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April 5 2008
Winemaker Interview –Kent Fortner – Road 31 Wine Company
I regret to inform you that in the likely event you missed the 2006 allocation offering for Road 31 Pinot Noir, formerly Green Truck Pinot Noir, it is now sold out.
You can try your luck at some restaurants, but it will not be for the relative bargain price from the mailing list.
So it goes when you produce just 700 cases of delicious and beautifully seductive handcrafted wine that is consumer allocated and quickly gaining widespread, national attention.
In my humblest of opinions, if you want in on the next Kosta Browne-like cult Pinot, I would head over to the web site and sign up for the mailing list.
It turns out that Kent changed the name with this release to Road 31, from Green Truck, because, well, there are a couple of other “trucks” on the wine road, and this one is decidedly different.
It also turns out that Kent just celebrated an addition to his family, welcoming a little girl to the Fortner house in the last two weeks. So, congratulations are in order, as well.
I caught up with Kent, owner, winemaker and one-man-band when I took advantage of my allocation offering a couple of weeks ago. Kent is the kind of guy that makes his wine project personal, injects life and love into his business and keeps things “authentic.” I knew he would be a good interview subject. And, anybody that likes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Star Wars and Fletch is a-okay in my book. Be sure to read to the end and take a guess in the comments section at which one of his three truths is really a bit of fabricated fun.
Which of the Seven Deadly Sins are you most guilty of committing?
Kent: Ah, so this obviously isn’t the typical winemaker interview. I like it. Who decided that gluttony was a sin anyway? All things in moderation, including moderation itself.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
Kent: When making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, one should always put Peanut Butter on BOTH sides of the bread. That way the peanut butter insulates the bread from the jelly, preventing mushiness. These and other definitive policies of my wine company and life can be found here:
What is on your nightstand?
Kent: Well, we just had a baby 10 days ago, so I’ve sort of been sleeping on the couch a lot. That “nightstand” has a remote control, a rather old issue of Newsweek (I believe Romney is on the cover), and my son’s Lightening McQueen racecar. The nightstand by our actual bed holds “The World is Flat” by Thomas Friedman, as well as the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy books. Somehow managed to get through life without having actually read about young Frodo, and I want to read them before I see the movie.
What is in your refrigerator or pantry that you wouldn’t openly admit?
Kent: A gourmet rotisserie chicken I bought for my dog. There, I admit it.
What do you drink when you’re not drinking wine?
Kent: Beer. Preferably Pilsner Urquel. I’ll take Sierra Nevada in a pinch.
What type of music or radio station is played most often in the Green Truck?
Kent: Well, actually, the truck doesn’t have a radio. So, I sing. It’s not quite shower-quality acoustics, but it’s not bad.
In what era would you live if you transport yourself?
Kent: The truck is a 66, and it would have been interesting to be around then (I wasn’t born until 1969). Given the music of that time, I would have definitely paid up for the option radio on the truck.
What is the best wine-related book you’ve read?
Kent: I just finished The House of Mondavi. It’s an intriguing look at not only a family business, but the wine business in general. Although certainly the Mondavi story is on a grander scale than most, the family-owned winery in Napa is in the midst of some serious transition. It is fascinating for me—who came into the industry in awe of the Winiarski’s (Stag’s Leap), Duckhorns, Cakebreads, Phelps, and Grgich’s of the world—to watch as these institutions of Napa face the challenges of succession.
And, although not directly wine-related, I read the Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan in the past year, and I’m desperately trying to get all my friends to read it. It sums up an attitude towards food that I believe should be applied to wine as well.
What is your favorite movie genre?
Kent: Hmm…how about I just list what is on my Tivo right now:
Waking Ned Devine
Raising Arizona
Terminator 1, 2, and 3 (Doing a little policy research on the Governor)
The Man Who Skied Everest
Into the Wild (pay per view)
High Fidelity
Friends and Seinfeld (10 episodes recorded for my wife while she’s nursing our child)
1968 with Tom Brokaw (last two installments)
The Usual Suspects
Curious George (for our three-year-old son)
Falling Down (one of my favorites)
Planet Earth (last three installments)
Sleepless in Seattle
Being John Malcovich
Lethal Weapon
The Truman Show
Fletch Lives
Star Wars (the original, of course)
The Royal Tennenbaums
Capote
Dodgeball
I myself don’t see any unifying theme here.
Is your desk messy or organized?
Kent: Tuesday through Thursday: messy. On Friday and Monday I do OK. I’m sort of a “beginning and end” of work guy. In between I don’t like to have to be too rigid.
Are you always early or terminally late?
Kent: Depends on if you are asking me, or my wife.
Do you read the comics in the newspaper? If so, what’s your favorite comic?
Kent: Big Doonsbury fan. Used to laugh my head off at “Far Side” when it was in print. But most of my news is done online, and now that you mention it, I have been missing out on the comics because of it.
Who would you want to play you in the movie about your life?
Kent: Keanu. Because there is a Matrix, and I will be the one to end it.
What super-power would you most like to have, and why?
Kent: This is a good question. A good question. I always felt like Green Lantern had all the skills that I myself would enjoy putting to use as a super-hero. He had that ring that allowed him to read minds, render himself invisible, go faster than the speed of light, create force-fields, and even radiate kryptonite to keep that pesky Superman away. All those would come in handy in winemaking and life.
You are moving and can only take three or four articles with you. What would you grab?
Kent: I’d grab that ring that allows me to be Green Lantern. With super-powers like those, who needs anything else?
What do you do if you have a spare hour?
Kent: I spend that hour lamenting my lack of spare hours. But, seriously, outside of trying to teach my son to kick a soccer ball (and not the cat), I love to play soccer myself. When I have lots of hours I climb mountains.
What was the last great restaurant you ate at?
Kent: I Was on a fly-fishing trip on the McCloud in Northern California last fall with some childhood friends, and we struck out in search of grub. Stumbled across this little place in the town of Dunsmuir called Café Maddelena. Little fifteen seat restaurant. Food was insane (I highly recommend the Osso Bucco), they had a full-blown espresso machine, and the wine list was one of those lists that just makes you smile. It was a highly personal list: one where the owner, who has a great palate, sat down, tasted, and chose wines that are super-delicious and great values, regardless of brand, label, scores, or what anyone might think of the list. We started with three wines that I love that are incredibly obscure. Then, and after we drank those, the waiter told us we should try some others that I—a winemaker—hadn’t even heard of, and they were equally fantastic. And, the bill didn’t kill us. It was just one of those magical nights.
Considering that was last fall, that gives you an idea of how often we go out to eat now that we have two kids…
What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Kent: Chocolate chip. I haven’t ordered anything but for 10 years. Sometimes you can’t improve on perfection.
What is the best compliment you have ever received?
Kent: I provided my wine and my presence at a Tsunami relief fundraiser at Spago a few years back. Wolfgang Puck came out after the first course and told me he loved my Pinot. It was like Bono giving you a compliment on your sunglasses.
“2 Truths And a Lie” – Share 3 unique things about yourself and your life, 2 of them true, 1 false
Kent:
1) I have run four marathons.
2) I’m a big fan of musical theater.
3) I have British royalty in my blood.
Please take a guess and leave a comment. Thanks to Kent for having some fun with the questions and being a good guy!
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January 7 2008
Author Note: I was lucky to collaborate with Jill from online wine retailer Domaine547 (http://www.domaine547.com) in putting together a three-pack of wine recommendations that Jill has made available for purchase at the site. It’s a cool project—she basically gave me carte blanche on the wine recommendations giving me only the stipulation that she be able to source it into California. I chose three whites from Oregon producers that are all excellent wines at a reasonable price. I have no vested or financial interest in this other than supporting an online wine retailer that actively engages in the wine blogosphere in addition to the vicarious thrill of making wine recommendations that I believe in. Please check out and buy the Good Grape Wine Blogger Sampler Pack at this link.
The below is an excerpt of the newsletter that is included with your purchase.
Somewhere between being a contrarian and a lemming is where I like to write and observe. I call it being “pragmatically idealistic.” Because of this, I knew I’d have to get creative with my theme for the Wine Blogger Sampler Pack. A California Cab three-pack probably wouldn’t fly, you know what I’m saying? And, this semi-contrarian bent is probably the reason I’m enjoying whites this time of year, flying in the face of the ‘comfort casserole and red wine’ prevailing wisdom.
The endlessly fascinating thing about wine and what has allowed it to hold my gaze for far longer than any other pursuit is the fact that you can never, ever have empirical expertise on wine. There is an inexhaustible amount of information to know and continue learning. For this reason, I think Jill from D457 and I are like-minded spirits. One of the impetuses for her to develop this site was, in her words:
“(I) came to realize that wine offers a terrific means for traveling the world. Not in the traditional sense, mind you, but in a modern, newfangled, and virtual sense. Sure, you can physically visit wineries on six continents, 70 countries, and an almost uncountable number of cities, towns, and villages. But sometimes you don’t have the time, or you don’t have the money (in our case, we’re a little short on both). But at some point it dawned on us that wine was actually bringing the world to us, right to our doorstep, to our dining room, and to our mouths— by way of the history, local culture, cuisine, science, and so much else captured in each 750 ml bottle.”
This is armchair travel at its best because my recommendations are around Riesling and an Alsatian blend. No need to head to the outlying nether regions of northeastern France (Or Germany for that matter, where the Alsace region passed back and forth between France and Germany several times between the 17th and 20th century) or hop a bird to Oregon during the winter, it’s all here in the glass.
Why choose Riesling? Several reasons … First, it’s the Alsace regions predominant varietal. Secondarily, Riesling is one of the hottest selling varietals in the U.S. market today, noted, alongside Willamette Valley’s other famous grape, Pinot Noir, for its ability to pair with a wide range of food. A brief sidebar and prediction: long after Pinot Noir has lost its trendiness amongst the general population, Riesling will be going strong and competing well in the section of the marketplace for food white wines and the fast-growing un-oaked Chardonnay category. The third reason for choosing Riesling is Oregon’s Willamette Valley is frequently compared to Alsace and many of the same varietals are planted in the region—according to the Willamette Valley web site:
“…The Willamette Valley compares favorably with the Burgundy and Alsace regions of France. Wineries also produce Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Melon, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, sparkling wine, Sauvignon Blanc, and some Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah.”
Fourth, the wineries chosen, Amity and Brooks, have incredible back story’s that are compelling to any budding or bloomed wine enthusiast and, finally, and most importantly, each of these wines are delicious—and compelling examples of the high quality that can be produced in the U.S. at a reasonable price. You will not be disappointed.
Amity Vineyards 2005 Willamette Valley Riesling
Founded in 1974 and one of Oregon’s pioneering wineries, nestled to the north in the Willamette Valley, Amity makes small lots of affordable, but high-end Pinot Noir, Riesling and Gewurztraminer, amongst other varietals.
Tasting Note: Floral and citrus fill the nose, and lead into a rich, full bodied wine. Unlike most Rieslings that are made for sipping this wine is intended for food. It is a perfect match to shellfish, crab, and white fish.
A scant 100 cases of this Riesling was made from estate grown fruit.
Brooks Winery 2006 Willamette Valley Riesling
Brooks is a darling in the Oregon wine scene. Founded by Jimi Brooks in 1998 and focusing on Pinot Noir and Riesling, Brooks is an organically farmed vineyard noted for their high quality. Sunset Magazine named the 2005 Riesling their “Favorite Western Riesling.”
Jimi Brooks, unfortunately, met an untimely death at the age of 38 in September of 2004, but the winery lives on under the guidance of his sister and as a legacy for Brooks’ young son, Pascal, who is frequently cited as one of the youngest winery owners in the world.
Quality and a commitment to excellence have not flagged since Jimi’s passing and the torch carries on continuing to build the winery in his spirit.
Tasting Note: This wine is not your typical Riesling… it is an initiative to restore the reputation of old world German Rieslings and to showcase how well old vines can grow in the Willamette Valley … immediate aromas of green apple, minerals, white currents, raspberries, cherries and citrus. After some time in the glass chestnuts, honey, slate, lime and mint all make an appearance. The focus pushes the wine into the mid-palate with concentrated flavors of stone and honey. There is great power, succulence and depth in this gorgeous wine.
493 cases produced.
Brooks Winery 2006 Amycas Alsatian White Blend
Tasting Note: A fanciful name for a blend of noble white varietals. Pure, complex and diverse … Immediate aromas of ripe peaches, lime, white flowers, citrus fruits, clover honey and ripe cavaillon melons. With air, apricots, tangerines, wet stones, cinnamon and clove notes, nectarines and hints of fresh hay add to the complexity. Rich texture and great focus. Intriguing blend of honey and minerals with a broad mid-palate is rich, with good texture and presence. A great value for a powerful wine.
1118 cases produced.
So, there you have it. Three beautiful whites from two wonderful producers in Oregon. All of the wines are tremendous values and scarcely distributed outside of their home state. Assuredly, you won’t find these beauties at your local shop. Purchase them at Domaine547 www.domaine547.com
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September 30 2007
California Wine Month comes to a close today, a month of celebration for the contributions that the wine community makes to the state, nationally and internationally.
With all of the success of California wines and the thousands of worthy wine-related stories, I’d be remiss if I didn’t lob my vote for what I think is one of the more deserving California stories for praise and greater consumer awareness.
The good news about being into wine blogging is you get into the jetstream of wine press. Likewise, the bad news is you get into the jetstream of wine press and therefore have more of a 360 degree perspective on what’s working and not working. There just seems to be times where you see efforts that seem to have all the pieces put together, but for whatever reason larger consumer mindshare seems to have proven elusive. Coro Mendocino is a good example of that.
Coro Mendocino is a collaborative effort by Mendo winemakers to create an ultra-premium wine line-up that showcases the heritage and terroir of Mendocino County. Actually, I call it collaborative, but referring to it as a collective is a bit easier because the group of wineries, including Brutocao Cellars, Dunnewood Vineyards, Eaglepoint Ranch, Fetzer Vineyards, Golden Vineyards, Graziano Family Wines, McDowell Valley Vineyards, McNab Ridge Winery, Oracle Oaks Winery, Pacific Star Winery and Parducci Wine are all in it together to make a winery/winemaker/vineyard designate that bears their individual winery/winemaker name.
Started in 2000, the Coro Mendocino project made history as the first U.S. proprietary appellation-specific blend managed by self-imposed winemaking protocol. Similar to Chianti or Chateneauf-du-Pape, the idea, now in its 4th vintage, is to take a group of wineries who are committed to the project to make a proprietary red blend that is predominantly Zinfandel based (in between 40 -70%).
The “Coro” in Coro Mendocino stands for “chorus” in both Italian and Spanish, symbolizing many winemakers singing from the same hymnal, as it were.
The parameters for the blends ensure a level of quality to reward those with the purest intention to express an extremely high-level of quality for the region. For example, and obviously, all grapes must come from Mendocino County and must be made at a Mendo County bonded winery. Other criteria include:
1) Coro blends must be in between 40 – 70% Zinfandel and Zin must be the predominant grape in the blend
2) Blending varietals that can comprise an additional 40% of the blend, but cannot exceed the percentage of Zin include: Carignane, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Barbera, Charbono, Dolcetto, Primitivo and Sangiovese
2) An additional “free play” 10% of the blend can be comprised of other varietals from Mendo—including Pinot for which Anderson Valley is known.
3) Ranges for alcohol and acidity are managed against metrics to ensure there’s no individual palate domination and that the wine is food-friendly. For example, the alcohol cap is 16%
4) The wine must be in barrel for at least 12 months and new oak must account for at least 25% of time in barrel, but no more than 75%. Wines must mellow in bottle for 6 months after bottling, as well
5) A panel of five judges, including three participating winemakers, review every blend at least three times and vote to reject wines that don’t meet standards of quality.
6) All bottlings have the same label with customization for each winery name, the winemaker’s signature, bottling specific notes and a listing of the varietals in the blend.
7) Each of the wines are priced at a flat $35 per bottle
Production for Coro Mendocino is limited, creeping up over 3000 cases for the ’04 vintage and varying by winery. The inaugural vintage in ’01, for example, had Fred Nickel from Brutocao making just 70 cases. Limited production is one of the primary appeals to me, as well (aside from being a lover of Zinfandel and all that is esoteric which Mendocino comes by easily).
I think most wine fans can appreciate the law of scarcity and the fact that $35 for a bottle of wine of which there are so few available is pretty interesting.
These wines are not in distribution and according to this quote from a San Francisco Chronicle article from a couple of years ago, Fred Nickel from Brutocao says,
“The low production is intentional,” he says. We want the scarcity to help generate demand from the public and attention from the press. The point of this whole program is perception, not production.”
These wines are only available via the Coro web site and at the individual wineries that produced the wine. So, as an end-cap to California Wine Month, celebrate a uniquely California initiative celebrating California’s grape, Zinfandel, and a well-kept secret that needs to find a larger audience. Did I mention you can do so online, which is healthy for the industry, as well?
The Coro Mendocino web site can be found here.
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July 23 2007
On the heels of reports coming from The Wine Industry Technology Symposium last week and tasty quotes from Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV like, “Ninety-nine percent of the people in the wine business are really blowing it” and “Now everyone has got an opinion. Every single person you cross paths with in this industry you need to fear, and you need to embrace,” I’ve been re-thinking how I mentally get my arms around the various sub-segments of wine communities on the Internet.
Excuse me for a post while I talk this one out, out loud, “Deal or No Deal” game show style and let me also say upfront that I now think Wine.com is in an incredibly strong position in the consumer direct online wine space, I just didn’t “get” that position and how it can evolve as their customer needs evolve.
Some context: Tom from Fermentation and his survey on influence in the blogosphere is starting to make me sway in opinion—particularly the part where 68.4% of respondents said they have purchased a wine after seeing it reviewed on a wine blog. I think Tom’s survey shows, without question, that there is some definite credence being given to blog wine reviews, a position I haven’t always held.
So, whereas, I’ve always viewed the wine blogosphere and wine reviews as an influencer mechanism similar to a traditional wine magazine (you read something you make mental note, maybe you recall the information in a buying situation), I’m now starting to see the vision for it as a buying mechanism (you see something, you agree, you buy). This is “Citizen Journalism” moving to more “Citizen Buying Sentinel.”
In early June I wrote a post as a follow-on to the Wine 2.0 event that took place in San Francisco and I took Wine.com mildly to task for being the #1 Wine site on the Internet, but not demonstrating any Web 2.0 technologies—a blog, RSS feeds, collaboration, etc.
At that moment, I viewed it as not providing enough social content around the buying situation (influencing).
Imagine my surprise when the CEO, Rich Bergsund, left a comment on the site, alongside another Wine.com colleague, who pointed out that Wine.com extensively uses RSS feeds.
Rich said in part:
We’re passionate about wine too, and also passionate about learning what our customers want and working hard every day to give it to them.
I think all the community stuff you guys are talking about is great. Wine is social and the web is going social, so wine on the web is a natural to be social.
For the Internet to really have an impact on wine, don’t forget all the other pieces customers care about. Reliable and convenient access to all the great wines the community is talking about. Low cost, fast delivery. Customer service.
What Rich didn’t really lay out, (but is a key point) is the fact that online socializing and online selling are two vastly different things, which makes Wine Library TV’s acquisition of Cork’d all the more intriguing and prescient. And the other point that Rich didn’t elaborate on is the fact that despite Wine.com being the #1 online wine commerce shop, there’s a strong likelihood that his customers aren’t completely ready for blogs and the capabilities afforded by Web 2.0 technologies. There’s a product lifecycle curve in everything.
So, here’s where my opinion is evolving. I’ve spent additional time researching Wine.com—spent a good amount of time poking around their site, I have reviewed their affiliate program in addition to being tipped off to their Windows Live “Just In” widget that lives on your desktop.
Wine.com is on the cutting edge in many areas. However, it’s not noticeable to the wine blogosphere because Wine.com is focused on selling wine—all of their cool technology has to do with selling and servicing customers, a fact originally lost on me when looking at it through the filter of the Wine blogosphere and community.
You have a couple of different mechanisms in play here: wine blog wine reviews, wine-tasting note community sites, and online wine commerce with an exceptional customer experience (Wine.com)
What I ultimately think is shaping up here is competition in the consumer online wine arena between two worthy competitors—Wine.com and Wine Library, but their growth structure right now is coming from two different points of view that ultimately will coalesce.
Wine.com is coming at it from a less technology-savvy consumer point of view, those mostly interested in buying wines like traditional retail. They are #1 in size. Eventually their consumers will want more community-oriented aspects at which point they can build out the community engagement models, building on their buying and selling expertise and customer service experience. This is a different audience that will evolve to become more Web/Wine 2.0 centric in the near future.
Wine Library is coming at it from the complete other end—the Web 2.0 perspective—blogging and social networking, with the acquisition of Cork’d, as a tool to drive community engagement and commerce, creating customer ambassadors. Wine Library TV, anecdotally, is growing its ecommerce wine business significantly. These are the early adopters, and more and more consumers will join their ranks in the near future.
Two different models, coming from two different perspectives, and in 18 months time, they will be head to head competitors, with their two different looking customers essentially becoming one and the same. I wonder if Wine.com is readying technology ahead of the curve in anticipation of their customers growing needs and I wonder if Gary Vaynerchuk is ready for his close-up with an audience that is likely to grow 10 X in the next year.
This will be fun to watch play out.
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April 2 2007
As far as winery names go, I don’t think you can get much better than Sokol Blosser. It’s the kind of name that immediately sticks in your head, like a commercial jingle, only better. And their wines are pretty good, too.
The Oregon winery, named after the last name of founders Bill Blosser and Susan Sokol, has been around since their first vintage in 1977—elder statesman if they were in Napa and definitely graybeards for Oregon wine country. The winery is something of an under the radar shining star who have managed to grow large with national distribution while retaining the homey charm that makes you want to put money in their coffers; old friends who have made good.
As one of the pioneers of the Oregon wine industry, Susan Sokol Blosser wrote a memoir and narrative of the Oregon wine industry and her role in the development of both her winery and the industry. Published last August, it’s a breezy romp through 30 years of wine history and definitely recommended for light airplane reading.
And, if that’s not enough to get you interested then their blog will—as a winery that started blogging in December of 2004, they were positively antediluvian in foresight in getting ahead of the winery blog curve. And, they keep it current, fresh and lively—clearly one of the best winery blogs, period. If you want to see foresight in action, see this post and pointer to an article on Appellation America that Susan pointed to on February 28th –a week before Eric Asimov weighed in (here and here) on his blog making for a blog-comment-spectacle akin to a good debate on CSPAN.
That said, I like to occasionally do a check-in on wineries that sell online and Sokol Blosser is one winery happy to get you some vino wherever you may live.
Ironically enough (insert throat clearing), I bought a bottle of their second label red, Meditrina and their second label white, Evolution, at two different stores in Indianapolis and I didn’t buy them online. Ahem, we’ll look around that for now.
I had occasion to drink both of their second labels on Saturday night. I brought the wines over to a friend’s house and a gathering of friends—all beer drinkers. It’s good for me because I at least know I’ll get my fill of wine uninterrupted. It’s kind of a dirty trick, too. “Hey, look I brought some wine. Oh, gosh, you don’t have any wine? Do you mind if I just open these?” Works every time.
Both the Meditrina and Evolution are crowd-pleasers with a capital C, capital P. They share a web site, too with mirroring domains: www.meditrinawine.com and www.evolutionwine.com The Meditrinia, according to the Sokol Blosser site:
(Meditrinia) is a core of rich, lush berry from the Syrah. The Zinfandel provides spice, tannin and structure. And the Pinot Noir brings flowers, earth and elegance. It all adds up to a luscious, juicy, easy-drinking mouthful of red wine that’s both bright and vibrant yet round and soft. Every sip of the wine, Meditrina, honors the goddess of the same name. Mmmmm.
This is a surprisingly enjoyable wine, not profound or revelatory, but an imminently drinkable quaff. Though, priced at $16 online and $15 in my local market, I’d like to see this priced about $4 bucks cheaper and I’d like for them to get new labels as the non gloss finish got wrecked in transportation making every label on display marred with signs of distress from jiggle in the box. Not a big deal, but a mistake you wouldn’t expect from a brand in distribution.
The Evolution, so damn drinkable you want to put a straw in it, also sells on the web site for $16. I picked it up at Costco for $12.99. Of the two, I prefer the white. The web site says:
Every new bottling has its own subtle and fresh personality. The 9 grapes tie together perfectly, creating a smooth, layered white wine that can hold its own or stand up to just about any food pairing you dare to serve it with. It is extraordinarily food-friendly, from light salads to the hottest fusion-style cuisine. Regarding the question we’re most often asked: ‘Were you trying to do this or did your leftovers happen to work well together?’ We’ll let the success of Evolution speak for itself.
This wine has two different things going for it—it’s aged in stainless and it’s incredibly savory. And, yes, there are nine different varieties are in the mix here: Muller-Thurgau, White Riesling, Semillon, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Muscat Canelli, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Sylvaner
To my palate, you get the chardonnay and Muscat coming through with an undercurrent of the Riesling. It’s a sweeter wine, so bone dry, herbaceous Sav. Blanc fans would turn up their nose.
Overall, it was a good experiment to drink both second labels at the same time. I recommend Sokol Blosser. Based on their long, industrious history in Oregon, their homey spirit, their pioneering leadership foray in wine blogging, and their damn drinkable wines, you would do well to buy some wine and stick it away for your next party and a need for a crowd pleasing wine—and all the better if you buy it online.
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