SIP OF THE WEEK
The Wine
Today’s Sip of the Week is a wine that I fell in love with when I received it in my wine club order a few years ago. It’s a 2018 Gloria Ferrer Reserve Pinot Noir Rust Rock Vineyard. This is a delicious, elegant, medium-bodied red wine. I decided this was going to be my first Sip of the Week in honor of Thanksgiving - I always love Pinot Noir at Thanksgiving!
The Story
If you are not familiar with Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyards, here is a little background. It is the first sparkling winery in Carneros, Sonoma California (I will be reviewing some of their bubbly in future posts).
Jose Ferrer came here in the 1980’s and settled in Carneros before it became an AVA (American Viticultural Area). It was the ideal climate for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, so perfect for sparkling wine with its warm days, cool nights and long growing season. The grapes mature slowly and have balanced sugar and acidity.
The first grapes were planted in 1984 and the winery opened in 1986. They have two ranches - Home and Circle Bar - where Pinot Noir is planted in the rocky, volcanic soils on the highest ridge, and Chardonnay is planted in the clay-rich soils on the lower sections. Grapes are harvested at night to ensure quality and conserve energy.Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyard makes Pinot Noir dominant sparkling wines, but their still wines are just as enjoyable. I honestly loved this wine with my Thanksgiving meal this week!
The Food
Tasting Notes:
Ripe black plum
Black cherry
A little spicy
Earthy loam
Hint of anise on the finish
Food and Dessert Pairings
You are going to want to pair this wine with anything with salted caramel in it. It also goes beautifully with dark chocolate, so think chocolate torte or dark chocolate truffles. Try it with oatmeal cookies with raisins, too.
For a savory option, pair this with roast turkey, sage stuffing, root vegetables and anything with mushrooms. Salmon and assorted cheeses like brie, gouda, and manchego also go well with this Pinot Noir. The important thing in pairing Pinot Noir with food is the earthier the food is, the better (that’s why it goes so well with a mushroom dish).