Welcome to the Wine Buying Guide

As a wine enthusiast living in the San Francisco Bay area, I have the luxury of being able to head off to local wineries at a moments notice to taste or buy wines. As a result, my wine collection is a mixture of wine club offerings and limited release wines that I've picked up at the wineries and are usually available only at those wineries. I realize, however, that not everyone has that opportunity. Their source of wines is typically the local grocery or package store where they either buy an old standard, look for a recommended wine, or employ a hit or miss strategy for trying new wines. With the growth of the internet, online wine purchasing opportunities are now plentiful. The question, though, is what to buy. Yes, just about all of the wineries now offer their products through internet sales, but which of those wines are worth the effort and shipping costs? This blog is dedicated to providing information for wine lovers to assist them in their online buying decisions. As I visit local wineries, I will relate my findings through the blog to give readers an idea of what wines I find that I'd recommend to others. These are usually wines that I buy myself, or wish I could buy if I had an unlimited budget for wine purchases. Each entry will provide information about the location of the winery, varietals with which the winery specializes, the costs of the wines, website links, and my own recommendations. If they have had their wines rated by some of the better known reviewers, such as Robert Parker, I will mention that also, as well as the winery's own tasting notes, if they are particularly helpful or entertaining. To give you a sense of my tastes, I tend toward Pinot Noirs and Zinfandels. I've run across numerous other varietals that I enjoy, but I'm always particularly interested in Pinots and Zins. A good Cabernet Sauvigon or Chardonnay hits the spot, too. Favorites include Kunde Century Vines Zinfandel, Sonoma-Cutrer The Cutrer Chardonnay, La Crema Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, and Valley of the Moon Old Vine Zin. The trouble here is, unless you've visited the winery, you've probably not tasted these wines. There are many wonderful, small production wines out there and I hope to pass on my favorites through this forum.

Monday, January 9, 2012

B.R. Cohn Winery and Olive Oil Company

My sweetie and I went out tasting in Sonoma County this past weekend, so I have fresh information on several wineries to share.  I'll start with one of my long-time favorites, BR Cohn.  Back when my major criterion from picking a wine was my appreciation of the label, Cohn was a favorite.  Their label, to my tastes, is one of the best in the business.  Based on the presence of olive trees in front of what use to be the main house and is now the tasting room, the label is a pop-art rendition of an olive branch and fruit.  Cohn was the first wine club I ever joined and I've always enjoyed their wines, even now that I base my wine selection on things other than the look of the label.

Their tasting room is located at 15000 Sonoma Highway in Glen Ellen (see map link below).  It is located on the winery property, fronted by the olive trees and the Olive Hill Vineyard, is home to Bruce Cohn's collection of restored classic cars, and hosts annual charity concerts featuring the Doobie Brothers, for whom Bruce Cohn is the manager.  The tasting room is one of the more interesting that I've encountered to date, accompanying the usual tasting room stock with Doobie Brothers memorabilia; gold records, photos, guitars, etc. 

Our tasting started with the 2010 Robledo Vineyard Carneros Chardonnay ($35, 400 cases produced).  It met my sweetie's preference for creamy/buttery, with a long pleasant finish.  Their website says, "It is 100% barrel fermented and aged in all new Burgundian French oak barrels. This wine is rich and concentrated with aromas of tropical fruit, pear, apricot, and lemon meringue surrounded by a bouquet of toasty oak, vanilla, caramel, and hazelnut. Luscious mouthfeel and bright flavors of honey, pear, apple, and citrus make this a perfect wine with food, especially seafood or poultry."

Following the Chard, we tasted the 2009 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($40, 1,300 cases produced).  This wine received a gold medal at the 2011 California State Fair.  Their website says, "The 2009 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is produced from the finest vineyards in this appellation. It is a complex, lush wine with aromas of black cherry, raspberry and strawberry intermingled with a bouquet of vanilla, caramel and spice. It is rich and smooth on the palate with a lasting finish." 

From there we tasted the 2009 Sonoma Valley Zinfandel ($28, 1200 cases produced), which received 91 points and a gold medal from the Beverage Tasting Institute and 88 points at the California State Fair, both in 2011.  Again from the website, "This combination yields a blend of berry and cherry aromas mingled with the bouquet of creamy vanilla custard and a hint of peppercorn and clove. The 2009 Zinfandel is full-bodied and warm with a long smooth berry flavored finish."

We were treated to an advance taste of the 2009 Syrcab, 61 percent Syrah and 39 percent Cabernet Sauvignon ($32 when released in mid-February, under 1000 cases produced).  The wine was a dark, rich red, had a fruity nose, and was very smooth.  

We finished up with the 2008 Olive Hill Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($55, 3600 cases produced).  As always, this wine was wonderful.  The website says, "This wine has pronounced aromas and flavors of plum, black currant, and cherry. Luscious berry and cherry flavors fill the palate, and silky tannins follow through to a warm, lasting finish. As always, this exceptional vintage was fermented in small lots to ensure the character of each part of the Olive Hill Estate Vineyard. This vintage was aged for 24 months in only the finest tight grain French oak. A bouquet of fine oak, anise and mint combine with supple tannin and a long finish to produce a well-balanced rich full-bodied Cabernet that will age well for years to come and drink well at your table now."

It was a hard choice, but we purchased the Chard and the Zin.  The Pinot was wonderful and may be my choice next time.  I also like their Syrzin, which we didn't taste this time, but I've bought on previous visits.  The Olive Hill Cab is always a good choice as well.

The Cohn website is at http://www.brcohn.com/ and includes not only the wines, but also a collection of olive oils produced from the trees on the estate.  The wine club has several versions (Special Select, Olive Hill Estate, Gourmet Food Club, Case Club, Case Club II, and the Classic Car Club) starting at two shipments per year with four to six bottles, occasionally large format bottles.  Members receive free tastings, free VIP tours of the winery (well worth the time), and a 20 percent discount on wine purchases. 

If you find yourself driving along the Sonoma Highway looking for someplace to stop and taste, BR Cohn is a must.  Enjoy.
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Location: Sonoma, CA, USA

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