California Wine Mixer
There’s no place like home. Welcome to ours. Our California tasting flight will take you on a top-down tour of sun-drenched coasts and golden vineyards. We’ve found eight gems and bottled them by the glass, highlighting the low-key, bold, and glamorous tastes of our Golden State. Grab your surfboard and sunscreen. It’s time to go West.
Tasting Guide
La Pluma | Sauvignon Blanc
For such a reliably refreshing wine, sauvignon blanc hasn’t always gotten the respect it deserves. As late as the 2000s, vineyards were giving these grapes the boot in favor of drier chardonnays. Thankfully, this delightfully acidic, sweet-and-sour white doesn’t hold a grudge. We can’t wait to make up for lost time.
- Vintage: 2019 / AVA: Central Coast, CA
- Tasting Notes: Smokey grapefruit, citrus, tangy
- Food Pairing: Sushi, goat cheese...or overpriced arugula salad
- Feels Like: Going on a date with the Duke Of Hastings
Fortune Favors | Chardonnay
Buttery-smooth and a mouthwatering pale gold, chardonnay is the most popular wine in America—even counting reds. These sturdy grapes are grown along the picturesque crags and cliffs of California’s Central Coast, resulting in a robust, comfortingly tropical pour. It’s got smooth notes of dessert without being a “dessert wine.”
- Vintage: 2019 / AVA: Central Coast, CA
- Tasting Notes: Baked apple and butterscotch
- Food Pairing: Shellfish, brie...or Cheesecake Factory
- Feels Like: Showing up to a baby shower tastefully tipsy
La Pluma | Rosé
We’ve heard la pluma is mightier than the sword, but a good rosé will win any contest you put it to. This cold-weather wine blends cab’s mellowness with the jammy flavor of zinfandel. Combine that with full-bodied petite sirah, and you’re in for a fruity treat with just the right amount of acidity. Plus, it’s pink enough to make Piglet jealous.
- Vintage: 2019 / AVA: California
- Tasting Notes: Zesty grapefruit, strawberry, raspberry
- Food Pairing: Feta, BBQ’ed vegetable skewers...avocado toast
- Feels Like: Touching down on your first slip n’ slide of the summer
Mr B | Pinot Noir
August 18 may be Pinot Noir Day, but thankfully, we can enjoy this velvety-smooth, surprisingly bold bottle 365 days a year. Gorgeously dark in color and combining the flavors of sweet red fruit, tart cherry, and earthy mushroom, this pinot is classy, food-friendly, and worthy of a holiday itself.
- Vintage: None / AVA: Russian River Valley, CA
- Tasting Notes: Cherry, wild mushroom, earthy flavors
- Food Pairing: Chicken, brie...or ham & pineapple (you heard us) pizza
- Feels Like: Finally learning a TikTok dance
Good Trouble | Syrah
Syrah’s centuries-long history is ripe with myth, but we know for sure that California syrah is more of a 90s baby. This chewy, inky wine comes with a kick of black pepper and a savory-then-fruity character all its own. Plus, all full-bottle profits from the Good Trouble brand are donated to The Roots Fund, a nonprofit providing wine education scholarships to aspiring students in the BIPOC community.
- Vintage: 2018 / AVA: Mendocino, CA
- Tasting Notes: Blueberry, olive, dark chocolate
- Food Pairing: Gouda, BBQ Pork...or BBQ Lays
- Feels Like: Attending an open bar charity event
Balance of Powers | California Red Wine
This fruity, full-bodied syrah and satisfyingly spicy zinfandel were raised, harvested, and aged together in oak barrels, which means they’re basically childhood sweethearts. With notes of baked sugar, tart cherry, and bold pepper, this blend is that couple who are so good together, you could almost hate them. Almost…
- Vintage: 2018 / AVA: California
- Tasting Notes: Ripe cherry, licorice and white pepper
- Food Pairing: Kebabs, manchego...or ”Animal Style” fries
- Feels Like: Your best friend from high school meeting your best friend from college
Game Theory | Cabernet Sauvignon
Like Hollywood, hula hoops, and freaking out when it rains, cabs are a California staple, totally crushing every other red on the vine and the market. This heavy hitter is unoaked for a crisp, lively flavor with hints of black cherry and berry. It’s bold, it’s silky, and it’ll linger on your palate long after your last sip…and on your mind long after that.
Game Theory | Cabernet Sauvignon
Lush and vibrant, crisscrossed by the curve of the Russian River, Alexander Valley is home to some of California’s best vineyards, and cabernet sauvignon (literally known as “the kind of reds”) is like royalty among them. Borrowing its baked and vanilla flavors from the oak it's aged in, this dark, aromatic cab is light-bodied and herbaceous, with a touch of berry.
