UNCORKED WINE TRAVELS

Musings Along The Wine Trails

Experience Cave-Aged Wines At DRNK Winery in Russian River Valley

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Atop the famed Laguna Ridge down an unmarked dirt lane off Frei Road near Sebastopol, amidst the vines, is the home of DRNK Winery.  DRNK is a family collaboration between Ryan and Katie Kunde and her parents, Dale and Nancy Dougherty.  Cleverly named, DRNK is a compilation of each family member’s first initial and so much more. 

Historically, the Sonoma Valley Kunde family has been making wine since the 1880’s.  As a young boy, Ryan scouted vineyard sights with his grandfather and learned his way around the cellar and bottling line with his father.  Often mentoring with notable winemakers, Ryan’s fascination of blending wine eventually led to advanced studies in Enology and Viticulture at UC Davis.  Fast forward to 2012, when Ryan, a fifth generation winemaker, ventured out on his own in search of new and unique vineyard sites using drone technology.

One of only four wine caves in the Russian River Valley, this spectacular 300′ long subterranean cave’s natural temperature is a constant 58 degrees year round with 85% average humidity.  Absolutely perfect for aging wine.  Designed to hold 500 barrels, there’s also several alcoves for private tastings and events. 

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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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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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