Wood on Wine

My continuing wine journey is a lifelong pursuit! In most of my columns I have used the term "journey" figuratively rather than literally. Indeed, my wine journey has mainly been suggestive of my passage from the realm of a wine novice towards the direction of a wine enthusiast much akin to the "rite of passage" from youth to maturity.

There are those special journeys that occur from time to time in which we have the rare opportunity to experience places of interest and special meaning. Consider the truly spiritual people who have a chance in a lifetime to visit Mecca, Jerusalem and other sacred sites that most people only have a chance to dream or read about. So it was with me as I had the opportunity to spend four days in "wine country" in California a few weeks ago.

This was actually my third trip to Napa and Sonoma. Each time I have made the trip I learned something new and also revisited some places with a slightly different mindset. As I write this account of my journey to California, I realize that I am still full of so many sensory thoughts and recollections. I deliberately waited nearly three weeks before trying to capture the essence of my journey in writing hoping that only the most vivid and exhilarating memories would survive the test of time.

Prior to leaving Atlanta, I determined that I would try to maximize my time and avoid trying to do too much. Accordingly I had three goals for this trip: (1) I wanted to visit a winery and vineyard and have a look beyond that which an ordinary visitor gets to do; (2) I wanted to revisit one of my favorite wineries that I always have managed to visit since my first trip in 1989; and, (3) I wanted to do the "wine train" thing in Napa.

Before I talk about these allow me to share some general observations. Northern California is a huge place and I covered 550 miles in 4 days from San Jose to Carmel to Napa to Sonoma to San Jose. One thing that stands out is the dramatically different climate and temperature as one moves from Carmel to Napa and Sonoma. There was a 30 degree drop in temperature within a 30-45 minute drive. I was also visually stimulated by the varying terrains from the mountainous areas to the coastline of Carmel and Monterrey to the valleys and flatlands. Finally, the lifestyle was so dramatically different from that to which I am accustomed in the "big" city of Atlanta. Each place had a clearly distinctive persona and there was a general feeling of being in small villages. At the same time, there was the opulence and luxurious feel of Pebble Beach (I didn't get to play the course but just being there was special for me as a golfer).

The highlight of my trip this time was a visit to Frei Ranch Vineyards in Healdsburg in Sonoma County. Frei Vineyards is owned and operated by E & J Gallo. The property is sited in the Dry Creek Valley on a plot 15 acres long and 4 acres wide. It was massive as well as breathtaking to stand atop a crest and look down on the topography that was hilly and sculpted.

"Unpretentious" is the first word that came to mind as we embarked on a guided tour of the Frei Ranch Vineyard. By comparison, many other wineries were intentionally impressive and featured regal like edifices to lure and entice the wine tourist. Frei Vineyards is not mentioned on the tour maps and is not even open to the public for tours and tastings at Dry Creek. However, I had the chance to see their state of the art facility with the most modern technology. One theme seemed to repeat itself as I toured the facility: their goal was to produce the best wine possible.

The tour began with several stops in the vineyards. I was duly impressed by the organizational efficiency here. The vines were neatly arrayed and delineated by name and numbers- different sections for different grapes and varietals ... cabernet, pinot noir, zinfandel. I saw several different approaches to growing the grapes- trellises on which the vines grow were constructed upright, horizontally, split, etc. with the common goal of growing and harvesting the best and most succulent grapes possible given the particular soil, shade and/or sunlight exposure.

On to the processing aspect of winemaking. I visited the plant where the grapes are taken once harvested to be pressed so that the nectar can be extracted. This is the essence of the whole effort. All of the fancy machinery, the impressive efficiency of the vineyards, the beautiful terrain, the breathtaking vistas don't mean a thing IF the wine ain't good! Indeed the the true test is the quality of the wine ... Bottom Line!

We next visited the huge underground cellar which sits beneath a soccer field. Two huge double doors open to admit you into a cavernous room that is cool and you immediately smell the many fragrances and scents of fruit and wine. At the entryway there are four big oak barrels labeled with two different Pinot Noir wines recently produced- one was four months in the barrel; the other was six months in the barrel. I then got the opportunity to use the "thief"- a long cylindrical glass device much like an eye dropper and sucked up the wine from the barrel and delivered it into waiting wine glasses. We tasted each wine and both were somewhat bitter and harsh as they were both so very "young" yet we could taste the hints of fruit and other "hard to define" elements; the colors were also visually appealing. At the urging of our guide, Michelle Mazzanti, we combined the wines and VOILA ... we were winemakers so to speak.

A few interesting sidebars and points of interest: the Gallo facility is the result of three generations of one family whose passion is and has been wine. I have written about Gallo in previous columns and I can tell you that seeing is believing. They make it a point to "touch" each and every vine in the vineyard 6 (that's six) times each year. I also found it intriguing that the "corporate" offices which housed the corporate honchos were actually trailers. No mansion high atop a hill for Gallo. It was quite clear that their sole focus and emphasis was on the vines and the plant.

Many thanks to Carmen Castorina, Michelle Mazzanti, and the Gallo family for affording me the opportunity to have and enjoy this truly special visual and sensory experience. It was a half day well spent!

I also made certain that I had a chance to visit another special winery. Prager Winery and Port Works is located in St. Helena CA in Napa County. One must be ever vigilant to find the turn off onto the dusty small road to get there. I first stumbled onto Prager Winery in 1989 and was delighted to discover that this was a "diamond in the rough" kind of place. Like the Gallo operation, it is family owned and operated.

Again, the first impression I got was "unpretentious". In 1989 I knew little, if anything, about Port wine- especially California Port. I returned for my second visit in the summer of 1999 and wisely bought a mixed case of their ports then. They have long since been drunk and enjoyed. Yet, the memory lived on and within me. So, I made my third visit this year ... nothing had changed. The place is like a living museum. I was happy to see the Prager "web site" still in place: a window full of spider WEBS and old bottles (their real web site is http://www.pragerport.com. I loved it! I bought another case this trip: 2000 Chardonnay (quite good); "Sweet Claire - 2001 Late Harvest Riesling; 1999 Aria White Port; Noble Companion Tawny Port; and, the 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon. The Chardonnay was clearly worth buying (especially since we tasted a heck of a lot of Chards during the trip). I have not opened any of the other bottles yet and plan to save and savor them.

Suffice it say that this was something I looked forward to doing and I am so glad I made it back to Prager. God willing, I will get there again - soon.

Finally, the Wine Train. I had never taken this trip and I did enjoy it. The dinner was good and the wine choices were equally noteworthy. Make no mistake though, this was a tourist thing. It was a three-hour train ride from downtown Napa along the main drag and back. The scenery was pleasant and the people with whom I rode all enjoyed the experience. I can now say that I have completed this leg of my wine journey as well.

Wine is definitely a business in northern California. The tasting rooms I visited were pleasant oases. The people were knowledgeable and customer friendly. The restaurants in which I ate all featured delightful wine lists. Wine does drive this local economy. Yet, wine is also a passion for so many folks there and it was this aspect of the journey that I found most enjoyable and infectious. Be it the massive and highly technological Gallo/Frei operation or the small, humble yet proud Prager family winery, the passion for wine exudes and permeates the air. I am happy to say that I fit right in as my passion for wine was truly enhanced and magnified as a result of my trip.

Until the next time, "to your health"!

June 15, 2003

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