The Wine Travelers

Sonoma Valley – Four 100-year-old wineries to visit

Joe — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:00:50 +0000

While the Napa Valley gets all the attention as far as popularity, few wine country travelers know that Sonoma County during the 1800’s was the star of California wine country. It all started in Sonoma County when the Buena Vista Winery was established in 1857.

In this first of two blog posts on Sonoma County’s oldest wineries, we focus on four wineries in the Sonoma Valley. Three of the four wineries are located in the town of Sonoma and the fourth just 10 miles away on Highway 12.

Gundlach Bundschu

We begin with Gundlach Bundschu founded in 1857 and today the oldest California winery that has been in continuous operation by the same family. The winery currently has sixth-generation family member Jim Bundschu at the helm. The tasting room is filled with amazing photos and wine bottles from Gundlach’s history. The staff at Gundlach is extremely knowledgeable and very welcoming. The winery certainly has that family feel to it. One added bonus: This is one of the best picnic wineries in all of California. There are three very different and beautiful areas one can choose from to sit and enjoy a picnic lunch. The tasting room is open daily 11 to 4:30.

Our favorite wines at Gundlach Bundschu: Tempranillo and the Gerwurztraminer

The Buena Vista Winery began just three months before Gundlach Bundschu and was founded by the Count Agoston Haraszthy. The Count is said to be the first to bring Zinfandel vines to California and begin extensive cultivation of vineyards. Some call him the “The Father of California Wine.” The winery has changed hands several times in the past ten years and the Boisset Family, who also own DeLoach in Sonoma County and Raymond Vineyards in the Napa Valley, purchased Buena Vista in 2011. The original winery building and caves are being retrofitted and will be open for public tours in the late summer of 2012. The winery is located in a secluded area of the town of Sonoma and is another good spot for a picnic lunch. Tasting room open daily, 10 am to 5, Buena Vista Winery

Our Favorite Wines at Buena Vista: The Ramel Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Buena Vista Winery

Sebastiani Vineyards is a grand old winery in the town of Sonoma. The Sebastiani Family began operating this winery in 1904. In 2009 the Sebastiani Family stunned the wine industry when it sold the winery to Bill Foley and his Foley Estate Corporation. The winery still has a lot of history of California winemaking to view and experience. The tasting room is lavish and loaded with memorabilia. Tasting room open daily, 10 am to 5

Our Favorite wine at Sebastiani: The Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon (Bargain Wine)

Take a lovely drive up Highway 12 to the Kunde Winery. You will see some of wine country’s best views along the Sonoma Valley. The Kunde Family has been operating this winery since 1904 and it is now run by members of the fourth and fifth generations. The winery moved from its original location a few miles away to their present location in the 1970’s. Recently, a wondrous new cave system was built into their mountain vineyards. The winery has a picnic area and also features vineyard walks and dog hikes through their mountain vineyards. The current winery and tasting room were built in the 1970’s. Tasting room open daily, 10:30 am to 4:30, Kunde Winery and Vineyards. The winery also has tours of the vineyards and a hiking tour on the weekends.

Favorite wines at Kunde: The 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Magnolia Lane, The 2008 Sonoma Red Dirt Red (Outstanding)

Kunde

Soave Wine Country – Italy’s Hidden Gem

Joe — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:30:37 +0000

The Soave wine area is probably not on many wine traveler’s destinations when they visit Italy. Why go to Soave when there are the beautiful Tuscan hills, the land of Chianti and Brunello wines or the amazing Piemonte region, where Barolo and Barbaresco wines reign. We are very happy that we decided to travel to Soave; it is as spectacular and interesting as any wine country we have visited. The best part is that there are hardly any tourists around. We practically had all of Soave to ourselves.

Castello Scaligero

We were contacted by the Soave Wine Consortium and asked if we could visit following our European Wine Bloggers post conference to Chianti Classico. We left our Brescia hotel and drove for 75 minutes to the east. Soave is just east of Verona in the region of Veneto. The Soave Castle and surrounding hillside vineyards are the central identifying characteristic or landmark in this wonderful wine country. The Soave Consortium put us up in the Hotel Roxie Plaza, a four-star hotel, recently renovated and conveniently located. It is according to all accounts where most tourists stay when visiting Soave. It is located within walking distance of the medieval walls built in the 13th century that form the city center. Inside these walls are many wine bars, gourmet restaurants and the Soave Castle, Castello Scaligero.

Cantina Balestri Valda

If you are a long-time wine drinker, you probably remember the days when Soave wine meant something very cheap in a 1.5 liter bottle, and it was very bad wine. Well, that has all changed in recent times. The Soave wines are excellent both in quality and in price. The main grape in Soave is Garganega. We visited a couple of wineries as well as stopping in to sample wines at several of the wine bars along the city center. These wines are crisp, refreshing, delightful and full of fruity flavors. The best Soave wines come from the steep hillside vineyards. They cost between $10 to $15 and are terrific values .

We took off from the hotel and drove directly to the hills above Soave. The roads are narrow and switchback among the vineyards. It is truly one of the most beautiful areas we have visited in all wine country. On a clear and beautiful day, the views are jaw dropping.

Hillside vines

On the second morning of our stay, we took a 40-minute walk from the Hotel up to the beautiful Soave Castle. The Castle dates back to 1379. The views are once again incredible from the top sections of the castle. After our exhilarating walk it was time to stop at one of the many café’s and have our lunch and of course enjoy a glass of the delightful Soave wine.

Quenching our thirst after hiking to the Soave Castle

Bistro Ralph – 19 Years of Delicious Dining in Healdsburg

Joe — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:07:45 +0000

On the spur of the moment we decided to take a quick overnight trip to the wine country in the Russian River area. We have a couple of favorite spots in this area that we love to visit during the Fall. The colors are absolutely beautiful in the Dry Creek Valley, the Alexander Valley, and the Russian River Valley.

Besides the Fall colors another good reason to travel at this time of year, and in midweek, is that you can get a better lodging rate and things are much less crowded everywhere you go.

Liquid Amber on West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg

We found a room at the Best Western Dry Creek Inn for a measly $69. The room is in the new Tuscan center of the hotel and has a fireplace, large screen TV, and a Jacuzzi tub. We don’t really need those things but why not take them if they come with a room that normally prices well over $200? For you travelers to Healdsburg, this online midweek offer is probably going to continue to run during the winter months.

For dinner, we made a great choice by dining at Bistro Ralph in Healdsburg on the Plaza. It has been there for 19 years and we can easily understand why. They have not missed a beat since our last visit some five years ago. The food is outstanding. While the wine list may be a bit on the high side, you can bring in your own wine and feel very good about the fact that half the $20 corkage fee will go to a charity. It is a nice way to give to a charity without really giving.

Janelle had the special dinner for Tuesday night, Baby Back Ribs. The ribs literally fell off the bones, so juicy and tender. I had the Chanterelle Rigatoni with red garnet yams and black pig bacon. The dish was superb and one I will try duplicating at home.

We very much enjoyed driving in the late afternoon along the very quiet West Dry Creek Road. Near the Lambert Bridge Winery is a beautiful row of liquid amber trees, all changing color but at different rates. With the sun shining on the trees, it is nature at its best. What a lovely sight to behold.

There are many wineries to visit in this area. We stopped in at Montemaggiore, a small family-run winery that makes about 1500 cases of wine per year. They concentrate on Rhone wines, particularly Syrah. Over at Mauritson on the other side of Dry Creek Road, we found some delicious and heavy-duty Rockpile wines. These are wines that come from 800-foot elevation vineyards above Lake Sonoma. These vines are stressed to the hilt with high winds during the summer . The concentration in the berries is what makes these wine so intense.

For more information on this area, visit our Healdsburg section on WineCountryGetaways to find wineries, where to lodge, dine, and enjoy a picnic lunch. We also have a great short video to help you plan a wonderful trip to this stunning area in the Russian River.

Pappa al Pomodoro – My try at making this traditional Tuscan soup

Joe — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 17:51:11 +0000

At the European Wine Bloggers Conference in Italy, we watched Andrea Gagnesi in his kitchen at Badia al Cotibuono prepare a wonderful traditional Tuscan soup, Pappa al Pomodoro. I’d never heard of the soup until then, but it is one commonly prepared in the homes of Tuscan villagers. We each got a small taste of the soup when it was done, and I knew then that I had to try making this soup at home. Well, I have made it twice now and although I love my rendition of the soup, it is not quite as good as the one Andrea Gagnesi made for us that evening. I will continue to tweak the recipe until I have mastered this dish.

Andrea Gagnesi prepares his version of Pappa al Pomodoro

The problem with the cooking demo was that Andrea moved quickly and never mentioned exact measurements for the ingredients used. Some of it had to do with his command of English and some it had to do with his master chef skills, tasting the dish as it cooked and making adjustments on the fly. I took loads of photographs at the demo and also watched a Vimeo video that one of the follow bloggers made, but I had to do some guesswork on the exact amounts of all ingredients. Here is my take on how to prepare and cook this wonderful soup, perfecto for these cold winter months. This recipe serves 6.

Two baskets of grape tomatoes. – This is what Andrea used, whereas most recipes call for Roma or San Marzano tomatoes.
Half a loaf of day-old sourdough bread, crust removed – crumbled in the food processor
¾ cup red onion chopped fine
¾ cup carrot chopped fine
¾ cup celery chopped fine
4 tablespoons of olive oil
Two cloves garlic chopped
2-4 cups of vegetable broth – I made my own veggie broth
Fresh Basil leaves – 8 to 10
Salt and Pepper to taste

Process the grape tomatoes in a food processor to liquefy. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the sauce, and then simmer the sauce in a pot until tomato sauce thickens – 60 minutes.

Add three tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté and caramelize the veggie mix of onions, carrots and celery. Use high heat to cook as quickly as possible. When the “sofrito” is ready, add one or two cups of the tomato mixture and the chopped garlic. Cook until liquid is absorbed and the mixture is very thick – about two minutes.

Add a handful of crumbled bread and mix together until bread absorbs all. Then add the veggie broth and the remaining tomato sauce. Add more bread to thicken and then cook until the soup mixture is thick. Maybe 30 to 45 minutes at a simmer. If you want a thinner soup add more of the broth.

Five minutes before you serve the soup, add the fresh basil leaves. Andrea tore the leaves into small pieces. At the very end, add salt and pepper to taste.

Since the soup is thick with the bread, you don’t need a huge serving unless this is your main course. Serve about a cup to each person. You can also garnish with a few basil leaves.

Buon Appetito!

Dario Cecchini – The Butcher of Chianti Classico

Joe — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:38:39 +0000

If you ever travel to Tuscany, don’t pass up the chance to dine at Dario Cecchini’s Solocicca restaurant and to visit to his butcher shop, Antica Macceleria. We can guarantee this will be one experience extraordinaire you will not soon forget.

Before I left the U.S. to embark on my wine adventures in Italy, I watched YouTube videos of the famous butcher of Panzano in Chianti with utter fascination. We were to dine at his restaurant along with fellow wine bloggers and experience the “Whole Steer” dinner. I wasn’t really sure what that meant, so I watched the videos to mentally prepare myself. Dario Cecchini is an 8th generation butcher but he has taken his skill to another level from his predecessors. Not only does he have innovative ideas about his profession, but his amazing outgoing personality, and his love for his trade and the people that come to his butcher shop and restaurant, are what sets him apart. He is truly a living legend in the land of Chianti Classico.

First we walked into Dario’s butcher shop directly across from the restaurant. The first thing that catches your attention is a mannequin with a human body but with the head of a steer. The steer head is eyeballing you as if to say “Hello” and welcome you to the butcher shop. A variety of meat appetizers are there to sample. Jug Chianti wine made by Dario is offered. Suddenly, the living legend appears behind the counter and with a loud and booming voice Dario shouts out: “To Beef or not to Beef, that is the question!” That’s Dario in a nutshell. The music is turned up and people begin to dance, it is an impromptu party like no other.

In the Cave of Solo Ciccia

The Whole Steer dinner is a menu of many beef items, all delectable, including a spicy meat ragu on toast, boiled beef with vegetable salad, and braised beef very tender and tasty. The “Whole Steer” menu consists of ten different items for 30 Euros per person. This is quite a reasonable price to pay for such an extraordinary meal. In San Francisco I suspect something similar would be well above $50 per person. For an extra 3 Euros you can get a liter of Dario’s jug wine, or you can bring in your own and there is no corkage fee. Dario’s vision is to use the steer responsibly and to search for ways to use as much of the steer as is possible for food. In his shop and on his website, he has done something I have not seen before. He has created a diagram outline of the steer which maps the various parts of the steer he uses for each entrée on his restaurant menu or item he sells in this butcher shop.

Dario makes several appearances at our table to toast us and to expound on his philosophy as a butcher. To say the least, he is quite an interesting person. We left very full of food, fun, and happiness and a night never to be forgotten.

Check out this video of the impromptu party at Dario’s shop, Antica Macelleria in Panzano in Chianti. I don’t think you will find this same experience any time soon at your local butcher shop. In fact, I am showing this video to my local butcher and ask him if he could start serving wine and meat goodies while I shop.

Caparsa Estate in Chianti Classico

Joe — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 14:15:08 +0000

The Caparsa Estate was the smallest of the wineries we visited on our Chianti Classico excursion and is owned by artisan winemaker Paolo Cianferoni. This was my favorite winery among the many we visited. The wineries were all wonderful and with great character, but the Caparsa winery is one I will not forget. Perhaps I see myself in the roll as Paolo making my own wine working the vineyards organically and selecting the finest grapes to go into my wine. If I owned a winery, I would tend to the land and make wine just like Paolo.

Paolo Cianferoni

Paolo’s winery is located in the Rodda countryside on top of a hillside affording a beautiful setting with specular vineyard views. He lives and makes his wine in the same Tuscan-style structure. He and his partner Gianna have five children and as his family grew so did his home, with Paolo adding rooms. When Paolo talks about his wine it is with pride and passion, expounding on how his wine is food and to be consumed with food. As with any food, it should be pure and free of pesticides, and be healthy and that is why he farms organically.

Home and Wine Cellar

Paolo poured two vintages for us, the 2007 and the 2000. Both are delicious but the 2000 showed how well good Chianti Classico wines can age. We savored this wine and over the course of half an hour the wine changed and opened up to more delicious aromas and flavors. The good news is that Poalo tells us his wine is exported to the U.S. I will certainly shop for this wine and when I drink it, l I will think of Paolo and his beautiful home and vineyards. That will make the wine taste even more delicious.

Can you imagine this style tasting room in the Napa Valley?

Touring and tasting in Chianti Classico

Joe — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:37:14 +0000

We spent three days in one of wine country’s most beautiful and exciting locations, Chianti Classico in central Italy. We visited several wineries and tasted perhaps as many as 70 different Chianti Classico wines from producers both big and small. Our tour and tasting was all part of the European Wine Bloggers Post Conference sponsored by the Chianti Classico Consortium. They wined and dined 30 wine bloggers as though we all were potential Robert Parkers. They rolled out the red carpet to impress, and that we were. We loved the wineries and producers we visited and had a most memorable time. We learned much about Chianti Classico, its wines, tradition, and its many characteristics. We begin a series of posts with some general information and background about Chianti Classico and its wines.

One of the many splendid views in Chianti Classico

Chianti Classico runs from Florence to Siena in the region of Tuscany and two thirds of the land consists of forests of oak, chestnut, and conifers. What a delight to drive along these beautiful backroads that lead to many wineries and small villages and to view stunning hillsides of olive trees, vineyards, and wondrous Tuscan villas. Every turn in the road is a new adventure. It was a good thing that we were on a bus or surely, if I’d been driving a car, I would have driven off the road, distracted by the beautiful landscape.

Large barrel for aging Chianti Classico

There are some very serious regulations in Chianti Classico that have been in place since 1926. Some call it the “recipe” for Chianti Classico. All the wines produced must contain 80% to 100% Sangiovese grapes, and all the grapes must be from the official zone of Chianti Classico. The wines must be released no sooner than October 1 from the previous year’s harvest. Reserva wines must be aged for 24 months and bottle aged for a minimum of 3 months before being released. There are also requirements for vines per hectare and for yields from a vineyard.

What we discovered in our visits is that there is much more than just rules and regulations behind the wines of Chianti Classico. There is a passion and love for the land, the people, and the desire to produce wonderful wine. In Chianti Classico wine is food and a way of life. It is a pleasure to visit wineries and see how proud the producers are of their wines. It’s easy to love the taste of Chianti Classico wines, with aromas and flavors of red fruit and spice, and with balanced acidity and low alcohol.

If you want to plan a trip to the Chianti Classico wine region there are several small cities that you can make your home base. We stayed in “Radda in Chianti” at My One Hotel, but all the towns are charming and have several hotel choices. You can also rent a villa in the countryside with friends and explore the wineries during the day, and come back and feast on food and wine in the evening without worries of finding you way back. You can hire a cook for the villa or be your own chef, scouring the markets during the day to plan your menu and choose your Chianti Classico wines. Oh, don’t forget this is also the land of extra virgin olive oil, and there is plenty of that to be soaked up by fresh Tuscan bread. You can go to the wineries on your own, but an appointment is needed at most wineries. There are many tour companies out of Siena that have organized tours. With our next few posts, we will tell you about some special wineries and experiences that are not to be missed if you plan to visit this fabulous wine region.

Our Italian Wine Adventures – Brescia

Joe — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:56:11 +0000

Our Italian Wine Adventures begin in the city of Brescia. We were not familiar with this city until we decided to attend the European Wine Bloggers Conference. It is one of those hidden gems that somehow remain relatively undiscovered by tourists. Brescia is mostly an industrial city but the city centre is magnificent with its beautiful Duomo, Piazza della Loggia, and the Santa Giulia City Museum, which is also the conference headquarters. Brescia sits in the Lombardy region at the northern end of Italy. Here lies Franciacorta wine territory, an area most famous for its sparkling wine, a wine that rivals that of Champagne and Cava. Like Champagne and Cava, by law no sparkling wine can be labeled Franciacorta unless it comes from this region and bears the DOCG designation on the label. We will be heading to Franciacorta wineries on Friday afternoon for a tour, tasting, and a fabulous Italian dinner.

Clock tower Brescia

Our hotel is the Hotel Vittoria in the middle of the city center. Here we can walk to all the main sights and to lovely shops and gourmet restaurants. We spent our morning touring the city on foot and spending two hours at the Santa Giulia Museum.

Archeological ruins at Santa Guilia

Bronzed Wing Victory

The museum is a former convent and then a monastery which has been expanded over the years and now houses an incredible collection representing over 3,000 years of history. The archeological ruins that were discovered during excavation have remained in place and are a look into daily life during pre-historic times. The mosaic work on the floor and walls is stunning. The most impressive pieces displayed from the Roman period are the Aphrodite Winged Victory statue and the bronze gilt busts of several Emperors.

We will be in Italy over the next two weeks. We will explore the wine areas of Franciacorta, Alto Adige, Chianti Classico, Soave, and Piedmonte.

The Brescia "Old Church"

Twisted Oak Winery – Zany Place

Joe — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 23:02:12 +0000

Are you a Twisted Few or a Twisted Freak? These are the names of the two wine club offerings at the Twisted Oak Winery and this very much gives an idea of the fun and frolic at this twisted winery located in Calaveras County. The zaniest comes from owner Jeff Stai, who calls himself El Jefe. He has instilled an easy going, fun loving atmosphere at his winery in Vallecito and at a second location, a tasting room in the town of Murphys.

We ventured into the winery on a Wednesday morning. The winery in Vallecito is located on Red Hill Road. At the lower entrance, an unpaved road meanders through the vineyards up to the top of the hill to the tasting room and winemaking facilities. We mistakingly arrived about a half hour before the tasting room opened, but winemaker Brett Keller came to our rescue. He took us on a tour of the crushpad, the fermenting tanks, and then to the cave for a few barrel samples of aging wines. Brett Keller recently replaced Twisted’s former winemaker, Scott Klann, and it was interesting to hear how Brett will continue the legacy and add his own personal touches, one of which will be the production of an Albariño wine. We love that white wine and can’t wait to try the Twisted Oak version.

Winemaker Brett Keller

Tasting Room Greeter

Now back in the open tasting room, we taste through ten different wines. It is surprising how good all of these wine taste. Are we in the Napa Valley? The wines are very well made, balanced, and complex. The wines made such an impression on our two companion couples that without hesitation they each joined the Twisted Few wine club. Although we enjoyed all the wines our favorites were Calaveras Tempranillo, The Spaniard (a blend, but loads of Tempranillo), Calaveras Parcel 17 (another blend of Spanish varietals), and the Tanner Syrah. In the whites, the Calaveras Ruben’s blend of Rhone varietals is delightful and different. About 5,000 cases are made annually and much of that goes to the 1,202 wine club members.

El Jefe pockets another award

If you are driving up from the San Francisco Bay Area and heading toward the vacation towns of Arnold or Murphys, you should consider stopping in at the Twisted Oak Winery. It is about 4 miles before Murphys. There are also some other very good and interesting wineries between Twisted and Murphys. We have those outlined for you in our Murphys Wine Trail. Take a look and plan your outing to this largely undiscovered wine region. I have yet to see any articles in Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, or Wine & Spirits about this area. That’s good for us, more wine and fun for those “in the know.”

Indian Rock Vineyards in Murphys – A Little Different

Joe — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 17:14:17 +0000

This week we are exploring wineries in Calaveras County in the Sierra Foothills. Indian Rock Vineyards was our first stop. Indian Rock does things a little differently than the other 23 wineries in and around the town of Murphys. They do not belong to the Calaveras Wine Association, so you won’t find them on the handy winery guide that is available in just about every store or lodging establishment in town. They prefer to be off the radar, building their clientele on word-of-mouth and the reputation of their wine. They don’t sell their wine retail; most of it goes to their wine club members and the rest is sold to visitors out of their tasting room. A few bottles can be found in local restaurants.

We tasted five wines, two whites and three reds, for a $5 tasting fee (which can be applied to a purchase of wine). Indian Rock makes 25 varietals of wines, so we just barely scratched the surface of their wine offerings. We started off with a very nice and lively Vermentino priced at $16. Indian Rock is just one of a handful of California wineries that make this Italian varietal. We were very impressed with their red blend they call the Coyote Creek Red. It’s a non-vintage red that is priced at $16 and is the most popular of the Indian Rock wines. It is a tasty wine that is very mellow throughout, and definitely a good choice with a variety of foods. The Petite Sirah was also outstanding, a big bold wine that cries out for baby back pork ribs on the grill.

Indian Rock Vineyards - Owner Ed Bauer

We stumbled on the owner Ed Bauer out in the vineyards and had a lively chat with him about the winery and his philosophy of making good food-friendly wines to be sold at reasonable prices. He was proud to tell us that he has one of the best winemakers in California, Marco Cappelli. Marco wanted to escape the Napa Valley scene and moved to Indian Rock for a much quieter and serene lifestyle.

The wine club is the bread and butter of their wine sales. They have capped the wine membership at 700, and as members decide to drop out they offer new memberships to the public. If there are any openings, they list them on a chalkboard. On our visit, two spots were open and were quickly scooped up by guests during our tasting session. If you are in the Murphys area, you will want to put this tasting room on your list. The grounds are beautiful with a shaded picnic area. Bring a lunch and have a glass of Vermentino and enjoy the day.

The picnic area at Indian Rock Vineyards