From: Willamette Valley, OR
Blend: Gamay and Dolcetto
Taste: The poetic Infinite Air Castles red blend is a lovely expression of the Gamay and Dolcetto varieties. On the nose, it is both floral and fruity, with an array of aromas that include wild strawberries, Hood strawberries, jammy strawberries, grilled plums, dark berries, obsidian minerals, petrichor, and a hint of summer forest. The palate is bright and juicy with a plush and velvety mid-palate that leads to a long and firm structure. The wine is well-balanced with lively acidity and a nice touch of tannins. The finish is clean and refreshing, leaving a pleasant aftertaste of ripe fruit and minerals. This wine is perfect for anyone who enjoys a lively, fruity, and refreshing red that can be enjoyed during any season.
Pairing: The 2021 Infinite Air Castles red blend is a versatile wine that can be enjoyed with a variety of dishes. Its lively acidity and fruitiness make it a perfect match for summer dishes off the BBQ. It would pair well with grilled meats, roasted vegetables, or even a light pasta dish with a tomato-based sauce (we’ve combined a couple of these recommendations to share a recipe for BBQ Chicken Pizza below). The wine's plush and velvety mid-palate and long firm structure make it a great pairing for late summer and early autumn dishes as well. It would complement heartier meals such as stews, roasted meats, and hearty pasta dishes. For a vegetarian option, this wine can be paired with grilled vegetables, such as eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers. The wine's refreshing character also makes it a great match for mildly spicy foods, such as Korean barbecue, Thai curry, or Mexican fare. Of course, this wine can also be enjoyed on its own, slightly chilled, as a refreshing summer red.
Barbecue Chicken Pizza
Recipe from Larry Flax and Rick Rosenfield
Adapted by Tejal Rao
This wine. This introductory 2021 Infinite Air Castles red blend from Day Wines is a new addition to their portfolio. Like most of their wines, this began as an idea, a daydream or an air castle. Travels in France and Italy have provided much fuel for their daydream fires and Gamay and Dolcetto are both varieties that have traditionally been viewed as more humble and approachable in their home regions. Day Wines loves their lively and fun personalities and look at this wine as an international party of salt-of-the-earth people. On the nose it is rosy floral and fruity with strawberries (wild, Hood, and jam) as well as grilled plums, dark berries, obsidian minerals, petrichor, and summer forest. The palate reflects the nose and brings along bright juicy acid, a plush and velvety mid palate, and a long firm structure. Great with a chill as a summer red accompaniment to anything off the BBQ, and will work well with late summer and early autumn as the nights become cooler.
About Day Wines. In 2006 Brianne Day sold everything she owned and began traveling through wine regions all over the world. Over the following eight years she visited around 80 different regions, working at wineries in Burgundy, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand. During this time, she re-established her home base in Oregon and worked at a number of wineries including The Eyrie Vineyards and Brooks.
In 2012 Brianne started her own winery with some Pinot Noir grapes from the 15-acre, dry-farmed Crowley Station Vineyard in the Eola Amity Hills. The inaugural vintage was only 125 cases and sold out quickly. On the strength of that single bottling she was invited to the RAW fair in London and was one of only seven American wineries mentioned in Isabelle Legeron’s recent book, Natural Wine, alongside Edmunds St. John and Arnot Roberts.
Since then, Brianne has grown her production, producing exceptional Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah, as well as working with under-appreciated varieties such as Malvasia, Tannat, and Aligote.
Brianne’s general winemaking is as follows: native yeast fermentations, low additions of sulfur, minimal punch downs, rare pump overs, and only tiny amounts of new oak.