Author Archives: Cathy Gartley

Arista

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Arista Winery

Arista Winery

7015 Westside Rd, Healdsburg, CA 95448

Website: https://www.aristawinery.com/

Arista is located along Westside Road in the Russian River Valley.  You can’t go wrong with the wineries along this stretch of road.  There are some big names like Gary Farrell, Williams Selyem, and Rochioli that are known for their great Pinot Noir.  Arista is no exception. This winery is sort of a newbie in the area compared to some of the other named pioneers.  The winery was founded in 2002 by Al and Janis McWilliams with a focus on small lot wines.  Their two sons took over in 2012.  They specialize in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Prior to 2017 when I visited, the tasting room was open to the public.  Arista now requires reservations and has three tasting options to choose from.  It’s a little pricier than other public tastings but reasonable considering it is a more intimate experience.  The winery is nestled in a quiet setting amongst the vineyards.  The main building that houses the tasting room has a wood frame and feel of nature.

Patio at Arista Winery

Patio at Arista Winery

There is a walk-around porch on one side with some rocking chairs and a walkway leading to a Japanese garden.  This was the best part of our visit in my opinion.  As you might imagine, the garden is very serene.  The tasting room inside is modest and continues with the outdoorsy feel.  On one wall was some wood planks with different soil types.  I always find displays like that pretty cool.  There was a wood bench, a couple of coffee tables and chairs.  I found the space rather small with the tasting bar in a corner.  The tasting room can only accommodate a max of 8 people at a time.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing since it guarantees that the room won’t be over-crowded.

Arista Winery Tasting Room

Arista Winery Tasting Room

I was expecting more from my experience because I heard other people talk highly about the winery.  During the tasting I felt like we barely got any information on the wines to peak our interest.  I thought they were good quality but nothing stood out to me.  It could have been because it was the end of the day and I was feeling a bit fatigued.  However, I was expecting something more exciting.  I will say that maybe I wasn’t the best judge for this particular winery.  Wine Spectator magazine has rated at least 14 of their Pinot Noirs a score of 90+.   I personally would recommend this winery more for its Japanese garden than the wine, but that’s just my opinion.  Obviously the group I overheard talking highly about Arista would think differently.

Japanese Garden at Arista Winery

Japanese Garden at Arista Winery

Burgess Cellars

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Burgess Cellars

1108 Deer Park Rd, Deer Park, CA 94576

Website: http://burgesscellars.com/

Burgess Cellars is located on Howell Mountain, down the road from Viader.  My husband and I spent a day exploring a few wineries on Howell Mountain and quickly became fans of any wines made from these mountain vineyards.  Our visit to Burgess Cellars was a unique, quiet experience.  This winery requires advance reservations.  We were the only guests at the time we visited.  As we drove up the drive to the front door, a gentleman greeted us.  Before heading inside for a tasting, we walked over to the side overlooking the vineyards and Lake Berryessa.  Our guide gave us a brief history lesson on the vineyards and mentioned that they were once owned by Lee Stewart of Chateau Souverain.  My ears perked up and the wine geek in me kicked in.  I’ve read about Lee Stewart in Napa Valley history books.  He is one of the founding fathers of the California wine industry. 

There is so much history in this winery!  This winery and vineyards has existed since the 1870s era. The real legacy began with Lee Stewart who purchased the winery in 1943.  He was a pioneer in Napa Valley.  Famous winemakers Mike Grgich and Warren Winiarski got their start working for Lee, both whose wines won 1st place in the 1976 Judgment of Paris.  That must say something for Lee’s mentorship.  In 1972 Lee put his fully functioning winery and award-winning vineyards up for sale, and emerging wine enthusiast Tom Burgess jumped on the opportunity.

Burgess Cellars Wines

Burgess Cellars Wines

Tom began a new legacy as a winemaker.  He grew up in northern Ohio where he had his first introduction to wine.  As a Geology and Aeronautics major in college and then an Air Force pilot, Tom had some incredible assignments that included flying Project Gemini astronauts around and becoming lifelong friends with Neil Armstrong. During his time off he was a wine enthusiast, trying wines from around the world.  However, a life changing experience at Beaulieu Winery led him to pursue a career as a vintner in Napa Valley.  When he started at the winery there were only about two dozen wineries in Napa and Sonoma Valley.  The number of wineries essentially doubled in 1972 alone.  With Tom at the helm, Burgess Cellars has thrived.  After making wine for 32 years, he called in his children to come work for him.  Since 2012, his sons Steven and James have taken on the responsibility of President and Vineyard Manager upholding what their father started.

Burgess Cellars Tasting Room

Burgess Cellars Tasting Room

Soaking in all of this history gives a new perspective to the wine tasting experience.  I wasn’t just there trying any wines.  I was sampling a piece of the past and present.  The tasting room is rather modest.  It is inside of a barrel room with a tasting bar on the right.  The experience includes wines from the two Howell Mountain estates.  Their flagship wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Syrah. Library wines going all the way back to 1979 are available for purchase and cellared in the tasting room.  We had an individualized 1:1 tasting experience at our own pace.  It’s always a special treat when someone pulls out a library wine during the tasting.  We were able to try wines from several different vintages, one going back ten years.  These are wines that are definitely meant for a nice dinner, special occasion, or aging in a cellar.

If you are interested in a piece of Napa Valley history and some great Howell Mountain wine, give this winery a call to set up a tasting.

Burgess Cellars Tasting Room

Burgess Cellars Tasting Room

Pangloss Cellars

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Pangloss Cellars Tasting Room in Sonoma Square

Pangloss Cellars Tasting Room in Sonoma Square

35 East Napa Street, Sonoma CA 95476

Website: http://www.panglosscellars.com/

Pangloss Cellars is located in the center of Sonoma Square on the corner of East Napa Street and 1st Street East.  This is one of my favorite latest finds.  I had never heard of the winery before stumbling upon it while acting as a tour guide for my mother-and-law and my husband’s aunt who were visiting Sonoma for the first time.  They wanted to do a little window shopping while my husband and I opted to try a tasting room.  I can’t even recall which tasting room I was actually looking for at the time.  I am so happy we encountered Pangloss.

Pangloss tasting bar in downtown Sonoma

Pangloss tasting bar in downtown Sonoma

As we walked into the tasting room it felt a like stepping into a different society.  My impression of the tasting room is that it’s a combination of a scholarly lounge with a modern, chic flair.  The name Pangloss came from literary figure Dr. Pangloss who was an eternal optimist in French novelist Voltaire’s Candide.  The focal point of the room is a large, square tasting bar surrounded by bar chairs, with a giant vine in the center, and a wall of wine bottles lined up from ceiling to floor behind it.  The front of the room where we entered is mostly windows looking out toward the square.  There are areas in front of the windows and around the sides of the bar with comfy leather or upholstered furniture.  The walls to the left side of the room are all stone.

Pangloss Cellars wine bar

Pangloss Cellars wine bar

On the right side of the room is a large picture of what looks like an 18th century literary figure.  The rest of the room is framed by wood beams and modest chandeliers that add to the warm, social atmosphere.  The room was hopping with people when we stopped in, but it wasn’t overly packed.  We were able to find a couple seats up at the corner of the bar.

In the same spirit as the character that the winery is named after, the owners’ philosophy is “optimism is the best approach to life”.  They want to share the best of Sonoma with their patrons.  The winery is fairly recent, producing their first vintage in 2010.  Their wines are small production of about 4,000 cases that are sourced from all over Sonoma.  Guests are encouraged to come in and make themselves comfortable while they experience one of three tasting experiences.  The first option is a traditional tasting flight at the bar.  The other options are relaxing with a glass or flight and some small plates in the lounge, or to reserve a private, immersive tasting in the cellar.  Since my husband and I were just swinging by to try something new and didn’t have a lot of time, we did a tasting flight at the bar.  Our flight of wines included a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, couple of Zinfandels, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a red blend.  I very much enjoyed all of the singe varietal wines.  I found the 2013 Pinot Noir to have warm spices of cinnamon and cardamom and an extremely silky texture.  The Zinfandels were really robust and would pair well with grilled meats.

We left excited by the fact that we stumbled upon the tasting room and brought home a few bottles with us.  In my opinion, the owners have succeeded in fulfilling their core values of being “welcoming, authentic, optimistic and unpretentious”.  This is a place worth seeking out.