Over the years, I have listened to a lot of music and one of my favorite bands since I first heard them is Dave Matthews Band. So, when I heard that Dave was collaborating with renowned winemaker Steve Reeder, I knew it was going to be a freestyle, casual mixture they would come up with. When I was fortunate enough to try this blend, I could tell that was exactly what they had accomplished.
A little history about Steve; he has lived and worked in Alexander Valley and Sonoma County in California, a few other states, France, England and Germany. All that time he was developing his wine making styles and becoming more adept at his chosen profession. All of his efforts have landed him as the winemaker and general manager of Simi Winery and, according to him, he has found his home.
About Dave's contribution to this project, he's not just a famous guy who put his name to a wine label. Dave has worked and cultivated a winery in Virginia, learning as much as he could about the beverage he loves. He wanted to jump into the California wine producing business, but he knew he would have trouble pulling it off without a little help. A "little help" turned out to be one of the most prominent winemakers in California today, Steve.
Now, onto the wine itself. Crush (named after one of Dave's songs) is a vague blend of grapes from the North Coast area in California. I say vague because the mix they've come up with is masterfully blended to not highlight one particular varietal. The result is that it simply tastes wonderful. In the first glass, I usually try to pick out which varietals they used so I can feel like my wine training was worth the effort, but for this one I didn't care. I just wanted to drink it and be happy. When I poured the second glass, I did analyze it a bit closer. It has a prominent raspberry jam kind of flavor and hints of sweet blackberries. The great aroma is the prefect lead in to the flavor. What I got out of it was Zinfandel, a little Cabernet, Syrah, Merlot and maybe a splash or two of Cab Franc. Whether those were the grapes used or not is completely irrelevant. The only thing you need to know about Dreaming Tree's Crush is that it's smooth and fruity, slightly tannic, and well worth the price. ($15-$20 depending on where you buy your wine.) I serve all of my red wines at cellar temperature rather than room temperature. Compare 60 to 65 degrees in a cellar to 75 to 80 degrees in most rooms, and there's a big difference in how a wine smells and tastes. If you're like me and don't have a cellar, put the wine in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before you open it. You'll be amazed at the difference. Enjoy Crush slightly cool and you will love it as much as I do.
Other Dreaming Tree Wines that are also fantastic are their Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Everyday White. (Reviews for those are on the way.)
Check them out here. http://www.dreamingtreewines.com/
A little history about Steve; he has lived and worked in Alexander Valley and Sonoma County in California, a few other states, France, England and Germany. All that time he was developing his wine making styles and becoming more adept at his chosen profession. All of his efforts have landed him as the winemaker and general manager of Simi Winery and, according to him, he has found his home.
About Dave's contribution to this project, he's not just a famous guy who put his name to a wine label. Dave has worked and cultivated a winery in Virginia, learning as much as he could about the beverage he loves. He wanted to jump into the California wine producing business, but he knew he would have trouble pulling it off without a little help. A "little help" turned out to be one of the most prominent winemakers in California today, Steve.
Now, onto the wine itself. Crush (named after one of Dave's songs) is a vague blend of grapes from the North Coast area in California. I say vague because the mix they've come up with is masterfully blended to not highlight one particular varietal. The result is that it simply tastes wonderful. In the first glass, I usually try to pick out which varietals they used so I can feel like my wine training was worth the effort, but for this one I didn't care. I just wanted to drink it and be happy. When I poured the second glass, I did analyze it a bit closer. It has a prominent raspberry jam kind of flavor and hints of sweet blackberries. The great aroma is the prefect lead in to the flavor. What I got out of it was Zinfandel, a little Cabernet, Syrah, Merlot and maybe a splash or two of Cab Franc. Whether those were the grapes used or not is completely irrelevant. The only thing you need to know about Dreaming Tree's Crush is that it's smooth and fruity, slightly tannic, and well worth the price. ($15-$20 depending on where you buy your wine.) I serve all of my red wines at cellar temperature rather than room temperature. Compare 60 to 65 degrees in a cellar to 75 to 80 degrees in most rooms, and there's a big difference in how a wine smells and tastes. If you're like me and don't have a cellar, put the wine in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before you open it. You'll be amazed at the difference. Enjoy Crush slightly cool and you will love it as much as I do.
Other Dreaming Tree Wines that are also fantastic are their Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Everyday White. (Reviews for those are on the way.)
Check them out here. http://www.dreamingtreewines.com/
See more reviews at www.talkingsimian.com
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