Release the Wine!

My favorite scene, as a kid, in the old Clash of the Titans movie is Zeus (or whoever the head dude was) shouting: "Release the Kracken!".  Well, this time of year, I imagine Dionysus (the god of wine) shouting: "Release the Wines!".  That's because each fall and spring many wineries release the newest available vintages of their wines to their loyal mailing list customers and wine club members.

I count myself among the goofy few who view these releases as second only to Christmas morning...anxiously awaiting the winery emails/letters and scouring through the latest newsletters like the geek that I am to get the latest on the new releases.  Pitiful, I know.  At least I'm reading, right?

So far, I have received spring release info from Dehlinger and Kosta Browne (woohoo!  I've only been on their waiting list for FOUR years).  Also a pseudo-release from MacPhail - a Valentine's special that includes the never-before-released Sonoma Coast Pinot.  I expect Williams-Selyem's release next week, and those from Grey Stack, FAILLA, MacPhail, Siduri & Novy, Lucia, and diStefano sometime soon thereafter.  I love this time of year.

And what will I be ordering?  If you know the above producers, then you know I will certainly be ordering Pinot.  Whether it's the picture-perfect "California" Pinot from MacPhail, the nervy, more classic expressions from FAILLA, Dehlinger and Williams-Selyem, the sumptuous versions from Kosta  Browne, Grey Stack and Lucia, or all of the above from Siduri...these guys are the best at making top-notch Pinot Noir.  Some of my favorites include the MacPhail Toulouse Vineyard, Williams-Selyem Peay Vineyard, FAILLA Sonoma Coast, Grey Stack Four Brothers, Lucia Gary's Vineyeard, and Siduri Sonoma County.

Fortunately, they also make several other excellent wines, both red and white.

I have always been a big fan of Zinfandel, and Dehlinger, Williams-Selyem and Novy make some dang good ones.  I'm also growing fond of cool-climate, Rhone-style wines - those made from the likes of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Counoise, and Cinsault.  Lucia, FAILLA, Novy, diStefano and Dehlinger make tasty Syrahs, and Grey Stack makes a couple of phenomal Rhone-style blends, as well as a Grenache.  diStefano makes a great blend, too, called Sigaro.

It never hurts to have a few good Bourdeaux-varietal wines lying around as well.  Dehlinger makes both a Cabernet Sauvingon and a Claret sourced from its cool Russian River estate.  diStefano also makes primarily wines from Bourdeaux grapes, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot - separately and blended together.  Some of my favorites are the bargain Domenica, Sogno, Ottimo and Winemaker's Reserve.  All but the Domenica are HUGE wines and need some time (or a good couple hours of decanting at least).

Lastly, I'm also really getting into white wines.  Especially those that fall on the lighter, more nuanced side of the scale.   There are also some interesting varietals out there besides just Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, such as Riesling, Semillion, Viognier, Gruner Veltliner, Roussane, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Torrontes, and more.  They range from cloying, floral and sweet to zippy, minerally and bone dry.  Whatever the case, I'm enjoying discovering the different types and styles of white wine out there. 

Of course, all of the aforementioned wineries make great whites, too.  I love Dehlinger's Chardonnays, and MacPhail and Failla are a close second.  Williams-Selyem's are equally as good, but need some more time.  In fact, their un-oaked Chardonnay is fantastic - light and sharp, like cold steel.  Novy makes a variety of tasty and interesting whites like their Viognier and Pinot Blanc.  Grey Stack and diStefano are tops with Sauv Blanc in my book.

Is anyone else out there as much of a wine release junkie as I am?  What will you be ordering and from whom?