Our allocation of today’s wine is limited, so we encourage you to reserve yours soon.

Alma Rosa makes its return to our pages, and boy are we excited! Today’s Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards 2015 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir is a delicious, elegant, crimson delight that we absolutely adore. This wine is classic Alma Rosa, with plenty of flavor, an approachable nose, and an abundance of character.

This wine has a gorgeous crimson hue with excellent clarity and the medium body you’d expect from a Pinot Noir. The bouquet is very approachable with ripe cherry, dusty bramble, baked apple, lavender, and potpourri aromas. The palate has more meaty characteristics with salumi, subtle smoked mesquite mingling with dark cherry, Santa Rosa plum, and pipe tobacco flavors. Effortless on the palate with just enough weight to allow the flavor to taper gracefully to a long finish. Perfect for complex Mexican cuisine such as mole chicken or an adobo sauce.

The Sta. Rita Hills AVA, located within Santa Barbara County and almost entirely in the Santa Ynez Valley was established in 2001 and is considered one of California’s best regions for growing the Burgundian varietals of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay due to its cooler climate. The AVA’s weather is heavily influenced by cool coastal breezes and persistent Pacific fog. Just less than 200 acres in the AVA are under vine. Interestingly, the name of the appellation was changed from Santa Rita Hills to Sta. Rita Hills so as to not conflict with Chilean powerhouse winery Vina Santa Rita.

Alma Rosa has the distinction of being the first winery to be featured in the Merlot-killing and Pinot-promoting feature film, Sideways. More important than all that, though, is the fact that this fantastic winery is headed by Richard Sanford, the undisputed father of Pinot Noir in the region. Richard was the first to plant Pinot in the Sta. Rita Hills (then, the Santa Ynez Valley), more than 40 years ago. His mission was simple: Make Pinot Noir that rivals the best French Burgundies. We say, Mission Accomplished, Richard! Your Pinot Noir is, quite simply, amazing.