| BigDog |
Our favorite wine tasting event of the year is here - the Russian River Valley Barrel Tasting. Always held the first weekend of March, it covers the Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valley areas, and features over 80 participating wineries. More details in this link: http://www.wineroad.com/events/default.asp
If you click on "program guide" you will get a complete list of wineries with addresses, phone numbers, and what they will be pouring. There is an online map which is handy even if you have Nav so you can plan which wineries you want to visit and in what order. For those of you who were at the Bay Area meet last September you will recognize this area, and yes, J, and her neighbor Rodney Strong are participating.
What we like about this event is that you can visit some smaller wineries that are not normally open to the public, you can taste current releases, and also pre-releases still in the barrel, and best of all, it's free! Some places will have food tastings, and you will often meet the owners and winemakers instead of just tasting room staff.
Here are some of our favorite places:
Deloach: Fruit-bomb zins, good Pinots and white wines.
Lynmar: Very good Pinots and Chards, a tiny little place, not usually open to the public.
Sebastopol Vineyards/Dutton Ranch: Also very good Pinots and Chards. Joe Dutton and his New Zealand winemaker do the Barrel Tasting, Joe's beautiful wife Tracy will be pouring in the tasting room, and usually prepares a table of treats to nibble on.
Martinelli: Blockbuster Zins, very good Chards, and incredible Pinots. There are several single vineyard Pinots made in very small quantities, only a few hundred cases each, that are expensive, but worth every penny. The winemaker here is Helen Turley, the wine goddess.
Rochioli: Usually a participant, though not this year, but we will visit them anyway since we love their Pinots and Sauvignon Blanc, and they also make a very good Chard.
A. Rafanelli: Great, reasonably priced Cab and Zin, only available at the tasting room and in restaurants. This one is only open by appointment the rest of the year, and you can only buy one bottle of each per party, (not per person), outside of this event, so expect a line here. It's worth the wait as you will taste both wines in the barrel, and can buy current releases in larger quantities.
Seghesio: Great Zins, and Italian varietals such as Barbera and Sangiovese.
Other places worth visiting are Selby, Chateau Souverain, Preston, Ridge/Lytton Springs, and Ferrari-Carano. Marne probably has some suggestions too.
Pack a picnic lunch and make a day or a weekend of it!
Mrs. BigDog |
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