A Golden Experience

A month or so ago Kirsten and I decided to venture north from Cloverdale to re-discover the offerings of Highway 128 as it has been some time since we been that way. The morning was perfect, not a cloud in the sky as we headed towards Booneville in search of some wine tasting and a picnic spot. With both windows down and the ipod blazing some great tunes, we wound through the picturesque scenery of old barns, cattle grazing on hillsides and fresh fruit stands. As we approached Booneville, we noticed that unexpectedly it was a beehive of activity with people pouring in and out of store fronts and restaurants. We stopped to walk through the tiny town where the local eatery's were overflowing onto the side walk. Outside one restaurant there was an impromptu group of three guys playing ukulele, guitar and singing folk songs which really added a down home feel to this quaint town. We stopped into the few local shops hoping to find a treasure for the house, but as the lunch hour was approaching we decided to press on. A little further up the road we came upon the Goldeneye Anderson Valley Winery. For years, I have meant to visit this winery which is renowned for it's Pinot Noir's and I have enjoyed a bottle or two in the past. Walking through the entrance was almost like walking onto a movie set...the garden was vivid with colors and the tasting room was charming and very welcoming. We were greeted at the door by a representative who immediately made us feel at home and explained the tasting experience, she told about the wines and a little history of the winery as she poured us a taste of the 2010 Vin Gris of Pinot Noir...a lush, light wine that balances acidity with fruit! We were ushered on to the back patio where the scene was elegant with a view that looked over immaculate vines and stretched to the hillside at the other end of the valley. Our hostess brought a flight of Pinot Noir and described each one she would pour. The presentation was elegant and included a small tray of nuts, dried berries, cheese and bread to cleanse our palates. The setting made it so easy to relax and really made for a great tasting experience. We were served four distinct Pinot's...2006 Anderson Valley Pinot, 2007 Anderson Valley Pinot, 2008 The Narrows Vineyard Pinot and the 2008 Migration Pinot. We enjoyed them all but some we just had to take home! If I were to pick one stand out it would be the 2007 Anderson Valley Pinot which is their 'flagship' wine. All in all, this was one of the best wine experiences we have had in a long time and we will be bringing friends back to share this golden experience!

Here are the wines we took home:

2010 Goldeneye Anderson Valley Vin Gris of Pinot Noir ($22.00)
This is a lush and light balancing wine with berry elements and citrus notes and so refreshing.

2007 Goldeneye Anderson valley Pinot Noir ($50.00)
This wine reflects excellent structure and acidity with notes of ripe berry and bittersweet chocolate.

2008 'Migration' Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($34.00)
The nose reveals bright cherry and rhubarb layers with a hint of spice and smoke.

Cheers!