UNCORKED WINE TRAVELS

Musings Along The Wine Trails

Battaglini Winery Touts “Viti Vecchie, Vini Buono”

by Leave a Comment

IMG_0239Italians have a wonderful saying, “Viti Vecchie, Vini Buono” which translates to “Old Vines, Great Wine.” This is certainly the case at Russian River Valley’s Battaglini Winery off Piner Road. Unassuming at best, it’s easy to pass the driveway on the windy country road mistaking the Battaglini Winery as another of the area’s old farmhouses with colorful red outbuildings and antique lawn art.

IMG_0244

Being an Italian wine aficionado, I ventured down the gravel lane.  Giuseppe,, aka Joe, Battaglini, sauntered out to unlock the tasting shed for me on a rainy winter’s day following the 2016 Winter Wineland  weekend festivities.   Joe warmly welcomed me to Battaglini Winery and invited me to taste his award-winning wines.

IMG_0243

Ribbons were proudly strung across the back wall and photographs of Italy adorned the walls.  Quite a bit of history in this tiny rustic tasting room!  Roots run deep, literally speaking, on this old homestead.

shapeimage_8 Giuseppe and his wife Lucia, immigrated from Italy to  California in 1956, seeking a similar Italian lifestyle amongst the vines.

The original owner and vintner,  Bartholomew Lagomarsino, also an Italian immigrant, planted Zinfandel and Petite Sirah in 1885 on this very site.

Today, the 1885 vines still flourish and produce incredible full-bodied Zinfandel and Petit Sirah, which have become the Battaglini Winery flagship wines.  In addition, the vineyards are planted to Chardonnay.

IMG_0251

For a truly authentico experience, stop by for a game of bocce and a glass of Old Vine Zin!  www.battagliniwines.com

 

Pinot Noir & Tapas at Marimar Torres Family Vineyards – Ole!

by Leave a Comment

IMG_0333

Certainly worthy of the trek to the far reaches of the famed Green Valley AVA near Sebastopol is the Marimar Torres Family Vineyards, perched high atop a vineyard-studded hill.

54a3289f3bf83.imageWind your way up the long driveway to the lovely Spanish inspired tasting room and you’re likely to meet the legendary Marimar Torres herself.  Always by her side are her beloved Springer Spaniels, Chico and Bonita, who are on hand to greet guests and pose for photos.

Marimar paved the way in the late 1980s for other women wine makers to be recognized.   Her pioneering and determined spirit was unwelcome in the primarily male-dominated wine making industry at the time.  Today, however, Marimar is held in high regard in the Russian River Valley wine industry and has earned numerous awards for her stellar Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

IMG_0294

True to Marimar’s Spanish heritage, the vineyards are organically farmed and the grapes are hand-picked, which allows the unique Russian River Valley terroir to be expressed in every glass.  [Read more…]

Jordan Winery’s Wine & Food Pairing Is Alexander Valley’s Crown Jewel

by Leave a Comment

For one of the most memorable wine tasting experiences in Sonoma Wine Country, visit Jordan Winery in the stoic Alexander Valley.  Founded in 1972, Tom and Sally Jordan had a vision to produce great “approachable” Bordeaux-style California Cabernet Sauvignon.

IMG_9261

Inspired and fashioned after a French château, the Jordan Winery is at the top of the A-list for winery tours.  No detail is too small, nor overlooked. Guests meet in the stately lobby for a guided walking tour of the grounds and production area, followed by a first-class private seated wine and food pairing in the château.

IMG_9761

“Unique amongst Healdsburg wineries, more than three-quarters of the scenic estate has been preserved as natural habitat—an oasis where craggy oak trees pepper the landscape, geese and ducks swim the lakes, and rabbits and turkeys roam the hills. The property includes 112 acres of grapevines, 18 acres of olive trees, a one-acre garden, two lakes and several grazing pastures. The diversity of ecosystems on the estate encourages beneficial insects and other predators that support our sustainable farming practices”.                   

[Read more…]

For The Love Of Grapes ~ Harvest Time In Sonoma County

by Leave a Comment

IMG_9681An exhilarating time to experience Sonoma County Wine Country is during the harvest, which for the second year in a row, began as one of the earliest on record.

karissa“Growers have kept a fast pace since the start of harvest here in Sonoma County,” said Karissa Kruse, president of the Sonoma County Winegrowers. “For some, picking schedules that usually occur over the course of a month have been condensed into a one or two week time frame this season.”

IMG_9795

By Labor Day, the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir had already been picked in the Russian River Valley and the vines were starting to yellow.  The vineyard activity was quiet, however, the cellar workers were in high gear!

IMG_9854

Littorai Wines, Sebastopol  ~ Sorting Table 

IMG_8976

Dutton Estate, Russian River Valley ~ Field Bins [Read more…]

Iconic Merry Edwards Winery Embraces Pinot Noir Lovers

by Leave a Comment

IMG_8521 Sooner, rather than later, Pinot Noir aficionados seek out Merry Edwards Winery near Sebastopol in the picturesque Russian River Valley AVA.  Considered a perfectionist and a wine muse by all who meet her, Merry Edwards is now in her 40th year of wine making.

IMG_8513

Merry and husband/partner Ken Coopersmith  manage five estate Pinot Noir vineyards: Coopersmith, Cresta d’Oro, Flax, Georganne and Meredith.  The Chardonnay and  Sauvignon Blanc grapes are sourced from other vineyards in the Russian RIver Valley.

IMG_8520

Private tastings are hosted by appointment in the state of the art facility’s elegant tasting rooms.  Guests are educated about the diurnal temperatures, climate micro zones and soils of the Russian River Valley and the diversity between the estate vineyards.   [Read more…]