At Dutcher Crossing, it was the growers time to shine this past weekend. The winery held a barrel and tank tasting complete with the growers themselves holding the wine thieves (the tool used to sample wine from a barrel). This was something I’ve very rarely experienced.

I found it immensely pleasurable to chat with the ones who tended to the very grapes that I now have in my glass. They were enjoyable to chat with, learning about how each one cared for the grapes in a different way, depending upon the conditions they were in.

I found it fascinating how the Bernier-Sibary Zinfandel was a true field blend— a replica percentage planting of the grapes. While that is the true definition of the term “field blend”, more often than not wineries are using it more in conjunction to simply indicate a blend.

Some of the wines surprised me, as was the case with the ’08 Cabernet Sauvignon. I would have guessed before even tasting that the tannins would have been charging towards my taste buds faster than a sports car. However, and to my enjoyment, the tannins were immensely subdued, to which the grower also concurred.

A great sampling of tank and barrel sampled coupled with scrumptious food made my wine tasting at Dutcher Crossing one I will not soon forget. If you’re in Dry Creek, take a trip north to Dutcher Crossing. The stories, if not only the wine, will surely excite you!

Cheers,
Haydn

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County (and at times, Napa Valley) looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com.

One great combination is Zinfandel and dark chocolate. The medium to dark berries coupled with a bit of spice / pepper (you don’t want too much pepper) are natural compliments to the almost bitter dark chocolate. Pick your Zins from well-known Zinfandel regions, such as Dy Creek, Paso Robles or Lodi. Remember to not have too much pepper on the tongue or the taste of the chocolate will be muted.

When picking out a dark chocolate, try to stay near or above 70%. Too light and the intensity of the chocolate won’t match the strength of the wine. Good friend, and fellow blogger, Kelly Staples of dogs2cents.com (a great read about the life of Lucy in wine country), recently paired a Pezzi King Zinfandel from Dry Creek with blueberries and dark chocolate. The fruit forwardness of the wine and the ample tannins mixed extremely well with both the fruit and the chocolate. Much like a decanter is used to amplify the wine’s notes, so to does the chocolate. A simply Zin turned extraordinary with the help of one extra component.

Have you tried Zinfandel and Dark Chocolate? If you, what’s your take on it? I’d love to hear from you on either the comments here or through twitter @haydnadams.

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County (and at times, Napa Valley) looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com.

John Hart pouring wine at Family Wineries

What do surfboards, oysters and Spanish flags have in common? They could have all been found in Dry Creek Valley over the weekend of April 24–25th during Passport weekend. Dry Creek rolled out the red carpet again for this year’s Passport weekend. Over two days, nearly 40 wineries open their doors to a countless number of thirsty patrons anxiously awaiting a sip of wine and a delectable food pairing.

The quality of entertainment, amenities and just plain ‘ole fun was over the top. Here is a few snippets from the event:

Surfboards and Snowcones at Michel-Schlumberger Winery

One of the best shows of the day came from the Michel-Schlumberger winery. I love the surfboards that lined the pond in the central courtyard. To further round out the Mexican / Southern California theme (at least that is what I’m calling it), the Carlos Herrera Band played a beautiful latin-style of music. You can hear the music at the bottom of this post.

One of the great parts of Passport weekend is that you’re able to explore new wineries that you had either overlooked or either just haven’t gotten around to coming back to in a while. I’d been to Michel-Schlumberger about a few years ago, but just haven’t make it back since, and so I was excited to try their wines.

Michel-Schlumberger is the only winery in the valley that grows Pinot Noir within the AVA. I was shocked to hear that such a tepid grape can survive the triple digit heat that Dry Creek throws at it. However it does and what resulted was a ripe cherry component mixed with a little bit of pepper (I think there’s osmosis going on with all of the Zins that surround it). But none-the-less it was a very well balanced Pinot Noir.

But the pièce de résistance came with the snow cones topped with either Pinot Blanc or Syrah. On a day where the mercury was pushing past 80, a snow cone was a welcomed sight. To top it off with wine was magnificent. The Syrah tasted splendid on the snow cone and I had the pleasure of listening to the band play all the while soaking up the warm sun and relaxing on the veranda of Michel-Schlumberger

Zinfari at Bella

Bella took thirsty patrons on a zinfari. The winery transformed their wine cave into an African safari, complete with monkeys (not real ones) hanging off of light fixtures. The staff was dressed in safari gear; white shirts and full brimmed hat. An African ban played out on the main lawn while patrons consumed lamb kabobs and sipped rose.

The food & overall entertainment

Everywhere you turned was a food waiting to be sampled. Aside from drinking your way through the wine country, you could now eat your way through as well. Gourmet food pairings abound at nearly every turn. Many wineries had multiple selections for each of their wines—a mini multi-course amuse-boush food pairing if you will.

Jubilation was in the air in Dry Creek. Smiles were abundant and the sun was out in full force. All of the wineries put on a star-studded event. While I do spend quite a bit of time in Dry Creek, this weekend was exceptional. It was quite comical watching cars and limos invent parking spots along the side of the road to get to a few wineries with smaller parking lots. I can’t wait to do it again next year.

Cheers,
Haydn

Here are a few more pictures from the day along with a video of the Carlos Herrera at Michel-Schlumberger winery over passport weekend in Dry Creek.

Barrel tasting with winemaker Kerry Damskey at Dutcher Crossing Winery.

Wine tasting at Kokomo Winery

Happy New Year, and enjoy,
Haydn Adams

Wine #10: m2 Zinfandel
$35 | m2wines.com

It has been rated as one of the top 12 Lodi wines of 2009, and I have to agree. Lodi is a strong player in the Zinfandel world, and while Lodi zins cannot can’t compare to those of the Zin capital of the world, Dry Creek, m2 Zinfandel is a very close runner-up and one of the best to come out of Lodi.

Wine #9: Meeker 2007 Carignane (Alexander Valley)
$26 | meekerwine.com

A beautiful, and often overlooked varietal.

Wine #8: Montemaggiore Syrah (Paolo’s Vineyard, Dry Creek)
$35 | montemaggiore.com

A gorgeous (non-Zinfandel) wine to come out of Dry Creek. Biodynamically farmed, this Syrah has a little hint of pepper and plum, and an overall balanced finish.

Wine #7: J Cuvée 20
$20 | jwine.com/

Can sparkling wine really age well? If you would have asked me that last December, I would have scoffed off the answer, period. But the J Cuvée has changed my thinking. This base sparkling of J’s has grown up over the past year and has become a formidable contender in the sparkling wine arena. A great price for a great sparkling.

Wine #6: Quivira Grenache (Dry Creek Valley)
$26 | quivirawine.com/

Ahh the Grenache. It’s one of my favorite varietals. Quivira makes a beautiful 100% Grenache, which is no easy feat since this grape is one of the subtlest around.

Wine #5: Rippon Vineyards Pinot Noir (New Zealand)
Price N/A | www.rippon.co.nz/

The southern region of New Zealand is the new hot spot for Pinots and Rippon Vineyards is leading the charge. This Pinot is a textbook example of the excellent Pinots currently being produced in the Central Otago region. Unfortunately, I have recently been having a hard time tracking down where I can get this one, which is why it didn’t rank higher on the list.

Wine #4: Tandem Pinot Noir (Sangiacomo Vineyards)
Price N/A | tandemwinery.com/

This is one of my favorite Russian River Pinot Noirs. It is a bit spicy (standard for a Russian River Pinot), but in a near-perfect amount. Beautiful.

Wine #3: 2008 Cakebread Chardonnay (Napa Valley, Rutherford)
$37 | cakebread.com

Another fantastic showing from Cakebread. The secret to this wine? Nearly 70% of the wine is aged in neutral oak so the butterball effect is gone leaving behind beautiful notes of pear, and a bit of cantaloupe / honeydew.

Wine #2: William Harrison Cabernet Franc (Napa Valley, Rutherford)
$45 | whwines.com

William Harrison, an excellent winery located near Rutherford in the Napa Valley, has delivered a near spotless Cabernet Franc.  This wine is simply gorgeous and well worth a try.

Wine #1: Archipel (by Vérité) (Alexander Valley)
$45 | archipelwines.com

Archipel has been and remains my favorite wine. I find the “California Bordeaux” to be a near perfect pair with my particular preferences for this style of Bordeaux.

It’s not everyday that the recommend food of a wine ends up on the bottle. But such is the case with the 2007 Mourvédre from Quivira (as well as the 2006 vintage). Each bottle by Quivira dawns a various animal that corresponds with the wine. With the Mourvédre, it has to do with the wild turkeys strutting their stuff around the Mourvédre grape. However, and I wonder how coincidental, that this wine would pair so well with Ben Franklin’s favorite bird.

The Biodynamically certified Mourvédre’s nose is spotlessly clean. No sharp spikes or jolts in the initial whiff. While some wines hit you right off the bat, almost yelling at you, this one whispers quietly, almost inviting you, no, more luring you to taste it. There’s a reason for that. In the words of Steven Canter, winemaker, “No new oak was harmed in making this wine”.

The Mourvédre is not an easy wine to quickly pick up. Cabs and Pinots (both old-world and new-world Pinots) have a distinct characteristic. Yet the Mourvédre is a little of a hodgepodge when it comes to flavor profiles.

On the nose, you’ll find hints of molasses and plums (I know it doesn’t visually sound appealing, but go with me here). And behind those are blackberries and even a little blueberries. The taste continues when you get the chance to answer the beckoning whisper of this Mourvédre. The plums continue on as the blueberries get bigger, and the sweetness of the plum gets a bit earthier. It’s as if the plum ripens from sniff to taste. There’s some meat in this wine. While you could drink this solo, I’d recommend a good, big cheese or say, a turkey!

Leave the job of paring big red meats to the big boys: Cabs, Syrahs and Bordeaux / Bordeaux blends (of course all dependent upon the sauce). Mourvédre’s sit comfortably in the middle when it comes to heaviness. Pinots (New World), Grenaches and Beaujolais would round out the lighter side. So it makes sense that a fairly meaty bird would compliment well with a fairly meaty wine. I can almost smell the turkey, lightly paired with the cranberry suace and a little bit of gravy round out this pairing (can you tell I’m starting to drool over the idea that Thanksgiving is less than a month away?).

This wine’s just a baby and it took nearly a day to fully open up. Decant, decant, decant, and then wait a while. The wine’s begging you to drink it—take your time and you’re patience will pay off.

Cheers,
Haydn

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

Ahh the elusive and often-times overlooked Carignane grape. It’s generally used for blending, often finding itself in Zinfandels, such as winemaker Doug Nalle. However you’ve probably never noticed it in that varietal unless you looked under the hood of the wine and dove into the wine notes. That’s due to the label requirements stating that a wine that is 75% or higher of a single grape can list it simply as a single varietal. There is nothing wrong with that, yet the little Carignane all of a sudden becomes that backup singer on stage who has a beautiful voice all to herself yet is overshadowed, and often not even acknowledged, when the band is introduced. That’s a Carignane.

Of course, such is the case with Meeker’s Carignane, except that it is Syrah, all 5% of it, that is hiding away in the notes (not the palate).

The wine has a unique smell on the nose— with subtle hints of spice and a bit of vanilla. It’s aromatic immediately upon pouring. Unfortunately it does fall off quite fast at the end, but let that not deter you from the upfront pleasantness. The wine displayed a pleasant acidity, which probably helps soften the Zinfandel when blending.

While you could drink this wine solo, it’s really meant to accompany a meal. A bit of tannins were looking for some meat. At the time I was having this wine, a bountiful amount of pork was being served. The lighter meat, such as pork, rabbit or turkey would be a wonderful compliment to this wine. It’s one of the lighter varietals and therefore is looking for a light co-conspirator. I originally ordered the pork having a Pinot Noir in my hand, and yet the enjoyment continued with the Carignane. The succulent juices of the slow cooked pork seemed to dance perfectly with the flavors of the Carignane. I imagine it was a tango they were trying out.

The price is a great deal. $20 for this guy. Better steal yet; for all those in the Santa Rosa area, drop into Bottle Barn. I found this beauty for the whopping price of $10. For around $20, this would be a beautiful wine to bring to a friend’s house for dinner. (The label alone will at least break the ice.) It’s a great starter due to it’s overall lightness (compared, say to a Syrah or a Cabernet) and an easy-to-appreciate varietal.

Cheers,
Haydn

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

All the wineries, under one room, err, tent.

Review of ZinTopia
by Haydn S. Adams

The WInegrowers of Dry Creek held it’s first Zintopia—to highlight Dry Creek’s most treasured grape, the ZInfandel. Unlike PinotDays and other Zinfests, this event really honed in on the family winemaking aspect along with the down-to-earth feel that Dry Creek has.

While Zinfandel was the staple wine at the event (as it is in Dry Creek in general), other wines were featured. The whites, aptly being poured on yellow table cloths, could be found, with a majority pouring Sauvignon Blanc. The other, which was creative, was the “Unusual Reds”, featuring non-Zinfandel or Zin blends comprised of less than 75%. This suited such wineries as Montemaggiore well, as they are 100% Zin free. Or as Vince, owner said, “We dare to be different”.

Great food to accompany Great wine

Park Avenue catering did a fabulous job providing excellent food to pair with the wine. Meaty fish, a few different pizzas, and burger-style dishes were in order. The catering company even dolled out desserts towards the later half of the event. I was quite impressed, as well, at how the food was spread around. That led to less of a line bunched up buffet-style.

Erik Miller, winemaker from Kokomo Winery

The winemakers were there, and pouring

This is truly the hallmark of Dry Creek—family owned wineries with visible winemakers. With most wineries you’re more likely to find a portrait of the winemaker hanging in the tasting room than you are them in the flesh. Not the case with Dry Creek and Zintopia. Throughout the day you could mix and mingle with such winemakers as Eric from Kokomo and Steven Canter from Quivira. Vincent Ciolino from Montemaggiore could be found on the unusual reds, and Lou Preston of Preston vineyards could be seen either walking around sampling the wares or showcasing his organic vegetables in adjacent section of the event.

It was enjoyable chit chat with the very people who crafted the wines being sampled. And while at first you might find it intimidating to let your true feeling be known about the wine to the winemaker, on the flip side, it is quite fulfilling to tell him or her just how good their wine is.

Steven Canter, winemaker for Quivira

Overall great atmosphere

This has to be one of the best wine tasting events I’ve been to in a while. The crowd was large enough to feel cozy, yet I wasn’t needing to stand 3 deep in line to get a micro-pour. Everyone was upbeat, friendly and courteous. I had time to talk with many new winemakers whom I had never met, or even, heard of before. The winegrowers of Dry Creek did an excellent job of reflecting the feeling of Dry Creek in ZinTopia. And that was the keystone to why the event felt so great. I can’t wait ’til ZinTopia 2.0!

Cheers,
Haydn

Retail price: $26
Appellation: Dry Creek, California
ALC: 14.9%
You can buy this wine: at Quivirawine.com
Haydn gives this wine: 88pts

Grenache is a funky grape. It is one of the lightest of red wines and while is one of the most widely planted, it rarely bottled as a single variety. Grenache in itself is a soft wine. So growing and producing a bottle of 100% Grenache is often overlooked for a Rhoné blend. Quivira does both. And while the Rhoné blend is good, the single varietal Grenache shines.

The color on this clearly states that it is young. Vibrant red tones with a touch of brick can be seen in the wine. The rim is abundantly clear and is fairly deep in color. You can see your hand through the wine, but not by much.

The nose is fruit-forward with hints of a touch of strawberry and cherries. It is no wonder why winemaker Steven Canter calls the Grenache, “Pinot Noir’s Mediterranean cousin.” There is also an underlying touch of some sort of spice to this wine.

The mid-palate is similar with the fruit coming out in full force, yet mixed in a bit with an asian spice. It also feels like the fruit have just been picked, where you can smell a bit of earth on the fruit, straight from the ground (or in the case with the cherries), the tree.

Kudos to the winemaker for putting this wine in mostly neutral oak, as the tannins would attack too much of this wine and overpower it. I gave this wine an 88 because at first the wine comes out a bit hot. At 14.9%, the high alcohol will make you think twice before pouring that second full glass. I’m all in favor of getting a bit of a buzz when drinking, I just don’t want to get it on my 4th sip.

However, don’t let the high alcohol deter you. This Grenache is a shining example of what a good 100% varietal should taste like. No overbearing tannins, no sharp hits to the palate. Just easy-drinking wine.

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

Hopkins Ranch, Russian River Valley
Alcohol: 13.7%
Haydn gives it: 93pts

One cannot talk about Nalle Wine without talking about Doug Nalle (co-founder with wife Lee) as well. For over 25 years, Nalle wines have been a staple in Dry Creek. Their above-ground wine cave (dubbed the potato bunker) could possibly dwarf Ferari-Carano’s estate in terms of recognizable landmarks in the valley.

Along with physical landmarks, Nalle’s wine is definitely worth taking note of. While his Zinfandels and Pinot Noirs are exceptional, it is the Chardonnay which was one of the most pleasant and yet the most surprising of the day.

The minute I and my friend, Kelly stepped out of the car, we were immediately greeted by Lee and Andrew (son) as well as Henry, the resident 13 y/o dog. Kelly’s dog, Lucy, and Henry also greeted each other. We quickly discussed with Lee if it would be alright to let Lucy run free, but the consensus was to tie her up. All the while, Doug came outside with two glasses of a white wine and we began our tasting out on the front concrete of the potato bunker.

Not knowing what it was, Doug asked me to identify the wine. I took a good sniff and picked up a bit of citrus. My first thought that ran through my head was a bit of apricot on the nose. Doug further asissted by suggesting that he even detected a hint of mint, almost of the mint julep kind. I concurred and concluded it was a Sauvignon Blanc. Pleasant, light and a bit acidic.

Nope. Wrong answer. Doug expressed that it was a Chardonnay. I was floored. Not that I had guessed incorrectly, but it tasted nothing like a Chardonnay by traditional California standards. Apparently I was not the first person to suggest a Sauvignon Blanc. After all, I was standing in a valley that grows Sauvignon Blanc to Chardonnay by about 30:1. (Due to Dry Creek’s hotter climate, the Sauv. Blanc does far better than the Chardonnay)

Doug mentioned that he generally detected a bit of pear in this wine, but that it had been opened for quite a while and that a slight change in character could happen. He further explained that it was much closer to a White Burgandy. I agreed, especially due to the lightness of the wine. But no oak and a slight tingle of butter on this one. Non-Chardonnay drinkers, listen up. This one’s for you!

We continued the tasting outside, with Doug running in and out to continually fill our glasses. We gabbed about overpriced wine in the Napa Valley, the snobbery that occurs out there and about winemaking as a whole. Doug and I further agree that wine points are just that, points. Drink what you like, not what someone else says. I did hesitate to give this wine points at the top, but I figured I’m happy to play along. For the record, my points are merely an educated guess at where this wine would fall. 0-50 and it should be used for cooking. Anything over 90 points and you should buy a case (and with this wine, their are only 125 of them, so don’t delay).

For a Chardonnay that doesn’t act or taste like a Chardonnay, I’d suggest the 2007 Chardonnay. It sells for $35 and you can buy it at nallewinery.com/

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Haydn is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems of the region. He also writes for vinvillage.com. When he is not teaching, or working in his office, you can find Haydn somewhere in Sonoma spitting out wines (that’s a good thing for the record).

So it comes as little surprise (to me at least) that a rosé would compliment Valentine’s day like dark chocolate compliments Zinfandel.

The rosé I recommend for the ’09 Valentine’s Day is the Gopfrich Rosé, or Rosa as winemaker, owner, Ray Gopfrich calls it (means rosé in German). Ray makes his rosé in a more European fashion, with light and ripe strawberries on the nose and mid-palate. It finishes very smooth with almost no tannins.

The wine is made in a dry style so you won’t have any hints of sweetness here. No traces of any residual sugar in this wine (unlike many stereotypical rosés).

The Rosa would be a great wine to serve before dinner or during the mid-afternoon. A creamy cheese would further accentuate this luscious liquid due to its dryer nature.

The Rosa rolls in at $18, a great price point for this wine. If you are going to be at my book signing and release party (yes, I know this is a shameless self plug, but hey, it’s my blog), you can pick it up directly at Gopfrich winery which is about 10 minutes away from Quivira Winery (where the book signing is taking place). You can also order off of his website, http://www.gopfrich.com/order/. His winery is by appointment so if you are planning on picking up the Rosa in-person, a good idea would be to give the winery a call.

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And yes, I know the picture is of a Zinfandel, but it’s the only bottle shot I have of Gopfrich’s collection.