Monthly Archives: August 2014

Harvest 2014: We Interviewed Growers About This Year’s Vintage

August 29th, 2014

August 12th at Dry Creek Vineyard

Harvest 2014: We Interviewed Growers About This Year’s Vintage

As summer comes to a close, many Dry Creek Valley wineries are in the midst of harvest season, this time even earlier than last year. We wanted a sense of what it’s like out in the vineyards for this year’s #SCHarvest14, so we contacted several wineries to get a progress report. Several of our WDCV wineries took a few moments out of their hectic harvest schedules to share their unique perspectives with us. Among the many tidbits shared, they let us know where they’re at in the harvest, what challenges they’ve been facing, and their expectations for the wines to come. We’re grateful to Lana Mounts of Mounts Winery, Bill Frick at Frick Winery, Katarina Bonde at West Wines, Andrew Fegelman from Quivira Vineyards and Winery , David Coffaro of David Coffaro Vineyard and Winery, Nick Briggs at Dutcher Crossing Winery and Bill Smart at Dry Creek Vineyard, for answering our questions.

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Dry Creek Valley Culinary Cooperative

August 22nd, 2014

Dry Creek Valley Culinary Cooperative

Wine and food pairing in Dry Creek Valley just got a whole lot easier.

Picture this. You’re in a Dry Creek Valley tasting room and you’ve just purchased a bottle of Old Vine Zinfandel that you tried in a tasting pour. And it was simply phenomenal. Sublime. The best wine you’ve tasted in a long day of tasting.

And while you’re making mental notes that some perceptive angel should do heaven a solid and make sure its stocked with every last bottle of this incredible wine, your staff host, maybe even the winemaker, casually mentions that your Old Vine Zinfandel would pair well with a grilled flank steak or possibly braised lamb shanks like Miles Davis and a trumpet. Miles Davis playing ‘Kind Of Blue‘. Now that’s one powerful recommendation.

Naturally, you feel good about splurging a little. You look at the time and realize it’s getting close to dinner; you’ve made a reservation for one of Healdsburg’s amazing restaurants, fully prepared for it to be one of the best meals you’ve had in awhile, and you don’t want to be late. Time to head back to your hotel room, maybe change into some evening wear, tick tock, tick tock…

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Best End Of Summer Wines List From Dry Creek Valley

August 14th, 2014

Best End Of Summer Wines List From Dry Creek Valley

As the sun sets on summer and we gradually transition into the harvest season and the cooler temps of Fall, it’s time to start moving away from light sipping whites and rosés and towards the richer, rounder white wines; wines that will pair better with the rich and heartier food cooler temperatures naturally bring to the table. To that end, we’ve compiled a “Best End Of Summer Wines List From Dry Creek Valley” to highlight selections ideally-suited to this seasonal transition and maybe just a little overlooked when it comes to the more conventional tastes out there.

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Dry Creek Valley Winery Spotlight: Simoncini Vineyards

August 14th, 2014

Dry Creek Valley Winery Spotlight: Simoncini Vineyards

Simoncini Vineyards is a small, family-owned, destination winery built solely by local artisans with vision, passion and attention to detail. At Simoncini, handcrafted wine is celebrated, along with the beauty and uniqueness of surrounding Dry Creek Valley. It’s also a place to connect with winemakers and fellow wine lovers and unplug from the hectic outside world of busy schedules, chiming smartphones and exploding inboxes. Here is where the intimacy, warm hospitality and artisanal personality that is Sonoma County winemaking comes to life.

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