Shared bottles are the best ~ A to Z Pinot Noir

As we’ve frequently said, wine always tastes better when it’s shared. This past Christmas, my brother and his wife gifted us a bottle of A to Z Pinot Noir.  It is one of their go-to wines, and after tasting it, I completely understand why!

Founded in 2002, A to Z Wineworks is the fastest growing winery in Oregon.  The name A to Z refers to the fact their wines are sourced from various Oregon wineries, and the wines are crafted to be the essence of Oregon rather than reflect a specific single vineyard.  

Their 2009 Pinot Noir is deeply colored and smells of minerals, red and black cherries, and spice. In the mouth, it opens up with rich flavors of boysenberry and plum fruits, and dusty tannins.  It finishes with ripe acidity and tannic structure.  This is definitely a wine that fits my “ingredients to dessert” label.  It was quite enjoyable on its own, with dinner, and we finished the bottle off after our meals were complete! Wine Spectator recommends drinking it now through 2014.

Besides the yumminess, this wine has two other great characteristics – screw cap and under $20!  It is pretty widely distributed, and can be found at BevMo (~$19) and Specs (~$16). Pick up a bottle ~ you’ll enjoy!

2007 Signaterra Pinot Noir by Benziger

We enjoy discovering secondary, smaller production wines, produced by more well-known wineries.  (like Aia by Miner Family).  On a trip to Sonoma Valley a few years ago, we were introduced to Signaterra wines while visiting Benziger. 

In 2009, Benziger launched a new, small production line of signature wines called Signaterra.  The line consists of three wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Three Blocks (Bordeaux-style blend) and a Pinot Noir from Bella Luna Vineyard in the Russian River Valley.  We enjoyed the wine so much, we picked up a bottle of the 2007 Pinot Noir to bring home.  This past weekend, we popped the cork and enjoyed while dining at Bo-Beau in Ocean Beach.  It was a perfect pairing!

This wine has a very typical earthy nose for a Russian River Pinot Noir. The taste was well balanced with bright red fruits (raspberry and cherry) finishing with earthy tones and a little spice.  When the bottle was first opened, there was a light acidic finish that burned off shortly and developed in to a nice, smooth finish.  If you enjoy a pinot that is balanced between fruit and earthiness, you’ll definitely enjoy this one!

Signaterra by Benziger is now available nationally in 27 markets including California, New York, Florida, Texas and North Carolina. The suggested retail is $49 for the Pinot Noir.  Check out this 3 minute video for more information on the overall line.

Santa Ynez Valley Wine Adventure

Last June we made our first trip to the Santa Ynez Valley as part of our California Wine Adventure.  We only had a half day to explore the region, so we knew a return trip was a must. This weekend, we made finally made it back, extending our time and travelling with family (Jeff’s parents, Kathy & Bob) ~ both making it an even better trip than the last!    

In planning our adventure, each couple chose three wineries to visit. Selections were based on recommendations from friends, wines that had been tried before and wanted to learn more about, as well as old favorites.  This gave us a wide variety of wines, and tasting experiences ~ here’s a recap of our discoveries:

Firestone Winery

We opted for the reserve flight, which included a tasting of 6 wines, and one bonus pour.  They served a mix of white and reds, all from their reserve and Chairman Series. The tasting room has great views of the valley. Overall, the wines had muted flavors and heavy tannins, and were generally not to our liking.  But, we were glad we gave it a try. 

Andrew Murray

We first discovered their tasting room in Los Olivos on our first trip.  We enjoyed the experience and the wine so much that we wanted to introduce it to Kathy & Bob.  Once again, the crew, and wine, at Andrew Murray did not disappoint!  We had a wonderful time with Stephanie and Tracy, tasting wines from the Eleven series, as well as a number of their great Syrah wines produced under the Andrew Murray label.  We all left with smiles on our faces (and purple teeth)!

Gainey Vineyard

This winery was a recommendation of our friends, Sarah and David.  The winery grounds were beautiful, and the tasting room setting was great ~ located just off the barrel room, and among walls of strategically placed bottles.  The atmosphere added to the fun, and all the wines we tasted were really good.  Drew navigated us through a couple of whites, and select reds for the Gainey Vineyard and Even’s Ranch.  I was excited to see a Cab Franc!

Cambria

Located in the Santa Maria Bench, Cambria specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  During our visit, we tasted a number of their Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, as well as a Pinot Gris, Syrah, and a Late Harvest Viognier.  All wines were quite good, but with their slightly higher than average prices, we left empty handed.  A number of the wines are well distributed, and we will keep an eye out for special deals in our local wine shops. 

Foxen – Foxen 7200

This was a unique experience, as they have two wine tasting rooms ~ Foxen is served at a more modern tasting room located just slightly up the road from the original shack where they serve up Foxen 7200.  We sampled several great Pinot Noirs, a tasty Sangiovese, and another excellent Cab Franc!

Zaca Mesa

This tasting room was more commercial than the others, bringing in higher crowds than the others we had visited on the trip.  With that said, the staff was very helpful in securing us a spot, and were very attentive during the tasting.  We had the chance to sip a few different varieties than we had been tasting around the valley, including a granache, a roussanne, and several tasty syrahs.  All the wines would be great with food, but few stood out to enjoy on their own.

Rusack

Even with the heavy clouds and rain rolling in, the views from the winery were still stunning.  The wines had big flavors, and were quite enjoyable.  A number of them are distributed at BevMo and our favorite wine shop, San Diego Wine Company.  We still walked out with a couple of bottles of ones with limited distribution or hard to find. 

Wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley are producing some tasty treats!  If you come across one, especially Pinot Noir or Syrah, give it a try!

Oscar Party: movies, wagering, and wine!

We used last Sunday's Academy Awards as an excuse to throw a party that had a little something for everyone: movies, wagering, and wine. It was a fun time, and the company of good friends and the delicious wine more than made up for my poor showing in our Oscar pool.

Movies

Sally and I are huge movie fans and try to see all of the Best Picture nominees every year. Even for our friends who are more casual movie watchers or those that don't see movies at all (a.k.a. parents), the Academy Awards is a fun show to watch with other people. There's humor, entertainment, and plenty to talk about.

Wagering

We ran a simple pool where each person chipped in $5 to submit their picks for each award. Our pool is equally weighted, so a correct guess for Best Picture is worth the same as getting the Sound Editing category right. Second place gets their money back, first place takes the rest of the pot, and last place gets a bottle of cheap wine to serve as a reminder that they need to stick to the basics.

Wine

It's a gathering, so why not drink some wine?! We served four wines blind at pairing stations and had our friends vote for their favorite. All of them were favorites we'd discovered on our wine adventures that retailed for less than $20 and could easily be found in most local wine shops. (We got ours at BevMo.) Here are the wines, the pairings, and the rankings.

4th Place: 2010 Line 39 Petite Sirah
This is a very tasty wine, but despite the deep purple color its flavor is a little light for Petite Sirah. Our guests had trouble identifying this grape and wished for a bit more tannin. Nonetheless, it was still considered enjoyable.

Paired with aged cheddar, manchego, and mini tacos (chicken and pork)

3rd Place: 2009 Kendall-Jackson Vinter's Reserve Chardonnay
According to Kendall-Jackson's website, this is the #1 selling Chardonnay in America. It's a good Chardonnay for it's price point with some crisp acidity that pairs well with food, though our guests were a little biased against the varietal.

Paired with double cream gouda, Monterey jack, and roasted chicken purses

2nd Place: 2010 Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir
This wine drew rave reviews and several guests announced their intentions to acquire a bottle or two. It's definitely a California-style Pinot Noir with a lot of fruit, but it is flavorful, smooth, and goes well with a variety of foods. It was also the winner of our 2010 HalloWine blind tasting, so we had to bring it back to defend it's crown. 

Paired with creamy Havarti, Harvarti with dill, and beef brisket sandwiches

1st Place: NV Roederer Estate Brut Sparkling White Wine
It must have been a champenoise kind of night, because the Roederer Estate edged out the Cycles Gladiator by just one vote. This wine was a crowd pleaser with a crisp taste and notes of pear to go with the bubbles.

Paired with cream cheese topped with pineapple and apricot preserves and mini chicken egg rolls

Somehow, we managed to have such a good time we forgot to take any pictures. Here's one quickly staged photo of the four wines:

Sean Minor – Pinot Noir

It’s no secret we enjoy discovering new wines with friends at our favorite local wine bars.  Once again, thanks to Trisler’s, we found another delightful, well priced wine ~ Sean Minor Carneros Pinot Noir (2009). 

This 100% pinot noir is sourced from the Carneros wine region, an appellation bridging the Napa and Sonoma valleys.  Because of the proximity to the cool fog and breezes from the San Pablo Bay, the climate in Carneros is moderate and cool, making it an ideal region to grow pinot noir and chardonnay grapes.

Typical for California Pinot Noir, this is a fruiter wine.  There is not a lot of earthiness on the nose or palate.  It has tastes of cherry and plum that are well balanced with a light spice and silky vanilla finish. It is a versatile wine that would pair well with a variety of meals.  We enjoyed our bottle with slow roasted pork chops seasoned with a spicy peach chutney and butternut squash. 

The wine retails for about $22.  Distribution is limited, so keep an eye out for it in your local wine shops and wine bars.  You can purchase the 2010 Carneros Pinot Noir through the winery direct.