Thank you for supporting Underground Wine Events and the small California producers! The wine offerings are no longer available but will hopefully be back soon. Cheers!
It is our mission at Underground Wine Events to connect you with top small producers that are hard to find but well worth your time to get to know. It’s been a tough year for all but between the pandemic curtailing visits and the violent wildfires sweeping through northern California, small producers in the wine industry have had a challenging time surviving. Although we can’t have live events as a community this year, we can still introduce you to these producers and have some virtual events to talk about their wines and what they are doing.
So here’s the deal: We are offering an all white, all red, and two mixed packs of red, white, and rosé wines with $15 flat shipping. We’ll get the wines out to those who order and then within two weeks of them going out we (Elizabeth Schneider and Laura Perret Fontana, co-founders of Underground Wine Events) will host a bunch of Instagram lives to talk with the producers about their wines and allow you to ask them questions. We hope you’ll support these awesome people and enjoy these spectacular wines! See you online soon!
Elizabeth and Laura
Eye Opening Whites
White wines are not just for summer, especially in this pack, which showcases medium bodied, flavorful wines that are a break from the norm. Dry aromatic wines with perfect balance like Crux’s Viognier, and Smith-Madrone’s Riesling will have you clamoring for more of these styles (and wanting them for your Thanksgiving table, where they match perfectly with the food!). Gratus’s white Rhône blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier and Picpoul Blanc from Napa and Andis’s Painted Fields blanc of mainly Vermentino and Grenache Blanc from Sierra Foothills each showcase how white grapes can blend for wines that burst with sun-kissed flavor yet have ideal acidity. Keller’s Chardonnay shows how acidity, flavor, and oak can showcase the terroir, not just the barrel. And Leo Steen’s Chenin Blanc with its chamomile, mint, and almond notes against a cheek coating fullness with great acidity will show you that Sonoma has pockets of unknown, delicious surprises!
The Northern California Small Producer Sampler
If you want to get a taste of what top small northern California producers are doing in all varietals, look no further than this pack. Smith-Madrone’s classic Riesling is bone dry and high in acidity with mellow mineral, jasmine and gardenia notes. Leo Steen’s Peaberry Chenin Blanc is a treat with green apple, sea salt, thyme and almond aromas and flavor, acidity for days but then a satisfying creaminess from full malo-lactic fermentation. Dr. Kerith Overstreet (a former practicing M.D.) puts her precision and care into her rosé of Pinot Noir, a berrylike, herbal wine with great acidity and a body that drinks more like a European rosé. The reds in this pack are completely classic. Rhône master Kieran Robinson’s Syrah is full of fresh plum and dark cherry fruit, peppery notes, and smooth tannins that will convince anyone of Syrah’s magnificence. Peterson’s Petite Sirah has dark fruit notes, chewy tannins, and a robust yet elegant feel that makes it perfect with food off the grill. Nalle’s classic dry-farmed Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel is how Zinfandel used to be – a bright burst of red berries, pomegranate, and cocoa powder with velvet tannins and a pop of acidity that emphasizes balance over heft.
Reds For Days
So you’re a “strictly red” drinker? Here’s the pack for you. We have the classics that represent the best of Sonoma and few twists! Campana Ranch’s Estate Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley of Sonoma shows cherry, plum, earth and tobacco notes with great acidity and soft tannin. Kieran Robinson was trained in the northern Rhône and his Syrah shows that influence – the balance of plump Sonoma fruit with a black pepper note, earthiness and balanced tannin and acidity make this a classic Syrah. ACORN’s Cabernet Franc is an ideal example of the grape –it’s versatile and excellent with food, showing a medium body and a great balance of pomegranate, cherry, chocolate, and earth. Rounding out the Sonoma classics is Peterson’s Bradford Mountain Estate Zinfandel, one of the finest examples of mountain grown Zinfandel, which shows brambly dark berries, plum, pepper, and some minerality with soft tannins and a full body. Andis’s Barbera d’Amador shows Lorenzo Muslia’s Italian roots with a wine that balances food-friendly acidity with bold blueberry, black cherry, and dark chocolate notes – this is a perfect pizza wine! Longboard’s Malbec is a red lover’s dream – it is dark fruit shines in a lush, soft, full bodied wine– the ultimate crowd pleaser!
Mixed Pack
This mixed pack is another that showcases the breadth of northern California. The Haiku Chardonnay from Alquimista is made by famed Sonoma producer Greg LaFollette, who focuses on the site and the grape, adding a gentle touch of oak for roundness. Campana’s Cabernet Sauvignon showcases dark fruit, tobacco, ripe tannins, and balanced acidity, as only a master of Cabernet like Steve Bell, who worked for some of Napa’s most prestigious Cab producers can do. Bruliam’s rosé of Pinot Noir is crisp, refreshing and satisfying with red fruit and herbal notes, this is an excellent Thanksgiving pairer.
And in this pack, we have three fun wines that you can compare and contrast, for very dorky fun! Compare the plush, fruit-forward style of Meeker’s red Grenache with its white partner Grenache Blanc from Crux and see what they have in common and what (besides color) is different. Add the Casa Verde field blend from primarily Grenache and Carignan from Leo Steen to see how Grenache acts in a blend. These three together will give you a real opportunity to see Grenache’s true nature.