There's something that feels a little decadent about sitting down at the end of the day with a glass of lush cabernet - its rich, dark cherry color and flavors laced with spice. Or maybe the crisp, citrus chill of a Sauvignon Blanc is what soothes your soul and compliments your meal. More and more of us are choosing wine to enhance the flavors of fine foods, or simply as an experience to be enjoyed with friends or while relaxing at the end of the day. With the surge in popularity of California wines, a growing number of vineyards are giving us even more reasons to enjoy the fruits of their labor by joining the movement to commit to environmental stewardship and responsible farming methods.
When perusing the "Enticing Reds" section of the Paul Martin's wine list, consider the 2005 Petite Syrah from Quixote Winery in Napa. This winery credits their organic farming practices and the "rich, living soil" on their 27-acre family vineyard with their continued harvests of luscious fruit. They describe the Petite Syrah as "loaded with that fruit-salad mix of blueberries and dark berries mingling with black pepper and spice."
If a robust yet refined Cabernet is more your style, consider the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from Kelly Fleming Wines. The Calistoga vineyard's winemaker, Celia Welch, was named 2008 Winemaker of the Year by Food and Wine Magazine, and produces some of the most sought after wines in California. Proprietor Kelly Fleming's extensive research has resulted in planting only a small percentage of the 300 acre property with organically grown vines, so that the environmental balance of the surrounding land is retained. She has also introduced honey-bee hives to pollinate vineyard cover crops and promote native plant reseeding to further enhance the rich sustainability of the property.
Surely you can feel virtuous about drinking an organic wine, but is that where the pleasure ends? The dedicated expertise of the Fleming Wine team has produced a Cabernet described by the winemaker as "showing dark cherry and spiced plum aromas most intensely, with undercurrents of cedar, bay, oak leaf…the aromas of the steep forested mountains which surround the vineyard. On the palate, the wine is rich, soft, and lush, yet retains fresh fruit acidity and a sense of balance."
Fleming's 2008 Oakville Sauvignon Blanc is dry, with "bright, crisp acidity and yet a silky texture which demonstrates that light bodied wines can also display softness and elegance." Clearly this new generation of winemakers has found a way to utilize the best of responsible farming practices without sacrificing even a hint of the wine lover's experience.
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