celebrating the farmer

woman on wine with amy reiley This month’s Woman on Wine is inspired by my recent trip to visit an iconic American vineyard. In this country, it’s generally a winemaker or winery’s reputation that gives a wine cachet. But on occasion, it’s the grower who looks after the grapes, who lends wines bearing his vineyard’s name a certain distinction. This is certainly the case with Bien Nacido, one of America’s finest vineyards and arguably the place that earned Santa Barbara County it’s reputation for producing some of the nation’s finest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Here are just a few Bien Nacido winners to whet your palate. But believe me, the wines below are only a few of the highlights you’ll discover when you start looking for labels bearing the Bien Nacido name!

Alta Maria
2009 Chardonnay
Made from a combination of Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills fruit, the wine is intensely focused with fall fruit flavors, a lovely texture and faint spice on the finish.

Foxen
2009 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Block UU
Up front, the wine seems simply pretty, with loads of apple and pear. But as it rolls across the tongue a zing of citrus acid, the heat of ginger and a hint of bitter orange blossom add excitement.

La Fenetre
2009 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido ‘Old Vines’
Made from some of the most sought after grapes on all of California’s Central Coast, the ‘Old Vines’ is some serious Pinot, with floral notes, velvet tannins and lots of spice.

Paul Lato
2009 Bien Nacido Syrah
A big, luscious, American Syrah, it smells of violets, tastes likes freshly picked blueberries and blackberries and finishes with a hint of earth and olive.

Qupe
2008 Bien Nacido Syrah
This is a Bien Nacido vineyard classic. Raspberry and blueberry flavors up front are backed up by cola, spice and just a hint of pepper at the back of the palate.