Walking home from work, I decided to pop into a local, boutique wine shop. I was hesitant because it looked like a run-of-the-mill liquor store from the exterior, boasting “deli sandwiches,” “fine cigars,” and — oh yeah, right — “premium wines.” But thinking about the meal for one I had waiting at home, I peaked in to see if maybe they had a little something to accompany my evening plans. I hit the hole-in-the-wall jackpot at this place. Wines from reputable winemakers big and small lined the walls. Even better, suiting my personal needs, there is a whole isle dedicated to half bottles. And so it was here that I discovered Miner Family Winery and their delectable Viognier.
Tag: white wine
Lindeman’s Bin 85 Pinot Grigio 2015
An exciting conclusion to my Lindeman’s Australian wine series is the Lindeman’s Bin 85 Pinot Grigio. While their Chardonnay offered a classic take on the varietal, the Cabernet Sauvignon a markedly New World expression, it’s the Pinot Grigio that — to my palate — is just 100% Australian.
Lombardi Wines 2014 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
What I love — what I really love about boutique wineries is that “single vineyard” is (often) a norm. And, I don’t want to be a wine snob or anything, but I’ve had the opportunity to taste the difference between an “appellation series,” a “vineyard series,” and “single vineyard series” as it pertains to the same winery and same varietal. And I have to say, the attention to detail given to the single vineyard series — whether from a major player or an up-and-comer — is astronomical. So you can imagine that when a small-lot winery, like Lombardi wines, stakes its whole business on two varietals (PN and Chard) that those vineyards are going to be quality sources and that the winemaker is going to take the utmost care to respect the fruit during production. So then it becomes — what I really love about boutique wineries is the quality of wine.
Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay 2015
A delivery from Lindeman’s magically appeared on my doorstep one day. Not complaining — a gift of wine will never be turned down by me. I’d never heard of the name so had no expectations as to the value or quality of the wine.
Although I’m not usually a fan of the screw cap, I will say that it’s actually kind of great when one finds herself traveling quite a bit. No worries about forgetting to pack a corkscrew. So it was during my travels that I found myself enjoying my first bottle of Lindeman’s Bin 65 Chardonnay.
Workman/Ayer 2014 Ipso Facto White Wine
All of Workman/Ayer wines come out of the central coast, specifically Santa Barbara County. It’s an area I’m only beginning to familiarize myself with. While it’s not the “Rhone Ranger” station like Paso Robles, it seems Rhone varietals do thrive in the area — and winemakers are doing interesting things with those grapes. Just take a sip of Workman/Ayer 2014 Ipso Facto white wine…