Instant Gratification Wines — California Guru Touts Reasonable, Indulge Today Selections

David Ramey needs no introduction, at least to those who have more than a passing acquaintance with the California wine world. He’s a U.C. Davis grad, and his resume includes work at Simi Winery, Matanzas Creek and Chalk Hill, not to mention his own Ramey Wine Cellars. His reputation as a winemaker and scholar is stellar, and deserved (read his paper on the effects of skin contact temperature on Chardonnay here).

Ramey produces some fine Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon — not to mention Syrah — under the Ramey label, and if you’ve never tasted any of his wines, make sure you do so soon. Start with the 2016 Russian River Valley Chardonnay, and then proceed to the 2015 Pedregal Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. These won’t disappoint.

Another way to taste Ramey’s approach is by opening a bottle of Sidebar, a project the winemaker started in 2014 and calls his “second label.” It is “the product of the Ramey team’s desire to have some fun and a little instant gratification while waiting for our Ramey bottles to mature,” the Sidebar team states.

And instant gratification you shall receive.

A few days ago, I tasted the 2016 Old Vine Zinfandel and the 2018 Kerner Mokelumne River, the latest releases from Sidebar Cellars, and recommend them both for your next gathering, be it a dinner party or cocktail hour. They’ll appeal to most drinkers, they don’t require much of an investment, and they are fun to drink.

The Kerner grape was born in Württemburg, Germany, in 1969, and is named for Justinius Kerner, a poet, physician, and medical writer (1786-1862, click here to read more about him). It’s a cross between my favorite grape, Riesling, and Trollinger, and, at its best, is fresh and bracing. Sidebar’s Kerner hails from the Mokelumne River AVA, and is made using native yeast; it ages sur lie for two and a half months in stainless steel.

What results is a dry, aromatic, and crisp wine that you’ll enjoy with roasted Brussels sprouts (as I did), mild cheeses, and  turkey meatballs. The grapes are sourced from the Mokelumne Glen Vineyard. Look for this to cost you around $25. Alcohol level is 14.1 percent, and 329 cases were made.

Sidebar’s Zinfandel is a blend, a bottling of 15 grape varieties — 78 percent Zin, 10 percent Alicante, 10 percent Petite Sirah, and 2 percent 12 other varieties (Sangiovese, Carignane, Trousseau, Petite Bouschet, Syrah, Beclan, Tannat, Peloursin, Graciano, Plavac Mali, Palomino and Monbadon) — all from the historic Alegría Vineyard, located in the Russian River Valley AVA. It’s aged in neutral oak barrels for 12 months, and is bottled unfiltered.

Drink this with lamb chops, hamburgers, or meatloaf; it possesses the typical Zinfandel flavor profile (you’ll appreciate the ample acidity and moderate tannins in this bottle), and the additional grapes used give it intriguing complexity. It’s a taut pour, with admirable acidity. It retails for around $28, and the alcohol is 14.5 percent

These Sidebar offerings are made extremely well — Lydia Cummins is the winemaker for the label — and represent a great value for their price. Drink the Zinfandel and the Kerner now.

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