Judge a book by its cover? Judge a wine by it’s label. I chose the Spicy Vines Dragon’s Kiss Syrah for its awesome label and chose their rosé of the same variety for the same reason. But also, because I thought it’d be an interesting “experiment” to see how they express the same grape in “rosé form”…
Category: Booze
Wine reviews, pairings, events, and getaways
Spicy Vines 2015 Dragon’s Kiss Syrah
I chose this wine because it has a dragon on it. Dragons are awesome.
Benziger 2015 de Coelo Pinot Noir, Terra Neuma
I love everything I’ve tasted from Benziger. Maybe it’s the fact that they’re all biodynamic, which means extra time and attention both in the vineyard and in the winery, ensuring that all wines are as natural as possible. Or maybe it’s because despite their popularity (or maybe because of it), they continue to do small lot specialty bottlings that show that family-run is family-run no matter how big or small the business, taking pride in their name, their land, their products. 
Gary Farrell 2016 Russian River Selection Pinot Noir
Gary Farrell is a Sonoma classic, no? I know fellow wine lovers—from casual consumers to expert somms—all rave constantly about Gary Farrell. I’m not going to lie, it took me some time to actually taste from the famed estate, but was lucky enough to find it on a menu not too long ago. (I believe it was my birthday actually.)
Since then, I’ve understood what all the raving is about. Solidly structured, with all its rocky river rusticity elegantly balanced with the ripe red fruit flavors known to the region. Russian River Valley does Pinot Noir right and Gary Farrell expresses this so eloquently.
This is a blend of several different vineyards throughout the AVA. And after having tasted this, I’m so curious to taste the winery’s single vineyard expressions. Especially since it sources from some very prestigious vineyards….
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Scheid Vineyards 2016 Escolle Road Vineyard Chardonnay
I’ve been having such fun experimenting with new releases of California Chardonnay. I feel like the modern expressions of the grape has come to vary so widely that gone are the days of this white wine’s stereotypes — the new norm is the ab-norm. And while this Chardonnay does reflect those “classic” characteristics, and may not be to everyone’s palate, it does have a fresh take on an old look and certainly has its time and place when paired with the proper meal. 