What is organic wine?
Organic wine covers the two main parts of producing wine. First, in the vineyard, it means the grapes were grown using certified organic farming practices. The key part of this is no chemical fertilizers, fungicides, etc. Organic compounds are allowed. Second, during the making of the wine certain things can be done or added to the wine for fermentation, quality, and preservation. This means things like yeast (to ferment) or egg whites (used in fining/clarifying).
So you're in the area for some wine, maybe even some beer, and want to do a couple of other activities. Here are some great things to do in Santa Rosa, the central hub of Sonoma County.
What does the current grape growing season for the Napa/Sonoma area look like so far? As of the first day of autumn, the harvest is well underway, as it started the first week of August. That's a bit early compared to other recent years, quite early when compared to a couple of decades age.
Two things are always on the minds of those in the wine business -- the ongoing drought and wildfires.
The 2020 wines are hitting the shelves. This is a look at the grape crop from that harvest for the North Coast. This includes Napa and Sonoma counties. It was a year affected by fires and to a lesser extent by the pandemic.
One way to have some control over your health is by checking the ingredients in consumables. How much fat, sodium, sugar, etc. is in the product? Wine, and other alcoholic beverages, rarely do that. Why?
Many wineries offer tours of their production facility and/or vineyards. Here are a few of the best ones. Almost always an advance reservation will be required and there will be an extra charge. Pets and small children are often not allowed. Check the winery's website for info and reservations.
A survey of 32,000 people in 22 countries shows that, on average, Australians got drunk 27 times in 2020. Okay, 2020 was a hellacious year. Still, when you're number one, you're still on top -- or is that the bottom? Overall, the average was about 14-1/2 times during the year, or a bit more than once a month.
If you've been anywhere around Napa, Sonoma, or probably a lot of other wine regions, you've seen the inflation in wine tasting fees.
Sonoma County had a 44% increase post-pandemic. Per the 2022 Sonoma Wine Tasting Report, the average is now $37 with about a third of wineries in the semi-reasonable $25-30 range. Doesn't seem that long ago where $10-15 was the norm. In their defense, most tastings went from walking in and finding a spot to stand at the bar to reserved seated tastings. So some increase was warranted.
Every year the local paper, the Press Democrat, sponsors a best of Sonoma County businesses determined by readers' votes. This may not be a hundred percent accurate, in that some businesses take this more seriously and actively encourage votes; maybe even going with the vote early and often routine. Anyway, it's still a pretty good barometer on what the locals like. I'll hit the highlights, plus skip the best dentist and such to stay with things a visitor might be interested in. A link to the full list is at the bottom of the page.
Here we are in the 21st century with computers in our hands connecting us to the world, and we have pictures of galaxies from billions of years ago, but we're still trying to pull corks from wine bottles without breaking them. The wine industry is stuck in the past.
David Stare and the Sangiacomo family are marking anniversaries this week.
On August 24, 1972 (50 years ago) David Stare received his permits to build the first winery in Dry Creek Valley since Prohibition, Dry Creek Vineyards. He led the movement to make Dry Creek Valley an official appellation in '83. David planted the first Sauvignon Blanc in Dry Creek, an area known for Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and prune orchards. He was the first to label a wine as old vine. He's been making Chenin Blanc, a rare wine in California, for all 50 years. The winery is now run by his daughter.
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| David Stare, daughter Kim, and her husband Don Wallace five years ago at their 45th anniversary celebration |
On August 30, 1927 (95 years ago) Vittorio Sangiacomo signed the deed to a 55 acre ranch in southern Sonoma County, in what is now called the Carneros region. This ranch had been in operation since the mid-19th century, growing several varieties of fruit trees. In 1969 they planted their first vineyard. The family now owns 1,600 acres in the Carneros, Petaluma Gap, and Sonoma Coast appellations. A few years ago they started up their own namesake winery. The third generation now runs the operations.
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| 2009 |
On a less joyful note, Joe Rochioli Jr. passed this week at 88 years. He grew up on the family farm in the Russian River Valley, leaving only to attend college and serve in the army.
His father, Joe Sr., planted Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon in 1959. The Cab was later pulled out as it didn't do well in the cool Russian River microclimate. Joe Sr. passed in 1966.
Joe Jr. planted his first Pinot Noir in '68. The Rochioli family is credited with putting Russian River Valley on the map for Pinot Noir. They also grow Chardonnay and Syrah.
The family released their own Rochioli Winery estate Pinot Noir in '87 (an '85 vintage). Any Pinot from the Rochioli's vineyards, whether it's from Rochioli, Williams Selyem, Gary Farrell, or someone else, is in high demand and difficult to find. Joe Rochioli Jr.'s son Tom runs the family business, including winemaker for the family's label.
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| Joe Jr and son Tom Rochioli |
There are wineries and restaurants that keep showing up on the wine, food, and travel sites. "You've just got to eat at The Girl & The Fig!" While there's nothing wrong with The Girl & The Fig or any of the other couple dozen places getting all the write-ups, there are many other choices. Some lesser known spots that can be quite good and often less expensive. Some of these aren't so well known to travelers just because they are in locations that don't see as many visitors as towns like Healdsburg and Sonoma.
