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The Best California Wines on the Market
As most folks know, there is nothing better than a perfect glass of wine. Whether it’s having a glass at an intimate dinner or enjoying a glass to unwind after a long day at the office, a wonderful-tasting wine makes any day better. While there are now wines available from virtually every state in the United States, most wine experts agree California is still king when it comes to fine wine. If you’re wanting to quench your thirst with a great California wine, here are some of the best varieties on today’s market.
Quintessa Napa Valley
Costing less than $200 per bottle, this unique blend adds up to create perhaps the best California wine ever consumed. A bordeaux-style blend of cabaret, cabernet, and merlot, Quintessa Napa Valley had a unique taste all its own. Priced a t $169 per bottle, it’s considered to be quite affordable as well as delicious.
Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow
For those who want a blend that combines anise and red cherries, there’s no better choice than Diamond Creek. Offering a compelling scent, this wine regularly sells for $220 per bottle and is sought after for its delicious scent and taste that is unique within the wine world.
Beringer Private Reserve
A Napa Valley blend combining fruit from six different vineyards, Beringer Private Reserve has set the standard for Cabernet wines since 1977. A wine that ages as gracefully as any on the market, the black currant is the perfect choice for those who want to purchase many bottles that will be placed in a cellar for several years. With an average price of $131 per bottle, it’s affordable enough for virtually anyone who enjoys an exquisite bottle of wine.
Corison Kronos
A cabernet that is vividly aromatic and cassis-scented, this wine is the product of 30-year-old vines from acclaimed winemaker Cathy Corison and is highly sought-after by collectors from around the world. At a cost of $170 per bottle, it’s considered a bargain among those who know good wine when they see it and taste it.
No matter which of these wines you prefer, chances are you’ll be making a purchase that is well worth the cost. Whether you have Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow, Corison Kronos, or Beringer Private Reserve, you’ll not only have a wine that can age well in a cellar, but also one that will taste great if consumed with tonight’s dinner.
Back to the Basics of Wine Pairing
Wine connoisseurs have wine tasting down to talent, as it’s their profession. Close to a connoisseur, an oenophile (someone who loves wine) should know the best wine to pair with any dinner of choice. If you consider yourself a wine lover, read through Wine Pairing 101 where I’ll give you the best tips for wine and food. Here’s how you can have a great meal without compromising the flavor of your wine and food.
Salty Meals
Put your pinky out with a glass of champagne. Perfect for salty dishes, champagne is a high acid wine which the salt balances out for a great taste. Salty and sweet make for a top notch pairing. If you’re eating a salt meal or snack, pair it with a sweet wine. You’ll savor the flavor of your salty food, with enjoying the balanced sweetness of your wine.
The best types of wine for salty foods are:
Sauvignon blanc
Champagne
Zinfandel
Riesling
Sweet Dishes
Sweet food pairs nicely with sweet wine. Whether it’s a sugary meal or simply a tasty dessert, pair your dish with sweet wine. If you have a sweet tooth, then you’ll love this combination. Late harvest wine is great for sugary eats because it’s made from grapes that are left on the vine after harvest for ultimate sweetness. Another option would be ice wine, which is rich in flavor and is considered a dessert in itself. If you prefer more traditional wine, white wines that are on the sweet or semi-sweet side are also a good choice.
The best types of wine for sweet foods are:
Late harvest
Ice Wine
Chenin Blanc
Pinot Grigio
Spicy Food
A great rule of thumb for ethnic food is to pair the meal with wine from the same region. If you’re having a mexican meal, look for spanish wine. Blush wines are also great for spicy food because they often have a lighter, sweet flavor that’s refreshing from the hottness. If you’d prefer a dry wine, merlot goes well with spice because of it’s dry and dark flavor.
The best types of wine for spicy foods are:
Riesling
Zinfendale
Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon
Multi-Flavored Meals
For a broader meal course, you may want versatile wines. Riesling is the best white wine for any meal because it pairs well with almost any dish. No matter the flavor, if you want white wine then riesling should be your top choice. Barbera is a red italian wine that also pairs well with any meal. For those that prefer red over white, barbera is a great choice.
If you love wine, you’ll learn to love it more when paired with the right meal.
Thinking Inside the Box
To go with your order of pan seared scallops and yuzo kosho beurre blanc, might I recommend a 1998 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame, 2008 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Spätlese Riesling, or perhaps a Bota Box 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon out of California.
You may have noticed that one of those things is somewhat unlike the other–yes the last item on that list is a 2012 wine–but there’s another aspect of the Bota Box that may be given away by its name–it’s a boxed wine. Oh, and it scored 84/100 according to Wine Enthusiast, and was labeled a best buy.
Box wines in general get a bad rep. They’re often seen as lower class due to their relatively low price point and, well, the fact that they come in cardboard boxes. But there are, in fact, boxed wines that are both drinkable and amazingly good buys for their price. Here are a few of the finest boxed wines available right now.
FishEye Pinot Grigio
Not all FishEye wine comes in boxes, but the Pinot Grigio that they offer in the colorful 3L box is not one to pass up if you’re on a budget. With notes of peaches and citrus and tropical fruits, an ideal pairing should you choose to indulge in some FishEye are varieties of seafood based dishes or Asian-inspired dishes like pot stickers or Korean BBQ.
Bota Box Cabernet Sauvignon
As I mentioned above, the 2012 Bota Box Cabernet Sauvignon scored an impressive 84 according to Wine Enthusiast, and at just $23 for a 3L bag, the price is tough to beat. The notes on this box call back memories of blackberries and cherries with an almost spicy finishing note.
Bandit Chardonnay & Cabernet Sauvignon
Bandit is a mainstay on most “best boxed wine” lists due to the great price (the 500ML boxes of wine are just $4!), the wonderful flavor notes and the consistently high scores and rave reviews.
Both the chardonnay and Sauvignon on this list scored 84 according to Wine Enthusiast, praising the balanced flavors and overall draw of the brand.
When crafting the perfect wine, a good amount of time, money and effort goes into perfecting the flavors to bring out the notes at just the right level, allowing them to be pleasing without being overpowering. Another good bit of the cost of a good bottle of wine, however, is the bottle. These boxed wines above thrive on the theory that the less money they have to spend on the packaging, the more they can put into creating a delicious wine. If these four are any indication, the boxed wine industry is succeeding.
-Yuri Vanetik
The Rise of Organic Wines
Over the past 15 years, American consumers have concerned themselves with ethical issues, including fair trade, workers’ welfare, and the global carbon footprint. Due to these increases in consciousness, the demand for pesticide-free, locally grown foods and drinks have skyrocketed.
This spike has also resulted in an increase of certified organic producers, with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) now reporting a staggering 21,781 organic companies in the U.S. alone – a 300 percent increase since 2002.
Between this shift in mindset amongst the American people, along with the close attention consumers pay to the companies they purchase from, it is no surprise that organic wine is becoming a highly sought-after product.
As opposed to conventional wine, organic wine is considered to be “virtuous,” for it is often created with grapes that were both grown in a sustainable vineyard and were minimally handled in a winery. However, such wines are often difficult to come by, seeing that most vineyards around the country use pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or both.
The United States has especially strict standards in categorizing and labelling organic wines. In order to become a certified organic product, wine must both be virtuous and free of genetically-engineered ingredients. All non-agricultural products must be listed and cannot exceed 5 percent of a product’s make-up. Furthermore, preservative additives, such as sulfur dioxide (sulfites), are strictly prohibited in the organic wine industry, meaning the only sulfites that should be found in these wines are those naturally produced by grapes during fermentation.
Given these limitations, it is also challenging to find organic imported wines that meet the USDA’s standards. This is because many countries define “organically grown” in very different ways.
For example, the European Union permits the addition of small amounts of sulfites to their supposedly organic wines, leaving the USDA no choice but to label these products as “made with organic grapes.” Such a label means that while said grapes may have been raised on a sustainable vineyard or were never exposed to unnatural substances, their virtuous nature was tainted during the fermentation process at a winery.
The creation and upholding of such standards is not in vain. Since the initial introduction of organic wines, farmers who do not even consider themselves to be natural have adopted certain techniques used by organic producers. This has given rise to an entirely new industry – one in which authentic, healthier wines are being created and distributed to the public. At this rate, the wine industry may soon be able to entirely eliminate the harmful production habits of the past.
Halloween wines
What wine are you drinking tonight?
How To Find The Perfect Bottle Of Wine For Your Taste
Wine lovers don’t need to be sommeliers to be able to pick the perfect bottle of wine. By following the tips and tricks of wine-drinking pros, wine enthusiasts will be able to find the best options for them. Read on for the best ways to discover the right wine.
1. Check the Wine’s Label to Learn About the Importer
The vintage and region of a bottle can typically be found on the label. In addition to these pieces of information, it’s just as important to learn about the importer. By finding out more information about the importer of wine, wine lovers will be able to discover other wines they like.
Finding out more about certain smaller wineries, it helps to build a relationship with these companies. Moreover, it is very likely that these wineries will offer similar wines from other regions that they may not have initially discovered otherwise.
2. Learn to Understand Wine Label Markings
All wines have specific markings and indications on their labels. Common phrases on wine labels include AOC, PDO/DOP, AOP, and appellation contrôlée. While these labels have varied meanings, they all signify the region that the wine comes from. Bottles bearing these types of markings are held to a higher standard as these wines must preserve the integrity of the quality of wine coming from that specific region.
3. Don’t Discriminate Between Screw-Top Bottles or Cork-Topped Bottles
While some people may be under the impression that cork-topped bottles are better, there is no significant difference between cork-topped bottles and screw-topped bottles. Screw-topped bottles are not automatically of lesser quality simply because they aren’t sealed by a cork. Moreover, these screw-topped bottles will never have the cork-taint that other cork-topped bottles may have.
4. Don’t Be Afraid to Chill Red Wine
Certain wine drinkers choose to serve red wine at room temperature, also known as “cellar temperature.” These people believe that chilling red wine ruins the taste, but that isn’t true. Most red wines taste even better when chilled.
With all the different choices of wine to pick from, it helps to have a working strategy for finding a new favorite. Wine lovers that use these four tips when picking wine will more than likely be satisfied with their selection.
The Best Wineries In California
The production of wine is big business in the 21st century. This particular industry produces wine that come from all over the globe. Soil, climate and fermentation plays a key role in the wine’s taste, and all wineries aren’t created equal. Here are some of California’s best wineries.
1. Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards is stunning with its unobstructed views of the Santa Rita Hills. This region is well-known for its pinot noir, and this particular winery appeared in the movie “Sideways.” Santa Rosa Winery is located in Buellton, California, and it offers long-gravel roads and an outdoor tasting bar.
2. Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery is a fan-favorite thanks to Enoteca Reserve Tasting Bar & Lounge. This winery is located in Healdsburg, California, which is part of Sonoma County. Ferrari-Carano Vineyards offer an abundance of chardonnays, which are shipped here from various regions such as Carneros, Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley. The area’s Dry Creek Valley Road provides a beautiful view of Sonoma County, and there’s a five-acre garden that houses more than 10,000 tulips.
3. Opus One, located in Napa Valley, California, is a luxurious structure thanks to its striking architecture. Opus One has an opulent and timeless style about itself. The winery’s influence comes from California as well as Europe. One of the better features here is the rooftop deck, which provides splendid views of the surrounding area. In 1981, a case of this winery’s wine sold for a whopping $24,000. Some of Opus One’s available wine include merlot, petit Verdot, cabernet sauvignon and many more.
4. Hall Wine looks like a stylish home rather than a standard winery. This winery has two distinct tasting rooms that are located in two different areas. The first winery that sits right on Route 29 tend to host more visitors. The second winery sits on a hill that’s right on Auberge Road, and it provides a more intimate experience. All of the windows of this stylish little house is facing its vineyard. Hall Wine is located in Napa Valley, California.
5. Flowers Vineyard & Winery is located in Cazadero, California. This winery was founded by Walt and Joan Flowers. The scenery in this neck of the woods is stunning, including wispy pines, moss-covered trees and coastal fog. Flowers Vineyard & Winery has produced award-winning pinot noir and chardonnay.