Coppola - This is How We Roll

After all these years of trying to convince people tasting wine is tough, plodding, serious work, the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Sonoma County is out to blow my cover.

If you think Betty White knows how they roll in California, think again. Television has nothing over the movies, and director Francis Ford Coppola of The Godfather fame, not to mention The Conversation, Patton, The Cotton Club, The Rainmaker and many more, is about to turn the sleepy, old-fashioned, California wine touring business on its head - or is that onto a patio lounge chair by the pool?

Coppola announced this week that his outdoor Winery Park officially opens Friday, March 30. It's weekends only until Memorial Day weekend, and then it goes seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sept. 30. The big attraction is a 3,600-square-foot swimming pool, complete with private "cabines," described as European-style personal changing rooms.

You can book your cabine in advance throughout the sea-son and daylong cabine pack-ages, priced at $125 for general admission, include four pool passes, up to four lounge chairs, the use of four towels, two complimentary wine tasting flights, plus two surprise tastes of exclusive wines and two Francis Ford Coppola Winery commemorative water bottles. You can even sign up for early morning group and private swim class sessions throughout July and August.

I'm betting the winery will be busy, and I give it full marks for engaging a younger audience, likely with kids, and for espousing the notion that wine can be fun. Certainly Okanagan producers have the natural resources to attract a wide range of visitors to the valley, but we have yet to see much of that fun factor at wineries.

Concerts are a start, and Tin-horn Creek and CedarCreek have some interesting nights planned, and nobody does for-mal better than Mission Hill. But given how much the industry drones on about getting closer to its customer there is still a decided lack of "fun" events in wine country here, or south of the border.

Adding to the fun at Coppola is a full calendar of unique tasting experiences such as Tasting in the Dark, an adventurous two-hour wine tasting that explores how flavours and aromas in wine are accentuated when they are experienced in complete darkness. Coming soon will be smoothie tastings for children. I just love the idea of exploring taste sensations with youngsters using smoothies - giving them some experience and the chance to differentiate between different textures and flavours.

Coppola's aim is to create "a place to celebrate the love of life," or what he calls wine wonderland, a park of plea-sure, where people of all ages can enjoy all the best things in life - food, wine, music, dancing, games, swimming and performances of all types. It's hard to argue against any winery wanting to have fun with its customers.

Today we suggest some wines you can have some fun with this weekend.

Longue - Dog White 2010 is a surprisingly drink-able French white made from Colombard and a dash of Chardonnay all grown in the heart of the Languedoc. The region is famous for oysters and mussels, and the wine, if chilled, would be a perfect match. Expect a fruity, crisp white that mixes bits of citrus and with sweet melon fruit. Sensibly under styled and good value to boot.

Lemon-lime grass and guava mark the nose of the Santa Rita Sauvignon Blanc 120 2011 that is always a sure bet for the price. Look for herbal, citrus, chalky grapefruit flavours but with less acid this year. But that may only add to its appeal at this price point. Super value for an everyday Sauvignon Blanc.

Another Sauvignon, The Ned Waihopai Sauvignon Blanc 2011, reveals the best of Marlborough with its intense passion fruit, grapefruit rind, bell pepper, nettle and green apple aromas. The attack is fresh, the palate tart with green apple, gooseberry, passion fruit and flecks of jalapeno and lemon in the finish. Good solid value and styling with a bit more fruit than last vintage.

Moving to South Africa one of the few reds worth looking at under $20 is the Goats do Roam (Red) 2010. Expect a hamburger, pizza-style red with spicy, meaty, cherry, coffee flavours flecked with earth, and orange peels. Ready to drink.

Always the crowd pleaser, the Pascual Toso Malbec 2010 is mix of 20-year-old mas-sal selection Malbec. Some 40 per cent is aged in two, three and four-year-old oak yielding a savoury, black cherry jam, tobacco leaf nose with supple, sweet fruit on the mid-palate. Round, supple and easy sipping with peppery, black cherry, tobacco, earthy, prune flavours. Try this with your favourite marinated-meat recipe.

This week we do save the best for last: the Oveja Negra Single Vineyard Carignan 2009 from Maule. You are going to love the enticing black raspberry, peppery, tobacco, savoury nose and its supple texture with plenty of peppery, smoky, black raspberry jam and licorice flavours. Fine fruit with some intensity and grip, and a touch of minerality in the finish. Unique and good value. A perfect barbecue wine.

Longue-Dog White Colombard - Chardonnay 2010, Languedoc, southern France

Price: $13

UPC: 3430560002942

Score: 85/100

Remarks: Expect a fruity, crisp white that mixes citrus and sweet melon fruit.

Santa Rita Sauvignon Blanc 120 2011, Valle del Lontué, Valle del Maule, Region del Valle Central, Chile

Price: $13

UPC: 89419007091

Score: 87/100

Remarks: Super value for an everyday Sauvignon Blanc.

The Ned Waihopai Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand

Price: $15

UPC: 009421901182038

Score: 88/100

Remarks: Solid value and styling with a bit more fruit than the last vintage.

Goats do Roam (Red) Syrah - Cinsault - Mourvèdre - Carignan - Grenache 2010, South Africa

Price: $15

UPC: 6002291000435

Score: 87/100

Remarks: Spicy, meaty, cherry, coffee, smoky, saddle leather flavours.

Pascual Toso Malbec 2010, Maipú, Northern Region, Mendoza, Argentina

Price: $14

UPC: 718742000058

Score: 87/100

Remarks: Round, supple and easy-sipping with peppery, black cherry flavours.

Oveja Negra Single Vineyard Carignan 2009, Valle del Maule, Region del Valle Central, Chile

Price: $17

UPC: 00858472001670

Score: 88/100

Remarks: Unique, black raspberry jam, straw-berry, smoky, licorice flavours.

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