Location means everything - in business as well as in grape growing.
Anyone who is into wines knows of famous wine areas, such as the Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Willamette Valley. There are however, other areas, where grapes and wines can stand up to the best of them. One of these areas is California's Edna Valley, located in the San Luis Obispo region. The area was known for the quality of its grapes during the early days of California, and was considered the home of the finest wines being made there at that time.
With the growth of the wine industry, the action moved to the more northern counties and the vineyards near San Louis Obispo almost disappeared. One die-hard, grape-growing maverick believed in the area and established Edna Valley Vineyard. Edna Valley Vineyard was added to the E. & J. Gallo portfolio, which made the assurance that the label will continue producing fine wines for many years to come.
Edna Valley Vineyard Central Coast 2011 Merlot ($18)If this wine suffers the fate of the 2010 Merlot, it will be swept off of dealers' shelves almost immediately. While we believe it will, it will be your loss.
At a time when some merlots are getting weak and wimpy, this wine explores the true heart of the variety.
Central Coast wines are noted for their big, fruity flavor and aroma, and this wine proves that statement to be absolutely correct. This is a big wine with berry and plum being the most obvious in the aroma. Big dark cherries and black plums are the predominant flavor in the Edna Valley Vineyard Central Coast 2011 Merlot. There is also the telltale merlot background of cedar and oak with just a hint of vanilla, followed by a long and fruity finish.
This merlot is the perfect accompaniment for beef and lamb dishes as well as a host of grilled foods.
Edna Valley Vineyard Central Coast 2012 Sauvignon Blanc ($15)This is a very easy drinking wine and is typical of a California sauvignon blanc in that it does not accent the grassy flavor that is sometimes associated with this variety.
Both the aroma and the flavor stress the melon and grapefruit characteristics of the grape, while maintaining a slight fruit sweetness. This bit of sweetness raises this wine from the ordinary to the position of an impeccable sipping wine.
The Edna Valley Vineyard Central Coast 2012 Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect wine to accompany shell fish and other lightly prepared seafood dishes, but it is also a wine to serve with summer fresh fruit salads, with or without mild cheese, and pasta dishes with light white sauces.
Edna Valley Vineyard Central Coast 2010 Pinot Noir ($22)We will start by admitting that we are pinot noir lovers and must admit to being partial to the variety. We have enjoyed pinot noir wines from every corner of the world, and we definitely have our favorites.
The Edna Valley Vineyard Central Coast 2010 Pinot Noir is a rare find among pinot noir wines made in the United States - or anywhere else for that matter. In our opinion, this wine can stand head and shoulders with any pinot noir made anywhere in the world.
This wine displays a dark ruby color, achieved only by pinot noir wines that have been carefully made. The wine exhibits a broad spectrum of flavors, with cherries, plums and wild summer berries being the most prominent. There are also a host of other flavors lying in the background, with oak and an earthy mushroom flavor being the most obvious.
This well-made wine is drinkable now or can be laid down for as long as five years to gain additional complexity and depth. It may be a new favorite.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and helps manage ArticlesOnWine.com with his wife, Sheila. He can be reached at frojhe@suddenlink.net.
