In a Global market, locally grown and produced wines struggle to get to the surface.  In years of tasting wines from all over the globe I've not come accross a local wine that excited me by it's structure and quality.  I find most to be an attempt at good wine, trying but always falling short.  That is until last night, Tim from Rock Canyon Vineyards and Tony from La Serenissima Vineyards came in and did a tasting with our Tango customers and employees, changing the minds of those who doubted and reeducating the palates of the more knowledgeable. 

If you love Paso wines you're sure to be a fan of Rock Canyon, bright fruit, smooth and vibrant.  His Cabernet Sauvignon aged in American oak along with his blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah also aged in American oak were the two stand outs to me.  Juicy and delicious, a true competitor for our neighbors to the North in Paso Robles.  A balanced, fruity wine with hints of vanilla and allspice nestled in the layers of flavor that unfold as you enjoy each sip. 

Now if you want a wine with some real aging potential you will love the La Serenissima wines.  Released when they're ready to drink, these wines are big, bold and if you choose to age them a few years after they've been released you'll find an elegant refined red wine able to impress even the Napa Cabernet snobs.  The Cabernet Franc along with the Merlot-Cabernet blend were showing beautifully last night.  Prominent in both were deep oak notes with rich fruit flavors of blackberry and black raspberry and a long, lingering finish that lasts for days. 

All the more impressive about both of these local wineries are their wine making techniques.  Both practice Organic and Biodynamic farming/production, meaning they do not use pesticides and don't add sulfur dioxide lowering the amount of sulfites dramatically!  They also both make unfiltered wines, when fining and filtering wines for clarity sometimes you lose some of the excellent flavors imparted by the remnants of the barrel and other sediment that finds its way into the bottle.  True it's not very sexy to find yourself at the end of a glass with sediment stuck to it but drink it in happily knowing that the wine maker didn't short change you on the flavor!  

-Sommelier Markus Roessler