Celebrate National Wine Day!
The official date for National Wine Day is always the 25th of May. Luckily, this year, that date is on a Saturday! So, we can celebrate today without having to worry about the consequences of a work weekday!
Of course, here at K & L, pretty much every day is National Wine Day! National Wine Day celebrates and reflects upon the history and culture that wine and winemaking have given to the world. As you likely already know, winemaking goes back thousands of years and pretty much every country has made wine of some sort, not just from grapes. Some have had herbs added to them, lead, and other metals to “sweeten” them (this is far different from a leaden wine). Also, olive oil, seawater, and resin from trees (still done today). These days, we have forgone the addition of metals, though we still do clarify the wines with such things as egg whites, carbon, and gelatin.
Part of the history of wine also lands in the hands of the winemakers, those people who have dedicated themselves to producing high-quality and super delicious wines. From the Rothschilds of Bordeaux to the Mondavis of the U.S. to the Torres Family in Spain—and so many others. Here in California, there are people such as Gary Pisoni who have transformed acreage meant for growing vegetables and fruit into a prime area for grapes in the Santa Lucia Highlands over 40 years ago. With his sons Jeff and Mark, the Pisoni family is producing some of the best Pinot Noir in California. I was fortunate enough to visit this area in mid-May to reacquaint myself with the region and its elegant and refreshing wines. The area itself is stunning with fantastic views and great beauty, all courtesy of the San Andreas fault, which is very close by.
The Pisoni family fits in perfectly with the idea of National Wine Day, so I felt like to day was a perfect day to celebrate them, too. There is history, meticulous care of the land, and even the aspect of giving back to mankind with their wines. Their full line of “Lucy” wines has part of the proceeds from sales going to charity. The crisp and delicious 2023 Lucy (Pisoni) Santa Lucia Highlands Rosé of Pinot Noir $19.95 benefits breast cancer research, while the flavorful 2023 Lucy (Pisoni) "Pico Blanco" Monterey County White Blend $21.95 benefits the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Lastly, the 2023 Lucy (Pisoni) Santa Lucia Highlands Gamay Noir $29.95 proceeds go to the Big Sur Fire Department. The Rosé is complex with raspberry, blood orange, quince and light sea salt flavors. The Bianco is very pretty with pink grapefruit, pomelo and Muscat flavors, while the Gamay Noir is clean and easy with cherries, framboise, and clean minerals. All of these wines are perfectly refreshing for summer AND they also give back. A perfect representation of what National Wine Day is all about.
Happy holiday weekend!