May 31st - This Date in Wine History

Wine has a long established history of being our drink of choice for celebrating, entertaining, and savoring life; but it didn't start out that way. From the invention of the barrel to the designation of the separate viticultural areas, wine has a long and sorted history.  In our daily feature "This Date In Wine History," we share an event of critical importance in wine history.

• Samuel Pepys makes his last diary entry in 1669.  Over the 9+ years that he kept this journal, Pepys writes about his work, his life and what he ate and drank.  In true Pepys fashion, the journal’s last entry describes his day which included a trip to the World’s End, a public house in Knightsbridge for drinks.
• Walt Whitman was born in 1819.  He began his life as a follower of the temperance movement, even writing books about the consequences of drunkenness.  In his later years he enjoyed local wines and champagne.
• Italy’s Melissa DOC was created in 1979.
• California's Sta. Rita Hills AVA was designated in 2001.
• Happy English Wine Week!

Central Coast - Wine Region of the Day

The Central Coast was designated as an AVA in 1985. Situated across 280 miles from San Francisco to Santa Barbara, the Central Coast is home to sub-appellations Arroyo Grande Valley, Arroyo Seco, Ballard Canyon, Ben Lomond Mountain, Carmel Valley, Chalone, Cienega Valley, Edna Valley, Hames Valley, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara, Lime Kiln Valley, Livermore Valley, Monterey, Mt. Harlan, Pacheco Pass, Paicines, Paso Robles, San Antonio Valley, San Benito, San Bernabe, San Francisco Bay, San Lucas, San Ysidro District, Santa Clara Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Lucia Highlands, Santa Maria Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Ynez Valley, and York Mountain. The Central Coast is so vast that it features a variety of soil types and microclimates across its sub-appellations. The most common vines planted across the Central Coast are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc.

Sta. Rita Hills - Wine Region of the Day

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Sta. Rita Hills received its designation as an AVA in 2001, under the name Santa Rita Hills. In 2005, after a name dispute with the Chilean producer Vina Santa Rita, the region changed its name to Sta. Rita Hills. The region is situated on 30,720 acres in Santa Barbara County. Soil types within the Sta. Rita Hills are notoriously varied between mixed loams, Diatomaceous Earth, and shale. The valley's proximity to the Pacific Ocean along with its east to west running hills allow fog and wind off the Pacific to settle over the grapes and creates a cool growing climate. The cool climate has made the Sta. Rita Hills an excellent area for growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

2013 Ryan Cochrane Wines Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills "Fiddlestix Vineyard" - Wine of the Day

2013 Ryan Cochrane Wines Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills "Fiddlestix Vineyard"

$43

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There’s a reason Ryan started with this vineyard when he made his very first wine. Fiddlestix just seems to deliver something special every single year. Welcome to this year’s installment! On the nose there’s just-ripe strawberry, wild cherries jubilee, anisette, dark roses, cigar box and just a touch of leather. On the palette, the strawberries and wild cherries remain, joined by ripe currant, candied raspberry, caramelized vanilla, and crushed flowers. This is a lighter-bodied wine than the past couple vintages, but is still quite rich with a round, smooth, full-bodied mouthfeel that envelopes your palette which yields to a cascade of sparkling acid. The finish just seems to...well...never finish.

2012 Ryan Cochrane Wines Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills "Fiddlestix Vineyard" - Wine of the Day

2012 Ryan Cochrane Wines Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills "Fiddlestix Vineyard"

$43

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Sourced from the same incredible vineyard as my previous wines, the 2012 Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir is all Sta. Rita Hills. The nose features a rich combination of black cherries, fresh raspberries, wet forest, anisette and rose garden. The medium-bodied mouthfeel is firm, rich and round, reminding me of the texture of liquidized sour hard candy. On the palette, rich tones of sour dark cherries, red berries and plum mix with flourishes of sweet lemon rind, rhubarb pie, eastern spices and jasmine tea. The generous acid at the end carries a finish that goes on and on. This is a powerful wine that will improve with cellar age. If you just can't wait, decanting is recommended.

Ballard Canyon - Wine Region of the Day

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Ballard Canyon received its designation as an AVA in 2013. Situated on 7,800 acres, Ballard Canyon is a sub-appellation of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA and is centered around the Santa Ynez Valley. The soils in the Ballard Canyon are made up of sand and clay loam with good drainage. Cool ocean breezes flow into the Santa Ynez Valley from the Pacific Ocean via a gap between the Santa Rita hills, but the hills surrounding Ballard Canyon protects the vineyards here from the harshness of the winds. Ballard Canyon has more gentle weather patterns than the windy, cool-climate in its neighboring Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Ballard Canyon is known for its production of Syrah, Grenache, Sangiovese, and Roussanne.

Sta. Rita Hills - Wine Region of the Day

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Sta. Rita Hills received its designation as an AVA in 2001, under the name Santa Rita Hills. In 2005, after a name dispute with the Chilean producer Vina Santa Rita, the region changed its name to Sta. Rita Hills. The region is situated on 30,720 acres in Santa Barbara County. Soil types within the Sta. Rita Hills are notoriously varied between mixed loams, Diatomaceous Earth, and shale. The valley's proximity to the Pacific Ocean along with its east to west running hills allow fog and wind off the Pacific to settle over the grapes and creates a cool growing climate. The cool climate has made the Sta. Rita Hills an excellent area for growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

2012 Humanitas 'Good Earth' Pinot Noir Rio Vista Vineyard - Wine of the Day

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2012 Humanitas 'Good Earth' Pinot Noir Rio Vista Vineyard

$55

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Our Humanitas 2012 ‘Rio Vista Vineyard’ Pinot Noir begins on the nose with a mouth watering sensation of strawberry/rhubarb pie and delicious spices baked into the mix. Right behind the pie are some earthy elements and touches of pepper, tobacco, smoked meats and a hint of orange peel.

In the mouth, the fruit is very bright up front and the texture is thick in the middle and finish. A little flint & stone pops in followed by cigar wrapper, leather & black pepper. This is a complex wine, yet very easy to drink. It changes a lot in the glass…over and over again. This is duck wine – or perhaps a comfort food roast beef or fresh Alaskan salmon grilled over a wood plank with light herbs. It evolves so much in the glass, maybe a bite of all three! It is at once sultry and at the same time playful so perhaps pair this with some Madeleine Peyroux and a few of your more quixotic friends!

2013 Ryan Cochrane Wines Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills "Fiddlestix Vineyard" - Wine of the Day

View fullsize

2013 Ryan Cochrane Wines Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills "Fiddlestix Vineyard"

$43

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There’s a reason I started with this vineyard when I made my very first wine. Fiddlestix just seems to deliver something special every single year. Welcome to this year’s installment! On the nose there’s just-ripe strawberry, wild cherries jubilee, anisette, dark roses, cigar box and just a touch of leather. On the palette, the strawberries and wild cherries remain, joined by ripe currant, candied raspberry, caramelized vanilla, and crushed flowers. This is a lighter-bodied wine than the past couple vintages, but is still quite rich with a round, smooth, full-bodied mouthfeel that envelopes your palette which yields to a cascade of sparkling acid. The finish just seems to...well...never finish.