Reserves in Store
What better way to celebrate the holidays (or gift someone for the holidays) than with wine? Tanya Naouri, marketing manager of The Marin Store, has a few in-stock favorites to recommend—“all from Northern California vintners, perfect for those who want to send a piece of wine country to their wine-loving friends and family.” Hartwick & Grove has specially priced holiday wine sets. For Zinfomaniacs: Top Scoring Ravenswood Zins includes one bottle each of the Wine Enthusiast–rated 94-point 2007 Ravenswood Belloni Zinfandel and the 92-point 2007 Ravenswood Big River Zinfandel. Combine a gift set with a tasting room ticket, and you get the Vintage Wine Estates Package—a bottle of Sonoma Coast Vineyards’ Freestone Hills 2008 Pinot Noir, a Vinturi wine aerator and two passes to the reserve private tasting room at Vintage Wine Estates in Healdsburg. For a gift that gives all year, treat yourself or a loved one to a membership in the Marin Store Wine Club. It’s an ideal introduction to curated boutique wines from Northern California, with an emphasis on quality and taste, and the option to choose from two- or six-bottle subscriptions. marinstore.com
Perfect 10?
Sign up now for a “10th anniversary retrospective tasting” at Vineyard 29, led by owner Chuck McMinn, to sample 10 wines valued at $225 per bottle. By appointment only, $2,929 per couple. vineyard29.com
Spring Again
Kudos to Spring Mountain Vineyard, whose signature Bordeaux-style 2005 Elivette was the only wine from California to win a gold medal in the 2010 Decanter World Wine Awards. Established in 1870, the winery has been bottling with the SMV label since 1968 and was featured in the “ghost winery” story in our October 2008 issue. Wine historians might also remember SMV’s place at the awards table in 1976, when its 1973 chardonnay was ranked above French chardonnays in the Judgment of Paris blind tasting. To celebrate this newest coup, SMV is releasing an extremely limited quantity of 2005 Elivette (retailing for $150 per bottle) to select restaurants and introduce an “Explore Elivette” tasting (reservations required) at the Napa vineyard. springmountainvineyards.com
Mimi Towle has been the editor of Marin Magazine for over a decade. She lived with her family in Sycamore Park and Strawberry and thoroughly enjoyed raising two daughters in the mayhem of Marin’s youth sports; soccer, swim, volleyball, ballet, hip hop, gymnastics and many many hours spent at Miwok Stables. Her community involvements include volunteering at her daughter’s schools, coaching soccer and volleyball (glorified snack mom), being on the board of both Richardson Bay Audubon Center. Currently residing on a floating home in Sausalito, she enjoys all water activity, including learning how to steer a 6-person canoe for the Tamalpais Outrigger Canoe Club. Born and raised in Hawaii, her fondness for the islands has on occasion made its way into the pages of the magazine.
