One of the great things about blogging on wines is getting to taste some great stuff.
One of my favorites that I hadn’t tried before joining up with Diamond Ridge is the Matchbook line of wines. The label has the unique look of burnt paper to enhance the wine’s name. So why choose the name Matchbook? According to the winemaker, John Giguiere, he grew up as a farm kid in the late 1950´s and early 1960´s. He said he was a confirmed pyromaniac starting various things on fire such as his father´s wheat field. At one point, fearing total ruin from his kids burning him out of the house and farm, his father took them to the city jail for a one hour stay to impress upon his brother and him the futility of their fascination with fire. John and his brother answered at a later date by graduating from random fires to the launching of rockets which often blew up at some stage of the journey resulting in more random fires and a call to the local fire department for help. They eventually grew out of this fascination with the “Matchbook” but still have fond memories of the power they possessed.
In 2002, John planted the Matchbook vineyard and in 2005 started producing the California wines. My two favorites are their big reds — the big juicy Syrah and a robust Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2005 Matchbook Syrah is 89 percent Syrah and 11 percent Cabernet. The two give hints of raspberry, spice, tobacco, cassis and a touch of vanilla from the oak barrels. Yum! These are full bodied reds with fresh blackberry and blueberry flavors, a touch of smokiness and a hint of vanilla and spice on the finish.
Enjoy it with spicy sausages, cured meats and many grilled meats such as chicken, beef and lamb. Don’t forget your roasted vegetables on the side!
Pick up a bottle or two of Matchbook at the Diamond Ridge Market and watch the wine spark a real fire in your mouth.
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