Haywood Estate

The second winery we went to on Sonoma Square was Haywood Estate. The tasting room was a little on the dark side. The lady behind the large wooden counter was quite friendly. The tasting bar can comfortably stand about 6 people without squishing or standing two rows deep. When we went in we were the only ones in and just as we were leaving a group of six came in. Perfect timing :)

Since my friend that I went with only drinks whites and they only offer a Chardonnay we didn't do the full line up.  I only tasted the 2008 Primitivo ($35) from Sonoma Valley which was quite excellent. For those that don't know, Primitivo is very similar to Zinfandel in flavor and appearance. The most noticeable difference is the grape cluster of Primitivo is one long shaft where as the Zin has three clusters with two small wings and a long cluster in the middle.

Point Reyes Vineyards

On our drive up the coast to Bodega Head we stopped at the small winery, Point Reyes Vineyards. It sits on a low rolling hill right off of Hwy 1 just outside Point Reyes Station. The gracious tasting room hostess, Anne, told us that they source most of their grapes from Marin and the vines outside the tasting room are for sparkling production. The tasting room is a large spacious room with a fireplace. They served delicious cheese from a local Creamery in addition to their wines. There are a few cheese companies (some have tasting rooms) in the area along the Sonoma Marin Cheese Trail. The winery also runs an inn on the premise.

A Lovely Treasure Island Tasting Room

Knightswood Vineyards and Winery / Stein Family Wines / Bodega Wine Estates Combined Tasting Room

This is a shared tasting room/winery located on Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA. The third winery sharing the space wasn't pouring any wines when I was there. They are one of four tasting rooms on Treasure Island.

The tasting room is spacious even with all the t-shirts and winery kitsch that is usually saved for the larger winery tasting rooms. The staff was very friendly and the winemaker for Stein Family Wines was pouring as well. The tasting room was busy, but not crowded when we went. They were doing a prawn paella banquet that day so when it was ready the room cleared up a bit and we were able to taste in peace. Even with the place crowded, the acoustics were such that were could hear each other and the winemaker just fine. They charge a small fee to taste up to five wines of the ten plus wines to choose from.

Two Quick Reviews: Sparkling Wine and Sauvignon Blanc

Delmas Blanquette de Limoux Brut 2007 Cuvee Berlene ($20)

This French sparkling wine is from outside the Champagne region so even though its French and claims to be one of the oldest sparkling wine houses in the world (1531) it is not Champagne. The nose exhibited lemon and toast while the flavors on the tongue added pineapple to the lemon and brought the toast down to a yeasty bread. This was nicely crisp.

Bartholomew Park Winery 2009 Sauvignon Blanc ($22)

The grapes were sourced from Napa and Sonoma counties.This offering was a pale lemon yellow with a slight greenish hue which is indicative of its ripeness. The more golden a white wine the more ripe the berries. This was a wonderful Sauvignon Blanc with loads of guava, hints of passion fruit, and a floral nose. The guava followed through to the palate where it was joined by green apple. It had a lovely crisp finish.

Unoaked Pinot Noir: A Bright New Take On Pinot

Weingut Friedrich Becker Spätburgunder 2008 Pfalz  (15 Euros)

First off Spätburgunder is the German name for Pinot Noir. This is from the Pfalz region of Germany. Pfalz is the second largest wine producing area in Germany. This wine is in the qualitätswein trocken category. Trocken meaning dry and qualitätswein being an indication of wine quality just like it sounds.  Although Deutschland is known for their sweet whites, namely Riesling, the fondness for dry reds is growing and about a third of the grapes grown in Germany are now red. They don't have the climate for the deeper full bodied reds, but they do make some lovely Pinot Noirs. Not as lovely as Burgundy, California, or Oregon, but they are much less expensive (especially in Germany) and its always nice to taste a "new to you" terroir.

Phenomenal White Wine

Pine Ridge 2010 Chenin Blanc + Viognier ($14)

If you didn't get it from the title this wine is quite tasty.  The wine is a pale lemon yellow with high clarity.  When I opened the screw cap (which I prefer for wines to be enjoyed young) my nose was tackled by grapefruit aromas.  In the glass, I experienced grapefruit, lemon, and some other vague citrus notes as well as a hint of minerality and slight floral notes.  The crispness of the Chenin Blanc is balanced by the slight oiliness of the Viognier yielding a light-medium bodied wine that seems slightly off dry.  The intensity of the flavors continues onto the palate where I was greeted with grapefruit, sweet honeydew melons, tropical notes, and a hint of spice possibly white pepper.  As the wine opens up it releases ginger and apple into the mix.  The crisp finish has a lingering white pepper and apple aftertaste that is almost reminiscent of fresh apple cider.  This bottle has a slight effervescence which I can see in the glass and feel on the tip of my tongue which helps bring out the fruit flavors.  I'm not sure if that is true of the whole bottling or just my bottle, I guess I'll just have to buy another bottle or 6 to be sure.

This is the second time I've had a Chenin Blanc/Viognier blend and I think this is my favorite white at the moment.  The first was Vinum which was also quite good.  I've always had a thing for Viognier with its stone fruit and tropical notes and the Chenin Blanc is such a great compliment with its crispness and minerality.

Napa Valley Wine Train

The wine train is a bit of a tourist trap, but can still be quite fun.

I would suggest buying tickets in advance because they do sell out.  There are afternoon and evening trains, we took an afternoon train.  You can purchase packages to get bused to a winery and have a 90 min tour and wine pairing for $120-$160.  (This surprised most people I talked to about the train.  Most people think you stop at wineries on the train ride, but you don't.  The train goes from Napa to St. Helena and back without any disembarking unless you purchase the packages.)