Wine & Women's Fiction: the Perfect Pairing!

Over the past 18 months, I have written—and self-published—a novel about life in Wine Country. It started as a collection of dating stories with a bunch of wine references (because blind dates are better, or at least funnier, when wine is involved). I started referring to these wine-fueled musings as a novel when the page count hit 200 (and I wasn't done yet).

I've always known I would be a novelist. In the Creative Writing program at USC, the lesson plans focused on writing short stories, poetry, essays or journalistic articles. But even after graduating with a B.A. in Creative Writing and getting lots of writing experience (including penning a weekly wine column for the Daily Trojan), I felt unprepared for what I really wanted to do. All my professors told me to "write what you know", but I didn't know how to write a novel.

So now that I’ve finished my first novel—and begun working on the second one—everyone wants to know about the process. Maybe they didn't teach novel-writing at USC because it comes down to two simple things: a few great ideas and lots of hard work.

Oh, and a good editor, supportive friends, and many bottles of wine...

The easiest part of writing Where I Want to Be was deciding which wines to mention. I looked back at four years’ worth of blog posts and picked out the most memorable ones.

After writing about eight drafts and proofreading until my eyes hurt, I am thrilled with the feedback from fellow wine bloggers and friends! And although this novel is “women’s fiction”, I know one guy who read it and thoroughly enjoyed it. Click here to check out Alana Gentry’s review on girlwithaglass.com.

I hope that you will buy my debut novel on Amazon today and enjoy it too. Preferably with a big glass of wine!

Cheers,

Cortney

So many delicious Mt. Veeder wines!

This past Saturday was the 14^th Annual Mt. Veeder Appellation tasting at The Hess Collection in Napa. Surprisingly, it was also the first rainfall of the season. Despite a little wetness, about thirty wineries poured their Mt. Veeder-grown wines and there was a great consumer turn out!

At the last Mt. Veeder Appellation tasting that I attended in April I enjoyed some fantastic wines, but there were many new wines for me to try on Saturday. I was particularly impressed with the 2007 Renteria Tambor Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($50/bottle; renteriawines.com). The 2005 and the 2008 vintages were also very good and it was great to compare the three distinct bottlings, but the 2007 really stood out. This single-vineyard Cab is luscious and provocative with a medium-plus weight. The palate is very fruit-forward with rich, ripe flavors of boysenberry, black cherry and blueberry. It ends with a long, lingering finish of juicy red fruits with a kiss of oak spice. Blended with 3% Syrah, there were only 220 cases produced!

The 2010 Rubissow Mt. Veeder Merlot ($38/bottle, rubissowwines.com) was also very impressive. One-hundred percent Merlot, this recent release offers the hallmark super-smooth tannins of this variety with the depth and concentration expected from a mountain-grown wine. It is full-bodied and lush with forward flavors of mocha, sweet black plum and ripe raspberry. This Merlot spent 20 months in 35% new French oak barrels and will age well, but it is incredibly drinkable now; 289 barrels made. I am also a big fan of the Rubissow Trompettes, a Bordeaux-blend of predominantly Cab Franc. Contact the winery directly for purchase info.

The 2009 Mount Veeder Winery Elevation 1550 Cabernet Sauvignon ($60/bottle; mtveeder.com) was another amazing quaff. The fruit for this particular bottling is sourced from estate vineyards that average at 1550 feet elevation. Powerful yet refined, this limited offering has flavors of crushed dark berries and spice with velvety tannins.

According to the Mayacamas website, the 2008 Maycamas Cabernet Sauvignon has yet to be released, but this is definitely the vintage that I tasted at the event (I have the picture to prove it!). The assistant winemaker was present to explain the lengthy and unique aging process, which begins with fermentation in concrete. Before bottling, the wine spends up to eighteen months in large American (neutral) oak casks and at least one year in French oak barrels, only 10% of which were new. This barrel regimen keeps the tannins restrained and produces a wine medium in body (especially compared to other mountain-grown Napa Valley Cabernets). But what it lacks in weight, it makes up for in complexity and approachability. The 2008 Cab offers cassis, blueberry and blackberry complemented with savory and spice notes. Find more info about this upcoming release at mayacamas.com.

Our last stop in the lovely outdoor courtyard where the tasting was held was the Hess Collection table. The 2012 Small Block Series Albariño was an absolute stunner ($28/bottle.com; hesscollection.com)! It has aromas of tropical fruit and a palate bursting with white peach, pear, citrus, minerals, slate and zippy acidity. Bright and balanced, this round and complex white wine would be incredible with shellfish and salads. When I opened a bottle on Sunday night, I learned it's a great wine for Mexican fare too. And it's pretty darn tasty on it’s own. The 2009 19 Block Cuvée ($40/bottle) and 2010 Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon ($55/bottle) were spectacular. See more notes on these wines in my previous Mt. Veeder blog post. I also enjoyed tasting the 2010 Hess Allomi Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($30/bottle) in the tasting room.

If you’ve never been to the Hess Collection Winery, I strongly recommend a visit. This secluded property features an historic stone winery constructed in 1903, a contemporary art collection, and a broad portfolio of wines available for tasting. A special thank you to the winery for hosting the tasting. What a great experience!

What to drink now: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Champagne!

With the release of my debut novel, Where I Want to Be, coming up in the next few weeks, I haven’t had much time to blog (shame on me). I have been busy developing my marketing campaign for the Wine Country Series, reaching out to the wineries mentioned in the first ebook (yes, there will be more!), making a YouTube video in which I read an excerpt from the first chapter and proofreading the final proof of WIWTB. Despite all these non-drinking activities, I have still managed to enjoy some fantastic wines.

I love a crisp Chardonnay on a hot late-summer evening, which we have had a lot of in Marin County recently . The 2011 Castello di Amorosa Reserve Chardonnay, Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Barbara ($38/bottle; castellodiamorosa.com)* is a terrific summer sipper with a nose of white flowers, pear and crème brûlee spice. Upon the initial quaff, I almost deemed this wine too oaky for my likes, but as the wine warmed up in the glass and continued to evolve with a little aeration, I could fully appreciate its intricacy. On the palate, this wine offers flavors of Meyer lemon, candied ginger and minerals. With only 20% malolactic fermentation, this wine retains its natural vibrant acidity. The finish is refreshing and clean and enhanced with tropical fruit notes and a whisper of vanilla. This is a great wine to share with girlfriends (or perhaps a good book). Yum!

A slightly chilled Pinot Noir can be just as refreshing... 

If you didn’t catch my post about Pinot Days on July 1st, perhaps you haven’t heard me boast about the awesomeness of Russian River Valley. Last weekend I had a date—his name was Gary Farrell and he was absolutely delicious. From the 2009 vintage, this RRV Pinot Noir ($35/bottle; fpwm.com) has matured nicely and offers up a complex flavor profile of cherry cola, juicy plum and red raspberry. The mouthfeel was super-smooth and lush. The mid-palate kept me intrigued with notes of vanilla, earth and spice. It was a lovely wine; the kind I would definitely say yes to for a second date. ;-)

Last but certainly not least, the other stunner I have had the pleasure of spending time with is Jean Vesselle. From Bouzy, Champagne, the Oeil de Perdrix NV ($29/bottle 375 mL shown or $56/bottle 750 mL; mainstreetwinebar.net) is a 100% Pinot Noir brut rosé. It has a peachy color with aromas of wild strawberry, freshly baked bread, roses and a hint of smoke. It is robust and seductive in the mouth with complementary notes of roasted nuts, bright red fruit flavors and a long delightful finish.

As always, thank you for reading. Please provide comments and questions on my Facebook page and stay tuned for more wine reviews to be posted soon. Cheers!

*This bottle was received for review purposes from Castello di Amorosa. Please contact the winery to purchase.