Dry Creek Vineyard Releases Celebrate 50th Anniversary

Dry Creek Vineyard is celebrating 50 years as a pioneering winery in Sonoma.

Dry Creek Vineyard not only is located in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley, it has done much to establish the standards of quality for that prestigious wine region. The history of this multigenerational family winery is full of notable firsts within the industry:

Never Miss A Beat – Follow Vino-Sphere On Facebook

1972:  First winery built in the Dry Creek Valley following Prohibition.

• 1972:  First to plant Sauvignon Blanc in the Dry Creek Valley.
• 1972:  First to label a wine as “Fumé Blanc” in Sonoma County.
• 1982:  First to display a sailboat on a wine label, a bold and daring move beyond the popular chateau-style labels of the time.
• 1983:  First to pioneer Dry Creek Valley’s American Viticultural Area (AVA) status.
• 1985:  First to label a wine as “Old Vine” Zinfandel, setting off an industry trend.

   

• 1987:  First to label a wine as a “Meritage,” illustrating the family's love of Bordeaux blending.
• 1997:  First to release a “Heritage Clone” Zinfandel from pre-prohibition vine cuttings.
• 2017:  First to receive a U.S. patent for the design of printed sustainable sourcing information on a cork.
• 2022:  First to release 50th consecutive vintage of Dry Chenin Blanc in the United States.

Here are the latest releases as the winery continues its 50th-anniversary celebration.

2021 Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley

Dry Creek Vineyard really led the way for Sauvignon Blanc in Dry Creek Valley and we love their vision of this wine. It is made of 81% Sauvignon Blanc, 16% Sauvignon Musqué, and, 3% Sauvignon Gris. The Gris provides a creamy texture while the Musqué adds weight and juiciness. The flavors are bright tropical fruit, lemon,  and melon. We love Dry Creek Vineyard’s Fume Blanc, but this is a step up in complexity and elegance. It’s also a refreshing change from the jarring acidity of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Keep up with the latest. Follow us on Instagram!

 

2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley

Dry Creek Valley is primarily known for Zinfandel, but the AVA has almost as much Cabernet Sauvignon planted. This is a wine that delivers inviting flavors in a medium-to-full body. It’s enjoyable to sip on a summer’s night – as we did. The flavors are lush and elegant with cranberry and black cherry with undertones of coffee and leather. It displays the hallmark of Dry Creek Valley wines: floral and spice notes.

The blend is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot with small amounts of Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. While this Cab can be aged for another five to 7 years, its rounded edges make it very approachable now. Also approachable is the $32 price tag.

2019 The Mariner, Dry Creek Valley

The Mariner is perhaps our favorite red wine. It’s an elevated wine created with finesse and the vision of creating the finest Meritage from the Dry Creek Valley with the five noble Bordeaux grapes. Each year the footprint is a bit different as the winemakers search for the best lots in Dry Creek Valley, including Dry Creek Vineyard’s DCV9 Endeavor vineyard. This year the blend highlights Cabernet Sauvignon (61%) with 18% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 11% Malbec, and 2% Cabernet Franc.

The wine gets 20 months of aging in French and Hungarian oak, 42% new. During the fermentation, the wine gets pump-overs twice daily. All vines are 20+ years old. The point is, that all steps are taken to make this a special wine.

Full disclosure: These wines were received as marketing samples.

The Ultimate Wine Tasting: Iridium and Lineage

Precious and rare – top-end wine and good friends.

A Promise Kept

The Cabernetor (also known as Steve) has been my good friend for more than two decades. Through the years and miles, the friendship has endured.

Keep up with the latest. Follow us on Instagram!

One of our great adventures was traveling to Napa for a visit to Sterling Vineyards (as part of the Wine Bloggers Conference. We were joined by our spouses (my wife, the Green Dragon, and Steve’s wife Glorious T).

At Sterling we took part in the Platinum Experience, traveling to the winery via aerial tram and then continuing to elevate our experience by tasting some incredible wine. Nothing could top what we experienced next: the first vintage of Iridium. Iridium is the flagship Sterling wine produced only in the best vintage years. It has also been served as the official wine of the Emmys.

To make our escapade even more astounding, winemaker Harry Hansen poured the wine and discussed the process as we sipped. The Cabernetor snapped a photo of the three of us during this treasured memory.

A couple of years ago I encountered a medical challenge that has tested me to the core. Even though we moved to North Carolina and he’s still in Ohio, Steve was there every step of the way to encourage me to overcome the problem through diet, exercise, and prayer. Some of the challenges were mind-numbing, but Steve kept me on track.

He also had leverage. He kept reminding me that he had a bottle of Iridium to open up when I finally beat this thing. That promise was brought up each time I I faced another wrinkle in my medical saga.

After months of trying to schedule a trip to Ohio to see Steve and Tracey (Glorious T), we finally finally made it. I was packing with me valuable cargo: a bottle of 2017 Lineage, the first and only 100-point wine I’ve tasted.

An Evening With The Stars

Lineage comes from Livermore Valley, a region that we think doesn’t get enough attention. Steven Mirassou, a sixth-generation winemaker from America’s oldest winemaking family, has a goal to make one of the truly great Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines in the world. He struck paydirt with the 2017 Lineage. Renowned wine critic Steve Heimoff awarded the 2017 Lineage an unprecedented 100 points. Heimoff remarked that of the thousands of Cabernet blends he’d tasted over the course of his career, “None have been better.”

Never Miss A Beat – Follow Vino-Sphere On Facebook

Lineage was part of an epic tasting at our house that featured Livermore Valley wines paired with gourmet bites. It was a show-stopper.

While Lineage includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cab Franc, Iridium is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Sterling winemaker Harry selected the very finest lots of Cabernet from vineyards spanning Napa Valley. These grapes come from Sleeping Lady Vineyard in Yountville and Calistoga’s Frediani Vineyard, to name a couple.

Iridium is one of the rarest elements on earth and it is treasured, just like Sterling’s Iridium. Made in only the very best vintages with the finest and most intense expression of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Iridium is considered by many to be the pinnacle of winemaking perfection.

Perfection Uncorked

To open the evening we uncorked the spectacular Paul Berthelot “Eminence” Premier Cru Champagne. This was followed by our soup course with the 2020 Clos Bellane “Altitude” rosé as the pairing. With wonderful hospitality, conversation, and wine, we were ready to progress to the main course.

All the culinary treats were prepared by Glorious T. For the main dish, we had an elevated “surf and turf” with salmon and beautifully cooked steak.

Before we poured the wines, which each had been decanted, Dragon made the comment that it would be interesting to see which was best. Oh, I thought. That’s not the point of this soiree. “This isn’t one versus one,” I said in a wine-inspired mood. “This is one plus one!”

The Lineage and Iridium are both smooth and balanced on the palate almost beyond words. The 2017 vintage of Lineage was limited to 3,984 bottles and is broad and rich with multiple layers. Oak plays its role but doesn’t dominate the pleasing black cherry and red fruit note. There is a whisper of mint. The finish is elating.

Iridium, Iridium, what a sensational wine. The sleek bottle with a reflective top and shoulders looks like it is ready to launch to Mars or be placed in an art museum. With the first sip, it envelopes the palate like a velvet glove. Iridium has an amazing array of flavors from chocolate mint to blueberry pie. Threads of cedar, floral, and leather intertwine for a sensational experience.

The evening progressed out to the deck and then down to the OSU-themed basement. A thrashing on the ping-pong table then ensued. To maintain my self-esteem, I won’t say who thrashed who. The evening wound down with the 2018 “The Vice” Cabernet Sauvignon from Mount Veeder. Alas, my tasting notes radar was malfunctioning at that point.

Who knows what the future may bring, but in this triumphant moment good friends opened wine that rocked. It will be remembered on down the years.

Quartet Of Wineries Featured in #NC Wine Summit Tour

It hardly seems possible. I just attended the Fifth Annual #NC Wine Digital Media Summit. I attended the summit back in 2019 and had a blast. The last two have been virtual, and while it was a good program, there’s just no replacing a face-to-face meeting with real, live people.

Never Miss A Beat – Follow Vino-Sphere On Facebook

For me, the highlight of the event, organized by the NC Wine Guys, is the pre-summit winery tours exploring North Carolina wine. This year we visited Shelton Vineyards, Hidden Vineyard, Haze Gray Vineyards, and finished off with a dinner at Golden Road Vineyard. We were transported in style by Van In Black.

Shelton Vineyards

Shelton’s vineyard is one of the largest on the East Coast. There are 10 varieties grown at Shelton and heading to the tasting room, we passed row upon row of carefully pruned vines. Grapes grown on the 1,000-acre estate are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Malbec, Tannat, Petit Verdot, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Petit Manseng.

We were treated to a spectacular tasting of their reserve wines in the tank room. Winemaker Ethan Brown led us through the tasting of seven different wines that ranged from sparkling rosé to Yadkin Valley Port. The range of their wines is dazzling, with more than 20 different wines available. Of special note are the Petite Manseng, Sparkling Rosé, Franklin, and Yadkin Valley Riesling. The Petite Manseng is one of the best white wines in North Carolina and this one has vibrant tropical flavors with limestone and acidity. The Franklin is a blend of Cabernet, Merlot, and Tannat. The Tannat gives Franklin a kick in the pants with robust dark fruit, oak, and cherry flavors. We capped our visit with a delicious lunch in the intimate setting of the barrel room.

Shelton is one of the leaders of the North Carolina wine industry and with good reason.

Hidden Vineyard

From one of the largest wineries in the state, we next traveled to one of the smaller ones. Hidden Vineyard has a well-tended nine-acre vineyard that yields eight different grapes including some of our favs: Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Chambourcin. Located between Dobson and Pilot Mountain, this secluded boutique winery is well worth finding.

Keep up with the latest. Follow us on Instagram!

The tasting room was built in the industrial farmhouse design with stylish contemporary touches as well as barnwood. It is compact, but if it fills up, there is plenty of seating and picnic areas outside. You can also stroll down Pilot Path amongst the vines. The path is so named because you get a perfect view of Pilot Mountain during your walk. The vineyard and tasting room are on the site of a former tobacco farm and a restored tobacco barn is now available to rent as a cabin.

Owners Tim and Lisa Sherman aim to produce quality Bordeaux-style wines and we tasted some outstanding ones. The wines have whimsical names and Lunchbox is a tasty barrel-fermented Chardonnay. Call Me A Cab is Cabernet Franc with tart berry notes, earthiness, and some herbaceousness. 131 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot aged in French Oak. Claus is barrel-aged Chambourcin that has flavors of vanilla, cocoa, and black cherry. A first-time visit for us and we’ll certainly be back.

Haze Gray Vineyards

I’ve heard the name Haze Gray Vineyards many times. Uneducated person that I am, I assumed Haze Gray was a person, perhaps an early settler of Yadkin Valley. But no, turns out that haze gray is the color of US Navy ships. Haze Gray is a veteran-owned and operated vineyard and winery that displays the Homegrown by Heroes brand. It certifies ranchers, farmers, and fishermen of all military eras to sell their products as veteran-owned and produced. Owners Deane and Becky Muhlenberg both were raised in military families and Deane served for 30 years in the US Navy as a flight officer.

The tasting room opened in 2019. One of the focal points inside is a wall that features a large wooden propeller and dozens of photos of veterans. Photos from veterans or family members are welcome to be displayed in this area, just one way Haze Gray salutes veterans. Their nine acres of grapes produce some outstanding wines, including Aviator Red. It’s a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Tannat and Chambourcin. It qualifies as a “party in your mouth” and one dollar from each bottle sold is contributed to the USO.

As far as white wines go, three are offered: a stainless steel Chardonnay, a barrel-fermented Chard, and a dry Traminette. The 2019 Stainless Steel Chardonnay has crisp flavors of pear and apples. Another excellent wine is the 2021 Dry Traminette. Traminette is related to Gewürztraminer and is an aromatic wine with floral scents and apricot and stone fruit flavors. Beautifully done!

Golden Road Vineyards

Golden Road is another Homegrown Heroes winery. It’s owned and operated by Chad and Christa Guebert. Chad served as a submarine officer in the US Navy and became interested in wine while stationed in Italy. They purchased Golden Road in 2017 to convert a vineyard that sold grapes to other wineries into one that produced its own wine. The tasting room opened in 2019. As part of the pre-summit activities, we enjoyed a rollicking good catered dinner at the winery paired with some wonderful wines.

We first tried the Emergency Blow sparkling Traminette. I was first introduced to this by my good friend Arthur Barham. I wondered about the name, but it turns out that it’s a submarine maneuver that forces compressed air into the ballast tanks to blow out the water. This causes a rapid rise to the surface. Emergency Blow is the first sparkling Traminette that I’ve tasted. It’s light, lovely, and packed with flavor.

The tasting room is small and beautifully furnished. One wall is finished with wine barrel staves. Outside there are comfortable chairs with a perfect view of sunsets. Our favorite red was the 2018 Go With The Flo’, which is a blend of Merlot and Petit Verdot. The Petit Verdot grapes were harvested under the gray clouds from Hurricane Florence. This is rich, smooth, and flavorful.

And this only covers the action-packed day before the #NCWine Digital Media Summit began. the summit itself, held at the Surry Community College NC Viticultural Center, was stuffed with great educational sessions, networking, food and – yes – wine. Many thanks to the sponsors, speakers, and Matt and Joe of NC Wine Guys (our organizers).