Russian River Valley

Visiting wine country in California has spoiled me. There are 130 wineries with 30 grape varieties in Russian River Valley. Just below Healdsburg, the river flows down to the Pacific and the cool area along the coast allows the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes to thrive.

One of my favorite grapes is Pinot because of the berry flavor and the silky texture. Buying a bottle can be a bit of a gamble though depending on the region it's from. I like the ones from RRV and this grape grows exceptionally well here. Pinot's are all about the texture and that makes it special from the other reds. Mostly, reds focus on the flavor as they should but given the right growing conditions with foggy mornings and sun filled afternoons the pinot is outstanding. This balance of sun and fog keep the grape balanced in suppleness but only in the low lying flat areas of this valley. No other place, in my opinion, can really pull it off.

Time to squeeze the grapes Eric. The line begins behind Riley and I could use a sip of their luscious Chardonnay.

In addition to the Chard's and Pinot's, the aromatic Viognier is a cool grape that pairs with a spicy dish and I love the complexity of the wine. Also, I never tire of the old vines Zin with BBQ.

Meet Eric the winemaker. He loves this busy time of year and gave me a behind the scenes look of the crush.

Visiting the smaller family wineries I get the opportunity to spend more time with the winemaker and talk about what they learn from year to year and how that translates into changes for the mixing and fermentation process in the oak. Have you ever had a barrel tasting in progress? This is how they track and monitor the process of what's happening inside the barrel.

Someone is in need of a nap after the tasting.

I hope Riley knows how good he has it. No trip to wine country would be complete without a stop at Kokomo winery. It was a great day!