We arrived at the winery right on the button and promptly began a full tour of the facility. The aging rooms were serene; stacked 3-high with French oak barrels in near darkness; the air slightly sticky with humidity and almost brisk in temperature; dead stillness.
A quick sitdown was then in order and we briefly talked business, opportunities for this year's harvest, and ribbed Greg's mastery of the "schlong" (part of the destemmer line, I believe). An all around productive and positive morning. A pour of Chardonnay was in order, and we were off to our next destination: Seghesio Family Winery.
Like a decent number of wineries in the area, Seghesio is an Italian-American owned and operated establishment that's been in business, like, forever--since 1895. It's kind of hard to imagine, but some of the same vines that produced grapes over 100 years ago are still bearing fruit today. Our tasting room attendant was exceptionally generous with the pours and off-list samplings, and like just about all of the staff we came across, eager to arrange a bottle trade with Greg. A sidenote on the goodwill exchanged between industry members: these people are all about generously taking care of their own. It's not just about free tastings or bottle discounts... the exchange of knowledge, stories, and all-around hospitality flows freely. A considerable contrast to the bullish, adversarial secretiveness of colleagues in the corporate world. Onward to the wines.
(click for big)
The Seghesio tasting room.
Aging rooms right behind the tasting room counter.
Costiera 2009 Pinot Noir. Young but balanced and pretty tasty.
2009 Barbera. I can't recall what this tasted like... I suppose it's good that I distinctly remember having no issues with it.
2008 Cortina Zinfandel. One of the best Zins tasted on the trip. Note the lady in the background--and I wish I could have gotten a better picture of her, because she didn't have that face permanently--after answering about 10 calls in between pours, she briefly went up to the offices of the winery and returned in a state of near-hysterical happiness. Without hesitation, she informed us that she'd just scored Giants/Dodgers tickets for September--a game she's never gotten to go to before. Interestingly enough, that very series was taking place during the visit.
2008 Rockpile Zin. Another excellent example of California Zin. This was an off-list pour, scored thanks to Greg's hook-ups.
2005 Aglianico. A rare Italian varietal with a big, punchy flavor and mouth feel. Tannic and a bit sour when swallowed. This wine was awesome.
2005 Dionigia (Port-style). A really tasty Port-style that didn't cross the line into unbearably-sweet territory. Fortified only with neutral grape spirit... No Brandy up in there, son.
Bottle purchases were in order and we settled on the 2007 San Lorenzo Petite Sirah (not pictured above). Exceptional stuff.
Hunger pangs kicked in yet again, and Cousteaux French Bakery in downtown Healdsburg was the best candidate for our ails. We crushed some tasty sandwiches and decided on Ridge as the next winery.
Chances are you've seen Ridge's mass-market bottles at your favorite wine shops across the country. They're indeed a big producer, but still focused on quality and providing a gamut of price points. Their chemist Gerald, who's wife happens to work with Greg, happily came to the tasting room to not only pour for us, but give some incredible insights into Ridge's history, wine profiles, and some excellent tips for the upcoming France trip.
2009 Estate Chardonnay.
Like their American counterparts, French vintners are very open to sharing their wines, undoubtedly romantic vineyard stories, dinner tables, and even their homes for an overnight stay. Ones chances for getting such a treatment are greatly increased by bringing an American bottle to share (or a bottle of whatever origin the visitor is from). Gerry is a good friend of a French vintner we're visiting in June, and keyed us in on his favorite Ridge selections. We'll additionally be bringing as much Rochioli as possible for our kind hosts across the country.
There was only one more agenda item for the evening--seeing Queens of the Stone Age at the Fox Theater in Oakland. Or, "Oaksterdam," depending on what circles you run with. Geoff rejoined us for the hour-long BART ride from San Ramon to Oakland. We were just in time to catch most of the opening act's set. Nothing exceptionally great, but tolerable nonetheless. Queens took the stage promptly at 9:00pm and immediatley launched into their special set--playing their self-titled debut album from start to finish, (mostly) in order, and as closely as possible to the original recordings. Most of my favorite QotSA tracks are from this album and era, so it was an extra special treat. B-sides like The Bronze were also played, as well as a slew of newer songs after the main set was done. 3 encores... Good sh!t!
Entrance to the Fox Theater. Worth checking out for the amazing interior alone (imagine giant Buddhas and gold embellishments in a distinctly Oriental style all over the joint).
With the conclusion of the show came the conclusion of our overactive schedule. Tuesday was reserved for lounging around the house, serious trip research, a good load of blogging, In-n-Out Burger, Pasta Primavera, and the red-eye back to Milwaukee. An overall success by any reasonable measure.
Until next time I choose to post more than just pictures, au revoir!
Great post!
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