I’ve always been a total vino senorita…I love the full-bodied reds, the crisp whites, the summer rosés…you name it! So when my good friend, Jameson McFadden, was telling me about how his family owns a winery in Mendocino County, California {home to the famed Russian River Valley}, I mentioned it would be totally fun for him to host a small wine tasting and share the love. And that’s exactly what we did this week. Oh, how I love wine down Mondays…
Since 1970, McFadden Vineyard has been family owned and operated in Potter Valley, where the climate and their 140 plus acres of rich soil are the perfect combination for producing some stellar grapes. Founded by Guinness McFadden, the vineyard has been organic and certified by the California Certified Organic Farmers {CCOF} from day one, which keeps out chemicals we obviously don’t want to consume while getting our ‘wine’ on. Hola.
My friend Jamie and I didn’t want to walk in empty handed, so we stopped by Fig & Olive en route for my personal favorite appetizer of the moment: Crostinis. Mushroom truffle? Don’t mind if I do!
After the crew arrived and the tasting was about to begin, Jameson lined up all the wines, started pouring and began to explain the history of their vineyard. The place has such a cool story and I couldn’t believe it when he said they hadn’t started producing their wines until 2003! Since the beginning they had been selling their grapes to top wineries, and after seeing their successes they thought, “why not sell our own?” Well, thank goodness they did….it’s officially my new go-to brand for wine!
want to add a little flavor to your tasting? try a simple cheese plate + a bowl of chopped chocolate to enhance the wine taste!
Jameson popped the first bottle {Sauvignon Blanc} and explained the grape heritage of what we were about to sip. Their Sauvignon Blanc was my favorite from my first taste! The wines to follow were equally fabulous…
From an old vine Zinfandel, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay {the list goes on!}. We were all in awe of the McFadden brand and I loved how each one had its own distinct taste. I cannot wait to serve their wines at my next soirée!
Whether you’re looking for delicious, new, and decently priced wines to try or serve at your next party {or wine tasting!}, check out the collection of this vineyard. It’s time to wine down right with McFadden! B+H
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