Chardonnay & Oak Aging
This dry white wine, made from the Chardonnay grape, is the most popular of its variety. Chardonnay ranges in style, with some oakier versions contributing to taste. The purpose of Chardonnay aged in oak is to add some of the oaks characters, along with helping the wine develop its texture. Winemakers may lightly toast the inner surface of barrels, allowing the smoky oak or toasty characters to be detected in the final product. Oak gives the taste a dimension of spiciness and adds a hint of vanilla or coconut to the grapes aroma. The oak and Chardonnay combination is a favorite that is sure to last!
Wine Tasting - The Sense of Smell
There are a few very important things to note when we "nose" a wine. It is suggested to first smell the wine before swirling, noticing the delicate aromas. Next, swirl the wine and smell again after it is at rest. Depending on the bouquet, you may then notice a profound difference in the odors emerging. Aroma is a smell that originates from the actual grape, with very clear cut characteristics. Aroma is most prevalent in young wines. The bouquet of a wine refers to smells generated as a result of aging; smells found particularly in mature wines that were aged in a bottle. The bouquet generally has much softer and complex characteristics than aromas. Identifying what you smell is usually the most challenging part in wine tasting. Although there are many smell categories used to describe characteristics of wine, none have been exclusively agreed upon.
Wine Tasting - The Sense of Taste
After observing your wine using the sense of sight and smell, it is then time to use your palate to identify tastes. This is far more detailed than simply tasting as we would any other beverage. We must remember to note the characteristics of the wine on all sensory areas of the tongue. Sweetness is detected on the very tip of the tongue, while bitter tastes are sensed in the extreme rear. Saltiness is sensed on the front, upper sides of the tongue, and the acidity-sour taste is sensed mainly on the sides. Some suggest focusing your attention on one sensation at a time in order to be more efficient in your taste. Try taking a sip of wine and swallowing immediately. Then try another sip, this time letting the wine work well around the palate into these sensory areas before swallowing. You will recognize a noticeable difference in the intensity of flavors!
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Santa Cruz Winery List
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Ahlgren Vineyard
Andersen Vineyards
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Aptos Vineyard
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Bargetto Winery
Bear Creek Vineyard Company
Beauregard Vineyards
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Bonny Doon Vineyard
Burrell School Vineyards
Byington Vineyard & Winery
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Chaine D'or Vineyards
Cinnabar Winery - Tasting Room
Clos La Chance
Clos Tita Winery
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Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards
Crescini Wines
Cronin Vineyards
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David Bruce Winery
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Devlin Wine Cellars
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Elliston Vineyards
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Equinox
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Fellom Ranch Vineyards
Fernwood Cellars
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Fleming Jenkins Vineyards & Winery
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Generosa Winery
Glenwood Oaks Winery
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Guglielmo Winery
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Hallcrest Vineyards / Organic Wine Works
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Hunter Hill Vineyard & Winery
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Kathryn Kennedy Winery
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La Rochelle Winery
La Rusticana Vineyards
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LaNebbia Winery
Lonen & Jocelyn Wines
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Martin Ranch Winery
McHenry Vineyard
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Mount Eden Vineyards
Mountain Winery
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Oliver Curtis Winery
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Osocalis Cidery & Distillery
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P & M Staiger
Page Mill Winery
Pelican Ranch Winery
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Picchetti Winery
Pinder Winery
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Rapazzini Winery
Ridge Vineyards
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River Run Vintners
Roudon-Smith Winery
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Salamandre Wine Cellars
Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard
Sarah's Vineyard
Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards
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Silver Mountain Vineyards
Solis Winery
Soquel Vineyards
Storrs Winery
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Testarossa Vineyards
The Mountain Winery
Thomas Fogarty Winery
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Troquato Vineyards
Trout Gulch Vineyards
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Vinh-Rebhahn Vineyards
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Windy Oaks Estate Vineyards & Winery
Wines of Vine Hill
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Woodside Vineyards
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Zayante Vineyards
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