Last night I went to a Northern California wine tasting. Oh, alright, it was a virtual trip through Smithsonian Associates. The day before Louisa picked up the tasting kits, shown above, from a local wine bar. The six wines we tasted were:
1. Bee Hunter Semillion from Yorkville Highlands 2017
2. Ancient Oak Cellars Chardonnay from Russian River Valley 2017
3. Paul Hobbs "Crossbarn" Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2018
4. Bee Hunter GSM (50% Grenache/25% Syrah/25% Mourverde) Sonoma County 2015
5. Far Niente "Post & Beam" Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2018
6. Ancient Oak Cellars "Pagnano Vineyard" Zinfandel Russian River Valley 2016
It was so much fun because the SOMLYAY (that's how he spells it) Erk Segelbaum really knows wine and has a fun presentation style. He talked about elevation and how that affects the grapes, why the fog is part of the process for some of the wines, and much more including the impact of prohibition on the wineries and the role Robert Mondavi played in California wine marketing. It was a memorable experience. Louisa and Chantel both also "went" to the tasting.
Of course, it made me a little homesick for Northern California as many of the places were familiar to me. These wines weren't, though, so it was a pleasure to learn something new.
