Enjoy authentic California flavors with the Benziger Family Winery
It's been more than two decades since Mike and Mary Benziger first drove up Sonoma Mountain and saw the overgrown ranch that would become Benziger Family Winery. Today, more than two dozen Benzigers live on and around the Benziger estate. And the Benzigers have become the unofficial First Family of Sonoma, extending warm stewardship to both the land they farm and the community where they live.
Guided by the belief that a healthy, Biodynamic environment yields the highest quality fruit through natural disease and weed protection, the Benziger vineyard is a model of holistic farming.
The Benzigers have practiced natural pest control since 1987, replacing all pesticides with wildlife sanctuaries that attract mites and bugs that prey on insects harmful to grapevines. Through careful crop rotations, biological composts and other natural practices, the Benzigers also combat erosion, control vine vigor and discourage the growth of weeds.
Thanks to its successes, the entire 85-acre Benziger estate has become a research and teaching center for the cultivation of grapes with more flavor, intensity and site-specific vineyard character. And to help promote the authentic California flavors they've been able to produce, the Benzigers continue to share their farming knowledge and experience with their longtime grower partners throughout Sonoma County.
The Benziger Family Winery develops its distinctive wines using three levels of earth-friendly farming practices:
- Biodynamic is the highest form of organic farming. It goes beyond the elimination of all chemical inputs and focuses on working with the natural environment to help the soil keep itself balanced.
- Organic growing avoids the use of synthetic chemicals. Instead, it promotes natural methods like crop rotation, tillage and natural composts to maintain soil health and control weeds, insects and other pests.
- Farming for FlavorsTM is an advanced farming program for all Benziger growers that are not already certified Biodynamic or Organic. It challenges growers to use sound environmental techniques to cultivate grapes with more site-specific characters, flavors and aromas.
Buy Benzinger Merlot Now!
This Month's Featured Varietal: Merlot
The distinguished Merlot grape has played an important role in its native France and has recently gained acclaim among California winemakers and the wineconsuming public. In Bordeaux, it is the principal grape of the Pomerol and St. Emilion districts, and it's the third most planted black variety in all of France.
Merlot grapes are lower in tannins than most grapes, making wines that mature faster and are softer in texture. As a blending grape, Merlot adds softness and complexity to the more astringent Cabernets. In California, Merlot was virtually unknown until it was planted during the Cabernet boom of the 1970s to serve as a secondary grape.
On its own, Merlot makes a lovely wine with all the richness of Cabernet, though it's softer and therefore ready to enjoy with less aging. Currently, the better California Merlots command prices similar to the top Cabernet Sauvignons and, in some cases, winemakers are now adding a bit of Cabernet to their Merlot wines, reversing the traditional roles of these two noble grapes.
Merlot wines are always dry, range in color from ruby to very dark garnet and, as with most reds, are most enjoyable at cool room temperature.
Wine Tasting Notes
Smaller, tulip-shaped glasses are best for serving white wines. The narrower glass concentrates the wines' delicate aromas. Larger, balloon-shaped glasses are better for red wines and their more robust aromas.
Instead of sniffing the cork to evaluate a bottle of wine, try squeezing it. If there's a little moisture in the cork, that's a good sign. It tells you the seal was tight, and the quality of the wine has been maintained.
Decanting a wine - pouring it carefully from a bottle into an empty pitcher - removes the sediment that can occur with aging and infuses a wine with oxygen to soften its flavors.
Start Your Own Wineclub
Wine clubs are a great way to try new wines, compare your opinions and share a fun evening with friends-all at the same time. Clubs are growing in popularity all over the country, and here are a few hints for getting your own club started:
- Build your club with people who share the same level of wine knowledge so you can all learn together.
- Be creative with your wine themes. You can compare different bottles of the same varietal, wines from the same region or country, or even wines bottled in the same year.
- Set a price limit everyone's comfortable with.
- Have every member email you the name of the wine they're bringing. Print sheets ahead of time listing each wine with space for people to write comments.
- Taste your wines carefully in small sips. Keep a pitcher or bowl handy for dumping your unfinished wines, and rinse all your glasses between bottles.
- Consider blind tastings- with the wine bottles hidden in numbered bags- if your group has a more advanced wine knowledge.
- Provide light foods to accompany your club meetings. They'll help keep your get-togethers feeling like parties, and they'll slow the absorption of alcohol.
- If you can rotate your club meetings between members' houses, great. Otherwise, try to work out a pricing deal with a local restaurant that can give you a private party room.
Food Recipes to Enjoy with Wine
ROTINI WITH GOAT CHEESE
Top
|
