#ocwinery

As we get ready for the release of our newest wine and the last wine from 2016..... “Old Black Magic” I thought it a good idea to share the true inspiration. In 1961 my father was a young man in the military who was fortunate enough to have a singing career. He loved to sing. In this video he sings one of his all time favorite songs. It was this performance that got him an invitation to sing on The Tonight Show with Jack Parr... yes... well before Johnny Carson. 🙂 He sang “Old Black Magic” and it was iconic. I’m naming our latest release after this song and my Dad. It’s a beautiful Old Vine Zinfandel that will blow your mind. When you enjoy it.... with the one you love the most.... remember..... dreams do come true. 2016 Old Black Magic releasing Saturday July 27 in our Laguna Beach tasting room. Here it is.... straight from 1961..... Old Black Magic. #lagunabeach #visitlagunabeach #visitlaguna #ocwinery #oldvinezinfandel #orangecountyca #winery #winereview #winerelease #newwine #newwinery #livelagunabeach #mylagunabeach #oldblackmagic (at McClain Cellars) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0WCO0Hh79v/?igshid=d8y6452g3cz3

It’s that time of year when we are getting ready to release new wines. Creating the labels is so much fun. Trying to capture the right image that illustrates the message and captures the aromas and tastes of the wine. This is a brand new Cabernet. It’s named “Darcella” in honor of my Dad. You see back in the early 1950s My father was in the military working as a jet engine aircraft mechanic in France. One night he met a girl at a cafe. A beautiful french woman who was a dancer. He walked up to her and introduced himself and broken French. He was less than 20 years old at the time. He only met her one time. They shared a wonderful conversation, A walk through Paris, and had one of those chance encounters that make you feel amazing. It was the first time he really fell in love. After that night he went back to the military base and thought about her. He could not stop thinking about her. You see, that was the only time they met. When he left her that evening they made plans to meet back at the same café but the military had other plans for him. It took him several months to make it back to the café and she was gone. He went back again several times over the next year hoping to find her. He never did. He never did see her again. He thought of her so much that he wrote a song about her. It was called “Darcella”. So this new wine is in honor of all those who fell in love and lost the opportunity. It’s for my dad. Yes, I suppose in hindsight, it’s a good thing he didn’t see her again. If he had, I would not be here as several years later he met and married my mother. We will be releasing this one in the next few months or sooner. #mylagunabeach #visitlagunabeach #lagunabeach #ocwinery #thingstodoorangecounty #winelabeldesign #winelabel #winery #wine #winerelease #darcella (at McClain Cellars) https://www.instagram.com/p/By71wXlh-N2/?igshid=qq8erz1tufeg

One kind word can make someone’s day and change their lives. This is a common reality for our wine ambassador, Tiffany Boyer. When you walk into our Tasting lounge you’re greeted by one of our amazing wine ambassadors. Each and every one of them care deeply about what they do and enjoy every aspect of meeting new people. This is especially true for Tiffany. Today I want to give a special nod and a warm and thank you to Tiffany. Her electric smile and warm heart is infectious. There are a few people in this world that have such an attention to detail and customer satisfaction as Tiffany does. She is a treasure to Sofia and I and I can honestly say that without her McClain Cellars would not be institution it is becoming. She has a quick wit, an honest sense of humor and a laugh that never seems to stop. If she’s not smiling then it must not be daytime. Stop by and say hello to her today or anytime during the week or weekend and get a dose of that laughter yourself. It will change your day and make you smile. At least, that’s what it does for me every time I spend some time with this amazing person. Thank you so much, Tiffany, for loving our dream as much as we do. #mylagunabeach #visitlagunabeach #lagunabeach #ocwinery #wineambassadors #winetasting #orangecounty #ocwinetrail #localbusiness #supportlocalbusiness #wine #livelagunabeach #thehive (at McClain Cellars) https://www.instagram.com/p/By5IQBNh-NS/?igshid=1k3nykubr1ogc

A quick run up to the vineyard to check on the 2017 and 2018 wines.... WOW!!! Yummy. Good stuff is coming super soon!!! #mylagunabeach #visitlagunabeach #lagunabeach #ocwinery #winebarrel #winery #wine #winetasting #winecountry #winewinewine (at Buellton, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByoVT-vBPpn/?igshid=6vv4eerufwd8

Let us pour you a glass of vino. Ahhhhhh. Nothing beats a fresh glass of our 2016 Kiss of Life on a Tuesday afternoon.... or any day that ends in “Y”. Lol. #ocwinery #mylagunabeach #supportlocalbusiness #visitlagunabeach #lagunabeach #localbusiness #localwinery #winetasting #ocwine #ocwinetrail #kissoflife #lagunacanyon #winetuesday #mylagunabeach #livelagunabeach (at McClain Cellars) https://www.instagram.com/p/BykwL05hkYH/?igshid=1ujcapxv7y7hk

Happy Friday! Finally... the weekend has arrived. Are you ready to come and spend some time with your favorite Wine Ambassadors and Proprietors? This weekend Jason McClain turns the big 50 and we are celebrating by donating a percentage proceeds from all bottles sold to the March of Dimes. This is the weekend to sit back, pick out your favorite bottle of McClain Cellars, listen to some live Jazz & Blues and raise a glass to what is amazing in your life. Laughter & Love. with all of the new awards we are getting its also a great time to come by to true a new wine before the next releases come out. Cheers. See you in the lounge today 11-9pm. #ocwinery #thingstodoorangecounty #mylagunabeach #visitlagunabeach #lagunabeach #orangecounty #orangecountyca #mylagunabeach #livelagunabeach #winemakerslife #lagunalove #winery #winecountry #winetasting #winetasting🍷 (at McClain Cellars) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByaRDQxB6iv/?igshid=9tzdhqm9l7t4

And the awards keep coming..... WOW!!! What an honor! The judges at the Ultimate Wine Challenge in New York awarded this one 92 points and called it: Excellent, Highly Recommended The Tasting Notes: For a wine that has such intense power and length, the fruit is demure and quite fresh. Black cherry, red plum, and red currants play amid spicy notes of cinnamon, mace, and vanilla bean with an almost confectionary finish. Additionally we received a Finalist award as being one of the top wines. Wine Enthusiast Magazine rated this one st 90. More competitions are in the works but this amazing blend is making headway across the country as an amazing wine. We are so excited to feature this wine in our upcoming Tapas Wine Pairing with Oak Restaurant on June 26. Excited to pair this one with a delightful meal. Be sure to RSVP for this amazing event at www.mcclaincellars.com/oak/ #ocwinery #mylagunabeach #visitlagunabeach #lagunabeach #orangecounty #winery #winerating #winetasting #winereview #winewinewine #wines #winelover #livelagunabeach #oak_laguna_beach #winepairing (at McClain Cellars) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByXzQvZBcRN/?igshid=1dxtfxrkfj4z8

To decant or not to decant. That is the question. Hmmmm well.... for me... Always let it breathe. :-) For wine oxygen is your best friend. It’s also your worst enemy. To decant wine does two things. First, it helps to remove sediments that may have gathered in the bottle that you don’t want in your glass. Second, and more importantly, allows the wine to breathe. The larger the surface area the better the oxygenation of the wine. This is why most to canters have a wide bottom. This allows the wine to spread out over a larger area to get more oxygen to the wine. Letting wine out to breathe is all about surface area versus oxygen level. The greater surface area the more oxygen gets into your wine. As the wine gets more oxygen it releases its true character. Often, however, too much oxygen is not good. The art of enjoying a good glass of wine is catching the curve between not enough air and to much air. OK, enough about the air. Let’s just have a glass of wine. LOL. After all today is club member appreciation day at our tasting lounge. All of our wine club members are invited down tonight between 6 and 8 PM to enjoy a glass of wine and some light snacks. Just a social hour to hang out. See you all soon to talk about wine. Yummy. #visitlagunabeach #lagunabeach #mylagunabeach #ocwinery #winery #wine #decanter #decant #decants #decanting #wineclub (at McClain Cellars) https://www.instagram.com/p/BySnj9kBsbk/?igshid=74iob2mh5e9c