RUSSIAN RIVER WINTER WINELAND 2009

For those of you who don’t live in Northern California, I will try to describe my experiences at one of the premier wine events of Northern Sonoma County: the Russian River Wine Road Winter Wineland, held the Martin Luther King weekend. The event involves getting a glass and an ID bracelet, and traveling from winery to winery, tasting and eating. There are always more wineries participating than could be possibly be visited in the time allotted, so selecting wineries is part of the fun. This year my mother-in-law, Catherine, went with Carolle, my wife and me.

J. Rickards

This winery, new to us, was opened in 2005. It’s to the west of Highway 101, just south of Silver Oak. Jim and Eliza Rickards, an engaging couple who greet you as you enter the old barn which serves as the winery, are the owners. This was Jim’s 64th birthday weekend, although the staff had grown weary of playing that song by the time Catherine and I arrived on Sunday morning.
All seven wines we tasted were good, which is very unusual for a new winery. Of course, the winery is in great location. Rickards sells some of his cab to Silver Oak. Looking down the hill you see the Seghesio Home Ranch and family home. Further south is the former Mazzoni property (now Oltranti, the place with the old Dr. Pierce’s medicine ad painted on the barn.) Ridge uses Mazzoni in one its ATP releases (a personal favorite.)
There was lots of food: ceviche, Thai chicken satay, pulled pork sandwiches, and chocolate birthday cake. I had a good feeling about the place when I learned the delicious ceviche was made by the wife of the vineyard manager.
The wines served included a Sauvignon blanc, with a very grassy nose, but intense pear flavors; a Rose of Syrah which was very fruity, but not at all sweet; a Petit Syrah; and a Meritage bland. I particularly liked the Zins (which I have to say is not unusual for me.) The 2005 Voigt Family Vineyard Alexander Valley was rich and fruity, with lots of flavors. The fruit emerges slowly as the wine passes over the tongue. There is a very pleasant sour cherry aftertaste. The 2006 Alexander Valley Ancestors Zin was not fruit forward like the Voigt. Rather it was very smooth and balanced. A really good wine, gentle and fun to drink and contemplate.
On our way out, Rickards was pouring port from a barrel labeled Los Ninos Perdidios. The full name is “The children who were lost and found again.” After the crush, they return to vines to pick the grapes that are left after the first harvest. They wait until the grapes are very sweet, with to up to 40% sugar. There is so much sugar, that brandy is not needed to stop the fermentation. The amount of alcohol produced from all the sugar stops the fermentation by itself at about 17 or 18% residual sweetness. Rickards admits they do add a little brandy after the process is finished.
Before he poured the wine, Rickards told me I would be drinking the best port I had ever had. I had to tell him it was good, but not the best. Still, it was quite drinkable, although much fruitier than I am used to in a fortified wine.
Rickards obviously believes in waste not, want not. He saves the juice they analyze to determine when to harvest, and makes it into a non-alcoholic drink which he serves mixed with San Pellegrino to designated drivers.
We enjoyed the place so much that at the end of the day we returned with Carolle, who had been busy elsewhere when we tasted in the morning, so she could taste, and I could scarf down a couple of “lost” pulled pork sandwiches. Very nice people.

OTHER NEW (TO US) WINERIES WE VISITED

Usually at Russian River Wine Road events, there are two or three wineries pouring, that we haven’t visited before. This year, there were ten. Trione is on the property used formerly used by Canyon Road (Geyser Peak’s second label) as a tasting room. Godwin Family, Hughes Family, Pena Ridge, and Palmieri, all have the same winemaker, and share a tasting room and art galley called Terroir Artisans in downtown Geyserville. Route 128, whose owners Pete and Lorna Obatz are new to winery ownership, but not the wine business, just opened a tasting room up the block and around the corner. In Healdsburg, there are three new wineries just off the plaza: Topel, Downtown Wineries, and Artiste. In the Alexander Valley near the Russian River on Soda Creek Road, is Stuhlmuller, another grower turned vintner.
Two of the wineries showed a lot of promise. Route 128 poured two wines, a 2005 Russian River Pinot Noir, and a 2005 Alexander Valley Cab. Carolle liked the Cab. I liked the Pinot. Not that either of us thought the other was bad. The Cab is from a vineyard near Jordan. The Pinot is from two vineyards: one on Eastside Road, and the other near Gary Farrell. Both Cab and Pinot were very drinkable.
They did not pour wines, including a Zin and a Syrah, made on their estate, in Yorkville Highlands appellation. I hope it was not because they thought the Wine Road required only Russian River wines. Production at the winery is small: 400 to 500 cases.
The Stuhlmullers began growing grapes in 1982. In 1996, they started making wine. The tasting room just opened. (That is why it is new to us.) Two of the wines are worth mentioning. The 2006 Estate Reserve Chardonnay is very pleasant and well balanced with citrus and vanilla. The “Stickie” 2002 Estate Fortified Cab has a very full nose. The taste had incredibly rich chocolate and fruit and smoke. Carolle said, “We’ll never drink this. It’s way too rich.” I think she was kidding
The other “new” phenomenon in North Sonoma County is the development of wine tourism. Francis Ford Coppola arrived at the old Chateau Souverain property a little less than three years ago. Looking from Coppola’s property across the Alexander Valley at River Rock Casino, visions of Orlando danced in some peoples’ heads. From both sides of the valley, many ideas have been thrown on the wall, but thus far, few have stuck. Still, Winter Wineland itself is a tribute to how wine tourism drives the local economy.
Well, wine tourism has developed its latest manifestation: the intersection of wine and art. Artiste Impressionist Winery & Tasting Studio, two blocks north of the plaza on Healdsburg Boulevard, epitomizes this trend. Each wine is a unique creation, labeled with a copy of one of the paintings in the gallery. The winemaker studies the painting and forms an impression of the cuvee. While he blends the cuvee, the winemaker views a slide of the inspirational painting projected on a screen. I asked where the grapes came from. The pourer, who kept up a cultivated patter with a large number of tasters, answered: “Anywhere in California from Santa Ynez to Napa.” I did not try to obtain a more precise answer.
Geyserville is another manifestation of the wine art nexus. OK, it only has a block of trendiness. It’s a start.
When we first moved to Sonoma, nine years ago, Geyserville was a small agricultural community, anchored by Catulli’s the Rex, an Italian Restaurant, that might well have been used for a location for a movie set in the 50’s. The first sign of movement, was the arrival of Santi, in 2001, in the old Catulli’s location. Santi is an upscale Italian restaurant that makes artisan sausages which it sells at the Healdsburg farmers’ market.
Since the arrival of Santi, four tasting rooms, two art galleries, and a new upscale pizza place have occupied the rest of the block, sandwiched between a tractor dealership and a mini-mart. Terroir Artisans, is half art gallery, half tasting room. Four wineries share the space and the winemaker. There is a spacious tasting bar, and overstuffed chairs in front of a fire place. The architecture is airy, with a bright patio at the back.
The artiness seems to have stuck. When we were there on Sunday, street musicians had taken up positions in the middle of the block.

OLDIES BUT GOODIES

When we arrived at Siduri on Saturday, there were already three buses parked outside the winery, located in an industrial park. We were a little apprehensive about the crowd, but the door was well organized, and we made it through quickly. Inside, twenty different wines were being poured, including thirteen single vineyard Pinots. Siduri has always been very generous at these events.
One reason to come to the winery was the recent release of the 2007 Sonoma County Pinot. We didn’t taste it, but as is it is sold in allotments of no more than 18 bottles, we wanted to be sure to be able buy some. At $20 a bottle ($16 with the case discount) this is a great value for a normally very pricey varietal.
At Siduri, it’s all about the Pinot. My two favorites were 2006 Parsons Vineyard Pinot Russian River Valley and 2007 Pinot Pisoni Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands. The Parsons flows, flavor after flavor, starting with soft dry fruit at the beginning, to an acidic bite at the end. Very enjoyable. It was Carolle’s favorite. The Pisoni was another wine with a rush of flavors, great complexity, very decadent.
The Martinelli family has been farming in Sonoma County since the nineteenth century. In the early 1990’s Hurley Turley bought what would become her Marcasin vineyard. It happened to be right next door to one of the Martinelli properties. One thing led to another and Turley became winemaker for Martinelli. For this event, five wines were poured: two Chardonnays, two Pinots, and a Zin.
The Martinelli tasting room staff seems to try to educate as well as sell. To show differences in the results the same grapes from different soils and microclimates, they paired an 2006 Martindale Chard grown in Franciscan soil in Green Valley, with 2005 Zio Tony Ranch Chard grown in alluvial soil in warmer climate. The Martindale was mineral and sharp, reminiscent of a Chablis. The Zio Tony was lush, rich, and fruity, more typically California.
The 2006 Moonshine Ranch Russian River Valley Pinot had a Classic Pinot nose, very rich, a fruit bomb. The vineyard is located about a half mile from the winery, and is farmed by the Martinelli family
We don’t go to Martinelli very often. The Helen Turley name on the label exacts a high price. But if you can forget the charges on your credit card, the visit is always worth while.