I finally checked out one of Pali Wine Company’s tasting rooms and their exploration into natural wines.

Pali is traditionally known for delicious California Central Coast Pinot Noirs, but now they have a cornucopia of different wines varieties. A rainbow of wines are available from a hay-colored Roussanne to a rose of Sangiovese to a skin contact Pinot Gris, into darker tones of rubied Grenache and deep purple hues of a Mystery Red Blend, as known as “Everything but the Pinot.” There is definitely something for everyone these days.

I selected the “Taste of the Summer Flight” which is advertised as 100% natural, 100% sustainably farmed, 100% delicious! And it was! A delight for the eyes, as well as the palate, this flight included some fantastic wine names such as “Blue Skies” (a Grenache Blanc, Viognier, and Chardonnay blend), “The Jar” (a blend of Carignan and Viognier), and my personal favorite, “Scorcher” (a blend of 50% Pinot Grigio and 50% Sangiovese). These were such unusual and absolutely delightful blends – wines I wouldn’t typically think would work together, yet they did so well.

I paired all this with the large charcuterie platter, which featured prosciutto, goat cheese with strawberry jam, gouda, olives, pickled artichoke hearts, almonds and pistachios, along with a bunch of other board favorites and two types of crackers.

For those who follow me, you know I feel “variety is the spice of life!” So is at Pali Wine Co’s tasting rooms.

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Here is a review of the Mystery Red Blend:

The menu called it a “Mystery Red Blend.” Needless to say, I was intrigued – especially after trying a variety of unusual blends at the Pali Wine Company Anaheim tasting room. ⁣
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A glass was brought to our table, and we blind tasted. There was definitely Syrah – that was the strongest note for me, as black pepper laced my tongue. Probably Grenache, with it’s soft white pepper and red fruit notes. I also guessed Merlot. So, we told our server our guesses, and he confirmed the three. Then we found out there were 11 red varietals in the blend! Our winetender joked that they call the mystery red blend “𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘵.” The other varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Petit Sirah, Dornfelder, Carignan, Sangiovese, Cinsault, and Zinfandel. ⁣
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With all those mostly bold grapes, I would have expected that wine to come up and slap me in the face. Yet, there was a lovely finesse about it. The wine, though still strong, was infinitely softer than I would have expected. The nose, a fragrant basket of berries and ripe fruits, with a hint of earthiness. The mouth was filled with flavors of cherries, tart plums, the aforementioned pepper, and spice. There were light tannins and a good amount of acid. ⁣
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I had to take a bottle home. It came in a refillable growler, as the wine was on tap. How cool! ⁣