Truett Hurst Winery

SCdaytrips-0313_Layout 1 3/12/13 12:36 PM Page 1 Spring/Summer 2013 Sonoma County Preferred Wine Country DAY TRIPS T R I NINE P S WINE TASTING from9 Cloverdale to Sonoma A publication of FORTYSIX 46TASTING ROOM REVIEWS plus Dining Directory and Varietals Chart www.WineCountryThisWeek.com Eastside Bunch Rockpile R U S S IA Alexander N D FRITZ U R T IV C Valley Lake H E R E R C R Sonoma E E K FERRARI-CARANO 101 DUTCHER CROSSING STEWART’S PO INT R D CANYO N R Downtown D. DRY CREEK RD. FORCHINI FAMILY WINERIES OF DRY CREEK VALLEY Dry Creek TRUETT HURST KOKOMO WINERY Healdsburg and Dry TRATTORE ESTATE WINES DRY CREEK VNYD Alexander Valley Creek DRY CREEK RD. Valley W . D 128 R Y C TTO S R LY N SPG Pages 28-32 E Pages 11-20 E ALEXANDER K R D . VALLEY ALEXANDER Northern STEPHEN & WALKER VALLEY VINEYARDS Knights Sonoma Valley ALDERBROOK CHRISTOPHER CREEK LANCASTER ESTATES MUTT LYNCH . ARMIDA D RODNEY STRONG R D. E R R ID VE S RI T DE LA S E W MONTANYA 116 CHALK HILL South of Healdsburg WESTS ID E R D . Russian and Westside Road River Chalk KORBEL Hill Pages 21-27 SONOMA-CUTRER 1 B R O IV ER H RD E . M SLUSSER I A Green N . D H AR M K W S R I E G G Valley MARTIN ST N I H SPR Russian W River RAY A OLIVET Y HOOK & LADDER GUERNEVILLELAGUNA RD. Pages 33-37 GRATON RD. PINER OCCIDENTAL RD. Kenwood OCCIDENTAL RD. D’ARGENZIO FULTON RD. LOST CANYON ANCIENT OAK WINERY BODEGA H and Hwy. 12 IGH WA CELLARS OF Y Santa Rosa SONOMA Pages 44-50 VA LL Pages 38-42 EY FO R D C U LEDSON WINERY & VINEYARDS T O F F 101 ST. FRANCIS A Publication of Sonoma VINEYARDS & WINERY 116 Coast GRANGE EN GARDE CHATEAU ST. JEAN VJB MATANZAS VINEYARDS KENWOOD WINERY BENNETTCREEK VALLEY RD. & CELLARS PETALUMA HILL ROAD LOXTON CELLARS www.WineCountryThisWeek.com ROBLAR RD. MOONDANCE ERIC ROSS B.R. COHN 669 Broadway, Suite B • Sonoma, CA 95476 LITTLE VINEYARDS P.O. Box 92 • El Verano, CA 95433 Glen Ellen VALLEY OF 707-938-3494 Fax 707-938-3674 Pages 51-58 THE MOON Tomales BODEGA BayPUBLISHER Mike Giangreco HWY 12 Direct (707) 938-3734 WASHINGTON mike@winecountrythisweek.com SALES REPRESENTATIVE Jet Howell, 707-495-9385 FRATES Sonoma winecountryjet1@att.net STAGE GULCH CHARLES CREEK Managing EDITOR Chandra Grant Pages 59-63 116 BRYTER Phone 707-938-1783 • Fax 707-938-3674 116 chandra@winecountrythisweek.com 101 LARSON 12 OFFICE Manager Cathy Gore FAMILY 121 Phone 707-938-3494 • Fax 707-938-3674 LAKEVILLE RD. 121 Los Email cathy@winecountrythisweek.com MEADOWCROFT Carneros CLINE Region EDITORIAL Michelle J. Baker, Brendan Conroy CELLARS JACUZZI FAMILY CONTRIBUTORS Monica L. Dashwood, Ronda Giangreco TO TO VIANSA TO NAPA Mike Hyland, CharlesSAN Neave, FRANCISCO Denise Olliffe SAN FRANCISCO 37 Sue Straight, The Wine Wench TO VALLEJO Abigail Zimmerman Los Carneros Cover courtesy of Chateau St. Jean Winery, Sonoma San Pablo Bay Pages 64-69 SPRING/SUMMER 2013 Sonoma County Preferred Wine Country DAY TRIPS 9 WINE TASTING daY TRIPS HELPFUL INFOrmatiON Dry Creek Valley 11 Heading to the Tasting Room 4 South of Healdsburg 21 Sonoma Canopy Tours 5 Downtown Healdsburg/Alexander Valley 28 The Wine Carriage 6 Russian River 33 Getaway Adventures 7 Wine Country Cyclery 8/63 Santa Rosa 38 Destiny Wine Tours 9 Kenwood 44 Della Santina’s 62/72 Glen Ellen 51 Dining Recommendations 71-73 Sonoma 59 Varietals Chart 74-77 Los Carneros 64 Sonoma County Wineries Map 78-79 46 TASTING ROOM Reviews Alderbrook Winery 24 Kenwood Vineyards 50 Ancient Oak 41 Kokomo Winery 18 Armida Winery 23 Korbel Champagne Cellars 34 B.R. Cohn Winery 57 Lancaster Estate Winery 31 BRYTER Estates 61 Larson Family Wines 69 Cellars of Sonoma 40 Ledson Winery & Vineyards 45 Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards & Winery 30 Little Vineyards Family Winery 56 Charles Creek Vineyard 60 Lost Canyon Winery 39 Chateau St. Jean 47 Loxton Cellars 58 Christopher Creek Winery 25 Martin Ray Winery 35 Cline Cellars 66 Matanzas Creek Winery 52 D’Argenzio Winery 42 Meadowcroft Wines 68 De La Montanya 22 Moondance Cellars 53 Dry Creek Vineyards 20 Mutt Lynch Winery 26 Dutcher Crossing 14 Rodney Strong Vineyards 27 En Garde Winery 48 St. Francis Winery & Vineyards 46 Eric Ross Winery 54 Sonoma-Cutrer 36 Family Wineries of Dry Creek Valley 17 Stephen & Walker Winery 32 Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery 13 Trattore Estate Wines 19 Forchini Vineyards & Winery 15 Truett Hurst Winery 16 Fritz Underground Winery 12 VJB Vineyards & Cellars 49 Hook & Ladder Winery & Vineyards 37 Valley of the Moon Winery 55 Jacuzzi Winery 67 Viansa Winery 65 www.WineCountryThisWeek.com 3 Heading to the Tasting Room Do not be intimidated for any car or on a plane, buy a card- reason. That is rule number one board box with Styrofoam wine (and there are very few real rules inserts. Fill it during the day and after that). For the most part, this keeps wine from rolling going wine tasting is about the around in the trunk. easiest thing in the world, espe- Check out the smaller cially here in Northern California wineries. It is a revelation. where wineries and tasting Take notes on the wines you rooms abound. You can find most enjoyed. wineries specializing in red Take advantage of tours when wines of all types, those that are Twomey Cellars the winery offers them, but keep famous for their white wines and in mind that they take anywhere others who pour sparkling wine. It is a matter of doing a from 20 minutes to well over an hour, so one a day is plenty. little research and planning your day. Buy wines that you can only find at the winery. These Most tasting rooms open around 10 a.m. and close be- often include smaller (375 ml) bottles of limited produc- tween 4:30 and 6 p.m. As a rule sparkling wine houses are tion Ports or dessert wines. Don’t buy a wine you can get opened the latest. Before you start off pack a few essen- at a supermarket back home. You’ll pay more, and besides, tials: Water (plenty of water) and something to snack on – what’s the point? crackers or a baguette. Many wineries have picnic areas Look for tasting rooms in towns. Many of these are co- and there are plenty of delis and bakeries that can make up operative tasting rooms, where in one place you might find a lunch for you, or make your own. Which brings us to wines from a dozen or more small-to-medium premium eating and drinking, the kind that doesn’t directly involve producers. They are scattered throughout the area and wine. more are opening all the time. Be sure to nibble during the day and make sure you Don’t give too much thought to ratings and vintages. make time for lunch. Two tips: drink at least twice as much It’s like art: if you like it, it’s a good wine. It is as simple as water as you do wine, and remember that you don’t have that. to drink everything poured into your glass. There is a rea- Remember that you don’t have to do the driving. It son tasting bars have dump buckets and a pitcher of water takes no more than a phone call to rent anything from a to wash out your glass. Town Car or restored Packard convertible to stretch limos That said, here are some tips that have proven to be and a 20-passenger bus. All have drivers that will stow helpful and are designed to help make the sensory adven- your wine for you and the local companies know the area. ture of wine tasting all the more enjoyable. As to taking that wine home, ten people sharing one of Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Time and time again those impossibly long limousines is fine and fun, but if you I have heard knowledgeable winery workers say that there all plan to buy a couple of cases the trunk – which is no is no such thing as a stupid question, and they mean that. bigger than a normal luxury cars – is going to fill up fast You can drink what you want, in the order you want. and you’re going to find yourself filling the interior floor If you only like reds, say so; if you don’t like sweet wines, with boxes and using cases of Cabernet as footrest. speak up. But the idea of starting with whites, then going Tell the transportation company what you have in on to reds and then sweet wines is a good guide. mind and listen to their advice. They know the territory Zinfandel is red. I am sure you know that but it never and the people and personalities. See next page. hurts to remind everyone. Know your limits. If you get close to it let others taste If there is a particular wine you want to try and it is and you can listen. It beats ending the day in a blur, and if not on the list, ask. There might be a bottle around that need be calling a taxi is cheaper than the alternative. was opened for a trade tasting or by the winemaker. Most And if at a seated tasting, don’t be afraid to leave a tasting rooms are happy to pour a little if you show en- gratuity.

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