Rediscovering one of California's oldest AVAs: Santa Cruz Mountains

When California wines are the subject of conversation, most people envision the big, bold Bordeaux blends of the Napa Valley AVA or the intense cherry-cranberry Pinot Noirs of the Sonoma and Russian River AVAs. Nikki recently showcased a region that defies these stereotypes: AndersonValley. Thanks to its cool climate and heavy marine influence, the area produces crisp white and earthy red wines that we at The Barrel Room love. 

However, Anderson Valley is not the only coastal fog-laden viticultural area focusing on structured wines with precision and elegance in California. Residing just a stone’s throw away from the high-tech haven of Silicon Valley, the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is a little-known region that roughly follows the fog line along the coast. Its boundaries are well defined by elevations of 400 feet on the west side and 800 feet on the east side, and Half Moon Bay and Mount Madonna respectively at the north and south. This AVA boasts vineyards at elevations up to 3,200 feet… some of the highest vineyards in the state of California.

Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard

Microclimates are of utmost importance in the Santa Cruz Mountains. On the Pacific side the elevations are lower and the climates are cooler, and Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the varietals of interest. Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet are grown in the warmer areas but tend to produce more restrained wines than their Napa counterparts. The cooling fog and massive temperature deviations from morning to night maintain acidity and freshness in the grapes and finished wines.

Rhys Vineyard's "Horseshoe Vineyard"

This region has long been recognized for its potential for fine wines. Some of California’s earliest wineries were established in the Santa Cruz Mountains, with wine production dating back to the mid 1800's. Franciscan missionaries planted the Mission grape in 1804 just north of the city of Santa Cruz. By the late 1800’s the Chaine d’Or (a mountain ridge stretching from Woodside to Los Gatos) was said to produce the finest wines in America. The grapes grown here always commanded high prices due to their superior quality, and still do to this day. 

1976 Judgment of Paris and 2006 reenactment results

 

Though a huge forest fire in 1889 and Prohibition in the 1930’s stifled the area’s winemaking, innovative winemakers throughout the years like Martin Ray of Mount Eden, Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon, and both previous winemaker Paul Draper and current winemaker Eric Baugher of Ridge Vineyards have been ushering the region out of the shadows. Ridge Vineyards was among the few California wineries chosen to participate in the famous Judgment of Paris in 1976; Ridge’s 1971 Monte Bello Cabernet placed 5^th among all reds, beating out the 1971 Leoville-las-Cases and placing just below the 1970 Haut Brion. In a 2006 reenactment the Ridge Monte Bello placed 1st overall.

                    

Given this area’s potential for first-class wine production, it may come as a surprise that it isn’t better known. But as appreciation for cool-climate restrained wines grows, this region will soon shine again as one of California’s best. You can try examples of Santa Cruz Mountain AVA wines that we’re currently pouring at The Barrel Room: Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard’s 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (dark berries, sturdy but velvety tannins, very well balanced) and Zayante’s 2008 Zinfandel (bright cherry and spice, great acidity, strawberry fruit leather). 

This weekend I’ll be taking a trip through the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA. Join me next Wednesday as I discuss the wineries I visit and the best of the wines I encounter!

-          - Sarah   

An Anderson Valley Adventure, Part 2: why going wine tasting is good for more than just drinking

Ferrington Vineyard

After having blogged about the Anderson Valley AVA last week, I was even more anxious to visit than I had been previously. I have known for quite some time now that I prefer the wines of that region to almost any others in the state of California, but despite the rave reviews I have often heard, I had never been to Mendocino at all. Less than twenty-four hours after the trip, I am already trying to plot my return.

Highway-128 may be one of the best arguments there is in the debate between California and New York. Beginning two hours North of San Francisco, just off of the sunburned hills of Route 101, this winding road is not for the faint of heart, but adventurous drivers will reap worthwhile rewards in the form of stunning scenery. Between the lush redwood forests, vineyards, rivers, and lakes, there is no shortage of opportunities to entertain yourself simply by looking out the window during the drive, which is useful since you won't have cell phone service for most of it. All of this leads to some very lovely photos, but equally importantly to a greater understanding of that region's wines. 

State Route 128

When we checked out of our hotel in the town of Mendocino and prepared to head south, away from the coast, the chilly air was damp enough to instantly render my hair straightener's recent hard work irrelevant. When we stopped at the first winery about twenty miles inland, a sweater was still very necessary, yet by the end of our fourth and last stop (only six miles further from the coast), it seemed I couldn't get the car's air conditioning cold enough. Experiencing this firsthand helped me deepen my understanding of what I had previously read about what makes the Anderson Valley unique--the cooling effects of the fog rolling off the Pacific Ocean (so thick early in the day that we couldn't see a bridge as we drove across it), and the intensity of the diurnal swing (the difference between the daytime heat that aids in sugar development and the cool nights that help the grapes to maintain acidity). Later, when looking at a detailed map of the region, the names of the vineyards I had seen on the wine labels ceased to be meaningless, arbitrary words--suddenly, they were valuable sources of information that I could use to predict my enjoyment of Anderson Valley wines. 

Wiley Vineyard

The wines made with fruit from the Wiley Vineyard had tended to be my favorite throughout the day, and a quick glance at the map revealed that this northerly vineyard is the closest to the ocean, and therefore the coolest. The wines tended to be light in body, low in alcohol, and marked by mouthwatering acidity. The wines of the Savoy Vineyard, quite a bit further inland, leaned more toward a bigger, bolder style, with darker fruit. After having driven through the area and feeling the temperature change, both with the direction of travel and the time of day, it was very clear to me how weather (among many other factors) had played a part in the development of the wines I had sampled.


If you're interested in learning more about the wines you enjoy, visiting the region where they are made can be an invaluable (and enjoyable!) tool. Even if you are not tasting wine, just being aware of the area's conditions during the growing season can help you understand and recall the specifics of a particular vintage. If you were in Northern California in the summer of 2008, you'll remember the forest fires that plagued wine growing areas and left many grapes tainted by smoke, producing a unique crop of wines with an aroma not dissimilar to a Fourth of July barbecue. If you visited Germany and nearly froze to death in the winter of 2010, you'll likely never forget the record-breaking cold that produced some of the most highly acidic (and delicious) rieslings in recent history. You can read all you want about wine, but of course nothing compares to getting out there and experiencing it for yourself.

For the record, the highlights of my tasting experience included:


2010 Navarro Vineyards Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, $19.50
light and earthy with soft red fruit and spice


2007 Navarro Vineyards Anderson Valley Late Harvest Riesling, $29 (375ml)
apricot, honey, and pineapple, with remarkably balanced acidity


2010 Breggo Cellars Ferrington Vineyard Gewürztraminer, $25
exotic aromas of rose petals, spice, and lychee; crisp, refreshing, and bone dry.


2010 Phillips Hill Ridley Vineyard Chardonnay, $30
clean nose (no oak or malolactic) with ripe apple and citrus. Round, pleasant mouthfeel.


2009 Phillips Hill Wiley Vineyard Pinot Noir, $38
cola, cocoa, cherry, vanilla, and baking spice.


Did I mention these wines are crazy affordable??


-Nikki

Baga: it’s not just for leitão anymore!

Baga is one of the hundreds of native Portuguese grapes that most people have neither heard of nor encountered. A few writers have sporadically brought a spotlight to the maligned grape but it has largely remained in obscurity. And rightly so until the last few decades… the harsh, rustic style of the wines gave rise to an old saying, “it takes three men to drink a bottle of [Baga]: one to drink it and two to hold him up.”

 

Portugal's wine regions. Bairrada can be seen just south of Vinhos Verdes.

Baga is native to the Bairrada region of Portugal. It has historically made two main styles of wine: tannic, unapproachable reds that mellow very little with age, and red sparkling espumante tinto. These wines find their perfect pairing in the legendary regional dish called leitão. Leitão is suckling pig, 6 weeks old, rubbed with spices and lard, skewered, and roasted to a crispy perfection in a hot clay oven. The pig is cut into small pieces (none of it is wasted)  and served with the obligatory potatoes and leafy greens of the Bairrada region. The harsh tannins in the Baga reds and the racy acidity and rustic fruitiness in the espumante tinto are exactly what’s needed to cut through the gooey fat of the suckling pig. However, these wines tend to be a little more difficult to consume sans leitão.

the typical dish of Bairrada: leitão

But this grape has experienced a recent renaissance courtesy of a man known in some circles as “Mr. Baga.” The man is Luis Pato, the best-known producer in the Bairrada region. Pato is a trained chemical engineer who, after taking over his parents’ winery in the 1980s, took a slightly different approach to winemaking. He began destemming and using oak barrels, introduced rotary fermenters, and stood behind the use of the almost extinct native Baga grape.

Luis Pato and his Baga vineyards

 

And Pato proved himself to be a revolutionary in more places than the winery. His relentless battle with pushy Bairrada administrators regarding the DOC laws resulted in his choice to abandon the Bairrada DOC on his labels and replace it with the umbrella appellation Beiras. After a prolonged campaign, the DOC revised its regulations. Beginning in 2008 “Bairrada” once again appeared on Luis Pato wines.

Pato’s Baga reds are a softer, rounder, but true-to-form version of their coarse ancestors. The 2008 was rich and powerful, and had a deliciously intriguing funky note of earth and barnyard that made it a favorite for us. His Baga espumante tinto, available by the glass at The Barrel Room (see our menu here), is a wonderfully unique rosé-colored sparkling red wine made from grapes harvested six weeks early. The high acidity present in the grapes is maintained throughout vinification resulting in a refreshing bubbly that would be excellent with the suckling pig of Bairrada, but also pairs nicely with our hard cheeses and prosciutto-wrapped dates. 

Luis Pato's espumante tinto

Luis Pato has succeeded in paying homage to the native Baga, embracing a style that offers culinary versatility and is sure to force the grape from its veil of anonymity. So, Mr. Pato, we at The Barrel Room thank you. Saúde!

- Sarah 

An Anderson Valley Adventure

Map of the Anderson Valley

This weekend, the ladies of The Barrel Room will be heading up north to Mendocino to watch one of our own tie the knot with a wonderful man. In honor of their nuptials (and in preparation for the wine tasting we will be doing there!), today we're going to discuss the cool-climate wines of the Anderson valley--one of our favorite AVAs in California.

The Anderson Valley is an AVA within an AVA within an AVA. If that sounds confusing, imagine you've been handed a large, gift-wrapped box with a card attached that reads 'North Coast AVA.' "How delightful," you say, "I thoroughly enjoy the wines from several of the six grape-growing regions north of San Francisco, like Sonoma and the Napa Valley." Excitedly, you tear open the box, only to find a smaller box inside! This one bears a note with the words 'Mendocino AVA.' Knowing this is one of California's most diverse growing regions, your curiosity as to what lies within is piqued. Of course, you are not surprised when you open that box to find yet another within. This one is labeled 'Anderson Valley AVA,' and you breathe a sigh of relief. By now you're pretty certain that there is a bottle of wine inside (and if there isn't, the person who gave it to you is kind of a jerk). Based on what you've heard about the Anderson Valley, you feel confident that the cooling influence of Pacific fog rolling in from the coast will have helped to produce a nuanced wine that is low in alcohol and high in acidity, whether it is red, white, rosé or sparkling.

Fog rolling in over the Anderson Valley

The wines of the picturesque Anderson Valley often bear a striking resemblance to those from Alsace--the region that France finally seems to have declared permanent victory over in the perpetual game of Red Rover it has been playing with Germany for centuries. Like their Alsatian counterparts, the reds are primarily light-bodied, earthy Pinot Noirs, while whites like Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Blanc stun with precision and aromatics. In fact, this region is so enamored with the wines of that region in northeastern France that each February, the International Alsace Varietals Festival is held there. 


Cabot Vineyards (based in Humboldt County) makes a great example of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, currently available by the glass at The Barrel Room. The 2010 vintage is soft and earthy, with notes of spice, red cherry, and strawberry. Served alongside the Domaine Allimant-Laugner Pinot Noir from Alsace in a flight, it is interesting to compare the differences and similarities. Other notable producers in the area include Navarro Vineyards, Handley Cellars, Goldeneye Winery, Londer Vineyards, and Philo Ridge Vineyards, Roederer Estate (known for sparkling wine). 

More fog rolling in over the Anderson Valley

Located just over two hours north of San Francisco and encompassing the towns of Boonville, Philo and Navarro, the Anderson Valley is unique in its geography in that the vineyards cut laterally through a coastal mountain range, rather than lying between ridges. Combined with the cooling effects of the nearby Pacific Ocean, this produces a wide diurnal range, meaning that temperatures are radically different between daytime and night. Warm daytime temperatures enable the grapes to slowly reach physiological ripeness without the sugar levels going through the roof, while cool nights--sometimes up to 50 degrees cooler--allow the fruit to maintain its acidity. This type of climate helps to create a wonderfully balanced end product.

If you plan to visit the Anderson Valley, you may want to brush up on your Boontling. What's that you say? Your high school didn't offer Boontling as a language option? Whatever, I'm sure Spanish will be really useful. If you want to impress the locals in Boonville, you'll have to speak to them in the esoteric, English-based language invented by residents of this 700-person town in the late 19th century. Drawing also on Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Pomo Indian, and Spanish, the language is spoken nowhere else in the world, which is a shame because its 1000-plus words are extremely colorful and creative in nature. To get you started, the most important word you need to know is 'frati'--Boontling for wine, of course. But don't get can-kicky and throw a wheeler if you pike to Boont and the locals want to shark because you're a brightlighter.* They're a pretty insular community. But they make some damn good wine.

-Nikki

A little bit of Boontling poetry

*Translation: Don't get angry and throw a fit if you travel to Boonville and the locals want to fight because you're an outsider. 

Grower Champagne: Step Outside of the Big Houses

View of the Côtes des Blancs

When most people think of Champagne they think of the big names: Veuve Cliquot, Moët & Chandon, Mumm, Bollinger and many others.  These are the prominent houses of Champagne who primarily source their grapes from many growers throughout the Champagne region.  The small growers who provide the big houses with grapes not only make their own Champagnes but they make Champagnes that are comparable to some of the big names, in many cases for a fraction of the price.  These Champagnes are called “Grower Champagnes”.

While the big houses produce some noteworthy champagnes, grower Champagnes tend to be more terroir driven, reflecting the place where the grapes are from, perhaps a little more subdued, yet still refined. In contrast, the big Champagne houses are more focused on making consistent wines vintage after vintage. 

Grower champagnes are easily identified by looking closely at Champagne labels.  At the bottom of a Champagne label you can find 2 letters followed by a set of numbers.  Look for the “RM” (Récoltant-Manipulant), which is an indication that the Champagne is a grower Champagne.

  

Grower Champagne has gained some traction over the past few years in the US market, and it’s worth checking out.  While the big houses are spending millions in marketing, the growers depend on their importers and distributors to taut their wines, which leads to a more affordable and accessible Champagne.

There are around 5,000 growers who produce wines from their own grapes in Champagne, some of which is imported into the U.S. Try Grower Champagne at the Barrel Room. We have Bereche et Fils Brut Reserve, Guy Brunot 1er Cru Grand Reserve Brut, Paul Déthune Grand Cru Brut and André Robert Grand Cru ‘Le Mesnil’.  All are fantastic and affordable Champagnes made by families of grape growers, not corporations. 

In the cellar of André Robert. Le Mesnil sur Oger, Champagne

Cheers!

- Carolyn

All-American Zinfandel?

What’s more Californian than a glass of spicy, jammy, rich Zinfandel? Californians have been sipping massive Zins with typical American fares like barbecued ribs and peppery steaks for generations. Zin was, in fact, termed “America’s vine and wine.” As a blush wine, White Zinfandel took the market by storm in 1869, when El Pinal Winery in Lodi started the trend. And though White Zin has become less favored recently, it still has enough intrigue to inspire veteran cult wineries like Turley to produce it.

the best-known White Zin: Beringer

Until quite recently the origins of this mysterious grape were unknown, and the style of Zinfandel wine developed in the hot, sunny vineyards of California. It was no wonder this explosive high-alcohol raspberry- and blackberry-fruit laden red was though to originate in the south of Italy, especially given its similarity to the Primitivo grape (later proven to be a clone of Zinfandel). But U.C. Davis Professor Emeritus Carole Meredith discovered in 2002 via DNA profiling that California Zin is, in fact, an ancient grape that used to be widely grown in Dalmatia in what is now Croatia: Crljenak Kaštelanski.

a Crljenak vineyard in Croatia

So how did this confusion come about, and how did the grape get the name “Zinfandel?” Between 1820 and 1829, a horticulturist on Long Island named George Gibbs received crates of grapes from all over Europe. One crate was labeled tzinifándli, a Hungarian translation of Zierfandler, a white grape from Austria’s Thermenregion. The receiving team couldn’t quite make out the name written on the crate and relabeled it “Zinifandel,” from which the name Zinfandel ultimately arose.

a Zinfandel grape bunch beginning to raisin

During the Gold Rush in the 1850’s Zinfandel made it to the west coast and was planted just north of Napa. In the hot California sun the grape ripened to an extremely high sugar concentration, and had a tendency to raisin. In 1857 Joseph Osborne made the first Zin which received high praise and was soon repeated by many local wineries.

After Prohibition there was quite a shortage of the grape. Its origins were forgotten, and wineries began to confuse it with the Black Sonora grape which was growing alongside it. Winemakers started producing insipid, uninteresting wine with it through the mid-1900’s. But luckily more recently a new interest in Zin has emerged and winemakers have been experimenting with this powerhouse of a wine grape, bringing it to new heights.

Zayante vineyards in Felton, California

But back to Croatia momentarily… Crljenak was a very popular grape in Dalmatia until the phylloxera epidemic in the late 19^th century. One of its prodgenies, however, survived quite well and is thriving today: Plavac Mali. Plavac is a cross between Crljenak and Dobričić, and is one of Croatia’s largest wine exports to the US today. It produces wines similar to California Zins: black pepper, spice, and blackberries, all wrapped up in a rich, tannic structure, perfect for grilled meats. Plavac and its Zinfandel counterpart are very interesting to taste together. If you’re curious, we’ve got a comparison this month at The Barrel Room: Zayante Zinfandel versus Dingač Plavac Mali (see our list here).

So how Californian is Zinfandel? Though the grape made its way here from the traditional vineyards of Dalmatia, California Zin now has a style all its own and is without question one of the all-American grapes.

- Sarah

Happy Father's Day, Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc grapes

Did you remember to call your father yesterday? Maybe you sent him a card, bought him a tie, or took him out to lunch. Perhaps you even enjoyed a great bottle of cabernet sauvignon together. If so, chances are there is one very important father you forgot to acknowledge: cabernet franc. 


You see, when a mommy grape and a daddy grape love each other very much, they spontaneously cross-pollenate and a new grape variety is born. In this case, sauvignon blanc and cabernet franc had a little too much to drink one 17th century night in southwestern France, and we now have them to thank for the existence of cabernet sauvignon. Sauvignon blanc has since gone on to lead a rich and fulfilling life, achieving worldwide fame for tart and aromatic white wines in New Zealand, France and beyond. But poor cabernet franc has received little recognition, unjustly overshadowed by a son who grew up to be bigger and stronger than his father. 


When the movie Sideways became popular, strange things happened to the wine industry. No one could have ever predicted that the musings of one fictional, disgruntled wine snob could have effectively destroyed the entire merlot industry while simultaneously making pinot noir the most sought-after grape on the planet, but they did. That's old news, though. One scene, however, is often glossed over in discussions of the movie--that in which the aforementioned wine snob embarks on a derisive rant against cabernet franc, dismissing it as being "hollow, flabby, and overripe." This criticism had little effect on the cabernet franc industry because, well, no one has seemed to give much of a damn about cabernet franc before or since.

Miles and Jack are NOT drinking any fucking Merlot!

But they should! Softer, subtler, more perfumed and less tannic than the cabernet of the sauvignon variety, cab franc can produce truly beautiful wines in the cool soils of St.-Emilion and Pomerol in Bordeaux, and in the even cooler soils of the Loire Valley. These wines tend to have pronounced aromas and flavors of juicy raspberry, cassis, wet stone, tobacco, green bell pepper, and violets. Most notably, this under-appreciated grape gets top billing in the revered Premier Grand Cru Saint-Émilion Château Cheval Blanc, the cab franc/merlot Bordeaux blend whose virtues the main character in Sideways spends much of the movie extolling. Elsewhere in Bordeaux, cabernet franc is generally treated as an "insurance policy" in case the cabernet sauvignon grapes fail to properly ripen, relegated to the lowly status of a blending grape--adding a touch of seasoning to tame the aggression and power of its bolder offspring. 

Château Cheval Blanc

Luckily for fans of this underdog grape, winemakers in parts of Canada, New York State, and Washington seem to be waking up to the potential of the wines it is capable of producing. Cabernet Franc is also gaining momentum as a varietal wine in Australia, Italy, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand, and California. A particularly pleasant surprise, though, is the 2009 Batič cabernet franc from Slovenia, available by the glass at The Barrel Room this month. Like the cabernet franc grape itself, Slovenia doesn't get a lot of credit in the wine world. But this country, home to the oldest living grapevine in the world (400 years and counting!), is producing wines that are certainly worthy of worldwide attention. Father-and-son duo Ivan and Miha Batič make a rich, juicy cab franc with a gorgeous perfume of flowers and herbs, a silky texture, and flavors of dark chocolate, spice, and ripe fruit. If there was ever a wine that could make the world appreciate cabernet franc for more than just siring a famous and beloved son, this is it. Do yourself a favor and give this grape some belated Fathers' Day love soon!  


-Nikki

 Ivan and Miha Batič