We’re having so much fun being lazy reading these old write-ups that we’ve decided to share them with you through the end of the month! Check out this refurb- uh, classic.

The Best Little Winehouse in California (January 2007):

The tasting room at Castle Vineyards in Sonoma has a dirty little secret, a checkered past, some shapely skeletons in its closets. Ill-reputedly, the building once housed the kind of women who made their living by, er, amorously entertaining paying male customers, if you take our meaning. But hey, that’s all in the past, right? These days, the only thing that founder, winemaker, and #1 playa Vic McWilliams turns out is hand-crafted boutique wine.

Let’s take a look at Vic’s stable of lovelies, shall we? Straining the seams of its bottle with voluptuous, curvy strawberry and plum flavors, Castle Vineyards 2003 Pinot Noir Durell Vineyards layers in some black tea and fresh earth flavors for those who crave the exotic. Treat the 2001 Merlot right – like, say, with a dinner of steak and baked potato – and it will turn some pretty nifty tricks in shades of dark cocoa and bright cherry, topped off with a creamy vanilla finish. You won’t find wines like the 2003 Los Carneros Pinot Noir just standing around on any old corner or walking any old street, not with its seductively spicy cola, clove, and black pepper flavors and its well-proportioned medium body. And if you want to find out what the fleshy, full-bodied, mysteriously alluring 2002 Syrah tastes like, well, you’ll have to pay up first. Baby ain’t giving out free samples.

We don’t really care what Castle Vineyards’ tasting room may or may not have done in the past. We’re here to love, not to judge. For full-service flavor with lots of happy endings, take the Castle Vineyards Red Quartet back to your room. If you’ve got the stamina, you could even drink all four at once, no extra charge.

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