Hey guys!
This week felt like a full-circle moment for us: we finally broke our blind tasting drought, released our first collaborative episode of âA Night Out with SWURLâ, and spent time learning about the incredible story of Tablas Creek, one of the pillars of American wine. Hope you guys enjoy đ
Our Blind Tasting Journey đŤŁđˇ
From the early days of blinding to breaking our longest streak yet
Last week, we finally got a blind tasting right after more than a year without a correct guess. If youâve been following along, you know it wasnât our first success ever, but the dry spell was getting long. Blind tasting has been one of the best ways for us to train our palates, and since we started in January 2024, itâs been the best thing to help us learn about regions, grapes, and more.
Pictured: Correct Blind
To celebrate breaking the streak, I figured Iâd tell the story of how this all started. At the beginning of 2024, my brother and I were back home in New Jersey for the holidays with a lot of downtime and a lot of wine around. At some point, the idea came up, and the conversation went something like this:
âWhat if we just filmed ourselves blind tasting these wines?â
âYeah, but weâre definitely not getting it right.â
âYeah, but who cares?â
And that was basically all it took. The first blind tasting video was born.
The video itself was rough but hilarious. I broke the cork trying to open the bottle, my brother had no idea what to say on camera, and I picked a Ploussard from the Jura, definitely not the easiest starting point. But we had fun, and thatâs what kept us going. Fast forward to today, and weâre still doing it, just with a lot more reps.
Pictured: First Blind
We just want to say how much we appreciate everyone whoâs followed along and supported us, we truly wouldnât be here without you. Weâre excited for whatâs ahead for SuperVinoBros, and weâre definitely not slowing down on the blind tastings anytime soon. Thanks for being here with us âĽ
A Night Out with SWURL đˇ
We released our inaugural episode with SWURL this week on YouTube
This week has been a really exciting one. In collaboration with our friends at SWURL Media, we released the pilot episode of our new series, âA Night Out with SWURL.â The concept is simple: take winemakers out in New York City, show them some of our favorite spots, and drink wines from their home country along the way.
Pictured: Herbert Konig, Myself, and Elias Muster
For our inaugural episode, we took Herbert KĂśnig and Elias Muster, two incredible Styrian winemakers, to Lei (one of the best new wine bars in the city), then to Kafana, an underrated Serbian gem in Alphabet City, and wrapped the night at Celloâs for some of my favorite pizza in New York.
It was a wild night of eating and drinking, and even more fun to watch it back. If you have any feedback, weâd love to hear it! Feel free to like or comment on the video if youâre able.
Producer Highlight â
One of our favorite parts of wine is the discovery: weâre constantly being put on to new regions, producers, and cuvĂŠes from our friends. Weâll never be able to try EVERY wine, but we want to take a moment to mention some producers that excite us!
Tablas Creek Vineyard đˇ
Location: Paso Robles, California, USA đ
Pictured: Paso Robles. Image by LibertĂŠ Winery
In the hills of Paso Robles, Tablas Creek Vineyard has become one of the defining names in American wine. The estate began as a forward-thinking collaboration between the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel and longtime importer Robert Haas, who spent decades bringing great French wines to the U.S. Through years of travel and shared tastings, they became convinced that the grapes of the southern RhĂ´ne could flourish in Californiaâs warm, coastal climate.
Pictured: Tablas Creek Team. Image by A Must Read Blog
That belief led them to a rocky, high-elevation site on the western side of Paso Robles in 1989, a place with limestone soils and cool nights shaped by the nearby Pacific. They chose to plant the site with cuttings taken directly from their partners in France, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah, Roussanne, and a full range of other Rhône varieties, each one carefully vetted before entering the vineyard. By the mid-90s, the property had become a living library of these grapes, and the nursery they built on-site helped spread these plantings across the state.
Pictured: Tablas Creek Bottles. Image by California State University Chico
Their first releases arrived in 1997, made with native fermentations and aged in neutral oak. Today, Tablas Creek produces some of the most distinctive Rhône-style wines in the country: Mourvèdre and Grenache for the reds, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc for the whites. Now guided by the next generation of both families, the vineyard continues to champion careful farming and a gentle hand in the cellar.
Pictured: Danny and Jason Haas at Charleston Food and Wine Classic
I had the privilege of meeting Jason Haas, who now leads the estate, during the Food & Wine Classic in Charleston this weekend. Talking with him and his brother about the story of their familyâs project, and where American wine is headed, was a real highlight. If you come across their bottles in a shop, theyâre worth picking up. Tablas Creek is a serious operation.
Wine Club Updates đˇ đŚ
Novemberâs shipment is heading out this week! We picked three domestic wines we think are perfect for the Thanksgiving table, really hope you enjoy them. If you have any questions or run into any issues, just reach out to [email protected] and theyâll help you out!
Not a member yet? You can sign up here:
Thatâs it for today! Again, if you guys have any feedback for the video let us know, we really appreciate it.
Thank so much for reading, and as always, drink responsibly! đĽ