Wine for Independence Day, July 4th

As an American living in London, the way I look forward to spending Independence Day is not at a barbecue or watching fireworks, nor sadly, is it watching the US play in the World Cup (although all three would be great) but instead, I like to celebrate the Fourth of July simply by enjoying a good bottle (or two!) of American wine.

This doesn’t sound like it should be too difficult to do, but the sad truth of the matter is there’s a dirth of decent American wine in London supermarkets. Sure there’s the basic Gallo and Sutter Home, but I said decent American wine! So as July 4th approaches, I’m thrilled to see that a few considerate retailers have taken pity on our plight by not only stocking a lovely couple of wines from California, but also putting them on special offer! (Details below)

Sonoma Cutrer is a well-known producer of beautiful wines and are especially lauded for their Chardonnays which tend to be made in a ‘Burgundian style’ meaning that they utilize traditional winemaking methods from that region, but combine with it their own technological innovation to produce a classical wine with an indelible sense of place.

Sonoma County is a particularly scenic region of California, and thanks to its coastal location, doesn’t get as hot as many other regions of the state and therefore is the ideal location for the production of grapes that like a moderate climate like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

So even if I won’t be eating hot dogs and hamburgers on July 4th, I’ll certainly be drinking these wines – will you?

Sonoma-Cutrer, Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2006
A gorgeous deep gold colour (like the Rolex watches those flashy Americans wear!) with a toasty nose of nuts and butter that makes you want to dive head-first into the glass and soak it in. The palate is the epitome of balance! The crispness of the green apples is not lost in the opulence of the silky creaminess. The finish is extremely looooong – almost as lengthy as the first round Wimbledon match between American John Isner and Nicholas Mahut of France (11 hours and 6 minutes!)

Sonoma-Cutrer, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2006
An earthy ruby colour with a nose of mushrooms and cherries. The cherries follow through on the palate and are met by spicy tobacco, chocolate and dark plums. The freshness is still wonderfully evident and it’s an excellent example of what California can do with Pinot Noir.

For those of you in the UK, you’ll find these wines on special at the following places:

Waitrose: Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2006 £14.99 down to £9.99 until July 6.

Ocado: Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2006 £14.99 down to £9.99 and save £4 on the Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2006 £19.99 down to £15.99 until July 6.

Majestic: Buy 2, Save £10 until end of August.

I hope you enjoy these wines and to Americans all over the world – Happy Independence Day!

There’s always time for wine!

Tara – Wine Passionista