We finally have good shipping weather! I’ve been shipping to most states the past two weeks, so if you have an order in, you’ll receive your wine soon!

Thanks to all our fans who ordered wine. We really appreciate the support!

Did you see the 3-pack Vertical Special we have of our Dead Fred Cabernet Sauvignon?

You could have it in time for Halloween! ($120.00 shipping included) You get 1 bottle of each:

2006 Selene Dead Fred Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (92 WS, 90 WA, 90 WE)

2007 Selene Dead Fred Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (91 WS, 91 WA, 93 WE)

2008 Selene Dead Fred Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (89 WS, 90+ WA, 90 WE)

Get those orders in!! www.selenewines.com – Skippy

There really hasn’t been much to report or talk about this harvest, so far, except for rain.

We have had rain when it was forecast, and we’ve had it when it wasn’t forecasted.

When Mia first heard about the first big rain that was coming, she called Larry Hyde right away to get on his picking schedule.

We picked the Hyde Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc on October 3rd, just before the first storm hit. (Just happens to be the same day we picked last year.)

The Blessing of the Grapes we went to at Hyde before harvest helped us bring it all in safely.

The 2011 Selene Sauvignon Blanc will be the 20th vintage of Selene Sauvignon Blanc from Hyde Vineyards!

It’s fermenting away in barrels and tastes like guava, kiwi, and pink grapefruit.

This week Mia has been tromping through vineyards checking on grapes, sugars, and vines.

We went up to Calistoga to see the Merlot at Frediani Vineyard for Selene, and to St. Helena to check on all of Bressler Vineyards grapes.

On the way up valley, it was weird to see, and hear, so many of the big wind machines running in the vineyards in broad daylight. I could see how powerful they are, with the vines really moving under their simulated wind power. Mia said it was a way to help dry out the vines and get air flowing around the grapes.

Frediani Merlot looks really good this year, with a very nice set. The rain didn’t set it back too far, so Mia has scheduled it for picking October 20th.

The Bressler Vineyards vines and grapes look really good. The Cab Franc and Merlot and Petite Verdot all taste really good. Mia has scheduled the Merlot and Petite Verdot picking for October 14th.

So far all the vineyards Mia has visited seemed to have faired well. Mountain vineyards have drained well, and the valley floor vineyards get your floor mats in your truck dirty.

This year is different for me, as I’ve never seen so much ‘green’ in the rows between the vines before harvest. It’s weird to see a cover crop or weeds growing when we would normally be irrigating. (look closely at the pictures posted above) Mia mentioned that there hasn’t been much, if any, irrigation this year.

Like every other winemaker, Mia’s hoping for nothing but sunshine until everyone gets their grapes in. – Skippy

Hello from Selene!

What a crazy weather year! Summer has finally arrived in Napa and we are gearing up for Harvest. With that, we are ready to release the latest Sauvignon Blanc, and we have a special 3-pack Vertical of Dead Fred Cabernet Sauvignon.

2010 Selene Sauvignon Blanc Hyde Vineyards (550 cases $28.00/bottle) The 2010 Selene Sauvignon Blanc is Mia’s favorite vintage since 2000! She says it is one of the more perfect vintages for Sauvignon Blanc. It was a summer on the cooler side of average. With few spells of particularly hot or cold temps; a moderate size crop; and an autumn featuring slow, even ripening weather that allowed a rare October pick. Some of the most flavorful and intense grapes Mia can remember. She used a new “sequential fermentation” technique on about 40% of the blend to optimize flavor, intensity, and texture. Here are her tasting notes:

Tangerine, cantaloupe, white nectarine, green mango, honeysuckle, beeswax, cardamom, and chrysanthemum. Mouthwatering, intense, viscous, and long. Yum.

Special 3 bottle Vertical of Dead Fred Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon $120.00 We haven’t released the 2008 Selene Dead Fred Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon yet, so here’s your chance to get a sneak peek. We are offering up a special 3 bottle vertical of Dead Fred. Here’s what you get for $120.00 shipping included! – 1 bottle each of the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Selene Dead Fred Cabernet.

2006 Selene Cabernet Sauvignon Dead Fred Vineyard (580 cases – Release price $50.00/bottle) Wine Spectator 92 points, Wine Advocate 90 points

2007 Selene Cabernet Sauvignon Dead Fred Vineyard (380 cases – Release price $50.00/bottle) Wine Enthusiast 93 points, Wine Spectator 91 points, Wine Advocate 91 points.

2008 Selene Cabernet Sauvignon Dead Fred Vineyard (148 cases – Release price $50.00/bottle) Wine Enthusiast 90 points, Wine Advocate 90+ points.

Finally, we still have some 2008 Merlot and 2005 Chesler in stock. If you have these in your cellar, they are tasting awesome right now:

2008 Selene Merlot Frediani Vineyard(378 cases produced $35.00/bottle) Wine Spectator 92 points.

2005 Selene ‘Chesler’ Red Wine (50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Merlot) (292 cases $50.00/bottle) Wine Spectator 92 points, Wine Advocate 92 points, Wine Enthusiast 91 points.

Remember the 10% discount on 1 mixed case, and 20% discount on 2 mixed cases! Plus, 2-day Air shipping is included on all orders over $100. We will hold your order for you, (not charge your credit card) until the weather improves for shipping.

We can accept your orders on the BUY page of the website: www.selenewines.com , or print out the Order Form from the BUY page and fax or mail it to us.

Cheers,

Mia Klein and Tracy Hall

Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Walnut Creek, presents an evening with Winemaker Mia Klein.

~Tuesday, July 19, 2011 ~ 6:00 p.m.

This evenings pairings feature Mia’s personal label, Selene Wines, and Boyanci Wine, where Mia is the winemaker.

This is a rare chance to taste the lineup of Boyanci Wine, including the preview of their 2009 InSpire!

~First Course~

Garlic Crusted Halibut – Served over frisee salad
2009 Selene, Hyde Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

~Second Course~

Liberty Farms Duck Confit -Served over farro risotto
2008 InSpire Cabernet Sauvignon

~Third Course~

Braised Short Ribs – Served over Yukon Gold Potato cakes
2005 Selene Chesler, Cabernet Franc Blend

~Fourth Course~

Grilled Prime Center Cut Eye Rib Steak – Served with Cauliflower Puree and Sautéed Arugula
2008 BOYANCI Red Blend

~Fifth Course~

Assorted Artisan Cheeses, Dried Fruits and Chocolate Pecan Truffles
2009 InSpire Cabernet Sauvignon

Very Limited seating! Book your reservation now (925) 977-3477~ walnutcreek@ruthschris.com

Chocolate. You either love it, or live without it.

Mia and I aren’t huge dessert fans. We aren’t really candy fans either. However, a really nice peice of chocolate, with what’s left of the red wine after dinner, is a perfect dessert in our book.

We prefer dark chocolate, and if it’s over 82% that’s even better. We don’t ‘stock’ chocolate or candy, and really, we could take it or leave it.

That was before a good friend (Thanks Beth!) gifted us some chocolates from La Forêt.

If you don’t like chocolate or ‘candy’, I challenge you to try some of Wendy’s creations. Her shop is in Napa, so there is no excuse not to stop in (call first to make sure she’s there!) and get some of our favorites:

Chocolate covered Honey Comb – yep, sounds weird, yet it’s sooo good. Milk or Dark Chocolate option too! I’d be surprised if you didn’t fight over the last piece (we do).

Malted Milk Balls – Loved them as a kid! This is the adult version (no waxy choc coating on these bad boys!)

Coconut Lime Marshmallows – Wow! Do not pass these up! Chocolate covered fluffy Marshmallow square of goodness rolled in Coconut.

Almond Turtles – When Mia bought these, I said “really?” Never had a turtle I have even remotely liked. Actually I’ve spit most of them out. We fight over these too.

I could go on and on…salted caramels, pumpkin seed butter toffee and chocolate bars sporting different flavors every time we go in.

We stopped in yesterday and Wendy has made the most beautiful “Surprise Easter Eggs” – stuffed with goodies!

She even has some chocolate Bunnies! Get there, you’ll thank us later! – Skippy

There are only three kinds of oil in the Selene pantry. Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, and Walnut Oil.

We consume a fairly decent amount of olive oil. We use it for our salad dressing, and a lot in our cooking.

Luckily we live in Wine Country and most of the wineries we know also produce awesome olive oils!

Mia and I did an olive oil tasting in Paris a few years back, and got hooked on really good olive oil and balsamic vinegar for our salad dressing.

Since then, we taste all the oils we buy or are given by friends before we use them. (yup, just like winetasting) Some taste like finishing oils, very light or sweet in flavor. While some are very strong, green/spicey flavors that we use for marinades, cooking and the occasional dressing.

After this years harvest of olives, we were gifted a bottle of Cimarossa Winery’s olive oil. (Mia is the winemaker at Cimarossa)

WOW! That was one of those moments that you knew this was not only the best you’ve had, but quite possibly the best you’ll ever have!

This immediately became our favorite oil for our salad dressing.

Cimarossa has five Italian varieties of trees planted: Leccino, Frantoio, Taggiasca, Pendolino and Coratina.

Check out these links to learn more about the Olive Oil from Cimarossa and see pictures of their orchard.

The property is amazing! Mia made a video up at Cimarossa during the 2009 Grape Harvest.

We’d love to hear of YOUR favorite olive oils, so let us know! – Skippy

This new category in our blog will be about the ‘Best of’ something we have discovered, and want to share with you.

Mia and I have been enjoying the best of many things of late, and it’s been great to share our discoveries with our friends.

This all started last October (2010) when Mia and I started to eat a Paleo Diet.

After reading Robb Wolf’s book “The Paleo Solution” we were willing to take Robb’s 30 day challenge.

It’s now April 2011, and we have never gone back. We look and feel better than we ever have.

Along the way, we have made some awesome discoveries, found some amazing foods and recipes that are just too good to keep to ourselves, so the Best Of is born! Enjoy! – Skippy

Mia and Tracy will be at BarBers’Q for their celebration of Lamb and Ladies!!

This will be like last year, where you can come in and order off the menu, and get tastes of wine, or a flight of wines from two different wineries.

This years line up will be Selene and Beringer.

Selene will be pouring:

2009 Sauvignon Blanc – Hyde Vineyards
2008 Merlot – Frediani Vineyard
1999 Merlot – Napa Valley (from Magnum!)

Laurie Hook, Winemaker for Beringer will be pouring:

2009 Beringer Blanc Knights Valley
2007 Beringer Merlot Napa Valley
2005 Beringer Merlot Bancroft Ranch
1995 Beringer Merlot Bancroft Ranch

Hope to see you there! – Skippy

Please join Mia Klein and Tracy Hall of Selene Wines for a Winemaker Dinner at City Winery in New York on Tuesday, March 15th, 2011, 7pm to 9pm.

Celebrating City Winery’s Divinale Festival for the month of March, this dinner features three ‘Trailblazing Women of the Wine World’ with Mollie Battenhouse, DWS, as Moderator.

Special winemaker guests:

Mia Klein, Selene Wines– Napa Valley, CA

Birgit Eichinger, Birgit Eichinger – Wachau, Austria

Sara Perez, Clos Martinet – Priorat, Spain

WINES

1st Flight (Birgit Eichinger)
Birgit Eichinger Gruner Veltliner ‘Hasel’ 2009
Birgit Eichinger Gruner Veltliner ‘Wechselberg’ 2009
Birgit Eichinger Riesling ‘Heiligenstein’ 2009

2nd Flight (Mia Klein)
Selene Sauvignon Blanc ‘Hyde Vineyard’ 2009 – 90 pts Wine Advocate
Selene Merlot ‘Frediani Vineyard’ 2008
Selene ‘Chesler’ 2005 – 92 pts Wine Advocate

3rd Flight (Sara Perez)
Clos Martinet Priorat ‘Menut’ 2007
Clos Martinet Priorat ‘Bru’ 2007
Clos Martinet Priorat 2006 – 94 pts Wine Advocate

Menu
Asparagus salad of radicchio, endive, & pecans dressed in a ginger-orange vinaigrette
Aged NY strip steak with red wine sauce, piopini mushrooms, fingerling potatoes & bacon lardons
Trio of Spanish cheeses: Drunken Goat, Roncal & Valdeon

For more on the winemakers and to purchase tickets, visit City Winery.

Hope to see you there! – Skippy

Please join Mia Klein and Tracy Hall of Selene Wines at The Valley Wine Shack in Sonoma, CA from 6pm to 8pm this Wednesday!

Mia and Tracy will be on hand to pour and talk about all the new releases:

2009 Sauvignon Blanc – Hyde Vineyards

2008 Merlot – Frediani Vineyard

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon – Dead Fred Vineyard

2005 Chesler (Cab Franc Merlot blend)

This is your chance to taste the wines, and be able to purchase them at the same time.

See you there! – Skippy