Happy Wine Wednesday! I can’t tell you how excited I am to post about Cultivate Wines, a winery that is founded on the idea that wine is about sharing. Sharing stories, building friendships, and celebrating moments with people you care about. I love this philosophy because this is exactly why I love wine. I love working at a winery and watching the wine tasters as they laugh and talk with their friends and family. A bottle of wine is an occasion to invite a few friends over; it’s a reason to bring people together. I heard about Cultivate through my friend Katelyn, who has been working for them for almost a year now. Katelyn and I met at the Daily Grind for a cappuccino, and we talked about the story behind Cultivate Wines. When Katelyn talks about this winery and the people she works with, you can tell how much she cares about her job and believes in the Cultivate philosophy. Her eyes lit up as she talked about the different wines they produce, and she told me excitedly about how warm and friendly the company is. I also learned from Katelyn that Cultivate actually gives 10% of their sales to causes related to education and basic human needs. Check out this video below to get more of a sense of Cultivate Wines and their story.

Katelyn was overly generous and let me take home two bottles to try, a Malbec and a Pinot Grigio. She said they were her favorites, and I tried “The Gambler” last Sunday night, which is described by Cultivate as being “a manly Malbec from Argentina”. This was perfect, because I happened to be drinking this bottle with two guys while watching The Walking Dead on AMC… don’t ask. Let’s just say the flavorful Malbec was a wonderful distraction from the zombie apocalypse attacks happening in the background. The first thing I noticed was the fruit forward aroma, and the dark, rich color. I was slightly expecting it to have a tannic, almost sour flavor, but maybe that’s because I’ve had a lot of immature Malbecs in the past that were rather “green” tasting. This Malbec was smooth and velvety, and dangerously easy to drink! On a random note, I happened to be eating some leftover Chinese food with it, and it seemed to pair well. Although I’m not suggesting you run to the nearest Panda Express and get some takeout to pair with this wine, in fact, I’d love to try this Malbec with some actual Argentinian food. Maybe a reason to test out some empanada recipes?

As I type, two days later, on a lazy Tuesday night, I’m sipping a glass of the Cultivate “Double Blind” Pinot Grigio, and my night has gone from ordinary to special with this bright Italian white wine by my side. With my cat Mischa purring on my lap (I’m not kidding, she totally is right now) I can’t help but feel happy and peaceful. Ok, so maybe I’m not sharing this bottle with friends over sparkling conversation, but with my sweet little Mischa curled up with me, I feel like I’m giving something back to myself. This is my time, and I think the owners of Cultivate Wines would appreciate that. But back to the wine. Smelling this wine, truly, I said to myself, I smell apricot! Looking later at the Cultivate Wines website, they describe the nose as having notes of honeysuckle, white roses, apricots, raw almonds and hazelnuts. So… I didn’t catch all the other aromas, but definitely apricot! This wine is zippy and fresh, and I would describe it as being slightly tart. When I tasted this wine, the first thing I thought was, “oh…. the cupcakes I could bake to pair with this wine are endless….” Probably not the initial thought of most people trying a wine, but I’m just being honest here. Oh, and in case you were wondering, I’m sooooo going to pair my Peach Wildflower Honey Cupcake with this wine.  Can’t wait.

I love the Cultivate philosophy. The idea of giving and sharing, with friends, to organizations in need, with yourself, just makes the world a happier place. As cheesy as that may sound, it’s true! Cultivate is giving away $100,000 per quarter to non-profits via a democratic voting system. The winner will receive $50,000, and the five runners-up will each receive $10,000. Thanks to Katelyn, if you click on this link, choose an organization, and leave The Sunday Sparkle a comment saying which organization you’d like to vote for, you will be entered to win a free bottle from Cultivate Wines. One reader’s comment will be chosen at random, so comment on this blog post with your favorite organization for a chance to win!

ALSO, any Sunday Sparkle reader that wants to purchase wine from Cultivate Wines will receive 10% off their entire order! Just enter the code SundaySparkle. The promotion ends April 7th, so make sure you get your order in before then. Now, I’m going to get back to my glass of Double Blind Pinot Grigio…