The families of the Appellation Wine Company

Niven, Graff, Smith, Rosenthal - some of the families that are part of the Appellation Wine Company, a grouping of third and fourth generation grape growing families from the central coast of California that produce a wide ranging and delicious assortment of wines. Scott Woodward from AWC was in town this past weekend for a winemaker dinner at Scratch in Spokane, and a tasting here at the shop and it was a treat.

The food at Scratch was great as always, and the wines were highlighted by the historical family stories that surround the wine brands and vineyards that make up AWC. The story is a compelling one on par with the book Napa that describes some of the patriarchs of what was once thought of as "the" wine industry in California. After spending some time with Scott though one comes to understand that the California Wine industry is and really never was Napa-centric. Next time you are desiring a trip to wine country head south from the Bay Area instead of North and you will be pleased by the history, and I would suggest delighted by the wines.

The families that comprise the Appellation Wine Company are the same that owned Edna Valley and Chalone wineries. Those brands were sold off some years ago, and the families continued to grow wine grapes and now after some replanting, including updated clonal selections are back making wine. All of the wines we tried were great but there were several stand outs, to go along with compelling stories of how they came to be.

Tangent is one of the brands in the portfolio and under that masthead only white wines are produced. We have had the Sauvignon Blanc on the shelf for some time. It is one of our favorites as the vineyard planting for it is on an east/west axis like the plantings in New Zealand, lending this domestic production a hint of the same "gooseberry" essence as the "Kiwi" SB. At the dinner though we had the chance to try the Albarino from the same brand, and wow that was a unique treat.

Tangent has done a great job of replicating the crisp and zippy wine that is produced from this varietal in its native Spain. The Tangent Albarino is loaded with crisp apple and citrus flavors and also contributes nice minerality and texture on the palate. For $15 I can't think of a better summer quaffer to be enjoyed on deck, dock or boat.

Baileyana is another of the AWC brands that we first became familiar with. We tried the Chardonnay paired with crab at the dinner, always a natural but the use of Dijon clone Chard really brought the wine and the pairing to new heights. Dijon clones of Chardonnay are naturally more crisp and lean so even though the wine still saw oak barrel ageing, with no malolactic fermentation we found it to be lighter and more refreshing than many of the traditional California bottlings. Priced at $20 it was the largest seller of the night.

We are very familiar with the Paraiso Pinot Noir, as the 2008 vintage of the wine had been one of the best sellers in the varietal category for us over the last year. The new 2009 vintage was introduced to our customers over the weekend and based on their response there has been no let down in quality despite some differences in the profile of the wine. With 2009 being a cooler growing year the Pinot exhibits more crisp acid in its youth to go along with the consistent flavors of cherries and subtle earthiness. Again priced at $20 we expect this new year to be as popular as the previous.

Finally, the great label art and lovely wine in the Surfrider Hang Ten Red bottling combined with the great story of the benefit derived from selling this wine made it a sentimental favorite. The wine grapes for this one are grown in Malibu, yes Malibu! Not the appellation that springs to mind when contemplating great grape growing regions of the world, but the wine, a blend of Merlot, Petite Verdot, Sangiovese and Cabernet is a smooth, easy drinking blend. It highlights great fruit flavors and silky, well integrated tannins and is a steal for $19. Much of the proceeds go to the Surfrider Foundation that helps support many charitable programs in the area from Santa Barbara to Malibu, making it a feel-good story too.

We were charmed by Scott Woodward's presentation, the historical family stories and the great wine we were able to share with him and our customers. Stop by the shop and check out the wines and we will be happy to share more of the stories of the AWC with you. As wine consumers it is always fun to know the legacy and legend of the wine we enjoy drinking. In short, the wines from the AWC have all of the components and hold them together in great harmony.

If there is a topic you would like to read about or questions on wine you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d'Alene Press.

George Balling is co-owner with his wife Mary Lancaster of the dinner party - a wine and table top decor shop in Coeur d'Alene by Costco. George is also the managing judge of The North Idaho Wine Rodeo and writes frequently for the online version of Coeur d'Alene Magazine at www.cdamagazine.com. His articles can also be found on the blog at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com.