I’m currently sitting at a bar as I write this (GO MEXICO!), you’re probably wondering, “why is Whitney in a bar on a Tuesday”? The answer is World Cup Fever. I have rules that I don’t go out Monday-Wednesday, those are my self care days filled with water, workouts, and good sleep. But, just like the rest of the world, I’m wrapped up in World Cup mania (even for a sports hater like me), and living in LA that means Mexico Mania. It really is a beautiful thing to behold.
This summer is shaping up to be one of the best in a very long time. In addition to the World Cup (our culture topic this week), we have Love Island, House of the Dragon, summer blockbusters waiting in the wings, and incredible weather (if you’re in LA, those heat waves in NYC and Chicago don’t look fun). This summer is representing abundance and infinite possibility, which makes it a lot like wine - let’s not forget, wine began with a seedling. It was the love, care, patience and artful consideration that got it into your glass and for that, we are thankful and reaping the benefits of abundance.
Region of the week: Ojai, California
For our first ever regional spotlight, I want to focus on a very little known, small region in California. I was inspired after attending the Good Boy wine festival this past weekend, where I tried one of the best rieslings of my life from Ojai. Up until that point, I just thought it was a boujee little town and the home of Donald Glover (he attends the very public community meetings available online). But, it’s so much more. It’s hyperlocal and renowned for low intervention wine.
When discussing their regional style, the Ojai Mountain Winery describes the following:
Ojai winemakers lean heavily into minimal intervention, native yeast fermentations, and sustainable or regenerative farming. Because of the extreme diurnal temperature swings and coastal mountain breezes, producers often craft incredibly vibrant, balanced, and expressive wines.
Here’s the big takeaway, yes it’s in Southern California and surrounded by wine country (Santa Barbara, Paso Robles), but what sets it a part is one big mountain - the Ojai Mountain to be exact. This is cooling the region and giving them the ability to keep the grapes on the vine a little longer than their neighbors (hot weather ripens them faster). This, paired with elevation and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, gives their wine a savory minerality that tastes more like a french wine (think Rhone or Crozes-Hermitage) than a California one. And speaking of Rhone, those native grapes do best here and are the most popular: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Roussanne, Picpoul. However, there really isn’t a favorite grape in the region - it’s more about the sustainable fashion that they make wine that helps them stand out. And, if you’re late to the party like me, it’s ok, in the wine world this region is very young: 150 Years.
Ready to give it a shot? Here are some producers I would recommend:
Ojai Mountain Winery (of course)
Magie Blance (producer of my beloved riesling)
Ojai Vineyard (an OG/pioneer in the region)
Culture in my glass: Which wine pairs well with ranch?
Back to the World Cup, is it just me or is this the first time that it’s ever felt this BIG? It’s everywhere! Every bar now has a TV, all algorithms are flooded with game content, and (here’s my favorite part) America has a lot more tourism than usual. Do I love this for the surge in our economy, absolutely not. I love this because tourists are posting thousands of videos of them eating American food. The reactions are priceless, albeit interesting - I do worry about our eating habits. If you haven’t seen said videos, stop now and run to TikTok. You will see a major theme, they don’t just love our ridiculous food…they love our ranch. Who knew? I too enjoy a little ranch here and there, but the fact that the official TSA is posting on Twitter (never X) warning travelers that they cannot bring it back in their carry on means that we’ve been taking our ranch for granted.
Therefore, this week, I will be sharing the wines you should pair with ranch and other game day food. Note: If you don’t feel like reading and getting this deep into bar food wine pairings, the answer is a dry rosé - it’s always dry rosé for any form of game day. But, there are a lot of bad (objectively speaking) rosés out there, so it’s best to have options. Go Mexico!
Ranch, wings, loaded fries, nachos
Sauvignon Blanc (Sancerre, New Zealand, or a good California one like Merry Edwards or Cakebread) — crisp, herbaceous, cuts right through ranch’s richness.
Dry rosé (Provence-style, like Domaines Ott or Whispering Angel, or a Grenache-based one) — versatile, refreshing, doesn’t fight with tangy dressings.
Spicy wings, jalapeño poppers
Off-dry Riesling (German Kabinett, or Chateau Ste. Michelle) — a touch of sweetness tames heat beautifully.
Lambrusco (chilled, slightly sparkling, fruity) — surprisingly great with spicy fried food, low in tannin.
Gewürztraminer — aromatic and slightly sweet, classic pairing with spice.
Burgers, BBQ, ribs, pulled pork
Zinfandel (Ridge, Ravenswood, Bedrock) — jammy fruit and a little pepper, made for smoke and char.
Malbec (Argentina, of course) — bold, dark-fruited, handles grilled meat and BBQ sauce.
Syrah/Shiraz (Rhône or Australian) — peppery, smoky notes mirror the grill.
Fried food (calamari, fried pickles, mozzarella sticks)
Sparkling wine (Cava, Prosecco, or Champagne if you’re feeling fancy) — bubbles and acid are a classic match for fried anything.
Grüner Veltliner or unoaked Chardonnay (Chablis-style) — crisp, clean, doesn’t compete.
Cheese-forward bar food (quesadillas, mac and cheese, cheese boards)
Chianti or Sangiovese — the acidity is built for cutting through melted cheese.
Beaujolais (Gamay) — light, juicy, food-friendly, rarely wrong.
Recommendation of the Week
Seeing that it’s the first newsletter edition, I have a surprise, I don’t have one recommendation this week - I have FIVE. These also happen to be my favorites from Good Boy this past weekend, with the exception of the riesling above. My suggestion: go straight to the producer and treat yourself to a bottle or 6 right to your door. Cheers!
Catch & Release Wines: Block Party - This feels like the perfect companion to our perfect summer. It’s essentially a chilled red - but it’s actually a skin contact wine. It’s got a lot of character - it’s fruity but doesn’t give you the heaviness of sugar and it’s a flower bomb on the nose.
Coquelicot Estate Winery: Carbonic Syrah - This was a huge standout for me. Rarely do you get a sniff of wine that just sticks with you. This was one of those times. They describe the aroma as “purple flowers” but frankly, is that even a thing? On the Carbonic process: Carbonic maceration is a unique fermentation technique where whole, intact grapes or coffee cherries are placed in a sealed vessel and blanketed with CO₂. This deprives the fruit of oxygen and triggers intracellular fermentation, creating incredibly fruit-forward, low-tannin products that are vibrant and highly aromatic. Overall, it was a lot of fun and would be great for a wine night with friends.
Cormorant: Vermentino - It’s sadly not available on their website at the moment, but I really loved this wine - single varietal and very intentional. It was acidic as usual, but the green apple with the fresh herbs taste made me realize I was having something very special.
Mazette: Sauvignon Blanc - I will be the first to say it, I’m a hater of a California SB, I feel like I can taste the warm weather and it weighs it down in a way I really don’t like. This wine changed that for me. It’s clear that the wine maker really values traditional wine making. Overall, it’s what you would suspect from a Sancerre with a tiny bit more body and citrus. Also, check out all their wines - every single one from this producer was punching above its weight.
Kings Carey: Sauvignon Blanc - And for further proof that I know nothing, another California SB. This one felt so premium - I actually got a little honey on the tongue, but I could be wrong, I tried 50 wines that day. But, I remember thinking this felt like everything I love about SB, with a little California flare. I don’t see the SB on their website at the moment, but hopefully it comes back!
This is so well-researched with info outside of standard recs. I’m obsessed!