A Tale Of Two Pinots For Wine Wednesday
Grape Clusters in California
A tale of two pinots for Wine Wednesday might just conjure a vision of two pinot noirs. While that sounds lovely, this tale is of two white grapes that make wines ideal for what remains of these hellishly hot summer days.
Pinot gris and pinot blanc, both mutations of pinot noir. Pinot gris’ roots lie in Burgundy and in the U.S., it’s widely planted in Oregon. It typically makes, fresh, zippy wines. Pinot blanc can be a gamble. On it’s own the wines aren’t always spectacular. However, when made right, this is another light, fresh wine, that tends to be a little rounder in body. It’s often used in sparkling wines.
For wine Wednesday I tried both. They are two of the newest releases from Alma Rosa Winery in California’s Central Coast, Santa Barbara County.
Winemaker Samra Morris is from Bosnia and says these two wines remind her of the style she drank during summer trips to the Mediterranean coast. She recommends queuing up any version of Gershwin’s “Summertime” as you drink them.
Pinot Gris
2020 Alma Rosa La Encantada Pinot Gris
First up, the 2020 Alma Rosa La Encantada Pinot Gris.
The La Encantada vineyard was originally planted by Alma Rosa’s founder Richard Sanford in 2000. Unique to the region, the 100-acre vineyard grows the vast majority of Pinot Gris produced in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. This one is light and refreshing, all day sipper. It has some stone fruits, think pear, and balanced acidity. It was good with melon and prosciutto. $32
These wines are made from organically farmed grapes. In fact, Alma Rosa owns the first vineyards to be certified organic in Santa Barbara County. In addition, they take sustainability seriously.
Pinot Blanc
2020 Alma Rosa La Encantada Pinot Blanc
Next up, the 2020 Alma Rosa La Encantada Pinot Blanc.
This site is close the Pacific Ocean which produces a cool layer of marine fog every morning. As a result, this wine is also fresh and bright with nice acidity and stone fruit, but more like peach. It’s a little rounder than the gris. $35
A side note, Alma Rosa’s founder, Founder Richard Sanford, planted the first Pinot Noir in this region in 1971. So if you see that bottling from this winery, try it.
Alma de Cattleya pinot noir from Sonoma County makes a nice summer redI know this is a tale of two pinots for Wine Wednesday but I feel it would be unfair not to throw in the pinot that comes to mind most often for wine lovers…pinot noir.
Pinot Noir, I have to
It just so happens I tried one of these as well. And while not from the Central Coast as the whites were, it’s a lovely summer red selection.
I’m a fan of winemaker Bibiana Gonzalez Rave and this is one of hers. It’s a small production pinot from Sonoma. Alma de Cattleya Pinot Noir is full of fresh red fruits and berries, some spice and great acid, making it a fantastic food wine. $28
By the way, both wineries have Alma in the name, however, they are not related. Here are some more off the beaten path wines from California’s Central Coast.
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.
