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.

Picking up the pace with La Fenetre A Cote Pinot Noir

When I attended the 2012 Wine Bloggers Conference in Portland, I recall being surprised by the number of bloggers who had full-time jobs outside of the wine industry. I was impressed that, after working all day as a computer programmer or IT specialist or customer service rep, that they could go home, pop the cork on a bottle of wine, and then have the energy to blog about it.

Now that I have a full-time job and commute in and out of San Francisco five days a week, I have even more respect for those folks. When I get home at night, I pour myself a glass of wine and turn on the TV. It’s all downhill from there. I’m lucky if I manage to fire off a tweet about what’s in my glass.

But I've tasted some amazing wines so far this year, even if I haven't had the chance to write about them. I thought it was funny when one of my Twitter followers sent me a message saying he was glad to see me tweeting about wine again (as if I was abstaining from drinking wine, which I assure you, is not the case!).

I’m adding “blog once a week” to my list of New Year’s Resolutions. Effective immediately.  

One of the wines I've enjoyed recently is the 2010 La Fenetre A Côté North Coast Pinot Noir. I picked this bottle up from the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant, where it is only $22 retail. I was immediately impressed with its sophistication and depth of flavors. This wine is a great value!

The “A Côté” wines are designed for everyday enjoyment, and this Pinot is perfect for doing just that! It’s lush and fruit-forward with mouth-watering black cherry and dark plum flavors. Dark and concentrated in the glass, notes of cola, vanilla, and baking spice round out the mid-palate. The finish is redolent with dark berries and spice—and lasts until you take your next sip.

After posting this pic of the label to the Sip Swirl Savor Facebook Page, it was brought to my attention that this wine is produced by Josh Klapper, a USC alum like myself. (Go Trojans!)

Under the La Fenetre label, Josh also makes single-vineyard Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Noir with fruit sourced from prestigious Santa Barbara vineyards (like Bien Nacido, yum yum). He also makes a Spätlese Halbtrocken-style Riesling (low alcohol, off-dry) that is featured in this month’s Ferry Plaza WineMerchant Wine Club. If you like slightly sweet wines, you should definitely check it out. And I promise to keep you posted if I get the opportunity to taste any of Josh’s vineyard-designate wines, which I’m sure are amazing!

Please feel free to leave comments here or post them to my Facebook page. I’d love to hear your feedback and to know what’s in your glass these days! 

Superb Santa Barbara Sauvignon Blanc

In the past month, I have been enjoying mostly white wines. And it has dawned on me that I like Sauvignon Blanc produced like Chardonnay (in neutral oak) and I like Chardonnay produced like Sauvignon Blanc (unoaked). I'm also loving everything coming from Santa Barbara.

So it came as no surprise to read that 40% of the 2011 Nadia Sauvignon Blanc is aged 9 months in neutral French oak barrels.

This Sauvignon Blanc, sourced from the Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard in Santa Barbara County, is absolutely delicious and utterly refreshing!

A pale straw color in the glass, it has very delicate aromas of white flowers and white peach. The wine tastes very crisp, with bright acidity and fresh flavors or grapefruit and guava.The long-lasting finish imparts zesty lime and minerals.

This is the kind of wine to serve on a hot day (or after a long, hot day). It comes with a screw-top closure so it's perfect for picnics and BBQ's. I paired it with a summertime risotto of sautéed shrimp, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and parmesan cheese. It would also be delicious with oysters. (Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is!)

The Nadia wines are a secondary label of Laetitia Winery based in the Arroyo Grande Valley (just south of San Luis Obispo). The 2011 Sauvignon Blanc is only $18/bottle; which I think is a great value for a wine of this superb quality.

I received wine samples from the winery for review purposes. Please visit their website and order yours to help keep you cool on the hot summer days to come!

P.S. If you would like to receive my blog via email, please click on the "Subscribe" text in the upper left corner of this page. I also encourage you to become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SipSwirlSavor to stay connected and receive additional wine info. Thank you and cheers!

My kind of Chardonnay

It's the day before July 4th and I realize it would be appropriate to suggest red wines to pair with BBQ fare. But when it's hot and sunny, I'd rather drink something cool and refreshing (and that's what I plan to do!).

Last night, I had the opportunity to enjoy the 2011 Foxen "Steel Cut" Chardonnay from the Bien Nacido Vineyard in Santa Maria Valley (Santa Barbara County). I would definitely recommend this easy-drinking white wine for a party (on Independence Day or any other time of year).

"This is Chardonnay?" my boyfriend asked me dubiously after taking a sip.

"It's my kind of Chardonnay," I answered.

If I had blind-tasted this delicious wine, I might have guessed it were a Sauvignon Blanc or some kind of white blend. Fermented entirely in stainless steel, this wine is fresh and lively and fruit-forward.

Subtle aromas of white flowers and lime peel give way to a vibrant palette of guava, gooseberry, and citrus flavors. Acidity is bright and refreshing. The long finish imparts mineral, seashell and lime--and persists until you take another sip.

I also noticed as this wine warmed up, I could taste pineapple and grapefruit. This was a unique and effusive light-bodied Chardonnay that was absolutely delicious on it's own, but it also paired nicely with the sautéed shrimp and summer squash I prepared for dinner.

There were only 250 cases of this particular Chardonnay produced ($32/bottle). This sample was received courtesy of Foxen Winery for review purposes but you can order yours through their website.

Foxen also makes Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Rhone-style reds, and Bordeaux-style reds, but the winery is known for producing outstanding Pinot Noir. I suggest you try any (or all) of their wines and visit the winery the next time you're in Santa Barbara!