CUPCAKE VINEYARDS LAUNCH NEW VARIETIES

By Michael Hepworth

Yes the name is slightly strange for a line of wines, but Cupcake Vineyards in Soledad , California , have recently launched a series of wines that deserve some attention for those of you always searching out new wines. The wines currently on the market are Cupcake Chardonnay, Cupcake Merlot, Cupcake Cabernet Sauvignon and Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc. All are priced at $14.99 and represent good quality in that price range, and at a recent tasting with winemaker Adam Richardson, I tried them all and came away with a very favorable opinion.

All are very fresh tasting, and the Chardonnay in particular was very untypical, with a fruity structure and a buttermilk taste. The region of Soledad is warm in the day and cold at night as the fog rolls in from the Pacific Ocean . That slows down the growing process, producing a balanced level of acids and sugars, creating a more complex wine. Richardson is an Australian who has the enviable task of traveling to the great wine regions of the world, and he has used this experience to launch three new wines from Marlborough New Zealand, Mendoza Argentina and Yakima Valley Washington .

The Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc is a must purchase as well as the Chardonnay, and is fermented in stainless steel tanks where it enjoys a long rest period. The grapes come from the famous area of Marlborough , and the flavor is that of limes and Meyer lemons and this drink excels with oysters on the half shell or lobster risotto.

The Cupcake Merlot has supple tannins with flavors of red cherries evolving into layers of cocoa and espresso. Best foods with this confident wine are pork tenderloin with a port-fig reduction or chocolate molten cake. This particular wine (13.5% alcohol) has cool fermentation and is aged in American oak barrels.

Cupcake Cabernet Sauvignon is full bodied with a hint of blackberry, dark cherry and plums. These melt with the tastes of mocha and toasty oak, and the wine is best served with baked brie drenched in honey or a petite filet mignon with a cabernet reduction sauce. The fermentation process with this wine is slightly more complex requiring frequent pump-overs in the early fermentation to extract the soft tanning and color during the aqueous phase. This is followed by pressing before the fermentation reaches dryness to maintain the lush tanning structure, and the final process is putting the wine in premium oak barrels for aging.

If you like Asian-fusion style food then the Cupcake Riesling from Yakima Valley , Washington will fit the bill perfectly. The grapes are harvested in late October, and that gives the Riesling a host of flavors including lemon meringue, kiwi, key lime, pink grapefruit and pineapple. For fermentation the grapes were gently pressed before undergoing a slow fermentation with a Riesling yeast to accentuate the flavors. Aging process took four months being stirred regularly giving this wine its distinct taste.

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Website: www.cupcakewines.com