Wines of Gratitude

November 17, 2023 – Counting our blessings is easier than ever, especially with more and more great wines to choose from around Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties. Supporting our local vintners is part and parcel of what we do at Edible Monterey Bay, just as we support buying locally sourced produce, bread, proteins and desserts. 

Most of our vintners make it a point to source local grapes, rather than acquiring potentially cheaper ones elsewhere. Most Santa Cruz Mountains wineries stay within the AVA for fruit. Denis Hoey recently told us that he’s getting 70% of his grapes from the Santa Lucia Highlands and J. Lohr makes 100% of their whites and Pinot Noir from Arroyo Seco. 

Here are some recently-tasted beauties that would be conversation pieces as well as perfect wines to share with friends and family at Thanksgiving. 

Bubbles

2022 Birichino Malvasia Bianca Pet Nat, Monterey – Bubbles are always in, especially when they are soft and fruity. This fragrant sparkler is filled with gardenias, white lilies and tropical fruits like kiwi and mango. It’s a great wake-up call. Keep some handy throughout the day. It’s also the perfect brunch wine. 

2017 Caraccioli Brut Rosé, Escolle Vineyard, SLH  – Which is better, a turkey sandwich with stuffing or a turkey salad sandwich? Depends on your mood. Same with the choice between Caraccioli Rose and Brut. I love them both. This subtle pink sparkler is so pale and so pretty, it gets the nod for T-day, though. Plus that little bit of Pinot Noir primes your palate for a whole lot more Pinot Noir. Their 2022 Pinot is absolutely amazing. 

2019 Odonata Sparkling Riesling Tondré Grapefields, SLH  – This wine starts many parties, and it also started winemaker Denis Hoey’s love for making bubbles. Definitely get some of this to start, and to finish, a memorable meal. It’s everything you love about Riesling, plus refreshing effervescence.

Whites

2022 J. Lohr Flume Crossing Sauv Blanc, Arroyo Seco – There’s no denying the popularity of Sauv Blanc of all styles, and you can have it all with this singular expression of what makes Arroyo Seco special: grapefruit, pineapple, kiwi and lime. So refreshing, juicy and mouthwatering, it’s what the cool kidz are drinking. 

2021 Popelouchum Blanc, Estate, San Benito  – I adore the texture of this wine, made from Grenache Blanc and the formerly unrecognized (by the TTB) Grenache Gris, two sisters that work delightfully well together. One has a touch of creamy and the other has a touch of raw silk. Smells like brand new daffodils and peonies, and a stream running over rocks. Tastes like quince, celery, jicama and water from said mountain stream. Fresh and vibrant and soothing, this is unlike anything else I’ve tasted this year. Very calming and relaxing, it would be aces with green beans topped with chiffonade of tarragon and parsley, or chilled steamed asparagus with green goddess dressing.

2021 Tondré Grapefield Chardonnay, SLH – This might be the best Chardonnay Tony Craig (formerly winemaker at David Bruce, Gali and Savannah-Chanelle) has ever made for the Allarid’s, who own and farm Tondré Grapefields, arguably one of the West Coast’s greatest vineyards. This Chardonnay just took Best of Class and was a Sweepstakes wine at the 2023 Harvest Challenge. Brilliantly laden with orchard fruit glazed with Meyer lemon, this wine has grace and poise, with a purity of verve from the stunning acid.  

2022 Rexford Tondré Grapefield Riesling, SLH – I think Riesling is a must for Thanksgiving, especially if you can’t find Gewurztraminer. This wine, from a hot vintage, is a very Carmen Miranda fruit basket version of this grape, with overt tropical notes, making it very easy to enjoy right now. Winemaker/owner Joe Miller said he’d definitely be drinking this with Thanksgiving dinner.

Rosé

2022 Scheid GSM Rosé Monterey – Watermelon, rose petals, pink lemonade, raspberry lime parfait and a hint of mango and strawberry, are the hallmarks of this resplendent copper pink wine sourced from 78% San Lucas, 22% Hames Valley fruit. Easy breezy, like the summer wind and warm tropics, and perfect for a day at the beach, at the lake or on the porch. Given how warm the weather is of late, this might the perfect Thanksgiving cocktail wine. 

Chillable Reds

2022 Common Thread Pinot Meunier – We’re going a bit afield for this one, to the Riverbench Vineyard of Santa Maria, as it’s hard finding PM around these parts, and it’s really so perfect for Thanksgiving. The arresting nose of potpourri and baking spice complements the great juiciness of the palate, which is alive with cranberry, raspberry and candied apple. Done in neutral French oak, this shows roundness on the palate with the kind of precision that winemaker David Baird’s attentive winemaking yields. Common Thread wines are available for purchase on the Folktale website.

2022 Tessier “Soul Love” San Benito and Arroyo Seco  – This feisty blend is made of Mourtaou and Négrette from Siletto Vineyard in San Benito and Riesling  from Zabala Vineyards in Arroyo Seco. Fun to drink as an aperitif, it’s also great for those who are grazing at dinner, perhaps picking at a cranberry walnut pear salad, roasted Brussels sprouts with mustard sauce or stuffed acorn squash with risotto.  

Reds

2021 Beauregard Coast Grade Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains  – A winemaker friend from Livermore brought this wine to a gathering of wine lovers last month and it became the “it” wine that everyone wanted to drink. Empty bottle test winner, for sure. This is classic red fruited coastal Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir, dancing with transparent strawberries, raspberry and rhubarb, exuding redwood duff and mountain spice that can come from nowhere else. Talk about capturing a taste of place. 

2020 Big Basin Vineyards Rodnick.farm Mourvedre, Chalone  – There is something wild about Mourvedre from this high desert climate.  is located on the western slopes of the Gabilan Mountains at 1600-1900 ft. This area experiences a high desert climate along with influences from Monterey Bay. (Editor’s Choice, 93 pts, Wine Enthusiast.) 

2022 Cote du Denis Highlands Ranch Vineyard Gamay Noir, SLH – Kirk Williams is growing this sought after grape made famous by the craze of Beaujolais Nouveau. Only this is serious stuff, made by Denis Hoey of Odonata. It starts with a knockout nose, followed by a bold assertive punch of boysenberry fruit and red cherry, laced with tarragon and finishing with some chile pepper heat that builds and builds. There’s a touch of rosemary oil as well. Can’t imagine a better pairing for smoked turkey legs with green Hatch chile sausage (or mushroom) stuffing. 

2022 Rustique Wines Red Blend – Made of 76% Cinsault from the Rava Vineyard in the SLH, this is super aromatic and well-structured, leaning on Grenache and Petite Sirah to create the foundation. Fleshy and silky, it oozes raspberry and cocoa, and has delightful acidity that is much tamer than that of Pinot Noir. A versatile food wine for a complex meal. 

2021 Sante Arcangeli Saveria Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mtns – Singing with raspberry, clove and vanilla, this is a perfect turkey and ham dinner wine. In fact, Benedetti is selling it as part of a 3-pack for Thanksgiving now through the weekend at both the Aptos and Pescadero tasting rooms, Friday through Sunday. Includes 2022 Rosé of Pinot Noir, 2019 Bonificato Pinot Noir, and 2021 Saveria Vineyard Pinot Noir. Gratitude price, just $91.99; normally $130. 

2021 Scheid Riverview Vineyard Pinot Meunier, Monterey  – This wine is an outlier for so many reasons. So few people make it as a varietal, and this has a lot of earth and herbal notes that take it far from the dark blackberry fruited Pinot Noirs that are typical of the SLH. Instead, this is deep red, with a dark cherry, dried currant and allspice note that would be outstanding with cranberry-cherry-ginger compote. Interesting fact: in French, Meunier means “miller,” because the leaves have fine white hairs on the underside that resemble a dusting of flour.