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Head To T-Vine For Some FUN Wine!

Head to T-Vine for Some FUN Wine!

When I first got into wine, I loved Zinfandel! I mean I loved loved loved Zinfandel.  Now, I’m not talking about the sweet pink stuff. I’m talking about the lovely red Zinfandel wines, the way the varietal was intended to be … in my opinion. I certainly don’t judge people who like it pink! (As long as you’re enjoying wine, you’re cool in my book!)

That being said, as time went by, my palate changed and most Zins (not just the pink ones) became too much for me. So many are too big, too jammy and too oaky for me.

On my last visit to Napa, I discovered a Zin that I like a lot! Now don’t get me wrong, this Zin is NOT small! It’s full of fruity wonderfulness, but it’s not TOO much! I really enjoyed it! Perhaps my palate has come full circle?

T-Vine Winery is located in Calistoga and has a very cool tasting room.  It’s super modern, has gorgeous vineyard views, and is a perfect size. My husband and I bellied up to the tasting bar and enjoyed all of their wines. Heck, we ended up buying a case!

My favorites included their Petite Sirah, Grenache and this Zin from the Black Sears Vineyard.

In the glass, the Zin is bright garnet in color, with aromas of blackberry, plum, and licorice. On the palate, there is lots of blackberry pie, raisin, and some spicy pepper.

The ’14 T-Vine Black Sears Vineyard Zinfandel is velvety smooth and not overbearing! The high elevation of Howell Mountain is a great spot to grow Zinfandel, and this wine is a testament to that!

The next time you’re in Napa, be sure to check out T-Vine Winery. If your travel plans aren’t heading that way anytime soon, check out their website. You can order all of their wines online, and they have some killer shipping deals!

Check it all out here: https://www.tvinewinery.com

 

A Not To Miss Tasting In Sonoma? Balletto!!!

They hadn’t been on my list. In fact, I hadn’t even heard of them before! A staff member at Gloria Ferrer (who’s become a friend because I visit so often!) told me about her favorite rosé in the world. She told me that she just couldn’t get enough of it! So … I had to check them out!

Balletto Vineyards is a family owned winery located in the Russian River Valley AVA in Sonoma County. Started as a successful vegetable farming company, in 1999 they started the shift from vegetable farming to vineyards. Today they sell 90% of their grapes to other wineries, using the other 10% producing their lovely Balletto Vineyard wines!

So, the day after visiting Gloria Ferrer last month, my husband and I stopped by Balletto for a tasting. I couldn’t wait to try their rosé! This pretty pink wine (made of 100% Pinot Noir) has strawberry, a touch of rose and lively acidity to balance it perfectly. I can see why my friend finds it difficult to not finish the bottle in one sitting!

Rosé, however, is not all they do at Balletto! I also made sure to buy a couple bottles of their lovely (not too oaky) 2014 Sexton Hill Vineyard Chardonnay. They also make some rockin’ Pinot Noir (we bought some Burnside that tasted like Strawberry Twizzlers!), Syrah and Zin! A super nice bonus is that their prices are very fair!!!

Looking back I’m surprised and disappointed that I hadn’t heard of them before, but boy oh boy I’m thankful that I know them now! I also want to spread the word about their really nice wines and great tasting experience!

Don’t only PUT them on your list … bump them to the TOP of your list!

http://www.ballettovineyards.com

 

Looking for a “Green” Winery With Wonderful Wines??? Check Out Frog’s Leap!

My husband and I recently returned from another adventure in Napa and Sonoma. Our goal was to visit wineries we’d never hit before, and for the most part that’s what we did. There’s one winery, however, that we couldn’t drive by without stopping, and that’s Frog’s Leap.

“Why?” you ask! Well, there are a few reasons.

Firstly, it’s just so darned beautiful there.

Secondly, the tasting is very special. When the weather is nice, tastings are held outside when possible. The tasting includes yummy local cheeses, crackers, and some jams made from fruit grown on the property.

Thirdly, and most importantly, the wines are WONDERFUL!!!

As we arrived for our tasting, we drove alongside beautiful vineyards of dormant vines surrounded by the beautiful mustard know in the region at this time of the year. The historic Red Barn, which was originally built as the Adamson Winery back in 1884, welcomes the winery visitors on the drive in. Today, this “ghost winery” not only inspires their wine tasting guests, but also Frog’s Leap’s winemakers John Williams and Paula Moschetti.

John Williams (a former diary farmer from upstate New York, NOT the music composer famous for film scores with the same name!) moved to Northern California in 1975 to study Enology and Viticulture at UC Davis. After working at Glenora Wine Cellars in the Finger Lakes region of New York, and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Spring Mountain Vineyard in Napa, he started Frog’s Leap Winery in 1981. It is located along Mill Creek in a spot known as the Frog Farm. Frogs were raised here around the turn of the century, providing the very appropriate name!

Here are some of the wines we tasted on the lovely wrap-around porch of The Vineyard House overlooking the vineyards:

2014 Napa Valley Chardonnay – A lovely Chardonnay with great acidity, the green apple and Meyer lemon flavors are balanced beautifully with the floral aromas and the toasty element from eight months of sur lie aging.

2013 Napa Valley Zinfandel – One of my favorite wines of the tasting, this Zinfandel is what a Zinfandel is SUPPOSED TO BE! It has a beautiful transparent color, not one of those deep purple colors that shouldn’t represent Zin at all! A field blend of 77% Zinfandel, 22% Petite Sirah and 1% Carignan, the aromas and flavors include brambly fruit, licorice, some Southern Rhone type garrigue and has a nice long finish.

2013 Rutherford Merlot – One of my favorite Merlots of the New World, Frog’s Leap always knows how to do this varietal right. With ripe plum and cherry flavors, this wine has soft tannins and isn’t too big! It’s what a Merlot should be; elegant and nicely balanced. (82% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc)

2013 Rutherford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – This lovely Cab has black cherry, blackberry and cassis, along with the dusty earth of the Rutherford soil. This needs some time, but it’s going to be wonderful! (89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot)

The thing that probably impresses me the most about Frog’s Leap Winery is that they truly care about our planet. Frog’s Leap produces some wonderful wines, while keeping the planet healthy through the production of solar and geothermal power. In 2005 they built their Vineyard House according to the goals of the U.S. Green Building Council. They even insulated it using old blue jeans. Talk about recycling!!!

Health of the vineyard is achieved though organic farming and the use of biodynamic methods. Along the rows of vines are borders of specially selected plants, which attract butterflies and beneficial insects.

So if you want tasty wine, made true to the varietals and green conscious to boot, pick up some wines from Frog’s Leap Winery. Or if you’re heading to Napa, pay them a visit.

Here’s a link to their very fun site:  http://www.frogsleap.com/

Zinfandel Tasting

Being a member of the Society of Wine Educators definitely has its benefits.  One of the perks is getting invited to some very fun wine events.

This past week I was fortunate enough to attend a Zinfandel Master Class as well as a Zinfandel tasting in Orlando at the Renaissance Sea World Hotel.  The Association of Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) sponsored the event.  ZAP was founded over 20 years ago when a small group of passionate wine pioneers and some Zinfandel loving consumers came together because they believed that Zinfandel deserved recognition as a highly respected varietal that could compete with the finest wines around the world.  Today hundreds of producers and thousands of advocates are proud members of ZAP.

The Master Class was wonderful.  Three wine professionals from well-respected Zinfandel producers led us through the history of the varietal, as well as through their represented region and a blind tasting of various Zins from those regions.

First up was Doug Becket, owner of Peachy Canyon Winery in the Paso Robles AVA.  Doug’s easygoing personality and wealth of knowledge led us through the fascinating history of his winery and the interesting geography of the Paso Robles AVA.

Next up was Carol Shelton, Owner and Winemaker of Carol Shelton Wines.  This highly awarded winemaker expounded on some of the AVAs in Sonoma County, explaining differences in their terriors, which results in the different tastes of Zinfandel. 

The final speaker of the day was John Kane, the Winemaker for Rosenblum Cellars, one of the “big daddy wineries” in the Zin world.  Kane manages all of the aspects of wine production for Rosenblum, from the vineyard to operations, and is the winemaker for 62 wines each year!  His presentation focused largely on the Contra Costa County AVA, which lies within the larger Central Coast AVA.

Following the Master Class we were invited to dine with the speakers.  What great fun it was to drink their wines with lunch while hearing stories about that particular vintage and their struggles and triumphs in making the perfect wine!

Following lunch was a tasting of Zinfandel from 16 different producers.  My favorites truly did include the above wineries, along with Wine Guerrilla from the Sonoma Valley (Owner/WInemaker Bruce Patch is not only a fine winemaker, but also a very fun and personable guy) and Proulx Wines from Paso Robles.

Talty Vineyards & Winery

The Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma Valley is a lovely AVA with a lot of great wines.  Their red varietal specialty is often considered to be Zinfandel.  Some experts believe that there is nowhere else in the world that this variety thrives as well and produces as voluptuous grapes as in the Dry Creek Valley.

One winery in this appellation is Talty Vineyards & Winery, which sits on six acres of forty-eight year old Zinfandel vines.  Michael Talty, the winemaker and owner, is doing some really wonderful things with Zinfandel.   His are truly some of the best Zins I’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking.

His father William Talty was responsible for Michael’s love of food and wine.  Together they made wine from Cabernet Sauvignon in their garage and dreamed of one day having a winery of their own.   William also was who introduced Michael to the land of Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley.  Sadly, their dream of opening their own winery together didn’t come to fruition because of the unexpected passing of his father in 1993.  Michael purchased the six acres of vineyards in 1997 and named them after his father.  His Estate Zinfandel is made with grapes from the William Talty Vineyard.

I had been to Talty a few years ago, tasting with Michael’s delightful wife Katie.  On my most recent visit to Sonoma County I wanted to make sure to pay them another visit.   After driving up the long beautiful driveway lined with vineyards on the left and peach trees on the right, we were greeted by their wine dog Bella, and Michael himself!

Talty’s winery is very cozy, with a photo of William looking down over the tasting room, which also serves as the barrel room.  I loved how the impression of Michael’s father’s presence is obvious in their whole operation.

We tasted at individual barrel tables instead of the typical tasting bar, with Michael paying close attention to each table.

The wines we tasted were:

2008 Talty Estate Zinfandel, William Talty Vineyard – This is the wine made from the vineyard on which the winery sits.  The nose has some pepper, blackberry and nice floral aromas.  The palate was juicy and lush, with raspberry, cherry and blackberry, along with some peppery vanilla.  The 2008 is comprised of 90% Zinfandel, 7% Petite Syrah and 3% Carignane.

2009 Talty Zinfandel, Filice Connolly Vineyard – The nose is lovely, with some spice and oak, along with a very fresh black raspberry.  The black raspberry explodes on the palate, with some chocolate and spicy oak leading to a nice long finish.  100% Zinfandel aged in 100% American oak.

2009 Talty Zinfandel, Dwight Family Vineyard – This is the youngest of the three vineyards with whom Talty works, and he is very excited about it’s progress.  The 2009 vintage produces currant, spice and floral notes on the nose.  The palate is well balanced, with the beautiful fruit shining through some lovely spice and vanilla.  This wine is 95% Zinfandel and 5% Petite Sirah.  It was aged in 75% American oak and 25% French oak.

Michael Talty is doing a bang-up job in Dry Creek Valley.  If you’re a fan of Zinfandel, you will love this experience.  If you’re not so sure about this varietal because you’ve experienced the huge over done Zins of some producers, give Talty a try.  I can’t help but think that you’ll enjoy these delicious and food friendly Zinfandels.

 

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