• Blog
  • About Me
    • Press Release
  • Back Road Wineries
    • California Wine Trail
    • Tuscany Wine Trail
    • Baja California Wine Trail
  • Wine A Bit ~ Editorial & Reviews
  • Contact Me

UNCORKED WINE TRAVELS

Musings Along The Wine Trails

Littorai Wines ~ A Tale of Two Coasts & Three Pinot Noir Styles

September 13, 2019 by Deborah Mines

LITTORAI (lit’tōr’ī): a plural derivative of the Latin world Litor, which means the coasts.

Just as enchanting as the winery’s namesake, is the bucolic setting of Ted and Heidi Lemon’s Littorai Wines nestled in the far reaches between Sebastopol and Freestone. Ted’s love of Burgundian-style wines began almost 40 years ago when he apprenticed at several famous Old World wine estates in France and studied enology at the Université de Bourgogne.  As an accomplished young winemaker, he was the first American hired to manage Domaine Guy Roulot in Mersault, France.  Fast forward to today, where Littorai’s single vineyard wines are internationally distributed in 14 countries and grace the wine lists of top restaurants nationwide.

This 30-acre farm is modeled on the 1920’s Philosopher/Scientist Rudolf Steiner’s vision of an integrated farm, combining a holistic, biodynamic approach to farming.  Over half of the property is dedicated as open rangeland for the resident grazing cows, sheep and chickens. Organic legumes, edible flowers and cereals are cultivated and composted, and eventually formulated into natural tea sprays for the vines. Bees and insects are welcomed as no pesticides or fertilizers are used at Littorai.

On three acres, The Pivot Vineyard Pinot Noir, is the estate’s only vineyard.   The remaining acreage is cloaked in Redwood trees and dotted with meandering streams and wildlife.  Grapes for Chardonnay and other single vineyard Pinot Noir are sourced from the coastal mountains of Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, hence the name Littorai.

What makes a Littorai Pinot Noir from one coast different from the other?  In short, a Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir tends to have a more tannic structure, with spice tones (peppers, savory, sage, marjoram) while the Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is associated with lush fruit, blackberry, raspberry and plum.  Yet, the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir combines the best of the tannins from the Sonoma Coast and the darker fruits of the Russian River Valley.

Keeping with the “green building” theme,  Littorai’s winery is constructed of hay bale walls, which provide consistent insulation and temperature control in the cellar.  Solar panels minimize the electric costs, and all excess water used in the winemaking process is recycled back into the vineyard.  The winery is also designed for wine movement via gravity flow, to avoid the use of pumps.

Vineyard tours and tastings are by appointment only, and well worth the inside look at how biodynamic farming produces some of the finest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Russian River Valley.  www.littorai.com

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: California Wine Trail Tagged With: Anderson Valley, Biodynamic farming, Burgundian-style, Chardonnay, Mendocino, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sebastopol, Sonoma Coast, Wine Tasting

Dry Creek’s Wilson Winery Wins Gold Medal

March 13, 2016 by Deborah Mines Leave a Comment

IMG_0044

Just because you perceive something a certain way, doesn’t make it true.  Thank goodness!  Exploring the Dry Creek Canyon road in all it’s glory after much rain during the 2016 Winter Wineland festival, I decided to stop at Wilson Winery.

IMG_0022

Admittedly, the Wilson Winery roadside facade was truly understated and I have driven by it often over the years. The allure to visit the Dry Creek winery was to confirm the scuttlebutt heard at nearly every winery by fellow winery employees throughout the valley.  Who was this Diane Wilson, woman winemaker extraordinaire?  My curiosity and love of Dry Creek’s big bold reds got the better of me but not before I rounded the corner…

IMG_0025

Lo and behold, stood a magnificent wolf iron sculpture standing guard to the entry to Wilson Winery, probably howling at the moon in elation after tasting the decadent estate Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon!  [Read more…]

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: California Wine Trail Tagged With: Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewurtztraminer, Mendocino, Petit Sirah, Syrah, Wine Road, Winter Wineland, Zinfandel

Goldeneye Winery’s Idyllic Setting & Pinot Noir Is Pure Bliss

October 11, 2015 by Deborah Mines Leave a Comment

Rugged and remote, yet majestic Anderson Valley in Mendocino County is said to produce some of the very best Pinot Noir.  Driving over the windy, high-banked two lane Highway 128 from Cloverdale, I was in hot pursuit of the most revered Pinot Noir.

Imagine my bewilderment when I stepped out on the patio of the Goldeneye Winery ~ acres of impeccably groomed picnic grounds led down to the path of the Confluence Vineyard set amongst a majestic backdrop of towering redwoods and steep rolling hills.

Goldeneye Winery is perfectly situated in the heart of the Anderson Valley adjacent to the headwaters of the Navarro River, which run through the redwoods down to the Pacific Ocean.  Pinot Noir thrives in this unique marine-influenced climate, with long, mild sunny summer days and cool foggy mornings.  [Read more…]

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: California Wine Trail Tagged With: Chardonnay, Mendocino, Napa Valley, Pinot Noir, Wine Tasting

Wine Trail Search

Follow My Wine Blog

Your Name

Your Email

A Little About Me

To many, I’m simply known as a wanderlust ~ a free-spirited adventuress with a passion for travel and a lover of great wines!Read more...

Vintage Posts

  • Russian River Valley’s Arista Wines Earn Top Accolades From Wine Spectator September 24, 2019
  • Littorai Wines ~ A Tale of Two Coasts & Three Pinot Noir Styles September 13, 2019
  • After Much Ado, “House of Flowers” Debuts In Russian River Valley August 29, 2019
  • Best Backroads For Cycling In RRV-Healdsburg Wine Country August 16, 2019
  • Experience Cave-Aged Wines At DRNK Winery in Russian River Valley July 3, 2019
  • Best Kept Secret in Sta. Rita Hills ~ Spear Vineyards & Winery May 17, 2019
  • Spring Is An Ideal, And Uncrowded, Time To Visit Wine Country April 19, 2019
  • NEW BOOK RELEASE: Root Cause, A Novel by Steven Laine February 19, 2019
  • Discover the Hidden Wine Caves in Sonoma Wine Country December 17, 2018
  • Vin Santo Reigns In Chianti’s Medieval Hamlet of Castello di Volpaia November 16, 2018
  • Hidden Gem Alert ~ Dry Creek’s Unti Vineyards Is A “10” October 31, 2018
  • Windsor’s Notre Vue Estate’s Unabashed Views Are Worth The Drive October 20, 2018
  • Cheers To Russian River Valley’s “Uneventful” 2018 Harvest! September 21, 2018
  • Add Healdsburg’s Raford Inn To Your Wine Bucket List August 9, 2018
  • A Walk Between The Vines At Emeritus Vineyards… June 29, 2018
  • Follow the Olivet Road… Top 3 Artisan Winery Picks! June 8, 2018
  • Thomas George Estates’ Wine Cave Is Truly A Hidden Treasure! May 24, 2018
  • Get Your Sips Off Route 116… Sonoma Co’s Crown Jewel Wine Road March 9, 2018
  • A Rainy Day In Napa Suits Me Wine… December 20, 2017
  • Whimsical & Historical Sites Dot North Sonoma County’s Wine Trail November 21, 2017

Find Me On Twitter

My Tweets

Copyright © 2019 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.