Month: February 2024
2021 Vermilion Valley Vineyards – A Great Pinot from Ohio!! Who knew?
The Winery
From Vermilion Valley Vineyards
Vermilion Valley Vineyards is an estate winery located in the rural landscape of the Vermilion River Watershed in North Central Ohio. They are located at 11005 Gore Orphanage Road, Wakeman, Ohio. Their goal is to produce world-class wines to showcase both the sustainable terrior and skilled wine making.
Co-owner and winemaker Joe Jupiter and I have had many text exchanges on his participation in the Annual International Cabernet Franc Wine Competition. His main concern was the judging of wine based on the regional terroir. Assuring him that we divide up the regions for judging, for example, East Coast (NY, VI); Central USA (MI & Ohio); Northwest (Oregon, Washington), etc. he decided to enter the event this year. Upon his submission he graciously sent a few other wines which I will be reviewing.
Vermilion Valley Vineyards has 100 planted acres in four different locations. With micro climates, this allows all his wines to be 100% estate grown. What is interesting about Ohio is that some 370 wineries exist but only 900 acres of grapes are planted! Doing some simple math, removing the five largest vineyards in the state, you are left with each winery having a one acre parcel! Thus many wineries in Ohio rely on importing juice from various areas like the Central Valley of California and Washington. That is one of many unique characteristics of Vermilion Valley Vineyards their estate wines.
Currently they produce the following red wines: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Dorsa, Cabernet Sauvignon, Lemberger, Chambourcin, Dornfelder, Nebbiolo, Malbec, Pinotage and Merlot. Ditto for their white wines producing: Muscat Ottonel, Riesling. Gruner Veltliner, Müller-Thurgau, Traminette, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Valvin Muscat, Ribola Gialla, Petit Manseng, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Albariño, Pinot Blanc and Arneis. That is a wide variety of wines and all estate grown!
You can read their webpage about their high level of sustainability incorporating land use and their buildings. Link at the bottom of the page.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” 2021 Vermilion Valley Pinot Noir– Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
As a Californian very familiar with Pinot Noir production from Anderson Valley, Russian River, Central Coast regions (Santa Lucia Highlands), etc., I was curious but apprehensive while pulling this bottle to go with our dinner. What a delightful surprise upon the aroma and first sip! The 2021 Pinot Noir showed a nice red brick color in the glass and darker than expected (later found out due to their view on extraction) and a medium viscosity. On the nose, soft black cherry wafted into the senses along with mild nutmeg spice. On the palate, thinking still this was going to be “soft to many California Pinot Noir’s”, it exploded with flavors strawberry and cherry and a remarkable “chewiness” but not based solely on tannins. On the finish soft tannins and a light smokiness made it so desirable and begged for yet another sip. I don’t know the price but their 2020 went for $26/bottle so that may give you an indication of things to come. Personally, I have never found a $26/bottle of California Pinot Noir with so much happiness from sight, smell and taste. In fact hard to find that much in some California Pinot Noir wines reaching $60! Even adding in freight of approximately $3-4/bottle, this is a great bargain. Who knew Pinot Noir from Ohio could be so delicious!
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
Dinner was left up to me this evening and went with a chicken breast, butterflied and stuffed with minced jalapeños and a smoky salsa. A few spices and then topped off again with minced jalapeños and salsa. Accompanied by steamed broccoli. While the meal was great and perhaps a bit spicy for the Pinot Noir, it did “calm down” the meal.
This wine at whatever price it comes out will make my annual Best Wines Tasted in 2024 (out in December). It is not often you find or taste a Pinot Noir from Ohio, but should you find one, embrace it enthusiastically.
Sláinte,
Michael
Spectacular Blind Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting at Columbia City Hotel
Attended a remarkable and eloquent tasting of 10 wines, all from 2014 vintage Saturday late afternoon. The event was held at the Columbia City Hotel. It is located in the Columbia Historic Park and the City Hotel was built in 1856.
Photo ©Hector Madrigai and City Hotel website
Tom Bender, on the Board of Directors of City Hotel, assembled 10 noteworthy wines to do a blind tasting for about 18 people. All but one of the wines was graciously provided from Rick Eason’s cellar. Tom was so excited to bring back this type of tasting experience which the City Hotel had done for years 35-40 years ago on a regular basis from 1980’s until 2005. City Hotel was known throughout the foothills for their extensive wine list. It was reopened last year after being closed for several years. It’s rebirth was funded by creating a cooperative corporation with almost 300 “single shareholders” wanting to bring back it charm and history.
All ten wines were poured just minutes in advance of the tasting. Everyone tasted and scored each wine to arrive at their top three wines. All participants rated the wines for key Cabernet Sauvignon characteristics and also voted for their “least favorite”. The wines ranged in price from $115 to $500 per bottle and two were magnums.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Here were the “beauty contestants”:
Nickel & Nickel, Far Niente, Silver Oak (Alexander Valley), Black Sears, Silver Oak (Napa Valley), Continuum, Ridge Montebello, Caymus, O’Shaughnessy and La Jota. After one and a half hours of individually rating each wine, the group voted for their top three wines.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Those in rank order voted blind were the following numbers were:
#1 (letter I)
#2 (letter D and J)
#4 – (letter H)
Photo © Candy Strubbe
Then the big reveal with the unwrapping of the wine bottles
#1 (letter I) – O’Shaughnessy, Mt Veeder at $147
#2 (letter D and J) – A tie between La Jota at $500 and Black Sears at $150
#4 – (letter H) Caymus at $350
While all the wines were enjoyable and very good, the task was also to select the group’s less favorite. Being the “least favorite” in this lineup of pedigree wines is nothing to be upset about. It was a tie between Continuum at $300 and Nickel & Nickel “Tench Vineyard”.
The retail price of these 2014 wines from Vivino totaled $3,200 and ratings were from 4.4 to 4.6 points.
Two bonus wines were also added at the end of 2004 vintage. First being Far Niente and second being Silver Oak (Alexander Valley). Silver Oak won this competition and yet the 2014 showed rather poorly.
It was a fun and lively discussion throughout the tasting and an experience that will not be forgotten!
Sláinte,
Michael
2019 Hindsight Wines Chardonnay
The Winery
Picture from Hindsight website
Previously I have written about the Hindsight Winery in Calistoga and their excellent red wines, especially their Cabernet Sauvignon. About two years ago their long time winemaker, Jack Cole retired. Now some excellent news—they hired Michael Weis, who was the head winemaker at Groth. He is well known for making spectacular wines and I believe he received 100 points from Wine Spectator for one of his Sauvignon Blanc vintages. Additional reading about the winery and ownership can be found at:
Picture from Hindsight website
Their ownership is comprised of talented wine purests. Seth Gersh is the owner and managing Director, Alisa Gean is a Sommelier and William Boking is owner and National Sales Manager. Their resumes are too long to detail, but all have extensive and creative background in business and wine.
Besides their Cabernet Sauvignon’s which are excellent, they offer a Chardonnay, both from Napa and Monterey and Petite Sirah.
Recently they have made arrangements for their wines to be tasted at 1124 Lincoln Ave, Calistoga at the Vault in Calistoga. Their phone number is 707-341-3321.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Pulled a 2019 Hindsight Chardonnay from Napa Valley from the cellar to enjoy with dinner. Second time I have tasted the 2019 Chardonnay so was very excited to see how it was holding up to the first review. The wine not only equaled the first experience but surpassed it. First on the eyes a light straw color and medium viscosity. On the nose it was very aromatic with very soft floral notes of jasmine and honeysuckle. On the palate is where some strong flavors of pear and green apple prevailed with a hint of vanilla. On the finish, minerality and a very embracing soft acidity were evident. The words that come to mind while enjoying this lovely Chardonnay are crisp, refreshing, clean, defined and stately opulence. This Chardonnay is sourced from both Carneros and Oak Knoll AVA’s. It is fermented in stainless steel, then aged 3 months on the lees in neutral French oak. It does not have that “buttery finish” and seemed more “old world” in its flavor profile of great European Chardonnays. The wine is listed on their website at $32/a bottle and check out their website for amazing sales!
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
Pulled this 2019 Chardonnay to specifically have with a beautiful fresh Ahi tuna steak last evening from Ohana Seafood in Modesto. It was cooked in ginger, wasabi, Mandarin oranges (and juice), lemon juice and pepper corns. Accompanied by vegetable spring rolls. The wine pairing was extremely wonderful with both the Ahi and vegetable spring rolls.
It was the last bottle 2019 Hindsight Chardonnay in the cellar will be calling to secure a few more bottles and including the Monterey Chardonnay which I have not tasted.
Hindsight Cabernet Sauvignon’s have made my annual Best Wines tasted the year and now will be adding at least the Napa Valley Chardonnay!!
Sláinte,
Michael
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
2015 Tate Wine Merlot, Spring Street – A Hearty and Robust Merlot
The Winery
Photo from Tate Wine website
David Tate and his wife, Suzanne Tate are partners in TATE Wines. First a little history on how TATE Wines came to existence. Suzanne’s brief history while going to college in Austin, Texas (where she was raised), she very much enjoyed a wine appreciation course. She then went to study culinary arts at CCA in San Francisco. She went to work in Houston at a fine wine distributor for five years. It was at a wine dinner that she met David Tate. In 2010, she moved to Napa Valley.
David Tate’s credentials as a winemaker span close to 25 years with a very strong background: Ridge Vineyards, as an assistant winemaker; worked in Barossa Valley, Australia; Provence, France; Canterbury, New Zealand. He also has travelled to just about every fine wine region in the world. David graduated from Brock University in Enology and Viticulture with honors. David is originally from Vancouver, British Columbia. David currently is the General Manager and winemaker at Barnett Vineyards, winning many outstanding awards for their wine.
Photo from Tate Wine website
In 2011 David and Suzanne formed TATE Wines. So here again is a perfect blending of the two, David as the artisan winemaker, Suzanne as the marketing and sales arm, one from Canada and one from Texas. Yet combined they make a synergistic and complementary team of two, ready to take on the world with their wines. They offer Cabernet Sauvignon’s from various vineyards: Howell Mtn, St Helena and Mt Veeder all of which are excellent and worthy of cellaring. They have a 2019 Merlot from Reason Vineyard, but running extremely low and that is for now the end of their Merlot production. They do have both an excellent Chardonnay which has been a “go-to” in the cellar for years. They have more recently added a Rose and Sauvignon Blanc that I have yet to taste! In over ten years knowing David and Suzanne, every wine has been great and enjoyable and always made at a high level.
For more background on Tate Wines read this earlier post: https://californiawinesandwineries.com/2016/02/08/tate-wines
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
An extremely robust Merlot. Dark ruby on the eyes with a medium to medium heavy viscosity. On the nose a dark fruit compote leads to a beautiful sweet & sour cherry and plum fruit with red licorice. The finish provides a hint of oak and cedar with soft tannins but with some edginess not often found in a “smooth or average” Merlot which makes this an enjoyable treat! Also on the finish pomegranate with medium acidity.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This is not a soft and comforting Merlot but more like a bone embracing bone breaking solid bear hug with a big squeeze! A remarkable Merlot made for Cabernet Sauvignon drinkers.
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
Pulled this wine specifically for this evening meal of beef Teriyaki with sugar snap peas and green onions. Using tenderized flank steak cut into strips combined with teriyaki sauce, sugar snap peas, ginger, chardonnay wine, Asian red chili peppers, stir-fry oil, sliced mushrooms, sliced garlic cloves and green onions halved and cut length wise. This was a delicious and tasty meal. Accompanied by cauliflower rice sautéed in soy sauce with salt and pepper. Also some garlic French bread. This Merlot with its fruity flavors played extremely well with the soy sauce.
I consider this one of Best Wines tasted this year and it will be published in my annual report in December.
Sláinte,
Michael
2014 Peter Michael “La Carrière” Chardonnay
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
From their website: ‘La Carrière’, French for “The Quarry”, reflects the vineyard’s spoon shape and tremendously rocky soils. Situated between 1,200 and 1,700 feet (366 and 518 meters) above sea level on steep mountain slopes exceeding 40 percent in grade, the vineyard has ideal southern and southeastern exposures. The shallow, rocky soils provide excellent drainage with restricted fertility, resulting in lower fruit yields with profound richness and character. ‘La Carrière’ provides a signature complexity and liquid minerality from its mountainous origin
The winery produces other top rated wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon blends, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.
The history of Sir Michael David is a great read on their website.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The 2014 Peter Michael La Carrière Chardonnay is a wine that can be aged similar to many top shelf French Chardonnays. The deep and rich golden color was striking along with its minerality (La Carrière translated mean the quarry), almond, jasmine, lemon and pear notes. The intense creaminess was the hallmark of this wine coupled with a heavy viscosity. The finish provided jasmine and pear with a touch of butter scotch. Robert Parker gave this wine 96 points. Currently on line it is running around $130/bottle.
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 a sun dried tomato, spinach & cheese stuffed chicken breast. A new and delightful dish consisting of a homemade Italian dressing of Dijon mustard, lemon juice, sugar, olive oil, Italian seasonings with salt & pepper. This was “basted” inside and outside of the cut pocket with the dressing. Then stuffed with gorgonzola cheese, crumbled bacon, spinach and sun dried tomatoes. Accompanied by rice and a fresh salad of butter lettuce with purple onion, blue cheese, crumbled bacon served with Champagne salad dressing.
A beautiful and delicious food and wine pairing for the evening. It tasted like somewhere between Italy and France. Peter Michael always makes my Best Wines tasted during every year.
Sláinte,
Michael
2022 Wood Family Vineyards Chardonnay and a New Dinner Treat
The Winery
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
Recently at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (largest in North America), Wood Family Vineyards won the following awards and not all are listed:
2019 Cabernet Franc – Double Gold
2021 Malbec – Double Gold
2019 Cabernet Sauvignon “Clone 30” – Double Gold
2021 El Loco Rojo Red Blend – Double Gold
2021 The Captain Red Blend – Double Gold
2022 Chardonnay – Gold
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
It is a great wine with pears and brioche with a medium heavy viscosity. Coming in at 14.1% alcohol and is priced at $34/bottle on their website.
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
A new dish this evening of baked stuffed chicken breast with cream cheese, chopped bacon and minced jalapeños. Ingredients also included pepper jack cheese, chopped scallions. Encrusted with Italian whole wheat breadcrumbs and with lime juice. Simple and yet extremely tasteful without being “too spicy”. Accompanied by long and short grain rice, snow peas and a fresh garden salad. The wine perfectly enveloped the dish with its density and flavors. A great food and wine pairing.
Again this 2022 Wood Family Vineyards Chardonnay will make my annual list of Best Wines Tasted in the year. List comes out each December.
Sláinte,
Michael
2020 Peterson Vineyard V3 White Wine Blend – Simple Name but a Complex Wine
The Winery
Photo from Peterson website
The winery was founded by Fred Peterson and has been producing wine in the Dry Creek Valley for 30 years. Fred’s approach to winemaking was and is still a philosophy called Zero Manipulation. The goal is simply to use “low tech” and a “high touch” to produce wines with a “sense of place and soul”. In so enacting this approach it allows them to capture the essence of the vineyard, the character of the grapes and bring forth the soul of the vineyard. Having the estate winery at 1,000 feet elevation Fred states it “adds aromatics and texture to the wine… and provides a peppery quality”. At the higher elevation, means more sunlight hours and darker richer fruit.
Here is a link with much more details from a recent story:
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine is from Bradford Mountain Vineyard and in the title I mentioned it being a complex white wine blend. The blend is of almost equal parts of Vermentino, Vernaccia and Verdelho. Not a common wine blend, but very aromatic and delicious wine. The complexity comes from combining some very unique grapes. A quick recap of Vermentino notably from Sardinia and Tuscany, Vermentino has tastes of citrus fruit such as lemons and oranges. There can be other notes similar to grapefruit skin, apricots or almonds. Vermentino is a rare wine that pairs with artichokes, which can be problematic due to a compound call cynarin (hydroxycinnamic acid derivative) that makes dry wines sweet. Vermentino doesn’t succumb and stands up to the artichokes and garlic oils.
Vernaccia is not often found outside of Tuscany, specifically the village of San Gimignano. It is in this walled community that Vernaccia di San Gimignano can be found and if you get a chance to experience it, by all means do so! It is the only DOCG white and is restricted to the village. I can remember staring at its slightly “green coloring” in amazement while sipping in the village. It is a very crisp and sharp wine, yet having a beautiful texture on the palate. It welcomes hard cheese, vegetable, poultry and fish.
Lastly, Verdelho characteristics are again aromatic and crispness and spciy accents. Lemon, pear and phenolic texture makes it a great choice for various “light dishes”. Often apricot and stonefruit aromas occur.
I am puzzled by what possessed the Peterson’s to pick these three grapes, but very happy they did. They co-fermented the juice in the tank and barrel early on to provide a coherent and smooth wine with complex and appealing aromas which transcend to the palate and finish.
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
This wine is meant to be enjoyed with a variety of foods which is why I waited until the Super Bowl with a variety of appetizers. Several folks brought over these delicious appetizers and more were prepared. With three entirely unique and different wines, we did have many appetizers that paired well with this wine. The first being fresh smoked salmon with cream cheese, capers and slivers of purple onion. Two different green olives were also offered with pimentos and garlic.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The second dish was charcuterie board with salty meats, hard cheeses, dried fruit and nuts.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The third food pairing was homemade flatbread pizzas being prepared to be put into the oven. Chicken, Pesto, garlic and artichokes were perfectly aligned for the wine.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
One last appetizer was a fresh vegetables plate with hummus.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
While some ten or twelve other appetizers were prepared these stood out as a wonderful food partner for this unique wine.
Sláinte,
Michael
2020 Iron Hub Chardonnay with Four Excellent and Different Tuna Spreads
The Winery
Photo from Iron Hub Winery
The winery was founded by Tom Jones from Lava Cap Winery fame in the Apple Hill area near Placerville. Tom completed his master’s degree in Viticulture & Enology from UC Davis, and for almost 30 years developed award-winning wines. Tom and his wife Beth’s new endeavor began in 2014 with the purchase of the 33 acre property that had been known as Amador Foothill Winery. Having control of the grapes from vineyard to bottle was key in his quest for quality control with 17 acres planted in vines.
The name of the winery came about from Tom’s mountain sojourns in the area. On an adventure he discovered an antique, hand-forged wagon wheel hub in a remote area. Thus this small winery on Steiner Road drew a parallel with his goal of making small lot artisan wines similar to the craftsmanship of the “iron hub” he found on a walk. The beautiful new tasting room was opened in December 2017.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Spencer, their son, following in his father’s footsteps by also graduating from UC Davis with a master’s degree from the Department of Viticulture and Enology, is the winery’s Assistant winemaker. Today, they form a dynamic father-son winemaking team. Tom and Spencer enjoy and demand a hands-on approach to every aspect of the winemaking process, from tending the grapes in the estate vineyards to carefully crafting both red and white wines. They recently added 10 acres managing the Spanish Creek site they are leasing. Having now 27 acres of “estate property” to manage is keeping them very busy. Tom has stated that “Our estate affords me creative control from the vine to the bottle”.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This small lot 2020 Chardonnay on the eyes was a golden straw color with medium viscosity. The first aromas on the nose, were like a lightning strike! Fruits of green apple and pear shouted out their presence in the glass. Secondary flavor of dry apricots was also present. From the first sip a creamy textural wine with previously mentioned fruits came together like a well-orchestrated symphony. Added to the mix was vanilla which was just slightly present on nose and became infused in the glass with gentle and soft oak overtones. The finish was long, poised and glamorous like a family portrait, with a hint of brioche. 300 cases were produced and spent 12 months in the barrel. It sells for $34 a bottle and for my money an excellent price. Immediately, this wine made my list of Best Wines Tasted in 2021 with the 2018 vintage and again this will in 2024 with the 2020 vintage (list out mid-December in 2024).
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 weekend with an unofficial “tuna throw down” with a friend. A local couple had mentioned how they prepared their tuna spread for tuna sandwiches. I made a comment how I had been working on a recipe to “perfect” the tuna sandwich. Next thing we knew, they were bringing over two different spreads, I was making two different spreads and enjoying with both the 2020 Iron Hub Chardonnay and a bottle of 2021 Hardy Lane, Scottsdale Vineyard Chardonnay.
The four tuna spreads shown in the picture include her “mother’s recipe” of tuna, chopped onions, dill pickles, lemon juice, mayo, salt and pepper. A Mediterranean tuna spread of chopped vegetables consisting of (celery, cucumber, radish, green onions, and red onion), Dijon mustard, lime juice, chopped mint and parsley, and pitted Kalamata olives (or capers). A suggestion of the recipe calls to add more texture pink pickles or cucumber pickles, diced or grated carrots, chopped fresh fennel, chopped bell peppers, dried thyme or oregano and/or chopped fresh dill.
My “normal” tuna spread of minced purple onions, mayo, sweet pickle relish, wine vinegar and garlic salt. And lastly my “enhanced tuna spread” of minced purple onions, Dijon mustard, mayo, wasabi, ginger, lemon juice, Portuguese minced red pepper sauce, diced egg white, chopped parsley and sweet pickle relish.
The can tuna used was the SafeCatch Ahi Wild Yellowfin tuna.
All were excellent and delicious. Served on both lettuce and sliced fresh baguettes. The only thing better than the tuna spreads was the great conversation and getting to know them much better over a three hour tasting!
Sláinte,
Michael
New 2023 Wood Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This is the inaugural production of Wood Family Sauvignon Blanc. Right out of the starting blocks they are setting a strong standard!
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
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Very impressed on this first release of Sauvignon Blanc. Now here is some inside news: they are releasing two versions of their Sauvignon Blanc. The first being the stainless steel fermented (this story) and another fermented in Acacia & neutral barrels being released towards the end of Q2’24!
The stainless steel fermented version is very close to a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with grapefruit, lemon grass, etc. However this is just a bit “tamer’ with pineapple, yet zesty and lively. On the eyes a tantalizing light golden coloring and medium viscosity. On the nose aromas of lemon grass and tropical floral rise up to meet the imbiber. On the palate, the strong flavors of grapefruit and lemon grass swirl about like a party in the mouth. Mostly tart with a faint hint of pineapple and passion fruit. On the finish, a puckering and enjoyable finish of lemon zest. A complete and hearty Sauvignon Blanc from Livermore!! Only 415 cases produced and the wine will be released in early March and priced at $34/bottle.
I have not tasted the Oaked version, but rumor has that the Acacia barrel and stirring of the lees, added some weight to the wine. Look forward to tasting towards the end of Q2’24.
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
Picked this wine to have with quickly sautéed scallops and whole wheat thin spaghetti. Accompanied by halved and roasted Brussel sprouts and a fresh garden salad. Normally I would have chosen Wood Family Chardonnay but wanted to see how this paired with the sweet scallops. For a food and wine pairing, this worked well with a contrast between the scallops and Sauvignon Blanc. Definitely an excellent wine to be paired with oysters, mussels, lemon chicken and even smoked salmon. I will be having this wine during the upcoming weekend with a charcuterie board and snacks for the Super Bowl.
This wine just made the annual list of Best Wines tasted in the year for 2024 in the “under $50” category.
Sláinte,
Michael
Peterson Winery, 2019 Tollini Vineyard Zero Manipulation Red Wine-Why a Jackalope on the Label?
The Winery
The winery was founded by Fred Peterson and has been producing wine in the Dry Creek Valley for 30 years. Fred’s approach to winemaking was and is still a philosophy called Zero Manipulation. The goal is simply to use “low tech” and a “high touch” to produce wines with a “sense of place and soul”. In following this approach it allows them to capture the essence of the vineyard, the character of the grapes and bring forth the soul of the vineyard. Having the estate winery at 1,000 feet elevation Fred states it “adds aromatics and texture to the wine… and provides a peppery quality”. Located at the higher elevation, means more sunlight hours and darker richer fruit.
His son Jamie became the assistant winemaker in 2002 and in 2006 took over responsibilities as winemaker. Jaime continues the founding philosophy and presents each vintage/vineyard to stand by its self with Zero Manipulation with no additional tweaking or homogenizing the wine.
This wine comes from the Tollini Vineyard from Redwood Valley in Mendocino County. Originally planted by Alvin Tollini’s grandfather and is a dry farmed vineyard. It is still home to some old vine Carignane and Zinfandel vines planted after his grandfather returned from WWII. More recent additions of Petite Sirah, Syrah, Grenache and Barbera were added. The vineyard is sustainably farmed.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine was a bit of a mystery to me. While I normally prefer varietals, this red blend showed up in a “test case and sample”. So here I approached the wine with some reservations. Seeing a Jackalope on the label gave me even more pause before tasting! So here goes the review which turned me on my head.
I very much enjoyed tasting the wine especially with tonight’s dinner. While having a hard time deciphering the mix by varietal, the overall effect was very good. It is a blend of 79% Carignane, 11% Petite Sirah and 10% Syrah. I couldn’t figure out why not call it a Carignane wine? But once I tasted it I understood. The blend while not tasting like a Carignane varietal (which by the way they make, but I have not tasted), the strong Petite Sirah and Syrah provided a strong, bold and tasteful wine somewhat overpowering the Carignane. This is exactly what they had intended with this wine to create a “delicious, quaffable nature of a bistro wine” showing this vineyard. And in their words “by forgoing manipulative winemaking practices and additives, we create a wine more natural than the elusive Jackalope mascot” which is stated on the back label.
On the eyes a deep red, almost black in color, this wine’s mystery continued. On the nose robust dark ripe fruits of plum and blackberry waft causing one to take the first sip. Once on the palate, black pepper and forest notes swirl about in the mouth along with a boldness not often found in blends. On the finish secondary tart red fruits and tannins grip the back of the mouth and provide a long lasting, chewy and still mysterious finish!
The wine is listed on their website for what I believe is an incredible $24/bottle. The wine is aged 22 months in 100% neutral oak barrels and comes in at 15.8% alcohol level. Hard to imagine a wine at this price delivering so much punch. Their original motto about this wine (and their T-shirt’s) was “easy to use and cheap to operate”. Hands down, this wine has a lot of bang for the price!
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
Photos ©Michael Kelly
On a cold and rainy evening what is better than good old fashioned comfort food of meatloaf and a potato? Not any normal meatloaf but Jalapeño meatloaf. Took the picture of the dish to show how much of the minced Jalapeño was in the meatloaf. For the meal itself I add the Cherry Pepper sauce which is now a favorite. The topping on the meatloaf consisted of tomato sauce, minced garlic cloves, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, honey and chili powder.
This was a great food and wine pairing. The wine embraced the spiciness of the meatloaf, topping and cherry pepper sauce with a loving and huge bear hug. A perfect ending to a “comfort food” dinner.
Sláinte,
Michael
California Wines & Wineries 