Many years ago my father visited Sonoma Valley with some business associates. One of the wineries was Buena Vista Winery. This winery was special in that they produced pure grape juice, bottled the same as wine, yet unfermented. In the tasting room he sampled it, loved it, and even convinced other regular wine drinkers to give this non-alcoholic grape juice a try. It turns out they loved it too. Everyone went home with a case. My dad always chilled a bottle for us to drink on extra special occasions--something we very much looked forward to while teenagers. Dad, do you still have that one bottle left?
When we lived in San Francisco, we took a day trip up to Sonoma and in the middle of nowhere (at least it seemed that way after getting used to citylife) we stumbled upon Buena Vista Winery. I was so excited! We entered the tasting room and I asked someone about this juice. Just my luck they stopped producing it about 6 months after my dad bought his case. I was deflated.
Since then I've been on the hunt for a similar product and have not been able to find anything but de-alcoholized wine, which doesn't taste nearly as good as the grape juice. A few weeks ago on a blog entitled "Du Jour" (created by a friend of a friend) she mentioned that Navarro Vineyards down in Mendocino actually make wonderful grape juices--Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, etc. I'm pumped. I plan on ordering a case for our next special occasion!
You oughta make that an excuse to go to Mendocino. If you haven't ever been there, it's a beautiful place - a quaint little seaside town. I highly recommend it as a getaway on one of your west coast trips. :)
ReplyDeleteYou should check out Draper Valley Vineyard at www.drapervalleyvineyard.com. They offer Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling at their online store. These unfermented vinifera have amazing flavor like no other juice out there. A classy adult beverage that your friends will envy!
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