One of my personal pet peeves with Pinot Noir is that the wines are often pretty but not terribly exciting. Well, Ponzi Vineyards in Oregon's Willamette Valley has shown me, once again, that Pinot Noir can be lovely AND sexy. Celebrating their 45th anniversary, Ponzi Vineyards is family owned & managed and a leading American producer of Pinot Noir.
Winemaker Luisa Ponzi represents the second generation of the Ponzi family. She celebrated her 20th vintage in 2013.
To get started, I recommend swirling a glass of 2014 Ponzi Tavola Pinot Noir ($25). Silky and juicy with luscious flavors of plum and black cherry, the wine also has vibrant hints of pepper and mint that make it quite expressive. Tavola means table in Italian and this is a food-friendly wine that will pair nicely with everything from roast chicken to steak and pasta. If you want to take your Pinot tasting to the next level, 2013 Ponzi Pinot Noir ($40) is a balanced explosion of flavor - dark chocolate, cherry, pepper, and cranberry. Silky and light-bodied with a lingering finish, this elegant wine is Ponzi's flagship Pinot Noir. Ponzi Pinot Noir is the antithesis of boring!
If you're planning a visit to Oregon, Ponzi welcomes visitors at their winery, tasting room, and restaurant.
Robin & Andréa McBride - sisters, winemakers, and founders of Truvée.
Unaware of each other's existence, two sisters grow up worlds apart in New Zealand and California. Their father's final wish is that his daughters meet. The sisters meet for the first time at the ages of 16 and 25. Not only do they share the bond of sisterhood but discover that they were both raised among the vineyards and decide to embark on a journey together as winemakers. This may sound like the plot of a Hollywood tearjerker but it is the real story of the McBride sisters, Robin & Andréa. The sisters met for the first time in 1999 and their shared passion for wine motivated them to launch Truveé wines. Their first vintage was in 2013.
The name Truvée derives from the French verb 'to find'. Not only is the name inspired by the sisters finding each other but by their commitment to sourcing the best grapes from the Central Coast of California to create their wines. In addition to the McBride sisters, the Truvée team includes chief winemaker Monica Belavic and vineyard director Stasi Seay - making it an all-around sisterhood!
Truvée is a sisterhood in more ways than one - the core team is all female! Andréa McBride, Stasi Seay (vineyard director), Monica Belavic (chief winemaker) & Robin McBride
When I first heard about Truvée, I was amazed by the McBride sisters' moving story and couldn't wait to give the wines a swirl. I was very impressed by the quality of Truvée Chardonnay 2014 and their Red Blend 2013. Both the novice and serious wine drinker will find Truvée balanced, elegant, and fruit-forward. Priced at $15.99 each, Truvée wines are very affordable and deliver a very pleasant tasting experience.
I found the Truvée Red Blend 2013 ($15.99) especially impressive. An elegant blend of Grenache, Syrah, Zinfandel, and Merlot, the wine is both pretty and robust. I shared this bottle with a friend and after each sip we repeatedly looked at each other and said, "Wow, this is really good." Velvety and smooth, Truvée Red Blend has bold flavors of blackberry, plum, dark cherries, and a hint of spice. This wine just begs to be paired with steak, lamb chops, barbecue, or even a juicy burger. If you're looking for a holiday gift for a wine lover, Truvée Red Blend is one that won't disappoint. Just be sure to get one for yourself too!
Truvée Chardonnay($15.99) spends just enough time in neutral oak to enhance the flavor of the fruit but not overwhelm it. Mostly Chardonnay (97%) with a kiss of Chenin Blanc (3%), this medium-bodied sip is crisp & refreshing with lively flavors of peach, apple, and honeysuckle with a subtle touch of toasted brioche and vanilla. It is a good match with herb roasted chicken or spicier cuisine.
Visit the Truvée website to learn more about their wines and the fascinating story of the McBride sisters.
Ranging from very sweet to dry, Riesling is a wonderful wine option for the holidays. BEX Riesling 2014 ($10) is a delightful off-dry (just a trace of sweetness) white wine, from the Nahe region of Germany, with incredible pairing versatility. Sip BEX as an aperitif or serve it with light meals of fish and chicken, spicy Asian food, or even with dessert. A vivacious wine with a subtle effervescence, BEX Riesling dances across the palate with lively notes of grapefruit, peach, and mandarin orange that are balanced by a firm minerality. This lovely wine won a gold medal in the 2015 World Wine Championships and was rated 90 points and a "Best Buy." Only $10 and 10% alcohol, BEX is easy to sip and easy on the budget!
An elegant sip from Sardinia, Vigne Surrau Sciala Vermentino di Gallura DOCG Superiore 2014($25) is a vibrant and delicious expression of Vermentino. Produced from Vigne Surrau's best grapes in the valley of Surrau, this medium-bodied white wine is absolutely delicious. Creamy and luscious with balanced acidity, it has a subtle salinity and beautiful flavors of citrus & herbs. Rated 93 points by Wine Enthusiast, Vigne Surrau Sciala Vermentino is delightful as an apéritif but it has enough structure to pair with meals of fish and roast chicken.
Giovanni Melis (export manager) and Giancarlo Demuro (his grandfather founded the winery) of Vigne Surrau shared some holiday cheer in New York City with their wonderful wines.
An Italian island located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Sardinia's sea breezes and granite soils are ideal for viticulture and the island's winemaking history stretches back three-thousand years. Vigne Surrau describes their family-owned company as "a new venture with age-old roots." Visitors are welcome at Vigne Surrau for guided tours and tastings.
Chiara Soldati is the fifth generation of her family to carry on the La Scolca winemaking legacy - wine is absolutely in her DNA!
There's nothing like the real thing and if you're not sipping La Scolca Black Label Gavi dei Gavi, you're swirling an impostor. Founded in 1919, La Scolcais the first producer of quality Gavi and the only authorized producer of the exclusive Gavi dei Gavi. Although the Cortese grape has been planted in the Piedmont region of northern Italy since the late 19th century, it was La Scolca and the Soldati family that elevated the production techniques to produce world-class Gavi.
I was recently invited to sip a few La Scolca wines with the dynamic Chiara Soldati, a fifth generation member of the Soldati family, she leads La Scolca alongside her father Giorgio. A savvy businesswoman, Chiara is also an author and has written a book titled My Dream. During our conversation Chiara poetically stated, "In a glass of wine, you can find a dream." In this simple sentence, Chiara captures the beauty of wine. I love wine not only for the taste but for the ineffable connection to a place, a time, and a feeling. Sipping La Scolca, I find myself dreaming of a journey to Piedmont - a place that I hope to visit one day but drinking wine from the region already gives me a connection.
Sourced from Piedmont's oldest Cortese vines (60+ years), La Scolca Black Label Gavi dei Gavi 2013($45) is an elegant expression of the varietal. Incredibly crisp and refreshing, this medium-bodied beauty has an appealing long-finish and elegantly balances a flinty minerality with vibrant notes of grapefruit and almonds. A perfect match with fresh seafood, this is a white wine with enough structure and complexity to improve with age. Buy a bottle to enjoy now and another to savor in ten years.
La Scolca White Label Gavi DOCG 2014 ($18) is a more subtle version of the Black Label. Sourced from the estate's 30-year old vines, the white label is a bit zestier with very vivacious flavors of lemon and orange. Sourced from vineyards located 70 miles from the sea, I love this subtle salinity of this wine. A great match with fresh oysters.
La Scolca is so closely identified with Gavi, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that their portfolio includes red wine.La Scolca Pinot Nero del Monferrato DOC 2010($28) is an absolutely delightful expression of Pinot Noir. With each sip, the wine revealed more delicious flavors of raspberry and cherry with a dash of earth, rosemary, and almonds. La Scolca Pinot Nero has a great acidity and a smooth finish - really one of the best Pinot Noirs I've tasted in a very long time.
If you're planning a trip to Italy, La Scolca offers guided visits. A sip of their wines may certainly inspire you to book a flight!
The Bonnie family is no stranger to the wine business. The owners of two renowned châteaux in Bordeaux, in 2005 the Bonnies decided to expand their horizons and embarked on a new winemaking adventure in Mendoza - Bodega DiamAndes. Members of the trailblazing Clos de los Sietegroup of French winemakers, which was founded by the legendary oenologist Michel Rolland; Bodega DiamAndes partners in the production of the wildly successful Clos de los Siete wine. However, they also produce their own portfolio of Argentine wines and the name DiamAndes is a clever marriage of the words "diamante" (Spanish for “diamond”) and the Andes Mountains that provide the estate's breathtaking backdrop.
Three members of the Bonnie family - Michèle, Alfred-Alexandre, and their daughter Véronique.
During my recent visit to Mendoza, I had the pleasure of visiting Bodega DiamAndes and sampling their wines over lunch with several members of the Bonnie family. Paired with a delicious homemade meal, the wines displayed versatility, finesse, and were simply a pleasure to drink. .
For a great introduction to Bodega DiamAndes, give Perlita ($12) a swirl. A pretty and full-bodied blend of Malbec and Syrah that is aged in French oak barrels, Perlita delivers beautiful flavors of dark fruit and spice. It is a wonderfully nuanced wine at a very accessible price point that will pair perfectly with steak, burgers, and pasta with meat sauce.Perlita Chardonnay ($12) is also a great sip. A fresh and vibrant white wine with lively notes of peach and mango, Perlita Chardonnay is a refreshing aperitif.
Bodega DiamAndes welcomes visitors for tours, wine tastings, and special events. I highly recommend adding a visit to Bodega DiamAndes to your Mendoza itinerary. To learn more, visit the Bodega DiamAndes website.
Founded by an Englishman in 1895 and owned since 1989 by the Austrian family best known as the gatekeepers of the glittery Swarovski crystal empire, the wines of Bodega Norton are absolutely Argentine. In 2012, Bodega Norton's chief winemaker Jorge Riccitelli, a native of Mendoza, was recognized by Wine Enthusiast as "Winemaker of the Year" and made history as the first South American to receive this prestigious honor. One of the most important estates in Mendoza, at 120 years old Bodega Norton has an impressive past but their present and future is even brighter.
It was such an honor to meet Bodega Norton's award-winning chief winemaker Jorge Riccitelli.
Any visit to Mendoza must include a visit to Norton - the estate is stunning and the wines are impressive. Their award-winning programs for visitors include guided tastings, bike tours, winemaker for the day, junior winemaker for the day for the little ones, cooking classes, harvesting, photographic safaris, and much more.
Upon arrival at Norton, guests are greeted with a refreshing glass of their sparkling white wine Cosecha Especial- a vivacious bubbly Chardonnay that is poured from a unique bell-shaped bottle.
Alvaro Agüero, sommelier at Bodega Norton and the Chief of Tourism Development, was my guide for the day. Alvaro's knowledge and enthusiasm made my visit immensely enjoyable - it was hard to say goodbye. He was a fountain of knowledge and kept the wine flowing!
A treasure trove of priceless bottles from a private room in the Bodega Norton cellar.
In addition to the gorgeous vineyards, the cellars of Bodega Norton are a world unto themselves. With winding halls and intimate nooks to sip your wine, it is a subterranean oasis.
If you're not familiar with Bodega Norton, Privada 2012($26) is a very special selection. Rated 93 points by Wine Spectator, Privada is a beautiful Bordeaux style blend of Malbec, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon that was once reserved for the Swarovski family's private cellar. I also recommend giving the 2012 Reserva Malbec($18.99) a swirl - rated 90 points by Wine Spectator, it is expressive, earthy and elegant.
For a truly gourmet food & wine experience, be sure to dine at Bodega Norton's restaurant La Vid. I ate many delicious empanadas during my visit to Mendoza but the ones at La Vid were the best by far.
