I definitely love a good Zinfandel, especially with a nice, saucy pizza. ( I learned that pairing from a wine maker friend in California) However, pizza was not what I had in mind when I picked up a bottle of this awesome Zin from Dry Creek Vineyard. Bill Smart had asked me to visit dry Creek Vineyard on my next trip to California, so I paid him a visit. After tasting through a number of their reds my heart was set on this one. A dry fruity zin with a nice balance of spice. That being said, I brought it home and had it with a parmesan, feta, and tomato pizza on wheat crust.

This 2005 zin is a nice ruby, almost amethyst in the glass, and is 14.9% alcohol by volume. On the nose there is heavy black cherry, less pronounced blackberry and a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon. On the palate once again black cherry holds the big gun and hits you first, followed by a mixture of blackberry, some spice on the back end, and a bit of acidity on the mid palate. It has a peppery, velvety finish which is nice for such a deep red. A friend commented how she enjoyed the finish the most because she is used to reds giving her “cotton mouth.”

I also enjoyed the rest of my glasses of this wine with the help of my new BFF: the winesoiree. I got to know the creator of the wine soiree via Twitter (which is where I meet all the best, and the worst people) and he sent me a coupon to pick myself up one of these. You see, I fell in love with it after I had a glass poured through one belonging to my friend Thea Dwelle (lusciouslushes.com) and was floored by the difference. I tried and reviewed a glass of the zin after simply letting it breathe for an hour, then tried it through the soiree. The difference truly is astounding. All of the subtle nuances of the wine came bursting to life; there were flavors and smells I hadn’t noticed before. Overall this is a great little gadget, and at $25 it’s well worth the money http://www.winesoiree.com

Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a big fan of Pinot. Earlier in the summer Rodney Strong sent me a ‘starter kit’ complete with a bottle of their ’07 pinot, which I loved. Once I told them this, 4 days later I received a bottle of ’08 pinot for review. Man I love being a wine writer!

I enjoyed the ’08 pinot, just about as much as the ’07. It was a gorgeous dark ruby color, even a hint of amethyst ( I love red and purple) This blend is 98% pinot, 2% syrah; both from the Russian River Valley. I’m still working on being a fan of syrah, but it works well in this wine.  On the nose there is a hint of rose petal coupled with various red fruit, especially some black cherry. It has the lovely, chewy, subtly toasted vanilla notes that I love about pinot with an even finish. After the wine opens up a little bit, it is even deeper in character with  notes of french oakiness shining through.

Artiste normally only makes blended wines, but this one is 100% mourvedre. According to winemaker Bion Rice “it was too good to blend!”It is a great medium bodied red. A nose of light rose petal and red fruit with a surprising butterscotch finish. The finish of the wine is what intrigued me most, it isn’t sweet by any means, and the flavor of butterscotch is undetectable on the nose but bursts on the palate at the finish. I immediately fell in love with this wine after trying it and took home a bottle to Ohio from California. This Mourvedre was a limited release wine club wine, but I loved it so that they let me purchase a couple of bottles. The wine is 14.4% alcohol and was a 74 case production.

Mourvedre is on the right.

What makes Artiste stand out from the rest is their labeling process. Artists from around California submit artwork and Rice chooses his favorites to reproduce on the bottles. Reprints are then sent to wine club members and some are available for purchase at one of their two tasting rooms in Healdsburg and Santa Ynez, California

Where else can you go where you can not only grab some lunch and buy a designer dress that costs more than a case of wine while trying out 26 tasting rooms? Healdsburg’s square of course, and I accomplished all three of those tasks. The designer dress added to the whole wine tasting experience, of course. At least that’s what I’ve been telling myself…

Anyway, Healdsburg square is a really eclectic place, complete with tasting rooms, boutiques, bookstores, coffee shops and even a soap company. I had the good fortune to be there on a Saturday when the Healdsburg farmer’s market is also going on, and I got to see another side of the town. While there I stopped into several different tasting rooms, but if I had to pick there are two who stand out in my mind: Toad Hollow and Artiste.

Toad Hollow

I knew I had found a fun place when I walked in and asked for Jim. The gentleman I later found out to be Jim began explaining to me that he was in fact, Debbie and Jim was the woman standing next to him. This fun attitude carries over to the wine. Everything from Risqué sparkling with a toad dancing the can-can on the label to their award winning Rose of Pinot Noir: Eye of the Toad. Jim shared with me the best winery mission statement I have ever heard: “People want value, and they also want good one. One of the missions of Toad Hollow is to provide both.” Especially in today’s economy, we want good wine and a good price. Their Dry Pinot Noir Rose was voted best value by Wine Spectator at under $10 a bottle.

From Toad Hollow I made my way over to Artiste. Everyone I spoke with told me I had to go there and meet the winemaker, Bion Rice. Inside the tasting room I think there is just as much art as there is wine; even on the bottles. Artiste picks an impressionist painting to showcase on their wines. The label explaining what the wine, where it comes from, and who created that particular painting is located on the back.

One of the aspects I enjoyed most of Artiste’s tasting room was the “Artiste Tasting Palette” that consists of a small bite of food to pair with the wine you taste. Another note about Artiste that set it apart from the rest is that they will not create tasting notes for their wines. As I tasted butterscotch on the finish of the mourvedre, I was told that was expressly one of the reasons tasting notes are not written; because each palate is different, and very impressionable.

From Artiste, I drove back into Dry Creek, past the general store, and up to Family wineries where Amphora is located. I was first drawn in by the name. I am a lover of ancient history; especially Greek and Egyptian. The amphora is a long piece of pottery with two handles originating in Greece.  The winemaker, Rick Hutchinson was as great as his wine. He has expanded his award winning wine list since the winery’s inception in 1997 to include everything from Chardonnay to Cabernet Sauvignon. I went to visit twice here, and the second time Rick was making custom blends for me out of his barrels according to the wines I said I liked the best. What a guy!

This was the best part of my experience in wine country, I loved the Dry Creek Valley, and what I loved most wasn’t the wine (GASP) it was the people. Of course the overall wine experience was more than I ever could have dreamed of the people were the ones who made the wine tastings fun, they were the ones who told me the best wineries and tasting rooms to go to, they were the ones who showed me around and took me to dinner. As I’ve told my friends, I have never felt so at home. I’d honestly move out there tomorrow if I didn’t have another year left of grad school. Wine is my passion, and it can only keep growing if I’m surrounded by winos like myself.

I have never been more upset to leave a place than I was to leave wine country in California. Never before have I taken a vacation purely for myself, on my own, and for my own benefit. Never before have I just traveled around, met new people and not been afraid of what comes next. I did it this time; and it has been one of the best experiences of my life.

I found the most incredible network of friends in Sonoma County, CA. Specifically, my dear friend, Jim Morris. He introduced me to some great people, great wine, and most importantly took me under his wing and gave me VIP treatment among these vineyards I had never seen before.

Sure, I drove through Napa, I saw all the big wine makers like Gallo and Mondavi, but the Dry Creek Valley really captured my heart. I fit in so well there, sharing stories with people who impart upon my passion for wine. I felt like I fit in there more than I fit in here in Ohio. I fell in love with wine country and its people; so much so that I cried on my drive to the airport.

The first winery I went to was Bella. Bella started in 1995, and is primarily run by Scott and Lynn Adams. Who, like me fell in love with Dry Creek and purchased land to begin wine making. The winery is made up of four vineyards:, Big River Ranch, Lily Hill Estate, Bell Canyon Vineyard, and Two Patch which is made up of what else? Two patches of vineyard. As we arrived we walked through the courtyard, replete with hula hoops and picnic mats, past the safari truck that takes guests to the top of the vineyards and into their wine caves. Bella has their tasting room inside their wine caves, which really adds to the aesthetics of the whole experience. As you taste you can see the barrels and candelabras beyond their doors while you escape the heat of a summer’s day. We then took a ride up to the top of the vineyards and tasted some Bella Petit Sirah that hadn’t been released to the public yet. The view also wasn’t too shabby. I wouldn’t mind spending my days here.

From Bella, we went to Jim’s current, and my future place of employment: Michel-Schlumberger. Schlumberger is an organic winery, and is also extremely beautiful. It brings to mind a Spanish mission as you wander around the property. There are flowers, vegetables, and even a lake to check out as you sip your wine. I spent several days here, even helping to re-vamp their wine club flier and suggesting the Coteaux to visitors who thought I already worked there. The winemaker, Mike Brunson seems to be a very knowledgeable, approachable guy; however, I didn’t get to know him that well during my time at the winery. Hopefully I can talk more in depth with him upon future visits. I have so much to say about this winery; I’ll post on it specifically soon.

I then went to Healdsburg’s square, bought an extremely expensive dress, and went wine tasting. More on this later…..