With four generations of winemakers, the Tudal Family Winery in St. Helena, Napa Valley, produce a portfolio of limited production fine wines.  Their Icon Series of wine pays homage to unique symbols near and dear to the Tudal Family. Claiming to be crowd pleasing wines, I brought them to my weekly football tailgate party and put them to the test!

2010 Honker Blanc ~ Sauvignon Blanc

A steely sauvignon blanc if there ever was one! Almost crystal clear with a light golden color. Mild grapefruit aromas; with clean stainless steel, melon and lemon flavors. An ultra dry finish.  This wine is named after and pays homage to the Canadian Geese that migrate down Napa Valley and nest behind the crush pad of this winery. The family believes the incessant honking over the winery is a reciprocal toast! The family’s sense of humor is evident in the subliminal message on the label. See if you can spot it! Alcohol 13.8% Retails $14

2009 Tractor Shed Red

A dark complex red color in the glass with earthy aromas. Predominant flavors of dark berries and earth; the finish is dry with peppery spices and lingering tannins. A blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Sangiovese and Zinfandel, this wine drinks in the style of Bordeaux and Italian blends for a fraction of the price.  This wine honors the family’s 1947 Massey-Harris red tractor, still standing on full display at the winery. Alcohol 14.2% Retails $12

Results

The Honker Blanc was a hit and was gone before kick off! Thankfully, a bit of the Tractor Shed Red hung around for post-game dessert of chocolate cupcakes topped with peanut butter cups. Nothing goes better than Red Wine and Chocolate! So I say the answer is Yes, crowd pleasing wines and easy on the budget.

Thank you to Tudal Family Winery, Cerruti Cellars and Balzac Communications & Marketing for providing these samples.