Sarah's Vineyard is in Gilroy... but not really.
On Friday, Kara and I decided to head over to Sarah’s Vineyard in Gilroy. Sarah’s is a small winery, tucked into the Santa Cruz Mountains. The breezy climate makes it perfect for Burgundian and Rhone varietals. I am a big fan of their light style of wine making.
The reason for the trip was to attend their Summer Music Series. They have a neat patio and lawn area where different local bands will come to play. The tasting room stays open late to sell their wines by the bottle to enjoy with the music. You can bring your own picnic, or buy something to eat from whichever catering company is there (it changes from week to week).
Kara and I brought homemade Brie Paninis with Mango Chutney, Turkey (for me), and Spinach. We also bought a bottle of the Sarah’s Vineyard 2006 Central Coast Pinot Noir for $15.
Sarah's Vineyard 2006 Central Coast Pinot Noir and Kara's foot 2011.
Color: This Pinot had a cloudy dull red color. You could recreate that color by mashing a bunch of over-ripe roma tomatoes into a paste and adding water and a pinch of dirt. I know that doesn’t sound very appetizing, but I must say it looked fantastic. See…
Tomatoes and Dirt and Awesome!
Nose: There was a nice whiff of smoke, butter, and pepper. As I took a bit more in, I noticed a rubbery cola aroma. Nice!
Taste: This Pinot Noir had a very meaty and buttery taste on the palate, rounded out with a touch of cherry cola. On the finish, a touch of cranberry and walnuts became present.
I really liked this wine. I also appreciate that Sarah’s did not jack up their prices for the event. I give it a solid 87.
As the sun began to set, the wind really started to pick up. It got hella cold, hella quick. The cover band, Naked in Vegas, was alright. They were not, however, good enough to keep our cold asses at the vineyard after we had finished our bottle of Pinot Noir.
Naked in Vegas? More like bundled up in Gilroy!
Don’t worry, Sarah’s Vineyard, we will be back.
Stay Rad,
Jeff
Stay Rad 