Month: August 2026
Spain through the Glass by GIL Family Estates at Vinum55 in Scottsdale
Slide from GIL Family Estates
Tonight’s presentation was by Ian Giza, Western Regional Sales Director for GIL Family Estates. This was a highly anticipated event as Spanish wines, in my opinion, are underrated and a tremendous bargain. Spanish wines over the years have represented the second or third most wines in my cellar by country. A map was presented of the various locations of vineyards and areas around Spain for a greater understanding. Also noted is which varieties are dominant in an area. Spain is the 4th largest country in Europe and is roughly the same size as California and Nevada combined.
Slide from GIL Family Estates
Classification of Spanish wines are broken down into four distinct classifications:
*Joven-young wines with little or no oak
*Crianza-aged for at least two years with a minimum of six months in oak and mostly twelve
*Reserva-Aged for at least three years, with at least one year in oak
*Gran Reserva-Aged for at least five years, with two or more years in oak.
The evening started out with a greeting of NV Bodegas Tridente Cantagrillos Sparkling Brut that was refreshing and enjoyable, a pleasant welcoming pour especially when coming inside from 112-degree weather!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Next was a full introduction of Spain and the various regions, and the history of GIL Family, being now over 100 years old and managed by their 4th generation family.
Slide from GIL Family Estates
Their agricultural practices and care/concern for the land are extraordinary as outlined in this picture.
Slide from GIL Family Estates
We jumped right into the first pour. It was a 2025 Lagar da Condesa O Fillo da Condesa Albariño Rias Baixas. It was especially clear, crisp and bright in the glass and one of the better Albariño’s tasted in some time. This area in the northwest portion of Spain is known for producing some of the best Albariño’s in the world.
I had just recently tasted two Albariño’s, one that won Best of Show White Wine at 2026 SF Chronicle Wine Competition. The other won Double Gold at the Orange County Fair Commercial Wine Competition and awarded 98 points! The wineries being Las Positas Vineyards and Cellar13 are both from Livermore, California. Tonight this wine was equally delicious! This wine and three others received my highest scores of the evening, a rare occurrence with 4 out of 7 wines being rated this high. The other three missed the mark by a half point, still an excellent rating.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Up next was the 2024 Bodega Atalya La Bien Plata Garnacha Almansa. Again, having enjoyed Garnacha from this area for some time, it also was phenomenal. Grown at 3200 feet elevation from plantings that are 90 years old.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We moved on to the 2022 Cellars Can Blau Red Blend Montsant which appearing in the glass could be classified light and almost semi-translucent with a radiant purple coloring. However, this is far from reality as it came through as strong and spicy with the Cariñena and Syrah helping to punch up this blend. This was one of the best scores given this evening.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Not only was this wine a blend of Garnacha, Cariñena and Syrah it is also a blend of three soil types, with two very different soils shown in the slide.
Slide from GIL Family Estates
The region of Jumilla in the southeastern portion of Spain has been a favorite for the last twenty years. When I first saw the geography of the region, I was shocked that anything could grow on it. Not only does it allow vines to grow, but the wine also produced is exquisite.
Slide from GIL Family Estates
Served this evening was the 2023 Juan Gil 110th year Anniversary Monastrell Jumilla. First on the nose, dark fruits of blackberries and blueberries fill the olfactory senses. On the palate, smooth and silky tannins allow the wine to glide down joyously with every sip. Mild spices are noted on the finish. This area is a high-altitude vineyard in Jumilla and rocky terrain. This wine was a standout winner for us again with the highest rating. I left the meeting ordering several bottles of this wine!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The next two wines also rated extremely well. The first one was the 2022 Bodegas Rosario Vera Tempranillo Rioja. Considering it’s meek price point of around $20/bottle, this was a wine consumer’s best friend this evening.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
A special wine was served at the conclusion of the evening from 150-year-old vines. It was the 2021 Bodegas Tridente Rejon Tempranillo Castilla y Leon. Dark and brooding in the glass only began to describe this wine! 100% Tempranillo from pre-phylloxera vines in Castilla y Leon Spain due to the soil conditions. This vineyard was planted in 1898. Dark fruit of blackberries and plum abounded on the nose and palate. Oak and minerality were present at the finish. Key was the complexity and layers on each delightful sip. The wine comes in at 16% alcohol. It also received the highest marks for the evening.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Four wines hit all the high marks for this tasting for color on the eyes, aromatic notes on the nose, tasting for authenticity of place and a delightful finish. Those wines were: 2025 Lagar da Condesa O Fillo da Condesa Albariño, 2022 Cellars Can Blau Red Blend Montsant, the 2023 Juan Gil 110th Year Anniversary Monastrell Jumilla and the 2021 Bodegas Tridente Rejon Tempranillo Castilla y Leon.
Ian Giza did an outstanding job preparing and presenting these lovely wines from Spain. A special thank you to both Ian and Vinum55 for having this informative presentation and the opportunity to taste a wide range of wines showcasing not only GIL Family Estates but also Spain.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
North Italia in Gilbert, Arizona Served an Incredible Delicious Meal
Photo ©Michael Kelly
After a one and half hour wine presentation and tasting on Italian wines by Kevin Smith of Classico Fine Wines, a distributor, held at Vinum55 in Chandler, it only made sense to have an Italian dinner.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This restaurant was recommended by our oldest daughter who accompanied us to the seminar/tasting. With the temperature being 115 degrees during the day and only cooling to 108 by dinner, a refreshing Vermentino was ordered. The wine was a Lunae Colli di Luni Vermentino. It is 100% Vermentino from the hills of Liguria, northern Italy, near the Tuscany region. The wine being very dry with aromas of apricot, peach and a distinct briny and herbal finish. A perfect wine with a medium texture and mild white fish.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The ingredients for the Yellowtail Crudo included Castelvetrano olives, capers, orange, Sicilian pistachio, mint, avocado and Aleppo pepper. When having a bite of the fish with this wine, it was almost an “out of body experience” being light, exquisite, unique and words cannot describe the taste in its totality. Suffice it to say, I have already ordered today Sicilian pistachios and Aleppo pepper!!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
As we were eating a bit late, I ordered another appetizer of beef carpaccio that consisted of pecorino stagionato, toasted pine nut, salsa verde, arugula and grilled bread. This was fine also with the wine.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Ordered a special dessert called Seasonal Butter Cake with gelato, banana slices and caramel sauce which both my wife and daughter also enjoyed.
A great presentation and tasting of Italian wines, followed by a delicious meal with some family. Life can’t get much better!
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
The Wine Club of Greater Phoenix
Held the kickoff meeting for The Wine Club of Greater Phoenix last evening. While we didn’t have time to “officially” name the wine club this is a place holder. Everyone presented what they wanted to get out of the monthly meetings and came up with the following format.
Key items agreed to were that the Wine Club would be rotational (at different homes), have an educational component, host to determine scope/theme/topic for the evening, a blind tasting component and guests will bring besides a specific wine an appetizer to be paired with the wine selection/theme. Everyone wanted some additional time to socialize and discuss the wines of the evening.
We will meet on the first Thursday of each month at 7 pm. The meetings will be limited to twelve people with the host confirming the first twelve and putting others on a waitlist. The next meeting will be Thursday, September 3rd to kick off the Wine Club, Kelly’s will host the first event.
The monthly host will decide on the theme or topic for the evening. It is wide open and can be on a specific varietal, geographic location, comparison/contrast of a varietal from a warm climate verses cold climate, vertical tasting, country, AVA, etc. Hosts will rotate monthly.
Each session will be broken down into three sections. The first will be a “educational segment” with 3-4 pages of material handed out to attendees. The second segment will be the tasting and if desired a blind tasting portion based upon the hosts’ topic with each participant bringing a bottle to share. If it is a blind tasting, please bring your wine before arriving, covered in a brown bag. The host will notify you two weeks before the session to allow you to obtain (if not in your inventory) an appropriate wine for the evening. Suggestions were Trevor’s, Total Wine, etc. The third session will be discussing wines, enjoying the appetizers (to go with the theme) and meeting new folks, socializing, etc. The evening should end around 9 pm.
During the evening a couple of other matters were discussed and determined:
*Folks would like to have an opportunity to secure discounted wines.
*Two themed dinners will be held: one in May and one in November at a member’s house. More information to follow.
*Communications will be via email. Please make sure your email is provided.
*The Wine Club will not hold formal meetings during the summer months of June, July and August due to weather and travel vacations.
*Host will provide wine glasses and is not required to provide an appetizer.
We did not discuss organizational issues, but de facto I will act as Secretary for at least the first year.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Last evening we enjoy a wide range of wines, starting off with value packed 2024 Kirkland Chardonnay at $8 working our way to an Arizonia wine from Bodega Pierce Cabernet Franc from Willcox, AZ. Feedback was how this was different from a California Cabernet Franc. Opened a 2020 LXV Winery Cabernet Franc $100 from Paso Robles, CA (pic shows a 2021 as the bottle went home with a member). This 2020 won Best of Class and Best of Show at the International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition in 2023. FYI- this year it has moved from northern California to Mesa, AZ at the Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum. It was a good discussion comparing the two Cab Franc wines. We finished off the evening with a 2013 Crocker & Starr Stone Place Cabernet Sauvignon, a limited and allocated wine (current vintage is $195). A fun and enjoyable evening for those attending.
If you have any questions, please contact Michael Kelly at mkellywine@gmail.com or mkellyaz26@gmail.com .
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
2023 Wood Family Vineyards Barrel Aged Sauvignon Blanc – A Great Alternative
Wood Family Vineyards introduced their new Sauvignon Blanc on April 28th, 2024. This is in the Fumé Blanc California style. What makes this different than their current Sauvignon Blanc, which is produced in stainless steel tanks, they made a barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc. This entailed making 4 barrels in neutral oak barrels and 1 in an Acacia barrel. After 3 months, they transferred the wine from the Acacia barrel to another neutral barrel. They continued aging the wine in oak for an additional 5 months before bottling.
The great fact of the matter, Sauvignon Blanc wine lovers now will have a choice in two distinct profiles going forward.
A recap from my story written regarding the stainless-steel Sauvignon Blanc stated the following:
“The stainless-steel fermented version is very close to a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with grapefruit, lemon grass, etc. However, this is just a bit “tamer’ with pineapple, yet zesty and lively. On the eyes there is a tantalizing light golden coloring and medium viscosity. On the nose aromas of lemon grass and tropical floral rise to meet the imbiber. On the palate, the strong flavors of grapefruit and lemon grass swirl about like a party in the mouth. Mostly tart with a faint hint of pineapple and passion fruit. On the finish, a puckering and enjoyable finish of lemon zest. A complete and hearty Sauvignon Blanc from Livermore!!”
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The first thing you notice is a different bottle from the stainless-steel. The stainless-steel Sauvignon Blanc bottle is clear with a screw cap. The barrel treated version has a colored glass bottle and a cork top.
The specific Acacia wood barrel and stirring of the lees makes the wine feel creamier and much broader on the palate. This is exactly the taste and texture Wood Family Vineyards targeted for this wine. Still the same basic flavors of the stainless steel but some slight nuances. The 2023 Barrel Aged Sauvignon Blanc picked up besides textural qualities, it also mellowed out or tempered the stronger notes of the grapefruit and citrus. The aging also provided a secondary aroma and herbaceous flavors not found in the stainless steel. Present was more lemon grass and a tinge of vanilla on the finish which was so refreshing and contrasting to the citrus qualities. The wine ends up being refreshing, high in acidity, complex and creamy. This is precisely the qualitative difference Rhonda Wood was striving to make showcasing the barrel aging offering. This came in at 13.6% alcohol with only 415 cases being produced.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Today they produced this barrel aged Sauvignon Blanc under their new designation called Culmination. The grapes come from the historic Louis Mel Ranch that was established in 1884. Mrs. Mel was friends with the Marquise of Chateau d’ Yquem and was able to secure cuttings from there. This is the second release of Rhonda Wood’s Sauvignon Blanc aged in barrel. The wine is fermented in three barrels with one being an Acacia barrel aged for 7 months. The other two barrels were aged in neutral French oak. They were kept separate until tanked for bottling and aged on the lees and stirred every two weeks. The 2024 Culmination is listed at $50/bottle.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
When it is 110 degrees one is always looking for a cool and light dinner option. My wife prepared a Chinese Chicken Salad that was spot on for this evening meal. The recipe consisted of besides the shredded chicken, shredded Chinese cabbage, red cabbage finely shredded, julienned carrot, finely sliced green onions. Garnished with crunchy Chow Mein noodles (next photo). Previously she made a homemade Asian dressing that she was not pleased with so went with Open Nature Asian Style Ginger Sesame dressing that was great!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The food and wine pairing was spot on with the bright acidity and slight sweetness cutting through the rich sesame oil, soy sauce and sweet-tangy ginger vinaigrette. While the temperature is holding in the 110-113 degree range for the next 10 days, I am looking forward to having this meal a few more times.
On a personal note, I previously stated her stainless-steel Sauvignon Blanc made my Best Wines of year tasted and now this will make my annual list of Best Wines Tasted in 2026. They are both delicious and pending on the food pairing, will choose one or the other to have with the meal.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
Vinum55 Hosted an Informative Cabernet Franc Presentation & Tasting This Week
Chris Jeffers from a local wine distributor, The Natural Wine Company, gave both a presentation and brought some tasty wines to augment the session. Chris was very well versed in his French Cabernet Franc’s wine starting with the lighter and airy versions coming from Chinon and progressing to USA with Pride Mountain Cabernet Franc. The presentation focused more on “ripeness” and “pyrazines’ especially with the French wines from a cooler climate. Below is an ancestral lineage of the Loire Valley.
Up next was a discussion on the Chinon & Bourgueil terroir and how the wines from these regions key taste characteristics.
The first two slides focused on “cool climate Cabernet Franc’s” and then he explained “warm climate expressions” especially with oak aging.
The last slide was a quick summary of global style comparisons of France, Italy and USA. Here is went into a brief chemistry lesson and discerning acidity, tannins and alcohol levels. This is a great guide for the novice/intermediate wine aficionado wanting to understand the key differences and tastes with this universally planted grape varietal.
The first wine up for the evening was the 2022 Manoir de la Tete Rouge, Sammur “Bagatelle” (redhead) being the least ripe grape. First the color in the glass was radiant and semi-transparent with noticeable pyrazines.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Following was the 2024 Bernard Baudry, “Les Granges” Chinon aged in concrete on the valley floor.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Next up was perhaps the “most attractive wine at the dance”, in my opinion, the 2021 Ampeleia IGT from the western side of Tuscany with some seaside influence. On this both neutral oak and concrete are used. The fruit picked was ripe from this warmer climate and possesses a bit more tannins. This wine hit on all four of my ratings on the eyes, the aroma, the taste and finish. It received my highest ratings of the evening.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We moved to the 2023 Olga Raffault, Chinon Les Barnabes. Right away a shade darker coloring using neutral oak and concrete but with a light pepper taste.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We ended the tasting with 2023 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Franc. Those unfamiliar with the winery need to understand its geography uniqueness. Half the vineyard residents in Napa Valley and half in Sonoma County perched on top of Spring Mountain. This came in at 14.6% alcohol, the highest of the tastings. Using oak barrels produced a “savoriness” with a nice balance of tannins. This received my second highest score of the evening. Notice the color is much deeper.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
That concluded an informative and engaging presentation within the allotted time frame for the evening. Thanks Chris Jeffers and Vinum55 for holding this tasting.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
2019 Aridus Syrah from Wilcox, Arizona
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
Right up front, most people don’t think of Arizona as a “winery state”! Turns out Arizona has over 159 wineries scattered throughout the state. Aridus is in southeastern Arizona in Willcox, about 85 miles east of Tucson in Cochise County. The town of Willcox has 14 different tasting rooms!
(Picture from City of Willcox)
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
It had been five months since I last tasted this wine which I keep stocked in the cellar. This Syrah came from two vineyards located next to each other on the Willcox Bench. This bottle is 100% Syrah. Only 220 cases were produced, and it sells for $60/bottle. A unique characteristic of this wine was that it was aged 30 months in French oak barrels, 73% second-fill French oak, and 27% neutral oak.
First on the eyes, a dark radiant and enticing purple/magenta hue. On the nose, lavender and blueberry waft into the senses. On the palate, raspberry, sweet vanilla and cinnamon bounce joyfully from side to side expressing fullness in the mouth. A hint of mocha and light roasted coffee are present on the enticing finish beckoning yet another sip. Lacking fruit, but still savory flavors. To say I was both pleasantly shocked and excited tasting this wine from Arizona is an understatement!
Typical well-balanced Syrah from the known regions of France, California, Chile, South Africa and Australia, but this wine from the lesser known Willcox, Arizona region was delightful.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine was pulled from the cellar to enjoy this evening with beef Teriyaki with sugar snow peas and green onions. Ingredients besides the tenderized flank steak cut into 2 to 3 inch-wide slices, were Teriyaki sauce, snow peas, minced fresh ginger, beef stock, dry sherry, ground Asian red chili pepper, stir fry oil, sliced white mushrooms, green onions sliced lengthwise and green onion cut into small pieces. This was a delicious Teriyaki dish. Accompanied by cauliflower rice sauteed in soy sauce with pre-cooked bacon pieces and green cut onions. A fresh salad with bacon was prepared. An excellent food and wine pairing with the spices and smokiness of the Syrah to stand up to the beef. The overall meal was an excellent food and wine pairing!
The Winery
Scott and Joan Dahmer founded Aridus Wine Company in 2012, just outside the city of Willcox. The name Aridus comes from the Latin word meaning “dry or arid”, most appropriate for most people’s idea of Arizona.
(Tasting room in Willcox. Picture from Aridus Wine Company)
The winery/crush facility and tasting room are located in two different locations in Willcox. They also have another tasting room in Scottsdale on Main Street. Their yearly production is approximately 2,500 cases. They have an amazing lineup of different varietals available: whites including Malvasia Bianca, Viognier, Chardonnay, Fume Blanc and Muscat. Reds include Merlot, Mourvèdre, Graciano, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Petite Verdot and Montepulciano, as well as several Rosés.
(Tasting room in Scottsdale. Picture from Aridus Wine Company)
The winemaker, Lisa Strid has produced wine for the last seven years at the winery. During this time, she has produced 183 wines from five different growing regions in Arizona, New Mexico and California. Since 2020, Aridus is now making wine exclusively from its estate vineyard.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://arizonawinesandwineries.com
Sekai Sushi Restaurant with Sashimi and Sake Last Night
Photo from Sekai Sushi website
Had a wonderful meal last evening at Sekai Sushi in Mesa with my sister. The restaurant is located at 1017 S Gilbert Road with the tagline of “Authentic Japanese Food”. Started out with spicy garlic Edamame, followed by complementary Miso soup. While it might seem strange having Miso soup in 110-degree weather, it was one of the best I have tasted as most are too “salty” but this was extremely flavorful.
The meal consisted of three sashimi fish presentations of Hamachi (Yellowtail tuna), Saba (Mackerel) and a chef’s special of beautiful Maguro (Blue Fin Tuna). All were delicious and fresh.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Wanted some wine with the meal but they only had a “generic” Chardonnay being offered. This was the only thing that detracted from the dining experience. However, the waitress suggested a cold Sake that saved the day!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Thus, a twist on the phrase when in Rome do as the Romans, this was while having Japanese foods, do as the Japanese. This sake is called Sho Chiku Bai “Shirakabegura” Tokubetsu Junmai sake. “Shirakabegura” translates to “White wall cellar” which is a renown craft brewery located in the Nada region of Hyogo Prefecture in Japan.
The label “Tokubetsu Junmai” means Special Pure Rice sake. It is strictly brewed sake with rice, water, yeast and koji with no added distilled alcohol and meets a regulated production standard using premium sake rice. The flavor characteristic was balanced and extremely smooth with surprisingly a full-body mouth feel. Key were the notes of melon, pear and rich umami.
While personally not thinking it added to the food/sake pairing overall, the sake came to life with the fresh ginger and created a wonderous pairing.
In the end it was a great meal and now may be more inclined to try sake with sashimi.
Kanpai,
Michael Kelly