Recent Wine Blog Entries

Sierra Foothills AVA (Day One)

Of all of the California wine regions I’ve visited, there was one AVA in that great state yet for me to explore.  I crossed that off my list last month.

The Sierra Foothills AVA is located about two hours northeast of San Francisco and 45 minutes east of Sacramento.  One of the largest AVAs in the state of California, the Sierra Foothills AVA contains portions of eight California counties including Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mariposa, Nevada, Place, Tuolumne and Yuba.  We focused on Amador and El Dorado, so that’s what I’ll focus on here as well.

Grapes have been growing and wines have been being made in this region since the California Gold Rush in the mid 19th Century.  A lot of the folks who set out to make their fortunes in gold were of European decent, and brought their love of wine and skills of winemaking with them.  They planted grapes, but when the gold was gone and the gold mines closed, the wine industry pretty much collapsed.  A revival began in the 1970s, and in 1987 the Sierra Foothills region was recognized as an official American Viticultural Area (AVA).

While visiting the region last month we visited 11 different wineries.   Most were pretty good, some were excellent and one … ?  Well, let’s just say that it was very interesting and educational.  I’ll talk more about that in my next blog.

Here are the wineries we visited on Day One:

Story – This winery has a cute little cabin that is used as its tasting room.  Story is located high up in the foothills with a nice little picnic area next to some ancient Mission grape and Zinfandel vines and overlooking the Sierras.  The wines were good too, especially their 2010 Quartz Zinfandel. 

Turley Wine Cellars – Just over a year ago Turley bought well-known Zinfandel producer Karly Wines.  This gave Napa based Turley, long respected for their winemaking, a presence in Amador County.  Turley had been buying grapes in this area since 1996.  They’ve renovated the Karly tasting room and are slowly weaning off the Karly label.  It is very exciting for the Sierra Foothills AVA to have such a well-known producer in their region.  Allison in the tasting room did a great job walking us through their many wines. I especially enjoyed the 2011 Turley Judge Bell Zinfandel.  This was a wonderful representative of the zinfandel grape.  It’s not over-done.  Instead it’s a medium-bodied delightful wine with a long finish.

Karmère Vineyards and Winery – This winery is located in the Shenandoah Valley and has a beautiful French-style chateau tasting room with lovely picnic areas outside.  We were fortunate to have Hayley, one of the winery owner family members, guide us through the wines.  She was VERY knowledgeable and a wonderful gal.  All of their still wines are estate grown with the exception of their Sauvignon Blanc and their Barbera.  My favorites included the 2009 Morgan Nebbiolo and the 2010 Hayley (named for the gal pouring!) Zinfandel.

Terra d’Oro – The magic at Terra d’Oro was the tasting room manager Steve!  His knowledge and likeable personality made for a very fun tasting; and the wines weren’t half bad either!  This winery also pours the Montevina labels, their more affordable California appellation bottlings.  Their Zins are big and jammy.  Our favorites were probably their Port style wines, one made with very old vines.  They also have some fun, lesser known Italian varietal wines.  One is Teroldego, a grape grown primarily in the northeastern region of Trentino-Alto Adige.  Another is Aglianico, grown in the Basilicata and Campania regions of Italy.

It was a very fun day of tasting, and it was only the beginning!  We had two more days of exploring this rustic and unpretentious wine region ahead of us!  And explore we did.  Next up:  Day Two  Some gems and some duds!

My September Wine of the Month

Keating Winery
2008 Petite Sirah
Rockpile Vineyard
Sonoma County

Wow.  I love this wine.  If you visit my site on a regular basis, you know that I’m a sucker for Syrah.  Petite Sirah, however, is NOT Syrah.  This is a common mistake made by many casual wine drinkers.  These two varieties, however, DO share some similarities and perhaps some geographical history.  Petite Sirah vines have grown in California since the 1880s, and DNA research has suggested that this grape is likely Durif, a cross of the grapes Peloursin (an ancient Rhone varietal) and Syrah (another Rhone varietal), which was created in France in the 1880s.

The Wine – The color is dark and inky, as most Petite Sirah wines are.  This wine is very aromatic, with blackberry, cassis and licorice, along with wintergreen, rosemary and some wet dirt on the nose.  The palate has the cassis, currant and dark fruit, complimented by a nice earthiness.  The alcohol is at 15.1%, but the wine is well balanced and has nice complexity.  The finish is long.  Again, I love this wine!

My Experience Visiting the Winery – I visited Keating a couple of years ago, and remember that the woman walking us through the wines was not very warm and fuzzy.  She was okay, but seemed a bit bored and uninterested.  I’ve since read great compliments of others at Keating, so don’t let this stop you from visiting them.  The tasting room, on the other hand, was fabulous.  It’s large enough to accommodate many people, with a tasting bar as well as comfy looking lounge areas.  The décor is modern and very cozy.  It’s a great space to enjoy the Keating wines, which were all very good.

The Journey – Keating’s tasting room is located at Cornerstone in the Carneros region of Sonoma.  Cornerstone is an upscale shopping gallery with shops, markets, a gourmet cafe and winery tasting rooms.   Nestled around it are nine acres of gardens.  It’s actually a great first or second stop on your way into Sonoma County coming from SFO.  My first stop is always Gloria Ferrer for a glass of bubbly, and Keating is located right across the street, on Arnold Drive.  This will be my 2nd stop in February!

Check out Keating’s website at:  www.keatingwines.com

Carmel and Big Sur!

My husband and I headed to Carmel recently for some R&R.  We wanted to explore Point Lobos and Big Sur, and therefore knew that we wouldn’t have much time to explore some of the many wineries scattered about in this region.  We did, however, want to stock up on wine for our room and for our forthcoming picnics, so we headed to a couple tasting rooms located right in the heart of Carmel.

Our first visit was Wrath.  I’d had some of their wines before and knew that we would be able to find a good Pinot Noir there.  Wrath’s tasting room is located at the Carmel Plaza, right next to The Cheese Shop!  How convenient!  A one stop shopping experience for picnic supplies!  The gal pouring for us was great.  She was helping out that day in their modern tasting room, and works in Wrath’s Marketing Department. 

We started with a couple of Chardonnays, one aged in stainless steel and the other aged in oak.  The 2012 Ex Anima Chardonnay was fermented in stainless steel and rested on the lees for four months.  With no oak influence, this wine has tropical fruit aromas and pear on the palate.  At only $19 per bottle, this wine rocked.

The 2011 3 Clone Chardonnay was aged in new French oak (60% new).  There was baked apple, cinnamon and butterscotch on the 3 Clone, with nice acidity.  The name comes from the fact that this wine is a blend of three old-vine Chardonnay clones (Mt. Eden, Wente, and Clone 4) from Wrath’s estate vineyard.  The Chardonnays were both delicious, so we bought some of each.

We then moved on to their lovely Pinot Noirs.  Our favorite was the 2010 Swan/828 (again, a blend of those two Pinot Noir clones), which has fresh red fruit as well as a wonderful earthiness that I love so much.  We bought some of these too!

Morgan was next up.  Located in the Carmel Crossroads shopping center, they have a cute tasting room called “Taste Morgan”, but the personnel weren’t very warm and fuzzy.  The wines are pretty good though.  I’ve had some of their Rhone blends in the past, as well as some of their Pinot Noirs.  We bought a couple bottles of their G17 Syrah, as well as their Lee Family Farm Tempranillo.  They had a Highland Chardonnay and a Rosella’s Chardonnay that I liked a lot too, as well as an interesting Albarino.  This could be a really fun place if only the staff had a more pleasant outlook on their job.

Our lodging was a return visit to the beautiful Tickle Pink Inn in Carmel Highlands.  This oceanfront hotel sits dramatically above the rocky Pacific coastline, each room having a private balcony with spectacular views.  We spent most of our time on our balcony with a glass of wine and a plate of cheeses!  We were in heaven!  We had some lovely seagulls drop in for visits as well.  If you have plans to visit Carmel, I highly recommend staying here.

On our last full day in the area we had a fabulous 3-hour lunch in Big Sur.  We dined at Nepenthe, a casual but wonderful restaurant with amazing views.  The food was great, the service wonderful, and the wine list awesome!  Not only is their list extensive, but also the prices are great.  The sommelier explained that once the wine is placed on the list it is priced.  That price never changes.  The wines are well stored, so one can find some gems.  We enjoyed a bottle of 2005 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée while watching waves of the Pacific Ocean crash into the mountains.  Be sure to check out this wonderful restaurant that won’t set you too far back financially!

The next day, on our way out of Carmel and headed toward the Sierra Foothills, we stopped for a tasting of McIntyre wines.  A friend from France who works for a winery in Châteauneuf du Pape suggested we try their wines, so we didn’t want to miss them.  After googling them, I discovered that one can experience McIntyre’s wines in the lobby of the Hyatt Monterey Bay. This is the first time I’ve ever experienced a wine tasting room in the lobby of a hotel, but it worked!  They do some nice wines, especially their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

It was hard to leave this beautiful region, but it was time to move on to visit the Sierra Foothills.  We had more areas to explore and more wines to taste!

 

Châteauneuf-du-Pape!

Châteauneuf-du-Pape!  What can I say?  This tiny village produces some of my favorite wines in the world.  A beautiful wine region, this is one of the most famous appellations in France and is thought to be one of the first regions in this world famous wine country to produce wine.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape itself is a charming town with lovely restaurants and great bed and breakfasts and hotels. My husband and I visited during a few very cool days in late May, but the warmth of the people in the area made it all okay.  We stayed for three nights at the “Maria & Andreas” Bed & Breakfast, a very homey and welcoming place to lay our heads after a full day of tasting and fun.  The hosts were very kind and supplied us with much information regarding restaurants and wineries to visit.

If the wines of this village weren’t so stellar (but they are!!!), the main attraction would undoubtedly be the ruins of the castle.  In 1308 Pope Clement V relocated the papacy to the city of Avignon, France.  Being great lovers of wine, he and subsequent popes from Avignon did a lot to promote wine and winemaking in the region of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, just 11 kilometers away.  John XXII, who built the famous castle, which was completed in 1333, succeeded Clement V.  This “New Castel of the Pope” was known as the papal summer residence.  Some claim the castle served mainly in a defensive function, but one source told me that it was a weekend get-away spot and rumored to house lady friends.

We had the opportunity to visit several wineries, from famous producers such as Roger Sabon and Chateau de Beaucastel to less well-known wineries like Domaine de la Ronciere and many in between.  Located right in town there also is the “Vinadea – Maison des vins de Châteauneuf-du-Pape” selling 200 varieties of Châteauneuf du Pape wines (representing 90 producers) at cellar door prices.

Here are a couple of my favorite visits:

Domaine du Pégau – Wonderful wines made this a great tasting, but our host Jacques made this one of the most memorable tastings of my life!  Domaine du Pégau is a family owned winery.  The Feraud family has been producing wine in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region since 1670.  The holdings have grown slowly and in 1987 they incorporated as a partnership between father and daughter, Paul and Laurence.

The tasting room is a wonderful old cave full of bottles and crates of their lovely wines.  We didn’t taste a dud, ranging from their Plan Pégau (a steal at only 7 Euro) to their 2010 Cuvee da Capo, which has received scores of 98 – 100 points!

Jacques was WONDERFUL!  He was very knowledgeable as well as a hoot and a half!  He had my husband and me in stitches while enjoying the wines.  If it had been easier to get home, we would have bought cases!  Luckily many of these wines are distributed and can be found in the states.

 

We spent our last night in Châteauneuf-du-Pape at the Chateau des Fines Roches, a lovely castle with beautifully decorated rooms and lovely outdoor areas to have a picnic and a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine!  Right next door is Château la Nerthe!  This winery was on my list of must visits, so we stopped on our way out of town.

Château la Nerthe – This is a winery that has beautiful wines and a gorgeous setting.  Its treasured vineyards surround this elegant castle, built in 1760.  Château La Nerthe itself was started in the 12th century, around the same time that vines were planted in the area.  The château itself houses an immaculate winemaking cellar producing wines that have the toughness typical of Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge wines, but also a very pleasant elegance.

We were there early in the morning and shared the tasting with only one other couple.  I’ve heard that it can get pretty busy here, so we picked a good time.  The wines were predictably great.  We tasted both red and white from many vintages.  We sampled their lovely 2005 vintages, which was a treat.  They even had some library wines available for purchase, so we bought a 1988 to drink later during the trip.  It was wonderful!

This was the first day of many in which we were “lucky” enough to experience “Le Mistral”!  Le Mistral is the savage, cold wind that blows down from the Alps and through the Rhone Valley, gathering speed and ferocity as it goes.  I mention this because I’m including a photo of us in front of Château La Nerthe’s vineyards.  You’ll see the effects of Day 1 of Le Mistral.  It only gets better …

My August Wine of the Month

Ridge Vineyards
Mikulaco Vineyard Chardonnay
Santa Cruz Mountains
2009

Ridge Vineyards was founded in the early 1960s, but wine production at the winery’s Monte Bello location has been going on much longer.  Osea Perrone, a doctor and Italian immigrant, planted grapevines here in 1885 and the first Monte Bello wine was produced in 1892.  After prohibition the winery had many owners, until it was purchased in 1960 by a group of Stanford Research Institute engineers David Bennion, Charles Rosen, Hewitt Crane, and Howard Zeidler.  In 1969 Bennion hired Paul Draper as winemaker.  Draper’s 1971 Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon placed 5th at the famous Judgment of Paris Wine Tasting in 1976.  Draper continues to be winemaker today, under different ownership.  In fact, one can often see him in the tasting room while visiting one of the winery locations.  His Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon is still considered to be one of the best California Cabs by many wine experts.

The Wine – 100% Chardonnay, the 2009 Mikulaco Ridge is very reminiscent to white Burgundy.  There is ripe apple and pear on the nose, with just a hint of nuttiness.  On the palate are white peach, lemon curd and a touch of oak.  It is very well balanced and would be fabulous with Brie cheese and a baguette!  This is a very well made wine.

My Experience Visiting the Winery – In 1991 Ridge Vineyards purchased the Lytton Springs vineyard in Dry Creek Valley.  They now produce wines in both this newer location as well as the Monte Bello location.  They have a tasting room in each spot.  I have visited the Lytton Springs location many times, and hope to stop at the Monte Bello tasting room next week!

I’ve always had great experiences visiting Ridge Vineyards.  The staff is warm and friendly.  The Lytton Springs tasting room is housed in a very modern and gorgeous building, with incredible views.  They have some very old Zinfandel vines right outside the building.  And the wines???  They are incredible.

The Journey – The Lytton Springs tasting room is not far from downtown Healdsburg, and is right off of the 101, using the Lytton Springs Road exit.  You can find directions on their website.  It’s hard to miss this eco-sustainable building and winery, which is built of straw bales and vineyard clay and is powered primarily by solar energy.

The Monte Bello tasting room is located about 20 miles west of San Jose, CA.

Visit their website at:  www.ridgewine.com

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