California Wines
Opolo Vineyards 2010 Mountain Zinfandel
I love it when a Zinfandel is done right. Opolo hit a hole-in-one with this wine. Perhaps I should clarify when I mean when I say a Zinfandel is “done right”. Wine, like most other markets, tends to become saturated by whatever grape is the latest craze. Not long ago, it was Zinfandel. Once customers … Continue reading
Brutocao Family Vineyards Uber Tuscan 2008
Mom bought this bottle during a recent trip to Hopland and gifted it to me for my birthday. I was so eager to open it! Having never been to Hopland (and having heard so many of her stories enjoying the area during the region’s Passport weekend), I was so excited to try one of the … Continue reading
Terre Rouge Tete-a-Tete Red Blend
The motto of Terre Rouge winery is “Where the Rhone Valley meets the Sierra Nevada”. With its combination of Mediterranean varietals (Syrah, Mourvedre, and Grenache) that are grown in the Sierra Nevada foothills, aged in “Old-World Style” in French oak, producing a wine with notes of New World fruit and finish, the small-production winery’s “Tete-a-Tete” … Continue reading
The Perfect Picnic Wine: an Overview of Rosé
I don’t want to change the wine world… but I do want to change a few opinions regarding a wine that has received a bad reputation over the last few decades: rosé. What IS rosé? Rosé is a pink wine made from red grapes. The pink color can range from a pale orange to a … Continue reading
The history of wine in the U.S.
In his book “The Cultivation of The Native Grape, and Manufacture of American Wines”, published in 1866, winemaker George Husmann states: I firmly believe that this continent is destined to be the greatest wine-producing country in the world; and that the time is not far distant when wine, the most wholesome and purest of all … Continue reading
Pine Ridge Vineyards 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Loyal readers, you are in for a treat: a review of a wine from the U.S.! I kid (a little). The truth is, with the six month stay in Argentina and this three month trek in Italy, I have (obviously) focused on wines from the regions I have been exploring. But before I was a … Continue reading
Fritz Russian River Valley 2007 Pinot Noir
I am a huge fan of Russian River Pinot Noir. Pinot from this region is synonymous with bright, berry fruit, present tannins, and balanced acidity. Typically, the wine is complex and has characteristics of cherry, blueberry and raspberry alongside spices and herbs (think cinnamon, tarragon, or rosemary). There is also typically a quality that it … Continue reading
Variety Focus: Merlot
It may have been dissed in the wine movie “Sideways” and received a lot of scrutiny shortly thereafter, but Merlot is actually an incredibly popular grape: along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, Merlot is one of the primary grapes in Bordeaux wine. Its dark color and smooth tannins add complexity to … Continue reading
Variety Focus: Cabernet Sauvignon
In the Variety Focus portion of Sedimentality, we focus on one varietal at a time, highlighting the grape’s origin, flavor profile and pairings. We also include some of our (decently priced) favorite wines made from this varietal, in case our readers would like to sample a well-made example of the highlighted grape. Our second Variety … Continue reading
History of wine in the U.S.
In his book “The Cultivation of The Native Grape, and Manufacture of American Wines”, published in 1866, winemaker George Husmann states: I firmly believe that this continent is destined to be the greatest wine-producing country in the world; and that the time is not far distant when wine, the most wholesome and purest of all … Continue reading