One of my favorite domestic wineries is nestled in the Sierra Foothills in California.  Boeger has been open since 1974.  The fun fact about Boeger's winery is that it sits just about 15 minutes away from where gold was first found in California.  It subsequently started the gold rush.  It's fun to think that once upon a time, where Boeger now has vineyards, people were taking part in the gold rush.

The gold rush is not my reasoning for loving Boeger (I do love that fact though).  It is because they have gotten away from the normal California offerings.  Sure, they make wonderful Zins, Chardonays, Pinots, etc.  What seperates them is varietals such as Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Cab Franc.  My favorite though is their Barbera.

Barbera is a red grape common to Italy.  It is only behind Sangiovese and Montepulciano in terms of red wine production there.  In California, it had been on the rise in recent years.  Before, Barbera was a grape that was used in California to blend.  Now, there are many fine examples of single varietal Barbera being produced with great quality.  There are none finer in my opinion than Boeger's!

Boeger's Barbera is extremely well rounded. The aromatics here are a nice a mix of fruit (Plum) with a touch of black pepper.  It shows a really nice mix of fruit (Black Cherry, Blackberry) and spice (Vanilla and a touch of clove).  Low tannins and good acidity give this wine a wonderful mouth feel. It shows a lot of structure without having the bitterness that comes with it.  Overall, it is extremely smooth and keeps you wanting more.

Boeger Barbera in a Nutshell:

Description:  Great aromatics of plum and black pepper.  Plump red that shows great blackberry and black cherry fruit.  Good spice on the finish with clove and vanilla.  Low tannins and a touch of acid round off this well balanced Cal-Ital wine.

Pairing:  A nice red to accompany anything containing Marinara sauce.  Low acid makes it a great pairing with tomato based meat dishes.
 
Vintage/Price: Current vintage is 2009.  It is wonderful now but 1-2 years in your cellar could make this wine spectacular.  Should find it between 17 and 19 dollars on the net or in a store near you!


For more information on Boeger's Barbera and their other wines, please go to: Boeger Winery

Today I am writing about a wine from a winery whose name is a favorite of mine. The winery is Duxoup from Northern Sonoma County in California.  Upon looking at the name, people want to pronounce it with a French accent.  It's fun to see people spin it different ways.  The pronunciation however is quite simply Duck Soup.

The winery has some varietals that are not common in California such as Dolcetto, Gamay Noir and Sangiovese.  The varietal that I tasted recently is even more rare than those mentioned.  It is Charbono.  

I had never heard of it before.  Upon looking into the wine more, I found it is a different name for Bonarda, the red varietal that is increasing production and trying to be the new Malbec in Argentina.  The third name the grape goes by is Corbeau.  This is the original name for the grape in its native France.  Some believe that it is related to Dolcetto in Italy as well.

In regards to just Duxoup's Charbono, it is quite delicious.  It is a very dark purple in the glass.  It has a strong nose but upon drinking, it has a lot more fruit than you would expect from the first sniff.  It is full bodied red but big and chewy.  It is also high in tannin's and good acidity.

Duxoup Charbono in a Nutshell:

Description:  Deep purple in color.  Rich with a long finish.  Shows good fruit, mostly plum.  Also has a touch of pepper on the finish.

Pairings:  Great with a Flank Steak or Carne Asada tacos.  The perfect wine for anything with Chipotle seasoning.  

Vintages/Price:  Current vintage is 2008.   $20 should be very close to the price wherever you find this wine.  Goes pretty fast though because there is less than 500 cases produced.

For more information, please visit http://www.duxoup.com/charbono.html