Uncorked: Seventy Five Wine Company

In 1975, Bill Gates founded Microsoft, the first episode of “Saturday Night Live” debuted, and the family of Andy Beckstoffer started the Seventy Five Wine Company. Since then, Beckstoffer has learned from talented vineyard managers and outstanding winemakers in the world of wine. His family has learned a lot living in the Napa Valley, including how to take care and craft outstanding wines.

Kim Pierce of The Dallas Morning News says, “A name such as Beckstoffer opens doors in the wine world. Not as famous as a Mondavi or a Gallo, Andy Beckstoffer’s impact on the Napa Valley nevertheless was huge. He pioneered the development of modern grape-growing during the 1970s and heads up Beckstoffer Vineyards, the largest family-owned vineyard company on California’s North Coast.”

Seventy Five The Sum Red Blend

According to the Seventy Five Wine Company’s website: “The Sum is dense and plum colored with sweet exotic aromas of barbeque smoke, cloves, espresso, licorice and graphite. Exuberant and juicy, this wine has a certain raciness and seamlessness that is hard to deny. Only a finish that lingers on the palate for minutes interrupts layer upon layer of dark focused fruit. A hedonist’s dream, come true.”

Winemakers Tuck Beckstoffer and Drew Huffine blend the following into The Sum: 75 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 15 percent Petite Syrah and 10 percent Syrah. It retails for $19.99.

Seventy Five Cabernet Sauvignon

Robert Parker gave this wine 90 Points and describes it as “An excellent value in Cabernet Sauvignon from the Beckstoffer family, this offering indicates that a higher potential for quality exists for Lake County Cabernet than previously believed. A dark ruby/purple color is accompanied by a classic nose of sweet black cherries and cassis (reminiscent of a Rutherford Cab), pleasant spice and smoke characteristics, medium to full body, and silky tannin. This pure, elegant beauty should be consumed over the next 10 to 12 years.”It retails for $19.99.

Seventy Five Sauvignon Blanc

Wine Spectator gave this wine 88 Points and says its “Ripe pear and citrus notes have a pretty almond skinned note, tropical fruit flavors and a very pleasant grass and lemongrass finish. [It] strikes the right note with a light body and a juicy finish. Drink now.”It retails for $12.99.

These wines are new and still working their way into the market. Look for them or order them from your favorite wine retailer in the Greater Akron area.

Wine Wisdom

A vast majority of French Bordeaux are blends of two or more grape varieties. Vintners believe they can achieve more complex flavors and more enjoyable wines through blending — and history shows them to be correct.