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.

Women's Fiction and Cline White Cashmere

Last week I attended a fabulous event that perfectly catered to two of my longtime interests: wine and women’s fiction. Especially now, with the publishing date of my eBook quickly approaching, I was particularly thrilled to go to an author reading at the Book Passage in Corte Madera organized by Chick Lit + Wine. Cline Cellars provided the wines.

Sisters Danielle and Sonya English launched ChickLitandWine.com in 2010 to provide book reviews with wine pairings. What an amazing concept for women who appreciate a great book and a wonderful wine. (Like me!)

While sipping on Cline’s White Cashmere (a delicious blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Muscat Canelli and Viognier), I listened to the author readings by Meg Donohue (All the Summer Girls), Gretchen Berg (I Have Iraq in My Shoe), Seré Princeton Halverson (The Underside of Joy) and Libby Mercer (Unmasking Maya) and thought about two things….what portion of my manuscript I will someday read to an audience and what wine I would pair with my first novel, Where I Want to Be.

With so many real wine references in my novel, it’s hard to imagine picking just one wine that fits the entire story. The main character, shy and insecure Olivia, has a thirst for wine knowledge. With a little encouragement from her friends, she enrolls in a wine program in the Napa Valley and starts trying new things like online dating, playing bocce ball and sitting alone at a restaurant bar. She makes new friends and does a lot of wine tasting while learning to embrace change and live her life more fully.

Because I have enjoyed many different wines while writing this novel, I am more likely to compare the characters to specific wine varieties. Olivia is most similar to a young Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine that needs a good amount of time to open up in the glass but has an underlying strength and complexity. Winemaker and world traveler Charlie resembles Cabernet Franc—luscious and forward with a spicy kick. Grace, who is training to be a sommelier, is intense and effervescent like Champagne. And social media specialist McKayla is zesty and bright like Sauvignon Blanc.

I hope you will download my eBook and read it while enjoying a nice glass of wine once it is available on Amazon. For more info about the release date, please check out Facebook.com/AuthorCortney and follow me on Twitter @AuthorCortney. 

P.S. The Cline Cellars White Cashmere is only $18/bottle and it’s the wine that gives back. To date, Cline has donated over $150K to breast cancer organizations. Drink up and read more women’s fiction!