If Napa and Sonoma wines have gotten too rich for your cup, here’s a more affordable California wine
The rising prices of wine from Napa and Sonoma might have you consider wine from nearby geographies, like Saracina's "Soul of Mendocino" blend.
Saracina “Soul of Mendocino”
$24.99
14.7% alcohol
PLCB Item #00024085
Sale price through March 2; regularly $26.99
Many wine drinkers love the wines of Napa Valley and Sonoma County, whose coastal location, climate, and terrain provide ideal conditions for making high-quality wines that are beautifully balanced — neither too lean nor overly ripe. However, their ever-escalating price points are leading many to explore neighboring areas in search of better value. One of the most interesting of these is Mendocino County, where this delicious blend of petite sirah, zinfandel, grenache, and carignane is grown.
Mendocino is located on the Pacific coastline, immediately north of Sonoma County, falling halfway between the San Francisco Bay Area and California’s northern border with Oregon. Saracina Vineyards is located in the upper reaches of the Russian River Valley, and like many of Mendocino’s vineyards, is dedicated to sustainable farming methods. Here, the vineyards are warmer and more sheltered and have more in common with Napa Valley, providing ideal conditions for bolder, denser red wines like this one. Loaded with dark and saturated flavors of grilled plums and blackberry compote, it features a bright thread of balancing tartness and plenty of herbal complexity.
Also available at:
Traino’s Wine & Spirits in Mt. Laurel and Voorhees, $25.99