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Tortoise Creek was created by a British couple, Mel and Janie Master, who lived much of their lives in the wine business in the South of France as well as California. During their time in France, they developed close relationships with many of the top growers and winemakers in the Languedoc, and have been producing wines from this area since 1990. The name, Tortoise Creek, comes from Mel and Janie's time spent in the countryside of Provence and their fondness for feeding the small tortoises living in a creek alongside their home in that region of France. The concept with Tortoise Creek was to work more with the individual grower and less with the large cooperatives as they understood that the key to any good wine, whether it is from the Languedoc, California or any other wine region, was "low yields." With that in mind, Tortoise Creek wines have been selected and blended from growers who understand this philosophy. They work closely with their growers in California and France to handcraft their selections. As a result, the Tortoise Creek selection of wines truly over-delivers for the price and has garnered many Best Buys and Best Values from top US Wine publications. The French wines of Tortoise Creek include many of the principal varietals grown in the region, such as Viognier and Carignan, but in addition, they also produce newer varieties successfully introduced to the region such as Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. In 2008, Mel and Janie Master joined forces with the Sager family, who own the national importing company, Winesellers, Ltd., and together they have extended the Tortoise Creek range to include a superb range of sustainably grown Californian wines from the Lodi region. Our Viognier grapes come from vineyards in the village of Argeliers, which is located in the hills of the Minervois appellation. The slightly cooler climate and gravelly soils help enhance the lovely aromatics of the Viognier grape. It's a powerful wine with all the full flavors we expect from this grape, and would hit the mark when served with swordfish in a piccata sauce. January 2012 Vintners Series Newsletter (.pdf) January Vintners Series 2012 from Wine of the Month Club on Vimeo. |
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