Russian River Wine Country - Sonoma Cty. Archives - Page 3 of 6

Francis Ford Coppola Winery — A Hollywood Touch

September 20, 2010 by joe

Movie director Francis Ford Coppola of the famed Godfather movies is big on wine. So big on wine that in fact he owns two wineries. At his majestic and historic Rubicon Estate Winery in the Napa Valley he concentrates on making the finest wines possible from his estate vineyards in the Napa Valley. Near the town of Geyserville, about five miles north of Healdsburg, Francis Ford Coppola is nearing the completion of numerous renovations to the famous and former Chateau Souverain that he purchased in 2008. At this venue he makes and bottles thousands of cases of wine made from grapes sourced from throughout California. These are really good wines but more intended for the average wine consumer.

Since his purchase, this winery has gone through a couple of names but now he has settled on the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. The famous director has left no stone unturned in his quest to make this winery into one of the most popular tourists attractions in this neck of the woods of Sonoma County. Yes, once it is done people will flock here as they did on the recent Labor Day weekend when at least 1000 visitors were served in the restaurant and in the tasting room.

Robert Rue Vineyard – A Must Visit

September 12, 2010 by joe

Note: The Robert Rue Winery was sold to Kirk Venge in 2016. The new name of the winery is Croix Estate.

“Rue the Day” is the catchphrase at Robert Rue Vineyards. It really should be “Rue the Day” for those wineries that lost out when Robert Rue and his wife Carlene stopped selling their old vine Zin grapes and decided to start making their own wine from these prized grapes. Robert Rue Vineyards is unique in character in that, not only are the Zinfandel vines over 100 years old, but also the vineyard is sprinkled with Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouchet, and Carignane. Yes, an old field blend where all the grapes are harvested together. That is how wine was made in the old days.

Robert Rue and his old vine Zinfandel

It was in 1973 that Robert and Carlene Rue decided to purchase a small ten-acre ranch of Zinfandel vines in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. But it was not until 2001 that the Rues stopped selling their grapes and began to make their own wine under the guidance of Carol Shelton, and now Dan Barwick, as consulting winemaker. We first tasted the Robert Rue wine, a 2004 vintage, a few years back at the ZAP tasting at Fort Mason in San Francisco. What a delicious Zinfandel we thought, and when we heard that Robert Rue Vineyards had recently opened a tasting room we headed up north on Highway 101 to the winery. Like so many small wineries, this one is such a treat and a joy to visit. We got a tour of the vineyards and winemaking facility from both Robert and Carlene, and we heard first hand their struggles and fortunes of making a go of their winery. What fun to open a bottle of wine when you have met the owners and know the story behind the making of the wine.

In the tasting room, we sampled 2005, 2006, and 2007 vintages. Perhaps it’s the fact that wines are made from 100-year-old field blend vines, but this Zinfandel has a character all its own. 2006 was our favorite of the tasting. It is smooth and elegant but rich in flavors. No harsh tannins; in essence, a superb dinner wine.

Just last year, the Rues decided to plant some Sauvignon Blanc. It will take a couple of years to yield enough grapes to make a sufficient amount of wine. For now, the Rues have purchased Russian River Valley fruit and have a made a very exquisite Sauvignon Blanc wine.

The 2010 vintage for the Rues is going to be a little tougher than usual. You might recall the terrific heat spike of August 24, where temperatures surged over the 100-degree mark. Because of the very mild summer, most of the vineyard managers had trimmed the overhanging canopy that normally provides shade to the maturing grape clusters. The weather outlook called for continued below-normal temperatures. The last thing the farmers wanted was to have the crops not ripen until into November when the heavy rains come. When the heat spike occurred, it caught everyone off guard. The result for Robert Rue vineyards: sun-damaged grapes and perhaps as much as 40% crop damage.

If you plan on visiting Robert Rue Vineyards, nearby are two other interesting wineries. Benovia is a brand new winery loaded with beauty and state-of-the-art winemaking equipment. They specialize in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Also nearby is Battaglini Winery, much in the same character as Robert Rue. All three are a delight to visit and will make for a fabulous wine country getaway day trip. Tasting hours at Robert Rue are Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10-5pm or by appointment Monday through Thursday.

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View Robert Rue, Benovia, Battaglini Wineries in a larger map

Benovia Winery Pinot Noir and Photography

August 17, 2010 by joe

How often does a winery sponsor a photography class? I don’t recall any winery offering this type of class or experience. Benovia Winery located in the Russian River Valley AVA just might be the only winery ever to venture into this territory. The class was a great treat for the 32 wine and photo buffs who participated in one of two daylong sessions this past Saturday and Sunday. The attendees were instructed by Con Keyes, a long-time and now retired photographer with the L.A. Times. In addition, Bob Mosby, Benovia’s General Manager, and Tucker Catlin, vineyard developer, were present to lead us around the winery and give us insights into winery operations. The winery even went as far as bringing in some vineyard staff to work the vines, drop late-developing fruit and do some shoot thinning. They were instructed to work slowly so we could capture the “moment”with our digital cameras.

Visit to Merriam Vineyards in Healdsburg

October 3, 2009 by joe

Merriam Vineyards is one of the newest wineries in Healdsburg wine country. Owners Peter and Diana purchased several vineyards in 2000 and this year opened a very attractive New England style winery and tasting room. We visited this winery on Wednesday with friends, took a quick tour, and had the chance to taste all of the Merriam wines. Should you put this winery on your “must visit”list?

The Best of the Eastside Bunch

August 10, 2009 by joe

They call themselves the “Eastside Bunch.”Who are they? The Eastside Bunch are eight wineries located near each other (within 2 miles) on the east side of the Russian River in Sonoma County. Each year, they hold an open house called the Summer Fest. We managed to visit most of those wineries at the Summer Fest event and went back again to a few during the week to get a better visit when things were not so crowded. Here is my quick review of each of these wineries.

Life on Limerick Lane in Russian River Wine Country

July 28, 2009 by joe

We are renting the Santarini House on Limerick Lane very near the town of Healdsburg. Limerick Lane is a small country road that is only about two miles in distance. Meitz, Christie, Christopher Creek, and Limerick Lane wineries are located on this beautiful vineyard-lined country road. Limerick Lane runs into Old Redwood Highway and on this road are located the wineries of Foppiano, Acorn, Rodney Strong, and J Vineyards, all within 2 miles of one another.

This area of wine country is at the northern end of the Russian River Valley AVA. It is a little warmer at this end of the AVA so you find less Pinot Noir growing here than you will find farther south. Pinot Noir is the grape that has made the Russian River Valley a notable AVA. On Limerick Lane there are mostly Zinfandel vineyards but you’ll find some Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petite Sirah.

More on Dry Creek Valley, The Trip Planner, & Robert Mondavi Summer Concerts

May 5, 2009 by joe

We recently blogged about Montemaggiore and Quivira wineries, two biodynamic wineries in the Dry Creek Valley. There are at least four other wineries practicing sustainable and organic farming in the Dry Creek Valley. If you are interested in touring the sustainable wineries of the Dry Creek Valley, I have outlined a suggested two-day tour of these wineries on WineCountryGetaways.com. One thing that is very nice about visiting wineries in the Dry Creek Valley is that most of the wineries are small and family-owned. If you visit during the week, you might even find the winemaker or owner in the tasting room.

Montemaggiore in the Dry Creek Valley — Russian River Wine Country

April 20, 2009 by joe

We explored the Dry Creek Wine region this past weekend and for us it’s always like being there for the first time. The beauty and splendor of this area never ceases to astonish us. Exploring the Dry Creek Valley is fun and easy to do. The Dry Creek Valley is an easy drive from the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge. Drive north on Highway 101 for 65 miles and take the Dry Creek Exit and head west. There are two roads that follow the Dry Creek Valley. The main road is Dry Creek Road and on the opposite side and west of the creek (Dry Creek) is West Dry Creek Road. Most of the 60 or more wineries can be found on these two roads. We highly recommend a getaway to Dry Creek Valley. Put it on your calendar and book your lodging in the nearby town of Healdsburg where you will also find gourmet restaurants and high-end shopping.

Arista Winery

March 16, 2009 by joe

Arista Winery is a beautiful new addition to the wineries located along Westside Road in the Russian River Valley wine appellation in west Sonoma County. Arista began making wine in 2002 but the tasting room did not open until 2006. Its location above Westside Road provides some of the most beautiful views in the Russian River area.

The tasting room is small and tastefully decorated. Outside the tasting room is a wonderfully landscaped rock garden. There are picnic tables situated around the winery property, some of which afford spectacular views. This is one of the better picnic venues in this region.

Try the Arista Sauvignon Blanc with a cheese assortment. See our deli recommendations in nearby Healdsburg.

At the Arista Winery the focus is Pinot Noir. They produce small amounts of Pinot Noir wines from select vineyards in the Russian River Valley AVA. They also have estate vineyards. However, it will be a few years before they are mature enough to yield sufficient grapes. Arista also produces a Zinfandel, a Sauvignon Blanc and two dry Gewürztraminers, one from the Russian River Valley, the other from the Anderson Valley in Mendocino.

Unfortunately, because the wines are made in small amounts and are of high quality, the wines sell out quickly. The winery does not have a wine club but does have a mailing list which enables those on the list to purchase wines before they are put up for sale in the tasting room.

We found the wines to be very delicious. We tried two Pinot Noirs, and the Zinfandel. There is no fee for tasting. The winemaker is Leslie Sisneros, who has extensive experience particularly in making Pinot Noir.

The Arista Winery is located at 7015 Westside Road, just about one mile past the Davis Bynum winery. For additional information on wineries in this region, see our Westside Road Wine Trail. You can also find lodging and dining information in our Healdsburg Wine Region.

Tasting room is open Thursday thru Monday 11am to 5pm

Trione Vineyards & Winery The Old Nervo Winery

February 19, 2009 by joe

Trione Vineyards & Winery opened just a few months ago on the site of the old Nervo Winery. A new modern winery was built complete with a very elaborate tasting room. The landmark of the Trione Winery is the “Old Stone Building”that once was the Nervo Winery. The structure has been a familiar sight for years and can be easily spotted by drivers on Highway 101 between Healdsburg and Geyserville. Thankfully, the Trione Family preserved the structure and restored it to its glory days. Frank Nervo Jr. had the stone building constructed in 1908 and used the building to make some wonderful wines. The Nervo Family sold the historic building and adjacent tasting room in the 1970’s to a conglomerate wine group that housed Canyon Road wines until the Trione Family purchased the property for their winery.