The world is filled with wonderful wines. Some are easy to locate, out in the open, must have wines. But many are hidden gems. Word of mouth wines. Perhaps they pop up in a wine club shipment or you had it at your friend’s house. Or if you are really adventurous you travelled down the road less taken on a wine country get away and discovered gold at the end of the rainbow. There are many ways to find hidden gems but you have to be looking; after all they are hidden.

In February I was invited with a group of bloggers to participate in a month long virtual tasting with Cellars of Sonoma. Cellars of Sonoma is a friendly and inviting co-operative urban tasting room showcasing “boutique brands making small lot wines that are limited and not necessary available to main stream distribution,” located in the Historic Railroad Square in downtown Santa Rosa, Sonoma. This is right up my alley! Each Tuesday evening Cellars of Sonoma hosts TV Tuesday Live. Every Tuesday at 6pm PT owner Scott Jordan (an easy going fun loving guy) a live tasting with one of the small lot featured winemakers from their quarterly wine club in Sonoma County. The format is fun and interactive with lots of laughter. Sonoma residents can join the fun by watching live at Cellars of Sonoma. The rest of us can watch and interact with Scott and his guest through a streaming and social feed on the Cellars of Sonoma web site. It is a great way for wine lovers to meet and interact with the makers of their favorite boutique Sonoma wines. But the fun does not stop there! Cellars of Sonoma host live music each Thursday through Saturday, offer wines for sale by bottle, glass or flight; have a quarterly wine club and offer wine and food pairings. I am sure if you live in Sonoma you are well aware of Cellars of Sonoma. If you don’t live in Sonoma be sure and stop by next time you are there for a visit. I know I will!

The four wines I received from Cellars of Sonoma for their #TVTuesdaysLive are featured in their latest wine club offering. Each of these wines is available for purchase at Cellars of Sonoma by the bottle or at reduced rates if you join the wine club. Here are the wines and my notes:

2013 Moondance Cellars Pinot Noir Reserve Russian River Valley: soft ruby; cherries and raspberries are quickly overtaken by notes of cola and spice, wow what a great RRV Pinot Noir, dazzling yet reserved, silky yet earthy, a great dichotomy of a wine epitomizing an iron fist in a velvet glove; elegantly crafted with well-structured acidity and tannins; lots of life left in this wine, almost a crime to be drinking it now; oh well arrest me! SRP $46

2011 Deering Nelligan Road Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Valley: deep garnet; cherries, black berries, plums, savory herbal notes, spice, licorice; smooth and silky on the palate with lively flavors and pleasing acidity balanced out by elegant tannins, a well-structured wine with depth; juicy with balanced herbal notes; perfect with rib eye, roast, beef bolognaise, steak, hamburgers; SRP $65

2012 Bonneau Moon Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County: deep ruby with deep purple highlights; cherries, black berries, plums, licorice, spice notes, chocolate, tobacco, mint, and vanilla; rich and round on the palate with a mouth-coating acidity and dusty tannins; full-body, lengthy finish; another big wine to pair with roasts, steaks, bbq and hearty pasta SRP $48

2010 Super Sonoman Maycama Mountain Meritage: 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petite Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc; dark ruby with penetrating violet hues, huge nose delivered aromas of black berries, black cherries, plums and currants, with tobacco, espresso, black licorice, leather, toasted walnuts and vanilla; it was a bold wine, full body with layers of complex flavors, silky on the palate with mouth-coating acidity and dusty tannins creating a long penetrating finish; a wine this big needs fat so pair with beef, game, pasta, bbq, etc. SRP $60.

I encourage you to seek out Cellars of Sonoma both online and in person. Additionally, check out their wine club, they really have great offerings. Furthermore, for a fun Tuesday night be sure to check out #TVTuesdayLive in person or from the comfort of your living room each Tuesday at 6pm PT. It was an honor and a pleasure to participate in February’s Cellars of Sonoma TV Tuesday’s Live and share with you these outstanding wines!

My Song Selection: Cellars of Sonoma is a fun, mess around, hang out type of place. However, the wines featured in February’s TV Tuesday Live are certainly not messing around when it comes to quality and taste!

Get your own bottles of Cellars of Sonoma wine offerings and let me know what song you pair with them. Cheers!