AVA

Wild Creek Ranch Vineyards was a dream come true for me and Kirsten back in the year 2000. We had been originally looking for a 'small' plot of land with a small house and hopefully three or four acres of vineyard to boot! It took months of checking out tips by friends and family, checking with local realtor's and finally we found a 40 acre plot of raw land on a south west facing slope on Pine Mountain just above Cloverdale in Northern California. I remember thinking that 40 acres was way too much to take on until we laid eyes on this gem of a property, with all of it's rough slopes and beautiful array of trees; pine, majestic oak and manzanita which peppered the hillside. Splitting the 40 acre plot diagonally was a beautiful creek lined with madrone and a gray rock bottom. Wild vines were hanging down over the creek and there was a steady flow of fresh, clear water streaming down. Our jaws dropped and we knew that this was it...yes, a very emotional buy! One of the factors that was important to us was that this hillside where we planned to plant a vineyard was within the prestigious Alexander Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area) known for great Cabernet Sauvignon. After many starts and stops (one day I will write this book of challenges!), we partnered up with winemaker Bill Arbios who plotted and planted 21 acres of Cabernet on our ranch. The Alexander Valley AVA added value to everything we would do on the hillside! In recent years, a small group of dedicated growers on Pine Mountain has been working to introduce legislation to form 4,600 acre Pine Mountain - Mayacmas AVA (even thought the mountain range is known as the Mayacamas the official spelling on USGS map omits the third "a". ) The reason for establishing this AVA is to distinguish the grapes grown on Pine Mountain from those grown elsewhere in the Alexander Valley. The people who choose to farm this region come from a wide range of experience and cultural background and understand the conditions of farming extreme hillsides. These vineyards are some of the highest in Northern California and range from 1600 ft to 2600 ft. This makes for longer sunlight hours and the combination of being above the frost line and seasonal breezes keep the vines dry and mildew free. As a result of these unique growing conditions and 'extreme farming' it costs more to produce the smaller sized berries that flourish. Think about some of the other AVA regions and what makes them unique: Stag's Leap, Chalk Hill, Howell Mountain, Dry Creek, Russian River Valley and the most recent entry of the Calistoga AVA. Each one of these regions has a set of variables that make them unique and distinguishable from each other! An AVA specification in the US indicates the geographical location from which at least 85% of the grapes used to make a wine have been grown. But for me, one of the main things that makes Pine Mountain such a great region is the people! We are lucky that our neighbors up the road, Tim and Kandy Ward, have a winery on sight and are producing fantastic wines. Many large wineries on the valley floor are also sourcing grapes from Pine mountain; Jordan, Clois du Bois, The Benziger Family and Geyser Peak but the spirit on the hill remains 'boutique' minded with many vineyards producing smaller quantities of wine. This mountain has a unique story and deserves to be recognized. Many thanks to all the champions of this AVA proposal and especially Barry Hoffner and Tim Ward for all their efforts!

As we have reached the summer Solstice, I give you some suggestions for easy sipping:

Poolside:

Domaine De Saint-Antoine Rose' 2009 $8.99
Dry, with dark berries fruit and fresh flavors - just right!

Hanna Winery 2009 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc $19.00
Aromas of grapefruit and green apples...zingy pomelo flavor.

Sole X 2007 Chardonnay $6.99
This Chard is a blend of Sonoma, Mendocino and Santa Barbara county grapes...drinking easy!


BBQ:

Bob Dog/Sky Pine Vineyards Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 $21.00
Pine Mountain Cab with hints of dark berries, chocolate and smokey leather...taste the earth!

Qupe Syrah Central Coast 2007 $17.00
This wine is from both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County...lots of up front fruit and spice!

Morgan Winery 2007 Twelve Clones Pinot Noir $32.00
From the Santa Lucia Highlands, this Pinot displays aromas of red cherries and spice...bring on the ribs!

Webmaster note the photos of Wild Creek Ranch in this blog were taken respectively in 2000, 2003 and 2009.