Wine at the bottom of the world

Wine at the Valdivieso winery in Chile's Sagrada Familia wine region /Michelle Locke

In ancient times, map-makers wrote “Finis Terrae,” world’s end, on the spot now known as Chile. With the Earth being flat, clearly this was where the unwary traveler would go a step too far and fall off.

Luckily, nothing like that has happened to me, yet, although there have been some rather complicated turns involving big buses and small roads. The kind of operation where one guy gets out to wave his hands about while the other guy drives and you sit there saying, ever so politely, “I don’t mind getting out and walking. Really I don’t.”

I did learn a new phrase: Camino sinuoso, or winding road. Sounds better in Spanish, doesn’t it?

Anyway, there have been quite a few discoveries at the end of these particular long and winding roads, including some wines I tried at the Valdevieso winery at their vineyards in the Sagrada Familia district about an hour south of Santiago.

A standout was a 2010 single-vineyard sauvignon blanc, which went well with a local dish I tried, criadillas, served chopped and in a spicy broth. What are criadillas? Well, they’re a part of the bull, let’s put it that way.

So here I am tasting some nice wines and crossing a gustatory Rubicon or two. Who says I don’t know how to live on the edge?

Buen provecho!

Harvest is Happening

Harvest is getting its groove on in the Napa Valley. The sparkling wine houses _ who want grapes with a little less sugar than those used for still wines _ have been picking for a few weeks. And I recently had the chance to experience one of the harbingers of harvest, the annual Blessing of the Grapes at Grgich Hills Estate in Rutherford.

The blessing of the grape harvest is a centuries-old tradition and has been observed at Grgich Hills since 1977. This year Father Mark Christy from the Carmelite Monastery in Oakville did the honors over a few containers of grapes glistening green in the sunshine. Winery cofounder Mike Grgich was there, wearing his trademark black beret and beaming at the small crowd of friends and well-wishers.

“This is a great day for all of us who work here,” said Grgich. “We promise out of these grapes we are going to make wine artistically, scientifically and use all our experience to make the best wines in the world.”

Here are a few snippets from the ceremony.

Grgich Hills _ it’s ger-gich, by the way _ makes a good stop on your wine country itinerary. It’s easy to get to, right off Highway 29, and centrally located, near Beaulieu Vineyards, Rubicon Estate and Rutherford Grill, where you can get reasonably priced and reliably good grub.

It’s also one of the few places where you can indulge your “I Love Lucy” fantasy. They’ve got a tub of grapes waiting, you just take off your socks and have at it. I’ve done it. A lot squishier than you expect but quite soothing.

Grgich has plenty of experience making great wines. He was winemaker at Chateau Montelena for the ’73 chardonnay that beat French white wines in the 1976 Paris Tasting, a revolutionary event that changed the way people thought about California wines. And at 87 years old he’s been in the business for more than half a century. That’s right, 87. I had to go back and check my math because you’d never know it just from talking to him.

It makes me wonder what I’ll be up to three years shy of 90.

Maybe I should buy a beret.

Cheers.

 

Checking out Calistoga

View from the rooftop terrace at Sterling Vineyards /Michelle Locke

 

Set at the top of the Napa Valley, Calistoga is a little bit more laid back than Napa or St. Helena. Which is odd, because below the surface the place is positively seething with energy. Underground thermal activity creates hot springs that feed a spa culture that ranges from no-frills rustic, I’m looking at you Doc Wilkinson, to extremely refined.

Mme. Vinecdote does not pay people so she can sit in mud, she did enough of that in merry olde England as a child. But I do know several people who swear by the restorative qualities of the treatment, so chacun a son gout on that one.

One attraction that doesn’t require digging up any dirt is to sit and wait for the Old Faithful geyser to spout off, something that happens about every 40 minutes. The geyser is a bit on the slender side but shoots up to 60 feet high. I visited recently and  found it extremely restful to sit in the shade of an umbrella and stare mindlessly at the pool of hot water until it roared to life right on schedule. Query: Does this indicate I’m appreciating life in a Zen-like manner? Or is my laziness reaching chronic levels.

 

The Calistoga “downtown” is about a block long, something else I like, but has a clutch of restaurants. Buster’s Southern BBQ has been getting a lot of buzz lately.Just around the corner is Sterling Vineyards, distinguished by the fact that you ride a tram up the hillside to get to the winery. Lots to like here, but my favorite is the view from the rooftop. You see a vista that stretches the length of the Napa Valley.

Despite its tranquil vibe, Calistoga was until recently the site of a pitched battle over naming rights. A number of wineries and grape growers wanted to established a California American Viticultural Area, or appellation, which meant wines using the name would have to be made primarily from grapes grown in the district _ not fruit trucked in from elsewhere. At one point, pro-AVA forces protested the opening of a tasting room belonging to a winery that opposed setting up the appellation. The issue finally was resolved in 2009, and the AVA was officially established this year.

You know, I don’t want to sound bitter, but permit me to point out that of the countless protests I have covered, not one was at a wine tasting room. I think a vending machine was about as good as it got.

Cheers.

What not to wear, vineyard version

IMG_4510What should you wear when you’re going to get out in the vineyard to observe the nitty gritty, emphasis on gritty, of grapegrowing?

Here’s a hint. Don’t follow the example of a group I  encountered recently who showed up for a vineyard tour wearing sleeveless tops and flip-flops _ and here’s a bulletin folks; toes are not pretty _ not to mention one ill-advised pair of 3-inch platforms.  Stumbling and shivering ensued followed by the kind of whines you don’t find in a tasting room. Continue reading “What not to wear, vineyard version”

Mauritson Winery

 

How can you tell if you’re at a Sonoma or Napa wine event? Check the ratio of Porches to pickups in the parking lot. OK, plenty of people in Sonoma County drive luxury automobiles _ and I have seen a few beaters parked at Napa wineries _ but in broad-brush terms, it’s true. Sonoma is to Napa like a chunky amber topaz necklace to a sparkly diamond pendant. Both gems, just one’s a little wilder, a little more unexpected. I was reminded of how much fun it is to explore Sonoma County when I spent a recent afternoon there doing interviews for some upcoming stories.

It was a beautiful day _ warm, sunny, and plenty of time to enjoy the scenery of green vineyards unrolling under a cerulean sky. Lots of vineyards. The county has nearly 63,000 acres planted to grapes _ chardonnay, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon are the Big 3 _ and there are 260 wineries open to the public.

One of my stops was at the Mauritson Winery in the Dry Creek Valley. This winery has an interesting history that goes back to the 19th century. Great-great-great-grandfather S.P. Hallengren was a pioneer in Sonoma County’s Rockpile region and the family homestead and ranch grew to 4,000 acres. But in the early 1960s almost all of it was acquired by the government to create Lake Sonoma.

With most of their land under water, the family moved farming operations elsewhere, continuing their business of growing grapes for other wineries, something they still do. But in the mid-1990s, winemaker Clay Mauritson, then just out of college, suggested that the family go into the winemaking business as well. The inaugural release of Mauritson Dry Creek Valley zinfandel came in 1998. Meanwhile, attention turned to the family’s remaining property in Rockpile _ craggy, ridge line property once deemed good only for sheep-grazing. These days that kind of environment, sparse soils, steep slopes, sun and wind exposure, is considered a prime place for producing premium wine.  Grapes that struggle to survive turn out more flavorful than those that live a plush life. (Query: Is this true for people, too? I’d like to think so, especially on Monday mornings.) Today, Mauritson makes several Rockpile wines, including zesty zins.

In 2004, the winemaking facility and tasting room opened.  Nothing fancy here, just a comfortable  tasting bar with good, reasonably priced wines. With the temps being on the toasty side, I tried the sauvignon blanc, which was fresh with bright acidity and an aromatic nose. (Wel,l since this is down-to-earth Sonoma County, let me rephrase that last part. It smelled good.)

Cheers.

 

Far Niente Turns 125

Parade of wines at Far Niente 125th Anniversary /Michelle Locke

 

The Far Niente Winery is turning 125 this year. And the old girl is looking good.  A birthday like that merits a party and that’s what the owners did this weekend, throwing open their gates to about 800 people who flooded the grounds to dine, hear music from world-famous performers _ Joshua Bell, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and trumpet sensation Chris Botti _ and finish up the evening shaking what their mommas gave them at a barn dance.

Mr. Vinecdote and I put on our gladdest rags and joined the party. Guests included Margrit Mondavi, widow of wine country pioneer Robert Mondavi, Gordon Getty, resplendent in blue and white stripes, Bo and Heidi Barrett of Chateau Montelena, Boots Brounstein of Diamond Creek Winery, chefs Cindy Pawlcyn and Michael Chiarello and the lovely Leslie Sbrocco, host of KQED’s “Check Please.”

Festivities started with a sip of Dolce dessert wine and then it was into the cellars for chardonnay and a candle light stroll past barrels and strategically placed hors d’ouevres. After that it was on to the food booths, where restaurants from throughout the valley were serving. I had roast pork, pulled pork sandwiches and steak-on-a-stick. I wanted to be sure to get in all four food groups, so I had another pork sandwich.

Fortified in every way, we were in just the right frame of mind for the entertainment portion of the night, which began with duets by Bell and Thibaudet.  “Wow, this is gorgeous,” Bell said of his surroundings as he introduced a piece by Dvorak. It really was. The stage glowed softly as night fell, each perfect note hovering in the air before melting into the darkening sky.

Here’s a little snippet.

 

 

Bell, who got to know the people at Far Niente through his appearances at the Napa Valley’s summer Festival del Sole , joked that his 1713 Stradivarius was of an older vintage than anything on hand at the winery. He’d been abstemious, keeping a clear head for playing, but he assured concert-goers he had something good waiting in his dressing room.  Trumpet sensation Chris Botti was next, putting on a smooth show that moved effortlessly from classic favorites to an intense jam session.

A highlight of the evening was the Parade of Wines, in which friends and staff hefted in methuselahs (the big bottles that hold the equivalent of eight 750 mls) of old vintages. The 1984 was a standout for me, amazingly fresh and velvety.

The winery goes back nearly a century beyond that, to 1885 when it was founded by one of the original forty-niners, John Benson. He picked the name Far Niente  from the Italian, “dolce far niente,” or “sweet to do nothing.” Which makes sense if you think about the hardscrabble life of a miner.

The winery was abandoned with the onset of Prohibition in 1919 and stayed that way until 1979 when the late Gil Nickel bought it and began a three-year restoration while taking courses in winemaking and grapegrowing.    Today it’s run by Nickel’s partners, among them his widow, Beth Nickel, and the venture includes the Nickel & Nickel Winery as well as Dolce, a winery devoted to a single (delicious) dessert wine, and En Route, a pinot noir.

After Saturday night’s party, the Far Niente crew was taking Sunday off, Beth Nickel announced with a smile. And then, she said, they’ll start planning the next celebration.

I’ll drink to that.

 

 

Sunny Sonoma

Sonoma Town Square /Michelle Locke

You know how they talk about Berkeley being a hotbed of protest? They’re lying. It’s pretty much always perishing cold here. When we went through a (mercifully brief) pro-nudity movement a few years ago that was the question all of us locals were asking: How can they stand the cold?So I was particularly happy when business took me to Sonoma this week. This is a small city of about 10,000 people in Sonoma County wine country. The main attraction is the plaza downtown, beautifully landscaped with a pond so serene just looking at it makes your heart rate slow down. (In a good way.) The early 20th-century City Hall is here, as are the Mission San Francisco Solano and an assortment of shops and cafes.

Sonoma County doesn’t get quite the same kind of press as the Napa Valley next door, but it’s definitely worth a visit. One of my favorite wineries is Benziger Family Winery.  For $15, you can take a 45-minute tram tour of the vineyards, farmed biodynamically _ just learning about that is an experience _ and see the fermentation facility, crush pad and barrel caves. Oh, and you get to taste a little wine.

Another good side trip is Jack London State Park, where the author of “Call of the Wild,” etc., lived from 1905 to 1916. There are the ruins of what was to be his dream house, which burned down in 1913, and also a cottage where he lived and wrote. I visited a few years ago and was impressed by his mantra of write 1,000 a words a day, every day. Can’t say I live up to that. Of course, he didn’t have the handicap of being distracted by unbearably cute pictures of cats on the Internet.