R&B CELLARS BLUE NOTE NEWSLETTER
May/June 2010
R&B Cellars
is Alameda's largest family-owned winery. Since 1997, R&B Cellars
has grown from 230 to 12,000 cases produced annually across nine
varietals.
  
Winery: Alameda Point Vintners at Rock Wall Wine Company � 2301 Monarch St., Alameda, CA 94501
Office: 1835 San Jose Ave. Alameda, CA 94501 | 510-749-8477 office | 510-749-8481 fax
info@rbcellars.com
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Secret Eats
Kevin and Barbara Brown of R&B Cellars on
Their Alameda Foodie Faves
Business is intoxicating down at R&B Cellars, an
Alameda family-owned winery. "We have just released our new port," explains
Barbara Brown, who makes the wine alongside husband Kevin. "It is absolutely
delicious - a true port in everything but name and made from two Portuguese
port grapes, Tinta Madeira and Touriga." Additionally, the Browns are
celebrating their sweep of the San
Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, where their 2005 Napa Valley Reserve
Cabernet took "Double Gold," "Best of Class" and "Judges' Choice." Oenophiles
can judge for themselves at R&B's cooperative tasting room at Alameda Point
Vintners in Rock Wall Wine Company on the old Naval Air Base. ("Taste the wines
of six different wineries - the first flight is free!" says Brown.) What to
pair with it - perhaps something at one of these Alameda foodie destinations
and Brown favorites?
Click here to read the full article.
-Kimberly Chun
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R&B Cellars Open House @ Alameda Point Vintners
April 24, 2010
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Rotary Club Winemaker Dinner
at Ana Mandara Resaurant
Sponsored by the San Francisco Rotary
May 24th, 6:00pm
891 Beach Street, San Francisco 94109
 Ana Mandara's Chef Khai Duong has prepared a wonderful menu to go along with Kevin Brown's wine from R&B Cellars.
ANA
MANDARA
Pre
Fixe Menu
STARTER
LEMONGRASS
CHICKEN SKEWERS
Honey,
Ginger, Garlic Marinade
VEGETARIAN
CRISPY ROLLS
Rice
Paper, Tofu, Carrots, Wood Ear Mushrooms
BANANA BLOSSOM SALAD
Grapefruit,
Rau Ram, Kaffir Lime, Citrus Vinaigrette
ENTREE
TRADITIONAL
CARAMELIZED CLAYPOT FISH
Basa,
Ginger - Caramel Sauce, Sugar Snap Peas
SAUTEED
GARLIC PRAWNS
House
- Made Tomato - Rice Wine Sauce, Brown
Rice
CRISPY
SKIN FIVE SPICED POUSSIN
Sugar
Snap Peas, White Corn Pilaf, Tamarind Sauce
WOKKED
LEMONGRASS BEEF
Vermicelli
Rice Noodles, Peanuts, Fried Shallots
DESSERTS
VALRHONA
DARK CHOCOLATE SEMIFREDDO
Raspberry
Sauce
SELECTION
OF HOUSE - MADE ICE CREAM OR SORBET
$ 70.00 inclusive of tax & gratuity
One selection per course
$10.00 Wine flights per person
Open to the public.
Please call (415) 218-3636 or email coodinator@hathawaypr.com
for more information and/or reservations.
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From the Winemakers
The URBAN Wine Scene
Did you know that the East Bay is full of fabulous wineries? Surprisingly, there are still many people who are not aware of the burgeoning, vibrant, urban wine scene we have here in the East Bay. R&B Cellars is just one of many excellent wineries found in this booming wine arena. No longer do you have to travel up to Sonoma or Napa and pay exorbitant prices to go wine tasting. The wine country is right here in your back yard with over twenty wineries in Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland and Alameda, all of whom produce wine of exceptional quality, often with an eye on keeping prices competitive. R&B Cellars is leading the charge for delivering quality at great pricing.The East Bay Vintners Alliance (EBVA), which is in it's third year and is now 21 wineries strong, offers wine lovers a fantastic wine tasting experience - many of the wineries with tasting rooms - others are by appointment only. EBVA has two big wine tasting events a year. In March, the "Passport to the East Bay Wine Trail" opens the EBVA member's winery doors to pour their wares and showcase local cuisine pairings, highlighting the quality of their wine for locals and visitors alike.The Urban Wine Experience (UWX), which is coming up soon - Saturday, July 31st - is at the old Barnes & Nobles location in Jack London Square in Oakland. EBVA members will pair with their favorite local restaurants to create a fantastic afternoon of wine and food. R&B will be pairing with one of its very favorite restaurants, Asena Restaurant in Alameda. There will be live music brought to you by Yoshi's.
Another urban wine attraction is the Alameda Point Vintners, (APV) a collective of vintners who call the cooperative facility Rock Wall Wine Company their home. Once an airplane hanger on the old Naval Air Base, this facility houses a large production facility, which all the wineries share, and a cooperative tasting room. R&B Cellars is the largest and the oldest (since 1997) of the wineries in this cooperative. There are lots of other wonderful brands, including Carica Wines, Ehrenberg Cellars, Eno Wines, Rock Wall Winery, JRE Cellars, and Blacksmith Cellars, to name a few.Where can you go taste the wines of several different winemakers at one time? There might be one or two up in "traditional" wine country, but where can you get the first flight free, pay an additional $5 for the second flight and then apply it to the purchase of wines? It's our tasting room at Alameda Point Vintners! Sometimes our tasting room manager, Melanie Matzorkis, will do a "comparison" flight of zins, where you can taste and experience the various winery's zinfandels, and the different artistic and individual approaches in making wine. It's a lot of fun and when the weather is nice, we open our huge hanger doors to the fabulous San Francisco skyline.- Barbara Brown
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R&B Cellars Wine now available at all performances!
We're always looking to expand our
refreshments with high-quality goodies from local businesses. Starting
with our 2010 production of Sylvia, we're adding organic, from-scratch
artisan cookies from Feel Good Bakery and wine from R&B Cellars! If you've attended our complimentary receptions after Opening Night
of every show, you've already had a sample of R&B's handcrafted
wines, which we've served alongside the creative hors d'oeuvres provided
by Mona's Table.
We're continuing to expand our refreshment offerings, so that the
best live theater experience in Alameda can be complemented by some of
the best food and wine in Alameda!
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New Offerings
R&B Cellars Fortissimo Port
(Available now!)
Meet the newest member of R&B's family of wines,
R&B Cellars Fortissimo Port.
Varietal Breakdown:
50% Tinta Madeira
50% Touriga Nacional
Produced with a blend of the 2005 and 2007
vintages of both grapes.
375 mL - $20
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R&B's Upcoming Events and Tastings
May 19 - Wine Tasting at Grapeables Wine Bar
& Lounge, Fountain Hills, AZ, 5:30pm May 22 - R&B Cellars is the Featured Winery @ Alameda Point Vintners Rock Wall Wine Co., 2301 Monarch St., Alameda. Taste our whole line-up! 12:00pm - 6:00pm May 22 - Uncorked! Wine Festival, Ghiradelli Square , San Francisco, 1:00pm - 6:00pm. LOTS of wineries! Click here for more info. Click here for tickets.
May 24 - R&B Cellars Rotary
Club Winemaker Dinner, Ana Mandera Restaurant 891 Beach St., San Francisco, 6:00pm. July 24 - Alameda Point Vintners @ Rock Wall - OPEN HOUSE. Six wineries, delicious catered food by Bistro Zafari, live music, and the most exceptional view of the San Francisco Skyline. 2301
Monarch Street in Alameda. 12:00pm - 5:00pm.
July 31 - East Bay Vintners Alliance (EBVA) Urban Wine Experience (UWX) in Jack London Square. 21 wineries, each paired with a local restaurant. Live music will be provided by Yoshi's!! (And food too!!) R&B is pairing with one of their favorites - Asena Restaurant in Alameda. 12:00pm - 6:00pm On-going Events: Flights & Bites at the beautiful Claremont Resort in Berkeley. Features the wineries of the East Bay Vintners Alliance. Wines are paired with delicious food by the Meritage Restaurant. June 17, R&B will be one of the featured wineries. For reservations go to OpenTable.com Concerts At The Cove, Crab Cove in Alameda. Free outdoor concerts presented by WABA and the East Bay Regional Parks. Friday's from 5:30pm - 7:30pm. You'll find R&B's wines there!
Friday, June 17th - Foreverland - A 14 piece band paying tribute to Michael Jackson
Friday, July 9 - Fito Reinoso y Su Ritmo y Armonia (Cuban, Timba, Salsa)
Friday, August - Casino Royale - (hits from the 60s, 70s, and 80s)
*For additional information please email info@rbcellars.com or call (510) 749-8477.
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Alameda Point Vintners is right here in Alameda!
2301 Monarch Street
(@ Rock Wall Wine Co.
on the old Naval Air Base)
OUR TASTING ROOM IS OPEN
Thursday - Sunday, 12pm-6pm Come and enjoy the
Urban Wine Country Experience
Seven wineries and lots of different wines to taste.
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R & B Cellars 2007 "Swingsville",
Zinfandel, Lodi
GOLD MEDAL
91 Points - Best Buy
Aromas of black raspberries, honey ice cream, and clay follow through on a supple,
juicy entry to a fruity-yet-dry medium body with very good depth and balance.
Finishes with a long, spicy, jammy soft tannin fade. A tasty crowd pleaser;
serve with deep-dish pizza. (tasted on Apr-19-2010)
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R & B Cellars received the 2010 CMUS Talk of the Town award for Excellence in Customer Satisfaction
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R & B Cellars: The Featured Winery at Alameda Point Vintners @
Rock Wall.
Come and join Kevin and Barbara this Saturday, May 22nd from 12 - 6pm to taste the entire R&B line-up, including the new Port! Get a sneak preview of the Napa Valley Petite Sirah. (Barrel sample - to be bottled in July)
Alameda Point Vinters @ Rock Wall. 2301 Monarch Street in Alameda.
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R&B Cellars In The Media
Southern Beverage Journal's
From the Vineyard reviews R&B
Cellars' bargain wines...
"R&B Cellars has found that
the best blend of a certain
varietal will be better with a
mix of vineyards within a region,
and that blending in a small amount of complementary varietal can add significantly to the complexity of the final wine.
With that in mind, R&B Cellars offers its 2007 Swingsville Zinfandel, North Coast, 2006 Saxy Syrah and 2007 Sauvignon Blanc Serenade in Blanc each priced under $13. The 2007 Swingsville Zinfandel is made of zinfandel and petite sirah both from the LDL Vineyard of 70 year old vines. The Saxy Syrah is a blend of Napa syrah with Sonoma syrah and a touch of Lodi viognier for complex, intense flavors. Although the Sauvignon Blanc Serenade in Blanc is made of 100% sauvignon blanc, to give the wine richness and complexity it is blended with Lake County sauvignon blanc that was fermented in stainless steel with Mendocino sauvignon blanc that was barrel fermented."
Blake Grey, former wine writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, offers his take on R&B from a posting on his blog, The Grey Market Report...
"R&B Cellars makes a very nice $12 Zin from Lodi, the 2007
Swingsville, an old Bargain Wines favorite of mine..."http://wblakegray.blogspot.com/2010/01/wines-to-look-for-at-zap.htmlDave Buchanan of the Grand Junction Sentinel, has this to say about R&B... "...I most enjoyed the Sauvignon Blanc ($13), with hints of grapefruit, melon and enough minerality to sparkle on the tongue."
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Featured Recipe
Fortissimo Port Chicken with
Haricot Vert
1 lb. - boneless, skinless breast of chicken 1 - medium onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup - R&B Fortissimo "Port"
Dessert Wine 2 cups - chicken broth (low sodium and reduced
fat) 1 tbsp - flour for dusting, additional flour for
sauce thickening 1 tbsp - butter Olive oil for sauteing
Salt & pepper
Preparation:
1) Dust chicken breast with flour, season with salt
& pepper.
2) Melt the butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil in skillet.
Lightly brown the chicken on both sides. When cooked through - about 2 minutes - remove to a warm
platter in the oven.
3) Add more olive oil to the pan, if necessary,
and saut� the sliced onion until soft and translucent.
4) Add the remaining flour (1 - 2 teaspoon) to the onions and cook for about a minute.
5) Add the chicken
broth and the R&B Port and reduce until thickened, scraping up the brown
"bits" in the pan.
6) Spoon sauce over the chicken and serve with sauteed or steamed haricot vert and rice pilaf or your favorite noodle.
Winemaker's Comments: This "port" is made from
traditional Portuguese grapes, Tinta Madeira and Touriga Nacional, and in the traditional Portuguese manner. The age
of the vineyard shows in the richly developed and flavorful fruit. This wine
shows a lush array of plum, cherry, tobacco, and leather. The richness is mouth
filling and the finish shows hints of hazelnuts and dark chocolate and goes on
forever. To be enjoyed alone, with a fine cigar or for a lighter dessert treat,
drizzle some over a good vanilla ice cream. Ice cream never tasted so good!
Enjoyment:
Crack open a bottle of R&B's Fortissimo Port, pour, and enjoy.
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Team "Fermented"
came in second place in the fund-raising contest, raising $28,000!
Kevin
and Barbara show off their new skis alongside celebrity skier, Leif
Grevley, and Mark Baldwin at the Vertical Express Awards in Vail,
Colorado. Team "Fermented" received 2nd place in the fund-raising
contest.
R&B Cellars is
the
National Wine Sponsor for
Can Do Multiple Sclerosis.
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Tasters Guild 2010 International Wine Judging
2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Gold Medal
Fortissimo "Port" Dessert Wine
Gold Medal
2007 Swingsville Zinfandel
Gold Medal
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Awards
| Tasters Guild 2010 International Wine Judging
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon - Gold Medal
2007 Swingsville Zinfandel - Gold Medal
Fortissimo Port - Gold Medal
2007 Zydeco Zinfandel - Silver Medal
2010 San Francisco Chronicle
Wine Competition:
2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Triple Gold Medal, "Best of Class" "Judges' Choice"
2009 California State
Fair Wine Competition:
2007 Serenade in Blanc Sauvignon
Blanc -
Best of Class of Region North Coast Appellation Gold Medal, 94 Points
One of California's top 11 white wines!
Critics Challenge International Wine Competition:
2007 Zydeco Zinfandel - Gold Medal
2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Gold Medal
Florida State Fair
International Wine Competition:
2007 Serenade in Blanc Sauvignon Blanc - Double Gold
2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Gold Medal
2006 Saxy Syrah - Gold Medal
Dallas Morning News
Wine Competition:
2006 Counterpoint Cabernet Franc - Gold Medal
Lodi International
Wine Awards:
2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Distinguished Gold
Just Wine Points:
2006 Counterpoint Cabernet Franc - 93 points
2007 Zydeco Zin - 94 points
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CALL THE WINERY TODAY (510-749-8477), MENTION THE NEWSLETTER AND GET A 15% DISCOUNT ON ALL ORDERS.
OFFER ENDS JUNE 15TH.
R&B Cellars 2005 Reserve
Cabernet
Sauvignon
"BEST
OF CLASS"
"JUDGES' CHOICE"
Triple Gold Medal
San Francisco Chronicle
Wine Competition This award validates R&B
Cellars' commitment to
a traditional, European Reserve Cabernet
Sauvignon program.
To
stand out amongst almost 5,000 wines tasted this year, is an incredible
proof point that using all brand new French Oak, ten different cooperages, an extended aging time (both barrel and bottle), the finest Napa Valley estate
grapes and the magic of an experienced wine-making team, allows us to
offer the finest Napa Cabernet available on the market.
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R&B Cellars, home of the wine that swings!
Keep on swingin'!
www.rbcellars.com
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