I shared the wine with a couple of aficionados, one of whom crinkled his his nose, put the glass down and said "NGTPIM." I gave him a puzzled look and he said, "Not going to put in mouth if it smells that bad." He then proceeded to pour it out.
I first tasted them at the Family Winemakers of California event earlier this year in Pasadena. Their 2010 "Chileano" Tempranillo was first up. Chris liked the deep ruby color, dark berry and cherry, balanced tannic structure and long smooth finish.
Kim called it a big, bold California style wine and enjoyed the blend. It sells for $38. Last up was Bel Vino's 2011 Zinfandel. Tony said it was like a spicy Tootsie Roll. "Yum!" Brain said "I like this. It's soft and coats the tongue with a velvety dark fruit. The Barry Manilow of wine."
The fruit simply exploded from the glass. I thought this was an exceptional wine. Ken called it "luscious all the way through." Sue called it the perfect Merlot.
Diane and Ken Wilson own the Wilson Artisan Wineries as well as the Grape Leaf Inn. There are eight wineries all totaled and I visited three of them, starting with Matrix Winery. Formerly Rabbit Ridge Winery, the Wilsons purchased the property in 2007.
Kim and Brian felt it was a really smooth Pinot and an astounding value. I loved it's pale ruby color and found it fruit forward, well balanced and with a good finish. Ken gave it five stars and described it as delightful.
I recently received an email asking me if I'd be interested in learning about the wines from McGah Family Cellars. The McGah family co-founded the Oakland Raide...
Getting together with friends to taste wine and have a bite to eat is becoming a frequent occurrence. I like to joke that the pay for what I do isn't great, but...
We gathered at a friend's home, about 10 of us, with eight bottles of wine to share. Some brought pizza, others brought cheese and crackers, and truffles that s...