19th Annual Zinfandel Festival ’s
Paso Robles March 18 – 20, 2011 J. Lohr Zin Fest Weekend Events Complimentary library wine tasting for Zin Tasting ticketholders all weekend.
Friday, March 18: Join us for a tapas inspired, family-style dinner by Trumpet Vine Catering. Enjoy paella and more. Guitarist Robert Longley entertains. Seating at 6:30 p.m. $75 per person; $65 Wine Club. Reservations required.
Saturday, March 19: Wine Club Members and their guests will enjoy a special VIP tour and tasting at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. No reservations needed.
J. LOHR PASO ROBLES WINE CENTER
Sunday, March 20: Owner Steve Lohr
6169 Airport Road, Paso Robles (Off Hwy 46 East)
will guide you through a vertical tasting of select J. Lohr wines. Cahoots Catering lunch to follow. Begins at 11 a.m. $45 per person; $35 Wine Club Reservations required.
805.239.8900
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Amador County “Behind the Cellar Door� Saturday-Sunday, March 5-6 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. The event will feature tastings of Zinfandel and other Amador specialties poured from barrel and bottle at 34 Amador County wineries, along with a diverse array of Zinfandel-focused seminars, demonstrations, library and vertical tastings, and gourmet foods. For the first time, the popular Behind the Cellar Door “Cellar Feast,� featuring a four-course dinner paired with Amador wines and hosted by 20 Amador winemakers, will be held at Andis Winery, a marvelous new estate in the heart of Amador’s Shenandoah Valley. Tickets for the 2011 edition of the “Behind the Cellar Door� can be purchased at www.amadorwine.com or by calling (toll-free) 1-888-655-8614. Passes are $50 per person for the entire weekend ($15 for designated drivers) or $35 for Sunday only, and include a commemorative wine glass. Separate admission is available, for $85 per person, for the gala “Cellar Feast� on Saturday evening, March 5 at 6 p.m. in the barrel cellar at Andis Winery. An Ultimate Weekend Pass, which includes admission to both days’ activities and the Cellar Feast, is $110 (a $25 savings). Advance purchase is recommended for all events. For more information, call 1(888) 6558614 or email info@amadorwine.com.
Calaveras County 15th Annual Presidents’ Wine Weekend February 19-20, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. All 25 Calaveras Winegrape Alliance wineries will open their doors to celebrate Presidents day. The weekend’s festivities will include all-American fare, new releases, barrel tastings, Presidential visits by Abe and George, food and wine pairings, and live music, as well as a number of special discounts on wines and gifts. All for $10 and Commemorative Glass. For more information visit calaveraswines.org or call (209) 728-9467 or toll free (866) 806-WINE.
El Dorado County Cuisine On Carson Saturday, Feb. 26, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. This Free event showcases 14 Wineries along Carson Rd. between Placerville and Camino. Each winery welcomes you with wine and food pairings all day as well as wine specials. This event is free if you bring your own wine glass. Get a map and more information at www.carsonroadwineries.com.
El Dorado Winery Association’s 20th Annual Passport Weekends March 26-27 and April 2-3 During two glorious spring weekends each year, 26 El Dorado wineries host the region’s annual Passport wine and food event. Passport Weekends feature plenty of luscious wine and food pairings, barrel tastings, enjoyable art and music, and funloving participants. Warm weather and green surroundings along the wine trail add to the excitement of this springtime event. For complete information and tickets visit www.eldoradowines.org
Lake County Lake County Wine & Chocolate Festival Saturday, February 19, 12-4 p.m. Mt. Konocti Growers 2550 Big Valley Road, Lakeport Event-goers will stroll through the venue tasting wines from more than 30 area wineries, nibble on delicious chocolates, and can purchase a “wine country� lunch. An extensive offering of ultra-premium Lake County wines – everything from pear champagne to award-winning Syrah and Port – will be masterfully paired with luscious chocolates and other tasty food bites by Sommelier Stephanie Green, owner of Focused on Wine in Kelseyville. Green will lead workshops on wine sensory and pairing food with wines and a variety of other classes and demonstrations will be held, such as olive oil sensory, chocolate demonstrations, and biodynamic vineyards. This year’s event will also feature music, a silent auction, wine store, and vintage cars and trucks – weather permitting. Proceeds from the Wine & Chocolate Festival benefit the programs and services of the Lake Family Resource Center. Admission is $35 per person in advance, $40 at the door. For information, call (707) 279-0563 or visit www.lakecounty.com.
Livermore Valley Livermore Valley Winegrowers Host Third Annual Barrel Tasting Weekend Saturday-Sunday, March 19-20 12-4:30 p.m. More than 30 Livermore Valley wineries will offer samples of wines still in development – direct from their barrels – during the region’s third annual Barrel Tasting Weekend. Guests with special event wristbands and official tasting glasses will receive at least one barrel sample at each participating winery. Many winemakers will be present to personally pour and Continued on Page 5
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c o n t e n t s t h e
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f i v e
D ’ s
PUBLISHER
Victoria Buonocore
DO:
MANAGING EDITOR
What’s Doin’ in Wine Country
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Toni Sieling STAFF WRITER
Tiffany Melanis
DESTINATION:
EVENTS EDITOR
Paso Robles
Sally Gersbach
BY LISA J. PRETTY
SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR
13 DELIGHTS:
Denise Kouzoujian
Goodies & Gadgets
denise@vinetimesmagazine.com
31 DISCOVER:
PRODUCTION
Ventura County’s Wine Trail
COVER ART
Mustard in Bloom by Valdimir Chapko Original Oil
B Y L I N DA K I S S A M
38 DEVOUR:
www.gallery1870.com
Chow Bella
c o l u m n i s t s
COMPILED BY VICTORIA BUONOCORE
Eat This With...
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BY LISA J. PRETTY
Her VineNess on Wine BY LAURA NESS
Her VineNess picks five wines sure to please.
f e a t u r e s
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Hamlet on River Road
11
Jaime Dowell of Livermore’s Crooked Vine
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BY LAURA NESS
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B Y D E N I S E KO U Z O U J I A N
From Behind the Tasting Bar BY CYNTHIA BOURNELLIS
A guide to a blind tasting.
Nevada City Winery’s Mark Foster
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B Y L I N DA J . B OT T J E R
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Culinary Road Trip A day trip to Saratoga’s The Mountain Winery turns up some great wine and a recipe to try.
BY LAURA NESS
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The Wine Chixs B Y L I N DA K I S S A M & G I N G E R G I O R DA N O
Keyways Winery launches new “Traditions.”
Lineage at Steven Kent BY LAURA NESS
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The City Cellar
Anne Dobbins Toni Sieling
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BY MICHELLE SIELING
Great views and wines at Treasure Island Wines.
A North Coast Beer Adventure
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Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe
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Sonoma’s Mayo Reserve Room
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California
Lodi’s Heritage Oak Winery B Y K I M B E R LY H O R G - W E B B
P H OTO C R E D I T S : D E N I S E K O U Z O U J I A N , C O U R T E S Y O F B R O O K S TO N E , A L L A N K I S S A M , L A U R A N E S S , C O U R T E S Y O F N E VA DA C I T Y W I N E RY, J A N E T S T E G N E R , K I M B E R LY H O R G -W E B B
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California Vine Times 1040 S. Claremont Street or PO Box 5402 San Mateo CA 94402 voice 650.358.9908 fax 650.358.9254 editor@vinetimesmagazine.com vinetimesonline.com
Have your wine event included in our April/May 2011 issue. Please submit your April and May events for inclusion in our next issue by March 7. Email to editor@vinetimesmagazine.com or submit online at www. vinetimesonline.com.
g u i d e s
Only wineries with tasting rooms are listed. Guides can be downloaded from our website at www.vinetimesonline.com. Amador County ..................................14 Calaveras County ..................................8 El Dorado County North/South ......16 Gilroy ......................................................12 Glenn County ......................................33 Humboldt County................................28 Lake County ..........................................28
Livermore Valley....................................10 Lodi..........................................................37 Madera County ....................................33 Mariposa County ....................................8 Mendocino County..............................28 Merced County ....................................33 Monterey................................................30
4 February / March 2011 • www.vinetimesonline.com
Napa County ..................................24, 25 Nevada County ......................................7 Paso Robles ..........................................20 Placer County..........................................7 San Francisco Bay Area ......................12 San Francisco East Bay ........................22 San Luis Obispo....................................32
Santa Barbara ........................................18 Santa Clara Valley ................................12 Santa Cruz ............................................12 San Benito ..............................................36 Solano County ......................................25 Sonoma County ............................34, 35 Temecula/San Diego County ............23
Tuolume County ....................................8 Yolo County ..........................................33 Yuba County ............................................7
What’s Doin’ in Wine Country... Continued from Page 3 discuss their young wines and offer delicious pairings with gourmet appetizers, artisan cheeses, chocolate and nuts. Guests will have the opportunity to pre-purchase some of the barrel wines at a discount, before they are bottled and released to the public (a practice known as buying “futures”). Tickets are $30 per person when purchased online by March 18, $35 per person at any participating winery during the event. Price includes at least one barrel tasting at each participating winery, one official tasting glass and a map of participating wineries. For tickets and information visit lvwine.org or call (925) 447-WINE (9463).
Lodi
Room Forty, featuring wine country cuisine to delight any palate. Admission is $60 per person. Call (800) 549-WINE (9463) with any questions. (Event attendance is limited so advanced ticket purchase is highly recommended.)
Spend Valentine’s Day weekend, Feb. 12 and 13, in Lodi Wine Country sipping award-winning, handcrafted wines during the 14th Annual Wine & Chocolate Weekend. Taste delicious Lodi wines and decadent chocolates at more than 40 wineries in the Lodi appellation. Be the lucky one to unwrap the “Golden Ticket” at any participating winery and win a Wine Country Getaway or one of over 100 other prizes! Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at lodiwineandchocolate.com or by calling the Lodi Wine & Visitor Center at (209) 365-0621. Ticket prices are $45 in advance or $55 during the event. Tickets include an event wine glass, a commemorative chocolate tin, wine tasting and admission to all participating wineries. One ticket is valid for both Saturday and Sunday and there is no charge for designated drivers.
Los Angeles Paso Robles Wine Country Grand Tasting Wednesday, March 2, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Vibiana, 411 S. Main St., Suite M100 Downtown Los Angeles More than 40 winery and hospitality representatives from Paso Robles will feature more than 150 wines at this historical Los Angeles church. Wineries will showcase a sample of their portfolio that best exemplifies the more than 40 varietals (and blends thereof) from Paso Robles Wine Country. Appetizers will be provided by
The Winemakers Dinner
With six Michelin stars and a chef lineup worthy of a world tour, Yountville turns up the heat this winter with its second annual “Moveable Feast” program that runs through Feb. 28. From value-season hotel and dining packages to a roux of prix-fixe meals rolling off the lines, foodies on a fast track now have another reason to visit this town boasting more Michelin stars per capita than anywhere on the planet. This tasty town-wide program combines value-season lodging at 11 area hotels, at up to 30 percent off with a prixfixe meal at a local restaurant and private VIP wine tour/tasting at a local winery for the ultimate wine country getaway For those who prefer to limit their specials to fine dining alone, the town’s top toques celebrate the season with a variety of “Moveable Feast” menus. Three-course repasts are available through February at nine area restaurants, some restrictions apply. For a complete list of the restaurants and hotel’s offerings, and travel inquiries, contact the Yountville Chamber of Commerce at (707) 944-0904 or www.yountville.com.
Join Paso Robles winemakers for a unique winemaker dinner where up to five Paso Robles wineries are paired at each dinner with some of Southern California’s marquee restaurants. Meet the winemaker and experience how the creative culinary talent of Los Angeles pairs with the premium wines of Paso Robles. Times and pricing will vary by restaurant. Find a complete list of participating restaurants, wineries, dates and prices at www.pasowine.com.
Madera
Napa Valley
Winemaker Dinners
Saturday - Sunday, February 12-13 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday, February 12-13 11 a.m-4 p.m.
Yountville Celebrates Winter with Annual “Moveable Feast” Program
6:30 p.m. , Scharffenberger Cellars in Philo Enjoy dinner, prepared by a renowned local chef, with the winemakers and learn about their wines in the elegant private dining room. Tickets are $125 per person. On Sunday, Feb. 13, spend the day exploring the wineries of Anderson Valley. Many wineries will feature their Alsace Varietal wines. Enjoy food pairings, music, art and more. There is no charge. For tickets and information on events and participating wineries visit www.avwines.com/index.php/alsace-festival/ or call (707) 895-WINE (9463).
Madera Wine Trail’s Wine & Chocolate Weekend
14th Annual Lodi Wine & Chocolate Weekend
and wine experts from around the globe as they discuss winemaking and grape growing specifically for Alsace varietals. Breakfast is included. Tickets are $45 per person.
The family wineries of the Madera Wine Trail will host “Wine & Chocolate Weekend” on Feb. 12 and 13. Sample current and newly released vintages while indulging in delectable chocolate creations, special food pairings, local art and live music. Wine lovers may purchase a Passport Wine Glass at any of the participating wineries both days of the event for $25, or in advance for $20. For tickets and complete information call (800) 613-0709 or go to maderawinetrail.com.
Mendocino International Alsace Varietals Festival, Anderson Valley Saturday-Sunday, February 12-13 Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Boonville Scharffenberger Cellars, Philo Winery Open Houses at Various Wineries in the Anderson Valley
Grand Tasting 1-4 p.m., Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Booneville Visit the beautiful Anderson Valley for a weekend in celebration of your favorite aromatic white wines. This event highlights Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Muscat, made by the world’s finest producers of Alsace-style wines. It’s the only event like it in the entire country. Meet the winemakers and enjoy music by local artists and perfectly paired bites crafted by local chefs. Grand Tasting tickets are $65 per person.
The Technical Conference 9-11:30 a.m., Mendocino Fairgrounds in Booneville Listen to and interact with winemakers
A Taste of Yountville Saturday, March 19, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Town of Yountville If you’re in the gourmet “know,” you’ve most likely heard of Yountville, the tiny wine country hamlet filled with and surrounded by famous chefs and winemakers. With more gourmet restaurants and premium wineries than any other town of comparable size, Yountville will flaunt its “gourmet roots” on Saturday, March 19. A Taste of Yountville, an allYountville showcase, will feature traditional samplings of gourmet restaurant fare, olive oils, vinegars, mustards, fine wines, and micro-brews. Tasting tickets will be sold on-site. Live entertainment will filter throughout Yountville’s downtown area. For more information call (707) 9440904 or visit the Yountville Chamber of Commerce website at yountville.com.
Mustard, Mud & Music A Calistoga Jazz Festival Saturday-Sunday, March 6-7,1-6 p.m. Downtown Calistoga The quaint town of Calistoga will bop to the beat of live Jazz by cool cats and crazy combos in a variety of venues as you stroll through galleries and shops and dine at local pubs and restaurants. Take time to slip into a mud bath at one of Calistoga’s world famous spas. The festival’s music lineup features some of the best jazz bands and artists in the Bay Area, including Cavanaugh/Belair, Michelle Michaels Quartet, Rick Quisol, Herb Gibson, Bob “The Stick” Culbertson, Swing Seven, The Nancy Wright Trio, Mad & Eddie, Steve Dudgeon Quartet, Mark Holzinger, Rolando Morales, Susan Sutton, Larry Vann, and Tracy Rose. For more information call the Calistoga Chamber of Commerce at (707)942-6333 or visit www.calistogavisitors.com.
Restaurants, Hotels and Wineries Team Up with Tasty Deals
Paso Robles 19th Annual Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival Weekend March 18–20,Various Winery Activities
Zin Tasting & Wine Country Auction Saturday, March 19, 6 - 9:30 p.m. At the Paso Robles Event Center, 2198 Riverside Avenue in Paso Robles During the 19th Annual Zinfandel Festival Weekend, Paso Robles Wine Country celebrates Zinfandel’s history, future and the maze of personalities that bring each bottle to life. On Saturday, March 19, the Zin Tasting & Wine Country Auction will intertwine Zinfandel, Zinfriendly foods and Wine Country Auction lots. This year also features special guest, Rex Pickett, the author of Sideways. Taste the wines, enjoy the cuisine, bid on Wine Country Auction lots and meet the author a complete evening of Zin. Throughout the weekend travel the roads of Paso Robles Wine Country for a plethora of special tastings, dinner parties, meet-the-winemaker experiences, complimentary barbecues and more. Also, more than 75 wineries will be offering specials to ticketholders of the Zin Tasting; be sure to keep your ticket handy throughout the weekend to take advantage of these special offers. Find complete information and ticket information at www.pasowine.com or Continued on Page 6
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What’s Doin’ in Wine Country... Continued from Page 5 by calling the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance at (805) 239-8463.
Pismo Beach The 11th Annual World of Pinot Noir March 4-6,The Cliff’s Resort 2757 Shell Beach Road, Pismo Beach The world of Pinot Noir features three Grand Tastings - Friday, Saturday, and a Sunday Brunch Walk-Around Tasting. Also included will be seminars, featured tastings and Friday and Saturday winemaker dinners. All this will be held at the beautiful Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. The Grand Tastings feature more than 80 domestic and international producers who will pour their wines on the bluffs and in the grand ballroom at The Cliffs Resort. Includes a pinot-friendly selection of light hors d’oeuvres highlighting local chefs and growers. Get to know the people behind the wines at this relaxed event featuring world-class wines. For complete information and tickets visit www.worldofpinotnoir.com or call (800) 826-7827.
Santa Cruz Mountains 17th Annual Ultimate Winemakers Dinner Tuesday, February 22 Shadowbrook Restaurant, 1750 Wharf Road, Capitola Join The Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association for an elegant dinner and your own personal winemaker, all in the beautiful Shadowbrook Restaurant in Capitola. Taste the fabulous wines of up to 25 Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers, and then be escorted to an intimate dinner. Enjoy the outstanding ambiance, cuisine, and service of the Shadowbrook Restaurant, which is closed to the general public and open exclusively for the guests of the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers. Arrive one half hour before your seating time to enjoy wine tasting and a silent auction in the restaurant’s Rock Room Lounge. In the dining room, you will be joined by a local vintner who will share their wines with dinner. The chef of Shadowbrook Restaurant will design a special five-course menu to accompany the wines selected for the evening. This dinner always sells out in advance. Tickets are $105 per person (for gourmet meal, wine, tax, and gratuity) Reservations are required. For questions and reservations please call (831) 685VINE (8463) or visit www.scmwa.com.
7th Annual Pinot Paradise Saturday-Sunday, March 26-27 Saturday at participating wineries Sunday at Villa Ragusa 35 South 2nd Street, Campbell
Saturday, March 26, Pathway to Pinot Paradise offers a self-guided tour of the region’s Pinot-producing wineries. Barrel tasting, library wines, and special offerings by participating wineries will be available. Visitors can enjoy exploring the delightful world of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Tickets are $25. Sunday, March 27 begins with Technical Sessions from 9 a.m. to noon at Villa Ragusa in Old Town Campbell, with presentations by wine experts on the challenges of growing and producing Pinot Noir in the region. Tickets are $55, reservations required. Then from 2 to 5 p.m. the Grand Cruz Tasting, also at Villa Ragusa, will showcase more than 60 Pinot Noirs paired with gourmet hors d’oeuvres from some of the region’s best restaurants. Tickets are $55 in advance, $65 at the door. Special Pinot Paradise V.I.P. Packages will offer a guided “tour” in a small group format at Villa Ragusa during a private preevent tasting with winemakers and/or representatives from the wineries at 1 p.m. followed by the Grand Cruz Tasting. Cost is $75.00 and includes the Grand Cruz tasting. Tickets and more information are available from the SCMWA at (831)6858463, www.scmwa.com, email info@scmwa.com.
San Francisco San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Tasting Saturday, February 19, 2-5 p.m. Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (SFCWC), the largest competition of American Wines in the World, is the ideal place to experience a refreshing new educational look at wine and food pairing. Scrutinized by a contingent of professional wine judges, the Public Tasting is your chance to experience new and exciting award winning wines from more than 300 wineries at the Annual Public Tasting. The tasting will feature thousands of the country’s finest wineries and their awarded wines, along with a truly exceptional spread of gourmet fare. Unpretentious and fun, this popular event encourages everyone to come together, learn about many new wines and enjoy a dream fulfilling new wine experience. Tickets are $65 when purchased in advance from www.winejudging.com. The Public Tasting is always a sold out event, so don’t wait until the last minute to purchase your tickets; admittance, if still available the day of the Tasting, is $80 at the door. For tickets and information, visit www.winejudging.com. The proceeds of the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition support the nonprofit Cloverdale Citrus Fair and help support
6 February / March 2011 • www.vinetimesonline.com
wine and food education at educational institutions and non-profit organizations.
Sonoma Valley VINOLIVO Friday, February 18, 7-10 p.m. The Lodge at Sonoma 1325 Broadway, Sonoma Sip Sonoma Valley’s best wines as you get to know the personalities behind the wine; Ignite your Taste Buds with Culinary Delights from Sonoma’s Finest Restaurants, Caterers, and Artisans; Sample Local Savory Olives and Olive Oils at the Olive Bar; Enjoy the seductive Port Wines; Experience the Pommes Frites and Sparkling Wine Bar; and entertain your senses with one of the hottest DJ’s in town, Jason Woods. New this year...the opportunity to try it and buy it! Tickets are $75 General Admission in advance, $85 at the door. For tickets and information visit www.sonomavalleywine.com or call (707) 935-0803.
33rd Annual Barrel Tasting Weekends along the Wine Road in Northern Sonoma County March 4-6 & March 11-13,11 a.m.-4 p.m. Members of the Wine Road would like to welcome you to more than 100 wineries and lodgings for an exciting weekend of wine tasting. This is your chance to sample wines from the barrel, talk to winemakers and explore the beautiful Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys. The goal of Barrel Tasting is to introduce people to wines still in the barrel, help guests learn about wine and better understand what they are tasting, and to offer futures for sale. Advance Tickets are only sold online through Feb. 28 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance, $30 at the door. Price is per person, per weekend. Designated drivers are $5. Tickets are good for one weekend only and are good for all three days of that weekend (Fri-Sun) at any winery that indicates they are barrel tasting on Friday. For complete information, ticket sales and a list of participating wineries visit Wineroad.com.
21st Annual Savor Sonoma Valley Saturday-Sunday, March 19-20 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Located at Various wineries in Kenwood and Glen Ellen in Sonoma Valley Join more than 20 wineries as they showcase 2010 vintage wines straight from the barrels, sample new releases, and offer award-winning wines paired perfectly with culinary creations prepared by local chefs and restaurants. Meet winemakers, mingle with wine lovers behind-the-scenes, peruse art from local artists and listen to live music. Presented by the Heart of Sonoma
Valley Association. A Weekend Pass is $55, Designated Driver Weekend Pass is $20. Sunday-Only tickets are available as well. For tickets and information visit www.heartofsonomavalley.com.
Temecula World of Wine 2011 March 5-6, 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. At Participating Temecula Valley Wineries The wineries of the Temecula Valley open their cellar doors for guests to enjoy a bevy of wines at their semi-annual two-day barrel tasting event. You’ll enjoy a self-guided wine country tour that will take you to more than 30 wineries, each of which will be offering varietal wines from barrel, tank or bottle. The wines will be paired with scrumptious food samplings that exemplify the perfect marriage of food and wine. Ticket holders will receive a map of the Temecula Valley, a passport that allows a visit to each participating winery, and a souvenir glass. Tickets are $99 per person ($89 presale through Feb. 6). Local, Sunday only and designated driver tickets are also available at a discounted price. For tickets and information visit temeculawines.org or call the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association at (800) 801-WINE.
Thornton Winery’s Romantic Rendezvous Saturday, February 12, 7 p.m. 32575 Rancho California Road Temecula Join Thornton Winery for an intimate adults only Valentine’s Day celebration featuring the sounds of strolling violins. Guests may choose from one of three venues: the Champagne Lounge, Champagne Caves or the Vineyard View room overlooking the Fountain Terrace. Start the evening with tray passed hors d’oeuvres’ paired with NV Brut. The first course starts with a Hearts of Palm & Bibb Lettuce Salad with Tangerine Dressing paired with Thornton’s 2009 “Sans Oak” Chardonnay. The entrée starts with a Petite Filet Mignon & Salmon with Creme Fraiche Mashed Potatoes, with Roasted Asparagus and Wild Mushroom Bearnaise all paired with Thornton’s 2007 Syrah. And for dessert, a luscious Milk Chocolate and Strawberry Trifle paired with their 2006 Late Harvest Zinfandel. The cost is $85 per person plus tax and tip. Reservations are required so call (951) 699-0099 or visit thorntonwine.com.
Ventura County Food and Wine Lovers’ Festival Sunday, Feb. 13, Festival, 2-6 p.m.: FourContinued on Page 7
What’s Doin’ in Wine Country... Continued on Page 6
Course, Five-Star Dinner, 6:30-10 p.m. Four Season’s Hotel, Two Dole Dr., Westlake Village The Ventura County Wine Trail invites you to a spectacular gathering of the finest local wineries and restaurants at the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village. Enjoy talents of celebrated local chefs and wine makers, luxurious chocolates and cheeses, hand-rolled cigars, unique gifts, shopping, music and much more. Individual festival tickets purchased in advance are $65. Tickets purchased at the door are $75. Just when the festival is ending, your
night’s just beginning. Indulge in a fourcourse, five-star dinner, downstairs at Hampton’s Restaurant inside the Four Seasons Hotel. Rare and exclusive tastings of award-winning local wines, rare barrel tastings, meet the winemaker, treats, special gifts and prizes. Perfect for a special, one-of-a-kind Valentine’s Day experience. All-Inclusive, Festival Tickets and FiveStar Wine Maker Dinner is $105. Includes Festival Admission and Dinner from 6:3010 p.m. This event benefits Ventura County Food Share. For tickets and information visit foodandwineloversfestival.com.
Winery Guide PLACER COUNTY
Map is not to scale
NEVADA COUNTY N AGGIAR WINERY AVANGUARDIA WINES 1 Winery: 13028 Jones Bar Rd., Nevada City, 530-274-9482, avanguardiawines.com Tasting Sat 12-4 Apr-Dec or by Appt. Tasting Room: 209 W. Main St, Grass Valley, Tasting Daily 12-5 B URCH H ALL/ COYOTEVILLE WINERIES 2 108 Mill Street, Grass Valley 530.272.7000, BurchWines.com Tasting Mon,Wed, Fri-Sun; 12-5 COUFOSCELLARS 5 10065 Rough & Ready Rd. Rough&Ready, 530.274.2923 Tasting Sat 12-5 or by Appt. DOUBLE OA K V INEYARDS 6 & WINERY 14510 Blind Shady Road, Nevada City, 530-292-3235 doubleoakwinery.com Tasting Sat 11-5 or by Appt. I NDIAN SPRINGS V INEYARD 8 303 Broad St., Nevada City 530-478-1068/ 800-375-9311 indianspringswines.com Tasting Sun-Thu 11-5, Fri-Sat 11:30-6 LUCCHESI V INEYARDS & 11 WINERY 167 Mill Street, Grass Valley 530-274-2164, lucchesivineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-6 M ON TOLIVA V INEYARD & WINERY 12 15629 Mt. Olive Rd., Chicago Park, 530-346-6577 montoliva.com, Tasting Sat-Sun 12-4
13 18125 Rosemary Ln., Grass Valley, 530-268-9059 naggiarvineyards.com Tasting by Appt./Tours by Appt. N EVADA CITY WINERY 14 321 Spring St., Nevada City 530-265-9463, ncwinery.com Tasting Daily 12-6, Sun 12-5 P ILOT P EAK V INEYARD & WINERY 16 12888 Spenceville Rd., Penn Valley, 530-432-3321, pilotpeak.com, Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 SIERRA K NOLLS V INEYARD & WINERY 18 19635 Kingwood Ct., Grass Valley, 530-268-9225 sierraknollswinery.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 or by Appt. SIERRA STA R R V INEYARD & WINERY 19 11179 Gibson Drive, Grass Valley, 530-477-8277, sierrastarrwine.com Tasting by Appt. SMITH VINEYARDS & WINERY 20 13719 Dog Bar Road, Grass Valley, 530-273-7032, smith-vineyard.com, Tasting by Appt. SOLUNE WINEGROWERS 21 16303 Jewett Ln., Grass Valley 530-271-0990, solunewinery.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 or by Appt./Tours by Appt. T RUCKEE R IVER WINERY 22 10061 So. River St.,Truckee 530-587-4626, truckeeriverwinery.com Tasting by Appt.
B AUMBACH WINES 23 291 Auburn Folsom Rd., Auburn 530-305-0048, baumbachwines.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 & by Appt. 24 CIOTTI CELLARS 10555 Harris Rd., Auburn 916-534-8780, ciotticellars.com Sat-Sun 12-6 CRISTALDI V INEYARDS 24 10555 Harris Rd., Auburn 916-759-1291, cristaldivineyards.com Sat-Sun 12-6 DONO DAL CIELO ESTATE 25 6100 Wise Rd., Newcastle 530-888-0101, donodalcielo.com Fri-Sun 12-5 26 FAWNRIDGE WINERY 5560 Fawnridge Rd., Auburn 530-887-9522, fawnridgewine.com Fri-Sun 10-5 or Tues-Thurs by Appt. FORTEZZA WINERY 24 10555 Harris Rd., Auburn 530-889-2824, fortezzawinery.com Sat-Sun 12-6 GREEN FAMILY WINERY 27 3420 Pine Ridge Ln., Auburn 530-888-8866,greenfamilywinery.com Sat-Sun 12-4:30 LONE B UFFALO V INEYARDS 28 2682 Burgard Ln., Auburn 916-663-4486, lonebuffalovineyards.com, Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5 M T. VERNON WINERY 29 10850 Mt.Vernon Rd., Auburn, 530-823-1111, mtvernonwinery.com Tasting Thu-Sun 11-5 PESCATORE VINEYARD & WINERY 30 7055 Ridge Rd., Newcastle 916-663-1422, pesctorewines.com, Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 & by Appt. P OPIE B Y DUA RTE FAMILY V INEYARDS 24 10555 Harris Rd., Auburn 916-768-7643, popiewines.com Sat-Sun 12-6 R ANCHO R OBLE V INEYARDS32 340 Fleming Rd., Lincoln 916-645-2075, ranchoroble.com Tasting by Appt. SECRET R AVINE V INEYARD & WINERY 33 4390 God Trail Way, Loomis 916-652-6015, secretravine.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 & by Appt. V I NA CASTELANO 34 4590 Bell Rd., Auburn 530-889-2855, vinacastellano.com Thu-Sun 12-5 35 WISE V ILLA WINERY 4226 Wisel Rd., Lincoln 916-752-6635, wisevillawinery.com Tasting by Appt.
Her VineNess
on
Wine
By Laura Ness 2007 Poetic Cellars “Mantra,” Mourvedre-Sangiovese-Syrah blend, $32 This delicious blend of 45 percent Mourvedre, 45 percent Syrah and 10 percent Sangiovese is a smooth, multi-layered experience of pure pleasure, balancing the racy, wild red fruits of the Mourvedre with the depth and richness of the Syrah. Spritely Sangiovese adds charming cherries and buttery smooth tannins to create a mantra worth repeating over and over. This may become your favorite Rhone-style wine ever! The fruit is from winemaker Katy Lovell’s vineyard in Livermore. www.poeticcellars.com (Open weekends, noon to 5 p.m.) 2009 Crooked Vine Fume Blanc, Del Arroyo Vineyard, Livermore $22 Winemaker Jaime Dowell tried barrel-fermenting some Sauvignon Blanc, leaving it on wood about seven months. If you’ve ever had grilled pineapple, this wine will speak to you with a grass skirt and all manner of tropical hula hoopla. There’s smoked mango salsa, grilled figs and oodles of green coconut, guava and grilled pineapple. This wine is smoky and exotic. www.crookedvine.com (Open daily 11-4 p.m., except Sunday, noon-4 p.m.) 2006 Hammond Vineyards “DUA” Syrah/Grenache, Monterey, $18 There’s a good story behind this wine. The name could mean “two,” as in the two varieties that make it up, i.e., 70 percent Syrah and 30 percent Grenache, but it goes back to the pre-winemaker days when Reggie and his friends would get together to make cooperative dinners and he was often assigned to bring the wine. The salutation of the evening was frequently, DUA, short for, “Drink Up, A--hole!” Which might not fly with the TTB, but DUA could mean anything, including, Distinctively Upwardly Ascending, or Definitely Universally Appealing, which most assuredly holds true in this case. The lovely pas de deux that these two varieties manage in the glass is truly admirable, and quite affordable. Stock up and drink up, amici. The new Hammond Vineyards tasting room is open Sat-Sun, 11-5 p.m. at 655 River Road, Salinas. At press time their website is under construction: hammondvineyards.com. Steven Kent 2007 Petit Verdot, Ghielmetti Vineyard, Livermore Valley, $50 Normally relegated to a supporting role in Bordeaux blends, Petit Verdot adds tannin, color, aromatics and flavor, along with wonderful mid-palate viscosity and substantial finishing tannins. There is a heart of darkness element to Petit Verdot that I adore. This one blew me away. The powerful, captivating aromas of crushed dark berries, coffee, semi-sweet chocolate, lavender and violet set the stage for the perfect enjoyment experience. After one sip, my tasting companion and I set our glasses down, looked at each other, and immediately said, “black raspberry jam!” This is an ethereally delicious staple of growing up on the east coast. Not only does this 100 percent Petit Verdot ooze the dark intensity of black raspberry jam, it captures the silky, dense, incomparably wonderful texture of it. You can see why winemakers once smitten by this variety, seek every opportunity to add a splash to everything they make. But to savor it on its own is like eating jam from the jar, toast be damned. Buy this wine. www.stevenkent.com (Open daily noon to 4:30) 2008 Sequana Pinot Noir, Dutton Ranch, Green Valley, Russian River, $40 One sip inspired a story. This one lives in a secluded seacoast cottage on the Pacific bluffs. It’s a complete novel, with smoothly flowing segues from brambly fruit to pumpkin-apricot bread pudding. Deeply satisfying, almost meaty. Superb. www.sequanavineyards.com
California
YUBA COUNTY R ENAISSANCE 36 12585 Rices Crossing Rd., Oregon House, 530-575-1254 renaissancewinery.com Tasting Mon-Sat 11-3 by Appt.
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7
Hamlet on River Road
H
e knows the vineyards well enough to never own them. Same thing with a winery, or even a tasting room. Reggie Hammond is a smart cookie and he’s not going to let the encumbrances of stuff get in the way of making good wine at a reasonable price. For 13 years, he made wines at Ventana Vineyards in Monterey that earned Ventana medals for nearly every wine in every competition they ever entered. He learned from brilliant viticulture pioneer, Doug Meador, how the vineyard makes the wine, and Reggie certainly made a lasting and earnest peace with the vineyards he was dealt. Reggie is not one to complain: he rolls with it and makes the absolute best of everything, with no whining. You have to love that about him. So, when Ventana went up for sale a few years back, can you blame him for snagging some good fruit and creating his own label as a backup plan? Turns out he didn’t need to use it immediately: he had a couple of years leeway, during which he packed away a couple of vintages in the cellar before he had to think about selling them. Now, Reggie has a most excellent scenario unfolding at 655 River Road in Salinas. He’s teamed up with Marilyn Remark Winery to make wine in their cellar and to rent out part of the property. The two venues are literally adjacent, but one cannot be seen from the other. Reggie and Joel Bernstein, winemaker and owner of Marilyn Remark, are cooperating to create a win-win for visitors: Guests will have two vastly different environments to enjoy, as they taste wines as different as the inside of a cellar and the outside of a sundrenched front porch, open to the possibilities of all outdoors. Bocce court? Lawn bowling? Croquet? Says Reggie, “We are going to focus on the Burgundian varietals going forward.
Winery Guide (Map not to scale)
Reggie Hammond is producing excellent wines in his new Monterey location. Marilyn Remark is a well-known Rhone house, and we don’t want to compete with them.� The current offerings include a solidly made 2009 chardonnay ($18) fermented mostly in used French barrels, filled with minerals, ripe pears, apple crisp, orange peel and a hint of mango, and a really beautiful 2008 pinot noir ($20), sourced primarily from a Chualar vineyard, as well as some vineyards along River Road. It walks that fine line of pleasing strawberry and pomegranate fruit and intriguing earthiness, with deft acidity and a wonderful mouthfeel. This is the real deal: a lovely, luscious and lively Burgundian effort. It almost feels like a crime to pay so little for a pinot this bloody good, trust me. Ah, but wait, there’s more. Lots more. Reggie has a couple of vintages of pretty impressive Rhones to ply you with as well. There’s an 05 and 06 Syrah, an 06 Grenache Noir, and two vintages of remarkably finely meshed Syrah (70 percent) and Grenache (30 percent), called DUA. They’re all deftly made and priced to stock your cellar, and not his, at $120 per case, while supplies last, and they for sure won’t. Visit the Hammond Vineyards’ new tasting room at 655 River Road, weekends, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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The latest wine country guides are at
www.vinetimesonline.com 8 February / March 2011 • www.vinetimesonline.com
CALAVERAS COUNTY
(IN MURPHYS UNLESS NOTED) BEAUX CHEVAUX 2 466 B Main St., 209-728-1000 beauxchevaux.com Tasting Fri-Sat 11-5, Sun 11-4 BLACK SHEEP WINERY 3 221 Main St., 209-728-2157 blacksheepwinery.com Tasting Daily11-5 BODEGA DEL SUR WINERY 4 457 S. Algiers St., 209-728-9030 bodegadelsur.com Tasting Sun,Mon,Thu 11-4;Fri-Sat 11-5 BROLL MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS 6 106 Main St., 209-728-9750 brollmountainvineyards.com Tasting Sat-Sun 1-5 7 BRICE STATION 3353 E. Highway 4, 209-728-9893 bricestation.com Tasting Fri-Sat-Sun 12-6 10 CHATOM VINEYARDS 1969 Hwy. 4, Douglas Flat 209-736-6500 chatomvineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-5 CHIARELLA WINES 11 431 Main St., 209-728-8318 chiarellawines.com Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5 DOMAINE BECQUET 13 415 Main St., 209-728-8487 becquetwinery.com Tasting Mon,Thu, Fri 12-5, Sat-Sun 11-5 FRENCH HILL WINERY 14 8032 S. Main, Mokelumne Hill 209-286-1800 Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5
MARIPOSA COUNTY BUTTERFLY CREEK WINERY 2 4063 Triangle Road, Mariposa 209-966-2097, Tasting Fri-Sat 10-4 GIANELLI VINEYARDS 3 18263 Main St., Jamestown 209-984-1500 gianellivineyards.com Tasting Thu-Sun 12-5 MARIPOSA WINE COMPANY 4 20146 Road 21, Madera 559-673-6372 mariposawine.com Tasting Daily 11-4 MOUNT BULLION VINEYARD 5 6947 N. Highway 49, Mariposa 209-377-8450 mtbullionvineyard.com Tasting Fri-Sat 12-4, or By Appt. SILVER FOX WINERY 9 4683 Morning Star Lane, Mariposa, 209-966-4800 silverfoxvineyards.com Tasting by Appt./Tours by Appt.
FROG’S TOOTH WINERY 15 380 Main St., Ste. 5, 209-728-2700, frogstooth.com Tasting Fri 1-5, Sat 11-6 LARAINE WINES 18 3675 Six Mile Rd.,Vallecito 209-736-4766, larainewinery.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 or by Appt. HATCHER WINERY 19 425 Main St, 209-605-7111 hatcherwinery.com Tasting Mon-Thu 12-5, Fri-Sun 11-5 INDIAN ROCK VINEYARDS 20 1154 Pennsylvania Gulch Rd, 209-728-8514,indianrockvineyards.com Tasting Fri- Sun 12-5 21 IRISH VINEYARDS 2849 Hwy. 4,Vallecito 209-736-1299, irishvineyard.com Tasting Mon,Tue, Fri 2-5, Sat-Sun 11-5 IRONSTONE VINEYARDS 22 1894 Six Mile Rd, 209-728-1251, ironstonevineyards.com Tasting Daily 10-5 LAVENDER RIDGE VINEYARDS 25 431 B Main St, 209-728-2441 lavendarridgevineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-5 MILLIAIRE 26 276 Main St., 209-728-1658 milliairewinery.com, Tasting Daily 11-5 MUIR’S LEGACY VINEYARDS 27 260 Jones St., 209-728-0500, muir-hanna.com, Tasting Daily 11-5 NEWSOME-HARLOW WINES 28 403 Main St., 209-728-9817 newsome-harlow.com Tasting Mon-Thu 12-5, Fri-Sun 11:30-5:30
RENNER WINERY 31 310 Town Square Rd., Copperopolis, 209-785-3649 rennerwinery.com Tasting Fri-Sat 12-6, Sun 12-5 32 SOLOMON WINE CO. 397-A Main St., 209-728-8290 solomonwine.com Tasting Mon-Fri 1-5, Sat 12-6, Sun 12-5 STEVENOT WINERY 33 458 Main St., 209-728-0148 stevenotwinery.com Tasting Daily11-5 34 TANNER VINEYARDS 202 Main St., 209-728-8229 tannervineyards.com Tasting Mon-Tue,Thu-Fri 1-5, Sat 12-5:30, Sun 12-5 TWISTED OAK WINERY 37 4280 Red Hill Rd.,Vallecito 209-736-9080, twistedoak.com Tasting Daily 10:30-5:30 Historic Murphy’s Location: 38 350 Main St, Murphys Tasting Mon-Fri 12-5, Sat-Sun 10:30-5:30.Winter hours Fri-Sun & Holidays 12-5 VAL DU VINO WINERY 40 634 French Gulch Rd., 209-728-9911 valduvino.com, Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5 41 VINA MODA WINERY 147 Main St., 209-728-1917 vinamoda.com, Tasting Sat 12-6 ZUCCA MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS 42 431 E. Main St., 209-728-1623 zuccawines.com, Tasting Daily12-5
M A RIPOSA TUOLOMNE
Map not to scale 13 TUOLOMNE COUNTY MT. BROW WINERY 10850 Mt. Brow Rd., Sonora GOLD MINE WINERY 10 209-532- 8491 22265 Parret’s Ferry Road, mtbrowwinery.com Columbia, 209-532-3089 Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5 Tasting Wed-Sun 12-6 Submit your winery or LA BELLA ROSA VINEYARDS 12 changes to be included in our 117990 Old Wards Ferry Rd., April/May issue’s guides. Please Sonora, 209-533- 8668 submit by March 7, 2011 to labellarosavineyards.com editor@vinetimesmagazine Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 .com
Paso Robles - More Than Wine Country
Clockwise from Top: Morro Rock is Morro Bay’s most prominent landmark. (Lisa J. Pretty), Paso labels are as diverse as the wines. (Lisa J. Pretty), Paso Robles translates to, pass of the oaks due to the large number of the trees in the area. (Lisa J. Pretty), FarmStand 46 on HWY46 West is a popular lunch stop. (Denise Kouzoujian), Soaking up the sunshine on a secluded beach. (John Sieling)
By Lisa J. Pretty
P
aso Robles continues to be the fastest growing wine area in California. Today more than 180 wineries can be found in the Paso Robles viticulture area – that is a five-fold increase over the past decade. The hot summer days and cool evenings along with the perfect soil conditions allow winegrowers to produce some of the best fruit in the state. The area has been a draw for winemakers such as Stephan Asseo, owner of L’Aventure Winery, whose family had premium vineyards in Bordeaux and the Perrin family, co-founders of Tablas Creek Vineyard, who were known for producing premium wines under a well respected label in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Prior to selecting Paso Robles, most of the newly opened wineries search far and wide before deciding to make Paso Robles the home for their label. Among the winery owners you will find people who arrived in Paso from across the United States, France, Italy, Australia, Switzerland and Canada. Tasting room and event information for each winery can be found online at pasowine.com. It isn’t just the winery owners who believe in the quality of wine from Paso Robles, for the past few years wine writers have been touting the area as the next Napa, the wine experts have been giving the wines rave reviews with multiple Paso Robles brands consistently scoring in the 90-point and higher range, and in most competitions you will see Paso Robles producers taking gold and even “best of class” for several wine categories. 2010 was a year that Paso vintners truly demonstrated
that the wines stand up against and even beyond wines from other regions. Robert Hall was honored as the Golden State Winery, an award given to the winery which has the greatest number of wines winning the highest number of awards at the California State Fair Wine Competition, the oldest and most prestigiously judged wine competition in North America. Also in 2010, Robert Parker assigned a perfect score of 100 points to the 2007 Saxum James Berry Vineyard Proprietary Red – perfect scores are not granted easily and this was a first for a Paso wine. Needless to say with all the positive press, wine lovers have been flocking to Paso Robles. The visitors have certainly changed over the years. In the past the tasting rooms saw several locals out tasting for the day and people located a one-to-four hour drive escaping their weekly routine for a day or two of wine tasting. More and more people are making Paso Robles a vacation destination with visitors from across the USA and even international travelers. The large number of tasting rooms and the diverse wine selection can entertain most people for several day; however, Paso is not just about wine tasting, the list of things to do, see and eat will keep people coming back.
hotel, a B&B, or one of the many vacation rental homes. There are far too many to list them all in this article so here are some of the ones that I recommend when I have guests coming to town. For those that want luxurious accommodations with privacy I always send them to Hotel Cheval in downtown Paso Robles. Not only are the rooms to die for, but the hotel also has the Pony Club wine bar with local wines, appetizers, and often live music. For those who do not like to drive, the location is a short walk to a dozen downtown tasting rooms, the Studios on the Park art gallery, several restaurants, the park in the center of town, cute shops and several wine bars. In the mid-price range I send guests to the Marriott, La Quinta, and La Bellasera – all are fairly new and should hold no surprises. The larger challenge comes when someone requests a bed and breakfast. There are so many fabulous ones that it is hard to pick. Several wineries and vineyard owners have added guest accommodations over the years – it is a great way to add to the wine country experience. For people who like to meet the locals and get the inside scoop a B&B is the way to go. The Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce is good place to get details on the many lodging options available – (805) 238-0506, pasorobleschamber.com.
Where to Stay A challenge in the past was finding a place to stay during peak wine tasting season. Luckily along with the growth in wineries has come a growth in accommodations. Visitors can now pick their price point and decide to stay in a lower priced motel, a mid-priced hotel chain, a luxury
Where to Dine Wine people often tend to be interested in a good culinary experience and this is an area where Paso Robles will not disappoint. There are many spectacular choices and visitors may be tempted to stay anothContinued on Page 10 www.vinetimesonline.com • February / March 2011
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Destination: Paso Robles Continued from Page 9 er night just for the opportunity to try another restaurant. My favorite is Il Cortile, located on 12th Street just a little west of Spring Street, a restaurant that may be classified as rustic Italian fine dining. They offer a seasonal menu with daily specials and source local, fresh ingredients. The atmosphere is perfect for chatting with fellow diners in either the main dining room or at the patio tables. They make their pasta from scratch and are now offering cooking classes on Thursdays. What a great way to learn the secrets of an excellent chef and enjoy a gourmet lunch that you help prepare. The details can be found at ilcortilerestarante.com. Thomas Hill Organics is another fun place to dine. As the name implies, they use organic products for a menu that is delicious and healthy. The courtyard is perfect, complete with a fireplace for the chillier evenings. Other favorites of mine in downtown Paso Robles are Bistro Laurent for French, Artisan for trendy American, Basil for Thai, and Goshi for Japanese. Outside of Paso and not too far to drive I also enjoy McPhee’s Grill in Templeton, Windows on the Water in Morro Bay and Robin’s in Cambria. Lunch options include many of the above as well as a few places that you can find while out touring around. Very popular with people on their way to the coast or exploring the west side of Paso Wine Country is FarmStand46. They offer sandwiches made to order, salads, soup and awesome pizzas made in the wood oven. A few wineries are now offering lunches at the tasting facilities including Cass Winery, Eagle Castle and on weekends Calcareous.
in downtown Paso it is a bit of a local hangout as well as a favorite for visitors. They have a good selection of appetizers and the place always seems to be hopping. Down the road a bit is the stop for a round of pool, a beer and perhaps even Karaoke at the Pine Street Saloon. A bit more of a drive, but just 8 miles north of Paso is the Ranch in San Miguel. The Ranch has comedy on Wednesday evenings and tends to book some big name bands on weekends. Even when they don’t have live music, the large dance floor is usually hopping.
Hit the Coast One of the many perks of being in the Paso area is that you can be on the coast in just 30 minutes. Beach walks, whale watching, dining, fishing, glass bottom boat tours...so many fun things to do. On my “to do” list is to rent a kayak and tour Morro Bay. Morro Bay is a must for first time visitors. The most prominent landmark is Morro Rock, the last in a chain of volcanic plugs known as the Nine Sisters. You can watch the sea otters play and also visit the Morro Bay Estuary/Bird Sanctuary. Just a few miles north is Hearst Castle, one of the largest historic house museums in the USA. Once the home of William Randolph Hearst, California State Park Service strives to keep the estate looking like a private residence with several tours offered on a daily basis. The property includes 250,000 acres, has 127 acres of gardens, terraces, pools and walkways. Visitors are always impressed with the two large pools and the 90,000 square feet of living space divided into165 rooms.
Get Physical The Bar Scene Wine bars seem to be popping up everywhere. In downtown Paso you can choose between The Pony Club, the Meritage Lounge, Vinoteca and Paso Wine Centre. In Templeton a very cool place is 15degreesC. The wine bar and shop is owned by Ali Rush Carscaden, a certified sommelier who is extremely helpful when it comes to selecting wine. On Wednesdays they have $3 glasses of wine from 4 to 7, On Thursdays they offer traditional Spanish tapas and on Fridays you can enjoy champagne along with oysters and caviar provided by Pier 46. Tuesdays they are closed to the public for Wine University. In Atascadero, a new discovery of mine, is Haven Wine Bistro. They have live music several nights each week and most Thursdays feature a local winemaker and offer a plate of food paired with the wines. On Wednesdays you can get your feet soaked while you sip on your wine. For cocktails, especially margaritas I would say the hands down place to go is Villa Creek Bar & Grill. Located park side
Winery Guide
With all the eating and drinking that goes on during a wine getaway it is fun to include a little outdoor phsyical activity. In addition to strolling around the parks, taking a beach walk or kayaking, the Paso area has a number of great day hikes. One of my friends and I have set out to cover all the day hikes in San Luis Obispo County. It will take a long time since there are 168 hikes ranging from short one-mile walks to challenging 18-mile hikes. They are a great way to discover the beauty of the area including the dramatic bluff trails along the Pacific coastline, the creekside canyon walks in the Santa Lucia Mountains, the urban pathways scattered throughout the county and several wilderness retreats. If you are a hiker you are in for a treat. Cycling, mountain biking and tennis are also great options in the area. Then when you are finished be sure to reward yourself with a little spa time at one of the local spas. Spa Central Coast in Atascadero and Paso Robles Hot Springs are two places to find some pampering at the end of the day.
10 February / March 2011 • www.vinetimesonline.com
1 BATTAION CELLARS 21 S. Livermore Ave., #109, Livermore (@Blacksmith Sq.), 925-245-9242, battaioncellars.com Tasting Fri 4-7, Sat-Sun 12-5 BENT CREEK WINERY 2 5455 Greenville Rd., Livermore, 925-455-6320, bentcreekwinery.com Tasting Fri-Sun 12-4:30 or by Appt. BIG WHITE HOUSE WINERY 3 6800 Greenville Rd., Livermore, 925-449-1976, bigwhitehouse.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12-4:30 or by Appt. BOAVENTURA DE CAIRES WINERY 5 9309 Tesla Rd., Livermore 925-606-9672, boaventuravineyard.com Tasting 1st weekend each month & by Appt. BODEGAS AGUIRRE WINERY 6 8580 Tesla Rd., Livermore 925-606-0554, bodegasaguirre.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12-4:30 or by Appt. CEDAR MOUNTAIN WINERY 8 7000 Tesla Rd., Livermore 925-373-6636, cedarmountain winery.com, Tasting Sat-Sun 12-4 CHARLES R VINEYARDS 9 8195 Crane Ridge Rd., Livermore, 925-454-3040 charlesrvineyards.com Tasting Fri-Sun 12-4:30 or by Appt. 10 CHOUINARD VINEYARDS 33853 Palomares Rd., Castro Valley 510-582-9900, chouinard.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 & by Appt. 11 CONCANNON VINEYARD 4590 Tesla Rd., Livermore 925-456-2508, concannonvineyard.com, Tasting Daily 11-4:30 CROOKED VINE WINERY 12 4948 Tesla Rd., Livermore 925-449-0458, crookedvine.com Tasting Mon-Thu 12-4, Fri-Sun 12-5 CUDA RIDGE WINES 15 5385 East Avenue, Livermore 510-304-0914 CudaRidgeWines.com Tasting Fri-Sun 12-4:30 DEER RIDGE VINEYARDS 16 1828 Wetmore, Livermore 925-447-4328, deerridgevineyards.com, Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 EAGLE RIDGE VINEYARD 18 10017 Tesla Rd., Livermore 925-743-9427, Tasting Sat-Sun 12-4:30 or by Appt. ECKERT ESTATE WINERY 19 2400 Arroyo Rd., Livermore 925-371-8606, eckertestate.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 or by Appt. 20 EL SOL VINEYARD 8626 Lupin Way, Livermore 925-606-1827, elsolwine.com Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5 ELLISTON VINEYARDS 21 463 Kilkare Road, Sunol 925-663-8219, elliston.com Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5 24 FENESTRA WINERY 83 Vallecitos Road, Livermore 925-447-5246,fenestrawinery.com Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5 GARRÉ VINEYARD & WINERY 25 7986 Tesla Rd., Livermore 925-371-8200, garrewinery.com Tasting Sat-Sun 11:30-5 HIDDEN CREEK WINE 27 21 S. Livermore Ave., #101 Livermore (@Blacksmith Sq.), 925-989-1163, thecrushwinemaking.com, Tasting Fri-Sun 1-6
JOHN CHRISTOPHER CELLARS29 25 S. Livermore Ave., #103, Livermore (@Blacksmith Sq.), 925-456-9463, johnchristophercellars.com, Tasting Thu-Sun 12-6 LA ROCHELLE WINERY & STEVEN KENT WINERY 30 5443 Tesla Rd., Livermore 925-243-6440, larochellewinery.com, stevenkent.com Tasting Daily 12-4:30 LES CHENES ESTATE VINEYARDS 31 5562 Victoria Ln., Livermore 925-373-1662,lechenesvine.com, Tasting Sat-Sun 12-4:30 or by Appt. LITTLE VALLEY WINERY 32 5700 Greenville Rd., Livermore 925-862-9006, Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5 LONGEVITY WINES 34 35 Rickenbacker Circle South Livermore, 925-454-9463, lvcwines.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5, or by Appt. 35 MCGRAIL VINEYARDS 5600 Greeville Rd.,Livermore 925-373-6214, mcgrailvineyards.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12-4:30 or by Appt. MITCHELL KATZ WINERY AT RUBY HILL 36 1188 Vineyard Ave., Pleasanton, 925-931-0744, mitchellkatzwinery.com, Tasting Thu-Sun 12-5 MURRIETA'S WELL 37 3005 Mines Rd., Livermore 925-456-2390, muriettaswell.com Tasting Daily 11-4:30 NOTTINGHAM CELLARS 38 2245 S.Vasco Rd., Livermore, 925-294-8647 nottinghamcellars.com Tasting Fri 2-6, Sat-Sun 12-4:30 OCCASIO 39 2245 So.Vasco Rd., Livermore, 925-371-1987, occasiowinery.com Fri-Sun 12-5 or by Appt. PAGE MILL WINERY 40 1960 S. Livermore Ave., Livermore, 925-456-7676 pagemillwinery.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12-4:30 or by Appt. RED FEATHER WINERY & VINEYARD 41 5700 Greenville Rd., Livermore, 510-861-2722, redfeatherwinery.com Tasting Mon-Thu 1-5, Fri 12-6 Sat 12-8, Sun 1-5 or by Appt. 42 RED SKYE WINERY 21 S. Livermore Rd. #101, Livermore, 510-795-7725 redskyewine.com, Tasting Fri 3-6, Sat 1-6, Sun 1-5 or by Appt. RETZLAFF ESTATE WINERY 43 1356 S. Livermore Ave., Livermore, 925-447-8941 retzlaffwinery.com, Tasting TueFri 12-2, Sat-Sun 12-4:30 RHYAN ESTATE VINEYARDS 44 5385 East Ave., Livermore 408-712-1984, rhyanestatevineyards.com, Tasting Wed-Fri 12-5, Sat-Sun 11:30-5 or by Appt. RIOS-LOVELL ESTATE WINERY 46 6500 Tesla Road, Livermore 925-443-0434, rios-lovellwinery.com Tasting Wed-Fri 12-3, Sat-Sun 11-5 RODRIGUE-MOLYNEAUX WINERY 47 3053 Marina Ave., Livermore 925-447-4280, rodriguemolyneaux.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12:30-5
48 RUBY HILL WINERY 400 Vineyard Ave., Pleasanton 925-931-9463, rubyhillwinery.net Tasting Wed-Sun 11-5:30 STONY RIDGE WINERY 51 4948 Tesla Road, Livermore 925-449-0458,stonyridgewinery.com Tasting Mon-Wed 12-3,Thu-Sun 11-4:30 TAMAS ESTATE WINERY 52 5489 Tesla Rd., Livermore 925-456-2380, tamasestates.com Tasting Daily 11-4:30 53 TENUTA VINEYARDS 633 Kalthoff Commons, Livermore, 925-960-1006 tenutawinery.com Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5 or by Appt. THE SINGING WINEMAKER 55 5443 Tesla Rd., Livermore 925-606-9463, teslavintners.com, Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5 THOMAS COYNE WINERY 56 51 E.Vallecitos Rd., Livermore 925-373-6541, thomascoynewinery.com, Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 WENTE VINEYARDS ESTATE WINERY 59 5565 Tesla Rd., Livermore 925-456-2305, wentevineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-4:30 WENTE VINEYARDS VISITORS CENTER 60 5050 Arroyo Rd,. Livermore 925-456-2405, wentevineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-6:30 WESTOVER VINEYARDS/ PALOMARES WINERY 61 34329 Palomares Canyon Rd., Castro Valley, 510-537-3932 westoverwinery.com, Tasting Mon-Fri 1-5, Sat-Sun 12-5 or by Appt. WHITE CRANE WINERY 63 5405 Greenville Rd., Livermore 925-455-8085, whitecranewinery.com Tasting Fri-Sun 12-4:30 or by Appt. WOOD FAMILY VINEYARDS 64 7702 Cedar Mountain Dr., Livermore, 925-606-7411 woodfamilyvineyards.com Tasting by Appt. & Scheduled Events
Submit your winery or changes to be included in our April / May issue’s guides. Please submit by March 7, 2011 to editor@ vinetimesmagazine.com
Jaime Dowell of Livermore’s Crooked Vine Looks Back at 2010 By Laura Ness
W
LIVERMORE VALLEY
inemaker Jaime Dowell of Crooked Vine and Stony Ridge in the Livermore Valley is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime this month. She’ll hit Fiji first, and then we’ll see what happens thereafter. She hopes to work the harvest in the southern hemisphere, probably Australia, coming up in the March and April timeframe. It’s been a rock n’ roil time at Crooked Vine/Stony Ridge with the Corbetts, and
they’ve achieved much to be proud of, and much to build on as they continue to build the brands. Before Jaime packed her bags, though, we caught up with her for a brief summation of 2010 harvest, which she said was longer than normal, but overall, went very smoothly. Of the “first” highlights, Jaime was excited about the Pinot Noir Rose Sparkling she was making for Crooked Vine (to be released for Valentine’s Day), and a Rose wine called “Razzle
Dazzle,” for Stony Ridge (to be released in May). Probably a perfect example of this young lady’s handiwork, is “Razzle Dazzle,” which happens to be a saignée of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. There is nothing shy about this wine, and the color is a gorgeous reddish pink, like the midpoint of a Fall sunset. There’s guava, strawberry, mango and Jolly Roger candy, with a rich, lasting finish of strawberry bubble gum. Yum. This one will be ideal for summer: it’s filled
with strawberry shortcake deliciousness. Turns out that this was Jaime’s first attempt at rosé, and she was, somewhat needlessly, fretting over the color. Someone with red hair shouldn’t get so stressed out about pigment in wine. Crooked Vine is also making a Late Harvest Viognier for the 2010 vintage, after a three-year hiatus. She says, “We harvested at 34 Brix and actually used our feet to crush this one! How fun!” They paid a little bit more attention to Continued on Page 23
COME JOIN US FOR BARREL TASTING WEEKEND Barrel Tasting Discounted Futures Available Cheese Pairings and Live Music:
Sunset Loves Us! ( January 2011 Issue) Music to sip wine by . . .
on the 1st Sunday and 2nd Saturday of each month. Picnickers Welcome!
33853 Palomares Road (5.9 milemark) Castro Valley, CA 94552 510.582.9900 • www.chouinard.com Mitchell Katz Winery crafts single vineyard designate wines in a wide range of varietals.
Mitchell Katz Winery 1188 Vineyard Ave. Pleasanton, CA 94566 925.931.0744 mitchellkatzwinery.com
Releasing 2009 Alicia's Elixir, Zinfandel & 2008 Walker Ranch, Cabernet Sauvignon.
We are Open Daily (925) 449-0458
Tickets Available at www.lvwine.org
Cuda Ridge Wines 5385 East Ave.• Livermore 510-304-0914 www.CudaRidgeWines.com
Tasting Room Hours: Fri-Sun, 12-4:30 or by Appointment
Join us for Barrel Tasting Weekend! We will be barrel tasting our 2009 Estate Syrah; paired with Chef Jim’s specialties. Celebrate Valentines Weekend Feb. 12 &13 at Les Chenes
Come join us on Saturday, March 19th for our Release Party as well as Barrel Tasting!
A family owned and operated winery and vineyard in the heart of the beautiful Livermore Wine country. Guests enjoy our intimate setting for weddings or private parties. Come experience our award winning wines and gracious hospitality.
www.crookedvine.com
Handcrafted, Small Lot Bordeaux Style Wines
Catfish Boys - Saturday, 3/19 Roger Kardinal - Sunday, 3/20
“It Takes TWO to be in LOVE” (Just like Wine & Chocolate) Email: leschenesvine@aol.com for details
Come in and enjoy • 5562 Victoria Lane • Livermore, California 94550
Open Saturdays and Sundays 12 to 4:30 www.leschenesvine.com
Fenestra Winery FENESTRA WINERY RECEIVED 15 MEDALS AT THE 2010 SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE WINE COMPETITION! Library Tastings Every Weekend 83 Vallecitos Road (Formerly CA Hwy 84) Livermore, CA 94550 (925) 447-5246 Tasting Room Open Fri-Sun 12-5 p.m.
Barrel Tasting Weekend • March 19-20 Tasting Weekend Join Us For Barrel www.vinetimesonline.com • February / March 2011
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Santa Cruz Mountains • SF Peninsula • South Bay • Santa Clara Valley Winery Guide
Map Not to Scale
Map created by Artifact, Ink SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS & S.F. PENINSULA AHLGREN VINEYARD 1 20320 Hwy. 9, Boulder Creek 831-338-6071, ahlgrenvineyard.com Tasting Sat 12-4 ALFARO FAMILY VINEYARD 2 420 Hames Rd., Corralitos 831-728-5172, alfarowine.com Tasting Sat 12-5 BARGETTO WINERY 3 3535 N. Main St., Soquel 831-475-2258, bargetto.com Tasting Daily 12-5 BEAUREGARD VINEYARDS 4 10 Pine Flat Rd., Bonny Doon 831-425-7777 beauregardvineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-5 BLACK RIDGE VINEYARDS 5 18550 Black Rd., Los Gatos 408-399-6396, blackridgevineyards.com Tasting Third Sat-Sun 11-5 or by Appt. BONNY DOON VINEYARD 6 328 Ingalls Street, Santa Cruz 831-425-4518, bonnydoonvineyard.com Tasting Daily 11:30-5:30 BURRELL SCHOOL VINEYARDS7 24060 Summit Rd, Los Gatos 408-353-6290, burrellschool.com Tasting Thu-Sun 11-5 BYINGTON WINERY & VINEYARD8 21850 Bear Creek Rd., Los Gatos, 408-354-1111 byington.com, Tasting Daily 11-5 CINNABAR WINERY TASTING ROOM 9 14612 Big Basin Way., Saratoga 408-741-5858, cinnabarwine.com Tasting Daily 11-5 COOPER-GARROD VINEYARDS11 22645 Garrod Road, Saratoga 408-867-7116, cgv.com Tasting Mon-Fri 12-5, Sat-Sun 11-5 COPIOUS WINERY 12 427 Swift St., #A, Santa Cruz 813-425-WINE, copiouswinery.com Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5 or by Appt. DAVID BRUCE WINERY 13 21439 Bear Creek Rd, Los Gatos 408-354-4214, 800-397-9972 davidbrucewinery.com Tasting Mon-Fri 12-5, Sat-Sun 11-5
14 DOMENICO WINES 1697 Industrial Rd., San Carlos, 650-593-2335 domenicowines.com Tasting Daily 12-5 or by appt. DOWNHILL WINERY 15 16393 Bonnie Ln, Los Gatos, 408-358-8028, downhillwine.com Tasting by appt. EQUINOX WINE CELLARS & VINOS BARTOLO WINERY 16 427 Swift St., Santa Cruz 831-423-3000, equinoxwine.com Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5 FELLOM RANCH VINEYARDS18 17075 Montebello Road, Cupertino, 408-741-0206 fellom.com, Tasting by appt. FLEMING JENKINS TASTING ROOM 19 45 W. Main Street, Los Gatos 408-358-4949, flemingjenkins.com Tasting Tue-Sun 12-6 GENEROSA WINERY 20 22630 Summit Rd., Los Gatos 408-353-3763 generosawinery.com Tasting by Appt. GLENWOOD OAKS WINERY21 2364 Bean Creek Road, Scotts Valley, 831-438-4097 glenwoodoakswinery.com Tasting Sat 12-4:30 HEARTS FIRE WINERY 22 165 Cristich Lane, Unit K Campbell, 408-858-6029 Tasting 1st Sun. every month 1-4 or by appt. HALLCREST VINEYARDS/ ORGANIC WINE WORKS 23 379 Felton Empire Road, Felton 831-335-4441 hallcrestvineyards.com organicwineworks.com Tasting Daily 12-5 HILLCREST TERRACE 24 429-B Ingalls St., Santa Cruz 831-419-0803 Sat-Sun 12-5, most Fri afternoons HUNTER HILL 25 7099 Glen Haven Road, Soquel 831-465-9294 hunterhillwine.com Tasting Sat-Sun 11-4 or by Appt.
J. LOHR WINERY 26 1000 Lenzen Ave., San Jose 408-918-2160, jlohr.com Tasting Daily 10-5 LA HONDA WINERY 27 2645 Fair Oaks, Redwood City 650-366-4104 lahondawinery.com Tasting 3rd Sat Each Month 11-4 LA NEBBIA WINERY 28 12341 San Mateo Road, Half Moon Bay, 650-726-9463 lanebbiawinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 LOMA PRIETA WINERY 29 26985 Loma Prieta Wy, Los Gatos, 408-353-2950 lomaprietawinery.com Tasting Sat-Sun, 12-5 MICHAEL MARTELLA WINES 32 17287 Box 103 Skyline Blvd., Woodside, 650-851-6777 michaelmartella.com Tasting by Appt. MJA VINEYARDS 30 328 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz 831-421-9380, mjavineyards.com Tasting Daily 12-5 THE MOUNTAIN WINERY 33 14831 PIERCE RD., SARATOGA, 408-741-2822 mountainwinery.com Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5 NAUMANN VINEYARDS 1605 Monte Bello Rd., 31 Cupertino, 408-867-7871 naumannvineyards.com Tasting by Appt. NICHOLSON VINEYARDS 34 2800 Pleasant Valley Rd., Aptos, 831-724-7071 nicholsonvineyards.com Tasting Sat 12-4 ODONATA 35 334-A Ingalls St., Santa Cruz 831-566-5147, odonatawines.com Tasting 1st Sat of each month OSOCALIS 36 5579 Old San Jose Road, Soquel 831-477-1718, Tasting by Appt. P&M STAIGER 37 1300 Hopkins Gulch Road, Boulder Creek, 831-338-4346 pmstaiger.com, Tasting by Appt.
12 February / March 2011 • www.vinetimesonline.com
PELICAN RANCH WINERY 38 402 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz 831-426-6911, pelicanranch.com Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5 PICCHETTI WINERY 39 13100 Montebello Road, Cupertino, 408-741-1310 picchetti.com Tasting Daily 11-5 PINDER WINERY 40 165 Cristich Lane, Campbell 877-684-2601. pinderwine.com Tasting Sat 10-3 PLEASANT VALLEY VINEYARD 44 600 Pleasant Valley Rd., Aptos 831-728-2826, pvvines.com Tasting Sat 12-4 POETIC CELLARS 41 5000 North Rodeo Gulch Rd., Soquel, 831-462-3478 poeticcellars.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 REGALE WINERY &VINEYARDS42 24040 Summit Rd., Los Gatos 408-867-3233, ridgewine.com Tasting Fri 4-8, Sat-Sun 11-5:30 RIDGE VINEYARDS 43 17100 Monte Bello Rd, Cupertino, 408-867-3233, ridgewine.com. Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5 ROUDON-SMITH VINEYARDS45 2364 Bean Creek Road, Scotts Valley, 831-438-1244 roudonsmith.com Tasting Sat 12-4:30 SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAIN VINEYARD 47 334-A Ingalls St., Santa Cruz 831-426-6209 santacruzmountainvineyard.com Tasting Wed-Sun 12-5:30 SAVANNAH-CHANELLE VINEYARDS 48 23600 Big Basin Way, Saratoga 408-741-2934 savannahchanelle.com Tasting Daily 11-5 SILVER MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS 402 Ingalls St., Ste 29, 49 Santa Cruz, 831-466-0559 silvermtn.com Tasting Thu-Sun 12-5 SONES CELLARS 50 334-B Ingalls St., Santa Cruz 831-420-1552, SONESCELLARS.COM Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5 SOQUEL VINEYARDS 51 8063 GLEN HAVEN ROAD, SOQUEL, 831-462-9045 soquelvineyards.com Tasting Sat-Sun 11-4 STORRS WINERY 52 303 Potrero St., #35, Santa Cruz, 831-458-5030 storrswine.com Tasting Daily 12-5 TEAM ZIN 830 Jury Ct., San Jose 408-445-2508, Call for appt. TESTAROSSA WINERY 53 300-A College Ave., Los Gatos 408-354-6150, testarossa.com Tasting Daily 11-5
THOMAS FOGARTY WINERY54 19501 Skyline Blvd.,Woodside 650-851-6777, 800-247-4163 fogartywinery.com Tasting Wed-Sun 11-5 VINE HILL WINERY 57 2300 Jarvis Rd., Santa Cruz 831-427-0436, vinehillwinery.com Tasting every 3rd weekend each month 12-5 & special events WINDY OAKS ESTATE VINEYARDS & WINERY 46 380 Sweetwood Way, Corralitos, 831-786-9463 windyoaksestate.com Tasting by Appt. WOODSIDE VINEYARDS 59 340 Kings Mountain Rd, Woodside, 650-851-3144 woodsidevineyards.com Tasting by Appt. ZAYANTE VINEYARDS 60 420 Old Mountain Road, Felton, 831-335-7992 zayantevineyards.com Tasting by Appt. SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAIN WINE GROWERS 99 ASSOCIATION
7605–A Old Dominion Ct. Aptos, 831-685-VINE (8463) scmwa.com
SANTA CLARA VALLEY South Santa Clara County & Gilroy CLOS LA CHANCE 3 1 Hummingbird Lane, San Martin, 408-686-1050 800-487-9463, clos.com, Tasting Daily 11-5 CREEKVIEW VINEYARDS 4 12467 Creekview Ct., San Martin, 408-686-0534 creekviewvineyards.com CASTILLO’S HILLSIDE SHIRE WINERY 5 2215 Liberata Dr., Morgan Hill, 408-776-8200 Open Sat. 1-7, Sun. 12-5 FERNWOOD CELLARS 6 7137 Redwood Retreat Rd. Gilroy, 408-848-0611 fernwoodcellars.com Tasting by Appt. FORTINO WINERY 7 4525 Hecker Pass Hwy, Gilroy, 408-842-3305 fortinowinery.com Tasting Tue-Sat 10-5, Sun 11-5 GUGLIELMO WINERY 8 1480 E. Main Ave., Morgan Hill 408-779-2145,guglielmowinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 HECKER PASS WINERY 9 4605 Hecker Pass Rd., Gilroy 408-842-8755 heckerpasswinery.com Tasting Daily 9-5 JASON-STEPHENS WINERY 10 11775 Watsnville Rd, Gilroy, 408-846-VINE, Tasting Daily 12-6
KIRIGIN CELLARS 12 11550 Watsonville Rd., Gilroy 408-847-8827, kirigincellars.com Tasting Daily 10-5 MARTIN RANCH WINERY 6675 Redwood Retreat Rd., 13 Gilroy, 408-842-9197 martinranchwinery.com Tasting every 3rd weekend each month 12-5 MONTE VERDE VINEYARDS 14 13775 Sycamore Dr., Morgan Hill, 408-776-8938, monteverdevineyards.com Tasting the 3rd Sat and by Appt. MORGAN HILL CELLARS 1645 San Pedro Ave., 15 Morgan Hill, 408-779-7389 pedrizzetti.com Tasting Tue-Sun 10-5 NATAL VINEYARDS 16 1310 Green Valley Rd Watsonville, 831-750-0271 Tasting by Appt. RAPAZZINI WINERY 19 4350 Monterey Hwy., Gilroy, 408-842-5649 800-842-6262, rapazzini.com Tasting Daily 9-6/Tours RIVER RUN VINTNERS 20 65 Rogge Lane,Watsonville 831-726-3112, Tasting by Appt. SARAH'S VINEYARD 21 4005 Hecker Pass Hwy, Gilroy 408-847-1947, sarahsvineyard.com Tasting Daily 11-5 SATORI CELLARS 22 2100 Buena Vista Ave., Gilroy 408-848-5823, satoricellars.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 or by Appt. SOLIS WINERY 23 3920 Hecker Pass Hwy., Gilroy 408-847-6306, 888-411-6457 soliswinery.com Tasting Daily 12-5/Tours by Appt. SYCAMORE CREEK VINEYARDS 24 12775 Uvas Road, Morgan Hill 408-779-4738 sycamorecreekvineyards.com Tasting Thu- Fri, Mon 12-5, Sat-Sun 11-5 THOMAS KRUSE 25 3200 Dryden Ave, Gilroy 408-842-7016,thomaskrusewinery.com Tasting Tue-Sun 12- 5 CASA DE FRUTA 27 10021 Pacheco Pass Hwy, Hollister, 408-842-7282 casadefruta.com Tasting Mon-Thu 8-7:30, Fri-Sat 8-8:30
Submit your winery or changes to be included in our April / May issue’s guides. Please submit by March 7, 2011 to editor@ vinetimesmagazine.com
. . .Goodies and Gadgets Valentine Chocolate Dipped J Lohr Cabernet In this issue, Vine Times must have been struck by Cupid’s arrow because we can’t stop talking about this vino and chocolate collaboration. Around Valentine’s Day you seem to find all your favorite things dipped in chocolate: nuts, coffee beans, strawberries…but wine? This bottle of J Lohr Cabernet has a deep red-purple hue with hints of dark cherry and black currant on the nose followed by spicy clove and toasty notes on the finish. The wine itself is something you’ll instantly fall in love with. The wine bottle is hand dipped in gourmet Guittard dark chocolate and decorated with candy hearts. To enjoy the chocolate, simply pull the ribbon zipper to release the chocolate. You can enjoy a glass of wine while satisfying your sweet tooth. Whether it’s a gift for the love in your life or just a friend, this wine and chocolate is the perfect pairing for anyone. Order your bottle at sweettraders.com for $36.95
BUY ONE WINE TASTING AND GET ONE FREE! Coupon Code: VT-2011
Present this ad to redeem at either of our locations: Orfila Vineyards & Winery 13455 San Pasqual Road, Escondido, CA 92025 Toll free: 1.800.868.9463 Local: 760.738.6500 x 22 Open daily 10am-6pm. Also visit our Julian Tasting Room: 4470 Hwy. 78, Julian, CA 92036 760.765.0102 Open Friday through Tuesday (closed Wed. & Thurs.) 10am-5pm.
www.ORFILA.com
Wine Bottle Gift Set from Brookstone Keeping up with your corkscrew, wine pourer, bottle stopper and other wine tools can be a hassle in a busy kitchen. There’s nothing worse than having a bottle of wine and not being able to find a bottle opener. That’s why Brookstone has created a wine bottle for all of your wine bottle needs. This solid wooden case in a cherry finish stores all the tools you need to open, pour and enjoy your favorite wine. It comes complete with a top-quality waiter’s stainless-steel corkscrew with foil-cutting knife, bottle stopper, drip stop collar, combination wine pourer/stopper and four colored wine charms. By storing your wine tools in this beautiful case you will always know where to find them and you’ll be saving bar space! Since the case is the same size as a traditional wine bottle you can store it on your wine rack. This elegant item is perfect for any wine connoisseur. Buy your wine bottle case at Brookstone.com or in Brookstone stores for $ 29.95
Mead from Rabbit’s Foot Meadery Not often will you find our Goodies & Gadget’s column recommending an alternative to traditional wine, but we see this drink as a close cousin to our beloved vino. You may have thought mead was left behind in the Middle Ages, but it has come a long way at Rabbit’s Foot Meadery. Made from the fermentation of honey and water and the addition of fruits and spices, gives this alcoholic beverage countless flavors from the sweetest to the driest. Rabbit’s Foot chooses only the most select and pure of honeys to create its mead and control its flavor. You can choose from the Meadery’s many flavors including its top selling sweet mead made with Oregon wildflower honey or its Red Branch Hard Lemonade. If you’re in the Sunnyvale area you’ll want to stop by their tasting room to learn all about the art of creating this drink meant for royalty. Their tasting room is open Tuesday through Thursday 2 to 7 p.m., Friday 2 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays by request. Order your mead at www.rabbitsfootmeadery.com starting at $4.99 up to $69.95, visit their tasting room at 1246 Birchwood Drive in Sunnyvale or call 408-747-0770. www.vinetimesonline.com • February / March 2011
13
Nevada City Winery’s Mark Foster By Linda J. Bottjer
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s Dickens once wrote it was the best of times and the worst of them too. A crisp day resplendent with bright autumnal colors drew me up to Nevada City where the acclaimed winery of the same name and its winemaker, Mark Foster awaited. Friends, strangers and even a former boss of Foster had all hailed his alchemistic skills in transforming grape juice into potions capable of making Bacchus weep with joy. However, the gods had deemed I be blessed with a head cold. The type of ailment that made everything I ate taste like boiled cardboard and every beverage be as bland as the water it was boiled in. Mark was gracious as I sneezed, snif-
Nevada City Winery in a former foundry garage. (Nevada City Winery)
fled and hacked my way through our conversation. Since tasting the wine was a no go I decided instead to find out what made him a winemaker. Where many have come to the grape through family connections or geographic location Foster was a zoologist used to desert treks instead of vineyard rambles. The mystique of combining art and science together with a microbiologist friend’s move to Napa County lead him to explore the wonders of viticulture. His career began as a cellar rat/assistant winemaker at the Smothers Remick Ridge Winery in Sonoma. Not everyone understood his shift in careers including officials at the University of California/Davis where he enrolled for classes. “At first they were a bit reluctant to admit me since I already had two Masters Degrees,” he remembers with a laugh. Soon he added a third this time in Enology. Studying and working with like-minded devotees fired up his enthusiasm. However, living in Napa was presenting few true wine challenges. He and his late wife Fran preferred to live in peripheral areas where their efforts delivered more impact. By the late 80s he was honing his craft at Madrona Vineyards near Placerville. Several years later they moved to another part of the Sierra Foothills AVA as Mark took over the winemaker’s position at
12 DOBRA ZEMLJA 12505 Steiner Road, Shenandoah Valley, 209-245-3183, dobraz.com Tasting Daily 10-5 31 BELLA PIAZZA DOMAINE DE LA TERRE13 19900 Shenandoah School Rd., ROUGE/EASTON WINES Plymouth, 209-245-4600 10801 Dickson Rd, Plymouth Tasting Daily 10-5 209-245-3117, terrerougewines.com 5 BRAY VINEYARDS eastonwines.com 10590 Shenandoah, Plymouth Tasting Fri-Mon 11-4 209-245-6023, brayvineyards.com DRYTOWN CELLARS 14 Tasting Fri-Mon 10-5 16030 Hwy. 49, Drytown C. G. DI ARIE 6 209-245-3500, drytowncellars.com VINEYARD & WINERY Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 11919 Shenandoah School Rd, FRENZ VINEYARD & 33 Plymouth, 209-245-4700 WINERY Tasting Thu-Mon 10-4:30 21390 Ostrom Road, Fiddletown 7 CHARLES SPINETTA 209-245-4800 WINERY Tasting Sat-Sun 10:30-4:30 12557 Steiner Road, Plymouth IL GIOIELLO/MORSE 209-245-3384,charlesspinettawinery.com 15 WINES Tasting Thu-Mon 9-4 22355 Lawrence Road, Fiddletown CLOS DU LAC CELLARS/ 32 209-245-3395, ilgioiellowinery.com GREENSTONE WINERY Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5 3151 Hwy. 88, Ione, 209-274-2238 JEFF RUNQUIST WINES 16 Tasting Wed-Sun 10-4 10776 Shenandoah Rd., Plymouth CONVERGENCE 8 209-245-3143, jeffrunquistwines.com VINEYARDS Tasting Fri 12-5, Sat-Sun 11-5 14650 HIGHWAY 124, PLYMOUTH KARLY 17 209-245-3600 11076 Bell Road, Plymouth Tasting Fri-Sun 10-5 209-245-3922, karlywines.com COOPER VINEYARDS 9 Tasting Daily 12-4 21365 Shenandoah School, KARMERE VINEYARDS 18 Plymouth, 209-245-6181 11970 Shenandoah, Plymouth cooperwines.com 209-245-5000, karmere.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 3 AVIO VINEYARDS & Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 or by Appt. WINERY DEAVER VINEYARDS 10 NINE GABLES 20 14520 Ridge Rd., Sutter Creek 12455 Steiner Road, Plymouth 209-267-1515, aviowine.com.com 209-245-4099, deavervineyard.com 10778 Shenandoah, Plymouth 209-245-3949, 9gables.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 or by Appt. Tasting Daily 10:30-5 Tasting Thu-Sun 11-5 4 DILLIAN WINES BANTAM CELLARS 11 NUA DAIR VINEYARDS 21 10851 Shenandoah Rd., 12138 Steiner Road, Plymouth 13825 Willow Creek, Ione Plymouth, 209-245-6677 209-245-3444, dillianwines.com 209-245-5567, nuadair.com bantamcellars.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11- 4:30 Tasting Sat -Sun 10:30-5:30 or by Appt. Tasting Daily 11-4
Winery Guide
AMADOR CELLARS 1 11093 Shenandoah Rd, Plymouth, 209-245-6150 amadorcellars.com Tasting Wed-Sun, 12-5 AMADOR FOOTHILL 2 WINERY 12500 Steiner Rd., Plymouth 209-245-6307, amadorfoothill.com Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5
the Nevada City Winery. Here a different type of challenge existed. The winery grew no grapes. Instead they relied on area grape growers who were indiscriminate with their product. “There was no experimentation with clones,” remember Foster. Within five years of listening to consumers and working with growers, Syrah and Zin along with Barbera grapes and others were delivered to and processed at the former 1860s foundry building. Two decades later and Nevada City Winery continually racks ups awards at 85 percent of the prestigious events their wines are entered into such as the California State Fair. In 2010 and 2009 their 2007 vintages of Cab Franc and Barbera respectively captured the best in the state. Foster admits being like a shark in his continuous quest to find interesting grapes. His latest obsession is the black Dolchetto grape typical of the Piedmont region of Italy. He feels his true talent can be found in pulling the color, body and flavor from a variety of wines. Like paints on a palette he dips, swirls and blends from various vintages like a French impressionist. The Gallic influence continues with blending tanks named Babette and Mimi and the dominant use of French oak barrels. Foster considers the oak’s toastiness to act as a frame around a picture in its ability to add subtleness to the
14 February / March 2011 • www.vinetimesonline.com
Mark Foster of Nevada City Winery surrounded by his wines. (Nevada City Winery) wine’s back notes. The 2007 Cépage, a Bordeaux blend is such an example. Merlot is half the blend with almost equal amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cab Franc added as 7 percent Petit Verdot and the merest touch of Mourvedre completes the mélange. Like the artist he is, Foster sent me home with a bottle of the 2008 Barbera to be enjoyed when all my senses had returned. It danced delightfully to a snappy rhythm that paired toast and the slight char of oak. Deepened summer fruits warmed by delicate tannins kept the taste bold but never overbearing. The best of times had returned. Nevada City Winery, 321 Spring Street, Nevada City, CA 95959, (530) 2659463 / (800) 203-9463, Tasting room open Sunday-Thursday 12-5, Friday and Saturday 12-6.
22 RENWOOD WINERY 12225 Steiner Road, Plymouth 209-245-6979/ 800-348-8466 renwood.com Tasting Daily 10:30-5:30 34 SERENIDAD 21339 Dickson Road, Plymouth 209-245-5304 Tasting Thu-Sun 11-5 SHENANDOAH 23 VINEYARDS 12300 Steiner Rd, Plymouth 209-245-4455, sobonwine.com Tasting Daily 10-5 SOBON ESTATE 24 14430 Shenandoah Rd, Plymouth, 209-245-6554 sobonwine.com Tasting Daily 9:30-5 STONEHOUSE WINERY 25 10861 Shenandoah, Plymouth 209-245-6888 stonehousewines.com Tasting Fri-Sun 10-5 STORY WINERY 26 10525 Bell Road, Plymouth 209-245-6208, zin.com Tasting Daily 11-5 SUTTER CREEK 35 WINETASTING (Crystal Basin Cellars, Gold Hill & Le Mulet Rouge)
85 Main St., Sutter Creek 209-267-5838 suttercreekwinetasting.com Tasting Daily 11-6 SIERRA RIDGE 27 VINEYARD & WINERY 14110 Ridge Rd., Sutter Creek, 209-267-1316 sutterridgewine.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-4
TANIS VINEYARDS 36 13120 Willow Creek Road, Ione, 209-274-4807 tanisvineyards.com Tasting Sat-Sun 10-5:30 19 TERRA D’ORO 20680 Shenandoah School Rd, Plymouth, 209-245-6942 montevina.com Tasting Daily 10-4:30 TKC VINEYARDS 28 11001 Valley Drive, Plymouth 209-245-6428 tkcvineyards.com Tasting Sat 11-5; Sun 1-5 or by Appt. VILLA TOSCANO WINERY37 10600 Shenandoah, Plymouth 209-245-3800 villatoscano.com Tasting Daily 10-5 VINO NOCETO 29 11011 Shenandoah, Plymouth 209-245-6556, noceto.com Tasting Fri, 12-4; Sat-Sun, 11-4 or by Appt. YOUNG’S VINEYARD 38 10120 Shenandoah, Plymouth 209-245-3005 youngsvineyard.com Tasting Mon-Fri 10-4, Sat-Sun 10:30-5 WILDEROTTER VINEYARD30 19890 Shenandoah School, Plymouth, 209-245-6016 wilderottervineyard.com Tasting Fri-Mon 10:30-5 Submit your winery or changes to be included in our April / May issue’s guides. Please submit by March 7, 2011 to editor@ vinetimesmagazine.com
Lineage Debuts at Steven Kent Winery in Livermore By Laura Ness
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lthough the Mirassou Family lineage is already long and storied, each year presents a new opportunity to add a new chapter or two to the book of history. With such a rich heritage to build on, the story, like a grand castle, keeps opening up new doors to secret passageways that lead both forward and back, refining past practices with modern advances in viticulture, while retaining the unmistakable character of traditional winemaking. To commemorate what Steven Mirassou describes as a sixth generation partnership between America’s oldest winemaking family and the world-class growing region of Livermore, the winery is pleased to release their first vintage of “Lineage,” a classic Bordeaux blend from the estate vineyard. Lineage represents a mission and a promise to spare no effort to handcraft one of the world’s great wines. The time has now come to taste the promise and be a part of this latest page in the winemaking history of Livermore. Containing five of the finest barrels of the 2007 vintage from the Ghielmetti Vineyard, Lineage is truly classic in that it represents the traditional five Bordeaux varieties used in creating the great wines of France that effectively launched a thousand
ships in pursuit of perfection in a bottle. This blend is 75 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 15 percent Cabernet Franc, 5 percent Petit Verdot, 3 percent Malbec and 2 percent Merlot, with predominantly new French oak. The label echoes its French heritage with a lovely fleur de lis crest. Says Steven of the Lineage effort, “I’m led in the wine business with one aspiration: to create a single wine from the Livermore Valley that eventually could rank among the world’s best. After years of effort, I am very excited to introduce you to a new brand and a new wine: Lineage. Lineage is imbued with the elegance and complexity that the best of these blended wines contain.” Only 780 bottles of Lineage will be released in the first offering, so the only way to guarantee an allocation is to become a Lineage Collector. Such privilege entitles you to the following: • 6-bottle allocation of each vintage of Lineage • Exclusive consideration for large format bottles of Lineage • Invitations to the Annual Lineage Tasting • Exclusive invitations to Lineage Collector events Incontrovertably, this is the wine of which Steven is most proud. “We are
throwing down the gauntlet with this wine,” says Steven, referring to his desire to take on blends like Insignia and Isoceles with something equally compelling from Livermore. This beauty exudes aromas as warm and inviting as a roaring fire in the velvet tapestry-covered parlor of a well-maintained English castle: there is something big-boned and noble about it, yet in the mouth it is well-behaved, charming and seamlessly integrated like a perfectlychoreographed Nutcracker ballet. The fleshiness is delightmaking and the tannins, like pure satin. Flavors of intense beef bourgignon, hints of flint, warm earth, dark raspberry chocolate and a smattering of mint and fennel, make this a most wonderful wine to drink and enjoy, without getting too intellectual about all the thought that went into it. Sometimes the wines that are most engaging and easy to love, are the ones that caused the winemaker the most angst. Still,
making a blend like this is a job to envy. And the rewards are oh, so sweet. For more information on Lineage and to become a collector, visit the website at lineagewine.com.
Valentine’sPassport Welcome to the sweetheart of all wine tastings! Saturday, February 12, 2011 11AM - 4PM
CHALONE www.chalonevineyard.com
BOEKENOOGEN WINERY www.boekenoogenwines.com
PUMA ROAD \ RAY FRANSCIONI (832) 455-1096
MARILYN REMARK WINES THE TWELVE ARTISAN VINTNERS
www.remarkwines.com
along Monterey’s River Road Wine Trail
PESSAGNO WINERY
want to share the love! This is a special day
www.pessagnowines.com
of rare vintages, fun, food, and celebration
BLACKSTONE WINERY
all things amour. As a Passport-carrying V.I.P., you’ll receive a souvenir glass, entry into a grand drawing, and special discounts. Each winery will be hosting their own wine and food pairing, specifically to suit the love surrounding Valentine’s Day.
www.blackstonewinery.com
WRATH WINES www.wrathwines.com
HAHN ESTATES / SMITH & HOOK www.hahnestates.com
PARAISO VINEYARDS www.paraisovineyards.com
SCHEID VINEYARDS www.scheidvineyards.com
MANZONI ESTATE VINEYARD www.manzoniwines.com
VENTANA VINEYARDS www.ventanawines.com
www.riverroadwinetrail.com www.riverroadwinetrail.com
www.vinetimesonline.com • February / March 2011
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Vine Times Cover Artist Valdimir Chapko Valdimir Chapko paints out of doors, “en plein-air,” whenever possible. “It always amazes me how people can walk by and not “see” what I’m painting... until they look at my canvas. They’re tuned into their i-pods and walk around with their eyes wide shut. Don’t they see this beautiful conglomeration of color and light?” Chapko states that beauty is hard to define. “I suppose because it’s so subjective and most people are too busy ‘making a living’ to notice the beautiful things that surround them every day. Most people don’t notice beauty until you show it to them through a window, and I think the job of the artist is to create ‘windows of beauty’.” From an explosion of yellow flowers in the spring to a flood of red vines, rust colored trees, and carpets of warm green grass in winter, few places in California delight the eyes, titillate the senses, and rejuvenate
the soul more that the Napa Valley wine country. For an artist it’s a paradise of light, color, and form; every painting excursion finds the valley cloaked in it’s own seasonal overcoat of color and atmosphere. “When I’m painting in Napa valley it’s very much like attending a wine tasting. After a few sips, you want some more. Have some more and pretty soon your head is swimming. My head swims from the heady stimulus of color and light and I become drunk under the influence of color and light, pigment and brush.” Chapko does a good bit of his work by commission. “I believe that commission work is a collaborative effort between an artist and his client. The client actually allows me to get inside his or her head. We share a common vision and I get a great deal of satisfaction knowing that by using pigment and brush I have put muscle and
STONE’S THROW WINERY 27 3541 N. Canyon Rd., Camino 530-622-5100, stonesthrowwines.com Tasting Fri-Sun May-Dec, by Appt. 28 STOVER OAKS 5241 Nashville Tr., Placerville 530-626-WINE Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 THOMPSON MINING CAMP WINERY 29 4801 Rock Barn, Shingle Springs 530-677-6510 Tasting Thu-Sun 10-5 VENEZIO VINEYARDS & WINERY 31 5821 Hwy. 49, Pilot Hill 530-885-WINE, venezio.com Tasting Wed-Sun 11-5 WOFFORD ACRES VINEYARDS 32 1900 Hidden Valley Ln., Camino 530-626-6858, wavwines.com Tasting Thu-Sun 11-5 or by Appt.
Winery Guide
EL DORADO NORTH AURIGA WINE CELLARS 1 3500 Carson Rd., #D2, Camino, 530-647-8078 aurigawines.com Tasting Fri-Sun, 11-5 BOA VISTA ORCHARDS/ 2 VINEYARDS 2952 Carson Rd., Placerville 530-622-5522, boavista.com Tasting Daily 11-5 BOEGER WINERY 3 1709 Carson Rd., Placerville 530-622-8094 boegerwinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 CHATEAU RODIN WINERY 4 4771 Green Hills Rd. , Placerville 530-622-6839 chateaurodin.com Tasting Wed-Sun 11-5 CHEVALIER WINERY 5 5720 French Creek Rd., Shingle Springs, 530-677-1676 chevalierwinery.com Tasting Sat 12-5 CRYSTAL BASIN CELLARS 7 3550 Carson Rd., Camino 530-647-1767 crystalbasin.com Tasting Daily 11-5 COULSON ELDORADO WINERY 8 3600 Carson Rd., Camino 530-644-2854 www.coulsonwinery.com Tasting Thu-Sun 11-5
DAVID GIRARD VINEYARDS 9 741 Cold Springs Rd., Placerville 530-295-1833 davidgirardvineyards.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 FENTON HERRIOTT VINEYARDS 11 120 Jacquier Ct., Placerville fentonherriott.com 530-642-2021 Tasting Thu-Sun 11-5/Tours by Appt. FINDLETON ESTATE & VINEYARD 12 3500 Carson Rd., Camino 530-644-4018 finzinwines.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 GOLD HILL WINERY 13 5660 Vineyard Ln., Placerville 530-626-6522 goldhillvineyard.com Tasting Thu-Sun 10-5 HOLLY’S HILL VINEYARDS & WINERY 14 3680 Leisure Ln., Placerville 530-344-0227 hollyshill.com Tasting Daily 10-5 ILLUMINARE ESTATE 16 3500 Carson Rd., Camino 530-647-1884 illuminarewinery.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 JODAR VINEYARDS & WINERY 17 3405 Carson Court, Camino 530-644-3474, jodarwinery.com Tasting Daily 11-5
flesh on the bones of a concept or visual idea that my client has been carrying around inside of them. I am an imagemaker. It’s my job to open the window and let in the butterflies.” You can find Valdimir Chapko’s work or Commission his work at Gallery 1870 in the V Market Place, 6525 Washington Street in Yountville. For more information call (800) 322-1870 or visit gallery1870.com.
LAVA CAP WINERY 18 2221 Fruitridge Rd, Placerville 530-621-0175/ 800-475-0175 lavacap.com Tasting Daily 11-5 19 MADROÑA VINEYARDS 2560 High Hill Rd., Camino 530-644-5948 madronavineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-5 MIRAFLORES WINERY 21 2120 Four Springs Trail, Placerville, 530-647-8505 mirafloreswinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 NARROW GATE VINEYARDS 22 4282 Pleasant Valley Rd., Placerville, 530-644-6201 narrowgatevineyards.com Tasting Fri-Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5 PARAVI VINEYARDS 23 2875 Larsen Dr., Camino 530-647-9463 primusvineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-5 SIERRA VISTA WINERY & VINEYARD 25 4560 Cabernet Wy., Placerville 530-622-7221/ 800-WINE-916 sierravistawinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 SOGNO WINERY 26 3046 Ponderosa Rd., Shingle Springs, 530-672-6968 sognowinery.com Tasting Wed-Sun 11-5
16 February / March 2011 • www.vinetimesonline.com
EL DORADO SOUTH BUSBY CELLARS 1 6375 Grizzly Flat Rd, Somerset, 530-344-9119 busbycellars.com Tasting Fri-Sun11-5:30 CANTIGA WINEWORKS 2 5980 Meyers Ln, Somerset 530-621-1696 cantigawine.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 and by Appt. CEDARVILLE VINEYARD 3 6320 Marestail Rd, Fair Play 530-620-9463 cedarvillevineyard.com Tasting by Appt. CHALET FLEUR DE LYS 4 7696 Perry Creek Rd, Somerset, 530.620.2246 fleurdelyswinery.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 or by Appt. CHATEAU ROUTON 5 2800 Omo Ranch Rd, Fair Play, 530-620-5818 chateaurouton.com Tasting Wed-Sun 11-5 COLIBRI RIDGE WINERY 6 & VINEYARDS 6100 Grey Rock Rd, Fair Play, 530-620-7255 colibriridge.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 CHARLES B. MITCHELL WINERY 7 8221 Stoney Creek Rd, Fair Play, 530-620-3467 charlesbmitchell.com, Tasting Mon-Fri 11-5, Sat-Sun 10:30-5 DK CELLARS 9 7380 Vineyard View Dr., Fair Play, 530-620-1132 dkcellars.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5
SIERRA OAKS ESTATES 21 8171 Mt.Aukum Rd., Mt.Aukum 530-620-7079 sierraoaksestates.com Tasting Wed-Sun 11-5 22 GRANITE SPRINGS WINERY 12 SINGLE LEAF VINEYARD 5050 Granite Springs Winery Rd., & WINERY 7480 Fairplay Rd., Fairplay Fair Play, 530-620-6395/ 530-620-3545/ 888-ONE-LEAF 800-638-6041, latcham.com singleleaf.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 Tasting Wed-Sun 11-5 14 TOOGOOD ESTATE WINE 23 IVERSON WINERY 8061 Perry Creek Rd., Fair Play CAVES 530-620-7474 7280 Fair Play Rd, FairPlay iversonwinery.com 530-620-1910 Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 or by Appt. toogoodwinery.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5:30 or by Appt. 15 LATCHAM VINEYARDS URSA VINEYARDS 24 2860 Omo Ranch, Mt. Aukum 5951 Mt.Aukum Rd, Somerset 530-620-6642/ 800-750-5591 530-647-2646 latcham.com ursavineyards.com Tasting Thur-Mon 11-5 Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 MOUNT AUKUM WINERY 17 25 6781 Tower Rd., Mount Aukum VAN DER VIJVER ESTATE 800-591-9463, mountaukum.com 7451 Fairplay Rd., Fair Play 530.620.3210 Tasting Daily 11-5 Tasting 11-5 Wed-Sun & by Appt. OAKSTONE WINERY 18 WINDWALKER VINEYARDS 26 6440 Slug Gulch Rd., Fair Play 7360 Perry Creek Rd., Fair Play 530-620-5303 530-620-4054 oakstone-winery.com windwalkervineyard.com Tasting Wed-Sun 11-5 Tasting Daily 11-5 or by Appt. PERRY CREEK VINEYARDS 19 WINERY BY THE CREEK 27 7400 Perry Creek Rd. Fair Play 8085 Perry Creek Rd., Fair Play 530-620-5175 530-620-2402 perrycreek.com winerybythecreek.com Tasting Daily 11-5 Tasting Thu-Sun 11-5 10 FITZPATRICK WINERY 7740 Fairplay Rd., Fair Play 530-620-3248/ 800-245-9166 fitzpatrickwinery.com Tasting Daily 11-5 ex.Tue
Culinary Road Trip Saratoga’s Mountain Winery
By Denise Kouzoujian
A
nother year has gently passed and, 2011 is sure to bring forth exciting new travels, friends and social events that will pair perfectly with fabulous foods, music, and wine. This year I set out to find an outstanding local wine to serve with a delicious new recipe–a recipe, which I did not currently possess. As I carefully drove through the thick fog, making my way up Highway 85 and into the Santa Cruz Mountain wine region, my mind drifted to new beginnings and all the discoveries that lie ahead. I turned off the highway at Saratoga Avenue and soon found myself driving along Big Basin Way. As I slowly moved through this picturesque downtown, I made a mental note to stop for a bite and take in the sights later in the day. I spotted The Mountain Winery sign at Pierce Road and turned up the drive. As I wound up the summit and out of the fog cover, there stood the most beautiful winery, adjacent to their spectacular and highly acclaimed amphitheatre. While I stood at the foot of the winery with the bright sun warming my face, I could see the majestic valley below – still covered in a thick blan-
ket of fog. The natural beauty took my breath away! Past the theatre and down the steps, I entered the gorgeous tasting room and was greeted by the smiling faces of Jesse Montenegro, aka “The Mayor,” and Ronda Boos, Mountain Winery’s Sommelier. Rhonda and I sat down for a quiet wine tasting on the veranda. I had the pleasure of joining her while she played around with a pairing idea – gourmet flavored popcorn and wine. It was brilliant, and what a fun way to try a variety of flavors alongside The Mountain Winery’s delectable wines! Later, the newly appointed Director of Sales and Marketing, Cathy Englund, joined us. I was thrilled to hear about all the exciting wine tasting and dining events that this creative team has assembled. They will host an array of very cool wine, food, and music events this coming year. Check their website for a complete list (mountainwinery.com). With so many delightful wines to choose from, my task was to narrow down my search and ultimately decided onthe Estate Series. The 2008 Estate Reserve Chardonnay, $39, was gorgeous,
My version of ‘Estate Chardonnay Steamed Mussels & Shrimp with a white wine sauce.”
Steamed Mussels & Shrimp with a White Wine Butter Sauce Recipe by Exectutive Chef David Sidoti “The Estate Chardonnay is a natural with seafood. Our Estate Chardonnay is done in a French style. Light oak, citrusy with light minerality on the finish. I think the fennel in this dish adds and interesting element.” Rhonda Boos, Sommelier 48 mussels 18-24 shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 pint Toy Box tomatoes 1 fennel, sliced in rings 4-6 cloved garlic, sliced *3 tablespoons olive oil *1/4 cup pesto 3-4 tablespoons of herbed butter. 2-3 cups The Mountain Winery Estate Chardonnay 1 french baguette Saute garlic, fennel & tomatoes in olive oil, over a medium-high heat for two minutes. Add shrimp and continue to sauté for one minute. Deglaze the pan with Mountain
with a delicate, pale yellow hue and aromas of apple, pear and cinnamon stick; the flavor of creamy citrus finishes with light minerals reflective of the soil on the mountain. My second choice was the 2008 Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, $45, with crimson red color, cranberry, dark chocolate, oregano and licorice on the nose, and cherry and pomegranate on the palate. This Pinot Noir is a special blend of several clones – a synthesis of flavors! So, now I had the wine – but still no recipes in mind. No worries, Rhonda visited the bustling kitchen at the winery and found the perfect choices – Steamed Mussels and Shrimp with a white wine butter sauce, and a Braised Beef Short Rib that will delight your palate as the late Spring and Summer vegetables arrive. Oh what a magnificent morning at The Mountain Winery. I walked away with luscious wines to pair with my new recipes, filled my calendar with an array of upcoming events, and met a lovely group of new friends. One of my new “New Year’s Resolutions” is to make my way out to Saratoga and enjoy the Mountain Winery all year long – and so should you!
Winery Estate Chardonnay by pouring the wine into the hot pan and scraping all the tasty bits. Add mussles and cover. Steam until mustles are open and shrimp is cooked throughout. Finish with herb butter, pesto and season to taste. Garnish with Fennel Greens & serve hot with sliced baguette. *Note: I actually put the pesto in with the sauce and skipped the pesto crustini. I’ll have to read the entire recipe next time! See handwritten copy to the right.
“Corner of Big Basin Way & Pierce Road in Saratoga.” (Denise Kouzoujian)
My new friend Jesse Montengro, “The Mayor” in the tasting room.
Rhonda Boos & Cathy Englund taking a quick break in the winery’s elegant dining room. (Denise Kouzoujian)
dutch oven, add oil and bring to smoking temperature. Add ribs and brown on each side. Add carrotts, celery, onions & bay leaves. Caramalize vegetables and deglaze with Pinot Noir. Add tomato paste and beef stock to cover ribs. Simmer for two hours, until tender. Remove ribs and Mirepiox (vegetables) and reserve. Purée braising liquid, strain and season to taste. Serve over whipped potatoes.
Estate Pinot Noir and Braised Beef Short Rib “Pinot Noir is the swiss army knife of red wines. I like the hints of oregano and licorice in the Pinot Noir and these flavors are infused into the meat by adding the wine to the dish.” Rhonda Boos, Sommelier 3 pounds short ribs 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup olive oil 2 cloves garlic 1 bottle 2008 Mountain Winery Estate Reserve Pinto Noir 2 gallons beef stock 2 bay leaves 1 onion, rough cut 2 carrotts, rough cut 1 head celery, rough cut 1/2 cup tomato paste sea salt & pepper to taste A batch of your favorite whipped potatoes Season ribs liberally. Then lightly dust with flour. In a
Executive Chef David Sidoti’s hand written recipe.
www.vinetimesonline.com • February / March 2011
17
Santa Barbara County Winery Guide
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY NORTH ADDAMO VINEYARDS 1 400 East Clark Ave, Santa Maria 805-937-6400, AddamoVineyards.com Tasting Tue-Sun 11-7 BEDFORD THOMPSON WINERY & VINEYARD 12 448 Bell St, Los Alamos bedfordthompsonwinery.com 805-244-2107, Tasting Daily 11-5 BYRON 20 5250 Tepusquet Rd, Santa Maria 805-344-2107, byronwines.com Tasting by Appt. CAMBRIA WINERY & 21 VINEYARD 5475 Chardonnay Ln, Santa Maria, cambriawine.com 805-937-8091,Tasting Daily 10-5 COLD HEAVEN 27 448-B Bell St, Los Alamos 805-937-9801, coldheavencellars.com Tasting by Appt. 28 CORE WINERY 145 S. Geary St. #103, Old Orcutt 805-937-1600, corewine.com Tasting Wed-Sun COSTA DE ORO WINERY 30 1331 S. Nicholson Ave., Santa Maria 805-922-1468. cdowinery.com Tasting Sun-Thu 10-6, Fri-Sat 10-8 COTTONWOOD 31 CANYON 3940 Dominion Rd., Santa Maria 805-937-9063 cottonwoodcanyon.com Tasting Daily 10-5:30 32 CURTIS WINERY 5249 Foxen Canyon Rd., Los Olivos, 805-686-8999 curtiswinery.com Tasting Daily 10:30-5:30 FESS PARKER WINERY & VINEYARD 36 6200 Foxen Canyon Rd, Santa Maria, 805-937-4251 fessparker.com,Tasting Daily 10-5 FIRESTONE VINEYARD 38 5000 Zaca Station Rd, Los Olivos, 805-688-3940, firestonewine.com Tasting Daily 10-5/Tours FOXEN VINEYARD 41 7200 Foxen Canyon Rd, Santa Maria, 805-937-4251 foxenvineyard.com,Tasting Daily 11-4 KENNETH VOLK 58 5230 Tepusquet Road, Santa Maria 805-938-7896, volkwines.com Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30 59 KOEHLER 5360 Foxen Canyon Rd, Los Olivos 805-693-8384, koehlerwinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 MCKEON-PHILLIPS 68 2115 S. Blosser Road, Unit 114 Santa Maria, 805-928-3025
mckeonphillipswinery.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-6 or by Appt. RANCHO SISQUOC 79 6600 Foxen Canyon Rd., Los Olivos, 805-934-4332 ranshosisquoc.com,Tasting Daily 10-5 RIVERBENCH VINEYARD & WINERY 78 6020 Foxen Canyon Rd., Santa Maria, 805-937-8340 riverbench.com,Tasting Daily 10-4 STEPHEN ROSS WINE CELLARS 80 2717 Aviation Way, Ste. F1, Santa Maria, 805-594-1318 stephenrosswine.com Tasting by Appt. TRES HERMANAS VINEYARD 82 9660 Foxen Camp Rd., Santa Maria 805-937-8451 treshermanaswinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 ZACA MESA 98 6905 Foxen Canyon Rd, LosOlivos 850-688-9339, zacamesa.com Tasting Daily 10-4
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SOUTH ALEXANDER & WAYNE 2 2922 Grand Avenue, Los Olivos 800-824-8584 alexanderandwayne.com Tasting Daily 11-6 3 ALMA ROSA 7250 Santa Rosa Road, Buellton 805-688-9090, almarosawinery.com Tasting Daily 11-4 ANDREW MURRAY 5 2901-A Grand Avenue, Los Olivos 805-693-9644, andrewmurrayvineyards.com,Tasting Daily 11-6 ARTHUR EARL 6 2922 Grand Avenue, Los Olivos 800-646-EARL, arthurearl.com Tasting Daily 11-6 7 ARTISTE 3569 Sagunto Street, Santa Ynez, CA, 805-686-2626 Artiste.com,Tasting Daily 11-5 9 BABCOCK on Highway 246, west of Buellton 805-736-1455, babcockwinery.com Tasting Daily 10:30-4 BECKMEN 11 2670 Ontiveros Rd, Los Olivos 805-688-8664,Tasting Daily 11-5 14 BERNAT 2879 Grand Ave, Los Olivos 805-688-7265, santabarbarawine.com Tasting Daily 11-9 BLACKJACK RANCH 15 2205 Alamo Pintado Rd, Solvang 805-686-9922, blackjackranch.com Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5 BRANDER 16 2401 Refugio Rd, Los Olivos
805-688-2455, brander.com Tasting Daily 10-5, 11-4 (winter) 17 BRIDLEWOOD 3555 Roblar Ave, Santa Ynez 805-688-9000, 800-467-4100 bridlewoodwinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 BUTTONWOOD FARM19 1500 Alamo Pintado R, Solvang 805-688-3032, buttonwoodwinery.com,Tasting Daily 11-5 CARINA CELLARS 21 2900 Grand Ave, Ste A, Los Olivos 805-688-2459, carinacellars.com Tasting Daily 11-5 CARHARTT VINEYARD22 2990-A Grand Ave., Los Olivos 805-688-0685, carhattvineyard.com Tasting Wed-Mon 11-5 CARR VINEYARDS 24 414 N. Salsipuedes St, Santa Barbara, 805-965-7985 carrwinery.com,Tasting Daily 11-5 CASA CASSARA 25 291 Valley Station Rd, Buellton 805-688-8691, casaassarainery.com Tasting Wed-Mon 10-6 28 CONSILIENCE 2933 Grand Ave, Los Olivos 805-691-1020, consiliencewines.com Tasting Daily, 11-5 D’ALFONSO-CURRAN 29 1557 Mission, Solvang, 805-6883494, dalfonso-curranwines.com Tasting Fri-Mon 11-5 (winter hours) DANIEL GEHRS WINES 31 2939 Grand Ave, Los Olivos 800-275-8138, dgwines.com Tasting Daily 11-6
18 February / March 2011 • www.vinetimesonline.com
DIERBERG, STAR LANE & 32 THREE SAINTS 2445 Alamo Pintado Ave,Los Olivos, 805-693-0744,DierbergVineyard.com Tasting Daily 11-5 DRAGONETTE CELLARS 33 1633 West Central Ave., Lompoc 805-737-0200,dragonettecellars.com Tasting Sat 11-4,other days byAppt EAST VALLEY VINEYARD 34 4960 Baseline Ave.,Santa Ynez 805-455-1412,eastvalleywines.com Vineyard Visits by appt. EPIPHANY CELLARS 35 2963 Grand Ave, Los Olivos 866-354-9463, epiphanycellars.com Tasting Thu-Mon 11:30-5:30 FIDDLEHEAD CELLARS 62 597 E Chestnut Ave, Lompoc 800-251-1225/ 805-742-0204 fiddleheadcellars.com Thu-Sat 11-4 and by Appt. FLYING GOAT 76 CELLARS 1520 E. Chestnut, Unit A, Lompoc 805-736-9032, flyinggoatcellars.com Tasting Thu-Sat 11-4 FOLEY ESTATES 40 6121 E Highway 246, Lompoc 805-737-6222, foleywines.com Tasting Daily 10-5 42 GAINEY 3950 East Highway 246 Santa Ynez, 805-688-0558 gaineyvineyard.com,Tasting Daily 10-5 HITCHING POST 46 406 East Highway 246, Buellton 805-688-0676,hitchingpostwines.com Tasting Daily 4-8
47 HUBER CELLARS 539 Mission Dr., #A, Solvang 805-686-9323, hubercellars.com Tasting Daily 10– 5 JAFFURS WINE CELLAR 51 819 East Montectio St, Santa Barbara 805-962-7003, jaffurswine.com Tasting Fri-Sun 12-4 or by Appt. JOHN KERR 53 At Los Olivos Tasting Room 2905 Grand Ave., Los Olivos 805-688-5337, jkerrwines.com Tasting Daily 11-6 KALYRA 55 343 North Refugio Rd Santa Ynez, 805-693-8864 kalyrawinery.com,Tasting Daily 11-5 KEN BROWN WINES 56 Terravant Wine Ctr. 70 Industrial Way, Buellton 805-448-3791, By Appt. only LAFOND 60 6855 Santa Rosa Rd, Buellton 805-688-7921,lafondwinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 37 LA VIE 308-D North 9th St., Lompoc 805-291-2111, lavievineyards.com Tasting Fri-Sun, 11-5 LINCOURT VINEYARDS 63 1711 Alamo Pintado Rd, Solvang 805-688-8554, lincourtwines.com Tasting Daily 10-5 64 LONGORIA 2935 Grand Ave, Los Olivos 866-RLWINES, longoriawine.com Tasting Daily 11-4:30 LUCAS & LEWELLEN 65 1645 Copenhagen Dr., Solvang 805-686-9336, llwine.com Tasting Daily 11-5:30 66 MANDOLINA 1665 Copenhagen Dr, Solvang 805-686-5506,Tasting Daily 11-5:30 MELVILLE 69 5185 East Hwy. 246, Lompoc 805-735-7030, melvillevineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-4 MOSBY 72 9496 Santa Rosa Rd., Buellton 800-70-MOSBY/ 805-688-2415 mosbywines.com Tasting Sat-Sun 10-5, Mon-Fri 10-4 OREANA / CELLAR 205 73 205 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara 805-962-5857, cellar205.com Tasting Daily 11-5 PALMINA 76 1520 East Chestnut Ct, Lompoc 805-735-2030, palminawines.com Tasting Thu-Sat11- 4 or by Appt. 77 PRESIDIO 1603 Copenhagen Dr. #1, Solvang, 805-966-9463,presidowinery.com Tasting Daily 11-6 RIDEAU 80 1562 Alamo Pintado Rd, Solvang 805-688-0717, rideauvineyard.com Tasting Mon-Fri 10:30-5, Sat-Sun 10:30-5:30
81 ROBLAR WINERY 3010 Roblar Avenue, Santa Ynez 805-686-8540, roblarwinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 ROYAL OAKS 82 1651 Copenhagen Dr, Solvang 805-693-1740, royaloakswinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5:30 RUSACK 83 1819 Ballard Canyon Rd, Solvang 805-688-1278, rusackvineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-5 84 SANFORD 5010 Santa Rosa Rd, Lompoc 805-688-3300 or 800-426-9463 sanfordwinery.com,Tasting Daily 11-5 SANTA BARBARA WINERY 85 202 Anacapa St, 805-963-3633/ 800-225-3633 sbwinery.com,Tasting Daily 10-5 SCOTT CELLARS 86 2933 San Marcos Ave, Los Olivos 805-570-0048, scottcellars.com Tasting Wed-Mon11-5 SHOESTRING WINERY 87 800 East Hwy. 246, Solvang 800-693-8612, shoestringwinery.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-4 or by Appt. STOLPMAN 88 2434 Alamo Pintado, Los Olivos 805-688-0400 stolpmanvineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-5, ex. Fri 11-6 SUMMERLAND WINERY 89 2330 Lillie Ave, Summerland 805-565-9463, summerlandwine.com Tasting Tue-Thu 11-5, Fri- Sun11-7 SUNSTONE 90 125 Refugio Rd, Santa Ynez 800-313-9463, sunstonewinery.com Tasting Daily 10-4 TASTES OF THE VALLEYS 91 Au Bon Climat,Arcadian, Margerum & more... 1672 Mission, Solvang, 805-688-7111 tastesofthevalleys.com, Tasting Daily 12-8, Sat 12-9 TENSLEY/LEA WINES 92 2900 Grand Ave., Ste. B, Los Olivos 805-688-6761, tensleywines.com Tasting Fri-Sat 11-5 93 TRE ANELLI WINE 2923 Grand Ave., Los Olivos 805-686-3000, treanelliwine.com Tasting Daily 11-5 WINE COUNTRY 94 TASTING (Core, Great Oaks, Huber, J.Wilkes, Qupe,Silver, Taz,Verdad) 2445 Alamo Pintado Ave., Los Olivos, 805-686-9699 Tasting Daily 11-5 WHITCRAFT WINERY 95 36-A S. Calle Cesar Chavez, Santa Barbara, 805-965-0956 whitcraftwinery.com Tasting Fri-Sun 12-4
A North Coast Beer Tasting Adventure
J. Lohr Valentine’s Day Dinner Line-up of beers tasted at North Coast Brewing Company.
By Phillip Stegner
T
he drive along CA-128 to Fort Bragg is intimidating. Bends and curves sneak up on you with little notice. The towering redwoods that line the road shield the sky from view. And, unlike the familiar thoroughfares of the Bay Area, turning around is not really an option. Aside from searching for radio stations, there’s not much to do but take your time and enjoy the ride. My wife and I braved this drive last fall to visit Fort Bragg’s North Coast Brewing Company, a microbrewery that served as our first stop on a whirlwind beer-tasting tour written up by Jennifer Pollock in an issue last fall of 7x7SF. My wife – a wine enthusiast who had the poor misfortune for marrying an aspiring beer enthusiast – read the piece and thought beer tasting would make for an interesting post-Thanksgiving activity. She was right. The folks at North Coast have a lot to offer: a cozy, wood-lined bar in a town that could serve as the poster child for the Pacific Northwest. North Coast’s Red Seal Ale, probably its best-known offering, is an admittedly tasty pale ale. Fruity Belgians like Le Merle and PranQster are complex enough to be interesting but approachable enough to entice the Average Joe. But on a cold fall day, there is nothing quite as good as the warm fuzzies provided by North Coast’s Old No. 38 Stout. After a wonderful dinner off Mendo Bistro’s “Choice Menu,” an impromptu stop at Fort Bragg’s Glass Beach and a full night’s rest, we hopped back on the 128 for Anderson Valley Brewing Company (AVBC) in Boonville.
(Janet Stegner)
AVBC, like other things Boonville, is truly unique. Of course, it has the usual suspects. For hop heads, it’s Hop Ottin’ IPA offers a hard-hitting hop excursion with an excellent floral nose. I can think of few stouts that compare with the complexity and warmth of AVBC’s Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout. And the Boont Amber Ale is a smooth, easy-drinking ale, perfect to pair with just about any meal – including the Corn Nuts we purchased from behind the bar. But AVBC wouldn’t be a Boonville staple without a few unique twists. My wife and I tried for hours to classify all the tastes in the deliciously complicated Boont Extra Special Beer, but its pilsner opening and hoppy ending left us somewhat dumbfounded (and craving more). And Brother David’s Double and Triple Abbey Style Ales – two special Belgian-style ales – offer rich, fruity aromas and tastes you never see coming. To end the day, we braved the 128 one last time, bringing us eastward to the 101, Healdsburg and a California microbrewing staple – Bear Republic. Bear Republic’s brew pub – a sort of 1950s diner peppered with racing paraphernalia – was a warm welcome after a long, rainy day. Its familiar and famous hop-heavy brews, from the Racer 5 IPA to the XP Pale Ale to the Hop Rod Rye, are second to none in the industry. And for the truly brave, the Mach 10 takes that hop intensity to the next level. But it was the unfamiliar that took us by pleasant surprise. The Belgian-infused IPA, Crazy Ivan, brings a Trappist intensity to the hopinfused formula the brewery has seemingly perfected. After an evening walk around the Continued on Page 22
Created by Restaurant O 6:00pm, Sunday, February 13th ~ or ~ 6:00pm, Monday, February 14th Dungeness Crab Bisque §
Smoked Duck en Croute
§
Frisee and Sorrel Salad
§
Duet of Pancetta-wrapped Half Main Lobster paired with Painted Hills Tenderloin of Beef §
Plantain Split with Macadamia Nut Gelato, Milk Chocolate Drizzle, Irish Crème Whip and Caramelized Strawberries
JLOHR.COM
www.vinetimesonline.com • February / March 2011
19
Paso Robles Winery Guide
ADELAIDA WINERY 1 5805 Adelaida Road, PR 805-239-8980, adelaida.com Tasting Daily 10-5 ANGLIM WINERY 3 740 Pine Street, PR, 805-227-6813 anglimwinery.com, Tasting ThuSat 11-5:30, Sun 12-5:30 or by Appt. ARROYO ROBLES 4 739 12th Street,PR,877-759-WINE arroyorobles.com, Tasting Daily 11-7 AUGUST RIDGE VINEYARDS 5 8790 E.Hwy.41,Creston 805-239-2455, augustridge.com Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5 or by Appt. B & E VINEYARDS 6 10000 Creston Rd., PR 805-238-4815, bevineyard.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 BELLA LUNA 7 1850 Templeton Rd.,Templeton 805-434-5477, bellalunawine.com Tasting Fri-Sun 10-5 BERARDO VINEYARDS AND WINERY 8 3280 Township Road, PR 805-239-9432, ajbvineyards.com BerardoVineyardsandWinery.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 BIANCHI VINEYARDS 9 3380 Branch Road, PR 805-226-9922, bianchiwine.com Tasting Daily 10-5 BRIAN BENSON CELLARS 10 2985 Anderson Rd., PR 805-296-9463, brianbensoncellars.com, Tasting Fri-Sun 10:30-5 CALCAREOUS VINEYARD 11 3430 Peachy Canyon Rd., PR 805-239-0289, calcareous.com Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5 or by Appt. CAPARONE WINERY 12 2280 San Marcos Road, PR 805-467-3827, caparone.com Tasting Daily 11-5 CARMODY MCKNIGHT ESTATE WINES 13 11240 Chimney Rock Road, PR, 805-238-9392 carmodymcknight.com Tasting Daily 10-5 CASA DE CABALLOS 14 2225 Raymond Ave.,Templeton
805-434-1687, casadecaballos.com Tasting Daily 11-5 CASS VINEYARDS 15 7350 Linne Road, PR 805-239-1730, casswines.com Tasting Mon-Fri 12-5, Sat-Sun 11-6 CASTORO CELLARS 16 1315 N. Bethel Rd.,Templeton 805-238-0725,castorocellars.com Tasting Daily 10-5:30 CHANGALA WINERY 17 3770 Willow Creek Rd., PR 805-226-9060 changalawinery.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 CHATEAU MARGENE 18 4385 LaPanza Road, Creston 805-238-2321 chateaumargene.com Tasting 12-5 Sat-Sun & by Appt. CHUMEIA 19 8331 E. Hwy.46, PR 805-226-0102, chumeiavineyards.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 CLAUTIERE VINEYARD 1340 Penman Springs Rd., PR 805-237-3789, clautiere.com Tasting Daily 12-5 20 D’ANBINO VINEYARDS & CELLARS 22 710 Pine St., PR 805-227-6800, danbino.com Tasting Thu-Mon 11-7 DARK STAR CELLARS 23 2985 Anderson Rd., PR 805-237-2389, darkstarcellars.com Tasting Fri-Sun 10:30-5 DENNER VINEYARDS 24 5414Vineyard Drive, PR 805-239-4287, dennervineyards.com, Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 DERBY WINE ESTATES 5620 E. Hwy. 46, PR 51 805-238-6300 derbywineestates.com Tasting Daily 10-5 DOCE ROBLES 25 2023 Twelve Oaks Drive, PR 805-227-4766, docerobles.com Tasting Daily 10:30-5:30 DONATI FAMILY VINEYARD 26 2720 Oak View Rd.,Templeton 805-238-0676 donatifamilyvineyard.com Tasting Daily 10-5
DOVER CANYON WINERY 27 4520 Vineyard Drive, PR 805-237-0101, dovercanyon.com Tasting Thu-Sun 11-5 DUNNING VINEYARDS ESTATE WINERY AND 28 GUEST VILLA 1953 Niderer Road, PR 805-238-4763 dunningvineyards.com Lodging Accommodations Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5 EAGLE CASTLE WINERY 3090 Anderson Rd.,PR 29 805-227-1428, eaglecastlewinery.com Tasting Daily 10:30-5:30 EBERLE WINERY 30 3810 E. Hwy. 46, PR 805-238-9607, eberlewinery.com Tasting Daily 10-6, 10-5 (winter) EDWARD SELLERS VINEYARDS 31 1220 Park Street, PR 805-239-8915, edwardsellers.com Tasting Thu-Mon 12-7 EOS ESTATE WINERY 5625 E. Hwy.46, PR 32 800-249-9463, eosvintage.com Tasting Daily 10-5 FALCON NEST 34 VINEYARD & WINERY 5185 Union Rd., PR 805-226-0227, falconnestwine.com, Tasting Daily 10-6 FIRESTONE VINEYARD 2300 Airport Road, PR 35 805-591-8050, firestonewine.com Tasting Daily 10-5 FOUR VINES 36 3750 W. Hwy 46, Templeton 805-237-0055, fourvines.com Tasting Daily 11-6, 11-5 (winter) FRATELLI PERATA 37 1595 Arbor Road, PR 805-238-2809 fratelliperata.com, Tasting by Appt. GARRETSON WINE COMPANY 38 2323 Tuley Ct., Suite 110, PR 805-239-2074. garretsonwines.com, Tasting by Appt. GREY WOLF CELLARS 2174 W. Hwy 46, PR 39 805-237-0771, greywolfcellars.com, Tasting Daily 11-5:30
40 HALTER RANCH VINEYARD 8910 Adelaida Road, PR 805-226-9455, halterranch.com Tasting Daily 11-5 HANSEN VINEYARD 41 5575 El Pomer Dr.,Templeton 805-239-8412, hansenwines.com Tasting Fri- Sun 11-5 HARMONY CELLARS 42 3255 Harmony Valley Rd., Harmony 805-927-1625/ 800-432-9239 harmonycellars.com Tasting Daily 10-5 HUG CELLARS 43 2323 Tuley Ct., Suite 120D, PR 805-226-8022, hugcellars.com Tasting Thu-Mon 11- 5 & by Appt. HUNT CELLARS 44 2875 Oakdale Road, PR 805-237-1600 huntwinecellars.com Tasting Daily 10-6, 10:30-5:30 (winter) J. LOHR WINERY 46 6169 Airport Road, PR 805-239-8900, jlohr.com Tasting Daily 10-5 JADA VINEYARD 47 5620Vineyard Drive, PR 805-226-4200, jadavineyard.com Tasting Fri-Sun 10-5 or by Appt. JANKRIS WINERY 48 1266 Bethel Road,Templeton 805-434-0319, jankriswinery.com Tasting Daily 11-5 JUDD FAMILY WINES 49 2850 Ranchita Canyon Rd. San Miguel, 805-467-2891 juddfamilywines.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 JUSTIN VINEYARDS & WINERY 50 11680 Chimney Rock Rd., PR 805-238-6932, justinwine.com Tasting Daily 10-5/ Tours by Appt. 51 L’AVENTURE 2815 Live Oak Road, PR 805-227-1588,aventurewine.com Tasting Thu-Sun 11-4 LA VIGNE WINERY 90 5115 Buena Vista Dr., PR 805-227-4000 lavignewinery.com Tasting Daily 11-6, 11-5 (winter) LINNE CALODO 52 CELLARS 3030 Vineyard Drive, PR 805-227-0797, linnecalodo.com Tasting Daily 11-5 LOCATELLI VINEYARDS 8585 Cross Canyons Road San Miguel, 805-467-0067 locatelliwinery.com 53 Tasting Fri-Sun 11-4 or by Appt. LONE MADRONE 54 2485 W. Hwy. 46, PR 805-238-0845,lonemadrone.com Tasting Daily 10:30-5 MALOY O’NEILL 55 VINEYARDS 5725 Union Road, PR 805-238-7320, maloyoneill.com Tasting Fri-Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5 or by Appt. MARTIN & WEYRICH 56 WINERY 2610 Buena Vista Drive, PR 805-238-2520, martinweyrich.com Tasting Daily 10-6 MERIDIAN VINEYARDS 7000 E. Hwy.46, PR 57 805-226-7133, meridianvineyards.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 MIDNIGHT CELLARS 59 2925 Anderson Rd., PR 805-237-9601, 805-239-8904 midnightcellars.com Tasting Daily 10-5:30 MINASSIAN YOUNG VINEYARDS 60 4045 Peachy Canyon Rd., PR 805-238-7571 minassianyoung.com, Tasting FriMon 11-5 MITCHELLA VINEYARD & WINERY 61 2525 Mitchel Ranch Way, PR 805-239-8555, mitchella.com Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5
62 MONDO CELLARS 3260 Nacimiento Lake Dr., PR 805-226-2925, mondocellars.com Tasting Daily 10-6 MOONSTONE CELLARS 801 Main St., Suite C, Cambria 805.927.9466/ 877-517-WINE moonstonecellars.com 63 Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5 NADEAU FAMILY 65 VINTNERS 3860 Peachy Canyon Rd., PR 805-239-3574 nadeaufamilyvintners.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 NORMAN VINEYARDS 66 7450 Vineyard Dr., PR 805-237-0138, normanvineyards.com, Tasting Daily 11-5 OPOLO VINEYARD 67 7110 Vineyard Dr., PR 805-238-9593, opolo.com Tasting Daily 10-5 PASO PORT 68 6996 Peachy Canyon, PR 805-239-2229 pasoportwine.com, Tasting Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon 11-5 or by Appt. PEACHY CANYON WINERY 69 1480 N. Bethel Rd.,Templeton 805-239-1918, peachycanyon.com Tasting Daily 11-5 2020 Nacimiento Lake Dr., PR 805-237-7848 Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5 PENMAN SPRING VINEYARD 70 1985 Penman Springs Rd., PR 805-237-7959, penmansrings.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 PIPESTONE VINEYARDS 2040 Niderer Rd., PR 71 805-227-6385 pipestonevineyards.com Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5 POALILLO VINEYARDS72 1888 Willow Creek Rd., PR 805-238-0600, Tasting by Appt. PRETTY-SMITH 73 VINEYARDS & WINERY 13350 N.River Rd., San Miguel 805-467-3104, Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 RABBIT RIDGE WINERY & VINEYARDS 75 1172 San Marcos Road, PR 805-467-3331, rabbitridgewinery.com, Tasting Wed-Sun 11-5 RIO SECO VINEYARD & WINERY 77 4295 Union Road, PR 805-237-8884, riosecowine.com Tasting Daily 11-5 RIVERSTAR VINEYARD 78 7450 Estrella Road, San Miguel 805-467-0086, riverstarvineyards.com, Tasting Daily 11-5 ROBERT HALL WINERY 3443 Mill Road, PR 79 805-239-1616, roberthallwinery.com Tasting Daily 10-6, 10-5 (winter) ROCKY CREEK CELLARS 8687 Apple Rd.W. Hwy. 46, Templeton, 805-238-1919 rockycreekcellars.com 80 Tasting Daily 12-5 ROTTA WINERY 81 3750 W. Hwy. 46,Templeton 805-237-0510, rottawinery.com Tasting Mon-Fri 11-5, Sat-Sun 11-6 SAN MARCOS CREEK 83 7750 N. Highway 101, PR 805-467-9260 sanmarcoscreek.com Tasting Daily 11-5 SCULPTERRA WINERY 5015 Linne Road, PR 84 805-226-8881, sculpterra.com Tasting Fri-Sun 10-5 SILVER HORSE VINEYARDS 85 2995 Pleasant Road, San Miguel 805-467-9309, silverhorse.com Tasting Fri-Mon 11-5 STACKED STONE 86 CELLARS 1525 Peachy Canyon Rd., PR 805-238-7872, stackedstone.com Tasting Mon-Thu by Appt., Fri-Sun 11-5
STILL WATERS 87 VINEYARD 2750 Old Grove Lane, PR 805-237-9231, stillwatersvineyard.com, Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5 STEPHEN’S CELLAR 88 7575 York Mountain Road, Templeton, 805-238-2412 stephenscellar.com Tasting by Appt. SUMMERWOOD WINERY 2175 Arbor Road, PR 89 805-227-1365, summerwood.com Tasting Daily 10-6, 10-5 (winter) TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD 92 9339 Adelaida Rd, PR 805-237-1231, tablascreek.com Tasting Daily 10-5 TERRY HOAGE VINEYARDS 93 870 Arbor Road, PR 805-238-2083 terryhoagevineyards.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-4 by Appt. THUNDERBOLT WINERY 2740 Hidden Mtn. Rd., PR 94 805-226-9907 thunderboltwinery.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 TOBIN JAMES CELLARS 8950 Union Rd., PR 95 805-239-2204, tobinjames.com Tasting Daily 10-6 TURLEY WINE CELLARS 2900 Vineyard Dr.,Templeton 805-434-1030, turleywinecellars.com, Tasting Daily 9-5 96 VENTEUX VINEYARDS97 1795 Las Tablas Rd.,Templeton 805-369-0127, venteuxvineyards.com Tasting Mon-Fri 12-5, Sat-Sun 10-5 VIA VEGA WINERY 98 22378 Adobe Rd., PR 805-423-2190, viavega.com Tasting Fri-Sat 11-5, Sun by appt. VICTOR HUGO WINERY 2850 El Pomar Dr.,Templeton 805-434-1128, victorhugowinery.om, Tasting by Appt. 99 VIHUELA WINERY 100 1307 Park Street Alley, PR 805-835-4304, vihuelawinery.com Tasting Sun-Mon 11-4,Thu-Sat 11-8 VILLICANA WINERY 101 2725 Adelaida Road, PR 805-239-9456, villicanawinery.com Tasting Thu-Sun 11-5 VINA ROBLES 102 3700 Mill Road, PR 805-227-4812,vinarobles.com Tasting Daily10-6,10-5 (winter) VISTA DEL REY VINEYARDS 103 7340 Drake Road, PR 805-467-2138 Tasting Sun 11-5 & by Appt. WESTBERG CELLARS105 3180 Willow Creek Rd., PR 805-238-932, Tasting by Appt. WILD COYOTE ESTATE WINERY 106 3775 Adelaida Road, PR 805-610-1311, wildcoyote.biz Tasting Daily 11-5 WILD HORSE WINERY 1437 Wild Horse Winery Ct., Templeton, 805-434-2541 107 wildhorsewinery.com Tasting Daily 11-5 WINDWARD VINEYARD 108 1380 Live Oak Rd., PR 805-239-2565, windwardvineyard.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-5 YORK MOUNTAIN WINERY 109 7505 York Mountain Rd., Templeton, 805-238-3925 yorkmountainwinery.com Tasting Daily 11-4 ZENAIDA CELLARS 1550 W. Hwy. 46, PR 110 805-227-0382, zenaidacellars.com Tasting Daily 11-5 ZIN ALLEY WINERY 111 3730 W. Hwy. 46, PR zinalley.com, 805-238-0959 Tasting by Appt.
CELEBRATE PASO ROBLES!
Tasting Room Open Daily 11 to 5:30
2174 Hwy 46 West Paso Robles greywolfcellars.com 805-237-0771
Open 7 Days a Week 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., except major holidays 1480 N. Bethel Road, Templeton, CA
www.peachycanyon.com 805/239.1918 or 866/335.1918
The Peachy Canyon “Old School House” tasting room (circa 1886) is located in the heart of Paso Robles’ wine country on Highway 46 West. Come taste the world famous Estate Zinfandels or any of the other 15-plus handcrafted small batch Rhone & Bordeaux varietals.
“NEVER ENOUGH ZIN” • ZINFEST 2011
Tasting Room Tuscan Bed & Breakfast Vineyard Vacation Rentals
805.239.9432 3280 Township Rd, Paso Robles BerardoVineyardsandWinery.com
Tasting Room Open 12-5 Weekends & Holidays
Family Owned and Operated Vineyard Producing Fantastic Red Wines We produce 2500 cases a year, all fruit is Estate grown.
•
Visit our fun little saloon perched on a hill overlooking the ranch, vines and pond. Try our Award Winning 2007 Red Rhythm Open Fri-Sun 11a.m. to 5p.m. Call for private pourings Mon-Thu by appt. 10,000 Creston Rd. • Paso Robles 805-238-4815 www.bevineyard.com
Oak Shadow Cottage Oak Shadow Cottage is a fully furnished studio cottage located in Atascadero, California. Located on five beautiful acres, the cottage is surrounded by oaks and has a great view of the morning sunrise. Great location, close to shopping, wine tasting and much more. Come and share our little bit of authentic California. For more information, visit Oak Shadow Cottage online at http://www.vrbo.com/281363
at the
Pierre Bensusan Indoor Concert Saturday, February 12, 7:30
ZIN FEST WEEKEND!
“NATIVE FLAVORS ZINSATIONS” • FRI. March 18, 6:30-9:30 p.m. TASTING ROOM OPEN HOUSE Saturday - Sunday, March 19 - 20, 10 - 5:30
City Folk with Alisa Fineman Indoor Concert Saturday, March 26, 7:30
Open Daily 10 - 5:30 1315 North bethel Rd., Templeton 888-DAM-FINE
WWW.CASTOROCELLARS.COM
Come taste for yourself why critics rave about our highly acclaimed “Cult” wines. Visit Hunt Cellars and Taste 90-96 point Multi-Gold Medal wines and Best of Class. Open 7 days a week 10:30 to 5:30. Mention “Unforgettable” for one complimentary tasting. 2875 Oakdale Rd. Paso Robles CA, 93446 Corner of Hwy 46-W. 3 miles from Hwy 101
805-237-1600 or visit us at www.huntcellars.com
V
VIA VEGA Aglianico VINEYARD Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon Grenache Malbec Merlot Syrah 101 Souzao Tinta Cao Paso Robles Touriga Nacional Friday & Saturday 11-5 Zinfandel Sunday & Evening by appt. 805.423.2190 www.viavega.com Tower Rd
Adobe Rd
Estrella Adobe Church
101 to Hwy 46 East take Airport Road to Adobe Road follow to End of Pavement 2378 Adobe Road Paso Robles, CA
Buena Vista
46 E
19 ANNUAL ZINFANDEL FESTIVAL MARCH 18-20 TH
Paso Robles Municipal Airport
Beer Tasting Adventure Continued from Page 19 downtown Healdsburg square (lined with art galleries and specialty shops galore) and a much-needed night’s sleep, we decided to end the trip right – with a stop at Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa. For serious brewers – and believe us, they are serious – the folks at Russian River
View of the ocean from Glass Beach in Fort Bragg. (Janet Stegner)
have set up a very welcoming watering hole. Vintage signs and hardwood line the bar, giving the feeling of both authenticity and warmth. It’s a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon, given that happy hour runs all day long. It’s also a great place to expand your beer pallet. Sure, Russian River excels with famous familiars – notably, the hoppy duo Pliny The Elder and Blind Pig. But it’s barrel-aging (specifically, wine barrel aging) where Russian River is truly breaking the mold. They offer an army of brews in this vein. One of our favorites, Consecration, is a delicious dark Belgian with a sour taste, derived from the Cabernet Sauvignon barrels in which it’s aged. For a wine enthusiast, a brewery lineup like Pollock’s can seem a bit intimidating – much like the drive down CA-128. A good beer tasting jerks your taste buds left
Chalkboard of beers at Russian River Brewing Company. and right on a wild winding journey. But in the end, it’s the unknown that entices all of
(Janet Stegner)
us – something these northern California breweries know quite well.
Wineries Gain New Interactive Channel with iVinoX New Service Platform Engages, Enhances Experience for Wine Enthusiasts Planning Winery Visits Wineries now have a new platform, iVinoX, to help them reach mobile wine enthusiasts as they plan their wine-tastings and tours. Featuring robust and intuitive search tools, iVinoX will bring together wineries and wine enthusiasts in a unique mobile environment that allows communication between consumers and wineries, and the opportunity to create long-term relationships between the two. By becoming a subscriber, the winery opens a channel to directly interact with the user. It does not replace the use of other media but rather augments and enhances them. The service allows the winery to make offers directed to the user based on time, location, club memberships and other drivers. By gaining access to the user, the winery is able to expand their relationship beyond the traditional and gain traction in the new marketplace dominated by Gen X/Y and other groups that rely more on digital media as their source of news, events, and product awareness. Wineries subscribe to the service on a monthly or yearly basis. By subscribing, wineries are essentially creating their own personalized wine app on the iVinoX platform and are able to offer a more personal experience to users. Once subscribed, they are able to augment their basic listing with as much detail as they wish, including descriptions of their wines, tasting notes,
and pricing, as well as facility features such as pet-friendly, picnicking, gardens, etc. This provides the winery with a unique opportunity to communicate directly with iVinoX users, including real-time, location-based interactions. At its core, iVinoX is a new, interactive iPhone application that will create a community of wine enthusiasts who are technologically savvy, enjoy fine wine and want to enhance their wine experience. The app is a fun, knowledgeable and intuitive companion to anyone's wine experience. With almost 6,000 wineries currently listed in the database, it will enhance and expand the user's understanding of yet undiscovered wineries. Agreat tool to plan and manage visits, the user benefits by gaining access to a wide variety of wineries, wines, special offers, reviews, and suggestions. It can be used any time the user is having a wine experience: at home, in a restaurant, grocery store, and more. The experience is enhanced by sharing with both their immediate friends and associates, as well as being able to tap into a greater number of like-minded individuals to share and interact based on their preferences.
About iVinoX iVinoX was founded in 2010 to provide a service platform that can be utilized
Visit our website for all the latest wine country news.
www.vinetimesonline.com 22 February / March 2011 • www.vinetimesonline.com
by wineries and other businesses to interact with users allowing wine enthusiasts to engage and experience wine in a completely mobile environment. Initially available
on the iPhone platform, multiple application platforms are being developed. Expansion to additional industries is planned for future offerings.
Winery Guide ROCK WALL WINE COMPANY 9 2301 Monarch St., Suite 300, Alameda, (510) 522-5700 rockwallwines.com periscopecellars.com Tasting Thurs-Sun 12-6 or by Appt. Also pouring: R&B Cellars JRE Wines, Blacksmith Cellars Ehrenberg Cellars ROSENBLUM CELLARS 10 2900 Main St., Alameda (510) 865-7007, rosenblum.com Tasting daily 11-6 STAGE LEFT CELLARS 11 2102 Dennison St, Oakland (510) 434-9930 stageleftcellars.com Tasting first Saturday of the month 11-5 URBAN LEGEND CELLARS 13 621 4th St., Oakland (510) 545-4356, ulcellars.com Tasting Fri-Sun 1-6
AUDUBON CELLARS 2 600 Addison St., Berkeley (510) 540-5384 www.auduboncellars.bizland.com Tasting by Appt.
JC CELLARS 5 55 4th St., Oakland (510) 465-5900, jccellars.com Tasting Thurs-Sun 12-6
PERISCOPE CELLARS 6 2 1410 62nd St. Ste B., Emeryville (510) 655-7827, periscopecellars.com Tasting Fri-Sun 1-6. Also pouring URBANO CELLARS wines Sat & Sun 1-6 Submit your winery or changes IRISH MONKEY 4 to be included in our April / May 1017 22nd Ave., Oakland issue’s guides. Please submit by (510) 915-5463, irishmonkey.net March 7, 2011 to editor@ Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 vinetimesmagazine.com DASHE CELLARS 55 4th Street, Oakland (510) 452-1800 dashecellars.com Tasting Thurs-Sun 12-6
Jaime Dowell of Livermore’s Crooked Vine
Jamie Dowell winemaker of Crooked Vine and Stony Ridge. (Laura Ness) Continued from Page 11 Petite Sirah this vintage as well. Says Jaime, “We added back stems to the fermentation after destemming on a couple of bins...to
see if we can’t coax out a little more meatiness...so far there is a distinct difference.” Barrel tasting will tell in the spring. Syrah is always a fun animal to play with. This fall, they added a little Viognier (2 percent) to a couple of bins of Syrah. Says Jaime, “We decided to create a co-fermentation, hoping to make the mid palate a little more complex. And we added a little Petite Syrah to one of the Zin fermentations to beef up the spiciness a little. We’ll see if it makes a difference.” Vineyard-wise, Del Arroyo continued on a high-quality path, despite what could have been a disastrous growing season. She notes with relief, “We were ahead of rot and sunburn all season, so there were really no losses like so many other vineyards saw. Because of the long, cool grow-
ing season, I think the wines will be even richer this vintage. With great color on most everything and good intense flavors through out the wines, it may be Livermore’s year!!” Checking in on the early results from the 2010 harvest, barrel sampling revealed some shining whites. The 2010 barrel-fermented Viognier is filled with pineapple and banana, with a wonderful texture of apple butter. The 2010 Charvay is a co-ferment of Chard and Viognier, with lovely apricot, banana, pineapple and apple flavors. There’s a definitive minerally edge, and decent acid, a watchword of this vintage. The 2010 Fumé Blanc shows considerably less tutti-fruitiness than the decadent, tropical heat wave immersion of the
2009. Lovely kieffer lime, tangerine and subtle floral notes, with a predominance of candied grapefruit and citron, promise that this wine will be amazing. All in all, Jaime is excited about the prospects for the 2010 vintage for Crooked Vine and Stony Ridge: it’s hard to leave this place behind, but she is bound and determined to go out and see the world. They’ve been interviewing some great candidates, with people from all over the world, including Yugoslavia, Italy, and Australia. They’ll probably choose someone with roots a little closer. Hope she finds some fun Grenache and Mourvedre to work with Down Under. Maybe she’ll come back inspired to create Livermore’s finest Grenache-SyrahMourvedre.
Winery Guide
TEMECULA ALEX’S RED BARN 1 WINERY 39820 Calle Contento 951-693-3201, redbarnwine.com Tasting Sat-Sun 11-6 BAILY VINEYARD & WINERY 2 33440 La Serena 951-676- WINE, bailywinery.com Tasting Daily 11-5, ex. Sat 10-5 BELLA VISTA VINEYARD & WINERY 3 41220 Calle Contento 951-676-5250, bellavistawinery.com Tasting Daily 10-6 BRIAR ROSE WINERY 4 41720 Calle Cabrillo 951-308-1098, briarrosewinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 CALLAWAY VINEYARD & WINERY 5 32720 Rancho California Rd. 951-676-4001 or 800-472-2377 callawaywinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5/Tours by Appt. CHURON WINERY 6 33233 Rancho California Rd. 951-694-9071, churonwinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5
COUGAR VINEYARD & WINERY 7 39870 De Portola Rd. 951-491-0825, cougarvineyards.com,Tasting Daily 11-6 DANZA DEL SOL WINERY 10 39050 De Portola Rd. 951-302-6363, danzadelsolwinery.com Tasting Fri-Mon 11-6 DOFFO WINERY 8 36083 Summitville St. 714-715-6610, doffowines.com Tasting Fri-Sun 10-5 FOOT PATH WINERY 32 36650 Glen Oaks, 951-265-9951 footpathwinery.com Tasting M-F 12-5, S-S 10-5 FALKNER WINERY 9 40620 Calle Contento 951-676-8231, falknerwinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 11 HART WINERY 41300 Avenida Biona 951-676-6300 thehartfamilywinery.com Tasting Daily 9-4:30 KEYWAYS VINEYARD & WINERY 12 37338 DePortola Rd. 951-302-7888, keywayswine.com Tasting Daily 10-6
14 LEONESSE CELLARS 38311 DePortola Rd. 951-302-7601, leonessecellars.com Tasting Daily 10-5 or by Appt. LONGSHADOW RANCH WINERY 15 39847 Calle Contento 951-587-6221 longshadowranchwinery.com Tasting Mon-Fri 12-5, Sat-Sun 10-5 LORIMAR WINERY 19 Old Town Temecula Tasting Room 42031 Main St., 951-240-5177 lorimarwinery.com, Tasting Sun-Thu 12-6, Fri-Sat 11-9 M AURICE CAR’RIE VINEYARD & WINERY 16 34225 Rancho California Rd. 951-676-1711 mauricecarriewinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 MIRAMONTE WINERY 17 33410 Rancho California Rd. 951-506-5500/ 866-MIRAMONTE miramontewinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 MOUNT PALOMAR WINERY 18 33820 Rancho California Rd. 951-676-5047, mountpalomar.com Tasting Sun 11-6, Mon-Thu 10-5, Fri-Sat 10-6
OAK MOUNTAIN WINERY 20 36522 Via Verde, 951-699-9102 oakmountainwinery.com Tasting Daily 11-5 PALUMBO FAMILY 21 VINEYARDS & WINERY 40150 Barksdale Cir., 951-676-7900, palumbofamilyvineyards.com Tasting Sat-Sun 10-5, Fri 12-5or by Appt. PONTE FAMILY ESTATE 22 35053 Rancho California Rd. 951-694-8855, pontewinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 ROBERT RENZONI 23 VINEYARDS 37350 De Portola Rd., 951-302-VINO robertrenzonivineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-6 SOUTH COAST WINERY 24 34843 Rancho California Rd. 951-587-9463/ 866-9-WINERY wineresort.com, Tasting Daily 10-6 STUA RT CELLARS 25 33515 Rancho California Rd. 888-260-0870, stuartcellars.com Tasting Daily 10-5 TESORO WINERY Old Town Tasting Room 26 28475 Old Town Front Street 951-308-0000, tesorowines.com Tasting Mon-Thu 1-6, Fri 11-8, Sat 10-8, Sun 1-6 TEMECULA HILLS WINERY 27 47200 De Portola Rd. 951-767-3450, temeculahillswinery.com Tasting Daily 11-5,Tours by Appt. THORNTON WINERY 28 32575 Rancho California Rd. 951-699-0099, thorntonwine.com Tasting Daily 10-5,Tours Sat-Sun 11-4 VAN ROEKEL WINERY AND VINEYARDS 29 34567 Rancho California Rd. 951-699-6961/ 800-716-1711 Tasting Daily 10-5 VINDEMIA ESTATE WINERY 33133 Vista Del Monte 33 951-699-0601, californiadreamin.com Tasting Fri-Sun 10-5 WIENS FAMILY CELLARS 35055 Via Del Ponte 30 951-694-9892, wienscellars.com Tasting Daily 10-5 WILSON CREEK WINERY & VINEYARD 31 35960 Rancho California Rd. 951-699-9463, wilsoncreekwinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5
SAN DIEGO COUNTY (not shown on map) BELLE MARIE WINERY 26312 Mesa Rock Rd., Escondido, 760-796-7557 bellemarie.com Tasting Daily 11-5, Tours Sat at 1:00 by Appt. BERNARDO WINERY 13330 Paseo del Verano Norte, Rancho Bernardo, 858-487-1866 bernardowinery.com Tasting Mon-Fri 9-5, Sat-Sun 10-6 BONDED WINERY 5151 Santa Fe St. San Diego 858-270-7550 Tasting Sat 12-4 or by Appt. COUNTRY CELLARS 4456 Hwy. 78, Julian 760-765-0089, countrycellars.com Tasting of wine and beer: Wed-Sun 11-5, open holiday Mondays 11-4 FALLBROOK WINERY 2554 Via Rancheros, Fallbrook 760-728-0156 fallbrookwinery.com Tasting by Appt. FERRARA WINERY 1120 West 15th Ave, Escondido 760-745-7632 ferrarawinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 J. JENKINS WINERY 1255 Julian Orchards Drive Julian, 760-765-3267 jenkinswinery.com Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5 or by Appt. LENORA WINERY 632 Main St., Ramona 760.788.1388 lenorawinery.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-6 MENGHINI WINERY 1150 Julian Orchards Drive, Julian, 760-765-2072 menghiniwinery.com Tasting Mon-Fri 10-4, Sat-Sun 10-5 ORFILA VINEYARDS 13455 San Pasqual Rd., Escondido, 760-738-6500 orfila.com, Tasting Daily 10-6 SAN CLEMENTE WINE CO. 212-1/2 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, 949-429-7067 scwinecompany.com Tasting Mon-Fri 2-7:30, Sat-Sun 2-8:30
SAN PASQUAL WINERY & GALLERY 8364 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa 619-462-1797 sanpasqualwinery.com Tasting Mon-Thu 11-8, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 11-5
Submit your winery or changes to be included in our April / May issue’s guides. Please submit by March 7, 2011 to editor@ vinetimesmagazine.com
www.vinetimesonline.com • February / March 2011
23
Napa Valley Winery Guide
MAP 1 ANGWIN CHATEAU WOLTNER 100 150 S.White Cottage Rd. 707-965-2445, AT LAMBORN FAMILY VINEYARDS 101 925-254-0511, lamborn.com, A SUMMIT LAKE VINEYARDS 102 2000 Summit Lake Dr.,707-965-2488 summitlakevineyards.com, A CALISTOGA AUGUST BRIGGS WINE 105 333 Silverado Tr.,707-942-4912 augustbriggswine.com Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30 BENNETT LANE WINERY 106 3340 Hwy. 128, 707-942-6684 Tasting Daily 10-5:30, T CALISTOGA CELLARS 107 1371 Lincoln Ave., 707-942-7422, calistogacellars.com, A CASTELLO DI AMOROSA 108 4045 N. St. Helena Hwy, 707-967-6272 castellodiamorosa.com, Tasting Daily 9:30-6/Dec-Feb 15 ‘til 5, Tours by appt. CHATEAU MONTELENA WINERY 109 1429 Tubbs Lane, 707-942-5105 montelena.com, Tasting Daily 9:30-4 CLOS PEGASE WINERY 110 1060 Dunaweal Ln., 707-942-4981, clospegase.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-5T CONSTANT-DIAMOND MOUNTAIN VINEYARD 111 2121 Diamond Mountain Rd., constantwine.com, 707-942-0707 CUVAISON WINERY 112 4550 Silverado Tr., 707-942-2468, cuvaison.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, 1221 Duhig,Napa 707-942-2455,A DUTCH HENRY WINERY 115 4310 Silverado Tr., 707-942-5771/ 800-224-5879, dutchhenry.com, AT GRAESER WINERY 116 255 Petrified Forest Rd., graeserwinery.com,707-942-4437,Tasting Daily 10-5 HELENA VIEW JOHNSTON 117 VINEYARDS 3500 Hwy. 128, 707-942-4956 helenaview.com, AT LARKMEAD VINEYARDS 118 1100 Larkmead Ln.,707-942-0167 larkmead.com, AT PAOLETTI VINEYARDS 120 4501 Silverado Tr., 707-942-0689, giannipaoletti.com, A REVERIE ON DIAMOND 121 MOUNTAIN 1520 Diamond Mountain Rd. 707-942-6800, reverie.com, AT ROBERT PECOTA WINERY 122 3299 Bennett Ln.,707-942-6625 robertpecotawinery.com, A SCHRAMSBERG VINEYARDS & 124 CELLARS 1400 Schramsberg Rd., 707-9424558, schramsberg.com, AT SILVER ROSE RESORT WINERY 125 351 Rosedale Rd., 707-942-9581, silverrose.com, A STERLING VINEYARDS 126 1111 Dunaweal Ln.,707-942-3300 / 800-726-6163,sterlingvineyards.com Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30, T STORYBOOK MOUNTAIN WINERY 127 3835 Hwy. 128, 707-942-5310 storybookwines.com, AT
SUMMERS WINES 128 1171 Tubbs Ln.,707-942-5508 summerswinery.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30 TWOMEY CELLARS 130 1183 Dunaweal Ln., 707-942-2700/ 800-505-4850, twomeycellars.com Tasting Mon-Sat 9-4, T VINCENT ARROYO WINERY 131 2361 Greenwood Ave., 707-9426995, vincentarroyo.com, A VON STRASSER WINERY 132 1510 Diamond Mountain Rd., 707942-0930, vonstrasser.com, AT WERMUTH WINERY/ 133 RANCHO DE LAS FLORES 3942 Silverado Tr., 707-942-5924, A ZAHTILA VINEYARDS 134 2250 Lake County Hwy., 707-9429251, zahtilavineyards.com, AT DEER PARK DEER PARK WINERY 136 1000 Deer Park Rd.,707-963-5411 Tasting Fri-Sat 10-5 VIADER VINEYARDS 137 1120 Deer Park Rd. 707-963-3816, viader.com, AT POPE VALLEY AETNA SPRINGS CELLARS 138 7227 Pope Valley Rd., 707-965-2675, aetnaspringscellars.com, A CLEAVAGE CREEK WINERY 139 6307 Pope Valley Rd., cleavagecreek.com, 707-965-1246, A POPE VALLEY WINERY 140 6613 Pope Valley Rd., popevalleywinery.com, 888-295-1280, A MAP 2 ST. HELENA ANDERSON'S CONN VALLEY 200 VINEYARDS 680 Rossi Road,707-963-8600 connvalleyvineyards.com, A ARGER-MARTUCCI VINEYARDS 201 1455 Inglewood Ave.,707-963-4334, arger-martucci.com, A BALLENTINE VINEYARDS 203 2820 St.Helena Hwy.707-963-7919,ballentinevineyards.com, A BARNETT VINEYARDS 204 4070 Spring Mountain Rd,707-9637075, barnettvineyards.com, AT BENESSERE VINEYARDS 205 1010 Big Tree Rd.,707-963-5853, benesserevineyards.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, T BERINGER VINEYARDS 206 2000 Main St., 707-967-4412 beringer.com,Tasting Daily 10-6,T BUEHLER VINEYARDS 207 820 Greenfield Rd.,707-963-2155, buehlervineyards.com,AT BURGESS CELLARS 208 1108 Deer Park Rd.,707-963-4766/ 800-752-9463,burgesscellars.com,A CAFARO CELLARS 210 1591 Dean York Lane 707-963-7181, AT CAIN VINEYARD & WINERY 211 3800 Langtry Rd. 707-963-1616, cainfive.com, AT CALAFIA CELLARS 212 629 Fulton Lane, 707-963-0114 calafiacellars.com. A
CASA NUESTRA WINERY 213 3451 Silverado Trail North, 707-9635783,casanuestra.com,AT CATACULA LAKE WINERY 214 4105 Chiles Pope Valley Road 707-965-1104 CHAPPELLET VINEYARD 215 1581 Sage Canyon Road, 800-494-6379, chappellet.com. AT CHARLES KRUG WINERY 216 2800 Main St.,707-967-2229 charleskrug.com,Tasting Daily 10:30-5 CHATEAU BOSWELL 217 3468 Silverado Tr., 707-963-5472 chateauboswellwinery.com, A CONN CREEK WINERY/ 219 VILLA MT. EDEN 8711 Silverado Tr., 707-963-9100, conncreek.com, Tasting Sun-Fri 11-4, Sat 10-4, T CORISON WINERY 220 987 S. St. Helena Hwy. 707-963-0826, corison.com, A DOMAINE CHARBAY WINERY 222 4001 Spring Mountain Rd.,707-9639327/ 800-634-7845,charbay.com,A A DOZEN VINTNERS 223 (Splenetic,Reverie,Von Strasser,Destino,Eagle and Rose,Adams Ridge,Howell Mountain,Fife, Lamborn Family,Koves-Newlan)
3000 Hwy.29 N.,707-967-0666 adozenvintners.com,Tasting Daily 10-5 DUCKHORN VINEYARDS 224 1000 Lodi Lane, 707-963-7108 duckhorn.com, AT EAGLE & ROSE ESTATE 223 3000 St. Helena Highway. 707967-0666, eagleandrose.com Tasting Daily 10-5, T EHLERS ESTATE WINERY 227 3222 Ehlers Lane, 707-963-5972 ehlersestate.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, T
24 February / March 2011 • www.vinetimesonline.com
FLORA SPRINGS WINE CO. 228 677 S. St. Helena Hwy. 707-967-8032,florasprings.com Tasting Daily 10-5, T FORMAN WINERY & VINEYARDS 229 1501 Big Rock Rd., 707-963-0234, A FRANK FAMILY VINEYARDS 119 1091 Larkmead, 800-574-9463 frankfamilyvineyards.com Tasting Daily 10-5, T FREEMARK ABBEY WINERY 231 3022 N. St. Helena Hwy., 707-9639694, freemarkabbey.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, T GUILLIAMS VINEYARDS 233 3851 Spring Mountain Rd., 707-963-9059, A HALL WINERY 234 401 S. St. Helena Hwy. 866-667-4255, hallwines.com, T HEITZ WINE CELLARS 235 436 S.St.Helena Hwy.,707-963-3542, heitzcellar.com,Tasting Daily 11-4:30, T JOSEPH PHELPS VINEYARDS 236 200 Taplin Road, 707-963-2745 jpvwines.com, A KELHAM VINEYARDS 238 360 Zinfandel Ln., 707-963-2000, kelhamvineyards.com, AT KULETO ESTATE WINERY 239 2470 Sage Canyon Rd.,707-9639750, kuletoestate.com, AT LORENZA-LAKE WINERY 240 1764 Scott Street,707-963-8593, A LOUIS M.MARTINI WINERY 242 254 S. St. Helena Hwy. 707-968-3361/ 800-321-WINE louismartini.com, Tasting Daily 10-6, T MARKHAM VINEYARDS 243 2812 N. St. Helena Hwy., markhamvineyards.com 707-963-5292, Tasting Daily 11-5 MERRYVALE VINEYARDS 244 1000 Main St., 707-963-2225/ 800-326-6069, merryvale.com Tasting Daily 10-6:30, T MILAT VINEYARDS 245 1091 S. St. Helena Hwy. milat.com, 707-963-0758/ 80054-MILAT, Tasting Daily 10-5:30 MOUNT VEEDER WINERY 391 1178 Galleron Rd., 707-967-3830 (Franciscan Oakville Estate) mtveeder.com, Tastng Daily 10-5, T NEWTON VINEYARDS 248 2555 Madrona Ave., 707-963-9000, newtonvineyard.com, AT NICHELINI WINERY 249 2950 Sage Canyon Rd, 707-9630717, nicheliniwinery.com Tasting Sat-Sun 10-5, or AT PRAGER WINERY & PORT WORKS 252 1281 Lewelling Lane, 707-963-7678/ 800-969-7678, pragerport.com Tasting Mon-Sat 10:30-4:30 PRIDE MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS 253 4026 Spring Mountain Rd., 707-9634949, pridewines.com, AT
PROVENANCE VINEYARDS 319 1695 S. St. Helena Hwy., 707-9683633, provenancevineyards.com Tasting Daily 10:30-5:30, T RAYMOND VINEYARD & CELLAR 255 849 Zinfandel Ln., 707-963-3141/ 800-525-2659, raymondvineyards.com, Tasting Daily 10-4, T RITCHIE CREEK VINEYARD 256 4024 Spring Mountain Rd., ritchiecreek.com, 707-963-4661, A ROBERT KEENAN WINERY 257 3660 Spring Mountain Rd., keenanwinery.com, A 707-963-9177 ROMBAUER VINEYARDS 258 3522 Silverado Tr., 707-963-5170, rombauervineyards.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, T RUSTRIDGE WINERY 260 2910 Lower Chiles Valley Rd. 707-965-9353, rustridge.com, A RUTHERFORD WINE CO. 261 1680 Silverado Tr., 707-968-3200 roundhillwines.com Tasting Daily 10-4:30 SCHWEIGER VINEYARDS 263 4015 Spring Mountain Rd., 707-9634882, schweigervineyards.com, AT SEAVEY VINEYARD 264 1310 Conn Valley, 707-963-8339 seaveyvineyard.com, AT SHERWIN FAMILY VINEYARDS 265 4060 Spring Mtn. Rd. 707-9631154, sherwinfamilyvineyards.com,AT SPRING MOUNTAIN 266 2805 Spring Mountain Rd., 707-9674188, springmountainvineyard.com, AT SMITH-MADRONE VINEYARDS 267 4022 Spring Mountain Road, 707963-2283, smithmadrone.com, A SPOTTSWOODE WINERY 268 1902 Madrona Ave.,707-963-0134 spottswoode.com, T ST. CLEMENT VINEYARDS 269 2867 N.St.Helena Hwy.,707-967-3033, stclement.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, T STONY HILL VINEYARD 270 3331 N.St.Helena Hwy.,707-9632636, stonyhillvineyard.com, AT SUTTER HOME WINERY 272 277 S. St. Helena Hwy. 707-963-3104/ 800-967-4663 sutterhome.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 TASTING ON MAIN 273 1142 Main St., 707-967-1042 Tasting Daily 10:30-6 TERRA VALENTINE 274 3787 Spring Mountain Rd., 707967-8340, terravalentine.com, AT TRINCHERO NAPA VALLEY 275 3070 N.St.Helena Hwy.,707-9631160, trincherowinery.com Tasting Starting Summer ‘09 TUDAL WINERY 276 1015 Big Tree Rd., 707-963-3947 tudalwinery.com, AT
V. SATTUI WINERY 278 1111 White Lane, 707-963-7774, vsattui.com,Tasting Daily 9-6,9-5 (winter),T VOLKER EISELE FAMILY ESTATE 279 3080 Lower Chiles Valley Rd. 707-965-9485, volkereiselefamilyestate.com, AT WHITEHALL LANE WINERY 280 1563 S.St.Helena Hwy.,707-963-9454 800-963-9454,whitehalllane.com Tasting Daily 11-5:45 WILLIAM HARRISON VINEYARDS 281 1443 Silverado Tr., 707-963-8310, whwines.com. Tasting Thurs-Mon 11-5 MAP 3 RUTHERFORD 301 ALPHA OMEGA WINERY 1155 Mee Lane @ Hwy. 29, 707-963-9999, aowinery.com Tasting Daily 10-6 BEAULIEU VINEYARD 302 1960 S. St. Helena Hwy. 707-967-5200, bvwine.com Tasting Daily 10-5, T CAKEBREAD CELLARS 304 8300 St. Helena Hwy. 707-963-5221/ 800-588-0298, cakebread.com, Tasting Daily 10-4:30, T CAYMUS VINEYARDS 305 8700 Conn Creek Rd., 707-963-4204, caymus.com, A FLEURY FAMILY WINERY 307 950 Galleron Rd., 707-967-8333, AT FRANCISCAN OAKVILLE ESTATES 309 1178 Galleron Rd., 707-967-3993, franciscan.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, T FROG'S LEAP WINERY 310 8815 Conn Creek Rd., 707-9634704/ 800-959-4704, frogsleap.com, T GRGICH HILLS CELLARS 312 1829 S.St.Helena Hwy., 800-532-3057, grgich.com,Tasting Daily 9:30-4:30,T HONIG VINEYARD & WINERY 314 850 Rutherford Rd., 707-963-5618, honigwine.com, AT MUMM CUVÉE NAPA 316 8445 Silverado Tr.,707-967-7700 mummnapa.com,Tasting Daily 10-5.T PEJU PROVINCE WINERY 318 8466 S.St.Helena Hwy.,707-963-3600, peju.com,Tasting Daily 10-6,T QUINTESSA 251 1601 Silverado Tr., 707-967-1601 quintessa.com, AT RUBICON ESTATE 321 1991 St.Helena Hwy.,800-782-4266, rubiconestate.com Tasting Daily 10-5,T RUTHERFORD GROVE WINERY 322 1673 St. Helena Hwy., 707-9630544,rutherfordgrovewinery- .com, Tasting Daily 10-4:30 RUTHERFORD HILL WINERY 262 200 Rutherford Hill Rd., 707-963-1871/ 800-637-5684
(24 boutique wineries)
7830-40 St. Helena Hwy., 707-944-1710, napawineco.com Tasting Daily 10-4 349 NICKEL & NICKEL 8164 St. Helena Hwy., 707-9679600, nickelandnickel.com, AT OAKFORD VINEYARDS 350 1575 Oakville Grade, 707-9450445, oakfordvineyards.com, A OPUS ONE WINERY 351 7900 St. Helena Hwy. 707-9449442, opusonewinery.com., AT PLUMPJACK WINERY 353 620 Oakville Cross Road, 707945-1220, plumpjackwinery.com Tasting Daily 10-4 ROBERT MONDAVI WINERY 355 7801 S.St.Helena Hwy.,707-226-1335 888-RMONDAVI,robertmondaviwinery.com, Tasting Daily 10-4, T RUDD WINERY 356 500 Oakville Cross Road 707-944-8577, ruddwines.com, AT SADDLEBACK CELLARS 357 7802 Money Road, 707-944-1305 saddlebackcellars.com, A SILVER OAK CELLARS 359 915 Oakville Cross Road 707-944-8808/ 800-273-8809 silveroak.com, Tasting Mon-Sat 9-4, T TURNBULL WINE CELLARS 361 8210 S. St. Helena Hwy. 707-963-5839/ 800-887-6285 turnbullwines.com Tasting Daily 10-4:30, T YOUNTVILLE BELL WINE CELLARS 364 6200 Washington St., 707-944-1673 bellwine.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-4 CHATEAU CHEVRE 365 2030 Hoffman Lane, 707-942-5105, A CLIFF LEDE VINEYARDS 367 1473 Yountville Crossroad, 707-944-8642, cliffledevineyards.com
Tasting Daily 10-5, T COSENTINO WINERY 378 7415 St. Helena Hwy., 707-9441220, cosentinowinery. com, Tasting Daily 10-5:30 DOMAINE CHANDON 380 1 California Dr., 707-944-8844 chandon.com, Tasting Daily 10-6, T FRANUS WINE COMPANY 381 2055 Hoffman Ln., 707-945-0542 peterfranus.com, A GIRARD WINERY 237 6795 Washington St., 707-968-9297 girardwinery.com, Tasting Daily 10-6, T GOOSECROSS CELLARS 383 1119 State Ln., 707-944-1986/ 800-276-9210, goosecross.com Tasting Daily 10-4:30 HAVENS WINE CELLARS 385 2055 Hoffman Ln., 707-261-2000, havenswine.com, Tasting Daily 10-4:30 HILL FAMILY ESTATE 386 6512 Washington St., 707-944-9580, hillfamilyestate.com,Tasting Daily 10-6, T HOPE & GRACE WINERY 387 6540 Washington St., 707-944-2500 hopeandgracewines.com, Tasting Mon-Sat 10-5:30 or A HOPPER CREEK WINERY 388 6204 Washington St. , 707-944-0675 hoppercreek.com, A JESSUP CELLARS 390 6740 Washington St., 707-944-8523 jessupcellars.com, Tasting Daily 10-6 MAP 4 NAPA ACACIA VINEYARD 401 2750 Las Amigas Rd., 707-226-9991 877-226-1700, acaciawinery.com Tasting Daily 10-4, Sun- A ALTAMURA WINERY 402 1700 Wooden Valley Rd., 707-253-2000, altamura.com, A ANDRETTI WINERY 403 4162 Big Ranch Rd., 707-261-1717, andrettiwinery.com,Tasting Daily 10-5,T BALDACCI FAMILY VINEYARDS 363 6236 Silverado Tr., 707-944-9261, baldaccivineyards.com, AT BLACK STALLION WINERY 405 4089 Silverado Tr., 707-253-1400 blackstallionwinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 BOUCHAINE VINEYARDS 406 1075 Buchli Station Rd., 707-2529065/ 800-654-WINE, bouchaine.com Tasting Mon-Fri 10-4, Sat 10:30-5, T CEJA VINEYARDS 408 1248 First St., 707-226-6445 cejavineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-6 CHIMNEY ROCK WINERY 366 5350 Silverado Tr., 800-257-2641, chimneyrock.com,Tasting Daily 10-5, T CLOS DU VAL WINE CO. LTD.368 5330 Silverado Tr., 707-261-5225, closduval.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, T DARIOUSH WINERY 412 4240 Silverado Tr., 707-257-2345, darioush.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-5, T DEL DOTTO CAVES 413 1055 Atlas Peak Rd., 707-256-3372, deldottovineyards.com, AT DOMAINE CARNEROS BY 414 TAITTINGER 1240 Duhig Rd., 800-716-2788 domaine.com, Tasting Daily 10-6 ELKE VINEYARDS 416 2222 Third Ave., 707-258-1822 elkevineyards.com, A ELKHORN PEAK CELLARS 417 200 Polson Rd.,707-255-0504 888-829-5082 elkhornpeakcellars.com, A ELYSE WINERIES 418 2100 Hoffman Lane, 707-9442900, elysewinery.com, A FARELLA-PARK VINEYARDS 420 2222 Third Ave., 707-254-9489 farella.com, AT FRAZIER 421 40 Lupine Hill Rd., 707-255-3444/ 707-255-1399, frazierwinery.com, AT HAGAFEN CELLARS 423 4160 Silverado Tr. 888-HAGAFEN, hagafen.com, A HARTWELL VINEYARDS 424
5795 Silverado Tr., 707-255-4269, hartwellvineyards.com. AT THE HESS COLLECTION 425 4411 Redwood Rd., 707-255-8584, hesscollection.com, Tasting Daily 10-4 JAEGER WINE CO. 427 4324 Big Ranch Rd.,707-255-4456, A JARVIS VINEYARDS 428 2970 Monticello Rd., 707-255-5280/ 800-255-5280, jarviswines.com, A JV WINE & SPIRITS 429 301 First St., 707-253-2624/ 877-469-9463, jvwineandspirits.com, Tasting Daily 1-6 JUDD’S HILL WINERY 430 2332 Silverado Trail 707-255-2332, juddshill.com, AT KIRKLAND RANCH WINERY 432 1 Kirkland Ranch Rd., 707-254-9100, kirklandwinery.com, Tasting Daily 10-4:30 LAIRD FAMILY ESTATE 433 5055 Solano Ave., 877-297-4902. lairdfamilyestate.com Tasting Daily 10-5 or by Appt., T LUNA VINEYARDS 435 2921 Silverado Tr., 707-255-2474, lunavineyards.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, T MADONNA ESTATE 436 5400 Old Sonoma Rd., 707-255-8864/ 866-724-2993, madonnaestate.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, T MAYACAMAS VINEYARDS 438 1155 Lokoya Rd., 707-224-4030, mayacamas.com, A MCKENZIE-MUELLER 439 VINEYARDS & WINERY 2530 Las Amigas Rd., 707-252-0186, mckenziemueller.com, A MONTICELLO VINEYARDS 440 4242 Big Ranch Rd., 707-253-2802/ 800-743-6668, Tasting Daily 10-4:30 MOSS CREEK WINERY 441 6015 Steele Canyon Rd., 707-2521295, mosscreekwinery.com, A NAPA WINE MERCHANTS 442 (Tasting for Astrale e Terra,Ceviche,Crichton Hall,Gustavo Thrace, Liparita,Rocca Family,St. Barthelemy,Waterstore,Young Ridge,Z-52)
1146 First St., 707-257-6796 napawinemerchant.com Tasting Mon-Sat 10-5 PARADUXX 444 7257 Silverado Tr.,707-945-0890 paraduxx.com, A PINE RIDGE WINERY 445 5901 Silverado Tr. , 707-252-9777/ 800-575-9777, pineridgewinery.com Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30, T REGUSCI WINERY 446 5584 Silverado Tr., 707-254-0403 regusciwinery.com, A REYNOLDS FAMILY WINERY 447 3266 Silverado Tr., 707-258-2558, reynoldsfamilywinery.com, AT ROBERT CRAIG WINE CELLARS 448 880 Vallejo St., 707.252.2250, ext 1, robertcraigwine.com, AT ROBERT SINSKEY VINEYARDS 449 6320 Silverado Tr., 707-944-9090/ 800-869-2030, robertsinskey.com Tasting Daily 10-4:30 SAINTSBURY 451 1500 Los Carneros Ave. 707-252-0592, saintsbury.com, T SHAFER VINEYARDS 452 6154 Silverado Tr., 707-944-2877, shafervineyards.com, A SIGNORELLO VINEYARDS 453 4500 Silverado Tr., 707-255-5990, signorellovineyards.com, AT SILENUS VINTNERS 454 5225 Solano Ave., 707-299-3930, silenusvintners.com, A SILVERADO HILL CELLARS 456 3103 Silverado Tr., 707-253-9306, A SILVERADO VINEYARDS 394 6121 Silverado Tr., 707-257-1770/ 800-997-1770, silveradovineyards.com Tasting Daily 10-4:30, T SKY VINEYARDS 458 1500 Lokoya Road, 707-9351391,skyvineyards.com, A STAG’S LEAP WINE CELLAR 395 5766 Silverado Tr., 707-261-6441, stagsleap.com, Tasting Daily 10-4:30, T STAR HILL WINERY 461 1075 Shadybrook Ln. 707-255-1957, A STELTZNER VINEYARDS 462
5998 Silverado Tr., 707-252-7272, steltzner.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30 STONEHEDGE WINERY 463 1004 Clinton St., 707-256-4444 stonehedgewinery.com, Tasting Mon-Sat 10-6:30 or A TREFETHEN VINEYARDS 465 1160 Oak Knoll Ave. 707-255-7700/ 866-895-7696 trefethenfamilyvineyards.com Tasting Daily 10-4:30, T TRUCHARD VINEYARDS 466 3234 Old Sonoma Rd., 707-2537153, truchardvineyards.com, AT TULOCAY WINERY 467 1426 Coombsville Rd. 707-255-4064, tulocay.com, A VAN DER HEYDEN VINEYARDS 469 & WINERY 4057 Silverado Tr., 707-257-0130/ 800-948 9463 vanderheydenvineyards.com, AT VINE CLIFF WINERY 470 7400 Silverado Tr., 707-944-1364, vinecliff.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 VINTNER’S COLLECTIVE 471 TASTING ROOM (Ancien,Ahnfeldt,Buoncristiani,D Cubed, Destino,Gregory Graham,Longfellow,Melka, Mi Sueno,Richard Perry,Parallel,Phelan, Showket,Spelletich Cellars,& Vinoce)
1245 Main St., 707-255-7150
vintnerscollective.com,Tasting Daily 11-6 WHITFORD CELLARS 473 4047 E. 3rd Ave.,707-942-0840 whitfordcellars.com, A WILLIAM HILL ESTATE 474 1761 Atlas Peak Rd., 707-265-3024, williamhillwinery.com, AT CARNEROS ARTESA WINERY 476 1345 Henry Rd., 707-224-1668 artesawinery.com, Tasting Daily10-5 FOLIO WINEMAKERS’ STUDIO 478 1285 Dealy Ln., 707-256-2757 foliowine.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 AMERICAN CANYON GREENFIELD WINERY 479 205B Jim Oswald Rd. 707-552-0362, Tasting Daily 10-4 SOLANO COUNTY FAIRFIELD / SUISAN VALLEY GV CELLARS 481 1635 Mason Rd.,707-864-2089, Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5 LEDGEWOOD CREEK WINERY 482 4589 Abernathy Road, Suisun Valley, 707-426-4424 ledgewoodcreek.com Tasting Daily 10-5 WOODEN VALLEY WINERY 483 4756 Suisun Valley Road, 707-864-0730, woodenvalley.com,
A = Tasting by Appointment T = Tours For ease of use, note that the color of the number next to each winery listing corresponds to the map with a border of the same color.
1 Angwin, Calistoga, 2
Deer Park, Pope Valley St. Helena
3 Yountville, 4
Rutherford, Oakville Napa, Carneros, American Canyon, Solano County: Fairfield, Suisan Valley
www.vinetimesonline.com • February / March 2011
25
Napa Valley Winery Guide
rutherfordhill.com,Tasting Daily 10-5,T SAWYER CELLARS 324 8350 St.Helena Hwy.,707-963-1980 800-818-.2252,sawyercellars.com Tasting Daily 10-5,T SEQUOIA GROVE VINEYARDS 325 8338 S. St. Helena Hwy.,707-9442945, sequoiagrove.com Tasting Daily 10:30-5, T STAGLIN FAMILY VINEYARDS 327 1570 Bella Oaks Ln., 707-963-4507, staglinfamily.com, AT ST.SUPÉRYVINEYARDS &WINERY 328 8440 S. St. Helena Hwy. 707-963-4507/ 800-942-0809 stsupery.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, T SULLIVAN VINEYARDS 271 1090 Galleron Rd.,877-BIG-REDS, sullivanwine.com,Tasting Daily 10-5, T SWANSON WINERY 330 1271 Manley Lane, 707-967-3500 swansonvineyards.com, A ZD WINES 332 8383 Silverado Tr., 707-963-5188 800-487-7757, zdwines.com Tasting Daily 10-4:30,T OAKVILLE 334 BONDED WINERY #9 7830-40 St. Helena Hwy., 707-9451213, bondedwinery9.com, A CARDINALE ESTATE 335 7600 St. Helena Hwy., 707-948-2643/ 800-588-0279, cardinale.com, A FAR NIENTE 337 1350 Acacia Drive 707-944-2861, farniente.com, AT FOLIE À DEUX WINERY 225 7481 St. Helena Hwy., 707-944-2565, folieadeux.com, Tasting Daily 10-6 GARGIULO VINEYARDS 340 575 Oakville Cross Road,707-944-2770, gargiulovineyards.com,AT GROTH VINEYARDS & WINERY 342 750 Oakville Cross Road, 707754-4254, grothwines.com, AT MINER FAMILY VINEYARDS 344 7850 Silverado Tr.,707-944-9500/ 800-366-WINE, minerwines.com Tasting Daily 11-5, T NAPA CELLARS 345 7481 St. Helena Hwy., 707.944.2565, napacellars.com, Tasting Daily 10-6 NAPA WINE COMPANY 347
COOPER • GARROD Estate Vineyards “A Destination Worth Knowing” Award Winning Wine • Historic Tasting Room • Guided Horseback Riding Horseback Riding Lessons • Summer Horse Camps • Pony Parties • Special Events
Savor hand-crafted, award-winning wines in the 1922 “Fruit House,”our historic tasting room. Select your wines in person or online at www.cgv.com View San Francisco Bay from horseback at our 108-year old ranch. Wine Rides Reservations required. $75 per person. For more information, call 408-867-9527. Tasting Room Open Mon - Fri 12 - 5 • Sat - Sun 11 - 5
408.867.7116 Directions: Hwy 85 to De Anza Blvd. South towards Saratoga for 1.2 mi. Right on Pierce Rd. for 1.8 mi. Right on Mt Eden Rd. for 1 mi. Right on Garrod Rd.
22645 Garrod Road, Saratoga, CA 95070 www.cgv.com
The
Ultimate
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Sandrew, “The Original Personal Sommelier” Impress your guests for your next Wine Country Excursion, Dinner Party, Special Occasion, Corporate Team Building or Holiday Celebration. California Wine Historian and Sommelier Sandrew Montgomery will dazzle you with a customized Food and Wine Pairing Seminar based on your international or California specific preferences. Delivered graciously in an entertaining manor in the privacy of your home, vacation residence or one of our various venues.
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www.SandrewsWineServices.com 26 February / March 2011 • www.vinetimesonline.com
From Behind
the
Tasting Bar
By Cynthia Bournellis
Blind Date
I
’m not a fan of blind dates; I can count the number I’ve had on one hand. I prefer the type of blind date that involves wine – blind tastings, that is. I attended a blind tasting at a wine bar in Santa Cruz. The star grape was Sangiovese, and the wines were a combination of 100 percent Sangiovese or a Sangiovese-based blend. When doing a blind tasting, you must curb your enthusiasm to sip right away. A certain protocol is involved, one that requires patience, analysis and conventions. The basic conventions include scoring the wines from one to five in the following order: appearance, aroma, body, taste and finish. We consume with our eyes, so appearance is everything. Examine the wine: Is it cloudy or clear? Is there sediment or tartrates floating in the bottom of the glass? Are there any off colors? For example, red wines will turn a brick color and whites will brown over time due to ageing. The color of wine also varies per varietal. For instance, Pinot Noir tends to be lighter in color than Sangiovese; Chardonnay has a more golden hue than Sauvignon Blanc. Wines aged in oak versus stainless steel will also have darker hues. Next, swirl the wine in your glass to check the legs (the liquid that runs down the inside of the bowl). Are they thin or thick? Leggy (thick legs) wines are more viscous and higher in sugar and alcohol. Swirling also helps release aromas, which vary. Some basic ones worth noting are vegetative, herbaceous, smoky, spicy, floral, fruity, earthy, woody, nutty, caramel, chemical and oxidized. From there, you can drill down to specifics such as type of fruit, spice or vegetable, or defects such as vinegar, rotten egg or band-aid. While these latter qualities are flaws, they are important to experience. Body – the way the wine feels in your mouth – is just as critical as bouquet and is influenced typically by levels of sugar, alcohol and tannin. Oily or silky textures are most desirable. Tannin comes from the skins, seeds and stems of grapes and can be harsh or soft depending on both the carbonic maceration and fermentation processes. Tannin wicks moisture from the mouth, leaving a cotton-mouth sensation on the palate. Too much tannin can mask a wine’s fruit if the overall structure of the wine is not balanced. A well-balanced wine with big tannin, on the other hand, can be cellared longer because tannin acts as a preservative. Taste has many components: sweetness, acidity, bitterness/astringency and flavor. Hold the wine in your mouth and allow it to coat your tongue. Draw in a bit of air past the liquid, then swallow or spit. If you detect sweetness, this means that the wine has residual sugar. Dry wines do not have excess sugar but may appear sweet because of the natural sugar in the grape. Wines with balanced acidity will make your mouth water, usually along the sides of your tongue. Unbalanced acids will reflect in tart or flabby (lacking acidity) wine. Bitterness and astringency occur in both white and red wine. In red wine, these qualities are caused by some tannin, but mainly by different classes of phenols, substances located in the grape’s skins and seeds and then extracted during fermentation. Bitterness in white wine can be caused by under-ripe grapes, too much oak or high alcohol. Complex and mature wines will impart multiple, luscious flavors – from earth, spice and leather; to citrus, berry and tropical fruit; to green vegetables and more. These flavors are natural characteristics of grapes and their terrior. Last but not least is the finish. Flavors should linger in your mouth rather than end abruptly. Since my blind tasting centered on an Italian varietal, the final task was to guess if the wines were from the Old World or New World. The former are wines primarily made in the European style, which historically is influenced by the terrior. So, a 100 percent Sangiovese or Sangiovese-based wine from the Chianti region of Tuscany, for instance, would taste different from that made anywhere else in the world. New World wines – those made in countries including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States – historically are produced from grapes grown in hotter climates, resulting in full-bodied, fruitier wines with more alcohol and oak. More recently, winemakers have placed less emphasis on oaky, alcoholic wines – once typical of 1980s California Chardonnays, for example – due to vineyards being planted in cooler regions and more sophisticated winemaking styles. In terms of style, my blind date with Sangiovese-based wines turned out to be a Continued on Page 30
The Wine Chixs By Linda Kissam & Ginger Giordano
Keyways Winery Launches New Tradition
T
he Wine Chixs love good news. So it was a great pleasure to be invited to the launch party of Keyways Winery’s (Temecula, CA) newest wine, “Traditions.” It’s always great to be invited to do some wine tasting, which The Wine Chixs often are, but it’s really, really, really great to go to a wine launch that includes some old favorites, a new star, and some remarkable food pairings. It becomes an exceptional opportunity when the launch is held at the owner’s home, the winemaker attends, and Chef Volker Lutz’s food is waiting for you. This was definitely a triple-yum event. By way of introduction, Keyways Winery is Temecula Valley Wine Region’s only winery wholly owned and operated by a female. Owner Terri Delhamer’s tasting room and property reflect her distinct imprint of style and grace. Every nook and cranny is eye catching, mind soothing, and friendship oriented. Her staff also reflects those values and vision, so The Wine Chixs definitely encourage you to visit this winery for its unique visitor elements. Chef Volker Lutz designed the menu for the launch party with wine pairings by winemaker David Raffaele. Chef John Paul and event manager Annette Nielsen were on hand to make sure that each course was served to perfection. The launch party began with the tasting of the newly released 2010 Riesling ($19). Of note, this is the first Keyways wine to be completely managed by new winemaker David Raffaele. Chef Lutz prepared a Petit Chicken Alfredo in a pasta shell to go along with the Riesling. It was a WOW. We loved the pairing of the faintly sweet wine balanced with the lush flavors of the Alfredo sauce. Our next course was a Mini Lobster Roll with Citrus Aioli paired with the 2009 Rousanne ($27 – Nice mouth feel with notes of citrus and fig). Linda’s last lobster roll experience occurred in Nova Scotia. Lobster rolls there are everywhere and are as common as tacos are in SoCal. She found the Nova Scotia ones a bit heavy on the bread and mayo but Chef Volker’s was right on the money with a light bread element and the lobster mix featured a yummy lemon zest in the aioli along with just a hint of scallion. The 2009 fuller-bodied Rousanne was an excellent choice to work with the rich lobster roll. Moving along in our tasting next up was the Herb Crusted Pork Loin with Wild Rice complemented by the star of the evening – the 2009 Traditions ($31). Made from Merlot grapes grown in the Woodworth Vineyards in De Luz hills, this wine is rich with full flavors of cherry, cocoa, and plum. We liked the mouth feel with its slightly sweet notes, but noted that it was not excessively jammy or desert like. We think this wine is perfect to impress not only the experienced wine drinker, but also the less sophisticated palate that might not appreciate dry or tannic wines. This is a great wine to bring out for any holiday where rich foods will be on the menu. We’re thinking it would be a big hit for Valentine’s Day. Kudos to the Keyways team for coming up with a brilliant version of the much maligned Merlot wine. The next pairing was also stellar. Think Omaha Prime Rib Satay paired with Keyways 2008 Territage. At $40, the name combines the owner’s first name “Terri” with the famous blend name “Meritage.” Cute marketing, but solid winemaking makes this 2008 Bordeaux-style something to dream about. Territage is a lovely Bordeaux style wine with a subtle nose of black fruit, and cassis. We lingered over the delicious tastes of blackberry, current and mocha on the mid-plate. Enjoy this beauty with Prime Rib as we did. Chef’s incredible satays were right on the money to show us how good that combination can be. What would a party be without dessert? We were not disappointed as our final course was presented – a rich Dulce de Leche Cheesecake paired with the smooth, creamy NV Creme Sherry ($45). Think warm swirling caramel Cheesecake flavors enriched by the raisin, molasses, caramel, and fig-newton notes of the Sherry. OMG good for sure. If you haven’t thought about adding Sherry to your wine collection, now would be an excellent time to rethink that decision. The Temecula wine region in general and Keyways Winery in particular are experts at crafting this unique white wine. So what did the Wine Chixs take away from this experience? Well…for sure that Keyways Winery has definitely come of age. Their wines are brilliant and you need to get down there to taste them yourself. We also felt we got a deeper understanding of what both Terri and David are trying to do at this boutique winery by attending this posh tasting. Yup, think we’ll try to do this more often. Keyways Winery is located in Southern California in the Temecula valley Wine Region on the De Portola Wine Trail. You can reach them online at www.keywayswine.com.
Miraflores Winery is located in a unique California viticulture area in the Sierra Foothills. Producing excellent high mountain fruit, at elevations up to 2900 feet. The wines produced from these high mountain vineyards are rich in taste and beautifully balanced. Come and experience the difference in our wines at Miraflores Winery. Open Daily from 10 am - 5pm 2120 Four Springs Trail, Placerville, California 95667 530 647 8505 www.mirafloreswinery.com
For Chef Lutz’s Petit Chicken Alfredo recipe, visit www.vinetimesonline.com www.vinetimesonline.com • February / March 2011
27
Tasting Wine South of the Border in Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe By Tom Plant
I
first visited Mexico with my parents about 45 years ago, and since that first trip to Puerto Vallarta, I have returned dozens of times. I lived about an hour south of San Diego between Rosarito Beach and Ensenada between 2000 and 2002. During that period I paid my first visit to the Valle de Guadalupe. My wife and I decided to spend Christmas week last year just south of Rosarito Beach. Just before Christmas, Southern California was deluged with record-shattering rainstorms. As we crossed the border, the rains intensified a bit, but we made it safe and sound to our
Viña de Liceaga’s tasting room, dressed for the holidays.
Winery Guide
MENDOCINO COUNTY ANDERSON VALLEY WINE 1 EXPERIENCE (Claudia Springs, Philo Ridge, Raye’s Hill)
Hwy. 128, Downtown Boonville 707-895-3993, Tasting Daily 11-5 BARRA OF MENDOCINO 2 7051 North State St., Redwood Valley, 707-485-0322, barraofmendocino.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 BREGGO CELLARS 3 11001 Hwy. 128, Boonville 707-895-9589, breggo.com Tasting Daily 11-5 BRUTOCAO CELLARS 4 13500 S. Hwy. 101, Hopland 707-744-1664,brutocaocellars.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 7000 Hwy. 128, Philo 5 800-661-2103, Tasting Daily 10-5 CHIARITO VINEYARD 7 2651 Mill Creek Rd., Ukiah chiaritovineyard.com 707-462-7146, Tasting by Appt. CLAUDIA SPRINGS WINERY 8 1810 Hwy. 128, Navarro 707-895-3993, claudiasprings.com Tasting Fri-Mon 11-5 COLE BAILEY VINEYARDS 9 12482 Inez Way, Redwood Valley, 707-485-9507, colebailey.com, Tasting by Appt. DEMUTH WINERY 11 16125 Deer Meadows Rd., Boonville, 707-895-3729 demuthwinery.com, Tasting by Appt. DOMAINE SAINT GREGORY 13 13251 S. Hwy. 101, Ste. 3, Hopland, 707-744-8466 Tasting Daily 10-5 DUNCAN PEAK VINEYARDS 14 14500 Mountain House Rd., Hopland, 707-283-3632, duncanpeak.com, Tasting by Appt.
DUNNEWOOD VINEYARDS 15 2399 North State St., Ukiah 707-467-4843, Tasting Mon-Thu 8-4 ELIZABETH VINEYARDS 17 8591 Colony Dr., Redwood Valley, 707-485-9009, Tasting by Appt. ESTERLINA 19 1200 Holmes Ranch Road, Philo 707-895-2920, esterlinavineyards.com Tasting by Appt. FIFE VINEYARDS 21 3620 Road B, Redwood Valley 707-485-0323, fifevineyards.com Tasting Daily 10-5 FREY VINEYARDS 22 14000 Tomki Rd., Redwood Valley, 707-485-5177/800-760-3739, freywine.com, Tasting by Appt. GIRASOLE VINEYARDS 24 7051 N. State Rd., Redwood Valley, 707-485-0322, girasolevineyards.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 GOLDENEYE 25 9200 Hwy. 128, Philo 707-895-3202, Tasting Daily 11-4 GRAZIANO FAMILY OF WINES 26 13251 S. Hwy. 101, Ste. 3, Hopland, 707-744-8466 grazianofamilyofwines.com Tasting Daily 10-5 GREENWOOD RIDGE VINEYARDS 27 5501 Hwy. 128, Philo 707-895-2002, greenwoodridge.com Tasting Daily 10-5 HANDLEY CELLARS 30 3151 Hwy. 128, Philo 707-895-3876/ 800-733-3151 handleycellars.com, Tasting Daily 10-6 HUSCH VINEYARDS 32 4400 Hwy. 128, Philo 707-895-3216/ 800-55-HUSCH huschvineyards.com, Tasting Daily 10-6
JEPSON VINEYARDS 34 10400 S. Hwy. 101, Ukiah, 707-4688936/ 800-516-7342, jepsonwine.com, Tasting 10-5/Tours by Appt. JERIKO ESTATE WINERY 35 12141 Hewlitt & Sturdtevant Rd., Hopland, 707-744-1140 jerikoestate.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 LAZY CREEK VINEYARDS 37 4601 Hwy. 128, Philo 707-895-3623, Tasting by Appt. LE VIN WINERY 38 33151 Hwy. 128,Yorkville 707-894-2304, levinwinery.com Tasting by Appt. LOLONIS WINERY 39 1905 Road D, Redwood Valley 707-485-8207, lolonis.com Tasting by Appt. LONDER VINEYARDS 40 4780 Monte Bloyd Rd., Philo 707-895-3900, Tasting by Appt. MAPLE CREEK WINERY 41 20799 Hwy. 128,Yorkville 707-895-300, maplecreekwine.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-5 MCDOWELL VALLEY VINEYARDS TASTING ROOM 43 13380 S. Hwy. 101, Hopland 707-744-8911, mcdowellsyrah.com, Tasting Sat-Sun 10-5, Mon-Fri 11-5 MCNAB RIDGE TASTING ROOM, LAWSON STATION 44 13441 S. Hwy. 101, Hopland 707-744-1986, Tasting Daily 10-5 MENDOCINO WINE CO. 46 45070 Main St., Mendocino 707-937-6193, mendocinowineco.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 MEYER FAMILY CELLARS 48 19750 Hwy. 128,Yorkville 707-895-2341, mfcellars.com Tasting 10-5 ex. Sun MILANO FAMILY WINERY 49 14594 S. Hwy. 101, Hopland 707-744-1396/ 800-564-2582 milanowinery.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 NAVARRO VINEYARDS 50 5601 Hwy. 128, Philo 707-895-3686/ 800-537-9463 navarrowine.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 NELSON FAMILY VINEYARDS 51 550 Nelson Ranch Rd., Ukiah 707-462-3755,nelsonfamily-vineyards.com, Tasting Daily 11:30-5 OSTER WINE CELLARS 53 13501 Tomki Rd., Redwood Valley, 707-485-5257, osterwine.com, Tasting by Appt. PACIFIC ECHO CELLARS 54 8501 Hwy. 128, Philo 707-895-2065/ 800-824-7754 Tasting 11-5/Tours by Appt. PACIFIC STAR WINERY 56 33000 N. Hwy. 1, Fort Bragg 707-964-1155, pacificstarwinery.com, Tasting Daily 11-5 PARDUCCI WINE CELLARS 57 501 Parducci Rd., Ukiah 707-463-5350, parducci.com Tasting Daily 10-5 PHILO RIDGE VINEYARDS 59 27700 Nash Mill Rd., Philo 707-489-2303, philoridge.com Tasting by Appt. ROEDERER ESTATE 60 4501 Hwy. 128, Philo roedererestate.com, 707-8952288, Tasting Daily 11-5
28 February / March 2011 • www.vinetimesonline.com
SCHARFFENBERGER CELLARS 62 8501 Hwy. 128, Philo scharffenbergercellars.com 707-895-2288, Tasting Daily 11-5 63 SILVERSMITH VINEYARDS 3700-A Rd. J, Redwood Valley, 707485-1196, atasteofredwoodvalley.com, Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5 or by Appt. STANDISH WINE COMPANY 65 5101 Hwy. 101, Philo, 707-8959213, Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30 THREE FAMILIES WINERY 66 13500 Hwy.101, Ste. H, Hopland, 707-473-0301, threefamilieswinery.com Tasting Daily 11-5 TOULOUSE VINEYARDS 68 8001 Hwy. 128, Philo 707-895-2828, toulousevineyards.com, Tasting by Appt. VIN DE TEVIS 70 51161 Covelo Rd., Dos Rios 707-983-9433, vindetevis.com Tasting by Appt. WEIBEL VINEYARDS 71 13300 Buckman Dr., Hopland 707-744-2200, weibel.com Tasting by Appt. WHALER VINEYARDS 72 6200 Eastside Rd., Ukiah 707-462-6355, Tasting by Appt. YORKVILLE CELLARS 73 25701 Hwy. 128,Yorkville 707-894-9177, yorkvillecellars.com Tasting Daily 11-6 ZINA HYDE CUNNINGHAM 75 WINERY 14077 Hwy. 128, Boonville 707-895-9462, zinawinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 LAKE COUNTY BRASSFIELD ESTATE WINERY 2 10915 High Valley Rd., Clearlake Oaks, 707-998-1895 brassfieldestate.com, Tasting by Appt.
(Tom Plant)
home away from home. On Wednesday, the clouds began to dissipate and Thursday we drove south towards Ensenada and then turned inland to the Valle de Guadalupe. Folks have been producing wine in the region since the 17th century and over the last few decades the Valle de Guadalupe has enjoyed a renaissance, boasting nearly 20 wineries now. The annual Fiestas de la Vendemia celebrated its 20th anniversary last August and this popular event sells out quickly each year. The wineries host special events featuring everything from classical sunset concerts to lamb barbecues. The road to the Valle de Guadalupe, Continued on Page 36
CEAGO DEL LAGO 3 5115 E. Hwy. 20, Nice, 707-2741462, ceago.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 COUGAR’S LEAP WINERY 4 9300 N. Seigler Springs Rd., Kelseyville, 707-279-0651 cougarsleap.com, Tasting May-Oct Fri-Sun 11-5 or by Appt. DUSINBERRE CELLARS 6 5627 Gaddy Ln., Kelseyville 707-279-2995, Tasting by Appt. EDEN CREST VINEYARDS & 8 WINERY 2550 Big Valley Rd., Kelseyville 707-279-2987, edencrestwine.com, Tasting by Appt. GREGORY GRAHAM WINES 9 13633 Point Lakeview Rd., Lower Lake, 707-995-3500 ggwines.com, Tasting Sat-Sun 10-5 THE LAKE COUNTY WINE 12 STUDIO 9505 Main St., Upper Lake 707-275-8030, Tasting Thu-Sun 1-7 LANGTRY ESTATE VINEYARDS 13 & WINERY 21000 Butts Canyon Rd., Middletown, 707-987-9127 langtryestate.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 MOORE FAMILY WINERY 15 11990 Bottle Rock Rd., Kelseyville, 707-279-9279, moorefamilywinery.com Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5 MT. KONOCTI GROWERS 16 WINERY 2550 Big Valley Rd., Kelseyville 707-279-4213, pearbubbles.com Tasting by Appt. NOGGLE VINEYARDS & 18 WINERY 700 Old Long Valley Rd., Clearlake Oaks, 707-998-0319 nogglevineyardsandwinery.com Tasting Sat-Sun 10-5 or by Appt.
PLOYEZ WINERY 19 11171 Hwy. 29, Lower Lake 707-994-2106, ployezwines.com Tasting Daily 11-5 RED LAVA WINE TASTING 21 8040 Hwy. 29, Kelseyville 707-278-0224, redlavavineyards.com, Tasting Daily 11-6 ROSA D'ORO VINEYARDS 22 3915 Main St., Kelseyville 707-279-0483 rosadorowine.com Tasting Wed-Sun 11-5 SHANNON RIDGE WINERY 24 12599 E. Hwy 20, Clearlake Oaks, 707-998-9656, shannonridge.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-5 SIX SIGMA WINERY & 25 VINEYARDS 13372 Spruce Grove Rd., Lower Lake, 707-994-2086 sixsigmaranch.com, Tasting by Appt. STEELE WINES 27 4350 Thomas Dr., Kelseyville 707-279-9475, steelewines.com Tasting Mon-Sat 11-5 TERRILL CELLARS AND 29 TUSCAN VILLAGE 16175 Main St., Lower Lake 707-252-8444, terrillcellars.com Tasting Daily 10-4 TULIP HILL WINERY & 30 VINEYARDS 4900 Bartlett Springs Rd, Nice, 707-274-9373, tuliphillwinery.com Tasting Daily 10-6 WILDHURST VINEYARDS 31 3855 Main St., Kelseyville 800-595-WINE, wildhurst.com Tasting Daily 10-5 HUMBOLDT COUNTY (not shown on map) BRICELAND VINEYARDS WINERY 5959 Briceland Rd., Redway 707-923-2429, Tasting by Appt. CURTIS AND DAVID 1800 Q St., Arcata, 707-499-0920, curtisanddavid.com, Tasting by Appt. FIELDBROOK WINERY 4241 Fieldbrook Rd., McKinleyville 707-839-4140, fieldbrookwinery.com, Tasting by Appt. HEIDRUN MEADERY WINERY 55 Ericson Crt., Ste. 4, Arcata 707-825-8748,heidrunmeadery.com, Tasting by Appt. ROBERT GOODMAN WINERY 937 10th St., Arcata, 707-825-7406, robertgoodmanwines.com, Tasting by Appt. TRINITY VALLEY VINEYARDS 11000 West End Rd., Arcata 707-822-7094, trinityvalleyvineyards.com Tasting by Appt. WOODENHEAD VINTNERS 5700 River Rd., Santa Rosa 707-887-2703, woodenheadwine.com Tasting Thu-Sun 10:30-4:30
Submit your winery or changes to be included in our April / May issue’s guides. Please submit by March 7, 2011 to editor@ vinetimesmagazine.com
Mayo Reserve Room:The Holy Grail Found? By Sandrew Montgomery
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s a Sommelier, I am always seeking fascinating food and wine pairings – it’s the “Holy Grail” for me. It’s a great gastronomique quest, an adventure with no end because the possibilities are endless! To me, this is the penultimate wine experience. One of my most recent legs of this sojourn landed me in Kenwood, California at the Mayo Reserve Tasting Room. Executive Chef and General Manager Max Porter-Elliott crafts his culinary magic with the highest quality, extremely limited wines produced by former Arrowood Winemaker Michel Berthoud. Founded by Real Estate mogul Henry Mayo and his wife Diane, the original concept was to become grape farmers with the purchase of the Laurel Hill Estate. Planting vines began in 1990. In 1993, the Mayos just could not resist – they had to bottle some Chardonnay for themselves. And so began the “Mayo Family Winery.” These limited production wines are only available at the Winery and Tasting Room in Glen Ellen, on the corner of Highway 12 and Arnold Drive. Just down the road is where you will find the Mayo Reserve Room (9200 Sonoma Highway), a cute little cottage surrounded by vineyards, boasting spectacular views of the Sonoma side of the Mayacamas. The menu changes seasonally and reflects the Mayo philosophy. “We select
Chef Max Porter-Elliot pouring the first course. particular vineyards in Sonoma and Napa. All our wines are single vineyard to emphasize terroir,” effuses the brilliant, dry-witted and somewhat laid-back Chef Max Porter Elliott. Not only are the wines terroir-driven, but so is the matching cuisine! Max grew up on one of the earliest bio-dynamic farms in the USA, so understanding these synergies and affinities are literally in his roots. The format is based on seven selected wines paired with an inspired delicacy. Initially, Chef Max will pour and serve the first three wines to enjoy sans food, so that one may focus on the spirit of the varietal and vineyard. Then a meticulously arranged plate of three large bites arrives. As the wow factor is still being absorbed, the participants peruse over the incredible array of eye-appealing textures, colors and combinations, PorterElliot describes the trios and encourages imbibing. Here is where harmony comes into play as the Soul of these combinations is revealed. After some discussion, round two, The last course, which is: Apple Braised Pork with Poached Apples, Miso, Chili and Garlic; Ricotta Mushroom Tortellini with Maple Curry Yam, Osso Bucco with Olives, Mostarda, Chocloate, and Soy. (Kat Ryan Montgomery)
(Kat Ryan Montgomery)
equally unique, is served up in similar fashion. The piece d’resistance completes the experience with the imagination of Partner and Pastry Chef Khambay, leaving customers with a hugely satisfying grin. The menu we enjoyed was as follows with my tasting notes*: Yuzu, Ginger, Lemongrass Ceviche of Kampachi paired with 2009 Sauvignon Blanc “Emma’s Vineyard,” Napa Valley. *Subdued nose of lemongrass, Eureka lemon preserve, flint, limestone, and flavors of spun sugar, fig, guava and white grapefruit fill the mouth with zinging acidity. Brillat-Savrin Chevre with Parmesan crisp and ripe seasonal fruit compote paired with 2007 Viognier”Saralee’s Vineyard,” Russian River Valley. *Candied pear, vanilla and Lychee nut nose accompanied by a creamy texture of Bosch pear, Quince, Mandarin orange and hint of guava. Petite Filet of beef with Trumpet Royale mushrooms on buttered Focaccia paired with 2007 Pinot Noir “La Cruz Vineyard” Sonoma Coast. *Bing cherry, brown sugar, smoke, allspice, paprika and orange peel nose and flavors of black cherry, toast, sandalwood, nutmeg, pomegranate and white pepper. Rabbit three ways with baby carrots and pea shoots paired with 2007 Zinfandel
“Ricci Vineyard,” Russian River Valley. *Sweet Blackberries dominate the nose supported by notes of Anise and Violets along with flavors of Black plums, cracked pepper, pomegranate and maple finish. Gruyere cheese custard with Heirloom tomato salad and olive oil foam paired with 2006 Cabernet Franc, “Ridgeline Ranch,” Alexander Valley. *The nose is redolent of smokey black currants, star anise, pomegranates, cumin and cedar while the mouth is coated with cherry liqueur, extracted blackberries, mint and possesses velvety tannins. Duck confit atop a corn cake with a Meritage and Bing cherry reduction paired with 2005 Meritage “Rancho Salina Vineyard,” Sonoma Valley. *Dubbed “the White Horse,” as it is modeled after Bordeaux’s Cheval Blanc. The legend of this wine is that Jeffrey’s mom would grab a bottle of Cheval Blanc out of his cellar when having dinner with him, so he sourced vineyards that could on some level “replicate” that magnificent right bank wine. Berthoud did a very commendable job as the wine has a fragrant bouquet, redolent of black currants, berry blossoms, licorice, fresh leather, red plum skin and roasted marshmallow with a palate of fresh black plums, blackberries, blueberries and chalky tannins. Dolce: Blueberry crème fraiche and basil with blue pepper crack paired with 2007 Zinfandel Port “Ricci Vineyard,” Russian River Valley. *Ethereal! Rich raspberry liqueur with roasted hazelnuts, spice and a perfumed note form the brandy that it is fortified with. A Fantastic finish! Is this the “Holy Grail?” I’ll let you be the judge of that. The Wall Street Journal calls it “The single best deal in Wine Country!” At $35 a head ($25 for Wine Club Members) you bet it is! Reservations are strongly recommended (707) 833-5504), and you can make them via www.OpenTable.com or contact me to set you up in style, making a whole day of it: www.SandrewsWineServices or (707) 738-2337.
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Come taste our wines • meet our winemaker and have a special day wine tasting. Open weekends 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. for tasting and tours. Call to schedule a private event or tasting by appointment.
Located in the heart of Ventura County 126 N. Wood Road, #104, Camarillo, CA • (805) 484-9600 www.cantaracellars.com www.vinetimesonline.com • February / March 2011
29
The City Cellar By Michelle Sieling
Treasure Island Wines
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efore this past winter, I’d only been on Treasure Island twice in my life. Once because I needed to do a U-turn on the bridge and once to attend the Treasure Island Music Festival. I never realized until that last visit what great views of the city I was missing. Even though Treasure Island and its sister island, Yerba Buena, are part of the city and county of San Francisco, most people just pass by the islands on their way across the Bay Bridge. Treasure Island was originally made of land fill in preparation for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition. If the United States Navy hadn’t swapped the old Mills Field (now San Francisco International Airport) to the city of San Francisco in the early 1940s, we might still be landing float planes in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. Though Treasure Island is still owned by the United States Navy, it was officially decommissioned in 1997. Currently there are a few new businesses cropping up on the island, including a pisco importer and a vodka maker. But how many people would have guessed its central location, and average year round temperature of 55-64 degrees would make it a perfect spot for making and storing wines. Top that with average humidity of 60-70 percent and the cool bay night air, and there’s no need for artificial climate control. Started in 2007 by Jim and Paul Mirowski, Treasure Island Wines is a boutique urban winery collective that produces affordable luxury artisan wines right in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. Unlike a place like Crushpad that puts out custom bottles for its members, Treasure Island Wines is a collective of four wineries in one. All members of the collective are fully compliant licensed alternating proprietorships. Treasure Island Wines is essentially like an internet start up incubator, providing the space and tools needed to create the wine, but on a limited basis and only for a select few. The technology metaphor isn’t that far off. As it turns out, owner Jim started out making wine at home while he was still working in the internet security space. Looking for a change of pace, Jim started looking for a space in California to make wine where he had at least 10,000 square feet. While working on a job for the city out on Treasure Island, Jim found the perfect spot in what was once a food processing plant for the Naval base. Now Treasure Island Wines produces approximately 5,000 to 10,000 cases of wine a year, selling and promoting their own wine as well as wine produced by their alternating proprietorship clients. Wine making services at the facility run the gamut, including custom crush, fermentation, juicing, barrel storage, and more. Winemakers use grapes from throughout the state, sourced from anywhere as far as north Mendocino county down through the central coast of California. Most wines run from $20 to $30, making something that is very special relatively affordable. Best of all for someone like me, no sulfites are added. Currently there are more than 20 wines available, including Sonoma Coast Pinot Noirs, Zinfandels from Dry Creek and Cabernet Sauvignons from Mendocino Pine Mountain. There are also Chardonnays from Napa Carneros and Syrahs from the Santa Lucia Highlands. You won’t find this wine in your local Safeway or even some of the local specialty wine shops. These wines are sold in small batches and most are aimed at focused audiences. For example, outside of selling a small amount to the public in the tasting room, Derek Rohlffs, proprietor and winemaker of the Bravium label sells much of his inventory to Indian casinos. Though, if you are fortunate enough to live on Treasure Island or Yerba Buena ask about the kama’aina (resident) discount when you visit the winery. The owners of Treasure Island Wines would like to ensure that visitors get a full and intimate tasting experience, which means that one of the winemakers is always there to give the tasting and answer any questions that a visitor may have. Therefore, they are only open Saturdays or by appointment. Starting in summer 2011 they may be open Sundays. Treasure Island Wines does host small corporate groups, as well as special events and fundraisers. Past events have included their Winter Solstice Reveal and a Harvest Howl benefit for the SPCA. The next scheduled event on Feb. 12 is also an SPCA benefit called Wines and Valentine. Speaking of, Treasure Island Wines is dog friendly. If you don’t have your own dog to bring along, you can say “hi” to the winery dog Buck, a 10-year-old chocolate lab. Also, during good weather, feel free to bring a picnic lunch to accompany your wine as you kick back outside on one of the tables provided by the winery. Treasure Island Wines is located at 995 9th Street Treasure Island, Building 201, in San Francisco, CA. For more information give them a call at (415) FYI-WINE (3949463) or visit their website at http://www.tiwines.com.
30 February / March 2011 • www.vinetimesonline.com
From Behind the Tasting Bar Continued from Page 26 rendezvous with the Old World. Here’s the tasting list: 1. 2004 Tormaresca Negroamano Masseria Maime Salento 2. 2005 Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva 3. 2005 Antinori Badia a Passignano Chianti Classico Reserva 4. 2006 Villa Antinori Toscana 5. 2004 Tormaresca Bocca di Lupo Castel del Monte Cynthia Bournellis, a self-proclaimed wine wench, works in the Santa Cruz Mountains wine industry. She can be reached at roxybaccus@sbcglobal.net
Winery Guide
BARGETTO WINERY 1 700 G Cannery Row, Monterey 831-373-4053, bargetto.com Tasting Daily 10:30-6 3 BAYWOOD CELLARS 381 Cannery Row,Ste.C,Monterey 831-645-9035 baywood-cellars.com Tasting Daily 12-6, Sun 1-5 BERNARDUS WINERY 12 5 W. Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley, 831-659-1900, bernardus.com, Tasting Daily 11-5 BLACKSTONE WINERY 20 800 South Alta St., Gonzales, 831-675-5341 blackstonewinery.com Tasting Daily 11-4 BOETÉ WINERY 8 7156A Carmel Valley Rd, Carmel Valley, 831-659-7563 boetewinery.com, Tasting Thu-Fri 2-5:45, Sat-Sun 12-5:45 CHALONE VINEYARDS 25 Stonewall Canyon Rd. & Hwy 146, Soledad, 831-678-1717 chalonevineyard.com Tasting Sat-Sun 11:30-5 or by Appt. CHATEAU JULIEN WINE ESTATE 9 8940 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel, 831-624-2600 chateaujulienwine.com Tasting Mon-Fri 8-5, Sat-Sun 11-5/ Tours by Appt.
CHATEAU SINNET 14 13746 Center St., Carmel Valley 831-659-2244, chateausinnet.com Tasting Sun-Thu12-5, Fri-Sat 12-6 CIMA COLLINA 16 San Carlos, b/t Ocean & 7th, Carmel-By-The-Sea 831-620-0645, cimacollina.com Tasting Thu-Mon 11-6 GALANTE VINEYARDS 4 Off Dolores b/t Ocean & 7th, Carmel-By-The-Sea 831-624-3800, galantevineyards.com Tasting Daily 12-6 15 GEORIS WINERY 4 Pilot Road, Carmel Valley 831-659-1050, georiswine.com Tasting Daily 11-5 HAHN ESTATES/SMITH & HOOK WINERY 23 37700 Foothill Road, Soledad 831-678-4555, hahnestates.com Tasting Mon-Fri 11-4, Sat-Sun 11-5 Tours by Appt. HAMMOND VINEYARDS 18 655 River Rd., Salinas hammondvineyards.com Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5 10 HELLER ESTATE ORGANIC VINEYARDS 69 W. Carmel Valley Rd., Carmel Valley, 831-659-6220 800-625-8466, hellerestate.com Tasting Mon-Thu 11-5:30, Fri-Sun 11-6
JOULLIAN VINEYARDS LTD. 2 Village Drive, Suite A, 13 Carmel Valley, 831-659-8100 joullian.com, Tasting Daily 11-5 MANZONI ESTATE 21 VINEYARD 30981 River Road, Soledad 831-675-3398 manzoniwines.com Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5 MARILYN REMARK WINERY 17 645 River Road, Salinas 831-455-9310, remarkwines.com Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5 MEADOR ESTATE WINERY/ VENTANA VINEYARDS 5 2999 Hwy. 10, Monterey 831-372-7415, meadorestate.com Tasting Daily 11-6 MORGAN WINERY 7 204 The Crossroads, Carmel 831-626-3700, morganwinery.com Tasting Thu-Mon 10-6 PARAISO VINEYARDS 24 38060 Paraiso Springs Rd., Soledad, 831-678-0300 paraisovineyards.com Tasting Mon-Fri 12-4, Sat-Sun 11-5 PESSAGNO WINERY 19 1645 River Road, Salinas 831-675-9463, pessagnowines.com Tasting Fri 11-4, Sat-Sun 11-5 ROBERT TALBOTT VINEYARDS TASTING ROOM 53 W. Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley, 831-659-3500 talbottvneyards.com Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5 SAN SABA VINEYARD 26 35801 Foothill Rd., Soledad 831-678-2292, sansaba.com Tasting Tue-Sun 11- 5 SCHEID VINEYARDS INC. 10 1972 Hobson Ave., Greenfield 831-386-0316, scheidvineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-5/Tours by Appt. TALBOTT VINEYARDS 11 53 W. Carmel Valley Rd, Carmel Valley, 831-659-3500 talbottvineyards.com, Tasting Daily 11-5 TASTE OF MONTEREY 27 1. 700 Cannery Row, Monterey, 831-646-5446, tastemonterey.com Tasting Daily 11-6 2. 127 Main St., Salinas 28 831-751-1980 Tasting Mon-Thu 11-5, Fri-Sat 11-6, Sun 11-4
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Ventura County’s Wine Trail Adventure
Clockwise from Top: Walk, run or bike this ocean view path in front of the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach Hotel. (Allan Kissam), Limo Driver Jose takes Linda and Allan on a six-hour wine tour. (Allan Kissam), Exceptional wines and great shopping at the Rancho Ventavo Cellars tasting room. (Allan Kissam), Old Creek Ranch Winery owner John Whitman explains his wine philosophy while serving up numerous barrel samples. (Allan Kissam)
By Linda Kissam
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ou have to love a wine tasting adventure that is nestled between a national forest and the sparkly Pacific Ocean. A destination that doesn’t get the proper respect it deserves yet continues to strive to showcase its fine wineries, classic beach culture, and amazing culinary scene. When you can just hop in the car for a short drive from the LA, Inland Empire or San Diego area, experience year round temps in the 70s, and take an easy, breezy two-day break… what could possibly be keeping you back? My stay was an eye-opener to say the least, and you’ll see why when you read on about wine trippin’in Ventura County, California. A traveler friend of mine actually encouraged me to check out the wine scene in Ventura County. I, being the opened minded individual I think of myself as, thought, “Are you kidding me – what could that area possibly offer that I couldn’t find to the south in Temecula, or to the north in Santa Barbara.” I take it all back; Ventura County is a great place to visit for some unique wine tasting opportunities, a romantic or energetic walk on the beach, and noshing on some great food. I started my research on the Ventura Visitors Convention & Bureau Web site which lead me to the perfect wine adventure – the Wine Trail Tour. Offered Saturday and Sundays, this six-hour tour is an inexpensive way ($85 per person) to get to know four wineries and have a gourmet lunch. Transportation is included which makes it easy to sit back and enjoy the scenery and wines. My husband and I arrived at the Ventura Visitors Center on California Street at 10:45 a.m. We were welcomed with a big smile by greeter Donna Frances and introduced to José our limo driver. We
were immediately whisked off to our first destination, the Rancho Ventavo Cellars tasting room located in Oxnard’s Historic Heritage Square. This is a small-lot, family-owned winery featuring high quality artesian red and white wines produced from exceptional vineyards throughout California. The wines are divided into the Cream and Black Label Series. The Cream Label Series wines bear the characteristics of the terroir from hand selected vineyards. Wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Tempranillo and Zinfandel. The Black Label Series is inspired by the unique opportunities that come from an array of small-lot, unusual-varietal wines. Each wine reveals layers of flavors and subtleties that come from skilled winemaking and attention to detail. The varietals in this series include Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, Mourvedre, Pinot Noir and our special Majecc. Our visit included a knowledgeable and delicious guided six-taste wine tasting with owner Faye Gilpatrick. I loved that Faye accompanied the tasting with a small plate of complementary cheeses, crackers and chocolate. Every taste was a winner, but I especially enjoyed the 2008 Sierra Foothills Late Harvest Zin. Done in a light port style, it’s an elegant $29 treat on its own or will pair well with dark chocolate, sharp cheeses and believe it or not... popcorn or caramel corn. Barrel aged 11 months, 16.2 percent alcohol. Definitely a great place to start my exploration of Ventura County wines. Back in the limo we listened to Smooth Jazz as José took us to the next stop about 10 minutes away, Herzog Wine Cellars. This winery, tasting room, and restaurant is located in an industrial park, which in no way diminishes the trendy look and feel of the Herzog experience. Herzog may best be known for its stylish
four-levels of Kosher wines (every day to library selections) and the yummy Tierra Sur restaurant. It’s a spacious welcoming place that could easily take up a couple of hours of your time. Ask for a tour to learn about the fascinating history of the family and its winemaking efforts. We enjoyed a light pre-fixed lunch of melon gazpacho soup and lima bean pasta with venison pancetta at the restaurant. The restaurant was busy, and for good reason. Chef Todd Aron’s fare is smartly served and tasted delicious. My wine pick for this property is the totally affordable 2007 Baron Herzog Central Coast Merlot. This $13 beauty is soft and approachable, fruit-forward and nicely showcases strawberry jam and berry aromas. It has a rich mouth feel and finish. About 30 minutes away, our third stop was the Casa Barranca tasting room in Ojai’s downtown area. Casa Barranca specializes in boutique wines handcrafted from organic grapes. They believe in, “...organic, natural, and sustainable practices” as they continue to strive for optimal balance in their approach to wine making. Their organic tasting menu includes Pinot Noir, Syrah, Viognier, Grenache, and red blends, including a no sulfites added Arts & Crafts Red. I enjoyed the feel of the tasting room with its plein-air paintings by Ojai artist Jennifer Moses, tables, murals, mosaic planters and decorative tiles from RTK Tiles, and inspired murals by artist Michael Brown. Retail offerings include Laguiole corkscrews, Eisch breathable glass stemware, wine accessories, and unique, environmentally friendly gifts. The best time to visit this tasting room is on Saturdays when most of their offerings are available to taste. Our last winery stop was the fabulous Old Creek Ranch Winery. Another family owned, small lot winery, it overlooks the entrance to an old cattle ranch at the end of
Old Creek Road at the bottom of the Ojai Valley. This was probably our favorite stop of the day. These guys are making serious wine, sourcing grapes by leasing portions of premier vineyards such as Branham Obsidian Vineyard (Napa), and from Santa Barbara County, Stolpman Vineyards, Sanford Benedict Vineyard, White Hawk Vineyard, Vogelzang Vineyard, McGinley Vineyard (formally Westerly), and Estelle Vineyard. Owner John Whitman spent over an hour with us explaining his wine philosophy and letting us taste numerous barrel samples. This is wow city folks. Their beautiful, well-structured wines sell out for a reason. I generally know I’ve met a master, when the owners and winemakers express a definite interest in letting the grapes tell the story of the wine, just helping it along a bit to let, “The attributes of the wine be all it can be. “My favorite of the tasting was the 2007, $24 Santa Barbara County Syrah showcasing aromas Continued on Page 32 www.vinetimesonline.com • February / March 2011 31
Discover:Ventura County’s Wine Trail Adventure Continued from Page 31 of berries and spices and flavors of plum and blueberry. The OMG wine – the ‘08 Petite Sirah – is not yet released, but when it is sometime next year you must get it to experience the big gorgeous aromas of berry fruits, earthy smoke and coffee. Expect big blackberry and blueberry notes with firm but supple tannins. All in in all, make sure you visit this winery to see a rock-star in the making. Returning from the six-hour wine tasting tour, we pulled into our nearby accommodations for the evening, the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach Hotel. This is a classy beach front property that typifies the best a beach community hotel has to offer: excellent service, direct beach access, gorgeous views, a trendy lobby bar, glass windows everywhere, and spacious rooms. What a treat to be within walking distance of the downtown area, AMTRAK, and have bike rentals outside the front door. Adjacent to Ventura’s Historic Pier, there is something very very special about gazing out of your view window, or throwing open the balcony doors to hear the soothing sounds of waves crashing against the white sand beach. This is stunning property from the moment
you wake up to the time your head touches the pillow for the night. And hey, be sure to at least visit their website, so you can hear the beautiful sounds of the ocean! Book on their website and you’re guaranteed the lowest price available anywhere. After a short rest and change of clothes, on a recommendation from the Ventura Visitors & Convention Bureau, we were off to The Sidecar Restaurant on E. Main Street near downtown Ventura. The Sidecar Restaurant is located in a historic 1910 Pullman Car. The setting certainly makes for a fun, interesting setting and sets the mood for great things to come. Award-winning chef/owner Tim Kilcoyne produces a farm-driven menu that shouts elegant comfort food. He has won praise for his environmental efforts and amazing cuisine. His agricultural roots play a big part in his fresh, simple local menu offerings. This is a restaurant where you can come as you are and expect a first class dining experience featuring white table cloths, professional attentive servers, and a serene upscale atmosphere. It’s hard to believe that most if not all items are under $30 making this an affordable night out. My husband ordered the braised short ribs and I ordered the Sidecar Burger. Both
were cooked and served to perfection. This is farm fresh, comfort food at its best. Expect an extensive wine list featuring local wines and a fresh dessert menu based on seasonal ingredients. If you are lucky enough to be in town on a Tuesday night, for sure, check out their Grilled Cheese and Jazz Night. My recommendation is to explore this sun-splashed artsy, organic and eclectic beach community ASAP; not just for its emerging wine region, but for adventurous hiking on the Channel Islands, shopping treasures, art galleries, magnificent gardens, ghost hunting, harbor exploration, and the historic Ventura Theatre. And if that’s not enough, there’s Saturday night dining and dancing July through September at the historic Olivia Adobe
Soothing sounds of waves crashing against the white sand beach from my view room balcony. (Allan Kissam) where you can enjoy top recording artists performing an array of live music from zydeco to swing, and everything in between. Fall, winter, spring, or summer this is a special place. I’ll be back.
Winery Guide
WineMatch.com Connects Consumers Directly to Wineries and Wine Deals WineMatch.com has created a system that truly levels the playing field so that small- and medium-sized wineries get the same outfacing digital marketing exposure as their larger corporate-based counterparts. Winery to Consumer Sell-Through (W2C), is a database-driven engine that connects wineries directly with consumers and vice-versa. Utilizing “push” technology, wine matches, winery events and winery deals are automatically pushed to the consumer. All a consumer needs to do is sign up for a free user account, browse wines and add favorites. The rest is automatic. Consumer feedback and consumer requests to have wines profiled are also available to wineries. WineMatch.com is free of charge to the consumer, unlike many other wine sites. Their search abilities have doubled since the August launch and will likely double again in the next year. WineMatch.com also offers a no-cost program for a winery to begin participating by allowing them to add a wine, and as many deals and events as they wish. Traffic has increased 100 percent over the past two months as wineries have begun to “push” deals directly to consumers on WineMatch.com. Wineries work with WineMatch.com to offer specials on wine
not found anywhere else. This has turned into a great opportunity for consumers to find deals on the wines they have in their “favorites” as WineMatch.com offers those deals only relevant to what they already like. The WineMatch Profile Wheel displays major wine characteristics and is both easy to interpret and represents the wine as being a multi-faceted product. This wheel replaces the older 100-point system. WineMatch.com uses multiple tasters, a state-of-the-art wine chemistry lab, calibrated and verified by standards and outside labs, and data provided by the wineries. WineMatch.com combines all this information and creates a “unique fingerprint” of the wine, which then becomes the basis for matching similar wines. These similar wines are matched on twelve to twenty characteristics today, and those characteristics will nearly double in 2011. As more data is gathered, the proprietary algorithms are further enhanced to provide the most advanced wine matching system. WineMatch.com is wholly owned by Roundbrix Corporation, a technology infrastructure company. Roundbrix is a California Corporation based in Lake Forest, California. For more information visit www.winematch.com.
32 February / March 2011 • www.vinetimesonline.com
ALAPAY CELLARS 1 415 First St., Avila Beach 805-595-2632, alapaycellars.com Tasting Sat-Thu10:30-6, Fri 10:30-8 3 BAILEYANA 5828 Orcutt Rd, SLO 805-269-8200, baileyana.com Tasting Daily10-5 5 CERRO CALIENTE CELLARS 831-A Via Esteban, SLO 805-544-2842,cerrocalientecellars.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 CHAMISAL WINERY 8 7525 Orcutt Rd, SLO 805-541-9463, domainealfred.com Tasting Daily 10-5 6 CLAIBORNE & CHURCHILL 2649 Carpenter Canyon, SLO 805-544-4066, claibornechurchill.com Tasting Daily11-5 EDNA VALLEY VINEYARDS 10 2585 Biddle Ranch Rd, SLO 805-544-5855, ednavalley.com Tasting 10-5/Tours 15 KELSEY SEE CANYON VINEYARDS 1947 See Canyon Rd, SLO 805-595-9700, kelseywine.com Tasting Daily11-5:30 16 KYNSI WINERY 2212 Corbett Canyon Rd,
Arroyo Grande, 805-544-8461, kynsi.com, Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5 LAETITIA VINEYARD & WINERY 18 453 Laetitia Vineyard Dr, Arroyo Grande, 805-481-1772 laetitiawine.com, Tasting Daily 11-5 23 PERBACCO CELLARS 1850 Calle Joaquin, SLO 805-787-0485, perbaccocellars.com Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5 PIEDRA CREEK WINERY 24 6425 Mira Cielo Drive, SLO 805-541-1281, Tasting by Appt. 26 REFUGIO VINEYARD COMPANY 1691 See Canyon Rd, SLO 805-801-1919, Tasting by Appt. SALISBURY VINEYARDS 28 6985 Ontario Rd., SLO 805-595-9463,salisburyvineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-6 SAUCELITO CANYON VINEYARD 29 3080 Biddle Ranch Rd, SLO 805-543-2111,saucelitocanyon.com Tasting Daily 10-5 30 SEXTANT WINES 3536 S. Higuera, Ste 250, SLO 805-542-0133, sextantwines.com Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5 or by Appt.
STEVEN ROSS WINE CELLARS 32 3031 Lopez Dr.,Arroyo Grande 805-489-0446, talleyvineyards.com Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30 33 TALLEY VINEYARDS 3031 Lopez Dr.,Arroyo Grande 805-489-0446, talleyvineyards.com Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30 TANGENT 31 5828 Orcutt Rd, SLO 805-597-8250, tangentwines.com Tasting Daily 10-5 35 TOLOSA WINERY 4910 Edna Rd., SLO 805-782-0500, tolosawinery.com Tasting Daily 11-5 WINDEMERE/CATHY MACGREGOR WINES 39 3536 S. Higuera, Ste. 240B, SLO 805-542-0133 Tasting Daily 11:30-4 WOLFF VINEYARDS 40 6238 Orcott Rd, SLO 805-781-0448, wolffvineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-5 41 WOOD WINERY 136 Bridge St., Arroyo Grande 805-489-9663, wildwoodwine.com Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5
Lodi’s Heritage Oak Winery, Five Generations in the Making Where a day of wine tasting may include hiking, kayaking, birdwatching and a picnic by the river. By Kimberly Horg-Webb
H
eritage Oak Winery opened in 2007 but was built on land that has been owned and operated by the owner Tom Hoffman’s family for nearly 150 years. In the 1860s, his great-greatgrandfather had a 400 acre farm along the Mokelumne River. Their home overlooked the river and was about a half mile east of where the winery is now located. Tom was teaching at a school in South America where he met and married Carmela. A couple years later the couple returned to California. Although Hoffman returned to the “Golden State” with plans to teach, his father had another idea. Within a year Hoffman was convinced that
The huge oak tree that is not only the start of the trail but also helped give the winery its name. (Kimberly Horg-Webb)
Winery Guide GLENN COUNTY LAWLEY VINEYARD & WINERY 7503 Cutting Ave., Orland 530-865-2388 Tasting by Appt.
YOLO COUNTY BOGLE VINEYARD WINERY 37675 County Road 144, Clarksburg, 916-744-1139 boglewinery.com Tasting Mon-Fri 10-5, Sat-Sun 11-5 CARVALHO FAMILY WINES Old Sugar Mill 35265 Willow Ave., Clarksburg, 916-744-1625 carvalhowines.com Tasting Wed-Sun 11-5 FRENCH HILL WINERY Old Sugar Mill 35265 Willow Ave., Clarksburg, 916-744-1710 frenchhill.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 HERINGER ESTATES Old Sugar Mill 35265 Willow Ave., Ste.203, Clarksburg 916-744-1094 heringerestates.com Tasting Thu-Sun 11-5
MADERA COUNTY BIRDSTONE WINERY 9400 Road 36, Madera 559-970-2060 Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5 CHATEAU LASGOITY 11219 Road 26, Madera 559-674-8291 Tasting Sat-Sun 1-5 or by Appt. FICKLIN VINEYARDS 30246 Ave. 7 1/2, Madera 559-674-4598, ficklin.com Tasting Daily 12-5/Tours by Appt. IDLE HOUR WINERY 41139 Hwy 41, Oakhurst 559-760-9090 idlehourwinery.com Tasting Wed-Sat 4-10 or by Appt.
R.H.PHILLIPS VINEYARDS 26836 County Rd., 12A, Esparto, 530-662-3215 nightharvest.com Tasting Wed-Sun 11-5 RIVER GROVE WINERY 52183 Clarksburg Road, Clarksburg 916-744-9000 rivergrovewinery.com Tasting by Appt. ROMINGER WEST WINERY 4602 2nd Street, Ste. 4, Davis, 530-747-2044 romingerwest.com Tasting Mon-Sat 12-5 or by Appt./Tours SOLOMON WINE CO. Old Sugar Mill 35265 Willow Ave., Clarksburg, 800-861-4185 solomonwines.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5
916-744-1300 threewinecompany.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5
SACRAMENTO COUNTY BLUE GUM WINERY 13637 Borden Rd., Herald 209-748-5669 Tasting Daily 11-5 FRASINETTI'S WINERY 7395 Frasinetti Road, Sacramento, 916-383-2444 frasinetti.com Tasting Tue-Sat 11-8 SCRIBNER BEND VINEYARDS 9051 River Road, Sacramento. 916-744-1803 scribnerbend.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-4:30
Tom Hoffman and his mother Joanne Hoffman showcase Heritage Oak’s wines in the tasting room. (Kimberly Horg-Webb)
SIX HANDS WINERY 13783 Isleton Rd.,Walnut Grove, 916-776-2053 sixhandswinery.com Tasting by Appt.
CARVALHO FAMILY WINES Old Sugar Mill 35265 Willow Ave., Clarksburg, 916-744-1625 carvalhowines.com Tasting Wed-Sun 11-5 THREE WINE COMPANY Old Sugar Mill, 35265 Willow Avenue, #204, Clarksburg
MARIPOSA WINE COMPANY 20146 Rd. 21, Madera 559-673-6372 mariposawine.com Tasting Daily 11-4 OAK HOLLOW WINERY 9805 Road 30, Madera 559-675-8826 Tasting by Appt. PACIFIC CREST WINERY 33137 Avenue 9, Madera 559-674-4996, pcvino.com Tasting Daily by Appt. QUADY WINERY 13181 Road 24, Madera 800-733-8068 quadywinery.com Tasting Mon-Fri 9-4:30, Sat-Sun 12-4:30
WESTBROOK WINE FARM 49610 House Ranch Road, O’Neals, 559-868-3499 westbrookwinefarm.com Tasting by Appt.
MERCED COUNTY RED ROCK WINERY 7326 E. Hwy. 140, Merced 209-722-7625 redrockwinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5
Owner Tom Hoffman proudly stands by his barrels of wine. (Kimberly Horg-Webb) he should work in the family business. Hoffman’s grandfather grew Emerald Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Burger, Ruby Cabernet, and Zinfandel. He also had about 50 percent of their acreage planted to Tokays, peaches, walnuts, and cherries. Hoffman’s father planted numerous Sauvignon Blanc fields for Mondavi, and Gallo took the Tokays of their hands. During the past couple decades Hoffman has developed his own passion for wine making. And as the local industry
shifted from farming Tokay grapes to wine varietals; he followed the trend and now grows Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. In 2005 he started seriously thinking about developing a winery. He thinks it seemed to be an obvious direction for him. “I understood basic wine making, we had grapes and we had a beautiful piece of property,” Hoffman said. “What I have tried to do is basically produce wines that I like to drink, in an atmosphere that is friendly and natural.” He says he relies on his own instincts, his family, the land he lives on and the critters that live there with him. He has tried to take advantage of the fact that this property is by the Mokelumne River. Because of its location and his love of nature, he wants the winery to have an emphasis on nature. Visitors can take a walk on a trail that starts out at the huge oak tree next to the winery. It is a 3/4 mile walk one way that goes through the vineyards, skirts the bluff overlooking the flood plain, crosses the bottom land and ends at the beach, where there are several picnic tables and a rope swing. “The trail is interesting because it crosses many habitats and all around are countless species of birds and other wildlife forms,” Hoffman said. Apart from being open to picnickers who come out for a walk, Hoffman also has a biologist that comes out once a month to lead birding groups (on Saturday mornings). The winery is also listed on the Sandhill Crane Festival tour list which is held in November. Hoffman also encourages kayaking and will open the beach up to customer’s vehicles so people can have access to the area. “We made the decision to make the trail available because it gives people another reason to come here,” he said. According to Hoffman, people come primarily in quest of a wine tasting “experience” which includes one-on-one time with the wine maker and possibly a barrel tasting or unscheduled tour. And maybe someone may have heard a rumor that the wine maker will play Scarlatti on the piano with just a little prodding. Wine lovers come looking for Zinfandels, Cabernet, Tempranillo or Hoffman’s white wines. The two most popular wines are Zinfadelity and Sauvignon Blanc but Hoffman says his favorite wine is Heritage Oak Zinfandel. “I emphasize the fruitiness of the grape,” he said. “None of this would be Continued on Page 36
www.vinetimesonline.com • February / March 2011
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Sonoma Valley Winery Guide
STRYKER SONOMA 24 5110 Hwy. 128, 707-433-1944 strykersonoma.com, Tasting Daily10:30-5 THE MEEKER VINEYARD 25 ANNAPOLIS 21035 Geyserville Ave. ANNAPOLIS WINERY 1 707-431-2148, meekerwine.com 26055 Soda Springs Rd., 707-886- Tasting Mon-Sat 10:30-6, Sun 12-5 5460, annapoliswinery.com TRENTADUE WINERY 26 Tasting Daily 12-5 19170 Geyserville Ave.707-433-3104 CLOVERDALE trentadue.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, T CELLAR NO. 8 2 HEALDSBURG 26150 Asti Rd., 866-557-4970 A LEXANDER VALLEY VINEYARDS 28 cellarno8.com, Tasting Thu-Mon 10-5 5110 Hwy. 128, 707-433-7209 FRITZ WINERY 3 avvwine.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 24691 Dutcher Creek Rd. A. RAFANELLI WINERY 29 707-894-3389/ 800-418-9463 4685 West Dry Creek Rd., 707fritzwinery.com 433-1385 arafanelliwinery.com, A Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30, T AMISTA VINEYARDS 30 ICARIA CREEK WINERY 4 3320 Dry Creek Rd., 707-43127750 Asti Rd., 707-486-9623 9200 amistavineyards.com icariawinery.com, A Tasting Thu-Mon 11-4:30 PASTORI WINERY 5 AMPHORA WINES 31 23189 Geyserville Ave. 4791 W. Dry Creek Rd., Bldg. 6, 707-857-3418, A 707-431-7767, amphorawines.com, WATTLE CREEK WINERY 6 Tasting Daily 11-4:30 25510 River Rd., 707-894-5166, ARMIDA WINERY 32 wattlecreek.com, A 2201 Westside Rd., 707-433-2222 GEYSERVILLE armida.com, Tasting Daily 11-5 CLOS DU BOIS WINES 11 CAMELLIA CELLARS 35 19410 Geyserville Ave., 57 Front St., 707-433-1290 707-857-3100/ 800-222-3189 cameliacellars. com, Tasting Daily 11-6 closdubois.com CHATEAU SOUVERAIN 36 Tasting Daily 10-4:30, T 308B Center St., 707-433-2822 DAVID COFFARO VINEYARD & chateausouverain.com WINERY 12 Tasting Daily 11-6 7485 Dry Creek Rd. DAVIS FAMILY VINEYARDS 38 707-433-9715, coffaro.com 52 Front St., Tasting Daily 11-4, T 707-433-3858, daviswines.com DE LORIMIER WINERY 13 Tasting Thu-Sun 11-4:30 2001 Hwy. 128, 707-857-2000 DE LA MONTANYA 39 delorimierwinery.com, A 999 Foreman Ln., 707-433-3711 dlmwine.com, Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA 300 Via Archimedes, 707-857-1980 DEUX AMIS WINES 40 franciscoppolawinery.com 1960 Dry Creek Rd., 707-431Tasting Daily 11-5 7945, deuxamiswines.com, A FRICK WINERY 15 DOMAINE DANICA 42 23072 Walling Rd., 1960 Dry Creek Rd. 707-857-1980, frickwinery.com 707-431-1902, A Tasting Sat-Sun 12-4:30 DRY CREEK VINEYARD 43 GEYSER PEAK WINERY 16 3770 Lambert Bridge Rd., 70722281 Chianti Rd. 707-857-2500/ 433-1000, drycreekvineyard.com 800-255-9463, geyserpeakwinery.com Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30 Tasting Daily 10-5 DUTCHER CROSSING WINERY 44 LOCALS TASTING ROOM 17 8533 Dry Creek Rd., 866-431Geyserville Ave. @ Hwy. 128, 2711, dutchercrossingwinery.com 707-857-4900, tastelocalTasting Daily 11-5, T wines.com, Tasting Daily 11-6 EVERETT RIDGE VINEYARDS & PEDRONCELLI WINERY 20 WINERY 46 1220 Canyon Rd., 707-857-3531, 435 W. Dry Creek Rd., 707-433pedroncelli.com, Tasting Daily 10-4:30 1637, everettridge.com ROBERT YOUNG VINEYARDS 21 Tasting Daily 10-5 4950 Red Winery Rd., 707-431FERRARI-CARANO WINERY 47 4811, ryew.com, Tasting Daily 10-4:30 8761 Dry Creek Rd., 707-433SILVER OAK CELLARS 22 6700, ferrari-carano.com 24625 Chianti Rd., 707-857-3562, Tasting Daily 10-5, T silveroak.com Tasting Mon-Sat 9-4
SONOMA COUNTY NORTH
FORCHINI VINEYARDS & WINERY 49 5141 Dry Creek Rd., 707-4318886, forchini.com, A T GALLO OF SONOMA 50 320 Center St., 707-433-2458 galloofsonoma.com, Tasting Daily 10-6, T GROVE STREET WINERY 52 1451 Grove St., 707-836-5615, grovestreetwinery.com Tasting Daily 11-4:30, T HOLDREDGE WINERY 53 51 Front St., 707-431-1424 Tasting Sat-Sun 11-4:30 HUNTINGTON WINE CELLARS54 53 Front St., 707-433-5215 huntingtonwine.com, Tasting Thu-Sun 11-5 JORDAN VINEYARD & WINERY 57 1474 Alexander Valley Rd., 800654-1213, jordanwinery.com, A T KENDALL-JACKSON WINE ESTATES 58 337 Healdsburg Ave., 707-4337102 kj.com, Tasting Daily 10-5
34 February / March 2011 • www.vinetimesonline.com
59 LA CREMA WINERY 235 Healdsburg Ave. 707-431-9400, lacrema.com Tasting Daily 10:30-5:30 LAKE SONOMA WINERY 60 340 Healdsburg Ave., 800-7509463, lakesonomawinery.net Tasting Daily 10-5 LAMBERT BRIDGE WINERY 61 4085 W. Dry Creek Rd. 800-975-0555, lambertbridge.com Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30 LONGBOARD VINEYARDS 63 5 Fitch St., 707-433-3473 longboardvine-yards.com, Tasting Thu-Sat 11-7, Sun 11-5 or by Appt. MAURITSON FAMILY WINERY64 2859 Dry Creek Rd., 707-431-0804 mauritsonwines.com Tasting Daily 10-5 MAZZOCCO VINEYARDS 65 1400 Lytton Springs Rd., 707-4318159, mazzocco.com, Tasting Daily 11-5
MICHEL-SCHLUMBERGER FINE WINE ESTATE 66 4155 Wine Creek Rd., 707-433-7427 michelschlumberger.com, A T MILL CREEK VINEYARDS & WINERY 68 1401 Westside Rd., 707-433-5098 millcreekwinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 MURPHY-GOODE WINERY 69 20 Matheson St., 707-431-7644 murphygoodewinery.com Tasting Daily 10:30-5:30 NALLE WINERY 70 2383 Dry Creek Rd., 707-433-1040 nallewinery.com, Tasting 12-5 Sat or A OPTIMA WINE CELLARS 73 498 Moore Ln., 707-431-8222 optimawinery.com, A PASSALACQUA WINERY 74 3805 Lambert Bridge Rd. 707-433-5550, passalacquawine ry.com, Tasting Daily 11-5 PETERSON WINERY 75 4791 Dry Creek Rd., Bldg. 7 707-431-7568, petersonwinery.com Tasting Daily 11-4:30 PRESTON VINEYARDS & WINERY77 9282 W. Dry Creek Rd., 707-4333372, prestonofdrycreek.com Tasting Daily 11-4:30 QUIVIRA VINEYARDS 78 4900 W. Dry Creek Rd., 707-431-8333 quivirawine.com, Tasting Daily 11-5, T RAYMOND BURR VINEYARDS 79 8339 W. Dry Creek Rd., 888-9000024, raymondburrvineyards.com, A RIDGE VINEYARDS 82 650 Lytton Springs Rd., 707-433-7721 ridgewine.com, Tasting Daily 11-4 ROSENBLUM WINE CELLARS 83 250 Center St., 707-431-1169 rosenblumcellars.com Tasting Daily 10-6 SAPPHIRE HILL WINERY 85 Front St., 707-431-1888 sapphirehill.com Tasting Thu-Mon 11-4:30 SAUSAL WINERY 86 7370 Hwy. 128, 800-500-2285 sausalwinery.com, Tasting Daily 10-4 SBRAGIA FAMILY VINEYARDS 87 9990 Dry Creek Rd., 707-473-2992, sbragia.com, Tasting Daily 11-5, T SEGHESIO WINERY 88 14730 Grove, 707-433-3579 seghesio.com, Tasting Daily 10-5
SELBY WINERY 89 215 Center St., 707-431-1288 selbywinery.com, Tasting Daily 11-5:30 SIMI WINERY 92 16275 Healdsburg Ave., 707-4336981/ 800-746-4880, simiwinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5, T STONESTREET VINEYARDS 93 7111 Hwy. 128, 800-355-8008 stonestreewines.com, A STUHLMULLER VINEYARDS 94 4951 W. Soda Rock Ln., 707-4317745, stuhlmullervineyards.com, A TALTY WINERY 96 7127 Dry Creek Rd.,707-4338438, taltyvineyards.com, A TELDESCHI WINERY 97 3555 Dry Creek Rd., 707-4336626, teldeschi.com, Tasting Daily 12-5 TOAD HOLLOW VINEYARDS100 409A Healdsburg Ave. 707-431-8667, toadhollow.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-5:30 UNTI VINEYARDS 101 4202 Dry Creek Rd., 707-4335590, untivineyards.com, A WILSON WINERY 103 1960 Dry Creek Rd. 707-433-4355, wilsonwinery.com Tasting Daily 11-5 YOAKIM BRIDGE WINERY 104
SONOMA COUNTY CENTRAL 7209 Dry Creek Rd. 707-433-8511, yoakimbridge.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-4:30, A CAZADERO FLOWERS VINEYARD & WINERY 1 28500 Seaview Rd., 707-847-3661 flowerswinery.com, A FORESTVILLE HARTFORD FAMILY WINERY 2 8075 Martinelli Rd., 707-887-8010 hartfordwines.com, Tasting Daily 10-4:30 JOSEPH SWAN VINEYARDS 3 2916 Laguna Rd., 707-573-3747, swanwinery.com, Tasting Sat-Sun11-4:30 TOPOLOS AT RUSSIAN RIVER VINEYARDS 4 5700 Gravenstein Hwy. N. 707-887-3344, russianrivervineyards.com, Tasting Thu-Sun 11:30-4:30 WOODENHEAD 5 5700 River Rd., 707-887-2703 woodenheadwine.com Tasting Thu-Sun 10:30-4:30
WHITE OAK VINEYARDS & WINERY 45 7505 Hwy. 128, 707-433-8429 whiteoakwinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 SANTA ROSA FISHER VINEYARDS 47 6200 St. Helena Rd.,707-5397511, fishervineyards.com, A HANNA WINERY RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY 48 5353 Occidental Rd., 707-575-3371, hannawinery.com Tasting Daily 10-4 49 HARVEST MOON ESTATE 2192 Olivet Rd., 707-573-8711 harvestmoonwinery.com Tasting Daily 10:30-5 BALLETTO VINEYARDS & DUTTONGOLDENFIELD TASTING ROOM 50 57 Occidental Rd., 707-568-2455, ballettovineyards.com, duttongoldfield.com, Tasting Daily 10-4 BATTAGLINI ESTATE WINERY 51 2948 Piner Rd., 707-578-4091, A MARTIN RAY WINERY 54 2191 Laguna Road, 707-823-2404, martinray-winery.com Tasting Thu-Mon 11-4 MATANZAS CREEK WINERY 55 6097 Bennett Valley Rd. 707-528-6464/ 800-590-6464 matanzascreek.com Tasting Daily 10-4:30 PARADISE RIDGE WINERY 56 4545 Thomas Lake Harris Dr. 707-528-9463, paradiseridgewinery.com, Tasting Mon-Fri 11-5 PELLEGRINI FAMILY VINEYARDS 57 4055 West Olivet Rd. 800-8910244, pellegrinisonoma.com, A T SABLE RIDGE VINEYARDS 60 6320 Jamison Rd., 707-542-3138, sableridge.com, A T SIDURI 61 980 Airway Court, Ste. C, 707-578-3882, siduri.com, A ST. FRANCIS 62 100 Pythian Rd., 888-675-9463 stfranciswine.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, T SUNCE WINERY & VINEYARD 63 1839 Olivet Rd.,707-526-9463 suncewinery.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-5 SEBASTOPOL IRON HORSE VINEYARDS 66 9786 Ross Station Rd. 707-887-1507, ironhorsevineyards.com, Tasting Daily 10-3:30, T LYNMAR WINERY TASTING ROOM67 3909 Frei Rd., 707-829-3374 lynmarwinery.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 MARIMAR TORRES ESTATE 68 11400 Graton Rd.,707-823-4365, marimarestate.com, Tasting Daily 11-4, T PETERS FAMILY WINERY 69 2064 N. Gravenstein Hwy., Ste. 102, 707-829-3111 peteresfamilywinery.com, A SEBASTOPOL VINEYARDS 71 8757 Green Valley Rd.,, 707-8299463, sebastopolvineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-5 TAFT STREET WINERY 72 2030 Barlow Ln., 707-823-2049, taftstreetwinery.com, Tasting MonFri 11-4, Sat-Sun 11-4:30
SONOMA COUNTY SOUTH KENWOOD BLACKSTONE WINERY 1 8450 Sonoma Hwy., 707-833-1999 blackstonewinery.com Tasting Daily 10-4:30 CHATEAU ST. JEAN WINERY 2 8555 Sonoma Hwy., 707-833-4134, chateaustjean.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, T FAMILY WINERIES OF SONOMA VALLEY 5 9200 Sonoma Hwy., 707-833-5504 familywineries.com, Tasting Daily 11-6 KAZ VINEYARD & WINERY 6 233 Adobe Canyon Rd. 707-833-2536,kazwinery.com Tasting Fri-Mon 11-5 KENWOOD VINEYARDS 7 9592 Sonoma Hwy.,707-833-5891 kenwoodvineyards.com Tasting Daily 10-4:30 8 KUNDE ESTATE WINERY 9825 Sonoma Hwy. 707-833-5501, kunde.com Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30 LANDMARK VINEYARDS 11 101 Adobe Canyon Rd., 707-833-0218, landmarkwine.com Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30 LEDSON WINERY & VINEYARDS 12 7335 Sonoma Hwy., 707-537-3810/ 800-539-2331 ledson.com,Tasting Daily 10-5 13 SL CELLARS 9380 Sonoma Hwy., 707-833-5070 slcellars.com, Tasting Daily 10:30-5 15 THE WINE ROOM 9575 Sonoma Hwy., 707-833-6131 the-wine-room.com Tasting Mon-Thu 11-4, Fri-Sun 11-5 VJB VINEYARDS & CELLARS 16 9077 Sonoma Hwy., 707-833-2300, vjbcellars.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 GLEN ELLEN ARROWOOD VINEYARDS & WINERY 18 14347 Sonoma Hwy., 707-9352600, arrowoodvineyards.com Tasting Daily 10-4:30, T AUDELSSA ESTATE WINERY 19 13647 Arnold Dr. 707-933-8514, audelssa.com Tasting Fri-Mon11-5, T B. R. COHN WINERY 20 15000 Sonoma Hwy., 707-931-7924, brcohn.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, T BENZIGER FAMILY WINERY 21 1883 London Ranch Rd. 707-935-3000, benziger.com Tasting Daily 10-5, T DEERFIELD RANCH WINERY 24 1310 Warm Springs Rd., 707-8335215, deerfieldranch.com, A ERIC ROSS WINERY 25 14300 Arnold Dr., 707-939-8525, ericross.com, Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5 IMAGERY ESTATE WINERY 28 14335 Hwy. 12, 707-935-4515 imagerywinery.com Tasting Sun-Thu 10-4:30, Fri-Sat 10-5 LOXTON CELLARS 29 11466 Dunbar Rd., 707-935-7221, loxtonwines.com, A VALLEY OF THE MOON WINERY30 777 Madrone Rd., 707-939-4510, valleyofthemoonwinery.com, Tasting Daily 10-4:30 WELLINGTON VINEYARDS 31 11600 Dunbar Rd., 707-939-0708 800-816-9463, wellingtonvineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-4, T
WINDSOR INMAN FAMILY WINES 74 5793 Skylane Blvd., Ste. C 707-395-0689 inmanfamilywines.com,A MARTINELLI VINEYARDS & WINE TASTING 75 3360 River Rd.,707-525-0570 martinelliwinery.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 SONOMA RUSSIAN HILL ESTATE 76 4525 Slusser Rd., 707-575-9428 BARTHOLOMEW PARK WINERY 34 russianhillestate.com 1000 Vineyard Ln., 707-935-9511, Tasting Thu-Mon 10-4 store.bartpark.com, Tasting Daily 11-4:30 BUENA VISTA WINERY 35 18000 Old Winery Rd. 707-938-1266/ 800-926-1266 buenavistawinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5, T CASTLE VINEYARDS & WINERY 36 122 West Spain St., 707-996-1966, castlevineyards.com, Tasting Daily 10-5
CHARLES CREEK VINEYARD 37 483 W. First St., 707-935-3848 charlescreek.com, Tasting Daily 11-6 CLINE CELLARS 38 24737 Arnold Dr., 707-940-4000 clinecellars.com, Tasting Daily 10-6, T CORNERSTONE PLACE 39 (multiple winery tasting room) 23570 Hwy. 121, 707-933-3010 cornerstoneplace.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 FAVERO VINEYARDS 42 3939 Lovall Valley Rd., 707-9353939. faverovineyards.com, A T GLORIA FERRER CHAMPAGNE CAVES 43 23555 Hwy. 121,707-996-7256 gloriaferrer.com, Tasting Daily 10-5, T GUNDLACH-BUNDSCHU WINERY 44 2000 Denmark St., 707-938-5277 gunbun.com, Tasting Daily 11-4:30 HANZELL VINEYARDS 45 18596 Lomita Ave., 707-996-3860 800-393-4999, hanzell.com, A HOMEWOOD WINERY 46 23120 Burndale Rd., 707-996-6353 homewoodwinery.com Tasting Daily 10-4 LARSON FAMILY WINERY 49 23355 Millerick Rd., 707-938-3031 larsonfamilywinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 MACROSTIE WINERY 50 21481 E. 8th St., #25, 707-996-4480 macrostiewinery.com, A T MOON MOUNTAIN VINEYARD51 1700 Moon Mountain Dr. 707-996-5870, moonmountainvineyard.com, A T MUSCARDINI CELLARS 52 440A Fifth St.West, 707-833-0526 muscardinicellars.com Tasting Daily 11-6 NICHOLSON RANCH WINERY53 4200 Napa Rd., 707-938-8822 nicholsonranch.com Tasting Daily 10-6 54 PETRONI VINEYARDS 990 Cavedale Rd., 707-935-8311, petronivineyards.com,A RAVENSWOOD WINERY 55 18701 Gehricke Rd., 707-933-2332 ravenswood-wine.com, Tasting Daily10-4:30 ROBERT HUNTER WINERY 56 15655 Arnold Dr., 707-996-3056 roberthunterwinery.com,A T ROBLEDO FAMILY WINERY 57 21901 Bonness Rd., 707-939-6903 robledofamilywinery.com, A ROCHE WINERY 58 28700 Arnold Dr., 707-935-7115 800-825-9475, rochewinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 SCHUG CARNEROS ESTATE WINERY 60 602 Bonneau Rd. 707-939-9363/ 800-966-9365 schugwinery.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 SEBASTIANI VINEYARDS & WINERY 61 389 E. 4th St., 707-933-3230 sebastiani.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 SONOMA ENOTECA 62 (multiple winery tasting room) 35 E. Napa St.,707-935-1200 sonoma-enoteca.com Tasting Wed-Mon 11-6,Tue 3-6 THE CELLAR DOOR 65 (multiple winery tasting room) 1395 Broadway, 707-938-4466 sonomacellardoor.com, Tasting Mon,Thu-Sun 11-6,Tue-Wed 4-6 VIANSA WINERY 66 25200 Arnold Dr., 707-935-4700 800-995-4740, viansa.com, Tasting Daily10-5, T PETALUMA ADOBE ROAD WINERY 67 1995 S. McDowell Blvd., 707-9397967, adoberoadwines.com, A KELLER ESTATE 69 5875 Lakeville Hwy., 707-765-2117, kellerestate.com, A
NOT ON MAPS MARIN COUNTY PACHECO RANCH WINERY 235 Alameda del Prado, Novato, 415-883-5583 pachecoranchwinery.com, A POINT REYES VINEYARD INN 12700 Hwy. 1, Point Reyes Station 415-663-1011, ptreyesvineyardinn.com Tasting Sat-Sun 11-5 STEPHEN ZELLERBACH VINEYARD 159 Glen Park Ave., San Rafael 707-527-0172, A WINDSOR VINEYARDS 72 Main St.,Tiburon 800-2149463,windsorvineyards.com, Tasting Sun, Mon-Thu 10-6, Fri-Sat 10-7
A = Tasting by Appointment T = Tours For ease of use, note that the color of the number next to each winery listing corresponds to the map with a border of the same color.
NORTH Annapolis, Cloverdale, Geyserville, Healdsburg
CENTRAL Cazadero, Forestville, Guernville, Healdsburg, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Windsor
SOUTH Kenwood, Glen Ellen, Sonoma, Petaluma Submit your winery or changes to be included in our April / May issue’s guides. Please submit by March 7, 2011 to editor@ vinetimesmagazine.com
www.vinetimesonline.com • February / March 2011
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Sonoma Valley Winery Guide
GUERNEVILLE KORBEL CHAMPAGNE CELLARS 7 13250 River Rd. 707-824-7000, korbel.com Tasting Daily 9-4:30, T HEALDSBURG ACORN WINERY 8 12040 Old Redwood Highway 707-433-6440, acornwinery.com, A ALDERBROOK WINERY 9 2306 Magnolia Dr., 707-433-9154 alderbrook.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 ARISTA WINERY 10 7015 Westside Rd., 707-473-0606, aristawinery.com, Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5 C. DONATIELLO WINERY 13 4035 Westside Rd. 707-431-4409, cdonatiello.com, Tasting Daily 11-5 CHALK HILL WINERY 14 10300 Chalk Hill Rd., 707-6574837, chalkhill.com, A T CHATEAU FELICE 15 223 Center St., 707-836-9010 chateaufelice.com, Tasting Fri-Sat 11-6, Sun-Thu 11-5 CHRISTOPHER CREEK WINERY16 641 Limerick Ln., 707-431-8243, christophercreek.com, Tasting Daily 11-5 DAVIS BYNUM WINERY 19 8075 Westside Rd., 707-433-2611, davisbynum.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 DENATALE VINEYARDS 20 11020 Eastside Rd., 707-431-8460, A DOMAINE ST. GEORGE WINERY & VINEYARD 21 1141 Grant Ave., 707-433-5508 domainesaintgeorge.com, A T FIELD STONE WINERY & VINEYARD 23 10075 Hwy. 128, 707-433-7266, fieldstonewinery.com Tasting Daily 10-5 FOPPIANO VINEYARDS 24 12707 Old Redwood Hwy. 707-433-7272, foppiano.com Tasting Daily 10-4:30 GARY FARRELL VINEYARDS & WINERY 25 10701 Westside Rd., 707-4732900 garyfarrellwines.com Tasting Daily 11-4, T HANNA WINERY ALEXANDER VALLEY 27 9280 Hwy. 128, 707-431-4310 hannawinery.com, Tasting Daily 10-4 HOP KILN WINERY 28 6050 Westside Rd., 707-433-6491 hopkilnwinery.com, Tasting Daily 10-5 J. ROCHIOLI VINEYARD & WINERY 30 6192 Westside Rd., 707-433-2305, rochioliwinery.com, Tasting Thu-Mon 11-4 J VINEYARDS & WINERY 31 11447 Old Redwood Hwy. 707-431-3646, jwine.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-4, T JOHNSON’S ALEXANDER VALLEY WINES 32 8333 S. Hwy. 128, 707-433-2319 johnsonavwines.com, Tasting Daily 11-4 KENDALL-JACKSON WINE CENTER 33 337 Healdsburg Ave., 707-4337102, kj.com, Tasting Daily 11-5 LANCASTER ESTATE 34 15001 Chalk Hill Rd., 707-4338178, lancaster-estate.com, A T LIMERICK LANE VINEYARDS 36 1023 Limerick Ln., 707-433-9211 limericklanewines.com Tasting Daily 10-5 MIETZ CELLARS 38 602 Limerick Ln., 707-431-7103, mietzcellars.com, A PORTER CREEK VINEYARDS 39 8735 Westside Rd., 707-433-6321 portercreekvineyards.com Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30 ROCHIOLI VINEYARDS & WINERY 40 6192 Westside Rd., 707-433-2305 rochioliwinery.com Tasting Thu-Mon 11-4 RODNEY STRONG VINEYARDS 41 11455 Old Redwood Hwy. 707-431-1533, rodneystrong.com Tasting Daily 10-5, T VERITE WINERY 44 4611 Thomas Rd., 707-433-9000, veritewines.com, A
Tasting Wine South of the Border
Top: The entrance to L.A. Cetto, one of the oldest and largest wineries in the area. (Tom Plant) Bottom: L.A. Cetto’s warm and welcoming tasting room. (Tom Plant) Continued from Page 28 know as the Ruta del Vino, winds around until you reach the quaint little town of San
Antonio de las Minas. There are a few restaurants and a wine bar here. This wine country is very well marked with signposts alerting you to wineries, lodging and food. We drove up to Mogor Badan only to find it closed. The grounds were lovely and the vines looked beautiful against a gray sky. They produce approximately 550 cases of wine a year, offering Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc and Chasselas. We found very few wineries were open two days prior to Christmas, but L.A. Cetto was one of them and we headed up a driveway we thought would never end. Under ideal conditions it wouldn’t have been a big deal, but keep in mind heavy rains had just subsided a few days earlier. The dirt road had turned into mud and potholes. My guess is we only drove about a half a mile, but it seemed like 100! We were relieved to find the winery indeed open and quite busy. L.A. Cetto was established in 1928 and is one of the oldest and largest wineries in the area. Marianna greeted us and offered us several different wines to taste as well as some fresh bread with their estate
Lodi’s Heritage Oak Winery Continued from Page 33 possible if it were not for the wonderful climate here in the Lodi region, perfect for growing wine grapes,” he said. Tom and Carmela Hoffman and his mother, Joanne, run the facility. He says customers appreciate a personal connection so he makes a point of providing that to people. Joanne Hoffman admits she had ambivalent feelings about the winery opening because of the economy. Distribution has been his biggest challenge for this newcomer. Heritage Oaks arrived on the scene at a time when the retail market is flooded with little wineries and the broader economy is in recession. Distributors have been reluctant to pick up his products because many are having a hard time pushing the ones they already have. “Fortunately, I have distribution locally in the Lodi and Stockton area and have a small distributorship working for me in Colorado Springs but 92 percent of our sales are at the tasting room” he said. Many customers including Elk Grove resident Ray Ashby can’t count how many times he has been to the winery. He says he was a customer before Hoffman had wine bottled and for sale. “We first visited looking for the small
independent winemaker doing his own thing, questioned whether a wine would be good when tasted in the barrel but recognized that Tom had ‘the taste’ to know what it would develop into, so better go with Tom’s palate,” Ashby said. “It just doesn’t get any better than Heritage Oak.” He offers a private picnic area by the river in which visitors can bring their own food or buy their picnic lunch for $15 which includes cheese and crackers, salami, and an apple. Locals and visitors can enjoy intimate events, concerts, art shows, and exhibitions throughout the year. He tries to plan an event every month whether it is showcasing art or having a local live band. Tamara Little will perform on Saturday, March 19. In April he holds a “Zin Spin” in which local bicycling clubs tour the wineries, on Mother’s Day there will be a picnic and concert, Father’s Day the winery will have an art fair and on July 4, it will hold another picnic and concert. Starting in June and running until August it will also have “Stress Therapy” every other Friday night. Customers can watch the sunset, drink and eat desert while the flocks of hummingbirds fly above their heads. For more information about the winery or the events it holds visit heritageoakwinery.com or call (209) 986-2763.
olive oil. We had a few whites, Chardonnay and Fumé Blanc, their Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé called Primavera (Spanish for spring) as well as a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Zinfandel. Their flagship Petite Sirah was sold out. We enjoyed the wines, the Chardonnay in particular as well as our conversation with Marianna and we were impressed by the spacious tasting room. We were starting to get hungry and I had noticed El Meson de Mustafa earlier in the day. When I lived in Mexico, I ate there every chance I had. Owner Mustafa Ali is a gracious host and remembered me after not seeing me for eight years. The food was every bit as delicious as I remembered it. Laura had their signature chicken dish while I enjoyed lamb. When I tell you this is where you’ll find the worlds best apple pie, you may raise an eyebrow as my wife did. One bite convinced her I was speaking the truth. When I visited the valley in the past, one of my favorite people was Eduardo Liceaga, founder and owner of Viña de Liceaga. Señor Liceaga passed away about three years ago, but we had a wonderful visit with his widow Myrna and their son
An array of Vina de Liceaga’s offerings. (Tom Plant) Rafael. The tasting room at Liceaga opened shortly after Eduardo’s death. Rafael told me he would take pictures to the hospital so his dad could see how the work was progressing. It is an absolutely gorgeous space, tasteful with thoughtful touches everywhere. We enjoyed seven of their wines as well as two Grappas. Their Chenin Blanc, “L” Syrah/Merlot blend and Merlot were all exceptional. Even though we were only able to visit two wineries, we had a great time. I highly recommend a visit to this charming wine region. We’re making plans now to attend the 21st Fiesta de la Vendimia this coming August.
Winery Guide LEAL VINEYARDS 8 300 Maranatha Way, Hollister 831-636-1023 lealvineyards.com Tasting Daily 11-5 PESSAGNO WINERY 9 22704 Picador Dr., Salinas 831-675-9463 or 831.675.1922 Tasting Fri-Sun, 11-5 PIETRA SANTA WINERY 10034 Cienega Road, Hollister, 831-636-1991 pietrasantawinery.com Tasting Wed-Sun 11-5, Mon-Tue by Appt.
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SUMMERAYNE VINEYARD 11 1781 Limekiln Rd., Hollister 831-902-5638 Tasting Sat-Sun 1-4 ZANGER VINEYARDS 12 of Casa de Fruta 10021 Pacheco Pass Hwy., Hollister, 408-842-7282 casadefruta.com Tasting Mon-Thu 8-7:30, Fri-Sun 8 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. CALERA WINE COMPANY 1 11300 Cienega Rd., Hollister 831-637-9170 calerawine.com Tasting Daily 11-4:30 DEROSE VINEYARDS 9970 Cienega Road, Hollister 831-636-9143 derosewine.com Tasting Sat-Sun 11-4
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ENZ WINERY 5 1781 Limekiln Rd., Hollister 831-637-6443 Tasting by Appt. FLINT WINE CELLARS 6 13160 Cienega Road, Hollister 831-636-8986 Tasting by Appt.
Submit your winery or changes to be included in our April / May issue’s guides. Please submit by March 7, 2011 to editor@ vinetimesmagazine.com
Visit our website for all the latest wine country guides. www.vinetimesonline.com 36 February / March 2011 • www.vinetimesonline.com
CALENDAR Vine Times publishes an editorial calendar listing the subject of emphasis for each issue and regional stories planned for each issue. Subject to change.
New iphone App for Santa Cruz Mountains AVA
Winery Guide
April / May Destination: Mendocino Discover: Los Gatos
June / July Destination: Santa Barbara/Ojai Discover: San Francisco
Submit your event for our next issue. Email your press release or event information by March 2nd for your April / May events to:
editor@vinetimesmagazine.com or submit via our website at: www.vinetimesonline.com
INDEX TO ADVERTISERS Amador Vintners............................................39 Anderson Valley Alsace Festival................15 B & E Vineyards ..............................................21 Berardo Winery ............................................21 Burrell School..................................................39 Cantara Cellars ..............................................29 Castoro Cellars..............................................21 Chouinard Vineyards ....................................11 Cooper-Garrod..............................................26 Crooked Vine..................................................11 Cuda Ridge ......................................................11 Fenestra Winery ............................................11 Grey Wolf Cellars..........................................21 Guglielmo Winery ........................................13 Hunt Cellars ....................................................21 Hunter Hill ......................................................39 J. Lohr ............................................................2, 19 Livermore Group..........................................11 Les Chenes Estate Vineyards ....................11 Loma Prieta Winery ....................................39 Miraflores..........................................................27 Mitchell Katz....................................................11 Oak Shadow Cottage..................................21 Orfila Vineyards ..............................................13 Paso Robles Group ....................................21 Peachy Canyon Winery........................21, 40 Poetic Cellars..................................................39 River Road Wine Trail..................................15 Sandrew Montgomery ................................26 Summit to Sea ................................................39 Thornton Winery..........................................27 Via Vega..............................................................21 Vine Hill ............................................................39
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LODI WINE & VISITOR 1 CENTER 2545 W.Turner Rd., Lodi 209-365-0621, lodiwine.com Tasting Daily 10-5 ABUNDANCE VINEYARDS 2 21482 N. Ray Rd., Lodi 209-334-0274 abundancevineyards.com Tasting by Appt. BERGHOLD VINEYARDS 3 17343 N. Cherry Rd., Lodi 209-333-929 bergholdvineyards.com Tasting Thu-Sun 11-5, & by Appt. 4 BORRA VINEYARDS & WINERY 1301 E. Armstrong Rd., Lodi 209-368-2446, borrawinery.com Tasting Daily 12-5 5 CELLAR DOOR 21 N. School St., Lodi 209-339-4394 lodicellardoor.com Tasting Tue- Wed 12-6, Thu-Sat 12-9, Sun 12-5 COSENTINO WINERY 3750 East Woodbridge Rd., 6 Acampo, 209-333-8014 cosentinowinery.com/cvc Tasting Daily 10-5:30
d’Art Wines
7 13299 N. Curry Ave., Lodi 209-334-9946, dartwines.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 DELICATO VINEYARDS & CLAY STATION WINES 12001 S. Hwy. 99, Manteca 209-824-3501,claystationwine.com Tasting Daily 9-5:30 E2 FAMILY WINERY 9 9009 W. Highway 12, Lodi 209-334-5911, e2familywinery.com Tasting by Appt. GNEKOW FAMILY WINERY 17347 East Gawne Rd. Collegeville, 209-463-0697, 888-446-3569, gnekowwinery.com Tasting Daily 11-5 GRANDS AMIS WINERY 10 115 N. School St., Ste. 5, Lodi 209-369-6805, grandsamis.com Tasting Fri-Sun 1-5, or by Appt. HARMONY WYNELANDS 11 9291 E. Harney Ln., Lodi 209-369-4184 harmonywynelands.com Tasting Mon-Sat 11-5:30 Sunday/Holidays 12:30-5 HERITAGE OAK WINERY 10112 E.Woodbridge Rd, 12 Acampo, 209-986-2763 heritageoakwinery.com Tasting Mon-Fri 2-5pm, Sat 12-6, Sun 1-4
HOUSLEY’S CENTURY 13 OAK WINERY 22211 N. Lower Sacramento Rd., Acampo, 209-334-3482 centuryoakwinery.com Tasting Sat 12-4, or by Appt. JESSIE’S GROVE WINERY 1973 W.Turner Rd., Lodi 14 209-368-0880, jgwinery.com Tasting Daily 11-5 LANGETWINS WINERY16 1525 E. Jahant Rd., Acampo 209-334-9780, langetwins.com Tasting by Appt. THE LUCAS WINERY 17 18196 N. Davis Road, Lodi 209-368-2006, lucaswinery.com Tasting Thu-Sun 12-4:30/Tours by Appt. 18 M2 WINES 1376 East Turner Rd,. Ste. D, Lodi, 888-757-9463 m2wines.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 or by Appt. MACCHIA 19 7099 E. Peltier Rd, Acampo 209-333-2600 macchiawines.com Tasting Thu-Mon 11-5 MCCONNELL ESTATE 20 10686 W. Stockton Blvd, Elk Grove, 916-685-5368 mcconnellestates.com Tasting Fri-Sun 11-5 MICHAEL DAVID WINERY 4580 W. Highway 12, Lodi 21 209-368-7384 lodivineyards.com Tasting Daily 10-5 OAK RIDGE WINERY 22 6100 E. Highway 12, Lodi 209-369-4758 oakridgewinery.com Gift Cottage Daily 10-5 or by Appt. OMEGA CELLARS 23 13731 N. Highway 88, Lodi 209-367-1910 omega-cellars.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 PEIRANO ESTATE 24 VINEYARDS 21831 N. Highway 99, Acampo 209-369-9463, peirano.com Tasting Wed-Sun 11-4:30 RIPKEN VINEYARDS & 25 WINERY 2472 West Sargent Rd, Lodi 209-367-WINE (9463) ripkenwine.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12-4/Tours SIQUEIRA WINE COMPANY 220 S. Cluff Ave., Lodi 26 209-403-9200 or 800-769-8491 siqueirawine.com Tasting by Appt. SPENKER WINERY 27 17303 N. DeVries Rd., Lodi 209-367-0467 Tasting Sat-Sun 12-4 By Appt. January-April
28 ST. AMANT WINERY 1 Winemaster Way, Lodi 209-367-0646 stamantwine.com Tasting by Appt. VAN RUITEN FAMILY 29 WINERY 340 W. Highway 12, Lodi 209-334-5722, vrwinery.com Tasting Daily 11-5 VINO CON BRIO 30 AT AMOROSA VINEYARDS 7889 East Harney Ln, Lodi 209-369-5392, 888-410-VINO vinoconbrio.com Tasting Thu-Mon 12-5 or by Appt. VINO PIAZZA 32-38 12470 Locke Road, Lockeford (Wineries 32-38 are all in Vino Piazza)
BOITANO FAMILY WINES 209-727-3270 32 boitanofamilywines.com Tasting Sat-Sun 12-5 LA VIDA DULCE WINERY 209-727-3966 33 lavidadulce.com Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5 MOKELUMNE OAK VINTNERS 34 209-339-3754 mokelumneoakvintners.com Tasting Fri-Sun 12-5 OLDE LOCKEFORD WINERY 209-727-9770 35 vinopiazza.com/oldelockeford Tasting Daily 11-5 PASOS VINEYARDS 36 559-978-0523 or 209-727-3153 pasoswinery.com Tasting Fri-Sat 11-6, Sun 11-5 STAMA WINERY 37 209-727-3314 or 408-464-6923 stamawinery.com Tasting Mon,Wed,Thu 11-5 Fri-Sun 11-6 WATTS WINERY 38 209-329-1569, wattswinery.com Tasting Fri-Mon 12-5 WOODBRIDGE BY ROBERT MONDAVI 5950 E.Woodbridge Rd, Acampo, 209-365-8139 woodbridgewines.com Tasting Daily 10:30-4:30 Tours Daily 9:30 & 1:30
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Submit your winery or changes to be included in our April / May issue’s guides. Please submit by March 7, 2011 to editor@ vinetimesmagazine.com
With a Special Focus on the Summit to Sea Wine Trail Be the first to know what is happening on the Summit to Sea Wine Trail and all over the Santa Cruz Mountains with a brand new iPhone app that guides you around the Santa Cruz Mountains wine AVA: it has a special focus on the Summit to Sea wine trail and all the events and special offers participating wineries will be creating every month. Included in the SC Mountains App are local restaurants, events, lodging and activities to keep you busy after a day or two of wine tasting. It is called the Santa Cruz Wineries App for i Phone. It’s free, so go to the iTunes website and download it today! Connecting to this app will keep you in touch with all the great events the Summit to Sea wineries are hosting with local artisan food products made from locally sourced ingredients that naturally pair well with local wines. Take a taste of local jams and chutneys by Tabitha at Burrell School and Poetic Cellars, along with Dave’s excellent Estate Syrah and Katy’s delicious Mourvedre. Enjoy a taste of Pinotage at Loma Prieta, the only winery in the mountains to offer this intriguing off-the-path wine, and taste the new Pinot-Syrah blend from Vine Hill, which will be excellent with charcuterie. In February, it’s all about Reds: good for your heart, good for sweetheart. Each winery in the Summit to Sea Wine Trail will feature chocolate and amour-friendly red wines, including Burrell School’s cherryespresso estate Merlot, and Loma Prieta’s mocha smooth Cabernet. Hunter Hill’s Syrah rosé is elegant in the glass, and the old vine Zinfandel will please your main squeeze. Poetic Cellars appeals to romantics with special Valentine labels. Winemaker Katy Lovell’s well-versed “Ballad” Bordeaux blend is the perfect way to say “I love you.” Handmade port-infused truffles provide the underscore. March brings Pinot Paradise, the annual celebration of all things Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot. Pinot Pathways, Saturday, March 26, invites you to delve into wine cellars for verticals and library treasures. On Sunday, March 27, indulge in pinots from all over the region, paired with gourmet food from the finest local restaurants. Enjoy the very limited estate Hunter Hill Pinot, side by side with Burrell School’s blockbuster estate “Principal’s Choice,” Poetic’s new Pinot from the Best of State award-winning Regan vineyard, and Vine Hill’s pinot-heavy collection from local vineyard gems. This truly is Pinot Paradise! For tickets to Passport or Pinot Paradise, go to www.scmwa.com
www.vinetimesonline.com • February / March 2011
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WINE COUNTRY RECIPIES & PAIRINGS
Eat This With...
Chow Bella
Compiled By Victoria Buonocore
Wine Country Onion Soup By Lisa J. Pretty
Eat Garlic Stuffed Pork Roast with Syrah The Syrah grape originated in the Rhône region of France. In Northern Rhône it is typically the main grape used in wine production while in Southern Rhône it is often found in blends. Australians produce a very fruit forward wine from the grape and there it is known as Shiraz. American producers may use either name but it is indeed the same grape. Syrah became very popular in the early 2000s when it made its way to be one of the top 10 varieties planted worldwide. The dark grape with concentrated flavors and high tannins can be a very good wine for aging, or depending on how it is made can be very fruity and meant to be consumed young. In any case, the one thing you can count on is that the wine will be loaded with flavor. There are some incredible Syrah producers spread throughout California. The wines tend to be dark, have loads of berry flavors, a fleshy fruit on the mid-palate and a little pepper or tobacco on the finish. I think Karen MacNeil’s description of Syrah in the Wine Bible is perfect for describing this wonderful wine “Syrah reminds me of the kind of guy who wears cowboy boots with a tuxedo. Rustic, manly, and yet elegant – that’s Syrah.” I often pair Syrah with spicy food or grilled meats and vegetables. You don’t want to overpower the food so you need something that will hold up to the bold Syrah flavors. At this time of year I am still more into cooking indoors and for the lean protein and price point you can’t beat a nice pork roast. One of my favorite ways to serve pork roast is stuffed with garlic and rubbed with herbs – needless to say that is my recipe choice to go with a nice bottle of Syrah. Garlic and Syrah – a flavor combination sure to get the “wow” response.
Garlic Stuffed Pork Roast Recipe 4-5 pound pork loin roast 5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup apple juice 1 tablespoon dried rosemary 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375F. Using a sharp knife make small incisions all around the roast. Insert garlic slices into incisions and then place pork in roasting pan. Pour wine, apple juice and olive oil over the roast so that the bottom of the pan is covered in liquid (approximately one half to one inch deep). Rub the rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper on the roast and then place pan in pre-heated oven. Baste roast with liquids after one half hour of roasting and again fifteen minutes later. Remove roast from oven when a meat thermometer indicates an internal temperature of 155ºF (approximately one to one and one half hours). Let roast rest for 10 minutes before carving – roast will increase in temperature to 160ºF while resting.
Syrah Lisa’s Favorite: 2006 La Crema Syrah “A Syrah with aromas that are rich in blackberry, cocoa and pepper. Flavors continue with blueberry, cassis, black licorice and hints of smoke leading to a plush middle and broad sturdy finish.” Retail $25, lacrema.com Paso Pick: 2007 Calcareous Reserve Syrah “Upon opening up, the nose is filled with plum and lavender. The upfront fruit is surprisingly light and fresh, quickly building into a weighty mid-palate of blackberry, then ending with a lengthy soft finish.” Retail $42, calcareous.com Value Pick: 2007 Robert Hall Syrah “An inviting, well-balanced wine, the 2007 Syrah expresses aromas of blackberry, chocolate and caramel with a touch of smoky, sandalwood spice.” With 90+ point ratings and a few gold medals, this wine is a bargain offered at retail for $18, roberthallwinery.com
38 February / March 2011 • www.vinetimesonline.com
Frolicking Frog, 14490 San Miguel Road, Atascadero, CA 93422, (805) 466-0779, www.frolickingfrogwine.com (Tasting by appointment) Ingredients: 1 large sweet onion – diced Salt & pepper to taste 3 gloves garlic-smashed & finely chopped 2 tablespoons Herb Mixture 32 oz. low sodium/low fat beef broth 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups red wine (Cabernet or Zinfandel) 1 tablespoon butter Sliced and toasted sour dough bread 1 bay leaf Grated/shredded parmesan cheese 1/4 teaspoon non-salt multi-purpose seasoning 1 tablespoon flour Large soup/sauce pan Method: In large sauce pan, on medium/low heat, place oil & butter - stirring consistently until the butter has melted - do not burn butter. Add onions. Saute’ onions until translucentabout 3 minutes. Add garlic & herb mix. Do not burn garlic! Sauté’ additional minute. Add flour & mix thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients. Return mixture to a slight boil for about one minute. Reduce heat to simmer - About 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving. To Serve: Place toasted bread in bottom of individual large, shallow bowls. Add soup and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Serve with fresh spinach salad, assorted cheese platter & red wine. Yummy for your tummy!
ZinMan Steak Salad Perry Creek Winery, P.O. Box 350, 7400 Perry Creek Rd. Fair Play, CA 95684, (530) 620-5175, www.perrycreek.com Ingredients: 1 pound boneless steak 1 large red onion thick slices 1 cup of ZinMan Zinfandel 1 bag of salad greens 2 clove garlic minced Bell peppers-combine red, orange, green 2 tablespoons olive oil peppers Salt & pepper Your favorite dressing 1/2 pound large mushrooms Method: Combine wine, garlic, olive oil & salt and pepper. Marinade steak in mixture overnight. Grill steak along with mushrooms, red onions and peppers. Slice grilled meat and vegetables and serve over salad greens with your favorite dressing.
Grilled Halibut Huber Cellars & Vineyard, 4892 Hapgood Road, Lompoc CA 93436, (805) 736-3854, www.HuberCellars.com, Tasting Room hours: Fri.-Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m and by appointment Recipe by Karen Kopczak and Norman and Traudl Huber. Pairs with Huber Estate Chardonnay. Ingredients: 3 tablespoons dry white wine 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Four halibut steaks, (6 ounces each) 3 tablespoons olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper Method: Whisk together the wine, lemon juice, olive oil and rosemary in a small shallow baking dish. Add the halibut and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, turning once. Preheat grill. Remove fish from marinade and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill the steaks for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or to desired doneness.
Dark Chocolate Orange Bars Fenestra Winery, 83 Vallecitos Road (Formerly CA Hwy 84), Livermore, CA 94550, (925) 447-5246, www.fenestrawinery.com, Tasting Room Open Fri., Sat., and Sun. 12-5 p.m. Recipe By Fenestra’s own Marla James & Jan Bachman. Makes 24 squares. Ingredients: 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate 1 tablespoon grated orange zest 1/2 cup butter 1 cup flour 1-1/2 cups sugar Topping: 3 large eggs 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate 1/4 cup orange juice 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon orange juice Method: Melt chocolate and butter together in microwave or over hot water. Stir to combine and add sugar. Beat eggs slightly with orange juice; add to chocolate. Add vanilla and orange zest. Add flour, mixing well. Pour into greased 7 x 11-inch baking pan and bake in a 350° preheated oven for 30 minutes. Cool. Prepare topping: Melt chocolate and butter together and add orange juice. Spread evenly over cooked cake. Allow topping to harden before cutting into small squares. Note: When you cut this chocolate confection into 24 squares, individual cubes are very small, just large enough to give you a taste of the delicious richness. The chocolate squares go well with Fenestra’s Rhone varietals.
THE VINTNERS
OF
AMADOR COUNTY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND
MARCH
52 O11 &6 ZINFANDEL FOCUSED SEMINARS ZIN FRIENDLY FARE DEMONSTRATIONS AND BARREL SAMPLES OR
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT AMADOR WINE.COM UNTIL MARCH 1 DURING THE EVENT AT PARTICIPATING WINERIES FOR $5 ADDITIONAL 34 PARTICIPATING WINERIES 35 MILES EAST OF SACRAMENTO
AMADORWINE.COM (888) 655-8614
$5O WEEKEND PASS $35 SUNDAY ONLY PASS $15 DESIGNATED DRIVERS $85 CELLAR FEAST AT ANDIS WINERY $110 ULTIMATE WEEKEND PASS
Stop by our Tasting Room during the
Paso Robles Zin Fest Weekend, March 18-20, and enjoy over a dozen current and future Zinfandel releases. If you love zin as much as we love making it you won’t want to miss this opportunity.
Open 7 Days a Week 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., except major holidays 1480 N. Bethel Road, Templeton, CA 93465 Call us to schedule your special event or wedding on our beautiful grounds.
www.peachycanyon.com 805/239.1918 or 866/335.1918