I guarantee you will love Integrity’s 2017 Old Vine Zin from Lodi. It’s jam-packed with mouthwatering flavors of honeyed blackberry, ripe black cherry, juicy plum, boysenberry pie, and black pepper.
Winemaker and co-owner Mark Hoover says this lush Zinfandel ($24) is “thick and glass-coating” and “rich and bold on the nose.” The juicy black fruit and layered notes of sweet spice, vanilla and graphite make this an ideal wine to pair with many kinds of food, especially pizza and pasta dishes.
Integrity’s tasting room is at Watsonville Municipal Airport, now evolving into a happening place. Along with the well-established Ella’s at the Airport restaurant, Beer Mule—known for its kickass beer—has recently opened up, along with Mr. Z’s Crepes & Teas. The popular Zameen Mediterranean Cuisine has also taken root there as well. When you visit Integrity’s tasting room, you won’t be short of nearby places to eat.
Integrity Wines, 135 Aviation Way, Watsonville. 322-4200. Integrity.wine.
Santa Cruz Salmon Jerky
Casey Cowden (no relation to me) started Santa Cruz Salmon Jerky several years ago. His tasty jerky has now gone into many Safeway stores, and is available in four flavors and different-sized packs. Cowden’s mother is Sharon Hadley, aka The Fish Lady, so he grew up in the pescatarian business. And Cowden’s sound words of advice are: Surf all day. Smoke fish all night.
Santacruzsalmonjerky.com.
La Vie–Wellness in a Bottle
Now that the festive season is well over, it’s time to gravitate to a healthy diet. Local company La Vie promotes a hale and hearty lifestyle through its probiotic drinks and tonics. La Vie also makes power meals such as a green smoothie with sprouted almond milk, kale, banana, and vanilla bean powder—totally delicious and nourishing. To check out the full line of La Vie drinks, shots, superfoods and more, visit their store or try samples at the Santa Cruz downtown farmers market every Wednesday.
