Happy Giving Tuesday!
There will be many opportunities in the month ahead to enjoy a glass of wine. Whether you’re having a Holiday Meal, Toasting your friends and family over Zoom, or knocking back some for simple gustatory pleasure, there will be a multitude of reasons to enjoy wine.
On this Giving Tuesday I’m recommending a Chardonnay from a stalwart Sonoma County Producer. Sonoma-Cutrer has been producing wine for nearly 40 years. In that time they’ve become a go to producer for so many consumers and a standing selection of restaurant wine lists across the country.
While they grow and bottle a number of distinct Chardonnays, it’s the Russian River Ranches Chardonnay that they’ve become best known for. In light of Covid-19, Sonoma-Cutrer has taken the step of donating $100,000 to the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation (RWCF). This non-profit is an advocacy and action group created by and for restaurant workers. Sales of Russian River Ranches Chardonnay will directly support their donation.
Sonoma-Cutrer 2017 Russian River Ranches Chardonnay ($28)
The fruit for the 2018 vintage of this Chardonnay was sourced at all six of their Estate Vineyards as well as some outside growers. The result is a well hewn composite of Sonoma County Chardonnay. Green apple, Bartlett pear and an undercurrent of baker’s spices inform the aromatics. The flavors are soft, fruity, and direct. Lemon ice, granny smith apple and a underpinning of minerals are the most prominent. The finish is above average, acid-rich, and mouthwatering. It’s a wine you’ll simply want to keep drinking.
You should certainly, drink this Chardonnay because it helps support a worthy cause, but also because it’s consistently well produced and delicious. It’s worth noting that Sonoma-Cutrer’s recent charitable work also incudes a joint donation with Woodford Reserve of $50,000, announced last month, to No Kid Hungry.