As you know by now I am a big fan of Loring Wine Company. I have already written two articles about various wines made by Brian Loring. However, I truly had no idea their tasting room was in Santa Ynez Valley, California until we drove right by it on our way back to our hotel from a day of wine tasting. My husband will tell you I started “freaking out” and at that abrupt moment we had a new stop added to our Santa Barbara County wine adventure! Without an appointment or any warning we walked into Loring’s tasting room that they share with Cargasacchi Wines and were greeted by the super friendly and knowledgeable tasting room staff. For the next hour or so Brittany took us through the Loring line up, providing an educational and entertaining experience for my husband and myself. I think my enthusiasm for their wines and discovery of their tasting room may have scared her a bit. J This was just another awesome part of our SBC adventure. I highly recommend you plan your own Santa Barbara County wine adventure! So without further ado let’s get into the tasting…

Rosella’s Vineyard 2013 Chardonnay: This Chardonnay had great structure; it was full of citrus and orchard fruit, silky with a hint of honey; round mouth-feel, lingering acidity with mouth-watering finish. Grapes from Santa Lucia Highlands. Aged for 10 months in American and French oak. Wine Advocate 91-93 points. SRP $44. Click here to order direct.

Rosella’s Vineyard 2013 Pinot Noir: This elegant Pinot Noir was light and flavorful offering black and red berries and a touch of spice in a soft, romantic wine. This wine was crafted from Clones 667 and 828 from a single Santa Lucia Highlands vineyards and aged 10 months in French oak. Pinot Report 94 points. SRP $ 52. Click here to order direct.

Durell Vineyard 2013 Pinot Noir: This lovely Pinot Noir offered complex layers of fruit, spice, mushroom and a touch of hazelnuts. It had a great structure with round acidity, soft tannins and a beautiful mouth-feel. This wine was crafted from Clones 115 and 777 from a single vineyard on the Sonoma Coast and aged 10 months in French oak. Pinot Report 95 points. I had not had this wine before and I found it to be delicious! SRP $52. Click here to order direct.

San Luis Obispo County AVA 2013 Pinot Noir: This wine comes from Lorings AVA series. It was a light and fresh Pinot Noir featuring round red fruit, a touch of spice and cola. This wine was crafted from Clones 114, 115, 667 and 777 from Aubaine, Russell Family and Rancho La Vina vineyards. This Pinot Noir had layers of flavors with balanced structure of acidity and tannins. SRP $28; an incredible value! Click here to order direct.

Russell Family 2012 Mouvedre: This brooding purple wine opened with a bit of funk on the nose and had flavors of black berries, mocha, smoke, a touch of rose petals and vanilla. It was a dark and sexy Mouvedre that was smooth and well-balanced with round acidity and refined tannins. These grapes came from the Russell Family Vineyard in Paso Robles and spent 10 months in new French oak. This was the first time I had tasted Loring’s Mouvedre and it was outstanding! SRP $44. Click here to order direct.

Cargasacchi 2011 Pinot Noir: This wine was a deep ruby red with violet highlights; flavors of round concentrated fruits of red raspberries, black cherries and currants with tea and a touch of soy sauce. It was crafted 100% from clone 115 and was a very balanced, clean Pinot Noir that I enjoyed. Click here to find this wine.

Cargassacchi 2010 Invincible Sun Santa Barbara County Late Harvest Pinot Grigio: This dessert wine poured a vibrant orange into the glass and offered flavors of apricot, orange blossom and honey. It was sweet and creamy yet had round acidity and great balance. I absolutely loved this wine! It is the perfect dessert wine and would pair beautifully with cheese or crumb cake. Click here to find this wine.

Each of these wines were outstanding. I highly encourage you to visit the Loring Wine Company web site, set up an account to get on their mailing list and immediately order wine. Furthermore, if you are interested click here to learn more about “Brian and Ed Do the Med August West and Loring Wine Company’s 2015 Mediterranean Cruise.”

My Song Selection: The song I have chosen to pair with these fantastic wines represents the soulfulness of Loring’s beautiful wines; Baby Please Don’t Go by John Lee Hooker, featuring Van Morrison. This is a great version of this song that highlights the true grit and talent of these two musicians. This song pairs well with Loring Wine Company wines because Loring wines are soulful, bluesy with a little funk and R&B mixed in; yet classic and timeless in their delivery. Brian crafts outstanding wines that take me back to the good ole days of blues! Furthermore, as I reach the end of each bottle of Loring Wines I say “baby, please don’t go!”

Get your own bottles of Loring Wine Company’s wine and let me know what song you would pair with them. Cheers!