UNCORKED WINE TRAVELS

Musings Along The Wine Trails

Hidden Gem Alert ~ Dry Creek’s Unti Vineyards Is A “10”

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One could easily imagine being in the heart of Tuscany or in the hills of the Languedoc when driving through Dry Creek Valley.  The scenery along the 16 mile long valley floor is absolutely stunning and reminiscent of the Mediterranean countryside. The undulating forested hills and thick vineyards are steeped in history dating back to the 1860’s when the first Italian immigrants settled there, planting the first Zinfandel vines.

Fast forward to 2018 where Zinfandel is still King here, although many other mediterranean varietals are now grown in this fertile valley ~ just ask Mick Unti, winemaker at Unti Vineyards.  Unti is a little gem of a winery hidden off Dry Creek Road, slightly past the historic Dry Creek General Store.  The tasting room is small and understated, however, the wines are stellar.

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Windsor’s Notre Vue Estate’s Unabashed Views Are Worth The Drive

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Always up for an adventure, I was curious about the seemingly bold name for a winery, Notre Vue, (translates to Our View), an off-the-beaten path winery situated a few miles east of the town of Windsor.   My directions were vague at best, so I proceeded up the lone dirt road, passing through the gates of the old Windsor Oaks vineyards, veering to the left, careening to the right, for what seemed a few miles, all the way to the end of the road.

All I can say is that the name Notre Vue is an understatement.  The expansive Notre Vue Estate sits high atop a ridge, surrounded by over 350 acres of wild preserved open space, with panoramic views stretching from the Russian River Valley all the way east to the Mayacama Mountains, with St. Helena as a backdrop.

Over 250 acres are planted to Bordeaux, Rhone and Italian varietals, allowing for small lot production. Notre Vue varietals include Dolcetto, Viognier, Chardonnay, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Malbec, Mouvedre, Petite Verdot, Petit Syrah, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot and Grenache.  A second label, Balverne, produces a reserve Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.   [Read more…]

Cheers To Russian River Valley’s “Uneventful” 2018 Harvest!

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By far, harvest is my favorite time of year in any wine country.  The sweet smell of ripe grapes fill the air as they wait their turn on the vines to be picked.  Night picking is the norm in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley as the cool late summer nights provide a natural refrigeration, delaying oxidation and spoilage before the grapes get into the winery for processing.

Driving around the vineyards between sundown and sunrise can be a surreal sight as the fields are ablaze with spotlights, providing the ideal backdrop for the night workers.   (Photo courtesy of Jordan Vineyard & Winery).  The deafening din of the tractors and heavy harvest machinery can be heard for miles as the grapes are quickly harvested. Within hours, the vines are stripped and the grapes are loaded into large plastic bins and hauled off to the winery’s crush pad.

Upon arrival, the grapes travel down a vibrating conveyor belt where they are hand-sorted.  Undesirable grapes or under ripened grapes are removed by the sorters.  In larger winery operations, the grapes may be laser optically sorted instead. Depending on the varietal and wine style, grapes may be placed in a de-stemmer machine which effectively removes the stems to avoid bitterness, or in some cases, the grapes are placed in separate bins, with the stems to add tannin, for whole cluster fermentation.

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Add Healdsburg’s Raford Inn To Your Wine Bucket List

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Step back in time as you rock back and forth on the veranda of the Raford Inn, at the corner of Wohler Road and Eastside Road, in the iconic Russian River Valley.   Once part of Rancho El Molino, a Mexican land grant, this Victorian era beauty was built in 1880.  Hops pioneer Raford Petersen and his descendants fastidiously worked the 1,320 acres for over 100 years.

Today, the hops have been replaced with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards and the inn has been refurbished and designated as a historic landmark.  Named after Petersen himself, the Raford Inn now sits atop four acres overlooking the vineyards, one-half mile from the Russian River.

And the sweet smell of roses, roses, roses permeate the air…

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A Walk Between The Vines At Emeritus Vineyards…

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When walking through Emeritus Vineyards’ Hallberg Ranch, a 110 acre Pinot Noir vineyard near Sebastopol,  the quote from famed Italian Astronomer/Philosopher Galileo Galilei instantly flashed through my mind.  “Wine is sunlight, held together by water”.  Of course, what else could wine possibly be?  And this renown Pinot Noir vineyard was certainly living proof!

Guided by the “Ambassador of Fun”, Paige Hansen, we walked between the vines on a spectacular late Spring afternoon, Pinot glass in hand.

The vines danced in the wind.  And, as if on key, tiny clusters of flowers were forming to signal the start of the grape growing season.  Interestingly, Vinifera grapes are self-pollinating and due to the close proximity of the flower clusters, there is no need for bees or other insects to aid with fertilization.

Within a few short weeks, small berries are formed  which is referred to as fruit set.  The entire growing process from bud break to verasion (a french word for the onset of ripening or color change) is approximately 100 days, depending on the grape varietal and the wine region.

Hallberg Ranch vineyards are planted on the coveted Goldridge soil, composed  of one to four feet of sandy loam underlain by Los Osos clay.

All three Emeritus vineyards, are sustainably and organically dry-farmed, which helps the grapes to achieve full ripeness without excess sugars and extracted flavors.  Additionally,  a cover crop of mustard is planted between the vines to aid in moisture retention from the morning fog and to harbor beneficial insects.

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