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Case only
White
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $11.52
This wine represents the best of grapes grown in Monterey County. Our Chardonnay exudes flavors with grace and...
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White
750ml
Bottle: $19.94 $22.08
12 bottles: $19.54
A straightforward white, with fruit cocktail flavors and a short finish. Drink now. 6,000 cases made.
White
750ml
Bottle: $41.94
12 bottles: $41.10
• 100% Chardonnay. • Old Wente selection planted in 1999 by Ulises Valdez on Goldridge Soil in a block of...
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Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $21.35
A lush, full-bodied Zinfandel that blaze dark berry, earth and grassy aromas that complement a rich and complex...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.48 $18.40
12 bottles: $14.64
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White
750ml
Bottle: $28.93 $29.68
12 bottles: $24.48
Subtle flavors of pear, apple and white melon make for a pleasant nose on this countywide cuvée. The palate is...
WE
90
Sale
White
750ml
Bottle: $11.11 $11.70
12 bottles: $8.55
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White
750ml
Bottle: $18.36 $20.40
12 bottles: $16.63
Blanc de Bleu, a sparkling wine with an added hint of blueberries, is a delicate wine reserved for memorable...
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White
750ml
Bottle: $17.56 $18.48
12 bottles: $13.18
Rich, creamy texture and medium-bodied; tropical notes and aromas of pineapple, mango and ripe peach. Toasted coconut...
White
750ml
Bottle: $14.73
12 bottles: $13.99
Ours is not a buttery, oaky Chard. It sees no malolactic fermentation and no oak so you get a dry and bright palate...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.64 $19.60
12 bottles: $15.83
Deep red and purple in color, this wine has welcoming aromas of dark fruits with a tinge of licorice. A sip reveals a...
Rapid Ship
White
750ml
Bottle: $9.99
An initial impression of rich, buttery cream quickly turns to aromas of honey and lightly toasted almonds, followed...
White
750ml
Bottle: $19.60
12 bottles: $15.83
The brilliant light green and golden straw hue of our Estate Chardonnay hints at the depth of flavor that unfolds in...
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White
750ml
Bottle: $46.94 $51.59
Nestled between the shore of the upper Russian River and a blue heron nesting site and preserve, the Blue Heron Ranch...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $14.64 $15.41
12 bottles: $11.52
This Zinfandel offers aromas of blueberry, black stone fruit and black pepper. Polished tannins and flavors of...
White
750ml
Bottle: $17.90
12 bottles: $16.63
Eye: Canary yellow diamond core, flaxen rim, gemstone clarity. Nose: Night blooming jasmine, tropical guava,...
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.94 $15.17
12 bottles: $13.66
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White
750ml
Bottle: $20.59 $22.88
12 bottles: $12.35
The 2022 Chardonnay is a fresh and vibrant wine with stone fruit aromas and tropical citrus flavors. Rich and...
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White
750ml
Bottle: $27.43 $30.48
12 bottles: $22.80
Focused aromas of white flower, cashew cream and coconut flesh doused in lime juice show on the nose of this bottling...
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92
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Red
750ml
Bottle: $15.38 $17.09
12 bottles: $13.18
This racy red is loaded with pepper flavors, along with fresh, vibrant notes of cherry, sweet anise and cinnamon that...
WS
90

Chardonnay Zinfandel United States California Lodi Mendocino County Monterey County

Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one which has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is the Chardonnay. This green skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape, and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.

The precise origins of what became known as the Zinfandel grape variety are uncertain, although it has clear genetic equivalents in both Puglia and Croatia. However, when it was brought to the New World in the mid 19th century, it became known as the Zinfandel, and has been consistently popular and widely grown ever since. These very dark and very round grapes have a remarkably high sugar content, resulting in relatively high levels of alcohol in the wines they are made into, with bottles often displaying as much as fifteen percent. What makes the Zinfandel such an interesting grape, though, is the fact that the flavors produced by this varietal vary considerably depending on the climate they are grown in. In cooler valley regions, the Zinfandel grapes result in wines which hold strong flavors of tart and sweet fruits; raspberry, redcurrant and sweet cherry, held in a very smooth and silky liquid. Conversely, warmer regions result in more complex and spicy notes, including anise, pepper and hedgerow berries.

Of all the New World wine countries, perhaps the one which has demonstrated the most flair for producing high quality wines - using a combination of traditional and forward-thinking contemporary methods - has been the United States of America. For the past couple of centuries, the United States has set about transforming much of its suitable land into vast vineyards, capable of supporting a wide variety of world-class grape varietals which thrive on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coastlines. Of course, we immediately think of sun-drenched California in regards to American wines, with its enormous vineyards responsible for the New World's finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines, but many other states have taken to viticulture in a big way, with impressive results. Oregon, Washington State and New York have all developed sophisticated and technologically advanced wine cultures of their own, and the output of U.S wineries is increasing each year as more and more people are converted to their produce.

California as a wine producing region has grown in size and importance considerably over the past couple of centuries, and today is the proud producer of more than ninety percent of the United States' wines. Indeed, if California was a country, it would be the fourth largest producer of wine in the world, with a vast range of vineyards covering almost half a million acres. The secret to California's success as a wine region has a lot to do with the high quality of its soils, and the fact that it has an extensive Pacific coastline which perfectly tempers the blazing sunshine it experiences all year round. The winds coming off the ocean cool the vines, and the natural valleys and mountainsides which make up most of the state's wine regions make for ideal areas in which to cultivate a variety of high quality grapes.

Monterey County is located within the state of California, and whilst it may not be the most renowned wine producing region in the state, recent decades have proven that the wineries situated there are dedicated to raising their profile, and producing wines of singular quality and distinction. The warm, sunny summers which Monterey County enjoys help the wine-makers of the region cultivate an impressive array of grape varietals, mostly of French and Italian origin, including fine varietals such as Barbera, Cabernet Franc and Dolcetto, amongst many others. It is a center of viticultural experimentation, and also features many sustainable, organic and biodynamic wineries which are producing superb wines, packed with distinctive local flavors and characteristics.