Mina Penelope Sauvignon Blanc 2-ways
The first time I was in Mexico City, I was blown away by - well tbh, I was blown away by a lot of things but for now, let’s talk about how crazy good the wine was!! But when I got home, there was very little Mexican wine and the one I tasted was nothing like the glorious nectar I had in Mexico City. So I chalked it up to being on vacation and went on with it….. Then I met Patrick - an importer who was importing (you guessed it) Mexican wine!!
And when he invited me to go to Baja California to meet some winemakers and taste some Mexican wine, I was all in. That trip truly cemented my love of Mexican wine and was the beginning of my love-affair with Baja California. Even better, it was when I met Veronica! One of the kindest, most gracious humans who makes some of the best wines in the Valle.
Located in a tiny little micro-climate of Valle de Guadalupe, these vines are tended to by Veronica and her husband, Nathianel with help from goats, sheep, kids & all the dogs that these amazing humans rescue. Given the bare minimum to survive these hot summers, these grapes thrive and produce incredible fruit.
This is a gorgeous Sauvignon Blanc made in a classic style. Grapes are picked early to maintain the acidity, these grapes are fermented and aged in stainless steel keeping it light on its feet. The resulting juice is stunningly tropical yet classic at the same time. Hints of citrus dance alongside pineapple & green apples - stone fruit comes to play with white peach acidity and herbal tannin that yields to a perfectly balanced body and a long finish.
What a great way to talk about ‘orange’ wine aka skin contact!! These Sauvignon Blanc grapes are exactly the same as the grapes used for Veronica’s Sauvignon Blanc with one exception - 14-days with the skins. And oh what a difference that can make!!
Did you know that orange wine (amber / skin-contact) is the oldest documented way of making white wine - 8000+ years ago, skin-contact whites were the only whites you would find—-WOWZA!! Essentially orange or "skin contact" wine is a white wine that's made in the manner of a red wine - with the skins staying with the juice adding color, structure, tannin & natural preservatives
This one is a gorgeous ‘Amber’ or orange wine made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown exactly the same as the other Sauv Blanc.
Picked early to maintain the acidity, these grapes are fermented and aged in stainless steel WITH THEIR SKINS for 2-weeks. Juice is drained off then bottled resulting in a gorgeous orange wine that is bursting with mango, apricots and passion fruit - roasted pineapple acidity dances alongside the skin-contact tannins - super balanced & delicious!
