July 5, 2024 – After last year’s blessedly calm fire season and cool summer, you knew we’d have to pay the piper. An already hot summer couldn’t even wait for mid-June, and here we are suffering the longest triple digit heat spell the region has endured in decades. The National Weather Service keeps extending the misery. Where, oh where, is Karl the Fog?! (@karlthefog)
How about a few wines designed to beat the heat? We travel near and far, and very, very far to sample some superb summer sippers.
Cellar 13 2023 Albariño, Livermore Valley – I wanted to start with this standout Albariño from Cellar 13, a boutique label out of Livermore, as it is such a vibrant and intense rendering of this grape. And I love the couple behind this label, Darin Winton and Gail Henderson, and the story behind it. Basically, winemaker Darin Winton, came to his new joy courtesy of a long career in wastewater in the East Bay. “The first 10 years in wastewater treatment taught me everything I needed to know about wine chemistry, as long as you can bridge the terminology gap. I’ll never forget that the definition of pH is the measurement of negative hydrogen ions!”
Winton carefully crafted this wine from grapes grown by his good friend and fellow winemaker, Brent Amos, at Las Positas Vineyards, in Livermore Valley. The vineyard is on the western edge of Livermore, a site perfect for Iberian varietals. This wine, which saw some neutral oak for texture and depth, is superbly juicy, flooding the palate with ripe yellow peach, plump pineapple, ripe apricot and ever-present honeysuckle with a hint of jasmine. Order now, as it’s in short supply.
One of the most highly-anticipated rosés of the summer season is always the Vin Gris de Cigare, from Doon to Earth, made by Nicole Walsh. The 2023 version is considerably more colorful and decidedly fruitier than the pale peony pink of last year’s rendition. It leans on the more pigmented combination of 53.5% Grenache, 26.5% Mourvedre and 20% Cinsault from Central Coast vineyards to deliver a mouth-filling, but not ever heavy, summer-perfect rosé, redolent of wild strawberries and guava, and lavishly peachy from aromas to peach pie finish.
Gracianna 2023 Sauvignon Blanc “Kiwi’s Blend,” Russian River Valley – From several vineyards in the Russian River comes this very easy style of Sauvy, with lots of citrus and lime and a slight salinity. In a juicy NZ style, hence the name, the guava and pineapple paint an easy-going tropical backdrop, against which you would look good from the swim up bar at a pool on the Western side of Baja. You don’t want to be in Cancun right now, anyway. Gracianna’s labels are distinctive for their gold-foil gift box and fancy red bow on the labels. It’s distinctive and reflects the winery’s ethos of being grateful for our gifts in life, one of which is the freedom to drink whatever wine you wish. A perfect way to celebrate Independence Day weekend.
Gracianna 2023 Arozza Rosé, Russian River Valley – Do you like your rosés stout, with the body of a light red and yet the fruity flavors of a bowl of summer’s fresh bounty? This is fleshy and firm, due to French oak aging for6 months, but it’s fragrant and supple, with fresh strawberry, raspberry, watermelon, red cherry and kiwi. The acid rises to the occasion masterfully. Quite perfect for hot summer nights.
VARA Silverhead Zero Dosage, New Mexico – I love discovering something new from an old favorite brand. This bone-dry sparkling is made by Laurent Gruet: recognize the name? Among the “Anywhere But California US Bubbles,” you’ll find Gruet. Famous for their affordable Méthode Champenois style sparklers, Gruet has been gracing store shelves since the mid 1980s. I discovered it when we did a themed brown bag tasting of sparkling wines back in the early 1990s, with the caveat that all the wines had to be domestic and under $20. Our friend Paul proudly won the night with Gruet: it was an overwhelming favorite, over Chandon and Korbel. None of us had heard of it, but it quickly became a go-to sparkling for special occasions, like the end of a heat wave. Crafted from 100% Chardonnay, it is crisp and Champagne-like, right down to the lighthearted evanescence of the tiny bubbles. For those who are not fond of yeasty bread doughiness, this might become your favorite new toast. And the $27 is far from crumby.
We got news this week that longtime area hospitality professional, Jon Karlo Macias, had been named general manager of Shearwater Tavern, the 85-seat restaurant and pub located inside the Carmel Mission Inn. Some might remember him from Il Fornaio in Carmel, where he enhanced the wine program, or from Albatross Ridge where he helped open their Winery & Kitchen in Monterey, or, most recently, from Folktale, where Macias served as director of DTC – sales and marketing at Carmel’s Folktale Winery, and oversaw the opening and operations at the vintner’s Carmel-by-the-Sea wine bar. This should liven things up considerably at Shearwater Tavern.
About the author
Laura Ness is a longtime wine journalist, columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay, Spirited, WineOh.Tv, Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network, and a variety of consumer publications. Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food.
