The Top Wines of 2017: A Vino-Sphere Exclusive List

Here it is – our annual listing of the best bottles of the year. Uncork a bottle and enjoy as you check out the favorites we reviewed in 2017.

It’s been a good year! As 2017 fades away like grains of sand in an hourglass, we can reflect on a wild year during which we tasted hundreds of wines and visited wineries from Napa and Sonoma to the backroads of Ohio. Of course, we do it just for one reason, to bring you the inside information on the very best wines. We also made the move from Ohio to our new home in North Carolina’s Triangle area.

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Here’s our list of top wines from  2017. We present the list in alphabetical order. An asterisk indicates exceptional quality. Dilly dilly!


Aila 2015 Sauvignon Blanc, Leyda Valley
* Achaval-Ferrer 2013 Quimera, Mendoza
Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards 2008 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
* Argot 2014 “Bastard Tongue” Pinot Noir, Santa Rosa, Sonoma
*Hacienda de Arínzano 2012 Tinto
* Blue Rock 1999 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
Bonterra 2016 Rosé, Mendocino County
* Boschendal 2011 Cecil John Reserve Shiraz, Stellenbosch
* Burg Ravensburg 2014 Weissburgunder, Baden
* Cain 2001 Cain Five, Napa Valley
* Carmel 2012 Limited Edition, Galilee
Chamonix 2013 Reserve Pinot Noir, Franschhoek
Conn Creek Rosé of Malbec 2016 Antica Vineyard, Atlas Peak, Napa ValleyCoolshanagh 2014 Chardonnay, Naramanta Bench, Okanagan Valley
Domain Duffour 2016 Cotes de Gascogne Blanc
* Domaine Meo-Camuzet 2004 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits
Domaine Serene 2013 Yamhill Cuvée Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
* Dry Creek Vineyard 2014 Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley
Dry Creek Vineyard 2016 Dry Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg
Dry Creek Vineyard 2009 “The Mariner,” Dry Creek ValleyDry Creek Vineyard 2014 Wallace Ranch Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley
Faust 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
* Karmei Yosef Winery 2014 Bravdo Coupage, Samson, Israel* Karthäuserhof 2009 Riesling Grosses Gewächs
Left Coast 2015 Latitude 45⁰ Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
Malibran 2015 "Credamora" Rifermentato in Bottiglia, Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG
* Matthews 2011 Claret, Columbia Valley
Maxville Lake Winery 2014 Petite Sirah, Chiles ValleyMaxville Lake Winery 2015 Sauvignon Blanc, Chiles Valley
Meeker 2013 Handprint Merlot, Sonoma
Montes 2014 Purple Angel Carmenère, Colchagua Valley
Montessu 2013 Isola dei Nuraghi IGT, Sardinia
Murrieta’s Well 2014 Small Lot Cabernet Sauvignon, Livermore ValleyMurrieta’s Well 2015 “The Whip,” Livermore Valley
* Nino Franco 2010 Grave di Stecca Brut Sparkling, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
* Ordaz 2012 Sandoval Vineyard Malbec, Sonoma Valley
Parducci 2015 85th Anniversary Wine "Limited Edition,” Mendocino County
* Pillitteri 2007 Exclamation Cellar Series Reserve Cabernet Franc, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake
San Simeon 2013 Stormwatch, Paso Robles
* Schweiger 2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain DistrictSt. Francis 2014 Reserve Merlot, Sonoma County* Terra Bella 2011 Proprietary Red Blend, Sonoma County* Tomasello Winery 2013 Palmaris Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Outer Coastal Plain, NJ
Two Hands 2016 Gnarly Dudes Shiraz, Barossa Valley
V. Sattui 2016 Rosato di Sangiovese, North Coast
* Val d'Oca NV Brut Nature "Rive di Santo Stefano,” Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
* Von Winning 2015 Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad Riesling Trocken

Honoro Vera 2015 Blanco, Rueda

One should never buy wine based on a label design alone. Just like you should never judge a book by its cover. But hey, I’m only human.

Rueda Refreshment

My assignment was simple enough. Pick up a refreshing white wine that would pair well with seafood. Green Dragon was whipping up shrimp and grits and so I was scanning the shelves of the local wine shop looking for a bottle to chill.

My attention was captured by the Honoro Vera Blanco, a white wine from Rueda. Rueda is a Spanish wine region that produces some of the country’s best white wines. The wines are based primarily on the local Verdejo grape but Sauvignon Blanc is also used. Not only are the wines well-crafted – but the prices are a great bargain.

Phantasmagoria

It’s not often you can use the word “phantasmagoria” in a wine review, so I’m going to take advantage of the opportunity. Although I was attracted by the quality of Rueda wines, the label design locked me in a tractor-beam.

It features a phantasmagoria of design with a close-up of a woman’s shadowed face that is a cross between a Greek statue and an android. Aside the face is a flow of swirling lines, flowers and colors.The combination of wine region, great label design and a bargain price of $9 caused me to purchase the bottle and meander home.

The entree was ready. The shrimp was cooked Cajun-style and the grits were nice and cheesy with crumbles of bacon. Shrimp and grits has become a favorite of ours since we first had a great chef creation at a restaurant in Cleveland. Yes, I said Cleveland.

The Honoro has a twist closure, which is just fine for wines designed to be consumed while they are young. On the nose there are floral notes. In the glass the wine glimmers greenish gold. The spiciness of the shrimp was complimented by the cool crispness of the wine.
The body is light and lively. On the palate, there is a kick of acidity and delicate flavors of white flowers.

Honoro Vera has produced a very pleasing white that is affordable enough for you to purchase multiple bottles. I’ve had some Verdejo wines that were ho-hum, not the Honoro. The blend of Verdejo with a splash of Viura and Sauvignon Blanc is aromatic and flavorful. Not only that, but the bottles look oh so stylish until you empty them.

German Wines Shine In Festive Holiday Meals

Looking for the perfect bottle to pair with your holiday feast? Wines from Germany are flavorful and food-friendly.

The Art of Pairing

Pairing food and wine is an art rather than a science. There are no hard and fast rules, but instead some some broad guidelines. Even those, like reds with red meat and whites with seafood and poultry, can be ignored with delightful results.

Three things we’ve found can really benefit your food-wine pairing adventures: lower alcohol wines, higher acidity and… Riesling!

We had a chance to test our mindset with a pair of outstanding German wines: 2014 Burg Ravensburg Weissburgunder, Baden, and 2014 Kruger-Rumpf Munsterer Rheinberg Riesling Kabinett, Nahe. To boil down the German nomenclature, we had a 2014 Pinot Blanc from Baden and a 2014 Kabinett Riesling from the Nahe region.

Holiday Feast

The pair of German wines were guests at our Thanksgiving meal – but should certainly be considered for any holiday guest list. The Kruger-Rumpf Riesling comes from the Nahne region that produces outstanding Riesling, but isn’t as well known as Mosel and Rheingau. German Riesling can be sweet, but the wine also has vibrant acidity that can counterbalance the sugar.

A good rule of thumb to help determine the sweetness of a Riesling is to look at the alcohol content. Since fermentation takes sugar and converts it to alcohol, a higher alcohol content means more sugar has been converted and it isn’t as sweet. Conversely, a lower alcohol Riesling has a greater sugar content that hasn’t been converted to alcohol. It’s sweeter. Do remember that Riesling can be finished as a sweet dessert wine or bone dry. The versatility is what makes it one of the world’s great grapes.

Riesling is a classic pairing with turkey (ham as well). The Kruger-Rumpf has an alcohol content of 9% compared to a typical wine which might have 14%. As you surmise, it has a nice ripple of sweetness. This is a light, balanced wine with delicious fruit notes and notes of minerality. It will be appreciated by occasional wine drinkers as well as wine aficionados. At only about $20, this is an outstanding value.

What’s Up With Weissburgunder?

While our guests dug into turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and a variety of side dishes – I was uncorking Weissburgunder. One of the peculiarities of wine is that one grape can have multiple names. In this case, Weiss (white) burgunder is Pinot Blanc. For trivia buffs, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) is the most planted red variety in Germany. Grauburgunder is Pinot Gris and is also called Rulander in Germany.

The Burg Ravensburg vineyards were first mentioned 1251, making them among the oldest in the world. The Burg Ravensburg Weissburgunder is a distinctive wine, somewhat more exotic than Pinot Gris. This wine threw me a curve ball. I had been expecting a sweeter glass. This was lower in sugar and alcohol and was offbeat enough that I refilled my glass at least a couple times trying to decipher it.

It has a nice rounded texture with notes of apple and perhaps nuttiness. It paired brilliantly with everything on my plate. It can be found for $20 or less and represents another great bargain.

German wines are a great choice for holiday events. They appeal to a wide spectrum of guests, pair well with a variety of festive meals, and do so without breaking the bank.

 Full disclosure: We received these wines as marketing samples.

Uplifting Vino, Small Plates And Raclette Highlight Wine Pairing Party

Food, friends and a selection of great wine – these are the key ingredients to a pleasurable party. Here’s what went down at our first wine pairing party at our new home in North Carolina.

Opening Medley

We recently hosted our first soirée at our new home in the Triangle area of North Carolina. It was a fabulous gathering of about a dozen friends, family and neighbors. Oh yes, we had some wine too!

The culinary brains behind the gathering was my wife, the Green Dragon. When we were out in

Sonoma last month, we visited Hanna Winery. There we met Christine Hanna, who not only is president of Hanna Winery and Vineyards, but also a food writer and cooking teacher. She gave us a copy of her book, The Winemaker Cooks: Menus, Parties and Pairings. 
Green Dragon used recipes from the book for our party menu.

What better way to start the party than with caviar and sparkling wine? For the appetizer we had caviar on crème fraiche and brioche toast. Wow. The saltiness of the caviar was the perfect foil for the Bervini 1955 NV Spumante Rosé. The Italian winery was founded by Antonio Bergama and his son Giuseppe in 1955.

Sparkling wine is a terrific arrival wine due to its lower alcohol level, in this case 11%, as well as the spectacle of bubbles. The effervescence adds a festive note to any occasion. The Bervini 1955 has notes of raspberry and rose and just a hint of sweetness. The Extra Dry rosé is slightly sweeter than the Brut designation. This wine is now available in the US via Wine Trees an importer with a collection that focuses on the world’s most interesting regions. It retails for $18.99.

The Raclette Ruckus

When our friend Jon offered to bring his raclette grill, I had to admit, I didn’t know what it was. I had heard of raclette, a Swiss cheese dish eaten by shepherds in the Alps. I didn’t know raclette grills were “a thing.”

We soon found out that raclette grills may be hot – but they are oh so cool! Jon and his wife Michelle swung into action with Swiss precision. Raclette is a delicious Swiss cheese that is melted in coupelles (small metal pans that slide into the grill) and then served on top of potatoes, mushrooms, onions, pickles or charcuterie.

While the activity swirled around the raclette grill, I served our next wine, the 2015 Reichsfgraff von Kesselstaff Riesling from Mosel, Germany. The wine was finished semi-dry and the welcome sweetness paired ideally with the raclette.

Sockeye Salmon And Sfeeha

The chef’s next dish was Wild Sockeye Salmon with leeks and mustard cream along with cream of cauliflower and fennel soup. My contribution to the dish was driving to the grocery store and hunting down a fennel. For this dish we selected the 2015 Domain De Oliveira Lecestre Chablis. French Chardonnay from Chablis has a more refined, minerally profile than Napa Chardonnay, which tends to be more buttery and oaky.

The De Oliveira Chablis is part of the wine collection at Lidl, a European grocery store chain that began opening stores in the US last summer. It can be purchased for about $13 and is a satisfying white Burgundy that might inspire multiple purchases. This had many votes from our guests as the top white.

We bid adieu to the sparkling and white wines and moved into red territory with our next dish. Green Dragon served up sfeeha, a Mediterranean meat pie made with lamb. She got a big assist from her sister Suzanne.

There was a special treat with the sfeeha, a sumptuous red blend from Israel. The 2012 Carmel Limited Edition is from Galilee and is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Petit Verdot, 15% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. This is a premium Bordeaux-style blend and it’s Kosher as well.

We decanted the Carmel Limited Editor for about an hour. This is deep purple in color with rich aromas of blackberry. In the glass this has a mellow texture enhanced by 15 months of aging in French oak. There are threads of chocolate and hints of smoke.

If you haven’t experienced the wines of Israel, we encourage you to do so. This ancient winegrowing land is producing premium wines that are meant to be enjoyed by those of any religious faith. The retail price is $80.

Bing, Bang Boom

It was time for big reds to make an appearance. The first is an uncommon grape: Carmenère. Carmenère is the signature grape of Chile and nowhere is it better expressed than in the Montes Purple Angel.

The 2014 vintage, from Marchigüe Vineyard in the Colchagua Valley, is 92% Carmenère and 7% Petite Verdot. Purple Angel is considered the “super Carmenère” wine and we are “super fans.”

Cumin-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Salsa  Verde was the food pairing and it was served with wild rice salad that had celery root, acorn squash and leek.

The Purple Angel is rich with red and black fruit flavors. It has a different flavor profile than Cabernet Sauvignon, juicier and with smoother tannins. The wine is aged for 18 months in new oak, but the oak melds wonderfully with the Purple Angel, lending a bit of toast to the fruit flavors. It has an SRP of $65.

Since we were enjoying a culinary tour de force, what else could we do but have more wine? Decanters were rapidly being filled and drained and refilled.

We next enjoyed a heavyweight from Napa Valley, the 2008 Schweiger Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from the Spring Mountain district. This is a towering Cab with mountain-grown fruit.

Chocolate truffles were the pairing for this wine, a good choice. We decanted the Schweiger for about 30 minutes, but it still opened up more as we conversed and swirled. This whole College Football Playoff controversy seemed to make more and more sense as the wine in the decanter got lower.

The 2008 Schweiger is a great Napa Cab with aging potential for up to 20 years. We couldn’t wait. It has wild cherry notes coupled with plum and dark chocolate. It has a smooth start, crescendos in the middle and has a lingering finish. It retails for about $59, but I was able to get a “steal” for about half price.

The night was drawing to a close. While some guests had only to walk next door, others had to drive to Chapel Hill. But before the guests departed, I had one more ace up my sleeve.
Plonk is a new premium wine club with a very eclectic selection of wines. We featured Plonk in a recent article. One of the selections was the 2015 Santomas Refosk, from Koper, Slovenia. This has flavors of blueberry, but with spice notes that make it a unique wine.

After our wine and culinary tour of four continents and many bottles, the party reached the end of the line. Thanks to the cooks, party-goers and winemakers who helped us warm up a chilly December night!

Full disclosure: Some of the wine served was received as marketing samples.

Maxville Lake Winery Brings Napa Luxury To Rediscovered Chiles Valley AVA

You are forgiven if you forgot, or never knew, that Chiles Valley is a district in Napa Valley. Nestled in the Vaca Mountains in the northeastern part of Napa, Chiles Valley has flown under the radar. Maxville Lake Winery may change all that through their small production luxury wines.

A Napa AVA Rediscovered

Maxville Lake Winery Associate Winemaker Greg Fitzgerald is quick to point out that Chiles Valley isn’t an undiscovered Napa Valley AVA. He prefers to call it “rediscovered.”

Fitzgerald brings an uncommon perspective to his position. He was a server and a sommelier in some of the West Coast’s best restaurants before honing his winemaking skills. “I like interesting wines with subtle and complex characteristics that can engage your mind,” said Fitzgerald. He has the opportunity to help create such wines in a stunning setting.

“It’s a very remote area and it still has a beautiful rural landscape that’s precious,” said Fitzgerald during a recent interview with Vino-Sphere. The region is named after Joseph Ballinger Chiles, who received the territory in a Mexican land grant in 1841. He was a pioneer and wagon train guide. According to Fitzgerald, that pioneer spirit is very much alive today.

There are few other wineries in Chiles Valley, and so the AVA doesn’t have a defined signature style. What it does have is very diverse topography.

Chiles Valley has, well, a valley but also has elevations that rise 600 to 1,200 feet. Hillsides have shale soil that drains well and stresses – in a good way – the vines. The valley has clay loam soil with good water holding capacity.

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The diurnal temperature swing, plus cooling Pacific breezes, allow the grape skins to thicken. That allows greater tannin extractability for richer, more complex wines.

Maxville Lake Winery First Vintage

The property was first planted to grapes in 1974 and wine was first produced there in 1999. Maxville purchased the land in 2014 and Executive Winemaker Camille Benitah and Fitzgerald began an extensive redevelopment and restoration of the vineyards. Major remodeling of the facility took place in 2016. In June Maxville Lake Winery held its grand opening.

The property is exceeds 1,000 acres, most of it undeveloped. Fitzgerald says the winery is committed to sustainable farming and maintaining this important natural resource. Nearly 1,000 acres have been placed in the Napa Valley Land Trust, ensuring it will never be subdivided and will only be used for agricultural purposes.

Presently there are 100 acres under vine with 56 acres actively being used. Grapes planted are Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Petite Sirah.

The first Maxwell vintage has been released: 2014 Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2015 Sauvignon Blanc. The reds retail for $64.99 and the Sauvignon Blanc is $29.99.

The Sauvignon Blanc is made with the Musqué clone, which is highly aromatic. “It starts with boxwood and grapefruit then develops tropical flavors,” said Fitzgerald.

We sampled it with a chicken and cranberry entree served in puff pastry. Fitzgerald describes the aroma as burnt orange. We picked up on a yeasty flavor, no doubt accented by eight months on lees and regular stirring through the batonnage process. This is one of the most complex and enjoyable Sauvignon Blanc wines we’ve tried. The lush flavors are balanced perfectly with medium acidity.

“We’re happy how it turned out,” said Fitzgerald. “We did some brainstorming and asked what wild things could we try.” The grapes were picked over a two-week period to get different levels of ripeness. The early fruit was pressed whole cluster, while riper grapes were destemmed. Aging takes place in a combination neutral French oak and Acacia barrels (30%) as well as stainless steel tanks (60%) and concrete  (10%). Talk about attention to detail!

Advanced irrigation systems allow Maxville to dial in the exact water needs for each vineyard block.“Everything we’ve grown so far is great,” said Fitzgerald. Maxville has a wine cave with a 2,000 barrel capacity. The caves are perfect for aging, with annual temperature variation of less than two degrees.

Seeing Red

For the reds, the winemaking team shoots for elegance and balance, says Fitzgerald. “We want opulent, refined wines that respect the varietal blend.”

Fruit is handled gently and the tanks are heated with glycol to reach fermentation temperature more quickly. A goal is to get early extraction of the phenolics, the molecular goodies that give a wine color, structure and subtle flavors. This results in finer tannins and more developed flavors.

“Our Petite Sirah has been a real eye opener,” said Fitzgerald. The Petite Sirah grapes get a five-day cold soak then undergo the quick, warm fermentation. Only free-run juice is used for the final wine. Malolactic fermentation and aging in 50% new French oak finish this dense, silky wine.

A Destination Winery

In April the new tasting room was completed. It has an industrial chic feel, with polished concrete floors, raw wooden beams and a modern feel. Although Chiles Valley may be almost off the edge of your wine country map, Fitzgerald points out that it is only 15 minutes from the popular Silverado Trail, and is a good alternative to touristy Napa.

The property has a spring-fed 26-acre lake. Fitzgerald envisions boat rentals, dinners and tastings at the lake. “We want to give visitors activities and a relaxing experience,” he said.

Maxville Lake Winery is pioneering small production luxury wines in Chiles Valley. With unique microclimates, innovative winegrowing and exceptional winemaking, we expect Maxville to be a rising Napa Valley star.

Full disclosure: This wine was received as a marketing sample.

Arrogant Frog Delivers French Taste And Value At Dizzying Heights

Pays d’Oc is a picturesque region in the south of France that has low hills, rolling land – and great values in wine.

Simple Pleasures

Arrogant Frog is part of the wine portfolio of Domaines Paul Mas. These are French wines from the Languedoc region where "country wine,” also called IGP wine, is produced.

The wines are crafted to highlight the “Luxe Rural” spirit of the south of France. We recently sampled the 2016 vintages of Arrogant Frog Cabernet-Merlot and Chardonnay. Each retails for $9.99, making them outstanding values.

Climbing to New Heights

We packed the two Arrogant Frog bottles on a recent rustic cabin trip to West Virginia’s Seneca State Forest. The highest point in this remote park is the Thorny Mountain Fire Tower, at a height of 3,458 feet. Recently the Division of Natural Resources converted the fire tower building into a sleeping accommodation – three of our friends opted to spend the night there.

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Our entire group went to the hilltop for a cookout and to check out the scenery. The Arrogant Frog climbed to the top of the tower with me and enjoyed a magnificent mountain panorama. Down at the base of the tower, friends were putting together a bison burger cookout.

Value And Fun

The Arrogant Frog Chardonnay is actually a blend of 85% Chardonnay and 15% Viognier. This adds some white flower notes to tropical fruit and peach flavors. The bottle has a screw closure for easy opening when you are on top of a fire tower – or a more day-to-day setting.

Thirty percent of the Chardonnay grapes get three months aging in oak barrels before being blended with the rest of the grapes, which are finished in stainless steel tanks. This keeps the brightness, but allows for a dash of complexity.

The red Arrogant Frog is a blend of 55% Cabernet and 45% Merlot. This was an ideal blend with the bison burgers. Like the Chardonnay, the Cab-Merlot blend gets a light oak treatment with 25% of the wine being aged four months in oak. The result is smooth with rich blackberry flavor and spicy notes.

As the sun went down we reveled in the changing colors from our spot high in the West Virginia hills. We didn’t have high end crystal glasses, but we enjoyed other luxuries – comradery, stunning surroundings and some pretty good bison burgers.

Arrogant Frog provides an easy-going, elegant style. This is one form of arrogance we can readily embrace.

Full disclosure: This wine was received as a marketing sample.

Wine Takes Root In Garden State With Bumper Crop Of Quality

New Jersey Wine -- We found it to be refreshingly good

I’m a Jersey guy. Even so, I had no idea that a renaissance of winemaking is underway in the Garden State. Read on as we explore a sampling of quality wines from New Jersey.

Images Of New Jersey – Shattered

Born and raised in New Jersey. That’s me. Over the years I’ve taken a lot of flak and the state has been the butt of many a joke. Say what you will, I’ve always known what many don’t: New Jersey isn’t just the Jersey Turnpike and smokestacks. There are areas of great natural beauty such as the Delaware Water Gap and the scenic southern shores. New Jersey also has a strong tradition of agriculture, in locales that seem worlds away from the major metro areas.

I’ve written more than 1,900 blog posts about wine, many of them featuring regional wines and wineries from states like Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Texas, Virginia and even Hawaii. I’m a big booster of regional wineries. There are many well-crafted wines produced outside the “big three” wine producing states of California, Oregon and Washington. You would think I’d know that the wine industry is on the rise in NJ – but it really caught me off guard.

Preparing Crimini Mushroom Ravioli

A Reserve Cab From The Outer Coastal Plain

I participate in the Wine Studio education program, and our most recent exploration was the wine of New Jersey. With trepidation I opened the first bottle: the 2013 Tomasello Winery Palmaris Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. My daughter prepared some handmade Crimini Mushroom Ravioli.

On the nose, the Palmaris has herbal notes. In the glass the wine is garnet in color. The ravioli looked scrumptious. I wasn’t sure if the wine would measure up.

The first sip was solid assurance that it would. The body is medium to light medium with refreshing notes of cranberry. The blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. The grapes are 85% estate grown and all come from the Outer Coastal Plain.

The Outer Coastal Plain is no more than 35 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, which provides a maritime influence on the vines. The temperature in the OCP is similar to Rutherford Valley in Napa in terms of degree days, one of the world’s great wine regions. A shorter growing season promotes moderate alcohol and results in approachable, food friendly wines.

This is a very good wine! I was pleasantly surprised with the great winemaking ability shown in this bottle. Each grape variety was fermented and aged separately. The wine is then blended together and aged once more. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation. It retails for $40.

Tomasello is a third generation winery that was founded more than 80 years ago. Today there are more than 50 other wineries in the Garden State. We sampled several other Jersey wines and its clear that good things are happening in my native state.

Garden State Growth

In the mid-19th century, wine flourished in New Jersey. Prohibition, outlawing the consumption of alcohol in the US, was enacted in 1919 and dealt a crushing blow to the wine industry nationwide. The wine industry remained small in New Jersey until the 1980s. In 1981 the NJ Legislature passed the Farm Winery Act, which exempted low-volume family wineries from restrictions and allowed them to open outlet stores. By 1988, the number of wineries had more than doubled to 15.

In 1984 the Garden State Wine Growers Association was founded and this coalition of wineries, vineyards, grape growers and other industry-related companies have amped up the marketing and created special events. One of their most visible creations is the New Jersey Wine Country Passport. Passport users get their passport book (or app) stamped at each winery. Once a passport book is completed, the holder can receive a pair of free tickets to any GSWGA wine festival and be entered in a drawing for a grand prize trip.

Sharrot Barrel Reserve Chardonnay with fish entree

Diverse Wines, Surprising Quality

There are more than 90 different grape varieties grown in New Jersey – everything from Albariño to Rkatsiteli. We enjoyed a sampling of several wines:

William Heritage 2016 Outer Coastal Plain Chenin Blanc – A limited production (209 cases) of one of our favorite grapes. Finished in stainless steel tanks, this wine has tropical flavors. This family-owned winery has been named New Jersey’s Winery of the Year three times. SRP is $18.

Sharrott Winery 2016 Outer Coastal Plain Barrel Reserve Chardonnay – This is a wine that Chardonnay lovers will embrace. The barrel aging and sur lie process are evident and contribute to a fine wine to accompany fish or poultry. We enjoyed it with fish fillets, risotto and herb garlic pull-apart bread. A deal at $24.99.

Unionville Vineyards 2013 Pheasant Hill Syrah – I was speechless on this one. I had no idea that the winemaking in New Jersey has elevated to the point that we can enjoy a single vineyard Syrah like this one. What a treat. Medium in body with earthy tones, it has a tart flavor and is lighter in style than a typical Syrah. Retail is $32.95 from Unionville Vineyards, which farms six vineyards spread across three counties. They have a range of unique soils and macroclimates.

New Jersey, hold your head high. We found these wines to be engaging and they certainly exceeded all our expectations. You can go home again, and it is pretty tasty when you do!

Mercer Trio Delivers Value And Flavor From Atop Horse Heaven Hills

The Mercer family settled in southwestern Washington in 1886. For more than a century they’ve been stewards of the land in what is now the Horse Heaven Hills AVA.

Family Tradition

The Mercer family has a long tradition of family farming that spans five generations. Our family has a tradition too. For holidays like Thanksgiving we get together, cook way too much food, watch football and generally have fun.

This year it was our turn to host the holiday festivities in our new home in North Carolina’s Triangle area. We had plentiful poultry and also volumes of vino. Our holiday entertaining was made easier by a threesome of wines from Mercer.

Heaven For Horses – And Wine Lovers

Washington state has huge wine regions. Columbia Valley alone has 33,000 acres under vine (some does edge over into Oregon). Mercer has large holdings totaling 2,000 acres in Horse Heaven Hills, Columbia Valley and Yakima Valley. In Horse Heaven Hills, Mercer vines represent 18% of the total plantings.

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We’ve been devoted fans of Horse Heaven Hills for many years. It’s the home of many of the state’s top rated wines. The steeply sloped hills and tempering wines create just the right environment for flavorful grapes.

As part of our Thanksgiving gathering, the Green Dragon’s sister was visiting. This was the perfect opportunity to uncork the 2015 Mercer Sharp Sisters Blend. The bottle has a photo of Carma Sharp-Mercer and her sisters. Our present day sisters gave two thumbs up to this blend of 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Syrah, 18% Merlot, 14% Petit Verdot, 10% Grenache and 2% Carignane.

Taming The Wild Boar

The Merlot for the blend comes from Dead Canyon Vineyard and the Cabernet Sauvignon from the Eagle & Plow Vineyard, which is the source for Mercer’s new ultra premium wine. This wine offers ripe blackberries with a dash of vanilla. Like many Washington state reds, it overdelivers with delicious fresh fruit flavors.

We enjoyed the Sharp Sisters with a wild boar sausage, mushroom and cheddar appetizer. The pairing was spot on.

The 2015 Mercer Malbec comes from the acclaimed Spice Cabinet Vineyard. It has 22% Cabernet Sauvignon and offers more complexity than expected with earthy tones and coffee interwoven with lush blackberry. The wine gets 18 months in a blend of old and new French oak and malolactic fermentation to a lush, full body.

The 2015 Mercer Sauvignon Blanc was enjoyed as we recovered from the weekend full of holiday guests. The wine is yellow-green in the glass with a grassy aroma. While the wine is crisp and refreshing, the flavor profile was much different than expected. It veered more toward the grapefruit and less toward the tropical fruit. It is bright with good acidity and was an enjoyable wine for unwinding.

This trio is part of the Mercer Estates range, the mid-level for Mercer. The Malbec and Sharp Sisters retail for $25 and the Sauvignon Blanc for $12. The wines are an appealing value. In particular, the Sharp Sisters was a favorite of ours. It’s a wine worthy of a multi-bottle purchase and could become your “go to” red.

Full Disclosure: These wines were received as a marketing sample.

Left Coast 2015 Latitude 45⁰ Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

Good things come from the 45th parallel north. Case in point, this new vintage of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.

In Distinguished Geographic Company

Left Coast Cellars Estate is one of the largest contiguous vineyards in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, spanning 350 acres, with approximately 150 acres under vine including Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier, Syrah, and Viognier. Pinot Noir is king in Willamette, and more than 60% of the estate is planted with Pinot.

The line of the 45th parallel north runs through the estate vineyard, like many of the great vineyard properties of France. Left Coast Cellars is a rising star in Willamette Valley, so we were anxious to “travel” to Latitude 45⁰.

Attack Of The Clones

There are about 40 different Pinot Noir clones. Clones are made from cuttings of a vine. Although genetically uniform, slight genetic variations occur. As a result, clones can have different characteristics that result in different quality and taste. In the world of Pinot Noir these subtle differences are to be celebrated!

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For Latitude 45⁰, Left Coast Cellars used Dijon Clones 114, 115 and 667. Dijon 115 is a popular and important clone in California Pinot production.

In addition to dialing in the clone selection, Left Coast Cellars benefits from its cooler micro-climate, owing to its location at the head of the Van Duzer Corridor. The Van Duzer Corridor is an east-west valley that creates a break in the coast range of mountains that shields most of the Willamette Valley from the Pacific Ocean. This break allows cool marine breezes and ample fog to penetrate deeply into our part of the Willamette Valley. That coolness helps preserve the acidity and brightness of the grapes.

We’re fans of Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. In our reckoning, no place does it better. The Latitude 45⁰ has aroma of tea and cinnamon. On the palate it has a starts smoothly and then becomes more bold. There are notes of dusty strawberries with touches of leather and spice. The aging regimen is 18 months in French oak, 75% new.

The 2015 Left Coast Cellars Latitude 45⁰ Pinot Noir retails for $38. It is one of four Pinots produced by Left Coast. Latitude 45⁰ is eminently enjoyable and should pair well with braised meats and root vegetables. No matter your location, we recommend a visit to Latitude 45⁰ in your near future.

Full Disclosure: We received this bottle as a marketing sample.

Plonk Wine Club Focuses on Hidden Gems

Want to enjoy small-batch artisanal wines without sifting through dozens of humdrum bottles?  Read on.

Top Tastemaker Unleashes Talent

Etty Lewensztain is a bona fide wine talent. She was named to the Wine Enthusiast “Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers List” and Wine & Spirits “30 Under 30 List of Top Young Talent in the Wine World.” That’s nice for her – but even nicer for you, because she wants to share her expertise.

Plonk Wine Club is the brainchild of Lewensztain. Based on our experience, “plonk” it isn’t. It’s a great gift idea just in time for the holidays.

Plonk is a somewhat dismissive term for inexpensive, unremarkable wine. The Plonk Wine Club, on the other hand, has assembled some wines designed to mesmerize the adventurous wine lover. We recently sampled a Plonk shipment and have become fans.

Our package included:
2016 Matetic EQ Coastal Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca Valley Chile
2015 Lusenti Gutturnio Frizzante, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
2016 Macchialupa Beneventano Falanghina, Campania, Italy
2015 Santomas Refosk, Koper, Slovenia

Pick A Plonk

The wine club is focused on organic, biodynamic and truly authentic wine. Club members can choose from a number of options ranging from two bottles to a case, shipped monthly. You also have choices on the type of wines you receive: mixed, white, red, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc. You can go monthly and cancel whenever you choose. If you lock in a longer duration, you get a discount. A four-bottle mixed red and white plan is $95 per shipment, but goes down to $90 if you commit to a full year.

This is a great opportunity to try wines you wouldn’t normally experience. One of the Sauvignon Blanc choices, for example, is a Rogue Valley Sauv Blanc by Leah Jorgensen. Only 120 cases were made.

Fantastic Voyage

The selection we received is eclectic and cool. Casablanca Valley is an exciting region for white wines in Chile. The flavors are crisp and distinct from the New Zealand version. I’ve been wanting to explore the whites from this area. The Matetic EQ is organic and biodynamic.

Falanghina is one of hundreds of native Italian grapes that you won’t find outside of the “boot.” The Lusenti Gutturnio Frizzante is made with Barbera and Bonarda. To add to its uniqueness, it is a red wine finished in a slightly fizzy “frizzante” style designed to drink ice cold.

If those three wines weren’t intriguing enough, perhaps you’d like the Santomas Refosk. Refosk is a grape I’ve never had before – and I’ve tasted more than 100 different varieties. We served this Slovenian wine at a recent dinner party and several guests rated it above a pricey Napa Cabernet. It’s expressive with notes of blueberry and a healthy dose of pepper.

If you enjoy traveling the globe by the bottle, or discovering treasure wines closer to home, Plonk Wine Club is recommended.

Full disclosure: We received this wine as a marketing sample.