When I found out recently that there is such a thing as an urban winery in Salt Lake City, I was naturally curious. So I logged on to
Kiler Grove Winegrowers' web site and was pleased to discover that this is a family owned winery that makes Rhone-style wines from grapes grown on ten acres near Paso Robles California, and that the wines are made in California and then bottled at the facility in Utah. This was all quite comforting, as I had envisioned truck-loads of deteriorating grapes making their way up from somewhere in Southern Utah (where wine grapes are indeed grown, but I have yet to be convinced that they can produce high quality wine). So, why a winery in Utah, of all places, from grapes grown in Paso Robles? Turns out that owner Michael Knight got tired of dealing with a slow-moving California bureaucracy for 11 years, and having a permit that did not allow for a tasting room on the 10 acre vineyard property. So, he turned to the business-friendly environment and recently relaxed liquor laws of Utah to establish a venue to promote their wines. With that Salt Lake City's first urban winery was born. Who would have thought?
Encouraged with the results of my research, and finding myself with a little spare time last Saturday, I got together with my sister and her husband and we made our way to a non-descript neighborhood just south of downtown Salt Lake. There, tucked in among other small business and warehouses was a stamped metal sign that told us we had arrived at 'Kiler Grove Winery and Tasting Room.' Once inside we were immediately welcomed by Cindy, the very friendly and informative tasting room manager, who acquainted us further with the Kiler Grove story while pouring samples of four very decent wines. Having already established form the web-site that Kiler Grove had a philosophy of dealing with their grapes gently in the winery, with minimum intervention, I asked Cindy about vineyard practices. She assured me that, although not certified organic or sustainable, they do make every effort to minimize use of chemicals in the vineyard, and yields are kept relatively low to produce high quality grapes.
Not knowing at all what to expect is one of the things that makes tasting wine form a small family winery fun for me. I have to say that in this case I was happily surprised by how pleasant and drinkable Kiler Grove's wines were. Kudos to the Knights for having the courage to open the first urban winery in Salt Lake City. Below are tasting notes for the four wines we tasted. If any of you fellow wine-lovers ever find yourself with a spare hour or two while visiting or traveling through Salt Lake, stop by
Kiler Grove, taste the wine, and take a bottle or two home with you.
2008 Trebbiano $14
Unique interpretation of trebbiano with an interesting taught complexity encouraged by extended skin contact. The wine is aged in 100% neutral oak for 18 months. I found this wine to be fresh with somewhat racy acidity and solid minerality. The nose showed sunny notes of crisp Asian pear and tangerine, and a waft of mediterranean herbs such as tarragon and sage which continued on the palate along with a touch of wild honey.
2009 Interpretation $20
Not a bad little homage to the wines of the southern Rhone. A blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre, and 20% Syrah. A bit awkwardly sweet but juicy red and black plum nose with a touch of black currant and vanilla. Light, if a bit sweet on the tongue, with a nice herb and mineral finish. I was assured that even the red wines were aged only in neutral oak, but to my taste, particularly when I sat down with a bottle of this wine at home, found the oak a bit on the raw and aggressive side.
2005 Zinergy $23
This was the first vintage of Zinergy (75% Zinfandel, 25% Petit Sirah, 10% Grenache), that was composed of 100% estate grown fruit. Unfortunately, I think we may have tasted this one a bit past its aging potential. It initially showed a sweet and peppery Zinfandel fruit character with prominent blue plum jam and some grape candy. This could have been a lovely profile at the high point of it's life, but some deterioration of fruit accompanied by somewhat unpleasant nail polishy aromas made this one a bit disappointing.
2007 Zinergy $18
Much better at this stage of it's life than the 2005. Tasting this vintage gave a good indication of the ageing potential of these wines. Definitely wines that are best drunk youngish! The most enticing aspect of this wine was its lovely, somewhat sweetish floral nose. Delicate red plum and rose petal backed up by some herbal notes and a touch of smoke lead to a warm, spicy finish. A bit hot perhaps, but all-in-all a very decent Zin. In retrospect, this was probably my favorite of the four, although I was also intrigued by the unique style of the Trebbiano, and would love to see how it does with food.
