Saddleback Cellars – Viognier

Some of our best wine discoveries have been through recommendations, typically sharing bottles with friends.  We also make a point to ask wineries we enjoy what they recommend.  After all, if we like their stuff, chances are we’ll like what they drink, too!  

While on the road in California wine country earlier this year, we found ourselves with a little extra time between tasting appointments (oh, what to do…).  We were finishing a tasting at one of our favorite spots, Plumpjack, and decided to ask our hostess for a recommendation.  We were looking for a boutique winery, and off the beaten path.  She suggested nearby Saddleback Cellars.  It’s an appointment only winery, so she picked up the phone and made one for us ~ and what an awesome find!

Saddleback Cellars has everything ~ great outdoor seating next to the vines, welcoming hosts, wonderful wines, and one of the coolest wine dogs we’ve ever met – Chloe.  We had the opportunity to taste a variety of their wines, including the 2009 Merlot, 2009 Syrah, 2008 Cab, 2010 Zinfandel, 2010 Chardonnay, and our hands down favorite, 2010 Viognier.

The Viognier has great floral and fruitful aromas, with flavors of peach and nectarine.  It is not overly sweet, a very easy drinker with a long and flavorful finish.  It definitely is drinkable on its own, but pairs well with creamy cheese, and light meats like chicken and fish.  We enjoyed our (first) bottle with ricotta spinach lasagna.  Fortunately, we have more than one bottle, as it would also pair exceptionally well with one of my favorite appetizers, sliced pears topped with blue cheese and honey.  Hello patio!

It is a limited production wine ~ only 328 cases produced.  You can purchase it directly for $26/bottle (on sale until 7/5/13 for $23).  If you are in the Napa area, we definitely recommend a stop at Saddleback Cellars.  Enjoy the wine, and give Chloe a good belly-rub for us!

More Fun White Wines to Beat the Heat

A refreshing glass of white wine is an excellent way to cool off during the summer.  Last year we shared some of our favorite fun white wines to beat the heat discovered while exploring California wine regions.  Here are a few more of our favorites ~ all under $20, and available at stores like BevMo and Specs.  Grab a bottle, and relax in the summer sun! 

Sokol Blosser Evolution 15^th Edition ($14)

One of my favorite wines this summer.  Intense tropical fruit notes up front, with a nice crisp, clean finish.  Blended from 9 grapes, this smooth, layered white is an excellent food wine, and is great all on its own. 

Conundrum by Caymus ($19)

Silky smooth with a lit bit of sweetness that is mighty tasty.  This California blend pairs so well with so many foods, it’s a conundrum deciding whether to enjoy with a sampling of cheeses, chicken and veggies right off the grill, or all of the above!

Miner Viognier ($20)

Aromatic, creamy with a crisp finish of tropical and stone fruits.  This is an excellent pre-dinner wine to enjoy with appetizers out on the patio, and would pair well with a creamy pasta dish, with chicken or seafood.  This wine is sold out through the winery, so if you find a bottle in your local store, snag it!

Rusack Chardonnay ($20)

Crisp, refreshing wine with flavors of honeydew melon and pear.  Well-balanced with light acidity, and dry finish.  The summer months can be busy, and this is an excellent wine to pair with Chinese take-out!  

Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio ($20)

Dry white wine with hints of apple.  Pack up a picnic ~ this versatile white pairs well with soft cheeses (especially goat), pasta, salads, seafood, even fried chicken!

What wine are you enjoying this summer?

Our Summer Line Up

Good Food, Good Wine, and Good Fortune in 2012

Good wine deserves good food.  We partnered with our friend, and food blogger, AGirlInTheSouth, to create a perfect pairing for New Year’s Day.

According to tradition, New Year’s Day supper will bring you good fortune in the year to come.  There are a variety of foods that are believed to be lucky and improve the odds that next year will be a great one ~ including grapes!

AGirlInTheSouth put together a tasty New Year’s Day menu that is sure to bring luck your way.  We selected some of our favorite grapes to pair with it to make a very fortunate feast!

Menu

 Pork with Apple and Onion Confit

 Shaved roasted brussel sprouts

 Latkes (sour cream on the side)

 Dessert ~ chocolate cupcakes

A nice white wine pairs best with this lineup.  We recommended going with a Gewurztraminer, Riesling, or Viognier.  Here are a few of our favorites, all of which can be found at larger wine shops, such as BevMo and Specs:

Gewurztraminer:  Handley Cellars ($18) - Dry wine with flavors of grapefruit, vanilla, and lychee  

Riesling: Chateau Ste Michelle ($10) - Off-dry, sweet lime and peach character with subtle mineral notes  

Viognier: Anglim ($25) - Fruit-forward, with fragrant ripe melon and white peach

If white wine really isn’t your thing, or you want to offer a red option for your guests, with this meal we suggested a fruitier pinot noir.  Wild Horse makes a very food friendly pinot noir ($20).  It is a fruitier, California style pinot that has flavors of cherry, pomegranate, and cola.   

Pair a port or a muscat (especially black/orange) to wash down the chocolate cupcakes.  One of my favorite ports is Heitz Cellars Ink Grade Port ($35 for 750ml bottle).  This is a traditional Portuguese style port, and is simply delicious! 

Wishing you all good food, good wine, and good fortune in 2012!

"Table wine" doesn't mean bad wine

Don't let the term "table wine" fool you.

Sure, some people think of cheap, mass-produced wine that any self-respecting wine snob would avoid. For us, table wine is often tasty, versatile wine that pairs well with a wide variety of food. Wines that are marketed specifically as "table wine" or simply "white wine" or "red wine" tend to be blends of several grapes that the winemaker has selected for balance and flavor.

Here are three table wines that we always like to have in the house.

Menage a Trois California Red
We always have a few bottles of this in the house because it is inexpensive, goes with almost anything, and is damn good for the price. It's a blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot that is very smooth and drinkable. Did I mention the price? We get ours at the San Diego Wine Company for $6.99 a bottle, but you can also get it at BevMo, Specs, and many other fine liquor stores for a buck or two more.

One word to the wise - this isn't a great bottle to bring over to someone's house. Especially if you are a couple and they are single. People always seem to get the wrong idea.

Lined up and ready for Tuesday's dinner or "third bottle" duty.

Conundrum California White Wine
The name implies it is a conundrum to decide when and how to drink it. It is silky smooth with a little bit of sweetness that is mighty tasty. We've had it before dinner, after dinner, and with all sorts of white wine friendly food. There's a lot going on here with Muscat Canelli, Chardonnay, Semillion, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier making up the blend, but it all works. A not so secret secret is Conundrum is a side project of Caymus, a winery famous for big, expensive reds.

We get ours at the San Diego Wine Company for $16.95 per bottle. If you aren't in San Diego, you may want to order directly from Conundrum.

A bottle of Conundrum sits in our fridge, ready to go at a moment's notice

Vincent Arroyo "Nameless"
This table wine is a special treat, both because of its $30 price point and its awesome taste. It's a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec. It's fairly fruit forward, which makes it stand out on its own or pair well with a variety of foods, but has just enough tannin to stand up to your meatier dishes. We shared a bottle with our parents last weekend in memory of Sally's father, Ken. Very tasty.

Vincent Arroyo sells a lot of their wine via futures, meaning you buy it before it's bottled, but Nameless is typically in stock and ready to go. I don't think it is distributed, so best to go straight to the winery.

That bottle of Nameless evaporated!What's your favorite table wine?