"I Just Came in for Two Bottles of Wine!"

One particular Sunday afternoon, a few months back, began with an indoor tasting.  Bruce and I were visiting with a delightful couple when this darling gal and a younger gentleman came, literally, waltzing up our drive.

With a vivacious spirit and endearing smile, this gal goes on to explain that she had purchased our wine somewhere down in Southern California, to which Bruce immediately argued, "That's completely impossible...I don't distribute!"

She was insistent that she had purchased a bottle of our wine, and loved it so much that she and her son (the younger gentleman that was by her side) ventured off of the beaten path of their several hour long road trip, to come buy two bottles of wine.  A brief  and single wine stop, she reiterated!

Bruce begins to take her through a pouring, and before long, everyone was laughing and having a grand old time.

As it was nearing lunch time and there were just a handful of us, Bruce extended his warmest hospitality and invited everyone to stay for homemade, fire-grilled burgers.

(Have I ever mentioned how much I love my job???)

Now, if you've ever been to Hansen, say, on a given Sunday, and Bruce is in "that mood", a short stop can turn into a several hour visit, which is exactly what happened.  Before we knew it, closing time had rolled around and all of the same guests that had joined us for lunch were still with us.  Laughter, wine, conversation and new friendships ensued.

Our darling new friend kept reiterating "This is crazy!  I just came in for two bottles of wine, and I've been here ALL DAY!"

Flash forward a few months and just last weekend, this same adorable gal came bubbling through our front door.

"Hi Jen, do you remember me?" she questioned in her jubilant tone.  "You know, the one that came in for just two bottles of wine!"

Of course I remembered her!

After catching up for a couple of minutes, I ask if I can take her through a tasting, to which she reluctantly agrees to "just a few sips" as she has to drive home to Orange County.

"You're gunna think I'm crazy, but I can't stay long.  In fact, I just came in for two bottles of wine!"

"Famous last words," I say.

We laugh.

Enter a phone call on her business line.  She excuses herself.

Walking back into the Tasting Room, she has an impish grin on her face.  "I've got a question for you!" she says.  "Is there any way Bruce would allow a helicopter to land here?"

"Uh!" I fumble.  "I have NO idea, but I can ask!"

Long story short...a few hours later and THIS happened...

(Yes that's our darling friend greeting her dear associate in his private helicopter, and yes, she did end up staying until closing this day, as well!)

(And, in all actuality it was not one, but TWO helicopters, and eight new fabulous guests that, quite literally, dropped in for a tasting!!!)

Too much excitement for one day...and all thanks to our dear friend who, once again, just stopped in for two bottles of wine!




 

Welcome (Back) to the Playground!

I was chatting, a couple of weeks back, with a dear friend and colleague, Amy Griffith of Sextant Wines.  She made an incredible and insightful observation that I would like to share...

Amy had just returned from recent travels, and while in the airport waiting to board her next flight she witnessed a young child making friends with another youngster.  Her story went something like this...

I was enthralled with how uninhibited this child was.  No awkwardness.  No barriers.  The little one walked right up to the other, and before long they were running around together, without a care in the world.

We, as adults, have many inhibitions and reservations.  We tend to stick to ourselves and have really lost the art of connecting with other adults.

When we're out and about, we don't go out of our way to engage others.  At least not enough.

In a tasting room, however, we assimilate, as children once again.

Wine is our common denominator, our common topic, our common thread.

Inhibitions are gone.

We chat, we laugh, we engage.

Friendships are fostered, connections are made.

It's really quite beautiful.

Kind of like our adult playground.

I cannot tell you how many times I have witnessed this very phenomenon right here, at Hansen.  Sadly, however, I have never given it much thought.  Folks walk in and begin chatting with other guests, at the tasting bar.  At first it's about the wine.  Then topics turn...home, children, work, hobbies.  Laughter ensues.  Numbers are exchanged. Before long the spark of a friendship has been kindled.

I won't venture to say that this isolated to our industry, but I will say that wine certainly seems to be a unique elixir.  It's sophisticated, yet friendly.  It's intricate, yet an equalizer.  It's an educational experience, yet an escape.  And all-in-all it's BEST when enjoyed with others.

I left, that day, after talking with Amy, as though she had imparted quite a nugget of wisdom.  This truth made me smile and, once again, beam at the thought of how blessed I feel to be working right here, smack dab in the middle of the beautiful Paso Robles wine country.  After all, I like the idea of bringing folks together.  I like the idea of helping to foster an environment that brings people out of their introspective shells.  And most notably, I like to think that our very own "playground" has been the cornerstone for untold friendships, adventures, romances and more.

Cheers!



Amy Griffith, Director of Hospitality, humble philosopher and all around amazing gal can be found at the beautiful, new Sextant Wines tasting room, on the westside of Paso Robles.  If you haven't stopped in to experience their incredible "playground" please do so and let them know that Hansen Vineyards sent you! Find them on the web at www.sextantwines.com


Author, Jennifer Jansen, Winery Manager for Hansen Vineyards, can be found "pulling yard duty" at 5575 El Pomar Drive each Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11-5.  If you have a story about connecting with others at Hansen (to be considered for a possible blog feature), please email Jennifer at jjansen@hansenwines.com

No Rhyme or Reason

How many times have you walked into a tasting room and received a "cookie cutter" presentation?  You know the drill, right?  This wine is such and such.  Stats on production and aging.  Pour.  Swirl.  Sip.  Onto the next.  And so it goes.

There are times that this is not only appropriate, but preferred.  If it's someone's first time at an establishment, we, in the Industry, have a duty, if you will, to explain who we are, what we do, how our winery may be different, etc.

If it's my guest's first time here, at Hansen, I want that individual to know that every grape that goes into our bottles has been pulled off of our estate vineyard.  I want them to know that they would be hard-pressed to ever find a Rose' made out of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes again, and why.  I want them to understand that when we say that a particular wine is a Zinfandel, for instance, that it's made from 100% Zinfandel grapes, and no other varietals (Bruce flips out if you use the "B" word in here...and no, not that "B" word...I mean BLEND).

It's no secret that our tasting room is off the beaten path, so I'd wager to guess that about 75% of our traffic is not the first timer.  It's the existing Wine Club Member.  They are often with guests in tow, coming "home" to visit with their beloved Bruce, and anxious to introduce their cohorts to this unruly character.

Undoubtedly, after walking in the door they will be telling stories of how "that one time we were here, Bruce took us back to the barrel room..." or "remember that time we stayed for five hours."  Five hours at one winery?!  Yep!  Not unheard of!

And these guys and gals...these "family" members, if you will, are not going to ever receive a monotonous presentation.

Truth be told, even if you are a first time guest, you probably won't either!

You see, at Hansen Vineyards, there is really is no rhyme or reason.  There is no formula or canned presentation.  In fact, there are times that we don't even hand guests tasting sheets when they walk in the door!  Why?!  Well, because Bruce just happens to be pouring completely out of order that day!

It's not uncommon to find a plethora of library wines being served.

It's not too unorthodox to head onto our patio and just sit around in a semi-circle while Bruce takes a bottle or two of whatever wines are best agreeing with his palate that day and shares, family-style.

My favorite such quirky experience (to date), occurred just a couple of weekends ago.  It was a Sunday, following a VERY busy Friday and Saturday and around three o'clock in the afternoon.  Prior to these dear club members that had just walked in, we hadn't had many guests in the tasting room.

Bruce greets these recognized folks with a boisterous hello and hug, and says, "Come on out, you guys," leading them out into our barrel room.  He turns to Pat and I, and says, "you girls come to, and bring a bottle of wine and some glasses for everyone.  It's time to unwind the weekend."

We all get comfortable around a table and chairs and Bruce begins sharing some wine and hilarious stories.  It's all going very mellow and then a car pulls up.

More club members!  Awesome!  I get out some more chairs, and expand our circle.

We all sit around visiting for around thirty minutes, figuring that at four o'clock, on a Sunday, we are probably pretty clear from receiving many more guests.

Murphy's Law!

Ten minutes later a car pulls up, and then another, and another, and then...you guessed it...another!

Before we know it, we are surrounded by 17 new faces, NONE of which had ever been to Hansen Vineyards before!

Now, I certainly could have brought our new guests back into the Tasting Room, rather than have them join the impromptu wine club party that was ensuing in the barrel room.  We could have geared more towards that standard presentation of aging notes and sip, swirl, savor.  I could have presented the tasting sheets, and ushered them in and out in a manner of twenty minutes, with a nice but generic presentation.

Not a chance!

These newbies quickly found themselves smack dab in the middle of a Bruce Hansen show.  Everyone is hooting and hollering, and the wine is flowing.  Before we know it, five thirty in the afternoon is nigh, and no one (myself included) wants to leave.

Our new guests have quickly become part of the heart, part of the soul, part of the "no rhyme or reason" Hansen Vineyards mantra.

And, truthfully, we wouldn't want it any other way!

Roxy - The Wino Shih-Poo!

It's no secret that Hansen Vineyards is a bit off of the beaten path.  In fact, if you've been frequenting our winery for a while, you may even recall a t-shirt that Bruce had made adorned with the phrase "Where in the hell is Hansen Winery?", complete with a GPS photo and latitude and longitude coordinates proudly stamped on the back.

If you've been here to Hansen it's likely because (a) you've heard about us from someone, (b) you happened to stumble upon us or (c) your last name is Hansen or Hanson and you thought that it was pretty darn cool that your name was on a label!

Wine Club?  You're extended family!  Newbie?  You're either gunna love Bruce or hate him (no, really, there is NO in between)!  And then, every once in a while we get a repeat visitor...someone that happened upon us at one point or another, and felt the need to brave the backroads for another go.

These folks had definitely been in before.  I recognized them immediately, and remembered that their previous visit had been a lot of fun.  They brought a new guest with them this time, though, and let's just say that no one could have prepared us for what she was about to bring to the tasting bar.

When I began this blog, I promised that I would tell stories about our hilarious Tasting Room trysts.  We have a plethora of characters on any given weekend that I could write about.  Instead of standing on two legs, however, this guest came bearing four.

With the most gorgeous head of pearly-white hair, Roxy the Shih-Poo (that's Shih Tzu-Poodle) quickly made her presence known.

You see, Roxy is no ordinary pup.  In fact, as "daddy" was tasting, Roxy couldn't keep her eyes off of his glass.

"She's a total wino," he explained, to which Bruce and I raised our eyes.

"Now I've seen a lot of interesting things in this winery," said Bruce, "but a wine-loving dog?  This I have to see."

Unscathed, her owner cooed in an enthusiastic voice, "Hey, girl, you want some wine?"

Now, I've seen a dog go ballistic when asked about heading out for a walk...the idea of their imminent freedom causing their enthusiasm to well up to a place where they're almost unstable.  You know what I mean, right?  Let's just say that proverbial "puppy on a leash about to go for a walk" syndrome paled in comparison to the reaction that this precious pooch exuded.

It was like her tail was going to flap itself right off of her dainty little body.  If she could have backflipped, she would have.  If she could have sung, she would have busted out a ballad, but both of those would have taken her focus off of "the glass."

We all watched, enthralled, as her owner put a drop onto his finger and offer it to our little friend.  With voracious tenacity, she lapped it up staring intently into the glass for more.

"Get this," he explained, "it's only red wine, though.  She won't touch white."

Of course, we have to test this theory out, so we get a second glass out, and Roxy is offered a sniff of our lovely Viognier.  To say she turned up her nose is an understatement.

Back to red.  He placed the glass in front of her little snout, and that tail went wild.

A few satisfying drops later, and we're all in stitches.

This little girl LOVES wine.

Mom went on to explain, "I swear she knows when we're about to open up a bottle.  She'll wait in the kitchen and stare, and when she hears the cork pop, she goes absolutely crazy."

(As do we, little Roxy, as do we)

All good things must be in moderation, though, and before too much debauchery Roxy was cut off from her craving.

Sadly, she relented, but not after a few good attempts at dad's glass (see picture below).

As they prepared to leave, Bruce chuckles again, and pat's her on top of the head, "I'll be darned!  You're sweet, your cute and you LOVE wine!  You're my kind of girl there, Roxy.  You're my kind of girl!"

Roxy, the Wino Shih-Poo checking the nose on our 2009 Reserve Cab

Eat Clean, Drink Clean!

Red wine is my migraine trigger.  Yes, I'm serious.  (Cue depressing music and grab the tissue box, right?!)

Drink a glass.  Wait an hour.  And, WHAM.  Intense pain that starts at the base of my head and spends the next 7-12 hours travelling from its origin, to rest behind my left eye.  Like clockwork.

Not every time, but I'll wager that it's seven times out of ten...enough to make it some pretty painful odds (sorry, couldn't resist the pun).

For someone just starting out on their wine adventure, that may not have been a truly devastating discovery.  For me, stab me through the heart and take away my birthday!

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not a lush.  I just LOVE WINE.  I love that it's social.  I love that it's a celebration.  I love that it's a progression and a cultural equalizer.  I love it for it's art form, sexiness, nuances and character.  I love it for it's familiarity and for it's unknown.  

And I know a lot of folks feel the same.

After countless hours, writhing in pain in a darkened room, though, I was pretty resolute that I was going to have to give up my liquid infatuation.

Enter Bruce Hansen.

I'll never forget the look on his face when I asked for a spit bucket and proceeded to spit out his offerings which is, typically, a perfectly acceptable thing to do (albeit not the most elegant thing, especially for a "lady").

"I know you didn't just spit out my wine!" Bruce exclaimed, shaking his head.
"I have to," I explained.  "It's my migraine trigger."
"No it's not!" he retorted.
"Um, I'm quite certain that it is!" I argued.
Bruce took a deep breath.  "Look," he said confidently, "you're not getting a migraine from the wine, you're getting  a migraine from the chemicals in some wines.  Mine are clean.  There's no chemicals in my vineyard are there certainly aren't any chemicals in my wine.  You're not going to get a migraine from it."

WHAT?!  Could this be true?  Could it really be that the door of my wino world hadn't been locked forever, but merely closed during reconstruction?!  The thought of it had me elated!

So I brought a bottle home with me and drank a glass.  It was so delectable that I had another, quite certain now that a night of agony was imminent.  But shoot, if I'm experimenting I decide that I've either got to go big or go home.  Wait.  I was home.  Nonetheless, I had to really test this theory (not to mention the wine was PHENOMENAL).

And then I waited.  And waited.  And waited.  And after waiting just a tad bit more, I went to bed.

And woke up the next morning.  Normal.  Fine.

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition, no migraine!

Now, I'm not a health nut, but I definitely give thought to what I eat.  I eat green, eat organic, eat raw, eat clean whenever possible.  Why it never occurred to me to give my beloved beverage the same scrutiny, is beyond me.  But I never really did.

And let me caveat all of this by saying that finding "migraine free" wine (which has become a very personal mission) isn't necessarily an easy process.  Truth be told, its not exactly copacetic to outright ask a winemaker if they have added chemicals into their pet product.

So I've become somewhat of a detective.  And here is my playbook.

SIP certified vineyard?  Equates to no chemical intervention during the growing process. If a winery property has gone through the process of obtaining this honored stamp, they are certifiably natural minded
Organic farming.  No brainer.
Wines that have been aged for a longer period of time.  Good indication that they haven't been "enhanced" or "altered"
Put any of these facets together (and of course, taking into consideration that I enjoy this particular wine) and it's a go!  A bottle's coming home with me.

And so far - knock on wood and raise a toast - so good!
















   

Culinasm

Culinasm = a culinary orgasm achieved by a perfect union of food and wine flavors.  (And, yes, I DID make this term up!)

Now I've had some amazing food in my time.  I've had amazing wine.  I've had amazing food and wine paired together and been absolutely delighted.  What I'm referring to, though, is an entirely different phenomenon.  I am talking about a full-blown, unabashed, euphoric food and wine experience that leaves you breathless and begging for more.  A culinary combination so crazily collaborated that it's captivating and downright cathartic (and now that I got that obnoxious use of alliteration out of my system...please forgive the creative liberty!)  

It was a handful of months ago, and I asked Bruce which of his lovely Cabs that I should take out to dinner, as I was going to be joining some dear friends for a much needed evening out.  His first question, of course being, "Well, are they wine people?"  

"Of course," I replied.  "I wouldn't dream of sharing your wine with folks that wouldn't appreciate it."

Bruce: "Good answer!  Good people!  Well, about the wine, it all depends.  Where ya going?"

Me: "Artisan."

Bruce: "What are you eating?"

Me: " I have NO idea!  They revamped their menu when they moved to their new location and I haven't been there yet, so I don't even know what's on the new menu."

Bruce: "I know something on the menu!  Do you like lamb?"

Me: "Sure."

Bruce went back to his library and pulled out a bottle of 2006 3-Barrel Cab (as in three barrels, or roughly 75 cases, was all that was produced of this baby).  He hands it to me and says, "Ok, take this bottle.  Order their lamb.  Have the waiter open it right away and let it breath through appetizers, and have a glass when your dinner comes."

Now, if you've been to Hansen Vineyards, you know that there is nothing that Bruce is more passionate about than great food paired with his world-class wine.  At this juncture, I'd be willing to bet my bottom dollar, in fact, that if Bruce is recommending this particular pairing that it's going to be exceptional.  Nothing, however, could have prepared me for what I had in store.

As promised, we had the waitress open the wine at the beginning of dinner.  Between chatting and appetizers, it had to have been about an hour by the time my lamb arrived.  Wine in the glass, I take in the nose and stop dead in my tracks.  The nose is like utter perfume.  With sweet hints of vanilla and gorgeous, dark fruit, I'm enthralled.  Now for the palate test.  Ohmygod.  Honestly, one of the best sips of wine that I have ever had the pleasure of rolling across my palate.  It's big.  It's bold.  It's got flavors for days.  The balance of fruit and oak is sheer perfection, and the finish is soft and lingering.  Truth be told, I'm (a) not certain that I want to pair this wine with any food and (b) no longer really feel like sharing my bottle!

Cautiously, I cut off a piece of the lamb chop (cooked medium-rare), and take in the flavors.  Exquisite.  And for the real test, I take a sip of my new favorite wine. They combine in a tryst of flavors, and I prepare to swallow.  Will it be harmonious?  Cacophonous? 

I am speechless.  A woman of (too) many words is without dialog.  I'm undone.  I'm in a world of my own, and I can't come back into reality.  

I was having a such a moment with my food and wine, in fact, that I could have very well unleashed an Oscar worthy rendition of Meg Ryan's famous "When Harry Met Sally Scene" right there in Paso Robles Artisan, and it was legit!

A culinasm.

I had to let others in on my discovery.  Within seconds, I'm forcing pieces of chop onto everyone's plates, and filling everyone's glasses.  It was too incredible not to have my friends sharing in my stupor.

Moments later, my jury rang in their verdict.  They agreed, unabashedly.  It was utter perfection.

Truth be told, that was my first culinasm, and I haven't had one since.  And that's not to say that I haven't had good food, or good wine, or even good pairings.  But THAT caliber experience has left all others paling in comparison. Maybe it's because it was my first.  Maybe it's because I haven't been out there sampling enough. Maybe this is starting to sound like something that it shouldn't sound like and more than you ever wanted to read about in a winery blog.  

Or maybe, like me, you are not afraid to wave that freak flag and scream it out to all who will hear...

"I have a total life mission to achieve that heightened state of culinary euphoria again and again and again!"

To all my fellow foodie/wino freaks, I salute you!  

If you've had a culinasm of epic proportions and would like to share about it, please email me (Jennifer) at jjansen@hansenwines.com

     

What, exactly, IS the Templeton Gap?

A few days ago, we had a surprise visit from a dear friend and neighbor.  His name is Jim.  Among a dozen other fabulous accolades, he is a retired Aeronautical Engineer.  Talk about an intelligent and fascinating individual to talk to!

Amid Bruce's fantastic stories (he know EVERYONE in this area...no, really...everyone), laughter, camaraderie and the two of them razzing one another like teenage boys, we had a guest interrupt with a question that caused both Bruce's and Jim's eyes to gleam.

"I keep hearing of this thing called the Templeton Gap.  Can you (directed at Bruce) explain to me exactly what that is?  A lot of wineries keep talking about the Templeton Gap.  Is is like an area, or what?"

Bruce leans back in his chair with an impish grin and motions his hand over to his buddy, Jim.  "I'm going to let my friend answer this one, cuz I know that he knows what the Gap is!"

Jim smiles.  "Yep!  I've even seen it!"

Our guest seems enthralled, so I figure that it will be alright if I abandon my pouring for a couple of minutes to, likewise, listen in.  You see, I have a fairly basic understanding of the Gap (a notch in the coastal mountains) but I know enough about our friend to know that this is going to be a more intricate description than I have previously been offered.

"You see," he begins, "I love to take my plane out to the coast and fly around.  As you're heading out towards the ocean, you can see that this entire area hosts a little valley set in between mountains."

He pauses.

"Hey Jen, can you grab me a piece of paper?"  To which I quickly deliver.

He then proceeds to draw a diagram similar to this... (Please excuse my girly, chicken scrach handwriting on junk paper...I would have attached his nicer rendition but our guest took it with them.  I guess I could have done a little computer diagram, but since this is very similar to the drawing presented, we'll go with this!)

 

He continues, "You see along the coastline is a pocket of cold air, coming off of the ocean.  Inland, in Templeton, you know that we get those nice and hot temperatures.  Well, the cold pressure builds and builds and eventually needs to find a release. It just so happens that there is a fantastic geographical venturi right here, coming off of the coast.  Do you know what a venturi is?"  He pauses and looks at the guest.

To which they reply, "Isn't it that thing that wine goes through to aerate it?"

Jim smiles.  "Well yes, but not as I'm referring to it, but that devise is named because it uses the same physics.  Now, I won't get too technical on you.  Just go with me.  A venturi is any device that is shaped like this (please refer again to my crappy drawing).  It's wide on the outsides and narrow in the middle.  A venturi's purpose is to accelerate.  There are venturis in carburetors, and yes, in that little wine trinket, too.  You following?"

We all nod.

"Well," he continues "the mountains coming off of the ocean, make this exact shape.  I can attest!  I've seen it in my plane.  So let me paint the entire picture.  Cold air and pressure builds along the coast.  That pressure is looking for a release.  It finds this natural notch, this natural venturi, if you will, in the mountains or the place that is called the Templeton Gap.  Cool air makes it's way through this natural acceleration device, and the wind whips through here at a fantastic rate, shooting out cool, coastal air on the other side.  Now Hansen here (motions at Bruce) is located smack dab in the middle of the receiving end of this venturi.  What does that mean?" he asks.  "I'll let Bruce take it from here."

Bruce, before taking stage congratulates Jim for breaking it down nicely in to layman's terms.  I have to agree.  It makes absolute sense, right?

Bruce says, "Well, what it means is that I have perfect growing conditions for my grapes!  I get nice hot days and cool nights because of that cold air whipping through the Gap and up onto my vineyard.  Makes for some tasty Cab!  Wouldn't you agree?"

I quickly realize that my guest's glass is empty and jump back in with the next in my line up of Bruce's fabulous Gold Medal wines.

My guest, endowed with a better understanding of this unique little wine haven, seems thoroughly satisfied both with the answer and the experience, and leaves eager to share about it with others.

As Jim and Bruce return to their witty banter, I can't help but smile.  Not an ounce of pretension here.  You have a question pertaining to wine, topography, AVA, growing, etc?  We've got an answer.  With Bruce, I'll be honest, sometimes it will contain a bit of BS just for good measure, but our guests always leave here with fantastic wine AND little nuggets of fun trivia.

And for me, I get to take it all in.  You know, just another day "at the office."