March 25, 2008
I apologize for my long absence in Blog Land. However, I’m back with a vino vengeance and in my absence, I’ve discovered some amazing wines.
You actually don’t have to be a wine elitist to enjoy boutique wines, but you will have to pay to play with these sumptuous wines. Over the holiday weekend, I had an incredible Malbec from a small winery out of the Lodi area, Pasos. Lodi produces some of the best grapes in northern California. This was, by far, one of the best Malbecs I’ve sipped (ok, I sipped half the bottle). Pasos doesn’t sell their wine commercially but it can be found at their winery and also offers a wine club you can join. That’s the drill with these boutique wines that don’t sell in your local markets. They usually offer wine club membership (pay a pretty penny but you get every penny’s worth of wine shipped to you monthly or every few months).
Back to this marvelous Malbec…first, the bottle is gorgeous (Chris, that dig was for you!) and according to the description: “New French and Hungarian oak barrels were used for the best possible flavor profiles of vanilla and exotic spices to enhance the overall wine-tasting experience. Malbec is one of the six red Bordeaux grape varieties that also do very well in the Lodi region. Try with grilled red meats.” This tasted fabulous with lamb and I cannot sing this Malbec’s praises enough. It was smooth with just enough spice and bite to it. It was a true marriage–one that I will be committed to eternally (when I get my hands on another bottle). For more information on their prices and wine selection, check out http://www.pasoswines.com (they are located in Lockeford, CA).
I’m not a big fan of white wine, but Tangent Winery out of Paso Robles produces a tasty Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Pinot Gris. These are my top white wine picks. I had the privilege of writing the wine list for my friend’s coffeehouse (Courthouse Coffee located in historic downtown Auburn, CA). She is carrying Tangent and a myriad of incredible boutique wines including Farnese (Italian) Sangiovese, Lagaria (Italian) Pinot Grigio and Justin Wines’ Obtuse (a dessert wine made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon). Steel Wine’s Shooting Star Chardonnay is very representative of the fabulous wine produced out of Santa Barbara County. Wine tasting in Santa Barbara County is on my vino to-do list!
Fortunately, I was “forced” to taste the wine in order to create the coffeehouse’s wine list. It was a tough job but a true wine-o needed to be called in to handle such a wine tasting feat. One of the wines that I declared (after a few glasses) I could drink daily was a French sparkling white wine, Bailly-Lapierre Brut Reserv Blanc (Cremant de Bourgogne). It tasted better than some of the more expensive champagnes I’ve sampled. It has a subtle blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Aligote: “It’s an exemplary sparkling wine with intense fruit and a long finish.” Coupled with a bowl of strawberries and a veranda overlooking the French Riviera, this wine showcases all things French in this juicy sparkling wine.
Since boutique wines produce smaller quantities of wines (thus, why they are called boutique wines), their prices are a bit more expensive but worth the higher cost. You are getting exceptional quality over mass-produced every day wines. It’s definitely worth the $20-50 price range (per bottle) and these wines will definitely taste better with age.
Paired with exceptional food and quality wine drinking partners, you will quickly learn to love and appreciate boutique wines. Boutique wines are as snobby and elitist as I’ll get when drinking “fine wine.”I still love my $6 bottles of Shiraz but I definitely won’t pass up a boutique winery now.
Cheers!
VinoGirl's Ramblings 