The Wine Traveler

Wine Traveler at Rockpile

2008-07-19T15:34:00.000-07:00

Ever hear of the Rockpile AVA? This wine appellation is one hot AVA. Ever since the Wine Spectator named Rosenblum 2003 Rockpile Zinfandel as the number three-rated wine of the year in 2005, wines from this region have been in huge demand. When a winery puts the Rockpile name on its label, it almost an instant sellout. So is this AVA worthy of all this attention?

We have visited the Rockpile region on two occasions and found it to be a very intriguing and somewhat mystifying place. There are no wineries to visit along the rather barren and austere Rockpile Road that runs for 12 miles along the ridge of Lake Sonoma. Who would think of planting grapes on the rocky soil hills of this area? Well Rod and Cathy Park in 1992 did and now there are some 148 acres of mostly Zinfandel but there is also Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, Petite Sirah, Malbec, Merlot, and a small amount of Tannat.

Here is what makes this AVA unique. The Ridge area is 800 to 1200 feet high. The morning fog that is the norm during the summer months of this area is always below this altitude and that means the vineyards have a long day of sunshine. The afternoon winds that whip from the Pacific Ocean about 12 miles away can be fierce. This can cause evaporation in the vines as well as provide comfort from the heat. The hillsides can be steep and rocky and seemingly unfit for growing anything but the endemic vegetation. The vines are stressed and this results in grape clusters that are small, thicked skin, with a small amount of intense juice. This coupled with only 148 acres of vines means a very small supply of this mysterious and rather illustrious wine. We have tasted several Rockpile wines and they are intense, bold, with highly concentrated flavors. These wines go best with grilled red meat. They are big! We recently tried Mauritson 2005 Rockpile Ridge Zinfandel and Stryker’s 2004 Rockpile Cabernet Sauvignon. These two wines are absolutely amazing in my estimation.

Here is who makes Rockpile wines. This is close to a complete list but we may be missing a few. Mauritson Wines owns the most acreage of Rockpile wines, about 34 acres and they make various Rockpile vineyard designated Zinfandels such as Cemetary, Westphall, and Buck’s Pasture. Mauritson will be introducing a Bordeaux Blend and Malbec soon from Rockpile. Other wineries that make a Rockpile wine are Carol Shelton, Valdez, Rosenblum, Branham, JC Cellars, Stryker-Sonoma, Segeshio, and Hobo. Try a bottle and expect to pay about $35 or more, that is if you can find it.

Wine Traveler Visits Michel-Schlumberger Wines

2008-07-13T19:47:00.000-07:00

What we most enjoy about visiting the Dry Creek Valley near Healdsburg is investigating the backroads of this area in search of secret and hidden wineries. Michel-Schlumberger Wines is one those hidden wineries that is tucked away on secluded Wine Creek Road. Michel-Schlumgberger is open to visitors by appointment only and most visitors book the tour and tasting that take place at 11 am or 2 pm.

Michel-Schlumberger has been around since 1979 and that makes it one of the older wineries in the area. All the wines come from their estate vineyards in the Wine Creek Canyon and a portion comes from their vineyards on the slopes of the nearby Bradford Mountain. The winery building and facilities are mission style architecture and there is a beautiful courtyard that leads to the entrance of the winery. The setting is very peaceful and serene. You won’t hear any traffic noise at this location.

On the vineyard tour we learned that Michel-Schlumberger practices organic farming utilizing cover plants and heavy composting. The winery makes only a small amount of wine and most of that is sold off to its wine club that boasts more than 2000 members.

After the vineyard and winery tour, it is time to taste. We tried the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, and the Cabernet Sauvignon. All the wines were excellent but the Syrah and Cabernet were outstanding. The cost of the tour and tasting is $15 and half of that money is donated to the local school district foundation.

To get there, we took the Dry Creek exit off Highway 101 in Healdsburg and headed west. About four miles is the Lambert Bridge Road that crosses over Dry Creek to West Dry Creek Road. On this road there are many small wineries and is a wonderful road to explore. At West Dry Creek take a right and then shortly after a left onto Wine Creek Road.

Wine Traveler Visit Esterlina Vineyards - Anderson Valley

2008-06-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

This is the last of the wineries that we visited on this trip to the Anderson Valley. Esterlina winery is open only by appointment and is about two miles up a dirt road from Highway 128. The views are spectacular from the deck of the Esterlina tasting room.

Esterlina is a tasting room only. The winery makes all the Esterlina wines at a winery far off in the Dry Creek Valley near Healdsburg. The family recently purchased the Everett Ridge Winery on West Dry Creek Road and uses the faculty there to make the Esterlina label. We prefer to visit wineries that have vineyards and a working winery complete with crush equipment, fermenting tanks, and a barrel room, but we felt the trek off the beaten path was well worth it. The wines are very good and we would be hard pressed to find a better view than that from the Esterlina tasting room.

The Sterling Family owns the winery, and they are one of the few African American winemakers and winery owners in California. All the wines we tasted were very well made and enjoyable. We liked the Pinot Noir the best because it is smooth and very full of the typical aromas and flavors of a great Pinot Noir. We also liked the Syrah and Zinfandel wines.

To get to Esterlina, use Handley Cellars as a landmark. Just before you get to Handley driving west, look for a set of mailboxes on a dirt road with the name Holmes Ranch Road and the Mile Marker 17.45. Drive up the dirt road for 2 miles and watch for the sign to the Esterlina tasting room. Don’t forget to call ahead for your appointment.

Wine Traveler Visits Handley Cellars - Anderson Valley

2008-06-08T15:48:00.000-07:00

In our estimation, Handley Cellars ties Navarro Vineyards for the best overall winery in the Anderson Valley. Navarro gets all the press and their tasting room is usually jammed with visitors. Don’t get us wrong Navarro is one of our favorite wineries, but Handley is equal without all the hype.

We tasted six wines and all were very good to excellent. Our favorite red was the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. This is a well-kept secret, the price is $30 at the winery but you can usually find it for less at many well-known wine shops. It is more of a traditional Pinot Noir, not the usual big Pinots we find lately. It is a terrific food wine and we think better tasting than Pinots in the $40 range. The white wines we liked very much were the Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, and the Sauvignon Blanc from Dry Creek. These wines are really excellent and again priced nicely.

Another good thing about Handley Cellars is that they practice organic farming, they are certified, and they make use of solar power.

Milla Handley is the winemaker and her co-winemaker is Kristen Barnhisel. Handley Cellars has a very lovely patio area with picnic tables that give a great view of the Handley vineyards. This is a good choice for a picnic lunch. You will find Handley Cellars on the right side of the highway as you drive west. It is one of the last wineries along this stretch of the Anderson Valley on Highway 128.

If you are in the Anderson Valley, put Handley in your list of top wineries to visit. The others are Navarro, Breggo, Husch, and at least one of the sparkling wineries, both owned by the same owner, and that would be Roederer and Sharffenberger Cellars. Our next post is on Esterlina winery, another good one. Watch for it soon.

Wine Traveler Visits Yorkville Cellars

2008-06-04T08:46:00.000-07:00

As we head west toward Boonville on Highway 128 from Cloverdale, the first wine region we reach is Yorkville Highlands. There are three wineries of note along Highway 128 in this region and the first one we come to is Yorkville Cellars. Yorkville Cellars is a small family-owned winery practicing organic farming. They make nine different wines and produce a total of 1000 cases per year.
We are happy to discover this winery because the wines are very good at reasonable prices and we like the idea of how the winery goes about the business of wines. There is a lot of tender loving care involved. The winery is owned and operated by Deborah & Edward Wallo who purchased the property in 1988. The first wines were made in 1994. Edward is the winemaker along with the consulting winemaker, Greg Graziano. The estate vineyards surround the tasting room and there are a couple of picnic tables available for lunch. The wines are not made at the vineyards in Yorkville but at a winemaking facility in Ukiah.

Our favorite wine of the six we tasted was the 2006 Sauvignon Blanc. It is one of the best Sauvignon Blancs we have tasted, so good in fact that we purchase a case. This wine in our estimation is very underrated. Yorkville also makes a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Merlot, a Petite Verdot, and a couple of Bordeaux blends.

If you are traveling through these parts, don’t pass this winery by; it is one of the best and one of the more interesting wineries as you make your way to the Anderson Valley. The winery is located about 17 miles from the Highway 101 turnoff at Cloverdale.

Wine Traveler in the Anderson Valley of Mendocino - Boonville

2008-05-22T17:09:00.000-07:00

Here we are in the famed Anderson Valley of Mendocino County. This is the land of Pinot Noir and Alsatian varietal wines. On this trip we are exploring the wineries in this area that are found along Highway 128 West, the beautiful Highway that leads from Highway 101 to the Pacific Ocean.

There are actually two distinct wine regions along this stretch of Highway 128. Besides the Anderson Valley there is the Yorkville wine region. The Yorkville, just west of Highway 101, takes a backseat to the more famous Anderson Valley, but nonetheless there are wineries in Yorkville making terrific wines from this wine region.

We are spending the night in Boonville at the Boonville Hotel. Boonville is the main town on Highway 128, and supposedly the center point of this wine area. The Boonville Hotel has a restaurant that has been recommended in many travel and wine magazines, most recently the Wine Spectator. Unfortunately, the night we are lodging at the hotel the restaurant is closed. It is only open Thursday to Sunday. Our room is tiny and we are paying $140 per night, and this is discounted $35 because the restaurant is closed. What a deal!

The town of Boonville has few fun things to do if you are not visiting tasting rooms. There is a gourmet coffee shop and bakery and a café with very good organic delights. In nearby Philo, there is an apple farm to visit and Hendy Redwoods State Park for some beautiful hiking trails.

There are a few restaurants in town other than the Boonville Hotel restaurant. There is the Boonville Lodge and Lauren’s Place. Lauren’s Place is the local’s hangout and that is where we decide to dine for dinner. Our meal is decent, nothing to brag about but better than we expected. The wine list has many local wines at great prices for a restaurant. We had an Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah for $25. This wine sells for $22 in wine shops.

This is our first stay in Boonville and most likely our last. We much prefer to drive to the town of Mendocino, about an hour’s drive from Boonville. The ocean is so beautiful at Mendocino and there are a plethora of great restaurants and B&B’s to enjoy. Ignore the travel mags and head straight to Mendocino and visit the wineries along the way. We will blog our favorites in our next few posts.

Wine Traveler Visits Norman Vineyards in Paso Robles

2008-05-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

Norman Vineyards is one of the wineries on a wine trail called “The Far Out Wineries of Paso Robles.” These wineries were so hidden off Highway 46 West that wine visitors were few and far between. With a great PR move, the wineries banded together to form this association complete with a great little brochure guide that you can pick up at the visitor center in town. We highly recommend following this trail, the roads are beautiful and each winery on the trail offers something a little different to the wine traveler.

From Highway 46 West take a right onto Vineyard Drive and after you pass Opolo winery look for Norman Vineyards. Norman is family owned and famous for the Zinfandel that they have aptly name Monster Zin. Stop here and taste for $5 some very good wines. The $5 fee is waived if you buy a case. That one, is a first for us.

The Monster Zin is a big bold Zinfandel that is as big as its name. You can find it at many supermarkets and fine wine shops, it is Norman’s flagship wine. Perhaps a bigger Zin is the Norman Old Vine Zinfandel that actually comes from old vine grapes grown in, if you can believe it, Cucamonga. Yes, that area way down south where is hot and dry. Of the two wines, the Cucamonga-grown Zinfandel was more to our liking than the Monster Zin. The Syrah was also quite tasty and impressive.

The winery has a beautiful picnic area and we suggest you bring your picnic lunch here and grab one of the Norman wines and just take an hour or so to enjoy the peacefulness of the area.

By the way, they also have an Elvis cardboard cutout in the tasting room that is very lifelike. We shot this photo of some young ladies who, after tasting the Monster Zin, thought that they were actually hanging with Elvis.

Wine Traveler Visits Harmony Cellars in Paso Robles

2008-04-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

Harmony Cellars is in the Paso Robles wine region but it is so far west you need to travel to end of Highway 46 West to Highway 1. The winery is located in the tiny town of Harmony, population 18.

The best thing about Harmony Cellars is its location at the top of a hill. The view here is very spectacular. There are picnic tables and an arbor where one can sit and enjoy the view of the countryside below. It is a very peaceful setting on a warm day and the ideal spot for a picnic lunch with a glass of chilled white wine.

Harmony Cellars does not have any vineyards to view. All the grapes come from the inland areas of Paso Robles. The winery offers tastings of all of its wines for a tasting fee of $3.00. The prices of the wine range from around $10 to $36. The best of the wines we tasted was the Chardonnay. The rest were nice wines but nothing we wanted to purchase. The tasting room has lots of wine related merchandise for sale and it is fun to browse around.

After visiting Harmony Cellars we retraced our path on Highway 1 and headed north to the ocean town of Cambria. The town of Cambria has many interesting boutique shops and one can easily spend half a day here. As far as eating there are lots places in Cambria or you can have a wonderful lunch overlooking the ocean on the deck of the Moonstone Beach Bar and Grill, which is just on the outskirts of Cambria.

If you are spending a few days in the Paso Robles wine regions, this day trip is a one way to cool off when the days are hot inland.

Wine Traveler Visits Vina Robles in Paso Robles

2008-04-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

Vina Robles is a very new winery in Paso Robles wine country that just opened a new mission style facility last summer. We found Vina Robles about 3 miles from downtown Paso Robles on Highway 46 East. Vina Robles is quite an impressive winery. The tasting room is perhaps one of the most elegant and beautiful that we have ever visited. That is saying a lot because we estimate we have been to at least 400 tasting rooms throughout our travels.

One of the things that took us totally by surprise is that the Vina Robles facility here on 46 East is solely a hospitality center and not a working winery. We thought for sure, because of its size, we would find a barrel room, fermenting tanks, and all the equipment that goes into winemaking. Not so. All the winemaking is presently done at a custom crush facility. The winery is planning on building their own winemaking center in a couple of years. It will be at another location in the Paso Robles area and not open to the public. The hospitality center is large enough to host all types of events, indoors or on their beautiful outdoor patio. Everything about Vina Robles is grand. Even the parking lot is immense.

We tasted several wines and found them to be very well made. The prices of the wines range from moderate to expensive and in line with those at other Paso Robles wineries. Our three favorite wines were the Roseum, the Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Petite Syrah. We did find ourselves a fantastic deal. The dry Rose, the Roseum, was on sale for $7.15. There were making room for their next vintage and this is quite a bargain. We purchased one case and if we'd had room in our car, we would have purchased two cases. That is how much we liked this wine at that price.

If you are in Paso Robles, take time to visit this winery. The tasting room is worth the time. Next door to Vina Robles is the Robert Hall winery. This is another beauty and this facility opened a couple of years ago. Visiting both these wineries is quite an experience for Paso Robles wineries. Most of the wineries in Paso Robles are small and quaint, not Napa like. These two would definitely fit into the Napa mode.

One more interesting tidbit for this California winery, a Swiss man, Hans Nef, owns the winery and he also has a Swiss winemaker, Matthias Gubler.

Paso Robles - Where to Eat

2008-04-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

The best area for restaurant selection in Paso Robles is around the City Park. There are a number of excellent choices to dine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

On our last trip we tried Artisan Restaurant for dinner for a second time. The restaurant has been open about 18 months and the place is hopping, and for good reason. The food is outstanding and the service terrific. The menu is varied and is matched by a splendid list of local wines. The Artisan is definitely our top choice for dining in Paso Robles.

Our second night on our recent trip we dined at the Buona Tavola restaurant. This is a small Italian restaurant that has been there since we have been making Paso Robles a regular wine country getaway. The food is very good and the prices are definitely a value. So is the wine list that has many local wines. We have eaten here six times and have never been disappointed; you cannot go wrong at Buona Tavola. The atmosphere is not the greatest, but this doesn’t stop the locals from gathering here.

Another favorite of ours is Bistro Laurent. This restaurant offers up great French food in a formal setting. The food is a little more expensive but the meals are delicious. Our other recommendations are Villa Creek, Berry Hill Bistro, and the Basil Thai restaurant.

For lunch, breakfast, or to pick up a deli lunch for a wine country picnic, the Odyssey Café or Panilvo offer the best fare and high quality food. Please feel free to comment on these restaurants or any other you think should be on the list. Go to Wine Country Getaways for a complete listing of Paso Robles restaurants and links to their Web sites.

Wine Traveler in Paso Robles Wine Country

2008-04-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

We have been traveling to the Paso Robles wine country since 1999. From that first trip to the present, the Paso Robles wine region has changed remarkably. First and foremost, the wineries have increased in number from just a handful to over 100 wineries. The downtown area now boasts fancy and chic restaurants, boutique shopping, and several lavish tasting rooms around the famous City Park plaza. The earthquake of December 2003 was devastating but a rebuilding has resulted in a chic little downtown area reminiscent of Healdsburg in Sonoma County. We visited again in March 2008 and found more wineries and restaurants to explore and visit. Based on our travels to Paso Robles wine country, here are our recommendations.

Where to Stay in Paso Robles

We always stay at the Paso Robles Inn. The rooms are clean and well-equiped. We stay in the new area of the Inn that was rebuilt after the earthquake. The prices are very reasonable especially during the week. Best of all, you can walk out your door to enjoy your breakfast and dinner at one the several gourmet restaurants around the City Park downtown area. There are no worries about drinking and driving.

There is also a new fancy hotel in the downtown area by the name of Hotel Cheval Inn. This is a totally upscale place to stay and the room rates are above $300 per night.

The Marriott just opened a new Courtyard hotel, but it is not within walking distance to the downtown area. Take a look at the lodging list on Wine Country Getaways for more lodging listings.

Wine Traveler visits the Dry Creek Inn - Healdsburg

2007-12-15T10:15:00.001-08:00

Healdsburg’s Best Western Dry Creek Inn recently opened a completely new section to its inn. The section is Tuscan style and has 60 rooms that are quite a step up from the older rooms. The room we stayed in was spacious and equipped with a gas fireplace, flat screen TV, jetted tub, and wireless Internet access. Outside our sliding door were a patio, spa, and an outdoor fireplace. The weather was so cold we could not take advantage of the outdoors but we sure did love the gas fireplace.

The new section contains the Krug Event Center, a fitness room, and a large room where breakfast is served to guests. The Krug Event Center (no relation to the Charles Krug Winery) is a facility for business conferences, weddings, and the like.

Every thing was wonderful about our stay, especially the price. We paid $90 for our room. But, there is one major mistake in each room like ours that is sure to make guests unhappy. Our first thought was what a blunder, what a nightmare! The problem is there is no way to turn on the shower without getting sprayed with cold water. The shower is tiny by any standard but in order to turn on the hot and cold water you must be in the shower. Unless you have unusually long arms, there is no way around this. We asked the management about it and he said it would be taken care of soon. Wow, what a gaffe.

Healdsburg has become quite the popular wine town and you can bet that these rooms will be hard to come by on weekends beginning in the spring and through the fall months. Winter is a good time to find deals here. Lodging in Healdsburg is expensive and it is extremely hard to find a good value in this town. Perhaps the addition of this section to the Dry Creek Inn will ease the crunch and bring the prices back to a reasonable level. I am not holding my breath.

The Dry Creek Inn is located on Dry Creek Road just east of the Dry Creek Exit off Highway 101 in Healdsburg. It is one mile from the main part of town and there are many wineries within east driving distance.

Wine Traveler Visits Stryker-Sonoma Winery

2007-12-11T07:47:00.000-08:00

Stryker is fairly new winery in the Alexander Valley of Sonoma County. The first impression when you walk toward the entrance is the elegance. The owners obviously spared no expenses. The building is a beauty nestled among the vineyards of the Alexander Valley. The tasting room is a large and spacious open room. Picture windows behind the tasting counter fill the tasting room with light and gorgeous views of the vineyards.

Best of all, the elegance of Stryker extends to their wines. Stryker has a good selection of estate vineyards, like their old vine Zinfandel just outside the door. But many of their wines are produced from grapes purchased from specific vineyards, like Speedy Creek in Knight's Valley. Stryker makes a large number of different wines. They have around 15 different labels of wines and most of them are made in small size lots. In total they make as much as 20,000 cases annually.

The wines we tasted on our visit were all tasty but two absolutely blew us away. The first was a Sangiovese with a screw top. The price is $25 for this delicious full-bodied Sangiovese. The second wine was a Petit Verdot from the Speedy Creek Vineyard in the Knights Valley. This is a 100 percent Petit Verdot and it has layers of juicy flavors throughout. The price is $32.

If you like to enjoy a picnic lunch, we highly recommend Stryker. Their picnic area is among the best and most attractive in the Alexander Valley.

Stryker is located on Highway 128. See Google Map for directions.

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The Wine Traveler Visits Mauritson Wines

2007-12-07T14:34:00.000-08:00

You can’t miss the big olive green barn structure as you drive along Dry Creek Road near Healdsburg. This is where the Mauritson Family makes their wines. Although one of the newer wineries on the Dry Creek Road, the family has been around for as long as anyone in the Dry Creek Valley. Before becoming a winery, the family farmed vast acres of vineyards and sold grapes to many a vintner in the Dry Creek and elsewhere. All of this started back in 1884. In the 1990’s the Mauritson family decide to make their own wines. Clay Mauritson is the wine maker while the rest of the family tends to the vines and other winery business.

This is one of the very few wineries where I am a wine club member. The reason I joined the wine club at Mauritson was to get my hands on the wines from the Rockpile AVA. There are only about 160 acres of vineyards in Rockpile and the Mauritson Family happens to own 34 of those. As a wine club member, you have first shot at buying these wines and there is a six-bottle limit of each label that you can purchase. At a futures party, we barrel tasted the Rockpile wines and they all seem like they will be very good.

We took a wine tour of Rockpile last summer and were amazed that it is possible to grow grapes there. First of all the location is deep into the recesses of the Dry Creek Valley. From the top of Rockpile you can see Lake Sonoma deep down in the valley. By the way, the Mauritson family once owned tons of acres there but the Government pulled “Eminent Domain” on them so the Army Corp of Engineers could build Lake Sonoma. The Rockpile area is above the summer fog line so it gets lots of sun. The hillsides are very rocky and dry. A fierce afternoon wind, along with the dry soil, stresses the vines to grow deep into the rocks. The results are grape clusters with small berries and thick skins and thus the opportunity to produce wines that are very rich and complex with flavors.

Somehow the Mauritson Rockpile wines are very smooth despite the high alcohol content, usually around 15%. The Mauritsons make three or four vineyard designated Rockpile wines, such as Cemetery or Jack’s Cabin Zinfandel. They also make a rich Petite Syrah and next year will be releasing a Rockpile Malbec for the first time.

The staff at Mauritson is one of the friendliest around. It is like one big happy family. The Mauritson winery is a delight to visit.

Wine Traveler Visit Organically Certified Preston Vineyards

2007-11-19T16:12:00.000-08:00

Preston Vineyards is a lovely tasting room to visit. It is located at the very end of one of California wine country's most beautiful backroads, West Dry Creek Road. A few years back, Preston was a quiet winery, a secret and hidden gem. However, in recent years Preston Vineyards has been featured in some well-known wine publications. I’m sure the publicity has been good for owners Lou and Sue Preston but for some of us long-time visitors, we prefer the old days where it was one of Dry Creek's best kept secrets.

On our recent visit, the tasting room was jammed. Granted the room is of modest size, but we are not accustomed to waiting for a spot at the tasting bar. Another change since our last visit, Preston now charges a $5.00 tasting fee. The good thing is that the tasting fee can be applied to the purchase of wine. And, oh yes, the wines have gone up in price quite a bit. But, then again, what California wines have not, they all seem to somehow leap frog the inflation rate.

Preston is still producing good quality wines from its organically certified vineyards. In 2001, Lou and Sue decided to scale back their case production and focus their attention on making wines only from the best of their estate vineyards. The rest of the vineyards are sold to various other wineries. The result is about 8000 cases of very good wines and recognition from the wine experts. In 2005, the winery was officially certified for its organic farming and practices.

Beside the wines, Preston makes olive oils and has a full-sized kitchen for baking bread. The grounds are quiet and serene with a very cozy picnic area. This is a great spot for a picnic lunch and we suggest you try the delicious and different Rousanne, a white Rhone wine.

To get to Preston take the Dry Creek Exit from highway 101. Drive west 7 miles to the Yoakim Bridge. There is a stop sign here and Yoakim Bridge Vineyards is on the left. Cross the bridge and turn right onto West Dry Creek Road. Travel along West Dry Creek Road to the end and follow the signs to Preston. If you get to Bella Vineyards, you've missed the turn to the right.

The Wine Traveler at Lambert Bridge Winery – Best Picnic Spot in Dry Creek Valley

2007-11-04T09:01:00.001-08:00

Bar none, the Lambert Bridge Winery, near Healdsburg CA. has the one of the prettiest picnic areas in California wine country. As we mentioned in our last blog post, the Dry Creek area is no longer a secret and hidden area. On weekends tourists flock to the Dry Creek Valley so much so that often all accommodation in nearby Healdsburg are booked solid. A better choice is to visit the Dry Creek area and Lambert Bridge during the week. From San Francisco, you can get to Lambert Bridge in about 1.5 to 2 hours depending on traffic through Santa Rosa.

Lambert Bridge is located on the very quiet side of the Dry Creek Valley on West Dry Creek Road. The fall is definitely the best time to picnic here but really any time of the year is wonderful. The best way to get to Lambert Bridge is take the Dry Creek Exit off 101 and head west about four miles to the Lambert Bridge Road. Turn left, and this road takes you to the Lambert Bridge and over Dry Creek to West Dry Creek Road. Turn left to Lambert Bridge Winery. Before you turn left to go over Lambert Bridge you may want to stop and buy your picnic lunch at the Dry Creek General Store. Rumor has it that the store, founded in 1881, is now owned by Gina Gallo.

I’m a little disappointed at some of the changes that have taken place at the Lambert Bridge winery in recent years. Now there is a tasting fee of $10 and the wines have jumped in price. I say, forget tasting here, just stop in the tasting room and to the left is a small wine cooler. Pull out a chilled bottle of their delicious Sauvignon Blanc and when you pay for the wine ask the server for glasses. Then enjoy a wonderful and relaxing picnic lunch.

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Wine Traveler in Dry Creek Valley - Zichichi Family Vineyards

2007-11-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

The Dry Creek Valley near the town of Healdsburg is one of my favorite places to visit. Sad to say, but in recent years it has been discovered not only by tourists but by wineries as well. It seems that each time we visit, we discover a new winery that has recently opened. It is hard to keep up. About a year ago the Zichichi Family Vineyards opened its tasting room and last week was our first chance to visit. Zichichi is located on what I think is the most wonderful backroad in wine country, West Dry Creek Road. This is a pretty little road that winds along Dry Creek Valley and ends at Bella Vineyards. You have to drive slowly because around each bend it’s likely you will meet up with bicyclists.

So here is the deal on Zichichi Family Vineyards. Steve Zichichi purchased his Dry Creek Vineyards of Zinfandel and Petite Syrah vines in 2000. In November of 2006 he opened his beautiful winery and tasting room. The tasting room is nicely done but the best part is the view from the deck. It was absolutely stunning on our visit as a partly cloudy sky beamed rays of sunshine on the fall colored vineyards.

Steve Zichichi happened to be in the tasting room and it was nice to talk to the owner and hear about his wines. The only bottle of wine we could taste was the 2005 Old Vine Zinfandel that spent about 19 months in the barrel. It was delicious. His 2005 Cab and Petite Sirah were sold out. Then Steve took us back into the barrel room where we sampled the 2006 Napa Cabernet and the 2006 Petite Sirah. These wines won’t be bottled until next year but are being currently offered as “futures.” The Petite was so good in the barrel that we went for a half a case on the “future” at $40 a pop. This is way more than we like to pay for wine, but we could not resist. We got caught up in the moment.

To get to Zichichi you will have to pass up many an inviting tasting room along the way. From Highway 101 take the Dry Creek Exit and head west along Dry Creek Road. Drive 7 miles to the Yoakim Bridge. There is a stop sign here and Yoakim Bridge Vineyards is on the left. Cross the bridge and turn right onto West Dry Creek Road.

The Wine Traveler Looks Back at Spain

2007-10-16T18:15:00.001-07:00

We are back in the good old USA after a fabulous four-week adventure in Spain. We would like to return again to experience more of the Spanish lifestyle and their wonderful food and wine. We have learned much on this trip and this will surely help us on our next Spanish adventure.

The wine region of La Rioja is one area where we would love to spend more time. We would spend at least three full days there, and stay in one of the small La Rioja towns. We missed out on the tour and tasting at the amazing Bodega Marques de Riscal. We would love to tour the inside of the Bodega Ysios (Photo).

While in Barcelona we did manage a 45-minute train trip to the Cava town of Sant Sadurni and a tour at Freixnet, but there is much more to explore near Barcelona than Cava. The D.O. of Priorat and Penedes are nearby with much to explore there.

During our trip we rented an apartment with friends in both Madrid and San Sebastian. We found this to be a plus for several reasons. In our apartment we were able to eat a healthy breakfast in and prepare a small dinner. We usually made our lunch at a restaurant our main meal of the day.

Having a car is a must if you are going to explore the small towns and the wineries. We soon discovered we should have rented a car with a G.P.S. system. Although we had detailed Google maps, we still got lost frequently. What good are street maps if you cannot find the street signs, or when you find the street you see that it’s closed to vehicles?

As far as guidebooks, we found the Rough Guide to be the most useful. Frommer’s was also good. The Rough Guide had valuable information on many of the smaller towns not listed in the other guidebooks. They also have a very useful section on wine and that is how we discovered the wine museum in Briones.

We found the following books very useful and studied them for months to plan the itinerary of our trip:

“Discovering Spain, An Uncommon Guide,” by Penelope Casas
“Let’s Open a Bottle, My Journey through the Spanish Wine Revolution,” by Brian Murdock
“The New Spain, A Complete Guide to Contemporary Spanish Wine,” by John Radford

“My Maps” is a new Google feature and we found it to be immensely helpful in plotting potential places to visit. You put in the address you want, a pinpoint shows the spot on the map, and you can add a description and save it to your map of Spain. It is a great planning tool.

Finally, that dollar of ours!

Wine Traveler Visits Cavas Freixenet

2007-10-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

Cava is what Spain calls its sparkling wine. The Cava region is just south of Barcelona. We decided on our last day in Spain to visit at least one winery in this region. It is a very easy 45-minute train trip from Placa de Catalunya station to the train stop in the town of Sant Sadurni d’Anoia.

There are two big bodegas that produce Cava within walking distance of this train stop, Freixenet and Codorniu. We stopped in at Freixenet first because it is directly in front of the train station. Codorniu is about a 20-minute walk away. Here, we are told that both of these bodegas offer wine tours and tasting by appointment only. Fortunately at Freixenet it was a light visitor day, and we were able to book a 12:45 tour in English.

We had time to kill so we walked into the town of Sant Sadurni. What we found was Cava land. It seems that this tiny town is all about Cava. It bills itself as the “Capital del Cava.” Each year the town celebrates the Cava harvest with various festivities. There are banners hanging from high street lights advertising the celebration that runs from September 26 to October 14. The town is so into Cava that even its metal auto barriers are in the shape of Champagne corks. As we walked the town streets, we found several small bodegas that produce Cava.

The Freixenet winery is the leading exporter of Cava wine in Spain. Each year they ship millions of bottles of their sparkling wine throughout the world and much of it to the U.S. The tour is one and a half hours long and includes a ride on a trolley that takes us throughout the mammoth facility. The winery has a storage capacity of one hundred eighty million bottles. Just imagine how much space that requires. The tour concludes in their beautiful tasting room where we are able to sample the Freixenet Brut. Freixenet also has a huge merchandise and wine shop. The only things that we’re willing to carry home are a mouse pad and a serving tray.

On a side note, one of the four current family owners is Gloria Ferrer, who also happens to own the Gloria Ferrer Winery in Sonoma County’s Carneros wine region.

We wish we had more time to visit one of the other cava producers and explore the surrounding vineyards of this area, but tomorrow it is time to head home. We definitely would’ve visited Bodega Torres, another two train stops away. We have enjoyed our visits to Marimar Torres in the Russian River Valley, owned by a family member of owners of Bodega Torres.

Our trip to Spain has been a wonderful experience. We will definitely be shopping for Spanish wines to add to our cellar and regular consumption.

Wine Traveler in Barcelona

2007-10-08T08:51:00.001-07:00

Barcelona is the last leg of our four-week trip to Spain. We are staying at the Hotel Montecarlo located on one of the busiest streets in the world, La Rambla. Getting to Barcelona was easier than we expected. From San Sebastian we returned our car at the San Sebastian airport and hopped on a turbo jet to Barcelona. From the airport it is a 20-minute bus ride to the Placa Catalunya and then about a quarter mile walk with bags to the Hotel Montecarlo.

This is by far the most cosmopolitan city we have visited in Spain. There are tourists from all over the world. There is a constant stream of people on La Rambla and side streets. In the Barrio Gothic there are many narrow streets that intertwine and provide a great adventure.

Barcelona is all about food, wine, cerveza, sangria, and socializing. Half the fun is eating and drinking in Barcelona. Tapas, Tapas, Tapas! You can stop at one of the many tapas bars and order three small dishes for a set Euro price that is quite reasonable. A very nice tapas lunch with a cerveza or cupa de vino is under 10 Euros at most regular tapas joints. If you are not having tapas, then it has to be a very filling dinner of one of the seven types of Paella that are served in Barcelona.

Along La Rambla there is a center walkway where numerous street performers work. Many had very innovative trades. We were quite amused by an older fellow who obviously was at one point in his life, a fantastic soccer player. He entertained the youngsters with various soccer tricks that were quite amazing. We were surprised at the money these people are making at this trade.

On Sunday morning we were delighted to come upon some of the locals in the Placa de La Seu, joining hands in a circle and dancing a local folk dance to the music of about 5 musicians sitting in front of the Cathedral Santa Lucia. We then followed a local marching band, which led priests and altar boys through the narrow streets. We ended up in a plaza near the City Hall which was filled with boisterous protesters appearing to be
supporters of a separate Catalan state. Quite a morning!

We have been to Barcelona before so we are skipping the usual tourist attractions this time around. We are just going to spend time walking, eating, and enjoying good vino. By the way, we discovered a white wine from La Rioja that may be our favorite yet. It is made from the grape Viura. We had a bottle of this wine from the Bodega Conde de Valdemar. We hope this wine is available at home.

Tomorrow, we are taking a short 40-minute-train ride to the nearby Cava town of
Sant Sadurni d’Anoia.

The Wine Traveler Visits the Museo Guggenheim Bilbao

2007-10-05T03:32:00.001-07:00

A couple of blog posts back, we wrote about our visit to the Bodegas Marques de Riscal designed by Frank Gehry. We mentioned the word “gaudy” and suggested we did not care for the design of the Bodega. We have to admit that was a very premature judgment. After all, we did not see the bodega close up and were only able to view the top portion of the building.

After visiting the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao we have a much different opinion of the works of Frank Gehry. The Guggenheim in Bilbao is mesmerizing. The more you gaze at the structure, the more you are drawn to it. The titanium façade and various forms and shapes are almost hypnotic. Somehow Gehry’s ultra modern design fits perfectly into the landscape of the city. It is fascinating, astonishing, and beautiful.

Not only is the outside a wonder, so is the inside. Even though our visit was limited to the first floor (the other two floors were closed due to some unknown project), we viewed unusual supports, structures. and walls that were startling. The building is so amazing and interesting that art exhibits themselves are secondary. If the entire museum had been open, it would’ve been worth a whole day’s visit. There is a store, a café, and a classy restaurant for a rest or lunch break.

We chose to dine in the upscale Kursaal Restaurant in the Guggenheim. All our guidebooks rave about this restaurant. The décor is fabulous, the service impeccable. Too bad the meal did not match. We spent 300 Euros for the six of us for a lunch that was very inconsistent. We were disappointed. Maybe it is because we live in such a fabulous mecca for restaurants in the S.F. Bay area, but no meal in Spain has yet to “knock our socks off.”

Our advice is not to try to drive to or into Bilbao by car. There are buses that leave every half hour from San Sebastian, and they are the easiest way to get there. The trip is worth it for the Guggenheim; otherwise, as far as we could see, Bilbao has little to recommend itself to the traveler.

The Wine Traveler in San Sebastian

2007-10-04T02:31:00.000-07:00

We have arrived in the northeast city of San Sebastian/Donostia. Since San Sebastian is in Basque country, like all city names, it has its Spanish version and its Basque version (Donostia). We have rented a four-bedroom apartment with easy access to the beach and the old part of town. Our apartment has a full kitchen and a comfortable living room. We will be spending four full days here relaxing and dining. The weather is not the greatest with days partly cloudy and some rain. The temperature is in the 70’s and it is quite humid.

The main attractions in San Sebastian are the bay and its beach. This is vacationland for many Spaniards who come from southern Spain to escape the summer heat. It first became popular when the Spanish queen took her summers here in the late 1800’s. Her summer palace here has been converted into City Hall. The beach view from our rooftop patio is magnificent.

Within easy walking distance of our apartment we find a huge supermercado where we can buy all we need for breakfast, appetizers, and a nice variety of wine. We find panderias, produce markets, and fish and seafood stands where farmers sell their goods.

This part of town is very expensive. The shops are upscale and pricey. With the dollar weak, the price of items is quite expensive. The best deals for us are the food and the wine.

As far as wine, there is a tradition in San Sebastian with their local Txakoli (cha ko’ lee) wine. This wine comes from vineyards in the surrounding Basque land. It is a dry white wine, with slight acidity and a bit of effervescence. The bartenders serve the wine into Txaloli glasses, almost the size of traditional beer glasses. There is a pourer that has a flap on it, and the wine is poured from at least three feet high to further aerate the wine. Very interesting.

Tomorrow we plan to visit the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.

Wine Traveler at Museo De La Cultura Del Vino

2007-10-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

In the La Rioja wine town of Briones, Spain, we visited a most amazing and fantastic wine museum and wine cultural center. The museum was created and developed by Bodegas DiNastia Vivanco, a family with a long tradition of winemaking in La Rioja.

It is hard to describe this wine museum unless you have actually been here and gone through the exhibits. It is comprehensive yet not overwhelming. We have nothing like this in the California wine country. We do have Copia in Napa, but this is much much more.

The museum does not focus on Rioja wine, but wine in general. It is a self guided tour that takes the visitors through 6 wine themes and four floors that include the history of wine, how wine is made, works of art depicting wine, and a magnificent collection of corkscrews, serving vessels, wine goblets and glasses. There are several video presentations which are short but brilliant. One of our favorite video exhibits was the time-lapse photography of a year in the vineyards. From bud break to harvest, the year of the vine is presented to the viewer on a collage of screens.

Another favorite exhibit is the wine aroma station. Here the visitor can test their senses for twenty different aromas found in various varietals of wines. We have done this elsewhere, but nowhere did we feel the different aromas were as exact as at this museum.

The tour ends with a degustacion (wine tasting) where we each taste and drink a delicious glass of Rioja wine. This is a very memorable experience, one I will not soon forget.

Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos inside the museum, so we are unable to show photographs of any of the exhibits. The top photo is the medieval town of Briones, the middle photo, the museum, and the bottom photo, a sculpture outside the museum.

The Wine Traveler in La Rioja

2007-09-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

Rioja DO is the oldest and most famous of all the wine regions in Spain. We spent an entire day exploring the area. Too bad we did not have a week to spend here; it is such an interesting spot with so much to see. With the Iberian mountain range as the backdrop and the River Ebro meandering on the valley floor though beautiful vineyards, the vistas are stunning, Each small country road we travel leads to small La Rioja towns surrounded by vineyards and Bodegas. Most of the Bodegas we pass are very old, many built in the 19th century. But then, some are very new and modern ones like the two wineries we visit, the Bodegas Marques de Riscal and the Bodegas Ysios.

In the small town of Elciego, we visited the very bizarre winery of Marques de Riscal. This bodega is one of the oldest in Spain, established in 1860. This winery has been at the forefront of introducing modern wine making to this region. Marques de Riscal recently opened this new bodega complete with a hotel. It was designed by Frank Gehry and is a totally gaudy structure that is a wonder to behold in this small medieval town. It is a must see and very popular tourist spot. We missed the English tour so we missed out on seeing the inside of the winery. The bodega does have a tasting room and café and a store where you can purchase wine.

About 10 minutes away in the town of Laguardia and tucked against the mountains is the amazing Bodegas Ysios. It is closed to the public, but you can drive to the winery, park your car and wander through the vineyards. What a spectacular sight against the mountains.
Rioja wine region produces both red and white wines, but Tempranillo that produces vino tinto is the grape of choice. Harvesting is going on in much of the area on our visit but the following week will bring the peak of the harvest.

Our hotel is in Burgos, about an hour and half driving distance to La Rioja. Next time we visit Spain, and we certainly plan to do that again, we will stay in one of many grand hotels in one of the small La Rioja towns. This is truly a spectacular area with a beauty all of its own.

The Wine Traveler in Madrid

2007-09-27T11:02:00.001-07:00

At last, we have met up with our friends. Miraculously, we have managed to drive our car in Madrid and find the apartment we have rented in the center of the city. We have rented a three-room apartment on Calle de Estudios from an agency called Friendly Rentals. One of their reps meets us at the apartment to show us the place and give us the keys. The location is fantastic. The Plaza Mayor is about 5-minutes walking distance. There are tons of stores for shopping, restaurants, tapas, and wine bars within easy walking distance. The only glitch is the car. We have to park the car in the underground parking lot conveniently located nearby, but the cost is 25 Euros per day. Ouch!

Our two full days in Madrid are full of activity. Nearby is a market where we shop and stock up on the necessities. Café, leche, aqua, paper products, breakfast items, Manchego cheese, olives, and the like. We plan to eat breakfast in and have lunch and dinner out.. You can buy good wine at the wine bars or as we did at the El Corte Ingles, a wonderful department store somewhat like Bloomindale’s back home.

The Plaza Mayor is a must stop for anyone visiting Madrid. It is truly the ultimate people watching place and a gathering spot for tourists and locals. Our weather is perfect for sitting out on the Plaza Mayor and enjoying a glass of sherry or Verdejo.

The Prado is one of the greatest museums in the world. We take a casual walk to the Museum. We see the works of of Rembrandt, El Greco, Ruebens, Velasquez, Goya, Rafael, and Caravaggio to name a few. It is quite a remarkable museum. Just down the street is another fantastic museum, the Reina Sofia, devoted to 20th century artists. Here we see the works of Picasso, Salvardor Dali, and Joan Miro.

Another attraction to behold is the Royal Palace (photo). To tour this spectacular Palace takes about an hour and is within walking distance of the Plaza Mayor. The Palacio Royale reflects the glory of Spain as it grew into a world power by the 16th Century. The original Palace had been destroyed by fire in 1734 and was rebuilt by Philip V and his successors. An added feature is the medieval armoury on the left of the palace that houses various suits of armor and weapons. It is truly a wonder and something not to be missed if you are in Madrid.

Eating in Madrid

Half the fun of being in Madrid is the food and wine. The most difficult task of dining out is selecting a restaurant. There are so many and they all look so good and inviting. Most restaurants in Madrid have a “Menu del dia.” This is the best deal and is usually posted outside the restaurant along with their regular menu. You may have to ask your waiter for it. This menu has a list of items for primo, segundo, and postre (dessert). Tapas bars are a little different than restaurants. The courses are small. You can make a meal out of it but it is a more casual dining experience. Desayuno is breakfast. Café con leche is the norm for Americans unless you want espresso.

After dinner on one of our nights in Madrid, I happened upon a group of Americans behaving badly. I decided to take their photo. This group is definitely having too much fun.