For around $20 you can get yourself a pretty good bottle of red wine from New Leaf. And that would be Roudon-Smith’s Cuvée—a red blend made up primarily of Syrah and Grenache and a touch of Petite Sirah.
Black plum, smoke and allspice on the nose lead to flavors of smoked meat, red currant, spice, and mesquite. This tasty blend was a bronze medal winner at the 2017 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition; it obviously impressed the judges. Well-balanced with some “dusty tannins that will let the wine further develop over the next 5 years,” here’s a wine to keep on hand.
Roudon-Smith has a lot of history behind it. Founded in 1972 by Bob and Anna-Marie Roudon, and Jim and June Smith, the foursome set up a winery and tasting room in Scotts Valley. Over time, the tasting room was remodeled and is currently occupied by Pelican Ranch Winery.
Now owned by Al Drewke, Roudon-Smith continues to produce fine wines—with winemaker Mikael Wargin (of Wargin Wines in Soquel) at its helm.
Roudon-Smith Winery, 14572 Big Basin Way, Saratoga. 408-313-5229. roudonsmith.com.
Zizzo’s Coffeehouse and Wine Bar
Zizzo’s is a family-style coffee and wine bar locally owned by Karen and Scott Hoogner. As of press time, they’re open 7am to 2pm, but hope to extend hours soon.
Coffee is freshly roasted by Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting, and most of Zizzo’s delicious pastries are made in-house by Karen. There’s plenty of outdoor seating, and it’s a good spot to enjoy a glass of wine from Zizzo’s varied list. Wine is also available for purchase by the bottle.
We can look forward to their featured music nights coming up—and they also host events. As they say on their website, “Isn’t it time to support a local, independent coffeehouse that only cares about your happiness?” The answer is yes! And the good news is they do happy hour wine specials all day, with house wine and bubbles for $6 per glass.
Zizzo’s Coffeehouse and Wine Bar, 3555 Clares St., Suite PP, Capitola. 831-477-0680. zizzoscoffee.com.
