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You are here: Home / Archives for Gary Farrell

Which is Better to Visit, a Little Winery or a Big Winery?

August 25, 2017 by Joe Becerra

On a recent trip to the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, we visited two wineries. These wineries could not be more different from one another. The only similarity in these wineries is that they are both located in the same AVA, the Russian River Valley. On a Wednesday, we visited the Battaglini Winery. The next day it was Gary Farrell. We were guests at both wineries, so we did not need to worry about tasting or touring fees. We were delighted to sit back and enjoy wine, food nibbles, and the beauty of the Russian River Valley.

The Little Winery – Battaglini Winery

Battaglini Tasting Room

The rustic Battaglini Tasting Room

Owned by Joe and Lucia Battaglini, the winery is on Piner Road in the Russian River Valley. The Battaglinis purchased the property in 1988. The major vines are Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay. The Petite and the Zin were planted in 1885. If you visit, you must take a close look at both of these ancient but hearty grape vines. Joe is the winemaker and vineyard manager, with help from Lucia and their sons and daughter. Battaglini farms 30 acres of vines and produces 2500 cases of wine annually. The Battaglinis sell many of their grapes to nearby wineries.

Joe Battaglini proudly pours his wines

The tasting room is small and funky, accented by memorabilia from Joe’s home town, Lucca, and from his Soccer playing days in San Francisco. Tasting fee, scribbled on a chalkboard, is $15 and waived with a purchase. There is no formal tour, but Joe or a family member will give a quick view of the old vines. There are a Bocce court and picnic tables available for use for wine tasters and picnic goers. The wines are good; we especially enjoyed the Proprietor’s Reserve Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. The wines are made “the old-fashion way, like my Dad back in Italy.” The vines are dry farmed and head pruned.

To visit Battaglini, call ahead and schedule a time to visit. This is an entirely family operated winery, with family members performing all the various jobs of growing grapes and marketing wines. It is a straightforward and fun winery, and very much a throwback to the golden days in the California wine scene before wine tourism became popular.

The Big Winery – Gary Farrell

The Terrace at Gary Farrell

The Terrace at Gary Farrell

Gary Farrell Winery is not big by many standards; 3o,000 case production is medium at most. When considering the plush tasting room and elaborate winemaking facilities, we fit Gary Farrell in the big category compared to Battaglini. Gary Farrell established his label in 1982 and completed the construction of the winery in 2000. In a rather shocking turn of events, he sold his winery in 2004 to Allied Domecq. Later the winery was sold to the  Ascentia Wine Group, who in turn sold it to the Vincraft Group in 2011. Vincraft remodeled the tasting room and hired the current winemaker, Theresa Heredia. 

Gary Farrell

One of three tasting levels at Gary Farrell

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are emphasized at Gary Farrell, with small lot and vineyard selection labels. The wines range in price from $35 to $75. The quality is high, and we tasted several beautifully-produced wines. They are exquisite, to say the least. The winery has no vineyards; they choose to source their grapes from top nearby vineyards and some that are outside the Russian River AVA. The tasting experience is well executed, with the staff highly trained and knowledgeable with the Gary Farrell label.

Tasting Choices range from $35 to $75 per person and reservations are required. Make a reservation online or call the winery.

So which winery is better to visit?

There are good reasons to visit each of these two wineries, but your enjoyment will probably depend on your lifestyle. If you like old-fashion, laid back and relaxed with no pretenses, go for Battaglini Winery. If you love to be pampered and desire excellent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, go for the Gary Farrell Winery. My preference always goes to the old timers. Janelle loves the look and feel of the higher-end wineries.  A bottle of wine always has a story to tell. The enjoyment of a bottle of wine increases the better the story behind it.

 

Filed Under: Russian River Valley Tagged With: Battaglini, Gary Farrell

Ultimate Russian River Wine Experience: Benovia – Gary Farrell – Dutton-Goldfield

April 7, 2015 by Joe Becerra

This is a guest post by Stephanie Friedman, the direct-to-consumer manager at Gary Farrell.  I heard through the grapevine about this very interesting wine tour at these three Russian River Valley wineries. Stephanie agreed to give readers of Wine Country Getaways the lowdown on the Ultimate Russian River Wine Experience.

Ultimate Russian River Wine Experience: Benovia – Gary Farrell – Dutton-Goldfield

In the heart of Sonoma County, down the main stretch of highway and along the windy backroads of the renowned Russian River Valley, you can discover some of the most beautiful vineyards producing world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Vineyards so breathtaking in landscape, you can’t help but slow your car down well below the speed limit to snap a quick pic, and wonder where you can find the wines produced from these incredible sites. Well, wonder no longer … The Ultimate Russian River Wine Experience will lead you to them.

Three esteemed wineries have teamed up to offer the ultimate Russian River Valley tour and tasting experience: Benovia, Gary Farrell and Dutton-Goldfield. Three names are known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, each a gem in their own right, yet even better when combined as a day-long, best of the Russian River Valley itinerary.

Benovia house

Benovia House

The day begins with a morning tasting at Benovia Winery, at a rustic ranch house nestled in the midst of their estate vineyards. With the home-style feel comes impeccable hospitality, and of course, exceptional wine. This small winery was built by a family of people who eat, drink and breathe a passion for making something special, and it’s felt throughout the entire tasting of co-owner/winemaker Mike Sullivan’s handcrafted single-vineyard selections, which are known for their exquisite balance and purity of flavor.

gary farrell winery

The terrace at Gary Farrell Winery

After working up an appetite, guests head west to Gary Farrell Winery, a Russian River Valley pioneer perched high on a hillside with a million dollar view overlooking the foggy riverbank. Here, a behind-the-scenes winery tour awaits, highlighting Gary Farrell’s incredible 30+ year history and hallmark winemaking style, one of beautiful balance, elegance and sense of place … a legacy that winemaker Theresa Heredia is both respecting and evolving with her own outstanding thumbprint. After the tour, guests are seated in the winery’s new private salon to savor a tasting of highly-acclaimed single vineyard wines accompanied by an artisan box lunch.

Dutton goldfield Pinot Noir

“Beast & Pinot” at Dutton Goldfield

The afternoon warms up out toward Sebastopol, where Dutton-Goldfield offers guests the option of two fabulous wine and food pairings, crafted by certified Sommelier Nicole Kosta. For charcuterie lovers, the winery’s signature “Beast & Pinot” pairing is the highlight, featuring exquisite Pinot Noirs paired with artisan meat selections. Or, a more traditional option of single vineyard wines and local artisan cheeses is offered. No matter what the choice, the incredibly knowledgeable staff makes the experience both educational and fun.

One day, three wineries, lunch and “beast” pairings … the Ultimate Russian River Wine Experience lives up to its name! Reservations can be made by contacting any one of the wineries – $125 per person, and transportation is offered additionally with 15% savings from Beau Wine Tours for URRWE guests.

Benovia | wineryvisits@benovia.com | 707-921-1040
Gary Farrell| concierge@garyfarrellwinery.com | 707-473-2909
Dutton-Goldfield | nicole@duttongoldfield.com | 707-827-3600

Filed Under: Russian River Valley Tagged With: Benovia, Dutton Goldfield, Gary Farrell, Russian River Valley wine tour

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