Hello!
Guess what day it is?!
Whoop, whoop!
This week, we tried the 2011Â Edna Valley Pinot Noir.
my reflection in the bottle adds a little je ne sais quoi to this picture, non?
I scored pretty big at the grocery story and you KNOW how I love a good wine sale. đ
$10 off, baby!
The Edna Valley Vineyard is in central California, in the beautiful region between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Yes, there’s a LOT of region between those two cities and besides rolling hills, dairies, chicken farms, and cotton fields, grape vines make up much of that country. â¤
The Pinot Noir grape is a fickle grape and requires tender loving care when growing. They are susceptible to rot, have thin skins, and like to take their time with the ripening process. Basically, they’re moody teenagers.
But, when harvested well, they can be turned into some of the most amazing wine you’ll ever drink – spicy, earthy, fruity, and seductive. You’ll know immediately when you’re drinking an amazing Pinot, regardless of your wine knowledge limits.
The climate in central California can be unforgiving at times (we’re talking 100+ degrees in the day, 20-someodd degrees at night – looking at you, San Joaquin Valley) but near the coast, the climate is a little more cooperative. The best locations in California for Pinots have been up north of San Francisco in the Russian River Valley and in Sonoma, but some really excellent ones have come out of Santa Barbara  – Fess Parker, Au Bon Climat, Sanford, etc – which is just south of San Luis Obispo and the Edna Valley Vineyard and shares the same climate profile – lovely afternoon seabreezes and beautiful temperatures.
So, we thought we would give it a try!
This wine was definitely lovely in the glass – look how pretty! – and with my first sniff, I smelled a little bit of earth, some fruit, and a surprising cola. Seriously. Cola. Like, sniff your Coke and then sniff this wine. See what I mean?!
In the mouth, this Pinot is smooth, silky, and delicately balanced with a little spice and some black cherry fruit.
We paired it with the sweet tater, bacon, & spinach salad and sauteed shrimp and it was pretty tasty.
Honestly, if you can find this on sale, it’s definitely worth the buy. Â I’m not likely to buy it again unless it IS on sale.
Having had some over-the-moon amazing Pinots, I’m fairly particular about my choices (go figure, right?) and this one, while it was definitely a well-balanced and good wine, it didn’t knock my socks off. $28 is a little high, in my book. #justsayin
But, remember – I’m picky! It might be the wine that knocks YOUR socks off so you should definitely give it a try. It’s smooth, yummy, extremely drinkable and will pair with just about anything you want it to. Even popcorn.
Talk to me: Do you get excited about trying new wines? Do you have a grocery store wine budget? Do you think I’m crazy? đ
– jennifer
A Hungry Runner 