Chamisal Vineyard is a winery I’d never heard of until I started this SIP Certified series. According to the winery, Chamisal Vineyard’s 85-acre Chamisal property is the first vineyard planted in the Edna Valley in 1973. Today it’s planted to the California classics, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as well as Rhone varietals Grenache and Syrah, and a small block of Pinot Gris. 
Wrath Wines 2015 Ex Vite Pinot Noir
I first came into contact with Wrath Wines during a Pinot Noir-focused tasting in SF. I was immediately drawn to the combination of elegance and rusticity they were able to capture into their wines. Indeed, working with fruit from Monterey County’s Santa Lucia Highland AVA means working with some seriously structured fruit — even Pinot Noirs can be a bit harsh. Not so here.
I was delighted to find them in my package of SIP Certified wines and have the chance to dive deep into the varietal that (I think) they do so well.
SIP Certified Sustainable Wine
This week I’m focusing on wines that are Sustainable In Practice (SIP) Certified. According to the non-profit organization, SIP Certified is a rigorous sustainable vineyard and winery certification. To be certified a vineyard or winery must be committed to “standards based on science and expert input, independent verification, transparency, and absence of conflict of interest.”
The rigorousness of the program has earned it the reputation of being the gold standard for sustainable certification. Let’s learn a bit more…
Tangent Wines 2015 Paragon Vineyard Albariño
When I received a package filled with SIP Certified wine, I was thrilled to see an Albariño in the mix. As one of my favorite Spanish varietals, I’ve only recently come to taste a few with a California home base. After a recent successful tasting of the Eighty Four Wines 2017 Albariño from Sonoma, I was eager to taste what Edna Valley had to say about the grape variety. Maybe too eager. The Tangent Paragon Vineyard Albariño went straight from box, to chiller, to glass that same day.
McKahn Family Cellars 2017 Rosé of Grenache
McKahn Family Cellars is yet another winery I’ve heard all about and even follow on social media, but never had the opportunity to taste. Now, I’m not a huge rosé person. Indeed, I’m quite picky about the pink things I drink. But when I saw that this rosé was made from 100% Grenache — well this honorary Rhone Ranger just couldn’t pass it up…
(more…)