Now that the world is re-opening, our calendars are filling up with fun plans, and we’re finding ourselves craving new and exciting experiences. If you’re looking for novelty and adventure, skip the old wine country standbys like Napa and Sonoma for your next road trip—we suggest taking a beautiful drive to California’s Central Coast. Bring your loved ones for a long weekend filled with sunshine, great food, and of course, great wine.

We’ve got the perfect itinerary all planned out, thanks to fantastic suggestions from Lindsey Jessup, Director of Guest Experiences & Tasting Rooms for Foley Estate, Lincourt Vineyard, Firestone Vineyard, Sebastiani, Chalk Hill, Foley Sonoma, Foley Johnson, Four Graces. All you have to do is book your reservations—so you can just relax and enjoy the getaway!

BUELLTON

A Friendly and Welcoming Small Town

Rise and Shine with Breakfast at Paula’s Pancake House
This cozy, old-fashioned local favorite spot is where the Foley family eats when they’re in town. Few can resist the thin, airy, crêpe-like Danish pancakes, served with juicy strawberries and fresh whipped cream.

Make Some Feathered Friends at Ostrich Land
This Central Coast Landmark is fun for the whole family. Get up close and personal with the ostriches and emus at this farm, where you can feed the birds for just a buck. If you’re lucky, you might get to see some babies!

Have a Mid-Day Meal at Industrial Eats
This hip restaurant, set in a repurposed warehouse, offers affordable eats made from premium ingredients grown on-site. Meat lovers and vegetarians alike will be delighted with the menu, which includes wood-fired pizzas, flavorful sandwiches, and lots of tasty small plates. Pro tip: ask for the secret breakfast item of the day, cooked in the wood-fired oven—and don’t skip the phenomenal coffee!

Sip Central Coast Wine at Spear and Dierburg Star Lane
Spear is a family-owned, sustainable, and certified-organic winery in the heart of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, with a stunning glass-walled tasting room, that just might be the best-kept secret in the AVA. Enjoy panoramic vineyard views and laid-back luxury while you sip Spear’s elegant Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah wines that combine old-world sensibilities with flavorful California fruit.

Then head over to Dierburg-Star Lane, where the winery’s three distinctive estate vineyards produce diverse expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah. The Dierberg label is centered on the delicate Burgundian varieties, while Star Lane is dedicated to the powerful grapes of Bordeaux. The contemporary farmhouse aesthetic at this welcoming estate is the perfect mix of rustic comfort and modern elegance.

Dine-in Style at Zaca Creek
This brand-new luxury retreat features a fantastic restaurant, The Tavern at Zaca Creek. Executive chef Cullen Campbell, who has twice been invited to cook at the James Beard House, serves up classic French- and Italian-style cuisine made from locally sourced ingredients, accompanied by a killer wine list and an outstanding cocktail program.

SOLVANG

A Unique Danish-style Town With Old-World Flair

Grab Breakfast at Brekkies
There’s something for everyone at this charming breakfast spot, including plenty of vegan options. Go early to skip the line; it’s a popular location for good reason! The hearty Monte Cristo sandwich is a favorite of adventurous (and hungry) diners—two slabs of brioche French toast are stuffed with ham, turkey, and warm melted cheese, topped with powdered sugar, and served with maple syrup, raspberry preserves, and tater tots.

Enjoy a Relaxed, Intimate Tasting at Lincourt Vineyards
FFWS members won’t want to miss a stop at Lincourt Vineyards, where a relaxed environment and friendly, knowledgeable tasting room staff will make you feel right at home while you sip cool-climate, expertly crafted wines. Here you’ll find the usual favorites like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon as well as an Austrian-inspired white made from Grüner Veltliner.

Embark on a Danish Pastry Crawl
Pick up some pastries from Solvang’s various Danish-style bakeries and enjoy a walk around the idyllic, picturesque town. Local favorites include the aebleskivers—balls of fried dough traditionally sprinkled with powdered sugar and drizzled in raspberry sauce—at Aebleskiver Café, handmade fudge at Old Danish Food Farm, and intricate gingerbread creations at The Solvang Bakery.

SANTA YNEZ

A Sophisticated, Modern Cowboy Town

Fill up on Mexican Food at Dos Carlitos
This outstanding spot is known for incredible food and strong margaritas. Perfectly sized portions of flavorful food make this restaurant a favorite of locals and visitors alike. It’s hard to go wrong here, whether you try the halibut ceviche, the fish tacos, or the pozole—which some fans say is the best they’ve ever had.

Make Yourself at Home at Firestone Vineyards
Established in 1972, Firestone was the first major estate winery in the Santa Ynez Valley. Close proximity to the Pacific Ocean makes this sunny, mild climate perfectly suited for growing a wide range of varieties, including the classics of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Rhône. You’ll find a diverse selection here to please all palates, including Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer, as well as favorites like Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir.

Indulge in Italian Fare at SY Kitchen
This upscale restaurant, owned by two Italian brothers, serves up real Italian food and craft cocktails with a modern spin. The menu, prepared from local ingredients, changes with the seasons, but always includes great homemade pizza and pasta options. Don’t miss the warm octopus salad! If you’re lucky, you might spot a celebrity or two at this trendy spot.

LOS OLIVOS

An Idyllic Countryside Locale

Fuel Up for the Day at Los Olivos Café
Grab a filling early lunch at Los Olivos Café before a day of wine tasting. Most of the produce here is grown at the eatery’s organic farm, less than a mile away. The Wine Spectator award-winning wine list includes a large selection of wines by the glass, as well as bottles to-go, so you can easily bring home a taste of the Central Coast.

Experience the Tasting Rooms of Los Olivos
Spend the afternoon exploring some off-the-beaten-path wineries. Fresh Garage is a hot new offshoot of Stolpman vineyards, featuring natively fermented wines made by a process called carbonic maceration, which produces deliciously juicy, fresh red, rosé, and orange wines designed to be served joyfully chilled. Story of Soil is a must-visit destination for Pinot lovers, focused on small-batch single-vineyard Pinot Noir that tells a captivating tale of terroir. Carhartt is a small family-owned winery where you’ll find around 25 different varieties and blends made in tiny lots from varieties ranging from the typical to the uncommon. And don’t pass up a stop at the Dragonette Cellars or Liquid Farm tasting room, as they are in the same building!

LOS ALAMOS

A Charming Old West Revival

Visit the Secret Priedite Barbecue Pop-Up
Make sure to grab a coffee before you head over to this super-hot Priedite Barbecue weekend-only breakfast pop-up—you’ll want to get in line right when they open at 9:00 a.m.! The pop-up lasts until the food is sold out, and it only happens every other weekend. Check the calendar before you plan your trip so you don’t miss local favorites like smoked brisket, ribs, and housemade ranchero sausage!

LOMPOC

A Coastal Wine Paradise

Experience the Wines of Foley Estates
Taste world-class wines at Foley Estates, one of the Central Coast’s most important wineries thanks to perfectly located vineyards and meticulous winemaking protocols. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, rosé, and Syrah are the stars of the show here, but the beautiful vineyard views from the back patio don’t hurt, either. 

Where to Stay: The Ritz-Carlton Bacara
No visit to the Central Coast is complete without a stay at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, which features ocean-front views, easy access to local wineries and restaurants, and luxurious five-star amenities. But the best part? That would be the elegant, intimate Foley Food & Wine Society Wine Tasting Room, where you’ll find a 12,000 bottle cellar and tasting flights of many of your FFWS favorites, including Kuleto Estate, Chalk Hill Estate, Sebastiani, and Lancaster Estate.

By Nikki Goddard

For those of us who love to learn about wine, one of the most intriguing parts of the educational journey is that there’s always something new to learn. We can never know it all, but that just means there will always be more to taste and discover! And even when we feel like we’ve finally gotten a handle on our favorite regions, a new producer pops up and piques our interest—or a new officially designated region, known as an AVA, appears altogether.

What is an AVA?

An AVA, or American Viticultural Area, is a designated wine-growing region within the United States. When the name of an AVA appears on a wine label, it ensures consumers of the geographic pedigree of the wine, and can often give an indication of the style of wine you’ll find inside the bottle.

The AVA system, which is regulated by the United States Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), is modeled after similar regulatory bodies in Europe like the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in France and the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) in Italy. An AVA can be as broad as the “North Coast,” which contains six different counties, including Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino (counties do not need to apply for AVA status, they qualify automatically). Each of those counties can contain many AVAs under the North Coast umbrella; Napa has 16 of them, and each one—like Oakville, Calistoga, and Mt. Veeder—has its own unique personality.

How does a wine region become an AVA?

In order to become an AVA, a wine region must prove that it has distinctive characteristics that set it apart from neighboring areas. This can be a cumbersome and laborious bureaucratic process, lined with red tape and stacked with paperwork, but the noble effort is appreciated by wineries and consumers alike once the work has paid off.

Typically, a group of producers and other interested local figures will band together to submit an AVA application—often with the help of geologists or geographers who can provide conclusive data to support the claim. Soil types, climate, elevation, geology, topography, and physical features are described in painstaking detail and proposed boundaries are clearly defined on maps. The TBB carefully reviews each submission—and any disputes—before deciding whether to grant the approval. Once an AVA has been approved, producers making wine within the region can begin including the name of the AVA on their wine labels.

What rules must an AVA follow?

The AVA system is highly regulated—federal law requires that if an AVA is listed on a wine label, at least 75% of the fruit in the wine must have come from that AVA. Additionally, the wine must be entirely made within the state that the AVA belongs to.

Here’s where things get a little confusing:

• If only the state is listed—say, Oregon, for example—100% of the fruit must come from that state. If you blend 1% Washington fruit into your 99% Oregon wine, you’ve now got an American wine.
• If a sub-appellation, like Paso Robles, is listed (rather than a general appellation like Central Coast), 85% of the fruit must come from Paso Robles (as opposed to 75% for the Central Coast).

To sum it up:

• If your wine says “California” on the label, 100% of the fruit came from California.
• If your wine says “North Coast,” on the label, at least 75% of the fruit came from the North Coast.
• If your wine says “Sonoma County,” “Sonoma Coast,” or “Chalk Hill” on the label, at least 85% of the fruit came from the named AVA.

It’s a complex system, to be sure! But it is designed to ensure that you’re getting what you pay for when you buy a bottle of premium wine. Understanding the AVA system can give you a better idea of what to expect when you choose a wine in a store or on a restaurant wine list, both in terms of quality and flavor profile. It’s often assumed that the smaller the AVA, the better the wine—this can certainly be true much of the time, but it’s not always the case. Some winemakers might want to blend fruit from different AVAs to add complexity and depth to a wine, complementing, say, the rich, ripe fruit of one AVA with the bright, brisk acidity of another.

Since many winemakers in the United States make wine from vineyards across a variety of regions, paying attention to the AVAs on the labels of your favorite wines can be a great tool to discover new bottles to love.

So next time you’re enjoying the 2017 Lincourt Chardonnay Rancho Santa Rosa, notice that it’s from the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, and figure that you might want to make your next purchase a Chardonnay from the same AVA, like the 2018 Foley Estates Barrel Select Chardonnay.

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Author Bio
Nikki Goddard is a Bay Area wine writer and educator. With over 14 years of wine industry experience, Nikki has written for a wide range of companies and publications including JancisRobinson.com, Vivino, Delectable, Wine Folly, SommSelect, The Spruce Eats, Dry Farm Wines, Liquor.com, Foley Family Wines, Edible East Bay, Beverage Industry News, and more. She is certified through the Wine and Spirits Education Trust at the Diploma level and has taught courses for levels 2 and 3. Nikki worked for several years as a wine buyer and previously co-owned The Barrel Room, a wine bar in San Francisco. Nikki fell in love with wine while studying Textiles and Apparel at Cornell University. Beguiled by the wines of the Finger Lakes and realizing that she had a greater affinity for the laid-back, epicurean lifestyle of an oenophile than for the cut-throat fashion industry, she decided to make wine her life’s career. Follow her at @instinctivedrinking on Instagram.

The good news for dads—really, for everyone—is that Father’s Day weekend comes with the longest daylight hours of the year. The summer solstice falls on Monday, June 21, the day after Father’s Day. And we can’t think of any other way to celebrate than by grilling late into the bright evening hours. That’s why we’re resurrecting one of our all-time favorite recipes by Foley Family Culinary Estate Chef Alec Graham: the famous Foley Food & Wine Society Black and Blue Burger.

Just look at that burger! So, dad, if you’re reading, forward this article to those responsible for ensuring you have a perfect Father’s Day. And to the rest of you, jot down our simple shopping list, then head out and get the best ground beef (turkey meat is a fine alternative if you must), and the rest of these ingredients for what will be one of the best burgers the family has ever had.

Shopping List:

• 2 lbs Ground beef (or Turkey meat)
• 8 strips of bacon, sliced in half
• 6 oz crumbled blue cheese
• 4 Brioche buns
• ½ sliced red onion
• 1 cup mixed greens
• 4 tbsp of your favorite Aioli
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Bookmark the recipe

And now, for the wines. We have the perfect Father’s Day wines to pair with this juicy, savory, utterly delicious burger. So, make sure you “Add to Cart” now, otherwise, Dad will have to dig into the cellar on Dad’s Day, which, for some of you certainly isn’t a bad thing. Still…the fun in giving is in sharing! Here’s hoping Dad shares!

2018 CHALK HILL FELTA CHARDONNAY, CHALK HILL AVA ($75)

Are we crazy for suggesting you enjoy this utterly decadent Chardonnay alongside this ridiculously flavor-filled burger? No way are we crazy. The only finger-pointing craziness is going to be directed at anyone who doesn’t try this pairing! We often think of red wine with burgers, but hear us out: This Felta Chardonnay is a tiny production wine that leverages the best 8 blocks in the Chalk Hill estate’s Felta soil series. Its creamy lemon curd and poached pear notes mingle with crushed almonds and salted Meyer lemon, with a subtle vanilla-tinged lift, and lavish spices courtesy of aging 16 months in 100% French Oak with bi-weekly Bâtonnage (stirring of the lees, to add that rich, creamy texture). A sip of this, mingling with that melty-blue cheese and perfectly-charred beef, is all you need, all night long.

2018 EL PINO CLUB THE CUSP PINOT NOIR, RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY ($50)

Onto the reds. But not the red you think—Pinot Noir and Blue Cheese Burger? YES. This is one Pinot we’d say is “on the cusp” of living life as a Cab-lover’s Pinot. For starters, it comes from the 45-acre Trenton Road Vineyard in the Russian River Valley, which is planted with Swan and Pommard clones. These are two Pinot grape clones that deliver brooding, deep, dark, and delicious flavors and aromas, and aging in French oak (30% new) for a year, delivers a round, full-bodied, concentrated Pinot Noir with the ripe, red, cherry-cola fruit you love from Russian River, but balanced by graceful acidity—which will help in washing down every scrumptious bite of that burger.

2016 FIRESTONE VINEYARD THE CHAIRMAN SERIES LINEAGE, SANTA YNEZ VALLEY ($65)

Last year, around Dad’s Day, we recommended the Chairman Series Merlot. Hopefully, you heeded our advice and snapped up some bottles. This year, we’re looking at the Chairman Series Lineage bottling—a 52% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Petit Verdot, 13% Malbec blend that will not only stand up to this burger but will also be the boss of the burger, and the boss of anyone else who dares contemplate a generous pour. Fantastically lush, with black cherry, spiced plum, violets, and cedar spice, with cocoa, espresso bean, and clove accents woven around a tapestry of toasty oak and fine-grained tannins, which are supported by a framework of good acidity. All this will inspire Dad to hoist his burger overhead while shouting “Who’s the Boss!” Just be ready with a towel to wipe down the grease droplets, and oozing, melty blue cheese.

2015 PREVAIL WEST FACE, ALEXANDER VALLEY ($90)

With 91+ points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, we’ll let them do the talking: “A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the 2015 PreVail West Face is medium to deep garnet-purple in color with a nose of crushed blackcurrants, black berry pie and blueberry compote with hints of cedar chest, wild thyme, lavender and wood smoke plus a waft of spice box. The palate is medium to full-bodied with lovely purity and an approachable frame of ripe, grainy tannins supporting the intense fruit, finishing long and savory. 735 cases produced.” The only thing we’ll add is that the little “+” means with bottle age, the next time Parker tastes it, that “+” could turn into anything ABOVE a 91-point score. And given this is from the low-yielding, deeply concentrated 2015 vintage, don’t hedge your bets against it. Stock up and receive a round of applause from all those attending the Dad Day celebrations, including a standing ovation from Dad himself.

2017 SEBASTIANI CHERRYBLOCK, CABERNET SAUVIGNON, SONOMA VALLEY ($125)

The flagship wine of Sebastiani, with most grapes for this Cabernet plucked off the original Old Vines block of Cabernet Sauvignon, which was planted in 1961. This is what we call an “instant classic.” Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate rated our 2017 release 93 points, describing this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon as showing “deep ruby in color,” with “scents of cherry jam, tar, grilled meats, dried rose petals and graphite touches. The medium-bodied palate has excellent restraint and great balance of fruit, savory and spicy character, and it’s firm but finely grained and fresh with a long finish.” Utterly heavenly paired with this Blue Cheese Burger, but there’s no stopping you if you also prepare an Award-Winning Sonoma Rib-Eye to pair as well. 

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It’s not, ‘Drink Rosé, When in Rome,’ it’s “When in June, Drink Rosé!’ In fact, the second Saturday in June (6/12/2021), is national rosé day, and we’d like to ensure that you’re not lacking in your pink wine options when that date rolls around. You certainly don’t want to be caught jealously scrolling through the Instagram feeds of your friends and family thinking to yourself you wish you had some rosé too, do you?

Not only is this a list of the best rosé offerings we have for Foley Food & Wine Society members, but we’ve also sprinkled in some discreet knowledge bombs below. So, when you’re hosting, in addition to offering the most gracious pours in your circle of friends, you’ll also be the unexpected ‘wine educator’ of the group. Of course, you’ll do it with the kind of panache and a good sense of humor that FFWS members are known for! So, get to it, and here’s to a fun and delicious rosé day!

2019 BANSHEE ROSÉ, MENDOCINO COUNTY ($25)

One of the most beautiful and intriguing places to visit in Northern California is Mendocino—especially along the coast. It’s the kind of cool, Pacific Ocean-influenced region that makes for easy outdoor activity in the thick of summer, but it’s also the best place for grapes to grow and be transformed into vibrant, scintillating, mineral-driven, juicy, acid-rich rosé wines just like this one from our beloved Banshee. In fact, with a glass of this and a plate of local cow and goat’s milk cheeses, a handful of Marcona almonds, and a freshly-baked baguette from your favorite bakery, you’ll feel as though you’ve been transported to the south of France. So, until you plan that next trip to Provence, go there with this Banshee Rosé. You could buy a case at our $25/bottle price and still not spend as much as you would on a plane ticket!

2019 FOLEY SONOMA ROSÉ OF PINOT, RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY ($30)

While the Russian River Valley is unquestionably the standard-bearer for California Pinot Noir, the rosé wines made from the same grape offer the characteristic bright, red berry flavors of Russian River, from Bing cherry to strawberry and raspberry, supported by lip-smacking acidity. The old vines planted in Foley Sonoma’s “Redwood Block” are planted in the shadows of towering California Redwood trees, which means that the grapes are exposed to very little direct sunlight, hence the natural sugars in the grapes remain relatively low, with much higher natural acidity. And given this is a rosé of Pinot Noir, you can expect laser-like acidity balanced by those red berry notes.

2019 KULETO ESTATE ROSATO, NAPA VALLEY ($35)

This Kuleto Rosato is produced using the Saignée method, which is nicely described by Decanter as a method that “typically involves ‘bleeding’ off liquid from a tank of juice for red wine in the early stages of the winemaking process.” In the case of this Kuleto bottling, when the estate Zinfandel is in its early stages as a new, young, maturing red wine, winemaker Giovani Verdejo ‘bleeds’ off enough lightly-colored Zinfandel juice, batch-by-batch, until he’s got enough to make just over 240 cases of this rich, creamy, floral-driven rosato, with succulent orchard fruit nuances. So, start off with a bottle of this rosato and finish with the full-blown, decadent Estate Zinfandel!

2020 LINCOURT ROSÉ OF GRENACHE, SANTA YNEZ VALLEY ($30)

In France’s Rhône Valley, the Grenache grape is essentially the MVP. (So, if you’re a Vegas Golden Knights fan, it’s like the Max Pacioretty of grapes.) It fuels the best Châteuneuf-du-Pape blends, and is like a chameleon, changing its profile depending upon where it’s grown and what each winemaker does to it in the cellar. Sourced from Firestone Crossroads estate vineyard and Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard, the Grenache grapes are aged entirely in stainless steel, delivering ripe peach, juicy watermelon, and hinting at candied green apple and cotton candy—which is how Grenache grown in this little pocket of the world wants to present itself, unobscured by wood aging. See for yourself!

2020 FOLEY ESTATES ROSÉ OF GRENACHE, SANTA YNEZ VALLEY ($32)

If you have any desire to play the part of a sommelier for a night, grabbing a bottle of this Foley Estates Grenache-based rosé and tasting it alongside a bottle of the previously described Lincourt Grenache-based rosé is the way to go. Both are from the Santa Ynez Valley, from the same vineyards, only the grapes for this wine from Firestone Crossroads vineyard come from the special block “Q2” which are then blended with grapes from Rancho Santa Rosa. This one is also aged in stainless steel but undergoes partial malolactic conversion, which transforms some of the zingier malic acid into softer, creamer lactic acid. The result is an expression of Santa Ynez Valley Grenache that showcases the candy-bright berry fruit of the area with the kind of richly textured mouthfeel you’d expect from a place like Napa Valley.

2020 FIRESTONE VINEYARD ROSÉ, SANTA YNEZ VALLEY ($26)

First of all, the drive to Firestone in the Santa Ynez Valley from Los Angeles is just over two hours, and every minute is worth it—once you pass by the multi-million dollar homes in Malibu, you start to cruise north on California’s famous Highway 101, passing iconic beach towns with expansive Pacific Ocean views on your left and remarkable terrain on your right. Stop off for lunch in Santa Barbara, which has undergone a massive renaissance in the last five years, and then continue on through a picturesque landscape that is as unique and curious as this Rosé, which combines 50% Merlot, 44% Grüner Veltliner, 3% Petit Verdot, and 3% Gewürztraminer into an aromatic stunner that is riddled with candied cherry and lofty floral notes. It’s the perfect sip after the car ride, but even better enjoyed on your pack patio with a plate of sliced melon and prosciutto.

2020 FERRARI-CARANO DRY ROSÉ, SONOMA COUNTY ($18)

From one of the newest members of our Foley family collection of wines comes this 100% stainless steel aged lip-smacking dry rosé, with aromas and flavors of farmer’s market strawberries, ripe watermelon, juicy cranberry, pomegranate seeds, and just-picked raspberry notes with a hint of orange blossom that lingers on a long and refreshing finish. Just picture yourself: in one hand, a glass with a generous pour of this crisp, acid-bright rosé while the other hand is holding a spatula flipping burgers.

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As you get thinking about your Memorial Day weekend plans, we’d like to plant a seed of an idea with you, our loyal Foley Food & Wine Society Members.

This holiday weekend, we’d like to invite you to imagine that you’re heading to your own cabin at the Rock Creek Cattle Company in Deer Lodge, Montana—a 30,000-acre adult playground featuring an award-winning 18-hole professional golf course, pool, restaurant, and of course, fully-integrated wine program. We interviewed Travis Olson, PGA, Director of Golf for RCCC, about the resort.

Step one to visiting, however? You have to become a member. And there is a waitlist. So, let this Q&A whet your appetite! This Memorial Day weekend while you’re grilling, we hope this encourages a bit of day-dreaming about what life could be like next Memorial Day weekend when you settle into RCCC for an extended stay of golf, Montana-inspired cuisine from a talented chef, and plenty of Foley Family wine to wash it all down.

FFWS: Give us the 3,000-foot view of the members-only Rock Creek Cattle Company.
Travis Olson (TO): The Rock Creek Cattle Company (RCCC) is a 30,000-acre historic Montana working cattle ranch with homestead offerings, and luxury Cabins and Cottages built along Rock Creek. We’re just a few miles north and west of Deer Lodge, Montana. Typically, our members and guests land private aircraft at the Deer Lodge City-County Airport (38s) for a quick 12-mile drive to the club. Others fly commercial airlines into Butte, Helena, or Missoula and enjoy a scenic and easy drive to the ranch, typically from 45 minutes to roughly one hour and 15 minutes.

FFWS: Tell us about the golf course and the accolades it has achieved.
(TO): The course offers a one-of-a-kind experience—it was designed by Tom Doak Championship design. It boasts wide fairways and tough approaching greens which score high in strategy and testing precision. The course was ranked #1 in the state of Montana and #81 of the Top 100 courses in America by Golf Digest. We rank #48 in the US in Golf Magazine while Golfweek puts Rock Creek at #4 for Private Courses in Montana and #2 of 200 for Residential Golf Courses.

FFWS: What other outdoor activities can members engage in at RCCC?
(TO): Members and guests partake in all kinds of activities from hiking, biking, shooting sports, archery, white water, fly fishing, ATV tours, birding, picnics and so much more.

FFWS: The resort offers a restaurant helmed by Chef Joe Hutton. Tell us about that.
(TO): Our culinary program continues to grow at RCCC with food and beverage options ranging from a casual poolside grill to private in-cabin Chef dinners. Chef Joe Hutton joins us from a dual role as the catering chef for the Vegas Golden Knights and Culinary Director of RCCC. Hutton originates from North Carolina and was last living in Las Vegas working for Chef David Chang at Momofuku restaurant in the Cosmopolitan Hotel prior to joining our team! The Cattleman’s Club is our signature restaurant which is highlighted by an outside patio overlooking Rock Creek. It is the perfect destination to end a day full of fun with a gourmet cooked meal paired with Foley Family Wines.

FFWS: What is the focus of Chef Hutton’s cuisine and do you have a favorite Foley Family wine pairing?
(TO): The cuisine is Montana rustic with an upscale flair. Menu favorites include Montana-caught Steelhead trout served with a potato pancake, prosciutto, seasonal greens, and finished with a lime beurre blanc. It’s a great dish to enjoy with a glass of Vavasour Sauvignon Blanc or Chalk Hill Chardonnay. All our steaks are provided by Montana Wagyu Company, which features a 28-day dry-aging process for melt-in-your-mouth quality and a perfect pair with our members’ favorite wine by the glass—Chalk Hill Estate Red. Additional dining options include our poolside grill, Last Shot Bar, Lake Barn, and our newest venue the Fish Camp.

FFWS: How is wine integrated into the membership?
(TO): We offer over 15 Foley Family wines by the glass at the Cattleman’s Club allowing our members and guests to try a wide range of the Foley portfolio. We also carry many of the higher-end wines by the bottle including Merus, Sebastiani Cherryblock, and Chalk Hill Estate Red. If a quiet night next to the fire watching the amazing Montana sunsets is more to a guest’s liking we offer in-cabin delivery service of all our food and wine options. We have built a great relationship with Lindsay Jessup, Director of Guest Experience and Tasting Rooms for Foley Family Wines, who comes to the ranch on our major event weekends to provide wine tastings in fun and unique settings for our members.

FFWS: Give us an example of a special event weekend experience.
(TO): One of the highlights of our season is hosting the Folded Flag Foundation wine dinner in mid-August which combines Montana cuisine and Foley Family wine pairings all for a great cause. The Foundation provides financial support to the families of America’s fallen heroes.

FFWS: We hear the best tacos—in the country—are served up daily at the pool grill at RCCC. That so?
(TO): It’s getting harder and harder to keep this a secret! It’s not only Jose’s legendary tacos that get our members excited but the entire atmosphere of the poolside grill for lunch during the summer under the sun and enjoying our signature margaritas after a morning on the golf course. If you are lucky enough to play golf during one of our large events, we also offer Tacos at the 9th hole turn house to make a great day of golf even better!

FFWS: How do interested FFWS members become members of RCCC?
For additional information on Membership at Rock Creek Cattle Company, please visit https://www.rockcreekcattlecompany.com/private-membership to contact our Membership Sales Director.

One of the world’s most recognizable wine grapes, Chardonnay has been on a wild ride over the course of its long history. The ancient variety, which originated about 700 years ago in Burgundy, experienced a massive surge in popularity starting in the late 1980s when no one could get enough of the rich, opulent style suddenly coming out of California. In the past decade, tastes have changed and the pendulum has swung back to a more elegant, balanced expression of this noble white variety.

Chardonnay is a remarkably adaptable grape, capable of producing vastly different wines almost everywhere in the world—and with its abundant sunshine, cooling ocean breezes, and ideal terroir, Sonoma County has become widely known as one of the best places in the world to grow it outside of Burgundy.

That adaptability is part of what makes Chardonnay so special: few grape varieties on the planet are capable of expressing terroir so profoundly. Wherever it is grown, it picks up the subtle nuances that are unique to that particular place. Because Chardonnay is not a particularly aromatic variety (as opposed to perfumed, floral grapes like Riesling or Muscat), it also makes the perfect canvas for any influence the winemaker wishes to add in the cellar, like oak aging to add toasty spice notes, or malolactic fermentation (during which, tart malic acid converts to softer lactic acid) to encourage creamy buttery flavors.

Without these optional flourishes, Chardonnay’s natural flavors range from tart citrus and green apple to fleshy stone fruit and sumptuous tropical fruit, accented by notes of wet stone, sea salt, delicate white flowers, earth, or white truffle—depending on where it’s grown. With age, these wines can develop beautiful honeyed or nutty aromas. Chardonnay can land anywhere on the spectrum from lean, crisp, and mineral-driven, to hedonistically full-bodied. In Sonoma, you can find just about any style of Chardonnay to suit your preferences.

Sonoma is a large and geographically diverse region, with many sub-appellations that each has their own distinctive climate, soil, and topographical characteristics—but what they all have in common is a long, warm growing season that allows grapes to ripen perfectly each year, and varying degrees of proximity to the Pacific Ocean, which provides coastal wind and fog that lead to bright, fresh acidity in the wines. Some of the most important appellations within Sonoma County for Chardonnay include:

• Carneros: This particularly cool, windy region straddles both Napa and Sonoma counties, and sits at the southernmost section of both. Known for yielding elegant, expressive Chardonnay wines with plenty of bright acidity, Carneros is a picturesque area marked by sprawling, rolling hills, and strong breezes from the nearby San Pablo Bay. Deep clay soils with excellent water retention encourage superior complexity and concentration in the wines despite their relatively delicate, refined texture. Noted wine critic James Suckling recently suggested that Carneros just might be the best region in America for Chardonnay.
• Russian River Valley: Another chilly region, the Russian River Valley is also a top destination for Chardonnay makers—in fact, it’s the most widely planted grape in the AVA. While Carneros is primarily cooled by winds, the Russian River Valley allows Chardonnay to retain its freshness under a thick blanket of fog brought in from the Pacific Ocean through a break in the coastal mountain range known as the Petaluma Wind Gap. These wines tend to be riper, softer, and more fruit-forward than the wines of Carneros, yet similarly elegant.
• Chalk Hill: This smaller appellation within the Russian River Valley is distinctive enough to merit its own designation. Found on the western slope of the Mayacamas Mountains, the Chalk Hill AVA is distinguished by its mineral-rich white volcanic ash soils, which resemble chalk in their appearance. Chalk Hill is a bit warmer and sunnier than the surrounding regions, giving the wines a lush, appealing character and a generous texture.
• Sonoma Coast: This large AVA stretches along—you guessed it—the coastal edge of Sonoma County, from the San Pablo Bay to the edge of Mendocino County. The windswept vineyards closest to the coast enjoy marine soils and crisp breezes, leading to beautiful, sophisticated Chardonnays with vibrant acidity, refreshing minerality, and a lean texture.
• Alexander Valley: One of Sonoma’s warmest regions, Alexander Valley is known for ripe, voluptuous Chardonnay. Long, sunny days lead to fleshy, structured wines that tend toward the tropical end of the fruit spectrum—but not without classic Sonoma elegance and balance.

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NATIONAL #CHARDONNAYDAY FALLS ON THURSDAY, MAY 27 IN 2021. HERE ARE OUR TOP PICKS, SO STOCK UP AND JOIN IN THE PARTY, AND DON’T FORGET TO TAG US ON SOCIAL!

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2018 Chalk Hill Estate Chardonnay, Chalk Hill AVA (92 points, The Wine Advocate)

2018 Sebastiani Patrick’s Vineyard Chardonnay, Carneros

2018 Banshee Marine Layer Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast

2018 Foley Sonoma Winemaker Series Chardonnay, Alexander Valley

2017 Roth Reserve Chardonnay, Russian River Valley (91 Points, Year’s Best Chardonnays – Wine & Spirits)

2019 Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay, Sonoma County

Chalk Hill’s new Senior Winemaker, Michael Beaulac is no stranger to crafting world-class Chardonnay right alongside Pinot Noir and the classic red Bordeaux varieties that Napa has transformed and conquered on its own land. Beaulac served as General Manager and Winemaker at Napa’s Pine Ridge Vineyards from 2009 to 2020, and was Vice President of St. Supéry Vineyards in Rutherford from 2001 to 2009. He also worked stints with Merry Edwards, and at Murphy-Goode and Markham.

He credits some serious heavyweights as mentors, effectively imbuing his own winemaking skills with the craft and approach of 100-point all-stars. Two of those legendary winemakers include Michel Roland and Denis Dubourdieu. We invite you to get to know a little bit more about Beaulac through our Q&A below, and hope that soon enough you’ll get to meet him in person!

In our first Q&A here on the Foley Food and Wine Society, we invite you to get to know a little bit more about Beaulac, and hope that soon enough you’ll get to meet him in person!

Chalk Hill Estate in Healdsburg, California.

FFWS: You’re a Vermont native! Where did you grow up and when did you decide to leave bucolic New England?
Michael Beaulac (MB): I grew up in Burlington VT right on Lake Champlain. It was an ideal childhood. I developed a taste for wine while running a jazz dinner club in Portland, Maine. I was planning on moving to California and attending UC Davis when a chance meeting with Tim Murphy of Murphy-Goode winery jokingly offered me a harvest position. I jumped at the opportunity to get started. I moved shortly after in the fall of 1989.

FFWS: Your first winemaking gig was at Murphy-Goode in 1989, and just two years later you were working at Merry Edwards! So, is it safe to say you learned to make wine on the job?
MB: I worked one harvest at Murphy-Goode and started with Merry Edwards. Both places were hands-on run by strong women. After leaving Merry I went back to Murphy-Goode where they sent me to UC Davis to get the theoretical side of winemaking. So yes and no.

FFWS: Tell us about one or two of your winemaking mentors.
MB: I had a few mentors in my career. Chris Benz at Murphy-Goode always asked, “Why.” Why are we doing something? She made you think about what you were doing. Merry taught me the importance of paying attention to detail. Michel Rolland was clearly the biggest influencer of my career. He was all about the value of press wines and how to handle them, the importance of adding a small amount and changing the wine. He also stressed blending again adding a “C” to an “A” wine and creating something more powerful than the “A” wine. Denis Dubourdieu focused more on whites, temperature for fermentation, pressing, and barrel selection. I consider myself lucky to have worked with these amazing winemakers. [Editor’s note: Rolland is the famous “flying winemaker” who has consulted for a dazzling array of blue-chip Napa estates, including Harlan, Dalla Valle, Staglin, and a host of top Bordeaux properties. Dubourdieu is the late winemaker who, among many achievements was consultant to “Château d’Yquem, Cheval Blanc and Margaux (Pavillon Blanc),” according to Decanter].

FFWS: Did you ever imagine you’d land at Chalk Hill? What excites you most about making wines for this iconic estate?
MB: Chalk Hill is iconic and a strong brand for Sonoma County. The thought of working with the Chalk Hill clone to craft great Chardonnays is very exciting. As well as being in on the ground floor for increasing our cabernet sauvignon plantings.

FFWS: Tell us a little about your cellar at home – what do you like to drink when you’re not tasting your own wines?
MB: I am a fan of Bordeaux and Burgundy. Finding the third or fourth growth or lesser-known producers is interesting to me. I purchase about half of my wine on online wine auctions. I’ve been very lucky to travel to Europe a number of times for visits to wine regions and have had opportunities to taste some of the most amazing wines.

FFWS: Now that you’re working in the cellar at Chalk Hill, what have you tasted lately that’s ‘wowed’ you? A particular bottle of wine or a few wines that you’d recommend to FFWS members?
MB: I’m lovin’ the Felta Chardonnay these days. It’s the structure, acidity, and minerality that have impressed me. Also, I may become a Syrah fan but I can’t tell Darrell Holbrook (it’s his favorite red). [Editor’s note: Holbrook was promoted from assistant winemaker to winemaker in 2019, while Beaulac’s title is Senior Winemaker].

Spring is always an exciting time, but it feels extra special this year. As sunshine increasingly warms and brightens our days, we are finding more opportunities to gather safely outdoors with loved ones. A weekend getaway to Napa is the perfect way to celebrate the new season, and there’s no need to worry if your travel-planning skills are a bit rusty these days—we’ve got the perfect itinerary ready to go. Just add reservations!

SATURDAY

Rise and Shine with Breakfast from the Model Bakery
Fuel up for the day at the Model Bakery in charming St. Helena. This historic establishment has nearly 90 years of experience to perfect its offerings of artisanal breads, delicious pastries, and freshly brewed coffee.

Taste Bordeaux-Inspired Wines at Foley Johnson
Kick off the wine tasting fun in Rutherford with a toast at Foley Johnson. Enjoy picturesque views of the estate vineyards while you sip a flight of Bordeaux-inspired Napa wines on the peaceful outdoor patio. Don’t miss the Luxury Cab Vertical—this enticing offering features three outstanding vintages from three premium single vineyards, including the 96-point 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon from sister winery Merus.

Satisfy Your Hunger With Lunch at The Charter Oak
Experience fun, casual family-style dining with an elevated feel at The Charter Oak, a St. Helena restaurant from Meadowood Michelin-three-star chef Christopher Kostow. Just a short drive from Foley Johnson, this warm, welcoming spot just might be the home of the best burger in Napa Valley. Simply prepared and perfectly executed with thin, juicy patties, diced onions, and irresistible melted cheese, it’s the perfect match for a bottle of Banshee Pinot Noir.

Shop for Mementos on Main St. in St. Helena
The quaint, charming town of St. Helena is small, but it’s surprisingly full of fun art galleries and shops offering beautiful clothing, jewelry, home décor, and delicious treats to bring home. Most are open and operating (inquire about capacity and social distancing procedures in place.) Epicureans won’t want to miss the oils, vinegars, herbs, and spices at Olivier. The Cognac mustard and the VSOP balsamic vinegar are must-buys.

Unwind with Dinner and a Cocktail at Goose & Gander
Even before the pandemic, the best seats in the house at buzzy St. Helena restaurant Goose & Gander were in the lush, inviting outdoor garden. The modern classic American food on the seasonally inspired farm-to-table menu pairs perfectly with inventive cocktails from legendary mixologist Scott Beattie.

Check into Vista Collina for Some Upscale R & R
Get your beauty rest in a suite at Vista Collina, Napa’s newest luxury resort. This gorgeous Tuscan-style property might be difficult to leave, especially if you choose to spend time lounging by the pool or exploring the mini village within the hotel—or if you decide to book a spa treatment at the sister property Meritage Resort across the street, so we suggest leaving ample time in the morning to roam the vast 11-acre grounds.

SUNDAY

Stop by the Iconic Oakville Grocery
Get your morning coffee and grab some culinary souvenirs at this Napa Valley institution. Established in 1881, the Oakville Grocery is a high-end market stocked with locally made delicacies and features a carefully curated selection of premium wines from Napa and beyond.

Pick up a Picnic at the Oxbow Market
This San Francisco Ferry Building offshoot features some of the Bay Area’s best dining establishments all under one roof. There’s something for everyone at the Oxbow Market, whether you’re craving oysters, ice cream, or tacos. Pick up an assortment of enticing treats and head over to the nearby Napa River for a picnic brunch. Online ordering and curbside pick-up are available at most of the restaurants.

Experience the Vista Collina Tasting Room
Head back to Vista Collina for an indulgent afternoon of wine tasting. Foley Food & Wine Society is one of the nine wineries and breweries conveniently located on-site at the Vista Collina Tasting Room. The outdoor FFWS experience allows you to enjoy flights, glasses, or bottles from many Foley Family estates in one place, including Chalk Hill, Chalone, Ferrari-Carano, Foley Sonoma, Sebastiani, Roth Estates, and more.

Enjoy an Early Outdoor Dinner at Bounty Hunter
This beloved BBQ spot and wine retail shop in the heart of downtown Napa is a must-visit for anyone who loves great food and great wine. Arrive early to avoid a wait—Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin’ BBQ doesn’t take reservations. But it’s well worth the effort, with its mouthwatering menu, 18-page bottle list, and over 40 wines by the glass.

By Jonathan Cristaldi

Nothing in the world compares to the taste of fruit and vegetables, plucked from a sustainably farmed garden, and nibbled on—while standing in the garden. A just-picked strawberry. A just-snipped stalk of asparagus. A beet pulled out of the ground. Heck, even the little bit of dirt you can’t quite get off the beet is tasty.

The gardens at Chalk Hill are cultivated by two all-star gardeners. Brad Agerter, the Estate Culinary Garden Manager, who, incredibly, has spent 13 years working the beds. Joining him is Scott Pavlick, the Assistant Garden Manager, who has been dusting Chalk Hill dirt off his boots for four years.

Spread across the estate are three sections of gardens: two upper sections, one with four beds, another with eight beds, and a lower section with more beds and fruit trees.

The fruits and vegetables harvested from these gardens go to the winery, as well as to Chalkboard restaurant in downtown Healdsburg. With any excess fruits and vegetables, Brad and Scott distribute it however they can locally, and to area food banks. What they can’t use is composted and turned into fresh hummus, which is then spread back into the gardens providing rich nutrients to replenish the soils. But the whole point is to get as much of this fresh produce to Chef Alec Graham and his team so that it ends up on your plate.

“We hope that people come to Chalk Hill to experience the utter freshness our garden provides,” says Agerter. “We are entirely organic, and we replenish our soils with our own cover cropping and compost. We farm according to what is seasonal and it’s very different here than say nearby Petaluma or the Sonoma Coast. It’s quite warm here at Chalk Hill, and while we do experience some fog, it isn’t saturated marine influence.”

So, just what is growing in the gardens now, in the spring of 2021? Let me take you on a personal tour.

Overlooking one section of the Chalk Hill gardens from The Estate Pavilion.

Brad Agerter, Culinary Garden Manager. Agerter has cultivated the gardens at Chalk Hill for an astounding 13 years!

Strawberries!

Ripe, rich, sweet, and delicious. There is absolutely nothing like a just-picked strawberry and you can never go back to store-bought strawberries after this!

These tarp coverings provide a few layers of protection: They help retain warmth, keeping the air underneath a few degrees warmer than outside the tarp, which is critical for frost protection. They also are quite effective in keeping out aphids or other bugs that may want to chomp away on the goods in the ground. “We have beneficial flowers to attract Lady Bugs and other beneficial bugs, which prey on the bad bugs,” says Agerter. “Lady Bugs, for instance, will eat aphids.” They also grow Marigolds which attract the aphids and keeps them off tomato plants for instance.

Pictured here is a cover crop of buckwheat. This cover crop is helping provide nutrients to the soil and helps protect the soil from the sun. In a couple of months, once it flowers, the buckwheat will be tilled back into the soil to help build out the biomass of the soil so the tilth is more fluffy and ready for a new crop of whatever they decide to plant.

Artichokes!

Napa Cabbage growing in Sonoma! Don’t worry, it’s okay.

Wasabina mustard greens! These spicy greens have a wasabi-like taste and little kick. “We start them in the greenhouse as seedlings,” says Agerter. “Then we transplant them into the garden and the black netting pictured in the right is for covering them during heat spells, and helps keep the microgreens cool, as they are quite sensitive to heat. “They want to flower in the heat, and if they do, that means basically no leafy green.”

Tarragon!

Fennel and chives.

Borage—an edible flower. When the leaves are muddled they create a kind of cucumber-flavored water.

Owl box.

Look at that asparagus! After harvesting it for many weeks, the gardeners allow it to grow tall and unruly before cutting it and tilling it to help replenish the nutrients in the soil. Incredibly, just-picked asparagus is tender and delicious, and even the tips of these tall overgrown asparagus plants were wildly tasty.

And this is what horseradish looks like. The root is stuff you mince up and put in your Bloody Mary.

Checking the roots to determine when these greens are ready for planting. From seedling to the size of the leafy green pictured here takes roughly one month.

The ladies and their Rooster.

Just-layed eggs.

Buddha’s hand. It’s mostly for zest, or great for candied peels, as there is no pulp and hence, no juice.

Scott Pavlick, Assistant Garden Manager, checking in on the leafy greens growing in the greenhouse. Every plant growing in the gardens at Chalk Hill and cultivated by Scott and Brad begins as a seedling here in this greenhouse. These fellas work incredibly hard to bring these gardens to life, and the gardens are clearly happy to have the guys around—seriously, three cheers.

The “vintage” Chalk Hill truck.

Plan your visit to Chalk Hill now. Come for the gardens. Stay for the wine. And if you’re thinking you’d like to intern at the garden, drop Brad a note at bagerter@foleyfamilywines.com.

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About the Author
Jonathan Cristaldi has written about wine and spirits for over a decade. He serves as editor-at-large for The SOMM Journal and The Tasting Panel Magazine and is a regular contributor to Food & Wine, Departures, and Liquor.com. His writing has also appeared in Seven Fifty Daily, Los Angeles Magazine, First We Feast, Thrillist, Time Out LA, Tasting Table, and Psychology Today. Cristaldi was named a “Wine Prophet” by Time Out NY for his witty and often avant-garde approach to wine education. “The L-Train Luncheon,” a video on YouTube, features one of his best experiential event concepts, which came to life on a New York City subway car.

From Napa south to California’s Sta. Rita Hills AVA in the Central Coast, our Foley family wines have earned some exciting new accolades over the last 30 days!

Scroll below to see the recent praise our wines have garnered, along with a buy button if available, or where to find near you. Thanks as always for your support! – FFWS

2017 FOLEY JOHNSON CABERNET SAUVIGNON RUTHERFORD ESTATE

90 Points, Wine Spectator

“Features a solid core of red and black currant preserve flavors, flanked by a rich earth accent and backed by loam, licorice and tobacco notes on the finish. Best from 2021 through 2027. ” – JL

2017 FERRARI-CARANO CABERNET SAUVIGNON SONOMA COUNTY

91 Points, Year’s Best Cabs, Best Buy, Wine & Spirits Magazine

“This gentle Sonoma cabernet is cool and refreshing. Its clarity of flavor brings to mind roses, both in their perfume and in the greenness of their stems, that floral scent infusing the light chocolate notes in the tannins. Pour it with roast quail.” – J.G.

2018 ROTH ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON ALEXANDER VALLEY

GOLD, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (2021)

Bold, full-bodied and rich. Dark in color, it displays mighty aromas of intense dark fruit, cassis and cocoa powder. The palate displays exceptional balance with rich and layered flavors of black cherry, plum, mocha, toasted and a subtle minerality. – FFWS

2019 CHALONE VINEYARD ESTATE ESTATE GROWN CHARDONNAY

93 Points, Wine Enthusiast

“Recent vintages mark a return to grace for this historic property, where Winemaker Gianni Abate is bringing life back to the wines. This bottling begins with a tight citrus-peel element on the nose as well as crushed sea shell. The texture is very rocky in a pleasant way, carrying fresh flavors of yuzu peel, jicama and Asian pear!” – M.K.

2019 CHALONE VINEYARD ESTATE PINOT NOIR

93 Points, Wine Enthusiast

“Tight aromas of boysenberry and black raspberry meet with a wet soil minerality, red flowers and a touch of mace on the nose of this bottling. Tart cherry and cranberry flavors are fresh on the palate, where mixed dried herbs and a light vanilla finish make for a complex experience.” – M.K. 

2017 LINCOURT RANCHO SANTA ROSA PINOT NOIR STA. RITA HILLS

94 Points, Wine Enthusiast

“Aromas of lavender potpourri, dried meat and baked black plum make for a heady, inviting nose in this bottling. The palate is cohesive and well-integrated, offering hints of roasted tomato, baked plum, thyme and oregano, with an elegant acidity that cuts through the rich mouthfeel.” – M.K.

As April showers look to inspire the emergence of May flowers, the obvious shift in the seasons is evident in your own changing wardrobe, right? So long pants and long-sleeve shirts—time to don shorts and dresses and let the springtime sun work its magical slow-going tan. It’s also time to dust off the ice buckets and ready them for all the warm-weather entertaining we expect you’ll be doing.

Now is the time to prepare for hosting once again and celebrating all that life has to offer. In the spirit of those noble endeavors, we’ve put together 7 of our favorite wines under $30 that we suggest stockpiling for springtime and summer sipping.

2020 FERRARI-CARANO DRY ROSÉ, SONOMA COUNTY ($18)

From one of the newest members of our Foley family collection of wines comes this 100% stainless steel aged lip-smacking dry rosé, with aromas and flavors of farmer’s market strawberries, ripe watermelon, juicy cranberry, pomegranate seeds, and just-picked raspberry notes with a hint of orange blossom that lingers on a long and refreshing finish. Just picture yourself: in one hand, a glass with a generous pour of this crisp, acid-bright rosé while the other hand is holding a spatula flipping burgers.

2018 LUCIEN ALBRECHT PINOT GRIS CUVÉE ROMANUS, ALSACE ($28)

We’re telling you—one sip of the Alsatian Pinot Gris and you’ll be wondering why bottles of Lucien Albrecht haven’t been regulars at your dinner table for as long as you’ve enjoyed wine. The attention to detail and care alone is worth the price of admission: Grapes are entirely hand-harvested under perfect conditions, and once in the winery, treated to an extended, gentle pressing and perfectly controlled fermentation in stainless steel that lasts four to six weeks, allowing flavors and textures to develop at a slow pace. The wine is then aged on fine lees for two to three months, contributing a rich and supple texture. Swirled in hand, your nose will be treated to a bouquet of orchard and stone fruits, along with roasted hazelnut notes, while on the palate, a rush of rich yellow apple, Bosc pear, and a touch of baking spices round out a wine that should cost twice the price!

2020 FERRARI-CARANO FUMÉ BLANC, NORTH COAST ($15)

This is hands-down, our top wine that we’re just loving bottle after bottle as the weather begins to warm. The word “Fumé” offers a tell-tale style description of this wine, one you can count on even before popping the cork. “Fumé” indicates that the wine is aged in oak barrels—in the case of this, Sauvignon Blanc grapes from Dry Creek, Alexander, Russian River, and Knights Valley (with a splash of fruit from select vineyards in Mendocino and Lake County) are treated to aging in mostly stainless steel tanks, and about 27% aged in used French oak barrels. The result is a wine that has weight and texture, but with the bright lift of high-acid Sauvignon Blanc grapes ripened to perfection. Grapefruit, lemongrass, lychee, pear, citrus, and orange blossom notes find white peach and a vein of minerality. All that—for fifteen bucks!

2017 FOLEY JOHNSON ESTATE SAUVIGNON BLANC, RUTHERFORD ($24)

Let’s keep the textural train rolling with this skyscraper-like white from our Rutherford estate. Sauvignon Blanc grapes are aged in concrete egg, stainless steel, and neutral oak barrels, and the result is a rollercoaster of textures and flavors that will simply astound. This is the kind of Sauvignon Blanc we dare you to compare to similarly-crafted Bordeaux Blanc whites. We’re willing to bet ours not only holds its own, but out-shines wines two, three, and even four times the price. Bright, zippy, and layered with orange blossom, grapefruit, kiwi, and tart green apple, unfolding with juicy grapefruit, and quince paste atop silky textures and an unending finish of crushed river stones, all framed by mouth-watering acidity. Hello, cheese platter! Bring on the oysters! CTA: Add to Cart

2016 CHALONE VINEYARD ESTATE PINOT BLANC, CHALONE AVA ($28)

After winemaker Gianni Abate plucks these Pinot Blanc grapes growing on our Chalone estate in the shadow of the Pinnacles National monument, in the Chalone AVA, he lets them age 8 months in neutral French oak barrels and that translates to unctuous nectarine, yellow apple, and orange zest supported by a backbone of wet rock minerality. It’s almost required that you prepare some dish from a Julia Child cookbook because she was a frequent guest of at Chalone.

2018 SEBASTIANI PINOT GRIGIO, SONOMA VALLEY ($26)

The Pinot Grigio grapes for this yummy white were picked under a blanket of fog in the thick of night. Though, you won’t need your night-vision goggles to enjoy this inaugural release! The fruit comes from the Morning Sun Vineyard, a spectacular 40-acre site rooted on Sonoma Mountain in the Sonoma Valley. Bursting with stone fruit and hints of rose petal the palate is bright and crisp with flavors of apricot, peach, and melon. Additional notes of fresh lime and green apple linger on the long and clean finish.

2018 HEADTURNER FLYAWAY CHARDONNAY, HORSE HEAVEN HILLS ($25)

It’s a fact—winemaker Holly Turner is turning out mind-boggling head-turners, and this rich, opulent Chardonnay from the Horse Heaven Hills area of Washington State is a beauty. After 21 months aging in 100% French Oak (50% new for 12 months then 100% neutral French oak for 9 months), she’s also using some of the finest French coopers available: Francois Freres, Ana, Damy & Mercurey. What that means is the Chardonnay in your glass is incredibly well-built, with layers upon layers of buttered brioche, pineapple, and ripe golden delicious apples. Add to that lush lemon curd and butterscotch notes atop a full-bodied, elegant white. Pair this with just a view and a sunset.

If you’re the kind of person who stares at the endless shelves of wine before choosing a bottle because it has an attractive label, then you might need some help picking out wine. To make it a little easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of easy-drinking wines to help you identify and build your wine palate.

SAUVIGNON BLANC

Sauvignon Blanc is a light-bodied wine that will usually have aromas of grapefruit, asparagus, and some herbaceous elements. It pairs well with a lot of light foods such as green vegetables and chicken, pork, or fish with herbs.

Try Chalk Hill Estate 2019 Sauvignon Blanc.

PINOT GRIS

Pinot Gris, also known as Pinot Grigio, is a light to medium-bodied white wine. Pinot Gris typically has aromas of peach, citrus, honeysuckle, and apple. It tastes delicious with lighter foods such as fish, shellfish, and fresh vegetables.

Try The Four Graces 2019 Pinot Gris.

CHARDONNAY

Chardonnay is a full-bodied white that can be oaked or unoaked. It can have aromas of butter, tropical fruit, and citrus. Lobster, scallops, and cream sauces are a few things that pair well with Chardonnay.

Try Roth Reserve 2016 Russian River Valley Chardonnay.

PINOT NOIR

Pinot Noir is a light-bodied red that isn’t too bold for beginners. Pinot Noir is generally earthy and has notes of raspberry and cherry. Pinot Noir goes with a variety of things such as mushrooms, pork, chicken, and duck.

Try 2015 Banshee Rice-Spivak Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast.

ZINFANDEL

Zinfandel is a medium to full-bodied red. It’s described as being jammy, but we think that’s because it is more of a fruit-forward wine. Zinfandel can have aromas of blackberry, strawberry, and baking spice. Pairing it with barbequed dishes can really highlight its best characteristics.

Try Foley Sonoma 2016 Zinfandel Patty’s Patch, Alexander Valley.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Cabernet Sauvignon is a bold wine, usually being medium to full-bodied. It has notes of plum, blackberry, black pepper, and leather. Cabernet Sauvignon is best paired with steak, braised short ribs, or even hamburgers.

Try Sebastiani 2016 Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley.

By trying each of these varietals, you’ll start to figure out which wines you like the best and you’ll be more confident about trying new ones.