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Next Exit? Buellton!

The Hitching Post II is a great restaurant in Buellton, CA, a small town smack dab in the middle (maybe not literally, but dang close) of the Santa Ynez wine region in California’s Central Coast AVA. You may know of The Hitching Post from the 2004 hit movie Sideways! If you’ve had the pleasure of seeing the movie, you undoubtedly know of the wines associated with this popular restaurant too!

Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post Wines is the collaboration of two good friends who seem to have very different backgrounds. Gray Hartley (a former professional fisherman) and Frank Ostini (chef and owner of The Hitching Post) first made “home wine” in 1979. Their first Pinot Noir came in 1981, and their wine “project” moved to a winery in 1984. Initially the wines were made exclusively for The Hitching Post, but now the country is happy to have them distributed so that we can enjoy them even when we’re not visiting California!

My husband and I have visited Buellton and The Hitching Post II several times, and we’re always sure to stock up on some of their wines to bring home with us. They make a fun Rosé, some nice Merlot and Syrah, and an interesting (and very affordable) red blend called “Gen Red”. Their specialty, though, is killer Pinot Noir!

The other night I pulled a Hartley-Ostini 2012 Pinot Noir Highliner out of our cellar. Their flagship wine, this Pinot Noir has a beautiful nose! With aromas of violets, cherry, raspberry and some wet earth, this wine rocks. The velvety palate has bright cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, and that lovely earthiness that I pray for when cracking open a Pinot. This is one heck of a wine!

Whether you enjoyed the movie or not, definitely check out The Hitching Post II and the lovely Hartley-Ostini wines! The Santa Ynez Valley is a fabulous wine region to visit, so if you haven’t been, definitely put it on your bucket list. The fabulous wines, the delicious food and the gorgeous scenery will entice you to go back time and again! Just make sure that you’re not chewing gum while tasting!

Check out the Hartley-Ostini wines here:

https://store.hitchingpostwines.com/storefront.aspx 

 

Spend Your Bones on Three Sticks, Not Stones!

I get to Napa and Sonoma often. It’s common knowledge that this part of our country has some wonderful wines, but the area is also well known for some exquisite food! I’ve had some of my very favorite meals in Northern California.

My husband and I adore the charming town of Healdsburg, located in the northern part of Sonoma County. Surrounded by world class AVAs such as Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley, Chalk Hill and Alexander Valley, the town of Healdsburg has a delightful town square. Shops, art galleries, wine tasting rooms and some fabulous places to dine surround this quaint downtown plaza area.

A year or so ago my husband and I were chatting with some people while tasting at Thumbprint Cellars’ tasting room in the square. The gal with whom we were talking was headed to her shift just down the street at Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen, and suggested we head there for dinner and sit at her table. I’d always wanted to dine there, so we took her up on the offer!

The experience was fabulous!!! The food was wonderful and the wine list sublime. They were also pouring a special wine that night, and the kind sommelier made sure our glasses weren’t left out! The wine was a Cabernet Sauvignon from Three Sticks Winery. This Cab was so velvety and flavorful, with lots of fruit, but some earth too. My husband and I knew that we’d found a gem! When we returned home I got on their mailing list! With our first allocation I ordered some of their 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon. 

We opened a bottle last night with some friends, and it was definitely the wine of the night. With a dark ruby color, this aromatic wine has smoke, licorice and black currant on the nose. On the palate are cassis, blackberry, black cherry, soft tannins and a long and lovely finish. This wine is definitely a winner! It’s drinking well now, and will only get better with some time in the bottle. I’m glad I still have a couple in my cellar, and wish I had more.

Three Sticks Winery now has a tasting room in downtown Sonoma. I haven’t been there yet, but you know that it’ll be on my list for my next Sonoma County visit. Find out more here:

http://www.threestickswines.com

http://www.charliepalmer.com/dry-creek-kitchen/

 

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