Winning Sonoma Reds for Alfresco Summer Dining

Alexander Valley Vineyards, affectionately known as AVV, is a family affair with some 700 acres of vines planted along both sides of the Russian River just north of Healdsburg in California’s Sonoma County.

Founded in 1975 by Hank and Linda Wetzel, their current winemaker, Kevin Hall, joined the team in 1998 and has been at the forefront of establishing AVV as a producer of stellar wines that reflect the terroir of the Alexander Valley and at friendly price points that defy explanation.

Alexander Valley Vineyards 2021 Homestead Red Blend

avvwine.com

AVV’s Homestead Red Blend is a big, lush and gorgeous wine crafted from estate-grown varietals of Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. I stumbled upon the 2019 vintage during an evening meeting with fellow wine friends and several palates – including my own – were piqued as we tasted. More readily available is the 2021 vintage, which we tasted at Polo Lifestyles and though AVV adjusts the percentages of the blend year to year, was similar to the 2019 vintage, albeit a bit superior – in no doubt to 2021 being a near-perfect growing season in Sonoma.

Merlot and Zin dominate the blend for 2021 with near equal amounts of the other four varietals adding their own unique characteristics. Upon pouring, the color is immediately exciting. Deep, dark purple in the glass, aromas of cherry cola, vanilla, and bold spices hint toward the complex flavors to come on the palate. This is wonderfully zippy and full of spice on the front of the palate with bursting dark berries and plums, and just a hint of oak. It’s one of those California red blends that make you deeply grateful for the bounty of the region and for the artistry of the winemaker. And AAV is all certified organic to boot.

You could spend twice the $24 retail price for this wine and end up with something far inferior. So don’t. In fact, at this quality to price ratio, buy a case. This is a red to be enjoyed now. This wine is truly enjoyable on its own, but for the summer, it yearns for a marinated flank steak from the grill and eloté, served off the cob as a salad and slightly chilled.

Finally, if you’re a Cabernet Franc aficionado like yours truly, AAV is one of the few California producers of a single varietal bottling of Cab Franc - and their 2022 vintage earned a respectable score of 92 from James Suckling.

Seghesio 2022 Zinfandel Sonoma County

seghesio.com

I love the Zinfandel grape for the robust and bold wines it can yield in the right hands. Yet, its reputation has languished due to inexpensive bottlings that can’t tame the beast that Zin can be, the dominance of other red varietals in California that cast a long shadow, and the once ubiquitous (and perhaps, infamous) White Zinfandel, which, at the height of its popularity, made up roughly one out of every four bottles of wine sold in the U.S.

Earlier this year, Seghesio Family Vineyard’s 2022 Zinfandel Sonoma County was named Wine Spectator’s 2024 Wine Value of the Year. I don’t mind following that headline, but truly, I had been meaning for some time to write about Seghesio Family Vineyards, one of the pioneers in the varietal whose dedication survived Prohibition and continues to thrive even after the sale of the storied family-run vineyard to the Crimson Wine Group in 2011.

While winemaker Andy Robinson creates over 10 different single vineyard bottlings of Zinfandel, the fruit for the Sonoma County labeled wine comes from vineyards throughout the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River valleys. The wine is 88 percent Zinfandel with Petite Sirah, Alicante Boushe, and various other reds adding complexity to the 15 percent ABV bottling. Use of mostly neutral oak for 10 months of barrel aging showcases how spectacularly at home Zinfandel is in Sonoma County.

The nose is chock-full of big, ripe fruits like blackberries and boysenberries and some tell-tale spiciness. In the mouth, its gorgeously fruity and complex – think bramble compotes and black cherries – with well-balanced tannins and bright acidity.

While all of Seghesio’s Zins are well-priced, the $26 retail on the 2022 Sonoma County wine is a veritable steal considering the quality. Moreover, it is readily available in most markets. For fun, I tasted the 2022 Rockpile Zinfandel ($60 retail) from Seghesio alongside the 2022 Sonoma County and while there is a discernable difference, it also underscored how delicious the latter bottling is and why it earned the accolades from Wine Spectator.

This is a food-wine meant to be drunk now, perhaps alongside sticky Korean BBQ short ribs and a simple green salad with a shallot and red wine vinaigrette and crumbled Gorgonzola.

As always, Salud!