• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Vindulge

BBQ and Grilling Recipes with Wine Pairings

  • Home
  • About
    • About Mary
    • Portfolio
    • TV Appearances
    • Work With Me
  • Cookbook
  • Wine
    • Food and Wine Pairing
  • All Recipes
  • Travel
  • Resources
    • Fundamentals For Learning How to Grill
    • Guide to Pellet Grills – Common Q and A
    • Best Pellet Grill – MAK Two Star General – Versatile American Made Pellet Smoker
    • Blogger Resources
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Shop Wines
  • Shop Products
  • Cookbook
  • All Recipes
  • Travel
  • Wine Guides
  • Connect with us!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • Ă—
    You are here: Home » Wine

    Wines you want to tell your friends about!

    July 8, 2009 By Mary Leave a Comment

    Sharing is caring!

    0 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Every once in a while we all run into a local business or find a particular product that we want to spread the word about.  For me, my favorite product is wine, and my favorite kinds of businesses to support are (of course) wineries, and I love discovering new wines that you don’t see in your average wine shop. 

    Years ago, when I first started going on weekend excursions to the many Northern California wine regions, the wineries that would stick out the most were the smaller family run places, not the huge castles where you feel more like you are on a ride at Disneyland than at a winery.  More often than not I found myself avoiding the huge production places and headed towards the smaller, off the beaten path, wineries instead.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t discriminate when it comes to the wines I actually drink (whether they come from a large production facility or a garage winery), but when I visit wine country there is something special and unique about discovering a new place and getting to know the people who actually make the wine, the people who started up the business, who work 7+ days a week, and visiting places where you can’t easily find the wine outside of that region, let alone their tasting room, and then bringing it home to share something new with your family and friends. 
    This next winery is one of those!

    Highway 12 Vineyards and Winery, Sonoma, CA

    IMG_0050

    I first met Highway 12 winemaker, Michael Sebastiani, when I was working at Cathedral Ridge Winery in Hood River, OR, where he is also the consulting winemaker for their wines.  In 2003, around the same time he began consulting for Cathedral Ridge, he also started up his own winery in Sonoma, CA, where he also lives.  His winery is small and run by about 3 people who do everything from the marketing, sales, cellar management, to winemaking, and everything else associated with running a small business.  Until recently, they didn’t even have a formal tasting room you could visit, but that changed at the end of 2008 when they opened up one on the busy Sonoma Plaza… and on my recent road trip through Sonoma I was finally able to visit it and taste through all of their current releases. 

    The tasting room is small and shared with a gift shop. No fancy castles or fountains, but it’s the perfect place to visit if you are making a stop at the Plaza, and how many of you have done a trip to Sonoma and NOT made a stop at the Plaza?!  This is one stop you shouldn’t miss!

    Now, although I’ve had some of their wines before, I still find you get a whole new experience when you taste through all the wines in a flight, in the wineries tasting room, described by those who made them.  Of all their wines the Chardonnays have always been among my favorite and this visit confirmed that for me.  The reds are great as well, but I believe Michael has a special talent for making outstanding Chardonnays. Their current tasting room lineup has about 8 red wines, but it was their smaller lineup of white wines that impressed me the most on this trip.

    Highlights…

    IMG_0053

    *2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma Valley
    Now, in all honestly I’ve never been a huge fan of Sauvignon Blancs in general. They can tend to be too grassy, grapefruity, and acidic for me.  Of course that isn’t always the case for some of the more minerally and mild Loire Valley Sauv Blancs.  But at the end of the day, I just honestly don’t crave Sauv Blanc all that much.  This one, however, could change things for me.  It didn’t have any of that harsh grassiness or strong pink grapefruit often associated with the New Zealand style.  It had subtle citrus flavors, with more fruit components of apple and pear, and less harsh acidity than I was expecting.  Good enough for me to buy some to share with my neighbors for the 4th of July! And that I did, and it was indeed a hit!   $14.50

    *2007 Carneros Chardonnay, Clasica
    Referring to the classic style of Chardonnay (pre-buttery oaky fad) this wine is balanced with fruit, body, and slight touches of neutral oak.  Beautifully balanced and the kind of wine I would gladly drink every day!  Seconds please ☺   $18.00

    *2007 Carneros Chardonnay, Nueva
    Yes, I do love the more fruit forward, minerally Chardonnays, but there is also something so intriguing to me about those that linger with butterscotch and caramel throughout.  This wine provided that and more.  More of a “new world” style Chard, this wine fits into the style that undergoes full malolactic fermentation and new oak barrel aging sur lees for the full-bodied rich style.  Yes, I am a fan of both!  $18.00

    XII Chardonnay
    I loved this wine when I first tried it. It created the perfect balance between the Clasica and Nueva, but stepped up quite a few notches (the best of both worlds so to speak).   The wine started with sweet caramel, caramel corn, and oak the nose, along with some lovely pineapple and apple notes.   I keep focusing on that caramel because there was even more caramel apple on the mouth followed by a slight spice component (and we all know that I love that caramel and butterscotch on my Chards… or at least you’d know if you actually followed this blog consistently).  The wine finished with a lingering spice and a buttery roundness.  The oak on this wine is there but by no means overpowering. Instead it contributes a sweet caramel and vanilla undertone that really gives this wine its structure.  This is the kind of wine that could easily convert those people who “think” they don’t like Chardonnay (you know who you are).
    (not available in the tasting room yet so not sure of the retail $)

    2007 Merlot, Carneros
    100% Merlot bottling from the cooler Carneros region is not very common, but when Michael was explaining this wine to us he described how it was a “surprise” that they were not expecting to have evolved so nicely.  As the wine aged in barrel for 16 months it developed smooth and deep fruit flavors typical of a true Merlot and they then decided to bottle it 100% Carneros Merlot instead of using it as a blending wine.  It was a very balanced and medium bodied Merlot that would easily stand up to rich bold red meats, or even on its own.  Seriously $18 bucks… come on!

    *2007 La Piaz
    za
    (blend of 55% Sangiovese, 27% Primitivo, 18% Zinfandel)
    Jammy, fruit forward, deep black cherry, black raspberry, and stewed tomato lead into a medium bodied wine.  The nose is bigger than the mouth, which was pleasing and somewhat lighter then you would have expected.  This will be a great summertime wine for BBQ’s or tomato based pasta dishes!  $32

    2006 Bordeaux Blend, Sonoma Valley
    Almost equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.  This wine I have had in the past, and I think it is consistently one of my favorite reds produced by Highway 12.  It has always come across with a rich and velvety texture.  Deep dark berry fruit with slight vanilla undertones on the finish, this is a full-bodied, rich and delicious wine and for $24 (for Sonoma), it’s pretty much a steal! 

    More to come (I bought a couple more wines that I want to specifically pair with food… so stay tuned for more from Highway 12)

    All in all these are good people making great wines at fantastic prices!  They represent the kind of good hardworking people you truly want to support and watch as their wines continue to get better and better.  So give them a visit the next time you’re in Sonoma. Believe me, they are the kind of wines you’ll want to tell your friends about!  For more information about Highway 12 wines check out their website.  

    (*Denotes wines I ended up purchasing from their Tasting Room) 

    « Pretty in Pink
    It’s not all about the white wines in the summertime »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Mary-Cressler-Sept-2015-smI'm Mary, a wine/food/travel writer, Certified Sommelier, mom of twins, former vegetarian turned BBQ fanatic, runner, and founder of Vindulge and author of Fire + Wine cookbook.  Thanks for stopping by!

    Learn More...

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

    Just Released | Get Your 3-Pack

    Three bottles of Vindulge Red Wine BBQ Sauce

    Fire and Wine Cookbook Cover.

    What’s on our Grill

    Grilled Tofu steaks topped with BBQ Sauce with a jar of Vindulge Red Wine BBQ Sauce on a platter

    Grilled BBQ Tofu – How to Grill Tofu

    A BBQ Chicken Pizza on a serving platter

    Neapolitan Style BBQ Chicken Pizza

    Perfectly cooked filet mignon topped with blue cheese, bacon, and caramelized onions on a serving platter.

    Perfectly Grilled Filet Mignon with Bacon and Blue Cheese

    Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs on a platter coated with Vindulge Red Wine BBQ Sauce

    Grilled Boneless and Skinless Chicken Thighs with BBQ Sauce

    More

    As Seen On

    Products we love

    taking the temperature of a porchetta roast on the grill
    We use Thermoworks Signals BBQ Alarm to monitor the internal temperature of the meat while it’s cooking, then double check with an instant read thermometer, like the Thermapen One.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Portfolio
    • TV Appearances
    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Exclusive member of Mediavine Food

    Copyright © 2023 Vindulge

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    0 shares