The Mad Crush #Giveaway + Saucelito Canyon Tasting Notes #Sponsor

Back in November, I read and posted about The Mad Crush: A Memoir of Mythic Vines and Improbable Winemaking by Sean Christopher Weir. Click to read that post for Foodie Reads 2016.

It turns out that the author himself saw my review and offered me another copy, if I would like to host a giveaway for a lucky reader.* Would I?!?! Yes, please.

So, I tracked down some wines from the winery, Saucelito Canyon, hosted a pairing dinner with some good friends, and re-read the book in preparation for this post.

Again, I was reminded of how much I enjoy Weir's prose. "The smell of fermenting red wine is magnificent. It hovers between sour and sweet, but is neither. It is pungent, almost feline, and unlike anything else" (p.106).

"If you wanted to drink an impeccably polished wine, there were plenty of other options. But if you wanted to drink a wine whose aromas and flavors took you someplace wholly unique, then you couldn't go wrong with a bottle of Saucelito Canyon Zinfandel. I think the larger question is: should a wine have a soul - can it? - and if so, where does it come from?" (p. 116).

I had that question in my mind as we uncorked...

For the dinner, we poured the 2013 Dos Mas Zinfandel with a Zinfandel-friendly cheese platter. Pia selected Ossau Iraty Istara and Cave-Aged Gruyere; I had a Manchego with Quince Paste to accompany this red wine blend of Zinfandel and dos más (two more!), namely Grenache and Petite Syrah. The wine was bright and jammy with a nice backbone of pepper, a big Zin for some big cheeses.

For our main dish, my version of a Brazilian Feijoada, we uncorked the 2103 Estate Zinfandel.

The Zinfandel Estate, according to their website, is the wine that started it all—a bottling that dates back to the winery’s inaugural vintage of 1982. I can see why it's been a success for so many decades. It's fruity and gravelly. It's everything I love about Zinfandel.

Giveaway

One of my lucky readers - US only! - can enter to win a copy of The Mad Crush: A Memoir of Mythic Vines and Improbable Winemaking by Sean Christopher Weir, courtesy of the author himself. Giveaway runs from January 4th till January 16th. Please see terms and conditions in the rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of The Mad Crush: A Memoir of Mythic Vines and Improbable Winemaking by Sean Christopher Weir as a giveaway. Opinions are my own. I received no further compensation for my post.

There you have it: wines we thoroughly enjoyed, a book I adored, 

and your chance to win a copy of the book. Good luck!