Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday.  I’m sorry for the lapse in posts, I was having too much fun in the California sunshine to spend any time inside on my computer.  I figured I’d start at the end and work my way backwards….on my last day at home we spent the day tasting on Spring Mountain.  We visited Guilliams and Sherwin, from “garagiste” to the “American dream” it was a gorgeous day filled with yummy wine.

First stop was Guilliams Vineyards.  I must admit the thought of tasting red wine starting at 10:30am was a little much, even for me, but these wines were delicious.  Smooth, well balanced, ripe fruit balanced by a minimum 2 years barrel aging in 40% new French Oak.  Best of all was the intimate tasting experience, what I like to call “garagiste” wine-making, or wine-making out of a garage.  Proof that you don’t need the fanciest equipment or tasting room, but a beautiful view and good wine on a sunny day do just fine.  My favorite was the 2009 Merlot.  I’m generally more of a Cab fan, but this Merlot was tasty!

We finished tasting at Guilliams and headed up the mountain to Sherwin Family Vineyards.  We had a fabulous picnic lunch in the sun and continued to taste.  My favorite here was the 2007 Dry Creek Syrah.  It was a beautiful dark garnet color, with tastes of ripe black fruit, and smooth tannins that led to a long smooth finish.

Sherwin Vineyards is the only American Winery with the Federal approval to place an image of the American flag on a wine bottle. The commemorative bottles were born out of an effort to raise money in the wake of September 11th and has been a collectible item ever since.

We were supposed to make a final stop at Barnett Vineyards but we ran out of time.  As we say, best to leave something for next time!  I made my way to the Evan’s Airporter with rosy cheeks, sad to leave but grateful for such a wonderful time at home!