Sonoma Wineries: Dry Creek

Papapierto Perry winery sits on a hill overlooking Dry Creek Valley, which is a prime location for growing Zinfandels thanks to its scorching summers.

I sat within the winery’s patio shade and sipped Pinot Noirs on a cool and breezy afternoon. All of the Pinots were great but their 2019 Perry and 2019 Nunes bottles were standouts. As stated in a previous blog, I’m no connoisseur, but I definitely tasted hints of raspberry and oak in both bottles. These wines also paired excellently with dark chocolate.

Dry Creek Vineyards is about a mile from Papapierto and is better known for its Zinfandels (though I also tried an excellent Chardonnay here). We sat in their picnic area and absorbed a healthy dose of sunlight (enough to burn my arms in just one hour). I can’t say that I’m quite a Zinfandel convert, but I was impressed with the precision and care put forth in their winemaking.

After finishing off these wines I ate a good pizza in downtown Healdsburg at PizZando and took a long walk through downtown.

Northern California has a strong cycling community that never ceased to impress me. The infrastructure allows it; cycling can easily become a way of life out here.

Sonoma Wineries - Windsor and Russian River Valley

Notre Vue Vineyards

Notre Vue sits on a bluff overlooking Windsor. The afternoon sun was bright but mild; it left a light sunburn on my nose.

This vineyard made me realize that I’m not exactly a wine connoisseur, though I love the taste. Upon tasting the first Chardonnay I stated, “I’m definitely registering a certain buttery flavor.” I then overheard the hostess say to a nearby table that their Chardonnay lacked the signature buttery taste known for the wine. Okay, so I’m not an expert.

Their Pinot Noirs were excellent and the view overlooking Sonoma was breathtaking. The wine drinking, coupled with a tasty charcuterie board, left me feeling lethargic but content.

The pizza I had afterwards made me feel even more lethargic, and consequently even more content.

Matrix Vineyards

We drove north through Healdsburg (a beautiful little town between Russian River Valley and Dry Creek Valley, rife with tasty restaurants and shops), then rounded south into the Russian River Valley to Matrix Vineyards. They have some award winning Pinot Noirs; let me just say that I hadn’t really tasted Pinots until I visited Sonoma. The winery sits adjacent to a resplendent little pond. Green rolling hills follow in the distance. I watched various birds while I drank, including hummingbirds and cranes.

I found it interesting listening to our host tell us about why vineyards (at least for these grapes) must sit on a slanted hill. I don’t recall the reason; I was a little tipsy by this point if I’m being honest. I also enjoyed listening to why the best Pinots were grown in the Russian River valley. It has to do with the region’s diverse climate; steady fogs, cool Pacific winds, cold nights, and hot summers. Pinot is difficult to grow.

Most wineries in Sonoma require a reservation before visiting. While this may seem like an annoyance, it adds an added layer of space and intimacy with your environs.

At night we ate in Healdsburg and walked around the downtown center.

I could spend a year in this region without getting bored!

Northern California: Wine and Fog

Two days in Sonoma County have done wonders to revitalize me from an excess of screen staring and arbitrary work. Tomorrow I’ll watch whales swim through the Pacific Ocean and hike through the famous redwood trees at the Armstrong State Park.

I landed in San Francisco and greeted my girlfriend on Saturday afternoon (she arrived two days earlier). For a city of its size I was impressed by its architectural cleanliness. The weather was chilly and a light fog sifted through the downtown buildings. An intermittent rain tapped my windshield as I drove through downtown. Even when rainy I find Northern California to be beautiful.

Driving up to Sonoma County and tasting the wines made in the region is an experience I’d like to freeze in time. I’d never been exposed to wines of this quality before. Northern California is the best wine region in the world.

My body can’t metabolize alcohol like it used to and that’s okay. Two tastings is more than enough these days. I’ll enjoy what I can.

I find it interesting just how much has to go right to properly ferment grapes, particularly Pinot Noirs, which are popular in the Russian River valley. Even fog plays a vital role in these grapes.

A fog creeps over the valley from the Pacific Ocean and simultaneously cools the grapes and maintains their proper acidity. It prolongs their growth thanks to an added protection from the sun. Pinot Noirs only grow under conditions that are particularly difficult to maintain.

One of my favorite movies, Sideways, has a famous monologue about Pinot Noirs that I’ve been thinking about. The film’s protagonist is an especially conflicted and wounded human being and shares a soul connection with the grape and the extreme demands that it requires to blossom.

Like the movie’s protagonist, I share a soul connection with Pinot Noir. We are who we are. We should embrace it. Quoted in the film:

“It’s a hard grape to grow, as you know. It’s thin-skinned, temperamental. It’s not a survivor like Cabernet that can grow anywhere and thrive even when neglected. Pinot needs constant care and attention, you know? And in fact it can only grow in these really specific, little, tucked away corners of the world. And, and only the most patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really. Only somebody who really takes the time… to understand Pinot’s potential… can then coax it into its fullest expression.”

Maybe I’m a pinot noir. Or maybe I’ll find out tomorrow that I have more in common with Zinfandel. Still, the pinot noirs out here are the best I’ve tasted. It will be difficult to downgrade my palate; tasting wine in Northern California feels like home.

Here’s to my favorite grape.