Red Table Wine

originally posted by MarkS:
originally posted by Brad Kane:
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
originally posted by Brad Kane:
Gee-zus. A $50 "guzzler?" Puh-leeze!
$28

Not online at retail, it ain't.

You have heard of mailing lists? Very reasonably priced.

In most instances, if the wine is also available at retail, the winery doesn't undercut the market. You screw your distributor and retail supporters that way.
 
They're nothing like Central Valley. They are Sacramento River alluvial soils and as such get lots of nice cooling breeze, etc. Central Valley is the home of Welch's grape juice, etc.. "Dry farmed" ie water table at ten feet.

My stepdad coowned a hunting club on the river not far from these vineyards, old school to the hilt.

If you ever have a chance, the drive river drive through old towns such as Isleton, etc.. is definitely worth it and a flash from vieux California.
 
Sorry and I got enough energy to actually read the thread and see that Mark corrected himself. Sorry Mark. But I will leave my post to look somewhat knowledgeable.

Lots of family history in Antioch. I attended Northgate High 82-84.
 
originally posted by MLipton:
originally posted by robert ames:
so for the clueless and/or igorant, where does this wine come from? i'm guessing that contra costa should tell me, but it's not on me radar. and if imported, who is the importer?

All the Contra Costa vineyards are in the San Joaquin delta area. Immigrants planted Mataro and Carignan there in the early 20th C. Pretty cool climate from the influence of the bay, but flat as a pancake alluvial soils. Sandlands is Tegan Passalacqua’s operation, no?

Mark Lipton
(ex-Contra Costa county resident)

Haha, you inland people have a different definition of cool climate! But yes, an interesting (let's settle on) warm climate, often sandy-soiled terroir. I've had some very good Mourvedre and Zin from vineyards there.

I'll vouch for the Sandlands red, which I quite enjoyed. It's fairly gluggable with a nice baked clay and herbal tinge, although I wouldn't have thought it would scratch the same itch as CRB Cab-based wine.

For those of you in California with central Loire Cab F cravings, Grape Expectations has been bringing in some excellent red Saumurs from Caves Robert & Marcel, at a very reasonable $15/bottle retail.
 
originally posted by MLipton:
originally posted by Steve Edmunds:

It's actually quite hot there, Mark. Mourvedre picks there in late August or early September most years, whereas, in Napa, Sonoma, or Placerville it's usually October by the time it's picked.

Fair enough, Steve. I guess I was thinking too much of Crockett and Vallejo*. Those vineyards are more like Central Valley.

Mark Lipton

* Yeah, not CC but Solano. So shoot me!

Actually, they're not much at all like Central Valley. Nor is Antioch/Oakley. The difference is stark, really.
 
originally posted by Christian Miller (CMM):
I'll vouch for the Sandlands red, which I quite enjoyed. It's fairly gluggable with a nice baked clay and herbal tinge, although I wouldn't have thought it would scratch the same itch as CRB Cab-based wine.

I don’t really see it either.
 
originally posted by Christian Miller (CMM):
For those of you in California with central Loire Cab F cravings, Grape Expectations has been bringing in some excellent red Saumurs from Caves Robert & Marcel, at a very reasonable $15/bottle retail.
Good to hear this! They are the re-branded local co-op.
 
originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
originally posted by Christian Miller (CMM):
I'll vouch for the Sandlands red, which I quite enjoyed. It's fairly gluggable with a nice baked clay and herbal tinge, although I wouldn't have thought it would scratch the same itch as CRB Cab-based wine.

I don’t really see it either.
I'm not saying only their mother could tell them apart in a blind tasting. Just that they both excel with a cluster of key traits that really push my buttons, notwithstanding other things that make them different.
 
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
originally posted by Christian Miller (CMM):
I'll vouch for the Sandlands red, which I quite enjoyed. It's fairly gluggable with a nice baked clay and herbal tinge, although I wouldn't have thought it would scratch the same itch as CRB Cab-based wine.

I don’t really see it either.
I'm not saying only their mother could tell them apart in a blind tasting. Just that they both excel with a cluster of key traits that really push my buttons, notwithstanding other things that make them different.
That I totally get. I feel exactly the same way about several types of rose' that don't really taste the same - Navarra, Chinon and Bardolino Chiaretto for example.
 
Earlier in the week I sent this thread to Teagan and he was actually picking the Carignane. On August 5th! Needless to say I think he really appreciated the props from Keith.
 
originally posted by Jayson Cohen:
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
originally posted by Peter Creasey:
Jayson, some of Eric's Cote du Rhones could fill your "minimal qualifications". The Chat Fou and St Julien St Alban, among others, come to mind.

I only wish they could be available locally more than just occasionally.

. . . . . Pete

Jayson and Keith are different people.

We are!

We are?

Hmmmm. Both litigators. Both wine geeks and acid freaks. Both annoying. Both of the Tribe. I don’t know Oswaldo. Maybe I will defer to the notion that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence and leave it at that.

Hmm, different politics?
 
originally posted by Brad Kane:
originally posted by MarkS:
originally posted by Brad Kane:
originally posted by Keith Levenberg:
originally posted by Brad Kane:
Gee-zus. A $50 "guzzler?" Puh-leeze!
$28

Not online at retail, it ain't.

You have heard of mailing lists? Very reasonably priced.

In most instances, if the wine is also available at retail, the winery doesn't undercut the market. You screw your distributor and retail supporters that way.

I expect that most Sandlands at retail is second hand. Quantities are low and I think they could, and perhaps do, sell almost all of their wine direct.
 
Keith, I'll say it again (I mentioned it to you on CellarTracker already) -- you should check out Birichino Cinsault. Same vineyard as the Sandlands, but about $10 less expensive. Different flavor profile that CRB, of course, but it fits your parameters as well as any wine I know in California.
 
Just had a Sicilian wine that really fit the bill here -- 2017 Caruso e Minini Perricone. Perfect red wine for a mixed grill on a hot summer day.
 
originally posted by Jim Hanlon:
Keith, I'll say it again (I mentioned it to you on CellarTracker already) -- you should check out Birichino Cinsault. Same vineyard as the Sandlands, but about $10 less expensive. Different flavor profile that CRB, of course, but it fits your parameters as well as any wine I know in California.
It's on my list come shipping season!
 
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