winemadeez: What Took You So Long?

Kirsten and I were thinking about what to do this weekend, we knew we needed a day off, but I was not prepared when she said "let's check out the wineries in Malibu"...did you say 'Malibu'...really!?! We have been meaning to do this for a very long time and as our nest is empty this was the perfect time to go! Kirsten put together a yummy picnic lunch and at around high noon we set of down Mulholland Highway towards Kanan Road. The day was perfect...slight breeze, sun shining and spring-like temps, I have to admit that for me the anticipation was palatable! As we pulled into th

e first of three tasting rooms, the rustic setting of the Cornell Tasting Room, I was surprised to see that there was no lack of visitors as the dirt lot was full of cars! As you enter the tasting room, you can browse through a number of wine selections from up and down the state, but their main focus is to represent the twenty local wineries of the Malib

u region. We were shown to a back room with stone walls and a high wood ceiling and seated at a long wooden "family style" table with benches where others sampled the wines as they discussed numerous topics! We thought that this room would be great for a special celebration! The wines offered ranged from a Zuma Canyon, Malibu Chardonnay to a Bodega Gomez Trancas Canyon Syrah. We noticed a distinct characteristic for the terroire, most of the wines were very pleasant and each server had a vast knowledge of the wines they were pouring including a little background on the winemakers. While none of the wines really knocked us out, the nice thing about this place is that every week they offer a different tasting menu, so if one week you don't like anything the next time you are there it could be an entirely different experience! N

ext we went a couple of miles up Kanan Road and turned right onto Mulholland and pulled into Malibu Wines tasting room! Okay, as we walked on the premises there was a lawn filled with tables with umbrellas, people sitting in Adirondack chairs or just enjoying a picnic on a blanket while listing to classic rock and roll songs being performed by a solo artist! Wow, where have I been? We were taken by the fact that there were young families small children dancing to the music and people of all ages enjoying the setting! We wandered up to the bar where they were pour

ing a Saddlerock Ranch Flight and a Semler Estate Flight so we did one of each! We tasted the Saddlerock Sauv Blanc and thought it would go well with our picnic lunch so we sat and enjoyed our pasta salad while sipping wine and taking in the activity around us. This was a great experience with a garden setting and it was easy to settle back and just taste! Our favorite of all the wines was the 2002 Semler Library Cabernet Sauvignon...smooth, earthy notes of black cherry and chocolate! It was hard to leave this setting, but we pressed on. Last but not least was Sip Malibu Cielo Wine Bar. What a

gem this one is! Our good friend Donna tipped us of to this one and highly recommends their Sunday brunch menu. As you enter you are surrounded by a canopy of trees in a rustic garden with wood tables placed underneath. The tasting area itself is intimate with comfortable bar stools. The server was very knowledgeable and passionate about the wines he was pouring and the proprietor was working quietly behind him and just listened to the conversation. We learned that 'Cielo' refers to the heavens or skies and that they have a self taught winemaker who makes very limited productions of may of the wines! The 'Woodstock' series of wines were fantastic, their grapes are actually sourced in Napa, but the wine is made in Malibu, and we love the 'Honey Pie' Chard and the 'Wildberrys' red blend, but the real discovery was the Cielo Estate 2009 Viognier! This wine is unlike any Viognier I have ever tasted with ripe florals, peach and creamy nectarine. I guess the best term to describe is 'blown away'! Who would think that 30 minutes from our house in Calabasas we could find such great wines - watch out Santa Ynez - here comes Malibu! Here is a rundown of the wines:

2002 Semler Cabernet Sauvignon Library Edition - $27.00

2008 Semler Sauvignon Blanc - $22.00

20008 Woodstock Collection Cielo Vineyards WildBerrys Red Blend - $27.00