2022 Wood Family Vineyards “Para Mas Amigas” Chardonnay – Consistently Excellent
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Winery and Background
Wood Family Vineyards, located in eastern Livermore Valley, with Rhonda Wood owner & winemaker, has been producing award winning wines for over two decades. You can read more on her background from airline pilot to award winning winemaker at:
https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2016/02/10/wood-family-vineyards-2/
and
Photo ©Michael Kelly
What truly is amazing is her year to year high quality of Chardonnay winning awards, selling out and being one of my personal favorites for an everyday Chardonnay. Her awards for all her wines are too extensive to list here in this article. However, her award for current Chardonnay 2021, was rated 91 points by Wine Enthusiast. The 2022 will certainly equal or surpass her previous ratings and awards.
The Wine “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First off, my apologies to Robert Louis Stevenson:
“In the glass, the juice glistens of golden perfection,
A sculptured artwork displaying the winemakers’ vineyard reflection
Of quality, detailed preciseness and caressing hands.
Aromas abound from the origins of the vineyard of dreams
Conjoined with the bountiful fruits of the vine, apple & pear flavors
With an undercurrent of almonds, light citrus and encased in a brioche wafer.
The finish of exquisiteness frames the sip and beckons again to the taster.
But enough, as it is time to partake and enjoy this invigorating elixir”.
-ode to Rhonda Wood’s Chardonnay by Michael Kelly
The 2022 Chardonnay will be released August 13th 2023 and will be $34/bottle. Aged sur-lie for 10 months in 100% French barrels. 900 cases were produced. The grapes come from two vineyards, one on the valley and the other in the hillside. Together they make a wonderful wine!
The Food and Wine Pairing “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Paired this evening with chicken just slightly battered with and stir-fried with Bok Choy. Accompanied by long and short grain wild rice and a beautiful Asian salad. The subtle flavors of the meal allowed the wine to burst forth and envelop the chicken and Bok Choy vegetables.
Sláinte,
Michael