Happy New Year!

EXTRA!! EXTRA!!

A Woman on Wine was featured in the January 18th issue of the Indianapolis Star. Read the article here!


The Families of Wine

Next month, the restaurant where I work, OAKLEYS bistro, will be hosting a wine dinner featuring wines from the Livermore Valley in California. This is a beautiful area in the East Bay (east of the San Francisco Bay) and is home to wineries such as Wente, Concannon and Ivan Tamas to name a few. Our guest of honor at the wine dinner will be Christine Wente, fifth generation family member to be involved in the winery.
I started to think of this great tradition of passing down the family “secrets” of winemaking and how many of these dynasties exist in the state of California alone.
The idea of passing down the traditions of the family business is heart-warming and appeals to my sense of continuity, but what’s even greater than that is the fresh ideas and innovations that come with the younger generations.
In tasting through a few wines for our upcoming event, I tasted a few old favorites from Wente like their Sauvignon Blanc, always crisp and clean, and the Riva Ranch Chardonnay with its rich texture and Fall spice flavors. What was really exciting though was to try the new wines from Wente under the Nth Degree label. One in particular that I loved was the Shiraz that is blended with 24% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a big, rich shiraz, made in an Australian style. Blackberry and toasty oak, vanilla, clove and toasted marshmallow are the dominant aromas. The Cabernet completes this wine with a cassis aroma and excellent structure.
Bottom Line:
When choosing a wine, a safe bet will be the family owned and operated winery, generations of wine making tradition and quality and perhaps a little breath of fresh air.

A note to my loyal readers:
My apologies for not publishing in December, but I was knee deep in holiday hooha.

L. Cunningham
A Woman On Wine