Winemaker Notes
Notes of apricot, Haitian orange and marzipan.
Blend: 40% Chenin Blanc, 25% Pinot Gris, 25% Riesling, 10% Verdelho
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: What do I think about orange wines? My friend Shelley Lindgren, Proprietor of A-16, once poured me a glass. I looked at it, swirled it, and drank it. It was pleasant but different. I didn't know what to say. I could see a market for it, but I had to put the wine into the eclectic pantry. The 2018 Field Recordings Skins— the name of this wine is appropriate. This category of wine is all about skin, flavors, and tannins. TASTING NOTES: This wine is pleasant. Its aromas and flavors of bitter almonds and dried citrus peel makes it an easy drink and should pair with a savory Georgian tomato-based veal stew accented with Bermuda onions and sweet, fully-ripened red peppers. Hey Shelley, this is my follow-up to my introduction to orange wine. (Tasted: June 12, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
The largest and perhaps most varied of California’s wine-growing regions, the Central Coast produces a good majority of the state's wine. This vast California wine district stretches from San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara along the coast, and reaches inland nearly all the way to the Central Valley.
Encompassing an extremely diverse array of climates, soil types and wine styles, it contains many smaller sub-AVAs, including San Francisco Bay, Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Edna Valley, Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Maria Valley.
While the Central Coast California wine region could probably support almost any major grape varietiy, it is famous for a few Central Coast reds and whites. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel are among the major ones. The Central Coast is home to many of the state's small, artisanal wineries crafting unique, high-quality wines, as well as larger producers also making exceptional wines.