You know when you find that spot-on combination of flavors? Such as sweet and salty, or tart but refreshing. Well, my visit to Rexford Winery in Santa Cruz was spot-on. My husband and I visited Rexford's tasting room one afternoon and found marital wine union. I think their wines really met my husband's wine tastes and my wine preferences on common ground. This was my first introduction to Rexford, but that has more to do with my catching-up, considering Joe Miller has been making wine since the early 1970's. He and co-winemaker Sam, his son, source grapes from local vineyards in Santa Cruz county as well as other fine vineyards in California. His relationship with these wine growers opens the door for him to source beautiful fruit year after year for his fine wines. ![]() You can see their respect and love for the grape and the wine in their wine making process. They handle their wines as little as possible; without fining or filtering their wines. Fining is when additives are stirred into the wine so the sediment then adheres to the additive. It eventually settles and can be removed from the wine. Filtration is pretty much what it sounds like—filtering wine to remove any bits. But Joe feels that filtration can be a stressful process for the wine. It also exposes the wine to more air which can end up forcing the wine to age quicker, vs. letting it age gently on its own. I often prefer unfiltered wine. It tends to have a bit more substance and depth to it. Rexford Winery lets the varietals take center stage. Sometimes bold, sometimes gentle, other times in a layered, complex light. In other words, he lets the wines be what they are meant to be. Rexford wines are varietal focused; such as Pinot Noir from maritime influenced Corralitos, or a Zinfandel dessert wine from the warmer Lodi region.
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