Winter Winelands, Sonoma

As part of my wine education, a few years ago, I spent 2 1/2 years visiting wineries, year-round, four days a week.  I loved talking to wine makers, owners and staff during the winter season.  During that time, and the 5 years before that, when I wasn’t studying, I was home (practicing pairing) so I rarely went to public wine events.

This year, Winter Winelands in Northern Sonoma County caught my attention. It’s one of my favorite wine regions, and although 6,000 people attend annually, the event is spread out over 30 miles including Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley, Healdsburg, Dry Creek Valley and even some tasting rooms in Santa Rosa. The possible combinations of itineraries is almost endless.

I’ve decided to visit some old favorites in Dry Creek Valley. I’ll miss a few folks over in the Russian River (like John Tyler) but I’m sure I’ll be inspired to come back another weekend to say hello.  My friend Herlinda and I will be in my little roadster starting at Bella Wine Vineyards & Wine Caves. It’s beautiful inside the caves with tasting stations throughout, the perfect escape when it’s chilly outside and the vineyards are bare and boring.  Warmed up, we’ll be ready to hit the red carpet at Dry Creek Vineyard where there are always good deals and a variety of wines to taste. (I’ll be looking for a new vintage of their dessert wine Soleil.)

Then off to a rare public opening of a secret winery that is usually appointment only. Note: Not on the Winelands list but tastings are complimentary for Wine Road participants. Only open Saturday, not Sunday.  From there, a drive up to Michel Schlumberger to see friends, it’s always a great place for a party (inside scoop that they will have some fabulous deals, the more you buy, the more you save).  Might end our day here but I’d love to stop by Merriam Vineyards to taste through their outstanding wines. Merriam’s also serving braised pork and grits. Yum!

Make your itinerary at Winter Wineland, The Wine Road.

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Starmont Winery, Napa (photo courtesy of Merryvale.com)

I’m always looking for a good value white wine that I can enjoy after work while I cook dinner.  These are usually grocery store wines as opposed to the wines I get direct from a winery.  When I find a wine I like, I buy a case, stock them in my wine refrigerator and enjoy them for months.

Some past favorites include Bogle Chardonnay (2008) and Dry Creek Vineyards Chardonnay (2008).  I’m not always in the mood for Chardonnay; I went through a Beringer Pinot Grigio phase, but winter calls for a bigger, rounder wine.

My latest find is not cheap per se but it is extremely good value at $20 (Costco).  Wine Spectator gave the Merryvale 2008 Starmont Chardonnay 90 points and I wholeheartedly agree.

Here’s some tips for finding a value wine to love:

• Try different wines within your price range.  Buy one bottle.  If you like it, go back and get 3 more.  If you love it, get a case.
• Value wines bought at grocery stores can be in inconsistent from bottle to bottle. I believe it’s usually a storage problem–the wine has gotten too hot, cold or disturbed in transit. (This is why I buy all my best wines direct from the winery or a trusted wine shop.)  To protect yourself, have 3 bottles on hand, if one bottle is bad, open another one to enjoy and return the bad bottle.*
• Vintages matter.  Most value brands strive for consistency in taste from year to year, but in my opinion, not all of them succeed.  I have loved a particular value wine for a year, then the next vintage just doesn’t have the same flavor,so I drop the brand for awhile.
• When it comes to box wine or $3 wine, you can do better. I encourage folks to enjoy wine, don’t just drink it to relax from a busy day. Cheap and convenient is never good criteria for picking out wine.
• Don’t get into a rut.  If your friend, family and neighbors all know your favorite value brand, it’s time to try something new.

*Some grocery stores might give you a problem with returning a bottle of wine.  They are protecting themselves from people who want to return a lot of wine after a party. Be firm, if the wine is corked or tainted in some way and you’re taking the time to return it; insist that they replace the bottle. If they don’t, shop elsewhere in the future, and let them know.

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Cachet. When I visit this winery, I feel like I’ve come home. The drive onto the property is lined with rose bushes. The parking lot draws you towards a multitude of excellent choices…walk straight to one of three tasting rooms, head for a shady picnic table near one of several ponds, tour the one-of-kind museum of California Mission models or visit the exotic birds on display in the aviaries. All of these choices and yet the atmosphere feels like you have walked into someone’s private farm…albeit a very lovely one that makes fabulous wine.

Wine. Cline wines come in five groupings: Oakley (from the San Joaquin Delta area), California (blends from various vineyards), Sonoma County, Ancient Vines, and Single Vineyards. With all these choices, there is something for everyone! The Oakley group is often a best buy from Wine Enthusiast. The California series has interesting wines like Pinot Grigio/Chardonnay, Viognier, Syrah (blend) and Cline’s well-known California Zinfandel. Ancient vines are popular in California, people love to talk about them. Cline has four wines in this group: Mourvedre Rose, Carignane, Mourvedre and Zinfandel. The single vineyard wines are my favorite with the Small Berry Mourvedre leading the pack.

People. Everyone that I have encountered at this winery has a happy and relaxed demeanor…tasting room staff, winemakers, management and visitors. I use the tasting room reserved for club members…the cutest little room with two to three enthusiastic, smiling people behind the counter. I think the intimacy of this room lends a tremendous amount to the convivial atmosphere. But of course, it comes down to the people. They are genuinely enthusiastic and seem to love their jobs. Once at a large event, my husband and I were chatting with winemaker Charlie Tsegeletos and he got so excited by all of our questions, he spontaneously led us on a private barrel tasting.

Getting there. If you have one day to visit and you choose Sonoma County, I recommend you start or end your day at Cline. Marin County (where I live) is beautiful so if you are coming from San Francisco or points north, take advantage and drive through Marin. From Hwy 101, (the unfortunate asphalt divider of Marin) take Hwy 37 (a stunning Marsh area) to Hwy 121. Follow the signs to Sonoma and you’ll soon find yourself in rolling pastures surrounded by cows, goats and hawks. This is the Carneros AVA. Cline is one of the first wineries (on the left).

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I have always been in awe of winemakers.  Amateurs making their own blends is an industry trend, e.g., Crushpad in San Francisco is very successful. Until now, I’ve happily sat on the sidelines (drinking fab wine).

I finally poked my beaker into the bottle so-to-speak at a corporate event where I was VIP Hostess.  The client had already chosen the wineries so I used my insider persuasion to organize the various events, get discounts and keep everyone on schedule.  We started at Ravenswood with Peter Griffith’s Blending Seminar. The guests learned the basics about acidity, sugar and tannins.  I helped translate that into “taste the three wines in front of you, decide what you think about them, then start mixing and tasting until you come up with your favorite”.

The group had a blast. They used every last minute to pour, play and taste.  When the time was up, Peter quickly bottled, corked and even hot waxed each guest’s personal blend to take home.

**(That’s me in the hat.)

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The only time I get to taste hard-to-get, small lot wines from “famous” wine makers is at special industry tastings or large events open to the public.  The industry tastings are great because you usually have smaller groups and can talk to the wine maker.  The “wine road” huge events are not my style–there are so many people, the staff has no time to talk about the wine.  Some wineries consider them a drunkfest which is definitely not my style.  Both industry events and large events can cost around $25 and up.

A better alternative for me is a collective tasting room. The best I’ve found is  Vintner’s Collective.  It’s a nice atmosphere, stylish and yet comfortable with a friendly and knowledgeable staff. The best part is you really get to know who’s-who in the boutique wine making world and taste their wines.

For example, I fell in love with a Viogner from Napa Valley made by Gemella Wines.  Come to find out it is made by Jay Buoncristiani, the former winemaker at Hess Collection. Vintners Collective also carries Buoncristiani red wines made by Jay and his brothers  Wine Spectator has called the Buoncristianis “rising stars.”

The tasting room has lots of stories like this and the prices are reasonable.  I’m looking forward to going back, tasting, attending events and putting together mixed cases of these once-in-a-lifetime finds.

It’s a convenient location too, near many shops, tasting rooms, and restaurants in downtown Napa.

Get your $75 Insider Pass.

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Collective tasting rooms offer wines from various vintners in one place.  They can be co-owned by vintners like Family Wineries Tasting Rooms or independently owned like Vintners Collective. They are different from a wine shop that offers tastings in that they represent far fewer vintners.

A bad weather day is the perfect time to visit a collective tasting room.  It’s also fun to drop in when I don’t feel like driving or want to taste wines that I normally can’t access.

Every collective has a theme: some offer rare & pricey wines, some are formal while others are casual.  A good tasting experience, for me, meets the same criteria as a winery tasting.

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Courtesy of Michel-Schlumberger

My first introduction to Michel-Schlumberger (French pronunciation please…schlum bergé) was a vineyard walk sponsored by the North American Wine Blogger’s Conference.  It was one of those incredibly memorable days; strolling down a narrow dirt road next to a restored trout stream, enjoying wine tasting above the vineyards, and ending with a lovely lunch under a huge shade tree.

Why M-S is special:

• It’s a hidden gem, yet only 10 minutes from lodging, shopping and dining in Healdsburg.
• The building was once a family home, built in the California Mission style.
• The setting is a sustainable farm with sheep, owl houses, and insecti-gardens.
• The wines are made in the French style.
• Terrior is everything…tours are educational as well as lovely to experience.
• Tastings are seated (and can be paired with food).
• Small lots of fine wines are sometimes only available to club members; but anyone can join, anytime.

It’s across the road from Quivira in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley, one of my favorite appellations in the world.

Insider Pass for VIP treatment available in my guide.

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Welcome to Ceja (say ha) Wines.  What a lovely ambiance! They have two tasting rooms, in the Carneros appellation (which straddles Napa and Sonoma County) and downtown Napa.  The family is very hands-on. The matriarch, Amelia, cooks, entertains, talks about wine, pours wine…she does it all with an excitement and energy that belies the fact that she has been in the wine business for decades. Her husband, Pedro, and brother-in-law, Armando, head up vineyard management and winemaking.  Daughter, Dalia, and son, Ariel, both work in the family business.  Ariel is especially interested in video as you can see from their web site.

I’ve been to many family-operated wineries but this winery is distinct: I feel their Mexican-rooted hospitality; in fact, it’s a bit like being in a gracious, beautiful home in Mexico. I wanted to sit down for a meal with all of them, listen to stories, eat Amelia’s wonderful food and drink lots of wine.  (Casa Ceja members enjoy these perks.) You can find their wines at restaurants, fine wine shops and online.

Their wines are so well-structured that I enjoy them with and without food.  Their Sauvignon Blanc ($26) and Vino de Casa White ($20) are favorite summer wines at my house; when I offer a selection of whites for my guests, they are first to be emptied.  Amelia has lots of recipes online and I made my own cherry relish to pair with Ceja’s Vino de Casa Red.

TIP: Ceja is extremely well-respected in the professional wine industry.  Famed Critic, Robert Parker is a fan; he has requested their wine at events. The Ceja’s don’t submit their wines to him for rating: because he tastes 75 wines per day in his job, it’s not the best way to experience gentle, structured wines. The same goes for consumers, the more wine we taste in one day, the less we can appreciate what we’re tasting.

Be a VIP with an Insider Pass!

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I learned how to pair wine & food by reading books, watching TV programs, attending seminars, and using little charts like this one.  My favorite practice activity is tasting and talking with other foodies and wine-lovers.

Here’s some tips if you’d like to learn more:

• I record Fine Living shows & watch them while folding laundry or sit down with a glass of wine & take notes. My current fav is Michael Chiarello.
• I enjoy the quizzes and the winery tours featured in NBC’s In Wine Country.
• What to Drink with What You Eat is the perfect guide when I’m in the kitchen and need to know what to serve with a special bottle of wine (or other beverage).
• I go to tasting rooms when they are uncrowded (weekdays and off-season); I take my time; ask questions and do a seated pairing whenever possible.

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Willie’s Wine Bar & Grill in Santa Rosa is the ultimate place to pair delish small plates with wine.  Sitting at the bar one rainy afternoon, I invited Darren, the server behind the bar, to design a three course meal for me.

Course 1 was rich (French), course 2 was a palette cleanser (salad) and course 3 was rich (European).

Course 1 Foie Gras “Poppers” with Sea Salt & Grape Chutney served with a Grande Maison dessert wine. The earthy flavor of Foie Gras is strong and the wine calmed my palate.  I liked the salt in the recipe too.

Course 2 Arugula, radicchio salad with white truffle Meyer lemon vinaigrette, avocado, Manchego cheese and toasted almonds served with  a MacMurray Pinot Gris. A perfect pairing! The hint of fruit at the front was a surprise; it took the edge off the strong earthiness of the salad.  Also the simplicity of the Pinot Gris (acidic and minerally) created a wonderful balance of flavors.

Course 3 This was so good I didn’t even take notes!  It was a Filet Mignon slider with a Cabernet Sauvignon. I served a take-off of the dish at home, which I’ll blog about later.

I learned so much in one afternoon!

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