By Rick Riozza
Like elsewhere in the world right now, it’s almost easier to shop for our life essential products on-line; ditto that for wine as well. And not only can we utilize our computer to deliver wines but we can take further to actually—well, virtually, take a tour of some of the world’s wonderful wineries and vineyards. What’s not to like about this?
By the way, in our Mother’s Day article, coachellavalleyweekly.com/mothers-day-fetes-from-home, we brought to light some wine delivery companies that would assist with our gift giving on-line. Two other very good California wine delivery companies for gift—and for our own wine bins, located here in California are K&L Wine Merchants at klwines.com; and for really good deals, where they slash prices 30 % to 70%, look to Last Bottle at lastbottlewines.com.
As I’ve written over the past two columns, we’ve enjoyed tasting real wine in real time with the winemakers from Landmark Vineyards and Oak Farm Vineyards. And these virtual tastings—available to everyone with a computer—done over the internet and experienced in your own home, have become a great new way to experience wineries’ offerings and get out of the house without leaving home!
Many of your favorite wineries are now prepared to share with you their wines that you’ve first ordered on-line, and then sync you in to their winery scene where winemakers and staff speak to you about the wines that you are actually tasting. Simply go to your winery’s website and see what they’ve got going!
And as you would expect, technology continues to zoom; so not only can we taste and talk, we can often visit—on the computer—some of the world’s famous wine regions, wineries, and vineyards.
Just this week, Liquor.com, came out with a published story written by Kelly Magyarics, titled “5 Virtual Wine Trips to Take from their Sofa”, where she writes, “Thanks to technology such as well-produced videos and 360-degree interactive experiences, you can virtually fly over vineyards and walk through barrel-filled cellars and chat with head winemakers.”
We’re not going to take all five wine trips here, but I’d like to add comment, and, offer Kelly’s take to three wine regions that are especially keen to the wine folk here in the Coachella Valley, as evidenced by the number of wine sales I particularly witness from these regions. We love our California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Monterey; the Oregon Pinot Noir, Gris, and Chardonnay”; and the Languedoc reds and rosés from the south of France.
Fortunately, as our CV Weekly continues to publish on-line, we can share some of the links provided in Liquor.com’s article, to go on-line and watch:
Languedoc Region in France: Right now, Gérard Bertrand is one of the few French winemakers that this valley can name. His Languedoc Cote de Roses is selling at record rates, his Chardonnay is on the rise, and his Rhone style reds are as popular as ever.
“This region in southwest France has been called “the cool person’s Provence,” with the same sunny climate, pebbly beaches and Mediterranean backdrop but minus the crowds and scene. It’s also the world’s largest demarcated winemaking region, geographically speaking, but for years, it has lived in the shadow of Bordeaux and Burgundy; no longer, as the Languedoc has become associated with natural and biodynamic wines from producers such as winemaking pioneer Gérard Bertrand. Get a taste with this video that spotlights all that is romantic and delicious about this sun-drenched region, then visit Bertand’s winery, Clos du Temple, in Cabrières, the birthplace of rosé wines.” languedoc-wines.com/en; youtube.com/watch?v=Hyu6owslLvM.
Comes now, Monterey County: “An hour south of Silicon Valley lies one of the most breathtaking spots in the entire Golden State. Home to the rugged beach in Big Sur, the deluxe beach community of Carmel and the world-class golf courses of Pebble Beach, it’s also where you’ll find some well-made pinot noir and chardonnay. It’s due to the warm sun that ripens grapes and cool fog and breezes coming off the Pacific that moderate the sun’s heat, the combination of which leads to elegant, restrained wines. Start with the video, seemonterey.com/food-wine/wineries which takes you through the sloping vineyards of Carmel Valley and the gently rolling ones of the Salinas Valley. Uncork a bottle of Mer Soleil, mersoleilwines.com from the Santa Lucia Highlands in 360 degrees.”
Willamette Wine Country in Oregon: “Pinot noir reigns in this Northwest U.S. wine region that’s 100 miles long and 60 miles at its widest point. The Cascade Mountains to the east and Coast Range Mountains to the west offer protection for the finicky red grape, which requires a cool climate to coax out its silky tannins, tart cherry and raspberry notes and distinctive earthiness reminiscent of mushrooms or wet leaves on a forest floor.
Tour the four Willamette AVAs where Raptor Ridge Winery makes vineyard-specific wines, including interviews with the vineyard owner and manager, who gives info about the soil, microclimates and winemaking philosophy. raptorridgewinery.com/Wines/AVirtualA-Tour-Packages.
Willamette Valley Wines has compiled an updated list of virtual tours and tastings at willamettewines.com/wvcommunity-virtual-tastings.
During these quarantine times, many winery tasting rooms are closed. Some very famous wineries that are producing virtual tastings on-line include: Stags’ Leap Winery, Clos du Val, Frog’s Leap Winery, Beaulieu Vineyards, and St. Supéry.
See you on the computer—Cheers!
