Provenance Vineyards, May 14, 2013

www.provenancevineyards.com

It was time again to pick up my wine club shipment, as well as a few bottles I had ordered by phone during a recent sale event.  Of course, I always enjoy my visits to Provenance.  I love the hardwood floor fashioned from the staves of old wine barrels, not to mention the friendly staff and delicious wines.  This visit was made a little more special as the main wine maker, Tom Rinaldi, entered the tasting room, wrapping up a winery tour for a group of industry insiders.  I have enjoyed talking with Tom Rinaldi for more than six years now, and he recognizes me on sight.  (He even checked out my wine pickup, suggesting that my selections might make him a little envious.)

The lawn outside Provenance Vineryards

As this was my last winery visit of the day and I’d have time afterwards for my body to process the wine I was about to drink, I allowed the tasting room staff to pour me a couple extra wines.  I started with Provenance wines: the 2012 Wildwood Sauvignon Blanc (to compare it to the other 2012’s), then the 2012 Malbec Rose, the 2009 Napa Valley Merlot, and the 2009 To Kalon(2) Cabernet Sauvignon, which was my favorite of these wines.  Then, I enjoyed the 2009 and 2007 Hewitt Cabernet Sauvignon, with the 2007 being my overall favorite.  The two Provenance reds and the rose were all part of my wine shipment, but I switched out the rose for the Sauvignon Blanc to better suit my tastes (they were the same price).  Finally, I worked on some puzzles on the front lawn of the winery for about half an hour before heading off for dinner.  Some passing geese made for a fun photography moment.

This silly goose arrived too late to taste at Provenance Vineyards.

A full review was written already about Provenance Vineyards during my visit on February 8^th, 2012.