If you haven't been to Blend Wine Room in Kingsburg, Rachel and Luis have put together a smartly curated list of local favorites from Paso Robles and Napa, as well as offering unique finds from throughout the state. And if you just want to sit back and have a beer at the bar, Blend has that too.

Once again, thanks to Rachel and Luis and everyone in Kingsburg that came out for the vertical tasting event and supporting Mastro Scheidt Wines!

Salute!

Blend Wine Room

1331 Draper Street

Kingsburg, CA 93631

(559) 897-3752

We've got tough competition, as our friend Jim Cyr is also competing! And from what I've been told...Jim cooks up a mean batch of chili.

Regardless of the outcome, we're looking forward to heading to Tehachapi and joining in on the fun, food, and festivities for Father's Day Weekend.

Not only are we pouring our award winning wines at the Grand Tasting, Proprietor and Winemaker David Scheidt will be a featured presenter on food and wine pairings.

David has some other business in Mammoth to take care of while he's there...peak bagging. There might be a 14'er or two on the horizon.

Sweet 100

Lemon Boy and Druzba

The Unknown Plant. Unknown seems to be an heirloom variety because of its color and shape, red and conical.

Full View of Garden

Sun reaches my Sweet 100’s by 730am, with the patch of grass in from of it, out to the 4^th row of N/S furrows also by 730am, as of June 6. If I have an opportunity to extend the garden in 2014, I would extend it to the early morning patch.

At this point, I have not added any supplement fertilizer to the tomatoes, except to the Sweet 100. As the Sweet 100 receive the most sun and first in the morning to see the sun, they are stressed because of their location, with only one furrow supplying water. I built a second, small furrow for hand watering since mid-May.  It’s bone-dry in this area of the garden, but the plant is producing.

Druzba

My Peppers have also received a supplemental fertilizer treatment, same as the Sweet 100 tomatoes. They seemed undernourished to me and lacking vigor in Mid-May. They have produced two crops so far and looking healthy. The only observation here is, they could use more sun. The plant that receives sun last is the tallest and last to produce, thus, I believe, reaching to the sun for nourishment.

The Isis Candy has grown to an enormous size, both tall and wide. It impedes on every plant around it. Obviously vigorous, it is behind the other plants in terms of producing a large crop. As I recall, it produces very late in the season. Next year, Isis Candy will need to have its own stake/trellis systems and have any plant removed from its base by a minimum of 5 feet from the center in all directions. It’s growing into and on top of every other plant it’s around.

Isis Candy - taking over the area

San Diego, even though planted late, is a vigorous and healthy plant. Fruit is already present, leaves are healthy, no yellowing.

I have noticed yellowing near the base on the Italian Heirloom, Sweet 100, and Momotaro. I have resisted using any fertilizer to this point, as the plants are producing.

The Italian Heirloom has never looked vigorous, despite its size, or real green in color. Perhaps it’s the variety, it is doing its job, just doesn’t seem happy doing it. Probably misses Italy, like I do. I will honor Italian Heirloom with an exclusive all-Italian product feast as proper respect must be observed.

Italian Heirloom - Waiting to be picked

I haven’t strung up or added any stakes in the last 2 weeks. I did plenty of tying plants and stringing loose ends from overgrowth and crowding. I planted a bit wider this year, however the Druzba, Isis Candy, and Yellow Pear are all very crowded together.

Watering has been consistent at once every 7 or 8 days for 1 hour and 15 minutes per session. The hose doesn’t trickle, but doesn’t gush, let’s call it Low and Slow Watering. None of the fruit has split at the bottom, although some have large dark spots visible.

Two garden pets, birds, looking for Sweet 100 and a little worm that also happens to like my sage bush. I feed the worm to the ants. The birds, well, like Clemenza said, “you don’t have to worry about him no more”.

However, I do have industry partners, fellow winemakers, colleagues and friends throughout the wine community; far more valuable than a castle or a cave. One such gentleman is Michael Peters, Fresno State Enology and Viticulture graduate, winemaker for his own label Kasuari, and barrel representative for Toneleria Nacional, a.k.a., Mistral Barrels in Sonoma.

Michael approached me a couple months ago with a proposal; trialing a single lot sample of Mastro Scheidt’s vineyard designate hillside 2011 Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I immediately said yes.

I am currently a customer of Mistral Barrels, using a variety of toasts in French and American oak. Mistral is just one cooperage I utilize when aging my wines. Each cooperage has distinctiveness, just as each vineyard has specific characteristics. Sometimes these characteristics are best left alone, while other times, are best blended.

Over the last couple of months, Michael trialed my Cabernet Sauvignon in 17 different oak treatments; French and American, Medium Minus to Heavy Toast, and within Mistral’s proprietary programme Ambrosia; characterized by Sweet, Complex, and Intense.

Walking into the warehouse yesterday to sample my wine for the first time since the trial started, I brought no bias. I had no idea what to expect. I know how my wine tastes in a seasoned, French oak barrel. But I’ve never had the opportunity to trial my wine in 17 styles of oak either; so rather than have any preconceptions, I instead had boyish curiosity.

In a tasting like this, I go with my gut, my first instincts rather than brood over a single glass. Like or dislike. If “Like”, than dig deeper. And with 17 different styles, for Heaven’s sake, take notes.

As many long-time friends and colleagues know, I don’t take notes. I never take notes. This time, I took notes; technical notes and emotional notes.

My technical notes on Trials 1, 2, 6, 12, 16 used words like “Acidic”, “Wood Tannin”, “Palate Stinger”, rather than “Hated it”. Perhaps I’m telling myself that I’m looking for balance rather than perfection, knowing that “Acidic” can be corrected and “Hated it” is a lost cause. It seems I didn’t dislike anything, I just tasted something out of balance from the original product, or at the very least, the flavors were not beneficial to the original product.

Trials 3, 4, 9, 11, 14, 15, 17 I used words like “Nice”, “Pleasant”, “Simple”, “Controlled”, sort of like a first date with no passion; no one ever wants to hear “that was nice” on the first date.

Trials 5, 7, 8, 10, 13 stood out to me as exceptional. My simplistic gut reaction is always noted first and immediately, “Winner”, “Tremendous”, “Mouthwatering”; never anything technical or scientific about my first reaction, always emotions or feelings about the taste. My second and perhaps third taste of the trials I liked, focused more on flavor aspects, sensory characteristics and integration with the original wine.

This was my first opportunity to trial my wines in such a broad sampling. It reveals to me something about my palate, my style, my outlook on wine. Being able to work with Michael as a fellow wine maker in Sonoma County is beneficial, as his palate and experience is different than mine, yet, we’re walking many of the same vineyards, trying the same wines.

Michael also has something few others can offer, he has contact with a global network of winemakers from South Africa to Chile, all using (and not using) oak in infinite variations.

Experience and friendship…much more valuable to me than castles and caves.

So it seems fitting that since Trelio was first to offer 2009 Double Barrel Cabernet in the Valley, they will have access to the last of the vintage in the Valley. Trelio will be featuring the 2009 Double Barrel by the glass and the bottle for as long as it lasts (which won't be long). If you would like to see what Chris seemed to know before anyone else, go to Trelio and find out.

We hope you enjoy our 2009 Lencioni Vineyard Double Barrel Cabernet too!

The early predictions look very good. If this heat keeps up, it could be an early season. Not a lot of rain and warm days have accelerated growth in 2013. 

I've been looking to harvest Sauvignon Blanc and Petite Sirah in 2013 to widen my experience as a winemaker and broaden the audience of wine drinkers beyond Cabernet Sauvignon. I've always like Petite for its deep color and longevity. Naturally, I'm working my current vineyard partners and my bias for hillside fruit locations in Sonoma County.

We've got a long way to go until harvest begins, but the early opinion polls show promise.

DS

A vertical tasting, wines from successive vintage years, can give perspective regarding climate, winemaking style, varietal, and ageability. The focus for the evening is our Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon, culminating with the award-winning 2010 vintage from Harris Kratka Vineyard.

Event: May 22 from 5pm until Close:

Blend Wine Room 

Few restaurants in Fresno compare with the history of The Lime Lite. The original Lime Lite was built in 1964 by Bob and Dolly Niklanovich and later purchased in 1976 by George and Cathy Milutinovich. In 1999 the Lime Lite moved from its original location to its current location, 1054 W. Shaw where it continues under the leadership of Brandon Smittcamp and restauranteurs George and Cathy Milutinovich.

Putting an exclamation point on the Lime Lite being a cool place to hang out, legendary singer Tony Bennett and former California governor and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger have enjoyed a meal at The Lime Lite.

The formula for success at the Lime Lite is simple, great service, great food, and great atmosphere. We at Mastro Scheidt would like to wish the entire Lime Lite Family continued success and thank them for their support in featuring our wines.

David Scheidt will be pouring the Gold Medal Award Winning 2010 Arabian Vineyard Cabernet Franc from 5pm till close.

The Cabernet Franc is from the hillside Arabian Way Vineyard and is hand-picked, hand-sorted and fermented in small lots. This wine was aged in 100% French oak barrels. The wine exhibits well developed structure and aging potential with firm black fruits, tobacco, and mocha flavors.

Stop by The Tasting Room after 5pm, Wednesday May 15: