Day One, Winery #7: It was getting a bit late in the day by the time we made it to Kunde Estate Winery. (We found out that Kunde rhymes with Sunday.  Who knew?) The grounds of this winery are very picturesque (which explains why there were so many pictures that I took there). I am sure that there is a story to the cow in the picture below, but I have to admit, we didn’t really even question the presence of a cow at this point.
The staff at this tasting room really drove home the point that these people work on commission.  When it became apparent that we were not going to be pressured into joining their wine club, the gentleman helping us, Bruce, became much less interested in pouring us wine.  We nominated Bruce the “Used Car Salesman” of tasting room employees title winner, though we still enjoyed our wines:

1. 2004 Vallee de la Lune - Rhone style blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Zinfandel and Viognier ($23/bottle)
2. 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon - Gold Medal Winner, 2007 Sonoma County Harvest Fair ($22/bottle)
3. 2004 Barbera - Gold Medal Winner, 2007 Sonoma County Harvest Fair ($28/bottle)
4. 2004 Meritage 202 - Cabernet/Merlot blend ($40/bottle)
5. Century Vine Zinfandel Port

Day One, Winery #5:  By the time we hit Kenwood, our main focus was on lunch, not wine.  We called ahead to find out if they had food that could be purchased at the winery, and we were told that they had some sausage and crackers.  This worked for us, and so we left Ravenswood and make the trek to Kenwood with visions of alcohol-sopping food dancing in our heads.

As to the wines, we limited ourselves to only three tastes of their reserves, as follows:

1. 2004 Zinfandel (Reserve) ($25/bottle) - Winery notes - Blackberry, Dried Currant, Black Pepper & Licorice
2. 2003 Jack London Syrah ($$30/bottle) - Winery notes - Red Currant, Dark Chocolate
3. 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Artist Series ($75/bottle) - Winery notes - Currant, Black Cherries, Plum

Day One, Winery #4: You might be able to guess from the above images snagged off of the Ravenswood website that this is absolutely our type of wine.  We drink Ravenswood often.  They sell a terrific Zin for around $10 a bottle, and it is a staple in our cellar.  We’ve also enjoyed their Merlot, being of the the reasonably priced, yet very drinkable merlots which are readily available.  And so we made sure that this winery was on our agenda.  The staff was professional, knowledgeable and fun.  We bought 5 tastes for $15 and got the glass thrown in.  Additionally, when we expressed an interest in more than 5 of their wines to taste, we were told, “That’s ok… we are very bad at math here”.  Our kind of place.

And here were the wines we tasted, which we loved:

1. 2006 Early Harvest Gewurztraminer, Sonoma Valley

2. 2005 Dickerson Valley Zinfandel

3. Teldeschi Zinfandel, Dry Creek

4. 2004 Barricia Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley

5. 2005 Belloni Zinfandel, Russian River Valley (78% Zin, 10% alicante bouschet, 6% petite syrah, 6% carignane)

6. 2006 Barricia Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley

Day One, Winery #3: Sebastiani is one of those solid, standby wine producers which we turn to often when in a pinch.  We honed in on their limited production, Reserve wines.  Solid and dependable, we will be more willing to order these wines in restaurants more often when seeking out a wine to go with our meals. Wines tasted:

1. 2004 Alexander Valley Merlot: Tasting notes provided by the winery - The aromas reflect the terrior nicely with Black Cherry and Blackberry fruit.
2. 2005 Sonoma County Barbera: The aroma is filled with anise, raspberries, vanilla smoke, and tart fuit with a smooth finish.
3. 2005 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel: The spice of pepper, cinnamon, vanilla and cocoa melds with a finish of dry cherries.
4. 2004 Sonoma Valley Syrah: Deeply colored with touches of dried herbs and smoked game meats.

It was at this point that Greg proclaimed: “I believe I’ve reached the point where everything tastes good…”

Day One, Winery #2: I’ll preface this by saying that we love Cline Cellars wines.  Reasonably priced, you can find many of them anywhere.  We are particularly fond of the deep, rich “Ancient Vine” varieties we’ve found locally - we’ve found the Zinfandel, Carignane and Mourvedre Ancient Vines here at our local liquor store for a price we wouldn’t even blink at.  And so we were excited to seek out the Cline Cellars Tasting room in Sonoma.

Unfortunately, the experience was not as palatable as the wines.  This tasting room was cramped and crowded, with a “Cracker Barrel” feel to it.  Some of the people behind the counter were friendly, but not very knowledgeable.  It was clear they were being paid to pour wine in assembly line fashion and ring up tourist souvenirs.  To add to the distress, there was one gentleman roaming around behind the counter who appeared to be a manager of some sort.  He barked out orders, was condescending to customers, and kept everyone on edge.  He left for lunch as we were in the middle of our pours, and the atmosphere improved greatly.  This didn’t stop the carnival-like racket that permeated the room.  If we didn’t love the inexpensive wine so much, we may never purchase it again simply due to the very unpleasant experience in their tasting room.

The grounds are very pretty, and there are areas for picnics, relaxing, and of course, pictures.

We can’t complain about the wine we had, listed below, but this experience convinced us that we would lean toward the more high-end wineries for the remainder of the trip

1. 2005 Cashmere: Tasting notes provided by the winery - As rare as the goats in the Gobi Desert, this silky rich blend of Mourvedre, Syrah and Grenache is a special treat to serve family and friends.
2. 2006 Ancient Vines Carignane (karen-YAWN): Tasting notes provided by the winery - Juicy, bright and bursting with blackberry fruit and spice; racy, clean and long with lovely flavors and a stunning finish.
3. 2005 Ancient Vines Mourvedre (Moor-VED-druh): Tasting notes provided by the winery - When the sun goes down and you need a little something special - here it is! Dark chocolate, plum, rich earth and a hint of oak.
4. 2005 Sonoma Zinfandel: Tasting notes provided by the winery - This wine with explosive strawberry fruit flavor and velvety texture comes from 30 year old Alexander Valley vines, blended iwth a small portion from our 100+ year old Bridgehead vineyard in Oakly.  Its subtle nuances of vanilla and toasty French oak are complemented by its fimr tannin structure.
5. 2005 Bridgehead Zinfandel: Tasting notes provided by the winery - Bridgehead Zin is a dangerous and lethal package, guaranteed to wallop… but it’s got class.  A beautiful balance of blackberry, pepper and spice, with notes of chocolate and toasty vanilla make this Zin a treasure.
6. 2005 Big Break Zinfandel: Tasting notes provided by the winery - Always one of our most robust wines, this Big Break oozes with power, revealing crisp dusty berries, dark chocolate and spicy oak.  Eucalyptus, mint, firm structure, and exotic spice are key elements, creating a wine that will age will for up to 7 years.
7. 2005 ive Oak Zinfandel: Tasting notes provided by the winery - Live Oak Zin is a knockout!  Packed with black cherry and berries, witha definite cracked pepper flavor.  This Zin will take your tastebuds to a new stratosphere!
8. 2005 Los Carneros Syrah: Tasting notes provided by the winery - This Syrah brings to mind the great wines of Cateauneuf du Pape: Strapping, muscular, and downright powerful, with plenty of smoky aromas.  This is indeed the perfect match for food off the grill.

Day One, Winery #1:  Matanzas Creek winery has traditionally produced one of our favorite Merlots.  We were pretty excited to find out that this winery was very near our hotel, and so we planned on making this the first stop of our winery tour, on the very first day. 

We were so eager, in fact, that we got to the winery before the tasting room opened.  No big deal.  The grounds of the winery are beautiful, and though it pained us to wait 15 minutes for our first tast of wine, it was only 9:45 AM and it wasn’t going to kill us.  We wandered and enjoyed the view.  A note to those heading to Matanzas Creek - the winery makes picnic grounds available, and it is a terrific place to take a break from touring if the timing works out.  Bring your own food, as they do not sell it on the grounds.

We tasted a total of 7 wines at Matanzas Creek:

1. 2006 Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc:  Tasting notes provided by winery - This 2006 wine begins with bright citrus aromas, including pink grapefruit and Meyer lemon.  The nose will evolve to also include richer melon hues including cataloupe and honeydew.  The palate is consistent with the nose, embodying crips citrus and melon flavors.  The addition of Sauvignon Musque strengthens the mid-palate and renders a softer, longer finish.  Our notes:  We aren’t really white wine drinkers, but it was fine.
2. 2005 Sonoma Valley Chardonnay: Tasting notes provided by the winery - This outstanding wine is masterfully blended from our vineyards in the Carneros and Bennett Valley regions where cooler climates yield Chardonnay grapes that give this wine a refined and complex character.  A first glimpse of the wine reveals a pale, straw color, quite typical for a sophisticated Chardonnay.  The palate is round and velvety with a prolonged, flavorful finish of honey and melon.  Our notes:  Eh, it’s a Chardonnay.  A good one, but a Chardonnay.  Bring on the reds!
3. Sonoma County Rose Wine of Merlot:  Tasting notes provided by winery - Our second Rose in twenty-nine years, this wine celebrates the dynamic nature of Bennet Valley varietals - Merlot and Syrah.  As seen by the brilliant crimson hue and captivating nose, emphasis is placed on maintaining the true integrity of the harvested fruit’s color and flavor.  Bright raspberry fruit prevails on the palate, followed by hinds of both cranberry and cassis.  Best when enjoyed slightly chilled.  Our notes:  Not bad.  Where are the reds?
4. 2004 Bennett Valley Merlot: Tasting notes provided by the winery - Sourced from our vineyards in Sonoma County’s Bennett Valley, this 2004 vintage wine represents our 26th vintage of Merlot.  Bennett Valley offers this Merlot model growing conditions.  Both the terraced vineyards of the esteemed Jackson Park Ranch and the vineyards surrounding our Estate benefit from the cool breeze and coastal fog that travel up through a pathway fom the Pacific Ocean.  Also beneficial is the presence of basalt in our soils - an ancient ocean floor rock - that offers smokey character to the wine.  Our notes:  It was recommended that this wine be served slightly cool, and it was very good.
5. Members Blend Merlot: Tasting notes provided by the winery- This exclusive blend of Sonoma County Merlot  was specially crafted by Winemaker Fracois Cordesse as a special tribute to Matanzas Creek Wine Club members.  This wine possesses both a deep, rich crimson color and a nose characteristic of a classic merlot-harmonious aroms of black cherry and dark berries.  Our notes:  We loved it, probably because you can’t buy it, of course.
6. Sonoma County 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon: Tasting notes provided by the winery - Representing the fifth vintage of our limited production Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah from four of Sonoma County’s celebrated growing regions - Knights Valley, Alexander Valley, Chalk Hill and Bennett Valley.  The diversity of each of these varietals, and Sonoma County appellations, coalesce to fasion a truly distintive Cabernet Sauvignon.  Our notes:  THIS is why we love Matanzas Creek.
7. Jackson Park, Bennett Valley 2002 Merlot: Tasting notes provided by the winery - This is the second vintage of our single vineyard Merlot sourced from our Estate-owned vineyards in Jackson Park.  The picturesque mountain vineyard is locarted over 900 feet above Bennett Valley’s floor and overlooks Matanzas Creek Winery.  Bennet Valley provides ideal conditions for Merlot to develop due to its long growing season brought abut by the coastal fog that flows into the valley from the Pacific Ocean.  In addition, the unique terrior in Jackson Park has an excellent, loamy soil structure and contains Basalt, an acient ocean floor rock that adds smokey characteristics to the fruit grown there.  This wine can be aged for up to ten years.  Our notes - What a way to kick off our tasting excursions!

What we did not know is that Matanzas Creek also produces a lot of lavendar, which they grow, harvest and turn into various products.  Lavendar field below…