Drink the Bottles

  There are plenty of reasons to celebrate white wine. Dry Creek Vineyard gives us two particularly good ones. There are days when a glass of white wine is exactly what the occasion calls for. Maybe it's a warm afternoon on the patio. Maybe dinner is something fresh off the grill. Maybe you're putting together a cheese board and looking for something that won't overpower everything on it. Or maybe, as is the case today, it's simply National White Wine Day .   Whatever the reason, we're happy to have an excuse to open a couple of bottles. For this year's celebration, we turned to a California winery with more than five decades of experience making white wine: Dry Creek Vineyard . Founded in 1972 in Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley, the family-owned winery has played an important role in the history of the region—and particularly in the story of Sauvignon Blanc. We recently opened two of its 2025 releases: the 2025 Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley , and the 2...

  A Taste of Sonoma History in Every Glass When many people hear the word Zinfandel, they immediately think of a sweeter, easy-drinking wine style that became popular decades ago. But true California Zinfandel has a much deeper story — one rooted in history, old vineyards, and winemakers who have worked for generations to preserve some of the country’s most treasured vines. The 2021 Old Vine Zinfandel from Dry Creek Vineyard is a perfect example of why this grape deserves more attention. This is not simply a fruit-forward California red. It is a wine built around heritage, balance, and the character that can only come from vines that have stood the test of time. Located in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley, Dry Creek Vineyard has long been recognized for its commitment to Zinfandel and the preservation of old vine vineyards. In fact, the winery is credited with first coining the term “Old Vine Zinfandel” in 1987 when it wanted to highlight the unique character of its historic viney...

There’s a certain kind of wine that feels reserved for special occasions—the kind you open, pour carefully, and overthink a little too much.  This isn’t that wine. The 2022  Cline Rock Carved Cabernet Sauvignon is the kind of bottle that fits into real life. Not just the dinner table, but the kitchen. Midweek. Music on. Sauce simmering. Glass already poured. And honestly, that’s where it shines. Right away, this wine gives you exactly what you want from a California Cabernet—rich dark fruit, plenty of structure, and just enough depth to keep things interesting. But it doesn’t overwhelm you.  That's the beauty of Alexander Valley and Sonoma.  Immediately approachable and smooth.  Easy to come back to. What makes this bottle stand out isn’t just what’s in the glass—it’s how naturally it fits into the moment. You don’t need a perfectly set table or a formal pairing. This is a wine that works while you’re cooking, not just once you sit down. Tomato sauce on the sto...

  We had the pleasusre of visiting Pine Ridge Vineyards towards the end of the Covid pandemic, so times were much different than they are currently.  Being fans of PRV for many years, we can attest that the property, the people, the wines and the overall tasting experience at Pine Ridge is absolutely stunning and  very welcoming.  It is a "must visit" destination on your next Napa Valley wine adventure. Before we get into this wine, we have a confession to make and it might not be an easy one to hear.  We typically are NOT "wine with dinner" people.  Cue the moans, the eye rolls and horrible feedback.  We get it.  Wine accentuates your meal.  When paired properly, both the food and the vino compliment each other and the experience is beyond memorable.  In fact, one of our good friends who is a vintner in Napa Valley will talk your ear off about how lovely wine is with food and the importance of having quality in both. We aren't going to ...

We were recently introduced to Hamel Family Wines and their 2018 Isthmus red blend.  This wine is comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon (64%), Merlot (18%), Cabernet Franc (14%) and Petit Verdot (4%).  This wine is very rich up front with dominant blackberry, plum and pomegranate fruits.  Clove, grilling spices, river rock and ripe dark fruits blend to create a stunning and memorable wine that is approachable now and will also drink very well for the next 15+ years.  Wonderful texture with the medium to heavier mouthfeel.  We decanted this wine for about 90 minutes prior to tasting and that helped bring this selection to a compelling and delightful finish.  Ruby red in the glass to the rim.  While we don't often taste wines with food, we do think that this would be a delicious accompaniment to a bone-in ribeye steak. ABV:  14.5% Sonoma Valley, CA 2,698 cases produced Suggested retail price:  $90.00 Drink The Bottles score:  93+/100  

  2016 was generally a very good year for California Cabernet Sauvignon.  By far, the growing season was steady and uneventful, allowing grapes to help produce solid wines.  This  2016 Laurel Glen Counterpoint Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma Mountain is 100% Cabernet (yay!) and one that is extremely fairly priced.  We won't say "value priced" wine as that tends to actually devalue a brand.  We are going to call this wine an incredible deal.  Juicy blackberry, plum camp fire and cigar box on the nose with, at times, hints of dried spring flowers.  A dark, robust wine with flavors of black fruits, cherry tobacco, allspice and earthiness.  The wine really pulls you in immediately and leaves a solid finish on the palate.  This is the first Counterpoint that we have tasted and these 50+ year old vines are really strutting their stuff.  Excellent choice!  Drink now or for the next 10 years. ABV:  14.6% Sonoma Mountain, CA Sugges...

  Enkidu Wines of Sonoma, California is a new addition to the Drink The Bottles  wine tribe.  It is no secret that we taste and share a lot of Napa wines and when we partner up with a (new-to-us) producer from Sonoma, we're always excited to see the outcome.  We had the privilege of tasting the 2018 Enkidu Wines Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) and this was a great introduction for us to this producer.  When we popped the cork and saw the wine imprint, we suspected that we were in for a treat with some high quality, dense fruit. Medium to dark scarlet color solid in the glass from center to edge.  Aromas of fresh out-of-the-oven strawberry rhubarb pie, damp earth and spices carry over to similar flavors.  This is a potpourri of sweet fragrance with intense, medium bodied raspberry jam and hints of vanilla.  The acid in this wine is solid but in check, leading the taster to a path of a lingering finish that goes on for moments.  We didn't de...

  Zinfandel is a favorite red varietal of ours, especially as we head into colder weather for fall and winter.  We find that it generally pairs very well with stews, chili and red meat.  The  2019 Cline Family Cellars Ancient Vines Zinfandel is a fine example a wine that can be enjoyed over a great conversation or a nice dinner.  We actually drank this solo and  then again with meatloaf and it was a hit!  The vines that create the fruit for this wine are over 100 years old out of Contra Costa County, creating a wine that is both reliable and tasty.  Medium red in color, dominating aromas of cooked strawberries and dried spices fill the glass.  The same follows through with the flavors, adding in toasted flat bread with vanilla bean and plum.  We think this is drinking very well right now but may be even a little bit better in another 12 - 18 months.   ABV:  14.5% Contra Costa County, CA Suggested retail price:  $25.0...

We're a little giddy over this new release from Cline Family Cellars.  To be honest, Petite Sirah doesn't cross our paths nearly as often as a more dominant Cabernet or Merlot.  But when it does, we are always very eager to taste it and share it with you.  The  2019 Cline Family Cellars Petite Sirah (Contra Costa County) is an inky purple wine in the glass that is immediately inviting and tempting.  Since this wine is very young, we decanted it for about 45 minutes prior to tasting.  The decant opened up this wine considerably and brought forth appetizing aromas of blueberry, mocha, dark chocolate and flecks of mild pepper.  While we often think of Petite Sirah as a straight-forward wine used primary for blending other red varietals, this one steps outside of that comfort zone.  Full and distinct blue and black berry compote flavors explode in the mouth, joined with mild spices, a whisper of vanilla and a finish of star anise against solid tannin...

We were very blessed to be able to travel to California recently for a wine trip with great friends.  We had planned the trip in 2020, but we had to postpone for a year due to most of the world shutting down from the Covid pandemic.  We decided that we would take this trip in 2021, come hell or high water. Our "Winos" group as we jokingly and affectionately call ourselves, spent a few evenings and many text messages back and forth to discuss the "must visit" wineries as well as those that had been on various wish lists throughout the years.  After much discussion and many emails back and forth to the wineries on our radar, we finally decided on nine wineries that would complete our adventure.  And, so we begun with Day #1...... Repris Wines. We love Southwest Airlines!  However, a non-stop flight from IND to OAK would be ideal. There were three couples who took part in our journey and each one flew into a different airport.  Kris & Scott flew into Sacra...

  It was a great day for a wine tasting.  But then again, isn't  any  day perfect to gather for some vino?   Our group of six gathered at our home (aka DrinkTheBottles  HQ) for a virtual wine tasting provided by our friends at Rodney Strong Wine Estates .  This tasting was promoted as a media tasting and we invited our friends to enjoy some new wines.  Whenever we have a virtual tasting we always try to include others.  It would be a shame to "waste" six bottles of wine on two people. The folks at Rodney Strong Wine Estates have been going through a makeover, or a REJUVENATION as they call it, for the last 3 years.  They have touched every part of the business from the estate, the vineyards, the tasting room, the personnel and, as you may notice, the logo/label! The lineup consisted of six unique and flavorful wines.  The winery proves that you don't have to be expensive to enjoy quality wines.   We tasted these wines...