Trek Travel Unveils A Limited Availability SingleThread Farm California Weekend Bike Tour

August 14, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Madison, WI (PRWEB) – Trek Travel, a bicycle vacation leader, unveils a singular culinary and luxury travel experience in its limited availability SingleThread California Weekend Bike Tour taking place October 23-26.

The award-winning cycling tour outfitter explores California’s Sonoma and legendary Dry Creek Valley on the world’s best bikes while indulging in the Zen-inspired SingleThread.

The captivating farm-restaurant-inn is garnering worldwide acclaim for offering experiences based on “omotenashi,” the Japanese concept of hospitality whereby “guests are entertained wholeheartedly,”

“Every detail is meticulously considered at SingleThread,” says Trek Travel President, Tania Burke. “It’s five guestrooms are luxuriously timeless, dinner in its James Beard award-winning restaurant is flawless, and a tour of private farm is enchanting.”

All are part of the four-day, three night SingleThread California Weekend Bike Tour that begins and ends in Healdsburg, California.

Guests will cycle through the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys, passing Lake Sonoma and 1,400 year-old redwoods in Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve.

They’ll experience an elaborate 11-course, wine- or sake-paired tasting menu in the 2017 James Beard Award-winning dining room which The New York Times calls “serene” with “panache.” (The San Francisco Chronicle describes as a “flawless four star experience”).

A family-style, traditional Japanese donabe dinner in the SingleThread private study and private tour of a local farm, surrounded by Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay vines, are additional trip highlights.

The limited availability of this four-day, three-night trip is offered from October 23 – 26, 2017. Priced from $4,799 per person, the trip begins and ends in Healdsburg, California. Guests stay at SingleThread. Rides from 11 to 40 miles with up to 2,400 of climbing. For further information contact Trek Travel at 1-866-464-8735 or visit trektravel.com.

About Trek Travel:

Based in Madison, Wisconsin, Trek Travel is an award-winning cycling vacation company offering cycling tours around the globe for cyclists of all abilities. Each vacation includes the use of the latest Trek bicycles like the Domane SL 7 or XM700+ electric assist, featuring Garmin GPS devices and Di2 electronic shifting; with an option to upgrade to the Emonda SLR, the lightest production road bike available; boutique accommodations; most meals; snacks and drinks for each day’s ride; daily route support; social hours; entrance fees to group events; transportation during the tour; complimentary Trek Travel merchandise, and more.

Trek Travel was formed in 2002 as the luxury bicycle touring arm of Trek Bicycles, one of the world’s largest bicycle manufacturers. Voted a 2016 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Tour Operator, they’re a team of globetrotters, world-travelers and dreamers who know how to inspire the memories guests have for the rest of their life. They find the best roads, hotels, towns, food, routes and attractions, and introduce them to people looking for adventure. All on bikes they’re guaranteed to love with unrivaled customer service at every step.

About SingleThread:

SingleThread is Farm-Restaurant-Inn located in Healdsburg, California. SingleThread Farm is situated on five acres between the Russian River and the historic San Lorenzo Ranch. The property consists of a greenhouse, shade structures, loamy fields, chicken coops, an heirloom fruit orchard, olive trees, bee hives, and a cattle paddock all surrounded by Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay vines. The farm supplies vegetables, fruit, herbs, flowers, honey, eggs, and olive oil to our restaurant kitchen.

The dining room offers an eleven-course tasting menu customized to our guests’ dietary preferences and restrictions. Tucked away on the second floor, the inn has five thoughtfully appointed guestrooms featuring an assortment of well-curated amenities and includes a multi-course breakfast.

Vinome Launches First DNA-based Wine Experience

July 26, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

HEALDSBURG, Calif. – Vinome isn’t your garden-variety curated wine service. Founded in 2015 by a team of genetic scientists and wine experts, the first DNA-based wine experience harnesses the longstanding science of taste to pair wine lovers and wine discoverers with boutique wine selections on a much deeper level. Using DNA. Vino + genome = Vinome.

Vinome Founders

“After years of analyzing DNA to develop medicines for cancer, we started thinking,” said Sara Riordan, Vinome co-founder, “if there’s a gene that tells you whether you like Brussels sprouts or not, and whether you like cilantro or not, why aren’t we using genetics to tell people whether they would favor a certain wine?”

Vinome does just that. The profoundly personalized wine experience analyzes the nuances of taste preferences, along with 10 genetic markers related to smell and taste to identify eight unique Vinome taste profiles. Customer results will reveal primary wine flavor affinities along with how likely they are to respond to flavors such as traces of leather, minerals, honeysuckle, and more. From the bright, crisp citrus flavors of Vibrant Grove to the rich and complex flavors of The Big Bold, customers can shop for hard-to-find bottles curated specifically for their Vinome in the online store, or join the quarterly wine club. Either way, Vinome delivers direct to their doorstep.

“To date, we have developed relationships with boutique wineries in California, Oregon and Washington,” said Shannon Kieran, also a Vinome co-founder. “These are wines that are routinely rated favorably by the industry, though they are not typically sold in grocery stores or wine outlets. They’re amazing wines.”

Vinome is one of the first companies to apply the science of taste and the vast body of genetic research to a new and broadly accessible experience –a groundbreaking connection between a person’s DNA and lifestyle.

Ronald Andrews, Vinome co-founder and CEO, has spent most of his career in the molecular diagnostics industry. “The rigor around the science has been strong and thorough, and we’re proud of the time we have spent to get it right,” he said.

The Vinome process is quick and easy. Customers sign up online, take a taste preference survey and in a few days will receive a saliva kit and instructions. A postage paid envelope is provided for sending the sample to the lab, and in just a few weeks, they will receive their Vinome and access to the online store and wine club.

For more information or to start your Vinome journey, visit Vinome.com. Or find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube at @myvinome.

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About Vinome

Founded in 2015, Vinome is the ultimate personalized wine experience. Created by a team of genetic scientists and wine experts, Vinome uses DNA insights, the science of taste and taste preference information to pair wine lovers and wine discoverers with wines they love. Shop for hard-to-find boutique bottles in the online store, or join the quarterly wine club. Either way, Vinome delivers direct to your doorstep. Disrupting the direct-to-consumer wine industry, Vinome has piqued the interest of Fast Company, The Atlantic, Fox Business, British Airways Business Life and Thrillist.

For more information or to start your Vinome journey, visit Vinome.com. Or find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube at @myvinome.

Charlie Palmer and Clay Mauritson Invite You to the 7th Annual Project Zin Event

July 16, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

The renowned chef and award-winning winemaker collaborate once again to raise funds for the Down Syndrome Association of North Bay at Hotel Healdsburg and Dry Creek Kitchen.

photo courtesy Christa Weaving

Healdsburg, Calif – Chef Charlie Palmer and winemaker Clay Mauritson announce the Seventh Annual Project Zin event, taking place on Saturday, August 19, 2017 at Hotel Healdsburg. This preeminent wine event will gather some of the most sought after Zinfandels paired with food from Chef Palmer and top local Sonoma County chefs. All proceeds will benefit the Down Syndrome Association North Bay.

Project Zin lines up 21 of the most highly acclaimed Zinfandel wines from Northern California. The number 21 is significant: in most cases of Down Syndrome there is an extra copy of chromosome 21, which changes the body and brain’s normal development. Clay and Carrie Mauritson’s nine-year old son Brady was diagnosed with Downs Syndrome at the age of 2 ½, which led the Mauritson family to seek support from friends, family, and community organizations, including the Down Syndrome Association, North Bay (DSANB). In addition to DSANB, Clay solicited the aid of his close friend and winemaking partner, Chef Charlie Palmer, and Project Zin was born. In the six years since Project Zin’s inception, the Sonoma County winemaking and culinary community has come together to raise nearly $500,000 for DSANB, providing much needed funds for research and support for individuals and families affected by Down Syndrome. A letter from Clay and Carrie Mauritson highlighting their personal challenges with Down Syndrome and the subsequent support they received from the DSANB can be found here.

Now in its seventh year, Project Zin attracts some of the most highly recognized Zinfandel winemakers and chefs in Northern California, including such prolific wineries as Carlisle Winery & Vineyards, Robert Biale Vineyards and Limerick Lane Cellars, and acclaimed wine country restaurants Dry Creek Kitchen, Valette, and SingleThread Farm – Restaurant – Inn, and more. A full list of wineries and restaurants can be found here: http://projectzin.org/talent/.

Tickets and packages for Project Zin can be purchased online at http://projectzin.org/tickets/.

Tickets and package pricing are listed below. Please note all packages are sold out.

A la carte tickets

Includes admission to event, unlimited tasting of Zinfandels and culinary creations

$200 (excludes fees)

Project Zin Packages

All packages include two night accommodations for two in a luxurious Hotel Healdsburg or h2hotel room, complimentary breakfast and valet parking, welcome wine reception on Friday, August 18 at Hotel Healdsburg, Rockpile Vineyard Lunch, Tour & Tasting with Clay & Carrie Mauritson, and two tickets to Project Zin.

Perlis Picks: Mazzocco Sonoma

June 24, 2017 by Michael Perlis 1 Comment

When we last visited winemaker Antoine Favero at Mazzocco Sonoma, he made the gracious offer of taking us to visit a vineyard or two on our next visit.

Not one to forget that kind of opportunity, I checked with Antoine as we planned our upcoming Dry Creek Valley trip. I almost expected him to be too busy, as he is not only winemaker for Mazzocco but also for Jaxon Keys and Soda Rock, as well as sharing winemaking duties with Diane Wilson at deLorimier. But Antoine was true to his word and suggested an excursion to Rockpile.

Antoine Favero of Mazzocco Sonoma Winery at Rockpile Ranch

I’ve loved wines from the Rockpile AVA for some time and have always considered it a very special place, but have never visited, until now. I was surprised to learn that this area only obtained its official AVA status in 2002, as it seems like I’ve been drinking Rockpile wines for longer than that.

That being said, Karen and I hopped into the Wilson Artisan Wineries tour bus and, with Antoine at the wheel, we drove to the far western reaches of the Dry Creek Valley and into the Rockpile AVA.

Our first stop was Florence Ranch. Antoine, who gets grapes from this vineyard, explained that Jack Florence Sr. was one of the growers who helped to spearhead the recognition of the Rockpile AVA. The AVA is over 15,000 acres, but less than 200 are planted.

We then continued deep into the wilderness of Rockpile until we reached the Mazzocco Rockpile Ranch property, which is only 800 acres with 25 of them planted. Along the way, we marveled at how difficult it must be to just get the ripened grapes back to the winery, given the ruggedness of the terrain.

Finally arriving at Rockpile Ranch, Antoine needed to let us into the locked gateway to the property. When we got to the vineyard, it was easy to see why this vineyard was kept under lock and key. I love visiting vineyards – where the magic starts – but certain ones seem more magical that others. And this one definitely ranks very high on that list, capped off by Antoine opening a bottle of the 2014 Mazzocco Rockpile Zinfandel for us to enjoy at the vineyard from which it came. Perfection!

Alas, while we have the hard job of writing about wine, Antoine has the much harder job of actually making the stuff. And he had to get back to work! So, he drove us back to the winery and left us in the hands of the very capable, knowledgeable and hospitable Mazzocco tasting room staff.

Much like Mazzocco’s sister winery Wilson, there are so many great wines on the list to try, again mostly Zins, some Petites and a few others as well. My notes say that some of my favorites were…

2014 Zinfandel Maria

2014 Zinfandel Rockpile Reserve [of course!]

2013 Zinfandel Warm Springs Ranch

And, similar to Wilson Winery, Mazzocco has three wines in their premier collection, named after the vineyard manager, winemaker and proprietor, respectively. Truly outstanding special occasion wines that any Zin fan should seek out…

The Tres Amigos

2013 Zinfandel Juan Rodriguez Reserve

2013 Zinfandel Antoine Philippe Reserve

2013 Zinfandel Kenneth Carl Reserve

I can’t thank Antoine enough for taking the time to play tour guide for us. While that kind of experience might not happen often, anyone can [and should] visit Mazzocco and experience their wonderful wines. Definitely a must-visit for any wine lover, especially Zin fans.

Mazzocco Sonoma

1400 Lytton Springs Road

Healdsburg, CA 95448

See photos of our visit with Antoine and others from our trip here: Sonoma County Series.

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 25 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. Michael is also Vice President of Eve Bushman Consulting (fka Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting) http://evebushmanconsulting.com/ and President of MCP Financial. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or michael@evebushmanconsulting.com.

Perlis Picks: Comstock Wines

June 10, 2017 by Michael Perlis Leave a Comment

While I’ve known of and appreciated the great wines of the Dry Creek Valley for many years, it has only been over the last few that I’ve given them the attention they deserve. It is hard to believe that it took me so long, given the quality of the wines, especially those Zinfandels!

But I do owe a debt of gratitude to Kelly Comstock Ferris, General Manager of Comstock Wines for opening my eyes a little wider to appreciate what I’d been missing.

In early 2014, we first met Kelly at an event in Beverly Hills called Sonoma In The City, a traveling roadshow showcasing the AVAs of Sonoma County. I had just gotten there and I recall expressing to Kelly something to the effect that I was concerned that the event was going to be primarily showcasing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, given their popularity. She quickly put my mind at ease by pouring me the first release from her family’s winery – a 2012 Zinfandel that was just outstanding.

Kelly, after years of experience in the hospitality industry, took on the General Manager role of Comstock Wines when her family decided to go beyond farming the grapes from the vineyard they had owned since 2002 and start making wine.

Later that same year, we had the opportunity to visit with Kelly at the family’s gorgeous new state of the art winery. Actually, we met in the construction trailer and had fun tasting through the wines and seeing the plans for the soon to be built winery and tasting room. We left, promising to be back when construction was complete.

Well, somehow we managed to wait two years for our next visit. Was the wait worth it? You betcha.

Let me start by saying that if you have an opportunity to stay a night or two at a winery’s guest house, you should definitely do so. There is no better way to totally immerse oneself in wine country. And, you’d be hard pressed to find a better one than The Residence at Comstock Wines. My wife Karen and I had the pleasure of staying there on our visit.

Just a short walk to the winery tasting room, The Residence provides complete luxury while at the same time is a totally immersive wine country experience, right in the middle of the vineyard property. With four master suites, the huge house also has a full kitchen as well as a living room and media room. In one direction, you can drive to the gourmet restaurants in Healdsburg in just a few minutes and in the other direction are all the wineries and vineyards of the Dry Creek Valley.

And speaking of wineries, the winery at Comstock is a beautiful state of the art building wherein winemaker Chris Russi uses his years of experience and knowledge of the various Sonoma County AVAs and their varietals to “create wines that speak to regional uniqueness.” The winery’s capacity far exceeds Comstock’s production, so they also provide custom crush services to other wineries. I found especially cool the ability to cordon off various sections of the winery to provide for the unique needs of client wineries. And the automated punch-down equipment was really fascinating to me.

All that being said, at the end of the day it is all about the wine, right? Wonderful as this property is, if the wine isn’t up to the same standards…well, it would be hard for me to write this article.

Fortunately, the wines do live up to expectations. Some of our favorites were…

2015 Sauvignon Blanc / Dry Creek Valley – acid on Sauvignon Blanc can sometimes be overwhelming. Not here. Nice tropical fruit flavors with just enough zing on the palate.

2013 Chardonnay / Sonoma Coast – a really clean refreshing Chard. Nice bright flavors.

2013 Zinfandel / Dry Creek Valley and 2012 Zinfandel / Dry Creek Valley – had these side-by-side. The 2012 was the first Comstock wine I had tasted a couple of years early and was drinking beautifully. The 2013, which after our visit won a well-deserved Gold Medal at the 2017 San Francisco Chronicle Competition, was drinking great as well, showing off that wonderful Dry Creek Valley fruit.

2013 Zinfandel / Old Vine / Dry Creek Valley and 2013 Zinfandel / Old Vine / Russian River Valley – another side-by side tasting, and a really interesting one. At first, the upfront fruit of the Dry Creek Valley bottling really got my attention. As I continued to taste each wine, the RRV Zin showed a little more complexity and rewarded a little extra attention. You wouldn’t go wrong with either of these.

2013 Zinfandel / Rockpile – there are a lot of great sites for growing Zinfandel, but I have to say that the Rockpile AVA has always held a special place in my heart [and on my palate]. No surprise here, just a beautiful, jammy, delicious wine.

I’d like to say a big thank you to Erin Bush [Residence Manager & Winery Concierge] and Tracy Bidia [Hospitality Director] as well as everyone else we encountered at Comstock for making our stay so enjoyable. Sadly, Kelly Comstock Ferris was out of town so we were not able to connect this time, so we are really looking forward to seeing her on our next visit to Comstock.

Comstock Wines

1290 Dry Creek Road
Healdsburg, CA 95448

See photos of our visit to Comstock Wines and others from our trip here: Sonoma County Series.

Dry Creek Valley Launches Exclusive “Winemakers in Conversation” Event Series

May 14, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Healdsburg, Calif. (PRWEB) – Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley will follow up their 28th annual Passport event with the launch of a new event series called “Winemakers in Conversation.” The series is comprised of three different immersive experiences, “Zealous about Zinfandel,” “Cult Cabernets” and “Zintopia.” Each experience, which is designed for just 50 attendees, will feature four Dry Creek Valley winemakers, one winegrower, and will be moderated by a wine industry icon. All tickets are $125.

The Winemakers in Conversation events begin with a seated, classroom-style tasting in which the four winemakers will each share and discuss a cellar selection wine, contextualizing it within the characteristic qualities unique to Dry Creek Valley. After the panel, the event breaks into a social, open tasting format with eight food pairings and passed hors d’oeuvres.

The schedule is as follows:

Saturday, July 15, 2017 – 10:00a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Zealous About Zinfandel at Quivira Vineyards and Winery

The first tasting in the series is moderated by San Francisco Chronicle Wine Editor Esther Mobley. Guests will take a deep dive into the world of Dry Creek Valley’s most historic grape, with Ridge Vineyards Winemaker John Olney, Pedroncelli Winemaker Montse Reese, Seghesio Vineyards Winemaker Ted Seghesio and Quivira Vineyards’ Hugh Chappelle.

Saturday, July 22, 2017 – 10:00a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Cult Cabernets at Passalacqua Winery

The second tasting in the series is moderated by Virginie Boone of Wine Enthusiast. Guests will explore Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with winemakers Jennifer Higgins of Lambert Bridge Winery, Tim Bell of Dry Creek Vineyard, Ed Sbragia of Sbragia Vineyards and Jessica Boone of Passalacqua. Also joining the discussion is grower Ryan Petersen from Petersen Management.

Sunday, July 30, 2017 – 10:00a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Zintopia at Preston Vineyards

The final tasting in the series is moderated by the Chef and Author John Ash, the father of wine country cuisine. Guests will savor fine examples of Dry Creek Valley zinfandel from winemakers/owners Erik Miller of Kokomo Winery, Clay Mauritson of Mauritson Wines, Joe Healy of Bella Vineyards and Wine Cave and Lou Preston of Preston Farm and Winery. Chef Ash will be crafting pairings for this event, utilizing ingredients from Preston Farm.

Getting here:
Dry Creek Valley is located in the heart of Sonoma County, just 15 minutes from Sonoma County Airport (STS) and 70 miles north of San Francisco and Bay Area international airports SFO and OAK. Direct flights into STS are available on Alaska Airlines from Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle and Portland; visitors on these flights can check a case of wine for free on their flight home. American Airlines flies from Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) to STS. A complete list of lodging options can be found at http://www.drycreekvalley.org.

Tickets can be found at: drycreekvalley.org/events/winemakers-in-conversation

About Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley:

Dry Creek Valley is a premium winegrowing region in northern Sonoma County, California, anchored by the charming town of Healdsburg. Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley® (WDCV) is a 501c6 non-profit trade association of over 60 wineries and 150 winegrape growers. Formed in 1989, the association represents a multi-generational family community of vintners and growers committed to growing high-quality fruit, producing world-class wines, and welcoming visitors to experience Wine Paired with Life®. Being good stewards of the land means that we are preserving the quality of our wines and the unparalleled beauty of Dry Creek Valley for future generations to discover. For more information, visit http://www.drycreekvalley.org.

Passport to Dry Creek Valley Celebrates 28th Annual Weekend

March 4, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Healdsburg, Calif. (PRWEB) – Tickets sales opened on February 1 for the 28th Annual Passport to Dry Creek Valley, hosted by the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley (WDCV). New this year are several VIP ticket add-ons, offering guests opportunities for intimate vineyard designate tasting experiences, meals with winemakers and vineyard tours.

At 45 participating wineries throughout Dry Creek Valley, guests will enjoy elaborate themed parties with exquisite food and wine pairings. Guests can meet Sonoma County’s most renowned chefs, including Michelin-starred Chef Charlie Palmer, Diavola Chef/Owner Dino Bugica, Bistro 29 Chef/Owner Brian Anderson and other culinary stars, savoring their inspired culinary creations alongside newly released and limited edition wines. Wineries taking part range from the internationally-acclaimed Ridge Vineyards and Ferrari-Carano, to boutique wineries like Nalle and Talty, that produce fewer than 2,000 cases per year.

Live entertainment and activities support the wineries’ unique themes. Music will include a Beatles cover band, bluegrass, jazz, Hawaiian music from Maile Swing, funk from The Jacktones and more. At Quivira Vineyards, guests will have the chance to blend their own custom herb salts from biodynamically-grown estate herbs. Winery themes range from the glamorous (think Prohibition-era speakeasy) to the goofy (think Caddyshack), with unforgettable food and wine at each stop.

WHEN:
Friday, April 28, 2017 — Prelude to Passport
Saturday & Sunday, April 29 & 30, 2017 from 11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

WHERE:
Dry Creek Valley is located in the heart of Sonoma County, just 15 minutes from Sonoma County Airport (STS) and 70 miles north of San Francisco and Bay Area international airports SFO and OAK. Direct flights into STS are available on Alaska Airlines from Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle and Portland; visitors on these flights can check a case of wine for free on their flight home. American Airlines flies from Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) to STS. Festivities take place at 45+ Dry Creek Valley wineries. A complete list of lodging options can be found at http://www.drycreekvalley.org.

TICKETS:
General Admission Price: $135.00 for a 2-Day Passport or $80.00 for Sunday-only Passport. $55.00 for Daily Designated Driver Tickets. Tickets go on sale online at http://www.drycreekvalley.org on February 1, 2017 at 10:00 am PST.

Add-Ons:
$200 – First Class Upgrade – Includes one Prelude Dinner & our new Vineyard Designate Experience
$130 – Frequent Flier Upgrade – Includes one Prelude Lunch & our new Vineyard Designate Experience
$25 – Vineyard Tour – Attend a vineyard tour the morning of Passport, offered Saturday & Sunday
Prelude to Passport Price: $75.00 for a Friday Lunch Ticket; $150.00 for a Friday Dinner Ticket

Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. VIP add-on experiences are highly limited.

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Hashtags: #DCVPassport, #DryCreekValley
Facebook: facebook.com/drycreekvalley
Twitter: @drycreekvalley
Instagram: @drycreekvalleywines

About Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley:

March Signals the End of Winter with Fabulous Wine Events, by Barbara Barrielle

February 25, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

The first weekend of March seems to be the traditional kick off to the wine country spring reemergence. After all of this rain and wild weather, don’t we need a little Pinot Noir and a taste of future vintages to give us hope that spring and summer are on their way?

World of Pinot Noir returns to the elegant seaside Bacara Resort and Spa in Goleta in a two day festivity of Pinot Noir tastings, lunches, seminars and dinners. There is also a silent auction that benefits local charities and the winemaking program at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.

Hands down this is the best event and most spectacular venue at which to try an amazing range of Pinot Noirs and other wines like Rosé of Pinot Noirs (rosés are the super trend of 2016-2017) and Pinot Gris. Not only do winemakers flock here from across California and Oregon but Pinot Noir producers around the country make the WOPN pilgrimage.

And Pinot Noir tasting opportunities do not stop at our borders. Meet and try Pinot Noir producers from Burgundy and other parts of France, Germany, Austria, Australia, New Zealand and all regions that produce Pinot around the world.

Tickets to the Focus Grand Tasting on Friday, March 3^rd and the Grand Tasting on Saturday, March 4^th are still available. The lunches and dinners featured throughout the weekend are not only spectacular (Kosta Browne, Hirsch, Anderson Valley, Edna Valley, Burgundy and more) but they are exceptionally well-priced for the quality of the wines and food, much of it prepared by Bacara’s Angel Oak Restaurant and guest chefs like Dustin Valette of Valette’s in Healdsburg.

Go quickly to www.worldofpinotnoir.com and join the celebration. WOPN is a well-oiled event and participants spend the day at one of the most stunning resorts in California enjoying an array of Pinot Noirs found nowhere else.

The same weekend farther north on The Wine Road that encompasses the wine valleys of Dry Creek, Alexander and Russian River centering around the towns of Healdsburg and Sebastopol the 40^th Annual Barrel Tasting Weekend kicks off the first of two weekends in March celebrating recent vintages available to taste only by barrel samples. March 3-5 and March 10-12, 2017, are the weekend dates this year.

Even with the expansion to two weekends it remains hard to do this region justice. The wide variety of wineries and the high caliber of wines make Barrel Tasting Weekend in these three wine valleys the best way to judge what many call a spectacular 2016 vintage and be able to buy futures at a discount before they are bottles. In addition, older vintages that are still in barrel will be available to taste as well as current releases. Given the demand for the wines in these areas, buying futures guarantees you can obtain wines that many times sell out upon release.

Be an insider and be educated on what is coming down the pike among the excellent wineries of Dry Creek Valley (known for Zinfandel), Alexander Valley (known for Cabernet Sauvignon) and Russian River Valley (known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) and purchase futures to come back and pick up later. While there, don’t forget to pick up wines to drink now.

2016 Harvest Begins in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley

September 12, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

HEALDSBURG, Calif. -Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley (WDCV) began their 2016 grape harvest this week, and shared their predictions for the season. Picking began on Saturday, August 13 for Amista Vineyards Sparkling Blanc de Blancs, ten days later than they began harvesting their fruit in 2015. Overall, quality predictions are extremely positive after a year of ideal weather. Yields are a bit lower than average, but larger than in 2015.

Amista Vineyards Winemaker Ashley Herzberg owner Mike Farrow toast on Saturday, August 13, 2016 over the first grapes harvested in Dry Creek Valley for the 2016 harvest season. This chardonnay is used to make the winery’s Sparkling Blanc de Blancs

In some parts of the valley, white wine grapes for still wines are on the brink of ripeness. “We harvested a bit of chardonnay yesterday, and we will start harvesting some sauvignon blanc this week, which is about the same as 2015,” said Duff Bevill, owner of Bevill Vineyard Management.

Clay Mauritson, winemaker at Mauritson Wines, said, “ We are expecting our first fruit at the end of August or in early September. This is about average for us, but much later than last year.”

Growers of Dry Creek Valley’s renowned zinfandel grapes expressed tremendous optimism. Ned Neumiller, grower relations viticulture manager for Seghesio Family Vineyards, said “Quality at this point in the harvest looks exceptional across the valley. The vineyards look the best they’ve looked in several years this late in the season. When you step back and look at the overall quality of the foliage that’s out there, it’s impressive.”

Neumiller continued, explaining, “Fruit set and veraison had us thinking we were heading for an earlier harvest than we’re seeing now. Good quality hang time will let that crop fully mature in its natural balance. The grapes are doing what they’re supposed to do.”

The harvest season is expected to continue into October, with most red Bordeaux grape varieties reaching ripeness after zinfandel, and late-ripening grapes like mourvedre grapes following after that.

After a few years of serious drought conditions, Dry Creek Valley winegrowers were pleased to see some well-timed rainfall from this year’s El Niño conditions. Neumiller commented, “If there aren’t any unforeseen weather events that come up now, we’re on track for the quality to be just exceptional. The rain pattern this year was absolutely perfect.”

Ryan Petersen, vineyard manager at Petersen Land Management, attributes 2016’s slightly lower-than-average yield to weather conditions in spring of 2015. He said, “That spring was actually fairly wet. Even though we were below average in total rainfall last year, we got a lot of rain during that short period, which is when the grape vine is sensing is whether it has enough soil and nutrients and water to grow. This season, the vines didn’t want to stop growing. We irrigated much less this year because we needed the vine to shut down and focus on the fruit.”

“My grandfather farmed winegrapes, too, and he used to say, ‘If you have one good year in ten, you’re doing well.’ I’d say that we’ve been blessed to have six or seven good years out of the last ten,” said Petersen.

About Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley

The Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley® (WDCV) is an association of more than 60 wineries and 150 growers, of which more than 95 percent are small, family-owned operations. WDCV is dedicated to advancing the recognition, enhancement and preservation of Dry Creek Valley as a premium winegrowing region. Anchored by the charming town of Healdsburg, the Dry Creek Valley appellation was officially designated in 1983. Known as a premier zinfandel growing region, Dry Creek Valley is one of California’s oldest wine producing regions and is home to many heritage vineyards ranging in age from 50 to 120 years. To preserve this history and the valley’s pristine beauty, the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley supports sustainable viticulture and low-impact farming practices. www.drycreekvalley.org/

Throughout Sonoma County, harvest photos are aggregated through use of the hashtag #SCHarvest at the website http://www.sonomawinegrape.org/harvest. All Dry Creek Valley harvest photos will also be tagged #drycreekvalley. Harvest in Dry Creek Valley can be followed on the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley’s social media channels, listed below.

Perlis Picks: Historic Vineyard Society 6th Annual Tour and Dinner, Part 1

June 11, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

I find it interesting and somewhat ironic that some of the leading and most innovative winemakers of our time are making some of the most exciting wines from vineyards that were planted well before they were born, from varietals that are not exactly “of the moment” – many of these wines are labeled Zinfandel on their bottles, but are in fact true field blends, sometimes of dozens of varietals, with just enough Zin to hit that 75% mark. In fact, saving these vineyards before the vines were torn out and replaced with more trendy and profitable varieties [like Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon] or ripped out entirely for property development created a common cause and resulted in the formation of the Historic Vineyard Society.

Morgan Twain-Peterson at Papera Ranch.

The Historic Vineyard Society is dedicated to registering and preserving the historic old vineyards in California. Spearheaded by Mike Officer of Carlisle Winery & Vineyards, Tegan Passalacqua of Turley Wine Cellars and Sandlands, and Morgan Twain-Peterson of Bedrock Wine Company, along with Mike Dildine who holds this whole thing together, the project team also includes:

Bob Biale (Robert Biale Vineyards)

David Gates (Ridge Vineyards)

Jancis Robinson (author and wine critic)

Larry Piggins (photography)

along with special consultant Joel Peterson (Ravenswood and Once and Future Wine).

Once a year, the HVS holds an event giving attendees the opportunity to tour some of these old vineyards as well as spend time and dine with the winemakers and grape growers who make all this happen.

Two years ago, my wife Karen and I attended the event in Napa. We missed last year’s Lodi tour but this year we were able to make it to the event in Healdsburg in Sonoma County hosted by Limerick Lane Cellars. This time the theme was the historic vineyards of the Russian River Valley.

Photos from the event can be seen here.

We all met at Limerick Lane Cellars on a delightfully cool and overcast day and waited for the buses to arrive. As there were about 100 of us and we had four vineyards to visit, each bus had a different itinerary so we could all enjoy the vineyard visits in comfortably sized groups. When it was time board our buses, we sat in our seats waiting for the bus to fill and wondering who our tour guide would be. We would have been happy with anyone, but Karen quietly whispered “Cool!’ when Morgan Twain-Peterson joined us.

Morgan, son of Ravenswood founder Joel Peterson, produces outstanding wines under his Bedrock label, mostly from great old vineyards. [I don’t hold it against him that the first wine he made was a Pinot Noir; after all, he was only five years old at the time!]

According to the HVS website, for a vineyard to qualify for inclusion in the registry of Historic Vineyards it must have been planted prior to 1961, be currently producing wine grapes and at least 1/3 of the producing vines be traceable back to the original planting date. The website indicates that the Russian River Valley AVA has 45 historic vineyards, with 19 of them registered by the HVS. Of those 19, we went to four – Papera Ranch, Belloni Vineyard, Limerick Lane Vineyard and Carlisle Vineyard.

All four vineyards had two things in common, besides being old. They were all true field blends, predominantly Zinfandel but with lots of other grape varieties in the mix, including some whites. But the other thing is that they all have about them is that you feel a real “sense of place” when you visit them – at least I did. There are a lot of interpretations of “terroir” floating around, and I’m not qualified to opine on their validity. But to me, “terroir” means everything about the vineyard that makes the wine unique. And these old vineyards have a lot that is special about them. In Part 2 I’ll give you some more info about each property we visited as well as tell you about the rest of the event.