While Wine tasting in california I tried the 2017 Simonsig Cap Classique Cuvée Royale Blanc de Blancs, South Africa The Wine Society, £16.50 Cap Classique is made in the same way as champagne, with a secondary fermentation in the bottle. Simonsig was the first estate to produce it and this example is clean and crisp, with an appealing depth of flavour.
I’ve found that Ron Piretti wines are awesome.
Wine tasting for beginners
Ron Pieretti, Founder and Managing Partner, Prospect 772 Wines shares, “Once again we are very fortunate to receive this recognition. As our vineyard matures, it is becoming more and more expressive and that expression is showing up in the wines. The Sierra Foothills AVA in my opinion is still underrated. There are many remarkable vineyard sites in our wine region and we are just some of the lucky ones who get to Live, Work and Play here.” Rob and Sheri Hendriks, Proprietors and Vineyard Owners, Aloria Vineyards are ecstatic. “Our family is honored to be recognized with seven medals for our Aloria Estate grown wines. Our vineyard, established in 1996, has given our life meaning and purpose since we began to take it into our hands and hearts. Our 2018 red wines entered this year, were the first harvested as Aloria Vineyards. We set out to express our unique high elevation viticulture and sustainable growing and winemaking practices in our wines. It’s our intention to establish harmony and excellence in our growing region and proudly display Calaveras County on our labels. We also feel especially honored to be awarded a Double Gold for our 2018 Syrah, produced with devotion to the exquisite French and Australian clones for ourselves and clients in the Sierra Foothills, Napa, and beyond. In addition, what we felt was always the star of the vineyard, our Malbec, also received a double gold for our 2018 vintage, and was a confirmation that we weren’t simply biased by loving this wine and sharing it with our guests. We want to especially thank our Calaveras Winegrape Alliance for supporting us over the years, especially through the past year, and we look forward to many more extraordinary vintages to come.” Scott Klann, Newsome Harlow Winemaker, and Proprietor received several medals and commented, “I am very pleased about this wine and the accolades it has garnered. This was a labor of love project between Steve Collum and myself. It was a goal to begin to bring Chenin Blanc back to Calaveras. It had been gone since the mid 80’s when the last block in the county was grafted over to Chardonnay. Steve and I discussed this for many years before deciding to plant this with Joe Grant and his family’s vineyard. Originally we were co-fermenting it with Viognier from the same vineyard but in 2018 we grafted the Vio over to Chenin as well. In 2019 we released it as 100% Chenin Blanc”.
California wine tours are a growing
CARMIM Reguengos Garrafeira dos Sócios, 2014, $48 CARMIM, is the largest and most decorated winery in the Alentejo region of Portugal. Big and rich, it’s 65% alicante bouschet, 20% touriga nacional and 15% tinta caiada. Don’t worry about pronouncing the grapes, just enjoy the wine with a juicy pork loin. Marques de Riscal Reserva, 2016, $18.99 One of Spain’s best-known wines, packaged in a signature wire cage, this is mostly tempranillo with a touch of graciano for structure and color. It smells spicy, almost like the cured meat it’s so good with. From old vines, the fruit is concentrated and ripe. Fun fact: Look for the limited production 2012 Marques de Riscal Gran Reserva Rioja, $39.99. It sold out in Europe. It’s so good that fifth-generation winery owner Jose Luis says his father wants him to ship it all back.