Autumn is here, wineries have completed most of their harvest by now and we’re in that season when we have very cool nights and mornings but a little summer heat in the afternoon. It is a great time to be in California and an even better time to be exploring the wine country and visually, as a sight seer and wine country adventurer, there is no better place to be than in Sonoma. So this past week I decided to head out to this neighboring wonderland of Napa, once occupied by the Pomo Indians, for a glorious time of wine tasting along the along highway 12.
Kenwood Vineyards & Winery
This stretch of highway is named after Jack London’s book Valley of the Moon and it is from a vineyard once owned by the author that Kenwood Vineyards and Winery sources some of its grapes for its more upscale wines. Kenwood offers two tasting options, a complimentary tasting from a long list wines under $20 or a Reserve tasting of $5 for three tastings. I tried three of their white wines from the complimentary tasting list, all of which were of great value – the 2007 Sonoma County Chardonnay ($14), the 2006 Reserve Chardonnay ($20) and the 2007 Gewürztraminer ($14).
Chateau St. Jean
In 1920 the Chateau was built as a summer home for Ernest and Maude Goff, and their children. The 250 acres that are now Chateau St. Jean vineyards were initially planted with white grapes, but during the Prohibition the land was used for growing prunes and walnuts instead. When Chateau St. Jean was established in 1973 the winery was fully restored and is now listed in the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The architecture and landscaping are absolutely beautiful. As you approach the Chateau you pass through an elegant courtyard which inspired by formal estate gardens in Italy and the south of France. There you will find two fountains with the central fountain situated in front of a 19th century zinc sculpture of Jean, the winery’s namesake. There are also fishponds in the shape of Lakes Michigan and Huron, and the arched footbridge.
Chateau St. Jean offers two tiers of tastings, the Premium Tasting ($10.00) in the Gift Shop area and the Reserve Tasting ($15.00) across the way each in its own tasting area.
Ledson Winery & Vineyards
I had visited Ledson about a year ago or so with a friend but decided to drop in again for another tasting. During my first visit I did the “Nobility Tasting” ($10) so this time around I decided to step it up a notch and do the
“Royalty Tasting” ($15). Although the tasting fees are a bit steep you won’t be disappointed by the wines, which are also fairly pricy.
My first wine was the 2007 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($26) followed by the 2007 Russian River Pinot Noir ($58), the 2003 Alexander Valley Merlot ($34), the 2005 Lodi ‘Old Vine” Zinfandel ($36). This was followed the 2004 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Pine Mountain ($58) and the 2005 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which come from the valley floor ($90). Finally, I had the 2005 Alexander Valley Ti Amo ($74), a Meritage style blend.
All of these wines are phenomenal and several of them have won very prestigious awards. If you are taking a trip to the Sonoma Valley, the Ledson Mansion is a “must see” and their wines are likewise an experience that you should not miss.
Kunde Estate Winery & Vineyards
Family owned and operated, Kunde Estate Winery & Vineyards produces ultra-premium, estate-grown, and sustainably farmed wines in the finest traditions of the renowned Sonoma Valley. The founder, Louis Kunde, who emigrated from Germany, acquired the Wildwood Vineyards ranch with its acclaimed iron-rich, ancient red volcanic soils in 1904. These vineyards were first planted in 1879 by pioneer John Drummond with imported cuttings from Chateaux Margaux and Lafite Rothschild. Upon Louis’ death in 1922, the winery and vineyards were taken over by his son, Arthur Kunde. Arthur kept the winery open during the Prohibition by selling “sacramental” wines, and though he continued to grow grapes through World War II, he was forced to close the winery doors when his sons were drafted into service. Throughout the 1960’s and ‘70’s, two of Arthur’s sons, Bob and Fred, greatly expanded the Kunde Estate, adding the esteemed Kinneybrook Ranch in 1977. Planting hundreds of acres to prime varietals, their hard work and savvy business decisions laid the groundwork for building the Kunde Estate Winery and aging caves in the early 1990’s.
In October 2004, three-generations of the Kunde family gathered with friends to celebrate our 100th harvest and to honor all the hard work and dedication that came through us and before us. As we enter the next century of winegrowing, the fourth and fifth generation family members remain hands-on proprietors. We now oversee an operation comprised of our state-of-the-art winemaking facility and 1,850 contiguous acres, of which 700 acres are planted to more than twenty different varieties of wine grapes.
Kunde Estate offers two tiers of tastings, the Destination Series ($10) and the Grand Estate selections in the Kinneybrook Room ($20) and they have free tours of the wine aging caves on weekends.
St. Francis Winery
In 1971, Joe Martin, a San Francisco businessman and his wife Emma purchased the 100 acre Behler Ranch Vineyard in Sonoma Valley, located in the historic town of Kenwood. In 1979, after several years of growing and selling grapes to local wineries, the decision was made by Joe and partner Lloyd Canton to build their own winery.
St. Francis Winery is built in a California mission style and was established and christened after St. Francis of Assisi, in recognition of the Saint’s role as a protector of the natural world and as acknowledgement of the Franciscan order, believed to have been the first to bring European grape cultivation to the new world.
The Visitors Center located at the entrance of the Wild Oak Vineyard has three separate tasting bars, a beautiful slate patio with panoramic views of the surrounding Wild Oak Vineyards, surrounded by lavender gardens and breath taking views of the Sonoma Valley and majestic mountains.
For $10 St. Francis offers a tasting of some of their widely distributed wines as well as many available only at the winery.
Hanna Winery - Russian River Valley
My last stop for the day was on the other side of Highway 101 at one of Hanna Winery’s tasting rooms in Santa Rosa. Their other tasting room is in Healdsburg in the Alexander Valley. Unlike the monumental wineries I had visited earlier that day, this was a simple small and intimate tasting room. It was a pleasant departure from my previous stops as the verbal exchange with the server was more personal and the prices of the wine were much more modest though the quality of the wine was of considerable quality.
For a modest tasting fee of $5 I sampled the 2007 Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($24), the 2006 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($29), the 2004 “Vixen,” a Bordeaux style blend, from Sonoma County ($25), and the 2005 Merlot from Alexander Valley ($25).
All of these were quite fine, but I was most impressed by their wines from the Bismark Mountain Ranch, located in the Mayacamas Mountains high above the city of Sonoma and the San Pablo Bay. My first was the 1999 Bismark Ranch Syrah ($48) and my second was the 2004 Bismark Ranch Zinfandel ($51) and the final was the 2004 Titan ($55) a fabulous Bordeaux style blend.
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