Russian River Valley

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

February 27, 2016 by Deborah Mines Leave a Comment

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.

Wind 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.

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

December 20, 2015 by Deborah Mines 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.

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.

“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

October 8, 2015 by Deborah Mines Leave a Comment

An 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.

“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.”

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!

Littorai Wines, Sebastopol ~ Sorting Table

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

Iconic Merry Edwards Winery Embraces Pinot Noir Lovers

May 25, 2015 by Deborah Mines Leave a Comment

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.

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.

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…]

Sunce Winery Exudes True Old World Charm

March 14, 2014 by Deborah Mines Leave a Comment

Winter Wineland 2014 was the perfect venue to visit over 36 wineries in the Russian River Valley in January, plus another 100 or so wineries in Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, Healdsburg, Geyserville and Santa Rosa. My wine trek started along Olivet Road, my favorite stretch of vineyards in the heart of the Russian River Valley, which led me to Sunce Winery.

Third generation Croatian-born winemaker, Frane Franicevic, has certainly perfected his love of winemaking over the years. Frane released his first wines in 1990, created in a barn off Piner Road, later moving his winemaking operation to the current Sunce Winery site in the late 1990s.

Sunce is a Serb-Croatian word for “sunshine”. And, plenty of sun shines in the Russian River Valley in the peak growing season. Sunce Winery is named after one of Frane’s daughters, Sunce, with another vineyard and a varietal wine blend named after his other two daughters, Zora and Zemlja. [Read more…]