We’ve enjoyed the 2012 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir with many different dishes but by far our favorite has been pairing this wine with a roasted rack of lamb with fresh garlic and rosemary for seasoning. For this recipe, we follow our friends at epicurious. This meal takes less than a hour to prepare and is absolutely delicious.
We made a rosé this year and I’m going to tell you why you should drink it. Just the bare facts, simple and laid out for your consideration. It isn’t the best rosé in the world. We didn’t set out to make the best rosé in the world. Everyone else is already trying to make the best rosé in the world and many have already succeeded if you believe everything you hear. That’s boring. We set out to make a different rosé.
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Let me tell you what I have nightmares about. It’s not about monsters under my bed or the boogie man hiding in my closet or even the creepy animatronics from that one Disneyland ride (that was only once when I was 8). It’s gophers.
A few years from now when everyone is sitting back with a glass of wine and relaxing as our automaton-future-servants do all of our work for us (because that’s what the future’s going to look like, right?) how will we remember the 2015 vintage? Will the winemakers sing its praise as the new standard of great vintages, or will they be lamenting the woes of the poor farmer, ever subject to a pernicious and unforgiving mother nature?
Many wineries wrapped up the vintage near the beginning of October. Cab producers in Napa that are normally at their peak this time of year are closing their cellar doors in settling in for the long and patient process of aging. My heart goes out to interns everywhere that were hoping for a few more overtime hours. But now it’s time to answer the big question: how was the vintage overall?
It’s the day before Thanksgiving and you still don’t have any idea what you’re going to cook. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with a recipe that’s perfect for pairing with our Pinot Noir.
The rest of the country may not know it, buried under heaps of snow as it is, but California is in the midst of the worst drought in recorded state history. The Occidental area where our vineyards are located have only recently topped twenty inches of rain when it should be in the sixties. Our Hillcrest vineyard has decided it’s spring already and is in full bud-break almost a full month ahead of schedule.
Myles Lawrence-Briggs
Co-Founder |
Wine has been in California for over 300 years. Franciscan missionaries planted large vineyards of Mission grapes in the 1700’s when California was still a Spanish colony, and this remained the most planted grape in the state until the mid 1800’s when other varietals began to be imported en masse from Europe. |
From the American perspective this may seem a very long history, especially on the west coast where a building marking its centennial is revered as an ancient relic from a bygone era. But when compared to Europe where winemaking has a history of literally thousands of years, the California wine industry is still in its infancy.
The wine industry that we know and love today is even younger than that. Prohibition stunted the industry; this combined with a lack of understanding of prime locations for vineyards kept the California wine industry in the shadow of Europe for decades. It wasn’t until the fateful tasting of 1976, now known as the “Judgment of Paris,” that the wine industry as we know it was really born. This tasting rocketed Napa Valley to preeminence in the wine world and the idea that great wines could be made outside the traditional vineyards of Europe took hold.
That wasn’t even 40 years ago. More importantly that was barely two generations ago, and the “Next Generation” is coming of age. I’m talking about the Millennials, people between the ages of 21 and 35 or so. An article I read recently on SF Gate focused on the “Wine Heirs” (referred to as #nextgen) of Napa Valley: the children of the people who made the wine that first put Napa Valley on the map. They’re Napa’s second generation of winemakers and they’re starting to come into their own. The wine industry will never look the same.
Before you read it, know that the article should be taken with a grain of salt; it is after all focusing on the hyper-elite of the wine world, Napa Valley, where these next-gen winemakers “…enjoy deer hunting and Porsche racing,” on the weekends; but it notes some very important trends. The wines these people are making have fun names, such as Dragon’s Tooth, and they are trying to make wine more accessible and “sexy.” The Millennial generation is eschewing all the trappings of traditional wine brands — exclusivity, high prices and extreme luxury will be the exception, not the rule in the coming years as the next generation begins to blaze new trails.
Max, Chris and I are members of this next generation of winemakers (though we dwell in the Sonoma Valley, which has considerably less Porsche racing. Have you seen our roads? We have Porsche-sized potholes) and we like the way we see things going. The Sonoma Coast however has the unique advantage of being largely undiscovered still. We haven’t had our landmark event like the “Judgment of Paris” yet, but we will. I firmly believe the Sonoma Coast is one of the best places in the world to grow Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and I can’t wait for our generation to prove it.
Myles Lawrence-Briggs
Co-Founder |
Hello friends!
Chris, Max and I put together a holiday video for your viewing pleasure! Nothing fancy, just us around the fire saying thanks for your support and wishing you a happy holidays (maybe a bit too enthusiastically in my case at the end there). Can you tell we shot it about a million times? We did it all for you! –Myles |
We are very pleased with how the wines turned out, and we know you will be too. Our 2011 vintage is very limited so be sure to get your order in as soon as possible; orders will be limited to 6 bottles of each varietal. Our Chardonnay will ship this month to arrive in time for Thanksgiving when ordered by November 15th. Our Pinot Noir will ship in December to arrive in time for Christmas when ordered by December 15th. Orders can now be taken at our website:www.senseswines.com.
We thank you for being a part of our inaugural vintage and look forward to seeing you on the road to fine wine and good company!
Thanks for staying connected on twitter and facebook and thanks to those who have already purchased wine – deliveries begin next week! You are now part of our wine family and we look forward to hearing how you enjoy our wines. These elegant wines are very food friendly and perfect for family dinners during the holiday season.
We are excited to announce coming partnerships with local restaurants and wine shops in Sonoma County and the San Francisco area. We are eager to make our wines available to the general public but with our limited inventory, we want to be sure we have enough wine for you to taste. We recommend ordering your wine as soon as possible to ensure you reserve an opportunity to experience our inaugural vintage and to excite your senses.
A few parting announcements:
Holiday Orders
Shipping
