25 Dec Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Omega Road Wines 2023 Torrontés, Silvaspoons Vineyard, Alta Mesa, Lodi

This week I opened up a bottle of Torrontés, the signature white wine of Argentina. But the wine was not from Argentina. The wine was from Omega Road Wines in Livermore Valley. There is very little Torrontés grown in California but they found some in Lodi and I am so glad they did as it was the perfect wine with my Pad Thai dinner. That is why the Omega Road Wines 2023 Torrontés, Silvaspoons Vineyard, Alta Mesa, Lodi is the Please The Palate wine of the week.

About Omega Road

Omega Road started as a dream between Alexandra (Alex) Henkelman and her father Ken Henkelman who grew up in Napa. Ken worked at wineries while finishing his degree but then stepped away for a long time as he pursued his career. That was until 15 years ago when Ken started making wine at home. Alex had just finished college. She started helping her dad and fell in love with wine. Alex and Ken decided to take a wine class together and the result of the class was that they decided to start a winery. Ten years ago, in 2011, they turned their hobby and passion into a business, and in 2017, they opened Omega Road Winery to the public.

The origin of the name Omega Road Winery is not a sexy story, but it is significant to Alex and Ken. Omega Road was the name of the street where their first commercial winery was located. Based in Livermore Valley, they source most of their fruit from local vineyards. But they also source grapes from Contra Costa and Lodi where they can find some of the less common varieties, or forgotten grapes, that they love. Omega Road works with forgotten grapes including Torrontés, Mencia, Carignan, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, and Counoise.

Omega Road Winery is more than just a place to enjoy great wine. Their passion is crafting beautiful wines, and Alex and Ken put their heart and soul into each bottle they produce. As winemakers, Alexandra and Ken strive to maintain varietal characteristics while building complex flavors. They believe in the magic of wine to spark connections, build friendships, and bring people together.

Tasting Notes of the Torrontés

Torrontés is the signature white wine of Argentina. There is very little grown in California, only 40 acres. Ron Silva, owner of Silvaspoons Vineyard, was the first U.S. grower to cultivate this aromatic white grape. Silvaspoons Vineyard was planted in 1997 in the elevated Alta Mesa AVA, north of Lodi. Today, half of his 300 acres are dedicated to rare “forgotten” grapes, with Torrontés being among the rarest. This is where Alexandra and Ken source the Torrontés. They made their first bottling in 2019 and have not stopped.

Alexandra and Ken take a hands-off approach to their winemaking. The grapes were crushed, pressed, fermented, racked into stainless steel, and then rested before bottling. All of this is done and the wine is released in less than a year.

Torrontés is typically a light to medium-bodied wine with fruit and floral aromas and bright acidity. The Torrontés from Omega Road is varietally correct. It is crisp and fresh with notes of green apple, lime zest, and stone fruits, as well as lovely floral notes.

Food Pairing

The aromas and freshness of Torrontés makes it a lovely wine to pair with various dishes. The Omega Road Torrontés is not only crisp and aromatic but also has a mid-palate weight that enables the wine to be paired a more intense dish without being overpowered. I enjoyed the wine with a plate of Pad Thai and loved how the wine not only had the body to match the dish but the freshness of the wine cut through the denseness of the dish and the floral and fruit notes of the wine harmonized with the sweet peanut flavors.

Torrontés can also be paired with seafood dishes like ceviche, shellfish, or other light fish dishes. The fruity flavors of Torrontés also works with dishes that have some heat, such as Indian and Thai dishes. Or, a glass of Torrontés can be enjoyed with goat cheese and other soft, creamy cheeses.

Where To Purchase

The Omega Road 2023 Torrontés Silvaspoons Vineyard, Alta Mesa, Lodi retails for $28 and is available on the Omega Road Winery website.

Meet The Winemaker

Meet Alex Henkelman and get to know her in 30 questions on the Wine Soundtrack USA podcast.