Tag Archives: valencia

Happy August all!  Hope everyone is staying cool out there during what is the hottest year on record.  Yipes!  Good thing we have wine to help us forget the sweltering sun outside our windows.  Yes, life is good.  I’m bringing you two lovely options to help you feel a little more calm, cool and collected until the heat subsides and the kids go back to school.

Melville 2010 Estate Pinot Noir – Sta. Rita Hills 

What They Say:  Deep ruby red in color with an opulent and complex nose of black tea, persimmon, chinese five-spice, and pumpkin pie.  Fresh red and blue fruit components of plum duck sauce, raspberry reduction, and bing cherry weave seamlessly on the palate along with umami-like notes of, dashi, chanterelles, nori, and miso. The mouthfeel is plush and complete yet finishes with elegance and restraint.

What We Say:  Once upon a million years ago, I knew Vineyard Owner Brent Melville as a fun-loving stock trader in Manhattan Beach, CA.  When he gave it all up to move to Santa Barbara to start Melville Winery with his father & brother, I was excited for him & very very jealous.  I remember the first time I saw “Melville” on a restaurant menu, it was a definite smile moment.  It’s always nice to see someone achieve their dreams.  That being said, I hadn’t really spent any time with the wines until my most recent trip to LA.  And we all know how I love to spend time with wine.  My friend with whom I was staying & I have a tradition of our afternoon glass of wine together.  My wine of choice, day after day, was the Melville Pinot Noir.  I really enjoyed it… clearly.  The notes of spice & tea were most forward on my palate.  I generally prefer a more fruit-forward Pinot, but this was a great mix of both.  I wanted to drink it again and again and again.  Now, I’m happy for Brent & for me.

Blend Information:  100% Pinot Noir

Region:  Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County, CA

Price Point: $34 on the winery website

Website:   www.melvillevineyards.com

Kim Crawford 2010 Sauvignon Blanc 

What They Say:  A bouquet of citrus and tropical fruits backed by characteristic herbaceous notes that Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is famous for.  An exuberant wine brimming with flavours of pineapple and stonefruit with a hint of herbaceousness. The finish is fresh and zesty.

Blend Information:  100% Sauvignon Blanc

Region:  Marlborough Region, New Zealand

Price Point: $12.79 on the Total Wine website

Website: kimcrawfordwines.co.nz/

Hope everyone out there had a happy 4th and managed to stay cool in the parts of the country that are burning hotter than the fireworks we watched last night.  It’s a strange feeling when you’re living in Florida and half the country is experiencing hotter weather than you are.  But it’s really nothing a little wine can’t help out with and I’ve got two I think you’ll enjoy…

Darioush Signature Viognier 2011 

What They Say:  Enchanting aromas of honeysuckle, jasmine and orange blossom laced with exotic notes of lychee and clove usher in in our lively, floral-spiced 2011 Signature Viognier. With a lightly chalky texture that coats and broadens the palate, the wine’s vivid notes of Asian pear, kumquat and orange zest are supported by classic flavors of white peaches, apricots and rose petal that linger on the fresh, well-defined finish.

What We Say:  I first had the Darioush Viognier years ago at a girls’ dinner where I was lucky enough to be in the company of a friend of the restaurant’s chef.  He sent over a bottle of the wine and it blew all of us away.  We couldn’t stop talking about how much we loved the wine, which I’m sure the chef loved.  That being said, it’s been one of my consistent favorites ever since, even though it’s not readily available at the local Total Wine.  However, it’s worth the effort to order online.  The delicious notes of honeysuckle, orange & peach make it a crowd pleaser; especially on a hot summer day.  There’s a reason the 2010 vintage made the Robb Report’s Best of the Best 2012.

Blend Information:  100% Viognier

Region:  Napa Valley

Price Point: $41 on the winery website

Website:   www.darioush.com

Radio Boca Tempranillo 2010

What They Say:  Radio Boca is from Valencia. You’ve probably heard of Valencia in reference to its famous oranges, or its famous dish, the Paella. There’s also a raucous festival in Valencia, The Falles known worldwide for its all night revelry. But Valencia also produces a very fine Tempranillo. The Tempranillo in Radio Boca grows mostly on the mountainside, on head pruned vines 25-50 years old. Altitude with attitude. The soils vary from dark miocene to chalky lime. Balmy days, brisk nights. What’s not to like for a vine living in Valencia?? The people from Valencia make a point of getting the most out of life. So do the wines. (They don’t say much about the wine itself as far as taste/finish/etc as they leave it to “the people” to give feedback on what they think… I dig that.)

Blend Information:  100% Tempranill0

Region:  Valencia, Spain

Price Point: $7.99 on their website

Website: www.radiobocawines.com