Kickin' it in the Middle of Nowhere with Berryessa Gap Vineyards

Two day's after graduation, I nearly forgot that I had been given an invite to party with a new winery located in Winters, California. Rummaging through a pile of business cards, I found the contact info for Berryessa Gap. This quaint little winery is located in beautiful downtown Winters...the bustling hub of "not too much happens here" during winter, spring, summer or fall.

In an earlier post on this blog, I mentioned my familiarity with Winters. Nestled in between the Putah Creek on the south flowing east and west...sort of, Davis, California to the east and Lake Berryessa to the west, the town wreaks of hard working agricultural types who live quietly and work hard. Agriculture is the vocation of choice, and one would be surprised to discover that tucked deep into the hills heading north lie an abundance of vineyards that provide the fruit for some incredible wineries in this bucolic scenario.

The vineyards, like many in the just over the hill Napa Valley, are not easily seen from Interstate 505 north. In fact, they are NOT seen. The landscape is dotted with fruit orchards and miles of wonderful brown California nothingness. Occasionally, road kill becomes dominant on the highway. Considering that there is really nothing to look at on this stretch of road, it is easy to imagine that some love struck, depressed varmint could end it's life by laying in the path of an oncoming big rig.
But not to worry, there are plenty of foraging large toothed predators nearby to clean up the carnage.

Upon entering Winters, you make a right turn on Railroad Avenue and drive north about one and half miles until you get to a neighborhood that conceals the vineyards that are located due northwest. You then make another right turn on a road that leads to the grapevine Mecca! It is amazing how the landscape goes from somewhat subdivision Ala rural urban America to some of the most prolific well maintained vineyards in the state. The vines swayed in the breeze with so much life, that I could not help but to wonder how they grew so well. 

I stopped to admire how healthy and abundant they appeared. The leaves were lush and green. The beginnings of berries hung majestically from their host canes. The rows in between the vines were meticulously groomed. I could have walked among these vines all day, but food and drink beckoned me to continue the drive up the hill and to the event.

Okay, I'm a sucker for cute guys! Arriving at the event, I was met by the Berryessa Gap parking valet's. The skill at which these young men directed me to park against the vineyards was scientific to say the least. "Just put her right there up against that post," one of them said. "You have plenty of room!" I have no idea of what plenty of room means in this neck of the woods as I was within centimeters of crushing a vine!

Walking up another small hill...or small mountain as anyone out of shape would call it, I was met by my new friend, Megan Foley. "Stingers Up!" as we say at CSUS, Megan gave me a glass and insisted that I indulge in everything that was available. To tempt me, she had a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc chilling on ice.

Sauvignon Blanc

Megan Foley

 Never say that you do not like something until you try it and determine why you do not like whatever it is. However, Sauvignon Blanc, not a favorite! To be fair, and to be appreciative of Megan's generosity, a small taste of the wine was happily gulped to cool down my sun parched, after climbing that miniature mountain of hill, throat! The flavor was different. It was smooth, mildly fruity and did not have the grapefruity,  rip the flesh off your palate presentation that some Sauv Blancs are known for. It was good!

Moving on to the party, and sneaking a second taste from Margarita...she insisted, it was time to establish a place among the crowd gathering in the food line.
No need to elbow my way into position, everyone was polite and engaging.

Keep the glass full, and they will love you! And that, she did. Devon and Margarita were in rare form on this day. I really appreciated that Margarita had remembered me from a previous visit.  She also remembered that Durif was a favorite of mine. Little things like being acknowledged and remembered make the second time you visit a winery special. If done sincerely, it is easy to become a stalker of the winery...in a good way.

Gettin' our grub on! 

Come and get it! A good reason to never leave California...Mexican food! Who doesn't like carnitas? Who would not kill for good carnitas? Extreme, nope! Carnitas are the holy grail of real Mexican food! Santiago Moreno and Shannon Martinez out did themselves on the carnitas and fruit! Shrimp and pork, melt in your mouth, juice running down your arm and onto your shirt, splashing into your lap, good carnitas! You know the kind where the tortillas are so fresh that they sweat. Those kind.

As you can see, the tortillas were cooked on an outdoor flat iron grill.  When tortillas are slightly burnt, this adds a smoky flavor to whatever they are filled with. Pairing this flavor with Berryessa Gaps Durif wine...which will be ranted about in a minute, Elysium!

 While patiently waiting in line,  a member of the Martinez family walked among the gathering asking if anyone needed any wine while they waited for food. Awesome! Points for this gesture. As the line progressed, and we came within inches of the food, the surrounding scenery added to the experience. The area is lush with valley oaks, rambling hills and acres of vineyards. There was a tranquility that spoke to my spirit;  some say,  somewhere in my future, wine, vineyards and photography would come together.

The food servers...nearly all family members in some way to the Martinez's were friendly and generous. Everything was fresh and had a "homegrown" flavor. The Pico De Gallo was to die for, and the fruit salad was filled with a medley of melon's, grapes and pineapples. A combination of sweet and spicy food paired with awesome wine, can you say..."Stalk this winery!"

Several people in the food line talked about how the previous year's rain nearly ruined the event. Mother Nature had similar plans for this day. However, not to be outdone, the team had plenty of shelter for everyone to continue the party. This also gave us a chance to get to know one another.

Unlike other winery parties where at times, folks can get a bit out of hand, this event was so calm and peaceful. At no time did anyone express discomfort or from what was observed, feel out of place. Everyone was friendly and interested in what this blogger was going to write about. We huddled closely under the ample tents and shared our stories with one another. Where it was too tight to move, someone happily fetched another glass of wine or food when asked.

In between small cloud bursts, several people were taking advantage of the interesting patterns that the clouds were forming. Some could be heard saying that the clouds had unique anatomical shapes. Others attributed the wine to helping them see these unique patterns. In all, we had a good laugh and snapped some awesome images.

                                                                         

Raindrops on wine glasses

What is Durif?

Originally, Durif was a varietal conceived by Dr. Francois Durif in the 1870s. Dr. Durif was commissioned to create a varietal that was resistant to powdery mildew. By cloning the varietals...that's the type of grape, Syrah and Peloursin or Beclan, he developed a grape that was resistant to the powdery mildew, but had other issues that put it in disfavor with the wine making establishment. You can read more about this at:

www.cellarnotes.net

Durif Against the Sky!

Anyways, today, Durif is better known as true Petite Syrah! Unlike the leathery, smoky, tannin fruit bombs of the lower valley, this wine was unbelievably smooth and jammy.

If one could describe this wine in terms of feminine qualities, think "Queen Latifha!" Big legged, elegant. sassy, direct, voluptuous, firm and in control...wait a minute, that describes... regardless, this wine was the hit of the day. Owner Dan Martinez, you done good!

Dan Martinez, owner and vineyard guru. Dan spoke to me in between pouring and entertaining his guests. What I enjoyed more than anything was is humility and his ability to not take himself too seriously. He described the decision to plant on the southern face of the hill to better allow the fruit maximum exposure to the sun for an extended growing pattern as well as the brix at picking. What is all of this grape growing jargon you ask? Exactly. It is grape growing jargon that Dan shared abundantly. We talked about soil, pruning, irrigation, root stock, promulgation...that's a big word, and all things grape! It is not difficult to imagine sitting at the foot of a grape grower like a child listening to Dr. Seuss! Grape growing is a passion of mine, mainly because it is hard to kill a grapevine.

From the image to the right, you can see that there was plenty of wine to be consumed, and smiles were equally abundant. With the exception of one red...you'll have to read previous blogs to determine which is not a favorite, each wine complimented not only the menu, but the tastes of everyone in attendance.

The event provided the opportunity to meet some of the coolest people. Many were regulars who lived nearby, and others were from afar. All shared their love of this winery.

One group in particular provided the coupe de gras of the day. although there was an abundance of fruit, sometimes red wine needs a little bit of chocolate! OMG, how often do you meet someone who works for a chocolatier! Stick a fork in me, I'm done! Chocolate and Durif, orgasmic! The only thing missing was a mirrored ceiling and handcuffs.

Summation:

 Berryessa Gap Vineyards and winery gets three slaps upside the head and a bonus open handed slap on the butt for producing Durif and several other phenomenal wines. It was more than a pleasure to be a part of this day and to share in the abundance of their good fortune. This is a must visit location the next time you travel up Hwy.? in the middle of nowhere, U.S.A.

www.berryessagap.com

Until next time, Salute'.

Karen