Wine Growers Worried About Erratic Spring Weather in California

The Sacramento Bee has an interesting article about how wine grape growers in the Sacramento region, along with those tending other perishable crops like cherries and strawberries, are struggling through a series of fluke frosts and hailstorms. YIKES! Given all the bad weather the US is seeing, we're hoping the fruit crops aren't the next victims. They say the cool, wet spring - for the second year in a row - has delayed growth, increased the threat of some diseases and snarled the harvest, as well as crushing, packing and shipping schedules.

We'll keep our fingers crossed and see what happens to the wines and fruit later this year.

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Paco & Lola Albarino 2009

VARIETAL: Albarino
REGION: Rias Baixas, Spain
PRICE: $15

I could very easily get stuck in a wine rut with this one. It is a ray of sunshine in a glass and it seriously taps into my bygone scratch n sniff addiction. Incredibly aromatic with lovely summer stone fruit notes like white peach and nectarine tempered with bright, zesty citrus peel. I could swirl and sniff all night. Of course I don't. Just sniff it, I mean. How could you? It just begs to be sipped and slurped and sipped again. I admit I have a soft spot for albarino, but this one really rocks. I first tried the Paco & Lola in a restaurant that utilizes tiny, single serve carafes to serve their wines-by-the glass--probably a good thing because had I seen the cutesy polka-dot label and unconventional burgundy bottle on a shelf in a wine shop, I likely would have mocked it instead of trying it.

Buy it at Liquorama or The Spanish Table.

Noël Wallace Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This |