Day Two: Barrel Making, Dry Creek, and Chateau St. Jean



Toasting barrels at Radoux, Windsor, Ca.

SONOMA COUNTY, Ca. - Is there anything better for a wine geek than waking up on a Thursday morning knowing you're going to spend the day in the Russian River Valley tasting Pinot Noir?

In planning for this trip I wanted to make a visit to Kokomo, Indiana's Erik Miller. Erik is owner winemaker for Kokomo Vineyards in the Dry Creek region of Sonoma. We finally got together on a quick phone call and he invite Drew and I to join members of his Wine Club at a barrell making demonstration. Of all my wine experiences in the four years I've been wine writing, I'd never seen the process.

Master Cooper Francis Durand

I certainly came away from our visit to Tonnellerie Radoux, Windsor, with a new appreciation for those oak barrels. The variables in how coopers can mix the oak and watching the hand craftmanship was fascinating. That mixture of oak plays such an integral role in how the oak win interact with the wine for the final product.

Radoux's Master Cooper Francis Durand led us through the plant demonstrating each step of the process. This will be a future newspaper column but really enhanced my knowledge of oak and it's sophisticated role in winemaking.

After the hour-and-a-half tour, we hopped in the car and drove the 20 minutes up Ca. Highway 101 and Dry Creek Road to Kokomo Winery. Eric greeted us with fourth-generation vineyard owner and manager Randy Peters.

There is no better education than walking the vineyards with the grower and winemaker for those who really want to know more about wine. We visited several blocks of the vineyards at the winery, talked about the dry Sonoma winter, pending bud break, and all of the things to get a wine geek all geeky.

Chatting with Erik Miller, Gary Peters at Kokomo Winery

In the tasting room Drew and I enjoyed the Sauvignon Blanc, a Cab, a really nice Pinot Noir made from Gary's grapes near the Sonoma Coast, and two Zins. The 2009 TimberCrest Zin was one of nicest I've tasted in a long time. Dry Creek is known for its Zinfandel. But the area can also grow almost any varietal, it's that variety that intriques Miller.

We had a great chat with Erik and Randy which will turn up in a future newspaper column or two.

And yes, for those who don't know, Erik did name his winery after his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana.

Our final stop of the day was a hastily arranged visit to one of Sonoma's best, Chateau St. Jean located betweent he cities of Sonoma and Santa Rosa on CA. 12.

The manicured vineyards of Chateau St. Jean

Our friend and host Stephen Pavy, Joseph Phelps Winery, put in a call to the St. Jean tasting room and a couple of tasting room hosts led us through a really nice tasting of their reserve wines. Newbies need to know or keep in mind even wineries like Chateau St. Jean, which is available in Indiana and all 50 states make premium wines with limited distribution or available only at the winery.

We tasted a great Pinot Gris, two Chardonnays, a couple of Pinots, and their signature Bordeaux style blend Cinq Cepages 2008. The highlight for us was the Sonoma County Reserve Merlot ($90) and Sonoma Reserve Cabernet ($90). The Cabs in Sonoma are generally a little lighter than the Napa powerhouse Cabs. But the beautiful balance and silkiness of these wines would  please most any palate.

Chateau St. Jean is a great stop and any Sonoma trip should include a visit. The grounds are truly stunning. They have a tasting room for their other wines which range in the mid-teen to $20 pricepoint.

So it's off to the Russian River Valley this morning.. We start our day with two of the grand ladies of California wine. Our first stop is at Merry Edwards and second at Inman Family wines. Kathleen Inman is going to pour for us her Pinot. Ted Klopp, a Wabash College grad, provide Pinot grapes from his ranch to both producers. We'll see Ted this afternoon.

If we don't run out of time, we hope to pay a visit to the iconic Rochioli Vineyards later today.

NOTES from the road: I do have many more wonderful  photos taken by Wabash College senior Drew Casey who is along with me on the trip. The loading times are taking forever! I did get all but one or two photos from Tuesday up this morning. Just click on the photo image at upper left and scroll down to Napa Day photos. I hope to get yesterday's up this evening.



Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

California's Biggest Stars Shine Bright



Stephen Pavy, far right, with two of his hospitality staff and me, far left, at Joseph Phelps

NAPA VALLEY,Ca. - Brands, labels, and market awareness means someting in consumer goods. Usually such awareness is because of quality, longevity, or proven success.

We wash our clothes with Tide, buy Campbell's soup, and eat Oscar Meyer cold cuts. We do it because these companies have consistently delivered high quality and reliable product.

I write those three sentences and realize I'm about to compare wine to bologna but there is some truth in the concept at least.

Today was our "Napa Valley" day and we made four winery stops. We stopped at V. Satui Winery in St. Helena, at Napa's north end, and later in the day at the picturesque Rutherford Hill Winery along the Silverado Trail in Napa. They were very nice stops I'd recommend to any Napa visitor - first timer or veteran.

But the day was really stolen by the iconic brands - Mondavi and Joseph Phelps. When I travel to various wine regions I consistently find opinions I'll share with readers here and my newspaper column. My opinions are shaped first by the wine but second, and nearly as important, by the people behind the tasting room counter. A great product keeps the customer coming back but when you visit in person the authentic smile, enthusiasm and product knowledge make it easier to spend the big  bucks on these iconic wines.

I always tell inquistors that the Robert Mondavi winery is a must stop. Mondavi had either the first or nearly the first tasting room in Napa Valley. He personally shaped the American wine industry and single-handedly made Napa the wine tourist destination it is today.

Visitors can opt for the $5 tasting of Mondavi's lower end labels. I've written about those in a couple of newspapers columns and singled out the Private Selection label as a great value buy.

Mondavi's gracious hostess, Sanda

But today I opted for the $30 premium tasting of six wines and was overwhelmed. A big part of the positive experience was Sanda Manuila, wine education coordinator, a Swiss native, and the most charming hostess you could ever have pour you $100-a-bottle wines.

We started with the Mondavi Fume Blanc Reserve. I've had the $20 bottle and loved it. This was my first chance to taste the $40 Reserve and its was simply fabulous with intense and rich fruit with just the right amount of acidity.

Sanda poured Drew and I a 2010 Pinot Noir sold only at the winery under the PNX label. It was rich fruit, nice acidity and beautiful balance.

We then worked our way through four of the Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve wines. Wow! Each one offered a different level of smooth but bold Cab taste and balance of acidity depending on the time spent in oak barrels. These wines are far beyond the price point I usually feature here or the newspaper column. But if you go to Napa, you owe it to yourself to taste these wines. The four we tasted ranged from $135-$165. These big Cab's scream ... 'Classic Napa Valley Cabernet."

Obviously, these wines aren't for everyone and the price point may make readers just shake their head. Try the Mondavi Napa Cab for about $28 and you won't be disappointed.

Joseph Phelps has become an iconic brand on the strength of its Insignia blend which has long been a critic's favorite. It has been a 90-point-plus wine virtually every year since its initial release in 1974. The current release is a 2008 and comes at $200 a bottle. It's the ultimate in luxiuous red wine from one of Napa's top producers.

Drew and I were fortunate enough to be hosted by Indiana native and Phelps' Director of Hospitality Stephen Pavy. Stephen turned us over to Geraldine for a wine seminar. If any place has a right to be a bit haughty, patronizing, or condescending, it's might be Phelps. But Pavy's staff was helpful, drew us into the wine conversations, answered questions and were quite frankly charming.

We tasted the Phelps $32 Sauvignon Blanc, Freestone Chardonnay and Pinot Noir before moving to their signature Cabernet. The 2009 Cabernet at $55 is one of the best I've tasted at the price point. Stephen actually treated us Monday night to the Cab before Tuesday's visit to the winery. It has concentrated fruit with great back end acidity. This will shake some readers but I often refer to wines tasting above their price points. This $55 Cab tastes like a more expensive wine.

The tasting highlight though was the chance to sip the signature Insignia. The critically acclaimed wine scored off the charts with our palate but what would you expect from a  $200 bottle of wine? It definitely lives up to it's reputation!

The Phelps name is synomous with Cabernet but not the huge producer some might think. The winery produces 55,000-60,000 cases of wine annually.

Our other two stops were great but frankly the service was more perfunctory than genuine - at least until I pulled out my wine writing business card. I don't always do that until after I've tasted.

Now all of that being said, I'd recommend V. Satui in St. Helena to most visitors. It's a very unique stop in that they don't distribute their wines beyond the winery. That's almost unheard of in Napa. The wines are all done in a lighter style and I thought the wines were good. The Gamay Rouge wasn't to my taste but is Satui's biggest seller. It has wonderful Gamay flavor and 1.5 percent residual sugar. That sweetness makes it a big hit with the tour bus crowd.

Rutherford Hill Winery has a beautiful facility, wine storage caves, and some great views of Napa. The wines were consistently okay with the highlight being their reserve Merlot. The 2007 Merlot was as good as any I've ever tasted, but as a Merlot skeptic I had to ask myself if I'd really fork over $57 for Merlot. Would you?

We had a really great day in wine country. Wednesday we start our day at a barrel maker with Eric Miller of Kokomo Winery. We intend to explore the town of Sonoma in the afternoon.

My travel companion Drew Casey has some marvelous photos from today's adventure beyond the three I've included here. I hope to get those up Wednesday.

Day of Long Flight, Great Bubbles, Downtown Sonoma

SONOMA, CA. - There remains something a bit magical, pleasing, and special about Sonoma and Napa Valleys. One can lose that feeling, perhaps, after visiting vineyards/wineries in other parts of California, France, and Italy.

But for many American wine lovers the Mecca has and probably always will be this area an hour north of San Francisco.

We tasted through about two-thirds of Ferrer's lineup

I'm here for the week to do a little writing but mostly as a vacation. Wabash College senior Drew Casey is along with me to further explore his interest in wine and, luckily for me take photos. Check out the few shots he took at our one brief stop last night here.

We arrived in San Francisco shortly after lunch, took the BART train into downtown, picked up our rental and headed north. We made a brief stop at the Golden Gate Bridge, which was a big foggy, but we'll return there Friday.

We had one planned stop and that was Gloria Ferrer's just outside the town of Sonoma. I have been in the area twice before but had never made the stop. From now on I'll repeat the advice of regulars in the area and recommend the Gloria bubbles as the best place to start or end a wine country visit.

Ferrer's sparkling wines are available in all 50 states and around the world. They are very well balanced, with elegant fruit and just the right amount of bubble. And by that I mean, many sparkling wines can be almost effervescent - not to my taste. It's also important to note the price points for Ferrer's sparklers are affordable, ranging from $15 for the widely available Brut, to her most expensive bottle of Carneros Cuvee, aged 10 years, for $50.

We wrapped up a short afternoon with a walk around Sonoma Square. Today its off to Napa Valley to Joseph Phelps, Robert Mondavi, and Chateau Montelena - might as well start with the real Napa wine.

Two "wine writing" stops of note this week. Tomorrow morning we'll venture north of Santa Rosa and join Eric Miller and members of his wine club to see a wine barrell made from start to finish. Miller is owner of Kokomo Winery wines and is, indeed, from Kokomo, Indiana.

Thursday afternoon will include a visit to Ted Klopp, who graduated from Wabash College in 1967, to his Pinot Noir vineyards.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com

Organic Wine Story Up on Palate Press,

Palate Press has published my story about organic wines, organic wine regulations and reflections of French winemakers on the controversies.

The story went up overnight and will be on the site about one week. The piece was a result of my week-long visit to Montpellier, France, and the 19th annual Millesime Bio - organic wine trade show.

Here is a direct link to the story.

I also provided a quick summary of what I thought were the top wineries I tasted during the show. Unfortunately, due to space considerations that section was cut. Here is it below:

The opportunity to sample the wines of 587 growers was a unique three-day experience. Sometimes wine writers and other professionals forget consumers seldom get the opportunity so sample so many great wines. I went to the Millesime Bio on a press trip open minded but not knowing what to expect. While a certain number of wines were certainly sub-par and undistinguished, the vast majority were great wines. No consumer, nor few experts, would have any idea these are organic wines or feature substantially lower sulfite levels. Additionally, the Languedoc wines are generally great values.

Most of the labels mentioned below are imported to the U.S., but not all. Most of the sites have an “English option” but not all. A few of the best labels I tasted and consumers might seek out include: 

Joly

DomaineHYPERLINK "http://www.domainevirgilejoly.com/en/" HYPERLINK "http://www.domainevirgilejoly.com/en/"Joly – The wines of Virgile Joly were the most consistent I tasted. He is a rising star in the Languedoc and is a great spokesman for organic wines. For my palate, Joly’s 2011 Grenache Blanc was the top Languedoc white blend of the show. 

DomaineHYPERLINK "http://www.domaine.carlecourty.sitew.com/Fiche_Technique_de_nos_vins.G.htm" Carle HYPERLINK "http://www.domaine.carlecourty.sitew.com/Fiche_Technique_de_nos_vins.G.htm"Courty – Frederic Carle’s Cuvee Marion, named after his daughter, was the best red blend. It was a beautiful combination of 70 percent Syrah, 10 percent Grenache Noir, 10 Carignan, and 10 percent Mourvedre.

Cabanis

DomaineHYPERLINK "http://www.domainecabanis.com/domainecabanis_en.htm" HYPERLINK "http://www.domainecabanis.com/domainecabanis_en.htm"Cabanis – Jean Paul Cabanis poured his wines one evening at dinner. His property dates back to 1932, not old in Southern France but with a delightful history. He produces three reds, two whites and a Rose’.

Chateau de HYPERLINK "http://www.domainecabanis.com/domainecabanis_en.htm"Cazeneuve – The wines from this beautiful Chateau setting, near Montpellier, are more rustic than many I tasted and at a slightly higher price point. Andre Leenhardt’s 100 percent 2008 Mouvredre was a fabulous bottle of wine at 35 Euro.

Bojanowski

Clos Du HYPERLINK "http://www.closdugravillas.com/"Gravillas – John Bojanowski, a Louisville native, and his wife Nicole are championing Carignan at his St, Jean de Minervois region winery. He does a 100 percent bottling of the Southern France grape that is a knock out. 

A few more options include: Mas Janiny, wines from Terroirs Vivants, Mas Laval, Italys’ Perlage label, Chateau. Bonnet, and two more from Italy – Casina Di Cornia and Antica Enotria.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com