I am so excited to introduce the Carmen in the Garden X Neighborhood Winery collaboration, “My Fruit Trees.”
All About “My Fruit Trees”
“My Fruit Trees” is a red wine made from an eclectic mix of red and white wine grapes. This wine celebrates the joy of growing your own fruit. I set out to create a thoughtfully designed wine that praises my fruit trees. Gamay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Zinfandel undergo carbonic maceration to yield, as its namesake suggests, a soft and fruity wine with an iridescent, luminous red color. This fermentation technique prioritizes juicy-fruit flavors and perfumed aromatics which are integral to this wine. Carbonic maceration is a winemaking technique that uses carbon dioxide in a sealed container to create an environment without oxygen – aka anaerobic environment. Without oxygen present, the grapes begin to ferment with the skins intact. The process of carbonic maceration diminishes tannins, softens colors, and enables fruitier wine. What makes “My Fruit Trees” different is the utilization of carbonic maceration on stereotypical “full bodied” grapes of Gamay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Zinfandel.
“My Fruit Trees” also contains a white wine grape, Gewürztraminer. Gewürztraminer is made in a skin-contact orange wine style to saturate the innate qualities of this famously floral grape. Orange wine, or skin contact wine, is made with – as the name suggests – its skins intact. Gewürztraminer happily greets you on the nose with a fresh bouquet of lilies and roses.
In reflection of my vast citrus tree collection, each grape variety is harvested early, imparting a tart and tangy flavor. The timing of harvest is equally important in the process as any other step. Each grape was individually fermented and skillfully blended to create a beautiful, intriguing wine paying homage to my fruit trees.
The label features small illustrations of all my fruit trees in my garden.
Where to Buy “My Fruit Trees”
You can purchase “My Fruit Trees” online here. If you end up loving “My Fruit Trees” or want to try more natural wines like it, be sure to sign up for the Natural Wine Club to get the freshest wines from Neighborhood Winery here. There are also limited quantities available at their parent winery, Pali Wine Co., outposts located here.
All About Neighborhood Winery
Teaming up to make this wine with Neighborhood Winery was a no brainer for me. Neighborhood Winery’s approach to winemaking closely reflects my own philosophy when it comes to gardening. Neighborhood Winery’s minimalistic practice allows the natural beauty of the high quality grapes to shine. What I admire most about Neighborhood Winery’s philosophy is their ownership of the winemaking process from grape to glass. With other wines, the winery may only be involved in only one or two steps of the process. These wineries may buy grapes wholesale indiscriminately or privately label wines they had no hand in making. Great wine starts with the grapes. Neighborhood Winery is heavily involved in every aspect of viticulture. They source grapes from their own vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills or from small family-owned vineyards with whom they have long standing relationships. All of the grapes are grown with quality, flavor and sustainability in mind — never quantity. Grapes are sorted by hand at Neighborhood Winery’s state-of-the-art facility in Lompoc to remove leaves, stems, unripe and overripe grapes, and other impurities. The grapes are fermented in small lots to allow for the individual fruit varietals and terroirs to really shine. All of the wines are meticulously made and carefully crafted to the highest quality.
Serving “My Fruit Trees”
“My Fruit Trees” is best served chilled. I recommend opening this up with a group of friends in the golden hours of the early evening. This wine is a perfect accompaniment to your next backyard garden BBQ – the tart flavor balances out savory, spicy and smoky food like chicken wings and grilled corn. I also love to serve this wine with pizza, the wine is refreshing and packs a fruity punch that goes well with tomato sauce.
Visit Neighborhood Winery
To taste “My Fruit Trees” and other fun wine offerings from Neighborhood Winery, you can visit a local Outpost from their parent winery, Pali Wine Co. Outposts are located in Little Italy San Diego, Packing District Anaheim, Arts District Downtown Los Angeles, Santa Barbara Funk Zone, and Lompoc Wine Ghetto. Each outposts offers a wide variety of wines to suit your palette. They offer fun tasting flights – my favorite right now is the natural flight.