Enduring Rustic Charm of Anderson Valley
We visited Anderson Valley again after 15 years and were surprised that not much has changed. Their wines (mostly Alsatian wines and Pinot Noirs) continue to be delicious and, by 2019 pricing standards of California Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, Anderson Valley wines would be, if I might dare use the C word – cheap! The tasting fees were either free or in the $5-$15 range, and often waived with wine purchases.
We were successful in our quest to buy a couple cases of
whites, but also a few reds. Here are the highlights of the wineries we visited
in one day and our purchases:
The highlight of the trip, Penny Royal is a working farm
producing some world-class cheeses from their herd of goats and sheep, in
addition to some tasty wines. The place feels wholesome yet modern. We opted
for a cheese plate paired with two white wines and one rose. The wines were flavorful, and boy were we
lucky to sample their lovely cheeses.
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| Cheese and wine pairing at Pennyroyal Farms |
Our wine purchases:
- 2017 Chardonnay Hammer Olsen at $35
- 2018 Pinotrio (Pinot Grigio, Blanc, Noir) at $33
Their small tasting room is in the town of Boonville. The
proprietor/winemaker poured us a selection of Rose, Gewürztraminer and Pinot
Noirs. The Gewürz is aromatic and delicious with just a hint of residual sugar.
I am planning to serve it with dessert.
Our wine purchases:
- 2017 Gewürztraminer at $28 each
3) Navarro
Returning to Navarro after 15 years, we were pleased that
not much has changed. Fifteen years ago, we bought the Pinot Noir Methode A
L’Ancienne at around $30-35 and it’s now just $36! Also check out their jams
and mustards. We particularly like their Gewurtraminer mustard (Dijon style)
and Boysenberry Zinfandel jam. They make
Muscat Blanc in both dry and sweet styles.
We tried the dry Muscat Blanc, which had a wonderful floral aroma.
Our wine purchases:
-
2015 Pinot Noir, Methode A L'Ancienne at $36
-
2018 Pinot Grigio at $18 each
-
2015 Muscat Blanc at $22 each
Acquired by Wilson Winery 3 years ago, we were pleasantly
surprised that we really liked 2 out of their 5 wine tastings – the Sauvignon
Blanc and Rose. Their prices are really hard to beat.
Our wine purchases:
-
2018 Rose of Grenache and Syrah at $20 each
-
2018 Sauvignon Blanc at $20 each
5) Handley
We usually try not to do more than 3 or 4 tastings in a day
as the taste buds get tired but we pushed on to our 5th tasting at
Handley. And are glad we did. Although we arrived just 15 minutes before
their tasting room closed, the staff were warm and welcoming. The wines were all well-balanced, well
structured and flavorful.
Our wine purchases:
2016 Chardonnay at $27 each
2016 Pinot Noir at $35
It seems to us that Anderson Valley has remained largely
unchanged over the last decade or so, and has not experienced a boom like its neighboring
wine regions of Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley or even Paso Robles, further
south for Bay Area visitors. Selfishly, we hope it will stay the same.
