What do you love about a good bottle of wine?
I bet it partially depends on the occasion.
A great bottle of wine doesn’t always mean a fancy night out with an expensive and a perfectly paired vintage. Sometimes the most memorable bottles come from a casual evening surrounded by friends over a family style dinner, laughing and getting lost in the conversations and the fun.
This carefree scenario represents the “let it be” attitude of the laissez-faire lifestyle. Meaning, rules relax; wine and food become less about exact pairings and more about sharing enjoyable moments with good company.
In other words: eat, drink and be merry!
Enter Krause & Schnerr Family Cellars and their Laissez Faire Red and White Table Wines.
These are the two wines from the second label of Cinder Winery, made by winemaker Melanie Krause. This second label was designed to create more affordable and approachable wines for everyday events, while retaining the quality you can expect from the higher end Cinder label.
2014 Laissez Faire White Table Wine
This delightful vintage is a blend of Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc from Snake River Valley vineyards. It contains an alcohol by volume of 13.5 and 0% residual sugar.
Appearance: Clear. Medium yellow.
Aroma: Honey, floral notes, pear, a hint of spice. Smells amazing!
Palate: Lively acidity, crisp, green apple and a smidge of citrus.
Finish: Lingering minerality, specifically tree and earth.
Rating: Outstanding! A-
Future vintages will continue to be made with the “let it be” attitude, meaning the varietals may change based on the quality and availability of the fruit.
2015 Laissez Faire Red Table Wine
A delicious blend of Sangiovese and Mourvèdre sourced from the Snake River Valley and also Washington vineyards. It contains alcohol by volume of 14.1 and 0% residual sugar.
Appearance: Clear. Dark garnet.
Aroma: Fresh Caprese salad (basil, tomato, balsamic).
Palate: Low to medium tannins, high acidity, cherry, red currant.
Finish: Acidity and spice dance on the tongue well after swallowing.
Rating: Great! B+
As is the case with the white blend, the red may also change vintage to vintage. For example, the 2014, which unfortunately I can no longer find anywhere, also included Tempranillo (and incidentally won Best Red at the Idaho Wine Competition).
Both the white and red Laissez Faire wines can be paired with a wide variety of foods, furthering the “let it be” theme. If you must get into specifics, the winery suggests white with seafood and red with tomato based dishes.
My recommendation is to pair them with good times.
I think we can expect great things from this label in years to come.
Very well done!
Laissez Faire wines retail at $16.00.
So delicious! I’m a huge fan.