Tag Archives: California

Light, Crisp and VERY dry

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The diverse vineyard sites (Solano, Monterey, and Santa Barbara) span several hundred miles, and even subtle differences in temperature and the strength of the wind leave their mark on the grapes. 

The result is a wine that combines characteristics of this varietal, with fruit flavors, oak, and acidity in harmony and balance; this wine suits a wide range of palates. There is just enough acidity to help balance it out. 

I think it’s food versatile, and we had it with Chicken Cordon Bleus.

Sea Sun Chardonnay

$27.99

14.3% Alcohol

For days like these

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Made from Barbera, Syrah and Muscat Blac to give a slight salmony colour.  

Some might say jammy in flavour. It has a similar complexity to Pomegranate Molasses. One side of your head says slightly sweet, and the other says tart.


It is a great wine for sitting on the deck or patio with friends and sipping away the sunset. If you are going to add food – what about a light chicken salad or a cheese plate?


CALIFORNIA ROSE – JOSH CELLARS 2019

$19.99

12.5% Alcohol

UPC: 00031259001043

Region not grape variety

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A very good reason that it’s a FEATURED item – it’s good.


Jammy and Berry flavours in a great execution of flavour forward.  Great depth and structure.


Fruit for this wine was sourced from vineyards in Sonoma (19%), Monterey (59%) and Santa Barbara (22%) for this 100% Pinot Noir blend.


A suggestion: Drink this wine via smaller, freshly poured sips. Fill your wine glass up to no more than 10-15% if you want to taste more fruit. Experiment with it to see what happens as the wine breathes… fun!

Layered and velvety, it’s ready to drink and food-friendly. Think pork chops or salmon.

PINOT NOIR – MEIOMI

$21.99 regularly $29.99

13.7 % Alcohol

UPC: 00855165005076

Light My Fire

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We have bridges to Burn!  

Apparently the brothers were pyromaniacs when younger: graduating from matches to rocket launchers!  Supposedly the Matchbook brand is in memory of fires they once stoked.


The best barrel lots were chosen for the final blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Malbec and 8% Petit Verdot. 2019 Matchbook Cabernet is a showcase of the quality fruit grown in the red gravel soils of Dunnigan Hills (the Northern part of California’s Central Valley).


The wine starts out slightly sweet in taste but the favours become quite intense.  Well structured and smooth finish. This could almost become an everyday Cab for any house.  But drink it all in one sitting because it doesn’t hold up overly well for a second day’s sipping.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON – MATCHBOOK RED GRAVEL DUNNIGAN HILLS 18

$15.99 regularly $19.99

13.9 % alcohol

UPC: 00859551001383

A pair of C’s

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Not often that we get to compare two of the same grape back to back.


Just because Chardonnay is one of the world’s most popular wines, it doesn’t mean it is the most prominent in our wine rack. The Goddess makes sure that we try a lot of different grapes.


These two choices are great – but quite different in flavour and texture.  

The Tom Gore had a longer finish whilst the Villa Maria highlighted what’s important as it works it’s way through the range of your taste buds.


Both are full, with creamy textures and have slight suggestions of oak.


The Tom Gore grapes are sourced from North and Central California Coast vineyards and have a 2% addition of Sauvignon Blanc.


Villa Maria has a blend of Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough and Waipara fruit.


We kept the food light with both.  Next time, I think I’d try both with soft and mild cheeses or a light lunch just to let the winesspeak louder than the meal.

Tom Gore Chardonnay

$19.99

13.5%

AlcoholUPC:  00086003248014

Villa Maria East Chardonnay

$15.99

13.0% Alcohol

UPC: 09414416501876

Why we do Mystery Cases

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This wouldn’t normally be on our radar, or in our case – but thankfully the Goddess of Wine picks both low and high above the average price for our mystery items.


The central California Coast around Monterey has an extended growing season which allows for full ripening of the grapes and as a result we have smooth textures to the wine.  

Round Bouquet, slightly lemony flavours and a nice honey-like smooth finish.


This is a BIG Chardonnay with all the trimmings.


Roasted chickie with fruit stuffing (pomegranate seeds, figs, raisins, prunes, apricots, dates) made a great match for the wine.

CHARDONNAY – MER SOLEIL RESERVE SANTA LUCIA

$31.99 regularly $32.99

14.4% Alcohol

UPC:  00710909710107