Hello Wine Factor friends,
Have you ever heard of the “Santa Lucia Highlands” wine region? We carry one fabulous Pinot Noir from that appellation – Pelerin – and love it so much that we decided to take a trip there to see what other wonderful Pinots we might discover. Well, we were NOT disappointed!
The area we’re talking about is located on the southern side of the Salinas Valley, just inland from Monterey. The valley runs perpendicular to the ocean, so the cold Pacific breezes and frequent fog funnel in and create the kind of climate Pinot Noir grapes love.
There are a lot of wineries making very tasty Pinots there. Most of which we had never heard of – this area is still kind of “under the radar”. You may be familiar with Talbott, Chalone, or Morgan. If you go there to wine taste, don’t expect big fancy tasting rooms like you find in Napa. In general, they are pretty no-frills, and most don’t even have free-standing tasting rooms – they have spaces in strip-malls in Carmel and Monterey. Nevertheless, the California Pinot Noirs are spectacular. We are working on carrying some of them in the future.
Now that summer is here, keep in mind that Pinot Noir goes really well with so many foods we enjoy in the summertime, like chicken and fish. Check out Bev’s Pinot-friendly recipes on the website. Try a grilled chicken salad with a Pinot! It is a wine that is easy to drink on its own, as well – it doesn’t HAVE to have food with it like some heavier varietals.
And if you find yourself running low on Pinot, you know where you can find a variety of stellar ones – www.winefactor.com!
P.S. Consider trying the Pelerin Pinot from Santa Lucia Highlands – it is a fabulous wine, chock-full of flavor!