Kenneth E. Harker
2008 Dry Creek Valley

Jen and I spent a very pleasant November day in Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County, California. Our first trip to Dry Creek Valley was during the harvest of 2005, and I've wanted to return ever since then. The fall weather in November was cool but not cold, and mostly sunny. Harvest was basically done, but the grape leaves on the vines were still in their fall colors. We visited 10 wineries and sought out the best Zinfandel we could find. As usual with our wine country trips, we start with a short list of places to try and then extemporize as we go along.

These photos are copyright © 2008 Kenneth E. Harker. All rights reserved.

	Our first stop was Lambert Bridge Winery. We started here really because it was one of the few wineries in the valley that opened before 11:00 AM.
	The front of the winery has an old fashioned delivery truck parked out front. The winery also has a kitchen in the building that I gathered was a catering operation. The tasting room was the most expensive in the valley that we visited at $10/tasting.
	This picnic area was directly in front of the winery. You could come here with a picnic and sip a glass of wine or two. Unfortunately, Lambert Bridge was our least favorite wine on this trip. The Zinfandel especially was just boring and dull.
	Our next stop was Armida Winery at the far southern end of the valley near where it merges with the Russian River Valley. The winery is situated on a hillside with a great view.
	Looking south from the parking lot of Armida Winery. Somewhere in the distance would be the boundary between Dry Creek Valley and the Russian River Valley.
	Some of the vines at Armida Winery, with the grape leaves in their fall colors.
	Jen liked the view. We both liked the wine very much. The 2006 Maple Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel was the best wine we tasted on this trip, hands down.
	Armida Winery's tasting room was located in this building with a geodesic dome roof.
	After a lunch at Bovolo Restaurant in Healdsburg, our next stop was about halfway up the valley at Ridge Vineyards. Ridge is a large winery that was founded in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but now also maintains a tasting room at their Lytton Springs vineyard location.
	Zinfandel grapes growing at the Lytton Springs vineyard. Most of the vineyard is planted to Zinfandel, but there are some Petite Sirah, Carignane, Mourvedre, and Grenache vines as well.
	The tasting room at Lytton Springs was inside this building. My favorite was the 2006 Lytton Springs Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel.
	Just down the street from Ridge was Mazzocco Vineyards and Winery, a small family winery.
	Some of the vines close to the winery.
	Jen, in front of the main winery building. We liked several of their wines, but unfortunately they only sell via mailing list and at the cellar door, so we may not have many in the future.
	Further up the valley, we stopped at David Coffaro Estate Vineyard, another small family winery.
	Grape leaves in the autumn sunshine at Coffaro Vineyards. Inside the winery, they had a map showing how each acre of vineyard was farmed as dozens of separate blocks.
	Jen, in front of the winery residence. The tasting room and barrel storage were in the building to the left, behind the taller landscaping.
	The winery dog made sure that we were not going to accidentally try to go into the residence rather than the winery.
	The barrel room had a projector hooked up to satellite television displayed on a 101" screen. I can only imagine what the after-hours, post-crush parties at this place must be like!
	Our next stop was Preston Vineyards. Preston is known mainly for being an organic winery with a lot of cats.
	The winery building had solar panels on the roof.
	An olive tree in the parking lot at Preston Vineyards. Olives seem to be a favorite secondary crop for wineries in Sonoma County. Preston sells several different estate olive oils.
	This table on the front porch was covered in organic vegetables for sale.
	A barrel room inside Preston Vineyards. In this room, they were pouring their Guadagni Jug wine, an inexpensive wine they sell only in 3 liter bottles. Unfortunately, like the rest of the wines at Preston, it was disappointing. The olive oil was better.
	The cats at Preston seemed to have the complete run of the place.
	This Siamese was very friendly with strangers.
	We stopped at Zichichi Family Vineyard, a very small winery on the west side of the valley.
	The winery building at Zichichi was a rather plain insulated steel building.
	Jen, in front of some of the vineyards surrounding Zichichi.
	The winery is very small production, and mostly only had futures available when we were there. To give visitors more to taste, the winery brings groups back into the barrel room for barrel samples.
	Some of the barrels at Zichichi. Notice the digital thermometer tracking cellar conditions.
	Just around the corner from Zichichi, we stopped by Quivira Wine. We've enjoyed Quivira wines in the past, but were somewhat disappointed in the wines we were poured on this trip. Quivira was an early adopter of solar power and has covered the entire roof with solar panels.
	The vineyard adjacent to Quivira has been replanted since our last visit in 2005.
	The road to Mounts Family Winery passes through dramatic rolling hills of grapevines.
	Some of the farm vehicles at Mounts.
	Mounts was not on our original itinerary for the day. It was recommended to us by one of the tasting room employees at another winery earlier in the day. The tasting room was a very small room in the basement of this building, mostly full of barrels. I really enjoyed the Petite Sirah.
	The view of hte vineyard just outside from the tasting room was great.
	Our last stop of the day was Truett-Hurst Vineyards and Winery. It was recommended to us by a fellow tourist, a Russian on a bicycle tour of the valley we met at Mounts Family Winery. Most wineries in the Dry Creek Valley close at 4:00 PM, but Truett-Hurst stayed open until 5:00 PM. The winery was undergoing some construction.
	At the recommendation of the woman pouring wines, we wandered down to the creek to look for salmon swimming upstream to spawn while we drank some Zinfandel. It took 15 minutes, but we finally some a couple of big salmon in Dry Creek.
	The tasting room inside Truett-Hurst. The winery is making a transition to biodynamic farming. Everyone who came through the door was offered a chance to pick tomatoes from the vine in their garden.