Zinfandel – Page 7

Santa Ynez’s Bridlewood Estate Winery Is Totally Mesmerizing

August 3, 2014 by Deborah Mines

From the moment you enter the 105 acre property through the wrought iron gates, time seems to stand still. A grove of arched trees line the long driveway and lead to the stately entrance of the mission-style Bridlewood Estate Winery in Santa Ynez.

The grounds are immaculately groomed with unsurpassed panoramic views of the Santa Ynez Mountains, the San Raphael Mountains and the Purisma Hills. The site of the Bridlewood Estate Winery was previously a rehabilitation center for race horses and still houses a full exercise track that circles the lake and vineyards.

Guests are welcome to take a bottle of wine and a picnic lunch and relax under the shade trees by the lake or to take in the view on the upper terrace overlooking the lake. [Read more…]

Paso Robles’ Fratelli Perata Winery Is Fantastico

April 12, 2014 by Deborah Mines

Calling all Italophiles… For truly authentic Italian wines, head for Fratelli Perata Winery off West Highway 46 in Paso Robles. Family run by brothers, Gino and Joe Perata, the craft of winemaking dates back to their paternal grandfather and great-uncle in Genoa, Italy.

Fratelli Perata Winery (translates to Perata Brothers) graces 31 hilltop acres on the north end of Paso Robles. Situated in the renown Templeton Wind Gap, the winds blow straight from the ocean across the vineyards, bathing and cooling the grapes with the perfect amount of moisture. A long growing season with hot sunny days and cool nights make this the perfect place for the Italian varietal grapes.

Fratelli Perata is dry-farmed, meaning no supplemental irrigation. With the current drought conditions, the harvest crop size is expected to be half of the normal production for 2014. Barbera, Sangiovese, Montepulciano D’Abruzzo, Malfalda, Charbono, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Verdot, Petit Sirah and Cabernet Franc are all estate grown grapes at Fratelli Perata. Each wine is handcrafted, aged in new oak barrels and is representative of a different region in Italy. [Read more…]

Shine On Harvest Moon

February 13, 2014 by Deborah Mines

The picturesque meandering country Olivet Road in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley was my starting point for the Winter Wine Land festival last month. Five fantastic vineyards in a row! Harvest Moon Estate & Winery turned out to be one of my most treasured finds.

Stoic dormant vines line the driveway of the Harvest Moon Estate & Winery, emulating a comfortable, familiar feeling of coming to visit an “old friend”. I was warmly welcomed into the cozy tasting room and invited to sample any of the five featured wines. [Read more…]

De-Lovely De Loach Vineyards Is Simply Di-Vine

January 29, 2014 by Deborah Mines

With over 130 wineries to choose from in the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek, Healdsburg and the Alexander Valley, I decided that De Loach Vineyards was the perfect starting point for the Sonoma County Winter Wineland two-day event. Every January, scores of wineries in Sonoma County open their bottles and barrels for the Winter Wineland festival.

I was warmly greeted by De Loach Vineyards staff and a rather hairy, but very friendly, snow creature at the event check-in. Banded with a blue wristband and armed with an official Wine Road glass, I was ready to hit the wine trail! First stop — De Loach Vineyards.

The De Loach Vineyards tasting room was festively decorated, and the staff was bracing for the weekend crowds. Tastings were set up in three different areas in the winery, with an opportunity to get up close and personal with one of the wine makers. The smell of fresh fococcia bread with carmelized onions filled the room.

Five amazing wines were offered for tasting. Two Chardonnays shone brightly — the 2010 OFS Chardonnay and the 2012 Russian River Valley Chardonnay. Both well-balanced with stone-fruit flavors, aged gently in oak. [Read more…]

Sonoma’s Classic 2014 Winter Wineland

January 25, 2014 by Deborah Mines

Nothing could be finer than to be on the Sonoma wine trails for a warm, sunny weekend in the Russian River Valley, Dry Creek or Alexander Valley! The annual Winter Wineland event, held January 18-19, 2014, treated wine aficionados to new releases, barrel tastings and food pairings at over 130 wineries and tasting rooms. Each winery celebrated the the Winter Wineland theme with festivities and elaborate wintery decor.

The biggest decision for me was where to start! Being a huge Pinot Noir lover, I chose to concentrate my wine tasting primarily in the Russian River Valley, but did venture out to Dry Creek late on Sunday afternoon. The weather was perfect ~ mid-70’s, sunny and dry. So dry, in fact that the creeks were non-existent and the fields were dusty and in dire need of a rain shower; talk filled the air about what the drought meant for future vintages.

Surprisingly though, the crowds were small and fairly spread out–no buses or wild parties of 20-something-year-olds to ruin the day. Children were not allowed, nor were there many dogs which made for a pleasant tasting experience all the way around. [Read more…]