Hunter Hill’s new release of their Old Vine Zinfandel 2009 ($25) is a bold and luscious wine that has been aged for one year in American oak. Grapes to make this fruit-forward wine come from the ancient Mohr-Fry Ranches’ vineyards in the Lodi appellation, resulting in a rich and full-bodied elixir. Zinfandel lovers will truly appreciate the complexities, aromas and flavors captured inside every bottle – and the full-bodied, jammy rich finish only leaves you wanting more. Fortunately, 250 cases were produced, so the winery is not going to run out any time soon.

Hunter Hill is a gorgeous place to visit. Owners Christine and Vann Slatter are justly proud of their property – now complete with stunning pond and water feature. Vines heavy with fruit extend up the hillside, and at this time of year everything is green and lush.

Syrah 2009

Relocating to a new tasting room in Capitola turned out to be a good move for Pelican Ranch. Winery owners Phil and Peggy Crews now have much more space to host the many customers who visit them – and that is just what they need to show off their wonderful wines. When I visited them for their grand opening at the beginning of the year, they had set up tables outside with food, and for their annual wine club party at the end of August, it will be convenient for them to have this spacious area to spread out yet again.

This small family-owned winery specializes in Rhone and Burgundy-style wines with grapes harvested from prime vineyards.

Syrah 2008, Sean Boyle Family Reserve

Pleasant Valley Vineyards is making some splendid wines these days. Their Sean Boyle 2008 Syrah Family Reserve is absolutely top notch – and, at $40, is worth the splurge.

The grapes for this luscious beauty are grown at Lester Family Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Lester property is well worth a visit (see event info below) when the opportunity arises. Their acres and acres of perfectly tended vines – which, in turn, produce perfect grapes – is an awesome sight, indeed.

But back to the Syrah: As it says on the label, it is handcrafted from nurtured, hand-trained, de-leafed and harvested vines. It is then aged exclusively in small oak barrels, and bottled unfiltered and unfined – giving a richer and denser mouthfeel.

Chardonnay 2009

If you haven’t seen Cycles Gladiator wine on supermarket shelves, then you haven’t been paying attention. It’s most definitely out there—and in great quantities. The belle époque label of a naked woman on a winged bicycle catches my eye every time I walk by grocery store shelves when I’m looking for a new bottle of wine to write about. This time, I was shopping in New Leaf when—there it is again, the ubiquitous Cycles Gladiator. It is very reasonably priced for around $12, but happened to be on sale for only $7 at New Leaf.

Zinfandel 2008

The grapes for this gorgeous Zinfandel come from century-old vines—one of the reasons why this Soquel Vineyards’ 2008 Zin is so darn good. Another reason is expert winemakers knowing exactly when the grapes are at their peak and ready to be picked; and the whole process of getting wine into bottle when the time is right. It all sounds easy enough, but it takes expertise and dedication to get everything in balance.

Merlot 2008

My husband and I often take a trip to the Palm Desert area. Even when it gets mighty hot, we always find plenty to do. The whole area from Palm Springs to La Quinta is growing rapidly and new constructions are springing up like mushrooms. At a water-feature complex in Rancho Mirage called The River, Tulip Hill Winery has an off-site tasting room that is well worth a visit. It’s a cool little enclave in the desert that showcases Tulip Hill’s award-winning boutique wines—and the tasting room also features an olive oil tasting bar and an interesting line of wine accessories, specialty foods and chocolate.

Pinot Noir 2008

One of my very good friends was celebrating a milestone birthday at Au Midi restaurant in Aptos, so I took along an excellent bottle of Bargetto Reserve Pinot Noir ($40) wine to share. With about 20 people sitting down to dinner, the bottle didn’t go very far, but those who tried it most certainly loved it. And I made sure that my birthday friend and I got a healthy pouring. Fortunately there was plenty of champagne flowing as well, and many bottles of wine were ordered from the restaurant’s list. As well as carrying some good French wines, Au Midi has a pretty good selection of local wines as well. As I took my first sip of the Pinot Noir, I savored each fabulous drop and the lovely experience of sharing it with friends.

Almond-Flavored Champagne

Not that long ago, I was wine tasting with a few friends at some of the wineries over Hecker Pass in the Gilroy area. One of the places where we stopped was Fortino Cellars. They have a lovely tasting room—and our little group was well taken care of and given a tour of the property.

Although we tasted some interesting wines that day, I was really taken with an almond-flavored Champagne they produce—although officially it really should be called sparkling wine. True Champagne comes only from the Champagne region of France—and the top dogs such as Taittinger and Bollinger are pretty expensive. Bollinger, as you may remember, was always drunk by the outrageous duo in the British series “Absolutely Fabulous.” They always referred to it as “Bolly” as in “Got any Bolly, darling?”