Rodney Strong vineyard and the Merlot

I've always been fascinated with the travel brochures for Northern California making statements like "in the heart of Silicon Valley" because Silicon Valley is all about the head. It's the brain trust of America's high-tech incubators, technology companies, web development, and other cerebral pursuits.

On a business trip to this most techo-centric locale, I couldn't resist making a detour to the real "heart" of Northern California, the wine country. In just 18 hours, I visited more than 25 vineyards or tasting rooms and sampled more than 50 wines. Truly rampant oenophelia!

I stumbled across the Rodney Strong Vineyard because it shares a parking lot with J Vineyards, and I wanted to taste wine at J. Unfortunately, J does wine and food pairings for the jet set, and I didn't see the need to pay $20 for three puff-pastries and a splash of three wines. The Rampant Oenophile tries always to be frugal with his own purse!

Instead, I found Rodney Strong with a $5 tasting menu, waived if you buy a bottle. Visit their site at http://www.rodneystrong.com/ for a full list of their impressive wines.

I love their Zinfandel and Pinot Noirs, and generous tasting samples at the vineyard. You can find many of the Rodney Strong wines locally now that Florida has relaxed its silly import laws.

Last night, I ordered a bottle of their Merlot at The French Quarter, a Vero Beach eatery known for a well stocked wine bar and exceptional food. The Merlot was a bit pricey at $29 at The French Quarter, but not available at the local wine store.

Overall, I thought the Merlot was okay, but I wouldn't order it in a restaurant again. It had great legs, a bold color, but didn't satisfy at restaurant prices. As a $10 Merlot, I might have a different opinion, but I guess that I had higher expectations at nearly $30. The Merlot just didn't hold up at that price.

It's not a full or complex wine. It has a simple flavor, rather dull, with few noticeable fruits or flavors. It paired adequately with the appetizers, salad, and sword fish, but didn't provide enhancement to the flavors of anything. Given a choice, I'll probably opt for a Rodney Strong Zin or Cab at my next outing to The French Quarter and leave the Merlot for a wine store buy.