50 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY November 23-29, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com CHILL Dessert wines are often luxurious to the point of excess. They become dressy and self important, seeming to demand an appropriate occasion and setting. So the 2021 Dessert Syrah from Odonata comes as somewhat of a pleasant surprise. The wine showcases opulent fruit, but remains light and jaunty in character—so sweet natured, in fact, that winemaker Denis Hoey compares it to enjoying a cherry cola on a sunny afternoon. And it’s an apt description, as dense impressions of cured cherry and nutty cola drape the palate, along with blackberries left to juice in a wooden bowl, dark and perhaps cracked from years of use—at least that’s an image that comes to mind. A fragrant peppercorn note introduces itself on the nose and brings a blissful balance to the whole, without upsetting the wine’s charm. Hoey drew grapes from three distinct vineyards and fermented in stainless steel before bringing the process to a halt with brandy—in this case a young spirit Odonata produces and is in the process of aging. The wine was then rested in barrels. While he targeted 8-percent residual sugar, fortifying can require some quick precision. In this case, fermentation stopped at 7 percent, for a sweet but not cloying finish. It’s one of the few dessert wines from Monterey County labels and it stands out as a choice for easy smiles and casual affairs—although it can carry itself just as well in a steakhouse lounge or other formal gatherings. Odonata is at 645 River Road, Salinas. 5665147, odonatawines.com. Sweet Treat Odonata delivers a dessert wine that is friendly and easy to enjoy. By Dave Faries SEND IDEAS TO: chill@mcweekly.com DAVE FARIES TUE-SAT 11:30AM - 6PM SUN 11:30AM - 4PM CLOSED MONDAY 10932 CLAM WAY, MOSS LANDING HARBOR VISIT MOSS LANDING’S NEWEST WATERFRONT RESTAURANT NOW SERVING WINE AND BEER ON TAP Beers from: Alvarado Brewing, Other Brother, Fruition, and Corralitos Brewing Wine: Carmel Road, La Crema, Benvolio, Opolo, Matanzas Creek, Santa Lucia Highlands MENU AVAILABLE AT WOODWARDMARINEMARKET.COM Monterey County Weekly’s 101 WORD STORY CONTEST First Prize is $101 2nd and 3rd place winners receive gift certificates! We’ll publish the winners in our December 21, 2023 issue SEND TO: Upload stories at: www.mcweekly.com/101words or by mail: Monterey County Weekly 101-Word Short Story Contest 668 Williams Ave., Seaside CA 93955 DEADLINE: THURSDAY, NOV. 30 BY 5PM Write your name, address and phone number on each page you submit. Monterey County Weekly assumes no responsibility for returning submissions. Follow along and comment on stories at www.montereycountyweekly.com. RULES: 1. Stories may contain fewer than 101 words. 2. If a hyphenated word can be broken into two (or more) free-standing words it will be counted as two (or more) words. 3. Abbreviations are counted as one word. (“CA” or “California,” it’s still one word.) 4. Contractions are counted as one word. (“Isn’t” is one word; “is not” is two.) 5. Titles are not counted and are not necessary. 6. We reserve the right to re-title stories. 7. Poems are not acceptable. 8. Limit 3 entries per person. 9. If you mail in your entry, it must be submitted on 8.5 x 11 inch paper. BE THE CAT’S MEOW! Help our older cats get Second Chances at New Beginnings by making a donation on Giving Tuesday (November 28) to Golden Oldies through Monterey County Gives! Please support our lifesaving work as the only older-cat-exclusive rescue in Monterey County. Funds raised will support our programs and ensure these cats have a safety net for their Golden Years. Donations can be made online at montereycountygives.com/cats through midnight Dec. 31st.You can also donate by check (please call us at 831-200-9700 or email goldenoldiescats@gmail.com for information). If you would like to sponsor our next ad, please contact us! 831.200.9700 www.gocatrescue.org Riley Want to meet Riley? Please fill out our online adoption questionnaire. Things to love: approx. 8 years old 10 pounds - male - Yorkie mix Adorable Riley is bursting with love and is eager to display his affection through snuggles and excited tail wags. His preference is to always be close to you. He has shown some reactivity with other dogs on walks but is already making progress. He could share a home with a calm pup. Ad Sponsored by C & C Repair Inc. German Car Specialist www.CCRepairMonterey.com In Memory of Hawk If you’d like sponsor our next ad, give us a call. 831-718-9122 | www.PeaceOfMindDogRescue.org P.O. Box 51554, Pacific Grove, CA 93950
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