…Craig from Sojourn repeated the question: “…what are your guys’ plans for the rest of the day?” (he didn’t really repeat it, but since I’m continuing from yesterday’s blog post, I thought it would be good to repeat the question for storytelling purposes. I’m taking creative license).

“Why do you ask, Craig?” I inquired. He quickly replied: “You guys have got to go up to Audelssa and meet Erich… But you’ll never make it in that thing. Grab your cameras and jump into my SUV…” And we were off. The WineExpedition team of 3 (myself included) jumped into the truck with Craig and Ziggy and started up the steep, mountain road above Glen Ellen. (By the way, he was right. The RV would have never made it…).

1800 feet above sea level later, we arrived at the Audelssa Winery. We were basically sitting on the Sonoma slope of the Mayacamas Mountains, on the backside of Mount Veeder. We walked 20 paces from the truck and looked down upon the terraced vineyards, on past oodles of rolling hills into the cloudy skies above the San Francisco bay. We met Erich Bradley, the winemaker for both Audelssa and Sojourn who quickly turned our attention to a Golden Eagle flying overhead (if I had a nickel for every time I’ve seen a Golden Eagle… I’d have a nickel).

Erich gave us a tour of the vines (we had to avoid the rocks on the edge of the vineyards as that’s where the rattlesnakes live). He pointed out the different soil types that comprised each corner of the vineyard, and how that affected the flavors in the wine. As I studied the STEEP terraces, I imagined that harvest time must be a real treat. I was also working up quite a thirst, and I expressed to Erich my desire to taste the soils’ influence on the wine. He pointed to a house up above us and said… “We can go taste on the deck up there”. Thankfully, we took his truck.

I thought the view couldn’t get any better… but it did. We sat up on that deck and looked down on the world below. Incredible. I was curious to taste the wine… I love Erich’s pinots at Sojourn, but the wines here at Audelssa were much more about Bordeaux… A classic blend as well as an estate Cab were on the menu.

My reactions are well-doccumented in the forthcoming webisodes, but both of these wines were INSANE. The 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was bursting with beautiful fruit and tannins o’ plenty. The 2006 Summit Bordeaux blend was, in a word: elegant. Again, it all started with beautiful fruit, but there was lot’s going on in my mouth as I sipped the wine and looked down from my perch 1800 feet above sea level.

We shook Erich’s hand and prepared to head back down the hill… and ultimately back down the 5 freeway. Back home, and back to reality… for now

If you’ve been following the blog, you know that we’re big fans of the Sojourn. So when we figured out we would be in Sonoma on Sunday, one of the first calls I made was to Craig Haserot, partner at Sojourn, to make an appointment. I couldn’t wait…

We were greeted at 10Am sharp by Craig and his sidekick Ziggy, a Fox-Red Labrador who can smell a corked wine a mile away. No, really. This dog is trained to sniff TCA, the chemical that causes corked wines. You can read all about Ziggy here at Food&Wine.com.

Aside from being a merchant of primo Pinot, Craig is a Dodger fan, so we talked a bit of baseball as he gave us a tour. The tasting salon is a well-kept cottage right off of the Sonoma town square. Compete with leather couches, a large table and chairs and Riedel stemware, anyone can make an appointment for a personal tasting, FREE OF CHARGE!

Craig sat us down and poured the current lineup of Sojourn Pinots.. The 2007 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, the 2007 Pinot Noir, Sangiacomo Vineyards (you may recall that I enjoyed this one a few weeks ago while get-away-ing with my wife), the 2007 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast and the 2007 Pinot Noir, Windsor Oaks Vineyard. All of these wines are lush, complex, amazing and sexy… straight up. When we post the webisode you’ll hear my specific thoughts, but they really are all amazing, and all different. Winemaker Erich Bradley is all about making wines that have substantial mouthfeel, and it shows.

We also had a taste of their 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Home Ranch Vineyard. A solid cab effort and a nice follow to the four pinots.

As we prepared to leave, Craig asked “…what are your guys’ plans for the rest of the day?” Our answer led us into stop #6, so I’ll blog about that tomorrow. By the way, the Cabernet we tasted is called ‘Home Ranch’ because the grapes are grown behind Craig’s house in Sonoma County. Note to self: Craig’s life doesn’t suck.

The Executive in front of the Sojourn tasting salon.

We had some time to kill in Napa, and one of our favorite Napa wineries has always been St. Supéry. So we decided to stop and taste…

It’s a beautiful property, with the old Victorian home on your right as you walk to the tasting room. My very first Napa tasting trip started with a visit at St. Supéry. I’ll never forget it; in addition to it being the beginning of my career in wine-drinking, it was the first time I had a good Sauvignon Blanc, and I just remember how I walked away with the intense flavors of grapefruit in my mouth. I was a permanent Sauvignon Blanc fan after that and also a permanent St. Supéry fan.

Like that first tasting trip, this last Saturday was a warm day in the Napa valley and after the drive back up to Rutherford, we were ready for a cool tasting room. We weren’t there to shoot a webisode… just to have some of their fantastic wine.

Jeff, myself and WE team member Adrian descended on the tasting bar in our WineExpedition T-shirts, looking rather snazzy if I do say so myself. We were thirsty and feeling a bit rowdy, but we were no match for Laurie at the tasting room bar, and she quickly filled our glasses and kept us in check.

There are so many good wines at St. Supéry;  their Cabernet is great as is their red blend  Élu and their white blend Virtú.  Jeff is a big fan of their Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

I was warm, so I kinda hung with the white wines.  One of my favorite Sauvignon Blanc’s on the planet is St. Supéry’s exclusive Dollarhide Ranch Sauvignon Blanc.   As always, it did not disappoint:  aromas of grapefruit and apricots were followed by a mouthful of grapefruit with a nice mineral undertone.  A zesty yet refined Sauv Blanc.

I also had a taste of the Semillon.  This is a trippy wine… It’s thick on your tongue.. creamy and textured; the nose is peachy and the palate is chewy/creamy/citrusy.  A lot going on and I enjoyed it…

They say their Moscato ‘…is like summer in a glass…’ and I have to agree with that statement.  The nose has notes of peaches and apricots, and as soon as it hit my mouth I was hit with flavors of apricots and a tad of orange peel. It’s sweet, but at the same time it’s light and refreshing.  I brought a bottle home- I think my wife might like this one.  A great wine for a hot day.

After all the light/white/foofy wines, I had to have one red before we left.  The obvious choice was the Dollarhide Cabernet Sauvignon.    This is a big, bad cab.  Hearty aromas of dark berries and plums with hints of oak lead into a mouthful of blackberries and currants with layers of oak, chocolate and coffee.  It’s a mouthful and it finishes with some good tannins.  This one’s a keeper for sure, and it was a good way to finish up the tasting.

We waved goodbye to Laurie and hit the road; more adventures lay ahead…

After my brief nap (Cabernet at 9:30 AM will do that to you), I came to, and we grabbed some much needed breakfast and coffee. We then proceeded down to the Southern end of the Silverado Trail, taking in the scenery along the way. I was looking forward to meeting up with our friend Kevin Murphy.

Kevin is the son in the father son team at Murphy Vineyards. His father, Peter, is a seasoned vineyard man, with 30 years of farming and vineyard management experience. His passion for wine is apparently in his blood, as Kevin has followed in his dad’s footsteps, and certainly knows his way between the vines.

In addition to putting out a small line of hand-crafted wines, this father/son team pictured above continues to run a successful vineyard management business. Driving through the Napa valley, one quickly realizes that there are A LOT of individual vineyards and properties- and of course someone has to take care of them. The Murphy’s apparently take care of quite a few of them, and when I called up Kevin to tell him that I was in town, he suggested we meet in one such vineyard, where he was tending to the vines.  We turned off of Silverado Trail and carefully navigated the Wine Expedition RV onto the property.

Kevin greeted us amongst the Merlot, and he and I took a walk (I probably shouldn’t have been wearing sandals), and he showed us some of the vineyard work that he and his crew were doing. Training the vines to grow upward and ridding them of unwanted leaves and stems seemed to be the task of the day. Then we got to the end of the row where a bottle of wine was waiting for us…

Murphy Vineyards is known for their Napa Valley Cabernet, but they also have been putting together some nice wines from the Sierra Foothills, including a Cab Franc, a Syrah and a Bordeaux-Rhone blend. And their latest offering, which I sampled right there in the vines, is a Meritage that contains Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa and Cabernet Franc from the Sierra Foothills. It had a nice robust nose, and intense, bright cherry fruit flavors on the palate. The blend favors the Cab Franc, and I think that’s where the intense fruit comes from. And I have to say, there’s something very cool about sipping a glass of wine as you stroll through the vines- it’s kinda like eating a shrimp cocktail on the edge of a pier overlooking the ocean.

In this case, there were no waves crashing below us- just fertile, brown soil between my toes and my sandals and the warm sun shining down on us. I shook Kevin’s hand and let him get back to work. We guided the WE-mobile back on the highway and drove back up into Napa, looking for our next stop…

Waking up early in Napa has its benefits. The fog is slowly burning off in the vineyards, songbirds are everywhere and everything is green and back-lit by the sun. It’s pretty rad.

What’s even ‘radder’ is having a 9AM appointment to meet the winemaker at Quintessa. There wasn’t even time for coffee or breakfast as we pointed the Wine Expedition RV south from Calistoga.

Wine maker Charles Thomas met us at the winery and politely suggested we park the RV and get into his SUV. That’s because the road to the highest point on the property is not RV friendly. After a 10 minute drive we arrived and walked out onto a deck underneath an old, stoic oak tree. I thanked Charles for his suggestion (the RV would have NEVER made it) and then I shifted my gaze beyond him and looked upon the Quintessa property below us. What I saw took my breath away. The view is SPECTACULAR, and I had some thought about being the closest I’d ever been to heaven or to my creator, but I couldn’t even get words out to summarize my feelings. The 280 acres (170 are planted) are spread out over the hills and valleys of this incredible piece of land off Napa’s famed Silverado Trail. According to Quintessa’s website: “The estate includes a valley, a lake, a river; five hills, four microclimates, and many soil types, as well as rich flora and fauna,” and I can vouch for the accuracy of that statement… I saw it all with my own two eyes.

As the WEBISODES are coming soon, I won’t go into too much more detail. As far as the wines, I mean… what can I say; it’s Quintessa for crying out loud. We had a chance to taste two vintages side by side and note the nuances that change from year to year. These classic Bordeaux style blends are elegant beyond belief, from nose to finish. Above all, the wines showcase the superb fruit grown on this property. I shook the hand of the man who made the wines and thanked him for the best breakfast I’ve had my entire life.

Charles then took us back down the hill to the tasting room. He wanted us to taste another wine made on the property: Faust. Faust is less expensive than Quintessa, but it’s not meant to be a ’second’ label. Rather, it’s a wine that uses some of the fruit on the property that doesn’t fit the flavor profile of Quintessa. While Quintessa is reminiscent of Bordeaux, Faust is much more a classic Napa wine; as their website says: “Bold and powerful, yet elegant and concentrated.” I can confirm the accuracy of that statement too… I tasted the wines with my own mouth. Again, we compared two vintages side by side, and again I was drinking some amazing wine. But the adventure wasn’t over yet…

Charles had one more bottle he wanted to open for us (and I wasn’t going to say no). It was truly a surprise- I had no idea that Quintessa made a white wine, yet there it was in front of me… a bottle of Illumination.  If the Quintessa and the Faust were the main courses of my meal, the Illumination was dessert.  A crisp, refreshing Sauvignon Blanc with some Semillon added for texture and a unique clone of Sauvignon Blanc called Sauvignon Musque added for an added floral quality and a flavor of orange zest.  This was a tasty treat indeed.

On that note, Charles sent us on our way.  Jeff drove the RV and I took a nap.  It wasn’t even 10:30 AM yet…

Once our meetings were over, we grabbed a bite and Jeff deftly guided the WineExpedition RV thru Friday evening traffic in the bay area. It may have made more sense to stay in the city until traffic died down, but we had an appointment in the Napa Valley…

…and we weren’t gonna be late. Our friend Keith at Bennett Lane Winery had cleared his Friday night for us, and we were looking forward to seeing him.

So as the sun set on the Napa Valley (and let me tell you, the sunset is a thing to behold when you’re amongst the grapevines), the WineExpedition RV glided through Oakville, St. Helena and beyond with Calistoga as our final destination.

The last bit of gray in the sky was fading as we pulled into the winery. Keith greeted us with a handshake and gave us a tour of the facility.

Although the vineyard was dark, the barrel room was well-lit, cold and filled with barrells o’ wine. The tasting room was also well-lit, but much warmer and filled with bottles o’ wine! We were parched from our journey and ready for a taste.

I won’t give you all the details of the tasting (the WEBISODES will be up soon), I will say that the wines were fantastic, and I’ll give you a couple of highlights.

The flagship wine at Bennett Lane is their MAXIMUS red blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah). It’ always gotten accolades: the 2002 Maximus was named the Top Value Napa Valley Cabernet for the 2002 vintage by Wine Spectator’s James Laube and the 2003 Maximus scored a 90 Point rating from the Wine Spectator. The 2005 (which we tasted), was also awarded 90 Points by Wine Spectator and was named an “Outstanding Value”.

The wine is a beauty; a nose of dark cherries and plums with hints of chocolate. On the palate, blueberries join the fray and the tannins make it hang around your mouth for a beat before it’s time for a another taste. A good wine to drink with steak… or a good wine to drink after an RV ride from San Fransisco to Calistoga.

Keith also poured us a taste of their 2007 White Feasting Wine which is best described as Sauvignon Blanc with a KICK (it has some Chardonnay, but gets the kick from the 2% muscat that they slip in). It’s got orange on the nose (that’s the kick) and once it hit my mouth that orange was whirling around in the background while I got lots of creamy citrus and pears with a nice little mineral thing happening for good measure. A tangy treat for sure. This one scored a 90 in the Spectator too.

After our tasting, Keith had to hit the road, and it was time for the WE crew to hit the hay in preparation for our Saturday in Napa. Check in tomorrow for details on Stop #3 and keep your eye out for the Bennett Lane webisode coming soon…

Once again, WineExpedition host Tim Ering visits with Tom Clark at Clark Claudon Vineyards. Check it out!

Okay, it’s no secret that I love wine, and I like doggies too, so here’s another one to file in the  wine/pets file…

Mutt Lynch Winery is a winery that makes wines ‘Tail waggin’ wines by and for the dog lover’, where they ‘dream of a leash-free world’.

I stumbled across their site recently and was compelled to blog about them.  As I dug further, I realized that one of the principals in the winery, Brenda Lynch, is the sister of Tim Hardin, the winemaker at Stryker Sonoma.  Tim and the folks at Styrker are definitely friends of the WineExpedition family, as we shot our first webisodes at their wonderful Dry Creek Valley winery and tasting room.  Mutt Lynch purchases merlot grapes from Stryker to make their own merlot,  ‘Merlot Over and Play Dead’.

Some of the other wines found at Mutt Lynch include the ‘Unleashed Chardonnay’, the ‘Canis Major’ series which includes a Syrah, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, and their ‘Portrait of a Mutt Zinfandel’, so named because it’s not a pure-bred zinfandel, it also includes some carignane, and as the label says, “Just because I’m not pedigreed doesn’t mean I’m not a good dog!”

Dog/Wine lovers also have the option of ordering a case of the ‘Leader of the Pack Custom Label Wine’, which promises a “Gold Medal winning wine”, with a picture of the purchasers own dog on the label; (I can imagine a couple of good friends of mine who are obsessed with their poodles jumping all over this one).

The folks at Mutt Lynch put their money where their muzzle is (sorry, trying to interject my own dog puns where I can), as they support many dog and animal related charities and causes.

Their tasting room is available by appointment only; check out their site for more info.

…I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I go to get the mail, I find that I’ve become a subscriber to a magazine that I have recollection of actually signing up for…  Yesterday was one of those days, as a copy of Outside’s GO magazine was on my doorstep.  As I thumbed through it, I happened upon a great wine article that I thought I’d share…

As I’ve mentioned in the blog  that I’m aware of the fact that there are wineries in all 50 states of the union, but I’m always surprised when I find out about one in a state like- Colorado.  And that’s what I read about in the pages of my new magazine, where they list “producing an exquisite petit verdot” as #362 on thier ‘life-list of goals.’ Colorado winemaker John Sutcliffe can scratch that off of his list.

Sutcliffe, a British import, planted vines at what would become Sutcliffe Vineyards 13 years ago, after his architect suggested that vines would look nice.  He settled down in Colorado after stints in New York managing a couple of little restaurants like Maxwell’s Plum and Tavern on the Green.

Perusing the winery’s website, one can’t help but notice the beautiful Colorado vistas that serve as a backdrop to the vineyards.  I’m sure the wine-making process is not drastically different from what happens in Napa or Sonoma, though I found it amusing that violent hailstorms sometimes force the winery crew to “…bring everything inside and shut the doors.”

In terms of the quality of the wine, I haven’t tasted any of the varietals produced there, which include Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Cabernet, Syrah and Petit Verdot, but it’s worth mentioning that top restaurants like Nobu’s Matsuhisa Aspen are pouring them.

You can read the article here at OutsideGO’s website.

Well okay, maybe not the city of Los Angeles, but Los Angeles County… Specifically, the northern inland part of Los Angeles County: Agua Dulce, Acton, Antelope Valley, Tehachapi and Leona Valley. 

In fact, several small wineries call LA county home, including the Leona Valley Winery.

This family-owned winery produces award winning cult wines and their vineyards are planted with syrah, chardonnay, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, malbec and petite verdot grapes.  As of November 28th, the Leona Valley area is a designated AVA.  Read the full article here at the Ventura County Star.

I have to say I’m intrigued.  As an LA native, I had no idea there were vineyards so close.  So convenient it could be dangerous…  I have a feeling I’ll be making an excuse to put LEONA VALLEY into my GPS sooner than later…