Russian River Valley - known for Pinot Noirs
Korbel* - on the drive back from the coast we stopped here for the cafe as we were starved and it was the only thing we could find in the area that appealed. It had great promise, but alas, I did not order well, which seems to happen to me more often than not. So, what is one to do when one finishes lunch at the winery but have a few tastes. I'm not big on bubbles, but our next tasting is bubbles, so I thought it worth trying. Have to say, I wasn't overwhelmed. The high-end bubbles on the tasting list ran about $25. My impression is that you need to go a little higher to get good bubbles. I'll let you know if I think the same thing after our own tasting event.
Gary Farrell** - was recommended to us by a local vintner. Beautiful setting, lovely wines. The tasting room had an expansive view across the Russian River Valley. The wines were a little out of our price range for anything outside of a special occasion (in the $50 range), but the Pinot Noirs were quite good.
Thomas George* - another recommendation from the local vintner. A very recent winery - only in operation about 5 years, but making some delicious Pinot Noirs. The staff were extremely friendly and knowledgeable. The tasting room is their wine cave and we ended up taking a few bottles home knowing we wouldn't find them in Nashville.
Porter Creek - was an interesting little organic winery. Delightful Scotsman was serving and we had fun tasting a few of their wines - even a Carignane, quite unusual in that area. The tasting room was basically a shed, providing something of a glimpse of what wine tasting must have been like before it became a tourist craze.
Matrix* - another recommendation from the local vintner and a delightful surprise. Before arriving, we learned that they are part of a group of wineries called the Wilson Artisan Wineries. Not knowing much about the wine business, I didn't know if that was a good thing or not. Happily, it certainly meant good things in this case. The Pinot Noirs were some of the best we tasted. I was so happy we stopped at this one.
J Vineyards*** - We wanted to taste a few more bubbles and I had heard of J Vineyards and knew we could get it in Nashville. Supposedly, J Vineyards was taken over by Judy Jordan when her father, who owns Jordan Vineyards, wanted to sell off the bubble part of the business. I'll say she's done quite well for herself, and I had the best Brut Rose I've ever tasted. The production was small and they only had a few cases left, so we had to bring one home with us.
Dry Creek Valley - known for Zinfandels
Truett Hurst*** - recommended to us by the staff of the Vintners Inn. This winery sits right on Dry Creek. We were there on a perfect day for watching the salmon swim up the creek to spawn. Oh, and we tasted some very nice wines. Their Sauvignon Blanc was delicious. The Zinfandels ranged from sophisticated and smooth to a very fruit forward version. It was helpful to taste the spectrum in one sitting as it clarified what I like in a Zin, less fruit forward, more smoothness.
Peterson Winery - This was on our must-visit list for a long time. Peterson is my husband's last name, so we had to visit the family namesake winery! We had gone to Napa a couple of years ago and visited Bell Wine Cellars, which is my family namesake, so it was time to see what the Peterson family could do. We met Fred Peterson, who was fabulous, I'd adopt him as my uncle any time. We tasted everything they had, bought into the wine club, and came away with lots of family-logo gear! Who could resist?
Pedroncelli Winery - another recommendation from the Vintners Inn. We came away with their port and matching chocolates. We didn't find anything else that was quite our cup of tea.
Ferrari-Carano*** - the owners of this winery (the Caranos) also own the Vintners Inn where we stayed, so we had a special tour scheduled at the winery and vineyards. The place was huge and stunning. The gardens were so amazing, I would have gone just to see them. The owners made their fortune on, and still run, the Eldorado Casino in Reno, but fell in love with Sonoma years ago and built up this wine enterprise. I don't know how one stays in Reno versus this gorgeous place. Their Fume Blanc is quite tasty and widely available. We ran out of time to do their select wine tasting, but maybe on another trip back. I'd go see those gardens again!
Sonoma Valley - known for Cabernet Sauvignon
Matanzas Creek*** - another stunning winery and more delicious wines. Brought home a few, even though we can get some of their wines here. Alas, we decided not to bring home any of the 2009 Journey ($100/btl). I'm just not convinced my palate is deserving or discriminating enough. The views from their tasting room (pictured here) were just stunning. Fields of lavender surround the winery, so it would be heaven to visit while it was in bloom.
Jacuzzi Family Vineyards* - yes, it's that Jacuzzi family - the ones that made jacuzzi a noun. We hadn't planned on going here, but the winery also houses The Olive Press, and I wanted to taste some olive oil. The grounds were beautiful, the olive oil interesting, but not much to report on the wines. They specialize in Italian varietals, including a couple of obscure ones.
Good Food - we had one very notable meal, at a restaurant recommend to us by the cheese woman
(Epicurean Connection) in the town of Sonoma. By the way, the town of Sonoma was wonderful. A beautiful town square with lots of shops, good restaurants, and historical sites. A must visit if you are in the area. The town of Healdsburg had a cool vibe, but we only had time to get a coffee (at The Flying Goat). Anyway, our favorite meal was at Willi's Wine Bar in Santa Rosa, just a hop over Highway 101 from the Vintners Inn. The menu was small-plate based, which is my favorite type of menu. They also had wine flights to pair with the eating options. Our food tastes that night were: fried goat cheese balls with smoked paprika and lavender honey and blistered tomatoes; mac & cheese with leeks, savoy cabbage, and tasso; morrocan-stype lamb chops with preserved lemon couscous, spiced almonds and arugula; filet mignon sliders with creamed spinach and whole grain mustard béarnaise. The lamb and the filet sliders were outstanding. I've been obsessed with the idea of recreating the sliders, the bun of which was a brioche. Maybe someday soon...
***Asterisks denote the loveliness of the winery and its grounds.
