At Home Session with Justin Willett of Tyler Winery
Join us for an At Home Session with Justin Willett, a young, ambitious winemaker to keep an eye on.
Justin Willett worked as an assistant to Joe Davis at Arcadian after attending University of the Pacific. In 2005, he started his own label specializing in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sourced from vineyards in Santa Barbara County.
Justin's inspiration has come from local winemakers and European producers such as Roulot, Bonneau du Martray, Dujac, Bachelet and Rousseau. He only works with estates that allow him to play an active role in the vineyard. One example is old vine Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Sanford & Benedict Vineyard.
Justin is also the estate winemaker for four different properties in Santa Barbara County (including Wenzlau Vineyard and Grassini Family Vineyard).
Participants will receive the Zoom link in the confirmation email.
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Suggested wine (available from Morrell):
At Home Session - Special Harvest Edition
Our good friends, sommeliers Carla & Richard Rza Betts, have the good fortune of being based in Amsterdam. We are really bummed to not be able to visit Burgundy during harvest this year, but we enlisted Richard and Carla to go in our stead, and they have been visiting winemakers all up and down the Côte d'Or, including Roumier, Rousseau, Drouhin, Lafon, d'Angerville, Lafarge, and more.
At this Session, we'll be hearing from Richard and Carla about their experiences, watching some up-close footage from the harvest, and hearing the earliest impressions of these top winemakers about the 2020 vintage, which so far seems like a good one!
At Home Session with Kevin Zraly, America’s Youngest Sommelier & Wine Educator
We are thrilled to host an At Home Session with America's first and youngest sommelier Kevin Zraly.
Kevin was hired by legendary restaurateur Joe Baum to run the wine program at the historic Windows on the World restaurant, a position he held from 1976 to 2001.
Kevin's Windows on the World Wine School gave birth to his book Windows on the World Complete Wine Course. With its annual updates, it is among America's best-selling wine books, selling over 3 million copies worldwide.
Kevin was awarded the James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award and remains a dear friend.
Featured wine available from Morrell: Domaine Yvon Clerget, Volnay 1er Cru Santenots 2017
Participants will receive the Zoom link in the confirmation email.
At Home Session with Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat
We are thrilled to host this At Home Session with James Beard Award-winning winemaker Jim Clendenen. A fierce advocate for the terroirs of Central Coast California, Jim focuses on Burgundian varieties at his winery Au Bon Climat and experiments with a number of other varieties at his passion project Clendenen Family Vineyards.
Jim graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with high honors in pre-law in 1976. After graduation, a one month stay in both Burgundy and Champagne convinced him to attempt a career in wine rather than continue on to law school.
Beginning with the 1978 harvest, Jim was assistant winemaker at Zaca Mesa Winery for three vintages, a valued training experience. In 1981 his vision broadened with three harvests in one year as Jim worked crush and directed the harvest at wineries in Australia and France.
In 1982, Jim decided, along with Adam Tolmach, to start a winery dedicated to Burgundian varieties in leased quarters. Adam left in 1990 to pursue his own efforts, leaving Jim solo at the winery.
The winery has cultivated an international reputation for its Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Jim is recognized worldwide for his classically styled wines.
Jim's work as a winemaker was recognized by numerous awards. In 1989 and 1990 Au Bon Climat was on Robert Parker's shortlist of "Best Wineries in the World", and in 1991 was selected by Oz Clark as one of fifty world-wide creators of "Modern Classic Wines". Dan Berger of the Los Angeles Times named Jim the "Los Angeles Times Winemaker of the Year" in 1992; Food & Wine magazine named him "Winemaker of the Year" in 2001. Germany's leading wine magazine, Wein Gourmet, in 2004 named Jim “Winemaker of the World” and in 2007, Jim was inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s “Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America.”
At Home Session with Bobby Stuckey MS of Frasca Food & Wine
We are delighted to host a Session with James Beard Award-winning Master Sommelier and renowned hospitalitarian Bobby Stuckey. Alongside the Friuli-inspired Frasca Food & Wine and his three other restaurant projects, Bobby is extremely involved in the Independent Restaurant Coalition, which he helped form to save and advocate for local restaurants and bars during the pandemic.
Bobby began his distinguished career in restaurants in his home state of Arizona. In 1995, Bobby started working as a sommelier in Aspen at The Little Nell - a restaurant recognized for wine and service by numerous awards.
In 2000, Bobby moved to Yountville, California to work with world-renowned Chef Thomas Keller at The French Laundry. Within his first year, he led the acclaimed restaurant’s team to earn the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Wine Service Award and San Francisco Magazine recognized him as "Wine Director of the Year.” While working at The French Laundry, Bobby met his future business partner, Chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson. They opened their first restaurant, Frasca in Boulder, Colorado together in 2004.
Receiving his Master Sommelier Diploma in 2004, Bobby has been bestowed with some of the restaurant and wine industry’s highest honors such as James Beard Foundation being nominated for Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional, and won the prestigious award for Outstanding Wine Service in 2013.
At Home Session with Jasmine Hirsch of Hirsch Vineyards
Hirsch Vineyards is recognized as the pioneer estate for great Pinot Noir on the extreme Sonoma Coast. Founded in 1980 by David Hirsch, the estate produces fruit and wines of great acidity and balance. We are thrilled to welcome Jasmine Hirsch to share her family's story and wines with us.
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Jasmine Hirsch was born and raised in Northern California. She was baptized in champagne by her wine-loving parents David and Rebecca Hirsch, and spent her childhood at Hirsch Vineyards. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 2001, Jasmine spent five years working in Europe followed by two years in New York at JP Morgan. She escaped from corporate life to take over sales and marketing at Hirsch in 2008. In 2015 she became General Manager of the winery. The 2019 vintage also marks her first vintage as the winemaker.
Participants will receive the Zoom link in the confirmation email.
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Featured wine (available from Morrell):
Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir ‘San Andreas Fault’, Sonoma Coast 2016 $59
At Home Session with Ted Lemon of Littorai Wines
We are thrilled to host our first At Home Session with an American Pinot Noir specialist - Ted Lemon of Littorai Wines.
Ted was one of the first Americans to be a vineyard manager and winemaker for a Burgundy estate, at Domaine Guy Roulot in Meursault, after having apprenticed with Dujac, Roumier, de Villaine, and Bruno Clair.
In 1993 Ted and Heidi Lemon founded Littorai Wines, which produces vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from the western hills of Sonoma County and Anderson Valley in California.
The Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from Littorai are truly amongst the greatest expressions of the grape from anywhere in the world, Burgundian in spirit yet very Californian at the same time. Ted is a legend in the California wine industry, and it will be a rare treat to have him talk about his career and share his passion for wine with us.
At Home Session with Jean-Hervé Chiquet of Champagne Jacquesson
Join Pressoir.wine and Jean-Hervé Chiquet for an At Home Session exploring Champagne Jacquesson, with a special pairing by Astrea Caviar
Jean-Hervé Chiquet is co-director of Champagne Jacquesson in Dizy in the Vallée de la Marne region of Champagne.
Jean Chiquet - Jean-Hervé and Laurent's father - bought the Champagne house from the Tassigny family in 1974. The estate is run today by the two brothers. A defining characteristic of the house is that they don't produce a non-vintage Brut Champagne but instead the numbered "700" series of cuvées which have different profiles every year.
Participants will receive the Zoom link in the confirmation email.
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Featured wine available from Morrell:
Champagne Jacquesson, Cuvée 742 Extra Brut
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We are also thrilled to welcome Susan Kim, ambassador for Astrea Caviar, who will showcase how their amazing caviars pair with Champagne.
Astrea has put together a special package so you can taste along.
At Home Session with Alain, Maxime, and Antoine Graillot
The name Graillot is practically synonymous with Crozes-Hermitage and we couldn't be happier to be hosting Alain Graillot and his son Maxime for an At Home Session where we plan on learning all about their fantastic wines both from the Northern Rhône and from their relatively new project in Beaujolais, Domaine de Fa.
Alain Graillot founded his domaine in Crozes-Hermitage in 1985, and rapidly became one of the most in-demand producers in the Northern Rhone. His sons Maxime and Antoine took over the 18-hectare estate. The philosophy of excellence remains unchanged for their great Crozes-Hermitage wines, from the "simple" cuvée to the fine "La Guiraude".
At Home Session with Mannie Berk
Our first At Home Session exploring Italy will feature Mannie Berk of The Rare Wine Co, a leading importer of Barolo including Giacomo Conterno and Bartolo Mascarello among others, as well as many more of Europe's most revered producers.
We'll also touch on Mannie's other interests including Madeira and Northern Rhône.
After an earlier career in government in Chicago and Boston, and a few years writing and teaching about wine, Mannie Berk couldn’t resist the call of a vast quantity of old Madeira he found in London in 1987. Two years later he founded The Rare Wine Co. Since that time, he has made RWC America’s finest non-auction source for older wines, including Madeira, of which he is considered the country’s leading authority.
In 2011, he edited and co-authored the second edition of Noel Cossart’s Madeira, The Island Vineyard, which the International Cookbook Awards named the best book on European wines published in the United States that year. In 2002, he was named Food & Wine’s Best Wine Importer, and he is a three-time James Beard Award semi-finalist and two-time Wine Advocate Wine Personality of the Year.
Participants will receive the Zoom link in the confirmation email.
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At Home Session with Etienne de Montille of Domaine de Montille
We are excited to host this guided discussion with prolific winemaker Etienne de Montille of his family estate Domaine de Montille. In addition, Etienne is involved in a number of exciting projects including the Château de Puligny, Maison de Montille, and Racines in Santa Barbara with winemaker Justin Willette, in addition, of course, to his "day job" at the family estate Domaine de Montille.
Our conversation with Etienne will focus on his life and experiences in Volnay. But with all of his projects, we will surely be enlightened and humored with many stories and great insight into his winemaking and vineyard management in Burgundy and beyond.
At Home Session with Pierre-Antoine Rovani of Remoissenet Père & Fils
Pierre-Antoine Rovani made the switch from wine retail to the world of wine writing in 1996 after he started faxing his own reviews of wines to Robert Parker, publisher of The Wine Advocate. At the time Parker was considered a giant voice in wine, but Pierre disagreed with his ratings on occasion, so he decided to send Parker his opinions to begin a dialog. A short time later Pierre found himself working as Parker's top critic, covering Burgundy, Alsace, Champagne and the Loire, as well as many regions outside of France.
After ten years with The Wine Advocate, Pierre decided to make the move from critic to production, and joined Remoissenet Père et Fils as President. Remoissenet had just been purchased by an American family who brought Pierre on to lead the firm into its next chapter. Today the firm owns and farms a growing number of their own vineyards, and Pierre still commutes between Beaune and his home in Washington, D.C to run the company's operations.