I Can Say I Knew This Winemaker When
I am so proud of my friend Ryan Teeter, known in some circles as the cellar rat. On a Sunday back in August he and his wife Sara (also my friend and fellow blogger) gave their first tasting for Bonfire Vineyards. Featured were several of his wines that have won awards recently. At the Orange County Fair, in the home winemaker division, four of his wines got silver medals: 2004 Fuel Barbera, 2003 The Match Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 Lodestar, and 2005 Wild Fire Zinfandel, and at the Winemaker Magazine International Competition, Match Reserve got a gold medal, and the Lodestar got “BEST OF SHOW RED.”
Three of the wines stood out in particular for me. First, of course, was Fuel, his Barbera that I have always enjoyed each time I’ve had it. It’s made with grapes from the Santa Cruz Mountains, which will always hold a special place in my heart. The Match Reserve is the Cabernet that got more barrel time than its counterpart–The Match. And The Lodestar was a particular surprise because I intensely disliked it when tasting this Cabernet-Merlot-Cabernet Franc blend months ago. It must have been bottle shock or a bad bottle, because this time, I was happily blown away by the quality. Though now I’m wondering what happened to that Super Tuscan blend I so admired…
And, of course, with Sara at the helm, the spread was magnificent. I am still thinking about the brie covered with preserved currants. And all the Harley Farms goat cheese and salami, and chocolate yummies. There was a great turn-out and many happy people went home with bottles.
It was a great way to spend an afternoon, and I know there is much success ahead for this winemaker (especially since he has BK’s help). If you’re interested in getting any of these gems, let me know. Though the process towards becoming a bonded winery is not complete yet, donations are definitely welcome.
Tags: Bonfire Vineyards, Fuel, home-winemaking, Lodestar, Match-ReserveRelated Stories
POSTED IN: fun wine excursions, winemaker to watch
3 opinions for I Can Say I Knew This Winemaker When
Emma
Sep 21, 2007 at 1:43 pm
I’m not wine-expert (or even amateur, really), but I do like those labels!
Farley
Sep 22, 2007 at 12:41 pm
Emma,
I’ll pass that along… He was worried about some women being turned off by them. But I like them,too!
Jennifer
Sep 23, 2007 at 12:21 am
I’m a girly girl and I like the labels too. I also love the name of Sara’s blog — very fun.
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