Jordan Winery and Vineyards, located in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley just north of Healdsburg, is a vast 1,200 acre property, boasting not just 112 acres of vineyards but a cattle ranch, vegetable and flower garden, olive tree groves and a lake that’s a habitat for all sorts of fish and birds. But visitors to the winery rarely get a glimpse of this sprawling estate. Until now. “We never wanted to be a belly up to the bar wine bar,” says John Jordan, CEO of the winery his parents founded in 1972. In fact, John was born in Denver on the same day Tom and Sally Jordan closed on the property for their first vineyard, May 25, 1972. The estate property was bought in 1974. Today, this land is also home for John, with his house overlooking the vineyards and lake. For him to invite visitors to tour his backyard, the…
Livermore Stories: Nottingham Cellars
This is another installment of a series called “Livermore Stories,” which takes a look at the most exciting wineries in this wine growing region located east of San Francisco. More than 50 wineries now call Livermore Valley home. The wines have never been better, and the wineries have great stories to tell. He’s been called a rising star, a rock star of the Livermore Valley wine scene. He’s a young gun for sure – in his late 20’s – a completely self taught winemaker. Meet Collin Cranor of Nottingham Cellars. Two years ago, when I first tasted his Viognier and GSM – Grenache, Syrah Mourvedre blend that is – I was completely blown away. This guy’s a major talent. While he didn’t get the top honor, Best of Show, at the recent San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition [that went to friends and neighboring Livermore winery 3 Steves] Collin’s wines took…
Tasting Wine With Tony Terlato
On a recent sunny Sunday, a small group of sommeliers gathered at the Andaz hotel in Napa Valley to take part in a wine tasting. That’s not unusual; somms have tasting groups and often attend tastings to keep their palates up to date. But this tasting was not organized by just anybody. This invitation was to what he calls the Options tasting, led by Tony Terlato, chairman of Terlato Wines International. The Terlato portfolio runs deep and large across the international wine world. Terlato owns a number of wineries, and has partnerships with others to import wine to the American market. “I don’t like to talk too much because I’m sure all of you have listened to winemakers talk about the wind and the rain and the soil so you really don’t need to hear that from me,” is how Tony kicks off this tasting, a blind tasting of…
The Wine Version Of A Tupperware Party In Your Own Home
I’m sitting in the living room of my friend’s home, where she’s gathered a small group of friends for a wine tasting. Betty Kaufman is pouring a sparkling wine. While my friend is the host for the evening, Betty is our wine guide and will be taking us through five wines, all paired with a small bite. But she’s not a sommelier and doesn’t work for a winery. Betty is an Independent Consultant for WineShop At Home, a company with a mission to take the intimidation out of learning about wine and the wine buying experience by holding a casual tasting in the comfort of people’s homes. Think of it as a Tupperware party for wine. Yes there is a sales pitch, but it’s a soft sell. You get to try before you buy. No one is judging your knowledge about wine or what you’re tasting in the glass. It’s all about…
DRINK – Get out of the tasting room for a killer view
It’s not enough for a winery to have a tasting room these days. They’ve got to offer an “experience” and make it unique. The folks at Kunde Family Estate understand this. The winery is a 100% estate winery, on 1850 acres, with 700 acres of it planted to vines. It’s a beautiful property. If you saw Bottleshock, much of the movie was filmed at Kunde. The boxing ring is still there. Sure, Kunde has a tasting room, and you can stand at the bar, or sign up for a seated reserve tasting. But the best way to experience Kunde is to get out of the tasting room for one of the best views of Sonoma wine country. Fourth generation family winegrower Jeff Kunde’s always thinking of what’s next. I met up with him at the winery to see his latest project, the Mountain Top Tasting. It was Jeff’s idea to…
DRINK – Beyond the Tasting Bar
Last week I was at two wineries who have taken the wine tasting experience outside. What a great alternative to the crowded, standing room only, traditional winery tasting bars. Frog’s Leap Winery in Rutherford is one of the most beautiful places in Napa Valley. They are organic and sustainable, and the ground around the winery features a working garden and hen house (they sell to local restaurants) and pond. The red barn is a wine country icon. The seated tastings are something fairly new for Frog’s Leap, so if you haven’t been in a few years, be sure to check it out next time you’re in Napa. The tasting is four wines, and you sit outside on the big veranda of the Vineyard House, with a terrific view. Reservations not necessary, but in the summer you might want to make one. Cost is $15 per person. Of course you can…