Sweet Adewine

The life of a renegade wine web site is a tough one. And you have to keep up a tough exterior to match.

Always looking over your shoulder. Trusting no one. Showing no emotion. Sleeping with one eye open and one hand on your pistol, waiting for the wine police to kick in the door. A moment’s weakness and we could lose everything.

But we have feelings, too, dammit. We have a sweet side. And today, we’re throwing caution to the California wind. We’re taking off our armor. We’re letting our sweet side show with this four-pack of Goosecross Off-Dry whites. And we don’t care who sees it.

Man cannot live by burly Syrahs and serious Cabernets alone. Especially when he’s eating Thai, Indian, or Mexican cuisine. He needs something brisk and fresh. Something with an intense citrus, honeyed pear, and ripe melon character. He needs the Goosecross Cellars 2007 Chenin Blanc, a subtly sweet early-harvest picnic wine that Goosecross says may be their best yet. Pair it with premium cheeses or anything spicy for a yin/yang sweet/savory experience.

Say what you will about the French, but at least they seem to have no problem accepting their sweet side. They give Orange Muscat a place of honor in their wine pantheon as “La Fleur d’Orange”. But you hardly ever see this abundantly fruity dessert wine in California. So most American wine drinkers are sadly unaware of how this Goosecross Cellars – State Lane 2007 Orange Muscat’s sweet orange blossom, honeysuckle, lychee, and melon notes can lushly enhance after-dinner fare like lemon cheesecake, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and fresh fruit. See what you miss out on when you keep your sweet side hidden?

Still not comfortable enough to let your guard down? See – or, rather, hear – what Napa Valley Wine Radio has to say on the subject. Both the Goosecross Cellars 2007 Chenin Blanc and the Goosecross Cellars – State Lane 2007 Orange Muscat get their turn at the mic. And there’s also a piece on Chenin Blanc generally, for those timid about lowering their psychological drawbridge so this off-dry white may enter.

You know what? That felt almost as good as it tasted. It’s nice to not have to be the big, bad outlaw for a little while, to indulge our softer, sweeter side. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we need to find our pistol. It sounds like somebody’s coming up the front walk.

2007 Cenin Blanc:

• Appellation: Napa Valley
• Component: 100% Chenin Blanc
• Alcohol: 12.2%
• Total Acidity: .79
• pH: 3.2
• Residual Sugar (brix): 2.56%
• Stainless Fermented: 100%
• Harvest Date: August 24, 2007
• Bottled: December 7, 2007
• Total Cases: 602

2007 Orange Muscat:

• Appellation: Mendocino County
• Component: 100% Orange Muscat
• Alcohol: 8.7
• Residual Sugar (Brix): 11%
• Harvest Date: September, 2007
• Bottled: February 20, 2008
• Total Cases: 500

Rules and restrictions:

• Wine sold by winery (or a retailer in your state where necessary)
• You must be 21 or older to order
• Whoever receives the package must be 21 or older
• If you're drunk when the package shows up, you will not be allowed to receive it
• Wine cannot be delivered to a P.O. Box
• We highly recommend you use a business address as your shipping address

Thanks to stick-in-the-mud buzzkilling state legislators, wine may only be delivered to the following states:

• Arizona
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If your state's not on the list, you're out of luck... for now. Keep up with the ever-changing laws over at ShipCompliantBlog.com, and/or sound the alarms with your state assembly person through FreeTheGrapes.org. Meanwhile, all Federal, state and local laws are complied with in providing this wine.