Show 440, August 28, 2021: Chef Ryan McNerney, General Manager, RISÜ, Long Beach Part One

Ryan Lawrence McNerney of RISU

“At RISÜ in Downtown Long Beach on the ground floor of The Crest, their goal is to create, serve and savor fine wines and gourmet food in a fun and enjoyable atmosphere!” Chef Ryan Lawrence McNerney is the new General Manager for Food and Beverage.

“RISÜ means “Smile”, which explains the two dots over the U! It’s their ultimate goal to make you smile at their service, food, drinks and prices! RISÜ is a full bar that is wine focused, with tasty and well-prepared food.”

“The food is American- style tapas and RISÜ also offers appealing sharable plates with changing seasonal items. Come on in and sit on our beautiful outdoor, Covid Compliant patio located on the Rainbow Bridge, enjoy your friends, the atmosphere and, of course, our top shelf wine, beer, spirits and delicious food.”

HHappy Hour is Monday thru Thursday from 4 to 6:00 p.m. plus Wine Wednesday (25 per cent off all bottles) specials. Dinner served nightly with Sunday Brunch starting at 12 Noon a.m. The Sunday Social Brunch features a Bottomless Mimosa option made with genuine French Champagne. RISÜ unusually has their own Wine Club with monthly and bi-monthly options along with a debuting Libation Club.

We entice Chef Ryan McNerney out of his busy kitchen for a chat.

Show 440, August 28, 2021: Chef Ryan McNerney, General Manager, RISÜ, Long Beach Part Two

Ryan Lawrence McNerney of RISU

“At RISÜ in Downtown Long Beach on the ground floor of The Crest, their goal is to create, serve and savor fine wines and gourmet food in a fun and enjoyable atmosphere!” Chef Ryan Lawrence McNerney is the new General Manager for Food and Beverage.

“RISÜ means “Smile”, which explains the two dots over the U! It’s their ultimate goal to make you smile at their service, food, drinks and prices! RISÜ is a full bar that is wine focused, with tasty and well-prepared food.”

“The food is American- style tapas and RISÜ also offers appealing sharable plates with changing seasonal items. Come on in and sit on our beautiful outdoor, Covid Compliant patio located on the Rainbow Bridge, enjoy your friends, the atmosphere and, of course, our top shelf wine, beer, spirits and delicious food.”

Happy Hour is Monday thru Thursday from 4 to 6:00 p.m. plus Wine Wednesday (25 per cent off all bottles) specials. Dinner served nightly with Sunday Brunch starting at 12 Noon a.m. The Sunday Social Brunch features a Bottomless Mimosa option made with genuine French Champagne. RISÜ unusually has their own Wine Club with monthly and bi-monthly options along with a debuting Libation Club.

We entice Chef Ryan McNerney out of his busy kitchen for a chat.

Show 418, March 27, 2021: Victor Gallegos, Vice President & General Manager, Sea Smoke Estate Vineyard Part Two

Victor Gallegos of Sea Smoke

“For years, vintners have coveted a stretch of land in the western end of Santa Barbara’s Santa Rita Hills AVA known to have the perfect microclimate, soils, and exposure to grow world-class Pinot Noir. In 1999, fulfilling a long-held dream of owner Bob Davids, this sought-after stretch of land became Sea Smoke Vineyard.”

“At Sea Smoke, our objective is to produce the best Pinot Noir possible from our unique vineyard site. Located on south-facing hillside bluffs, our estate vineyard benefits from excellent sun exposure – producing grapes with optimum flavor, color and tannin development. The heat generated during the day is moderated each evening by a marine fog layer (sea “smoke”), which travels up the Santa Ynez River canyon, cooling the vines and resulting in a longer ripening period. This extended ‘hangtime’ allows the grape tannins to fully ripen prior to harvest, creating wines that are rich and supple.”

“Every growing season, our winemaking team works to determine the optimum timing for the harvest of each block. After hand harvesting, grapes are brought to the winery for destemming and table sorting. During this process each lot is carefully studied, taking into consideration parameters such as fruit integrity, clonal characteristics and soil profile, before proceeding with fermentation. Each block and clone combination is kept separate throughout the winemaking process, enabling us to develop an intimate knowledge of how they respond to specific barrels in our cellar. These individual lots form the basis of a complex flavor palette from which final blending decisions are made by our team.”

“To ensure our loyal customers access to these limited-production wines, we have created The List. Simple and fair, The List is an uncomplicated allocation system offering members the opportunity to purchase our wines. Although production of Sea Smoke is limited and they can be difficult to find, joining The List guarantees your allocation. Unlike wine clubs, there is absolutely no purchase commitment and no cost to join.” The supply of Sea Smoke wines is naturally limited because it’s all estate fruit. No outside fruit is ever purchased to increase capacity.

When you log on to the Sea Smoke website the first introductory image is a short video featuring a sweeping aerial panorama of this magnificent vineyard estate.

Victor Gallegos, Sea Smoke’s long-time Vice President and General Manager, gently pops the cork on 2015 Sea Smoke “Sea Spray” Blanc de Noirs, pours a celebratory toast and rejoins for us.

Show 168, April 23, 2016: Four Brix Winery, Ventura, CA

Gary Stewart of Four Brix WineryThe Four Brix Winery in Ventura grew out of three couples’ hobby of making premium wine at home for their appreciative friends. The Winery represents a throwback to the days of blended wines made in California. Winemaker and Partner Gary Stewart uncorks it for us.

“We believe that California offers the best grapes in the world, but not all varietals grow best in every area of the State. So, we source more than a dozen single varietals from different vineyards covering at least five separate appellations to make our California blended wines.”

The name Four Brix pays tribute to the four wine regions we have traveled to and experienced the beauty, culture, and manner in which blended wine fits into everyday life : France, Italy, Spain, and our home, California.”

The enthusiastic Wine Club Members, The BrixHeads, are active participants in promoting the Winery. They even name individual wine barrels.

“Not just another Brix in the Wall.”