A New Favorite: Locals Tasting Room, Geyserville

Engaged.  Enticed.  Enthralled.  After visiting Locals, any visitor would wish they were a local, to visit again and again, whenever they wanted, weekday/end.  First thing I experience upon entry, curiosity.  I want to look around, appreciate everything from the placement of the bottles, to the art on the walls, the focused merchandise, the presence of the bar, the displayed wines behind.  I approach, a bit whirled in eagerness and intrigue.  Diane and Lindley greet me, invite me to select what ever I want to taste.  Diane told me, in her warm enrapturing New York octave, that Locals places a lot of emphasis on varietal, offering sippers opportunity to travel through different interpretations on certain wines.

Sauvignon Blanc, flight 1.  Dianne poured the ’09 Bedarra Beachfront Sauv Blanc & Chard Blend, the ’08 Ramazzotti/Bandiera, straight SB, and the ’09 Saracina Sauvignon Blanc.  Flight two included “Other Reds & Blends,” where we started with the 2008 Ramazzotti Grenache Noir, which I noted as being serenely earthy, rustic, and herbal, with deep layered fruit.  Another star in this second flight was the 2009 Tempranillo from Eric Ross, Bokish Vineyard.  Had to buy this bottle.  Intense cherry, coupled with smoke and mint, and a seductive blanket of mildly electric raspberry, gently-natured tannins.  3rd flight, the final: CABERNETS.  Incredible flight arranged my hostess Diana.  So good, I walked away with two bottles, the 2005 Arbois, from Alexander Valley, then the 2006 Ramzzotti Regale, a Cab-Merlot blend; harmfully wonderful in flavor deliver, assembly.  Probably should have stuck to my budget, but what fun would that be?

After the purchases, I had to walk around the Room.  Didn’t get much writing done--saved that for this session--but I took plenty of stills.  The Room invited it.  Don’t have much more to say than that.  The incomparable hospitality and wine selection lead me to purchase, the Room led me to photo after photo, and those captures in my camera lead me to appreciative rewind, birthing this prose.  Geyserville, holding a prize, not just for palate, but as well for eyes, memory.  Moments for all sippers, here, in Locals Tasting Room.  See you all there, and forget not your camera!  Be ready to taste, buy, enjoy, meet new friends, and who knows what else!  Expect a palatable experience!  Sip, sip...  

(2/5/11)