For the most part Vino V had most of the same wines they had last time we were here. But the good thing is, I needed to restock on a couple favorites. The 2011 Chenin Blanc and 2006 Syrah. A wine he had that I do not recall him having last time was the Grüner Veltliner (2011), which is a white, very light, fruitier, sweeter than the Chenin but just as delicate.
It is funny because the wine maker is a pretty manly guy and his wines are very delicate and gentle, but also intricate.
He surprised us by tempting us with a 2008 Chardonnay, not on the wine tasting roster. We tried a 2010, and it was good, but just good. The 08 is tantalizing. Not sure if just age contributes to the character, or the vintage is just better, but I couldn't resist buying a bottle.
Next we wandered five feet to the right to try the wines at Old Creek Ranch. They focus mostly on varietals from the Spanish and Italian regions (some southern French as well), like Grenache, Sangiovese, Viognier. We started off with two fruity but acidic whites: a Tocai Friulano, and an Albarino. These have a citric acidic bite, which would go well with food. They are apparently really popular in Spain.
The Viognier was much better than the last one I tried, but it isn't for me. Not as buttery as a Chardonnay, and not as sweet as a pinot gris, but relies on more subtle complexity. At this stage in my learning, I need a white to hit me over the head with uniqueness, otherwise, I lose interest.
The next two wines were a Carignane, which was good, but a little on the light and dry side for me, and De La Tierra, a blend mostly of Morvedre with a little Grenache, Syrah and Viognier (which seems a really odd combination to me--and overall it was). Again, see aforementioned requisite baseball-bat-of-flavor. Wines cannot play coy with me; I am but a child needing to be hit in the head...with a baseball bat (which I imagine any of you reading with more experience than I, would like to oblige. Maybe for charity one day, I'll sell tickets and you'll get your chance).
Ah, the OCR 2010 Grenache, which I post about more in the future. This is a lovely flavorful wine, and I rather enjoy both tasting and drinking, as is their Sangiovese (2009), and their Petite Sirah (2010). The Sangiovese is amazing and I was excited to taste it again, and to get another bottle. I'm always wary of Petite Sirahs, since I am so often disappointed, and this was a new wine on sale for the first time this spring. It was lovely and at $35/bottle, an excellent value ($28 if you join their club). Their Syrah (2009) was not exciting however, and I was bummed as I typically like Syrah a lot. They touted it (in the description) as amazing, but I just can't agree. It could also have been that by now, my tasters were shot, but it just didn't have the same allure the other wines did. There was no sex in that bottle for me.
Speaking of price the Petite Sirah, and the Barbera wine were the most expensive of their wines. They range from $22 to $35, and are sophisticated and nicely priced.
Lastly, I need to mention their 2009 Barbera wine. This was a surprise, as I'm sure we tried it the last time we were here, but I don't recall it. It was nearly sold out, and they had a 2-bottle limit, so we bought our limit. This was smooth, right, silky, a beautiful dark red, fruity, and just fucking nice to drink.
We ended our day at Paradise Pantry, where they served us cheese, more wine, and a variety of other amazing foods.
Bottom line: Go for a drive to Ojai and buy some wine! Stop in Ventura for the cheese!
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