Criteria for Tasting Room Reviews

I've been commenting on tasting rooms for over 4 years now and thought I should provide a little background on how I come to talk about a particular winery or tasting room.

First, I only comment on tasting rooms or wineries that I have personally visited.  Half of the wineries in Napa and Sonoma are not open to the public.  Of those that welcome visitors either by advance appointment or by dropping in,  I have visited about 125 of Sonoma's 270 wineries and tasting rooms and 145 of Napa's 335 wineries and tasting rooms.  The vast majority of those I have yet to get to require an appointment to visit.

Second, I operate under the assumption that the wine is good at nearly all of the tasting rooms in Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino Counties.  Not every winery has wine that is going to be to your or my taste but the wines are generally good.  There are many people far more qualified than me who review wines.  Besides visiting wine country to taste wine is more about the experience than the quality of the wine.

Third, I generally only post positive reviews.  I want to give my readers information on wineries and tasting rooms to seek out.  Most tasting rooms are neither good nor bad; they're much like every other tasting room.  However some tasting rooms are special and are worth visiting.  Many factors contribute to a positive review including friendly tasting room staff, unique architecture, good value, an opportunity to meet the owner and/or winemaker, pretty scenery, an unusual tasting experience, and/or an interesting tour.  On the rare occasion when I say something negative about a winery or tasting room, it's because I think the visitor is not getting a quality experience.

Fourth, I do not get compensated for my reviews.  Many guests on my tours ask if the wineries give me anything to thank me for bringing visitors to their tasting rooms.  At the end of the year, a couple wineries may give me a bottle or two, but that's it.  I've never received anything for a positive review other than an e-mail thanking me.

I hope this background is helpful.  Let me know what you think.

Special Events in Wine Country

Nary a week goes by without individual wineries or groups of wineries having special events to entice folks to visit.  It's hard to keep track of all of the festivals, special tastings, and food pairings being offered.  Some of the more fun events are offered by the associations that represent wineries in particular regions.

The Wine Road Northern Sonoma County represents the wineries in the Alexander, Dry Creek, and Russian River Valleys of Sonoma County.  Its website has a good listing of events in this part of wine country.  The Wine Road offers three major events each year, Winter Wineland (1/16 & 17), Barrel Tasting (3/6, 7, 13, & 14), and A Wine and Food Affair (11/6 & 7).  In addition, Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley offers Passport to Dry Creek Valley on April 24 and 25.  Russian River Valley Winegrowers has its annual Grape to Glass on August 20 - 22.  Finally, the Alexander Valley Winegrowers has an annual Taste of the Alexander Valley, usually during the first weekend in June.  (2010 dates have yet to be announced.)

The Anderson Valley Winegrowers has two annual events.  The first is the International Alsace Varietals Festival on February 20 and 21.  Later in the year, they celebrate Pinot Noir at the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival from May 14 to 16.

The Lodi Wine and Visitor Center sponsors a Wine and Chocolate Weekend on February 13 and 14 and celebrates Zinfandel at the ZinFest from May 14 to 16.

The 20th annual Savor Sonoma Valley is being held on March 20 and 21 by the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance.  The Alliance also sponsors Passport to Sonoma Valley on May 15 and 16, 2010.

Hospitality de Los Carneros offers two events each year:  April in Carneros on April 17 and 18 and Holidays in Carneros on November 20 and 21.

The wineries along the Silverado Trail in the Napa Valley have their own association, the Silverado Trail Wineries Association, which sponsors an annual Silver Pass Weekend.  The 2010 date has yet to be announced.

This is just a small sample of wine-related events in Northern California.  Monterey wineries sponsor events, as do those in Paso Robles and the Sierra Foothills.  It's tough to keep track of all the fun things to do in wine country.  The best resource I have found is Local Wine Events.  Visit the website for listings of wine events throughout the country.  You can also subscribe to the free, weekly newsletter of events in the regions of your choice.

If you would like to have a private tour of wine country during one of these events, please contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Wine Clubs

When visiting wineries, many of my guests are invited to join the winery's wine club. Few tasters have heard of such clubs prior to their first time winetasting. Most winery's have wine clubs as they provide the winery with a steady source of customers. Small wineries, in particular, are dependent on successful wine clubs in order to stay in business.

The clubs vary slightly but usually do not require a fee to join. Most clubs send their members one case (12 bottles) of wine per year. Some wineries ship two bottles six times per year, others three bottles four times per year, still others four bottle three times a year, and many send six bottles twice a year. Some clubs let you pick the wines you want; others send you a mix of wines selected by the winery. Most wineries include wines in their club shipments that are not available to the general public. Most clubs give you a discount on the wine. The savings on the wine may cover the cost of shipping. If you join the club, most wineries will give you an immediate discount on purchases while you are visiting the winery and will waive your tasting fees. In return you agree to receive a minimum of one or two shipments. After receiving the minimum, you can usually cancel at any time. Most clubs offer discounts on all wine purchases. Many wine clubs have special parties and events for members.

I am a member of three wine clubs and think they are good deal in certain circumstances. The first issue to consider is whether you like the winemaker's style and the variety of wines produced by the winery. If the winery produces six different types of wine and you only like the Cab, the wine club is probably not for you.

Another issue is whether your drinking will keep up with the wine you receive. Be careful about joining too many clubs. If you end up with too much wine that cannot be stored properly, you could end up with a lot of spoiled wine.

Be sure you have your wine sent to an address where someone 21 or over will be physically present to sign for the wine. FedEx and UPS will not just leave the wine on your porch or give you a note to sign. The shippers are required to hand the wine to someone who is of legal age. The best bet is to ship the wine to your business, provided you trust your receptionist not to drink the wine.

I think receiving six bottles twice a year is far better than receiving two bottles six time per year. The fewer shipments, the more you save on shipping. Also, make sure the club does not ship during your hot weather months. You don't want your wine cooking in the shipper's truck as it travels through Arizona in the summer. Most wineries do not ship to club members in the summer but a few do. If you are scheduled to receive a shipment when it's still hot, ask the winery to hold the wine until cooler weather arrives. Most are glad to do so.

A few wineries push their clubs pretty hard. Most use a soft sell. Some don't mention their club unless asked. When you visit a winery, you are under no obligation to join the club or to buy any wine. Only join the club if you will enjoy getting the regular shipments of wine. If you do join the club, have fun. It's fun to get good wine that you won't find in your local wine shop.

If you would like to take a private wine country tour, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours at (866) 326-4237 or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Two New Tasting Rooms in Boonville

Over the past few months, two wineries have opened tasting rooms in Boonville: Londer Vineyards and Foursight Wines. Londer's tasting room was just one week old when we visited earlier this month. The building that houses the tasting room was still being worked on and there was no sign of the planned art gallery.

Both tasting rooms are friendly and unpretentious. Tasting fees, if they decide to charge them, are nominal. Both wineries specialize in Pinot Noir. Londer also makes Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, and Late Harvest Gewurztraminer. Foursight also produces Sauvignon Blanc and Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc.

Both wineries are family owned, with two generations of Londers involved in their winery and two generations of the Charles family working at Foursight. The winemaker at Foursight is Kristy Charles' husband, Joe Webb, who also is assistant winemaker at Londer and frequently can be found in the Londer tasting room.

Both winery's produce terrific wines, though different. Stop in at both and decide which you prefer. Londer's tasting room is open Thursday through Monday from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Foursight is open Friday through Monday at the same times.

I've now been to all of the tasting rooms in the Anderson Valley that do not require appointments to taste plus a couple that do. So, if you want to take a private tour of the Anderson Valley and the Mendocino coast that features the best of the valley, please contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or at Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Barbecue on the Coast

If you travel to or from the Anderson Valley via the coast, you will pass through the small town of Gualala. There's not much to see in town -- just a bunch of shops and small strip malls spread along the sides of Route 1. However, at the south end of town we found a surprise overlooking the ocean -- a barbecue joint.

One doesn't usually associate the California coast with barbecue; coastal cuisine predominates. So looking for lunch and finding Bones Roadhouse was a pleasant surprise. Here we found good beer on tap; lots of Texas-style, wood-pit BBQ'd pork, chicken, ribs, and brisket; burgers; the usual sides; and an assortment of bar food. To top it off, you can gaze out over the Pacific while enjoying some pretty good barbecue. You can't do that in Texas!

If you find yourself passing through Gualala at lunch time, give Bones a try. If you're in town during the evening, you might find live music. Bones is at 39350 S. Highway One, but the address is not of much use. Just look for the restaurant on the west side of Highway One, just north of the Gualala River bridge. The phone number is (707) 884-1188.

If you would like to take a private tour of the Sonoma and Mendocino coast and the Anderson Valley that includes a stop at Bones Roadhouse, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 327-4237 (toll free) or at Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

One Day in the Anderson Valley

The Anderson Valley in Mendocino County is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the Napa Valley. Tasting rooms tend to be small, friendly, and less pretentious. If you like PinotNoir, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and other Alsatian varietals, you'll enjoy a day of winetasting in the Anderson Valley.

Seventeen wineries that are members of the Anderson Valley Winegrowers have tasting rooms that are open to the public for drop-in tasting. Over the past few years I have visited all of these tasting rooms except for Brutacao. Here's my list of tasting rooms to visit if I had but one day in the Anderson Valley and did not want to make any appointments.

Navarro Vineyards is one of the oldest wineries in the Anderson Valley. The wines are terrific and the tasting room is friendly. Navarro produces a wide variety of wines with grapes from the Anderson Valley and other regions in Mendocino County. It's a great spot for a picnic lunch.

Roederer Estate consistently produces some of the best sparkling wine in California. When Champagne Louis Roederer planted its first vineyards in the Anderson Valley in 1982 and released its first wine in 1988, the world noticed.

Toulouse Vineyards is nothing fancy. You just taste some great wines among the tanks and barrels. Plus I'm a sucker for silly mottoes like "Too tense, Toulouse."

Claudia Springs Winery's tasting room makes Toulouse's look pretentious. The tasting room is in an old building with "warehouse ambiance" on the side of route 128. When we visited, Claudia walked us through an array of Claudia Springs and Harmonique wines.

I like folk art as does Milla Handley, winemaker and owner of Handley Cellars. When you visit the tasting rooms, you get to taste some pretty good wine and see part of Milla's folk art collection. Like Navarro, Handley Cellars makes a wide array of wines.

Since five wineries is the most I can visit in one day, I'm going to stop here. I've limited this posting to wineries that do not require appointments. If you want to make an appointment or two, you might check out Esterlina, Londer, or Foursight. If you would like to take a private tour of the Anderson Valley and the Mendocino Coast that includes visits to some of these wineries, contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Too Tense? Toulouse

Toulouse Vineyards, a small, family-owned winery, made its first wine in 2002. Today Toulouse makes well regarded Pinot Noir, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Rosé. The wines had been commended to me so I thought I would check out the winery on my recent visit to the Anderson Valley.

I knew I would like Toulouse as I soon as I saw the sign with the large duck and the winery's motto, "Too Tense? Toulouse." The tasting room is inside the winery and has no pretensions. The staff is friendly and guides you through a leisurely tasting of Toulouse's current releases. When we tasted the rose, we were given a small creme brulee to pair with the wine. I've never been a Rosé fan, but I loved the creme brulee.

If you're winetasting in the Anderson Valley, you'll taste a lot of Pinot Noir and Alsatian varietals. I would definitely include Toulouse as a stop during your visit. The tasting room is open daily from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. If you would like to take a private tour of the Anderson Valley and the Mendocino County Coast, please contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Northern California: An Explorer's Guide

This new guidebook, written by San Francisco resident, Michele Bigley, was just released on June 1. It's a great resource for travel in San Francisco, the Bay Area, and all of Northern California - from Big Sur to the Oregon border.

Here's what Michele had to say about Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel, "A wealth of knowledge, Rick takes folks on customized tours of the Bay Area, Wine Country, Central Coast, Mendocino, and even the Sierra Foothills. You tell him what you want and he'll create the ideal trip. He knows more about wine and food than most."

Many thanks to Michelle for the nice review. If you're planning a trip to San Francisco, you can pick up "Northern California: An Explorer's Guide" at most good bookstores.

If you'd like to take a tour with a guide who "knows more about wine and food than most," please phone me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me at Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Great Breakfast on the Mendocino Coast

As I've written in the past, the small village of Elk is one of my favorite places on the Mendocino coast. There are at least 5 bed and breakfasts sitting on the bluff overlooking the coast.

On our recent trip, we stayed in a vacation rental so had to cook our own breakfast or eat out. We, of course, headed to Queenie's Roadhouse Cafe. This unpretentious restaurant shares an old building with an auto mechanic. When you walk into the cafe, you are likely to see locals and tourists enjoying Queenie's egg dishes, waffles, pancakes, and other breakfast specialties. You'll also notice the fresh made pie sitting on the counter and the many signs on the walls extolling the virtues of being a Queen.

Come with an appetite as the portions are huge. But don't come if you're in a hurry. Each dish is individually prepared by Queenie herself so your breakfast may take some time to come to the table. Just remember that you're on vacation and good food is the top priority. Also, people watching on the Mendocino coast can be interesting. To paraphrase Dorothy, you'll know that you're not in Kansas anymore. When the food arrives at your table, you won't be disappointed.

Queenie's is open for breakfast and lunch from Thursday through Monday. Elk is located on California Route 1 about 20 minutes south of the town of Mendocino. Queenie's has a street address but it won't do you much good. Just look for the sign on the inland side of the road near the southern end of Elk. If you're coming from the Anderson Valley, take the Philo-Greenwood Road and turn right on Route 1.

If you would like to take a private tour of the Anderson Valley wine country and the Mendocino County coast that includes one of Queenie's meals, please contact contact Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel at (866) 326-4237 or Rick@BlueHeronTours.com.

Bubbly in Mendocino County

I'm cheating a bit on this post. Since my last two posts were on bubbly in Napa and Sonoma, I thought it would be good to do a third on bubbly in Mendocino County. However, I wrote about sparkling wine in the Anderson Valley of Mendocino County 9 months ago. Therefore, I'll just include a link to the old post: http://winecountry.blueherontours.com/2008/05/sparkling-wine-in-anderson-valley.html.

Since I'm talking about the Anderson Valley, this coming weekend, February 21 and 22, is their International Alsace Varietals Festival. For more information, visit www.avwines.com.

If you would like to take a private tour of the Anderson Valley, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Fine Dining at Mendocino's Cafe Beaujolais

Cafe Beaujolais has been serving visitors to Mendocino since 1969. After Margaret Fox purchased the restaurant in 1977, Cafe Beaujolais became nationally known for its outstanding breakfasts. In 1984, the restaurant began serving dinner. In 1990, the Beaujolais Brickery opened and diners could purchase wood-fired, brick-oven bread. Margaret Fox sold the restaurant in 2000 and the restaurant changed hands again in 2006.

Last year, I had a chance to buy some excellent breads from the Brickery but was not able to sample the new owners' dinners. In May, I finally had the chance to taste Executive Chef David LaMonica's French/California cuisine and can report that it was one of the best meals I've had along the Mendocino Coast. The filet mignon and sturgeon were both excellent. Service was attentive but informal, as one expects along the coast.

If you are planning a trip along the Mendocino coast, I definitely recommend dining at Cafe Beaujolais. It is open for lunch from Wednesday - Sunday and for dinner nightly. It stopped serving breakfasts many years ago, but you can purchase a cookbook with Margaret Fox's recipes. The restaurant is located at 961 Ukiah Street in the village of Mendocino. Advance reservations are recommended. If you would like to take a tour of the Anderson Valley and the Mendocino coast that includes dinner at Cafe Beaujolais, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Lunch in Boonville

Boonville is the largest town in Mendocino County's Anderson Valley. For many years there were not many good options for lunch. But this has changed with the Boonville General Store. Located in the center of Boonville, at 14077-A Hwy. 128, this eatery makes great sandwiches and salads mostly from organic ingredients. You can eat in the restaurant or at one of the picnic tables fronting the road. The Boonville General Store is also a great place to pick up food for a picnic at nearby Navarro Vineyards or Greenwood Ridge Vineyards. You can also taste wine before or after your lunch at Zina Hyde Cunningham Winery, whose tasting room is right next door to the General Store.

If you would like to take a private tour of the Anderson Valley that includes lunch at the Boonville General Store and tasting at the above mentioned wineries and others, please call me at (866) 326-4237 or e-mail me by clicking here.

Sparkling Wine in the Anderson Valley

The Anderson Valley in Mendocino County, which is best known for Alsatian Varietals and Pinot Noir, is also home to two producers of excellent sparkling wine: Roederer Estate and Scharffenberger Cellars. The two wineries' histories are different but now are owned by the same company, Maisons Marquis & Domaines.

Roederer Estate was founded by Champagne Louis Roederer in 1982. Today the winery produces vintage and non-vintage bruts and rosés made completely from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. The tasting room lets you sample the current releases for a small fee.

Scharffenberger Cellars was founded in 1981 by John Scharffenberger, who later left the company to make chocolate in Berkeley. The winery went through a number of changes, including a name change to Pacific Echo. The current owners restored the original name; although, the winery has no affiliation with Scharffenberger Chocolate. The winery produces a non-vintage brut, which is available for tasting in the winery's small tasting room. In addition, you can taste wines from other properties in the Maisons Marquis & Domaines' portfolio. On our recent visit, we tasted Alsatian Gewürztraminer and Riesling from Domaines Schlumberger.

The wineries are about two miles apart from each other on the north side of Highway 128. Both tasting rooms are open daily from 11 - 5. Roederer Estate offers tours by prior appointment. Picnic tables are available in the garden in front of Scharffenberger's tasting room.

If you would like to take a private tour of the Anderson Valley that includes visits to both Roederer Estate and Scharffenberger Cellars, please call me at (866) 326-4237 or e-mail me by clicking here.

Comfortable Lodging in Elk

In my last post, I supplemented the August 2006 "Rick's Tips" with more information on winetasting in the Anderson Valley. In "Rick's Tips," I wrote about the lack of lodging and dining available in the Valley and recommended staying on the Mendocino coast.

Our favorite spot to stay on the coast is the small village of Elk, which I first wrote about in the June 2004 edition of "Rick's Tips." Recently, we returned to Elk and stayed at The Harbor House Inn.

This lovely bed and breakfast sits on a bluff overlooking the ocean. You can gaze out over the ocean from a number of the rooms and cottages or while sitting in their beautiful garden. The Inn also has a stairway down the cliff side to a small beach.

We checked out most of the rooms and cottages during our visit and recommend the Seaview and Oceansong cottages for the best ocean views. Your stay includes both dinner and breakfast. This was our second time dining at Harbor House and, on both occasions, we enjoyed both the food as well as the view from the dining room.

If you are planning a visit to California and would like to include the Anderson Valley or the Mendocino County coast on your itinerary, Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel can help plan your vacation. For more information, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Revisiting the Anderson Valley

The August 2006 edition of "Rick's Tips," Blue Heron's free, quarterly newsletter of fun things to do in Northern California, covered winetasting in the Anderson Valley. (To see this issue of "Rick's Tips, click here.) Recently, I returned to the Anderson Valley and visited some new wineries.

Meyer Family Cellars is a small winery in Yorkville Highlands that currently produces Syrah and a Zinfandel-based Port. Soon the winery will release its Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon. We tasted both the Mendocino County Syrah and the California Port. Not being a Port fan I won't comment on that wine, but the Syrah was fruit forward and delicious. The tasting room is very pleasant and the staff knowledgeable.

We tried to visit Claudia Springs Winery on our last visit, but it had moved from the location indicated on our map. Located west of Philo, the new tasting room features wines from both Claudia Springs and Harmonique. Claudia was staffing the room on our visit and guided our tasting through a large selection of wines. The tasting room is open from 11:00 to 5:00 from Friday through Monday during the summer and from Friday through Sunday in the winter.

We also visited Standish Winery, which has a tasting room in an old apple drier. The setting was rustic, but the Pinot Noir quite good. We finally got to taste a couple of Lazy Creek's Pinot Noirs and made a return visit to Yorkville Cellars.

More information on Mendocino County Wineries can be found at the Mendocino Wine Grape and Wine Commission's website.

If you would like to visit Mendocino County's wine country, Blue Heron Custom Tours and Travel can help plan your vacation. For more information, please call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.

Winetasting in the Anderson Valley

The most recent edition of "Rick's Tips," Blue Heron's free, quarterly newsletter of fun things to do in the Bay Area, includes an article on the Anderson Valley in Mendocino County. To view this edition of "Rick's Tips" click here.

If you would like to visit the Anderson Valley, perhaps combining it with a visit to the beautiful Mendocino coast, I'd be happy to help you plan your vacation. Feel free to call me at (866) 326-4237 (toll free) or e-mail me by clicking here.