When it comes to food-wine branding crossovers, we’ve learned our lesson. We understand your complaints about the Doritos Vineyards Syrah we featured here, even if they included some unnecessarily rough language about our mothers. We admit that the Chez Jolly Rancher three-pack wasn’t up to our usual standard. And in retrospect, we probably should’ve passed on that partnership with Boyardee Cellars.

So we’re trying the novel approach of joining forces with a food-branded winery that actually produces food that's worth putting onto your tastebuds and into your body. You may know Clif Bar as the producers of those organic, nutritious treats that the store doesn’t stock on the same shelf as the Little Debbies. Clif foods and beverages are produced sustainably and healthily, with nary a pesticide, synthetic chemical, trans fat, or high-fructose corn syrup in sight.

It turns out an awful lot of people will pay top dollar for a sweet treat that makes them feel like they’re doing a good deed. And having a spare buck or two lying around gave the Clif folks the freedom to pursue one of their many passions: in this case, winemaking. They'll be growing their own soon, but in the meantime they’ve strapped on their CamelBaks and roamed Napa, Mendocino, and Sonoma in search of primo grapeage, bra.

Take the hand of the Clif Family 2004 “The Climber” North Coast Red Wine and scale the peaks of ecstasy on pitons of Zinfandel, Syrah, Cab, Merlot, and Petite Sirah. Gentle breezes of raspberry jam, nutmeg, and cedar lift you on your way. As soft and balanced as a scale made out of babies, it leaves a kiss of raspberry candy on its way out. There’s gold in them thar hills: specifically, the Gold Medal at the 2007 Los Angeles International Wine Competition.

But delish though The Climber may be, the Clif Family 2003 “Gary’s Improv” Napa Valley Meritage really plants the Clif flag to claim your palate. Deep-ruby color? Yup. Ripe fruit, spice, and toasty oak notes on the nose? Sure. Soft flavors of plum pudding, coca, nutmeg, and cinnamon before wrapping it up in super-soft tannins? You got it. But we can’t in good conscience recommend replacing the water in your canteen with this elegant red. Don’t worry, it’ll still be waiting for you when you get off the trail, as long as your quicker hike-mates don’t drain it first.

So there you have it: a company that makes good food, making good wine. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have to return a call from Taco Bell Vineyards…er, you know, on second thought maybe we won’t.

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