Ultimate California Wine Blog

Nils Venge has quite a reputation in both the Napa valley and in the wine world in general. Besides being a consulting winemaker for Robert Keenan and Plumpjack Winery. Nils was also instrumental in the establishment Saddleback Cellars, but it was with his son, Kirk, that the family name finally ended up on a label of its own, Venge Vineyards. His renown came while working at Groth where he became the first American winemaker to receive an illusive 100 points from noted wine critic Robert Parker for his 1985 Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Venge’s namesake wine is made at what is historically known as the Rossini Ranch. Built by Swiss Italian immigrant Carlo Rossini in 1891, like many other wineries of its age, it suffered the Prohibition shut-down syndrome. It is located on the base of Howell Mountain, several miles back a long and twisty road that one may believe goes no where. Keep going…

Nils and family have completely renovated the building. The top floor is the home of the tasting room. Bright with natural light from vaulted ceilings, it has yet to see an abundance of decorations or knick-knacks. The tasting is not confined to this room, but includes a tour of the entire facilities. The first wine or two is tasted at the bar. From there, guests are led down into the belly of the building.

A table has been set up in the cellar area where most of the red wines are tasted. It is gratifying to see a working winery from the inside and be able to enjoy its bounty. While the tasting is appointment-only, I stumbled in one weekday afternoon and was still granted courteous hospitality and a tasting.

2004 Bianco Spettro – 55% Chardonnay, 38% Sauvignon Blanc, 7% Marsanne. White floral nose that is rich with a hint of sweetness. Smooth mouth entry that has a nice oily sensation. Clean feeling with yellow peach tones. $25.00

2002 Sangiovese – The
first impression faked me out a bit with a Cabernet-like blackberry
nose. A swirl opened it to warm, sweet cinnamon and cherry aromas. Sweet entry expands to display ripe red fruit. There was an underlying minerality which fills out, produces
intense balanced flavors, and culminates in a spicy finish. $30.00.

2003 Scout’s Honor – 70% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Sirah, 15% Charbono. The story behind the name of this wine is a remembrance to Kirk’s beloved yellow lab, Scout. I must admit this is a hard wine to describe because there is so much going on; a core of smoke, layers of sweetness and spice, and effusive brambleberry. $35.00

2001 Merlot – Redolent with valley terroir. Rich with earthy tones, tobacco, leather, and dark berry. The flavors are rich and complex that finishes with some dusty herbal notes. $40.00

2000 Cabernet Sauvignon – Overwhelming nose of green bell pepper, jalapeño, and eucalyptus. Smooth entry that blossoms to show red cherry and a dark black anise. $95.00

Venge Vineyards ~ 424 Crystal Springs Road ~ St. Helena ~ CA ~ 94573 ~ 707-967-1008

As a special surprise birthday present, Doug Wolf bought for his wife, Jane, a *small* house quietly nestled on the edge of the Mayacamas Mountain foothills in St. Helena. Living in San Francisco, this was not going to be a permanent residence, but a weekend getaway that is often inhabited by the family moreso during the summer months. The elegant and stately old house was built in the mid-1800s and happened to be in the middle of roughly 29 acres of vineyard grapes.

This was in 1997 and at the time, the grapes (mostly merlot!) were owned and managed by the Jaeger family. The Wolfs did not buy the estate for the purpose to make wine, but when you have quality acreage in St. Helena, you can either sell off your bounty to other winemakers, or make the wine yourself. Wolf Family Vineyards was born! The merlot was pulled out and replaced with cabernet sauvignon and Karen Culler was hired as the consulting winemaker. She has been responsible for producing Wolf’s namesake wine from the very first vintage.

I was extremely fortunate to have Karen show me around the property on a very warm afternoon. A small building was constructed to produce the wine along with a tiny cave that Karen calls a doll’s cave due to its diminutive size. The cave is so small, it can only hold one vintage’s worth of barrels and on the day of our visit, she had just had the 2004 vintage removed, readying the cave for the incoming 2005 grapes. The production level of Wolf’s wine varies each year, but the cave itself cannot hold more than 1,000 cases and they have never produced much more than that with their three total offerings.

The beauty of the surrounding property is astounding. The reservoir has a spouting fountain which can be admired from a water-front gazebo or the adjacent expansive vistas. Surrounding gardens include the decorative from dahlias and roses, to the pratical tomatoes and strawberries. Entirely envious of the family, it must be emphasized that this is not a winery open to the public — or even by appointment — and I have refrained from showing the gorgeous house to respect their privacy.

I am infinitely grateful to Ms. Culler for taking quality time during harvest to show me around and allow me to taste the wines. There is no website from which to order the wine. If you want it, I would suggest contacting some of the more prestigious wine stores around the United States. A quick glance through Wine-Searcher shows Wolf Family wines available, mostly in California but some also in New York.

2004 Sauvignon Blanc – 40 cases produced. Rich, classic cat piss with layers of grass. Soft, smooth entry that is textured and luxurious expanding to display hay, a bit of lemon, and a creamy meringue finish. No price – unlikely to be purchasable.

2002 Cabernet Franc – 120 cases produced. 85% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. I believe in previous vintages, this wine is occasionally sold as a Meritage. Karen explained that the blend does change every year, depending on the quality of the grapes, but that she tries to keep it CabFranc-heavy. If memory serves, it might have been the ’00 or ’01 vintage that was CabSauv-heavy. This offering is a dark, inky blackish red in color with layers of aromas including dark cherry, herbal, and noted terroir. The taste shows spice and well-balanced minerals with a tease of intense violet. The silky texture entices with a slightly minty finish. Internet searches show this wine between $50 and $65.

2002 Cabernet Sauvignon – 700 cases produced. 100% Cabernet, this wine is dark with earthy currant and blackberry notes. The entry is initially a little sweet and then blossoms to a rich middle palate of dark spice, developed oak and black fruit, and a finish showing depth and elegance. $60

Wolf Family Vineyards (Office information) ~ 3701 Sacramento Street, #366 ~ San Francisco ~ CA ~ 94118 ~ 707-963-6042

I can thank the guys at Foppiano for directing me towards Christopher Creek. As they are located on a side road near Healdsburg, it is not a main drag of wineries that would normally see tourist traffic. However, some recent Wall Street Journal press provided accolades so that when I arrived, I was surprised to see a bounty of guests already camped in around the tasting bar.

Entrance to the winery is up a dusty dirt road that leads to a cluster of rustic, dark brown wood buildings. One is a home which I can only guess houses the owners of the winery. However, the other building is a large complex which contains the tasting room and the wine-making facilities.

Christopher Creek is known for Rhone varietals and even though Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines were available for tasting, I wanted to jump right into their specialty wines. It was not a mistake — the Syrah and Petite Sirah were excellent examples of the local terroir and showed great deft and skill of the winemaker.

2004 Viognier – No malo and no oak, this wine showed a sweet nose of fresh apricot and a pale hint of spice. The mouth feel is rich with a reflection of the spice expanding to show white flowers and white fruit (peach and pear) in complex layers. $27.00

2002 Dry Creek Zinfandel – Medium body, showing a bouquet of strawberry, dark earth, and a bit of white pepper. A bit of funk of dusty twigs in the initial taste which was a tad on the hot side. On the young side. $26.00

2001 Russian River Zinfandel – Made from 30% Old Vines, this interesting wine contains a field blend of Zinfandel along with some Carignane and Alicante Bouchet. It is a medium-bodied Zin was extremely bright and young. Sweet jammy berry notes toyed in the nose, teasing with red candy apple aromas. Flavors of simple cherry that are easy and smooth. $26.00

2003 Estate Syrah – The nose fills with smoky black fruit; plum and blackberry. Flavors of black licorice and earthy dark fruit dominate. The earthy flavors combine some cocoa and and minerals, making an easy-drinking, medium-bodied Syrah of nice quality. $23.00

2003 Russian River Reserve Syrah – Intense dark spicy nose that continues into the mouth showing rich, rustic flavors of dusty floral and smooth, complex black fruit. $30.00

2003 Russian River Estate Petite Sirah – Rich, sweet aromas of smoky blueberry and cassis liqueur. Concentrated flavors of sweet blueberry with layers of tobacco and terroir. $30.00

2002 Russian River Estate Petite Sirah – Intense, dark purple color with magenta tones. Smoky aromas are complex and intense. Dark blueberry core of flavors easily displays how well this wine will age when tasted next to the ’03. Similar flavors, but incredibly more defined and sculpted. Sold out.

Christopher Creek Winery ~ 641 Limerick Lane ~ Healdsburg ~ CA ~ 95448 ~ 707-433-2001

My love of history brought me to Foppiano Winery and Vineyards. Someone told that it was the oldest family-owned winery in California. Well I knew it wasn’t true (that honor belonging to the Bundschu family, dating their grape-growing history to 1850), but was still intrigued with the lineage which dates back to 1896 when Genoa native Giovanni Foppiano purchased and already working winery named "Riverside Farm."

Louis M. Foppiano, Jr., who took over the wine-making reigns from his father, still produces a second label wine under the Riverside name (although I didn’t taste any). Much of the existing historical buildings can still be seen, as can a Southern Pacific Caboose (apparently the last of its kind), which has been converted to office space.

The tasting room is well appointed with many historical photographs and a very pleasant, helpful staff. The walls are bedecked with ribbons and behind the pouring counter lies the family history in bottles. In visiting this area, what I found most enjoyable was the effusive quality of the Petite Sirah — three different wineries within a cat’s throw all presented exceptional quality juice that I had to buy!

2002 Russian River Pinot Noir – Warm berry and sweet candy shop aromas. Easy mouth entry that is smooth and balanced with a bit of minerality on the finish. Medium-bodied and quaffable. $23.00

2002 Alexander Valley Sangiovese – Earth and cranberry and touch of funk. I think it was corked. $17.50

2002 Dry Creek Zinfandel – Warm, rich, sweet spice of cinnamon and clove. Pomegranate flavors on the mouth entry in this medium-bodied offering. The entry seems at first a bit soft but expands to s

how warmth and integrity. $15.00

2003 Russian River Petite Sirah, Bacigalupi Vineyard – Medium red color with some cloudiness. Blueberry liqueur and smoke in the nose. Easy entrance of blueberry that is dry in the mid-palate and tangy on the finish. $17.50

2002 Russian River Petite Sirah, Estate – Rich, dark blueberry. Intense, dark and hefty extolling virtues of smoke and spice and well-integrated oak. Complex and rich, the finish is brooding and hefty. $23.00

Foppiano ~ 12707 Old Redwood Highway ~ Healdsburg ~ Ca ~ 92448 ~ 707-433-7272

Old timer, die-hard wine lovers know the Galleron name as an historical icon dating back to pre-prohibition days. The Galleron family has a long and deep-rooted (no pun intended) history in the Napa Valley as quality grape growers. Virgile and Angele have bootlegging stories around the Prohibition era but it is was their sons, Paul and Virgil Galleron, whose grape growing business blossomed after World War II with the brothers’ entire first harvest being purchased by Gallo.

Today, it is Gary Galleron, son of Paul, who has taken the reigns of the family’s agricultural business and turned it into a world class winery. While no formal tasting room or facilities are available for visitors, I had the pleasure of meeting Paula Galleron, Gary’s sister, at a Copia tasting. It is Paula who runs the office and keeps the business cogs well-oiled while Gary makes the wine. As a winery that produces only a thousand-or-so cases of premium juice each year, it is wine that to acquire, will have to be sought after and researched. But is well worth the effort.

2001 Rockpile Zinfandel – The Rockpile vineyard lies above Lake Sonoma. Having some mountain fruit quality, there is a dark, black raspberry aroma that seems to just grasp at its spicy, clove partner. The mouth entry is deep and rich, with supple tannins and a tease of sweetness. The spicy finish is refined and complex. $32.00

2001 Jaeger Merlot - I have had a deep and abiding admiration for what the Jaeger brothers have been growing for over twenty years. In this wine, Gary has taken the Jaeger’s grapes and created a wine that is velvety soft with a subtle coffee scent along with a core of dark berry. The flavors are deep and balanced, showing spicy dark berries and silky, balanced tannins. $32.00

2001 Morisoli Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon – Over-the-top bouquet of sexy black fruit, vanilla and spice, and a tease of cocoa. The initial taste is ballsy and enthralling, displaying erotic flavors of blackberry, black plum, and black currant. So much is going on in the smooth tannins and well-integrated flavors. Would love to sit on one of these for a decade or so… $100.00

Galleron Signature Wines ~ P.O. Box 2 ~ Rutherford ~ CA ~ 94573 ~ 707-265-6552