Jeff’s Letter from January 2022

I can’t think of a better way to ring in the new year than with a slate of hearty red wines, and that is just what we have for you. Starting with the ever-popular Cooper Barbera we follow with a Tempranillo from Markus Bokish, that has plenty of flavor garnered from an extra month of time on the vine. The SME selection is Bill Dillian’s Primitivo, a terrific gateway into the world of Zinfandel; pretty, bright, and smooth. And if Cassoulet is in your future, the SMEII wine would be a prefect accompaniment; Tannat from Ron Silva’s vineyard in the Alta Mesa District of Lodi. 2022 promises to deliver another year of stellar wines.

Optimism may be in short supply, but the record snowpack in the mountains and the soil soaking up the year-end rain, the concerns about the drought continuing in 2022 is fading. Once the weather clears and construction resumes, we will inch closer to the conclusion of our tasting room expansion. We anticipate opening the doors sometime in the spring. We are cautiously hopeful about the possibilities of returning to the spring tradition of a Wine Club bar-b-que and celebration. We may not be out of the woods yet, but there is a lot to look forward to here in Amador in the new year.

– Jeff