28 May Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Outward Wines 2024 Montaña de Oro White Blend

At Outward Wines, renowned for their single-varietal, single-vineyard expressions, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc have always stood proudly on their own. But in 2024, owners Ryan and Natalie took a creative leap, crafting their first-ever blends: one red and one white. The result? The 2024 Montaña de Oro White Blend, a bright, coastal-inspired wine that brings all three grapes together. And guess what? It’s the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

About Outward Wines

Outward Wines is the creation of Natalie Siddique and Ryan Pace, a couple whose paths to winemaking were anything but ordinary. Ryan, whose father worked at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, initially studied music but found his calling in the cellar after taking a harvest job in Santa Ynez. Natalie grew up in Cincinnati and was on track for a global career in foreign service, working in Russia, Washington D.C., and Bangladesh before realizing she wanted to build something of her own. A return to California and a chance encounter rock climbing set the stage for a new adventure together.

They launched Outward Wines in 2016 as a side project with just two barrels from a backyard vineyard in Santa Ynez. By 2020, they made it their full-time focus. Based in Grover Beach in San Luis Obispo, they now work with organic vineyards across the Central Coast, including six acres of vines that they farm across 5 different vineyard sites – two on the San Luis Obispo Coast and three in the Santa Ynez Valley. Known for single-varietal, single-vineyard wines, 2024 marks a bold new step with the release of their first blends, wines that reflect both their precision and their willingness to explore the unexpected.

Tasting Notes of the 2024 Montaña de Oro White Blend

The name Montaña de Oro, which translates to “Mountain of Gold,” was inspired by the 8000-acre Montaña de Oro State Park, one of the first places Natalie visited when she came to California. During the spring, the hillsides are covered in orange poppies and this wine reminded them of this. The final blend is 60% Chenin Blanc from Shell Creek Vineyard, 30% Sauvignon Blanc form Presqu’ile Vineyard, and 10% Chardonnay from Rancho Arroyo Grande. The grapes were each fermented separately (in neutral barrel), aged on the lees, and then blended. The wine is bright, lively, and wonderfully textured with aromas of orchard fruits, citrus, hazelnuts, and wildflower honey. The opulence, richness, and freshness come from the Chenin Blanc and the linear acidity comes from the Chardonnay and the Sauvignon Blanc.

Food Pairing

Natalie and Ryan make food friendly wines and this one is no exception. This is a wine that can be paired with grilled fish, baked fish, and curry. It can also handle spice. I paired it with Yellow Curry with chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions, and tumeric. The Montaña de Oro has so much texture in the mid-palate and fresh acidity that it was not lost in the pairing. The texture and richness of the wine was intense enough to match the dish and the acidity was a perfect finish.

Where To Purchase

The Outward Wines 2024 Montaña de Oro White Blend retails for $28 and can be purchased directly from Outward Wines.