Carica Wines is delighted to join four other outstanding local East Bay wineries in opening a casual and friendly wine bar, tasting room, and bottle shop in the vibrant Park Street shopping district of Alameda, California.  The Alameda Vintners Club offers wine flights featuring the premium wines produced by Carica Wines, JC Cellars, Urbano Cellars, Ehrenberg Cellars, and R&B Cellars. Guests can enjoy small plates of food from the wine bar menu (and desserts, too), plus wines-by-the-glass.  Current wine releases from Caria Wines can be purchased by the bottle and by the case as well.

Visit the Alameda Vintners Club, inside Angela’s Bistro, 2301 Central Ave., Alameda, CA 94501.  Open Wednesday through Sunday, 12 Noon to 9:00 PM.

Complex, brimming with red fruit flavors, seductive smoky finish

Carica Wines has just released its newest Rhône-style red blend, the 2010 ‘Siren’ from Sonoma County.  This proprietary red wine is complex, brimming with red fruit flavors, and finishes with a seductive smoky note.  In the tradition of classic French blends of several winegrape varietals, the 2010 ‘Siren’ from Carica Wines combines Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre.

Carica’s Syrah, a single-vineyard wine from Sonoma County’s Kick Ranch, is at the heart of the 2010 Siren blend.  Through blending trials, winemaker Charlie Dollbaum determined the final combination of the separately fermented and aged component varietals.  The wine was bottled unfiltered and unfined in March, 2012.  183 cases were produced.

With carefully balanced fruit and tannins, the Rhone-style blend is a quintessentially food-friendly wine.  Never shy about offering food match preferences, Dollbaum recommends that wine lovers offer friends a glass of ‘Siren’ with bistro-style skirt steak with wild arugula salad, grilled lamb with rosemary, Portobello burgers, and roast duck.

The wine is for sale for $32 per bottle and $345 per case of 12. Carica 2010 Rhone-style red blend can be purchased online through the Carica website, www.CaricaWines.com .  Carica wines are also available for purchase at the wine bar Carica shares with four East Bay wineries at the Alameda Vintners Club, 2301 Central Avenue, Alameda, CA 94501.  Select wine shops in San Francisco, Mill Valley, and Menlo Park, California also carry Carica wines.

During September, Carica 2010 Rhône-Style Red Blend is available for tasting at the Tasting Room at Alameda Point, located at 2301 Monarch Street, Alameda, CA 94501.  Visit the Carica Wines website for more information:  www.CaricaWines.com

Since its founding in 2005, Carica Wines has stayed true to its vision, producing wines of extraordinary character from small lots of premium grapes.  In addition to its proprietary Rhone-style red blend, Carica makes single-vineyard Petite Sirah, Syrah, Grenache, and Sauvignon Blanc.  The winery is located in an urban winemaking space in the San Francisco Bay Area, close to Northern California’s premium winegrape growing regions.  The winery’s name and the fig leaf on the Carica label are inspired by the rugged fig trees (Ficus carica) that still flourish on the hillsides of Sonoma vineyards.  Together, the grapevine and fig tree symbolize peace and prosperity.

Garnet-colored with flavors juicy ripe cherry touched with exotic spices

The first-ever bottling of Grenache from Carica Wines has just been released.  This wine is garnet-colored, with juicy and vibrant flavors of ripe cherry, plum, and a dusty finish evoking exotic spices.  Because Rhone-style wines have been a signature of Carica Wines since its founding, winemaker Charlie Dollbaum has always used Grenache in his proprietary “GSM” red wine blend.  Now Carica is offering a limited amount of Grenache all on its own.

Lighter bodied than Carica Syrah and Petite Sirah, this Grenache matches nicely with summertime grilling favorites–whether chicken, steak, or burgers– and with Spanish-inspired tapas or spicy charcuterie.

The Carica 2010 Grenache is available for tasting during July at the Tasting Room at Alameda Point, located at 2301 Monarch Street, Alameda, CA 94501.  The wine is for sale for $30/bottle at the Tasting Room and online at the Carica Wines website, www.caricawines.com.

More information is available in the Tasting Notes Grenache 2010

Vineyard Notes: Mendocino’s renowned Eaglepoint Ranch provided the winegrapes for the 2011 Rosé from Carica Wines. Planted at an elevation of 1800 feet above the Ukiah valley, this carefully tended mountain vineyard has supplied premium quality Rhone varietals to small-lot vintners since the late 1970s.

Winemaking Notes: The extended 2011 growing season allowed Carica’s small lots of premium Syrah and Grenache to reach physiological ripeness with low sugar levels—ideal for producing a full-flavored Rosé. The grapes were hand-harvested in early November, and then crushed as whole clusters. The Syrah juice was allowed minimal skin contact, while the Grenache must was left to sit on the skins 24 hours prior to collecting the free run and start of fermentation. Fermented in a stainless tank, the wine was bottled in mid-March 2012.

Pairing ideas: Because it is dry, with balanced acidity, the new Carica Rosé pairs very well with spring’s fresh vegetables. Asparagus, fava beans, and salads composed with the early harvest from the garden are all complemented by a glass of Carica 2011 Rosé. Pasta Primavera comes to mind, of course. While a little chill remains in the evening air, a soup of celery root and leeks, pureed with a dollop of cream, would be lovely paired with this Rosé. All summer long, a chilled glass of Carica Rosé pairs perfectly with relaxing with friends.

To buy Carica 2011 Rosé, and the other Carica wines, visit the winery’s website, www.CaricaWines.com. Carica wines are also available at the Tasting Room in the San Francisco Bay Area at 2301 Monarch Street, Alameda, California 94501. The Tasting Room is open Wednesday through Sunday, 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m.

Tasting Notes, Carica 2011 Rosé

The 2009 Petite Sirah, made from Sonoma County grapes harvested from Kick Ranch Vineyard, is deeply colored and intensely fruit flavored.  Winemaker Charlie Dollbaum notes, “This vintage is well-structured and bears all the varietal characteristics familiar to fans of Petite Sirah.  At the same time, the wine is approachable by wine drinkers who may be less familiar with this grape.  I think Carica’s 2009 Petite will age very well for years to come.”  $36/bottle.

The 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, combines Sauvignon Blanc grapes (52%) and Sauvignon Musque grapes (48%).  The Musque clone of Sauvignon Blanc contributes an intriguing tropical aroma to this white wine.  After a cooler than usual growing season, the grapes were harvested from Sonoma County’s Kick Ranch at the end of September.  The grapes were pressed as whole clusters and cold settled for 36 hours prior to racking and start of fermentation.  Ten percent of the wine was fermented in neutral French oak, which contributes a roundness and complexity to the wine’s flavor profile.

Classically dry and crisp, the Carica 2010 Sauvignon Blanc offers flavors of pear and guava, with a bright, citrus finish.  Winemaker Charlie Dollbaum notes, “Based on my experience with grapes from this vineyard, I found that this wine’s complexity is enhanced by a bit more bottle aging than is typical of most California white wines.”  $21/bottle.

These Carica wines can be purchased on the winery’s online shopping cart at www.caricawines.com

Advantages of belonging to the Carica Wine Club include:

● Winemaker’s selections are delivered four times per year—February, May, September, and November

● 20% discount applies on all wine selections

● Tasting notes are included in each shipment

● Members enjoy their discount on additional orders of wine selections while supplies last.

Members receive 4 bottles of Carica wine in each of 4 shipments during the year.  Each shipment will include 2 to 3 different varietals.  Each shipment will be $85-$95 through 2011, plus tax and shipping.  Members have the option to pick up their shipments at the winery on the designated distribution days to avoid shipping charge. More information is available here wine club brochure 2011.

You are cordially invited to become a member of the Carica Wines community by joining the new Carica Wine Club.

In addition,  Carica’s latest Rhone-style Red Wine –  2008 ‘The Siren’ – has just garnered a 91-point rating by the Wine Enthusiast magazine.  “Since we released The Siren this fall, a wide-range of wine lovers has been telling us how much they enjoy this food-friendly blend.  The Siren combines Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre grapes.  Now we have critical acclaim from this high reputable source, too,” noted Dollbaum.  Blending grape varietals to produce a complex-flavored and balanced red wine is a time-honored winemaking practice in Europe, and such blending is now being practiced in North America by some small producers like Carica Wines. As a local, family-owned winery, Carica Wines is excited to be forging direct relationships with wine enthusiasts who are willing to experience new directions in winemaking.

Petite Sirah grapes were harvested from Kick Ranch in Sonoma County in October, 2008.  Following fermentation, the wine was aged for 21 months in both new and used French and American oak barrels.  The wine was bottled unfiltered and unfined on August 12, 2010.  125 cases produced.  $36 per bottle.

2008 Red Wine “The Siren” Sonoma County. Carica’s 2008 Rhone-style blend, “The Siren,” follows in the tradition of Carica’s popular 2007 “Temptation” proprietary red wine blend.  As the hero Odysseus of Greek mythology was tempted by the song of the sirens, we invite you to be tempted by The Siren!

The Rhone varietals Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre were blended to make The Siren.  This wine, with its robust fruit flavor and clean finish, suggests a pairing with steak or grilled lamb with rosemary.  The aromas are of red fruit and herbs de Provence.  The flavors are of blackberry, chocolate, and white pepper.    After fermentation and aging in American and French oak barrels for 21 months, The Siren was bottled on August 12, 2010.  175 cases produced.  $32 per bottle.

PURCHASE NEW RELEASES ONLINE HERE

Seeking a local destination your friends may not have discovered yet? The new Tasting Room features spacious decks, a lunch menu, and appetizer platters to complement your flight of wines.  Ride your bikes, stroll a half mile from the Ferry Terminal, and there’s plenty of free parking.

You are warmly invited to see some astonishing views of the San Francisco city skyline and San Francisco Bay when you visit the new Tasting Room at our winery in Alameda, California.  The Tasting Room is open Wednesday through Sunday from 12 noon to 6 p.m.

You can sample Carica wines as well as wines of five other independent vintners who make wine on site.  This urban winemaking space is located in the East Bay at the former Alameda Naval Air Station, now known as Alameda Point.  Rock Wall Wine Company has revamped an old airplane hangar as a cooperative wine works.  At the adjacent Tasting Room you can purchase and pick up your favorite Carica wines.

Find the CARICA WINES Tasting Room in the East Bay at:

2301 Monarch Street, Alameda, CA 94501 [google maps]