According to many sources, the definition of the French word “cuvée” can mean a superior blend of wine or “wine in vats or casks, blended—often from different vintages—for uniform quality,” according to online dictionaries. And that’s exactly what we have in Roudon-Smith’s 2013 Santa Clara Valley Cuvée Red Wine.
I tasted this Red Wine ($17) at a spring Wine Walk in downtown Santa Cruz, and enjoyed its interesting characteristics and bold flavors. Roudon-Smith owner Al Drewke says this red blend is primarily Syrah and Grenache with just a bit of Petite Sirah. “A nose of black plum, smoke and allspice leads to flavors of smoked meat, red currant, spice, and mesquite,” Drewke says. “The wine is well-balanced with some dusty tannins that will let the wine further develop over the next five-plus years.”
Drewke used to operate a tasting room on Hangar Way in Watsonville, but since its closing some time ago, he has been looking for a new location. “The tasting room is on hold until further notice as we work on our options to open a satellite tasting room,” says Drewke. In the meantime, his wines—including Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Petite Sirah, Merlot, and a red blend called Duet—can be bought online.
For more info on Roudon-Smith visit roudonsmith.com or call 408-313-5229. Check the website for upcoming events.
Private Vine Wines and O’Neill Catamaran Sails
Private Vine Wines vintners Katie Fox and Dan Santa (both of whom used to operate Vino Tabi Winery) will be serving wine monthly on the O’Neill Catamaran during the Wednesday night sailings. This is an opportunity to have fun on a wonderful catamaran cruise from the Santa Cruz Harbor and enjoy the Monterey Bay and sea life—often with whales abounding—as you savor delicious wines and pairing appetizers. The catamaran summer schedule for Private Vine Wines is: 6:30 p.m. July 12; 6:30 p.m. Aug. 16, 6 p.m. Sept. 13; 5:15 p.m. Oct. 18. Visit O’Neill Yacht Charters at oneillyachtcharters.com for tickets and more info, or call 818-3645. Contact Private Vine Wines at 600-5773.
Chaminade Farm-to-Table Dinner
The next farm-to-table dinner at Chaminade is Friday, July 7 with Cinnabar as the featured winery. Visit chaminade.com for more info.
