Thursday night wine tastings at Fine Wines
A recent Thursday night wine tasting at Fine Wines of Stockton highlighted wines from southern Oregon, specifically from the Applegate Valley AVA. Area wineries produce mostly a modest volume from a large range of wine varieties. Interesting wines.
During the excursion we took prior to the Wine Bloggers’ Conference 2013 (WBC13) in Penticton, British Columbia, we tasted wine at three wineries in the Kelowna area. We wrote about those winery visits in prior posts. During the tastings, we collected a few wines to take home with us. We did so with the idea of sharing them with the wine tasting group on Thursday nights at Fine Wines of Stockton. George and Gail gave Pete the floor for the tasting last Thursday night.
Pinot Noir is among my very favorite wine varietals. It’s one of the first red wines I learned to identify reliably by scent. I love that bramble, earth-scented nose. Berry, tart cherries and mushroom flavors with a light weight in the mouth, and that transparent ruby color in the glass, seal the deal for me. I prefer a lighter, less rip style of Pinot Noir, but have respect for a riper style as well.
Somehow, when considering white wines for summer, I often overlook Chenin Blanc. I’m more likely to think about Viognier, Riesling, Torrontes, Pinot Blanc, even unoaked Chardonnay. I guess Chenin Blanc is the Rodney Dangerfield of white wines, it just gets no respect.
Last Thursday night’s tasting at Fine Wines of Stockton featured wines from South Africa. George and Gail, owners of the wine shop, visited South Africa several years ago and shared their experiences and a bit about the history of wine making in the region with us.
In a continuing effort to find great-tasting, moderately-priced wine the theme for the Thursday night tasting at Fine Wines of Stockton was Crozes-Hermitage. This AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) is located in the Northern Rhone region of France, adjacent to the very prestigious Hermitage AOC.
The theme for Thursday night’s wine tasting at Fine Wines of Stockton was “Summer Sippers”. George and Gail put together a group of six wines that meet their definition of Summer Sippers, that is white wines with lots of flavor, good acidity and not much perceivable sugar.
Thursday night at Fine Wines of Stockton we tasted wines from the Rhône River Valley. The valley is long, stretching from just south of Lyon, along the river to the Mediterranean, some 150 or so miles (3). Over twenty grape varieties may be used to produce wines in this region, with specific requirements for individual AOCs (appellation d’origine contrôlée).
The Thursday night tasting at Fine Wines of Stockton featured Zinfandel. We live in the heart of Zinfandel country. Lodi, just 15 minutes north of Stockton, has significant plantings of Zinfandel as do the Sierra Foothills. The tasting included five wines from the Sierra Foothills and one from Lodi. It was our mission to identify the Lodi wine in the group.
As the weather begins to warm, we naturally start to think about what to drink during the summer months. During the warmest months, I prefer lighter wine in general. Rosé always comes to mind. The Thursday night tasting at Fine Wines of Stockton was, of course, Rosé.
We enjoy wine, food and travel. Pull That Cork is a chronicle of our wine adventures, the food and wine pairings we create and our travels which are increasingly organized around wine.