Today, we are going to talk about our new 2015 Cabernet Blanc, but first a little history.

Since 1948, Bob Trinchero and his family have been producing some very high quality Napa Valley wines. Every year, he would craft an elegant dry rose from some of his best Napa Valley Zinfandel. He did this in small amounts, from the current vintage, for his friends and family to enjoy during the holidays.

In 1975, the fermentation “stuck” and the wine ended up sweet. Trinchero thought it was ruined, but when he tasted it he thought he might be able to make a little money from it. Well, he didn’t make a little, he made a bank full, and Sutter Home’s White Zinfandel turned the wine world on its ear. Several generations of wine drinkers have grown up thinking roses’ are all sweet because of this.

This was, however, extremely fortuitous for Zinfandel lovers like me. The demand for Zinfandel grapes grew exponentially, beyond what the “old Vines” in Napa and Sonoma could produce. This shifted cultivation for grapes destined for White Zin to central California with higher yields, lower quality, and cheaper prices per ton.

Now, back to our new Cabernet Blanc. We first made this wine in 1990, maybe 1989, but the earliest vintage in our library is1990. Ned Simes, our founder, produced it in response to the White Zin craze. For maybe two vintages we produced a White Zin as well, but the Cab Blanc was all the rage. It was a lovely pale salmon color, and I started selling it in 1993 at my home for 26 years, the Seafood and Spaghetti Works in Port Aransas.

In the glass, the new 2015 is a lovely pale strawberry in color with a bright, delicate brilliance. It is about the same as the 2014 with regard to sweetness, at 4.0% residual sugar versus 4.1% for the ’14. The equals about 7.5 grams of sugar in a 6 ounce glass.

The wine shows vibrant aromas and flavors of fresh red berries, watermelon, honeysuckle, and pink carnations. This is the preferred wine of bees and hummingbirds everywhere. Actually, I made a joke once about filling a hummingbird feeder with it and got a severe scolding when our guest took me seriously.

On our palate, the ’15 starts sweet and finishes sweet with a brisk acidity that makes it lively and crisp. It is indeed the perfect wine for the hot tub, patio, or pool; which is why it has consistently been one of our best sellers for 25 years.

We’ll see you next week, don’t touch that dial…