Sonoma Market Wine

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We are excited to announce that we have been selected as the only retailer in Sonoma Valley to carry the inaugural release of Beltane Ranch sauvignon blanc!

A beautifully hand-crafted wine, showing nice herbaceousness in the nose, with crisp acidity, flavors of melon and grapefruit, and a touch of minerality in the finish.

This wine is stunning, and could become the benchmark for the style of sauvignon blanc made from Sonoma Valley fruit! A limited production wine, as only 415 cases were produced.

Be sure to stop at either Sonoma Market or Glen Ellen Village Market, and try a bottle of Beltane Ranch sauvignon blanc - we're sure you'll love it as much as we do!!

Tasting Room Tribulations

Our buddy Alan Wastell of Charles Creek Winery has written a very interesting article about winery tasting rooms. Within the past several years, it has become "de rigueur" to have large groups traveling by limousine to several winery tasting rooms in a given day, consuming all wines that are offered, and basically turning a wine tasting experience into a "party" atmosphere.

Is this the true purpose of a tasting room? Read Alan's article in the link below, and make the call yourself!

Click here to read!

How to Open a Screwcap Wine, with Finesse!

We love screwcaps! They are the perfect closure for wines, epsecially wines that are meant to be drunk within a year or so of bottling. Since there is no cork, screwcap wines can be stored upright, with no fear of oxygen invading the bottle.

Screwcaps also give you the opportunity of a simple reclosure when you haven't finished a bottle of wine.

We've got a video that shows three ways to open a screwcap wine - pay attention to the third option. It's the best, although with practice it can be done with a lot more finesse than in the video. We're still working on it!

Odd Lot pinot is back!!

But not for long!! We were surprised and really glad to be offered the opportunity to purchase some additional cases of Odd Lot pinot noir, one of our best-selling wines this winter!

Still at the amazing price of only $7.77, this wine offers the flavors and structure of pinots costing more than twice as much - a delicious wine and a tremendous value.

We only have a limited supply, and if you enjoyed Odd Lot pinot noir the first time around, be sure and hurry in to purchase this gem before it's all gone!!

Where, oh where has my Cabernet gone?

Over the last several years, we've noticed a decline in the sales of cabernet sauvignon. A wine that used to be considered the "king" of wine in California has suffered a major hit in sales.

Given the fact that the average price of a Napa Valley cabernet is $55.00, and the state of the current economy, it's not surprising that sales of this once-regal wine have hit the skids.

Is the current state of the wine buying pattern to account for this malady? Perhaps there is more to this situation than most people have considered.

One of my favorite wine columnists - Dan Berger - has written an intriguing article giving his thoughts on the reasons why cabernet sales are suffering.

It makes for interesting reading, and certainly gives pause to wonder. Click on the link below to read Dan's thoroughly interesting article.

click here to read!

Zin - the way it "Used to Be"!

We love big, ripe, jammy, over-the-top zinfandels just as much as the next person, but it's also great to have a zin that's lower in alcohol and has good acidity with some spiciness.

Our buddy, Vance Rose, has a zinfandel under his 5 Mile Bridge label that fits the bill. Great structure - not overpowering, with delicious flavors of dark cherries accompanied by peppery spices in the finish...a true food wine!

Best of all is the price - originally selling for close to $20, we are featuring this delightful zinfandel from Paso Robles for only $9.99.

If you're a zin fan, this wine is certainly one that aims to please, and one we're sure you'll enjoy!