Summer '07 Sonoma Wine Tasting Adventure
Our first client wine tasting adventure began on a foggy and cold San Francisco Saturday morning. We left Crissy Field by van at 9 am and by 10:15am we were in sunny and warm Sonoma.
Our first stop was the Robledo winery – the first winery to be owned and operated by a former migrant laborer. The entire family, 7 sons and 2 daughters, have a hand in running different aspects of the winery. Señor Robledo started off with the goal of having 10 acres of land for each child and now he has surpassed his goal and is working on the grandchildren. His is a success story of hard work and will which perfectly embodies the American Dream. Their wines are consistently excellent, from the crisp and fruity sauvignon blanc through to the full bodied but mellow and well rounded merlot (which was a huge hit). We tasted around what felt like the family dinner table. Almost every one of us bought wine at this winery.
We made a quick pit stop at a great little gourmet deli, coffee and pastry shop called the Fig Pantry for those who hadn't had a chance to drink their first cup of coffee before the vans started rolling!
Our next stop was the Barthlomew Park Winery. We tasted wines on their sun drenched patio then had an idyllic picnic lunch among the trees looking out at the vineyard. Truly a little slice of heaven.
After lunch we headed off to the Loxton winery where we met the owner-vintner Chris Loxton, who is as passionate about growing grapes as he is about making great wine — a combination we learned is rather rare. He told us about soil, fruit, growing conditions and hand sorting grapes. He then shared with us how he thinks about creating wine from the fruit. His wines are incredible, particularly the rosé, which was dry and tasted just like strawberry (not your mom's white zin!), his rich, rounded port and his deep and fruity syrah. Another popular stop, where most of us bought wine.
Our final stop was at the Ledson family winery which seemed to be the least favorite of the group. It was a showcase winery and a wedding was in full swing. They did have some very tasty cheese, along with the tasting however.
Pleasantly full with good company, wine and sun, we returned to the cool quiet of our city of fog in the late afternoon.
On a personal note, we are so grateful to have clients who we actually enjoy spending time with and who keep growing our real estate family by referring people who are just as nice as they are. Thank you all for being part of our community!
