I love fun wines — wines that surprise you with their exuberance. It’s like you can taste the excitement and a hint of the humour, of the winemaker when he was crafting his work of art. That’s Louis Jadot Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay. It’s bright, lively, fully of character and charm. It tastes like the flush fields of Burgundy, and yet simultaneously like Cali’s summer sun. Hello Jadot and Cheers to you!
Friday nights I like to have a little fun. And there ain’t no party like a Pinot party ‘cuz the Pinot party don’t stop! Also, Friday night is often times pizza night and pizza and Pinot is one of my fav food pairings. Well, good thing I like to keep PN’s on hand in the cellar for just such an occasion. I was actually holding on to my Josh Cellars Pinot Noir for something a little more…sophisticated. But then I thought, why not have a sophisticated PN and elevate the pizza experience? And that’s exactly what it did.
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Between the Rhone Rangers Seminar, the Paso Robles Lecture and Grande Tasting, and even my evening with the Diablo Taster’s Guild where I was able to spend one-on-one time with Bodegas Paso Robles — I’ve been making great connections with winemakers from Paso Robles and establishing, what I call, a Passion for Paso. But still, it was a great surprise to me when one #WineWednesday (seriously), a package from Jeff Freeland and Chris Behr of Oso Libre wines showed up at my door.
Oso Libre is a sustainable vineyard, winemaking, and ranching facility located in the heart of Paso Robles. They are Sustainability in Practice (SIP) Certified*, which means they treat their produce, livestock and employees with a high standard of care. I’ll raise a glass to that.
A big bold red blend crafted with elegance and finesse. That’s the 2014 Leverage Trajectory GSM Red Blend. Yes, it packs a lot of flavor, and those flavors are so well-balanced, even the timid sipper will find enjoyment in this blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mouvédre.
Trajectory is the flagship wine of Leverage Wines — a boutique, artisan winery from the heart of Paso Robles. No you won’t find this wine, or any Leverage wine, in stores or restaurants, but I tell you as a regular consumer of those readily available Safeway, BevMo, Coscto, TJ, WF wines…this is a boutique winery worth seeking out. And this Trajectory GSM red blend is a peak example of what these boys can do.
Feeling fancy and feeling French? Let’s face it, most good quality Bordeaux’s and Burgundy’s are hard to find when you have a certain…price…limitation…
Enter Château Loudenne Rouge 2011 — an unpretentious Bordeaux that’s versatile enough for every palate and every meal.
