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Most reviews by James Knight. Note: Those listings marked ‘WC’ denote wineries with caves. These wineries are usually only open to the public by appointment. Wineries in these listings appear on a rotating basis.
S O N OM A CO U N T Y Cotati Corner Fine Wines What a funky college town like Cotati needs in a wine shop is friendly, unpretentious, with a small but unique selection of under $20 wines. And that they have. Thursday tastings. 1818 La Plaza, Ste. 106, Cotati. Open Tuesday–Saturda; tastings, Thursday–Friday, 5–8pm. 707.793.9357.
Envolve Winery One of these days, you’ll forget about the show that made a celebrity of out cofounder Ben Flajnik and just enjoy his broadly appealing Epilogue wines and zippy Envolve Sauvignon Blanc. Wait, who? Girls scream over the rosé. 27 East Napa St., Ste. A, Sonoma. Daily, 11am–6pm. Tasting fee, $5–$15. 707.939.5385.
Hawley Winery Barrelfermented Viognier, kiwistyle Sauvignon Blanc, plus toothsome reds. Winemaker John Hawley helped to grow some of the big-name brands; now his sons have joined him in this small, Dry Creek Valley family business. 36 North St., Healdsburg. Open daily, 11am– 6pm; $5 fee. 707.473.9500. Lambert Bridge Winery On gloomy afternoons, a string of lights and a curl of smoke from the stone chimney make this Dry Creek landmark all the more inviting. Chandelierilluminated redwood cellar is a warm setting to sample meticulously crafted Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Zin and claret. 4085 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg. Open 10:30am–4:30pm. Tasting fee $10. 707.431.9600.
Topel Winery Hailing from Hopland, Topel offers estategrown Meritage and other wines in this well-appointed tasting room with casement windows open to the street, across from Oakville Grocery. Cedar, chicory, chocolate and brown spice–makes
one hungry for a portobellomushroom-on-focaccia sandwich. 125 Matheson St., Hopland. Open daily, 11am– 7pm. Tasting fees, $5–$12. 707.433.4116.
Vinoteca Vinify Wine Services is like a Russian doll of wineries within wineries making brands for still more clients. It’s in a generic industrial-park location, but with unique, single-vineyard wines from Frostwatch, Baker Lane, Bjornstad, Super Sonoman and others. 3358 Coffey Lane, Ste. C, Santa Rosa. Friday– Sunday 11am–5pm. $10 fee. 707.542.3292.
MARIN CO U N TY Bacchus & Venus A trendy place for beginners and tourists. Great place to learn the basics. 769 Bridgeway, Sausalito. Open daily, noon– 7pm. 415.331.2001.
Point Reyes Vineyards The tasting room features many varietals but the main reason to go is for the sparkling wines. Open Saturday–Sunday, 11am–5pm. 12700 Hwy. 1, Point Reyes. 415.663.1011.
N A PA CO U N TY Brown Estate Vineyards (WC) A beautifully restored and converted stone and redwood barn is the winery and tasting room facility at Brown Estate. And the construction of a 6,500-square-foot subterranean wine cave was completed in 2005. Visitors are currently limited to wine club members by appointment only. 3233 Sage Canyon Road, Napa. 707.963.2435.
Far Niente (WC) Far Niente was founded in 1885 by John Benson, a ’49er of the California Gold Rush and uncle of the famous American
impressionist painter Winslow Homer. The estate boasts beautiful gardens as well as the first modern-built wine caves in North America. 1350 Acacia Drive, Napa. By appointment. 707.944.2861.
Peju Province Vineyards Talented staff, terrific food pairings and fantastic Cab. 8466 St. Helena Hwy., Rutherford. Open daily, 10am–6pm. 707.963.3600.
Quixote There is a sense of dignity to the colorful little castle that grows out of the landscape beneath the Stag’s Leap palisades, commensurate with the architect’s humanistic aspirations. 6126 Silverado Trail, Napa. By appointment. 707.944.2659. Robert Sinskey Vineyards In the lofty, barnlike hall–as elegant as a theater, as solid as a ski lodge–visitors can take in the tank room action; at least, the gleaming stainless steel, framed by wood and stonework and brewpub-style chalkboard menus imbues the space with a sense of energetic immediacy. “Gluttonous Flight” pairs savory munchables prepared in the gourmet demonstration kitchen with biodynamically farmed Careros Pinot Noir and Bordeaux varietals. Not to worry: there’s no flight for ascetics offered, so go for it. 6320 Silverado Trail, Napa. Open 10am–4:30pm daily. 707.944.9090.
Round Pond Estate Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc served tableside on the terrace with scrumptious food pairings. Who can’t imagine cozying up next to the big gas-burning hearth, watching the sun set and savoring that Rutherford dusk? 875 Rutherford Road, Rutherford. Tastings by appointment daily, 11am to 4pm. $25. 888.302.2575.
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars (WC) Their three estate-grown Cabs are among the most highly regarded in the world. 5766 Silverado Trail, Napa. By appointment. 707.944.2020.
Rincon Valley Wine & Craft Beer Try before you buy beer from around the world BY JAMES KNIGHT
A
mazing that Rincon Valley Cyclery managed to make it in this almost secret spot, tucked away behind a Chevron off Highway 12, for some 20 years. Almost every day since Michael Scalet and Renee Reynolds opened Rincon Valley Wine & Craft Beer in July 2013, someone wanders by, asking hey, where did the bike shop go? And then they say, hey, beer! What would move this soft-spoken pair, who don’t strike one as prototypes of the booze biz, to quit 20-year careers in healthcare and open a small wine and beer shop in wine and beer country, where markets overflow with an abundance of both? “We hit the point where we weren’t happy doing what we’re doing,” says Reynolds. So they asked, “What now?” Scalet, who had lived in the area previously, thought that there was an underserved market in Santa Rosa, despite even places like Whole Foods having a beer tasting tap room. He was right. “Even the beer buyer from Whole Foods comes here,” says Reynolds. On cue, a young couple peek in the door and politely ask if they’re really open. Turns out people can’t get enough craft beer. And brewers can’t make enough. It takes a lot of work, Scalet explains, to track down craft brewers and get highly allocated releases on their shelves. Sometimes it’s just one or two cases, and that’s it. Reynolds and Scalet are assisted by one employee, a beer fan who sought them out—although at first, they were skeptical: “No one can know that much about beer.” The Clown Shoes Mexican chocolate stout that I purchased the other week is certainly gone now. But flights of four beers may be sampled at the tasting bar, generous four-ounce pours each. What’s going on in beer today, it might be asked, that I can’t necessarily find at my local supermarket? Maybe this Belgian-style Gueuze, made by a four-year-process of refermentation. Here’s a Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad ($15.99) and Far West Vlaming ($21.49), a West Flanders–style red ale from Oregon’s Logsdon Farmhouse. Categories may soon be antiquated, says Scalet, as there are Danish brewers now making California-style imperial ales in Belgium. And what to make of To Øl’s “Fuck Art Let’s Dance” ($21.99)? There’s also a fun selection of wine. Hopland’s Rack & Riddle Brut (21.99), for instance, and 2012 Pessó Garnacha ($10.99) from Spain. Often a couple will stop in, one wanting wine, the other beer: they both find happiness. “A huge part of our customers are people who work for wineries,” says Scalet, “especially during harvest. We sold a lot of beer during harvest.” Rincon Valley Wine & Craft Beer, 4927 Sonoma Hwy., Santa Rosa. 707.595.5516.
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Wineries