Nomadic Wines

Visiting the actual wineries

Having just returned from wine country, I was reading an article about seven vineyards that are worth visiting. The article is on the Wine Enthusiast website.

While I have no idea how they chose those seven vineyards, I agreed with the sentiment of the article. Visiting vineyards is a must for anyone interested in wine. If you are learning about the winemaking process, visiting a winery takes you straight up the learning curve. When you can sit down with the winemaker and ask her/him questions, you really internalize the process. If you can do it in the vineyard... even better.

During our last trip, we sat down with Kathleen Inman from Inman Family Wines. Even during the holidays, she spent at least two hours with us. It was a great afternoon - we learned about her philospohies and the decisions she makes in the vineyard. I recommend her wines, just based on her commitment to making a product that fits her vision.

If I was going to write an article about visiting vineyards, unfortunately my experience is limited. Here are two lists - the first is my favorite vineyards and the second is a list of vineyards I would like to visit.

My favorites:
1. The caves along the Loire River. These old caves are technically not vineyards, but they are unique. They were built long ago to store the wine and now are often the spots where you can meet the winemakers and taste their wines.
2. The steep hillside vineyards in the Wachau.
3. The rolling hills surrounding Montalcino.
3. The Russian River Valley - I have specific memories of the vineyards at the Hartford vineyard but I am sure there are more pictaresque settings.

Places I would like to visit:
1. The Bone Rock vineyard made famous by Saxum syrahs.
2. The Hirsch vineyard - the veteran Sonoma Coast vineyard (true Sonoma Coast).
3. The Mosel in Germany - the steep slopes are legendary.
4. La Crau - the Chateauneuf vineyard where many great wines are made from.

I am sure I am forgetting some memorable spots, but these vineyards came to mind first. I hope others can recommend their favorites for my future travels.

Labels: travel, vineyards, wine

posted by nomadfromcincy @ 4:56 PM