california dreams, california lies

The dreary weather of Seattle has affected both Matt and I more this year than in recent years past. About a month ago we decided that we needed to get away to a place with some sunshine. We chose California. We had such a great time in Napa last September that we thought Sonoma County would be the perfect retreat. We settled on Memorial Day weekend and I was really excited – not only were we in for some great wine, but the weather looked WONDERFUL!

Apparently, California lies. Maybe that’s too harsh of a statement. Perhaps the difference is that, in Seattle, the sun is such a precious and rare gem that our weathermen tend to use it fairly cautiously. Whereas we caveat everyday with “a chance of rain,” in California, their caveat seems to be “70ish & sunny.” I checked the weather every day and it never altered, despite the fact that it was only truly 70ish and sunny for two of our five-day stay. The other days were colder and cloudy – we even had two days of rain!

At any rate, the trip itself was very nice. We stayed at a wonderful little rental house and were able to visit quite a few different wineries. Here are some of the highlights (I’ve starred our Top 5):

Day One: Russian River Valley

• Korbel: Great stop if you love champagne. But skip the tour…unless you have an extra hour you want to spend not wine tasting. Rookie mistake.
• **Porter Creek: One of our favorite stops throughout the entire trip. This quaint, shed of a tasting room is a must-see with wonderful people and great wines.
• Arista: Good wines, but overpriced. However, the guy pouring the wines was one of the funniest people we met the entire trip. Made for a great overall experience!
• Hop Kiln: Mediocre wines, but generous pours. Also, a nice place to pick up a few car-ride snacks.
• Twomey Cellars: These wines never disappoint. Their Sonoma tasting room is better than the one in Napa, although I prefer the Twomey Merlot, which is more prevalent in Napa vs. their Pinot Noir that is popular in Sonoma.

Porter Creek

Day Two: Russian River Valley

This was probably the best collective day of the whole trip. We spent most of the day on Olivet Road, between Forestville and Santa Rosa.

•  DeLoach: We coincidentally met the guy pouring our wines at this place the night before. Wonderful staff and good wine.
• **Sunce: Another one of our favorite stops. To me, this place is the epitome of Sonoma…family owned, run by an incredibly friendly woman (Cindy), good wines at good prices, free pulled pork sandwiches heating in a crock pot, and a bocce court out back. Delightful.
• **Hook & Ladder: A wonderful winery that pays homage to firefighters around the world. I loved the vibe and the wine…although a portion of their land reminded Matt and I of “The Others” camp from the TV series Lost, which was a little on the eerie side.
• Pellegrini Family: Again, great wine here with great people and a pretty cool facility.
• Harvest Moon Estate: Most disappointing stop of the day, if not the trip. One of the other wineries had given us a complimentary tasting to use at this winery. We liked a lot of the things about the place until the winemaker became a dick when we presented our coupon. If you don’t want people to use them, don’t give them to surrounding wineries to pass out.
• Russian Hill Estate: Wonderful view of the valley!
• Lynmar Estate: Really pretty view of their vineyards! Good wine and friendly people too.

Sunce

Lynmar Estate vineyards

Day Three: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley

• Seghesio Family Vineyards: One of the biggest “small” wineries of the trip, but fantastic wines; Matt and I actually joined their wine club.
• Francis Ford Coppola Winery: In a word, overkill. I felt like I had been transported to Anaheim (think adult Disneyland) only I was in the mood for small, family owned wineries instead of swimming pools, admission fees, and bars. Plus, you have to buy $300 worth of wine in order to get back your $10 tasting fee. This place was completely out-of-place.
•  Preston: I have mixed emotions about this one. Didn’t enjoy their wine at all, but it’s a great place for a picnic.
• Silver Oak: Huge disappointment. Nice, relaxing courtyard…but terribly overpriced and completely mediocre wine.
• Stryker: Another swing and a miss. Only this was almost painful as it has huge potential and I wanted to like it so badly. Probably the best view of all the wineries, but the place was full of douches. It totally ruined the experience.
• Hawkes Wine: Very cute tasting room…mediocre wines.
• **Ridge: Finally!! After a fairly mediocre wine day (aside from Seghesio) we found Ridge. Great wines, great people, great tasting room! I wish I could have hung out there for an hour or so longer.
• Unti: Our only “by appointment” stop of the trip and totally worth it. Such a small place with super friendly people.

Francis Ford Coppola Winery

View from Ridge

Day Four: Sonoma Valley

This was a shorter day for wine tasting as we spent most of the afternoon & evening at Russian River Brewery. However, we did discover a couple of great wineries:

• Imagery: Truly unique wines, specifically a wine they’ve called “Code Blue” which is made from 77% red wine and 23% blueberry wine. Before you diss it, know that we were both just as skeptical, but try it. It’s not sweet like other non-grape “fruit wine.” The blueberries undergo fermentation with a red grape varietal for 9 months in French Oak, so you essentially end up with a red blend that has a delicious blueberry undertone.
• **St. Francis: We had an amazing time relaxing on the patio of this winery, soaking of the sun, and enjoying some great wine and food. Really friendly people (Clay and Rony!)

St. Francis

People have asked us which California wine stop we prefer, Napa or Sonoma County. Napa is definitely more commercialized, made up of bigger tasting facilities, and more crowded. Sonoma County, on the other hand, has a more “laid back” feel; the wineries are more spread out and you definitely can tell you are in the farmland and visiting small, family owned facilities. Honestly, I couldn’t pick one over the other; there isn’t a better or a worse…they are just different.

For other pictures from our wonderful trip, click here.          <jenna>

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