The Girls In The Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2017
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2017 was a perfect growing year. This wine has a pale straw yellow in color and aromas of fresh, ripe fruit along with hints of cut grass. Pear and honeysuckle weave through citrus notes and end with a tropical flourish. With each sip you feel the sun peeking out behind you to warm your shoulders. This is a perfectly balanced and luscious wine with many nuanced flavors.
Pair this with spicy dishes like curry, or with a summer salad.
Art+Farm founders, Rob & Kat McDonald have always done things their way. When Kat graduated from college and all her friends were getting jobs at McCann Erickson or Deloite, she packed a bag and moved to Australia. Upon returning to the US with her Australian husband, Rob, they set about importing Australian wine when most Americans didn’t know they produced wine in Australia. And not just any Australian wine. Old Bridge Cellars, their company, imported some of the most iconic wines from down under: D’Arenberg, Jasper Hill, Yarra Yering, Leeuwin Estate.
After selling Old Bridge Cellars in 2003, Rob and Kat planted vineyards in Australia and Napa Valley and started on their next chapter, understanding what made great wines- great – from the soil up. Not being content with just farming, Rob & Kat founded Art+Farm in 2008. Their girls in the vineyard wines saw incredible flavor at a great value for day to day drinking.
Rob was raised in the hills of Adelaide, South Australia. He was a Naval Officer, ran a pub, owned a bungee jumping company, loves to water ski and snowboard and has never been drunk under the table by anyone.
Kat, grew up in New Orleans, has a law degree she will only use if forced and can use the f-word as multiple parts of speech in a 4 word sentence. With their children, Rob & Kat call Napa Valley home.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
A warm inland area just north of Napa Valley, Lake County represents a new frontier for California winemaking. While Prohibition halted viticulture here just as it did in so many California regions, winemaking activity remained fairly insignificant for a few decades longer than others. Finally in the 1990s Lake County Sauvignon blanc—uniquely savory and fruity—earned the appellation a renewed reputation.
Lake County is comprised of a handful of unique American Viticultural Areas (AVAs).
Vineyards that settle into the hills on the west side of Clear Lake create the Clear Lake AVA and produce good quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon blanc and Zinfandel.
Recently the Red Hills AVA, located within the boundaries of the Clear Lake AVA, has become the focus of some of Napa’s more respected growers. Its notable volcanic and obsidian-based soils could be the source of California’s next best Cabernet Sauvignons. Andy Beckstoffer, a leader in recognizing prime Napa Valley vineyard locales, has already invested heavily in the area.
Guenoc Valley AVA produces fine examples of Petite Sirah, recognized for their voluptuous aromas of clove, cocoa, tobacco and deep red and blue berry flavors.
The High Valley AVA sits northeast of Clear Lake. This warm area boasts multiple soil types allowing growers a lot of flexibility and experimentation with grape varieties. While Sauvignon blanc is a mainstay, this zone excels with Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, as well as other less common varieties like Barbera and Tempranillo.