2012 Peay Vineyards Scallop Shelf Pinot Noir

Peay Vineyards is in Cloverdale on the West Sonoma Coast. It was founded in the mid 1990s by brothers Nick and Andy Peay. The brothers wanted to make Burgundian wines and eventually bought property on a hilltop above a river gorge four miles from the Pacific Ocean. They run it together with winemaker Vanessa Wong, who is married to Nick. Wong previously was a winemaker at Peter Michael Winery and worked at Chateau Lafite-Rothschild and Domaine Jean Gros in Vosne-Romanee. Peay makes wines only from their estate vineyard. They are best known for Pinot Noir but also makes Syrah, Chardonnay, Viognier and Roussanne/Marsanne.

Sonoma Coast AVA runs from San Pablo Bay in the south to Mendocino County in the north. It includes 7,000 vineyard acres and earned AVA status in 1987. Its proximity to the Pacific Ocean means it gets double the rainfall of nearby inland appellations and the ocean gives the appellation a relatively cool climate. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir can thrive in these conditions, and there are numerous producers making critically acclaimed Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.