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5 Picks To Celebrate California Wine Month

Author Gina Birch

This September marks the 20th anniversary of California Wine Month, celebrating the state’s 250-year winemaking history. It is Wine Wednesday and there is no better time to raise a glass to west coast wine. Here are 5 picks to celebrate California Wine Month in Southwest Florida.

Fun Facts To Celebrate California Wine Month

  • California produces more than 80% of U.S. wines.
  • The state has nearly 6000 winegrape growers
  • California farmers grow more than 100 winegrape varieties
  • More than 25 million people visit California wineries and tasting rooms annually.
  • The wine industry generates $73 billion in economic activity each year in California alone.

Robert P. Koch, president and CEO of Wine Institute says, “The economic benefits are tremendous and just as important, the simple connections made over a shared bottle of California wine are timeless.”

Grape vines are planted alll over California, and it’s a big state. The wines here come from a variety of grapes grown in several different regions.

Here Are 5 Picks To Celebrate California Wine Month

The first one comes from Napa Valley. I have always been drawn to the Le Pich label with its signature golden eagle. It’s produced by the award-winning winemakers of Purlieu Wines.

Bottle of Le Pich Sauvignon Blanc
Purlieu Winery
This wine is as lovely as the label. It smells like a bowl of tropical fruit and white flowers. pineapple and citrus. It has nice minerality as well and is fantastic with Florida cuisine. $32

Next is LANGETWINS Merrill Vineyards Chardonnay from Claksburg, California. The Lange’s family have been farmers in California since the late 1800’s. The twin brothers were the first in the family to make wine instead of just grow the grapes.

Bottle of Lange Twins Chardonnay with other wine bottle sin the background to celebrate California Wine Month
Photo: Gina Birch
LANGETWINS Chardonnay is a wine that over delivers. It has texture, layers of flavor, is great with food as well as solo. It has flavors like bruleed pineapple and other tropical notes. $28

Juicy Reds To Celebrate California Wine Month

J Vineyard‘s tasting room is in Sonoma on the so-called Pinot Noir Highway. It’s an area where the region’s best pinot producers are located. J is also known for its outstanding sparkling wines many of which are made with pinot noir.

Bottle of J Vineyard Pinot Noir on a white shag rug
Photo: GIna Birch
The new J Vineyards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is rich and delicious. It reminds me of the holidays and I can’t help but want another bottle for Thanksgiving. It has notes of cranberry, plums and spice. $47

Moving a little farther south, we go to Paso Robles to celebrate California Wine Month with True Myth. This wine looks like it should be on a Thanksgiving table. The butterfly on the label is symbolic of the commitment the winery makes to the environment and preserving Pollinator Habitats.

Bottle of True Myth cabernet with a green bush in background
Photo: Gina Birch
True Myth Cabernet Sauvignon is as pretty on the inside as the label might suggest. It has bright cherry, pleasant herbal notes even some violets and a little mocha with a nicely balanced finish. $24

Finally, 8 Years In The Dessert is becoming an iconic wine from renegade winemaker Dave Phinney, founder of Orin Swift Cellars. A non-compete contract prohibited him from producing zinfandel for years. This is the wine he came out with when he was able to legally work with the grape again.

A bottle of 8 Years In The Desert on a rustic table cloth
Photo: Gina Birch
8 Years In The Desert is a bouquet of dark fruit and spice that dances on the palate long after the last sip. This is another one that screams holiday fare but also good for the fall transition. A delicious mouthful. $53

If you are planning a trip to California’s wine country, click here for a calendar of events and a complete guide to this month’s festivities.

Enjoy Wine Wednesday. Drink Responsibly.

Gina Birch brings the sunshine to Sunny 106.3 every weekday morning from 6-10. She has worked in radio, television and print in Southwest Florida for nearly 30 years. During that time, she has become an advocate for numerous charities including those that support animals, children, women and wellness. In addition, she has written for numerous local, regional and national publications about food, wine and travel. Those are her longtime passions...along with shoes.

9 Sippers For A Rose All Day End Of Summer Soiree

I know National Rosé Day is in June. But there is also an entire month dedicated to the fresh pink wine. That month being August. So I threw a party. Here is what we found, 9 sippers for a Rose All Day end of summer soiree.

Every August, I have a Rose All Day Soiree where we pop the corks on rosé wines from around the world. I prepare appetizers I think will work with the wines and so do many friends who attend. We had everything from prosciutto cups and stuffed grape leaves to chicken salad and mini chocolate cheesecake bites.

I had almost a dozen bottles of rosé and friends also brought some to share. This year, we went through 18 bottles. In addition, there were some reds, whites and brut Champagne, but we won’t add those interlopers to the tally.

It was all in the name of research of course. I wanted some material for Wine Wednesday. Such a sacrifice. And what a horrible friend to force others to participate. All kidding aside, it was a lot of fun trying so many different kinds of rosé side by side.

The ones made from pinot noir had a more savory touch while those from grenache were more fruity. Those are two common grapes found in rosé.

@winebirch

Rose AllDay Soiree, just a few bottkes. #sundayfunday #roseallday #roseeveryday #drinkpink #rosewine #wine #winetasting #drinktok #summervibes #summerparty #fyp

♬ The Party Has Begun - Freestyle
The video above is from the Rose All Day Soiree. It’s just the rosé wines. There were others, but I dare not post those too.

Here Are Wines To Put On Your Radar For Rose All Day

First,  VARA Silverhead Brut Rosado was a surprise favorite. Surprise to many because it was from New Mexico. Most guests did not expect this blend of 75% Syrah and 25% Chardonnay to wow them. The syrah gave it a beautiful color and great body. It has some of the fruit characteristics you would expect, like raspberry and strawberry. $28

VARA Rosado wine label for Rose all day
Gina Birch
This bottle was empty before I could get a good photo. And people wanted more of it for rose all day.

Miami Vices was another big hit. It caused lots of reminiscing from the good old days of the ’80’s.

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