Dry Creek Vineyard -- The Foundation of the Dry Creek Valley

The success of wineries within Sonoma's Dry Creek Valley is completely intertwined with the vision and determination of a founding winery, Dry Creek Vineyard. This is shown in the foresight of founder David S. Stare who moved his family from New England to Sonoma County where in the early 1970s he purchased "a rundown 55-acre prune orchard across the street from the Dry Creek General Store". On this site he started planting the region's first vines since prohibition -- one of these against the advice of "experts" and the love of the Loire Valley -- Sauvignon Blanc. This lead to the first Sonoma County wine labelled Fume Blanc and soon afterwards their Chenin Blanc was highly respected and served at White House dinners. 

In the 1980s, Stare was instrumental in obtaining the American Viticulture Area (AVA) status for Dry Creek Valley and immediately was the first winery to label their wines from this AVA.  Thus their labels became somewhat iconic honoring the New England sailboat culture and Dry Creek Valley viticulture. 

In the late 1980s, daughter Kim Stare Wallace joined the winery as director of marketing together they drove more innovation. The winery was the founding member of the Meritage Foundation and was the first to use the phrase "old-vine" for Zinfandel vines planted before Prohibition.  After joining the team, husband Don Wallace pioneered the California Sustainable Winegrowers Program which eventually lead to the winery becoming 100% Certified Sustainable in 2014. Around the same time the couple changed the winery's philosophy by "dramatically reducing production while increasing quality and sharpening the focus on appellation-driven, terroir-focused wines that rival the best in California".  The wines we sampled at our visit as part of the BevFluence Sonoma Experience reflect this philosophy. 

2022 Clarksburg Dry Chenin Blanc ($17)
Dry Chenin Blanc has been a regular release from the winery since their inception in 1972. This is a classic Loire Valley-style wine with complex, mouth watering acidity and minerality with surprisingly abundant texture. 

2023 Dry Creek Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($25)
This wine incorporates two Sauvignon Blanc clones - Sauvignon Musqué and Sauvignon Gris - that are farmed in several distinct vineyard sites. It's another complex wine and original 1972 offering with lemongrass and floral aromas transitioning to a more tropical profile.

2023 Dry Creek Valley Petite Zin Rosé ($32)
This rosé is predominately Zinfandel with a small addition of Petite Sirah with the grapes lightly pressed and cold fermented. Floral, lime, herbaceous with a refreshing finish. 

2021 Sonoma County Heritage Vines Zinfandel ($28)
The wine is labeled "Heritage Cines" as cuttings from pre-Prohibition era Zinfandel vines were grafted onto phylloxera-resistant rootstock. These vines were then propagated to four vineyards to ensure a virus-free and healthy crop.   This was a group favorite and noticeable for its tremendous value. Loads of dark fruit, light pepper, some baking spices, and earthiness. Love the acidity. 

2020 Dry Creek Valley Beeson Ranch Zinfandel ($55)
The Beeson Ranch was planted in the late 1800s and is one of Dry Creek Valley’s oldest and most prized vineyards. Located along West Dry Creek Road, Beeson Ranch faces east and extends up several gentle hillsides to a forest of conifer trees. The old gnarled Zinfandel vines, first planted by Italian immigrants, produce a most interesting wine. Consumers are inundated with complex notes within a vast range of dark fruit, spices, and earthy qualities. Drink now or let the acids work for a few years.   

2019 Dry Creek Valley The Mariner ($55)
The Mariner showcases the winery's New England heritage and Meritage foundation. The grapes for are derived from several prized estate and hillside vineyards in the Dry Creek Valley. The wine explodes in the mouth, generating tides of complex flavors with dark cherries, mocha, and herbaceous notes standing out. Another to drink now, but better to be patient for later consumption.

2019 Dry Creek Valley Endeavour Cabernet Sauvignon ($100)
The Endeavour Vineyard is located in the Lytton Springs district of Dry Creek Valley and the vines take advantage of the diverse soil conditions on the property. This is a world-class wine, already sitting for a number of years in the bottle where additional aging will not destroy the structured tannins and complexity. 

The Pre-Industrial Approach to Farming at Ridge Vineyards at Lytton Springs Estate

During the 2022 BevFluence Livermore Experience we ventured west to the Santa Cruz Mountains in order to visit the famous Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Estate. Thus we deemed it appropriate during the recently concluded 2024 BevFluence Sonoma Experience to travel to the Dry Creek Valley and visit the Ridge Vineyards at Lytton Springs Estate. Alongside 115-year-old vines we sipped several Ridge wines and learned about the winery's Pre-Industrial Approach to Farming that was a forbearer to an upcoming lesson on Regenerative Farming by Grgich Hills Estate. 

Whereas Ridge Vineyards is not formally Regenerative Organic Certified, they have adopted virtually all the practices recommended by the alliance.  As of 2022, Ridge has received organic certification for 100% of the vines at their Monte Bello, Lytton Springs, Geyserville, and East Bench vineyards.  In addition they protect and increase the fertility of soil microbes by applying home-made compost; planting cover crops that add  nitrogen and organic matter and control erosion; practice no till (mow only) on their hillside vineyard blocks to help minimize erosion and build organic matter in the soil. 

Ridge also encourages beneficial insect and bird populations as an alternative to pesticides. Planting hedgerows harbor  beneficial insects as well as break up the monoculture of vineyards.  They have installed raptor roosts and bird boxes to help with insect and rodent control. And their Integrated Pest Management activity monitors for pests and insects to quickly ameliorate crop damage.

These practices have greatly enhanced the survivability of their old vines like those within the Lytton Springs Estate. During our tasting we sat at the base of these vines, sampling several fantastic Ridge wines. The first was the 2023 Alder Springs Falanghina ($35) which includes 18% Vermentino and is sourced from the Alder Springs Vineyard in Mendocino County. Interestingly, they discovered a warmer micro-climate within the overwise cooler Mendocino region to grow this southern Italian grape variety and the delicious wine shows peach and tropical notes with racy minerality.  The 2023 Lytton Estate Rosé ($35) was the first Lytton Springs estate wine on the tasting menu and this is a strawberry inspired blend of 36% Grenache, 26% Zinfandel, 15% Mataro (Mourvédre), 14% Cinsaut, and 9% Counoise. 

Moving to the red wines, the 2022 Green & Red Zinfandel ($42) includes 2% Petite Sirah with the zin coming from the Green & Red estate at a high elevation in Napa Valley. Grapes from two vineyard sites (Tip Top vineyard and Chiles Mill vineyard) are co-fermented and show abundant acidity.  Moving to estate wines, the 2021 Lytton Springs ($55) is a delicious blend of 72% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Sirah, 9% Carignane, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 1% Cinsaut, and 1% Counoise. This wine includes vines planted in 1901 plus eighty-year-old Counoise inter-planted with Cinsaut. Luscious as our party would say.  The 2021 Lytton Estate Syrah, Grenache, Mataro ($44) features 74% Syrah, 17% Grenache, & 9% Mataro where the G floral notes, the S provides richness, and the M - spiciness. This was a must purchase. The 2021 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($90) includes 16% Merlot most of which is sourced from Monte Bello’s Klein Ranch. Layers and layers of fruit. Finally, a tasting at any of the Ridge tasting rooms requires a sampling of the famed Monte Bello - in this case - the 2016 Monte Bello which was a 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, & 6% Cabernet Franc blend. A mild summer allowed the grapes to slowly ripen, retaining acidity, which are still prevalent after the 18 months in oak and six years in the bottle. A classic wine. 

The Federalist Zinfandel: A Triad of Styles and Regions

We have written about The Federalist Wines in the past and now their portfolio includes three Zinfandel wines from popular California appellations - AVA's mostly dominated by old-vine zinfandel.  And with Halloween approaching, we sampled these wines with three versions of the popular Snickers bars.

The Federalist 2016 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel ($17.99)
According to the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley, "though Dry Creek Valley grows more than than 30 different grape varieties, at the heart of our appellation is zinfandel. Dry Creek Valley’s AVA, just 16 miles long and two miles wide, is home to one of the densest concentrations of old vine zinfandel in the world". The vineyard for these grapes resides in the southern edge of Dry Creek Valley just a mile from the Russian River. The river provides cooling morning fog which extends the growing season by slowly maturing the grapes.  The wine provides toasted chewy fruit, firm tannins, slight white pepper and a tad of heat from the 15.5% abv. The standard Snickers bar provided a nice companion taming the tannins.

The Federalist 2016 Lodi Zinfandel ($17.99)
The Lodi AVA provides some of the oldest Zinfandel plantings with some considered to be Ancient Vineyards. Within this appellation, there is also an interesting east-west dichotomy within the Mokelumne River sub-AVA. The east side contains lower water tables which along with the sandier soils equate to smaller berries and clusters. On the other hand, west of Hwy. 99 the vineyards are sandy loam with generous amounts of finely crushed granite washed down from the Sierra Nevadas. This translates to darker, firmer, zestier, flavorful east side red wines in contrast to the softer, rounder, less aggressively flavored west side wines. I'm not sure from what side the grapes for this wine were grown, but its character suggests the west side as it is creamy and round with firm but very approachable tannins. The peanut butter Snickers complements the wine by providing a little more texture.


The Federalist 2016 Bourbon Barrel Aged Zinfandel ($21.99)
The Mendocino County appellation is located due north of Sonoma and is part of the larger North Coast AVA that spreads northward from San Francisco Bay. According to Mendocino Winegrowers, "Mendocino's Zinfandels are known for their rich, dark color scheme, medium to high tannin levels and a higher alcohol content...". The grapes in this wine were aged six months in American Oak barrels then an additional six months in used bourbon barrels. This process provides just a subtle hint of bourbon and heat - slight vanilla and caramel that blends nicely with an almond Snickers. The finish is tannin structure is solid yet very approachable.




Disclosure: We received samples from Terlato Wines in order to share our opinion about their products, but this isn’t a sponsored post.

Chalk Hill 2016 Estate Sauvignon Blanc

The Chalk Hill AVA is one of Sonoma County's 13 appellations and was carved out of the northeast corner of the Russian River Valley AVA in 1983.  It is distinguished from its neighbors - the cooler Russian River Valley to the west and the warmer Alexander Valley to the northeast - by its higher elevation and chalky white ash that characterizes the soils and its name. This is also the name of Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards & Winery,  The estate is one of only four wineries in the AVA and is a collection of 60 different small vineyards - each growing a diverse set of grapes from Chardonnay, white and red Bordeaux, Viognier, Syrah, Sangiovese, Zinfandel and even Pinot Noir. I recently received a sample of one of the wines made from these grapes: Chalk Hill 2016 Estate Sauvignon Blanc ($33). Bluntly, this wine is fantastic, a much different Sauvignon Blanc from NZ as its powerful with a strong lemon-pineapple profile combined with depth and texture, finishing with refreshing acids.  Highly recommended.

#WineStudio Presents Sonoma’s Rosé Revolution

After a soggy May it was time to pivot to summer with June's #WineStudio Session 35: Sonoma's Rosé Revolution. And indeed the revolution has spread throughout the valley and across multiple grape varieties.Wineries are using the two traditional methods for producing rosé, either gently pressing the grapes as in Provence or using the saignée or bleed from red wine production. This session featured four Sonoma wines: Passaggio Wines 2015 Rosé Merlot Sonoma;  Ellipsis Wine Company 2015 Rosé of Pinot Meunier Sonoma County;  Pedroncelli Winery 2015 Dry Rosé of Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley; and Angels & Cowboys 2015 Rosé Sonoma County (Grenache Rouge, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Grenache Blanc). I received a sample of the last two with notes below. Cheers.

2015 Pedroncelli Winery Dry Rosé of Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley ($12). The grapes are harvested from prime Dry Creek Valley fruit, the Pedroncelli estate as well as Buchnignani vineyard. This rosé is made by combining both popular methods, the free run juice from early picked grapes (60% of the blend) and 40% saignée (juice which was drawn from the fermenting tank of fully ripened Zinfandel). Because of the the fruitiness of the Zin, the wine feels slightly sweeter than dry (.4% R.S.) and  looks like cherry gummy bears in the glass. The flavor starts with candied red cherries and a side of mint, but as the wine warms strawberries evolve, with the fresh acids persisting throughout. A simple, yummy, and refreshing wine.


2015 Angels & Cowboys Rosé Sonoma County ($15). The brand is a collaboration between Cannonball Wine Company co-founders, Yoav Gilat and Dennis Hill, and Northern California graphic artist, Michael Schwab. The wine is a field blend of Grenache Rouge, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Grenache Blanc sourced from vineyards in Carneros, the Alexander Valley and the Dry Creek Valley. The grapes are harvested early, lightly crushed and macerated on their skins as in the Provencal style. After a long fermentation at cooler temperatures the wine rests on its lees to increase the mouthfeel and texture. Unfortunately my bottle was consumed without my presence when friends visited, but here's what other participants had to say. 

Dezel Quillen ‏@myvinespot: Though sleek & racy, @aandcwines rosé carries enough weight/texture to move onto the the dinner table w/ grilled fish, bird, etc

Gwendolyn Alley, MA ‏@ArtPredator: Palette: watermelon, honeydew, cucumber. Crisp with minerals, light fruit, sage in finish. Angels and Cowboys #rose

Debbie Gioquindo,CSW ‏@hvwinegoddess: Everything is nice on this wine! The minerality, freshness, the citrus finish the violets on the nose....