Balboa Winery

We were at Beth and Shawn's (good friends and neighbors) having a wine tasting. Good wine and good food. Beth made wonderful (and very rich) stuffed mushrooms filled with a cream cheese mixture that had a tang of cayenne pepper. Also, on the bar was hummus, Italian dried salami, olives, baguettes, brie, and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Steve and I brought two bottles and Beth and Shawn presented two bottles from their wine collection and the tasting began. Beth pulled from their collection a bottle of wine with a screw top. The green avant-garde label was printed "Balboa Winery" Cabernet Sauvignon. Beth said she received it in a gift basket and thought it was unique looking and after much discussion of "where in the hell did that wine come from and who is Balboa? - - Rocky ? -- Vasco the Spanish conquistador?", we finally took a taste.

After taking several sips, the four of us kept passing the bottle to look at the label. Huh? This is a Cabernet Sauvignon? It was pleasant enough. Not funky, but a mouthful of cherry juice and little to zero tannins. It was difficult to believe that this was a Cabernet. Not tannic, little body, and fruit forward. A nice wine for the beginner, a spaghetti Wednesday dinner or paired with burgers.

We continued our search on who was the brave person (winery) in the Walla Walla Valley to put out a screw top and such a light wine. This Cabernet was not your typical Walla Walla big tannic monster. After a little searching, we found out that Balboa is coming from Beresan Winery. How did we conclude? They share the same address.

If Balboa Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $8-10 or even less, it would be a good wine to have around the house for the every day sipping and I would buy it. If it sells for more than $10, then it deserves to be beheaded for treason, just like it's predecessor - Vasco Nunez de Balboa.

Cheers!