Tasting in the Wine Barn is working out! We hope that if you have not yet visited us at “home”, you will soon. Bring a picnic. Plan on spending a couple of hours tasting the wines, petting the horses and dogs (we have a new pup named Mike!), and for you car guys - inhaling Corvette and Nova aromas. Just call us. We’ll open the gate.
If you can’t make it out to the winery and find yourself in Santa Rosa on the historic Railroad Square, you can find our wines at Cellars of Sonoma. Cellars is a wine bar right in the middle of the very flavorful and historic area just west of the highway. Cellars features wines of only 8 small family owned wineries. There is live music most nights, and wonderful food pairings available too!
Most wineries have a bottling line with automated stainless steel equipment, or they have a truck show up housing that line. We don’t have either. We have friends. For us this time it was - eat your Wheaties, roll up your sleeves, take an Aleve or two, and have a damn good time bottling the wine you take home. 40 or so local wine club members made short work of bottling, and enjoying, the new Malbec. Our favorite and talented Kevin Brennan (played with Van Morrison in Ireland) blew our minds once again, this time with his acoustic guitar, and friend Trevor on an antique stand-up bass. What a day! Amazing music, picnic, friends and wine! --and we got all of the Malbec bottled!
Speaking of Malbec….
2013 Malbec, Alexander Valley
Have you discovered this varietal yet? Well, if not, let us introduce you.
Because Malbec has little resistance to poor weather conditions and pests, it has previously been thought of as only a blending grape to enrich the 5 great Bordeaux wines. Argentina now leads the world in producing fine 100% varietal Malbec wines. But here in California, and especially in Alexander Valley, where the warm days and cool nights are the perfect nursery for this delicate grape, we are producing Malbec wines, which are finding their way onto menus and lists as equal alternatives to the higher priced Cabernet Sauvignons and Syrahs. Moondance Cellars’ Alexander Valley Malbec is easy to love. It has wonderful aromas of coffee and cocoa (let’s just say mocha), and flavors of blackberry, plum and raspberry. Pair it with leaner meats such as bison or ostrich (really?), blue cheese, and rustic flavors of mushrooms and cumin spices.
P.S. If you are so inclined, you might carry a toothbrush. Rich red wine usually means lovely red teeth!
ONLY 4 BARRELS MADE