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raydiant_somm

@raydiant_somm

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Wine Explorer & Vinho Voyager
Sommsation
Passionate about Santa Barbara Wine Country
Lover of local wine bars and shops
POSTS STORIES REELS
Enjoyed a lovely evening with friends @themarsmom and excellent wine over the weekend. @domainedecheneviere 22 Saint-Bris AOP 100% Sauvignon Blanc grown on Kimmeridgian limestone on the north side of Chablis in Burgundy. This tastes to me like a white Burgundy and nothing like Sauv Blanc! Lemon and lime, hint of tropical, fresh green apple, chalky minerals. Excellent acidity with a long, clean mineral finish. @thehiltestate 22 Estate Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills With fruit from Radian and Bentrock Vineyards, you can't go wrong! Ripe cherry and plum, turned soil, soft tobacco note, dried roses, and a bit of dried herbs. Medium bodied and well-balanced with 14.1% alcohol and great acidity. Soft, supple tannins. This wine is great with food or just for sipping! #winelover #saint-bris #staritahillswine #vinhovoyager by @raydiant_somm
Enjoyed a wonderful dinner @wifeandthesomm! Fantastic side by side French and German Reisling tasting! @jjpruem 2021 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett Reisling @jeanbaptisteadamdomaine 2020 Kaefferkopf Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru Reisling, Alsace Both were heavy petrol on the nose at first. More time in glass softened the Alsace a bit to reveal more fruit and floral notes while the Kabinett Reisling displayed continous prominent petrol nose. The off-dry Kabinett Reisling was a beautiful compliment to citrus umami scallops. The pairing increased the buttery umami fish-y notes of the scallops. The Alsace was softer on the palate with lively acidity and complex layers of peach, kiwi, beeswax, and subtle almond and petrol notes. Amazing food, excellent service and wine lists (so many choices by the glass! Also an extensive retail list with competitive pricing!) Highly recommend if you're near Glassell Park. I will definitely be going back! #winelover #reisling #vinhovoyager by @raydiant_somm
Hitting the books hard this morning. I have to get my CSW scheduled!! Morning studying fueled by @bluebottle Evening studying calls for wine, obviously:) #winelover #csw #vinhovoyager by @raydiant_somm
I love Soave! (And most Italian whites!) @pieropanwines 25 Soave Great with food or as a sipper! On the nose, juicy pear, flower bouquet, grapefruit, fresh linen, sea spray The palate shows fresh apple, grapefruit pith, floral (almost soapy?), saline, wet stone Pleasant finish starting with grapefruit pith them smoothing out to wet stone minerals and sea spray. The floral note on the palate presented to me almost soapy, but in a good way! Thanks Noah @meritagewinemarketsb for offering this great wine at a sale price under $20! I call that a win! #winelover #italianwine #soave #vinhovoyager by @raydiant_somm
While traveling recently, I had the pleasure of selecting a bottle from the hotel bar's not very impressive (and overpriced, of course) wine list. Thankfully, this nice Sangiovese saved the day! @bibigraetz 21 Casamatta Toscana 100% Sangiovese Tart cranberry and fresh cherry, roses, hints of cocoa and tobacco, lively acidity, this was a treat at the end of a long day! Of course, the next day I found the most wonderful wine shop just down the street, @oldtownwineshop but it was closed when this wine was enjoyed! #winelover #italianwine #sangiovese #vinhovoyager by @raydiant_somm
Enjoyed a wonderful, bright, crisp Italian white today! @produttoridimanduria "Alice" 25 Verdeca Salento IGT "Alice" (ah-LEE-chay) is the Italian word for anchovy, and the cheerful little fish adorning the bottle nods to the coastal culture of southern Italy, where seafood and crisp white wines have shared the table for centuries. The grape itself, Verdeca, is one of Southern Italy's oldest native varieties. Historians believe it was first brought across the Adriatic by the ancient Greeks before finding its home on the volcanic slopes surrounding Mount Vesuvius, overlooking the Bay of Naples. -@meritagewinemarketsb Fresh pear and bright lemon zest, floral notes, fresh linen and a touch of a savory note on the nose, the palate is lemon, pear, wet stone and a touch smoky. Well balanced with great acidity. I seriously love this wine! At under $20, this is a steal! While I should have paired it with seafood, I chose to enjoy it with grilled chicken and Caesar salad (hey, the dressing had anchovies!). It was wonderful with food and also as a sipper. I'm a big fan! #winelover #verdeca #italianwine #vinhovoyager by @raydiant_somm
When I find something decent on the @americanair Admirals Club wine list, and it's a VERY generous pour, especially for $12/glass! (Last time I was in Charlotte, I found @weingut_pratsch on the menu!) @kettmeirwinesusa 24 Pinot Grigio Crisp apple and pear, gentle floral and citrus notes. Nice wet stone minerality with great acidity. Perfectly paired with a long travel day with small children lol! #winelover #altoadige #vinhovoyager by @raydiant_somm
Stumbled on an amazing wine shop in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. @oldtownwineshop Found some @staritahillswinealliance and other Santa Barbara Wine Country favorites on the shelf! @lieuditwinery @aubonclimatwine @dragonettewine @amvwine @gracewine The owner, Ben, was warm and knowledgeable, and the shop layout was incredible. Every wall organized by regions, and free tastings a few nights a week (unfortunately, not the night I was in)! Love finding gems everywhere I go. Next time I'm in the area, this will be my wine stop! #winelover #santabarbarawine #vinhovoyager by @raydiant_somm
Kicking off the weekend right! Wine on the patio, and not just any wine. @sandhiwines 23 Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay Fresh lemon zest, stone fruit, hint of ginger, crushed stone and salinity. Smooth mouth feel, great acidity for balance. Long clean citrus and mineral finish. Just excellent! "The grapes come from vines adjacent to Domaine de la Côte estate, Sandhi's prized sister winery. This far western site offers diatomaceous soils and a cold, windy ocean climate: inhospitable growing conditions that produce low yields but high quality grapes. Beyond the vineyards, the 2023 Sandhi SRH Chardonnay is produced in a style that emphasizes bright acidity, chalky minerality, structural finesse, and transparent terroir expression." -Meritage Wine Market Thanks Noah @meritagewinemarketsb for providing excellent wines at great prices! #winelover #staritahillswine #chardonnay #vinhovoyager by @raydiant_somm
Found: @nisiwines at my local bottle shop and wine bar @agourawineandbeerco Brought home a bottle of the 24 Chardonnay (retail price $49.99). Can't wait to crack that one! And I'll be back for the just-bottled 25 Pinot Noir once it has a few months to age in bottle. Ryan has a wonderful selection of local wines (lots of Santa Barbara) and beyond. I should have taken a photo today of a beautiful @trimbach 18 Gewürztraminer by the glass! Straight fire paired with the Bologna panini from @shopatbastina #winelover #santabarbarawinecountry #gewürtzraminer #vinhovoyager by @raydiant_somm
Enjoyed a wonderful dinner @florencebythewater @hotelfigueroa over the weekend. Amazing food, elegant, chic vibes all around. The staff at Florence was attentive and kind. The wine list was small but mighty. @champagnepaulberthelot Cuvée de Reserve Great acidity, fresh apple and bright lemon. Brioche, minerals, long clean finish. Really lovely, and perfect with shrimp linguine pasta (house made!) and Waygu sirloin (cooked to perfection!). The #barolomeo 23 Enfant Lange Rosso was a beautiful pairing with the steak and perfectly crispy and salted fries. Can't wait to come back to @hotelfigueroa. Pool is beautiful, bar choices are stellar, gorgeous decor and vibes. This trip I walked around DTLA looking for a great restaurant only to come back to the hotel and have the most amazing meal, wine and experience! Also breakfast was lovely:) #winelover #champagne #vinhovoyager by @raydiant_somm
Got to try a wonderful single vineyard Tannat recently. @bodegagarzon Garzón 22 Single Vineyard Tannat Uraguay Deep purple in color. Nose of blackberry, black plum, pencil shavings, floral and baking spice. On the palate, rich black plum and blueberry, dark chocolate, black coffee, earthy mineral note. Grippy tannin with enough acidity to keep it lifted. Great with steak! "Tannat originated in France’s Southwest, but, like Malbec in Argentina, it’s reached greater heights in Uruguay than it has in Europe. It’s the nation’s most widely grown grape, and few places are better suited to it than Garzón’s coastal vineyards. On these granitic hillside soils, Garzón has planted 1,000 tiny vineyard blocks—a patchwork tailored to the hilly landscape’s various exposures, elevations, and microclimates. Eleven miles from the ocean, breezes refresh the sun-drenched vines, preserving acidity while the grapes ripen slowly." -Wine Access Thanks @winefornormalpeople for introducing me to this wine. It's wonderful, as are all your recommendations! #winelover #tannat #uraguaywine #vinhovoyager by @raydiant_somm

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