Saturday Afternoon Wine Tasting

Today was a beautiful day.  April and I spent the morning on some small repair jobs around her family farm and when we finished early I thought, we should pay a visit to Grove Winery.  We don't get out their way much so it was a real treat. Grove wines are more of a European style and stand out in a great way among the more traditional California styles.

I am so glad we stopped in. John was a great host as always.  I really get a sense of the wines from his descriptions even before tasting them.  We were treated to some new releases not even labeled yet.  The 2010 Cab Franc is awesome and I can't wait for it to be available for sale next year.  We were also treated to the new 2011 Tempranillo.  This one will be limited due to a dismal 2012 Temprnillo harvest.

If you are looking for a fresh take on Merlot, Grove has it.  They do an outstanding job bringing out the fruitiness of this grape balanced with just enough oak.  Hard to pick a favorite but at the top of the list is their Nebbiolo.  I love a full bodied wine and this Italian grape works well for them.