Scarborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc

This has been one of my favorite summer wines since I first discovered it in 2012. It's crisp and just a little fruity-- perfect on a warm summer day. I fell in love with this wine even before I knew it was from New Zealand (not that I know what difference that makes!).

However, wines seem more fun to me now because I like to look them up and learn more about where they come from and where and how the grapes are grown. This Starborough Sauvignon Blanc is from New Zealand, and I gladly admit that I love wines with caps that screw off so that I don't have to struggle with finding a cork screw, or when I'm out and about, hunting down something to pull out a cork! 

For instance, I didn't know, until I looked it up, that this winery is located on New Zealand's south island. The winery's website also has a special page dedicated to this wine. I love the winemaker notes which explain the specifics of the weather and how it affected the grape in any given year. 

It's rare that a wine sticks with me the way this one has... but it's clearly a winner!

Summer Wine

Ah-- I'm trying to decide whether today will be my Friday or whether tomorrow will be Friday... Choices, choices ! It's sunny and in the high eighties, with some humidity. White wine should help me in the decision making process, and I will admit I bought this one purely because I liked the label! Stay tuned to see how this one plays out...

POSTSCRIPT Verdict: I could definitely taste the pear notes in this wine. It's fresh and when you pour it seems to fizz a bit, almost like a sparkling wine. But- it is a true light summer white wine, very fresh and light. This wine comes from Mason Cellars in California's Sacramento Delta area. This Pinot Gris has won an award from Wine Spectator as the best value wine. So one of my questions was What's the difference between a pinot grigio and a pinot gris? I didn't know this either so I did some quick research-- a pinot grigio is the Italian version of the French pinot gris and typically has a more citrus flavor. They both come from the same grape, originally grown in the Alsace region of France (now grown all over the world), but the Italian Pinot Grigio became popular for it's light bodied white wine. the French Pinot Gris is a fuller bodied white wine. 

Since my recent tour of sustainable wine growing vineyards through Sonoma County, I was interested in checking out Mason Cellars online. Unfortunately, they don't discuss sustainable grape growing practices, (Yes, I can now say the words "sustainable viticulture" without tripping my tongue!)  so I'll assume they haven't reached that point yet. 

Wine Growing Sustainability Tour

One of the perks offered by ASA is a specialized pre-conference tour emphasizing some topics relevant to sociology. And so it was that I spent yesterday traipsing through 3 vineyards in Sonoma County-- each known for using biodynamic agricultural farming practices. What is biodynamic wine farming, you ask? It's farming without using pesticides or herbicides or fertilizer. In other words, it's organic and sustainable. The vineyard owners use nothing that can change the soil or otherwise change the ecosystem it farms on.

Our first tour and tasting was at Benziger Winery where I fell in love with sustainable wine farming and immediately ordered 6 bottles to be shipped home! It was fun to taste the grapes right from the vine and note things like the color of the grape and the texture of its skin...

That's why we could pick grapes straight from the vine and taste them!

Next it was a stop at Hamel Wineries- a relatively new endeavor and a small winery. I fell in love with their Rose which had a Grenache grape (it's so fun to name drop with a little bit of knowledge !) and a beautiful color! Had several bottles of it shipped home also.

Last, we stopped at GunlachBundschau and after I tasted two of their whites, even while sloshing and spitting all day-- I was done tasting wines! Hard to believe but true!

Most of these wineries are about 30-40 acres, and as we were told on the tour, it takes a large fortune to make a small fortune in this business. Most of these wineries are family owned, and don't make much money but do this truly for the love of it. It also helps to keep the land in the family. 

Wine Labels As Art

I will admit that I've bought bottles of wine just because I've liked their label. Sometimes I just can't help myself, and I walk through the liquor store snapping pictures of wine bottles under the suspicious eyes of the shop owners. Here is one collection of wine bottle labels...

New Red Wine

Love this new red wine! When the wine store Next to the UPS store didn't have my usual Bolla Bardolino, I opted for this one. The label says this is a dry red but it tastes very smooth! This is a Montepulciano from the Abruzzo region in Italy and I can't remember the last time I drank a Montepulciano! Years ago we used to buy Montepulciano wines by the case, but then we opted to explore other reds. I often go in and out of red wine modes-- and have been on a Sauvignon Blanc kick for quite a while. But now, I'm rediscovering some wonderful reds! This particular wine is called Cantina Zaccagnini, and while it isn't the cheapest at $16.99 a bottle, but it is well worth the price.

Postscript: This wine has received good reviews from others who have tried it. Both The Savvy Lush and Moms Who Need Wine have tried this one and liked it. However, I think I may have overpaid for mine because everyone else seems to quite prices between $12.99 and $14.99 per bottle. Oh well, I guess that's Greenville!

Summer Wine

It's seldom that I like a wine well-enough to buy it 3 times in a row, but this New Zealand Starborough Sauvignon Blanc has had a spell on me! It's a light, crisp summer wine, and I recommend this wholeheartedly!

Santiago Station-- My New Favorite Sauvignon Blanc

I've discovered a new favorite Sauvignon Blanc-- Santiago Station! It hails from the central Valley in Chile-- and since I spent some wonderful time in January 2006 studying in the hills outside Santiago-- this is my favorite wine (for the moment)! This wine has the crisp, fruity flavor of green apples. Plus-- like the white wines from New Zealand, it comes with a screw cap so it's easier to open!

I was in the Valle central in Chile in 2006. My doctoral program held a two week study abroad trip with the intention of studying without "normal" life's distractions posed by our jobs, families, etc. We studied Maturana and Varela, and talked at length about autopoiesis. Initially we were supposed to meet with Maturana and he was to be our guest lecturer, but at the last minute his handlers refused to meet unless we paid him a huge sum of money-- which none of us, nor GWU, could afford. The course for which we all got credit was Human Existence, and I was the TA (teaching assistant). Our classroom was situated in the Chilean countryside at a retreat place remotely situated an hour outside Santiago.

It was a glorious time-- we were all doctoral students full of energy and enthusiasm that we were learning something and capable of changing the world. We were studying in a different culture, experiencing a language barrier, and learning so much more about ourselves as we listened to our professors' lectures, engaged in discussion, and started our days with peaceful meditations and yoga.

The setting was perfect-- a small "country hotel" in the foothills of the Central Valley. In our group was a married couple who had the dubious pleasure of being greeted by a scorpion crawling up the wall in their room at night! The accommodations were very simple, and the hospitality was magnificent!

We took sidetrips through Valle Central- where we got the grand tour of the new Chilean wine vineyard started with French vines. The French studied the soil and the climate of the Central Vally for 10 years before commiting to establishing vineyards there. The new vinyards are a pleasant alternative to seeing sad, barren mountains having been deforested over time.

Now- several years later some of us are still plowing through "the process"-- and even though that part of it is frustrating-- the whole experience was life-changing!

Sileni Winery- Sustainable

Last summer I found my first sustainable wine, and now I've found the second-- Sileni makes a great Sauvignon Blanc and it's just great to know this crisp white wine came from a sustainable vineyard. As much as I enjoy wine, it's hard to think about how white growing and making impacts the environment. Granted, as my son was quick to point out, this wine was shipped 5,000 miles to the USA. However, the Sileni organization has an impressive website explaining how they've earned the title "sustainable winery." Check out the weblink below: http://www.sileni.co.nz/sustainable-winegrowing.asp

Sustainable Wine Growing

Well, since last night I've had a chance to search the Parducci winery online (http://www.parducci.com/), and it looks like this wine grower really does run a sustainable operation! They mention everything from the inks used on the labels, reducing the use of fossil fuels, to a strategic plan for reducing its carbon footprint and battling climate change. A simple google search for wine growing practices and the environmental impact of growing wine revealed that LOTS of water is used in growing wine, and it's really helpful if the water can be recycled. ative environmental impacts of wine dustry include the carbon footprint creaed by transportation, as well as the packaging. Another quick internet search showed that Frog's Leap wine, in California rates the highest in "green" ratings. When you think about it, growing grapes takes up lots of land, and the ultimate result of wine production creates a product that uses packaging including glass bottles and foils. Most of the time these bottles are added to the trash heap. Truthfully, I never really thought about the impact of producing wine... after discovering Parducci it really makes me think about this so much more! This wine grower really does practice being "sustainable"! I can't wait to try their other wines and visit this winery, and I'm also going to be more conscientious about the wines I buy and will look for more wines grown closer to home so as to reduce my wine carbon footprint!

Finally, The Wine!

OK- so this blog is called "The Wine Sisters Book Club" and so far my posts have been about books, so you might ask what about the wine? Tonight I'm in Atlanta getting ready for 4 days of intense conference gatherings and session attending! I picked up one of those small (meant as wine for 2 glasses) bottles of Parducci Chardonnay Vintage 2008 from the Mendocino, CA vinyards. From the label I see that this is a "family owned" label with a "sustainable winegrowing" mark on the label. Not sure what that means... The back of the label lists the qualities that, I guess, explain what sustainable winegrowing is. The list includes * locally owned and operated; * grapes from family farms; * sustainable farming practices; * 100% green power; * earth friendly packaging; and * carbon neutral. OK- all noble I'm sure but the wine still comes in a bottle with a metal screw cap (to make it user friendly for hotel guests), so by my count it still contributes to the waste system, right?

I really don't know a thing about wines except there are reds and there are whites. Some are heavy and some are light. Then there is the dry factor, and I'm finding that I like dry wines over sweeter ones.

OK- now for the taste test-- nice aroma... I sense a touch of sweetness in this chardonnay and I'm not sure that I like it. However, it will not go to waste!