Wineries Have Libraries?

Tuesday, April 4th

Yes! The term Wine Library refers to a winery’s supply of bottles from earlier vintages that are properly cellared and are no longer available for purchase. At Claiborne and Churchill, we like to reserve a few cases of our various whites and reds from older vintages, saving them for special events. Bringing out library wines allows our customers to experience the difference between a young and a mature wine. Sampling library wines also gives some of our club members a chance to taste what might still be in their cellar at home, and decide if it’s time to drink or continue to let the flavors develop in bottle.

So, guess what? We have a selection of Library Wines waiting to be tasted!

On May 5-7, 2017, we will be pouring our precious “wines from times past” each day with a different theme to each day of the weekend. Winemaker Coby Parker-Garcia is particularly excited about the 2007 Runestone Pinot noir. Coby emphasized that the 2007 vintage was a stand out year and that “a vintage like that comes around once in 20 years.” On the day that Coby and assistant winemaker Zack Geer were tasting all of the different Runestone Pinot Noir vintages, some of us were fortunate enough to take home the 2008 Runestone. Trust me, you do not want to miss out trying these incredibly smooth, delicately aged Pinot Noirs, along with the older Riesling vintages that are showing beautifully. For more information about the events for this weekend check out our website here or read below. Click here to buy some tickets and experience some brilliantly aged wines for yourself!

Friday: May 5, 2017 Winemaker Dinner with Chef Brian Collins of Ember Restaurant

Join us on Friday, May 5th, for the ultimate food & wine dining experience! Enjoy five gourmet courses prepared by renowned chef Brian Collins of Ember Restaurant. This elegant dinner will be hosted by our owners Clay and Fredericka Thompson and winemaker Coby Parker-Garcia in our barrel room. Each course will be paired with some of the best library wines from our collection.
$120 Cellar Club Members | $130 Non-Members  |  Purchase Tickets

Time: 6pm

Saturday: May 6, 2017 Wine Library Grand Tasting

Experience a tasting showcasing the best vintages of our library wines. You’ll have the opportunity to taste and purchase from among two dozen white and red wines which have been carefully cellared for several years.
$15 Club  |  $25 General Admission  |  Purchase Tickets

Time: 1-4pm

Sunday: May 7, 2017 Wine & Cheese Pairing (Featuring Library Wines)

“Wine down” on Sunday in our garden patio with a flight of library wines and a gourmet cheese plate by Fromagerie Sophie. Each cheese has been specially selected to pair with these stellar wines.
$18 Club  |  $24 General Admission  |  Purchase Tickets

Times: 11:30am | 1:30pm | 3:30pm

Cheers!

Claiborne & Churchill Wine Library Weekend

Wednesday, March 2nd

Spring is on its way, and that means one of our favorite events of the year is around the bend! If you have never attended our annual Claiborne & Churchill Wine Library Weekend, you’re in for a treat. We’re pulling out our favorite vintages from the last decade – wines that have been waiting for their perfect moment to shine! Our Wine Library Winemaker Dinner on Friday, March 11 with Executive Chef Russell Thomas of Two Cooks Catering on Friday, March 11 is sold out, but we still have tickets left for our other events that weekend. We will be showcasing dozens of library wines over the course of the weekend. Below are a few of the wines we are most excited about!

2006 Pinot Gris
Contrary to the belief of many, certain white wines, when made and stored well, have remarkable aging potential. This is one reason why we are so excited to show off a 2006 Pinot Gris — one of the older wines we’ll be showcasing during the Library Grand Tasting! When this wine was released a decade ago, it was youthful and fresh with stone-fruit aromas and flavors. But as a good Pinot Gris matures, it takes on increasingly smokey and nutty nuances. This is a wine you’ll want to experience for yourself.

2007 Dry Gewürztraminer
If you’ve any spent time around Claiborne & Churchill, you know our deep love of Gewürtztraminer, a wine we usually serve in its youth. When young, Gewürz is aromatic, fresh, floral, and bright. In its later years, the complexity of the varietal is showcased, giving off a golden-hued color with spicy aromas, rich flavors of passion fruit, and a legendary long finish. Aged Gewürztraminer is one of the more unique tasting experiences we offer.

2008 Classic Pinot Noir
If you’ve wondered about the aging potential of our Pinot Noir, the 2008 Classic Pinot is the proof you are looking for. This wine won plenty of awards in its early days, showcasing ample fruit and a deep garnet color while maintaining a restrained elegance. With 8 years of bottle age on it, the 2008 Classic is burgundy-brown with herbaceous aromas and flavors of cranberry skins, pomegranate, and brown sugar. The long finish is smooth and velvety. This is a Pinot in its prime!

2006 Nektar (Late Harvest Riesling)
Are you on the fence about dessert wine? There is no better time than at our tasting to experience the remarkable, time-honored tradition of a fine, aged Late Harvest Riesling. Made in a style of an ice wine, our 2006 Nektar was pretty special at the time, and is even more exceptional after ten years of maturity in the bottle. Golden in color with a creamy and balanced mouthfeel, the 2006 Nektar has aromas of apple pie and flavors of cider and ripened peach. These wines are just a handful of the diverse offerings featured at our upcoming Wine Library Weekend. If you are interested in trying these wines and more, join us March 12-13 at one of our featured events! Ticket information below.

Upcoming Event: Claiborne & Churchill Wine Library Weekend
March 11-13, 2016

Wine Library Grand Tasting
March 12, 2016, 1-4 pm

Experience a tasting showcasing the best vintages of our library wines. You’ll have the opportunity to taste from among two dozen white and red wines which have been carefully cellared for several years. Love what you tried? You’ll also have the opportunity to purchase these wines and bring them home with you!

Price $15 Club | $25 General Admission → For Tickets, please click here.

Wine and Cheese Pairing (Featuring Library Wines)
March 13, 2016, 1-4 pm

“Wine down” on Sunday in our garden patio with a flight of library wines and a gourmet cheese plate featuring artisanal, European cheeses curated by Fromagerie Sophie. Each cheese has been specially selected to pair with these stellar library wines, poured at the peak of their aging potential. Don’t miss this special event!

$15 Club | $20 General Admission → For Tickets, please click here.

The Guest Cottage at Claiborne & Churchill is available for our Wine Library Weekend!

The Guest Cottage at Claiborne & Churchill Winery is conveniently located in the heart of wine country, just minutes from historic San Luis Obispo, the charming village of Arroyo Grande and the oceanfront town of Pismo Beach.  This charming two bedroom one bath guest house offers picturesque vineyard and mountain views and is the perfect place to relax and “wine-down”. Please visit VRBO/Homeaway Listing #820452, or email elizabeth@claibornechurchill.com for rates and more information. Claiborne & Churchill Cellar Club members will be offered a special, discounted price on their stays.

Cheese Plate from Fromagerie Sophie (part III)

Saturday, January 30th

Read below for a description of each Fromagerie Sophie and Claiborne & Churchill pairing, and if you like the sound of these, come in to our tasting room today to try them! See our Wine and Cheese Pairing Part I and II here.

4. 2013 Runestone Pinot Noir with Selles Sur Cher

When we had our staff tasting with Fromagerie Sophie, we learned that wine and cheese pairings should be complementary, delicious, and memorable, but that the best pairings are surprising. You can’t go wrong with goat cheese and Pinot, but this pairing of Claiborne & Churchill Runestone Pinot Noir and elegant Selles Sur Cher, a soft, french goat’s milk cheese dusted in black vegetable ash, really shocked us, and in a good way. Like the Runestone Pinot, this cheese has a long, fascinating finish that develops in the mouth over time.

The Mold and the Beautiful

The use of ash in cheesemaking is a technique that’s hundreds of years old. Originally meant to preserve the surface of young cheeses, it is now known that the use of ash helps in the development of beautiful, distinct surface molds, like those that you will find in this Selles Sur Cher goat cheese.

5. 2013 Syrah with Beenleigh Blue

Nothing pairs better with a bold, spicy red wine than blue cheese, and this pairing is no exception! Beenleigh Blue is a pasteurized sheep cheese made with vegetable rennet. It comes from Sharpham Barton, in South Devon (Southwestern England). The remarkably mild, elegant blue-veined cheese has unique, sweet aromas of nectar and honeysuckle, and its semi-soft, fudgy, flaky texture reminds us a bit of coconut. Only a few bottles left of this delicious Syrah!

All About Ewe

According to one of Beenleigh’s distributors – Neal’s Dairy Yard, in the UK – the milk for this English cheese comes from a flock of 250 ewes who graze on grass and clovers in the summer. Based on the time of year the cheese is made, it may take on distinct flavor characteristics: winter cheeses are more light and citrusy, while summer cheeses are more robust and earthy.

Enjoy these Pairings With Us

These pairings are a truly remarkable way to experience our fine wines and the incredible cheeses that Sophie and Paul have scoured the world for, bringing the best that Europe has to offer here to our little town on the Central Coast. Come experience these pairings daily at our Claiborne & Churchill tasting room, open daily from 11-5, and when you are done, stop by Fromagerie Sophie on Garden Street and pick up some cheese to pair with wines at your next gathering!

Wine Tasting Flight: $12 (Free for Cellar Club)

Cheese Plate with Pairing Guide: Small $12 ($9 for Cellar Club)

See our Wine and Cheese Pairing Part I and II here. Hope to see you in the tasting room soon!

A New Year, a New Look, and Two New Vintages

Tuesday, January 5th

 A New Year, a New Look, and Two New Vintages

Here at Claiborne & Churchill, we want to wish you all a very happy, healthy start to your 2016! In the spirit of celebrating “the new”, we have several announcements about exciting things happening at our winery in San Luis Obispo.

Renovated Tasting Room

We opened our straw bale winery here on the Central Coast back in 1996, and since then, we’ve grown a lot! For the last few years, we have put some serious elbow grease into expanding our garden area to accommodate more guests, and now we have an updated tasting room to go with it! Our indoor renovation includes a new feature wall and rolling barn door, both made with reclaimed wood from our old dairy barn. We now also have large crystal tasting glasses, new lighting, and a beautiful, custom stone-topped bar. Be sure bring your friends — with an expanded serving area, it’s the more the merrier. Added bonus: Ladies, you’ll be more comfortable than ever. (The new bar has hooks where you can hang your bags and coats!)

Now that our garden and tasting room are all ready for 2016, we’d love to host your next private event. Contact Angela at angela@claibornechurchill.com for details and pricing.

New Website

If you’re reading this blog, you may have noticed that we recently overhauled claibornechurchill.com with the goal of making our website more usable, visually pleasant, and informative for you. Feel free to explore our site, and if you’re new to our blog, check out some of our recent posts to learn about the 2015 harvest, recent events, and more.

Guest House Available for Vacation Rental

One of the more exciting pieces of news we have is that next door, we’ve been hard at work remodeling a two-bedroom duplex cottage on our property. Soon, it will be available for vacation rental! If you are from out of town, staying with us will be a marvelous way to enjoy the heart of wine country here in San Luis Obispo. Centrally located, we’re only a five minute drive to Pismo Beach and a fifteen-minute drive to Cal Poly. Stay tuned for photos of the space and pricing information. Note: Club members will have access to a special, discounted price on accommodations!

New Releases

This holiday season, we released brand new vintages of two of our most anticipated wines: 2013 Runestone Pinot Noir  and 2014 Pinot Blanc. Be sure to come by our tasting room for a pour of each of these exciting vintages.

To all our readers, Happy New Year, and we hope to see you soon!

’Tis the Season – Holiday Events at Claiborne & Churchill Winery

Wednesday, December 2nd

We can’t believe it’s already December! We’re decking the halls of our beautiful, newly remodeled tasting room, and to celebrate the holidays and share our new space with you, we are pleased to open our doors to friends, fans, new visitors, and our wine club with two festive events this week! Come raise your glass and enjoy the holidays with us!

Holiday Open House – Open to the Public
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Time: 5:30-8:00 pm
$5 tasting fee for visitors

In the giving spirit? We’ll comp your tasting fee if you bring canned goods or an unwrapped, new toy for donation to Season of Hope!

Join us in our newly renovated tasting room for a fun-filled evening of Holiday Shopping! Enjoy a tasting of our aromatic white wines (Dry Riesling, Dry Gewürztraminer) and hand-crafted Pinot Noirs and Syrah. Enjoy our live holiday music, and take advantage of great holiday wine specials. We can even create custom gift boxes for your friends, family, and co-workers! Come hungry: The Grilled Cheese Incident food truck will be there, too, selling their delicious sandwiches!

Cellar Club Pickup Party
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Complimentary for Club Members
Time: 3-5:30pm

If you’re in our Cellar Club, we hope you’ll join us to pick up and taste our Holiday wine selection. Enjoy small bites paired with the featured wines, listed below!

To RSVP to our Pick Up Party, click here.  All members are complimentary; guest tickets available for purchase by members.

HOLIDAY WINES

2014 Dry Riesling
A favorite around here! We couldn’t resist putting it in our Cellar Club Holiday Shipment.

2014 Pinot Blanc
Grown by our friends and neighbors at Laetitia Vineyard, this delicious white wine is 100% SIP Certified. Pressed whole-cluster and then fermented in well-seasoned, neutral French oak barrels, this wine has body, richness, and bracing acidity.

2013 Runestone Pinot Noir
After years of pouring our beloved Runestone Pinot Noir under our original gold and burgundy label, we knew it was time for an update. We are so excited to unveil our beautifully repackaged 2013 Runestone Pinot Noir, available to both the C&C Cellar Club and the public.

2013 Classic Pinot Noir
This stunning and well-priced 2013 Classic Pinot Noir is available to Cellar Club only for this shipment and this shipment alone!

From all of us at Claiborne & Churchill Winery, we wish you a happy start to your holiday season, and we hope to see you this week! If you are interested in receiving more information about our Wine Club, please follow this link.

Harvest 2015 with Winemaker Coby Parker-Garcia

Tuesday, September 15th

Harvest is in full swing here at Claiborne & Churchill! This week, we tracked down Coby in the cellar and asked him all our winemaking questions about Harvest 2015.

Harvest seems to be firing on all cylinders! How much have we picked so far?
As of this week, we are 95% done with picking everything. Pinot Gris from Laetitia came in yesterday. We also got Merlot from Vintage Cowboy, which will go into the Port. Last week, we finished picking Gewürztraminer, Estate Riesling, Riesling from Talley, and Pinot Noir from Wolff. We picked some Pinot Noir early for Rosé, too, to keep that low alcohol and good acidity. Everything is looking really good so far.

Any exciting new changes?
This year, we got Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from across the street at Greengate Ranch & Vineyard. That’s the first time we’ve gotten fruit from them, and we’re stoked about that. Also, recently Twin Creeks Vineyard was granted Estate status, which is really exciting. Now we can make Estate Pinot Noir using Twin Creeks fruit.

Any cool new winemaking gadgets you are using this year?
We have a new CO2 sprayer. It’s this tank that sprays carbon dioxide snow. It’s really fun to use.

What’s it for?
We add CO2 before and after fermentation. It’s a heavier gas, so it weighs down on top of the fruit to prevent it from touching oxygen.

Why don’t you want oxygen touching the wine?
Oxygen touches the fruit and juice throughout the winemaking process. It alters the color and flavor of the wine, and has the effect of aging it. We try to minimize that wherever possible. This CO2 helps us keep the wine from oxidizing.

Can you walk us through that process?
After the fruit comes in, we process it, and then we put it into three-quarter or one-and-a-half ton fermenters. Then, we spray CO2 on top, or we can gas a whole tank with CO2 before we put the fruit in. In those cases, we fill the tank with carbon dioxide so it’s filled with heavy gas. Then when the fruit goes into the tank, it hits CO2 instead of oxygen. That is really important in preserving the quality of the wine.

We’ve heard you can use CO2 spray, or use dry ice instead. Is that true?
Yes, but dry ice chills the fruit down. If you add enough of it, it will actually lower the temperature of the must. Even though the CO2 is cold, it won’t have the same chilling effect on the fruit. Dry ice is really good, but it’s expensive. Instead of using dry ice, we pick our fruit early in the morning or late at night. When the fruit comes in, it’s already really cold, so we don’t really need to make it colder.

Doesn’t wine release it’s own carbon-dioxide during fermentation?
Yes. For example, when we are doing punchdowns, manually pushing down the cap of the wine, CO2 will come up. But as fermentation goes on, that slows down. Toward the end, very little CO2 is being made naturally. That’s where it can become a problem. When oxygen reaches the wine at that point, it can create volatile acidity and other issues. You spray the C02 over the bin, and it’s like a blanket. It keeps the wine safe.

So, it’s super important.
Yep. Really important.

Have any winemaking or harvest questions for our winemaker? Comment below, and we’ll choose a few questions to answer in later posts!

The Dark Side of Claiborne & Churchill Winery: Pinot Noir

Tuesday, February 3rd

Though our name Claiborne & Churchill Winery is synonymous with Alsatian-style dry Riesling and Gewürztraminer, we have also developed a reputation for complex, layered Pinot Noirs from the Edna Valley of San Luis Obispo. We’re taking a look at our three staple Pinot’s: “Classic” Pinot Noir, “Runestone” Pinot Noir, “Twin Creeks” Pinot Noir and a brand new release our “Twin Creeks” Pinot Noir, Martini Clone.

“All three Pinot Noirs are very different in flavor profile, but similar in style,” said Winemaker, Coby Parker-Garcia. “At Claiborne & Churchill we do not produce an extracted, heavy Pinot Noir. Instead, we try to reflect Pinot Noir’s inherent elegance and complexity. All our grapes are grown within 3.5 miles of the Pacific Ocean, which helps when it comes to balance between acidity and fruit, as well as aging potential.”

2012 Classic Pinot Noir (1,222 cases produced, $28)
Since the late 1980s the “Classic” Pinot Noir has been a staple of our repertoire, and has always been made to showcase the elegance and complexities of Pinot Noir from the Edna Valley. With fruit sourced from Wolff Vineyards and Twin Creeks Vineyards, the 2012 vintage balances flavors of ripe cherries, herbs and spices and aromas of vanilla, cherries, and lightly toasted oak. The Classic Pinot’s smooth mouthfeel, silky tannins, and good acidity makes this wine a perfect match for wild Alaskan salmon, lamb chops, duck breast, and an assortment of cheeses.

2012 Twin Creeks Pinot Noir (236 cases produced, $42)
Production of the Twin Creeks Pinot Noir is extremely limited and sold primarily to members of our Cellar Club and in the tasting room. This wine is distinguished by its source: a collection of small vineyards on and around Twin Creeks Way, just down the road from the winery. These vineyards’ special soil and clonal selections help give the Twin Creeks its famous bold and spicy flavors, vivid cola and earthy aromas, and outstanding ageability. Pair it with lamb, duck, or beef bourguignon.

2012 Runestone Pinot Noir (173 cases produced, $48)
To produce the coveted Runestone Pinot Noir, winemaker, Coby Parker-Garcia selected eight standout barrels from the 2012 vintage, which he blended together to create a remarkably elegant yet complex wine. Fruit was sourced from Twin Creeks Vineyard, located on the west side of the Edna Valley, where the cool, coastal climate and heavy clay soils provides exceptional quality; as well as Wolff Vineyards, on the east side, which grows Pinot Noir that yields undeniably fleshy fruit-forward flavors. Together, these vineyards produce a wine that balances its soft tannin and velvety mouth feel with ample fruit notes. Our 2012 Runestone Pinot Noir offers vivid aromas of cherry, dried strawberries, and hints of oak. The palate is complex, layered with bright cherry, sweet raspberry, dark fruit and baking spice, with a finish that is ethereal and long lasting. A quintessential wine for pairing with winter fare, the 2012 Runestone Pinot Noir complements rack of lamb, sage-brushed turkey, and wild Alaskan salmon, and will continue to develop and improve over the next 8-10 years. Sold exclusively to members of our Cellar Club.

2013 Twin Creeks Pinot Noir, Martini Clone (126 cases produced, $46)
As mentioned above, our Twin Creeks Pinot Noir is a wine that delivers great structure, earth and spice notes, and outstanding ageability. As it happens, the four vineyards that make up the “Twin Creeks” bottling boast three different clones of Pinot Noir and two different rootstocks. With the intent to showcase the different Pinot Noir clones in our Twin Creeks Vineyards we decided to start producing small bottlings of each individual clone.

We are now excited to announce the release of our first ever clonal-select Pinot Noir, the 2013 Twin Creeks “Martini” clone. This clone has a rich history in California. It was originally brought to California from France to produce sparkling wine, but has since then been the basis for many exceptional Pinot Noirs. This Pinot Noir has a light ruby color and delivers beautiful floral and vanilla aromas with hints of sweet cherries and dried herbs. On the palate, the wine balances bright red fruit flavors, nice acid, and a youthful mouthfeel. You might want to open this wine a couple of hours prior to serving, or decant it if you wish. This Pinot will age nicely for the next 7-9 years. Sold exclusively to members of our Cellar Club.

Claiborne & Churchill Wine Library Weekend

Wednesday, January 21st

Friday, February 20 | 6PM
Winemaker Dinner
Club: $75 | General $95

Kick off this exciting weekend on Friday with a gourmet winemaker dinner highlighting notable vintages of wines from our cellar. This will be a fun and educational dinner guided by our winemaker Coby Parker-Garcia and owner Clay Thompson. Enjoy six unique courses perfectly paired with Claiborne & Churchill Library Wines. *Limited Seating Available*

Saturday, February 21 | 1-4PM
Wine Library Grand Tasting
Club: $15 | General: $25

Experience a tasting showcasing the best vintages of our library wines. You’ll have the opportunity to taste and purchase from among two dozen white and red wines which have been carefully cellared for several years.

Sunday, February 22 | 11-4PM
Wine and Cheese Pairing
Club: $15 | $20

“Wine down” on Sunday in our garden patio with a flight of library wines and a gourmet cheese plate by Fromagerie Sophie. Each cheese has been specially selected to pair with these stellar wines.

The Wine Library Weekend is the perfect opportunity to taste and
broaden your palate with these rare and limited production wines!

PURCHASE TICKETS at WWW.CLAIBORNECHURCHILL.COM
or CALL US AT (805) 544-4066.

Claiborne & Churchill 2014 Holiday Wine Tasting Notes Video: 2013 Chardonnay, 2012 “Runestone” Pinot Noir,
2012 Clueless Red

Tuesday, December 16th

We hope you enjoy our Holiday Wine Tasting Notes Video by Owner Clay Thompson and Winemaker Coby Parker-Garcia.

2013 Chardonnay, Righetti Vineyard: Whether it’s rosemary-roasted Cornish game hen or butternut squash and pumpkin ravioli, serving up a glass of Chardonnay from the Edna Valley AVA is a guaranteed way to bring out the most in your meal. Continue reading here.

2012 “Runestone” Pinot Noir: After its 8 month absence, our limited production, barrel-selected Runestone Pinot Noir is back! Winemaker Coby Parker-Garcia selected 8 standout barrels from the 2012 vintage, which he blended together to create a remarkably elegant, yet complex wine. Contiunue reading here.

2012 Clueless Red: Starting with the 2008 vintage, we released a new blend with a “puzzling” wine label by the name of Clueless Red. It bore nothing more than a crossword puzzle. The puzzles and blends changed every year, sparking excitement with every vintage. Continue reading here.

Claiborne & Churchill 2014 Fall Wine Tasting Notes Video: 2012 Estate Dry Riesling, 2013 Pinot Blanc,
2012 “Classic” Pinot Noir, 2012 Malbec

Thursday, September 25th

Tasting Notes:

2012 Estate Dry Riesling: 2012 marked the fourth official harvest of our SIP (Sustainability in Practice) Certified Estate Riesling vineyard. And what a great vintage it turned out to be! Rather than releasing this soon after bottling (as we do with our Central Coast Dry Riesling)…Continue reading here.

2013 Pinot Blanc: Speaking of SIP, we are happy to source sustainably grown Pinot Blanc from our neighbors down at Laetitia Vineyards. This rich and mouth-filling wine delivers intense jasmine, peach, and citrus aromas while offering flavors of melon, toasted almond, and spice. Continue reading here.

2012 “Classic” Pinot Noir: Since the late 1980’s our “Classic” Pinot Noir has been a staple of Claiborne & Churchill. It has always been made to showcase the elegance and complexities of Pinot Noir from the Edna Valley. Continue reading here.

2012 Malbec: Malbec is back! It’s been over 3 years since we last released our Malbec, and we couldn’t be more excited to have it back in our line-up. Continue reading here.