The Diva Loves Her Pinot Noir - And So Does the NY Times!

Hey Divas, if you've been following my blog, then you've been reading my frequent wine tasting notes. While Kuzak and I love a variety of wines, our cellar focuses on California wines, and in particular, those from the Central Coast. In particular we love Syrah and Rhone blends, and also Pinot Noir. Well, a bit behind the curve, but the NY Times has just published an article on California Pinor Noir producers (click here for the NY Times article). The article describes the phenomenon of California pinot noir producers, citing the fact that their wines had gotten too big for their britches, pulling them back into a lighter, more Burgundian style.

For many years, I found myself complaining about the wines out here being too alcoholic to the point of overwhelming the fruit, and found myself turning to French wines for relief. But in recent years, Kuzak began seeking out wonderful, small producers and collecting local wines, completely changing my mind about California wines. I won't go so far as to say I scooped the NY Times again, but to put it in Kuzak's words, "I could have written this article!" Followed by, "Oh Crap, now the secret it out! Guess I better re-up my orders quick."

In recent posts, I've cited several of the wines they feature in this article, including Copain, one of the nearest and dearest to my heart. The article leads with Wells Guthrie, Copain's winemaker. In addition to their divalicious pinot noir, they make unbelievable syrah. Included in this article I wrote, is a review of one of Copain's Syrahs (click here) and scroll to the bottom of the recipe.

Also, Rivers-Marie is one of our favorite producers, and we love their pinot noir, but also their little known cabernet. Click here for a post that reviews a bottle of their cabernet and scroll to the bottom of the recipe, and click here for a general post on Rivers-Marie.

And, just the other day, I posted that my best wine I'd had in months was a pinot noir from The Ojai Vineyward, also mentioned by the NY Times. Click here and scroll to the bottom of the recipe for my review.

Anthill is another you'll find in abundance in our cellar. See the article for their full list!