Wine & Spirits
Triple white: Wine blends are classic, and winery collaborations are certainly not unheard of, but here’s a new one: A trio of Livermore winemakers — at 3 Steves Winery, Page Mill Winery and Wood Family Vineyards — has created a collaborative white wine blend. Now you can pop the cork on the 2016 Vines Intertwined ($30), made with 3Steve’s viognier, Page Mill’s pinot blanc and Wood Family’s chardonnay, all grown in the Livermore Valley. Fragrant with white floral, stone fruit and lemon citrus notes, this easy-sipping wine is lush and delightful on its own or paired with summer barbecue fare. Learn more at www.3steveswinery.com, www.pagemillwinery.com and www.woodfamilyvineyards.com
Birth of Venus: Santa Cruz distiller Sean Venus is known for his awardwinning Gin Blend No. 1, No. 2and aquavit. Now he’s released his first handcrafted vodka. Special Release Recipe No. 01Vodka ($30) is made from organically-grown winter wheat, distilled through 20iterations in Venus’ hand-pounded copper still to produce a silky smooth, pure, rich vodka. Find details at www.venusspirits.com.
Napa spirits: Napa Valley’s Coup de Foudre winery makes cabernet sauvignon and Bordeaux-style blends, but vintners John Schwartz and Kent Jarman have had a side project for the last dozen years. They’ve been working on a 12-year Lone Whisker Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($150). Made from corn, rye and malted barley, the barrelaged whiskey is smooth, complex and slightly smoky. The name gives a nod to the distillery’s dog, a Bluetick Coonhound rescued on Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail. Read the story and explore more at www.lonewhisker.com.
Cats and dogs: Speaking of pups, the Silicon Valley Humane Society has partnered with Plymouth’s C.G. Di Arie winery on a just-released 2014Mixed Breed Red Blend ($25), an Amador County vintage that blends zinfandel, syrah, petit sirah and cabernet franc. Proceeds from Mixed Breed wine sales will be donated to local animal shelters. Find out more at www.cgdiarie. com.
A new vintage begins: Northern California’s grape harvest got underway late last month, when the harvest crew at Lodi’s Michael David Vineyards began picking grapes for its sparkling wine. Other bubbly producers in Monterey County, Napa Valley and Sonoma County quickly followed suit. Harvest in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Clara Valley and Livermore Valley is expected to begin soon. Vintners are optimistic, saying yields are a bit below or at normal levels, but fruit quality so far is high.