THE HOT LIST Reader Favorites: Beer and Wine

| eat & drink || THE HotLIST Reader Favorites: Beer & Wine If you want a great wine that is made for quality not quantity, Leoni Farms is it! The Humbug Hill Red I love wine. It’s no secret that I Blend is the perfect red to stock up on—it pairs beautifully with BBQ, pasta, or an afternoon cheese look forward to my daily 5 o'clock (OK, 5:30 if any of our employees are reading this) “generous pour.” But when I’m feeling indulgent plate. And I love knowing that every bottle I buy from Leoni supports a small local business. Winemaker Jon Campbell is always the first to support charity fundraisers in his community. I am glad that I can return the favor. —Kat Ebster The best local beer is Red Bus Brewing Co.! The beer is fresh (perhaps like “Yay, it’s Tuesday— and well-crafted, and they brew let’s celebrate!“), my go-to bubbly The Pinot Noir from Wise Villa Winery is one of the best Pinots a wide variety of styles—not just is Helwig Winery's Rosé I’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking! Try it, and you'll truly a bunch of IPAs. I personally like a Sparkling Wine. I’m no sommelier, so I cannot spout fancy wine terminology, but I like what I like, and I understand why this wine and others produced by Wise Villa have won so many awards. It’s medium-bodied with a smooth, fruit-forward beginning and a crisp finish. Hints of smoky sandalwood and chai linger on the palate making this a very well-balanced wine. What's more, it's the first red Pinot ever good sour, and they always have something for me. My favorite is the Meyers Manx, a kettle sour with pomegranate. The Samba Juice Smoothie IPA is popular among my friends and family love this sparkling wine. My favorite is the Petite produced in Placer right now as well. They I love the bubbles, I love the taste. Sirah from Rancho County. also have a locally Hey, it makes me happy, and isn’t Victoria Vineyard—it —Debra Linn named 95630, which is that what we all want?! has a distinct flavor that a West Coast Pilsner— —Wendy Sipple pairs perfectly with spicy it’s great! cuisine or BBQ. And it’s —Dana Porter McCargo just yummy. —Ramona Karmère Vineyards and Winery’ s Arnold The Temperance Tart’s Naughty Bawdy

Hold on, the grapes for the Silt Wine Company Pinot Noir are grown in Clarksburg, just 15 miles from Sacramento, not in Napa, Russian River, or Mendocino? While the capitol is buried in political gamesmanship, there is no gamesmanship going on here...this is one fabulous Pinot. It’s pretty much everything I look for when it comes to this varietal, hitting all the right notes with cherry standing out and a perfect balance between light and complex. —Terry Carroll

Anything from Casino Mine Ranch! Mackenzie Cecchi is the fabulous woman who runs the place (she and her husband also run the Sacramento restaurant Canon). In my opinion, there isn’t a dud in their portfolio of wines, and I am a picky gal. The Rosé, which is a blend of Mourvèdre and Grenache, is crisp and delightful, and the Vermentino is amazing with a refreshing hint of lemon. Their Grenache Blanc has a minerality that I love, and their reds are all fabulous—most notably for me, their Simone blend of Grenache Noir and Mourvèdre and the Marcel, which is Tempranillo with Teroldego. Gosh, now I’m feeling thirsty and need to place an order!—

Bella Kramer

I am a home-based bread bakery owner (Garcia Bread Co., garciabreadco.com) and an avid wine drinker. I like to enjoy my homemade artisan breads with Cante Ao Vinho’s hand-crafted wine in Rocklin. We love their wines so much that my husband (and co-owner) and I became members of their wine club last year. Our favorite right now in these warmer months is the Rare Rosé. It’s so crisp and refreshing but not too sweet and can be enjoyed with any type of food.

—Maria Garcia

Vindicator IPA from Loomis Basin Brewery Company is my favorite. The best way to describe it is a dry beer with a citrus and pine finish. When you’re ready to graduate from Blue Moon this is the beer for you. Once you have an IPA you never go backward!—Jenny Giallanza

Lava Cap Winery's Chardon-

nay! I love the taste, plus the price is reasonable and it’s one of the few Chardonnays produced locally. —Barbara Dwyer

Photo by Jeri Murphy Photography jerimurphyphotography.com

Karmère Vineyards and Winery is my favorite local winery, and I’ve been a wine club member for years. It’s family-owned, the staff is always welcoming and most of all, the wines are wonderful! I have many favorites, but I always come home with a jug of The Temperance Tart’s Naughty Bawdy. (Yes, I said “jug.”) It’s a red blend that pairs with just about anything, including wine-tasting picnics, weekend getaways with the girls, or just sitting at home waiting for the stay-at-home restrictions to be lifted. Equally delightful is the origin of its name. As the jug label says, “Karmère’s land was previously owned for over 195 years by the original Shenandoah Valley settlers the Jamesons, whose heritage was steeped in the temperance movement. Mr. Jameson swore vines would never darken his land.”

Thank goodness the Hoopes family did not share his sobering attitude! You can read more at jerimurphyphotography.com/blog/karmerwinerys-annual-cheers-to-change-party

—Jeri Murphy