After Sonja and I got married, we had to try to fit in a quick honeymoon before I moved over the ocean to London, England, less than one month later. Having consumed wine on our first date, and almost every date thereafter, Sonoma was an ideal destination for its relative proximity, noteworthy wines which, at the time, we knew little about, and the fact that it’s crazy-cheap to travel there in February.

Part of our honeymoon package, arranged by a dear friend of mine who owns a travel agency, included a six-hour limousine tour of wineries. About a week before the wedding, our limo driver called me up and wanted to interview me about our taste in wine, what wineries we might like to visit, and so forth, but I was busy doing something last minute and sort of pushed him off the phone, saying we like pretty much anything and to just go ahead and pick places for us. Because of my haste, when we arrived in Sonoma, we had no idea what to expect the next morning on our tour, but fortunately, the guy was a pro.

We visited several wonderful wineries that day, and two of them, Ledson and Robledo, really stood out and served to get us truly excited about wine, perhaps even inspiring this blog. Then a few months ago, three years after our honeymoon, we found ourselves back in Sonoma and made it a point to swing by Robledo for a little wine and reminiscence.

The 2014 Robledo Family Winery Seven Brothers Lake County Pinot Grigio is a really cool wine. After a relatively clean nose, what leaps out about it to me is how utterly soft it is upon the palate. While many Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris are sharp from high levels of acidity, this take on the varietal balances minerals with white fruits and lemon flavors and comparatively low acidity to offer a gentle, smooth mouthfeel. So mellow that I suspect oak, and even a faint hint of buttery flavor to fuel my theory, the beautiful golden hue and long, dense legs all combine to make this a terrific all-around wine, and a solid QPR by almost any standard. As the summer fast approaches, I’m going to be sure to have more of this in the fridge for those hot evenings on the patio. Last night was a bit chilly, but I’m pleased to report that this wine paired beautifully with the catfish and quinoa Sonja prepared for our family dinner.

For the sake of transparency, this was not a submitted sample; we are members of “La Familia,” Robledo’s wine club, and we paid full price for this bottle (minus a 30% club discount), though it received full marks for value all the same. We only belong to a few wine clubs, but Robledo is one we’re excited to be a part of. Their wide variety of offerings and the overall quality of the juice they’re bottling makes it fun to be part of the Robledo Familia. Watch for more reviews of their wines soon. Cheers!