The Fiddle Troops and I have booked our 2013 travel schedule and we might be coming to a city near you!
Here is a list of our current schedule, and you can visit our Events Calendar for more event details.
We hope to see you soon!

California
Thurs, January 24 - Sunnyside Resort, Tahoe City
Fri, January 25 -  Petra, Northstar Resort
Sat, January 26 - Uncorked, Tahoe City
Sun, January 27 - Sta. Rita Hills Tasting at 3rd Corner Wine Shop & Bistro, Palm Desert
Fri - Sat, March 1-2 - World of Pinot Noir, Shell Beach
Sat, March 9 - Family Winemakers Tasting, San Diego (enter "FIDDLE" at check-out for a 20% discount on tickets!)
Sat, April 20 - Vintners' Festival, Mission Santa Ines, Solvang
Sat, May 18 - Winemasters, Warner Bros. Studios, Los Angeles 

Georgia
Tues, March 5 - Wine dinner at 5 & 10, Athens - CANCELED
Wed, March 6 - Wine dinner at Empire State South, Atlanta

Illinois
Tues, March 19 - Interactive Tasting at Wine Goddess, Evanston
Thurs, March 21 - Wine dinner at The Herrington Inn, Geneva

Mississippi
Thurs, April 11 - Imperial Palace/Boyd Biloxi Casino (Restaurant 32), Biloxi
Fri, April 12 - Tasting at Purple Parrot Restaurant, Hattiesburg
Sat, April 13 - Sante South Wine & Food Festival, Jackson

North Carolina

Tues, February 19 - Complimentary Tasting at Wine Merchants Gourmet, Winston/Salem
Wed, February 20 - Wine Dinner at Bistro La Bon, Charlotte
Thurs, February 21 - Wine Dinner and Surprise Tasting at Undercurrent Restaurant, Greensboro
Fri, February 22 - Tasting at Wine Maestro, Mooresville
Wed, May 15 - Wine dinner at Biltmore Forest Country Club, Asheville
Thurs, May 16 - Wine dinner at Champion Hills Country Club, Hendersonville
Fri, May 17 - Wine dinner at Old Edwards Inn, Highlands

Ohio
Sat, June 29 - Winemaker dinner at the Wooster Inn, Wooster

Tennessee
Fri, February 22 - Tasting at Brinkmann's Wine and Spirits, Franklin
Sat, February 23 - Tasting at RED Spirits and Wines, Bellevue
Wed, February 27 - Tasting at The Bottle Shop, McEwen

Virginia
Thurs, February 21 - Wine dinner at Willow Restaurant, Ballston

"On the SEVENTH day of Fiddlehead my true love gave to me...
Forget about seven swans-a-swimming, because your creative thought bubble could leave you a-winning!"

For our "Seventh Day of Fiddlehead" we asked you, what is Kathy thinking in this photo? Thank you to everyone that submitted their thoughts!  We had a lot of great entries, but here are our favorites...

Top 3 Entries
"This head band is so tight it makes me look like I am constantly smiling" - Bruce C.

"Hold on a sec...you won't believe it but seven swans just landed" - Bruce B.

"I think those guys just called me a bad name in Spanish" - Paolo

Other Favorites
"I don't mean to wine about it, but my life is pretty grape. Over." - Hiram

"150 mini cupcakes, stat! 24 carrot for Stephen" - Marten & Theresa

"Is this thing on? Hello...?" - Marc

"How in the world did I get reception out here?" - Peggy

"This would be a great setting for Sideways 2 and it wouldn't hurt business either!" - Robert

"Ok, give me 10 minutes and I'll find a way to get to your place
for that Midnight Moon and the Anniversary Blend!" - Maggie

"Let's see...where is that port-a-john?" - Becky

At Fiddlehead, we love a good meal!  It can be as simple as sitting down with my harvest crew for a hearty lunch or as special as a wine dinner somewhere across the country that brings me together with friends and fans from afar.  And sometimes it is in my own backyard, like at the recent gathering in the barn at Fiddlestix for our annual First String Fiddlers Luncheon. 

So with the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, the one day of the year when we are encouraged to indulge in the cornucopia of the season (and almost certainly leave the dinner table with an aching belly!), how could we not be excited?! 

I asked my staff to share their favorite Thanksgiving dish and what they are most looking forward to this
Turkey Day.  Here is what they had to say!

Hanging out in our test kitchen, trying out potential Wine Club recipes to go with our new releases!

                                                          Lamb, Mushroom & Lentil Pot Pies
                                                          Southwest Style Bell Peppers
                                                          Turkey Cumin Pita Pockets with Yogurt Sauce

                                                 Which will be included in the upcoming shipment??

We began with a meticulous wine selection –vetting the world’s major Sauvignon blanc regions with an eye for regional distinction, exceptional quality and availability, of course.  (Unfortunately, I was on the road and missed much of this difficult work!)

These are the wines that were decided upon:

2011 Greywacke Sauvignon blanc, Marlborough, paired with the Fiddlehead 2011 Goosebury Sauvignon blanc, Santa Ynez Valley.

2008 Alphonse Mellot Pouilly-Fumé par Emmanuelle Mellot, paired with the Fiddlehead 2009 Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara Sauvignon blanc, Santa Ynez Valley.

2008 Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac Leognan, paired with the Fiddlehead 2007 Hunnysuckle Sauvignon blanc, Santa Ynez Valley.

The tasting was fantastic.  Nearly 50 people participated, many with personal tasting connections to one or more of the International regions featured. The pairings were spectacular – both for their contrasts and for their similarities! 

All three of the Fiddlehead wines are produced from our grapes grown in the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA, the part of the Santa Ynez Valley with the warmest daytime temperatures.  This region is quite unique for its ability to fully ripen our Sauvignon blanc fruit while preserving the acidity and freshness due to that ever-present evening coastal fog.  Pear and white peach notes take center stage, with rich floral and tropical fruit notes provide layering in a most seductive way.

On the first flight, the New Zealand wine showed layers of wet slate and herbaceousness, whereas the Goosebury’s minerality was more limestone in character and the fruit much more expressive and floral.  Both had striking acidity, but the luscious fruit notes of Goosie stood out markedly.

The Loire pairing with the Happy Canyon was more enlightening.  Both wines had a richness that was quite alluring, with the Pouilly-Fume showing more melon and green bell pepper and the Happy Canyon centering on the peachy-pear.  Great pairing, and testament to our assertion that the Happy Canyon is truly inspired by the wines of the Loire!

The wine pairing of the night was the third, with the ’08 Larrivet Haut-Brion showing many of the well developed characteristics that we celebrate in the Hunnysuckle.  Still with vibrant fruit and acidity, both wines have developed well in the bottle and showed a glycerin-y richness with nuance of fig, citrus, and dried herbs.  It was a coin flip as to which I liked better, until I looked at the retail price.  The Bordeaux retails for $80 and the Hunnysuckle for $34!

It’s amazing that we take winemaking options and vintage variablility to craft 3 unique wines grown in this very special place. More significantly, I am awed with the creativity and willingness of the Fiddlehead team to “stick our necks out” and show these wines along side the great SB regions of the world. This event served to entertain, to enlighten and educate our friends who attended.  I’m certain each will remember the evening for many years to come.

One additional out-of-the-box twist was the second phase taste pairing of our 3 styles of dry Sauvignon blanc with Talenti gelatos and sorbettos.  Typically we don’t think of our wines as dessert wines, but the range of gelato flavors made for a fabulous tasting.  Here were the favorite picks, and worth checking out for yourself!

- Goosebury Sauvignon blanc and Lisbon Lemon
- Happy Canyon Sauvignon blanc and Mediterranean Mint Chip (This one blew me away!)
- Hunnysuckle Sauvignon blanc and Tahitian Vanilla

Cheers!

Rob Fry
National Sales Manager

The average time an American lays down a bottle of wine is about half an hour, but for those of us who appreciate the age-ability of our magnificent wines it is important to store them properly.

During the summer months the heat is a constant battle, and many people do not have the luxury of an expansive underground cellar to keep their precious bottles protected.

So, when you are considering where to store your wine, keep the following factors in mind…

1.  Temperature – The most important thing to avoid is temperature fluctuations – a constant 68°is better than a 50°, then 68°, then 50° cycle. The ideal wine storage temperature is 55-60°F with a variance of a few degrees. High heat can accelerate the aging process of wine, transforming your beauty into a “cooked” wine.

If a wine cellar or basement is not a possibility, the next best solution is a wine refrigerator. They come in a variety of price ranges and sizes and if kept in a cool place in the house, can keep overall energy costs down. If your refrigerator is full, then choose the floor of an interior closet (remember, heat rises).

2.  Light - Wine gets its structure and flavor profile from organic compounds. UV light can damage those compounds altering the flavor structure of the wine. Most wines are bottled in dark glass to help protect it from UV light (similar to sunglasses protecting your eyes), but light can still penetrate even the darkest tinted bottles.

Direct sunlight should always be avoided, but over exposure to fluorescent lights could also be damaging to a wine. To avoid the light, consider the position of your wine rack relative to your overhead light or windows. Consider storing your wine in boxes or in a cabinet.

3. Humidity - this is a major factor when storing wine with a cork closure. If the cork dries out, it shrinks. This can cause leakage and can allow exposure of the wine to air, “oxidizing” the wine, resulting in a wine with a distinct “sherry-like” taste and odor.

Ideal humidity for wine storage is around 70%, but we also recommend that you store bottles on their side or upside down in a cardboard box to keep corks moist.

We want every bottle of Fiddlehead you open to be an enjoyable experience and we hope these tips help ensure perfect quality of every bottle. 

 Happy Summer Sipping ! ! 

Where will you be drinking "728" Fiddlestix Pinot on the magical date of July 28th?

Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, gather your friends and join our virtual toast to this signature wine.
Submit your comments and best "cheers" photos for prizes and recognition!  (submit either via our Facebok page our via email at fiddlenews@fiddleheadcellars.com).
Our favorite 3 photos win a prize.

And if you find yourself in Santa Barbara County that Saturday, then be sure to join us at our "land-based" party at our Lompoc Tasting Room for a celebration of this wine! The Tasting Room will be decked out for the day and library vintages of "728" will be available for taste and purchase.

                             We're kicking off the summer with a fantastic 3-part Wine Club Social!  And for 
                             those of you who aren't yet members of our Wine Club, we want you there too! 

                         Part I:  A sit-down educational tasting, comparing our Sauvignon Blancs to their 
                                   international counterparts.  Taste Goosie and New Zealand SB, taste 
                                   Happy Canyon next to a Pouilly Fume from the Loire Valley, taste 
                                   Hunnysuckle against an Haut Brion (white Bordeaux).

                                   As part of the tasting, view maps, talk geography and AVA's, compare 
                                   production techniques and discuss food pairings.

                        Part II: Gelato & Fiddlehead Sauvignon Blanc tasting - Goosie, Happy and Hunny 
                                   paired with 7 Talenti gelato/sorbetto flavors.  Vote your favorite flavors! 

                        Part III: Top the evening off with Avant pizza and Pinot (our recently reviewed 
                                    93-point '728', of course!)...and more gelato!  Time to mix-and-mingle 
                                    and be social party animals!

                                                    Limited to just 48 guests, so be sure to RSVP early.  
                                                Wine Club entry is FREE (up to 2 tickets per membership). 

                      Have friends that want to join the party?  Non Wine Clubbers get in on the fun for only $25.