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For more than 50 years the Trefethen family, pioneers in the Napa Valley wine industry, have been making outstanding wine at reasonable prices. In fact, as far as Napa Valley is concerned, they are the embodiment of our mission statement.
We have many favorites at Trefethen: Dragon’s Tooth, OKD Four, and The Cowgirl and The Pilot to name a few. Each one of these provides an exceptional tasting experience. To those of us on the board, however, the best combination of taste and price is the 2018 Trefethen Malbec. It is our January wine of the month.
As they state on their website: “Our early plantings of Malbec were intended for blending into our other estate-grown wines but we quickly realized the variety also wanted to speak for itself. This small-lot bottling showcases intense dark fruit notes, undertones of mint and leather, and fine tannins leading to a bright finish.”
Tasting notes: “This wine opens with generous aromas of wild boysenberry, blueberry, and black cherry. Juicy darker notes of blackberry and plum layered with hints of sage and bay leaf blend seamlessly on the palate. The enduring acidity and structure complement the balanced tannins.”
Our followers can acquire this wine, which is one the best expressions of Malbec this side of Mendoza, for $45 (join their wine club and it’s even cheaper). Hurry though, because it is a small lot and we already bought a ton of it for client gifts this year.
For delivering top-notch, Napa-quality wine at a price much less than you would expect to pay, the 2018 Trefethen Malbec is our January wine of the month.
Purchase wine and follow here:
@trefethenfamily
On the northern end of Napa Valley where the Mayacamas and Vaca mountain ranges converge in the Calistoga AVA sits Perliss Estate Vineyards. You won’t really see them on any winery maps and there are no ostentatious signs proclaiming their presence. It’s the type of place immune from your GPS; it’s not on Highway 29 and not on the Silverado Trail. Directions amount to making a turn at the third gravelly driveway past a certain road sign after the black pig farm (which turned out to be actual pigs). Finding it is part initiation and part victory. Such was our state of mind upon reaching the “Perliss gates” where a phone call and a password was then needed for final entry. As you might have guessed, this is not a winery open to the general public; we were fortunate to get a private tasting.
The house sits high on a ridge overlooking a slope of 2.6 acres of vineyards planted to Cabernet Sauvignon. Perliss is a small-production winery of roughly 300 cases a year of Cab and Sémillon, which they source from the nearby Knights Valley AVA of Sonoma County.
Upon arrival we were greeted warmly by James, who led us into the house and treated us to a glass of their 2019 The Serpents, which is their 100% Sémillon and our February wine of the month. It’s a white wine Bordeaux grape mainly used for blending but at Perliss is a superstar on its own. Aged 16 months in Tuscan terra-cotta amphora and neutral French oak barrels, the wine is full bodied with a wonderful nose of honey. On the palate there is the complexity of toastiness and bright, fresh fruit. This is a wine that can age…and we also were treated to the 2016 vintage…but the 2019 was our favorite.
So much of wine tasting is about the experience; it informs the appearance, smell, and flavor of wine. James led us about the sloping property amidst the oak trees pouring us Sémillon and their estate Cab and gave us an education in Perliss and the local wine culture in a personable way. In fact, James was well versed in Michigan wine and we traded war stories about our adventures. We felt like we were drinking with an old friend. How can the wine not be great?
At Peninsula Underground we love when wine provides exceptional value. While Napa Valley is pricey, this Sémillon can be acquired for less than $60. It is well worth it. You can only get it by joining their mailing list. We highly suggest you do. We purchased verticals that go back in their library to 2011.
For providing an amazing experience and one of the top white wines we have tasted in some time, Perliss Estate Vineyards and their 2019 The Serpents is our February wine of the month.
Join their mailing list to purchase and follow them here:
https://www.perlissvineyards.com
@perlissestate
We are living in the golden age of wine. There are great winemakers all over the world and social media, online purchasing, and knowledgeable consumers make much of it accessible to oenophiles regardless of where they live.
During our Michigan Wine Experience last fall we reported on the exceptional wine and wineries to be found in their five AVAs. One of these wines was the best Cabernet Franc we tasted and comes from Tabor Hill Winery in the Lake Michigan Shore AVA. It is our March wine of the month.
Founded by Leonard Olson in 1970, Tabor Hill was the first winery in Southwest Michigan in over 30 years. Today, it is the fourth largest winery in the state with 60 acres and more than 80 varieties of wine grapes. Their Cabernet Franc shows a rich, dark plum color in the glass with good viscosity. On the nose is fig, dark berries, chocolate, and coffee. It smells like a big California Cab with oak prominent but restrained. This is a full-bodied wine with medium plus tannins that reveal berries, chocolate, leather, and coffee on the palate. The taste confirms the nose. This is the most California/Bordeaux style wine we tasted from Michigan: bold yet drinkable with a long finish. It’s magic after 10 minutes in the glass.
Tabor Hill can ship wine to the vast majority of states in the U.S. and their Cabernet Franc is an amazing value at $27.99.
Purchase yours and follow them here:
@taborhillwinery
At Peninsula Underground we visit a lot of wineries. This is eminently clear from our posts, reviews, and articles. We are fortunate to be based in California, so access is not a problem. We recognize, however, that not everyone is so lucky. Most people buy wine at a supermarket on their Sunday shopping trip and then drink it very soon after purchase. We try to keep that in mind when recommending a wine.
For those of you who won’t be visiting California in the near future we recommend that you purchase the 2018 St. Francis “Old Vines” Zinfandel Sonoma County, our April wine of the month.
Founded in 1971 in Sonoma Valley, St. Francis is a certified sustainable, family-owned winery. Their spectacular mission-style tasting room provides visitors with some of the most stunning views in the valley.
St. Francis farms over 380 acres of vineyards and also has long-term relationships with grape growers, which gives them access to highly coveted old vine Zinfandel grapes. Their 2018 “Old Vines” Zinfandel comes from vines that are 50-110 years old; this wine is blended with Petite Sirah. In the glass the wine shows deep purple, much darker than a typical Zin. On the nose are aromas of red fruit, which build to red and black fruits on the palate. As the wine opens up additional flavors of spice and vanilla come dancing to life and there is a long, satisfying finish.
At Peninsula Underground we love when wine provides great value and this St. Francis “Old Vines” Zinfandel Sonoma County drinks way above its roughly $20 price point. The next time you are at the supermarket don’t just pick up a bottle, pick up at least half a case. It is ready to drink now and you will love it. A great wine at a great price that is ready to drink tonight: that is why this St. Francis “Old Vines” Zinfandel is our April wine of the month.
Learn more about St. Francis Winery & Vineyards and follow them here:
https://www.stfranciswinery.com
@stfranciswinery
As wine drinkers many of us are set in our ways:
“I love big reds!”
“A buttery Chard is my go-to.”
“I don’t like sweet wine.”
“Italian wine isn’t bold enough.”
Do any of these sound familiar? How often do we get out of our comfort zone and challenge our biases—and palates? For the last two-plus years every wine we have chosen as our wine of the month has been new world.
In May 2022 we slay the prejudices against old world wine and sweet wines by selecting the 2018 Heinz Eifel Rheinhessen Beerenauslese as our wine of the month.
Beerenauslese is a German term for a late harvest wine. In this case, Heinz Eifel showcases Riesling, a highly versatile grape. Riesling can range from dry to sweet while also maintaining high levels of acidity. It is a great food wine.
The 2018 Beerenauslese is deep gold in the glass, nearly amber in color. The wine is full bodied with a floral essence and stone fruit (peach) aromas. The taste confirms the nose. It is sweet but balanced.
Why is Riesling such a great food wine, even if it’s a sweet, late-harvest expression? Because it pairs well with a wide variety of flavors. In our tasting of the 2018 Heinz Eifel Rheinhessen Beerenauslese we tried it with acid (lemon), which achieved total harmony on the palate. This was the best pairing of the 36 we tried on the day. It also did well with umami, which is the best pairing for those who might like restrained sweetness. Pairing it with a sweet wafer cookie enhanced both the cookie and the wine. Finally, it even stood up well to spicy hot Doritos (the only wine we tried that could make such a claim).
We always preach value at Peninsula Underground and this 2018 Heinz Eifel Rheinhessen Beerenauslese delivers: you can pick up this bottle online for under $30. There is an entire world of wine out there that is accessible to us. This month we encourage you to get outside your comfort zone and try something new. If you start with our May wine of the month you are well on your way.
You can follow Weingut Eiffel-Pfeiffer here: @eifelpfeiffer.
If you do any reading about wine at all you know that amazing things are happening in Washington state. In Walla Walla, east of the Cascade Mountains, vintners are blessed with fertile soil, desert-like conditions that produce little rainfall, mainly confined to winter, and two hours more sunlight per day than California wine regions. In the hands of rockstar winemaker Charles Smith, these ideal conditions lead to bold, complex wines, like the 2017 K Vintners Rockgarden Syrah, our June wine of the month.
Rockgarden Vineyard comes from the Rocks District, the only AVA in the U.S. whose boundaries have been fixed by virtue of a single soil series (Freewater Series) and a single land form (alluvial fan). K Vintners Rockgarden Syrah (100%) is characterized by black pepper, licorice, and gamey meat with a touch of minerality. A fresh, lively wine with a long finish. It can be said of the best winemakers that they allow you to taste the land. With his Rockgarden Syrah, Charles Smith takes you four hours southeast of Seattle and drops you in the heart of the Rocks District. He extracts uncommon flavor and mouthfeel so you can experience this dynamic region in your glass.
Washington state on the whole also generally delivers great value. This 2017 K Vintners Rockgarden Syrah drinks way above its $55 price point. We encourage you to try it.
For taking us to a particular place in the wine world and allowing us to taste the best the land has to offer, the 2017 K Vintners Rockgarden Vineyard Walla Walla Valley Syrah is our June wine of the month.
Learn more about K Vintners and Smith’s other labels here: https://houseofsmith.com
@houseofsmithwines
One of the best values in the wine world is in…Napa Valley. Seriously. And we don’t just mean relative value. We’re talking $16 per bottle for an outstanding wine.
With summer upon us we are increasingly opting for refreshing white wines for mid afternoons on the porch or by the pool. There is no better option than Pine Ridge Vineyards Chenin Blanc + Viognier White Blend (CB+V), our July wine of the month.
Located on Silverado Trail, Pine Ridge has been producing top-flight Cabernet Sauvignon for more than 40 years. However, in 1995 a blending experiment with Chenin Blanc and Viognier resulted in a cult favorite white blend that sells out quickly every year.
Chenin Blanc is a versatile grape with high acidity that can be presented dry, off dry, or sweet and can grow in a range of climates. Pine Ridge sourced their Chenin Blanc from the Clarksburg appellation, a moderate climate growing area in the Sacramento River Delta. Viognier is an aromatic grape with low to medium acidity that grows in moderate climates and works well as a blending agent. Pine Ridge sourced theirs from Lodi.
The genius of this CB+V is in Pine Ridge’s harvesting decisions. The Chenin Blanc was picked early to keep the sugars low and preserve the fresh aromas and flavors of green apple, quince, and chamomile. By contrast, the Viognier was allowed to grown on the vine a bit longer and expresses characteristics of peach, honeysuckle, and jasmine. When blended (typically 80% CB and 20% V) it produces a medium-bodied wine with medium acidity, a slight sweetness (off dry), and effervescence that is refreshing and leads to a long finish. At 12% ABV it’s almost too easy!
Putting this wine in your summer rotation is a no-brainer. The problem is, you have to get it before it sells out. We suggest you stay in touch with Pine Ridge to find out when they will release their next vintage and jump on it the first chance you get. At $16 per bottle, buy a case…or two!
For delivering an outstanding white blend drinking experience at an insanely reasonable price, the Pine Ridge CB+V is our July wine of the month.
Find out more about Pine Ridge, purchase their wine, and follow them here:
https://www.pineridgevineyards.com @pineridgewine
If you’re looking for something new in your wine-drinking rotation, a wine that breaks you out of the rut of the same 2-3 varietals you normally pour, then we recommend the 2021 La Mesa Vineyards Gamay Noir. It is our August wine of the month.
For many of us the only time we drink Gamay is with Thanksgiving dinner but we may not have even known that’s what we were drinking. The home for Gamay is Beaujolais, the sixth district of Burgundy. Labeling of wine in France typically is of the region where the grape grows, not the varietal itself. When we pour a bottle of Beaujolais we just need to know that this is a bottle of Gamay.
Gamay (formally Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc) is a black grape that grows well in moderate climate and has high acidity and low to medium tannins. It shows red fruits like raspberry, red cherry, red plum, and strawberry. It is typically light bodied and unoaked and is made for early drinking.
While rare, it is possible to find great Gamay in California. La Mesa Vineyards is the only grower of Gamay in Amador County. The red, granitic soil conditions in their vineyards are very similar to those found in the Northern part of Beaujolais and Northern Rhône.
Côme Laguë, La Mesa’s owner and vigneron, recommends his Gamay chilled. It’s a bright, fresh, radical summer wine done the traditional unoaked Beaujolais style—carbonic maceration for about 3 weeks in sealed tanks. It’s one of the rare wines that if you only got to smell it you would still be satisfied: think Smucker’s strawberry preserves. This wine will thrill your taste buds as well.
Côme obtained the Gamay cuttings from El Dorado County’s famous Barsotti Vineyard and grafted the clone to La Mesa’s lower hillside block in 2020. It successfully took hold and produced a bumper crop in 2021. We, as consumers, are the lucky beneficiaries.
We served the La Mesa Gamay Noir with a whimsical Thanksgiving sandwich food board in July and the pairing was heavenly.
At $39 the 2021 La Mesa Vineyards Gamay Noir provides a tasty, refreshing experience that is outside the normal routine. This combination of value and excellence makes it our August wine of the month.
Purchase yours and follow La Mesa Vineyards here:
https://lamesavineyards.com/collections/reds/products/gamay-noir-2021
It seems we never have to go out of the way to find our wine of the month; it always finds us…even if we travel a long way for that to happen!
Recently, on a visit to Montana four of our board members visited Missoula‘s Plonk Wine Bar, which is the best place to go in Montana to “get your wine on.” While there they ordered a bottle of 2020 Eshcol Red Wine by Trefethen, our September wine of the month.
Because we are based in California we have made a seemingly innumerable number of trips to the Napa Valley generally and Trefethen specifically. In all that time we never tasted Eshcol. Who knew we had to go to Montana to do it?
We were first struck by the Harry Potter-esque wine label. Visit Trefethen‘s website (https://www.trefethen.com/eshcol/ ); there’s a fun image key of everything depicted. The intrigue begins before you taste the wine, therefore adding to the enjoyment.
Eshcol is the name of one of the first vineyards in 19th century Napa Valley, in what we now know as the Oak Knoll District AVA. Trefethen honors that past with the name of this wine, which is apropos, given that they are one of the pioneering wineries in the valley, having opened in 1968.
Our followers know our high regard for Trefethen, as it consistently delivers great value, particularly for its locale. Eshcol is their introductory wine, which is a Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon-based Bordeaux blend that is made to be approachable and affordable.
We were immediately struck by the aromas and taste of fresh red fruit and blackberries. The wine is balanced with low to medium tannins and medium acid. It is meant to be consumed tonight, not cellared, which is not a commentary on the quality. It is possible to have a Bordeaux blend of high-quality that can be consumed at a young age. Eshcol by Trefethen is that wine. Best of all, it is available for under $25.
The best way to describe it is that Mike, our VP of Imports, bought four bottles the night they visited and then went back the last day of the trip to buy more.
When thinking about the types of wine we like to recommend to our readers and followers, the 2020 Eshcol Red Wine by Trefethen stands as the shining example. It is a great wine of great value that is ready to drink tonight. This is why it is our September one of the month.
When thinking about the types of wine we like to recommend to our readers and followers, the 2020 Eshcol Red Wine by Trefethen stands as the shining example. It is a great wine of great value that is ready to drink tonight. This is why it is our September one of the month.
Living in Southern California we have convenient access to numerous world-class wine regions: Sonoma County, Napa Valley, Paso Robles, and Santa Barbara County. What’s the one region most of us don’t even know about, let alone consider? Valle De Guadalupe in Baja California, Mexico, just 90 miles south of San Diego.
One of the world’s great emerging wine areas, Valle De Guadalupe boasts more than 100 wineries featuring Nebbiolo, Tempranillo, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, and Merlot, among others. The majority of vines are grown in valleys at 300 to 2,000 feet and get cool sea breezes in the mornings and warm afternoons. Soils range from sandy loam, to granite, to clay. The unique microclimates in the valley provide flavor profiles not typically associated with the varieties they are growing. This makes for an exciting tasting experience.
On their recent excursions through the Valle, our bureau chiefs Tiffany and Nicole judged the 2020 Rosso Del Valle from Villa Montefiori as the most spectacular wine they tasted. It is our October wine of the month. The wine is 100% Montepulciano, aged 18 months in new French oak. It is brawny and complex, yet elegant. In the glass it is a deep ruby, tending toward purple. On the nose and palate is pronounced intensity of red fruit and vanilla. A truly outstanding wine.
Next time you are considering a wine trip go outside the box and visit Valle De Guadalupe. Tastings are $10-$20 and many outstanding bottles could be acquired for $20-$40. When you splurge, we suggest the 2020 Villa Montefiori Rosso Del Valle, our October wine of the month.
Learn more about Villa Montefiori/Vinos Paoloni and follow them here:
@villamontefiori
As we get closer to Thanksgiving many of us are preparing dinner menus for the big day. When it comes to wine we invariably reach for the traditional Beaujolais (Gamay), and with good reason. The light body, low tannin, high acid, and red fruit aromas and flavors pair well with so many flavors of autumn. It’s one of the world’s most versatile wines.
But actually, what is the most food-friendly wine? Riesling. A highly acidic, aromatic varietal that can be dry to sweet and light-bodied to full-bodied. Depending on the ripeness, the wine will exhibit flavors of green fruit, citrus, stone fruit, tropical fruit, and even dried fruit and honey. When paired with different food flavors it can stand up to salty, acidic, umami, sweet, and even hot spice.
While dining out on shellfish recently we came upon the 2021 Seaglass Wine Company Central Coast Riesling. It can be purchased for only $12 and is our November wine of the month.
The wine is pale lemon in color and wonderfully off-dry. The cool climate of the Central Coast and the 10% Sauvignon Blanc blended in creates crisp, full acidity. On the nose are aromas of stone fruit, tropical fruit, and blossom, which are confirmed on the palate. Great structure and balance with a long finish. We paired it with garlic shrimp but it would work along side sweet and sour sauce or even a chili spice. It’s a very good wine.
This fall, when you’re planning your dinner if you have guests that enjoy white wine, and are unsure what to serve, then turn to Riesling. We suggest you pick up a case of 2021 Seaglass Central Coast so that you have some left for yourself when the holidays are over. It’s a great wine of great value that is ready to drink right away. Sound familiar?
Purchase their wine and follow them here:
https://www.seaglasswineco.com
@seaglasswineco
For the average consumer, French wine can be intimidating. Unless you speak the language, the mere words on the label, let alone the pronunciation, are a deal killer. “Why can’t they just put Cabernet Sauvignon on the bottle?!”
When we tell you that the 2019 Domaine Johann Michel Cornas is our December wine of the month you might think Cornas is a grape varietal they grow in France. Incorrect. It is a varietal many Americans, particularly those in California, know quite well: Syrah. We didn’t use our French-wine decoder ring (there is no such thing) to discover this; we took classes. For those who don’t have the time or desire to seek sommelier or WSET certifications, here is a basic primer.
French wine laws are rather strict and complex. It’s not like the United States where you can basically grow whichever grapes you want, wherever you want. In France, the allowable grape varietals are essentially based on what grows well in a particular region. For the most part, in France the varietal does not appear on the label. Instead, it’s usually the region, village, or vineyard. The trick is to understand which grapes grow in those locations, as dictated by French wine law.
Cornas is an appellation in the Northern Rhône Valley, south of Lyon, that grows Syrah. This makes sense because the warm climate and sun-baked slopes are conducive to successfully growing this grape. When you see Cornas on a wine label you know it must be 100% Syrah.
The 2019 Domaine Johann Michel Cornas is our choice as wine of the month because it will be familiar to those with California palettes while providing a bridge to the French style. In the glass the color is a bit more restrained than you would normally find in California: it is deep ruby (not quite purple). Medium plus intensity of aromas and flavors of black cherry, blackberry, black plum, violet, stone, and leather abound. However, the primary difference between California and Cornas is that in this wine licorice predominates whereas in California black pepper is often the star.
This Cornas is youthful, which is the way we tend to drink them in California, but is developing into something that will be layered and balanced for years to come. The acid is high and the tannins are medium plus. It is full-bodied with a long finish. It can be thoroughly enjoyed now but if you buy half a case you’ll be rewarded by letting several lay down and opening them every other year beginning in about three years.
On your next dinner with friends we suggest picking up a bottle of your favorite Paso Robles Syrah and drinking it side by side with the 2019 Domaine Johann Michel Cornas and see if you can detect the differences. You might even impress them with your French wine knowledge.
Here endeth the lesson.
You can purchase our December wine of the month online through most major wine retailers and can follow Domaine Johann Michel @Michel.Johann.
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