Living La Vida Locavore

For many people, trying to eat locavore is not as hard as trying to drink locavore. In most regions of the country locally grown produce can be found within 50 to 100 miles of your home. But sourcing locavore wine is a bit more challenging. 

Luckily I live smack dab in the middle of a locavores' wet dream. Farms, dairy's, orchards and vineyards as far as the eye can see and beyond. Sonoma county is practically ground zero for year round availability of locally grown and produced products. I can hear chickens in my neighborhood and see vineyards from my living room. 

A few weeks ago I decided to find out exactly what vineyard I was gazing upon in the distance.  I fired up Google Maps and discovered it was Balletto. So off I went to check out my locavore vineyard. When the pourer asked where we were from I pointed out the tasting room window and said "Up there. I can see your vineyard from my house."

We tasted the 2006 Chardonnay, the 2007 Burnside and Estate Pinot Noirs, and the 2005 Zinfandel. But the wine that came home with me was the 2006 Gewurztraminer.  I was shocked by how much I liked this wine. It was so crisp and citrusy and thoroughly delightful. Not the treacly Gewurztraminwer of old that I remember from Stammtisch, the Friday night German Club drink fest held in the language department basement in college. I think Professor Marshall made the stuff himself.

Tonight we drank it with corn tortillas filled with sauteed rainbow chard, grilled onions and asiago cheese topped with green tomatillo salsa. It was a great combination. The savory and piquant with the crisp and light.  

I guess it's time to revisit other wines of the past that I have left in the dust and see what else out there will change my mind. -- Bis Gleich (german for see you later)