I didn’t plan on doing a follow up blog to last week’s California Dreamin’ , but all the new wines that I have tried last week were from California. And as the sign says, the wine is bottled poetry. Here’s a great example of bottled poetry.
From Sonoma County, this 2013 Pinot Noir from La Crema is worth every penny of the $37 I spent on it. If you have a special occasion coming up, this is your wine. This zesty Pinot Noir will come alive on your palate. Super smooth with pomegranate and plum fruits and notes of milk chocolate. Great wine for everything from your Easter dinner to the chocolate you may be enjoying this weekend.
I have written about the Chateau St. Jean Pinot Noir previously, and this past week I had the opportunity to try the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon. This is an amazing value at just $18.99 and the first thing that went through my head was it reminded me of a $35 bottle of California Cabernet Sauvignon that I’ve been enjoying recently. Barbecue lovers – this is a great wine for you. Full-bodied with a perfect balance of fruit and spice. Perfect for ribs, steaks or anything else you throw on the grill. Be careful if you go into your local liquor store and ask for ‘Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon’, because they carry an $80 one as well. I haven’t tried that one yet.
Northeast of San Francisco and southeast of the Napa Valley is a fabulous wine growing region known for its Zinfandel. 40% of California’s production of Zinfandel comes from Lodi. This region has been producing Zinfandel since the 1800’s so there are many ‘old vine’ producers. With it’s population of about 63,000 people, it is the birthplace of A & W root beer, but will always be known as the Zinfandel Capital of the world. Here’s another of the many beauties from the region.
Assembly Old Vine Zinfandel is another great value in my mind. In the $23 range where I live, this wine is full of flavor. Dark cherries, mocha, smoky bacon and hints of oak might sound like a lot is happening on the palate, but the subtlety produced by these old vines make for a super smooth wine. One of my favorite characteristics of Zinfandel is that it is so food friendly, and my personal favourite wine for anything barbeque!
My wine of the week this week is a white wine……
Also from California, this Chardonnay is the stuff dreams are made of. I had the opportunity to taste this recently with my friend Rayell. And the beautiful flavors of apples and spice make it a delectable California Chardonnay. Regular readers of this blog know how much my Mom loves Chardonnay and I got a feeling this is going to be one of her new favorites when she comes for a visit. A perfect pairing with chicken or fish.
Here’s to a great Easter Weekend. It’s a long weekend in most places so we get an extra evening to enjoy a glass of wine.
Till next week, Cheers
Darlene
Wine-It’s Just My Opinion 