Peju Province has an impressive reputation for quality wines. Theirs was a winery I was looking forward to visiting and my visit was far from a disappointment. They have received much in the way of accolades for their product and the visit itself was great fun; but it didn’t start out that way…
When I initially arrived at Peju, I was obviously taken with the landscaping and architecture. The grounds are meticulously kept and one cannot help but be drawn to the tower as a building which benchmarks the property. I was drawn to the number of stunning flowers that grace the entrance way and only discovered later that Anthony Peju was in the nursery business before he was in the wine business. The flowers, however, are only a small part of the grand visual scheme..
The gardens are also the home for a number of sculptures by Welton Ritz. I never cease to be impressed with wineries who incorporate art and the grace of Ritz’s figurative work adds sublimity and intrigue to the space.
When I walked into the tasting area, I admired the vaulted ceilings and light that was brought into an otherwise narrow and crowded space. I was not astonished at the crowd that was gathered at the small tasting bar at the end of the room. I was, however, slightly put off by a music stand being used as a sign-holder. In a Disneyland-like sensibility of crowd control, it politely asked guests to wait there for the next available host. An occasional passing worker would acknowledge our patience by telling us it was only a few minutes more. "How could that be?" I pondered… the folks I could easily see at the bar seemed quite settled in for the duration. I seriously thought about leaving, but am glad I did not.
For just at the point when my patience was wearing thin, I and the line that had formed behind me was beckoned to a side door that I had not seen. Like Charlie walking into the majestic Chocolate Factory for the first time, we were lead into what I now realize was the belly of the tower. Two majestic dark wood tasting bars flank the room centered with a stunning leaded-glass window, bestowing shafts of color on the guests. Now I understood the reason for the wait and felt very sorry for the poor blokes who were relegated to that outside, otherwise cramped tasting bar.
It is more than obvious that the guys pouring Peju wines enjoy themselves (I saw nary a woman working there the day I visited, but there may be some). While my host was perfectly pleasant and informative, I felt as though I were missing out on a great party as the pourer at the station behind us frequently belted out in song and fanfare. This is obviously a destination winery; while 2,000 of their 30,000 cases appear in restaurants, Peju is otherwise not distributed.
2003 Sauvignon Blanc – Pale, clear straw color. Some hints of clean grass aromas. A bright, citrus entry shows some kiwi and mango with a tangy, pleasing finish. $16.00
2004 Carnival – Unusual French Lombard grape which is not often seen in the Na pa Valley. At 1.25% residual sugar, it was a tad more sweet than I normally care for; honey-like citrus aromas show a sweet entry that was not too cloyingly syrupy with more citrus on the mid-palate. $12.50
2004 Provence, California Table Wine – This wine is just plain bizarre and there’s no way around it; a blend of white and red grapes in a way not normally seen: Merlot (red), Cabernet Franc (red), Sarah (red), Colombard (white), and Sauvignon Blanc (white). This actually is a great wine to introduce people to who are moving up from White Zinfandel and want something with a bit more heft to it. There is heightened fruit flavors benefits from being well-chilled. $18.50
2001 Syrah, Napa Valley – Medium weight Syrah with jammy aromas of dark plum and black raspberry. Smooth, buttery sensation on the tongue upon entry. Dry in the mid-palate which ends spicier than anticipated. $32.00
2002 Merlot, Napa Valley – Syrah-like jamminess in the nose with a hint of menthol. Dark berry and chocolate silkiness fills the mouth and blossoms to plump, round flavors. $35.00
2002 Zinfandel, Napa Valley – Surprisingly thin on the nose, mostly cranberry in its redness. Apparently their first attempt at a Zinfandel, so while the base flavors were there, its shows a dry finish and wavering spice qualities. $25.00
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley – 90% Pope Valley and 10% Rutherford. Hints of green bell pepper subside to show warm cherry and cranberry tones. Fruity entry is round and in its display of vanilla and herbs in the mid-palate, dries a bit on the finish, demonstrating a touch of mocha. $38.00
2001 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford – Classic Rutherford dust is seen in this elegant wine. Black cherry and anise appear in the nose and the dark spice continues in the mouth entry, filling out with chocolate and vanilla qualities that shows a long finish and dried herbs. $85.00
Peju ~ 8466 St. Helena Highway ~ Rutherford ~ CA ~ 94573 ~ 800-446-7358
Guinness McFadden of McFadden Farms had a twinkle in his eye when I met him. There was something that his cherubic face and boyish charm exuded as he explained his 35 years as a farmer in Mendocino. What I didn’t realize at the time I met him, was that he grows far more than grapes. 
Grapes are of course the thrust of what we talked about during our brief conversation — he explained that he has been growing and selling his Sauvignon Blanc to Sterling Vineyards and Chardonnay to Navarro for over 35 years and this last year was the first year he decided to make wine himself. The surprise came in providing a link to his site and learning that he is, in fact, also a California Certified Organic Farmer, growing herbs, rice, and garlic on 160 acres. 
Guinness has been bitten with the winemaking bug, now showing two lovely white wines, but indicated to me that by Spring of 2006, will be adding a Pinot Noir and a Zinfandel to his line-up. I was fortunate to taste the wines at the Mendocino Wine Affair, as McFadden Farms is not yet open to the public for tasting. His CCO status means that the grapes for his wine was produced through sustainable farming, which is quite admirable, in my opinion.
