WINE

We sought our Pinot Noir in two ideal regions, Puy-de-Dôme and Méditerranée, where 15-40 year old vines in high-altitude vineyard sites enjoy hot days and cool nights similar to Burgundy. Aromas and flavors of sweet cherry fruit meld with earth and spice, balanced acidity and ripe fine tannin, to give this wine a long, smooth finish. Well-suited to pastas, pizza, BBQ, or anything eaten en-route as you search for long-lost knowledge.

We sought our Sauvignon Blanc in not one but two of New Zealand’s best vineyard sites – Marlborough and Martinborough – for complexity and zest. Aromas of zesty lime, grapefruit, and passionfruit with a touch of fresh green herbs. A refreshing and vibrant palate with core of sweet fruit leading to a long and juicy finish. Ideally-suited to shellfish, salads, citrus-sauced dishes, ocean voyages, and park blanket reconnaissance.

The Show Malbec is a delicious wine with flavors of blackberry, cranberry, white pepper and spice, with toasty vanilla and violets. The wine has smooth tannins, a velvety texture and a long, lingering finish.

The Skinny Vine our White Zinfandel expresses flavors of luscious ripe berry, honeydew and crisp citrus complemented by a touch of sweet spice. Oh-and it happens to be really refreshing!

Thorny Rose black cherry cherry, quite contrary. Raspberry and blackberry marry. Graham crackers and sassafras get to know vanilla and cocoa.

Our Cabernet begins with beautiful scents of chaparral, sage and blackberry that evoke a feel of rustic elegance. Your palette is then greeted with tones of rich earth, black pepper and flavors of ripe plum. The tannins create a supple yet full-bodied finish with lingering notes of chocolate and espresso.

A straw yellow color with green highlights. On the nose, it is fresh and floral with rich fruity aromas of apple and pear. The palate is lively and fruity, yet very clean, crisp and elegant. It pairs well with a wide array of lighter cuisine, especially fish/shellfish, poultry, pastas in cream sauce and softer cheeses. It’s also an ideal aperitif.

This blend captures the natural expression of untouched grapes and the true essence of the Uco Valley vineyard where they were picked. It has a beautiful pomegranate color and aroma of fresh red cherries with light French oak undertones. The palate is fresh and lively with black raspberry and spiced mocha notes. A great companion to barbeque or burgers, and incredibly easy to drink on its own.

Toad Hollow is the collaboration of two old friends who retired, more or less, to an existence of peace and quiet in the Hollow, after a life of whirlwind world travel. Our friend and partner, Rodney Strong was an icon in the wine industry. Smooth, cranberry, raspberry, honey, vanilla, nuts, cherry, nice soft finish. This California Red wine is a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Petit Syrah, Malbec and Dolcetto grapes from across the great state of California! Erik’s the Red is not only big and chewy, but has a modicum of elegance!

Ahead of the trend of UNOAKED Chardonnay we opened the door to a world of Chardonnay that tasted like the varietal. We keep our Chardonnay clean and refreshing allowing the fruit to shine through. It has a fruity taste that is crisp, clean and steely. With a flavor of peaches, grapefruit, citrus..

Toad Hollow Vibrant! Frivolous! And...Oo-Lah-Lah... When Can-Can was introduced in Paris in the 1830's, it was quickly dubbed, "Le Ballet Risqué" for its rousing energy marked by high kicks and daring naughtiness. Soon it became a symbol for the Parisians' famous devil-may-care attitude. Risqué recaptures that spirit. This "vin vivant" (lively wine) is a crisp and fruity sparkling wine with low alcohol (6%) and the taste of fresh green apples and pears. Softly effervescent with just enough sweetness to seduce your palate as an aperitif or tempt you when you want something perfectly naughty to finish...or, perhaps...to start again!

Toad Hollow Nose: Butterscotch, black cherry, smoke, raspberry, classy. Mouth: Rich, thick, well-balanced, smoky, earthy, cherry, cassis, vanilla. Pairing: Game, salmon, vegetarian dishes.

The grapes are picked during the night to preserve freshness, then gently de-stemmed and pressed at the winery. We ferment 100% of the juice sur lie (basically, with the sediment) in a combination of new and used American, Eastern European and French oak barrels for eight months. This wine delivers white peach and Asian pear aromas and is rich, yet crisp on the palate with great acidity. We prefer to just think of it as a solid American Chardonnay with some oaky heft behind it. Pairs well with brie & crackers, a walk in the woods on a warm fall day, and Skype dates with old friends.

After crushing and de-stemming the fruit, we cold-soak the juice for 24 hours before inoculating it with a cultured yeast strain to begin fermentation. The juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks for seven to 10 days. Then we barrel age for 20 months in a combination of new and used American, French, and Hungarian oak barrels. Aromas of cinnamon, vanilla, and chocolate-dipped cherries give way to flavors of bing cherries, sweet anise, vanilla, and roasted coffee. The color is bright-to-dark ruby red. Pairs well with Spaghetti Bolognese, candlelight & a soft blanket.

In terms of aroma, typical red cherry notes lead this Tommasi “Rafael” Valpolicella Classico Superiore, with a touch of leather and a hint of cloves also in evidence. As is to be expected, the extended oak maturation period that won Tommasi “Rafael” Valpolicella Classico Superiore it’s “superiore” designation offers more complexity than an unoaked style of Valpolicella and this is carried through to the palate. Good flavoural intensity is offset by slightly austere tannins at this time and just a moderate length.

Torbreck fashioned with the savoury, food friendly dry whites of Southern France in mind, the Woodcutter's Semillon is the ideal tonic after a long day in the vineyard. Medium bodied with a pristine lemon hue this youthful Semillon offers delicate scents of calamansi, limestone, candle wax, and toasted brioche. The copper-pink skins of this robust, age-old 'Madeira Clone' flesh out the palate, lending notes of almond kernels, soft pineapple, roasted cashew and white peach. Underlying notes of citrus oil and minerals maintain the wines freshness whilst a crisp spine of razor-like acidity neatly lace together the finish. Although beautifully enjoyable in its youth with sashimi and fresh shellfish this wine will continue to increase in complexity with time and should provide compelling drinking over the coming years.