Return to Wente

I spent a weekend recently with friends who live in Livermore Valley in California, outside of the Bay area. I had a little time for a quick tasting trip to one of my favorite wineries, where I took my wine classes a couple years ago - Wente Vineyards.

Margo in the Vineyard Tasting Room hooked me up with Wente's latest Petit Sirah...inky and delicious.

If you find yourself in the Bay area looking for a less expensive, less crowded Napa / Sonoma alternative...head to Livermore Valley. And definitely stop by Wente and say hi to Margo!

Cheers, and thanks for following the VinoGals!

Smoky Wine Finds

Like a little smoke in your vino?

As I’ve continued to learn about and taste more wines, I’ve grown to love it when I sniff, or taste, and the effect is obvious and unmistakable. Within the past few months, I’ve found two wines that I absolutely love for their “slap you in the face” smoky factor… aroma and taste.

Deliciously Smelly Wine #1, “Smoke”….June 2011....

A few months ago I was in Napa with girlfriends, staying at the lovely Meritage Resort and Spa.

In back they have a tasting room, located UNDER a vineyard. The wines are called Trinitas. We stopped in after a day of tasting for one last sampling, and I really enjoyed a wine the tasting room guy called a “story in a bottle”. Apparently in 2007 in Mendocino County, CA, there was a wildfire which spread all the way to the edge of the vineyard from which these grapes were harvested. Instead of considering it a loss, the winemaker decided to go with it and see what happened. The result is a 2008 Trinitas Old Vine Zinfandel that literally smells like a campfire…reminding me of family nights around the campfire, under the stars, somewhere in southern Va…and tastes good too!

Deliciously Smelly Wine #2, “Bacon”… October 2011. Tonight I was having happy hour with clients and ordered a Seven Deadly Zins, which the restaurant happened to run out of. Instead, the bartender offered us a 2009 Windmill Old Vine Zinfandel from Lodi. When he put it in front of me, I took on whiff and it was like I had my nose in a jar of Bacon Bits (remember Bacon Bits?). Seriously. I don’t know if I have ever smelled a wine with such a distinct aroma. It was fascinating. How can grapes smell like smoked bacon?? Surprisingly , it was delicious and smooth….fruity but with a slight bite, and not a hint of the excess alcohol that can be a problem with an unbalanced Zin.

I hope you enjoyed the VinoGals “Smelly Wines” installment… if you can get your hands on either of the wines mentioned, go for it. They both pass the “sniff test”…guaranteed.

Cheers…and thanks for following the VinoGals!

CJ