I created this post in an effort to save everyone some time when looking for a stand alone discount Crested Butte lift ticket deal.  Lots of so-called discount sites exist out there, but there is only one true stand alone lift  pass sale for Crested Butte, and this is it.

I was working on updating my discount Telluride lift ticket page when I stumbled upon this killer deal for discount Crested Butte lift tickets.

Insider Crested Butte Lift Ticket Savings Information

To use this special lift pass, you must buy the tickets in advance.  These tickets are valid for everything a ticket you would purchase at the Crested Butte window, they are just quite simply a discount to even the cheapest online rate at the ski mountain’s website.

No packages necessary, no add ons, no additional purchases necessary.  Just simply the best discount on Crested Butte lift tickets, period.

**This is the cost chart showing average rates using the discount link within this blog post.  NOTE:  Rates may be higher or lower depending upon the start date of your ski trip.  However, I’ve never seen the rates here to be higher than what is offered anywhere else.

So, you may ask, how much money does it save if I’m going to Crested Butte?

Below is the chart for the biggest discount available for mountain-direct Crested Butte multi-day lift tickets: (Copied directly from www.skicb.com)

So, for example, if you are a traveling party of two adults and want to ski 3 of 5 days while you are at the resort, using my Crested Butte discount link, you’ll spend $496.00.  If you used the best available online rate from the ski resort or other online resellers, you’ll pay $522, or a savings of $26.  Hey, it isn’t life changing money, but it is real and yours!

**Kids and senior lift ticket discounts are also available at the discount link.

This really is the best deal on Crested Butte lift tickets available anywhere. I hope this insider tip helps you enjoy your mountain trip just a little more!

Just click this link and it will take you to the purchase window where you will be able to choose the amount of days you’d like to ski. If for some reason the purchas grid does not come up directly, follow the below simple instructions when on the travel discount site:

1) Click the “activities” button on the upper left of the screen

2) Enter “Crested Butte” in the text box

3) Enter the dates of your travel

You should be all set to choose and purchase your discount lift tickets there!

Best of luck, and happy skiing!

The Cork Head

As a Telluride regular, I am always asked about cheap or discount Telluride ski lift ticket sales.  Well, this is the best one available.  I’ve spent hours scouring the internet and local hangouts alike, and I can honestly say this is the only real Telluride lift ticket special on the market.  Coupon codes just don’t exist.  Kids and senior lift tickets are available too!

Rules for Getting the Lift Ticket Discount

You must by at least a week in advance wherever you buy, otherwise you’ll be stuck with window rates no matter what!

With this link, there are no tricks, add ons, or additional purchases necessary.  It simply offers the best deal on discount Telluride lift tickets, period.

I’ve included comparison charts below that show that my online rates, (first chart) vs. the window rate, and the ski resort 7 day advance discount rate (second chart).  Compare and save!  Keep in mind my online rates will fluctuate slightly depending upon what time of the season you visit.  However, I’ve yet to see Telluride Ski Resort beat the prices available here.

***After clicking any of the links on this post, my Telluride pricing grid may not come up directly.  Just enter your dates on the new page and you should be good to go.

Rates displayed in the below grid are an average regular season rate. Your rate may be slightly higher or slightly lower depending upon the time of season you choose to travel.

Honestly, I’ve just been incredibly busy with my job that pays the bills, being a La Jolla real estate agent. Actually, most of my business recently has been in UTC, North Park, and Pacific Beach. Anyway…

I’ve been dying to write about the 2009 Franciscan Estate Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc since I received the sample early this year.

Clearly it is not the grass bomb of New Zealand, nor does it have the piercing minerality of a Sancerre. What it does offer are aspects of both of these sauvignon blanc stalwarts while offering the distinctly Californian touch of ripe fruit and the most pure streak of lime since you licked the saltless rim of a margarita.

This will be one of the top 5 California whites I taste all year.

Though I won’t be offering a point score for this wine, ( it clearly doesn’t need it) I know I will buy it, drink it, and give it as a gift with confidence!

As a longtime San Diego resident and someone who previously managed beach vacation rentals for out of town visitors, I’ve been asked countless times about getting the best discount San Diego attraction tickets. The below represent what I think are the three best options to save money and enjoy Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, Zoo Safari Park, Midway Museum, and more.

1) The San Diego 3 for 1 Pass

This is probably the most widely known discount pass for the major San Diego attractions of Sea World, San Diego Zoo, and San Diego Zoo Safari Park (formerly the San Diego Wild Animal Park). It is the best option if you want to visit just these three attractions. You will save 10% off the combined individual ticket price by purchsing the 3 for 1 pass. Adults $129 and kids 9 and under $99 (Family of four $456). **if you click my link and it does not take you directly to the 3 for 1 pass purchase page, simply enter the dates of your travel and type in or select “San Diego” and it will come up for you**

2) The Go San Diego Card

With the Go San Diego Card, the ultra biggies like Sea World, San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Legoland, and The Midway Museum are all included, but it just starts there. La Jolla and Balboa Park museums, the new Children’s Museum, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center (highly recommended), Belmont Park, and on and on. In addition, the card provides VIP front of the line access and other upgrades at museums, restaurants, and more.

Basically, the card can be purchased to be used for any number of days, but for weekly renters I recommend the 3 day option.

The 3 day Go San Diego Card costs $174 per adult and $134 per child, or a total of $612, or an additional cost of $156 more than the 3 for 1 pass. But, if you use it, you really get a lot of extras. (That being said, by clicking this link you’ll be forwarded directly to the Go San Diego Card purchase site where the cards are often on sale for less.)

The Go San Diego Card gives you choices of what you can do each day. Want to skip Sea World, the Zoo, or the Safari Park and hit Legoland instead? Great. Want to go to Knott’s Soak City waterpark, or my favorite, The Midway Museum? No problem. The card is flexible that way.

The real value in this card is if you are a Mission Beach or Pacific Beach renter. You are walking distance to Belmont Park, where the big rollercoaster is, ($78 unlimited rides family of 4 retail) and The Wave House’s famous Flowrider ($120 family of 4 one hour use retail). Both of these attractions are included in the card’s purchase price.

So basically you get to go to all the big stuff, then come back home to your rental and visit the local attractions, which you’ll surely be visiting anyway, and they are already paid for. Easy. The 3 day card saves a pile of money, gives access to all the attractions most people visit, while leaving ample family time on the sand.

3) Build Your Own Custom Explorer Pass

This is the newest addition to the Smart Destinations line of attraction discount products, and one I really like. It allows you to pick and choose the attractions you want. Sea World is not an option on the Custom Explorer Pass, but pretty much everything else is. Midway Museum, Zoo, Zoo Safari, New Children’s Museum, Belmont Park, Wave House, Miramar Speed Circuit, plus other big museums and attractions can be purchased and added to the card.

If you purchase 2-3 attractions, you save 10%, four attractions saves 15%, and five saves 20% per selection and so on. Basically, the more you buy the more you save.

The other great thing about this option is that you have 30 days to use what you’ve purchased, not just the 3 consecutive days limitations that exist on the other options. So, if Sea World is not in your plans and you want to have a more flexible stay in San Diego, this is a really great new option to choose from.

I certainly hope you enjoy your time in America’s Finest City, and let me know how you used your 3 for 1 pass, Go San Diego Card, or Custom Explorer Pass, and any other deals I can pass along to others!

The Cork Head

Benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego

Music and wine lovers indulge all their senses this spring as Rhythm & Vine returns to San Diego North for a one-of-a-kind tasting extravaganza. Held Saturday, April 9, 2011 at Westfield North County in Escondido, the 3rd Annual Rhythm Vine will feature over 35 world-class wineries, spirits and breweries; 25 restaurants and gourmet foods; and three live musical performances by San Diego’s favorite musicians.

APRIL 9, 2011

6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

VIP Admission from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

$75 General Admission ($100 at the door); $125 VIP Admission ($150 at the door).

Must be 21 and older to attend.

LOCATION: Westfield North County

272 East Via Rancho Parkway

Escondido, CA, 92025

35 award winning wineries, breweries, and spirits companies.

25 of North County’s chefs and gourmet food companies.

Spectacular, live performances by singer/songwriter Simeon Flick, classic rock cover band Clay Colton Band and local spirited Flamenco band Espiritu Flamenco.

1,000 wine, food, and music enthusiasts, along with members of the trade and media, coming together to support the Boys Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego.

Silent Auction filled with charitable donations from exhibiting companies.

Exclusive VIP after-party extending past regular event hours from 9:00 – 10:00 pm.

All proceeds benefit the Boys Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego.

For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit www.rhythmandvine.org

2007 Bonterra Viognier Mendocino County

When I think of Thanksgiving dishes, I think quantity, variety, and aromatics.  Choosing a wine that matches these traits while offering up a little contrast to make things interesting is often the best choice for such a complex meal.  But how does one find a wine that works with turkey, creamed corn, and green bean casserole all at the same time?

Quantity:  Lots of food, lots of guests, and a long time at the table.  The wine should be lower than average in alcohol…I mean yeah…we’ll be watching football and having fun all day, right?  But, lower alcohol shouldn’t mean it doesn’t have the body style necessary to stand up to all the cream and gravy.  For contrast, the wine should have a little zing of acidity to cut through our close friend’s delectable sausage stuffing.

Variety:   This wine should be complex.  With a dozen different dishes, and some strong ones at that, the wine should bring lots of different aromas and flavorsto the table.

Aromatics:  Thanksgiving is the most aromatic of traditional American meals so it stands to reason we’ll need something with a high degree of aromatics so the food does not diminish its partner.

The winner? 2007 Bonterra Viognier, Mendocino County.

This cool climate wine has under 14% alcohol, offers both floral and fruit aromatics, and has a medium-full and creamy mouth feel.  Without question it is consistently year in and year out one of the great values in viognier, and it is widely available around the country for around $15.  Did I mention it is also Certified Organic?

Remember, its not what is in your glass, but who you share it with.

And, if you use this coupon, you’ll get a discount of $5 of any $75 purchase too!

2009 Solis Winery Fiano Estate

So I can’t say I was angry, but I will say I was disappointed. The wine was nothing short of superb, but my fellow panelists simply didn’t get it.

To set the stage, the “other” whites category at large wine competitions are, shall we say, is The Land of the Misfit Toys. If you’ve never tasted these sorts of wines, well, generally you aren’t missing much. Often times they are comprised of the end-lots of what didn’t make the cut of better quality wines, all mixed up, given a fancy name and sold over the counter at tasting rooms. A winery marketing director will pay a small fee to enter the obscure blend into the competition hoping it will get some recognition to help sell the inventory which would otherwise be flushed.

Fiano is a relatively obscure grape (unless you are from the Campania region of Italy). As a single varietal it absolutely stands on its own. However, because it is not chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling, or another widely cultivated grape, in competitions it stands alone. But it must have a caterogy, so among the “other” category it falls.

Hum drumming through many of these drinkable-yet-uninspired wines I was stopped dead in my tracks. I tasted, sniffed, and re-tasted again. I set it aside, completed my flight, and went back to it again. In judging approximately 500 wines this summer, I awarded Gold just over a dozen.

The 2009 Solis Winery Fiano Estate was absolutely without question worthy of the highest award. Unfortunately, my fellow panelists couldn’t figure the wine out. Was it aromatic, was it fruit forward, was it a food wine, or was it just an “other”? Silver was all it was awarded this time.

When any subject is spoken on at length, it is a tribute to its own powerful nature. Unquestionably, this wine was spoken about more than any other at any wine competition I participated in over the last number of years.  In fact, it was the only wine from this major competition I sought out to discover its true identity after the event was completed. 

NOTE:  We taste all the wines blind at these events to avoid any predisposed bias.

It sings of floral aromatics, expresses distinctly new-world fruitiness, and offers a luxurious combination of a mildly creamy texture and perfectly balanced acidity. If you could blend the absolute best characteristics of sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, and gewürztraminer you can start to paint a picture of what this special wine has to offer.

Due to the rainbow of flavors in concert with the backbone of acidity one could enjoy this wine a huge variety of aromatic dishes. From grilled chicken Caesar salad to Thai food and anything in-between.

Or, as I have been, just sip it on the patio under the setting sun and enjoy the most exciting wine find of the summer. No categories. Just pure pleasure.

Oh yeah, the 2009 Solis Winery Fiano Estate did receive its much deserved Gold at the 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Ahhh…redemption.

www.soliswinery.com

Taught by San Diego’s own award winning BBQ Pitmaster Dave Vindiola from Smokealicious BBQ and CookingwithChefDave.com, the class offers a great introduction to the entire BBQ process.  The August 7th event will cover everything from types of wood and fire, how smoke and spice work together, selecting the proper cuts of meat, as well as prepping, and of course cooking.

During this hands-on class, students will work with and taste various small batch and gourmet dry rubs and BBQ sauces. Participants will sample smoked cheese, spice crusted BBQ’d pork and mouth watering smoked chicken, alongside select wines from your host, San Pasqual Winery.

Following the class will be a BBQ – themed winemaker dinner with tasty mini-entrée’s prepared by Chef Dave himself, again paired with a selected San Pasqual wine specifically chosen by San Pasqual’s own winemaker, Linda McWilliams.

The August 7th class and dinner will be held at the San Pasqual Winery Tasting Room located at 8364 La Mesa Blvd. Both are limited in size so make your reservations today. (619) 462-1797

BBQ 101 Class Only: $40 (SPW Club Members $35) 4 – 6PM

Winemaker Dinner Only: $65 (SPW Club Members $60) 7 – 9PM

Class and Dinner Combined: $95 (SPW Club Members $85) 

Scheduled Menu:

Hot Smoked Salmon with Green Apples and Horseradish Cream Sauce

Crostini of Black Pepper Crusted Tri Tip with Grilled Maui Onion Marmalade

Applewood Smoked Pulled Pork Sliders with Dr Pepper Cole Slaw

Baby Back Ribs with San Pasqual Winery Syrah BBQ Sauce

Penne with Mesquite Kissed Texas Style Brisket and Fire Charred Tomato Cream Sauce

Chocolate Mousse Martini with Passion Fruit Wine Whipped Cream and Sand Cookies

About Chef Dave

Dave Vindiola was classically trained in the Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. Following his formal training he apprenticed at a bistro in Greenwich Village under New York Chef Sebastian Maczko. Upon returning to San Diego he continued to work in the culinary arts as a private caterer, personal chef and culinary instructor. He is a highly popular teacher at Great News Cooking School in Pacific Beach, the head pitmaster of the award winning competition BBQ team Smokealicious, and the Chef at an organic farm in Orange County.

About San Pasqual Winery

In the late 1700’s, vineyards were planted at the Misión San Diego de Alcalá, making San Diego the first area of California to witness wine-making. Centuries later, San Pasqual Winery draws inspiration from the mission legacy, its connection to the famed Rioja region (Alcalá) of Spain, and the uniquely cosmopolitan-yet-frontier old California city of San Diego.

San Pasqual Winery seeks to highlight the communities and people who make San Diego what it is in the past, present, and future. Each varietal or blend is thoughtfully named after places and famous figures of San Diego history, fostering a strong sense of pride in our heritage.

I’ve proclaimed 2010 as “The Year of Happiness”.

Heck, local real estate prices have been on the rise for 8 consecutive months and the stock market has risen nearly 37% over the last year. We certainly have not seen that in a while!

Now is the time to treat yourself (or your Mom!) to something special, and I’m here to offer my own little incentive to do so.  Keep this email as a “Buy one super fun entertaining and informative wine class, get one super fun entertaining and informative wine class free” coupon.*

Each of my 1.5 hour classes cost $250 for up to ten people (do the math, it’s pretty cheap) and includes glassware, printed materials, all wine, and some great memories.

Here is a link to my newly updated “classes” page, which includes videos (the production value is SWEET!) with more info on some of my signature courses.

In addition to those on the website, I also am offering for the first time a “Points vs. Preference” class where we blind taste 88 point wines vs. some that have scored 92 or higher and see what all the hubbub is about, and to put your palate to the test and see if you can taste the difference.

Write me an email for more info or to inquire about available dates.

Finally, I kept the Dom Perignon Champagne Truffles recommendation below as they absolutely thrill all who try them.  Mother’s Day is right around the corner…hint, hint.

Life is short. Rejoice in it!

Mark the Cork Head

www.thecorkhead.com 

Dom Perignon Champagne Truffles 97 points (TCH) FIND IT HERE I kept these in here as a leftover from the last email because they are just so darn amazing.  If you didn’t get them for Valentine’s Day, get them now for Mother’s Day.  I promise you’ll email me and say thanks!       Price: $40.00

Centuries ago, temperature controlled environments in which to produce wines were not available. The now famous wine destination of Champagne, located about an hour-an-a-half drive north and east of Paris, experiences very cool fall and winter temperatures. Cold enough to slow down and eventually halt the fermentation process of the wines being produced. Early winemakers would see that fermentation had stopped and therefore bottled what they had

As one could imagine, the springtime brought with it warmer temperatures allowing the yeast to come out of dormancy, creating a secondary fermentation and hence bubbles would form in the bottles. This frothy byproduct of producing wine in Champagne was originally considered a nuisance—a flaw in the wine from this region.

Dom Perignon helped change all of this in the late 1600’s with his innovative winemaking techniques. He is credited with, among other things, creating a gentle basket wine press and insisting the wine be stored in flasks instead of wood to maintain its color and freshness. It was during this time that Champagne became fashionable.

The year 1818 saw another major advancement in the making of sparkling wine. The Champagne house called Veuve Cliquot created the process called “remuage”, or the settling of the yeast in the neck of the bottle through riddling. Expired yeast could now be removed from the bottle in one quick step providing for a crisp and clear end product.

Wines made in these traditional processes are allowed to be labeled “methode champenoise” and produce complex, nutty, and often times age worthy selections that are mostly produced in Champagne and premium California wineries.

Modern technology has brought about other, more cost effective ways to make bubbly.

In 1907 Eugene Charmat invented the bulk process, self titled the “Charmat Method” where the wine is placed in large glass lined pressurized tanks throughout secondary fermentation and bottled under pressure.

The “Transfer Process” is another modern method where secondary fermentation, just like methode champenoise, takes place in a bottle. After the secondary fermentation is complete, the wine is then poured in to large pressurized tanks where it is filtered and bottled avoiding the costly and time consuming remuage.

Finally, there is the very simple “injection method” where carbon dioxide is injected directly into the serving bottle.

Prosecco from Italy, Cava from Spain, and inexpensive American sparkling wines are wines often made with these more modern methods. They are marked by a strong bubbly texture and a fruitiness that is perfect for casual occasions.

When purchasing a sparkling wine the following notations may be on the label.. Blanc de Blanc is a white wine made from the white grape chardonnay. Blanc de Noir indicates white wine made from red grapes—pinot noir or pinot meunier. Sparkling wine can also be labeled by its sweetness. The list in order of sweetest to driest is as follows: Doux, Demi-Sec, Sec, Extra Dry, and Brut.

Most sparklers are not created from a single vintage, hence the reason the majority of these wines do not display a year on the label. Producers will blend multiple vintages together each year to help maintain a consistent “house style”.

However, after a special growing season, producers may declare a “vintage”. In these rare years the growing conditions were exceptional allowing them to bottle a single vintage wine that typically has superior aging potential. While these wines are very special, the “Tete de Cuvee” is the most important wine that comes from a producer each year. This is the flagship product each house offers and can be a blends of all three Champagne varietals, chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier.