Pacific Star Winery, Fort Bragg, CA

While Caroline was taking a day-long course at the Living Light Institute in Fort Bragg, I was left to my own devices. Though Fort Bragg offers some cool beaches and the famous Skunk Train, I can't say either of these held my attention for long. Happily, I came across the tasting room for the Pacific Star Winery, which is located a few miles up the highway.

Being on the chilly, windswept coast, Pacific Star doesn't grow its own grapes, but buys them from the Redwood and Anderson Valleys.

Tasting room manager Robert Zimmer, who's ex-wife is the winemaker at PSW, told me that they don't fine any of their products - all Pacific Star wines are vegan.

Here's what I had:

Pacific Star Winery Viognier 2007
A nice, simple example of the varietal, it smells like grapefruit and pineapple, with some minerality from the steel tank fermentation. It's mouthwateringly tart and steely, with a slightly bitter finish.

Pacific Star Winery Chardonnay 2003
PSW's only barrel-fermented wine, it shows nice peach and pear notes, with hints of orange and vanilla. The taste is of toasty orange, too, with a tart finish.

Pacific Star Winery Pinot Noir 2004
A good Pinot, it has sweet cherry, white pepper and light citrus aromas, but a lightly sour cherry taste. With medium tannins, the finish shows a bit of dark tobacco, too.

Pacific Star Winery Charbono 2005
Charbono is a varietal I hadn't tried before, so I was interested to see what it offered. It's quite interesting, with raspberry jam, orange and a mild smokiness. The raspberry is present in the taste, too, along with some sour cherry and light tannins.

Pacific Star Winery "It's My Fault"
A multi-vintage blend of Syrah, Charbono and Carignane, it smells and tastes of raspberries and tea, with lots of smooth tannins and a medium-length finish.

Pacific Star Winery "Dad's Daily Red 2002"
Here's another blend, this time with Carignane, Petite Sirah, Charbono and Zinfandel. It has a very complex nose of raspberries and plums, along with cigar box. The berries, with some sour cherries, come through in the mouth, too.

Pacific Star Winery Charbera 2003
A blend of Charbono and Barbera, it smells like sweet red fruit and leather. The taste is complex: rich red cherries, tobacco, and white pepper. It has medium tannins.

Pacific Star Winery Syrah 2001
A full-bodied Syrah, it has lots of chewy tannins, with dark berries, leather and black pepper.

Pacific Star WineryPetite Sirah 2005
I didn't care much for this: sour cherries and harsh tannins.

Pacific Star Winery Coro Mendocino 2005
Coro Mendocino is a group project made by a collective of area wineries. Each producer is responsible for its own style, and it must be tested twice by the group prior to bottling.
This blend is made up of 40% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Sirah, 15% Carignane, 10% Charbono and 10% Barbera. It has earthy, candied aromas, with red fruit and a chocolate-coffee finish. It has medium acids and low tannins.

Pacific Star Winery Pinot Noir Reserve 2003
With red cherries, warm spices and black pepper, this reserve, mostly sold out, is a winner.