You never forget your first

Among the first wines I ever wrote about were those of Wente Vineyards (https://wentevineyards.com). Like a first kiss or first date, I never forgot the occasion and it always lies safe and secure among my cherished memories. Over the years, it has slipped into the background along with some other things that I have learned over my lifetime, but it has never left me.

Years later, it was with great joy that I was privileged to reacquaint myself with my old friend. The big question was, “Would they still be as I remembered them, or had they succumbed to the current ‘bottom line’ business philosophy?” The answer was a resounding NO.

The years have been kind to Wente. The wines I sampled seemed bigger, better, and with greater depth than I remembered. Also impressive, the wines had not taken the popular route and priced themselves into the stratosphere, but instead have remained in the affordable range.

Wente 2018 Livermore  Valley Southern  Hills Cabernet Sauvignon ($20). Let’s begin by saying that this is not one of those cabs that will make you swoon in ecstasy with the first sip. It is a wine that has been made to accompany red meat dishes without overpowering them but will also fit well with many vegan foods. All of the interesting and enticing flavors found in more costly cabernet sauvignon are present in this gem. The lush flavor of berries, ripe cherries, and cassis are underscored by a gentle oak sensation.

The Wente 2018 Livermore Valley Southern Hills Cabernet  Sauvignon is a prime example of a well-made, California cabernet sauvignon. It can proudly hold its head high when compared with other California cabs in the same price range. it will revive your faith in the possibilities of chardonnay.

Wente 2018 Riva Ranch Chardonnay ($22).
This wine is typical of all the wines from Wente — luxurious, well made, and elegant. Throughout the entire process of making this wine, extra care has been taken, from the selection of the grapes to the winemaking procedures. All of this tender care results in an impeccable wine of great character and distinction. This wine features green apple and tropical fruit in both the aroma and flavor. Coupled with this is a positive oak and vanilla flavor. Unlike many of
the lesser chardonnays, this wine has a long, fruity, and captivating finish. Try this wine with seafood as well as almost any poultry-based dishes and I am sure it will revive your faith in the possibilities of chardonnay.

Wente 2018 Morning Fog Chardonnay ($18).
Wente Morning Fog; the name alone says it all. The cool morning fog that blows over the vineyard helps produce the delicate flavors and aromas in a full-flavored chardonnay. All too often, the very sensitive chardonnay grapes get baked by the sun, resulting in higher grape sugar which, in a dry wine, increases the alcohol when fermented to dryness. Too much alcohol then requires some additional processing to reduce it. As a bit of FYI, the fabled chardonnays of France are grown in a district that is about as far north as fine grapes can be grown. This is why there can be massive differences between chardonnays from producer to producer.

The Wente 2018 Morning Fog Chardonnay offers a fine wine at a reasonable price. This wine is heavy with aromas of summer fruits, vanilla, and oak. All of these scents are incorporated into the flavor with an added sensation of big, ripe raisins. Like all of the Wente wines, there is a long and fruity finish that lasts in the mouth for a bit after it has been swallowed. This may not be the wine for wine snobs (it’s not expensive enough for them) but it certainly can fi t the bill anywhere a Chardonnay or a really fine sipping wine is called for.

 

 

Wine Watch: Worthy wines from the Pairing

I believe that the average American consumer has become a little leery of all the stuff they see advertised on TV. Most of it is junk, not worth the “only $19.95, free shipping and we will send you a second one for a small additional fee,” that they advertise.

The wine industry also suffers in a similar way. As a holdover from Prohibition (enacted in 1919), wine companies are still restricted in the ways they may advertise and in the content of those ads. Consumers must, therefore, rely on writers to tell them what is available in the marketplace and give some sort of information on the wine.

With prices on all items rising, consumers will not plunk down their money on something that is totally unknown to them and I truly do not blame them. It is my job to point the wine consumer toward worthy choices that they probably might never have tried without a nudge; consider this a nudge.

The Paring 2017 Pinot Noir ($25)

This is a Pinot Noir of character, stature, and an excellent ambassador of the variety. The aroma is a mélange of strawberries, red raspberries, and black cherries mingled with oak. In the flavor department, the true capabilities of the
Pinot Noir grape is explored to its fullest with black cherries dominating and hints of vanilla with soft oak in the background. The finish remains true to the variety and is long, complex, and if I might add, memorable. As a confirmed Pinot Noir lover, I enjoyed this wine and consider it to be an excellent buy for the money.

The Paring 2017 Chardonnay ($25)

This is a Chardonnay that is definitely made to appeal to the American taste. Big, wide-open, and complex tropical fruit flavors and aromas are the hallmarks of this wine. Pineapple is the most obvious of these tropical flavors and it carries right through to a finish that is soft, creamy, and very smooth. Even if you are a charter member of the ABC club (Anything But Chardonnay), this is a white wine you can drink and enjoy. It is so good that you may even resign from the ABC.

The Paring 2017 Syrah ($25)

If you are a red wine fan, you have probably tried a Syrah and you know what a fine wine it can be; if you have not tried one, you have missed a real treat. The aroma has the variety’s trademark of cherry and raspberry flavors with a spice and oak background. This is a soft and easy to drink wine that can, like a red Zinfandel, accompany a very broad spectrum of foods. The Paring 2017 Syrah wine takes these attributes one step further and raises the variety to new dimensions of opulence. It is an elegant wine of elegant proportions and shows exactly why Syrah wines are gaining in popularity around the world.

The Paring 2017 Sauvignon Blanc ($25)

Sauvignon Blanc grapes can produce wines in the fruity California style or the classical style. The Paring 2017 Sauvignon Blanc lives in both worlds. It has the
grassy component of the classical wines, which has been purposely played down so that the fruitiness of the California style can come through. This effect allows the wine to be served with a wider spectrum of foods, will nicely accompany poultry and the lighter meats as well as seafood, and is a standout as a sipping wine. The quality of this wine belies its very reasonable price.

The Paring 2017 Red ($25)

The name of this wine is really three letters that could portend trouble, RED.
Not knowing the grapes used to make this generic wine could result in one that you may not like. Fear not, this wine is not only good, but it also is remarkable. The components each contribute their own specific flavors and aromas to the final blend in such a way that one variety’s contribution does not overpower another, but harmonizes to produce a delightful wine.

 

By Bennet Bodenstein