KATHY’S CORNER

Sweetie is just that: an irresistible little darling delight, fashioned as an easy-to- love, lighter-style dessert wine. This wine is all about balance and strives to tame the “excessive” in too many dessert wines. It is delightfully and subtly fragrant, surprisingly light on the palate and wonderfully concentrated without being heavy. If you crave a little something sweet at the end of a meal, then Sweetie is for you (and her)! Simply delicious with salty blue cheese, fresh ripe pears and some toasted nuts. Also a great match with a fruit tar or crème brulé.

Click here for printable notes

THE VINEYARD & THE VINTAGE

• Sauvignon Blanc harvested September 21, 2006.

• A Vogelzang Vineyard selection. Located in the picturesque Happy Canyon at the eastern boundary of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA. Farmed to Fiddlehead specifications to achieve the highest quality out of the vineyard. Fragile clusters were selectively hand picked and carefully placed in small trays for drying, ensuring ample air flow around each cluster.

• Considered an unusually late vintage and a cooler growing season than is typical of the Santa Ynez Valley.

• Looking back: January and February, 2006 were unusually cold and March was unusually wet. This resulted in a later-than-normal bud break (end of March), which fortunately protected the vines from a July heat spike that affected other growing regions to the north.

THE WINE

• Delightfully fragrant and reminiscent of a mixed bouquet of orange blossoms, dried apricots and lychee nuts.

• Grapes were partially dehydrated for about one month to concentrate the natural grape sugars and acids, and yet preserve the fresh fruit aromatics.

• Cold fermented solely in stainless steel to preserve the natural fragrance and bright acidity of the grape. Non-malolactic.

• 12.9% residual sugar, 14% alcohol.

• Only 800 375ml bottles produced. Serve well chilled.