All posts tagged: White Wine

Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Chardonnay 2017

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Growing up, I would hear stories from my parents about when they were dating. They reminisced about glorious sun-filled days drinking wine at the Robert Mondavi Winery while eating a picnic of crusty bread, fresh cracked crab, and crumbly aged cheese. It always sounded so romantic, so idyllic, so mouthwatering! When I was finally of age, I convinced my boyfriend at the time that we needed to go to Napa. It was as wonderful as it sounded, and the Robert Mondavi Winery stood as a glorious backdrop to this region with its California Mission style architecture, complete with bell tower. I think of Robert Mondavi Chardonnay as the classic California Chard. With a blend of 80% of the juice aged and fermented in New French Oak for 11 months, while 20% of it was in stainless steel. This is definitely an “oaky Chardonnay,” but it is also refined. Golden in tone, it had aromas of ripe pears and juicy pineapple. It tasted of lemon zest, with clean tropical fruit flavors, and a creamy texture. Paired …

Alto Vineyards Vidal Blanc

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In what seems like a lifetime ago, I lived briefly in Central Illinois. Having come from Los Angeles, CA, I was a a bit out of my comfort zone. Then I found out there was a tasting room for Alto Vineyards, an Illinois winery, two miles from my home. Of course, I went as soon as I could.⁣⁣It may have only been two miles, but it seemed worlds away from the town I lived in (video below). When I arrived, there was one other customer, who didn’t stay long. ⁣⁣Left alone with the tasting room manager, she and I spent the better part of two hours chatting about wine and tasting! I was impressed…well, mostly. I’ll admit, the Concord Grape wine (that I refer to as alcoholic grape juice) was not for me, but the other white wines were delicious! Refreshing and beautifully voluptuous, they easily went down with or without food. ⁣⁣Last night I opened the Vidal Blanc and devoured it with a lemon spatchcock chicken. It was perfect with round, tropical fruit notes …

Featured Wine of the Week – Left Coast Wines Chardonnay

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It’s Wine Wednesday, and it’s the season to drink white wine!  I had the opportunity to drink and share 2017 Left Coast Estate Truffle Hill Chardonnay last week with two of my closest girlfriends. It was a balmy Southern California evening, and this was the perfect wine for such a night.  We dined poolside, where we caught up and told the type of stories that only close friends relate to each other. We laughed a lot and simply enjoyed the evening. Without further ado, here are the details: Description: Left Coast Estate Truffle Hill Chardonnay 2017 13% Alcohol Rickreall, Oregon, USA Willamette Valley   Tasting Notes:   This Chardonnay welcomes with a deep golden hue and gorgeous aromas of butterscotch, papaya, and elderflower.  Tropical fruit flavors of pineapple, lychee, and papaya are layered with creamy vanilla and poached pear.  There is bright acidity and a luscious, silky mouthfeel.  All in all, this is a delicious wine that is a great complement to any outdoor summer eating.   Estate Information:  Left Coast Wines prides themselves on being environmentally …

Featured Winery of the Week – Liquid Farm

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Happy Wine Wednesday! Today I’m featuring Liquid Farm and their beautiful new tasting room in Los Olivos. 🍷I first discovered Liquid Farm 7 years ago when I was working for a wine event company. At the time, I swore I would never touch a Chardonnay again. That is, until I tried Liquid Farm. They changed my mind and made me realize just how many ways Chardonnay can be crafted. True to form, Liquid Farm offers up 5 different styles of Chardonnay at the tasting room. The first, White Hill Chardonnay from Sta Rita Hills, a Chablis style, which @adrienneastrology described as “salty lemonade.” The last was Bien Bien Chardonnay from Santa Maria Valley, a voluptuous, creamy Chard. My favorite was La Hermana Chardonnay, which was right in between these styles. However!! We didn’t just taste Chardonnay, we had 2 delicious Pinot Noirs and my personal favorite, a rosé of Mourvèdre (also known as PC, or “pink crack” to LF aficionados). The tasting room has a delightful shabby/chic vibe with comfy couches, hanging plants, an electric …

Demeter Certified Beckman Vineyards

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My trip to Santa Barbara Wine Country began with a stop at Beckman Vineyards. This has been one of my long-time favorite wineries, but it also had been a long time since I visited. My partner in wine, Adrienne and I were also on a quest for knowledge about Biodynamic farming. So since this is one of the better known Demeter Certified producers, it seemed natural to stop by. We got to sample some gorgeous wines, including Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache Rosé, a SGMC Blend (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Counoise), and an remarkable 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon that didn’t have the faintest hint of actually being that young. Every one of them was well balanced, expertly crafted and absolutely divine! I had to resist both the temptation to join the Wine Club as well as not buy up every bottle I could (and couldn’t) afford. All told, I walked out with four bottles, but I am highly tempted to order more. And join their Wine Club…what? Yeah… Anyway, we got some information on Biodynamic farming, but really just …

Featured Wine of the Week – Greek Wine!

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I stood in front of the Greek wine selection at the wine shop.  I didn’t know where to begin.  I had a few recommendations of Greek wine I should try, but as fate would have it, they were nowhere to be found.  The sales clerk wasn’t any help.  He was clearly out of his element when it came to Greek wines, as was I.  Just when I was about to give up and grab the wine with the label I liked best, I was greeted by a passing customer. He asked if I was looking to buy a Greek wine,  and when I responded that I was, he seemed surprised.  “Why would you want to do that,” he asked? I laughed and responded that I was told I should try some, and as a wine blogger and occasional educator, I thought I should.  He then told me he was Greek and could help me.  Then he told me something I will never forget: “The Greeks basically make wine to GET THE JOB DONE.  Most of …

Featured Wine of the Week – White Pinot Noir

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One day I was scrolling through my Instagram feed, when I stumbled onto a review of a White Pinot Noir.  I paused and read through it.  A White Pinot Noir?  I pondered it and wondered if it was in the style of White Zinfandel.  If it was, I was not interested.  But if it wasn’t…well, if it wasn’t, this would be a very unique wine! I’ve noticed a trend lately of taking traditionally red varietals and making them into white wines.  To create these wines the winemakers need to ensure minimal contact with the color giving skins of the grapes.  In the case of the White Pinot Noir I tasted from Left Coast Estate, careful attention was taken by fermenting the grapes in stainless steel at a cool temperature.  No oak was used.  This produced a Pinot Noir that is very clean and is, in fact, a white wine. Left Coast Estate’s White Pinot Noir was created when the overcast and chilly “Bummer Summer” of 2011 produced slightly unripe grapes.  On the bottle they say, …

Featured Wine of the Week – Four Vines “The Willing”

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It seems I’ve been having a lot of conversations about Chardonnay lately.  Who knew one wine could be so polarizing?  People either love it or hate it.  Honestly, I think those big, over-oaked California Chardonnays have given it a bad rap.  In recent years there has been a trend of lesser oaked, more food friendly Chardonnays.  Then there are the stainless Chards. Stainless, or naked Chardonnays are an expression of the grape in its purest form.  There is no oak manipulation, so you really get to see what this varietal is like.  Recently I revisited this type of Chardonnay and was not disappointed.  It was lovely and so quaffable.  I could drink it all day (something you will not hear me say about a Chardonnay very often). Details: Four Vines “The Willing” Chardonnay 2016 Monterey County California, USA Tasting Notes: On first glance, this wine is a gorgeous bright golden hue.  A bouquet of tropical fruits awaits: papaya, guava, lychee and pineapple.  It’s telling of what is to come.  On first taste, this wine is …

Featured Wine of the Week

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Happy Wine Wednesday!  Here we are again, and I thought it was only appropriate to feature a wine that speaks of Spring, warm weather and the #superbloom!  Today I am featuring another wine from Urban Press Winery, a Grenache Blanc with the name, “Fiore,” meaning flower. This wine has become my hands down favorite white at the moment.  I’ve always loved a good Grenache Blanc, since I was first introduced to it years ago at Bouchon in Santa Barbara.  At that time, I got to try a Tercero Wines Grenache Blanc.  I took a picture of the bottle and went on a hunt for more.  I wasn’t able to find it, but fast forward to a couple of years later, and I was working an event where I got to meet Owner/Winemaker, Larry Schaffer of Tercero Wines and taste his other beautiful creations. Grenache Blanc is still hard to find, and when I find a good one, I latch on to it.  Giovanni D’Andrea, Owner and Winemaker of Urban Press, has filled that niche for …

Featured Wine of the Week

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“My doctor said I need to drink more water, so I bought a case of Pinot Grigio”  ~@ShitMySommelierSays I saw this quote on Twitter a few years ago, and it made me laugh.  Admittedly, I’m not much of a Pinot Grigio drinker these days.  I usually prefer richer, bolder wines.  However, my mother’s favorite wine was Pinot Grigio.  So, in tribute to her, I decided to feature one this week. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a Pinot Grigio, and honestly, I’ve always thought of it as a “food wine” – something that pairs nicely with most foods, but I wouldn’t drink it alone. The Pinot Grigio I selected and tried for today changed my mind on all of this.  It was lovely, bright, and surprisingly robust! Details: Villa Borghetti Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie “Grigio Luna” 2017 Verona, Italy DOC 12% Alcohol White Wine Tasting Notes: Light straw in color, this wine surprises with a fragrant bouquet.  It smells floral and fruity, with notes of kiwi, pear, green apple, and honeysuckle.  It is crisp …