Riesling is marvelously aromatic—packing lots of layered floral, fruit and mineral scents. Some Riesling wines can be overly sweet, but this one—made by Integrity Wines owner Mark Hoover—is spot on.
“Pale straw with silver highlights, this aromatic wine leaps out of the glass with intense yet delicate notes of candied lime zest combined with orange blossom, fresh apricot, crushed granite and a faint hint of petrol,” Hoover says. The flavor profile includes yellow peach, fresh nectarine and ripe green apple. The 2019 Santa Lucia Highlands Riesling is well worth its $24 price.
I took a bottle of Integrity Riesling to share with friends at the Hideout in Aptos—it’s nice to see the restaurant up-and-running again after a fire destroyed it in 2019. It is once more a bustling hive of activity. Everybody loved this bright easy-pairing white wine with its fresh-as-a-mountain-stream minerality.
Integrity has a lively tasting room at Watsonville Airport. You can sample the many other offerings, including the terrific, semi-sweet Late Harvest Riesling. Integrity Wines is available all over, including Deer Park Wine & Spirits in Aptos and many local restaurants.
On every label, it says, “Integrity is not just about the wine itself. It’s about everyone who helped create this wine experience. It’s complete when we add you.” That’s integrity.
Join Integrity Wines on a Rhône Valley Wine Cruise in July 2022. For more information, visit integritywine.com.
Integrity Wines, 135 Aviation Way #16, Watsonville, 831-322-4200. integritywine.com.
Capitola Art & Wine Festival
The much-loved Capitola Art & Wine Festival is back! The event is from 10am to 6pm on Saturday, Sept. 11, and Sunday, Sept. 12. Many of our favorite local wineries will be pouring, and get ready for lots of great art, tasty food and the rockin’ good vibes of American Idol finalist James Durbin. Durbin’s special Saturday performance is in remembrance of 9/11 victims. Visit capitolaartandwinefestival.com.
