And I would argue that Cab lovers know their way around the red only halfway if they haven’t explored Washington’s best producers. Lush fruit, iron-fist-in-a-velvet-glove structure … what’s not to like? But to have only Napa in your cellar is to miss out on the range of Cabernet character the West Coast is cable of producing. When it comes to Cabernet Sauvignon outside Bordeaux, Napa Valley has always been the region to chase.
Boeger Winery might have been the first to reintroduce the variety in the hills, but also look for C.G. And in modern Foothills winemaking (including in El Dorado, Amador and Calaveras), Barbera has emerged as a lovely offering. (But then, so is Pinot Noir from, say, the Russian River Valley.) But the Italian native shares red cherry, strawberry and raspberry flavors a juicy acidity that creates mouth-watering energy and minimal tannins that keep the wine light on its feet.īarbera, in fact, was an early Italian import to the Sierra Foothills, accompanying a wave of Old World Gold Rush miners who quickly found that growing and making wine for their fellow prospectors was more appealing than panning for gold beside cold streams. This won’t be a straight-across swap, because Barbera is capable of some significant color. If you’re a lover of bright, red-fruited, lighter-bodied wines, California-grown Barbera might be just the distraction for you. That’s a lot of years of Pinot-delicious, to be sure, but maybe in need of a lively alternative at this point.
#C.G. DIARIE VINEYARD AND WINERY MOVIE#
Pinot Noir settled in as a connoisseur’s darling a full 16 years ago, which was when the movie Sideways cudgeled Merlot into oblivion with the silky, nuanced red. In much different conditions, hugging the Pacific Ocean, San Luis Obispo (including the Edna and Arroyo Grande Valleys) has become a wellspring of Albariño that adds lovely veins of minerality and salinity to that bright acidity, citrus, stone and tropical fruits, nudging a little closer to its Spanish counterparts with Tangent Winery leading in acreage planted. Spanish grapes are thriving, and producers like Bokisch Vineyards have spearheaded lovely Albariños. Here, it deserves the same role, and fortunately for Sauv Blanc drinkers looking to branch out, there are more and more producers turning out vibrant versions.Īs counterintuitive as it sounds, known as it is for big reds, think Lodi first.
At home in Rías Baixas, in the Galicia region of northwest Spain, Albariño pairs with all things seafood there. For those who love that zing of acidity in a white wine and that core of citrus layered with stone fruit, there’s a great alternative white: Albariño.
And yet, Sauvignon Blanc on the West Coast is a shape-shifter, taking on endless different profiles depending on where it was grown and how it was treated (stainless steel, neutral oak, new oak …), so unless you know the region and the producer, it’s very hard to know what you’re getting. Understandable that it’s a go-to white for many. Bright and crisp, it keeps you coming back for more sips and rewards with a gamut of flavors running from every conceivable kind of citrus to stone fruits.
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