UNCORKED WINE TRAVELS

Musings Along The Wine Trails

A Rainy Day In Napa Suits Me Wine…

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Even the inclement weather doesn’t keep the wine aficionados at bay in the iconic Napa Valley!  Sometimes the rain can work in your favor with reduced crowds in some of the most popular wineries, with wine hosts eager to serve the weary and soaked traveler.

A must stop, rain or shine, is Hall Winery in St. Helena.  Look for the enormous animated Bunny Foo-Foo metal sculpture leaping over the historic Bergfeld vineyards on Highway 29.  Touted as one of the oldest vineyards in the valley, grapes were first planted here in 1859.  Hall Winery is definitely a main player in Napa, with a second tasting room in Rutherford.  Kathryn and Craig Hall have put their heart and soul into Hall Winery, making it a top wine destination spot.

Besides the mind-blowing Cabernet, Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Walt Pinot Noir, there are over 150 pieces of modern art to behold with wine glass in tow. The service is stellar, albeit somewhat corporate, but the wines speak volumes and will hold you captive.

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Whimsical & Historical Sites Dot North Sonoma County’s Wine Trail

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Besides the stellar wines, whimsical statues and historical landmarks can be found all along the winding North Sonoma wine country roads.  Whether it’s a towering coyote howling at the moon at Wilson Winery in Dry Creek, or a step back in time at the old Dry Creek General store, built circa 1881, the valleys are steeped in history.

Continue further south on Westside Road, south of Healdsburg where the old Hop Kiln California Historical Landmark No. 893 jets toward the sky.  Once an old hops operation, the site is now home to Landmark’s Hop Kiln Estate where Pinot Noir rules.

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MacRostie Winery & Vineyards’ Elevated Tasting Takes Center Stage

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Discovering hidden gems along the Russian River Valley wine trail is always a high point in my wine travels.  With a little last-minute networking, I quickly found myself on the outdoor deck at MacRostie Winery & Vineyards for an unforgettable seated wine tasting.  The tranquil vistas from the newly harvested vineyards stretched toward the magnificent Macayamas Mountains and were breathtaking from every vantage point.

Perched high atop the hill is the lodge inspired tasting room with each table poised to take in the expansive views of the estate vineyards. The sole focus at MacRostie Winery and Vineyards centers around the small lot production of single vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Each vintage, Winemaker Heidi Bridenhagen utilizes over 130 fermentations to craft the MacRostie flagship wines.  Bridenhagen has explored wine regions worldwide and also worked at New Zealand’s Oyster Bay to gain a greater perspective on international wine styles.

Plain and simple, world-class vineyard access is key.

“This remarkable level of diversity allows us to explore the entirety of the Sonoma Coast, from the vibrant purity of Wildcat Mountain Vineyard to the lushness of the Russian River Valley to the nerve and ethereal aromatics of the extreme Sonoma Coast.”  www.macrostiewinery.com


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Kistler Vineyards Is A Wondrous Showcase For Chardonnay Lovers!

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Kistler Vineyards‘ stately old farmhouse, aka the Trenton Roadhouse, sits high above the winding Trenton-Healdsburg Road in sleepy Forestville, just north of Sebastopol in Russian River Valley.  Unless you’re intently looking for the sign, it’s easy to miss the hidden gated entrance, thinking it is just another beautiful historic home nestled in the vineyards. With enough planning and a little good fortune, you may be able to reserve a seated wine tasting invitation and slip back in time as you gaze over the vineyards from a rocking chair on the old covered porch.

Founded in 1978 by Steve Kistler, winemaker and vineyard manager, the small family owned winery is now producing upwards of 35,000 cases of handcrafted Burgundian-style Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  As is traditional in Burgundy, France, Kistler Vineyards produces all of the wines using native yeasts.  There are 10 single vineyard Chardonnays, derived from the Wente clone.   The Chardonnay is unfined and unfiltered and gracefully aged sur lie in French oak barrels for 11-18 months before bottling.  The Pinot Noir, too, is a single vineyard designate and is also unfined and unfiltered.  The unctuous free run juice is barrel aged in French oak from 14 to 18 months before bottling.

Kistler‘s Trenton Roadhouse property is absolutely stunning from any vantage point.  Hosted tastings are either held in the glass-walled sun porch room overlooking the vineyards in the off-season or held down below in the vintage barn and surrounding patios in the warmer months.  As luck would have it, in the middle of the fall harvest, right before a huge rain storm,  I had the entire wine tasting experience all to myself, thanks to my wine friend and hostess, Ashley Bender.   [Read more…]

2017 Russian River Valley Grape Harvest Is One For The Record Books

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“Wine is sunlight, held together by water.”  Galileo Galilei

My yearly tradition, is to travel to a different wine region to observe the grape harvest.  Last year I was fortunate to be in Tuscany for la vendemmia, and this year I chose my all-time favorite Russian River Valley in Northern Sonoma County to observe the harvest.  There’s something magical about harvest time.  There’s a sweetness in the air of the grapes hanging on the vines and a musical trill of the grape press as it hums along.   It’s a time of high energy, camaraderie, bustle and communion with nature in the vineyards, but it can also mean anxiety, sleepless nights, anticipation, relief and ultimately, jubilation for the wine maker.

Depending on who you talked to, wine makers had various opinions as to the projected quality and yield of the 2017 grape harvest.  Wild weather conditions this year brought relief from the severe drought with heavy winter rains, which submerged vineyards in low-lying areas, an early Spring bud break and late Summer temperature heat spikes which ripened the grapes sooner than usual.  And then there was predicted rain during harvest, again, unusual.   All this, and more, make for interesting wine fodder around harvest time.

Harvest Moon Winery owner and wine maker extraordinaire, Randy Pitts, greeted me with a big smile and a paper cup of his freshly pressed Pinot Noir.  Optimistic as always, Randy was pleased with the harvest so far, although there were still grapes to be hand-picked in nearby vineyards and much work to be done.

Randy explained that night harvesting was commonplace in Russian River Valley.  Harvesting at night when the temperatures are cooler, helps to maintain the acidity in the grapes, which in turn, delays oxidation and spoilage before the grapes get into the winery for processing.

Indeed, it truly was  an eerie sight to see the dim sea of headlamps and blazing tractor lights dotting the vineyards in the late night  and wee morning hours.

There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes at harvest time, and getting the grapes to the winery production pad is only the first step.  Here’s to a great 2017 harvest and amazing future releases!  www.harvestmoonwinery.com