" DVD, a gift card to Del Rose Cafe, and a sweet Miller Chill coozie. Anyway, I was reminded the other night about what really got me into wine. I LOVE PINOT NOIR! A superbly done Pinot Noir is just so good. I don't want to wax superlative like so many do about the ethereal experience of a great Burgundy blah blah blah. It was the varietal that got my wife into red wine and just had to be one of the wines served at our wedding. We used to have it at least two, three times a week. From there, I started bringing home wines with more body. When we went out to Sonoma in 2007, Ledson Winery aided me in my cause with their wonderful Zinfandels.
The down side of all this is that we progressed so far into the red wine spectrum that now only the biggest, baddest, most hedonistic reds make the cut. Don't get me wrong - I love big reds, but it's nice to tone it down every once in awhile.
So, there we were enjoying a simple meal of medium-rare bison burgers (you don't want to overcook bison - it's a very lean meat), chips, and salad. I wanted something that would complement the slight gaminess of the bison but not bash us over the head with flavor. My monthly free case of wine from the store beckoned. Bet you can guess what type of wine came out of there. Pinot!!!!
I whipped out my Vinturi
, decanter
(most young red wine tastes better after aeration), and a 2009 River Road Pinot Noir Stephanie's Vineyard. The color, aroma, and flavor brought me right back to the Russian River Valley. Cherry, raspberry, spice, and everything nice. It has a coffee element that I absolutely adore, and a great little interplay between tart fruit and savoriness. At $20 a bottle, it's an unbelievable value. With Valentine's Day right around the corner, why not? Last August, the store sent me and another gentleman out to Napa and Sonoma with a group of about 50 to tour and taste for six days. River Road Winery and Vineyards was one of our first stops, and I can't tell you enough about the graciousness and hospitality of the owners, the Mills Family, and the winemaker, Joe Freeman. Good people, great wine.
The weather in 2010 in Sonoma and Napa was unseasonably cool. When we would wake up in Santa Rosa, the temperature would be about 50 degrees and foggy, which isn't odd. What was odd was that the fog didn't burn off until 11 pm some days because the temperature didn't get much above 80 degrees. The grapes would get about six hours of sunlight and then the fog bank would roll back in. Most vineyards were three weeks behind in their ripening so there was a little worry about harvesting before the October rains. From what I've read, the vintage didn't turn out for the best.
Our visit to River Road was in the evening so needless to say, it was a little chilly. The Mills were so kind and busted out some coats from their lost and found for us all to wear while we dined al fresco next to the heat lamps. They also offered us a reprieve from wine tasting with some awesome Sonoma micro-brews. A fantastic wrap up for our first full day in Cali. You'll find some photos below. In the meantime, stay tuned for "Real Men Drink Riesling." Happy sipping!
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| Fog rolling in through the Petaluma Gap |
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| Waiting for veraison aka ripening from green to red |
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| Me, Joe Freeman, his wife, and my buddy from the store |
Hey, I know about being a big red that needs to be toned down, so I'm right there with you.
ReplyDeleteWait, was that a wine reference? ;)
GREAT BLOG!