Here I find myself realizing that I completely forgot to log this trip. I hadn't expected to do any tasting on this trip, so I didn't bring my trusty notebook. So I reverted to my old technique of writing notes on the tasting sheets. Keeping those loose sheets out of the recycling bin can be tricky. Apparently that's where they ended up this time, because I didn't even realize that I had not yet written this entry until seven months later. So I'll do my best to recall the wines that I tried. Thankfully, my memory of the experience is pretty clear.
My wife and I were up in the area for a family camping trip, and given that my wife had a little more work to accomplish from her folks' house, I decided to venture out to a few Apple Hill wineries to occupy myself. It was the middle of the week, and a hot day, so I was the only taster at both places - meaning that I had a good opportunity to chat up the folks working the tasting rooms.
Fenton Herriott Vineyards ($0 tasting, wines $15-$25)
'13 Chardonnay, '12 Gewürztraminer, NV Janeway Lot 2 (Chardonnay/Gewürztraminer), '10 Zinfandel, '11 Barbera, '11 Syrah, '10 White "Port", '11 Ruby Syrah "Port"
The Fenton Herriott estate is a simple and friendly spot. You enter the gate, pass by a barn, and drive up a short hill to the tasting room. Beyond the room is a picnic area and the vineyard itself. Inside is a plainly decorated room with a good amount of space. Debbie, the tasting room manager, was dealing with paperwork when I arrived. She put that aside, and gave me the royal treatment. Good god, she was friendly. We yakked for a long time while she poured several wines. One should not assume that Debbie is always friendly though. Toward the end of my tasting some guys trying to sell printing supplies came in, much to Debbie's irritation. She sent them packing with efficiency. The tasting list is pretty long, and she invited me to taste whatever I wanted to. I was aiming to taste a little bit less, but she encouraged me to try more.
To me, Fenton Herriott represents the typical Sierra Foothills winery. The wines are definitely inexpensive, there is a wide variety of wines being made - many not ideal to the region, and the wines are not at all complex - some are pretty good, some are not. The Gewürztraminer was too sticky, and the white blend didn't come together well. The reds were basic, none stood out as having interesting characteristics. I did enjoy the Chardonnay. It too was simple, but had a good calm flavor to it.
Experience: B / Wines: C
Chateau Davell Boutique Winery ($5 tasting)
'13 "Chloe" Chardonnay, '11 "Marguerite" Red Rhone Blend, '12 "Zander" Zinfandel, '12 "Augustus" Super Tuscan, '11 Cabernet Sauvignon
Apparently, I've been drinking wine long enough to be typecast. Debbie at Fenton Herriott told me "Oh you should go to Chateau Davell, it's the sort of place that you'd love." I'd never heard about Chateau Davell before, but I was open to recommendations. The tasting room is located within the same grouping as Crystal Basin and Bumgarner, which I visited a few years back. It's a tiny, homey-looking building, with some kids toys and space for running around out front. The interior is cozy and rustic. Upon entering, the winemaker, Eric, came out of the back. On quiet days like the day I visited he paints in the back. All of the label art is painted by him, and most of it is portraiture of his family.
Eric was a super neat dude to chat with. He was calm and confident in his work. He was accommodating, but didn't feel the need to fill in the empty spaces of the conversation. In addition to the vineyard, his family has an organic farm where they grow produce to sell to local markets. He and his wife were compelled to start growing organic because of their children. All of the wine is grown organically and some is unfiltered (perhaps this is what Debbie had in mind when she directed me here).
The wine was very much like Eric - not overstated, individual, and enjoyable. I really liked the Chardonnay. It was playful and classy. The reds were nice, but lacking my notes, I can't recall which ones really stood out. I have a feeling that I'll be back at Chateau Davell, next time around I'll be sure to bring my notepad.
Experience: B / Wines: B
For a quick visit, this trip made an impression on me. There really is something special about wine tasting in the Sierra Foothills. Sure the wine can be hit-and-miss, but the people can't be beat. They are friendly, helpful, and proud. I realize that I can get caught up in the luxurious estates with the palatial grounds, but what I really enjoy is the good conversation. And that's what this area is all about.
October '14 Santa Barbara Trip - Backtracking
We found ourselves drawn up to the area once again by a party. This time we were going to one of Stolpman's member parties at their vineyard in Ballard Canyon. That party, btw, was off the chain. Even though it was ridiculously hot that day, they really rolled out the red carpet for their members - a great tour led by Peter Stolpman, Ruben "The Grape Whisperer" Solórzano cooked up some awesome tacos, almost the full roster of Stolpman wines were being poured, and they even had a mariachi band - quite a shindig. After the party we had that afternoon and next morning to visit some other wineries.I've realized that many of the places that I visited early on deserve a second glace. After a second visit to Zotovich, I changed my tune. Some places, like Beckmen, took a second visit to confirm my opinion. And at Palmina, which I loved on my first visit, strongly lost it's luster the second time around. So with that in mind, we decided to revisit Cold Heaven in Buellton on Saturday, and then Longoria and Moretti on Sunday in Lompoc.
Cold Heaven Cellars ($10 tasting, wines $22-$75)
'12 Viognier- Le Bon Climat, '11 "Mutchmore" Pinot Noir, '10 "Nevertell" Pinot Noir, '10 "Second Sin" Syrah, '04 "Second Sin" Syrah, '08 "Domaine Des Mondes" Syrah, '13 Late Harvest Viognier
Owner/winemaker Morgan Clendenen is an interesting character. She got
her start in wine working for a distributor in North Carolina. During a
stint at a Napa winery, she met Jim Clendenen, an institution in the Santa
Barbara region - most known for his winery Au Bon Climat. Morgan and Jim married and she
started the Cold Heaven label with him. They are now divorced, and Morgan know runs the winery independently. Cold Heaven is a quandary. Despite how our first visit was off-kilter, we still enjoyed the wines. And, at one of our early wine parties, a Cold Heaven Pinot was a big hit. It's focus on Viognier was one of the original attractants for us, it's my wife's favorite white grape. We were excited to go back for a revisit.
Once again the tasting room was a bit of a disaster. The dude running the place was terribly nice, but really not on top of things. The tasting room is tiny, and any time there was more than one small group in for a tasting it got really cramped, which he didn't really have a solution for. Also, we were looking forward to the Viognier - on our first visit we tried four different ones - this time around there was only one to try.
The wine was just pretty good. The Viognier was easy and enjoyable - candied lemons. I enjoyed the Muchmore Pinot somewhat more than the Nevertell Pinot, especially given the price difference ($22 vs. $38). The Nevertell was overflavored while the Muchmore had a lighter body and blueberry compote. I wasn't expecting to try three Syrahs, but that was the order of the day. The '04 Second Sin was by far my favorite of the three - velvety with some meat on it. The other two were both quite dense, giving me the feeling that they could probably age and turn out like the older Second Sin. Finally the Late Harvest Viognier was a treat - light/bright lemons and caramelized grapefruit.
Experience: B- / Wine: B-
Longoria Wines ($10 tasting, wines $19-$48)
'13 Pinot Grigio, '12 "Cuvée Diana" Chardonnay, '11 Pinot Noir - Fe Ciega, '11 Tempranillo, '11 "Blues Cuvée" Red Blend (Cabernet Franc/Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Malbec), '10 "Vino Dulce" Syrah Dessert Wine
We had a great time during our first visit to Longoria's Lompoc Wine Ghetto space. That time we visited in late fall, as grapes were fermenting, and since the tasting room was on part of the winery, we were given an up close view on the fermentation process by the tasting room attendent. We also really enjoyed the wine. I had heard that Longoria was moving into a new space in Lompoc, so I was interested in seeing their new spot. The new space is a very old space for the Lompoc community. Rhe building was constructed in 1913 to as the "JM Club" - a gathering space for employees of the Johns-Manville Company, then the Celite World Minerals Company. The space was often used for dances or parties. Many long-time residents recalled going there for weddings or other celebrations. The space had fallen on disrepair, prompting the Longorias to purchase it and spruce it up for the tasting room, adding a winemaking facility in the back. They faithfully restored old features of the building, the molding, windows, doors, fireplace, etc.. Lucky for us, Diana, Rick Longoria's wife was in the tasting room on the day of our visit, she was happy to show us around the new space and discuss the efforts they went to in bringing the place back to life.
I take it as a good sign that Longoria is establishing a space outside of the Ghetto. Rick and Diana were the first winery to open up in the Wine Ghetto. Now some 19 wineries call the Wine Ghetto home. As the area becomes more serious about wine, more wineries are going to pop up and help to renew spaces throughout the town - which I think will be positive for the economic health of Lompoc. It's a neat model to see unused buildings being adapted into wineries.
Diana guided us through our tasting. Pinot Grigio has been a mainstay of their roster since 1999. It was crisp with clear notes of lemons and pineapples, not braggy for sure, but a bit too understated. The Chardonnay showed clear signs of oak on the palate, though it was well integrated. It was serious but playful. The Pinot opened brightly with tar and inky dark jam, simple yet high quality. I dug the Tempranillo most - a quiet dusty entry lead to a macho blackberry body and then late playfulness. Definitely Cali-style but mature. The red blend was bright and had rust, but it was monochromatic. The dessert wine was smartly made, a nice balance of sweet and zip - chocolate raspberries. None of the wines knocked it out of the park, but they were thoughtful.
Experience: B+ / Wine: B
Moretti Wines ($10 tasting, wines $20-$35)
'13 "Bianchetto" White Blend (Tocai Friulano/Arneis/Malvasia Bianca), '13 Rosé (Pinot Noir), '11 Pinot Noir - Machado, '10 "Rosso Mio" (Dolcetto/Barbera/Nebbiolo), '11 Merlot
Antonio Moretti is a big booster of the Santa Rita Hills. A long-time restauranteur from Italy, he fell in love with wines from the area, and decided to move there. Eventually he opened up "Taste of Sta. Rita Hills" wine bar located in the Wine Ghetto - a shop focused on featuring wines from a variety of smaller labels that didn't have their own tasting rooms. Back in 2011 we visited Taste of Sta. Rita Hills. Antonio was an awesome host, sharing his enthusiasm for the wine of the region, even pairing cheeses and meats that paired well with the wines on the tasting list. In that first tasting, we did try a few of the wines that Antonio had made himself under the Moretti Wines label. More recently, Antonio and his wife Jeni opened up an additional tasting room in the Ghetto to display their own wines.It is a welcoming space with a little patio area so that folks can have their lunch while enjoying a glass of Moretti wine. On the day of our visit Jeni Moretti was staffing the space along with her big German Shepherd. She, like Antonio, was an amiable host. We chatted at length about her experiences in the wine world, living in a rural area, and of course Moretti wines. I was not wowed by the wines. Easy yes, interesting not as much - which is how I remember the Moretti wines that I had back in '11. The Bianchetto had lots of lemon lime and late stonefruit. The Rosé was pretty with strawberries, and slightly sweet. For me, the Pinot Noir had a big flavorful entry and too much of a mainstream profile. The red blend followed suit - big bright fruit entry with a jammy acid kick. I enjoyed the Merlot most, thanks to its tobacco/chocolate characteristics, which added depth to the fruit notes.
Experience: B / Wine: C+
It's nice to be able to revisit. My opinion of Cold Heaven was confirmed - pretty good wine with a tasting room that lacks organization. Longoria is a solid institution in the region, with solidly made wine. I and am very happy to see how they are revitalizing Lompoc with their new tasting room. And Moretti has great customer service and simple, flavorful wines.
What was fun about this visit was the conversations. At both Longoria and Moretti we were able to have long talks with the matriarchs of the wineries. Owning a winery is an exercise in passion and frustration, and both Diana and Jeni were calm yet passionate people. I'm certain that I wouldn't be able to be as cool as they are if the wine world was my career.
August '14 Santa Barbara Trip - Knocking Their Socks Off
For years I've been haranguing old friends who live in Northern California to come down to Santa Barbara to enjoy the wine country. Finally they succumbed to my demands. In choosing which wineries should go, I wanted to show them my favorite haunts. Of course a number of places that I dig are in the Wine Ghetto, so Lompoc was on the list. Lucky Ken Brown, Lafond and Presqu'ile are on the west side of the valley as well, so we didn't have to spend much time driving across the region.
Lafond Winery and Vineyards ($10 tasting, wines $20-$48)
'12 Riesling, '12 Stainless Steel Estate Chardonnay, '11 Pinot Noir, '10 Pinot Noir - Arita Hills Vineyard, '11 Syrah, '10 Estate Syrah
We took scenic Santa Rosa Road from Lompoc first thing in the morning, and wound along the road to get to Lafond. On my first and prior visit to Lafond, the front tasting room was crowded with patrons, but the wine manufacturing floor was being used for tasting as well, and one of the best tasting room employees I've met to this day - Diane - took great care of us. This time around, the place wasn't as crowded, the back area was getting prepped for a wedding, and Diane was nowhere to be found. This time around our visit was more pedestrian. The staff were perfectly nice - the zing was gone though. Regardless of our individual experience, Lafond is the oldest established winery in the region, opening in 1962. The next winery to open was in 1972. Given that, they are dependable and confident.
I found the wines to embrace that same quality, though also a bit mainstream. The Riesling showed some nice flavors - peach, machine, leaves - but too crisp on the back end. Stainless Steel Chardonnays are become more popular, and I think that's a good thing. This one was nicely crisp and interesting. Of the two Pinots, I enjoyed the Santa Rita Hills blend more than the Arita Hills Vineyard designate - both were fruity, but the blend was more approachable, the designate too juicy. Perhaps some aging would change my preference. I enjoyed the Estate Syrah more, but both were a bit to heavy for my tastes.
On both the experience and the wine, I wasn't quite as captivated with Lafond as I was on my first visit. It's still a high quality place, and probably will be for another fifty years.
Experience: B / Wines: B
Ken Brown Wines ($10 tasting, wines $35-$60)
'12 Chardonnay - Nielson Vineyard, '12 Pinot Noir, '11 Pinot Noir - Santa Rita Hills, '11 Pinot Noir - Garey Vineyard, '10 Pinot Noir - Rancho La Viña Vineyard, '11 Syrah - Watch Hill Vineyard
Ken Brown's covered a lot of ground over the past 35 years. He was the founding winemaker at Zaca Mesa Winery - one of the first wineries to open in the area, and still one of the largest. In 1984, he established Byron (Byron is his first name). Byron was an extremely successful label, eventually being bought out by Robert Mondavi, and then Kendall Jackson. After leaving both of those enterprises, he still found himself a very busy man - consulting and mentoring other wineries throughout the region. But he still had a hankering for making is own wine. And for that many are thankful. Ken Brown Wines are some of the most solid in the area. He's best known for his Pinots and Chardonnays, but also puts out Syrahs.
This was our third visit to Ken Brown over the past few years. The last two visits were in an appointment only space - the new space is just down the street and has regular hours for folks to drop in for tastings. The new spot was quite attractive - open with lots of wood features. I was curious about staff, the appointment visits were always with Ken and his wife Deb, who were very welcoming and of course knowledgeable. The staff at the new place were extremely competent and quite friendly. They also recommended the new restaurant in Buellton - Industrial Eats - which was amazing.
As usual the wine was great. The Chardonnay was showy, a bit sticky, and well balanced. The fun thing about visiting the godfather of Pinot is trying lots of Pinots. On this visit, all four that we tried were great. The SBC was easy and pleasing. The SRH was smooth and complex - elements of plum and thyme. The Garey Vineyard was my favorite - wood bark and big acid - seriously balanced and just plain serious. The Rancho La Viña was also very enjoyable - intricate, lengthy and fruity. Finally the Syrah - nice notes of savory preserves and mushrooms - though it was a bit binary.
Experience: A- / Wines: B+
Piedrasassi Winery ($10 tasting, wines $18-$42)
'13 "Light Summer Red" Carbonic Sangiovese, '11 "White Wine" (Albariño/Sauvignon Blanc), Lompoc Wine Company '12 Pinot Noir, '10 Syrah
Piedrasassi is one of the most exciting places to visit in the Wine Ghetto. It's the the most stylish - even though they've redecorated three times in the past two years. They bake bread that they sell at the local farmers market and share samples with the tasting. And the wine is unique. Piedrasassi is the personal wine label of Sashi Moorman, winemaker extraordinaire for the region - he also makes wine for Stolpman and Sandhi.
The redecorated space was great fun. A big wraparound bar and lots of tile. The staff person there was tremendously friendly, and even though things got a bit hectic due to a malfunction with their credit card machine, she was cool and on top of things.
I was a little concerned that the wine would be too avant garde for my friends, but it all went over well with them. The Carbonic Sangiovese was good times - chewy with lots of acid, apricot and plum skins. Stolpman is doing a Carbonic Sangio as well - both are good, but Stolpman's is slightly more mainstream. I enjoyed the White Wine thoroughly, it was macho but also had sweetness. The Pinot was full-flavored yet simple, nothing to plant a flag to. As usual the Syrah was great - very full flavored, well-balanced, almost aggressive in it's youthfulness.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B+
Clos Pepe Estate ($0 tour, wines $20-$59)
Axis Munde '13 Rosé (Mourvèdre/Grenache), '12 "Homage to Chablis" Chardonnay, '12 "Barrel Fermented" Chardonnay, Axis Munde '12 Grenache/Syrah, '11 Pinot Noir, '09 Pinot Noir, '10 Pinot Noir
Almost all wineries are character-driven enterprises - the wine emulate their leadership - Stolpman is calm and friendly, Zotovich is classy, Sarloos is quirky, Ampelos is boisterious. Wes Hagen of Clos Pepe may be the biggest character in the area. No one that I've interacted with in the Santa Barbara wine community is more effusive, nerdy, and instructive as him. The tours that he leads at Clos Pepe are bar none. We've done the tour once before, and that time it was just our small group of four. This time around he had a huge group, and he held court. During the tour, Wes connected wine to a wide range of human history - the formation of society, the creation of philosophy, medicine, politics, and lots of other stuff. During the tasting in the beautiful Pepe home, Wes gave an informal lessen on wine pairing and general sommelier concepts.
The tasting was accompanied by warmed baguette and various cheeses (one of these f'ing days I need to figure out how to get over my lactose issues and enjoy some damn cheese). Wes hovered around the room, introducing the various wines - telling stories to accompany each. As on my first visit, the wine was superb. The Rosé was a savory blend of strawberries and watercress, structured by strong acid. The "Homage to Chablis" showed a fun interplay between acid and calm fruit - it was subtle and attractive. The "Barrel Fermented" Chard was definitely more mouth-filling with a cute maple syrup note, though it retained it's minerality. The three Pinots were all delicious, and definitely showed individualized characteristics. The '11 showed fruit, but remained slight. The '09 was more aggressive on the opening and had a good amount of refined fruit. The '10 was very upfront and boisterous. All in all, a profound wine geek's experience.
Experience: A+ / Wine: A
Presqu'ile Winery (member tasting, wines $18-$48)
'13 Sauvignon Blanc, '12 Chardonnay, '13 Rosé (Pinot Noir), '12 Estate Pinot Noir, '12 Pinot Noir - Steiner Vineyard
Presqu'ile completely blew me away on my first visit - which was not to long after they had opened their estate winery for tastings. I thought that the wine was confident and clear, the staff intelligent, and the location austere and attractive. One thing that I had noted at the time was that the winery was really gearing itself toward exclusivity. Based on my recommendation, a friend who frequents the area for work went to Presqu'ile. He liked it so much that he became a member. So on this visit, I was able to partake in the exclusivity with my member friend - the member's only patio, the extra tasting, etc. As Presqu'ile grows, I think that the exclusivity aspect taints the experience for me. Folks that are attracted to exclusive access are not people that I enjoy being around.
Regardless, the property is gorgeous. The architecture is the most exciting that I've experienced in the area - modern and clever. We tasted our wine on the member's only back patio - trendy outdoor furniture abound. The patio had a bar to sidle up when we were ready to progress through the wine list - for the most part we sat around our table and chatted or played rousing games of foosball.
The Sauvignon Blanc was clean with a hint of jalapeños. The Chardonnay was a bit over-flavored. I enjoyed the '12 Pinot, it had a lot of funky flavors - green and black olives, and was high in tannins. The Steiner Vineyard Pinot Noir was extremely flavorful, bordering on over-extracted, but still a very enjoyable drink. The wines were all high on the flavor-scale, a bit to much collectively.
Experience: B- / Wine: B
Well it worked, my friends were thoroughly impressed by the region. Specifically Clos Pepe, Ken Brown and Stolpman (which I opted to not review since I visit it so frequently) were the biggest hits, though all were enjoyed. It was a weekend of catching up with great friends and superb wine. These friends are important to me, so to be able to spend a relaxing weekend of epicurean pursuits with them was a boon.
Lafond Winery and Vineyards ($10 tasting, wines $20-$48)
'12 Riesling, '12 Stainless Steel Estate Chardonnay, '11 Pinot Noir, '10 Pinot Noir - Arita Hills Vineyard, '11 Syrah, '10 Estate Syrah
We took scenic Santa Rosa Road from Lompoc first thing in the morning, and wound along the road to get to Lafond. On my first and prior visit to Lafond, the front tasting room was crowded with patrons, but the wine manufacturing floor was being used for tasting as well, and one of the best tasting room employees I've met to this day - Diane - took great care of us. This time around, the place wasn't as crowded, the back area was getting prepped for a wedding, and Diane was nowhere to be found. This time around our visit was more pedestrian. The staff were perfectly nice - the zing was gone though. Regardless of our individual experience, Lafond is the oldest established winery in the region, opening in 1962. The next winery to open was in 1972. Given that, they are dependable and confident.I found the wines to embrace that same quality, though also a bit mainstream. The Riesling showed some nice flavors - peach, machine, leaves - but too crisp on the back end. Stainless Steel Chardonnays are become more popular, and I think that's a good thing. This one was nicely crisp and interesting. Of the two Pinots, I enjoyed the Santa Rita Hills blend more than the Arita Hills Vineyard designate - both were fruity, but the blend was more approachable, the designate too juicy. Perhaps some aging would change my preference. I enjoyed the Estate Syrah more, but both were a bit to heavy for my tastes.
On both the experience and the wine, I wasn't quite as captivated with Lafond as I was on my first visit. It's still a high quality place, and probably will be for another fifty years.
Experience: B / Wines: B
Ken Brown Wines ($10 tasting, wines $35-$60)
'12 Chardonnay - Nielson Vineyard, '12 Pinot Noir, '11 Pinot Noir - Santa Rita Hills, '11 Pinot Noir - Garey Vineyard, '10 Pinot Noir - Rancho La Viña Vineyard, '11 Syrah - Watch Hill Vineyard
Ken Brown's covered a lot of ground over the past 35 years. He was the founding winemaker at Zaca Mesa Winery - one of the first wineries to open in the area, and still one of the largest. In 1984, he established Byron (Byron is his first name). Byron was an extremely successful label, eventually being bought out by Robert Mondavi, and then Kendall Jackson. After leaving both of those enterprises, he still found himself a very busy man - consulting and mentoring other wineries throughout the region. But he still had a hankering for making is own wine. And for that many are thankful. Ken Brown Wines are some of the most solid in the area. He's best known for his Pinots and Chardonnays, but also puts out Syrahs.
This was our third visit to Ken Brown over the past few years. The last two visits were in an appointment only space - the new space is just down the street and has regular hours for folks to drop in for tastings. The new spot was quite attractive - open with lots of wood features. I was curious about staff, the appointment visits were always with Ken and his wife Deb, who were very welcoming and of course knowledgeable. The staff at the new place were extremely competent and quite friendly. They also recommended the new restaurant in Buellton - Industrial Eats - which was amazing.
As usual the wine was great. The Chardonnay was showy, a bit sticky, and well balanced. The fun thing about visiting the godfather of Pinot is trying lots of Pinots. On this visit, all four that we tried were great. The SBC was easy and pleasing. The SRH was smooth and complex - elements of plum and thyme. The Garey Vineyard was my favorite - wood bark and big acid - seriously balanced and just plain serious. The Rancho La Viña was also very enjoyable - intricate, lengthy and fruity. Finally the Syrah - nice notes of savory preserves and mushrooms - though it was a bit binary.
Experience: A- / Wines: B+
Piedrasassi Winery ($10 tasting, wines $18-$42)
'13 "Light Summer Red" Carbonic Sangiovese, '11 "White Wine" (Albariño/Sauvignon Blanc), Lompoc Wine Company '12 Pinot Noir, '10 Syrah
Piedrasassi is one of the most exciting places to visit in the Wine Ghetto. It's the the most stylish - even though they've redecorated three times in the past two years. They bake bread that they sell at the local farmers market and share samples with the tasting. And the wine is unique. Piedrasassi is the personal wine label of Sashi Moorman, winemaker extraordinaire for the region - he also makes wine for Stolpman and Sandhi.
The redecorated space was great fun. A big wraparound bar and lots of tile. The staff person there was tremendously friendly, and even though things got a bit hectic due to a malfunction with their credit card machine, she was cool and on top of things.
I was a little concerned that the wine would be too avant garde for my friends, but it all went over well with them. The Carbonic Sangiovese was good times - chewy with lots of acid, apricot and plum skins. Stolpman is doing a Carbonic Sangio as well - both are good, but Stolpman's is slightly more mainstream. I enjoyed the White Wine thoroughly, it was macho but also had sweetness. The Pinot was full-flavored yet simple, nothing to plant a flag to. As usual the Syrah was great - very full flavored, well-balanced, almost aggressive in it's youthfulness.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B+
Clos Pepe Estate ($0 tour, wines $20-$59)
Axis Munde '13 Rosé (Mourvèdre/Grenache), '12 "Homage to Chablis" Chardonnay, '12 "Barrel Fermented" Chardonnay, Axis Munde '12 Grenache/Syrah, '11 Pinot Noir, '09 Pinot Noir, '10 Pinot Noir
Almost all wineries are character-driven enterprises - the wine emulate their leadership - Stolpman is calm and friendly, Zotovich is classy, Sarloos is quirky, Ampelos is boisterious. Wes Hagen of Clos Pepe may be the biggest character in the area. No one that I've interacted with in the Santa Barbara wine community is more effusive, nerdy, and instructive as him. The tours that he leads at Clos Pepe are bar none. We've done the tour once before, and that time it was just our small group of four. This time around he had a huge group, and he held court. During the tour, Wes connected wine to a wide range of human history - the formation of society, the creation of philosophy, medicine, politics, and lots of other stuff. During the tasting in the beautiful Pepe home, Wes gave an informal lessen on wine pairing and general sommelier concepts.The tasting was accompanied by warmed baguette and various cheeses (one of these f'ing days I need to figure out how to get over my lactose issues and enjoy some damn cheese). Wes hovered around the room, introducing the various wines - telling stories to accompany each. As on my first visit, the wine was superb. The Rosé was a savory blend of strawberries and watercress, structured by strong acid. The "Homage to Chablis" showed a fun interplay between acid and calm fruit - it was subtle and attractive. The "Barrel Fermented" Chard was definitely more mouth-filling with a cute maple syrup note, though it retained it's minerality. The three Pinots were all delicious, and definitely showed individualized characteristics. The '11 showed fruit, but remained slight. The '09 was more aggressive on the opening and had a good amount of refined fruit. The '10 was very upfront and boisterous. All in all, a profound wine geek's experience. Experience: A+ / Wine: A
Presqu'ile Winery (member tasting, wines $18-$48)
'13 Sauvignon Blanc, '12 Chardonnay, '13 Rosé (Pinot Noir), '12 Estate Pinot Noir, '12 Pinot Noir - Steiner Vineyard
Presqu'ile completely blew me away on my first visit - which was not to long after they had opened their estate winery for tastings. I thought that the wine was confident and clear, the staff intelligent, and the location austere and attractive. One thing that I had noted at the time was that the winery was really gearing itself toward exclusivity. Based on my recommendation, a friend who frequents the area for work went to Presqu'ile. He liked it so much that he became a member. So on this visit, I was able to partake in the exclusivity with my member friend - the member's only patio, the extra tasting, etc. As Presqu'ile grows, I think that the exclusivity aspect taints the experience for me. Folks that are attracted to exclusive access are not people that I enjoy being around. Regardless, the property is gorgeous. The architecture is the most exciting that I've experienced in the area - modern and clever. We tasted our wine on the member's only back patio - trendy outdoor furniture abound. The patio had a bar to sidle up when we were ready to progress through the wine list - for the most part we sat around our table and chatted or played rousing games of foosball.
The Sauvignon Blanc was clean with a hint of jalapeños. The Chardonnay was a bit over-flavored. I enjoyed the '12 Pinot, it had a lot of funky flavors - green and black olives, and was high in tannins. The Steiner Vineyard Pinot Noir was extremely flavorful, bordering on over-extracted, but still a very enjoyable drink. The wines were all high on the flavor-scale, a bit to much collectively.
Experience: B- / Wine: B
Well it worked, my friends were thoroughly impressed by the region. Specifically Clos Pepe, Ken Brown and Stolpman (which I opted to not review since I visit it so frequently) were the biggest hits, though all were enjoyed. It was a weekend of catching up with great friends and superb wine. These friends are important to me, so to be able to spend a relaxing weekend of epicurean pursuits with them was a boon.
May '14 Santa Barbara Trip - Pretty Doesn't Mean Good
One day trips is a clever way to have Santa Barbara trips, lighter on the costs and time commitment, but they are tiring. Since we became members of Martian Ranch after having such a kick-ass experience during our March trip, we drove up this time for their pick up party. Our friends were up in the area as well, so we were able to visit Tyler and Stolpman (once again opting not to review since we're huge fans and always there) with them. I was also compelled to try out Rusack based on recommendations from folks we'd met along the away.
Tyler Winery ($15 tasting, wines $36-$55)
'12 Chardonnay, '12 Chardonnay - Dierberg, '12 Pinot Noir, '12 Pinot Noir - Bien Nacido
Once again we had brought another couple of friends to the Ghetto, and wanted to show off the quality we visited six months prior. I was also curious to try Tyler again, to see if my initial experience was emblematic or a one-off. Once again the tasting room was chilly and stark, though this time around it appeared that the construction was on hiatus. There was a different tasting room person this time around, which was a small bit of a relief - being distant is better than snotty. Just the same we didn't feel comfortable during the tasting, and didn't feel like lingering around after, we tasted the four wines and then hurried out.
During our previous visit, all of the wines that we tried were from the 2011 vintage. This time around, all 2012s. I'm not sure if this tasting was completely affected by the youth of the wines, or if the 2012 vintage is sub-par to 2011, but I was not as enamored with the wines, not nearly. Throughout the tasting, I wrote notes like: "not pretty right now," "stark," "not as poetic as I remember," and "intense as hell." The wine wasn't bad, they was just really compact. Certainly they were a quality product. I'm guessing that they all just need time to stretch their legs. For sure it would be preferable if the winery were to be pouring the vintages of the wines that are ready to be tasted. Sure the wine can and should be held for five to ten years, but pour it when it's going to be enjoyable, not challenging. With that said, on the Chardonnays, I prefered the Dierberg, it was a bit more sunny than the Santa Barbara County bottling. The Bien Nacido Pinot Noir was too crazy dense for me, I found the Santa Barbara County Pinot to be pretty exciting with notes of stomped flowers and tar juice.
Experience: B- / Wines B
Rusack Vineyards ($12 tasting, wines $14-$45)
'11 Chardonnay - Catalina Island, '13 Rosé (Syrah/Sangiovese/Pinot Noir), '12 Pinot Noir, '12 Pinot Noir - Solomon Hills, '12 Sangiovese, '11 "Soul of the Vine" Dessert Wine (Sémillon)
Ballard Canyon is the newest AVA in the region, and is home to some superstar wines - Stolpman, Beckman, super-cult winery Jonata, and Larner, not to mention being used by many other wineries that are in the general area.. The region is known for it's Rhones, especially Syrah. Rusack is one of the older wineries in the area, and is the only one with a tasting room on scenic Ballard Canyon Road. It's a beautiful drive along the canyon road. Driving from the south, the road is initially tight and windy, but opens up to a bucolic valley. The Rusack property sits at the ideal open spot of the valley. The winery has made ideal use of this setting with more than ample patio and garden seating. I get the feeling that Rusack's setting is well known, since the place was hopping with a wide variety of patrons - older yuppies, locals, bikers, and more. The tasting room counter was packed, but there was plenty of good seating outside. Allison Rusack, co-founder with her husband Geoff, is part of the well-heeled Wrigley family. The progenitor of the empire, William Wrigley Jr., was the major developer of Santa Catalina Island, a fun tourist destination just off the coast from Los Angeles. The family still has strong ties to the island, through a conservancy. This explains why Rusack Vineyards has a vineyard on Catalina.
I was not enthused by the quality of the wine itself. Each had nice elements, but the Chardonnay and Rosé suffered from being too sharp, and the reds were too fruity and hot. The Sangiovese had nice earthiness and acid, but fell apart late. The dessert wine was enjoyable, though simple.
Experience: B / Wines C+
Both visits on this trip were a let down. We had enjoyed Tyler so much on our first visit, I was hopeful they would knock it out of the park again, and impress our friends. And I had been looking forward to Rusack for a long time, but the wine didn't really stand out for me. I'll still hold out hope for Tyler. It's a critical darling, and even if the wines weren't pretty, they had authenticity.
Tyler Winery ($15 tasting, wines $36-$55)
'12 Chardonnay, '12 Chardonnay - Dierberg, '12 Pinot Noir, '12 Pinot Noir - Bien Nacido
During our previous visit, all of the wines that we tried were from the 2011 vintage. This time around, all 2012s. I'm not sure if this tasting was completely affected by the youth of the wines, or if the 2012 vintage is sub-par to 2011, but I was not as enamored with the wines, not nearly. Throughout the tasting, I wrote notes like: "not pretty right now," "stark," "not as poetic as I remember," and "intense as hell." The wine wasn't bad, they was just really compact. Certainly they were a quality product. I'm guessing that they all just need time to stretch their legs. For sure it would be preferable if the winery were to be pouring the vintages of the wines that are ready to be tasted. Sure the wine can and should be held for five to ten years, but pour it when it's going to be enjoyable, not challenging. With that said, on the Chardonnays, I prefered the Dierberg, it was a bit more sunny than the Santa Barbara County bottling. The Bien Nacido Pinot Noir was too crazy dense for me, I found the Santa Barbara County Pinot to be pretty exciting with notes of stomped flowers and tar juice.
Experience: B- / Wines B
Rusack Vineyards ($12 tasting, wines $14-$45)
'11 Chardonnay - Catalina Island, '13 Rosé (Syrah/Sangiovese/Pinot Noir), '12 Pinot Noir, '12 Pinot Noir - Solomon Hills, '12 Sangiovese, '11 "Soul of the Vine" Dessert Wine (Sémillon)
Ballard Canyon is the newest AVA in the region, and is home to some superstar wines - Stolpman, Beckman, super-cult winery Jonata, and Larner, not to mention being used by many other wineries that are in the general area.. The region is known for it's Rhones, especially Syrah. Rusack is one of the older wineries in the area, and is the only one with a tasting room on scenic Ballard Canyon Road. It's a beautiful drive along the canyon road. Driving from the south, the road is initially tight and windy, but opens up to a bucolic valley. The Rusack property sits at the ideal open spot of the valley. The winery has made ideal use of this setting with more than ample patio and garden seating. I get the feeling that Rusack's setting is well known, since the place was hopping with a wide variety of patrons - older yuppies, locals, bikers, and more. The tasting room counter was packed, but there was plenty of good seating outside. Allison Rusack, co-founder with her husband Geoff, is part of the well-heeled Wrigley family. The progenitor of the empire, William Wrigley Jr., was the major developer of Santa Catalina Island, a fun tourist destination just off the coast from Los Angeles. The family still has strong ties to the island, through a conservancy. This explains why Rusack Vineyards has a vineyard on Catalina. I was not enthused by the quality of the wine itself. Each had nice elements, but the Chardonnay and Rosé suffered from being too sharp, and the reds were too fruity and hot. The Sangiovese had nice earthiness and acid, but fell apart late. The dessert wine was enjoyable, though simple.Experience: B / Wines C+
Both visits on this trip were a let down. We had enjoyed Tyler so much on our first visit, I was hopeful they would knock it out of the park again, and impress our friends. And I had been looking forward to Rusack for a long time, but the wine didn't really stand out for me. I'll still hold out hope for Tyler. It's a critical darling, and even if the wines weren't pretty, they had authenticity.
March '14 Santa Barbara Trip - A Three Hour Tour
I've done it again, I've cajoled friends into a wine weekend trip. A group of six intrepid travelers joined me for a quick weekend jaunt. Initially the plan was to get into the area early enough on Friday to hit up a few places in Lompoc, but traffic waylaid those plans. Actually the whole trip was beset by happy delays. In addition to the below reviews, we visited a few of our favorites - Stolpman and Samsara. However, since we've visited those places so often and have rated them highly on multiple occasions, I decided to skip reviewing them.
AVA Santa Barbara ($10 tasting, wines $26-$32)
'12 Sauvignon Blanc - Ballard Canyon, '12 Viognier - Ballard Canyon, '10 Chardonnay - Santa Maria, '12 White Blend (Sauvignon Blanc/Viognier), '12 Rosé (Grenache), '10 Pinot Noir - Santa Maria, '12 Cabernet Franc - Santa Ynez Valley
The Funk Zone is becoming quite the clutch stop for us when we're interested in doing a tasting and can't quite make it all the way up the road to Santa Barbara wine country. In this instance, we hit the road a bit late on a Friday and got stuck in weekend getaway traffic. The plan was to get up to Lompoc by late afternoon, and check out a few places, but the 101 decided to nix that idea for us. Instead we found ourselves rolling through downtown Santa Barbara with just enough time to pop into a Funk Zone tasting room.
AVA is a side project for Seth Kunin, his primary label Kunin has been around for over fifteen years. His goal with AVA is to highlight the variety of terrior that exists in the Santa Barbara region. To accomplish that he makes specific varietals that are emblematic of each region - Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the cooler Sta. Rita Hills, Syrah and other Rhones from the moderate Ballard Canyon, and Cabernet / Bordeaux wines from the warm Happy Canyon AVA. It's a fun concept, and the tasting room backs it up with a totally bad ass mural.
The wines were a bit of a mixed bag. It's hard to argue that they were emblematic of the terrior, considering that the wines were all a bit dense - hinting at barrel aging, and some straight up showed oak in their nose or flavor profile. I'm not saying that oak shouldn't be used, but when a winery is trying to show regional typicity, it should take a low-interventionist approach. Oak or not, I enjoyed the Viognier quite a bit. The Sauvignon Blanc and the Chardonnay had promising variety but were both too cluttered. The White Blend and the Rosé were on tap - the Rosé was okay, but the white was nearly undrinkable - too stark and candied. The Pinot Noir was my favorite - it hit on all the right notes. The Cab Franc was a bit of an experience - roasted squash, super dense, not to be consumed without a hearty meal to accompany it.
Experience: B / Wines: C+
Martian Ranch & Vineyard ($10 tasting, wines $20-$35)
'13 Rosé (Syrah), '12 Albariño, '12 Chenin Blanc, '12 Grenache Blanc, '12 Viognier, '12 Mourvèdre, '11 Grenache Noir, '12 Grenache Noir, '12 Cabernet Franc, '11 "Red Shift" Syrah, '11 "Mystery" Syrah, '11 Tempranillo,
At the beginning of the day, we had a plan: Hit up Martian Ranch in the morning for an hour or so, then head down to Los Olivos for a few visits, then roll back over to Lompoc to hang out in the Ghetto for a few more hours. Perhaps a bit ambitious, but not unreasonable. The plan was all shot to hell the minute we got to Martian Ranch. Right off the bat they were super accommodating. Wanna bring your dog in? Sure go right ahead. Wanna try every wine on our long ass list? Go for it. Super duper accommodating. So much so, that when the afore mentioned dog pissed in the tasting room, the owner - Nan - quietly grabbed paper towels and cleaned it up before we even noticed that it had happened. Somehow that endeared Nan to us, and she asked if we wanted to check out the winery and vineyard. So we filled our glasses with Viognier, and hopped into the back of the ranch truck. Martian Ranch is a new venture, and Nan was very excited to share it with folks. It is a stunning property with an immense open space, bordered by verdant hills. Nan said that part of the appeal of having a winery was having a big space all to yourself. I'm not rich as hell, so I don't think about a concepts like that, but in looking out over her whole property, I can see the appeal. She's also proud of their biodynamic focus, which I can get behind. After a long meandering conversation we headed back to the tasting room and drank a lot more wine.
In addition to being biodynamic, all the wines are estate grown. The Rosé and Albariño were simple. The Chenin Blanc had an interesting herb characteristic - it is aged in acacia wood barrels. The Viognier was my favorite of the whites, bright, layered, slight oak. The reds were more interesting than the whites in general - some juiciness, some fun notes (twigs, funk, meat), though not especially complex or lengthy. In general, the wine quality is just pretty good, dependably solid, but nothing to right poetry about. I did appreciate that their wines are reasonably priced for the region, especially the reds. It will be interesting to see how Martian Ranch develops. They definitely roll out the red (and white) carpet for their guests.
Experience: A- / Wines: B
LaMontagne Winery ($10 tasting, wines $30-$48)
'11 Pinot Blanc, '12 Pinot Blanc, '13 Rosé (Grenache/Mourvedre), '11 Pinot Noir, '11 Tempranillo
The Wine Ghetto has been blowing up. Each time we visit, there are more tasting rooms. I'm starting to think that critical mass may have been reached. To me, the marker of a trend reaching critical mass is when there are newcomers to the trend, and the quality of the product created by the newcomers (those being recent converts to the world of the product) isn't quite as good. Newcomers see the trend, recognize the momentum, and hop onto the trend. But, because they are so new and haven't been within that world for very long, their product doesn't stand up to the trend starters. In this story, the longer term Ghetto wineries are the trend starters, such as Ampelos, Samsara, Flying Goat, Fiddlehead, etc. LaMontagne is a brand new tasting room. Kim Smith entered the world of wine recently, starting to take winemaking classes in 2006. Soon after that, she attended a wine event that Wes Hagen - the winemaking badass at Clos Pepe - she asked for an opportunity to study under him, he agreed, and she was off and running. By 2009 Kim Smith was producing wine under the LaMontagne label.
I've got no authority to say it, but I think that winemakers need to be involved in the trade longer than that before they have their own labels. I guess they don't need to, but I'm going to say that the wine won't be very good after that short of a time in the industry.
Last time that we visited, the tasting room belonged to Joseph Blair Wines. Since then, Joseph Blair moved into the new wing of the Ghetto, across Chestnut Court. The room had undergone a huge decorating shift, and now a huge, old wooden bar had taken over the center of the room. Light snacks were on the table to accompany the wines. The lady in the tasting room was friendly, but not at all knowledgeable about wine.
Despite my earlier tirade, the wine was pretty good, though priced way too high for the quality. The Pinot Blancs were enjoyable, the '12 had nice baking spice, lemons and dry-roasted leaves - simple, a bit sharp. The Pinot Noir was fun to experience. The flavors were a bit sloppy, but there were very interesting characteristics - savory mushrooms, tart blackberries - nice spectrum. Finally, the Tempranillo was fine, very dense, hot, lacked all of the flavor profile you'd expect.
Experience: B- / Wine: C+
The lesson of the weekend is to allow plans to change. Even though we didn't get to our original destination on time on Friday, we were able to make a pit stop in the Funk Zone and enjoy AVA. Thank god we didn't have firm plans on Saturday, or there would have been no way we could have hung out and enjoyed the day at Martian Ranch. Each time I head up to Santa Barbara for wine tasting I feel like I need to rush, and cram in as many visits as possible. And each time, somewhere in the middle of the trip, I realize that there's no need to do so, that we're better off enjoying the journey and taking our time. Somehow I have to make that a mantra so I don't get worked up when the inevitable delays occur...
AVA Santa Barbara ($10 tasting, wines $26-$32)
'12 Sauvignon Blanc - Ballard Canyon, '12 Viognier - Ballard Canyon, '10 Chardonnay - Santa Maria, '12 White Blend (Sauvignon Blanc/Viognier), '12 Rosé (Grenache), '10 Pinot Noir - Santa Maria, '12 Cabernet Franc - Santa Ynez Valley
The Funk Zone is becoming quite the clutch stop for us when we're interested in doing a tasting and can't quite make it all the way up the road to Santa Barbara wine country. In this instance, we hit the road a bit late on a Friday and got stuck in weekend getaway traffic. The plan was to get up to Lompoc by late afternoon, and check out a few places, but the 101 decided to nix that idea for us. Instead we found ourselves rolling through downtown Santa Barbara with just enough time to pop into a Funk Zone tasting room.AVA is a side project for Seth Kunin, his primary label Kunin has been around for over fifteen years. His goal with AVA is to highlight the variety of terrior that exists in the Santa Barbara region. To accomplish that he makes specific varietals that are emblematic of each region - Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the cooler Sta. Rita Hills, Syrah and other Rhones from the moderate Ballard Canyon, and Cabernet / Bordeaux wines from the warm Happy Canyon AVA. It's a fun concept, and the tasting room backs it up with a totally bad ass mural.
The wines were a bit of a mixed bag. It's hard to argue that they were emblematic of the terrior, considering that the wines were all a bit dense - hinting at barrel aging, and some straight up showed oak in their nose or flavor profile. I'm not saying that oak shouldn't be used, but when a winery is trying to show regional typicity, it should take a low-interventionist approach. Oak or not, I enjoyed the Viognier quite a bit. The Sauvignon Blanc and the Chardonnay had promising variety but were both too cluttered. The White Blend and the Rosé were on tap - the Rosé was okay, but the white was nearly undrinkable - too stark and candied. The Pinot Noir was my favorite - it hit on all the right notes. The Cab Franc was a bit of an experience - roasted squash, super dense, not to be consumed without a hearty meal to accompany it.
Experience: B / Wines: C+
Martian Ranch & Vineyard ($10 tasting, wines $20-$35)
'13 Rosé (Syrah), '12 Albariño, '12 Chenin Blanc, '12 Grenache Blanc, '12 Viognier, '12 Mourvèdre, '11 Grenache Noir, '12 Grenache Noir, '12 Cabernet Franc, '11 "Red Shift" Syrah, '11 "Mystery" Syrah, '11 Tempranillo,
At the beginning of the day, we had a plan: Hit up Martian Ranch in the morning for an hour or so, then head down to Los Olivos for a few visits, then roll back over to Lompoc to hang out in the Ghetto for a few more hours. Perhaps a bit ambitious, but not unreasonable. The plan was all shot to hell the minute we got to Martian Ranch. Right off the bat they were super accommodating. Wanna bring your dog in? Sure go right ahead. Wanna try every wine on our long ass list? Go for it. Super duper accommodating. So much so, that when the afore mentioned dog pissed in the tasting room, the owner - Nan - quietly grabbed paper towels and cleaned it up before we even noticed that it had happened. Somehow that endeared Nan to us, and she asked if we wanted to check out the winery and vineyard. So we filled our glasses with Viognier, and hopped into the back of the ranch truck. Martian Ranch is a new venture, and Nan was very excited to share it with folks. It is a stunning property with an immense open space, bordered by verdant hills. Nan said that part of the appeal of having a winery was having a big space all to yourself. I'm not rich as hell, so I don't think about a concepts like that, but in looking out over her whole property, I can see the appeal. She's also proud of their biodynamic focus, which I can get behind. After a long meandering conversation we headed back to the tasting room and drank a lot more wine.In addition to being biodynamic, all the wines are estate grown. The Rosé and Albariño were simple. The Chenin Blanc had an interesting herb characteristic - it is aged in acacia wood barrels. The Viognier was my favorite of the whites, bright, layered, slight oak. The reds were more interesting than the whites in general - some juiciness, some fun notes (twigs, funk, meat), though not especially complex or lengthy. In general, the wine quality is just pretty good, dependably solid, but nothing to right poetry about. I did appreciate that their wines are reasonably priced for the region, especially the reds. It will be interesting to see how Martian Ranch develops. They definitely roll out the red (and white) carpet for their guests.
Experience: A- / Wines: B
LaMontagne Winery ($10 tasting, wines $30-$48)
'11 Pinot Blanc, '12 Pinot Blanc, '13 Rosé (Grenache/Mourvedre), '11 Pinot Noir, '11 Tempranillo
The Wine Ghetto has been blowing up. Each time we visit, there are more tasting rooms. I'm starting to think that critical mass may have been reached. To me, the marker of a trend reaching critical mass is when there are newcomers to the trend, and the quality of the product created by the newcomers (those being recent converts to the world of the product) isn't quite as good. Newcomers see the trend, recognize the momentum, and hop onto the trend. But, because they are so new and haven't been within that world for very long, their product doesn't stand up to the trend starters. In this story, the longer term Ghetto wineries are the trend starters, such as Ampelos, Samsara, Flying Goat, Fiddlehead, etc. LaMontagne is a brand new tasting room. Kim Smith entered the world of wine recently, starting to take winemaking classes in 2006. Soon after that, she attended a wine event that Wes Hagen - the winemaking badass at Clos Pepe - she asked for an opportunity to study under him, he agreed, and she was off and running. By 2009 Kim Smith was producing wine under the LaMontagne label.I've got no authority to say it, but I think that winemakers need to be involved in the trade longer than that before they have their own labels. I guess they don't need to, but I'm going to say that the wine won't be very good after that short of a time in the industry.
Last time that we visited, the tasting room belonged to Joseph Blair Wines. Since then, Joseph Blair moved into the new wing of the Ghetto, across Chestnut Court. The room had undergone a huge decorating shift, and now a huge, old wooden bar had taken over the center of the room. Light snacks were on the table to accompany the wines. The lady in the tasting room was friendly, but not at all knowledgeable about wine.
Despite my earlier tirade, the wine was pretty good, though priced way too high for the quality. The Pinot Blancs were enjoyable, the '12 had nice baking spice, lemons and dry-roasted leaves - simple, a bit sharp. The Pinot Noir was fun to experience. The flavors were a bit sloppy, but there were very interesting characteristics - savory mushrooms, tart blackberries - nice spectrum. Finally, the Tempranillo was fine, very dense, hot, lacked all of the flavor profile you'd expect.
Experience: B- / Wine: C+
The lesson of the weekend is to allow plans to change. Even though we didn't get to our original destination on time on Friday, we were able to make a pit stop in the Funk Zone and enjoy AVA. Thank god we didn't have firm plans on Saturday, or there would have been no way we could have hung out and enjoyed the day at Martian Ranch. Each time I head up to Santa Barbara for wine tasting I feel like I need to rush, and cram in as many visits as possible. And each time, somewhere in the middle of the trip, I realize that there's no need to do so, that we're better off enjoying the journey and taking our time. Somehow I have to make that a mantra so I don't get worked up when the inevitable delays occur...
December '13 Sonoma Trip - Lots and Lots of Personality
The wife and I hauled our cookies over from Napa early in the morning to catch up with a different set of friends from the couple than we had spent the previous day with. We were groggy, and a bit cranky from too much wine the night before, but it was a very pretty drive up the 29, and 128 to Dry Creek. The friends that we met up with on this go-around were not familiar with Sonoma, so I set the route. I knew that Unti was a must-do, considering that I had raved about it before, and my wife hadn't been with me on that trip. Preston, Nalle, and Acorn were all on my list, and seemed to be thematically consistent with one another, sustainably minded and had passionate ownership.
Unti Vineyards ($10 tasting, wines $23-$40)
'12 "Cuvée Blanc" (Vermentino/Grenache Blanc/Picpoul), '12 Rosé (Grenache/Mourvedré), '12 Barbera, '10 Zinfandel, '11 "Segromigno" (Sangiovese/Montepulciano), '10 Syrah, '10 Syrah "Benchland"
I hold Unti in very high esteem. On my first visit I was blown away by the confidence with which they made wine, and the calmness that they presented it. When planning this trip to Sonoma, with my wife who hadn't been on my first visit, I was resolute that I must take her to Unti. The scene was slightly different compared to my first visit. The tasting room is no longer in the same space as the winery, there is a stand alone room for receiving visitors. True to previous form, the space is downscale and mellow, especially compared to the wineries that we visited the day before in Napa. As before, the staff were very knowledgeable and pleasant. I was excited to learn that the owner of Unti is a huge Oakland A's fan - the yearly staff party is an epicurean delight of a tailgate at an A's game. And apparently A's hitting coach Chili Davis is a huge Unti fan - perhaps my appreciation for Unti was meant to be.
Even if they didn't affiliate themselves with the best baseball team, I'd still be a huge Unti fan, because of the wine. All of their wines are estate grown, and while they have a diverse list, each one is well balanced and unique. The Rosé is a consistent standout, and perhaps their best wine, though we really enjoyed the Segromigno - roasted coffee nose and a goofy gourd aspect, lots of tannin and acid, but still an easy drink. The Syrahs were both very good as well, curiously different, the Benchland was more poetic and layered.
Experience: B / Wines: A-
Preston Vineyards ($10 tasting, wines $22-$36)
'12 Sauvignon Blanc, '12 Viognier, '12 Roussanne, '11 "Madam Preston" White Blend (Roussanne/Viognier/Marsanne/Grenache Blanc), '11 Mourvedré, '11 Barbera, '11 Zinfandel, '11 "L. Preston" Red Blend (Syrah/Mourvedré/Grenache/Cinsault/Carignane)
I'm a provincial person. I very much like the things that I like. When I discover that another person likes the things that I like - generally I try to like them (still following me here?). Preston, on it's face has many things that I like. Two of those things specifically, cats and organic wine growing, are huge to me. Prior to visiting, I did not realize how committed to cats and organic farming Preston was. As soon as we parked, I started to melt in Preston's favor. Cats ran amok - they slept under the picnic benches, they prowled around on the tables in the tasting room, and the definitely enjoyed being pet. The funky farmhouse tasting room (also a point in Preston's favor) was filled with books about organic and/or biodynamic farming, and other random literary/liberal screeds. On face, I was in love with Preston. On face, I wanted to marry Preston and spend the rest of my life with it. Somehow that all came to a screeching halt when we began to tasting the wine and talk to the staff. Let's start with the staff - they were fine, just fine. But given such an idealistic state, how could they be blasé? Beats me, but they sure were. Perhaps a bad day.
And how could the wine be so unexciting? My understanding is that the progenitor of Preston has recently retired, and a new crew has taken the helm for winemaking - perhaps that explains the disconnect. That's not to say that the wine was horrid, but it did not match the hopes that the ethos of the place promised. I had hoped for original and earthy wines, perhaps with subtlety. The wine list had some length to it, and we were able to try as many as we liked.The whites showed more stickiness than I like, though the "Madam Preston" was light and crisp, and had interesting notes of pear skins. The reds were too jammy, especially the Barbera. While the "L. Preston" also showed jam, it did have some olives on the nose and on the palate, I enjoyed its overall profile.
Experience: B- / Wines: C+
Nalle Winery ($10 tasting, wines $28-$48)
'10 Reserve Chardonnay, '11 Reserve Chardonnay, '12 "Vinum Clarum" Zinfandel, '11 Zinfandel - Bernier-Sibary, '11 Zinfandel - Henderlong
Experience: B+ / Wines: B+
So I've got this running list of wineries to check out that I gotten recommendations for. Sometimes I remember to note who recommended a place, and sometimes I don't. Nalle is a place that ended up on my list, and I can't recall how. However, once I checked out their website, I knew that I had to go. Quick little fact about me: I love silly shit. Absurdity makes my day. Nalle is all about the silly. They have an invented family crest which prominently features squirrels. Silly + wine = I'm in.
The winery looked like an angular Quonset hut with an earth covered roof. The chillest of vibes exuded the place as we arrived. Inside stacks of barrels had congregated to the back - near a basketball hoop, and a handful of folding tables were laid out for tasting. Two very friendly folks staffed the table - one turned out to be the winemaker Andrew. He was a super mellow and smart guy. He had taken over winemaking duties from his father a few years back but clearly was large and in charge.
Chardonnays and Zinfandels were the varietals of the day, but Nalle also makes Pinot Noirs and Bordeaux blends. The Chardonnays are sourced from Hopkins Ranch in Russian River Valley. Both were crisp and had a nice variety of flavors. I enjoyed the '11 more, it was a cooler year, and the wine it was more bright and zippy. Each Zinfandel was enjoyable in its own way. The Vinum Clarum light bodied and meaty. The Bernier-Sibary was pretty, had bits of sage, and a lovely dose of raspberries. As excellent the rest of the wines were, the Henderlong was by far my favorite. Henderlong is the home vineyard, grown at the same site as the winery. Right by where we parked were some knobbled head trained Zinfandel vines - beastly and beautiful. The vines were dry farmed - which gets brownie points from me. Tart and ripe boysenberries, impressive flavor that would surely be a good wine to indoctrinate people into becoming wine enthusiasts.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B+
Acorn Winery ($10 tasting, wines $23-$42)
'12 Rosato (Dolcetto/Zinfandel/Sangiovese/Cabernet Franc), '11 Sangiovese, '10 Cabernet Franc, '10 "Axiom" Syrah, '09 "Acorn Hill" Sangiovese, '09 Alicante Bouschet, '11 "Heritage Vines" Zinfandel, '10 "Medley"
There is a fair share of wineries that march to the beat of their own drum. Sure there are places that are cookie-cutter, trying to emulate styles that have worked well for others, but I'd say that more places that I've visited are doing their own thing. Acorn doesn't march to a different beat - it's doing something completely different. The primary difference between Acorn and other wineries is their deep focus on blends. Betsey and Bill Nachbaur purchased the vineyard - Alegria - in 1990, inheriting a wide variety of different varietals planted within the same blocks. The block groupings are organized around specific major varietals (Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Dolcetto, and Zinfandel). None of their wines are made with just one type of grape. All told, some 60 different types of grape vines are grown in their vineyard.
Tastings at Acorn are appointment only. Another group was finishing their tasting up, so Bill Nachbaur poured us the Rosato outside. Bill chit-chatted with us, but once we were inside, it was clear that Betsey was the talker in the family. She clearly took pleasure in leading tastings - sharing a lot of insights about their winemaking process. Strangely, she was a bit dictatorial - insisting that her viewpoints on things, like how to re-cork wine overnight, were the rule and no other concepts could be accepted. She did put a tremendous amount of attention into us, even pouring side-by-sides a handful of times to show how the wine aged over a few days.
While the wines were not my favorites, they were most certainly well made and authentic. The Rosato a bit sticky, but was enjoyably chewy and some endives on it. The Sangioveses were both solid, though the '09 was a bit harsh. I enjoyed the Cab Franc quite a bit - calm blackberry brambles. The Syrah had good structure, though it was almost too militant about it's flavors - can't explain it, but that's how I felt about it. Alicante is always a fun wine to try, and this one had a mellow entry that lead to a very vibrant middle, a bit sharp at the end. The Zin had very good acid, but a bit sweet. Finally the Medley - which is an insane field blend of up to 40 different varieties - was interesting, challenging, but too rambling for me. Acorn wines are fun wines to drink with friends that know wines.
Experience: B / Wines: B
Once again, Sonoma proved to be a much more personable visit in comparison to Napa. Each place had it's own thing going on, and the wines seemed to match the personalities of the folks in the tasting rooms. Unti was confident, smart and mellow. Preston was off it's game and scattered, though well meaning. Nalle was funky, fun, and celebratory. Acorn was cerebral, very unique and welcoming. It was a great day. And while the previous day's venture in Napa was enjoyable, it's clear that Sonoma is so much more our style.
Unti Vineyards ($10 tasting, wines $23-$40)
'12 "Cuvée Blanc" (Vermentino/Grenache Blanc/Picpoul), '12 Rosé (Grenache/Mourvedré), '12 Barbera, '10 Zinfandel, '11 "Segromigno" (Sangiovese/Montepulciano), '10 Syrah, '10 Syrah "Benchland"
I hold Unti in very high esteem. On my first visit I was blown away by the confidence with which they made wine, and the calmness that they presented it. When planning this trip to Sonoma, with my wife who hadn't been on my first visit, I was resolute that I must take her to Unti. The scene was slightly different compared to my first visit. The tasting room is no longer in the same space as the winery, there is a stand alone room for receiving visitors. True to previous form, the space is downscale and mellow, especially compared to the wineries that we visited the day before in Napa. As before, the staff were very knowledgeable and pleasant. I was excited to learn that the owner of Unti is a huge Oakland A's fan - the yearly staff party is an epicurean delight of a tailgate at an A's game. And apparently A's hitting coach Chili Davis is a huge Unti fan - perhaps my appreciation for Unti was meant to be.Even if they didn't affiliate themselves with the best baseball team, I'd still be a huge Unti fan, because of the wine. All of their wines are estate grown, and while they have a diverse list, each one is well balanced and unique. The Rosé is a consistent standout, and perhaps their best wine, though we really enjoyed the Segromigno - roasted coffee nose and a goofy gourd aspect, lots of tannin and acid, but still an easy drink. The Syrahs were both very good as well, curiously different, the Benchland was more poetic and layered.
Experience: B / Wines: A-
Preston Vineyards ($10 tasting, wines $22-$36)
'12 Sauvignon Blanc, '12 Viognier, '12 Roussanne, '11 "Madam Preston" White Blend (Roussanne/Viognier/Marsanne/Grenache Blanc), '11 Mourvedré, '11 Barbera, '11 Zinfandel, '11 "L. Preston" Red Blend (Syrah/Mourvedré/Grenache/Cinsault/Carignane)
I'm a provincial person. I very much like the things that I like. When I discover that another person likes the things that I like - generally I try to like them (still following me here?). Preston, on it's face has many things that I like. Two of those things specifically, cats and organic wine growing, are huge to me. Prior to visiting, I did not realize how committed to cats and organic farming Preston was. As soon as we parked, I started to melt in Preston's favor. Cats ran amok - they slept under the picnic benches, they prowled around on the tables in the tasting room, and the definitely enjoyed being pet. The funky farmhouse tasting room (also a point in Preston's favor) was filled with books about organic and/or biodynamic farming, and other random literary/liberal screeds. On face, I was in love with Preston. On face, I wanted to marry Preston and spend the rest of my life with it. Somehow that all came to a screeching halt when we began to tasting the wine and talk to the staff. Let's start with the staff - they were fine, just fine. But given such an idealistic state, how could they be blasé? Beats me, but they sure were. Perhaps a bad day.And how could the wine be so unexciting? My understanding is that the progenitor of Preston has recently retired, and a new crew has taken the helm for winemaking - perhaps that explains the disconnect. That's not to say that the wine was horrid, but it did not match the hopes that the ethos of the place promised. I had hoped for original and earthy wines, perhaps with subtlety. The wine list had some length to it, and we were able to try as many as we liked.The whites showed more stickiness than I like, though the "Madam Preston" was light and crisp, and had interesting notes of pear skins. The reds were too jammy, especially the Barbera. While the "L. Preston" also showed jam, it did have some olives on the nose and on the palate, I enjoyed its overall profile.
Experience: B- / Wines: C+
Nalle Winery ($10 tasting, wines $28-$48)
'10 Reserve Chardonnay, '11 Reserve Chardonnay, '12 "Vinum Clarum" Zinfandel, '11 Zinfandel - Bernier-Sibary, '11 Zinfandel - Henderlong
Experience: B+ / Wines: B+
So I've got this running list of wineries to check out that I gotten recommendations for. Sometimes I remember to note who recommended a place, and sometimes I don't. Nalle is a place that ended up on my list, and I can't recall how. However, once I checked out their website, I knew that I had to go. Quick little fact about me: I love silly shit. Absurdity makes my day. Nalle is all about the silly. They have an invented family crest which prominently features squirrels. Silly + wine = I'm in.The winery looked like an angular Quonset hut with an earth covered roof. The chillest of vibes exuded the place as we arrived. Inside stacks of barrels had congregated to the back - near a basketball hoop, and a handful of folding tables were laid out for tasting. Two very friendly folks staffed the table - one turned out to be the winemaker Andrew. He was a super mellow and smart guy. He had taken over winemaking duties from his father a few years back but clearly was large and in charge.
Chardonnays and Zinfandels were the varietals of the day, but Nalle also makes Pinot Noirs and Bordeaux blends. The Chardonnays are sourced from Hopkins Ranch in Russian River Valley. Both were crisp and had a nice variety of flavors. I enjoyed the '11 more, it was a cooler year, and the wine it was more bright and zippy. Each Zinfandel was enjoyable in its own way. The Vinum Clarum light bodied and meaty. The Bernier-Sibary was pretty, had bits of sage, and a lovely dose of raspberries. As excellent the rest of the wines were, the Henderlong was by far my favorite. Henderlong is the home vineyard, grown at the same site as the winery. Right by where we parked were some knobbled head trained Zinfandel vines - beastly and beautiful. The vines were dry farmed - which gets brownie points from me. Tart and ripe boysenberries, impressive flavor that would surely be a good wine to indoctrinate people into becoming wine enthusiasts.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B+
Acorn Winery ($10 tasting, wines $23-$42)
'12 Rosato (Dolcetto/Zinfandel/Sangiovese/Cabernet Franc), '11 Sangiovese, '10 Cabernet Franc, '10 "Axiom" Syrah, '09 "Acorn Hill" Sangiovese, '09 Alicante Bouschet, '11 "Heritage Vines" Zinfandel, '10 "Medley"
There is a fair share of wineries that march to the beat of their own drum. Sure there are places that are cookie-cutter, trying to emulate styles that have worked well for others, but I'd say that more places that I've visited are doing their own thing. Acorn doesn't march to a different beat - it's doing something completely different. The primary difference between Acorn and other wineries is their deep focus on blends. Betsey and Bill Nachbaur purchased the vineyard - Alegria - in 1990, inheriting a wide variety of different varietals planted within the same blocks. The block groupings are organized around specific major varietals (Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Dolcetto, and Zinfandel). None of their wines are made with just one type of grape. All told, some 60 different types of grape vines are grown in their vineyard.Tastings at Acorn are appointment only. Another group was finishing their tasting up, so Bill Nachbaur poured us the Rosato outside. Bill chit-chatted with us, but once we were inside, it was clear that Betsey was the talker in the family. She clearly took pleasure in leading tastings - sharing a lot of insights about their winemaking process. Strangely, she was a bit dictatorial - insisting that her viewpoints on things, like how to re-cork wine overnight, were the rule and no other concepts could be accepted. She did put a tremendous amount of attention into us, even pouring side-by-sides a handful of times to show how the wine aged over a few days.
While the wines were not my favorites, they were most certainly well made and authentic. The Rosato a bit sticky, but was enjoyably chewy and some endives on it. The Sangioveses were both solid, though the '09 was a bit harsh. I enjoyed the Cab Franc quite a bit - calm blackberry brambles. The Syrah had good structure, though it was almost too militant about it's flavors - can't explain it, but that's how I felt about it. Alicante is always a fun wine to try, and this one had a mellow entry that lead to a very vibrant middle, a bit sharp at the end. The Zin had very good acid, but a bit sweet. Finally the Medley - which is an insane field blend of up to 40 different varieties - was interesting, challenging, but too rambling for me. Acorn wines are fun wines to drink with friends that know wines.
Experience: B / Wines: B
Once again, Sonoma proved to be a much more personable visit in comparison to Napa. Each place had it's own thing going on, and the wines seemed to match the personalities of the folks in the tasting rooms. Unti was confident, smart and mellow. Preston was off it's game and scattered, though well meaning. Nalle was funky, fun, and celebratory. Acorn was cerebral, very unique and welcoming. It was a great day. And while the previous day's venture in Napa was enjoyable, it's clear that Sonoma is so much more our style.
December '13 Napa Trip - A Little Bit of Personality Showing Through
The end of the year found us traipsing up to Northern California as usual. In addition to the El Dorado County and Amador wine country visits, we slipped over to Napa (and then Sonoma the next day) to enjoy the day with friends. I've been to Napa once before, but my wife has never been. So we planned to go to a place that I knew was good, a place that everyone is "supposed to go to," and a place that was highly recommended to me. Our trip took us up the valley in the morning, then back down in the afternoon.The day was mostly cloudy, but the sun broke in the late afternoon.
Frog's Leap Winery (member tasting, wines $30-$75)
I've never had so many people independently recommend a winery as much as people suggested that I try Lava Vine. Upon our arrival, I soon understood why. It's a funky old farmhouse building at a crossroads. Inside was a jovial crew with a number of well imbibed patrons. It is in ways the anti-Napa - shabby chic, irreverent, and friendly. And for that, I respect it. The guys working the counter were beyond friendly, and pretty knowledgeable. The space looked comfortable, though since it was really crowded we had to jockey for space.
Ceja Vineyards ($10 tasting, wines $20-$50)
'09 Chardonnay, '09 Pinot Noir, '09 "Vino de Case" Red Blend (Pinot Noir/Syrah), '09 Merlot, '08 Cabernet Sauvignon, '10 Syrah
We were serenaded by a gorgeous sunset as we made our way back down the Silverado Trail to hotel in Napa. Not quite ready for dinner we decided to strike out to one of the urban tasting rooms in downtown. An old friend of mine who lived in Napa had suggested Ceja to me awhile back - he's familiar with the family and thinks they're great folks - so we popped in to see what was going on. The space had a variety of seat areas - a long bar, tables with chairs, and couches .It was pretty packed when we first got there, and the staff seemed a bit frantic, but eventually things settled down, and we were able to have a nice conversation while we were there. The staff person who attended to us was knowledgeable about the wine, and proud of the Ceja family and the wine that they offered.
Ceja is a unique winery. It's owned a run by a proud Mexican-American family. Throughout the tasting room and on their website, there is a large amount of info about the family and Latino culture. Considering that almost all wineries in California are hugely dependent on folks that are either first or second generation Central Americans, it's refreshing to see a winery that touts it's heritage rather than ignoring it. What I like about Ceja is that it is celebrating itself, without seeming to need to eschew it's Napa-ness. It is an original that feels comfortable with its locale.
Frog's Leap Winery (member tasting, wines $30-$75)
'12 Chardonnay, '11 Zinfandel, '11 Merlot, '11 Cabernet Sauvignon, '10 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
I had such an amazing visit the first time I was at Frog's Leap, there's no way that experience could have been beat. I wouldn't say that I was underwhelmed this time, but let's just put the experience at the "whelmed" level. We accompanied friends who were members this time around. One sure piece of advice that I have is: go on the tour. This time around we had the table tasting, which was nice - but the tour's top-notch, it's a must do, a can't miss... what I'm saying is: go do the tour. Regardless the regular tasting was good. We had a lovely table by the lawn, blankets in case we got cold, and snack plates to accompany the wines. One of the things that I've noticed about Frog's Leap is their attention to detail. They were so attentive that my lactose intolerant ass got a special plate sans cheese but plus additional fruit and crackers. Our table had a lovely view of the vineyard. We enjoyed watching the winery dog, Abby, goof off with a visitor's french bulldog puppy. Initially we were well attended to, staff would come by in regular intervals to bring us the next tasting. Toward the end of the tasting though, the service did taper off. It became difficult to locate a staff person to ask questions about the various wines, and to try to revisit. Eventually we decided to wander the sprawling grounds. We wandered by the chickens and the pond, we wandering into the barn - which luckily enough had a bar attendant that poured us more wine. It was a nice way to spend the morning, though not as enriching or as personable as the tour.
I had such an amazing visit the first time I was at Frog's Leap, there's no way that experience could have been beat. I wouldn't say that I was underwhelmed this time, but let's just put the experience at the "whelmed" level. We accompanied friends who were members this time around. One sure piece of advice that I have is: go on the tour. This time around we had the table tasting, which was nice - but the tour's top-notch, it's a must do, a can't miss... what I'm saying is: go do the tour. Regardless the regular tasting was good. We had a lovely table by the lawn, blankets in case we got cold, and snack plates to accompany the wines. One of the things that I've noticed about Frog's Leap is their attention to detail. They were so attentive that my lactose intolerant ass got a special plate sans cheese but plus additional fruit and crackers. Our table had a lovely view of the vineyard. We enjoyed watching the winery dog, Abby, goof off with a visitor's french bulldog puppy. Initially we were well attended to, staff would come by in regular intervals to bring us the next tasting. Toward the end of the tasting though, the service did taper off. It became difficult to locate a staff person to ask questions about the various wines, and to try to revisit. Eventually we decided to wander the sprawling grounds. We wandered by the chickens and the pond, we wandering into the barn - which luckily enough had a bar attendant that poured us more wine. It was a nice way to spend the morning, though not as enriching or as personable as the tour.
The pouring list was shorter than my prior visit, though my wife was able to score us a taste of the Reserve Cabernet. It's become her calling card to ask for special pourings. As before, the wine was delicious. The Chardonnay was bright and balanced. The Zinfandel had pillowy peppers and bright acid. While a bit too mainstream, the Merlot still showed some nice green notes. The regular Cab was a bit tight but promised lovely dust and tart blackberries. The Reserve Cab was tremendous - chocolate dust, dark and quiet, ripe green beans, tart red fruit jam. Easily the Reserve Cab was the best of the bunch, but if buying within my budget, I'd go with the Zinfandel.
'12 Sauvignon Blanc, '11 Chardonnay, '09 Chardonnay,'10 Cabernet Sauvignon, '09 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
I got a bad feeling about Chateau Montelena at the very beginning of our visit. As you walk from the parking lot to the tasting room, there is the iconic castle-style facade, pretty - yes I agree - but apparently a magnet for tourists. The winery had a photo guy posted up to take people's pictures in front of the castle for purchase - like on a cruise ship. I guess I shouldn't hold it against Chateau Montelena for doing that, obviously folks are going to take the pictures regardless, but a definite strike against the place for soaking up tourist bucks at the first opportunity. Once we got up to the entrance, were led past a good number of tasting counters. There were a probably fifteen different tasting counters that we walked past with attendees and patrons trying the wines. Eventually we made it to an open space where a super bouncy young dude warmly greeted us. He was a well meaning fella, but he lacked skill. He started off by asking us if we were familiar with the film "Bottle Shock" - while pointing to a handful of photos on the wall showing the movie that was filmed at Chateau Montelena. "That's the movie that's about us beating the Frenchies at the wine competition a while back" he said. He happily poured us through the list of wines, but he was not as knowledgeable or classy as the tasting room staff that I've interacted with at other Napa wineries.
The wines were well crafted, yet overt. The Sauvignon Blanc was zippy, had tropical candy notes, and showed late heat. The '09 Chardonnay was more impressive, subtle and complex than the '11. The top dog for us was this '09 Cabernet. It was a bit of a jock wine, but it filled the flavor spectrum well - cola, pepper, green leaves. It was complex and juicy, a quintessential Cali wine. The wines were good quality but too pricey.
'12 Chenin Blanc, '10 Viognier, '12 Petite Sirah, '11 Cabernet Sauvignon, NV Port (Petite Sirah/Mourvèdre), '12 Late Harvest Riesling
I've never had so many people independently recommend a winery as much as people suggested that I try Lava Vine. Upon our arrival, I soon understood why. It's a funky old farmhouse building at a crossroads. Inside was a jovial crew with a number of well imbibed patrons. It is in ways the anti-Napa - shabby chic, irreverent, and friendly. And for that, I respect it. The guys working the counter were beyond friendly, and pretty knowledgeable. The space looked comfortable, though since it was really crowded we had to jockey for space.
I had really looked forward to visiting Lava Vine, it was indeed my kind of space. But part of me feels like if it wants to be the anti-Napa, it shouldn't be in Napa. Already they are using some grapes from regions outside of Napa (North Coast, Suisun Valley), and given their expensive zip code, they are charging a relatively steep price for less-premier varietals. Lava Vine is like visiting one of the ultra hip Santa Barbara or Amador wineries. I guess if I didn't frequent those other places I'd be more excited about finding Lava Vine. Perhaps when I visit Napa, as much as I loath the stuffiness, I want to go to Napa-style places.
The wines were compelling. The flavors were distinct and authentic. Some of the wines were well orchestrated, and others were a little bit off, but still enjoyable. The two whites were unique, and had interesting layers that didn't play off perfectly for me, perhaps a bit too rambunctious. I enjoyed the Petite Sirah - darkly distinct with intricate herbal notes, and well balanced. The Cab was fun, macho and vibrant, and it had a tight grip. The dessert wines were both off-balance for me. The Port was enjoyable in the beginning, but then the back-end was too harsh. The Riesling was singularly toned, though it had a quality flavor.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B
The wines were compelling. The flavors were distinct and authentic. Some of the wines were well orchestrated, and others were a little bit off, but still enjoyable. The two whites were unique, and had interesting layers that didn't play off perfectly for me, perhaps a bit too rambunctious. I enjoyed the Petite Sirah - darkly distinct with intricate herbal notes, and well balanced. The Cab was fun, macho and vibrant, and it had a tight grip. The dessert wines were both off-balance for me. The Port was enjoyable in the beginning, but then the back-end was too harsh. The Riesling was singularly toned, though it had a quality flavor.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B
Ceja Vineyards ($10 tasting, wines $20-$50)
'09 Chardonnay, '09 Pinot Noir, '09 "Vino de Case" Red Blend (Pinot Noir/Syrah), '09 Merlot, '08 Cabernet Sauvignon, '10 Syrah
We were serenaded by a gorgeous sunset as we made our way back down the Silverado Trail to hotel in Napa. Not quite ready for dinner we decided to strike out to one of the urban tasting rooms in downtown. An old friend of mine who lived in Napa had suggested Ceja to me awhile back - he's familiar with the family and thinks they're great folks - so we popped in to see what was going on. The space had a variety of seat areas - a long bar, tables with chairs, and couches .It was pretty packed when we first got there, and the staff seemed a bit frantic, but eventually things settled down, and we were able to have a nice conversation while we were there. The staff person who attended to us was knowledgeable about the wine, and proud of the Ceja family and the wine that they offered.Ceja is a unique winery. It's owned a run by a proud Mexican-American family. Throughout the tasting room and on their website, there is a large amount of info about the family and Latino culture. Considering that almost all wineries in California are hugely dependent on folks that are either first or second generation Central Americans, it's refreshing to see a winery that touts it's heritage rather than ignoring it. What I like about Ceja is that it is celebrating itself, without seeming to need to eschew it's Napa-ness. It is an original that feels comfortable with its locale.
The tasting fee covered four wines, selected from a list of eight. Some in our group did the wine and chocolate pairing, which they renjoyed. I'd say that the wines varied from pretty good to very good. The Chardonnay was a bit tight, though had enjoyable acid.The red blend was nicely priced at $20, and was an easy sipper with a bit of a kick. The Merlot was the wine that demanded my attention - good variety and depth, exciting acid, a fun drink. The Syrah I found too dense. All of the wines were flavorful and authentic.
Experience: B / Wines: B+
The second time around for me, and I'm still a bit dubious of Napa. I've mused about visiting the hulking monolithic wineries, such as Sterling, Beringer, Robert Mondavi, etc. I hoped (hope) that since those place are so big that they would put on a good show. But Chateau Montelena makes me check back that hope. It was a soulless experience. Sure, wine tasting and wineries are commercial beasts, but I've had countless real experiences at wineries outside of Napa.
I am however thankful for the authentic places, which I will continue to seek out. Frog's Leap is hugely popular, and is widely distributed, but they manage to stay whimsical. Lava Vine is very friendly and definitely wants to hold onto it's renegade image. And Ceja's just plain real. I'm sure their a numerous other real wineries in Napa, it just may be a bit difficult to find them amongst the tourist traps.
The second time around for me, and I'm still a bit dubious of Napa. I've mused about visiting the hulking monolithic wineries, such as Sterling, Beringer, Robert Mondavi, etc. I hoped (hope) that since those place are so big that they would put on a good show. But Chateau Montelena makes me check back that hope. It was a soulless experience. Sure, wine tasting and wineries are commercial beasts, but I've had countless real experiences at wineries outside of Napa.
I am however thankful for the authentic places, which I will continue to seek out. Frog's Leap is hugely popular, and is widely distributed, but they manage to stay whimsical. Lava Vine is very friendly and definitely wants to hold onto it's renegade image. And Ceja's just plain real. I'm sure their a numerous other real wineries in Napa, it just may be a bit difficult to find them amongst the tourist traps.
December '13 Amador County Trip - In Search of OGP...Yeah You Know Me
On the second day of holiday downtime with the family, my brother-in-law decided to scoot on down to Amador County. Monday is a quiet day, and not all of the wineries in the area were open. One goal that I had in mind was to go to Vino Noceto, to try their Old Grandperé Zinfandel. While at Vino Noceto, we were strongly encouraged to check out the brand new Turley tasting room just down the road.
Young's Vineyard ($0 tasting, wines $25-$42)
'12 Viognier, '11 Sangiovese, '11 Zinfandel, '11 Barbera, '11 Petite Sirah, '11 Cabernet Sauvignon
I enjoyed Young's the first time that we visiting the Shenendoah Valley. My brother-in-law dug the hell out of Young's on that trip, so when he and I decided to roll out to the area, he really wanted to go again, which I was totally cool with. It was a Monday, so it was very quiet, just a big-ass golden retriever snoozing on the floor when we arrived. The dog was sweet and enjoyed being pet. The lady behind the counter was friendly as well, though I did not try to find out if she liked ear scratches too. The tasting room was painted with dark colors, which gave the place a bit of a spooky gothic feel, but is also calming in a weird way.
Experience: B / Wine: B
Vino Noceto Winery ($0 tasting, wines $16-$28)
'12 Pinot Grigio, '10 "Noceto" Sangiovese, '10 "Riserva" Sangiovese, '10 Barbera - Linsteadt, '10 Zinfandel - Original Grandpére, '13 "Frivolo" Moscato
We rolled up and the place was rather packed. Two large groups had almost completely filled the place. Both groups were having a great time. We managed to squeeze our way in to get a taste. Everyone else finished up partway through our tasting, and eventually it was just us and the two goofy dudes who were the pourers. The mood of the place was welcoming - snacks were out and the pourings were generous.
All of the wines were sweeter in profile than I would have expected, and given that the wines were generally in the low 14% range for alcohol, the sweetness wasn't coming from being high octane. The "Riserva" Sangiovese was more dialed in - robust and at the same time more calm - compared to the standard "Noceto" bottling. The "Linsteadt" Barbera was dense and sweet, strangely nearing the qualities of a port somehow. The OGP too seemed obnoxiously port-like. It did show an interesting variety of subtle flavors, but unfortunately the sweetness was too prevalent to enjoy the wine as much as I would have liked.
Vino Noceto seems to be doing business at a good clip. People rave about their Mosceto and their baseline Sangiovese. They seem to have very affordable case deals available often, and overall their wines are very nicely priced. It's a fun place for people that don't want to take their wine too seriously.
Experience: B / Wine: C+
Turley Wine Cellars ($10 tasting, wines $28-$50)
Experience: B / Wine: C+
Turley Wine Cellars ($10 tasting, wines $28-$50)
'11 "Old Vines" Zinfandel, '11 "Judge Bell" Zinfandel, '05 "Dogtown" Zinfandel, '10 "The Label" Cabernet Sauvignon
The interior features a wrap-around bar in the center of the room, and a lot of open space surrounding it. Even though it's a brand new space, the decor has a weather look that's artsy while at the same time evoking a western roadhouse. It was just us and the tasting room manager when we were then, and it felt like we should be speaking in hushed tones given the echoing off the hardwood throughout. She wasn't the friendliest of tasting room folks that I've ever met, but she was pretty knowledgeable about the wine.
Turley is know for their Zins, and though the list was limited given their recent opening, Zins were three out of the four wines on the tasting menu. The "Old Vines" Zin is a blend from all of the growing regions. It had a huge red fruit flavor, tons of acid, and was, I guess "kinda likeable - that's what I have written in my notes. The "Judge Bell" is their first Amador specific wine that they've made. It's from Story Winery's vineyard, next door neighbors of Turley's new Amador vineyard.Still big flavor, though more calm compared to the Old Vines, typical Zin profile, a little lime within the acid. Given it's age, the '05 Dogtown showed Cabernet characteristics: muted and medium fruit. It did still retain some grip though. It was my least favorite of the Zins. Finally we tried the Cab, labeled, well, "The Label" - named because it's from the vineyard on the property of the Turley family in Napa. It was being sold in a large-format bottle. It was a quiet wine, especially compared to the rest of the tasting. Some greenness, generally unexciting.
Experience: C+ / Wines: B-
Kind of a typical day for Amador. Solid experience at Young's, inexpensive and rambunctious wine at Vino Noceto, and Turley representing the newcomers was a bit pricier and more refined than the average spot in the area. Though at the end of the day, I truly hope that the Turleys don't push out the Vino Nocetos. Amador's charm comes from it's sleepiness and unassuming nature. The more that wineries from out of the area roll in and bring their stuffier mentalities, the less it will be enjoyable. Let's hope that the competition compels more growth in winemaking technique in the area, but doesn't wipe out the personable nature.
December '13 El Dorado County Trip - Highs and Ho-Hums
Another holiday season, another trip up to the Sierra Foothills to
visit with the in-laws. It's not as though I'm using winery visits to
hide away from my wife's family, I really like them, and sometimes they
come along for the visits, it's just that there's tons of downtime
while I'm there, so I steal away to check out a few wineries in the
area. I really enjoy the mood of the region, folks are friendly,
unassuming and proud of their wines. I had the visit to La Clarine set
up ahead of time. Miraflores was a place that I had intended to visit for awhile, and since it was nearby, we stopped there as well.
La Clarine Farm ($0 tasting, wines $20-$26)
'12 White Blend (Viognier/Marsanne/Petit Manseng), '12 Mourvédre - Cedarville, '12 "Josephine + Mariposa" (Grenache/Mourvédre), '12 "Home Vineyard" (Tannat/Tempranillo/Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon)
La Clarine is definitely off the beaten path, a figurative concept that was made literal to me when driving to the farm on a bumpy back hills road. It doesn't have any signs and you can't find it on any wine region maps. Bill Easton at Terre Rouge was the first person that mentioned it to me, but then after checking out the La Clarine website, I noticed that a local wine shop - Domaine LA - spoke very highly about it, as well, Eric Asimov from the NY Times seemed to be a big fan. So I was excited to make an appointment for a visit. When we arrived, Hank and Caroline were very welcoming hosts, along with their cadre of playful dogs and twenty goats. Both Hank and Caroline have other jobs, but manage to run a small vineyard and make around 1500 cases of wine a year.
The led us on a hike up the hill to their vineyard, and discussed their growing process. Their home vineyard utilizes farming techniques that are inspired by The One Straw Revolution (a book by Masanobu Fukuoka). It's the most natural vineyard farming technique that I've ever seen. The vines were not trellised at all, and the surrounding earth was allowed to grow natural ground cover. Hank seemed to be approaching the vineyard with a c'est la vie attitude, growing a variety of grapes - Tempranillo, Tannat, Syrah, Grenache, and Cabernet Sauvignon - and seeing how they did in that situation. Though they were clear that while they weren't rigid with their growing techniques, it was still really hard work. But standing on top of that hill, seeing those happy dormant vines, and having a panoramic view of the foothills, you can see how their passion is fulfilled.
We headed back down the hill to check out the completed product. Their wine making facility is as low-frills as it gets, a work shed filled to the rafters with wine aging in barrels and winemaking equipment. We tasted the wine on a piece of countertop that was laid on a drum. All of the wines are fermented with native yeasts, and only go through malolactic fermentation if it naturally occurs. The wine is foot pressed and unfiltered. The white wine is aged in plastic "Flextanks" that mimic aging in concrete, and the red wine is only aged in neutral oak barrels. A majority of the wine that they make is sourced from other vineyards, the grapes from their vineyard go into the "Home Vineyard" blend.
We tried four different wines. The White had a full spectrum of acidity, a variety of flavors including hints of sage - very enjoyable. The Mouvédre was playful, lots and lots of authentic berries, especially strawberries and a wood bark note on the front, light and solid. The "Josephine + Mariposa" was my favorite, smooth tannins but lots of tongue prickling acid, an overall fun drink. La Clarine bottles a more than those three, but depending on the time of the year, they may only have a few available. We bought the last of the while we were there, and the Mourvedre was nearly gone too. My wife inquired whether there was anything in barrel that we could try, and Hank went into the shed with a wine thief and brought out a measuring cup filled with the '12 "Home Vineyard" Red Blend - a friendly young wine with juicy tannins and a full body, it should be a treat by the time it's bottled.
Visiting with Hank and Caroline and seeing what they are doing at La Clarine is the ultimate wine experience for me. They are two passionate and warm people that are able to pour their hearts into creating something. They are making delicious wine with very little intervention. And they are doing it their own way. And they're great hosts.
Experience: A / Wine: A-
Miraflores Winery ($0 tasting, wines $20-$30)
'12 Viognier, '06 Zinfandel, '10 Zinfandel, '07 Syrah, '09 Syrah, '10 Syrah, '10 "Methode Ancienne" Syrah, '10 Petite Sirah, '10 "Meritage" (Cabernet Sauvignon/Petite Verdot/Malbec)
The tasting room sits atop a small hill overlooking the vineyard. It's an attractive and interesting Mediterranean style, with clay style walls and lots of old wood features. Inside is a high ceilinged space and a long bar. The ladies behind the bar were decked out in Christmas hats. They were happy to pour anything we wanted from the long tasting list. What was neat about their wine list was that they featured a number of multiple vintages of the same wine, so that you could try the '07, '09, and '10 Syrah, or the '06 and '10 Zinfandel. That's only something I've seen at special reserve tastings. It's always fun to compare one vintage to another. Toward the end of our tasting, we went out onto the patio, and enjoyed our tasting and the great weather.
Quite a day. La Clarine was everything that I expected it would be: earthy, friendly, unconventional, complex, and high quality. I'm glad we went to Miraflores as well. I had been wanting to go there for a long time, having heard that it was a well run establishment. It's a funny comparison. Miraflores is pretty much a paint by numbers place, and does so in a well thought out way. It is definitely a place with mass appeal. In hindsight we should have reversed the order of the visits. But they both exhibit the reason that I enjoy going to wineries in the Foothills. They are relaxing places where people are enjoying what they do without a pretentious attitude.
La Clarine Farm ($0 tasting, wines $20-$26)
'12 White Blend (Viognier/Marsanne/Petit Manseng), '12 Mourvédre - Cedarville, '12 "Josephine + Mariposa" (Grenache/Mourvédre), '12 "Home Vineyard" (Tannat/Tempranillo/Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon)
La Clarine is definitely off the beaten path, a figurative concept that was made literal to me when driving to the farm on a bumpy back hills road. It doesn't have any signs and you can't find it on any wine region maps. Bill Easton at Terre Rouge was the first person that mentioned it to me, but then after checking out the La Clarine website, I noticed that a local wine shop - Domaine LA - spoke very highly about it, as well, Eric Asimov from the NY Times seemed to be a big fan. So I was excited to make an appointment for a visit. When we arrived, Hank and Caroline were very welcoming hosts, along with their cadre of playful dogs and twenty goats. Both Hank and Caroline have other jobs, but manage to run a small vineyard and make around 1500 cases of wine a year.
The led us on a hike up the hill to their vineyard, and discussed their growing process. Their home vineyard utilizes farming techniques that are inspired by The One Straw Revolution (a book by Masanobu Fukuoka). It's the most natural vineyard farming technique that I've ever seen. The vines were not trellised at all, and the surrounding earth was allowed to grow natural ground cover. Hank seemed to be approaching the vineyard with a c'est la vie attitude, growing a variety of grapes - Tempranillo, Tannat, Syrah, Grenache, and Cabernet Sauvignon - and seeing how they did in that situation. Though they were clear that while they weren't rigid with their growing techniques, it was still really hard work. But standing on top of that hill, seeing those happy dormant vines, and having a panoramic view of the foothills, you can see how their passion is fulfilled.
We headed back down the hill to check out the completed product. Their wine making facility is as low-frills as it gets, a work shed filled to the rafters with wine aging in barrels and winemaking equipment. We tasted the wine on a piece of countertop that was laid on a drum. All of the wines are fermented with native yeasts, and only go through malolactic fermentation if it naturally occurs. The wine is foot pressed and unfiltered. The white wine is aged in plastic "Flextanks" that mimic aging in concrete, and the red wine is only aged in neutral oak barrels. A majority of the wine that they make is sourced from other vineyards, the grapes from their vineyard go into the "Home Vineyard" blend.
We tried four different wines. The White had a full spectrum of acidity, a variety of flavors including hints of sage - very enjoyable. The Mouvédre was playful, lots and lots of authentic berries, especially strawberries and a wood bark note on the front, light and solid. The "Josephine + Mariposa" was my favorite, smooth tannins but lots of tongue prickling acid, an overall fun drink. La Clarine bottles a more than those three, but depending on the time of the year, they may only have a few available. We bought the last of the while we were there, and the Mourvedre was nearly gone too. My wife inquired whether there was anything in barrel that we could try, and Hank went into the shed with a wine thief and brought out a measuring cup filled with the '12 "Home Vineyard" Red Blend - a friendly young wine with juicy tannins and a full body, it should be a treat by the time it's bottled.
Visiting with Hank and Caroline and seeing what they are doing at La Clarine is the ultimate wine experience for me. They are two passionate and warm people that are able to pour their hearts into creating something. They are making delicious wine with very little intervention. And they are doing it their own way. And they're great hosts.
Experience: A / Wine: A-
Miraflores Winery ($0 tasting, wines $20-$30)
'12 Viognier, '06 Zinfandel, '10 Zinfandel, '07 Syrah, '09 Syrah, '10 Syrah, '10 "Methode Ancienne" Syrah, '10 Petite Sirah, '10 "Meritage" (Cabernet Sauvignon/Petite Verdot/Malbec)
The tasting room sits atop a small hill overlooking the vineyard. It's an attractive and interesting Mediterranean style, with clay style walls and lots of old wood features. Inside is a high ceilinged space and a long bar. The ladies behind the bar were decked out in Christmas hats. They were happy to pour anything we wanted from the long tasting list. What was neat about their wine list was that they featured a number of multiple vintages of the same wine, so that you could try the '07, '09, and '10 Syrah, or the '06 and '10 Zinfandel. That's only something I've seen at special reserve tastings. It's always fun to compare one vintage to another. Toward the end of our tasting, we went out onto the patio, and enjoyed our tasting and the great weather.
It's really hard for me to go from a place like La Clarine to any other winery without the following winery to be cast in a pale light. La Clarine represents an ideal wine experience Miraflores is a pretty spot, and the people there are nice, but it's not going to be able to match up for me. Right out of the gate with the Viognier I felt that the flavors were off - too much sulphur, lack of discernible fruit, rough rather than smooth. Thankfully from there the wines improved somewhat. The '06 and '10 Zins were decent - jammy, exuberant, nice pepper, not very complex. Out of the four Syrahs that I tried, the '09 was my favorite, more restrained than the others. The '06 was good as well, bombastic flavors. The "Methode Ancienne" was made with native yeasts and stomped by foot. I really like wines that use only native yeasts, but this one was the least enjoyable Syrah at Miraflores. The Petite Sirah and the "Meritage" were not interesting.
Given the earlier comparison, Miraflores wasn't very interesting. The wines were safe and not complex. However, compared to the wider range of wineries in El Dorado County, it's a solid place. It has a pretty space, a good vibe, and offers fun vertical tastings.
Experience: B- / Wines: C+
Experience: B- / Wines: C+
Quite a day. La Clarine was everything that I expected it would be: earthy, friendly, unconventional, complex, and high quality. I'm glad we went to Miraflores as well. I had been wanting to go there for a long time, having heard that it was a well run establishment. It's a funny comparison. Miraflores is pretty much a paint by numbers place, and does so in a well thought out way. It is definitely a place with mass appeal. In hindsight we should have reversed the order of the visits. But they both exhibit the reason that I enjoy going to wineries in the Foothills. They are relaxing places where people are enjoying what they do without a pretentious attitude.
November '13 - Finger Lakes Wine Trip - Snow?!?!?
Thanksgiving this year brought us to New York to spend some quality time with my brother and sister-in-law. To persuade our visit to their coast, they offered to take us up to the Finger Lakes wine region the day after Thanksgiving - they know us too well. I've read good things about the area, so I was interested in checking it out.
The Finger Lakes are a series of narrow north to south running lakes that were formed by glacial activity. It's served as farming region and a vacation destination for quite a while. There's been winemaking going on in the Finger Lakes for a very long time, though the area didn't find the acclaim that West Coast wines have until recently. It's not an easy place to grow grapes due to the colder climate, and for a long time wineries felt that Vitis venifera grapes (the species that makes up almost all mainstream wine) could not grow in such a cold climate. Instead the fledgling wineries grew American grape varieties, like Concord and Norton, and later hybrid French/American grapes like Vidal Blanc, Vignoles, and Baco Noir. Often times these grapes were made into sweet wines, which is what folks came to expect of the area. A dramatic shift occurred when Dr. Konstantin Frank emigrated the region to work at nearby Cornell University. Based on his experience in Ukraine successfully growing Vitis vinifera, he showed that grapes such as Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Noir could grow well in the area if they were grafted onto native grape root stocks. Based on his winery's success, others followed suit, and the Finger Lakes began to gather a reputation as a quality wine region.
While preparing for the trip, I came across Evan Dawson's excellent book: Summer in a Glass. He's a news reporter for a Rochester TV station, and has become a big fan of the wines being made in the Finger Lakes. The book focuses on the stories behind the winemakers and the growth of the region. The book heightened my excitement for the trip and gave me guidance for what wineries were must visits.
We assumed was that it was going to be cold, however I took this to mean that it would be rather chilly, I did not expect it to be snowing and cold as hell the whole time. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but a bit surreal for my wife and I. California is a pretty temperate place, so snow in the vineyards is a funny thing to see.
Saturday (Seneca Lake)
Anthony Road Wine Company ($2 tasting, wines $9-$28)
'10 "Art Series" Riesling, '12 Pinot Gris, '12 Gewürztraminer, '12 Semi-Dry Riesling, '12 Rosé of Cabernet Franc, NV "Devonian" Red Blend (Cabernet Franc/Lemberger/Pinot Noir), '12 Pinot Noir, '12 Cabernet Franc/Lemberger, '12 Semi-Sweet Riesling, '12 "Sweet Dream" (Vignoles), NV "Tony's White" (Cayuga White)
I wasn't sure what to expect from New York wineries. Quite honestly the snow and ice in the parking lot freaked me out. The atmosphere inside Anthony Road was mellow, it seemed like a large and rambunctious group was leaving just as we were coming in, and the staff were relieved that the big group was leaving. I did find the setup to be a bit strange. The was a cash register at the very front of the room, and there were shelves with the wines displayed like a regular wine shop. There must be some rule about New York wineries running their commerce in such a way, because all of the other places that we visited (aside from Kemmeter) had the same setup. Maybe it's not a state rule, maybe it's a regional trend, but either way it's not something that I've seen except for at the very large wineries in California.
I was interested in visiting Anthony Road because it's winemaker - Johannes Reinhardt - is heavily featured in the Evan Dawson book. Johannes' winemaking skill is spoken of very highly in the book, and I figured it would be good to see what the big deal is. Johannes is the winemaker at Anthony Road, and has recently opened up his own winery - Kemmeter - just across the road. I made sure to make an appointment at Kemmeter and figured while we were in the area we could try his Anthony Road wines.
Anthony Road was established by the Martini family, who are still the owners today. Initially they planted all hybrid grape vines, but have since replaced all those vines aside from the Vignoles with Vitis vinifera. They have a long list of wines, allowing tasters to try five (also a practice that almost every other winery in New York embraced). Since my wife and I were both tasting, we split our tastes and covered ten of the wines. The wine list showed a wide diversity of wines for varying audiences that the wine list was directed at: a variety of sweet wines, easy and inexpensive wines, and slightly higher priced, but still reasonable wines. The staff person that attended to us was sweet and calm. When I asked if there was another common name for the Dornfelder, she fished out a wine book and shared with me that the other name is Blaufrankisch - a wine that we'd see by either name throughout our visit.
The wines were solid, not amazing, appealing in a mainstream yet respectable way, with narrow flavor variety. The dry and semi-dry whites had a nice variety of flavors, though didn't have very much depth. The "Art Series" Riesling was the most enjoyable, loads of pineapple and lemon, with a syrupy body. The Rosé was a strange profile, tobacco box and watermelon rind, and somehow light with lots of tongue drying tannins at the same time. The reds were tart and a bit too thin. We all really enjoyed the semi-sweet and dessert wines, especially the "Sweet Dream." It was candied grapefruit syrup with a nice and varied profile. The residual sugar was 14.2%, so definitely not for the diabetics.
Experience: B / Wines: B-
Kemmeter Wines ($0 tasting, wines $24-$30)
'12 Riesling - Red Tail Ridge, '12 Riesling - White Pine, '12 Riesling - Sheldrake Point, '12 "SanSan" Riesling
After reading the Dawson book, the one place that I knew I had to visit in the region was Kemmeter. Johannes Reinhardt just opened up his personal winery in August, but already there are people raving about the wines. I hoped that the experience would be unique and informative --- it was that and a whole lot more. On our arrival Johannes was immediately welcoming, handshakes and smiles, while gently ribbing my brother about his Arsenal scarf, Johannes was wearing a Bayern Munich hat.
As we settled in, Johannes gave us an in-depth overview of our tasting. He's a strong believer in the Finger Lakes region, and truly believes that with better farming practices the region can create great wines. Johannes comes from a family of winemakers in the famed Riesling region of Mosel, Germany, so he's likely to know a thing or two.
Our tasting comprised of four Rieslings, the first three were made to be emblematic of the diversity of the region. The Red Tail Vineyard Riesling exhibited the characteristics of Seneca Lake - the lake that Kemmeter is on, as well the basic center of the region. The White Pine is a from a vineyard close to Lake Ontario, the the far Northwest of the region. And the Sheldrake Point is from the Cayuga Lake, more of western part of the area. The SanSan was a sweeter wine, also from Red Tail Ridge. Johannes is beginning the process of preparing the land at the recently purchased site to be converted over to a vineyard, which will eventually be the source of his wines.
The diversity of the wines was astounding. All had great acid and great balance. The Red Tail Ridge was deeply serious, a kind and candied nose gave way to layers of lemons that rushed to cover my palate. The White Pine was more light, with pie crust. The Sheldrake Point had a neat profile and a funny diet 7-Up aspect, as well as green apples. Finally the SanSan, oh the SanSan. It was made in a spätlese style,which means that it's a late harvest wine. It showed a great amount of complexity - white and green pepper, golden cider, as well being super smooth. I was a big fan.
Visits like the one that we had with Johannes are the quintessential experience that I seek out in the world of wine. He's very passionate about making great wine. He takes great pleasure in what he does and his enthusiasm is infectious. It's a great thing to partake.
Experience: A / Wines: A-
Red Tail Ridge Winery ($2 tasting, wines $12-$23)
'12 Unoaked Chardonnay, 12 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, '12 Dry Riesling, '12 Riesling, '12 Semi-Sweet Riesling, '12 "Good Karma" (Riesling/Chardonnay), '11 Pinot Noir, '11 Blaufränkisch
Oh man, going from Kemmeter to Red Tail Ridge is a shock to the system. Kemmeter is positive, excited and artisanal. Red Tail is cranky and rigid. I had high hopes for our visit, having heard good things from the Evan Dawson book and others in the area, but we did not have a positive experience.
The owners bring their previous professional experiences into running Red Tail Ridge. The wife of the team previously was a VP at a large corporate winery in California. The husband was an executive in the financial sector. They work together to make the all of the decisions about winemaking and the business management. One of the things that piqued my interest was their environment focus - having a LEED certified facility and utilizing sustainable farming techniques. I assume that wineries that focus on the environment are also focused on creating a calm and enjoyable customer experience. This was not at all the case on the day that we visited.
The woman that attended to us in the tasting room didn't seem to be in the best mood, robotically pouring and delivering the scripted talking points about the wines. Between certain wines, like from dry wines to semi-sweet, and whites to red wines, she insisted on pouring water into our glasses - instructing us to drink the water while clearing the glass. My wife even asked that she not do that, but the woman was unrelenting. Somehow this led to her telling us that the owners are very watchful about how much wine gets poured in the tasting room - there's an equation that adds up the number of tasting room visitors and measures that against the amount of wine poured, if those two don't match up the tasting room staff gets in trouble.
Things about the wines were hinky too. At some point I asked about the alcohol level of a wine, and was told that it was 12% - and that all of the wines were 12%. That sort of sets off alarms for me, that the wines are made to stand on their own merits, instead that no matter the variety they are built to fit into the same box. Across the spectrum the wines were limited in profile, though the primary flavors were enjoyable and the acid characteristics were enjoyable. I'm guessing that the wines were made with a eye toward being easy and moderate pleasing to a wide range of audiences rather than being true and/or interesting. The Rieslings were the most enjoyable for me, the reds were the least.
Experience: C- / Wines: C+
Hermann J. Wiemer Winery ($5 for regular tasting + $5 for premium tasting, wines $11-$36)
NV Rosé (Pinot Noir/Cabernet Franc/Chardonnay), '11 "Frost Cuveé" (Riesling/Chardonnay/Gewürztraminer/Sauvignon Blanc), '12 Chardonnay, '12 Gewürztraminer, '12 Dry Riesling, '12 Semi-Dry Riesling, '09 "Field Cuveé" (Cabernet Franc/Pinot Noir/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Lemberger), '11 Cabernet Franc, '12 Late Harvest Riesling, '12 Reserve Dry Riesling, '12 Dry Riesling - Magdalena, ' 10 Cabernet Franc - Magdalena
Wiemer is one of the cornerstone wineries in the region. Hermann Wiemer emigrated to the region from Germany in the 1960's, bringing with him the knowledge gained from his family's many generations of winemaking in the Mosel. In 2003, Fred Merwarth took over as head winemaker after being Hermann's longtime apprentice. In 2007, Wiemer retired and began shifting full control of the winery over to Merwarth.
Upon our arrival, staff greeted us pleasantly, though they were a bit stiff. There was what appeared to the main tasting area, which was a cozy bar area by the main entrance. Though we were lead into the winery, which was a much bigger and open space, which had a larger bar area. My guess is that on busier days this is where they do their tasting, as there were three or four other groups in this area. Unfortunately for us, this area was also not as well climate controlled, and was cold as hell. The lady who poured our wine for us was wearing a thick fur jacket, gloves and seemed off-put by the cold as well. She wasn't the most astute tasting room attendant, but was amiable and patient.
Amiable and patient may also be the most accurate way for me to describe the Wiemer wines. Aside from the reserves, all of the wines had a similar profile - cute, quaint, and generally easy. I enjoyed them but found their sameness a bit odd. The reds were a bit more interesting, especially the Cabernet Franc. The attendant was nice enough to do side by side pourings of the reserve Dry Riesling next to the Magdalena Riesling and the regular Cabernet Franc next to the reserve. It was surprising to see how much more dense and action-packed the Magdalena Riesling and the Reserve Cab Franc had next to their brethren. Those comparisons really spoke volumes about how much vine selection plays into making higher quality wine.
Experience: B / Wines: B
Sunday (Keuka Lake)
Dr. Konstantin Frank Vernifera Wine Cellars ($0 tasting, wines $15-$70)
'08 Blanc de Blanc Sparkling, '10 Pinot Blanc, '11 Grüner Veltliner, '12 Rkatsieli, '12 Dry Riesling, '12 Gewürztraminer, '11 Reserve Gewürztraminer, '11 Cabernet Franc, '11 "Old Vines" Pinot Noir, '11 Pinot Meunier, '11 Cabernet Sauvignon, '07 Blanc de Noir Sparkling, '08 Bunch Select Late Harvest Riesling
As I mentioned at the top of this post, Dr. Frank is the granddaddy of them all, showing the region that Vinifera varity grapes can succeed, and not just rely on native and hybrid grapes. The winery has also employed folks that went on to become winemakers at other Finger Lakes establishments - such as Johannes Reinhardt, who's now at Kemmeter and Anthony Road.
The winery sits on a hill overlooking Kueka Lake. Standing on the deck by the entrance affords a lovely panoramic view of the surroundings. It was a cold morning so we took in the sights quickly and headed inside. Immediately upon entering the foyer there was a velvet rope strung across the entrance to the tasting room. An employee lifted the rope, and directed us to an open counter space. We were some of the first guests that day and it was quiet inside, but apparently the rope is used at all times. I thought it was a weird choice to have a setup like this, but I guess it must get quite busy. Our knowledgeable host appraised us of the situation - we were allowed five tastings each off of a very long list. Being the clever drinkers that we are, my wife and I teamed up to cover a good amount of the wines.
Since Dr. Frank was such an staunch advocate for Vinifera grapes that would succeed in the region, I saw the varietals that I expected to see - Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Noir. All three were just okay, but definitely not taking any risks. I was excited to try the Rkatsiteli. It's a grape that I've never had before - it's an old Eastern European varietal - it was watery and had a limited profile, probably why it's not popular anymore, but it was neat to try. I found the Pinot Meunier enjoyable - nice light berry notes and hints of bark. My clever wife was able to persuade the attendant to allow us a taste of the Bunch Select Late Harvest Riesling - a rare bottling of their noble rot (aka "trockenbeerenauslese"). It was indeed quite delicious, a golden apple pie syrup, with hints of sage.
Experience: B / Wines: B-
Heron Hill Winery ($5 tasting, wines $14-$25)
'11 "Eclispe White" (Chardonnay/Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc), '12 Reserve Pinot Gris, '12 Dry Riesling, '12 Reserve Riesling, '11 Muscat, '12 Reserve Gewürztraminer, '12 Semi-Dry Riesling, '11 Riesling - Ingle, '11 Pinot Noir, '11 Cabernet Franc, '11 Reserve Blaufränkisch, '11 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc
I was a bit hesitant about going the Heron Hill, it's website exudes a hyper-corporate vibe, but I had a random conversation with a guy from New York awhile back and he was enthusiastic about it. So visit we did. Heron Hill looms from its hilltop perch - a sprawling art deco-ish space. It's a very pretty building with tons of space for customers and tons of stuff for sale. The tasting room was nearly empty when we arrived and stayed that way through our whole visit. Because of that, the staff person there was able to give us lots of attention and cheerfully chatted with us throughout our visit. He was a friendly character, as was the woman running the cash register that we talked to when purchasing wine at the end.
As with Dr. Frank, the wine list at Heron Hill was extremely long. Once again we were allowed five pourings, though the pourer was loose with the juice and was happy to pour us whatever regardless. I found that the wines at Heron Hill very different from the ones at Wiemer. Instead of being overly restrained and structurally similar regardless of the grape, the wines at Heron Hill were quite varied in flavors and generally more wild. In essence the wines were vibrant, but at times sloppy. The Rieslings that we tried had pretty good levels of structure and nice flavors. The Pinot Gris had a silly banana scented nose, but was too round on the palate. The first taste of the Gewürztraminer that had was pretty off-putting - my wife described it as "a flooded engine." We asked the guy behind the counter what he thought and he agreed that it tasted poorly, and that it probably got janky overnight. He opened another bottle. The fresh wine was more tight, but had a limited profile. As was the case at most of the Finger Lakes wineries, the reds were mediocre. Though instead of being too weak the Heron Hill reds were off-balance, too jammy, too acidic, and/or too peppery. The Late Harvest Vidal Blanc was enjoyably pretty, with a hint of ocean nose and a blend of apricot and tropical fruit.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B-
Ravines Wine Cellars ($5 for 5 + $1 premium wine tasting, wines $13-$30)
'12 Dry Riesling, '12 Sauvignon Blanc, '12 Gewürztraminer, '12 "Keuka Village White" (Cayuga/Vignoles), '12 Chardonnay, '11 Pinot Noir, '11 Cabernet Franc, '10 "Meritage" Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Merlot), '12 "Keuka Village Red" (Noiret/Cabernet Franc), '11 Late Harvest Vignoles
Ravines is one of the more acclaimed establishments in the region. The owner/winemaker was raised on a vineyard in Provence, was trained at a well-esteemed wine program in France, and then brought that knowledge with him to the US. The space exuded a classy yet spartan vibe. It's a charming space that overlooks the lake. The view was made even more enjoyable while we were there as it began to snow and dusk settled in.
Sometimes you go into a place and the staff enriches experience. Sometimes the staff dampens the experience. At Ravines, things were made more intense by the woman that attended to us. We were one of two groups there at that time. We were directed to our own counter, where our pourer gave us the run down as through she was enthusiastically reading from a script. A regular tasting was $5 to choose five wines from a list of ten. For an additional $5 one could choose a cheese pairing (which my wife and sister-in-law did) or a chocolate pairing (which my brother did). For those that had the pairings the attendant was quite instructive and insistent: "Take a bite of the chocolate, let it melt onto your tongue, then try the wine. You should be tasting a cherry cordial. Did you taste it? Did it 'pop' for you? There it was! I saw your face, it popped!" Kind of annoying when you're just trying to enjoy wine.
Ravines wines were a nice mix of the Wiemer structure and the Heron Hill vibrancy. They weren't all amazing, but they had some authentic characteristics and nice overall body. The Riesling was one of the most impressive on their - lots of bold acid and flavor. The Gewürztraminer had promising aspects but had a greeness that bothered me. I liked the Pinot Noir, it was well layered and a variety of flavors. I had heard good things about the Meritage, and there were neat flavors to it, but it was too brooding for me, perhaps an older vintage would have been more enjoyable. The Late Harvest Vignoles was crazy sweet, though it had a very nice body, marmalade notes, and enjoyably dense viscosity.
Experience: B- / Wines: B+
Throughout our visit to the Finger Lakes I was noting the contrasts that the region has with the
California wineries that I've visited. There are unique differences. We saw much greater focus on white wines rather than red, not surprising since it is a cold-growing climate, but remarkable nonetheless. The tasting lists had lots more choices with a large number of different varietals being used. Seeing the hybrid and native grapes was definitely unique. I enjoyed the Vidal Blanc and Vignoles dessert wines that we tried at a handful of places. Instead of talking about the alcohol levels of the wine, the focus on was residual sugars. All of the wines were low alcohol, which made waking up in the morning easier. Since it's more of a nascent wine region, the quality to price ratio was much better than all of the California regions that I'm familiar with aside from the Sierra Foothills.
So the big question is whether the Finger Lakes will become more of a powerhouse wine region. If Johannes Reinhardt is right, the region can make a better quality product. He strongly believes that the region will begin to embrace more rigorous growing and winemaking practices and make better wine.
I'd really like to see that. The Finger Lakes is a gorgeous region and enjoying a crisp glass of well crafted Riesling is a wonderful way to enjoy it.
The Finger Lakes are a series of narrow north to south running lakes that were formed by glacial activity. It's served as farming region and a vacation destination for quite a while. There's been winemaking going on in the Finger Lakes for a very long time, though the area didn't find the acclaim that West Coast wines have until recently. It's not an easy place to grow grapes due to the colder climate, and for a long time wineries felt that Vitis venifera grapes (the species that makes up almost all mainstream wine) could not grow in such a cold climate. Instead the fledgling wineries grew American grape varieties, like Concord and Norton, and later hybrid French/American grapes like Vidal Blanc, Vignoles, and Baco Noir. Often times these grapes were made into sweet wines, which is what folks came to expect of the area. A dramatic shift occurred when Dr. Konstantin Frank emigrated the region to work at nearby Cornell University. Based on his experience in Ukraine successfully growing Vitis vinifera, he showed that grapes such as Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Noir could grow well in the area if they were grafted onto native grape root stocks. Based on his winery's success, others followed suit, and the Finger Lakes began to gather a reputation as a quality wine region.While preparing for the trip, I came across Evan Dawson's excellent book: Summer in a Glass. He's a news reporter for a Rochester TV station, and has become a big fan of the wines being made in the Finger Lakes. The book focuses on the stories behind the winemakers and the growth of the region. The book heightened my excitement for the trip and gave me guidance for what wineries were must visits.
We assumed was that it was going to be cold, however I took this to mean that it would be rather chilly, I did not expect it to be snowing and cold as hell the whole time. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but a bit surreal for my wife and I. California is a pretty temperate place, so snow in the vineyards is a funny thing to see.
Saturday (Seneca Lake)
Anthony Road Wine Company ($2 tasting, wines $9-$28)
'10 "Art Series" Riesling, '12 Pinot Gris, '12 Gewürztraminer, '12 Semi-Dry Riesling, '12 Rosé of Cabernet Franc, NV "Devonian" Red Blend (Cabernet Franc/Lemberger/Pinot Noir), '12 Pinot Noir, '12 Cabernet Franc/Lemberger, '12 Semi-Sweet Riesling, '12 "Sweet Dream" (Vignoles), NV "Tony's White" (Cayuga White)
I wasn't sure what to expect from New York wineries. Quite honestly the snow and ice in the parking lot freaked me out. The atmosphere inside Anthony Road was mellow, it seemed like a large and rambunctious group was leaving just as we were coming in, and the staff were relieved that the big group was leaving. I did find the setup to be a bit strange. The was a cash register at the very front of the room, and there were shelves with the wines displayed like a regular wine shop. There must be some rule about New York wineries running their commerce in such a way, because all of the other places that we visited (aside from Kemmeter) had the same setup. Maybe it's not a state rule, maybe it's a regional trend, but either way it's not something that I've seen except for at the very large wineries in California.I was interested in visiting Anthony Road because it's winemaker - Johannes Reinhardt - is heavily featured in the Evan Dawson book. Johannes' winemaking skill is spoken of very highly in the book, and I figured it would be good to see what the big deal is. Johannes is the winemaker at Anthony Road, and has recently opened up his own winery - Kemmeter - just across the road. I made sure to make an appointment at Kemmeter and figured while we were in the area we could try his Anthony Road wines.
Anthony Road was established by the Martini family, who are still the owners today. Initially they planted all hybrid grape vines, but have since replaced all those vines aside from the Vignoles with Vitis vinifera. They have a long list of wines, allowing tasters to try five (also a practice that almost every other winery in New York embraced). Since my wife and I were both tasting, we split our tastes and covered ten of the wines. The wine list showed a wide diversity of wines for varying audiences that the wine list was directed at: a variety of sweet wines, easy and inexpensive wines, and slightly higher priced, but still reasonable wines. The staff person that attended to us was sweet and calm. When I asked if there was another common name for the Dornfelder, she fished out a wine book and shared with me that the other name is Blaufrankisch - a wine that we'd see by either name throughout our visit.
The wines were solid, not amazing, appealing in a mainstream yet respectable way, with narrow flavor variety. The dry and semi-dry whites had a nice variety of flavors, though didn't have very much depth. The "Art Series" Riesling was the most enjoyable, loads of pineapple and lemon, with a syrupy body. The Rosé was a strange profile, tobacco box and watermelon rind, and somehow light with lots of tongue drying tannins at the same time. The reds were tart and a bit too thin. We all really enjoyed the semi-sweet and dessert wines, especially the "Sweet Dream." It was candied grapefruit syrup with a nice and varied profile. The residual sugar was 14.2%, so definitely not for the diabetics.
Experience: B / Wines: B-
Kemmeter Wines ($0 tasting, wines $24-$30)
'12 Riesling - Red Tail Ridge, '12 Riesling - White Pine, '12 Riesling - Sheldrake Point, '12 "SanSan" Riesling
After reading the Dawson book, the one place that I knew I had to visit in the region was Kemmeter. Johannes Reinhardt just opened up his personal winery in August, but already there are people raving about the wines. I hoped that the experience would be unique and informative --- it was that and a whole lot more. On our arrival Johannes was immediately welcoming, handshakes and smiles, while gently ribbing my brother about his Arsenal scarf, Johannes was wearing a Bayern Munich hat.As we settled in, Johannes gave us an in-depth overview of our tasting. He's a strong believer in the Finger Lakes region, and truly believes that with better farming practices the region can create great wines. Johannes comes from a family of winemakers in the famed Riesling region of Mosel, Germany, so he's likely to know a thing or two.
Our tasting comprised of four Rieslings, the first three were made to be emblematic of the diversity of the region. The Red Tail Vineyard Riesling exhibited the characteristics of Seneca Lake - the lake that Kemmeter is on, as well the basic center of the region. The White Pine is a from a vineyard close to Lake Ontario, the the far Northwest of the region. And the Sheldrake Point is from the Cayuga Lake, more of western part of the area. The SanSan was a sweeter wine, also from Red Tail Ridge. Johannes is beginning the process of preparing the land at the recently purchased site to be converted over to a vineyard, which will eventually be the source of his wines.
The diversity of the wines was astounding. All had great acid and great balance. The Red Tail Ridge was deeply serious, a kind and candied nose gave way to layers of lemons that rushed to cover my palate. The White Pine was more light, with pie crust. The Sheldrake Point had a neat profile and a funny diet 7-Up aspect, as well as green apples. Finally the SanSan, oh the SanSan. It was made in a spätlese style,which means that it's a late harvest wine. It showed a great amount of complexity - white and green pepper, golden cider, as well being super smooth. I was a big fan.
Visits like the one that we had with Johannes are the quintessential experience that I seek out in the world of wine. He's very passionate about making great wine. He takes great pleasure in what he does and his enthusiasm is infectious. It's a great thing to partake.
Experience: A / Wines: A-
Red Tail Ridge Winery ($2 tasting, wines $12-$23)
'12 Unoaked Chardonnay, 12 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, '12 Dry Riesling, '12 Riesling, '12 Semi-Sweet Riesling, '12 "Good Karma" (Riesling/Chardonnay), '11 Pinot Noir, '11 Blaufränkisch
Oh man, going from Kemmeter to Red Tail Ridge is a shock to the system. Kemmeter is positive, excited and artisanal. Red Tail is cranky and rigid. I had high hopes for our visit, having heard good things from the Evan Dawson book and others in the area, but we did not have a positive experience.The owners bring their previous professional experiences into running Red Tail Ridge. The wife of the team previously was a VP at a large corporate winery in California. The husband was an executive in the financial sector. They work together to make the all of the decisions about winemaking and the business management. One of the things that piqued my interest was their environment focus - having a LEED certified facility and utilizing sustainable farming techniques. I assume that wineries that focus on the environment are also focused on creating a calm and enjoyable customer experience. This was not at all the case on the day that we visited.
The woman that attended to us in the tasting room didn't seem to be in the best mood, robotically pouring and delivering the scripted talking points about the wines. Between certain wines, like from dry wines to semi-sweet, and whites to red wines, she insisted on pouring water into our glasses - instructing us to drink the water while clearing the glass. My wife even asked that she not do that, but the woman was unrelenting. Somehow this led to her telling us that the owners are very watchful about how much wine gets poured in the tasting room - there's an equation that adds up the number of tasting room visitors and measures that against the amount of wine poured, if those two don't match up the tasting room staff gets in trouble.
Things about the wines were hinky too. At some point I asked about the alcohol level of a wine, and was told that it was 12% - and that all of the wines were 12%. That sort of sets off alarms for me, that the wines are made to stand on their own merits, instead that no matter the variety they are built to fit into the same box. Across the spectrum the wines were limited in profile, though the primary flavors were enjoyable and the acid characteristics were enjoyable. I'm guessing that the wines were made with a eye toward being easy and moderate pleasing to a wide range of audiences rather than being true and/or interesting. The Rieslings were the most enjoyable for me, the reds were the least.
Experience: C- / Wines: C+
Hermann J. Wiemer Winery ($5 for regular tasting + $5 for premium tasting, wines $11-$36)
NV Rosé (Pinot Noir/Cabernet Franc/Chardonnay), '11 "Frost Cuveé" (Riesling/Chardonnay/Gewürztraminer/Sauvignon Blanc), '12 Chardonnay, '12 Gewürztraminer, '12 Dry Riesling, '12 Semi-Dry Riesling, '09 "Field Cuveé" (Cabernet Franc/Pinot Noir/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Lemberger), '11 Cabernet Franc, '12 Late Harvest Riesling, '12 Reserve Dry Riesling, '12 Dry Riesling - Magdalena, ' 10 Cabernet Franc - Magdalena
Wiemer is one of the cornerstone wineries in the region. Hermann Wiemer emigrated to the region from Germany in the 1960's, bringing with him the knowledge gained from his family's many generations of winemaking in the Mosel. In 2003, Fred Merwarth took over as head winemaker after being Hermann's longtime apprentice. In 2007, Wiemer retired and began shifting full control of the winery over to Merwarth.Upon our arrival, staff greeted us pleasantly, though they were a bit stiff. There was what appeared to the main tasting area, which was a cozy bar area by the main entrance. Though we were lead into the winery, which was a much bigger and open space, which had a larger bar area. My guess is that on busier days this is where they do their tasting, as there were three or four other groups in this area. Unfortunately for us, this area was also not as well climate controlled, and was cold as hell. The lady who poured our wine for us was wearing a thick fur jacket, gloves and seemed off-put by the cold as well. She wasn't the most astute tasting room attendant, but was amiable and patient.
Amiable and patient may also be the most accurate way for me to describe the Wiemer wines. Aside from the reserves, all of the wines had a similar profile - cute, quaint, and generally easy. I enjoyed them but found their sameness a bit odd. The reds were a bit more interesting, especially the Cabernet Franc. The attendant was nice enough to do side by side pourings of the reserve Dry Riesling next to the Magdalena Riesling and the regular Cabernet Franc next to the reserve. It was surprising to see how much more dense and action-packed the Magdalena Riesling and the Reserve Cab Franc had next to their brethren. Those comparisons really spoke volumes about how much vine selection plays into making higher quality wine.
Experience: B / Wines: B
Sunday (Keuka Lake)
Dr. Konstantin Frank Vernifera Wine Cellars ($0 tasting, wines $15-$70)
'08 Blanc de Blanc Sparkling, '10 Pinot Blanc, '11 Grüner Veltliner, '12 Rkatsieli, '12 Dry Riesling, '12 Gewürztraminer, '11 Reserve Gewürztraminer, '11 Cabernet Franc, '11 "Old Vines" Pinot Noir, '11 Pinot Meunier, '11 Cabernet Sauvignon, '07 Blanc de Noir Sparkling, '08 Bunch Select Late Harvest Riesling
As I mentioned at the top of this post, Dr. Frank is the granddaddy of them all, showing the region that Vinifera varity grapes can succeed, and not just rely on native and hybrid grapes. The winery has also employed folks that went on to become winemakers at other Finger Lakes establishments - such as Johannes Reinhardt, who's now at Kemmeter and Anthony Road. The winery sits on a hill overlooking Kueka Lake. Standing on the deck by the entrance affords a lovely panoramic view of the surroundings. It was a cold morning so we took in the sights quickly and headed inside. Immediately upon entering the foyer there was a velvet rope strung across the entrance to the tasting room. An employee lifted the rope, and directed us to an open counter space. We were some of the first guests that day and it was quiet inside, but apparently the rope is used at all times. I thought it was a weird choice to have a setup like this, but I guess it must get quite busy. Our knowledgeable host appraised us of the situation - we were allowed five tastings each off of a very long list. Being the clever drinkers that we are, my wife and I teamed up to cover a good amount of the wines.
Since Dr. Frank was such an staunch advocate for Vinifera grapes that would succeed in the region, I saw the varietals that I expected to see - Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Noir. All three were just okay, but definitely not taking any risks. I was excited to try the Rkatsiteli. It's a grape that I've never had before - it's an old Eastern European varietal - it was watery and had a limited profile, probably why it's not popular anymore, but it was neat to try. I found the Pinot Meunier enjoyable - nice light berry notes and hints of bark. My clever wife was able to persuade the attendant to allow us a taste of the Bunch Select Late Harvest Riesling - a rare bottling of their noble rot (aka "trockenbeerenauslese"). It was indeed quite delicious, a golden apple pie syrup, with hints of sage.
Experience: B / Wines: B-
Heron Hill Winery ($5 tasting, wines $14-$25)
'11 "Eclispe White" (Chardonnay/Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc), '12 Reserve Pinot Gris, '12 Dry Riesling, '12 Reserve Riesling, '11 Muscat, '12 Reserve Gewürztraminer, '12 Semi-Dry Riesling, '11 Riesling - Ingle, '11 Pinot Noir, '11 Cabernet Franc, '11 Reserve Blaufränkisch, '11 Late Harvest Vidal Blanc
I was a bit hesitant about going the Heron Hill, it's website exudes a hyper-corporate vibe, but I had a random conversation with a guy from New York awhile back and he was enthusiastic about it. So visit we did. Heron Hill looms from its hilltop perch - a sprawling art deco-ish space. It's a very pretty building with tons of space for customers and tons of stuff for sale. The tasting room was nearly empty when we arrived and stayed that way through our whole visit. Because of that, the staff person there was able to give us lots of attention and cheerfully chatted with us throughout our visit. He was a friendly character, as was the woman running the cash register that we talked to when purchasing wine at the end.As with Dr. Frank, the wine list at Heron Hill was extremely long. Once again we were allowed five pourings, though the pourer was loose with the juice and was happy to pour us whatever regardless. I found that the wines at Heron Hill very different from the ones at Wiemer. Instead of being overly restrained and structurally similar regardless of the grape, the wines at Heron Hill were quite varied in flavors and generally more wild. In essence the wines were vibrant, but at times sloppy. The Rieslings that we tried had pretty good levels of structure and nice flavors. The Pinot Gris had a silly banana scented nose, but was too round on the palate. The first taste of the Gewürztraminer that had was pretty off-putting - my wife described it as "a flooded engine." We asked the guy behind the counter what he thought and he agreed that it tasted poorly, and that it probably got janky overnight. He opened another bottle. The fresh wine was more tight, but had a limited profile. As was the case at most of the Finger Lakes wineries, the reds were mediocre. Though instead of being too weak the Heron Hill reds were off-balance, too jammy, too acidic, and/or too peppery. The Late Harvest Vidal Blanc was enjoyably pretty, with a hint of ocean nose and a blend of apricot and tropical fruit.
Experience: B+ / Wines: B-
Ravines Wine Cellars ($5 for 5 + $1 premium wine tasting, wines $13-$30)
'12 Dry Riesling, '12 Sauvignon Blanc, '12 Gewürztraminer, '12 "Keuka Village White" (Cayuga/Vignoles), '12 Chardonnay, '11 Pinot Noir, '11 Cabernet Franc, '10 "Meritage" Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Merlot), '12 "Keuka Village Red" (Noiret/Cabernet Franc), '11 Late Harvest Vignoles
Sometimes you go into a place and the staff enriches experience. Sometimes the staff dampens the experience. At Ravines, things were made more intense by the woman that attended to us. We were one of two groups there at that time. We were directed to our own counter, where our pourer gave us the run down as through she was enthusiastically reading from a script. A regular tasting was $5 to choose five wines from a list of ten. For an additional $5 one could choose a cheese pairing (which my wife and sister-in-law did) or a chocolate pairing (which my brother did). For those that had the pairings the attendant was quite instructive and insistent: "Take a bite of the chocolate, let it melt onto your tongue, then try the wine. You should be tasting a cherry cordial. Did you taste it? Did it 'pop' for you? There it was! I saw your face, it popped!" Kind of annoying when you're just trying to enjoy wine.
Ravines wines were a nice mix of the Wiemer structure and the Heron Hill vibrancy. They weren't all amazing, but they had some authentic characteristics and nice overall body. The Riesling was one of the most impressive on their - lots of bold acid and flavor. The Gewürztraminer had promising aspects but had a greeness that bothered me. I liked the Pinot Noir, it was well layered and a variety of flavors. I had heard good things about the Meritage, and there were neat flavors to it, but it was too brooding for me, perhaps an older vintage would have been more enjoyable. The Late Harvest Vignoles was crazy sweet, though it had a very nice body, marmalade notes, and enjoyably dense viscosity.
Experience: B- / Wines: B+
Throughout our visit to the Finger Lakes I was noting the contrasts that the region has with the California wineries that I've visited. There are unique differences. We saw much greater focus on white wines rather than red, not surprising since it is a cold-growing climate, but remarkable nonetheless. The tasting lists had lots more choices with a large number of different varietals being used. Seeing the hybrid and native grapes was definitely unique. I enjoyed the Vidal Blanc and Vignoles dessert wines that we tried at a handful of places. Instead of talking about the alcohol levels of the wine, the focus on was residual sugars. All of the wines were low alcohol, which made waking up in the morning easier. Since it's more of a nascent wine region, the quality to price ratio was much better than all of the California regions that I'm familiar with aside from the Sierra Foothills.
So the big question is whether the Finger Lakes will become more of a powerhouse wine region. If Johannes Reinhardt is right, the region can make a better quality product. He strongly believes that the region will begin to embrace more rigorous growing and winemaking practices and make better wine.
I'd really like to see that. The Finger Lakes is a gorgeous region and enjoying a crisp glass of well crafted Riesling is a wonderful way to enjoy it.
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