I have been a part of the Dutcher Crossing Winery quarterly program for a while now, and really love when the packages come! Over the years I have featured them in gift guides and pairing pieces but this time I wanted to dive deeper into what makes this winery so outstanding. No matter who I taste these wines on from family to clients, friends and colleagues, everyone I show them to absolutely falls in love.

Dutcher Crossing farms their own high quality fruit and also sources from great grape growers to produce their wide range of wine styles. Their close team combined with their hands on approach is what really makes these wines stand out. You can tell upon first sip just how meticulously crafted these wines are and how much care goes into them. They pay attention to vintage, vineyards, and varietals and family means everything to them. There is a ton of love that goes into these wines and exploring so many of them has been so rewarding. I only hope one day to make it out to California to visit the winery and team, but until then I love to enjoy “being there” in my glass.

Thanks to Debra Mathy for fulfilling her lifelong dream of owning vineyards in Sonoma, we get to enjoy more than thirty wines from Dutcher Crossing thanks to her leadership and the amazing team. They produce wines from Sonoma, Mendocino, and Napa using only high quality fruit and winemaking techniques. 

The wines I tasted during this Dutcher Crossing roundup are all great for winter sipping. From Sauvignon Blanc to Cabernet Sauvignon and even a Port, I was wildly impressed once again by this winery. The 2019 Sauvignon Blanc is full of citrus and pears with bright acidity and freshness. I love the stone fruit and minerality on the nose that continues through to the palate which finishes nice and fruit forward. It’s a great wine with Cauliflower Steak, Risotto, or even Grilled Cheese; something delicious and comforting with such a bright and lively wine.

Dutcher Crossing Wines are ideal for any meat and cheese board too!

The 2017 Dry Creek Valley Winemakers Cellar Chardonnay is buttery and complex. It’s a total food wine, and I was so excited to try this, even though I don’t tend to gravitate towards California Chardonnay’s a lot, this one just called to me. It was so wonderfully structured with great balance, acidity, and creaminess. It’s delicious and easily can pair with Thai Cuisine, Roast Chicken, Lobster, and creamy pastas. This completely won over my chardonnay drinkers as I expected but even won my heart too.

I do tend to love Dutcher Crossing Cabernet’s so I knew the 2017 Taylor Reserve Cab was going to delight. Its full bodied and deep with layers of richness and complexity. This wine boasts dark purple fruit and ripe red fruit flavors combined with nice spice and balance. This wine is alluring and the finish goes on forever which I loved especially when you finish dinner and you want to savor the amazing wine after a great meal!

The 2016 Cooney Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley is luscious and full of red fruit. It has nice ripe tannins and fruit flavors with some noticeable notes of sweet baking spice. The acidity creates nice balance in this wine which when opened for a bit boasts beautiful notes of blackberry, cherries, cooked fruit, and caramel. This wine makes me want to pair it with a rack of Lamb or even Korean BBQ because both have a lot of flavor and this wine is really layered so it can pair nicely with with darker meats and marinades.

The grand finale and one I was very excited to taste was the 2014 Dry Creek Valley Port Zinfandel. Port is always something I like to have around because you never know when you may be craving a glass. It’s so versatile and also stays in the refrigerator for a few weeks, so you don’t have to consume it quickly. This wine is very expressive with cooked fruit,  nice spice, and vanilla notes on the nose. The palate is so smooth with sweetness and dried fruit flavors. It’s a really fantastic wine and a perfect wine for some dessert or even a cheese course.

If you haven’t tasted these wines yet, I recommend you click HERE and order yourself some. I have featured many of the wines on the blog before and can’t wait to continue to show you more. Always remember, eat what you like and drink what you love. Please pair responsibly!