AROUND THE RANCH

Jim, Debby and Gary attended a Wine Symposium in Sacramento the end of January to keep up with new products and to look for a bottle for the upcoming release of Sauvignon Blanc. The glass companies are coming out with some nice eco-friendly bottles which are light weight and reduce the impact on the environment. A screw cap is also being considered as an alternative to the traditional cork and foil closure. We expect to produce around 100 cases from the grafting that was done last year, which will be available March 2011.

The 2008 Merlot was tasted by the Family on March 20. This "blind" tasting was conducted with trial blends pulled by winemaker Bruce Regalia as we prepare to bottle the 2008 vintage in the next few months. Once the 2008 Merlot is bottled it will rest and age until early Fall 2011. Remember the "Patience" word. Our goal for each vintage of Merlot is to age the wine for about 20 months in barrel and another year in bottle. Sounds like perfection, right?!

The 2007 Chardonnay continues to receive very nice comments. We expect the current 2007 vintage to be sold out this summer, at which time we will release the 2008 vintage consisting of 187 cases. That production is expected to carry us to the Spring of 2011, when we will release the 2009 Chardonnay and then start a release schedule with a new Chardonnay each Spring beginning in 2011.

Speaking of nice comments for the 2007 Chardonnay, the Kimmel Family has a wonderful new Friend in Indiana. Jeff Lefevere, writing for his GOODGRAPE blog, has some wonderful things to say about Kimmel Chardonnay. Jeff's writing is enjoyable to read and also provides a keen insight into the wine business. As Jeff interviewed Jim, Jeff reports that "He can't play an instrument, can't paint, and not that handy around the house. But he does like wine and can string a word or two together." His love for wine is evident in his articles and deserving of bookmarking his site.

DINING OUT WITH KIMMEL VINEYARDS

Spago, Beverly Hills

We are very pleased to announce that SPAGO in Beverly Hills has added our 2007 Merlot to their wine list. The Sommelier for Wolfgang Puck is Christopher Miller, who was named one of Wine & Spirits's "Best New Sommeliers in America in 2008" and he became the second American to win the title of "Best Young Sommelier" at the International Chaîne des Rotisseurs Competition.

The Cat & The Custard Cup, La Habra

Another new restaurant is The Cat and Custard Cup in La Habra where Creed and Terrilynn Salisbury provide a classic and eclectic American cuisine that is always evolving and always inspiring.The restaurant's rustic ambience, onsite wine shop, and al fresco dining is a perfect spot to enjoy it all.

Phood on Main in Riverside started offering our wine after the beginning of the year and recently hosted a dinner for the Switzerland based

Phood On Main, Riverside

GIVAUDAN company that is working with the University of California Riverside on new citrus flavors for the food industry. Members of the University and GIVAUDAN enjoyed innovative dishes created by Chef Marla Cohen and her business partner Lyn Cloninger. The dinner featured our Chardonnay and Merlot. Phood also invited Jim to introduce Kimmel Vineyards and speak about the vineyards and the particulars of each wine.

View all restaurants carrying Kimmel Vineyards wines>

TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE FOR USD WINE CLASSIC ...


Kimmel Vineyards will be participating again this year in the 2nd Annual USD Wine Classic to be held July 25 at the University of San Diego. The University has increased the number of tickets this year and anticipates another sold out crowd.

A new feature this year will be a "Meet the Winemaker" with Bruce Regalia. This special event is separate from the general Wine Classic and will allow the participants to experience wine from new oak barrels, used oak barrels, stainless steel (no oak), and wine that has undergone malo-lactic fermentation and wine with no secondary fermentation. Bruce will be using our 2009 vintage Chardonnay for the event. The University is allowing about an hour and a half for the tasting and will include some light food pairings. We are very excited to have Bruce represent Kimmel Vineyards which should prove to be a highlight of the Wine Classic.

For those in the area and able to attend, we will be pouring our 2008 Chardonnay in public for the first time. The wine is very excited and so are we.

Get your tickets early by going to www.usdwineclassic.com. It was a great event last year and we expect it to be even better this year.