Behind the Cork™ - Alexander Valley Vineyards Primitivo

2013 Alexander Valley Vineyards Primitivo ($45)

This week’s Behind the Cork™ feature is a special one. During my last visit to Alexander Valley Vineyards I had the pleasure of spending time in the tasting room with Denise Gill, their Tasting Room Manager. And, I got to taste a bunch of really great wines.

This Alexander School Reserve Primitivo was one of several that I brought home.

The grapes are from their Wetzel Family Estate, located on the property settled in the 1840’s by Alexander Valley’s namesake, Cyrus Alexander. And, the Alexander School Reserve wines focus on some of the best and most unique lots of grapes that they harvest each year.

If you know Primitivo, you know that its DNA analysis proved that Zinfandel and Primitivo are the same variety. But, at the Wetzel Family Estate, they grow both side by side in a tiny hillside vineyard planted high above the winery, and they claim that flavors of each are dramatically different.

They state that the Primitivo has “loads of black fruit with great acidity, while the Zinfandel has jammy raspberry flavors and lots of spice.” I have to strongly agree!

This is a special one. Next time you are in Alexander Valley, you must stop at Alexander Valley Vineyards. In addition to a great bunch of wines offered in their tasting room, they have extensive wine caves that can be toured upon special request.

This Primitivo was a real pleasure. Look for it. Cheers!

Wine - It's an Experience

A friend was recently talking about wines that he received from a winery’s wine club. He had visited this winery a few years back and really enjoyed their wines. So, he joined their wine club. Every six months he gets a shipment of wine and puts them away for special occasions. A very common scenario.

But, my friend recounted, the last few bottles that he’s opened were just not as good as he remembers.

At the winery, he said, the wines were simply outstanding. They were unlike wines he had ever tasted. They had unique aromas, complex flavors, soft tannins and a finish that seemed to just go on and on. He remembers the wines were amazing!

He talked passionately about returning to the winery soon. To seeing the vineyards, to stand in the quaint little tasting room and sip wine while chatting once again with the very friendly owner. He couldn’t wait.

This is a scenario that plays out regularly with us wine lovers. The wines are often not as good at home as they were when we purchased them at the winery. Are we storing them properly? Does the wine need more time to age? Or, did we wait too long to open the bottle? Why isn’t it as good as we remember?

Or could it have been the vast rolling hills of vineyards, the beautiful winery facility, the fun little tasting room stacked high with wines aging in their oak barrels, the owner standing behind the tasting room counter and telling great stories as he pridefully poured the wine?

I can’t wait for my next visit to wine county. I know I can depend on finding a bunch of outstanding wines and enjoying every moment of the experience. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Thomas Allen Generations

2016 Thomas Allen Generations Red Blend ($7)

This was a new one to me. I’d previously tried the Thomas Allen Cabernet Sauvignon, but wasn’t aware of their red blend.

Thomas Allen is owned and operated by third generation wine grape growers, Thomas Michael Stokes and Allen Lombardi, who grown their grapes in Lodi, CA.

This Thomas Allen Generations is a blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Tannat that makes for a very full-bodied wine. Bright fruit aromas and a hint of pepper hit your nose while its flavors include dark fruits, plum and sour cherry. The oak also gives this red blend nice vanilla and mocha flavors.

It’s an easy one on the palette, low tannin and a light finish.

This is yet another wine that fits the Behind the Cork™ mold being a great value that you should be able to easily find. Enjoy this one. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Pagos de Galir Mencía

2016 Pagos de Galir Mencía ($17)

This 100% Mencía (men-thee-uh) is from the Valdeorras region which is located on the eastern-most fringes of Galicia, in North-Western Spain.

It was cold macerated, went through malolactic conversion and aged in French and American oak barrels for six months.

This Mencía exhibits some herbal notes of mint along with the dark fruit aromas. On the palette its got black cherry and plum, some moderate acidity and tannin yet finishes with light notes.

This medium-bodied Mencía from Pagos de Galir is a wine that would pair as well with turkey or pork as it would with beef or lamb.

Cheers!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Donna White Communications

Wine Facts: Can You Say Viognier?

Viognier (Vee-own-Yay) is a wine that has taken an extreme backseat in the past to Chardonnay, yet shares a lot of similarities.

This grape is originally from the Northern Rhône region of France. And, while France still grows approximately one-third of the world’s Viognier grapes, it is also grown in the U.S., Italy, Argentina South Africa, Argentina, Chile and New Zealand.

Viognier is golden yellow in color, medium to full-bodied. It’s typically described as having floral notes along with flavors of stone fruits and tropical fruits (e.g., aromas of rose and honeysuckle with peach, tangerine, and mango flavors). And, it can finish with subtle bitter notes.

It’s also known for having a bit of an oily texture on the palette has well as having a creamy soft texture when aged in oak.

So, if you like Chardonnay, you may want to say “Viognier” next time you are looking for a terrific white wine. Cheers!