When in Rombi

….Think Big.

You may be wondering, where is Rombi?  The answer is just up the road in Carmel Valley.  This new estate winery released its first season of wines last year in 2010, twelve years after planting the vineyard in 1998.   We were lucky enough to catch Sal Rombi and his partner Kathy pouring their first glass of wine at the "Winemakers Uncorked" event in the Corkscrew Café in Carmel Valley.

Sal is a local, having grown up in Monterey and attending Junipero Serra, back in the day when it was also a high school.  He is a well-established and respected real estate professional, but his passion for winemaking has been steadily growing for the last 15 years.

The tasting on Sunday included two 2006 estate grown reds, the Merlot and the Cabernet Sauvignon.  My friends and I started with the Merlot.  We all thought the wine was bold, intricate and luscious.  One friend, who is not particularly partial to Merlot, thought it was fabulous.  With only 50 cases produced, this is truly a specialty wine.

Next, as the crowd began to grow, we tasted the Cabernet.  Wow, what a full-bodied, earthy, smoky rich wine.  It led us to talk about how deliciously it would pair with rack of lamb or venison.  The flavor and complexity of the wine just kept coming and we eventually bought a bottle.  Now we're looking forward to the occasion when we can open this special bottle and enjoy its contents.  We left the restaurant thinking about when we will have occasion to open this special bottle.

If you want to see more about Rombi wines, check out their website. It has some interesting videos which will give you a feeling for the vineyard and Sal’s excitement and passion for winemaking.  http://www.rombiwines.com/index.php   Rombi wine club ships four bottles bi-annually and there is also an invitation to the annual Harvest Celebration in the Fall.  

 Sounds like fun…so, when in Rombi think Reds, and think Big!