Monthly Archives: November 2017

The Upshot of Rodney Strong

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Northern Sonoma County, especially Knights Valley and Alexander Valley, produce some of the best dark berry fruit for wines. Both winegrower Ryan Decker and winemaker Justin Seidenfeld have created Upshot, a Rodney Strong red blend at a reasonable price of $28. The label is a circular calendar highlighting the back story in the making of this wine, and the tagline, “Life Simply Does Not Blend Itself” is playful and approachable to wine novices and oenophiles.

Speaking of back story, the Rodney Strong story published on their website is quite interesting:

“Our story begins over 55 years ago, when a celebrated American dancer named Rod Strong settled in Sonoma County to pursue a second lifelong creative passion: winemaking. Rodney Strong Vineyards was the 13th winery bonded in the newly discovered Sonoma County wine industry. A trio of winemaking paths crossed when Rick Sayre joined the team as Winemaker in 1979, and again when the Klein Family, 4th generation California farmers, purchased the winery in 1989 and initiated a renewed commitment of modern artisan winemaking. Through the years, Rodney Strong Vineyards has earned the reputation for critically acclaimed Single Vineyard and Reserve wines, stand out Estate releases and best-in-class Sonoma County varietal wines.”

Upshot actually means, “the final or eventual positive outcome or conclusion of a discussion, action, or series of events” — and this red blend is a collaboration of the winemaking process from the 2015 harvest to the 2017 release.

Five grapes were involved in this blend: zinfandel, merlot, malbec, petit verdot and …wait for it….riesling! Says winemaker Justin Seidenfeld,

“The Upshot of blending these varietals is a wine that was made to underscore my passion for blending wine, a place that I love, and my enjoyment for this amazing life I get to live.”

I found this wine enjoyable without being pretentious… simply a good table wine priced at a great value. Just as taste sensations change in different contexts and situations, it’s interesting to note that there are white wine characteristics that come through within the deep blackberry and dark cherry burst of flavor, especially on the nose, as well as in the light tannin structure. And I enjoyed this with a variety of popcorn snacks and a turkey burger!

Visit https://www.rodneystrong.com/wines/upshot/ for more information.

Martha shares her palatable wine picks

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True-to-form, Martha Stewart excels as the DIY queen for home-bodies who seek to simply decorate their surroundings or add pizzazz to dinner parties. So, it would make perfect sense for the gal who continues to experience a career as a television personality, author, publisher — not to mention her former real-life role as a white-collar criminal and amazing ability to get back in the game — to assert her notoriety and jump on the bandwagon of a trendsetting wine company!

Her website: marthastewartwine.com offers a guide for matching her suggested wines with the flavors on a dinner menu. Her tips keep in line with her brand’s mission, which is to celebrate the art of creative living, simplified. For example, she includes “Easy-to-Find cheeses That Will Work Every Time”, listing:

  • Double Gloucester
  • Sharp Cheddar
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • Gouda
  • Manchego
  • Chevre
  • Brie
  • Havarti

Martha claims to have personally tasted each and every wine she’s selected from worldwide vineyards. With every order she includes a pairing chart for reds, whites and sparkling wines to highlight four choices of food pairings.

The old adage, “you get what you pay for” rings true, but there’s really nothing wrong with that if you’re seeking sips that won’t break the bank, yet are acceptable — even enjoyable.

My palate was poised for 4 bottles that included 1 Arbos Bianco of Italy, 2 French whites and 1 2014 Le Vassal De Mercues Malbec Cahors. Of the four, I would re-order the 2016 Cuvee Joelle Mauzac, a white wine from South West France that wasn’t too dry or sweet — an easy wine to drink, and absolutely order the A D’Arche White Blend Bordeaux (50% Semillon and 50% Sauvignon Blanc), a diamond in the rough with a lovely floral and citrus nose and flavor that highlights its terroir of Bordeaux minerality. I’d recommend enjoying both of these wines with smoky cheese and charcuterie.

With the holiday season swiftly approaching, giving the gift of a Martha Stewart Wine Company box is affordable and fun! You can order holiday gift packs of 4 bottles for as low as $59.95.

 

Celebrated sips: California’s Central Coast

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Living in the Napa Valley, I’ve become accustomed to high-end wines crafted by celebrated winemakers known throughout the world. So when I had the chance to try three wines of the Central Coast, I was a bit skeptical. With Thanksgiving nearly here, I decided to first try the 2015 tangent Albariño of Edna Valley ($17), mainly because I enjoy this Spanish varietal and realize it is sparsely planted in California.

The Niven family’s estate vineyard, Paragon, revels in its SIP™ Vineyard Certification (Sustainability in Practice). The grapes for tangent grew in the Edna Valley, halfway between Monterey to the north and Santa Barbara to the south, mimicking the Rías Baixas climate in the province of Galicia.

My first pour enlightened me on the idea that you really can bring a taste of Spain to California, even with American soil and cultivation. The nose on this wine proved citrus clean and fresh, and the taste was pure Albariño, dry and light with medium acidity. When you buy this wine, try it with sushi (ahi tuna) and you will not be disappointed. In fact, you can drink this wine alone and be perfectly happy.

Next, I tried a 2015 Zocker Grüner Veltliner of Edna Valley, a really good pick to bring to your host for Thanksgiving dinner ($20). These Grüner Veltliner and Riesling grapes are grown in the same region as the tangent Albariño, and is also SIP™ certified. Also, both of these white wines were aged in stainless steel tanks without ever sitting in an oak barrel. And both are screw caps.

Aromas of pepper, tastes of minerality and melons set the stage for a winning wine crafted by winemaker Christian Roguenant. Kudos!

The quote on the label of my final wine review of this area says it all: “Her Secret is Patience”. The 2014 True Myth Cabernet Sauvignon ($24) of Paso Robles is a glowing representation of what Mother Nature can do with finesse. Its motto is “Taste and Believe” and I am on board as a believer! With just enough oak to create cherry and vanilla notes, and a light spice finish, this smooth cabernet sauvignon I sipped has only one drawback for me… I wish I had saved it to enjoy it even more in a few years. Stock your wine cellar with this one, and you won’t be sorry!

Lesson learned: Central Coast wines are worth sipping, and even though the pricing is less than the majority of Napa Valley wines, it doesn’t mean they are lesser in quality and taste!