TheWino.net

Gundlach Bundschu Wine Tasting & Tour

We visited the winery, Gundlach Bundschu, just outside Sonoma, CA today for a tasting and tour.  GunPun.com, as they're trying to use as a funny short for their name, was founded in 1858 and has remained a family owned & operated business for the past 152 years.  

Three Wine Company Tasting

Wine tasting again in Clarksburg, Ca at the Old Sugar Mill. The first winery were tasting at is the Three Wine Company.

They source their grapes from out Northern California. Started by former Cline Estates owner Matt Cline and his wife Erin, they produce about 6k cases in a boutque fashion. Their tasting room is located in a great old sugar mill that has been renovated to be a wine tasting room.

Three Wine Company focuses on Zinfandel and old vine red varietals like Carignane & Mourvedre. Everything I tasted was consistent and mild, very good stuff. I loved their '06 S3X Riesling which is a nice alcohol 9% to sugar 12% ratio. It's a wonderful dessert wine for those that fancy it.

Gourmet Homemade Dinner

My mother in law is coming to stay with us next week to help us transition into the world of parentdom. Tonight was a kind of dry run where she came and made a four course gourmet, delicious meal.

Silver Oak for Christmas Dinner

This Christmas my uncle brought a bottle of '03 Silver Oak Anderson Valley to dinner. It was a very nice bottle, I added an '03 Runquist Petite Sirah to the mix. The Runquist is a fruit forward, heavy but balanced red wine. Coupled with a stuffed pork roast, it was a perfect ending to a wonderful holiday.

Scott Harvey tasting

We visited Scott Harvey Wines in Sutter Creek, CA. Specializing in Zincandels, they source grapes from Napa and Amadke Valley.

I tasted the
2004 InZinerator - a sin blend
2005 Napa Old Vine Zinfandel - nice but light zin
2005 Old Vine Zinfandel - light cherry blossoms tasting
2005 Mountain Selection Syrah -
2005 Mountain Selection Barbera - classic, simple Mediterrean style wine. Easy drinking wine.
2004 Forte - traditional port, a little too sugary for my liking.

The Harvey is a second generation winemaking family.

Revelation Meal

Tonight, hosting a small, small as in two couple dinner, I realized my wino voice has been stifled by this faux desire to be PC and poetic. The reality is I'm not such a good writer anyway, especially when I'm forcing it. No, if I want to be true to myself I need to be me.

Sliders, Milkshakes & Reynolds Family Cab

Every Sunday night (or nearly every one) we have a family dinner, usually at my parents place but sometimes we change it up.  This week was no different, we had mini-burgers, or as its chic to say "Sliders", black & white shakes, a nice corn salad from the Barefoot Contessa cookbook, fries from McDonald's and a bottle of Reynold's Family 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Sherwin Family Vineyards Winery & Tasting Notes

A couple weeks back we made our way to a small (16 acre) winery, Sherwin Family Vineyards.  Sherwin is an all wine sold directly on location, beautiful estate overlooking the vineyards & man made pond type of vineyard on Spring Mountain Road.  It's a great spot...one that we wouldn't have found if it weren't for our guy at Pride Mountain next door. 

Pride Mountain Winery: Tasting Notes

Pride Mountain Vineyards is one of our favorites, not because its one of the best value 'cult wineries' but because it generally produces great wine for what wine fanatics would say are good prices - though I'm not sure any bottle in the $60 range can ever be considered a good value - these are very good wines.  Made my renowned wine maker Bob Foley, Pride consistency produces wines that not only taste well but are well liked by the industry experts. 

Duckhorn Wine Company: Tasting Notes

Duckhorn Wine Company is a pretty big wine producer that has created several 'sister' brands such as Paraduxx, Goldeneye and Decoy.  Paraduxx has its own tasting room off the Silverado trail, and its primarily Zinfandel based.  Duckhorn on the otherhand is off highway 29 and is more Cabernet based, and has been the flagship brand of the company.  This was the first winery we hit up on Friday, it was about 11:30 AM with a little mist in the air and we were one of the first at the winery - in otherwards it was perfect conditions for tastings.