One Red, One White: What We’re Drinking This Winter

“One red, one white” is our take on what we’re drinking lately, inspired by and paired with some of our favorite poems (see our Instagram feed @ediblesf for more on this theme).

We’re mostly enjoying food-friendly wines, those bottles that clock in at 13 percent or lower ABV (alcohol by volume) because they don’t leave your palate dulled by heavy tannins and they’re sometimes a bit racy with a good amount of acid. In other words, wines that are light and frolicsome!

2017 Sauvage Chenin Blanc, Vista Verde Vineyards

We got on the Chenin Blanc bandwagon when Tegan Passalacqua introduced a whole slew of releases on his Sandlands label six or seven years ago. Up to that point, Chenin Blanc was mostly known as a jug wine, aka California Chablis. Jump to the 2017 vintage and there’s a bevy of winemakers that have released refreshingly crisp and complex Chenins that are worthy of your attention. One of our faves is the Methode Sauvage Vista Verde Vineyard Chenin Blanc. It’s stunningly golden-hued with a slippery-smooth honeysuckle profile that drops off into a limoncello-like finish that lingers deliciously long on the palate. methodesauvage.com

 

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There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground, And swallows circling with their shimmering sound; And frogs in the pools singing at night, And wild plum-trees in tremulous white; Robins will wear their feathery fire Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire; And not one will know of the war, not one Will care at last when it is done. Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree If mankind perished utterly; And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn, Would scarcely know that we were gone. — There Will Come Soft Rains by Sara Tisdale. This poem was first published in the July 1918 issue of Harper’s Magazine and speaks to the natural world reclaiming a battlefield. We thought it paired nicely with the 2017 Raft Syrah, Weed Farms, because this vineyard shares the land with Grape Creek, a tributary of Dry Creek, which feeds into the Russian River. In recent years, endangered coho salmon have returned (or maybe reclaimed is a better description?) to Grape Creek, using it as safe passage for spawning. #raftwines are produced by @duckdaughterjj #syrah #cohosalmon #grapecreek #drycreekvalley #sonoma #healdsburg #redwine #redwine #russianrivervalley #sonomacounty

A post shared by Edible San Francisco (@ediblesf) on Jan 14, 2019 at 3:05pm PST

2017 Raft Wines Syrah, Weed Farms | Dry Creek Valley

This Syrah vineyard at Weed Farms shares the land with Grape Creek, a tributary of Dry Creek, which feeds into the Russian River. In recent years, endangered coho salmon have been spotted in Grape Creek, using it as safe passage for spawning. Needless to say, the vineyards are never sprayed with pesticides or herbicides.

Winemaker Jennifer Reichardt’s tasting notes: This Syrah is equal parts floral, herbal and spice, with notes of violet, thyme and black pepper immediately present on the nose. It is followed by a beautiful rich black currant note. On the palate, there is great structure with a stronger tannin than in the previous vintage. It has a beautiful blackberry note, as if they were pureed and served with pot de crème. raftwines.com