Thanksgiving, Amplify Lightworks Volume II and the Solara Method

As Thanksgiving approaches, so does discussion of the perfect bottle or bottles of wine to open with the meal. There are some classic suggestions like Riesling and Pinot Gris for white wines and for reds we often suggest Pinot Noir, Beaujolais/Gamay and other lighter bodied wines. We have a selection of Thanksgiving pairings that you can take a look at HERE.

For those of us who are looking for a fuller-bodied red for the Thanksgiving table, Zinfandel often comes to mind as it offers a bolder, heavier, more fruit driven style without the tannins, acidity, and dryness of some other heavier red wines. As I was beginning to plan for my own Thanksgiving dinner, I thought of a red wine I have been enjoying over the last few months as the evenings got colder and I was looking for a heavier red with a softer touch, Amplify Wines Lightworks Volume II.

To start off I’m just going to get this out of the way, this wine is made from Merlot. The post-Sideways Merlot stigma has just finally begun to fade a bit but I know for many Merlot is still off limits. If that is the case, I implore you to forget about what grape is used to make the wine and concentrate on the final product.

What sets Amplify Lightworks Volume II apart from other wines is a winemaking technique called the solera method. This is a process where successive vintages of a wine are continuously blended in with previous vintages, offering a continuity, maturity and complexity to the wine. Each year a certain percentage of the total volume of the wine will be bottled. Next, then current vintage will be added to the remainder then allowed to age and settle. Once another vintage is made, another portion of the solera will be bottled before adding the new vintage and the process continues this way indefinitely.

The result is a wine that has the highest percentage of the current vintage and then increasingly smaller amounts of previous vintages all the way back to the first vintage ever made. Since they are all blended together and aging as one, the final product is seamlessly integrated as a single wine. The goal is to create a polished wine that pulls from the maturity and complexity of the older components and the brightness and exuberance of the new ones while smoothing out any bumps in the road from vintage variation.

Amplify Lightworks Volume II is a blend of four vintages (2014 – 2017) and the second bottling of the solera. The wine is full-bodied with a bright and lively attack of red berry fruit. Spice nuances and savory notes work into the rich mid-palate with layers of complexity unfolding into the finish. This wine is bold and easy to enjoy, but there is also an unmistakable depth to it, as if the combined wisdom of many vintages are speaking form its core. Herbal nuances sneak in and out the lush fruit along with playful baking spice notes and sneaking savory elements that make your mouth water for another sip.

If you are looking for a bolder red to pair with your Thanksgiving dinner, Amplify Lightworks Volume II might just be the wine you need. I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving. We’re all having to alter our Thanksgiving plans at the last minute this year which is very tough, but we can also collectively be thankful to each other for making the sacrifice to help protect our friends, family and neighbors.

Best,

Brad

Footnote:

Some quick details that didn’t make it into the narrative. Amplify Wines is a natural wine producer. The wine is unfined and unfiltered. The fruit is organic and only a small amount of sulfur is used. The wine is made from Merlot grown in the Santa Ynez Valley of California. Only 80 cases were produced in this bottling.