I know what you’re thinking… a California Albariño? Not Spain? Not Portugal? No! And it is awesome. Seriously one of the best whites us agents tasted this year.

You might remember when we did the Ragtag Wine Co. Chardonnay or the Pinot Noir which were huge hits. We went back to the winery with hopes of getting more goodies. And they came through!

At another EPIC price no less! $17 a pop for a single vineyard Edna Valley?!? Yes, to that all day!

Ragtag Wine Co. comes to us from the heart of the Central Coast, and the hometown of our own Agent Vine, San Luis Obispo. They’re what you might call “SLO-Cals.” Jeff Huskey graduated from Cal Poly’s renowned winemaking program while his sister and Brother-in-Law, Sarah, and Deron Brewer were running multiple different businesses in SLO town just waiting to do something really big.

With the idea of a diverse and hand-crafted wine portfolio ‘brewing’ in her head, Sarah combined her creative flair with her brother’s winemaking talent, and Ragtag was born. Huskey’s experience has gained him awards and accolades, including multiple Wine Enthusiast Editors’ Choice awards.

The sense of place is paramount to these folks, a hallmark of their philosophy and the mentality behind their winemaking. So, when they found an Albariño vineyard in their backyard that was able to produce fruit reminiscent of the best vineyards in Spain, it was a no-brainer.

Bright and fruity, this Albariño is a lovely white wine for the most decerning of palates. Aromas of nectarine, grapefruit, and lime with notes of honeysuckle are prominent on the nose. At first sip, you notice a well-structured body with brilliant minerality layers of more fruit and floral and the tiniest touch of salinity at the finish. So pretty and so fresh!

Truly a great example of what can be done with great fruit, small batch winemaking, and thoughtful execution.

Small batch - by the way - means not much to be had, so do not delay on this one! And at $17?! Buy a few cases!