California Winemaker Bill Easton and Jane O’Riordan Visit Rhode Island

California Winemaker Bill Easton and Jane O’Riordan Visit Rhode Island

Last Thursday, August 4^th, Bill Easton, winemaker for Terre Rouge and Easton Wines and his wife, winery co-owner Jane O’Riordan, came to Rhode Island for a tasting at The Savory Grape followed by a winemaker’s dinner at Gracie’s for Easton and a more casual wine dinner for O’Riordan at La Laiterie. I met with Easton and O’Riordan at East Greenwich’s The Savory Grape where we tasted seven of the Terre Rouge and Easton Wines.

The winery is located on the western edge of the California’s Sierra Nevadas, sourced from grapes grown in four counties located along the mountains. The Terre Rouge line is made from Rhône varietals grown in mostly volcanic soils at higher elevations. The Easton wines are made from grapes more traditionally grown in California.

A favorite for me, right at the start of the tasting, was the Terre Rouge Enigma, a white blend of Marsanne, Viognier and Roussanne. If your tastes run partial to Rhône whites with their high minerality, some honey and peaches, it’s a must buy. In addition to purchasing a bottle of the Enigma I also bought a bottle of the Terre Rouge Syrah, Sentinel Oak Vineyard/Pyramid Block. It was a bigger red, with a lot of spice and smoky fruit. I also sampled the Terre Rouge Tête-à-Tête, which would be a great everyday Rhône red and their entry level Syrah, which was very much like a Rhône table red.

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Of the Easton Wines I tasted the “H” House Red which was a very good table wine at a good price point, perfect for a casual pizza night. There were also two Zinfandels. The younger 2008 Amador County was very tasty and drinking well now, but the more expensive and older Shenandoah Valley Estate Bottled Zinfandel was huge in my mouth, showing that it was well worth laying down for 5-10 years if that met your interests.

I spoke with The Savory Grape’s owner Jessica Granatiero about bringing winemakers to Rhode Island from around the world. “Having winemakers come . . . is a great opportunity for consumers to learn about . . . different wines that they might not normally be able to try. We’ve had a relationship with Bill Easton . . . since we opened The Savory Grape. They’re small production wines that you won’t find everywhere and we think the quality for the price is fantastic.”

If you’d like to be notified about future winemakers visits to the The Savory Grape, along with information about their regular weekly tastings, please subscribe to The Savory Grape’s e-mail newsletter at their site and visit The Savory Grape at 1000 Division Road in East Greenwich.