Fruity, deep, and rich, without edging over into fruit bomb, this is a sophisticated crowd pleaser. Aromas of baking cherry pie explode from the glass, dark cherry, vanilla, and pastry. Darker cherries and blueberries come out on the palate, with vanilla, and hints of sour cherry on the mid-palate, rolling
Soft, gentle, and balanced, this is a great ribs and coleslaw wine. Raspberry, blackberry, and allspice show on the nose. Lots of raspberry show on the palate, ranging from fresh tart berries to sweet berries in cream. It has a touch of vanilla and a pantry full of spice, including
For this year’s second annual Barbera Festival, held in California’s Amador County, winemakers brought samples of some 85 expressions of this highly drinkable varietal. They came up from Lodi, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz and over from Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma to merge with a majority of Sierra
At 143 years of age, the Original Grandpere Vineyard in the Sierra Foothills is the oldest documented Zinfandel vineyard in California, and it still produces wines of high quality. Its history is closely linked with that of California wine, and with United States wine consumption in general. The identity of
I like to joke that some really hot Red Zin broke up my marriage with beer. But in the next breath I tell people that now, as a free man, I am having an affair with an aristocratic Italian beauty:-read more-
2005 Domenico Aglianico, Sutter Creek Vineyard, Amador County contains 8.3% Petite Sirah from Lodi. Like the 2006, it was whole berry fermented, underwent extended maceration and spent 11 months in French and American oak. This wine offered a mature bouquet-read more-
The 2008 Terra d'Oro is 100% Aglianico from the Shenendoah Valley in Amador County. The wine was fermented in half-ton bins and was pressed directly into barrels after seven days of skin contact. It spent 16 months in 100% second-read more-