They say that all good things come to an end, and it appears to be that way for many of the good wines which we have enjoyed over the years from Bonny Doon Vineyard. A recent letter from Randall Grahm, founder and owner of Bonny Doon, stated that, "As you may know, last August, Bonny Doon Vineyard rather radically down-sized with the sale of the Big House and Cardinal Zinfandel brands to The Wine Group."

The letter also stated that Bonny Doon would no longer produce Muscat Vin de Glaciere, which is an all-time favorite dessert wine of mine. The following is an excerpt taken from a tasting report which I wrote last year about this outstanding value in a dessert wine:

"There are many great dessert wines made all over the world, including the Sauternes from France, the Beerenausleses from Germany and a number of excellent late-harvested wines from the United States.

The grapes for these wines are left on the vines until late in the year when the grapes have become almost raisins. They contain high residual sugar levels which are measured by the percentage of weight to the grapes. The taste of the wines made in this way are much like eating a very ripe grape. Like eating a ripe grape, the wine should contain all of the components of the grape, so that you should be able to taste complexities such as acidity from the skins, regardless of how sweet the wine is. Many of these wines are very expensive, some over one hundred dollars per 375ml.

One which is a favorite of mine, but not quite as pricey, is the 2005 Muscat vin de Glaciere from Bonny Doon Vineyards. The Muscat grape used in this wine produces a complex taste which is sweet but not cloying and has a residual sugar of 17%. The finish is clean and does not leave a sugary aftertaste. A perfect end to a great meal, it should be served fairly cold with about three ounces being the standard serving.  A 375 ml contains approximately 12 ounces, so it is just right for four people. It goes well by itself, with ripe grapes, or even chocolate."

We were able to obtain the last few cases of this wine from the distributor, which are now available on a first-come, first served basis.

World Beverage
6190 Highway 400
Cumming, GA  30040
(678) 513-6284