The Meditrina (5) is an approachable blend of syrah (48%), pinot noir (27%), and zinfandel (25%) from Sokol Blosser in Oregon. In the glass, this wine looks like a syrah, with a deep purple color, while delivering notes of red berry fruits, earth, and toast. This is a very drinkable wine, one that offered good fruit, balanced acidity, and a decent finish. We paired it with a dinner of a rich, hearty sausage sauce on soft polenta with fresh roasted asparagus alongside. At 10,000 cases, a $15 price point, a stylistic name/label, and it's own web site, the Medtrina...

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Posted by Thad W. at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After a challenging vintage, some wineries will try to embellish the description of their wines in order to overcome any shortcoming in their product. At the same time, there are others who are straight up with the consumer, letting them know of the challenges they faced and the resulting wine they produced. The folks at Sokol Blosser winery clearly fit the latter case, as evidenced by the straight talk they offer about the Sokol Blosser 2006 Pinot Noir Dundee Hills. It wasn't until after I drank this wine that I came upon their candid winemaker notes on their web...

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Posted by Thad W. at 07:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At Home in the Vineyard: Cultivating a Winery, an Industry, and a Life by Susan Sokol Blosser is one book that seems to offer an exception to the adage, "you can't judge a book by its cover". Just as the subtitle suggests, At Home in the Vineyard effectively describes the slow, steady transformation of an estate winery, a wine industry, and a human being over a period of more than 30 years. It is an intimate study of all three components delivered in a narrative style that keeps you engaged from start to finish. This book is first and...

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Posted by Thad W. at 08:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)