WineLovers Discussion Group

At the tail end of an East Bay bicycle ride yesterday, I stopped at two of my favorite California wineries, which happened to be within 15 minutes by bicycle of my parking place: Donkey and Goat and Broc Cellars.

The 2011 Donkey and Goat Mouvedre (El Dorado County) is really coming out of bottle shock now. Wonderful earthy, funky dark plum fruit with a delicious kick of acid. fantastic stuff. Zack says you should wait to drink this, but....

Around the corner is Broc Cellars. Their 2011 Mouvedre, from Paso Robles, was simply amazing in its aromatics. The fruit was deep and rich with plenty of delicious acidity...and only 12.6% abv. This wine is half with stems and half not, and I enjoyed the brashness and sheer deliciousness! The Santa Barbara County Grenache was also a revelation. Dark, rich strawberry fruit with a blast of white pepper and refreshing, tangy acidity. I picked up one bottle.

These two wineries remain among my favorites....I may be skeptical about biodynamics and I know the "natural wine" movement can be controversial, but when it works....

Brian K Miller wrote:At the tail end of an East Bay bicycle ride yesterday, I stopped at two of my favorite California wineries, which happened to be within 15 minutes by bicycle of my parking place: Donkey and Goat and Broc Cellars.

The 2011 Donkey and Goat Mouvedre (El Dorado County) is really coming out of bottle shock now. Wonderful earthy, funky dark plum fruit with a delicious kick of acid. fantastic stuff. Zack says you should wait to drink this, but....

Around the corner is Broc Cellars. Their 2011 Mouvedre, from Paso Robles, was simply amazing in its aromatics. The fruit was deep and rich with plenty of delicious acidity...and only 12.6% abv. This wine is half with stems and half not, and I enjoyed the brashness and sheer deliciousness! The Santa Barbara County Grenache was also a revelation. Dark, rich strawberry fruit with a blast of white pepper and refreshing, tangy acidity. I picked up one bottle.

These two wineries remain among my favorites....I may be skeptical about biodynamics and I know the "natural wine" movement can be controversial, but when it works....

It's amazing, but Berkeley is becoming one of the more fascinating places in CA to taste wines. All that brings to mind an old ad campaign: vines... in Berkeley???

Mark Lipton

Yes. Oakland and Alameda, too. Rock Wall is not as much to my palate, but they make some unique varietal bottlings.

I LOVE Dashe wines, and they are such nice people.

Even Cerutti (i.e., Tudal) have a newish tasting room in Jack London Square that served up a warm and earthy and distinctly old school cabernet that was very fairly priced.

Brian K Miller wrote:Around the corner is Broc Cellars. Their 2011 Mouvedre, from Paso Robles, was simply amazing in its aromatics. The fruit was deep and rich with plenty of delicious acidity...and only 12.6% abv. This wine is half with stems and half not, and I enjoyed the brashness and sheer deliciousness! The Santa Barbara County Grenache was also a revelation. Dark, rich strawberry fruit with a blast of white pepper and refreshing, tangy acidity. I picked up one bottle.

Thanks to you and a few others making these types of posts, I finally ordered a mixed case from Broc. Especially interested in the Mouvedre.

When I was in Santa Cruz last year I was pleasantly surprised to find about 5 wineries all grouped together in a building complex - some very nice wines. McMinneville, OR also has a large building where several wineries share wine making resources. I've never seen this type of thing around here. They are all separate locations with vineyards attached.

When I was in Santa Cruz last year I was pleasantly surprised to find about 5 wineries all grouped together in a building complex - some very nice wines. McMinneville, OR also has a large building where several wineries share wine making resources. I've never seen this type of thing around here. They are all separate locations with vineyards attached.