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WINE PRIMER<br />
Pangloss Cellars<br />
PINOT NOIR: 10% of total production.<br />
Popularized by the hit film, Sideways, this<br />
red Burgundian beauty has also found paradise<br />
in <strong>Sonoma</strong> <strong>Valley</strong>. Its thin skin makes<br />
it a fragile grape to grow, but incoming sea<br />
breezes lend a lovely salinity to the finished<br />
wines, tempering their sun-kissed cherry and<br />
berry character with elegant minerals and<br />
acidity.<br />
CABERNET SAUVIGNON: 7% of total<br />
production. Hailing from France’s Bordeaux<br />
region, this varietal is often found in the<br />
mountain vineyards above the valley. With<br />
deep, dark berry flavors, dusty notes of<br />
minerals and terroir and often penetrating<br />
tannins from oak aging, Cabernet Sauvignon<br />
can often age well.<br />
MERLOT: 6% of total production. This<br />
classic red varietal, also from Bordeaux,<br />
oozes notes of blackberries, currants and<br />
sometimes bell pepper. Bottled alone, it can<br />
be smooth and easy on the palate. Blended<br />
alongside other Bordeaux varietals like<br />
Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc, it<br />
becomes a compelling blending grape.<br />
SYRAH: 5% of total production. After<br />
the Pinot Noir craze hit <strong>Sonoma</strong> <strong>Valley</strong><br />
in the early 2000s, Syrah began gaining<br />
ground in total production. Popularized<br />
by France’s Rhone <strong>Valley</strong>, Syrah has found<br />
a happy balance in <strong>Sonoma</strong> <strong>Valley</strong>, benefitting<br />
from our Mediterranean climate.<br />
Notes of violets, leather and red berries<br />
make this a great wine for barbecue. Also<br />
try it in blends with Grenache, its natural<br />
blending partner.<br />
SAUVIGNON BLANC: 2% of total<br />
production. From crisp and grassy to round<br />
and fruity, Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect<br />
blank canvas for its terroir. Try this light<br />
white grape alone as an easy-to-drink<br />
aperitif to get the tastebuds going before<br />
dinner or as a picnic wine alongside our<br />
local cheeses and salads.<br />
ZINFANDEL: 2% of total production.<br />
When introduced to <strong>Sonoma</strong> <strong>Valley</strong> in<br />
the 19 th century by Italian immigrants,<br />
Zinfandel was originally known as Primitivo,<br />
a grape thought to be Italian but now<br />
known to have originated in Croatia. Joel<br />
Peterson of Ravenswood Winery was the<br />
first to make red Zinfandel a household<br />
name, and his son Morgan Twain-Peterson<br />
celebrates old vineyard plantings under<br />
the Bedrock Wine Co. label. Spicy, fruity<br />
and deep, this red grape is divine alongside<br />
hearty dishes, standing up equally well in<br />
blends and single-varietal wines alike.<br />
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