So I have been living in Sonoma County for about six months now and know of the many wonders it holds, but it wasn’t until this last weekend that I feel I took full advantage. Maybe it was because I shared it with the most important person in my life, or maybe it was because I was engaging in activities that include one of the most intriguing things to me… Wine. Or maybe a combination of the two. During this past weekend I visited four wineries, two of which I have been to before and the other two being completely new to me.
We started out our weekend by stopping at Castello di Amorosa in Napa Valley. This winery is one of the most beautiful wineries I have been to, and not to mention, their wine is not to bad either. I’m not the biggest white wine drinker but found myself completely lured to it by their Los Carneros Pinot Bianco. An absolutely stunning, crisp, and light bodied white with undertones of vanilla that created a wonderful cream like finish. And I can’t go with out saying that their Sangiovese was superb!
That same day we made a stop by our favorite winery, Valley of the Moon in Glen Ellen, to get ourselves a few bottles of their Sangiovese. I don’t have too much to say about their other wines, only because of what their Sangiovese has done to my heart; stole if from the day we met! When I go to this winery, it’s hard for me to pay attention to the other wines because their Sangiovese is hands down my favorite wine! A little discriminatory I will admit, but every time I taste it, it has the power to bring the biggest smile to my face.
To finish the weekend out, we dropped by Ledson family winery as well as Chateau St. Jean winery. At Ledson, I probably tried every bottle of wine they have in stock, and still couldn’t pick a favorite. Although I will say that both their new Malbec and port were both extremely pleasing! To finish out the day, after a very delightful tasting at Ledson, with some great help from friends, we found our way over to Chateau St. Jean. Again, I couldn’t tell you my favorite wine due to the sheer volume of wines we tried, but the ones that stood out the most were their Malbec, which had been released just days before, and their Benoist Ranch Pinot Noir, grown from property they own around the Sonoma area.
This past weekend has really opened my eyes and made me realize what I have sitting right in front of me, the treasures that grow on vines, which also helps me pursue my love and passion for wine. After sitting and recapping the weekend, I have come to full realization that I need to find myself doing this almost every weekend… Wine Tasting.
