Thanks so much for all the help here! Some great ideas and the willingness to help is one of the things I love about Berserkers. Can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of you taking the time to offer up comments and suggestions!
Steven- Some really good suggestions here and Kelly Fox was definitely one that was on my radar so glad to hear that might be a good fit
PeterH- I haven’t heard of Bjornson or Bethel Heights but will definitely check them out. That was my concern on Domaine Serene and mainly put them on there as I’ve heard the winery is nice and would be a name that my friends would know. Still, probably best to pass on that one I feel. Will look at previous threads on Lingua Franca. Don’t remember them but that doesn’t mean much. I actually had a bottle of Big Table Farms a few months ago and while it’s not my usual style I actually really enjoyed it and thought it would be a more appealing style to my friends who aren’t as big of wine nerds as I am. Will probably keep this one as I’ve hear the folks there are super nice and I think they would be a crowd pleaser for our group.
Scott- I looked briefly at J Christopher but honestly don’t know anything about them. Where do you feel they fall stylistically? I’ve seen some good reviews on Arterberry Maresh but I have the same question there. Any other wines you might compare the styles to? I always enjoy trying to line up tastings with the winemakers as I tend to get a little more in-depth with questions than my wife would like.
DavidSawyer- Definitely need to try to hook up with Todd at Biggio Hamina. Always good to visit with a fellow Berserker! And for this crew I think a driver is a must:)
Kirk.Grant- Thanks for the insight and I tend to agree with your assessment. I’ve had most of the wines CodyL mentioned and they honestly don’t really fit the profile I’m looking for. Never had Brick House so any light you could shed there would be helpful.
lleichtman- Sounds like Belle Pente is one I really need to look at! I had a very young Ayoub recently and while good it seemed like they were really built for the long haul so it was hard for me to get much out of it honestly. I tend to age most of my wines so this doesn’t concern me but just don’t have the experience with any “older” vintages of Ayoub to make that call. Goodfellow keeps coming up so will definitely look into that one as well.
Nolan E- Evasham Wood looks interesting. Thanks for the heads up!
Jon Johnson- Not familiar with them but the tasting room looks nice.
Monte- Thanks for the help. Vincent chards sound intriguing and would love to find some good chards on this trip. I’m open to all varietals but want to focus on pinot and chard for this trip as that’s all my wife and friends will care about. Always a juggling act keeping everyone happy.
Jim Anderson- We don’t have taskrabbit here but after taking a quick peek that’s a really good possibility. Don’t mind hiring a service if I have to but trying to keep costs down so I can spend more on wine:) Staying at The Allison so we should be fairly close to most places so one responsible party and some back roads might be the best option. Would love to taste and visit with you guys while we are there if you have time! I’ve heard great things about your wine and look forward to trying it!
Doug Uno- I don’t want to say I am only interested in AFWE wines but that is just what I enjoy the most. I want to make sure the group has a good time so a couple of places outside that realm are fine but want to focus more on that style. I tend to prefer more pretty, feminine, precise pinots with bright red fruits, good acidity and lighter on the oak.
Brandon J- Great itinerary and very helpful! I agree that the wines you mentioned don’t really fit our agenda so leaving those out. I am intrigued by Cristom and Patricia Green as I’ve heard really good things and some earlier drinking wines would be nice to bring home while the others rest. I do enjoy the whole cluster wines (Jamie Kutch makes my favorite in Cali) so Cristom sounds like a must do. We can arrive whenever so we will really have almost 4 full days of tasting so can probably add a few to the awesome itinerary you put out there. Do you still think Drouhin is worth doing or best served somewhere else? I’ve had a few older bottles of Louise and they were pretty spectacular. I appreciate the offer and if I have any trouble getting into any of these I will definitely reach out! Thanks again!
Vincent- Plan on a PM! Would love to get together and try some great wines!
PHuff- Thanks for the recommendation and might have to give that a try! If I can squeeze another day out of the group would love to spend some time there!