October 19th Dry Creek Valley, California

Dry Creek Valley is an American Viticultural Area located in Sonoma County, CA, where it lies at the base of Lake Sonoma. Running northwest to southeast, it nearly parallels Alexander Valley. A thriving and busy viticultural zone with good tourism infrastructure, it sits just west of the classic California town of Geyserville and Healdsburg. With its charming square surrounded by excellent restaurants, retail shops, the superb Hotel Healdsburg with its modern rooms in a renovated historic structure, and abundant culture, Healdsburg is what it is today because of the nearby wine industry. Geyserville to the north, with a population less than 2000, also features fine restaurants and lodgings, and is a good choice also for visiting Alexander Valley, which will shortly appear in this column.

What makes Dry Creek Valley work as a wine-growing area? For one thing, morning fog from the Pacific Ocean a mere 20 miles west cools down temperatures. Dry Creek, classified as a Region II, is both warmer and wetter in the north than, say, Russian River Valley to the south, while the south part of Dry Creek Valley is cooler, allowing a diverse varietal profile.

For another, the valley's diverse stone-rich soils are ideal for developing fruit and flavor. Stream bottoms offer gravelly, sandy loams, while the gravelly clay loam on benches and hills are great for red varieties.

What grapes do well here? The red soils found on the hills and bench lands of the north part of the valley get earmarked for Dry Creek's signature grape, Zinfandel, and Sauvignon Blanc, reasonably thought of as the valley's signature white. Toward the south part of the valley, Chardonnay and Riesling come into their own. And excellent Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Blanc and Merlot also are prominent. In fact, today Cabernet Sauvignon for reds and Chardonnay for whites outdistance other varietals in terms of number of acres planted. Strongly agricultural and rural, without the glitz and glamour of Napa Valley. Dry Creek Valley is home to a lot of fruit growing, from stone fruits to kiwi.

Dry Creek Valley's viticultural history is a long and colorful one. Compared with other parts of California, Dry Creek has a somewhat different beginning. Whereas most California wine growing began in Italian hands, Dry Creek Valley's viticultural pioneers were French immigrants, arriving in 1870. Georges Bloch established the first vineyard in then teamed up with compatriot Alex Colson to set up the valley's first winery.

In the early 20th century, Italians followed, planting Petit Sirah, Zinfandel and Carignane (which they often pronounced "karih-gun-ANN"), a great combination for the robust wines they favored. Phylloxera and Prohibition combined to deliver a deathblow to the valley's viticulture, but two survived: J. Pedroncelli and Frei Brothers. Gallo of Sonoma produces wines from Frei Brothers fruit.

After Prohibition, the valley's agriculture turned basically to hogs, pears and prunes. The Depression wasn't kind to economic fortunes, but the corner would be turned 40 years later. Pioneers in this restoration included Dry Creek Vineyard, founded in 1972; Mill Creek Vineyards and A. Rafanelli Winery, both established in 1974; Preston Vineyards, Lambert Bridge and Lytton Springs Winery, members of the "class" of 1975.

Then in 1983, Dry Creek Valley was declared an AVA, and the next chapter was ready to be written. Those years saw an energetic development of viticulture. One of California's earliest actor-vintners, famed tv attorney sleuth Raymond Burr, a/k/a Perry Mason, launched his vineyard in that time frame. With his longtime partner Robert Benevides, Burr planted the operation's first vines in 1986. The winery, which had been shipping to Georgia under the state's special shipping license program, now has a distributor in Georgia (Bacco Fine Wine).

Most of the most prominent producers have distribution in Georgia, but some of the smaller ones have yet to find distributors. So when visiting the valley, be sure to check out these excellent small producers, such as Montemaggiore Winery. Its founders, Lise (winemaker) and Vincent (viticulturalist/organic farmer) Ciolino, settled in the valley in 2001 and planted 10 hillside acres of grapes and eight hundred olive trees, continuing the Italian tradition in Dry Creek. With total production at just 2000 cases, it's tough to find a distributor, but a whole lot easier to keep a handle on quality.

Finally, stepping out as its own AVA--Rockpile, long considered part of Dry Creek Valley, lies north of Lake Sonoma and south of Mendocino Ridge. Declared an AVA in 2002, Rockpile is known for hefty reds, especially Zinfandel and Petit Sirah, but also produces lush Cabernet Sauvignon. Rockpile Cabs tend to exhibit a luscious fruit character, and lack the green pepper character so often found in DCV Cabernet.

Today, Dry Creek Valley's more than 9,000 planted acres of vines. The trade association membership includes 52 wineries, and more than 140 growers who constitute the crux of the economy in this region, the engine driving its tourism as well as its agriculture. If you can't take a week or so to explore the valley personally, take a taste of these selections to savor what it's all about.


Jane Garvey

Food Pairings: Mousse of smoked salmon or crab and red pepper; grilled scallops with French tartar sauce or honey mustard; crackers with taramosalata; grilled garlic shrimp; baked flounder stuffed with crab meat, crab cakes, Asian seafood or chicken dishes (but not too hot), (e.g., mild curried chicken salad); roast chicken or Cornish hen with classic bread stuffing, roast pork loin with pear chutney or relish. Winery suggests oysters or Thai food.

Price: $22
Wholesaler: Quality Wine & Spirits

Food Pairings: White asparagus either plain or with homemade mayonnaise; pasta tossed with lemon/caper/parsley pesto; grilled shrimp with the same pesto or French-style tartar sauce; taramosalata and crackers; cocktail potatoes stuffed with fresh herbs, oysters Rockefeller; goat cheese with green olives and herbs (yum!); smoked salmon mousse; chciken baked with olives, lemon, whjole garlic and caramelized onions; garlic and yogurt cheese, chicken or shrimp salad with tarragon

Price: $23
Wholesaler: Atlanta Wholesale Wine/NDC

Food Pairings: Smoked salmon mousse (yum!), cocktail-size chicken croquettes; mild fish (flounder or sole) baked with gralic and butter, crab cakes or crab legs, pasta with lemon/caper/parsley pesto (just a notch better with this one); white asparagus plain or with homemade mayonnaise; taramosalata and crackers; crisp fried oyster on a simply parsley salad (a la Re-Past); mild curried dishes such as curried chicken salad, creamy pasta with slivered sweet red and green bell peppers (really lovely!). Winery suggests clementine (a seeldess Spanish tangerine) and endive salad- oystersm Asian food (certainly not very hot fare), and cheese-and-prosciutto-wrapped grilled asparagus.

Price: $16
Wholesaler: Empire Distributing

Food Pairings: Cacciatorino and similar dried cured well-seasoned salamis; grilled or smoked sausages; smoked beef brisket; eggplant with tomato; chicken or rabbit cacciatore, barbecue; pasta with Bolognese sauce or with chicken and a spicy Cajun cream sauce; picadillo; mild chili; coq au Zinfandel (coq au vin made with Zinfandel), Mongolian beef (with sesame oil and ginger). Winery suggests: Grilled red meats, cioppino, blackened fish with Cajun flavorings, hearty winter dishes, stews, meat braises, cassoulet (but other hefty bean dishes should work, too), and for seasonings: pepper, nutmeg, oregano, sage, bay leaf.

Price: $26
Wholesaler: Georgia Crown

Fritz Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Score: 88 Points

Tasting Notes: Full-bodied dry red wine; nearly opaque purple red. Aromas focus on black fruits--black currant; blackberry--with a notch of tobacco; on the palate, firm black fruit flavors are framed by gentle tannins. Very long finish, but just a bit of heat. Prominent fruit; oak not a big player. Cool room temperature is best to temper alcohol, and serve in large-bowled tall glasses. Fruit comes from both sunny eastern slopes and shaded western slopes, melding interesting characters.

Food Pairings: Creamy mild pâtés, grilled meats, including steak with Béarnaise sauce; prime rib; roast duck; leg of lamb; smoked pork loin, meat pies and stews; legume dishes with mild seasoning; ok with firm aged cheeses

Price: $30
Wholesaler: Empire Distributing

Martin Family Vineyards Rockpile Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Score: 93 Points

Tasting Notes: Full-bodied dry red wine; inky deep purple red. Aromas of fresh dark fruits, with blackberry and black currant dominating. Integrated easy tannins support dark fruit flavors. Think chocolate-covered dark cherries. Good acidity pushes a long finish. Tiny bit of brown spice in the finish. Exquisitely balanced. Touches of oak are subtle, not overwhelming. Chairman's Gold Medal at the 2006 Riverside International Wine Competition. Cool room temperature (65 degrees) in tapered large-bowled glasses. .Martin is located in Dry Creek Valley, and this is its first Rockpile Cabernet Sauvignon.

Food Pairings: Creamy-textured pâtés; pasta with meat and tomato sauce; creamy slightly spicy pastas, eggplant with tomato; smoked pork with mild barbecue sauce; prime rib; game (both dark meat feathered and furred); lamb stews with a slight touch of curry; garlic-studded beef dishes; mild creamy cheeses (brie de Meaux especially); roast duck or dark meat chicken/turkey

Price: $45
Wholesaler: Atlanta Wholesale Wine/NDC