Fine Wine In California -- Trip Report With Pics (Long)

epdaws · #1 09-05-2006, 11:38 PM

My wife and I were recently joined by a handful of friends on a trip through wine country in California. Our goals were to experience the very best the region had to offer. I've contemplated starting my own business in the industry, and we know a bit about wine, so it was going to be fun.

That's me on the left. My friend and Darren and myself are news reporters, and goal number one was to get a private tour set up at Darioush, producer of some of our favorite Cabs. Darren decided that if we told them we were media, they might assume we meant wine media and offer some exclusive access. He was right.

First stop, though, was San Francisco's best little tasting room. It's called California Wine Merchant.

They offered excellent reccomendations, and we picked up a wonderful bottle of Siduri Pinot there. Here's a shot of my wife and a friend through the artsy lens of a glass.

On to Darioush, which on first glance was over-the-top. The stonework and decorations might come off as garish at first, but when you learn more of the back story, it starts to feel less pretentious and more appropriate. The owner is an Iranian immigrant named Darioush Khaledi who came to the U.S. 30 years ago to escape the Islamic Revolution.

He actually grew up in a region called "Shiraz," and at the winery they told us that this is where the famous wine was born. Darious himself was not there, but they took us on a tour of the grounds...

I came to appreciate the wine even more when I learned that Darioush only makes 12k cases per year, about half of that being Cab. Consider that mid-size California wineries make 300k cases, and you realize that this guy is not here to flood the market with treacly offerings. He's concentrating on the product.

During the tour they told us that the vines are planted on very shallow soil which sits on old volcanic rock; this makes the grapes work much harder to survive, and it enhances the quality of the wine that is created. Interesting.

Here's a shot of some of the ornate Persian stonework. It's all authentic. Darious imports the stone from the ancient Persian city are of Iran known as Persepolis, and the inside is 22,000 square feet. In this shot, you're seeing a classic outdoor amphitheater that will be used for group tours and tastings.

Now, how about the wine?

Incredible. I'm trying not to hyperbolize here. They celebrate their Cab, which was excellent, but the Shiraz was one of the deepest I've ever had, with an incredible finish. And wow -- I couldn't walk out of there without paying $50 for a bottle of Viognier! It was the biggest white wine I've ever tasted. We were given a private tasting of their reserves and private collection. Very fortunate.

For dinner we went to Cyrus restaurant in Healdsburg. The bill ran at $180 per person, and worth every cent. The finest restaurant meal I've ever had; three incredible courses (including a phenomenal duck confit), and I'm typically a steak and bread kind of guy.

In short, find time to go to Cyrus.

The next day was free, and we had lunch at the original Oakville Grocery:

It was a fantastic little picnic, and I wish I could take the store home with me. Another must-see if you go to the area.

Thanks to our friend Suzanne Hunt, whose parents own Hunt Country Vineyards in the Finger Lakes of NY, we were able to trade some Finger Lakes ice wine for a private tasting at Chateau St. Jean...

That's my wife in the middle and Suzanne on the right.

Turns out, they make a delicious Cinq Cepage (Wine Spectator World's Best New a few years back) and a nice reserve Chard. He's an artsy shot of me trying to look contemplative.

We finished the day with a trip to Auberge du Soleil. Excellent view...

...but the food was a tad overpriced and banal. No matter, we were sufficiently hammered, which had our friend Luke evaluating the nose of a mini-bottle of Heinz:

The waitress asked us what we wanted to toast to as she poured our wine, and Luke remarked that we should toast to not being thrown out of such a classy joint.

"You've broken through to high class," the waitress responded.

"Well, then let's toast to penetration," Luke responded. The look on her face was priceless.

All in all, a truly memorable trip, and Darioush has shot to the top of my wine demand list.

epdaws · #2 09-05-2006, 11:41 PM

Edit: Fixed the pics.

Kneel B4 Zod · #3 09-05-2006, 11:46 PM

when youn post, click on "Image" and then paste in the location

(the part that startrs http://)

epdaws · #4 09-05-2006, 11:48 PM

Edit: fixed. Thanks.

Lazy Meatball · #5 09-06-2006, 12:36 AM

nice pics, California culture boggles me.

El Diablo · #6 09-06-2006, 05:48 AM

ep,

Darioush is one of my favorite wineries. Unfortunately, I think their wines are overpriced since they are a very small producer who very quickly got a lot of good press. I've been getting their wine for years now and have yet to find one I didn't really enjoy.

I hope you visited Miner just down the street. Their Viognier is outstanding (as well as their Syrah, Petite Sirah, and everything else they produce).

daveymck · #7 09-06-2006, 06:26 AM

And the hot girl on the left was?

I am starting to try and get into wine, doing a few wine tours would be cool, unfortunatley for us Brits that generally means going to France or the wineries on Southern England that are seeming to be getting a decent reputation now.

May ask for OOT advice on getting my celler stocked up over the coming months, for the moment awaiting my first shipment from the Sunday Times wine club as a start.

epdaws · #8 09-06-2006, 08:33 AM

[ QUOTE ]
nice pics, California culture boggles me.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't disagree. In some ways CA seems like a different country entirely, but I enjoy the wine and food very much.

epdaws · #9 09-06-2006, 08:37 AM

[ QUOTE ]
ep,

Darioush is one of my favorite wineries. Unfortunately, I think their wines are overpriced since they are a very small producer who very quickly got a lot of good press. I've been getting their wine for years now and have yet to find one I didn't really enjoy.

[/ QUOTE ]

I haven't seen their wine sold here in upstate NY; for that matter, I've yet to see it sold outside the winery, though I'm sure it certainly is sold elsewhere. IME wine prices are always jacked up in the tasting rooms, so I'm curious what it sells for in stores/restaurants.

[ QUOTE ]
I hope you visited Miner just down the street. Their Viognier is outstanding (as well as their Syrah, Petite Sirah, and everything else they produce).

[/ QUOTE ]

We did not, unfortunately, but it is firmly planted on the list for our next visit, likely this winter or spring.

epdaws · #10 09-06-2006, 08:40 AM

[ QUOTE ]
And the hot girl on the left was?

[/ QUOTE ]

My friend's wife. They own a horse farm in Petaluma.

[ QUOTE ]
I am starting to try and get into wine, doing a few wine tours would be cool, unfortunatley for us Brits that generally means going to France or the wineries on Southern England that are seeming to be getting a decent reputation now.

May ask for OOT advice on getting my celler stocked up over the coming months, for the moment awaiting my first shipment from the Sunday Times wine club as a start.

[/ QUOTE ]

My advice on stocking your cellar is essentially this: taste a lot of wine, and buy what you like. Your taste will probably change, but don't feel pressured to buy high-priced wines or a style you don't like. There are plenty of excellent wines for $12 a bottle, and there are plenty of excellent wines that are not bone dry.

I should post a Finger Lakes wines trip report, as it's my home region and we're developing more quickly than people realize in wine quality up here.