16 Jun Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Farmhouse Wines   

What do you look for when buying wine? That it tastes good? That the price is affordable? With Farmhouse wines, the wines taste good, are a great value AND they are produced organically and that is why they are the Please The Palate pick of the week. Typically, when I think about an under $15 wine from California, right or wrong, I assume the wine will be a big fruit bomb, high in alcohol and possibly have residual sugar. I think of the “people-pleasing” wines for the masses. But, Farmhouse Wines are a great lesson in not judging a wine by its price, as these are wines that can happily be everyone’s everyday wine. These are “people-pleasing” wines that are balanced and do not sacrifice quality. Farmhouse Wines is produced by the Cline Family, who also produce Cline Family Cellars and Jacuzzi Wines. Farmhouse Wines produces one white wine and one red wine. The 2017 white wine is a blend of Palomino, Viognier, Pinot Gris and Muscat Canale. It is crisp, bright with notes of grapefruit, lime and stone fruit. The 2017 red wine is a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Mourvedre and Carignan. It is a full-bodied wine with aromas of black fruit and pepper and smooth tannins and a medium finish on the palate. In addition to the wines being balanced, enjoyable and easy-to-drink, as well as affordable, the wines are also natural, following the organic/sustainable philosophy of farmer/educator Bob Cannard, owner of Green String Farm in Petaluma. I am impressed that wines that cost under $15 are organic and well made and Farmhouse Wines prove that sustainability, quality and affordability are achievable and that is why they are the Please The Palate pick of the week.