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Anyway, back to Russian River Valley. I've done the Sonoma, Napa, Anderson, Dry Creek valleys and have been to Russian River before as well; however, this last trip to the valley was near perfection. Maybe it felt so perfect because I had been dying to get up to wine country and this appeased my starved appetite for being amongst the vineyards, but the valley itself just feels so welcoming and friendly. I went up with my sister and her husband -- my usual wine adventure buddies. We stock up on goodies from Trader Joe's for a picnic, this time, plan which wineries to stop at (although Google Maps failed here again and we defaulted to a paper map) and then go. Leave in the mid morning, cross the Golden Gate and cruise up 101 -- easy peasy.
Our first stop was at Iron Horse to wet our taste buds with some bubbly before hitting the wine wine. The winery is perched atop a hill and the road to get to it is roughly paved. Its tasting room is outside and when we first arrived it was foggy (sad face), but they are brilliant and have large heat lamps right next to the bar. When I'm with the sis and brother in law, we usually share tastings ($10/per person is a bit much, even though they'll waive the fee with purchase usually...and we like to share). So we shared the bubbly flight and the wine tasting. The bubbles were quite delightful! Best way to start the morning at 10:30am. I bought a bottle of their 2005 Classic Vintage Brut -- a very dry brut, light on sugars, but still fruity, rich and my idea of good celebration bubbly. It's 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay -- a classic blend for a classic sparkling wine.
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We next headed over to Porter Creek, a charming winery that was pleasantly doused with sunshine when we arrived. The tasting room is a small house with boxes stacked against the walls with bottles of various vintages, eager to be sold or picked up by wine club members. Our tasting room host was quite the jolly fellow, definitely in his element when pouring and sharing wine -- even snagged some unlisted tastes! I bought their 2008 Viognier which, at first taste, was odd and I wasn't too sure if I liked it, but the second sip made me fall in love just a little. It's bold with honey and nectar on the first sip, but on the second, the honey layer tapers down and you're greeted with rich pear and mango flavors. A well rounded Viognier for sure that will be perfect on a warm spring day, munching on some sort of spicy cuisine.
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I bought a bottle of their 2007 Fiona Hill Pinot Noir as well. The 2007 Pinots in Russian River Valley and Anderson Valley were blessed with perfect weather for growing the grapes. They got all the right frosts, sun exposure, rain, etc, so the fruit itself ended up with strong berry and black cherry flavors and all are incredibly smooth and will definitely age well. The vintage does need a few more years before hitting complete and utter perfection and I'm guessing later this year or in 2011, the wine will be absolutely bold, round and even more berry intensive.
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After Porter Creek, we headed up to Thomas George, a winery that our Iron Horse tasting room hostess told us to go to for their really really good Zinfandel and she was right, it was REALLY good Zinfandel. I'm big on Zins right now too -- I love how busty they are with their deep berries, cocoa accents and silky vanillas. Side note: Trader Joe's sells a fantastic Zinfandel by Canard Sauvage, a Dry Creek winery, for $9.99, if you really like Zins. This Thomas George 2007 Zinfandel did not disappoint. It was rich with raspberries, plums, cocoa tannins, black pepper, and got better with every sip. So of course, I bought a bottle :)
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After Thomas George, we got very hungry and needed to find a spot to have our picnic and enjoy a bottle of wine. We ended up at Arista, a fairly new winery with beautiful grounds. The wines here were decent, they have potential for sure. We ended up buying a bottle of their 2007 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir -- our favorite pick from their Pinot vintages. This 2007 Pinot felt young, whereas the others I tasted that day didn't feel quite as young, they felt a bit heavier with potential. It was a traditional Pinot though, light with acid, fruity cranberries and light with raspberries with a hint of tannins to help give it some layers. An enjoyable wine that did pair nicely with our feast.
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After Arista, we wandered the valley a bit, ended up at Gary Farrell, who had some good wines, but were a bit pricey. The tasting room did have a spectacular view of the valley which enthralled me more than the wines itself. I seriously could have pitched a home there to just gaze out at the scenery, absorb the beauty and imagine my own fairy tale life. It was lovely.
One of the last wineries we hit was Dutton Estates. We were a bit tired after all of our tastings and definitely had a food coma after our meal. However, Dutton had a dessert wine on their tasting menu, a fantastic benefit to us because we were in need of something other than Pinot. Their 2007 Sweet Sisters Late Harvest Zinfandel was simply perfect. It had well refined vanillas, deep raspberries and chocolate layers. A charming dessert wine that would pair nicely with a bowl of berries, bits of dark chocolate or can just be dessert itself. My sister bought me a bottle of this one in exchange for driving :)
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It was a great success of a wine trip. We were all thoroughly exhausted on the drive home and had In N Out for dinner. Unclassy, not something to pair with wine, but definitely delicious. With spring creeping up quickly, I can't wait to take more adventures up in wine country because there really is nothing like finding a charming winery or two or three to perk up the taste buds, have a picnic, enjoy company, sunshine, and the scenery that makes up our convenient, treasured escape from the city.
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