Pinot Noir has joined the lineup as a little hidden gem.
only released 3 Debut year 2021 wine, idyllic time wine The flagship Syrah/Pinot Noir blend Syrapino won gold medals and a 92 point rating at the USA Wine Rating Competition, and silver medals at the Sunset International Wine Competition and the Orange County Fair Commercial Wine Competition.And the winery has scored a major local win by becoming a leading choice on newly opened wineries’ wine lists. barrel steak house.
It’s no surprise that the winery is doing so well. Founded in 1999 by Anthony Escover, his Idyll Time Vineyard in Hollister, Syrah, Zinfandel and Pinot his noir grapes have been in high demand from the beginning at wineries such as Pesagno, Carrera and Real. After his passing in 2016, Anthony’s daughter, Joan Escover, his grandson Nathan Chan, and Nathan’s wife, Alexia, continue to manage the family’s business and quality.
They also have a secret weapon in Alchemy’s veteran winemaker, Al DeRose. Derose Wines.
“Al is a really, really nice guy and a true artist,” said Escover. “He knows his wine, but he also knows what his business is about. ‘Here’s the cost, here’s the numbers, here’s the math.’
But what really impressed Escover was that DeRose wanted to make wines to her liking, not necessarily his.
“Basically, I like the way he said, ‘How do you want me to make this?'” she said. ‘And I could tell him, ‘Look, I don’t really like dry wines. We worked together to make these wines.”
Last year, Idyll Time released three 2019 wines from its own vineyards: The Beginning Syrapinot, Genesis Syrah and Zinny Zin Zinfandel.
This year we offer the same three reds as the 2020 vintage, now branded as Manifestation Cirapino, Mysteria Syrah and Firebird Zinfandel. However, they continue with their unique marketing. If you buy three of his wines from this or the previous vintage together, you’ll receive a gift box with a set of art prints based on the label design.
This year, it expanded the line and made the industry term for unlabeled bottles, “shiners,” available to the public through its website. Intended for gift giving and restaurant use, it can be customized with a variety of labels.
This is a very intentional marketing move on the part of Escover who owns it. JP graphicsis a large, full-service printing and design company located in Santa Clara. Part of her business interest comes from a marketing perspective, trying to find a way to bring new labels to market.
“I started with Cirapino, trying to take a place and pitch it to retailers,” she said. “I went to the manager or owner, wrote a nice letter, brought some wine, and I never got a reply. The goal is to get 10 cases out a week.”
Having a print shop means Escover can offer peripheral services such as private labeling and printing restaurant menus and promotional materials, but success has been mixed.
“We asked a place to sample our wines,” she said. , he told me he had to sell the wine for $8.50 a bottle I just can’t make that break and they tell me they can’t sell the wine at the bar But look, what they’re trying to sell is cheap wine that isn’t very good.”
Grocery stores are another stumbling block, Escover said, with major wine distributors pushing to create more shelf space for their products while pushing other winemakers out of the way.
“What I didn’t know was that they would come in and say to the shopkeeper, ‘If you want a prisoner, you’ve got to get this other wine too,'” she said. , meaning smaller wineries like ours have less chance of finding shelf space in the big supermarkets.”
But Escover has a strong desire to preserve his father’s vineyards, with the help of a world-class winemaker, and the marketing and design flair to make Idyll Time stand out in the crowd.
“I asked Nathan when he started giving us five years to make this a successful business,” she said. “I am determined to do it, and more importantly, I have really great wines to promote. Just try our wines and I know they will fall in love with them.”
idyllic time wine wine
2020 Idyll Time Firebird Zinfandel ($45) – Named after the idea of a phoenix rising from the ashes, this wine celebrates the Idyll Time Vineyards, which suffered no smoke damage from the recent fires. The wine is not smoky, with light notes of pomegranate and pepper. Full mouthfeel with balanced tannins, a touch of acidity and an elegant peppery finish. Escover’s fruity tendencies are less pronounced in this wine, trading some of the fruit for mature, deep flavors. A great wine for Christmas turkey and ham, and bold enough to stand up to heavier dishes like pasta with red sauce or pizza. Very adaptable and very tasty.
2020 Idyll Time Manifestation Syrapinot ($25) – I witnessed the blending of this wine and was amazed at how easy it was under DeRose’s guidance. And the wine lives on in my memories of that day. A blend of 35% Syrah and 65% Pinot Noir, the aroma is a subtle mix of cranberry and dried tobacco. The wine opens with dark cherries that transition to citrus and berries, with slight acid notes brightening it up and ending with a lingering dry oak. This isn’t serious wine for those moments when you’re deep in ominous thoughts about the nature of the universe while smoking a cigar by the fire. b) A carefree wine made for observing butterflies while sipping and eating chocolate truffles. It’s a very enjoyable wine and one of my picks from what I’ve tasted.
2020 Idyll Time Mystery Syrah ($65) – This is a fuller-bodied wine that retains the smoothness and sumptuous finish of the Cirapino. The fruit here is raspberry, with just the right amount of peppery browning in the back of the throat and just enough tannin to bind and grind the flavors together. This is a very good dinner wine and pairs well with Portobello his grilled mushrooms, delicious barbecue, roast his lamb or a nice slice of chocolate cake.
2020 “Shiners” ($25) – Intended for restaurants, private label and gift packaging, these bottles have no front label and can be customized for shipping. It’s a pizza wine, a funny, rambunctious Zinfandel that starts very smoothly and offers a playful sassiness towards the finish.
But the star here is Pinot Noir. “Some people tried the Cirapino and asked why there was no Pinot,” Escaver said. “So we decided to bottle some of the Pinot so that the restaurant could put their own label on it. And this is a great Pinot. The grapes are unbelievable.” With supple, rich fruit front and center, this Pinot is reminiscent of sunshine, blossoms on the trees, and spring, with a long, complex finish that leaves you wanting more. A gorgeous wine. Cirapino is my favourite, but this one is definitely a must try.
BenitoLink thanks the underwriters. Hollister Supermarket and Windmill Market For expanding the Eat, Drink, Taste series and providing readers with interesting stories. Hollister Supermarket (his two locations in Hollister) and Windmill Market (located in San Juan Bautista) support reports about the inspiring and creative people behind many of the delicious foods and drinks made in San Benito County. doing. All editorial decisions are made by BenitoLink.