The folks at Andegavia Cask Wines reached out to me in the Spring with a green proposition – help reduce the amount of discarded wine bottles and still drink good wine daily. A chat with our recycling guys would result in an admission that I drink a lot of wine and therefore generate a lot of empty bottles. Or, perhaps they’d advise an intervention.
Andegavia Cask Wines was named after the region, Andegavia, where the wine trade began and where wines were once shipped in casks or barrels. It’s meant to be an intersection between Old World and New World, but with a twist. Andegavia is working with Patrick Saboe, the head wine maker at The Wine Foundry in Sonoma. Patrick’s been known for overseeing production for Verismo, Keller Estate, Petroni and Pezzi King and has produced wines that the critics love.
I received a .375 bottle of Ruthven Napa Valley Red Blend. If you look on its website, you see that the packaging is sustainable and eco-friendly. I tasted big berry, black pepper and herbal notes with a bit of mocha. It was a very nice wine and placed well in the #thirstythursday tasting with my colleagues. Then you get to the price – one cask, which is four bottles, for $78, $199 for three casks making this a very affordable option that has some care and tending to the wine. There are several red blends, one pinot noir and a chardonnay.
