Wine values from Meridian by Darryl Beeson For Meridian founding winemaker Chuck Ortman, it was a perfect opportunity  to make important wines from an emerging region. Back in the early '80s, he  had noticed that Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs of great quality were being  created from grapes grown in the cool-climate areas of Santa Barbara and San  Luis Obispo counties. He continued to build his reputation as a top-notch  winemaker in the Napa and Sonoma valleys, never losing sight of his desire  to create important wines in the Central Coast.   In 1988, Wine World Estates, now a part of Beringer Blass Wine Estates,  supported Ortman in his new Meridian label, asking him where he'd like to  base operations. His answer was "Down Highway 101, halfway between San  Francisco and Los Angeles." They acquired the former Estrella River Winery  in Paso Robles, completely remodeling the natural stone buildings. Soon  enough, he began to produce a variety of premium wines from vineyards  located in Santa Barbara County, Edna Valley, and Paso Robles.   "The California Central Coast is unique with its east/west running mountain ranges which open to the Pacific Ocean," explains current Meridian Winemaker, Lee Miyamura. "This allows fog and cool breezes to be funneled directly inland, offsetting the otherwise hot temperatures and giving the Central Coast an unusually long growing season. These favorable climatic conditions result in extra time on the vine for the grapes, which allows them to ripen more slowly and develop more concentrated flavors." Visit www.meridianvineyards.com for more information.   Meridian Chardonnay, Santa Barbara 2005 Price $10 Rating 89 The nose leads with tropical banana and toasted hazelnut. There are rich, chewy flavors of hazelnut toffee, banana, marshmellow, butter and oak.   "The tropical and grapefruit notes drive the zing in this Chardonnay, making it the perfect complement to a seaside picnic lunch of turkey burgers, a Sunday brunch omelet, or for lazy afternoon sitting on the patio," suggests Ms Miyamura.   Meridian Pinot Grigio, California 2005 Price $10 Rating 90 The nose is bright with hints of citrus and complex mineral. The sip is crisp and ripe with melon and citrus in the medium-to-long finish. There is a bit of floral character within.   Winemaker Ms Miyamura suggests that this Pinot Grigio "complements a picnic basket lunch of chicken salad and potato chips, or a Saturday evening feast of fiery Kung Pao Chicken."   Meridian Cabernet Sauvignon, California 2004 - Price    $10 Rating 87 The nose offers dark, somber black cherry. The sip is bright, almost tart with more red fruit within the medium length. The higher acidity made the wine a great pairing with yhick, reduced tomato sauce with pasta.   "This wine will stand up well to a robust steak dinner," suggests Ms Miyamura. "It can handily go toe-to-toe with a leg of lamb at an Easter or Passover feast, and makes an excellent match to a tri tip roast."   Meridian Pinot Noir, Central Coast 2005 Price $11 Rating 91 The nose is concentrated with ripe, mulberry-like fruit. The sip is dark, earthy and complex. This Pinot Noir has grip and power.   The beauty of well made Pinot Noir is that it can pair with almost any food. Ms Miyamura contends that this wine is the "perfect complement to a savory salmon steak prepared on the grill or a creamy pumpkin soup." For more great wine suggestions, click here Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com Copyright © 1998 Inter Active Media Solutions. All Rights Reserved. The interactive components of this site require that you use a current browser version of Explorer; be sure to maximize your window out so you can see the entire page. This page was created by Inter Active Media Solutions.