Blue Desert Albariño, Morro View, Edna Valley, 2019

“No one will protect what they don't care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced” -David Attenborough

In California we have our old favorites. We know they can make delicious wine. But the fringe candidates - grapes America has only recently discovered? Who knows what might be possible with a little bit of support? So, in search of a wine that might take full advantage of our ferocious and eternal Pacific ocean, we found Albarino.

Morro View Vineyard is named for its high-perch view of the Nine Sisters, a string of coastal volcano morros (rounded hills) created 25 million years ago. The southern coast microclimate is more severe than people expect, meaning the Albarino here is as electric and weatherbeaten by the Pacific as the ones found in the Atlantic coast of Spain. It's not Galicia, but it's damn good.

Lime, peach and guava flavors mingle around a sleek but not sharply textured wine. Stainless steel aging means the wine showcases fresh fruit, mouthwatering, juicy zip and a bit of sea spray. This would be a dangerous cocktail recipe.

I'm paying the price
For throwing the dice in the air
Why must we learn it the hard way
And play the game of life with your heart?

-Yoko Ono, "Walking on Thin Ice"