UNCORKED WINE TRAVELS

Musings Along The Wine Trails

Thomas George Estates’ Wine Cave Is Truly A Hidden Treasure!

by Leave a Comment

One of the more obscure, yet enchanting wineries on Russian River Valley’s Westside Road is Thomas George Estates. Tucked on an inside bend on the narrow winding road, the wooded entrance is easy to pass and most challenging to turn back around to find.  Hence, this was my first visit.  And what a visit it was!  I was literally in awe when I drove down the long gravel driveway, wondering why I hadn’t stopped here before.

Towering Redwoods stand at attention around the perimeter of the serene gardens, ablaze with roses and french lavender. Beyond the gardens you’ll find the infamous Thomas George Estates wine cave, dug deep under the hillside Baker Ridge Pinot Noir vineyard.

[Read more…]

Hooray to Korbel Champagne Cellars For The Red, White & Sparkling!

by Leave a Comment

IMG_1442

The birth of Korbel Champagne Cellars dates back to the early 1880’s when the three Czechoslovakian Korbel brothers from the province of Bohemia, started off making cigar boxes in San Francisco, which later transitioned into a sawmill and dairy farm in the storied Russian River Valley near Guerneville.

StoryPhotos_01

Trying their hand at winemaking and being somewhat successful, the Korbel’s produced 20,000 to 30,000 gallons of wine and experimenting with various grape varietals such as Pinot Noir.  By 1892, the Korbel brothers were officially in the burgeoning wine business.

StoryPhotos_02

It was during this time that the Korbel’s sent for winemaker Frank Hasek in Prague to come to the United States to be their champagne master. It was Hasek who employed the time-honored French method of producing champagne, aka méthode champenoise, which catapulted Korbel Champagne Cellars to great success in the wine business.

IMG_1455

Prohibition took its toll on many wineries in the 1920’s with forced closures.  Korbel Champagne Cellars was able to survive due to the brothers’ other business ventures.  In 1954 the winery was purchased by family friend, Adolph Heck, who was credited for patenting an automatic riddling process which was vital to the business, enabling the champagne bottles to be turned at precise moments during the fermentation process.   [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…]

The Wine Carriage ~ A Perfect Marriage Of Horses & Wine

by Leave a Comment

IMG_9522

Nothing could be finer than being carried through the vines by two handsome, two ton  Belgian Draft horses with owner Bret LeRolland of The Wine Carriage leading the way.   The starting point for the wine tour adventure begins at the historical Alexander Valley Vineyards in northern Sonoma County off Highway 128.

IMG_9350

Alexander Valley Vineyards‘ tasting room has a rustic old west country store feel, complete with a covered wooden porch.  Memorabilia of rancher Cyrus Alexander and his wife Rufina adorn the walls.  IMG_9360

Estate varietals include Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot,  Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Gerwurtztraminer.

IMG_9359

 

 

 

Freshly picked bunches of grapes sit on the counter, free for the tasting.

IMG_9364

Bret’s love for his horses, Willie and Django, is evident the moment you meet the team.  Guests are encouraged to approach the magnificent duo who calmly stand for pats and photos.  Gourmet snacks of locally sourced nuts and cheese are handed out as we take our seats.  Time to leave your cares far behind as guests board the horse-drawn carriage from Alexander Valley Vineyards.

IMG_9402Clip clop…. clip clop…. clip clop…. The Wine Carriage smoothly transports up to 10 guests through the heart of the vineyards over a 5 mile course, close enough to reach out and grab a bunch of grapes, which we actually did! [Read more…]

Sonoma’s Buena Vista Winery Attracts Ghost Hunters

by 2 Comments

IMG_8371Buena Vista Winery is considered California’s oldest premium winery and was founded in 1857 by the self-proclaimed “Count of Buena Vista”, Agoston Haraszthy.  Situated in the Los Carneros AVA (also known as Carneros AVA), the Buena Vista Winery vineyards are poised atop the hills overlooking San Pablo Bay.

IMG_8355The proximity to the cool fog and breezes from the bay makes the climate cooler and more moderate than the wine regions further north in Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley, allowing for the cultivation of cooler climate varietals like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  Many of the grapes grown in Los Carneros are also used for sparkling wine production.

IMG_8365

Rarely does one think of ghost hunting when wine tasting, however, Sonoma’s Buena Vista Winery has a ghostly past and an eerie presence.  In 1862, legend has it that 20 Chinese migrant workers were busy bottling, corking and wiring Champagne magnums in the deep wine caves when a minor earthquake triggered a cave-in.  Racism attitudes at the time, left the men to be buried alive amidst cases of fine champagne.  [Read more…]