Wine of The Week – July 4th Edition - 2015 Sonoma-Loeb Envoy Chardonnay – 92 Points

Chardonnay continues to be America’s favorite wine, out-selling Cabernet Sauvignon, its nearest competitor. Since the 4th of July tends to be warm, no matter where you watch fireworks, Chardonnay might be your go-to wine and the 2015 Sonoma-Loeb Envoy is a great addition to your Independence Day portfolio. 100% Chardonnay from the highly respected Sangiocomo Vineyard in the cooler Carneros region, this land has been farmed since 1927 mainly as a pear orchard, then grapes went in in 1980. That a pear component to this wine seems evident, that would be no surprise given the fertile soil seems to have memory. The Envoy is immensely pleasurable offering honeysuckle, lychee, guava, blood orange, apricot and back notes of baked brioche, warm graham cracker crust and yes, even a hint of tropical Mai Tai. This is a silky, buttery, elegant Chardonnay with a touch of back-palate acidity to warrant food consideration, or as an aperitif.

Average Price: $38/ 750ML
Alcohol: 14.1%
Pair With: Traditional Croque Madame; Panko breaded sand dabs with lemon and garlic; Buttermilk fried chicken; Broccoli and bacon quiche.
Availability: Limited, 973 cases.
Website: www.Sonoma-Loeb.com

50 California Central Coast Wines You Should Be Drinking Right Now

The California Central Coast, identified as Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo (and its main wine region Paso Robles) and Monterey is California the way it used to be, or at the very least, California the way people want it to be: small towns, charming architecture, varied history of Missions and Indians, and coastlines for miles; a slow pace, clean air and a belief that no one real really works very hard. But the area has been home to grape growing since the Spanish brought vine cuttings from Spain via Mexico in the late 1700s and winemakers and vineyard managers have been working hard ever since. To celebrate this beautiful region IntoWine.com offers these 50 wines that represent the diversity of the California Central Coast.

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The Top Wines of 2018

It’s that time again. As the end of the year draws near, it is natural to look back over the past year. That includes considering the wines enjoyed this past year. Drinking wine involves so many qualities. What we drank, who we drank wine with and when we drank them. The “best” wines aren’t always...

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Top 75 California Wines to Try Before You Quit Drinking (a non-dump bucket list if you will!)

In my last article, I listed the Top 75 French Wines to Try Before You Quit Drinking . In this article I look at the “non-dump bucket” list for wines from California. This proved to be a different task. First, very few wineries have a long track record of making great wine. Secondly, while California is diverse, it does not have the diversity of climates and terroir and grape varietals of France. Still, it does produce some of the best wines in the world and any wine lover should make it a point to try as many of them as they can. Here is my list: 1. Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon – It’s hard to pick the first wine. This one is a great wine in every vintage and has been for a long time. Expensive but still possible to afford and made in large enough quantities to be found in grocery stores. Every lover of Cabernet should try this once.

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