It’s so hot out that…

• I actually saw two fire hydrants fighting over a dog.
• I saw a squirrel roasting its nuts on the sidewalk
• I bought a frozen pizza, and it was already cooked when I got home
• birds have to pick up the worms with oven gloves
• I saw a chicken lay a fried egg
• I saw a dog chasing a cat, and they were both walking
• Hot water comes out of both taps. (This one is actually true!)
• I’m using Celsius instead of Fahrenheit just to have a lower number
• I intentionally leave the toilet seat up to get icy stares from my wife
• I discovered my car’s seat belt makes a pretty good branding iron.
• I started drinking white wine!!!

So, that last one is not a dad joke but rather an epiphany on my part. I am very honest with myself. Under my doctor’s recommendations, I drink two glasses of wine a day. More or less, often more. Actually, if I am being honest, I showed my doctor studies showing two glasses of wine are healthy; we never really discussed the size of the glass, so she went along with it. If you know me, for years, I have been a self-proclaimed lover of red wine, all kinds, as long as it is red. But recently, I have become a changed man. After all this 90+ degree weather and with dew points equal to sitting on the bottom of the deep end of a pool, I could not drink another glass of red wine. Whether it be a chilled Gamay or Pinot Noir, frosty Lambrusco, or slightly cooled Valpolicella, nothing red seemed to scratch that itch. Then, I started to eye all the white wine samples accumulating on my wine rack. 

This is where the heavens opened up, and trumpets on high sounded; I had found my new nirvana during these dog days of summer. I started with a crisp Gruner Veltliner, then went to a fleshy Pinot Gris, followed by a minerally Albarino, and even enjoyed a citrusy Sauvignon Blanc. Still, the varietal I kept returning to was Riesling. Something about the refreshing, clean acids, with aromatic floral notes and its added mineral complexities, made this the perfect wine to sit on my porch, petting my panting dog and occasionally smoking a cigar. Yes, I have ascended from that knuckle-dragging bourbon and red wine-drinking caveman to a divine corporal lover of the more delicate side of life. At least till it turns colder, and I will then return to the dark side.

Most wine drinkers have a lot of preconceived notions about Riesling and dismiss it at first sight, but there are so many great Rieslings out there today! The pros love it because Riesling can produce wines of great complexity because they closely reflect where they are grown. Most importantly, the wines are never boring. Riesling is like no other grape, except maybe Pinot Noir, that can translate the specifics of its vineyard site into flavors, aromas, and textures that present themselves in the glass, providing an infinite variety of expression. People who drink a lot of wine appreciate this because it’s exciting and keeps things from becoming predictable. Also, given the fact that Riesling is high in acids, very versatile with food, and ages very well, it makes it a passion for true wine geeks. Rieslings can range from completely dry to very sweet and everything in between and at every price point imaginable. So get over yourself and try a glass.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. A 6-foot 6-inch man gets tired of wrestling grizzlies and pioneering in early America, living as a god in the wilderness, foraging the land with his native American friends (we used to call them Indians) all in a black and white production weekly television show. When it was time for the actor, Fess Parker, that played Danielle Boone and Davie Crocket on TV and Disney movies, to hang up his coon skin cap and flint-lock rifle, he turned to his first love, fine wine.

He bought a 714-acre property to run cattle and plant a few acres of Vineyards as a retirement project with his family. Well, that was short-lived. The winery soon got taken seriously, getting rave reviews and high demand; it was not just another celebrity trophy winery. Today, the Parker family operation includes over 1,500 acres of vineyards, a tasting room, and a visitor center along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail. The winery is owned and operated by Fess Parker’s family and produces award-winning wines. You would probably recognize the winery for its tasting room used in Sideways, where the winery played the role of Frass Canyon Winery. Ironic, isn’t it, a winery founded by a famous actor plays the role of a fictitious wine room in a movie about fine wines in Santa Barbara. You will remember this was this tasting room they were visiting when Giles got the bad news from his book publisher and, in a rant, drank most of the spit bucket because they would not serve him more wine. One of the wineries best selling T-shirts states, “You bet your (image of a donkey’s posterior) we’re not Frass.”

When Fess Parker started his winery in 1988, the first wine made from those vineyards on his original property was Riesling, which still has a near and dear place in Fess Parker’s portfolio. The quality of grapes from the Santa Ynez Valley’s success is its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. The Santa Ynez Mountains formed on the southern side of the Santa Ynez Fault and run west to east - yep, west to east. Fun Fact: The Santa Ynez and neighboring San Rafael Mountains are a part of the Transverse Mountain Ranges. These mountain ranges are the only ranges on the coast of North and South America that run west to east rather than north to south. These lateral mountains create a funnel-shaped valley that opens as you near the Pacific Ocean on the western coastline bringing constant ocean winds into the valley. This is a wine-geeky way of explaining that Santa Ynez Valley has the coolest temperature growing region of all California even though it is the farthest south, allowing for a great growing area for cool-climate grapes, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling.

The cool coastal breezes that sweep through the region help to moderate temperatures and create a long growing season, which allows the grapes to ripen slowly and develop complex flavors. The Santa Ynez Valley is known for its diverse soil types, which play a crucial role in the quality and character of the wines produced in the region. In addition, the region’s unique east-west orientation means that vineyards receive ample sunlight throughout the day, which is ideal for creating high-quality grapes.

Fess Parker Santa Barbara County Riesling is sourced from three of their estate vineyards and is a refreshing, off-dry wine with a good balance between sweetness and acidity. The well-structured palate satisfies with prominent apricot, white peach, lychee nut, Granny Smith apple, lemon cream, passion fruit, pineapple, Jasmine, and chamomile flavors. This wine pairs seamlessly all kinds of plates, cold foods, and spicy dishes. It is also the ideal sipping wine. Or, in my case, gulping wine.

I gathered up a small group of enthusiastic wine tasters to get some adjectives for the Fess Parker Santa Barbara Riesling 2022. Out of the bottle, it poured a pale yellow color. Stone fruit aromas instantly came out of the glass, noticeably white peach and nectarine. In the mouth, we got ripe honeydew melon, ripe local peaches, Pink Lady apple, whetstone, and slight petrol. Bright acids kept the ripe fruits dancing without feeling cloying. Yes, there is residual sugar in the wine, but it is a pure fruit type of sweetness, and the acids keep it from sticking, leaving a clean, pure fruit finish that lasts a long time. We decided this is the perfect glass of wine for your riding lawnmower cup holder. The reason we got the price too low is that we bundled it with a large Fess Parker program, which means quantities are limited at this price.

Fess Parker Santa Barbara County Riesling 2022 

I gathered up a small group of enthusiastic wine tasters to get some adjectives for the Fess Parker Santa Barbara Riesling 2022. Out of the bottle, it poured a pale yellow color. Stone fruit aromas instantly came out of the glass, noticeably white peach and nectarine. In the mouth, we got ripe honeydew melon, ripe local peaches, Pink Lady apple, whetstone, and a slight petrol. Bright acids kept the ripe fruits dancing with out feeling cloying. Yes, there is residual sugar in the wine, but it is a pure fruit type of sweetness, and the acids keep it from sticking, leaving a clean, pure fruit finish that lasts a long time. We decided this is the perfect glass of wine for your riding lawnmower cup holder. The reason we got the price too low is that we bundled it with a large Fess Parker program, the problem is that quantities are limited.

Regular Price: $12.99

*Sale Price is on 12 or more bottle purchase

 Wine is packed in a 12-bottle case

*Wine pricing for these wine promotions are held for two weeks after the email offer.

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Cheers!

John Hannum,

Fine & Rare Wine Specialist

Attleboro

628 Washington St.

Norwood

942 Providence Hgwy.

Sturbridge

376 Main Street.

Swansea

207 Swansea Mall Dr.

Monday-Saturday

9AM to 9PM