2012 Marimar Torres Estate Dona Margarita Vineyard Mas Cavalls Pinot Noir

Marimar Estate was founded in 1986 when Marimar Torres started planting grape vines on her newly acquired property in Sonoma County. Born in Barcelona, Torres studied graduate-level business at Stanford University and enology and viticulture at the University of California at Davis before founding her estate. She named vineyards after her father, Don Miguel, and mother Dona Margarita. Today her estate includes more than 200 acres and is planted primarily to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

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.