What is the function of a punt on a bottle?

What is the function of a punt on a bottle?

by Beth Heiserman

This past weekend a customer had asked a question, what is a punt for? First, I will answer, what is a punt before I answer what is it used for. A punt is the indentation at the bottom of a wine bottle. This is generally a topic that there has been no true explanation for its use or its history. I was taught it was from the mold.

More recently someone had told me they thought it…

Read More

What creates the color in a wine?

What creates the color in a wine?

by Beth Heiserman

 

Every weekend in the tasting room, we have guests from all over and I am asked an array of questions. This past weekend someone asked me what makes red wine…red? They asked if all wine starts out white and we add food coloring.   No, we don’t add anything. The coloring comes from the skin of the grape, well that is a red grape; like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Grenache. Each variety of grapes has a different shade of red. Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby, Merlot has…

Read More

What element of wine makes it taste dry? ….Tannins in wine

What element of wine makes it taste dry? ….Tannins in wine

By Beth Heiserman

 

There are different types of tannins; skin, seeds and from the barrels. They all have a different complexity. It is a naturally occurring polyphenol which is found in plants, seeds, wood and skins of a fruit like grapes. Tannins are usually from red wines unless the white wine was aged in a barrel or was a skin-contact white wine, like our 2015 Amber Chardonnay.

Skin tannins make you feel like you just had a bite of…

Read More

2011 Reyes Muscat Chicken Sausage Hash Brown Casserole

2011 Reyes Muscat Chicken Sausage Hash Brown Casserole

By Beth P. Heiserman

My mother and grandmother always made casserole when I was growing up. Brunch at grandma’s was always fun. I always looked forwarded to spending time with my grandparents. This is one of my favorites that I love to share when I cater the monthly hike and brunch at Reyes Winery. Sometimes I add hatch chiles when they are in season or even sometimes red pepper pesto which I did for this past hike. Many people adored…

Read More

Tasting Room Etiquette

any years ago, I went to Concannon Winery in Livermore, CA. They are known for their Petite Sirah. My father knew Jim Concannon. I stayed up there for two weeks to learn more about wine. He taught me from Wine Tasting Etiquette to wine pairing. I enjoyed my trip so much; it is something I will never forget. I remember walking through a courtyard with him, asking him what do Petite Sirah grapes taste like compared to the actual wine. He reached up above up on an…

Read More

SF International Wine and Spirits “Double Gold” Tour

SF International Wine and Spirits “Double Gold” Tour

by Beth Heiserman

 

Last week, was the first leg of a 6 six-city tour for the “Double Gold” medal tour with the San Francisco International Wine & Spirits Competition.  I will be traveling to New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles in the next few weeks. Plus the wine will travel on to Portland and Chicago without me.  I was in San Francisco pouring our 2012 Syrah. This was our second Double Gold Medal. The 2011 Syrah won two years ago…

Read More

Table Grapes vs Wine Grapes

Table Grapes vs Wine Grapes

Is there a difference?

By Beth Heiserman

Many people have asked me in the tasting room or during a tour the difference between wine grapes and table grapes…Is there a difference? I have even heard is there a chemical reaction that converts grapes into a varietal of wine. At first I didn’t understand the question. I actually had that question twice in one day. I asked them to elaborate; they thought all grapes were the same and that we add some chemicals to crate the varietal of wine. No, we don’t….

Read More

“Paella Day at Reyes Winery”

paellaWho will be joining me for “Paella Day at Reyes Winery”

Hosted by Le Chene and the Santa Clarita Wine Enthusiasts

May 17, 2014 at 1pm

$40 per person, purchase tickets at http://www.reyeswinery.com/events

It includes lunch, 2 glasses of wine, a tasting flight of 5 wines, and a tour of the vineyard.

latin neonCome and enjoy and afternoon and Reyes Winery enjoying Paella and listening to an amazing guitarist, The Latin Neon while sipping award winning wines.

 

Read More

Eve’s Wine 101 article on our wine and cheese event.

Eve Visits Our Latest Winery Tasting Room: Reyes Winery

 

During one of the last warm days in October we took a beautiful drive through a long winding road that led us to a new winery about 30 minutes from our home in Newhall. The exterior of the winery was decorated with an expansive fountain framed by an equally expansive view of vines on three sides; on the fourth side was the winery tasting room situated between the winery itself and a modest home. Had we viewed the winery from above, we would have seen vines in all four directions, with…

Read More