Hunt Cellars Prescribes Wines to Lighten Dark Winters
The weather is dark, wet, cold and maybe even snowy. The holiday spending credit card bills are a few days away. Tax season is right behind that. Yuck! But Hunt Cellars says that wine will cure those winter blues and remind you that Spring, sunshine, and better days are just around the corner and a sip away.
Winter Wine from Hunter Cellars
A good wine, good music and some tasty appetizers or a hearty meal can transform a dreary, dull evening into a pleasant evening filled with laughter and light. But the wine world is wide. What wines to choose? Renowned vintner and owner of Hunt Cellars, David Hunt, has plenty of suggestions to make those long, dark winter nights warmer and brighter.
“Wine is magical,” said David Hunt, owner of Hunt Cellars. “The right wine makes any evening better. In the middle of winter try choosing wines with tropical notes to chase the winter blues or choose a traditional wine like a rich Port and settle into a warm evening by the fire.”
Below are David’s top five suggestions:
- Chardonnay. Try a Chardonnay with tropical overtones of pineapple, hints of passion fruit, sweet peaches, dried apricot and apple pie. Take a sip, close your eyes and pretend you are in the tropics with Bob Marley or Hawaiian music playing in the background. For a quick and easy appetizer to serve, take a croissant, smear a layer of mango or apricot jam and melt some brie cheese. Serve the croissant hot.
Hunt Cellars’ 2014 Chardonnay “Moonlight Sonata” is perfect for your imagined tropical escape.
- White Meritage. White Meritage is a rare but elegant blend that can taste of tropical and summer fruit and on a winter evening, can soothe and warm the soul. A White Meritage would pair well with a tropical salad of white balsamic and large fruit slices of mango, grilled pear or pineapple with candied walnuts and a hint of blue cheese
Hunt Cellars’ “Cinq D’Blanc” is a proprietary blend of five white wines and is produced to create a tropical exciting wine experience.
- Pinot Noir. Complex and versatile, Pinot Noir notes express sweet summer time and happy, sunny fruits. California Pinot Noir is a much more intense and fruit forward—without being cloyingly sweet—wine packed with fresh, sweet strawberries, ripe red cherries, sweet raspberries, hints of vanilla and a sweet berry kiss on the long finish. Pinot Noir pairs well with the Brie croissant suggested with Chardonnay and strawberry jam.
Hunt Cellars’ 2014 Pinot Noir “Imagination” has all the fruit notes of strawberry, cherry raspberry and vanilla and adds a sweet berry kiss on the long finish.
- Cabernet or Meritage Blend. These deep, richly flavored and aromatic wines are full of tobacco and blackcurrant notes with hints of spice and vanilla. These reds are perfect to serve with your hearty winter dishes, such as prime rib or your favorite cut of steak.
Hunt Cellars has two wines, “Cabovation” Reserve Cabernet and “Rhapsody in Red” Meritage blend of Cabernet, Merlot, Cab Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot that many wine lovers enjoy with a platter of great cheese, charcuterie, salami and cheese spreads.
- Port or Port Blend. Port wine is fortified with a grape spirit which allows for a richer, sweeter wine which is perfect after your winter meal, paired with a dessert, or for just sipping it by a cozy fire. The rich, sweet taste is perfect for an end of evening drink that lifts the mood while warming the soul.
Hunt Cellars offers two Port wine blends, “Naked Passion” Merlot Tawny Port and the Cabernet Port “Good Vibrations” which taste like a chocolate covered Christmas cherry.
About Hunt Cellars: It started over 20 years ago as a fantasy: living on a lush beautiful vineyard, producing your own style of favorite premium varietal wines that are well received and appreciated by those who have discovered the wines and shared them among friends. Drive along the scenic Highway 46 West, about three miles west of the 101 Fwy at Oakdale Road, you will find this dream has become reality for David Hunt, Winemaker and owner of Hunt Cellars, a winery committed to producing “Memorable Wines.” We believe that great wines leave indelible impressions when poured with wonderful meals and great friends and scintillating conversations. Hunt Cellars was founded on the philosophy of producing wines that you will look forward to simply sipping by a cozy fireplace or pairing with your favorite meals to enhance that special event or moment in time. For more information visit: https://huntcellars.com/ or call 805.237.1600
