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

April in Wine Country – Piner Road/Olivet Road

April 2, 2011 by Joe Becerra

This is one of our favorite months in wine country. The weather is warm and California poppies are proudly blooming among the vines. The main event this month is bud break. It signals a new growing period for the vines and it is the perfect time to savor the beauty of wine country.

We have a couple of suggested trips for this month. We’ll start with one in the Santa Rosa region. We’ll call it the Piner Road/Olivet Road Trail. In our next blog post, we will tell you about a great set of interesting wineries in the Geyserville area in northern Sonoma County.

Merry Edwards Tasting Room – Awesome Sauvignon Blanc

November 11, 2010 by Joe Becerra

Drop by any day of the week and you will likely find that the Merry Edwards tasting room is a very busy place in the Russian River Valley wine country of Sonoma County. The draw here is the owner and winemaker Merry Edwards. She is one of the most respected winemakers in California, and when wine travelers on Highway 116 see the Merry Edwards winery entrance, they can hardly resist stopping by. The winery has been open about two years but the name Merry Edwards goes way back and has been renowned for making great Pinot Noir wines.

When the winery and tasting room first opened in 2008, guests were admitted by appointment only. With so many wine buffs eager to taste, it is hard to turn away the ones who just decide to drop in. We stopped by on a late Thursday afternoon without an appointment and had to wait in the business office while others finished their tasting.

Coopersmith Vineyards and the Winery

As I mentioned earlier, Merry Edwards Pinot Noir wines have long been a favorite of many and have received well-deserved accolades from the wine community. But it is the Sauvignon Blanc that really stands out above all others. The current release is the 2009 and it is nearly sold out. We were fortunate that there was a little left for us to try. So here is the deal on the Sauvignon Blanc. At first the aromas are quite similar to a good New Zealand-style Sauvignon Blanc, but that is where the similarity ends. When you taste this wine, it is a mouthful of rich elegance with a tad of oak and just the right acidity. Sometimes an S.B. will bowl you over with its high acidity but this one is made to perfection. As you might have guessed this S.B. does not come cheap. It is $30 a bottle while most Sauvignon Blancs are priced well under $20. Most of the grapes for this wine come from 30-year-old vines and the juice is barrel fermented in French oak, eighteen percent of which is new. This wine is like no other Sauvignon Blanc I have tried. We tried this wine with a recipe on the Merry Edward Website for “Roasted Corn Soup.” The paired combination of the Sauvignon Blanc and the soup is perfect.

If you plan to go to Merry Edwards, make an appointment to be sure you can get in to taste. With an appointment, you have a room to yourself and a more relaxed time to taste and enjoy these terrific wines. Nearby are two other outstanding wineries that make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. They are Dutton Goldfield and Lynmar Winery. We also suggest you take the backroads if you are coming from San Francisco. Take the Sebastopol exit off 101 and travel west on HWY 116 for about 12 miles. The winery is just before the crossroads of HWY 116 and the town of Graton.

Francis Ford Coppola Winery — A Hollywood Touch

September 20, 2010 by Joe Becerra

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 Becerra

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 Becerra

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 Becerra

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 Becerra

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 Becerra

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 Becerra

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 Becerra

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.