 Just this weekend, Monterey, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, El Dorado and Amador County wineries and tasting rooms flung open their doors to tasters! Yes, exhale with joy! Winemakers and their staff are as eager to see you as you are to see them. After almost four months of sheltering in place, California is starting to open up wineries. Before you plan your customary day of tasting, here are a few tips on what’s happening in the tasting room scene:
 When you arrive for your tasting appointment:
 Your favorite wineries are anxious to see their tasting fans again! Contact them if you have any questions about their current—and evolving—tasting practices. And bringing a note of thanks, a big air hug, or a treat to your best loved winery is always in style. -------------------------------------------- A toast to the new ways of sipping! Shondra Savadkohi Gain more from your next tasting with Nose & Palate wine traits... 
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 Pierce Ranch Vineyards' tasting room is within slingshot distance to Cannery Row and bucket list hotels right on the Monterey Bay. I've had the chance to taste there a few times, but was eager to pick up some wines again. The Iberian varietals are a welcome change from the California rinse-and-repeat varietals you often see. These wines are terrific on their own or with food. Anticipate personality! Just before the SIP, I messaged Josh and let him know I was in the area and hoping to come by for a tasting. He pinged me, and fast forward, there was a glass of Pierce Ranch wine in my hand as my husband and I were chatting it up with his amazing staff.  Owner, Josh Pierce, is often sharing and pouring his wines at Monterey County Vintners & Growers events, such as: trade tastings, winemaker tastings, and more. His tasting room is a relaxing place to savor the wines and enjoy a leisurely chat with a friend. While I've featured Josh's wines a way back, I do love the chance to taste current vintages. Here's a look at my tastings.
While we're waiting to get back to the tasting rooms, Pierce Ranch Vineyards (Link) can be found online, with available curb-side pick up. ------------------------------- Health to you and yours! Shondra Savadkohi ----------------------- Do you have wine questions during SIP? Or do you wish you had your own wine guide? CalWineJaunt.com offers Personalized Wine Consulting for your shelter-in-place wine needs.   Wine is meant to be shared. It's the liquid for celebrations, community, and for gathering with friends and family. I want to acknowledge that all of this has come to a screeching halt. We all are, to some degree, dealing with Covid-19. Some are instantly without work. Others are on the front line. And hopefully, all are making efforts to shelter in place for everyone's health and safety. It's difficult to be separated from our loved ones and experience this much change at once. For a piece of bright news, Bay Area wines are, thankfully, still available. At this time, wineries are not allowed to be open to the public for purchases in the tasting room or wine tasting on site. But winemakers are being creative and resourceful in an effort to keep their businesses-- and to keep sharing their wines with tasters. If you're still in a place to purchase wine and enjoy it, now is the time. Here's how:
 For a list of wineries and their current offerings and shipping, visit the following links. The specials will likely vary and change as needed. Wineries of Santa Clara Valley The site currently lists their winery options for delivery, curbside, shipping, and specials. Visit Santa Clara Wines. Monterey County Vintners & Growers Find wineries in Carmel, Soledad, and Monterey. Contact the winery directly for current offerings. Visit Monterey County Wines. Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrower Assoc. Find a listing of pick-up, delivery, and discount options by winery. Visit Santa Cruz Mountain Wines. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Health to you and yours in this time, and a few words of comfort... God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalms 46:1 A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord. 'Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you!' Psalms 102:1 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Blessings to you, Shondra Savadkohi Travel from the comfort of you home and snag a few ideas from this Home-Tasting of 3 Reds...  The Annual Silicon Valley Wine Auction offered a collage of wines from the region. Winemakers from Corralitos to the Peninsula gathered to pour their wines. The commonality? All the wines were made with grapes sourced from the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA. Enjoy the tour!  Hosted at: Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga.  Thank you, Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Growers Assoc., for the invitation to cover the 2019 SVWA! I volunteered for the Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association (Link) for almost four years. During that time, I cut my teeth on SCM varietals. These local wines became the foundation for my wine palate. Without meaning to, I often compare and contrast the wines from other regions to my local wines. Some SCM wines are smooth, some silky, others light, others hearty. Producing wines that are tannic, to raw, to elegant in palate, the region is a wine playground within reach of the beach and the nation's tech capital. ----------------------------- A toast to your collage of wines! Shondra Savadkohi Looking for wines in Monterey County? Read on...  Winemakers gathered to pour and chat about their Monterey County wines.  Georis Wine. Greg Freeman, Winemaker Explore these seductive wines. The table was busy, the line of tasters was long. And no wonder. Georis crafts Bordeaux varietal wines with estate grown fruit from the Cachagua Valley area of the Carmel Valley. The three pours of the day were:
 Albatross Ridge. Garrett Bowlus, Winemaker Casual Elegance. Pet Nat is quickly coming back into wine fashion and is an enticing alternative to Champagne. The lightly, bubbly, fizzy wine is fresh, approachable, and a wine to enjoy on the deck. Yet the hint of yeast gives it the elegance to serve during the holidays. 2018 Rose' Pinot Noir Petillant Natural a.k.a Pet Nat, : Estate grown, Monterey.  J.Lohr Vineyards and Wines Valdiguie', a red varietal to add to your repertoire. 2018 Valdiguie', Arroyo Seco Monterey, estate fruit. Michael of J. Lohr Wines shared that the Valdiguie' grape is a cousin to Gammy, sharing earthy flavor characteristics.. Bright flavors and good acid on the mid-palate make for an appealing wine with flavors of fresh pomegranate and hints of flint. This wine could be the poster-child for the color “garnet-red” in the dictionary, or for you design people, the next Pantone color of the year.  Caraccioli Cellars A Rose' of its own. Caraccioli Cellars is known for its sparkling wines, but its Rose' was a stand out in the crowd. 2018 Rose' of Pinot Noir Escolle Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands. Enjoy hints of lemon, pineapple, and soft watermelon. Dry, with just a hint of sweetness; sunset blush in color  Scheid Vineyards A local Cabernet for your local foods. 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Grown, Monterey: flavors of dark cherry and raspberry are balanced with soft oak, along with hints of spice and green pepper. Ruby in color. The generous tasting pours gave me a chance to sip this wine and with food. It's versatile and would pair will with blackened salmon, lamb, or steak.  I. Brand Family Wines La Marea...True love. Vince from I. Brand Family Wines was pouring a Cabernet Sauvignon. But this time, it was their La Marea 2018 Albarino that caught my attention. With a nod to the mineral and flint often found in Sauvignon Blanc, this white varietal evoked feelings of the first of Spring, early mornings, fresh grass and leaves. Thank you, Monterey County Vintners & Growers, for the invitation to cover the 2019 Winemaker's Celebration! For more on these wineries visit montereywines.org/  Chalone Vineyards. Gianni A. Abate, Winemaker Wines from an intriguing region. While Chalone Vineyards crafts beautiful Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, their Grenache is just as enticing. 2016 Grenache, Chalone Vineyard, Estate Grown Heritage Vines, Chalone Appellation. This wine offered hints of salinity that begged to be served along side paella or cioppino.  Shale Canyon. Keith Prader, Winemaker Coastal-influenced Tempranillo with just the right balance. 2014 Tempranillo, Arroyo Seco, Monterey County. The Arroyo Seco area is an ideal growing region for Tempranillo. It offers heat but is close enough to the coast to keep the grapes from getting too hot. This Tempranillo is tannic, dry, dark, and lightly syrupy (but not jammy or too sweet.) Enjoy cherry, and spice in this medium-body wine.  Silvestri Wines A Pinot Blanc to remember 2017 'Il Campione' Pinot Blanc, Carmel Valley, estate fruit. This lightly acidic white wine gives way to soft florals on the palate, then to a slightly toasted sweetness similar to roasted marshmallows. Pair with grilled shrimp or dishes with toasted hazelnuts.  Lepe Cellars. Miguel Lepe, Winemaker & Owner Don't just think dessert wines for dessert 2016 Petite Verdo, San Antonio Valley, Monterey County. Today I made two new friends. Miguel's Petite Verdo, along with a dark chocolate, fuggy brownie. The perfect match! Think out of the box, and try wine with your dessert. Sometimes dessert wines can be too sweet, or the flavors may compete with a dessert. So instead, look to dark reds and creamy white wines to pair with chocolate, nuts, fruits, and cheeses.  Pierce Ranch Vineyards. Josh Pierce, Owner & Winemaker I'll be back for this Cosecheiro blend! 2016 Cosecheiro, San Antonio Valley, Monterey County: a thoughtful blend of Tempranillo, Malbec, Touriga, Petite Verdot, and Souzao. I'm always intrigued with Josh's Iberian varietals, and the chance to expand my notions of local wine. This wine is smooth with soft acidity and back tannins that make it inviting on its own—or a companion to a meal. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monterey County Wines have a good thing going. They are one of my favorite 'go to' regions. Always offering flavor, consistency, and that something amazing. Be sure to check out Wine Enthusiast magazine, June 2019 page 59, for their shout-out to a handful of Monterey Winemakers! Cheers to your summer wines ventures & tastings! Shondra Savadkohi For a few tips on wine care, visit my feature on Wine Closures...Keeping a Lid on It  |
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