Category Archives: Sonoma Valley

Pedroncelli

Leave a reply
Pedroncelli Winery

Pedroncelli Winery

1220 Canyon Rd, Geyserville, CA 95441

Website: http://www.pedroncelli.com/

I love finding places like Pedroncelli!  This winery symbolizes why I want to return to Sonoma year after year.  It is a small family-run winery in Dry Creek Valley with a strong Italian backbone.  There is so much culture in the deep family roots that is exhibited in the pleasantly surprising wines. This winery is celebrating more than 90 years of operation.  It was started in 1927 by John Pedroncelli, Sr. and has continued its operations every since. John Sr. was able to survive Prohibition by selling to home winemakers.  John Sr.’s sons John Jr. and Jim succeeded him in the 1940′s and ’50s.  Jim is still around today. The 3rd generation came on board in the 1990s. Now the winery is 70% run by women with a woman winemaker.  The 4th generation is starting to get involved in the winery too.

The Pedroncelli family sustainably farms 105 acres of estate vineyards and purchases the rest of the grapes from neighbors and friends.  Their flagship wine is Zinfandel which is what Dry Creek Valley is most known for. There are old vines right outside the front door of the winery.  This winery was the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in Dry Creek Valley. Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon make up 50% of the vineyards. In total, the family farms 13 varietals that includes Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sangiovese, Petite Sirah, and Port in additional to the Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Pedroncelli Tasting Room

Pedroncelli Tasting Room

The tasting room is open daily for walk-ins with a very reasonable fee of $10 that is  reimbursed with a purchase. The winery is in a serene area with vineyards lining both sides of the road and all along the hillside.  I felt the tasting room was very homey and laid back. My husband and I were the only visitors when we arrived and got a very personalized experience.  The tasting room has terra cotta colored stone tile floors, a wood paneled ceiling, and is quite spacious. There is a long wood tasting bar that can accommodate quite a few guests.  It’s nothing fancy but something about the room is very welcoming. In one corner there were some racks of wine surrounded by family pictures and memorabilia. Pedroncelli also offers enhanced tasting programs with advance notice, such as a tour, lunch on the property, or a food and wine pairing.  There is an outdoor deck with picnic tables and a bocce ball court open to everyone.

Our host was very cordial.  She treated us like we were friends of the family.  She shared the history of the winery while catering our tasting to our preferences.  We were enjoying ourselves so much we sampled almost every wine on the tasting menu (I won’t say exactly how many but it was a lot).  I liked the Friends wines, both the white blend and red blend. They are easy drinking wines that you would want to sit down with friends to enjoy.  My personal favorites were Wisdom Cabernet Sauvignon and Mother Clone Zinfandel. They both had lots of dark fruit and went down very smoothly. We were won over by this winery.  As a result we joined the club and left with big smiles on our face. I’m very excited about this new find and definitely want to go back on my next visit.

Pedroncelli's outdoor picnic area

Pedroncelli’s outdoor picnic area

 

Chalk Hill Winery

Leave a reply
Chalk Hill Winery

Chalk Hill Winery

10300 Chalk Hill Rd, Healdsburg, CA 95448

Website: https://www.chalkhill.com/

Chalk Hill winery gets its name from the AVA in which it is located.  It is one of the 13 Sonoma AVAs sandwiched between the cooler Russian River Valley and warmer Alexander Valley.  Situated within an amphitheater surrounded by hills, the AVA was so named because of the chalk-covered layer of volcanic ash beneath the topsoil.  The distinctive location as well as the variation in soil and climate allow for the production of both white and red varietals. Chalk Hill Winery stands out for the stunning views surrounded by hills.  The original owner Fred Furth was a class action attorney who discovered the property in 1972 while flying over it. He saw the potential for a work-class winery. Fred was able to build up a premium brand.  In 2010 at the age of 78 he sold to Bill Foley, current proprietor. The winery is now part of Foley Family Wine Estates who own more than a dozen wineries up and down the west coast. The family’s portfolio includes Foley Johnson and Kuleto in Napa; Lancaster, Roth, and the historic Sebastiani in Sonoma; and other well-known names including Chalone, Firestone, and Acrobat.

This winery is somewhat secluded on the 1,300 acres of property.  The drive to the winery winds around the vineyards. The winery stands out atop a double flight of stone steps.  There is an equestrian theme to the property. The exterior of the tasting room and pavilion complex reminded of the fancy paddocks you see at the Kentucky Derby.  In front is a large patio with tables and umbrellas for outdoor tastings. At the entrance is an impressive set of glass doors that are at least 12 feet tall.

A private tasting room at Chalk Hill Winery

A private tasting room at Chalk Hill Winery

There is a an immediate sense of elegance upon walking inside.  Beyond the glass doors was a lobby that was arranged like a sitting room with high vaulted ceilings. There was a rustic chandelier, a couple of small couches with starburst gold mirrors on the walls, and a round wood table in the center with some wine gifts.  To the right of that space were glass doors leading to a private room. It looked like someone’s dining room with a dark wood table and chairs, a couch in the corner, and a chandelier hanging from the center that looked like a sphere with candles in the middle.  The atmosphere to me felt like an upper-class southern home.

Chalk Hill Tasting Room

Chalk Hill Tasting Room

The tasting room was located to the left of the lobby.  It reminded me of a library. There were stone tile floors, tall white shelves all around, a dark wood round table and chairs in center, and a couple more sphere shaped chandeliers.  The entire room had earth tones. To add to the homey feel, there were a few lamps, a couch, and a dark wood round table with chairs in the center. The tasting bar was located in the back of the room.  It blended in with the rest of the room. The tasting bar itself was cozy, comfortably accommodating a couple small groups at a time. Our host was friendly, but I felt like she was pushing the wines a little too much.

My husband and I did the typical Estate tasting inside the tasting room.  The price was reasonable considering their offering of premium wines. Guests can also make reservations for tours of the estate or culinary pairings.  They offer luncheons or dinners for groups created by the onsite chef. Chalk Hill is best known for its Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Those were my favorite wines of the tasting.  I also got to try a Pinot Noir and Malbec. Beyond that, the winery produces Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and a couple other varietals. Many of the wines have received over 90 points from wine magazines.  I did find the wines to be a bit pricey. The lowest priced is Sauvignon Blanc at around $30. The rest of wines are above $40 with reds mostly in the $80-90 range.

This property is pretty stunning.  One of the most stunning features is the pavilion made almost entirely of glass from the exterior.  Large private events are hosted in the pavilion. The rest of the 1,300 acres make up the vineyards, winery, culinary garden, stables, equestrian pavilion, fishing and swimming ponds, sport fields, guest houses, and residence.  The winery clearly has a lot to offer. The views from the front of the winery were my favorite part. I appreciated the wines, but the overall atmosphere didn’t totally click for me. I felt it was a little “stuffy”. Although, I do wonder if I would have had a better experience if we chose to do the tasting outside.

 

Limerick Lane

Leave a reply
Limerick Lane

Limerick Lane

1023 Limerick Ln, Healdsburg, CA 95448

Website: https://www.limericklanewines.com/

Just south of the town of Healdsburg in the Russian River Valley resides the 30 acre winery Limerick Lane.  I love finding a hidden gem like this backroads winery. My husband and I didn’t know what to expect driving in, but we left feeling like this was the best find of our trip.  The winery is modest, yet it has a lot of character. The oldest vines on the property were planted in 1910, and they are still producing wine today. It was all started by the Del Fava family who maintained the property until the 1970s.  Then brothers Michael and Tom Collins purchased the winery turning it into an acclaimed Zinfandel site. After planting 25 acres of Zinfandel, Syrah, and Grenache and improving the existing vineyards, big name wineries began to seek out their grapes – like Ravenswood, Gary Farrell, Chateau Souverain, De Loach, and Davis Bynum.  In 2009 Mike Collins was ready to pass on the property to the next generation but he didn’t want it to fall into the hands of a conglomerate. He approached Jake Bilbro, one of the three sons of the acclaimed Chris Bilbro of Marietta’s Cellars. Jake spent two years trying to get a loan to purchase the property and became the official owner in 2011.

Limerick Lane Tasting Room

Limerick Lane Tasting Room

The tasting room has a rustic charm.  A wooden sign greets guests at the entrance to the tasting room.  Inside the tasting room is an L-shaped wooden bar that takes up about half of the space.  There are two large windows looking out toward the vineyards with built in seating plus a couple of stools and a chair for lounging.  The tasting menu was written on chalkboards hanging from the stone walls. A cool chandelier that had blown glass that looked like bubbles hung from the white-washed wood plank ceiling.  Our host was very welcoming and passionate about the winery. It was apparent this place is built on hard work and dedication. As we sipped wine the host told us a story about how there was a shortage of workers during harvest the prior fall and the employees went out to help pick the grapes.  Then he offered to walk us around the property. We walked through the fermentation room that looked like it could be someone’s garage filled with oak barrels. Right outside there was a wood plank table atop a couple of barrels. We walked over to the vines and listened to the story of the winery.  It was a gorgeous setting surrounded by vines.

Limerick Lane focuses primarily on Zinfandel and Syrah.  The majority of their wines have limited availability through an allocation program.  Some can be obtained directly through their website. They have some pretty powerful Zins.  It won over my husband over who is a big Zin fan. I appreciate a nice Zinfandel as well, but I can tell you from experience not all Zins are created equal.  I’ve tried my share of over powering ones. Limerick’s were well-balanced. However, the wine that stood out most to me was the Hail Mary Syrah. I found it to be floral and bright, much different from the hearty, smoky syrahs that I usually expect.  The origin of the name comes with an interesting story too. Back in 2011 when the wine was first produced the winery had picked 7 tons of Syrah grapes to crush before the rains came in the next day, but the destemmer broke down (unfortunate timing). Not wanting the grapes to go to waste they threw a “hail mary” and put all of the grapes, stems and all, into two open top fermentation tanks.  A few weeks later when the staff opened the spout to the tank they were shocked by the incredible aromas and flavors that were produced and it soon became a favorite for both the winery and consumers.

I truly enjoyed the overall experience of this winery.  The hospitality was great! Another bonus is that we’re now on the mailing list so we can purchase the wines for at home.

Limerick Lane Vineyards

Limerick Lane Vineyards