The Wine Channel Blog @ www.thewinechannel.net

What a surprise to read that the Firestone Vineyard in Los Olivos is being sold to the Foley Wine Group. The Firestone Winery in the Santa Ynez Valley was the first location The Wine Channel shot at with Andrew Firestone leading us on a tour of the facility. And what a facility it is. From the courteous staff to the manicured courtyard, from the fabulous tasting room to the private tasting room with photos of family and famous friends on the walls, it is an adventure for everyone who visits there. We had the rare pleasure of visiting the hallowed grounds of Brooks Cellar where every vintage of Firestone wine that has been produced resides. One reason the quality of Firestone Wines is so consistent is because they will open a bottle of wine that has been laid on its side for many years and record how the wine is aging. With this powerful information they can use the formula again on grapes grown in similar conditions or they can make a change in the formula for the next harvest. I felt honored that Andrew Firestone let us video a segment with him in Brooks Cellar. 

I’m happy to know that the Firestone Vineyard is going to the Foley Wine Group. William P. Foley also owns Foley Estates Vineyard & Winery and Lincourt Vineyards and is known for making good wine. In a prepared statement Foley said, “This is the first in a series of brand acquisitions with the goal of developing a multibrand sales strategy. Currently, we are also examining opportunities in Sonoma County, Napa County and the states of Oregon and Washington.” Congratulations to Bill Foley on a wonderful acquisition and to Brooks Firestone who turns another page in his life’s book, while continuing to live in Los Olivos and be the 3rd District county supervisor.  Since that first video shoot at the Firestone Winery in Los Olivos, The Wine Channel was the first production crew to tape at the new Firestone facility in Paso Robles. Again, Andrew was most gracious and a GREAT host. When you go there you have to see Twiggy, Andrew’s pet bulldog. She’s growing up now but when we were there she was just a puppy and wanted to be with us the whole time we were there. We didn’t dare move around without first looking down. She is so social and adorable; you can’t help but fall in love with her. To see a picture of her, go to Rodney’s Page on The Wine Channel website at www.thewinechannel.net.     

                  2003 Reflexion from Crichton Hall

I tasted the 2003 Reflexion from Crichton Hall last night. I was very pleased with the way it opened up. The nose was full of cherry, plums and balck currants. As I continued to swrill I sensed hints of caramel and earth minerals. It has nice weight to it and was a nice plush finish. During the tasting I tried four different chocolates with it and semi-sweet dark chocolate really made it pop. Enjoy the 2003 for the next decade. Retail price is around $50.00 but I’ve seen it priced lower at different beverage stores. A real bargain!

Cheers

The Wine Channel at www.thewinechannel.net has soft launched providing videos on wine and the lifestyle it represents. TWC has three catagories to their programming, instructional, educational and entertainment. Currently the programs are educational informing about wineries, winemakers and wine types. On the site there’s also a news page, and a favorite of mine, Rodney’s Page. Under contruction is Winery Finery, an online store that will have merchandise with a wine theme. It’s a site worth looking at and it’s being updated regularly with new material. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.