Epiphany 2007 Inspiration

Type: Dry white

Made With: Marsanne, roussanne, viognier and grenache blanc

Plays Well With: Turkey dinners, chicken pot pie and chips and dip

There’s a reason most European wines are actually blends of different grapes – and the Epiphany 2007 Inspiration (even though it is Californian) shows why.

For those who don’t already know, Epiphany is Eli Parker’s private label, Eli Parker being Fess Parker’s son and a major player at the Fess Parker Winery in the Santa Ynez Valley. The Inspiration was one of the bottles that turned up in Michael’s auction win last year.

It’s a blend of varieties from France’s Rhone valley, comprised of 36 percent marsanne, 30 percent roussanne, 24 percent viognier and 10 percent grenache blanc. The end result is a golden wine that needs – no, it screams out – for food on the plate.

The nose smelled spicy and of myrrh – a tree resin that is very aromatic in a good way. We found some melon, citrus and peach in the taste while the mouth was full and rich. There are acids to keep the flavors building and a good finish that is slightly crisp. The balance is excellent.

We actually enjoyed this a few months ago with a post-Thanksgiving meal of turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy and vegetables. It was such a great food wine that just we couldn’t drink that last glass by itself, so we improvised. We are happy to report that the Inspiration goes very well with potato chips and green onion dip.

One thought on “Epiphany 2007 Inspiration”

  1. Thanks for the note on this wine, one I help make as part of my duties on the winemaking team at Fess Parker Winery. It’s a fun blend to put together, and the percentages of the four wines are different each year depending upon what each brings to the table.

    One important note to make is that the Epiphany wines are now made by the winemaking staff at Fess Parker Winery, led by head winemaker Blair Fox.

    Cheers!

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