Wine from Scout & Cellar - Food Reviews

I came across Scout & Cellar wines while at a charity golf tournament. I met Jackie Frederick-Berner, a wine consultant for Scout & Cellar and she gave me a wine tasting of several wines. Not only did I enjoy the taste of each wine, I also appreciated that all the wine that Scout & Cellar sells is chemical and additive-free. Good wine is usually my drink of choice, and one of my favorite pastimes is visiting vineyards for wine tastings. Unfortunately, I suffer from migraines and have found over the years that certain wines can trigger me, so I am very conscious of what goes into the wine I choose to drink. Scout & Cellar’s commitment to produce clean, pure wine is backed up by independent lab testing.

A bottle of red wine sits on a dining room table with dinner plates and two wine glasses

How Scout & Cellar started

Sarah Shadonix, the company’s founder, was a lawyer-turned-sommelier. During her training as a wine expert, she started to develop really bad headaches. Sarah decided to do the research on wine and discovered that hundreds of different chemicals can end up in wine, including toxic pesticides, synthetic processing aids, artificial ingredients and added sugar. This discovery changed everything for Sarah, and not long after, Scout & Cellar was born. Today, Scout & Cellar’s mission is to showcase just how incredible wine can be in its most authentic form, which is all part of their Clean-Crafted Commitment.

Introducing Four of Their Top Varietals

Two flute glasses on a small wooden table, with a bottle of wine in the middle. On a beach with the sea in the background

2020 Ticklebumps Sparkling Rosé

Perfect for an afternoon at the beach or a picnic, Ticklebumps Sparkling Rosé is fruity and crisp, with notes of tart cherry, lemon curd and pomegranate. This wine is produced utilizing the Charmat method of sparkling wine (like Prosecco). This leads to the bubbles being slightly more intense than your typical bubbly, and a bit softer than champagne. The grapes were harvested from vines planted in California. The wine is aged in a combination of barrels and stainless-steel tanks for 6-7 months. It has a subtle balance between fruit and zingy acidity and pairs well with charcuterie, mushroom risotto and barbecue ribs.

Two flute glasses on a small wooden table, with a bottle of wine being poured at the left side. On a beach with the sea in the background

The name ‘Ticklebumps’ was inspired by Sarah’s daughter, Dagny. As a toddler, she would squeal out in delight “tickle bumps!!” each time her stroller rolled over sidewalk bumps near intersections. And so Ticklebumps wine came to be! We enjoyed this wine in the late afternoon, relaxing on the beach.

A bottle of wine sitting on a small wooden table with a wine glass, goat cheese, a bottle opener, a cheese knife and a small bowl of pita chips

2020 Conte De La Terre Merlot

This Merlot is earthy and bold, with notes of blackberry, plum, wild herbs and mint. It comes from the Wahluke Slopes in Washington, one of the most famous regions in the world for Merlot. It’s bold and structured, with notes of Pacific Northwest blackberries, a touch of mint and a dry finish that makes it the perfect wine for grilled meats. This wine was aged for 5 months in stainless-steel to capture the rich fruit notes of Merlot. Conte de la Terre is French for “Tale of the Land”. It pairs well with red meats like steak and barbecue. Further texture and body is achieved by making the wine unfiltered and unrefined.

2020 Middle Jane Chardonnay

This Chardonnay is earthy and creamy, with notes of vanilla, nutmeg, clove, poached pear and yellow apple. It comes from a single vineyard source in Napa Valley, one of the world’s best regions for Chardonnay. This wine hits all the high notes for richness, creaminess and those wonderful toasty notes. It pairs well with lobster bakes, pork and popcorn. I had the Chardonnay with goat cheese and pita chips, so tasty!

This wine was fermented in stainless-steel and allowed to go through full malolactic fermentation. Natural malic acid converts to lactic acid, the type of acid you find in milk, hence the buttery, creamy notes. It was then aged in stainless-steel for 10 months, and then moved to oak to age for an additional 3 months before bottling.

Middle Jane is named after Jane, the family’s great-great-grandmother, who always worked hard, did things right, and always wore lipstick. Ever since, each girl in the family received Jane as their middle name. Today this wine is called Middle Jane because it represents everything she did. Honesty, passion, and a commitment to integrity.

A bottle of red wine sits on a dining room table with two wine glasses in the background

2020 Middle Jane Cabernet Sauvignon

This Cabernet Sauvignon is earthy and bold, with notes of black cherry, blackberry, plum, black pepper and espresso. This wine comes from Sonoma County, one of the best places to produce Cabernet. It is complex, with many flavors combining to pack a tasty punch to your taste buds. The dominant flavors are blackberry and cherry, with some peppery and espresso notes added in. It is both elegant and smooth, as well as big and rich. It pairs well with roasted duck, steak, and spicy Asian barbecue.

The grapes for this wine were hand-picked from vines 30-35 years old in Sonoma County, California. It was then fermented in stainless-steel tanks for 20 days, and then aged in stainless-steel and neutral French oak barrels for at least 7 months before bottling.

Two wine glasses sit on a dining room table with a plate of bbq ribs and corn in the foreground, with yellow placemats

We paired the Cabernet Savignon with barbecued baby back ribs, corn, mashed potato and asparagus. Absolutely divine!

Where to buy

Please click on the link below to purchase any of the wines featured in this post:

https://scoutandcellar.com/?u=jackieberner

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