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Wine: Reviews, Thoughts & Culture

Archive for September, 2009

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Checkout ZinTopia … And Save A Few Bucks Too

Posted by Gabe on September 1, 2009

ZTZinTopia is an upcoming event in Dry Creek Valley. And while we’ve spent a bit of time talking about it over at Drink Dry Creek, it’s worth mentioning here too. This is a one day destination event that, as the name implies, focuses on Zinfandel. In addition to that however other key varietals will also be showcased. Saturday Sept 19, 2009 is the time for the event. This Harvest event will go from 2:00-7:00 PM Tickets are priced at $75 but the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley are currently offering a 30% discount. Use the code ZIN at checkout.

In addition to more than 30 wineries being represented, this event will be catered by Park Avenue Catering. There will be live blues music and an artisan market with locally grown and crafted products. Perhaps most importantly the wines will be poured by Winemakers and Winery owners. This a good chance to get up close and personal with some of the folks directly responsible for the wines coming out of Dry Creek Valley. I’ll be at ZinTopia, representing for Drink Dry Creek, I hope to see some of you all there.

For more information you can head over to the official ZinTopia site. And also be sure to check out the coverage we have at Drink Dry Creek, both now and after the event.

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Rodney Strong – 2008 Charlotte’s Home Sauvignon Blanc

Posted by Gabe on September 1, 2009

RS SBRodney Strong Vineyards is one of the larger Sonoma County producers. They’re also a consistent one, routinely turning out well made wines that speak of their Sonoma County origins. With all the boutique Wineries out there it sometimes becomes easy to focus on them and forget what the Rodney Strong’s of the world bring to the table.  Producers like Rodney Strong Vineyards serve an important purpose; not only do they make good wine consistently, often at a fair price, it’s also widely available. There are many places throughout our country that simply don’t have the ability to stock small boutique productions. So having larger producers who do make interesting, and reliable wines is important, because there sure are a lot of folks who are not making wines that inspire passion. Rodney Strong also makes some small production offerings, giving their portfolio nice variety for those who wish to delve deeper. Today I’ll look at the current release of their Charlotte’s Home Sauvignon Blanc.

The Rodney Strong Vineyards 2008 Charlotte’s Home Sauvignon Blanc is produced from fruit sourced at several of their Estate Vineyards. Fruit from the namesake vineyard in Alexander Valley is blended with selections from a couple of others in Alexander Valley and Russian River. This wine is 100% Sauvignon Blanc. 9% was fermented in French oak with the majority fermented in stainless steel tanks. The suggested retail price for this wine is $15.

Lemon ice, hints of lime and an overall mélange of citrus fill the nose of this 2008 Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc. The citrus circus continues through the palate; grapefruit and lemon are most prominent and underscored by orchard fruit such as Bartlett pear a wisp of granny smith apple and an array of spice notes. The finish is clean, crisp and refreshing with a lingering wallop of citrus and good punch of acidity to close things out. Pair this up with a variety of lighter fare or drink it on its own.

This is a classic example of Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc. It’s also a selection that I preferred ice cold. The cooler temperature really seemed to help show off the citrus elements which are the backbone of this wine. This is another consistent and reasonably priced entry from Rodney Strong.

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Posted in Sauvignon Blanc, Wine | 2 Comments »

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