Happy Wine Wednesday, Rosies! I experienced Kerr Cellars for the first time yesterday and just have to tell you about this incredible wine. Founded by golf superstar Cristie Kerr (“the best putter ever” according to my dad), Kerr Cellars is dedicated to overdelivering in quality with every sip. Cristie was first introduced to winemaking in Napa Valley and became a sommelier in 2016. She is passionate about wine and she is clearly an artist both on the green and in wine. I was fortunate to enjoy a virtual wine tasting with Cristie!

The 2018 UV Vineyard Chardonnay captivates your attention with a single sniff. It smells like cantaloupe and jasmine with a hint of orange blossom. It kind of smells like the coastal town of Nafplio, Greece. Maybe that’s why I was craving Greek food last night! The intoxicating, complex scent immediately had me optimistic about this wine and it still blew me away. I wish y’all could have seen my face when I took a sip of this Chardonnay. It’s positively magical. And that’s coming from someone who isn’t even a big Chardonnay fan!

The grapes were hand harvested at 4 am for optimum acidity and it’s the acid that makes this such a crisp, refreshing wine. Cristie recommends serving this at 62-65 degrees with “absolutely anything.” She went on to say that it’s perfect in the summertime with charcuterie, cheese (standing up, she said, to the boldest bleu cheeses and the creamiest of bries),  smoked salmon, grilled swordfish, and summer veggie pasta. Sign me up for that menu! It’s also perfectly lovely on its own. Like a fine piece of art, the multitude of flavors reveal themselves to you bit by bit. You look at a Renoir painting and it’s beautiful, but it’s only after staring at it for a while that you can fully appreciate its nuanced beauty, just like this Chardonnay. Buy this dreamy wine here.

I enjoyed my Chardonnay with chargrilled octopus and roasted chicken from Onassis, a delicious new Greek place in Rockwall, Texas. The richness from the octopus was lovely with the Chardonnay.

Next I tried the 2018 Red Hen Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, which I’m sorry to say is a wine club exclusive! While you can’t buy this a la carte, it’s definitely worth joining the club for if you love California cabs like me. I love the bouquet of this cabernet sauvignon. It smells strongly of sun-ripened summer blackberries and raspberries with just a hint of cedar and tobacco in the nose. It was aged 21 months in new French oak barrels and has fine tannins. I was delighted to be one of the first people to get to try this brand new wine! Cristie recommends drinking this wine with filet mignon (of course!), a cheese plate, creamy mushroom dishes, and butter-based pasta.

It also should be noted that Kerr Cellars’ winemaker is Helen Keplinger, whom Food and Wine Magazine named wine maker of the year in 2012. She even graced the cover of Wine Spectator! Cristie ended the tasting with this: “There’s nothing worse than paying for a nice bottle of wine and being disappointed. I can tell you, at Kerr Wines, we will always over deliver.” Cheers to that!

Happy savoring,

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