I realize that quite a few folks that read this blog or speak to me in person are always looking for recommendations of places to visit when coming into California, but maybe aren’t able to sync up with me quick enough to get a tailored list of places I recommend tasting. So…to help remedy this situation, I’ll post “New-to-you region” write-ups for your benefit, and cross-link so that you can do additional research either on my specific wine reviews, or with the wineries themselves. These write-ups will be a little different from what you’re used to seeing on this blog, but mixing it up (read: being deviant on a deviant blog) is a great thing! Without further ado, I give you Carneros!

Carneros – rich with history, and known to produce beautiful Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. I could go on in paragraphs about how this AVA came to be…but I won’t. You know how to read, especially since I’m giving you background links.

This event, like many, are set up to enjoy the beautiful weather and vineyard scenery. The setups were varied – some places were grilling or prepping food, others allowing folks to sample wines from special barrel rooms – but the folks at every location were great! And, don’t forget to bring your DD (designated driver), so that you can enjoy the weekend. Maybe trade-off, one person driving one day, and a different person on the second day, so that everyone can enjoy and be safe!u background links. I recently attended a tasting event called April in Carneros, hosted by the Hospitality de los Carneros Association, and had a lovely time. With only 4 hours to taste, I tried my best to move through A LOT of wines, so that I could report back on the ones that struck my fancy. Heck, I even had some fun while doing it (notice the fancy hat I’m sporting as a prize from the prize wheel at )…and you should expect to have a fun time too!

As for my selections, here they are:

Mercury Geyserville Sauvignon Musque 2010 Alexander Valley

The short:

1. For this varietal/clone, the combination of grassy and fresh aromas crossed with floral and tropical fruits is true to the grape, however this is something that I’d never heard of, and had to do some web searches to get a better idea of what I was actually tasting. Exciting!
2. The label has a modern spin to it, but it’s unclear what the graphic on the label is (unless it’s supposed to be a reflection/texture of a single wine grape)
3. An update regarding the tasting room will have to be posted in the near future, as no distinct information was available online
4. I was totally unaware of this clone and am interested to try others so that I have a better understanding. Deviance gold mine!

The judgement: 3+ of 5. It’s a nice bottle and I’ve never tried anything like this. I want to review it again when it’s not as cold, as well as see what it’s like the next day. Time to deviate on the deviant bottle…stay tuned.

The nerdy notes:

• A nice light golden color with complete clarity
• Nose: Sauvignon blanc nose w/ light, fresh grassy tones and tart fruit upon straight out of the refridgerator
• Taste: Aromas from the nose carry across to the palate, and once warming up a bit there are hints of mango, canned tropical fruit, light floral (white flower) perfumy-ness, and a lovely long finish