AmericanWinery.com

Lindi Kauer:  Summertime is normally the busiest for wineries – packed tasting rooms, new wines to bottle, and another harvest around the corner. What has been keeping you busy this summer?
Phil Long:  I recently participated as a judge for the Alameda County Fair Amateur wine competition. It’s a great experience.  I was able to share the table with two of Livermore’s greats, Thomas Coyne (of Thomas Coyne Winery) and Jim Ryan from Concannon Vineyard.  We tasted and rated wines for about three hours straight.   Our table got to taste Cabs and blends, among many others.  You would be surprised of just how many really good wines there were.  Other than the competition and our annual trip to Paso, it’s been bottling and prepping for harvest as usual.

LK:  What is your take on this type of competition?
PL:  For the home winemaker I think it’s a great way to get feedback from commercial winemakers, in addition to receiving recognition for their efforts.  Commercially I think this type of competition may be great for the local market, but as a winery we need to also keep our eyes on the extended market.  At some point I would like to be sold out of vintages before they are even released.  It’s hard to do that if you stay in your own backyard.

LK: Define long term goals for Longevity
PL:  Our goal is to increase a fixed case amount each year and max out at around 2500 cases.  It’s not too much to handle with a small crew, and it’s still more fun than work.  I think long term our focus will increase on Cabernet’s and Cab blends, as well as barrel fermented Sur Lie Chardonnay’s.

LK:  What about upcoming events? Do you have any New Wine Releases to talk about?
PL:  Harvest Festival is right around the corner.  It’s Livermore Valley’s largest event of the year.  Half of the wineries will be pouring wine from one central location.  There will be food vendors, art and jewelry, and several bands over the course of Labor Day weekend, on Sunday and Monday (buy tickets here).  Longevity will be pouring at the park (Robertson Park) while buses will take people to wineries not pouring at the park, on Sunday.    As far as releases are concerned, we have released our 2006 Lodi Barbera, next will be our 2006 Contra Costa County Syrah, and in the Fall our 2008 Livermore Chardonnay.

LK:  How many Harvests have you had as a winemaker? What makes this an important part of what you do?
PL:  I have been making wine now for close to ten years.  If you look at the career of being a winemaker, I may have only 20-25 more vintages left.  This means that each harvest,  you better be ramping up what you do as far as quality, and keeping your wines exciting, etc.  Each harvest is so different that you have to strive to do your best each time to make the most of it.  This year we are adding cold soaking, longer macerations, and even fermenting some reds in oak. It’s all about improving/changing the way you do things…. so you will continue to make a better product.

LK:  What is your view of the future for Longevity?
PL:  Previously we took a bit of a shot gun approach to what varietals we are going to produce.  We made what we liked and our customers liked what we made, so it was and still is a win win situation.  As a winemaker I am now trying to focus more on a fewer varietals, and take those as far as we can.  We are going to do less varietals and more volume of each of varietal we do produce.  Most of our wines seem to sell out fairly quickly.  Philosophically, I am at a point in my wine making career that for a winery of our size, I don’t believe in reserve wines – it insinuates that we aren’t making the best wine we can across the board.  My goal is that every wine should be a reserve wine!

LK: How did you get started in the wine business?
PL: We ran an online based wine club for several years known as “Longevity Wine Club”.  We would feature a different appellation each month, and ship wines from that appellation to our customers.  We were on the road at least three weekends a month tasting hundreds of wines to choose four for the club.  At the same time we started making wine at home.  We kept the “old” wine club running for the first six months we had the winery open.  As of January 2009, we morphed Longevity Wine Club into Longevity “Wines” Club.  So now it’s our winery’s wine club.

LK:  Let’s take a step back for a moment, you and your wife are both working full time jobs still – what do each of you do?
PL:  I work as the Creative Director for a large Point of Purchase display design & manufacturing firm – Rapid Displays.  Debra is the Office Manager for Danville Area Chamber of Commerce.  (Danville, Blackhawk, Alamo, Diablo)

LK: How these jobs have helped you in the wine industry?
PL: We are Chamber members of the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce, and involved in our surrounding communities. Networking and relationships are important and help in any business venture. We both have experience in customer service and this carries over into Longevity.   I have been a creative person/designer all my life.  This business is the culmination of all that I have done before now.  We designed our brand, tasting room, and winery in addition to building everything ourselves.  I still believe that winemaking is just as much art as it is science.  I think that is where we really shine.  That and creating an experience for every customer.  Whether they come to the tasting room or are a distant club member, so much of the what people remember is the experience they have had at the winery.

LK:  I also heard that you had a birthday recently. Tell us a little bit about turning 50 – what did you do to celebrate?
PL:  My birthday this year fell on a Sunday, so Saturday, we had a party at the winery all day.  We opened wine from the Longevity library that were no longer available, and had great fun.  A couple of times a year, I smoke pork for pulled pork sliders and invite all of our customers.  Friends, food and wine all day, what could be better?

***Watch Longevity Wines’ “Straight from the Source” Video Short***

There is a phenomenon that exists in the wine blogging community, known as Wine Blogging Wednesday. The 2nd Wednesday of each month, there is a new topic for wine bloggers to explore, recording their discoveries and musings via their own blogs. The result? A very interesting collection of perspectives across the “blogosphere”!

The topic for the 58th installment of Wine Blogging Wednesday, as designated by Katie Pizutto over at the wonderful Gonzo Gastronomy blog, was the exploration of wine and music pairings. Ms. Pizutto’s challenge for this WBW?

The challenge I put forth to the wine bloggers out there for this month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday (#58) will involve a little more than just finding a nice wine, a lesser-known varietal or an emerging region to write about—it will involve sitting with a wine or two, tasting them, playing different types of music, and taking note of how your experiences change. This is NOT about sipping and spitting. It is NOT about a few scribbled tasting notes. And it is most definitely NOT about objectivity. And please, for the love of all that is holy, if all you have in your music collection is Michael Buble, go borrow some CDs from your head-banging neighbor, your hip-hop-loving relative, and your stuck-in-80s-alternative college buddy.

Some of us will be posting WBW entries of our own on our various personal blogs, which we’ll of course provide links to. Here’s a peek at Stacy’s wine+music pairing pick.
Anaal Nathrakh – ‘In The Constellation Of The Black Widow’ + Orin Swift 2006 ‘The Prisoner”:

If you follow me on Twitter, you recently witnessed my obsessing over the new album from this infamous “kvlt” UK duo. Blackened death crustcore with absolutely seething ferocity. We’re talking sizzling vitriol all over the place, from the stellar production to the uber-necro vocals, these guys go for the jugular with blast beats, nihilism, evil riffage, and a dose of melodic dynamics to help sink their teeth in even further. What do you pair with something so cacophnously delicious? Orin Swift’s 2006 ‘The Prisioner’….more

Erica went with a lighter music and wine pairing:

the first notes of Ginastera’s “Danza de la Moda Donoza” fill the living room, I take a few sips of the Aurora. Now – I already like this wine, but there could not be a better pairing than the Ginastera. The left hand plays, steady and mellow, in contrast with the piquant melody, creating harmonic tension that is right in balance with the tensions of flavors and structure in the “I Aurora.” I find that the more lively flavors in the I Aurora are standing out – more lime, a touch of bay leaf…more

Sasha took a different approach:

While judging a wine or pairing it with food, we attempt at objectively identifying the combination of flavors, the way wine hits our mouth and integrates with the flavors of the food, where we taste sweetness or bitterness, acidity or tannins, spice, etc. There is no equivalent science to music, no theories about how high tannin levels mold well with a 2/4 time signature or the piano. Wine does, however, share a characteristic with music that I believe can be paired in a non-traditional manner. Be warned, it is extremely subjective in nature. I will make no attempt what so ever to justify this combination with objective descriptors. I choose the music I play based on my moods. Certain moods that I believe work best for particular types of music are based mostly on MY experiences…more

Pairing wine and music is something we at AmericanWinery.com are really excited about – we recently partnered with Sony Music to launch Wine+Music, a site dedicated to the fine art of pairing music with American wine. Currently on the playlist? “El Rey” (the King) Tito Puente paired with Ceja Vineyard’s “El Trio” offering of three wines. Check out the site, where you can download the album and order the wine direct from the winery with 1¢ shipping.

We all had so much fun doing wine and music pairings, we thought we’d get our readers involved, too. Does music make your heart sing? Does wine make your toes tap? Crank up your computer’s volume and play a few numbers from the widget embedded below – then, in the comments, tell us what wine you’d pair with your favorite selection.

We could go all day.

When I first started working at AmericanWinery.com, I basically doused myself in American wine. Not literally. But you know, I dived in, I immersed myself, I did my best to learn about wines and wineries outside of my little Walla Walla bubble. And I discovered that America makes DARN good wine.

Let me tell you about what I would call my most “epic” wine tasting experience. Lancaster Estate, my first winery partner to join the AW Marketplace, received a 97 point score from Wine Enthusiast for their 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon,  and the wine was ranked #2 on the publications’ “Top Wines of 2007″. While I’m not one to be swayed by critics, an awesome score like that can certainly pique the curiosity. The AW Tasting Panel had the opportunity to sample the wine and … well, WOW.

Please forgive my childish glee, but this wine was SPARKLY! I don’t mean in a “bubbly” sort of way, I mean that the wine actually sparkled in the glass. Having never experienced that magic that is Alexander Valley Cabernet, I was taken aback by the wines’ complex aromas, flavors, and intensely long finish. Lavender and cardamom on the nose like nothing else, almost like walking from a flower garden into a bakery. Luscious mouthfeel, flavors of blackberries and currant leading to dark chocolate and spice on the finish. Smooth. A wine to take your time with. A wine that continued to unfold new flavors and unexpected twists and turns along the way. One of the best wines I’ve ever had the privilege to enjoy with such great company.

Anyone who loves wine has probably had one of these epic wine experiences. I’d love to hear about yours.

While the Lancaster Estate 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon has long since sold out (of course, these things happen), the winery has released their 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon to similar fanfare – 95 points, Wine Enthusiast, and ranked #17 on their Top Wines of 2008. The winery has made available a very limited supply of this wine to AmericanWinery.com customers, with 1¢ shipping on their “Cellar Selection Cabernet” 3-pack, and 5% off case purchases plus 1¢ shipping. Collectors, wine novices, and “epic” experience seekers, rejoice. Snag it while you can.

Our own aspiring wine critic, Lindi Kauer

Are you an aspiring wine critic? Do you like to talk about wines you love?

Move over, Robert Parker. Here comes… you.

We recently integrated with Power Reviews to make it easier than ever to share your tasting notes with the world of wine enthusiasts. We invite you to post a review at AmericanWinery.com for the wines you love.  You can even upload pictures and videos with your review, so make like Gary Vee and “Bring the Thunder”! It’s easy to do, and you’ll help other wine lovers discover new favorites.

Rate and Review your favorite wines at AmericanWinery.com!

For the four Buoncristiani brothers, winemaking is a family affair. The Buoncristiani patriarch, Robert,  made wine in the family garage and paid Matt, Jay, Aaron and Nate an allowance to pick and stomp the grapes. Seemingly inauspicious beginnings for four brothers who have been dubbed the “Rising Stars of Napa Cabernet” by Wine Spectator.

The Buoncristiani brothers have come a long way from the family garage, and you’ll want to start saving your allowance to stock up on their ultra delicious, age-worthy wines.

The four talented Buoncristiani brothers bring together their diverse experience and education to manage every aspect of their winery’s operation; enology, viticulture, production, marketing, sales, this winery is family-owned, family-operated, family-only! Their focus is on hand-crafting very limited quantities of dark, rich wines with an uncompromising approach that you can taste from vintage to vintage. Indeed, the Buoncristiani line-up has received much recognition and healthy scores from Wine Spectator from vintage to vintage, speaking to the process and attention to detail that go into every bottle.

How do the Buoncristiani brothers produce such consistently high quality wines from vintage to vintage, seducing even WS’s discerning James Laube into a BFW love affair?

To ensure the highest quality wine at Buoncristiani, we encourage controlled stress in the vineyard to produce low yielding, concentrated, and balanced fruit full of flavor and varietal expression. Once our grapes reach full maturity, carefully decided by our palates, we harness the inherent potential from the vineyard to the bottle through meticulous tracking and blending of each promising component. We strive to create optimum complexity while retaining balance, varietal character, and superior quality.

Our tasting panel had the chance to experience Buoncristiani’s most recently awarded wines in our blind tasting. Our notes are below.

2005 Syrah – Artistico Series, Napa Valley:

Cherry, vanilla and orange rind on the nose. Flavors of caramel, blackberry and sweet vanilla extract lead to a lingering finish of black currants and toffee. This Syrah was tight all over initially, so allow it to decant for 1-2 hours before serving. This is a wine for collectors – a hot score (91 Points Wine Enthusiast) and the potential to age nicely for 10+ years, you’ll be pleased you snatched this beauty up.

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley:

Hello, sweet cigar smoke! The nose on this wine is dominated by aromas of fresh tobacco. The flavors are rich and concentrated, and open up beautifully over the course of 2-3 hours – discover  figs and raisins, cola flavors, dark cacao, and red apple skins as this wine develops in the glass. Give this wine time and let the layers unfold… you will be rewarded! Another collectors item, with a 90 Point score from Wine Enthusiast and certain cellar-worthiness.

2005 O.P.C. – Ol’ Pa’s Cuvee, Napa Valley:

A fast favorite with the tasting panel (and with Wine Enthusiast, 95 Points!), the Ol Pa’s Cuvee starts with aromas of red licorice and ripe raspberries. Bing cherries greet you on first sip, followed by red raspberry jam and cedar leading into a nice long finish. This beauty needs at least an hour of decanting to open up and reveal all its complexities, but once she’s open, the O.P.C. will pair nicely with savory meat dishes and roasts.

The Buoncristiani Family Winery line up is dominated with dark, concentrated wines that will age beautifully for years to come. The winery produces extremely limited quantities of their high scoring wines, and each vintage sells out quickly. Order a mixed case and watch as each opens up and develops in the years to come. Its worth the wait!