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Sterling 'Vintner's Collection' Meritage - $10.99

Wine Details

Price:	$10.99
Producer:	Sterling Vineyards
Region:	Central Coast
Varietal:	Meritage
Container Size:	750 ML
Flavors:

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Product Description

Our Meritage is a classic blen of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot from some of California’s best appellations. This richly textured wine has flavors of cherry, chocolate, black raspberry and vanilla, which lead to a full, lingering finish. Enjoy our Meritage with grilled or roasted meats and hearty vegetables.
Sterling Vineyards is a winery near Calistoga, California. The winery achieved international recognition when its wine won first place in the Ottawa Wine Tasting of 1981. English expatriate Peter Newton founded the company in 1964, with the first year of production in 1969. He planted Merlot and Chardonnay, now very common in Napa Valley, at a time most vineyards were focusing on Cabernet Sauvignon. Under long-time winemaker Ric Forman (later of Abreu Vineyards), they released California's first vintage-dated Merlot. The Coca Cola Company bought the winery in 1977, in a short-lived attempt to enter the wine market. Seagram bought the winery in 1982, and was in turn purchased by Diageo in 2001. Sterling Vineyards farms 1,200 acres (486 ha) of vines in various parts of Napa Valley. Production emphasizes Bordeaux and Burgundy-style wines, and is split in several tiers: the entry-level "Napa Valley" wines for which it is most famous, "Reserve" wines (their highest level), "Single Vineyard" wines (specialty wines for enthusiasts), "Vintner's Collection" (value wines for restaurants and mass distribution), and "Cellar Club" (limited production and eclectic wines for their wine club members).

Food Pairings

Category	Pairing
Cheese	Soft Pungent Cheese
Pasta & Grains	Lasagna
Sauces	Red Wine Sauce

Wine Terms

Name	Value
Central Coast (California)	The wines made around San Jose and farther south toward Santa Barbara reflect the variety of climate. In cool Monterey County, the Pinot Noir and a variety of white grapes are producing wonderful wines. Farther south in St. Louis Obispo County, it’s warm enough for fat, juicy Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. The range of climates is so enormous that the wines cover the full gamut of flavors, from rich, raisiny Zinfandel to supple, ripe Pinot Noir, to elegant Chardonnays.
United States	Wineries exist in all fifty states, but the most predominant (and best) wine comes from Northern California, Oregon, and Washington State, with New York gaining a foothold in the industry. American wines make up about 75% of all wine sales in the US. The appellation system uses the term AVA (American Viticultural Area) to determine where wines were produced, but grape varieties can be planted anywhere in the country. American wineries generally use varietal labeling, and government regulations require that the variety on the label must make up at least 75% of the blend (in Oregon it’s 90%). The words reserve, special selection, private reserve, classic, and so on have no legal definition in the US. Some wineries use these terms to indicate their better wines; others use the words as a marketing tool to move lower quality wines off the shelf.
California	California produces the majority of wine made in the United States. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir dominate the wine production in California, but many other varietials thrive in the California climate. Many fine wines are produced in California using Mediterranean grapes.
Central Coast	The Central Coast AVA is a large American Viticultural Area that spans from Santa Barbara County to the San Francisco Bay Area. With around 100,000 acres planted, Chardonnay accounts for more then half of the total plantings. Within this larger AVA are several smaller appellations that share the same cooling influence from the Pacific Ocean. These include Arroyo Grande Valley AVA Arroyo Seco AVA Carmel Valley AVA Chalone AVA Cienega Valley AVA Contra Costa County AVA Edna Valley AVA Hames Valley AVA Lime Kiln AVA Livermore Valley AVA Monterey AVA Monterey County AVA Pacheco Pass AVA Paicines AVA Paso Robles AVA San Antonio Valley AVA San Benito AVA San Bernabe AVA San Francisco Bay AVA San Lucas AVA San Luis Obispo County AVA San Ysidro District AVA Santa Barbara County AVA Santa Clara County AVA Santa Clara Valley AVA Santa Cruz County AVA Santa Lucia Highlands AVA Santa Maria Valley AVA Santa Ynez Valley AVA Sta. Rita Hills AVA York Mountain AVA