Is California the only American region producing great wine? In this episode of IntoWineTV, host Lisa Kolenda and wine experts Bartholomew Broadbent and Pamela Busch convene at San Francisco's CAV Wine Bar & Kitchen for the tasting and discussion of 25 different American wines NOT from California. On what was one of the hottest San Francisco days in recent memory (for those of you unfamiliar with the city, few places have air conditioning in San Francisco), Lisa, Bartholomew, and Pamela weathered the elements and tasted a variety of wines -sparklers, whites, reds, unique varietals, and sweet dessert wines- from Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Oregon.
Theme: Underdog Wines. In this tasting IntoWine is featuring wines from American producers found outside the state of California.
Wine: 2006 Rappahannock Cellars Meritage ($27.50)
Buy Rappahannock Wines
Region: Virginia
Varietals: 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot, 10% Malbec and 8% Petit Verdot
Alcohol %: 13.6%
Producer Notes:
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Big, rich, robust and dark; aromas of cedar, leather, back stone fruit, black cherries, cassis and vanilla, leading to a full palate structure with “chewy” tannins, and a long, lingering finish. Will pair well with most any red meat or robust meal; try it with a grilled bacon wrapped filet mignon topped with bleu cheese.
Rappahannock’s first vintage was 2000. The owner, John Delmare, moved his family's winery from the Santa Cruz Mtns. in California to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mtns. in Virginia. They produce about 6,000 cases a year of wine from the varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay, Viognier, Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, and Norton.
Experts:
Bartholomew Broadbent, CEO of Broadbent Selections. Bartholomew was named as one of the "fifty most influential people in the wine world" by Decanter Magazine. He is also widely considered to be one of the world's foremost authorities on Port and Madeira. Learn more about Bartholomew Broadbent.
Pamela Busch, Co-Owner and Wine Director at CAV Wine Bar & Kitchen in San Francisco. Learn more about Pamela Busch.
