Bonjour, Hola and Howdy.

With many new vintages about to be released, this is always a fun and exciting time for me in Jeff’s Corner. In the upcoming weeks watch for stories on our 2020 Cuvée Blanc (featuring a new varietal for GCV, never before seen in one of our wines), Muscat Canelli and our hugely popular Grand Rouge.

Today however, is all about the 2019 Rendezvous. Following in the shadow of the Gold Medal won by the ’18 at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the ’19 may be my favorite in a long line of favorites. It is a real beauty!

Years ago, I was doing a winery tour and wine tasting for a very charming lady, but she couldn’t quite get a handle on how to pronounce Rendezvous. She kept calling it “rendiverous” and since then the wine has become forever linked in my mind as being rendiverous. She turned a noun into an adjective and now I always think of Rendezvous as a very rendiverous wine.

Anyway, Rendezvous occupies a very important place in our portfolio. It is our lightest red in body and texture; however, it is by no means a simple wine and features a lot of delicate complexity. It is a perfect “crossover wine” for folks just beginning to enjoy reds and is great for summer as it won’t blow our heads off with a lot of oak and tannin when it’s 98* outside.

A proper serving temperature also makes this wine more accessible for both new red drinkers and warmer weather. I feel strongly that it shows best between 50 and 55*. This cooler temp livens it up with acidity and really allows the bright red fruit to pop on our palates. If you do not have a wine fridge (like me), about 45 minutes in your house fridge will get it just about right.

A delightful and bright ruby color, this Texas High Plains blend is a rendezvous of 32.8% Syrah, 29.5% Mourvèdre, 22.8% Cinsault, 9% Petite Sirah and 5.9% Tempranillo. With a food-friendly 12.5% ABV, it pairs well with both white and red meats and a broad range of cheeses.

Delicately complex aromas of red cherry, raspberry, red licorice and pomegranate are softly layered with secondary aromas of cinnamon, allspice, red carnation and crushed rose petal. Extremely fruit-forward, the palate is soft and round with bright acidity and a clean, well-balanced finish.

Today, let’s pair this lovely wine with a juicy burger grilled over hickory. After flipping, top them with a butterflied whole green chile and a thick slice of aged Provolone. Back in the kitchen, dress the buns with some horseradish mustard and finish the burger with caramelized onions.

Chow and cheers!