HEALDSBURG, CA, August 2010 —The Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley™ and the new h2hotel in Healdsburg are offering aGreen Trail of Dry Creek Valley package for visitors who wish to explore the region’s certified organic and biodynamic wineries. Participating properties include Hawley Winery, Michel-Schlumberger, Montemaggiore, Preston of Dry Creek, Quivira Vineyards & Winery and Truett Hurst Winery. Beginning in September and available through December 2010, the visit begins upon check-in at the stylish h2hotel, a sustainable inn and little sister to Hotel Healdsburg, located just off the historic downtown square. Guests receive a two-night stay in a standard guest room; welcome bottle of Dry Creek Valley wine; picnic lunch for two from h2hotel spoonbar restaurant and bike loan for those who prefer two wheels to four.

“Dry Creek Valley has a deep history and tradition of diverse food production,” said Lou Preston, organic farmer and owner of Preston of Dry Creek, where he oversees a traditional polyculture with animals in the vineyard, vegetables, fruits and grain. “It is fitting that this valley has segued from prune purple to wine red to sustainable green. We want to be at the forefront of responsive and responsible farm systems, and welcome interaction and feedback from our visitors.”

Each of the participating wineries, along Dry Creek Valley’s meandering back country roads, will offer the Green Trail guests a complimentary wine tasting. Guests can also expect a lively discussion about how the winery became certified organic or biodynamic, how this affects the wine and why it is important to be green. At Michel-Schlumberger, organically farmed vineyards incorporate beehives, a beneficial insectary and wildlife sanctuary into the terroir. At Quivira, visitors experience a colorful 1-acre produce garden, a variety of farm animals and a Steelhead spawning stream, along with artisan wines. Truett-Hurst’s preserved creek side allows for sightings of Coho Salmon, Steelhead trout, otters and ducks. In addition, sheep, herbs, olives, beneficial insect habitat and heirloom fruits and vegetables can be enjoyed, all over a glass of Dry Creek Valley wine.

“The Green Trail further demonstrates our continued commitment to be conscientious land stewards of this bucolic valley,” said Cheryl Beeson, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley.™

The Green Trail package rates range from $460 midweek to $690 weekend for a standard room and is subject to availability. To book the package or learn more, visit http://www.h2hotel.com or call 877.342.2022.

Optional biodynamic spa add-on treatments are available at The Spa Hotel Healdsburg, http://www.hotelhealdsburg.com. The signature Meyer Lemon and Sage massage, facials or body treatments combine biodynamic and organically grown herbs and flowers with local ingredients.

Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley™

The Winegrowers of Dry Creek Valley™ (WDCV) is an association of more than 60 wineries and 150 growers, of which most are family-owned and multi-generational, located in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California. WDCV is dedicated to advancing the recognition, enhancement and preservation of Dry Creek Valley as a premium winegrowing region. Dry Creek Valley is known for its signature varietal Zinfandel and the pristine and unspoiled beauty of the valley. http://www.wdcv.com

Nose: Spices,white pepper, leather, and cherries with smoke on the finish. Quite fragrant and lovely.

Taste: Blackberries, black currant, leather, cassis, and a hint of cherry cordial. Really big and dense with notable, yet well-managed alcohol (14.5%). Rich with loads of rustic Pinotage flavors.

Food: This would be perfect with a grilled tenderloin with au gratin Yukon Gold potatoes or a creamy risotto. The tannins would be a perfect counter to the richness of the food.

A nice, big, delicious. wine from South Africa.

Bogle 2007 Old Vine Zinfandel is made in the current California style of red winemaking — which is to say big alcohol bombs. We’ve tried the wine a couple times now and it is consistently over the top in alcohol.

Nose: Cherries, alcohol, black berries, earth and menthol with a nice fruity finish,

Taste: Smokey black berries, earth, cherries, significant tannins and loads of alcohol. It has nice floral hints on the finish, but the alcohol overpowers everything in this wine.

Food: We’ve thrown a wide variety of food at this wine – from big cheddar cheese to pizza and pasta and the alcohol remains the wine’s dominant feature. There’s also a harshness to the finish.

We know the argument: it’s difficult to make a good Zin without a high alcohol level, which is pure bunk. California Zinfandel —  actually California red wines — used to have more subtly, complexity and style with well managed alcohol levels. But today the style is BIG — loads of fruit, loads of alcohol. There are still some California winemakers who take pride in producing well-crafted wines (see last week’s New York Times wine column), but most have turned into bomb makers.

We’ll be glad when this trend has run its course.

In the meantime, try any of Bogle’s other wines . . . you’ll be pleased with them.

Nose: Rich, dark berries, burnt wood, earth and a hint of menthol. “Like walking through a vineyard.”

Taste: Earthy cherries, barrel, smoke and nicely jammy. The alcohol is 14.7%, but you never get a sense of it — very well done. An absolute pleasure to drink.

Food: We first paired it with a big, salty white cheddar cheese. The wine was a perfect balance with the salt and all the flavors. The cheese brought out more of the grape flavor and smoothed out the finish even more. We also paired it with baked Cod with roasted vegetables, which was lovely.  This would be great with roast beef or pork or a nice grilled tenderloin steak.

This wine is a joy.

The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon is a big, balanced wine with a silky finish that pairs exceptionally well with food.

Nose: Really fruity with berries, cherries and hints of mint and white pepper on the finish. Big, almost meaty aromas.

Taste: Spicy dark berries with mocha on the finish and pronounced tannins. The finish is soft and velvety. The alcohol (13.7%) is a bit harsh at the beginning, but it settles down, especially with food.

Food: We paired this first with Beecher’s goat white cheddar cheese, which was perfect. The alcohol disappears and the tannins balance the richness of the cheese. You get bigger cherry flavors and the finish becomes even softer. Beautiful.

We also paired it with Field Roast vegan Classic Meatloaf with vegetable risotto — also a excellent combination. Again, the tannins really balance the richness of the food.

The winery suggests pairing this with a ”tender cut of beef”  – a great idea.

This is a great wine, especially at the price.

Primaterra Primitivo is big and rustic with 13.5% alcohol that can feel more like 16% at times.

Nose: Big, lush floral aromas with lots of rich currents and a hint of confectioner’s sugar. It’s a mouthwatering combination that adds earth and oily leather hints as it is open more. Really great.

Taste: Currents, smoke, earth — as big as you can get. Great character and complexity. However, within 10 minutes the alcohol really kicks in and you feel it in your stomach. Not a great sipping wine once it’s open a while.

Food: We paired it with a wonderful goat cheese cheddar from Beecher’s and it made a huge difference. The alcohol settled down and the finish smoothed out. It was a nice, rich complement .

We set the wine aside to try again the next day with some other food. This is definitely a wine that deserves a second chance.

Nose: Light, wonderful aromas of cherries, mineral, and grape with liqueur hints on the finish.

Taste: Earthy cherries with hints of cocoa after it’s been open for a while. A jammy mouthful of flavors, but not at all heavy. Nice complexities and weight.

Food: We tried it with some Vermont white cheddar, which really soften the finish. Delicious wine. The winery recommends pairing with Portobello mushroom burgers, grilled tuna, braised lamb shanks, aged jack cheese.

This is an excellent wine and like all the other Middle Sisters wines we’ve tried it was fun to drink.

The Winery of the Year is selected by the editors of Wine Press Northwest and is based on a set of criteria, including longevity, quality, reputation, industry involvement, facilities and other considerations. A winery may win the award only once.

From Wine Press Northwest: “Chelan has been an inspiring place for me,” said Larry Lehmbecker, owner and winemaker for Vin du Lac. “For a lot of people, Chelan is special, and I’m one of those people. I just had to be here, so I looked for property for a decade. It’s possible some other place might have had that impact on me, but this was meant to be my place.”

Nose: Cherries, plums, mocha/cocoa and a little white pepper.

Taste: Soft plums with mocha on the finish. You really get a sense of the Cabernet Franc, which adds some great character. A hearty mouthful.

Food: This is a great wine for comfort food: hamburgers, pepperoni pizza, macaroni and cheese, chocolate dessert. Our pairing (which was unplanned) didn’t do the wine justice — a Thai-influenced noodle and broccoli stir fry with peanut sauce. The wine was fine, but the food took away some of its flavor and punch. (A good Viognier would have worked).

Great wine, great price.

For the fifth year in a row, Barnard Griffin’s Rosé of Sangiovese won gold.

This is one of our favorite rosé. It’s light and refreshing with beautiful strawberry flavors, yet has nice complexity, too. This is one to buy by the case.