Wine of the week: 2018 Leo Steen Dry Creek Valley Grenache

Leo Steen can imagine life beyond the pandemic, one where celebrations are no longer Zoomed, socially distanced affairs spanning the globe.

“I feel that the consumers are doing their best at being loyal and striving to keep the industry alive,” he said. “I feel when we all can go back to whatever our normal will be that coming together socially will have a new meaning and sharing wine will be a large part of it.”

The vintner/winemaker is behind our Thanksgiving Reds wine of the week winner — the Leo Steen, 2018 Provisor Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley Grenache, $36. This grenache is a great Thanksgiving pick because it marries well with a range of dishes. It has tangy red fruit, savory herbs and crisp acidity. The grenache has a range, with notes of cherry, strawberry, white pepper and dried flowers.

Other striking options include: Benovia, 2017 Cohn Vineyard, Sonoma County Pinot Noir, $80; Ramey, 2017 Russian River Valley, Sonoma County Pinot Noir, $50; Crux, 2016 Russian River Valley, Sonoma County Grenache, $45, and Double Eagle, 2016 Napa Valley Red Wine, $90.

As for the Leo Steen grenache, the vintner said the style he’s shooting for is a lighter red wine, an alternative to a heavier option.

“Mine is a food-friendly, juicy example of grenache,” he said. “It’s light on its feet and (it’s) one that makes you want to come back for more.”

Steen said the grenache grapes hail from a hidden gem of a vineyard in the Lytton District of Dry Creek Valley.

“Grenache grapes love the Mediterranean climate that we have here,” he said. “When harvesting at moderate sugar levels while preserving acidity, it can produce a lovely red wine with lots of energy and freshness that works very well with food.”

Harvesting grenache, Steen said, can be tricky because sun-kissed grapes just won’t do.

“The grapes ripen unevenly, making it challenging,” he said. “We need to harvest at moderate Brix (sugar) level so the grapes don't lose their freshness and vibrancy to become a balanced wine.”

Steen, 48, is a Denmark native and grew up with parents who worked in the restaurant industry. He went to college in Denmark in the early 1990s and studied business, sales and marketing. He later became a sommelier.

“Because of my years of sommelier work, I’ve had the chance to taste numerous wines, which has built my tasting foundation,” Steen said. “I love winemaking. I find that I'm always curious and have a desire to be creative. I love to see how the wines I create unfold.”

Harvest 2020 has called for adjustments, large and small, Steen said.

“We’ve had to work around the idea of not having control of what this harvest would look like,” he said.

Looking forward, Steen said, being nimble is crucial.

“There will always be variables to every harvest, regardless if its fires or a pandemic. … You always have to ask yourself how to create something wonderful out of what you have been given.”

Wine writer Peg Melnik can be reached at peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5310.