Peju Provence
Appellation: Napa & Mendocino
ALC: 13% (Residual Sugar 1.4%)
You can buy this wine at: peju.com
Haydn gives this wine: 86pts

Yes. I do admit that I drool over beautiful Bordeauxs. Some days I’m yearning for a wine that is more complex then a Mensa application. Other times, I want an easy-drinking thrist-quenching kind of wine. That’s were the Pjeu Provence comes in.

This is one of the most unusual wines I’ve had in a while. While the notes are surprisingly simple, the makeup of this wine is anything but. To start, it’s a blend of both red grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Zinfandel, and white grapes: Chardonnay and French Colombard. While it may seem crazy, the result is quite delicious.

To cap off the crazy factor, you’re advised to serve chilled. It’s a hard concept at first to comprehend, putting a wine blended with red grapes in the fridge to chill. But the result is great. And I can some up the feeling in one word— sangria!

You heard me. It’s basically Sangria disguised. Closing my eyes, I could easily picture big blocks of ice floating in this glass. The residual sugar would be real sugar if it were a true Sangria.

The wine has hints of bright cherry and cranberries, that make you want to smile while puckering at the same time. It’s a total fruit forward wine. Easy to drink, easy to enjoy.

For all those Bay Area folks, this wine is going to be great for those Indian summer evenings. The days when the sun starts to set sooner yet it still feels like July. It’s a great transitional wine where you can go from total whites in the summer to the luscious and full-bodied reds in the winer.

Naturally you’re going to want this with some sort of Spanish dish. Tapas, empenadas, maybe even a bit of smoked chorizo. Yet this wine can stand on it’s own and simply sipped as a starter wine.

One cool wine from one of the hallmark wineries of the Napa Valley.

Cheers,
Haydn

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

Sustainable White by Parducci
Blend of 4 different grape varietals
Appellation: Mendocino County
ALC: 13.5%
Haydn gives this wine: 87pts

A wine that is both great for the environment as well as great for your wallet as well? That’s what you’ll get with Sustainable White by Parducci. While it is not the strongest and best white I’ve ever had, the price point, coming in at under $11 makes this wine a new weekly favorite.

The wine is a blend, hence the name, Sustainable White. It’s comprised (and I’m guessing in this order) Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Tokai, and Viognier grapes from Mendocino County. The wine, true to the statement on the website, is refreshing.

The nose reminded me of a Riesling with a bit of pear and sweet fruit, mainly melon. While it doesn’t say on the website, I’m guessing all the grapes touched stainless steel, as there is not much ML present. The mid-palate is much of the same as the nose, however it does get a tad bit more tart on the finish than what I was expecting. As a friend said, “This is gulp-able wine”. So true it is, as the wine is very easy drinkable.

Another pro for this wine is the sustainable culture to which the wine is made from. The label aptly points out that the grapes were locally grown and operated and that they came from family farmers, the farming practices are entirely sustainable, the winery uses 100% green power (there is a windmill on the wine label) and they are the first U.S. carbon neutral winery. Overall, pretty cool!

Overall, a great bottle of wine. The price along with the sustainable practices of the winery come together to make a bottle that is economically excellent. Party on, dudes.

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com