Wine Wednesday - David Girard and Miraflores (El Dorado)

Dan and I have taken a lot of little weekend trips this summer. One of the most amazing things about living in California is that it's hard to take a road trip and not pass through some wine country. A few weeks ago, we passed through Anderson Valley on the way back from camping. A couple of weeks ago, we went to Tahoe for a wedding and I knew it was finally time to stop at some El Dorado Hills wineries. (You can basically consider this to be Part 2 of my lesser-known-wine-country series. At the moment, there are at least 4 parts but I know of many of wine countries that will be on the list in the future as well. )

I had wanted to make it to 3-4 wineries but we ended up getting a later start than I intended. However, we still were able to stop at two amazing wineries so here they are! I'm also sorry for missing a couple Wine Wednesdays. You know you've been slacking when your boyfriend who doesn't drink wine asks where your wine posts are. Sorry!!

David Girard

 David Girard came with really high praise from a friend. She basically told me I'd want to get married here. The winery is gorgeous and I'm kind of kicking myself for not getting any pictures of the estate. I was also excited because David Girard is a Rhone Ranger (the Rhone Rangers are a group that promote grape varietals primarily found in the Rhone region of France - Grenache, Syrah, Viognier, Marsanne, Rousanne, etc) and I was using that as a way to discover wineries that would have varietals I know I like.

 Admittedly, when we got to David Girard, we were all still in wake up mode from the weekend's festivities. It was a long drive from Tahoe to the winery and we probably should have gotten lunch first. You'll have to excuse my sparse pictures and notes but I do at least remember my favorites from the winery. The 2011 Coda Blanc, a white blend of primarily Roussanne and Marsanne, was very light and delicious. I was also a big fan or the 2009 Syrah. I took home a bottle of each and can't wait to have them again soon. Following me on Instagram is a great way to see when and how I enjoy these wines! 

Miraflores

Miraflores, on the other hand, was not one of the Rhone Ranger wineries and I wouldn't have heard about it at all if a friend didn't say they were wine club members and were stopping in to pick up a case of wine. I'm so happy they mentioned it because we absolutely loved the winery. They had a very long list of wines and complimentary tasting so we ended up just staying until closing and enjoying the wines and the property.

Miraflores also participates in a Futures program. Since they have to pay taxes on all of their wine before they can sell it, selling bottles at a discount before they are released helps them manage their costs. For that reason, they let visitors do barrel tastings complete with explanations on how the tastes will develop and mature as the wine ages. It was a really fun experience. My favorite barrel wine was the Tintoretto - a special wine made from dried out grapes. This means they need to use three times as many grapes to produce enough juice, making it one of their priciest wines. However, the method of production creates a vibrant and unique flavor. It definitely showed a lot of promise and I would recommend buying futures of it - the only way to snag this interesting wine.

Always make sure to match your wine!

If you like receiving a bottle when you pay for it, I was also a big fan of the Barbera and took some home. Miraflores has a big portfolio and gorgeous winery, so mostly I just recommend making a visit and discovering what your favorite wine is.

It's nice to just add that it was a really fun day with friends. We were on our way back from a wedding that was just an amazing weekend spending time with college friends that have scattered all over the country. Getting an extra afternoon with a handful of those people was just a great way to come off an incredible weekend.