Atlanta has a new fabulous restaurant – Miller Union! They’re all about chef and local farmer partnerships and preparing dishes around the weekly harvest. Sustainability is key, and the food is absolutely fabulous. Naturally, they have some excellent wines to match their ethos. One of these wines is Quivira’s Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley in Healdsburg, California.

According to the Quivira Twitter page, Quivira is a family-owned organic & Biodynamically farmed winery specializing in Sauvingon Blanc, Zinfandel and Rhone varietals.

Definitely take some time to check out the Quivira website. First of all, the design is stellar and the writing just pulls you in to the magical world that is their farm and vineyards. They have some great information about their biodynamic farming techniques, as well as the history of the winery – even a great section about their farm animals! They also have a wine club that delivers twice a year, which is probably the best way to buy these wines retail unless you live down the street… they’re not exactly easy to find.

Origin: Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California
Where: Miller Union
Price: probably around $20-$25 retail
Next time: Get a glass!

This Deep Purple Zin is a really fun wine. First off, it tastes excellent. Second, the label is rockin’! If you’re into Mardi Gras, Jimi Hendrix, and Zinfandel, then this wine is for you. It’s definitely fruity and jammy but without being a horrible fruit bomb. It’s just very rich and tasty – not heavy on the tannins, much more focus on the fruit. Kind of a heavy version of a new world Pinot Noir.

Thanks, Kari, for sharing this wine with me!

Origin: Lodi, California
Where: From a Friend! Looking into it…
Price: around $13
Next time: Get a glass!

The Lot 160 Old Vine Zinfandel goes with the Sampler Case I ordered from Cameron Hughes – see this earlier post for more info. I really loved their Lot 147 Cab Sauv – just a great wine.

Unfortunately, I was not impressed with the Lot 160 Old Vine Zinfandel. Upon opening, you can just smell the fruit bomb that has exploded in your kitchen. Huge berry jam aromas overwhelm, without any tannins to really back it up. After a couple of days after opening, it improved some but next time, I’ll stick with a tried-and-true zinfandel or try something new.

Origin: Lodi, San Joaquin County, California
Where: Cameron Hughes Online
Price: $13
Next time: I’ll pass

A while ago, I got a promotional email from Snooth.com, advertising a special on Cameron Hughes wine – a case of 12 (3 each of 4 wines) for a great price, and it included free shipping. I’d never heard of Cameron Hughes, but I decided to give it a shot. This purchase is also my first time ordering wine online and having it shipped – now that the state of Georgia finally allows wine shipments via mail (too bad their other alcohol laws are still 1800s prudish!).

Cameron Hughes bottles a huge amount of wine based on a method they call the Lot Series. Here’s how it works – for several reasons, high-end wines often have an over-supply of grapes from a variety of vineyards. Cameron Hughes strikes a deal to bottle the juice from these premium vineyards. Rather than blending the various lots, they bottle each vineyard exclusively of the others. So, for example, this Lot 147 is 100% juice from only one specific premium vineyard. The various lots and their respective Cameron Hughes wine Lots come in a variety of price ranges and varietals. Interesting concept… but also one that you often can’t really get a lot of information about each specific lot or who the original/primary bottler would be. Cameron Hughes also sells to places like Sam’s Club and CostCo, so check it out.

This Cabernet from Sonoma County was delicious! It’s 100% Cab grapes and just very drinkable – a great balance – not too fruity and not too tannic. I’m glad I have more than one of these very drinkable wines.

Origin: Sonoma County, California
Where: Cameron Hughes Online
Price: $12.75 through the online special
Next time: Get a glass!

Now that we’re a couple of months into 2010, I took a look back at the wines I tried in 2009 and present to you my list of Favorite Red Wines of 2009! Fave 2009 Whites coming soon!

• Pine & Post Cab Sauv – $9
• Simonnet-Febvre Pinot Noir – ~ $10
• Finca el Origen Malbec – $11
• Lucky Star Pinot Noir - $9
• Mark West Sonoma County Pinot Noir – $12
• Memo Montepulciano – $11
• Morande Pionero Pinot Noir – $10
• Spellbound Petite Syrah – $13
• Alexander Valley Vineyards Russian River Valley Pinot Noir – $?
• Angeline Russian River Valley Pinot Noir – $14
• Oyster Bay Pinot Noir – $15
• G5 Puerta Bonita Garnacha – $15
• Eos Estate Zinfandel and Petite Syrah – $15ish? and $16
• Bliss Cab Sauv – $15
• Chateau Fantin Bordeaux Superioeur – $16
• Big Fire Pinot Noir – $18
• Poppy Pinot Noir – $16
• Rivola Sardon de Duero Cab Sauv – $17
• Vina Robles Cav Sauv – ~ $18
• Le Signal Domaine Ligneres Carignan – $19
• Murphy-Goode Cab Sauv – $20
• Wirra Wirra Church Block Cab Sauv – $20
• Chateau Robin Cotes De Castillion – $22
• Louis M. Martini Cab Sauv – $15-$20
• L’Oustal Blanc Minervois – $21
• Twenty Rows Cab Sauv – $23
• Oberon Cab Sauv – $24
• Molnar Family Pinot Noir – $26
• Douglas Green Shiraz Reserve – $20ish?
• Obsidian Ridge Cab Sauv – $29
• Patricia Green Pinot Noir – $30
• Hartford Zinfandel – $30
• Chateau Rollan de By Medoc – $30
• Louis Latour Domaine de Valmoissine Pinot Noir – $??
• Anne Amie Pinot Noir – $??

This lovely Pinot debuted on Valentine’s Day Eve with a simple meal of baked chicken with rosemary and roasted red pepper flakes, baked sweet potatos, and steamed broccoli. The garnet-colored Pinot was a great balance of bright fruit and supple tannins. I love a Pinot that shows off its fruit without being a fruit bomb, and this is an excellent example!

Although I can’t find a website for Arthur Wilbanks, the label describes the wine nicely (except for the usage of the “&” sign versus spelling out “and”… grammer nerd, I know!

Wine, like music, should be savored, cherished & involve the senses. Our gentle sloping vineyards rest in a cool maritime climate allowing a lengthy ripening period accentuating the smooth, succulent character. Soft & delicate with elusive tannins, red fruits, and carressing structure, our wine harmonizes with vast cuisine and lively conversation.

Also, this wine goes great with watching the Vancouver Winter Olympics!

Origin: Edna Valley, San Luis Obispo, California
Where: Highland Wine
Price: $12
Next time: Get a glass!

I had high hopes for this $13 California Cab. Unfortunately, I wasn’t overly impressed.

According to the website:

Our Rio Vaca estate vineyard lies 10 miles east of the famed Napa Valley, separated only by the craggy Vaca Mountains. Planted in ancient volcanic and alluvial soils, majestic 25-year-old vines produce grapes with complex and concentrated flavors.

The Vaca Cabernet Sauvignon was fermented in small, separate lots then aged in 60-gallon barrels. reserve lots of Syrah were cold-soaked prior to fermentation. Cold-soaking extracts darker, concentrated colors and fruits leaving behind harsh tannins.

The wine was aged 14 months in barrels, 25% new. a blend of 60% American, 20% French, and 20% Hungarian oak adds toasty vanilla, clove, and cedar highlights. the results is a dark wine, ruby in color, with ripe blackberry and plum flavors. Layered with velvety tannins, the finish is long and enduring.

The high acidity as well as the cedar and oak notes are the source of my sub-par opinion of the Vaca Cab, but if those characteristics appeal to you, give it a try.

Origin: California
Where: Highland Wine
Price: $13
Next time: I’ll pass.

A New Year’s Eve wine, this Molnar Family Pinot Noir was a treat to help ring in the new year during our celebrations with friends in Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Coincidentally, I’ve recently written about another wine called Obsidian Ridge – it just so happens that Molnar Family and Obsidian Ridge are made by the same great folks over at the Tricycle Wine Co. (remember the cool Fly Over video?) That’s one of the things I love about delving just a bit deeper into wine – you start running across the same names and the same locales… winemakers coming and going to different wineries, family-owned and generational vineyards, fun collaborations between top talent. You really start to see the wine community as an evolving organism in itself. And at the same time, it reminds me of the music industry – nothing is ever set in stone, each artist is always trying to create something new and different, maybe even inspiring… and it’s so fun when different artists join forces and learn from each other about the craft they love so much. I get the feeling it might be a similar world in the wine craft.

If you’re interested in the more technical aspects of the wine making as it relates to the climate and geological/topographical features of the land, then be sure to check out their description of the Poseidon Vineyard where these grapes originate (here’s a short snippet from their site):

At high tide the river tastes of salt, a reminder of the sea’s proximity and reach as well as an inspiration for the name Poseidon. Pacific winds blow through the Petaluma Gap from the west and bring cooling fog throughout the spring, summer, and fall, tempering the generosity of California sun. Although Poseidon was the god of water, in his additional role of god of earthquakes he created the uplifted Mayacamas Range, which provides the soils and gravel of our vineyard.

With this inaugural New Year’s Eve beauty, you’ll find a beautiful ruby-hued wine with very fresh berry flavors and a great balance with the tannins. If you like the Morande Pionero Pinot Noir, then you’d LOVE this Molnar (except for the price difference). Give it a try with this yummy baked brie and mushroom appetizer – you won’t be sorry! Even better, if you’re lazy in the kitchen like I am, don’t even worry about the thyme and just use pre-sliced, pre-washed white or baby bella mushrooms from the grocery store. Easy.

Origin: Carneros, Napa Valley, California
Where: Highland Wine
Price: $26
Next time: Get a glass!

Another Christmas wine (in conjunction with Le Signal’s Carignan), the Eos Estates Petite Syrah was a fun wine to try out. With family in town and a new dinner entree recipe (Cornish hens), my dad and I put this Petite Syrah to the test again the Le Signal – before and with both appetizer and the main course. You might remember that the Le Signal wasn’t so hot as a solo wine. It was just too tannic and overpowering on its own – with food, it was amazing though. On the other hand, the Eos Estate Petite Syrah was a dark garnet, purplish hue and so smooth and balanced on its own. It was  heavenly! Then with food, it just mellowed out a bit more, maintaining that wonderful smooth quality and less noticeable tannins. I think that’s what I’ve fallen in love with regarding Petite Syrahs (like another favorite, Spellbound).

You’ll find lots of fruit in this unbelievable wine, as described on their website tasting notes:

NOSE: Dark plum, raspberry, black cherry, and blueberry introduce this wine to the senses with hints of licorice, smoke, and leather.
MOUTH: Bright fruit of raspberry introduces the palate to the darker fruit characters of blackberry, cassis, and blueberry leading into rich velvety textures.
FINISH: A wonderful medium length finish with silky textures of leather, smoke, and bakers chocolate round out the wine.

Next family occasion – grab a bottle of this Eos Estate Petite Syrah (or their delicious Zinfandel) and give thanks :)

Origin: Paso Robles, California
Where: Highland Wine
Price: $16
Next time: Get a case!

This Obsidian Ridge Cab Sauv hails from Napa in California. It’s part of a wine group called Tricycle Wine Company (cute, huh?). I encourage you to check out a cool video on their site – get to know the three top wine dudes and their variety of vineyards.

When I picked up this new bottle at Highland Wine, they likened it to this other favorite of mine: Chateau Rollan de By Medoc. And they were right! This Cab is a little gem. I haven’t tasted these two favorites side by side, so I wonder which one I would like better – maybe that’s an experiment for the future.

This, like the last two posts, was one of my birthday tastings and ended up being my favorite one of the night. This Cab’s a bit on the lighter side for a Cab, but it still has enough tannins to stand up to a meal. Great flavors all around – highly recommended!

Definitely check out their website to view the Fly Over video I mentioned as well as the fun bios of the talented folks involved, as well as the story of how this vineyard came to be in the new Red Hills area of Napa.

Origin: Red Hills in Napa, California
Where: Highland Wine
Price: $30
Next time: Get a glass!