'Til we meet again...

     If you haven't already heard from the scuttle in one of the Carmel Valley tasting rooms...we are taking a leave of absence from our wine blog.  The blog is not coming down, though, so if you need to reference a Carmel Valley winery or beyond, you will still be able to locate appropriate links on our site.

     It has been almost three and a half years since we started this venture.  We've loved every minute--and glass--of it.  It has been a fun, educational run.  And we've so enjoyed sharing all we learned and experienced on our many wine adventures, here and there. 

     
     Thank you for tuning into our wine musings.  Here's a toast to you, to friendship, and to good wine.   Salute!

A New Twist on Wine

            There's something new in the valley-- a wine from Lodi. As the co-founder of the winery, Josh Ruiz, a Carmel Valley resident said, "I wanted to get Lodi out of Lodi."  We're glad he did.

          Called Twisted Roots, the wines are created from estate grapes from vines planted by the family in 1918. The winery's name came from a twisted root the family dug up from that original vineyard.

          The winery has a tasting room in the Lyonshead Gallery at 12 Delfino Place in Carmel Valley Village.  Opened Friday through Sunday, 11:30 to 5 ish, they have four wines to taste for $5, a very good deal. 

          We started with the 2010 Chardonnay which was unique in that it had a green tart clean beginning and a buttery ending. The technique was to process 2/3 of the juice in French oak and 1/3 in stainless.  We think Josh got what he wanted which was not a "big butter bomb."

          Next Josh served the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon because it was lighter than the two red wines to follow.  It, indeed, was a light, easy drinking Cabernet that just won a gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

          The 2010 Petit Syrah, their flagship wine, came next.  It had a blackberry fruit nose and taste.  It was definitely "bigger" than the Cabernet.

          We finished the tasting with the "1918" Old Vine Zinfandel. It is big, fruity, smooth and a touch sweeter than the Petit Syrah.  We loved this wine.  And we felt it was a good value at $35.

          We liked what we tasted and we liked what we heard about this winery's values. The winery is certified green and sustainable.  For every bottle sold, one dollar goes to the ALS Foundation for research into Lou Gehrig's disease to honor one of their co-founders who has the disease.  Plus, they donate money to the MEarth at the Hilton Bialek Habitat at Carmel Middle School.  As Josh said, the family "wants to make good quality wine and give back to their communities." 

          Both the Mission Ranch and Tarpy's serve Twisted Roots wines.  And, of course, you can have a full tasting right in Carmel Valley (831 594 8282) or in Lodi by appointment (916 300-2416).

          We're glad we discovered Twisted Roots.  We like their wines and we like their values.