12/16-Encore Presentation Michael Jordan visits with Matt Viotto & Stephen Kelly and Mathew Sharp

Matt Viotto - Talbott Vineyards

Talbott Vineyards is an estate winery that grows & produces world-class Chardonnay & Pinot Noir from two of Monterey County’s grand cru sites: our Diamond T Vineyard in Carmel Valley & our legendary Sleepy Hollow Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Guided by founder Robb Talbott & renowned winemaker Dan Karlsen, these all-estate wines have gained a reputation for their lushness, elegance & great aging potential, and have become benchmarks of quality on the Central Coast.

Stephen Kelly & Mathew Sharp - National Portfolio Manager with Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) for Pasternak Wine Imports

Stephen & Mathew will be discussing the properties around the world including Chateau d’Aussieres in the South of France, Los Vascos in Chile and Caro in Argentina.

12/9-Michael Jordan talks to Mitch Cosentino & Michael Rossi and Ray Gonzalez

Mitch Cosentino - Cosentino Winery

December 17 -- Cosentino Winery Holiday Open House
Celebration: Come join us as we celebrate the holiday season with new wines and yummy holiday nibbles. 7415 St. Helena Hwy, Yountville
Fee: $20/Complimentary Wine Club + 3 guests Time: 12-4pm Phone Number: 707.921.2894

In 1980, Mitch Cosentino began making wine from small lots in Modesto, California. Moving his operation to Napa Valley nearly 10 years later, he pursued his dream of becoming a great Napa winemaker. His highly skilled and artistic style of winemaking has enabled him to craft award winning wines with an old world attitude.

Mitch’s winemaking philosophy was to start from the soils of Northern California, so he set out to find the perfect vineyards for his wines. “The greater knowledge I have of local terroir and where my fruit is sourced,” Mitch says, “the greater knowledge I have of the blends, how the fruit will come together in bottle and how consistent my wine will be from vintage to vintage.” Mitch’s sophisticated palate has aided him as a judge for many wine competitions, such as the Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits Competition, and others throughout the country.

On the rare occasions that Mitch isn't at the winery, he can be found honing his skills on the golf course.


Michael Rossi & Ray Gonzalez - The Ranch Restaurant and Saloon

A 20,000 square foot restaurant, wine cellar and saloon featuring live country music located on the ground floor of the new Extron Electronics Corporate Headquarters at 1025 East Ball Road in Anaheim, California. THE RANCH is a long time dream and vision of Andrew Edwards, president and owner of Extron Electronics, a leading manufacturer of professional AV system integration products for over 28 years.

THE RANCH RESTAURANT

THE RANCH Restaurant will feature true American regional cuisine. We’re cooking from scratch with the finest ingredients possible to capture the rustic style of wine country and the freshest flavors of the farm. We will honor California’s great ranches, farms and dairies, the artisan bread bakers and cheese and wine makers. Our seasonally driven menu will showcase the freshest produce in season- as nature intended. The emphasis will be on farm to table, fresh organically grown fruits and vegetables from local farms and from our own ranch in the Santa Ana Mountains.

You can look forward to mountain lamb flown in from Colorado; steaks and beef from the highest quality ranches in the U.S. and seafood sourced from those who ensure the sustainability and the bounty of our oceans. The dining experience will be in an atmosphere of comfort and truly old-fashioned genuine hospitality. THE RANCH’s wine program will feature an extensive and complete cellar and a world class selection of wine served in a friendly "non-intimidating" style. The restaurant's bar will feature a large selection of wines by the glass along with selected hand-crafted draft beers and the latest in mixology with fresh ingredients and great flavors. Don’t fret, there will also be plenty of cold longnecks in THE RANCH Saloon to cool down with after dancing the two-step, line dancing, or learning the California state dance, the “west coast swing” to your favorite country artists!

12/02-Michael Jordan talks to Dr. Pierluigi Bolla and Tom Hemenway

Dr. Pierluigi Bolla - Chairman of Valdo Prosecco

Similar to etymology which gives an account of the entire history of a specific word, the Valdobbiadene area is undeniably intertwined with the history of the Valdo winery. The wine estate and its territory complement each other: every wine, every sparkling wine, every bottle contains a subtle aromatic note that evokes the flavor of vineyards growing on the hilly slopes of the Treviso province. A cut of cultivated land of about 18,000 hectars flooded with light which shines on the green slopes of this territory sheltered by the Dolomites to the north and subdued by the Adriatic Sea to the south.

Located right in the heart of the Prosecco D.O.C. production area, the Valdo Winery has been cultivating this unique grapevine for generations.

Tom Hemenway - Thurston Wine

Tom will be joining Michael Jordan to talk about the latest in Premier Australian wines.

11/25-Michael Jordan talks with Mike Sinor & Hank Skewis

Mike Sinor - Winemaker, Center of Effort Wine

Our winemaking operations are led by Mike Sinor and Nathan Carlson, both veteran Edna Valley winemakers with longtime personal connections to the estate.

Mike’s first wine industry job was at the Lawrence estate, now home to Center of Effort. Over the past 15 years, he has dedicated himself to the mastery of Burgundian varietals, earning some of our region’s highest ratings along the way. His continual quest for knowledge has taken him to France several times, where he gained immeasurable insights from some of Burgundy’s top producers. At Center of Effort, Mike guides the stylistic direction of our wines.

Nathan’s winemaking experience in the Edna Valley spans more than 12 years. He has also made Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara County, Carneros, the Sonoma Coast and Oregon’s Dundee Hills. His work with wine industry technical leaders has forged close ties with winemakers around the world. At Center of Effort, Nathan oversees our winemaking operations and manages the estate.

Mike and Nathan became friends after frequently crossing paths in the Edna Valley. They now come full circle, back to our estate. Their expertise is instrumental in achieving the rigorous standards of quality and artistry that we demand in our wines.

Hank Skewis - Owner Skewis Winery 

Hank and Maggie Skewis founded Skewis Wines with the intention of producing high quality, vineyard designated Pinot Noirs from The North Coast region of California. The first grapes were purchased in 1994 from the Floodgate Vineyard in Mendocino County's Anderson Valley. In subsequent years we have contracted for fruit from the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations. Our annual production has increased slowly to the current level of 900 cases.

We believe that the finest Pinot Noir can only be made from low yielding vines located in premium growing regions. We work with growers who share this belief and rigorously limit yields by means of winter pruning, spring shoot thinning, and summer cluster thinning prior to "veraison." As a result, the average crops in the vineyards we contract with are between two and two and one-half tons per acre.

Harvest dates are determined by a mixture of sugar and acid analysis, tasting and observation of the vines and fruit. Typical numbers might be 24-25 degrees Brix and pH in the range of 3.3-3.5. Once harvested, the grapes are gently crushed into small bins, fermented quite warm (up to 90-95°F) for maximum extraction of color, phenolics and complexity of fruit, then pressed into French Oak barrels where the new wine completes primary and secondary (malolactic) fermentations. An 18 month aging period follows, during which the wines are rarely handled and clarify naturally, eliminating the need for fining or filtration prior to bottling. They are bottled and aged an additional 6 months before release in October of each year.

We feel strongly that our "hands-off" approach allows the wines to develop and exhibit all the wonderful complexities for which this delicate variety is famous. Limited production and regular evaluation in the vineyard and the cellar help us to create Pinot Noirs which we feel compare favorably with the best that the new and old worlds have to offer.

11/18-Encore Broadcast Michael Jordan talks with Stephen Kelly

Stephen Kelly - National Portfolio Manager with Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) for Pasternak Wine Imports

Stephen will be discussing the properties around the world including Chateau d’Aussieres in the South of France, Los Vascos in Chile and Caro in Argentina.

11/11-Michael Jordan talks to Stephen Kelly

Stephen Kelly - National Portfolio Manager with Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) for Pasternak Wine Imports

Stephen will be discussing the properties around the world including Chateau d’Aussieres in the South of France, Los Vascos in Chile and Caro in Argentina.

11/04-Michael Jordan visits with Dana M. Merrill & Chris Avent

Dana M. Merrill - Owner, Pomar Junction Vineyard and Winery

The Merrill Family’s agricultural heritage and grape growing history dates back at least 8 generations on California’s Central Coast. A former family ranch still is home to a grape arbor planted in the 19th century. Today Dana and Marsha Merrill and son Matthew farm the vineyards, while Matthew's winemaking is complemented by winemaker par excellent, Kevin Riley.

After nearly 30 years of growing grapes for many of the finest wineries in California, ranging from ultra premium small producers to the largest international brands, the Merrill’s decided to produce their own wines. In addition to the family estate, the finest blocks of grapes from Santa Barbara and Monterey Counties are selected from vineyards managed by a sister firm, Mesa Vineyard Management, Inc. All wines produced are exclusively farmed by the Merrills who believe that control from planting and pruning through harvest, fementation and cellaring is critical for success. It also ensure a uniform dedication to Sustainability, which led our recent Certification to the SIP program within the Central Coast Vineyard Team.

Chris Avent - Cave de Lugny

In the heart of the Mâconnais, La Cave de Lugny (the largest wine producer in Burgundy) has three cellar-shops and offers a range of Burgundy, Mâcon-Lugny and Crémant de Bourgogne wines bottled on the premises. There are 3 production sites - Lugny, Chardonnay and Saint-Gengoux-de-Scissé. Wines suitable for every occasion: Bourgogne blanc et rouge, Mâcon-Lugny, Mâcon-Chardonnay, Mâcon-Peronne, Mâcon-villages, Mâcon rouge et rosé, Bourgogne Passetoutgrains, Bourgogne Aligoté, Mâcon-Cruzille, Viré-Clessé, Saint-Véran, Pouilly-Fuissé, Bourgogne Haute Côte de Beaune et Crémant de Bourgogne.