The WineGenerous aromas for a wine made from the often-restrained Pinot Noir grape, look for dark red fruits (raspberry, dark cherry...) and baked stawberry-rhubarb, with some cedar forest spiciness to boot. Look for flavors of soy, beef jerky, mushrooms and red cherries.
"Clean and racy, this carries high-toned scents of rose hips and Moroccan mint tea on a line of tart, cranberry-red fruit. It’s a refreshing wine; drink it cool with roast chicken. 91 Points." Wine & Spirits Magazine
Food Pairings
Anything with mushrooms (idea: grilled pizza dough topped white cheese, with mushrooms and freh herbs, then drizzled with a really good olive oil), roast chicken, pork loin with fruit compote or reduction, and mild cheeses.
The Winery
At the risk of sounding a bit tawdry, LIOCO was conceived in 2005 in the alley behind Spago Beverly Hills. The restaurant's Wine Director, Kevin O’Connor, and one of his preferred wine salesman, Matt Licklider, grew critical of the heavy-handed wines of the day, and wanted to make wines that proffered nuance over power. Launching the endeavor with little more than their palates and their long list of wine industry contacts, the two stepped into the abyss.
Today the winery is owned and operated by Matt and Sara Licklider. They purchase fruit from exceptional vineyards from Santa Cruz to Sonoma to Mendocino. And their restrained, food-friendly style has caught on, to say the least! They've just opened a hip tasting room in the hot-as-laval Healdsburg Square, where visitors can enjoy a flight of LIOCO as they listen to tunes spun on actual vinyl and study the wall map showing the Licklider's favorite coastal surfing spots.
