The last 2.5 years (in pictures)

Life and work catch up with you sometimes. Alas, a break from this blog for the past 2.5 years. In the interest of catching up, below is a photo log of the fascinating wine journeys I've taken in that time. I've continued writing notes on Cellartracker (MattMauldin), and post most of my wine stuff on Instagram (Matt_Mauldin). Cheers!

Bien Nacido Vineyard- August 2013

Syrah at Zaca Mesa finishing veraison- August 2013

Wine & Fire, Santa Rita Hills- August 2013

Wrapped & ready at Clos Pepe Vineyard- Sept 2013

Syrah coming in at Zaca Mesa- Sept 2013

Vineyard tour at Clos Pepe with Wes Hagen- Nov 2013

Transcendent- Dec 2013

Bud break in Santa Maria Valley- February 2014

Grenache Blanc vines in bloom in front of the winery at Zaca Mesa- April 2014

Unforgettable dinner at Ma Cuisine in Beaune- with a 2005 Louis Latour Corton-Grancey- April 2014

Tasting Clos des Lambrays in the cellar at Domaine des Lambrays- April 2014

Vosne Romanee- April 2014

Vosne Romanee- April 2014

DRC- April 2014

Hermitage- April 2014

Hermitage- April 2014

Transcendent tasting at Chapoutier- April 2014

At the top of Cornas while visiting Alain Voge

Saint-Joseph (north toward Condrieu)- April 2014

Chateau Grillet- April 2014

Cote-Rotie- April 2014

Gigondas- May 2014

Chateauneuf-du-Pape- May 2014

Concrete fermenters at Domaine de Monpertuis, CDP- May 2014

Fruit set and coulure and Zaca Mesa- May 2014

Flowers Camp Meeting Ridge, Sonoma Coast- July 2014

Last harvest of Chardonnay from the Zaca Mesa vineyard- August 2014

Sangiovese vines at Stolpman Vineyard, Ballard Canyon- August 2014

Destemming at Zaca Mesa- Sept 2014

Syrah aging in clay amphora at Zaca Mesa - Oct 2014

Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills - November 2014

Grenache Blanc, ready for bud break - early March 2015

In Pursuit of Balance in SF - March 2015

Frog's Leap, Napa Valley- March 2015

Eric Mohseni at Zaca Mesa showing off Grenache vines - June 2015

Black Bear Block Syrah, planted 1978, Zaca Mesa - June 2015

Cristom, Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley- June 2015

K Vineyard, Phil Lane, Walla Walla- June 2015

Fiddlestix Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills, August 2015

Thomas Fogarty Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains, Sept 2015

Morning fog in the Santa Maria Valley, as seen from Foxen Canyon, Sept 2015

First Fall rains at Zaca Mesa, November 2015

Tasting 2015 Zaca Mesa from barrel, clay amphora, concrete and tank- with Dane & Kristin

The Winehound's annual European import tasting

Who says Santa Barbara is always provincial about its wine? On July 20th, while The Chardonnay Symposium and Bacon & Barrels were in full swing to the north, the Winehound in Santa Barbara featured its annual import tasting. Held at the SoHo nightclub, it featured a vast selection of Spanish, French and Italian wines. There were some heavy hitters, but this was also highlighted by a nice selection of good value wines in the $15-30 range featuring regions throughout Spain, France and Italy. Featured importers included Martin Scott Wines, Eric Solomon Imports and Bedford International, among others.

I posted a full list of tasting notes on Cellartracker, but a few quick highlights included the 2010 Château de Puligny-Montrachet Puligny-Montrachet for its earthy bright citrus fruit and nice richness and structure; the 2012 AziendaAgricola Bucci Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore for its silky forward white floral fruit and massive structure; the 2010 Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape for its layers of complex floral, earthy mineral and cherry flavors; and the 2009 Hacienda Monasterio Ribera del Duero Crianza for its wonderful depth, structure, and notes of cherry, leather, tea and spice.

It was tough missing the events that day in Santa Barbara Wine Country, but I enjoyed catching up with some great wines from the old world!

Wine events flocking to Santa Barbara... and good inexpensive Pinot Noir

Holy Goleta! The wine events are rolling into Santa Barbara County in 2014.

This month, it's been announced that the 2014 Wine Bloggers Conference will be held July 11-13 in the Santa Ynez Valley. I've attended two Wine Bloggers Conferences, and if there's a strength to the event, it's in its showcasing of compelling wine regions. With Santa Barbara's unique east-west traversing valley and variety of terroirs, it's going to be a great insider's view of the region for wine bloggers. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to delve deeper and to learn even more about my "home" wine region.

Also, the 2014 World Of Pinot Noir event is moving from Pismo Beach to the illustrious Bacara Resort in Goleta. This is a premier event for a premier varietal, featuring seminars and tastings of Pinot Noir from around the world. Maybe not so coincidentally, 2014 is the 10 year anniversary of the Sideways film...

If you're on the Central Coast and looking for a wine event this summer, Santa Maria Valley's annual Chardonnay Symposium happens July 19-21. In its fourth year, the event brings over 50 California Chardonnay producers together to enlighten and educate on the variety and quality of Chardonnay being produced throughout the state. Educational panels, celebrity chef events, wine dinners, and a grand tasting will all commence.

*****

If you need an inexpensive, simple, and most importantly, good Pinot Noir for summer barbecues, hanging out by the pool, or sitting in your sweat box - 24 Knots is a Pinot Noir brand producing a balanced and lively inexpensive Pinot Noir from Monterey. The 24 Knots Pinot Noir, Monterey is notable for its fig, earth, pine needle and spice; along with nicely integrated flavors and good texture, acid, grip and presence for its price point. Serve it with a slight chill. It's around $16 and shouldn't be too hard to find. (I received this as a press sample from the winery)