Author Archives: Cathy Gartley

Kendall-Jackson Wine Center

Leave a reply
Kendall-Jackson Wine Center

Kendall-Jackson Wine Center

Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens

5007 Fulton Rd.

Fulton, CA 95439

Website: http://www.kj.com/visit

Having visited Sonoma Valley several times, I felt it was almost an obligation to visit Kendall-Jackson. What wine drinker has not heard of Kendall-Jackson? Their wine is distributed worldwide and it’s not difficult to spot a Kendall-Jackson wine label in a local store or advertisement. I even chose Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay for my wedding reception. Founder Jess Jackson ranks right up there with Robert Mondavi as a U.S. wine icon. He produced the first Kendall-Jackson wine in 1982 and it became an instant success with consumers. Over the next two decades, Jess Jackson became a leader in the wine industry forming Jackson Family Wines, a wine holding company that owns 35 individual wineries around the world in addition to Kendall-Jackson Family Estates. In 2009, Jackson was inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame, but he sadly passed away in April 2011 at the age of 81 after a battle with cancer.

There are two different ways to visit Kendall-Jackson in Sonoma Valley – at the Wine Center and Château in Fulton or at the chic tasting room and restaurant in downtown Healdsburg. I have visited the Wine Center a couple of times but haven’t had the opportunity to check out the tasting room in Healdsburg. The Wine Center is what I expected from a big name wine producer. The Château and well-manicured walkway leading up to it look like the perfect photograph that one might find in a wine magazine. Off to the left of the Château is a gazebo surrounded by some vines and culinary and sensory gardens. Visitors can roam around on their own or participate in a tour of the gardens offered three times a day.

Tasting room at Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate

Tasting room at Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate

Inside the Château is a wide open gift shop and tasting bar. The room is bright with light gold walls and white trim. The open roof and windows all around the tasting room bring in a lot of sunlight. The gold painted railings and chandeliers add a little glamour as well. Although the area is spacious, merchandise and wine bottles take up most of the space and the tasting bar is rather small. Both times I visited I felt like we had to cram in to get a spot up at the bar even though there were only 3 or 4 other couples there. I expected there to be a much larger tasting area for such a popular winery. There are two different tasting options, the Classic Tasting and Reserve Tasting. To get the most of your tasting experience, I recommend printing out the Two for One Classic or Reserve Tasting coupon on their website and splurge a little on the Reserve Tasting (which is a reasonable fee). A lot of people tend to want to try the wines they already know, but the Reserve Tasting provides a chance to try some limited release Kendall-Jackson wines. For a more special experience, the winery offers three different types of food and wine pairings and other experiences. Details are available on their website.

I am glad I visited this winery because now when people talk about Kendall-Jackson I can say “I’ve been to the winery”, but it wasn’t the most exceptional tasting experience I have ever had. Both times that I visited the servers were occupied with several guests and couldn’t provide a lot of one-on-one attention. I expected this place to be very popular and was happy enough not having to wait in line to get to the tasting bar. One other tip I would give to future visitors is to try to make this an early stop in the day right around when the tasting room opens to avoid the rush later in the day.

 

Robert Mondavi Winery

Leave a reply
Bronze St. Francis statue created by Beniamino Bufano at the entrance to Robert Mondavi Winery.

Bronze St. Francis statue created by Beniamino Bufano at the entrance to Robert Mondavi Winery.

7801 St. Helena Highway Oakville, California 94562

Website: www.robertmondaviwinery.com/

Robert Mondavi is a Napa Valley icon. His energetic personality and passion for wine helped bring worldwide recognition to Napa Valley. Robert decided to start his own winery in Oakville in 1965 after a feud with his brother Peter drove him out of the Charles Krug Winery. With help from Robert’s second wife, Margrit Biever Mondavi, the Robert Mondavi Winery became a cultural center for wine, food, and the arts. The two of them have been major benefactors in various arts programs in Napa. Robert achieved many awards during his lifetime for his leadership in improving wine making technology, marketing strategies, and philanthropy. He was inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame by the Culinary Institute of America in 2007. Robert passed away on May 16, 2008 at age 94, but his legacy continues on.

Robert was a perfectionist, and that came across in the way that he ran the winery. He used leading edge technology to produce premium wine, and he pushed his sons Michael and Tim to the highest quality standards. Robert’s autobiography Harvests of Joy and Julia Flynn Siler’s account of the Mondavi family in The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty provide a detailed depiction of both the high and low points of the Robert Mondavi Winery. The winery experienced some financial strife in the 1980s, leading Robert to decide to go public in 1993. Unfortunately the financial and family troubles continued after going public. Due to all of the struggles they encountered, the family ended up selling off their special voting shares. Constellation Brands acquired the winery for nearly $1.36 billion in cash on December 22, 2004.

It is no surprise that the Robert Mondavi Winery remains a popular tourist stop on Highway 29. It is worth stopping in to see the well-known Mission style complex designed by Cliff May with its large archway that looks out over the To Kalon vineyard (meaning “the highest beauty” in Ancient Greek). Robert was committed to educating people about wine, and at the winery there are a number of different tours, each providing a unique experience to visitors. The winery also hosts many wine, food, and art events throughout the year. A calendar of events is available on their website.

Robert Mondavi tasting room and gift shop

Robert Mondavi tasting room and gift shop

What makes this winery unique is the number of different ways visitors can experience the winery. Art enthusiasts can stroll around the property to view the various works of art including sculptures, artifacts, and paintings. Wine enthusiasts can sample wine in one of the three tasting rooms or partake in one of the many tours. The Appellation Room offers wines from the Napa Valley and District tiers. For a Reserve tasting of multiple vintages of Robert Mondavi’s most prestigious wines, visitors can stop in at the To Kalon Reserve Room. There is also a separate room exclusively for wine club members called The Spotlight Room. Music fanatics can attend the concert series that run throughout the summer and feature some well-known artists. There is truly something for everyone, but keep in mind that this is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Napa and draws large crowds.

This was one of the first tours that I went on in wine country and my first experience tasting grapes right off the vine. The tour started out in the vineyard where our tour guide talked about how the grapes are grown and harvested. Then we walked through the winery, following the step-by-step process of how wine is made, and finished with a seated tasting led by our tour guide. At the end of the tour we were brought into one of the tasting rooms where we could sample additional wines and purchase bottles. It was a very nice, educational tour.

Viansa Winery & Vineyards

Leave a reply
Entrance to Viansa

Entrance to Viansa

25200 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, CA 95476

Website: http://www.viansa.com/

My husband and I stumbled upon Viansa Winery as we were making our way back to San Francisco at the end of our honeymoon.  We were driving south on Route 121 and saw a bunch of cars and a tour bus in the parking lot.  We said to each other “What the heck.  Let’s make one more stop”.  I wasn’t expecting to see much on our unplanned stop, but the winery has a lot more to offer than I would have ever guessed.  Viansa is not only a winery, it is also an Italian Marketplace and an ideal wedding location.  The place seems to be a popular tourist stop, but the tasting room and Marketplace were so large that it didn’t feel overly crowded.

View of Viansa atop the hill

View of Viansa atop the hill

The actual winery is a large Italian style villa that sits on a hilltop surrounded by olive trees and vineyards.  It was founded in 1989 by Vicki and Sam Sebastiani of the same family who owned the historical Sebastiani Winery in downtown Sonoma.  As Viansa’s website indicates, the winery was built as “a tribute to the early Italian immigrants who brought their winemaking traditions to Sonoma Valley”.  The winery has since changed hands but still maintains its appreciation of the Italian heritage.

From the parking lot we walked up a pretty stone stairway flanked by Cypress trees and some bushes with vines off to the slide growing on a small slope, very reminiscent of pictures of Italy that I’ve seen.  As we followed the pathway to the front of the winery we came upon a gorgeous courtyard with a statue in the center and some café style tables and chairs scattered around.  Off to the side of the building is a breathtaking view of the Carneros region.  Viansa overlooks nearly a hundred acres of restored wetlands.  Once we were done taking in all of the amazing outdoor views, we ventured through the large wooden doors into the winery.  Before heading to the tasting room, we went downstairs where there is an underground vaulted cave.  We were able to walk through a small section of the cave on our own.

Viansa's full service deli

Viansa’s full service deli

Finally, we went back upstairs to the tasting room and Marketplace.  It was like walking into a fancy gourmet store and deli.  The place is huge with a full-service deli that has a wide selection of imported cheeses, homemade soups, salads, and more.  Throughout the Marketplace are samples of gourmet food items.  Viansa also has its own Cucina Viansa product line, hand-painted ceramics, and many other crafts and wine gadgets for sale.  This is a wine and food lover’s paradise!

The Marketplace at Viansa

The Marketplace at Viansa

I was so taken away by everything in the Marketplace that I almost forgot that we originally came to sample some wines.  The tasting bar is located at the back of the Marketplace.

Behind it is a wall filled from top to bottom with evenly stacked wine bottles and windows looking out over the property.  Viansa produces both Italian style and California wines from no less than 16 different varietals of grapes.  They refer to this concept as Cal-Ital wines, meaning California-made wines created from Italian varietals grown in Sonoma.  Their tasting menu contains two full pages of wines.  I found it a bit overwhelming to select a wine to try with so many different ones to choose from.

One of Viansa's tasting bars

One of Viansa’s tasting bars

Nevertheless, visitors are bound to find a wine they like out of a selection that big.  We were allowed to choose 4 wines from the menu for a $5 fee.  At that price, it wouldn’t be a problem to pay to sample more.  Most of their wines are reasonably priced but there are some that are a little more expensive in the $40 – $50 range.  For anyone who really enjoys Viansa’s wine and food, they offer both a monthly wine club and a food club.

As we left the winery and headed back to our car, I was very happy that we decided to stop into this winery.  It was certainly a nice end to our honeymoon.  It’s a good place to visit for first-timers, and it’s a nice place to return to on the way in or out of Sonoma.