resturant.

I had not been there in many years and was really looking forward to seeing owner Piero Selvaggio again. Bodegas Vega Sicilia is a Spanish winery located in the Ribera del Duero Denominacion de Origen in the north of Spain. As we were waiting to sit down we were served a dry white wine made from the Furmint grape. This beautiful white wine was from Hungary and Vega-Sicilia owns it. Oremus is the brand name and it was vintage 2005. Oremus 2005 Late Harvest, a sweet white wine was paired nicely with Pan Seared Foie Gras “Alla Veneziana”. Then came the four Vega-Sicilia reds: 2006 Pintia, 2005 Alion, 2004 Valbuena and 1999 Unico. These were all current vintages for sale. They all had healthy doses of Tempranillo with some Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec. The rest of the luncheon was Agnolotti with Wild Mushrooms, Risotto with Sweetbreads Polpettine and Cuttlefish, A Duo of Veal Loin and Cheek with Black Truffles, a Cheese course and a Sorbet. Also tasted was Oremus 2000 Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos, Hungary’s most famous wine, a golden sweet nectar favored by the Emperor of Austria-Hungary and the Czar of Russia. Look for some of these wines in July.

Taryn runs marathons, races triathlons, and loves good wine and tasty food.    She finished her 14

Presently, she is training for 2 more ½ Ironman races this spring, and another full Ironman distance this coming August. Her goal is to race with the elite, but the vast riches are not in her sights, just the satisfaction she’ll feel the rest of her life knowing that she went after it.

At last our new menus have arrived, and we’ve expanded our food well as our wine selections. The new wine menu includes a partial list of the 2000-something wines in stock. It’s always fun, of course, to stroll around the store and look at all the bottled goodies we have. But you also now have the option of searching some of our best wines by the bottle without leaving your seat. Additional hot and cold appetizers, as well as new entrees and desserts, mean you can have more fun pairing with wines. 

Victor & DanielCertified Wine Geeks

Although wine is our focus here at All Corked Up, some of you will be glad to know that we also have a top-notch spirits selection. Recently we tasted some fabulous spirits from a small distributor that you might be interested in. They are all pricey but worth it, and are perfect as holiday gifts.

The first, Porfidio Single Barrel Tequila from Jalisco, has not been seen in Southern California for a long time—it’s one of the best. Also, the best vodka we’ve ever carried just came in. Kauffman Private Collection Luxury Russian Vodka, in 1 liter format, and in a stunning bottle and gift package. The reason this rare specimen tastes so ethereal: it’s distilled 14 times! Another big standout from our recent acquisitions: G’Vine French Small Batch Gin. For those of you who don’t like gin, this might convert you. And for gin lovers, this has just the right combination of botanical complexity and sensuous body.

Come check ‘em out …

Victor & Daniel

Another week in the life of a wine buyer tasting upwards of 30 new wines a week.
I will mention a few that have “grabbed” my attention. Paso Robles continues to put great wines and two from Sextant Winery particularly, 2006 Nightwatch which is a blend of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. The winemaker left the bottle for me to sample our customers and they all said “I’ll buy it”! Another wine that is great is the new Layer Cake Primativo. This wine is from Italy and it tastes much like a big, rich Paso Zinfandel. The sample was passed around to good reviews.. Look for these wines in the coming weeks.

Victor Herstein
Wine Buyer

Starting off by asking you, the serious wine consumer, this: “ Am I nuts or what!”.
I just opened 3 wooden cases of French white wine (we will not divulge the producers name because this is a tasty French Chardonnay-Colombard blend and we recommend it highly). The bottles laying down inside all had……screw caps! What’s wrong with this picture? You be the judge.
On a different note, our Pahlmeyer Wine Dinner was a qualified success. The 4 wines paired were all remarkable and Chef Bryan outdid himself. Only drawback was that Pahlmeyer wines are so allocated that we soon ran out of wines to sell after the dinner!
Many wines were sampled this past week. We generally sample around 40 wines a week. They are considered for use in either one of our Wine Clubs or for sale in our retail section/tasting bar. Wines from Spain, Italy, Oregon, Australia, Germany, Chile and California were tasted. In a perfect world we could purchase every good wine that comes our way, but alas, I must “cherry-pick” the ones that we can’t live without. Some of those will show up in the coming weeks. We will keep you posted!

Victor Herstein
Wine Buyer, All Corked Up

Robert Mondavi, 1913 -2008

Wine lovers mourn the passing of Robert Mondavi this week at age 94.  He is partly responsible for helping California wines attain their high stature in the world of wine.

He helped make Chardonnay America’s most popular white wine. He gave UC Davis $35 million to establish the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science and a performing arts center.

I am now going to mention the last Mondavi Reserve Cabernet that the family produced, the lovely 2004. A very impressive Cabernet in every way.

Before Mr. Mondavi’s passing, I had planned to open discussion about the opinion letter written  by writer Alice Feiring and published in the Los Angeles Times. This is a quote: “Today’s California wines are overblown, over-alcoholed, over-oaked, overpriced and over-manipulated”. This article took up a third of a page, more than some political commentary. And in the Food section of last weeks Times, three books about wine are reviewed, among them her book: The Battle for Wine and Love or How I Saved the World From Parkerization. Everyone has an opinion and we would love to hear yours!

I would describe my own palate as varied. I constantly try new wines. More and more I am becoming a big Paso Robles fan. The Zinfandels from Paso are wonderful, big, jammy reds with gorgeous aromas. Brochelle Vinyards and Tobin James “ James Gang Reserve” are a few of my current faves. I have a soft spot for well made German wines among them Dr. Loosen Rieslings both Spatlese and Auslese. German wines are usually bottled at 7-8 percent alcohol and are just lovely to sip on a hot day. We have now a number of lovely Spanish wines among them Altos de Luzon, a Tempranillo-Cabernet blend. It is a luscious New World style red, dry and fruit forward, no dirty tasting wine here. I have started to re-discover wines from Portugal. I bought a simple Vinho Verde from Alianca. This dry white tastes a bit like a nice Pinot Grigio, crisp acidity made to be drunk with Seafood! Priced under $10. I have been tasting and purchasing several dry Rose’s from France, Australia, California and a little gem from Portugal, Casa Mendes, it retails for under $5 and it’s clean and dry! We now have back in stock 2 of our favorite reds: Poppy Pinot Noir and Ehrhardt Petite Sirah. Recently tasted and purchased, 2 unoaked Chardonnays: Sierra Vista from El Dorado County and Gum Bear from Australia. A nice alternative to the mass of oaky whites out there. Unoaked Chardonnay is (in my opinion) fantastic with Sushi and Sashimi. They have some similarities to fine cold Sake, especially in the nose.

Till next time,

Victor the Wine Guy at All Corked Up