John’s dream has been to prove that Mendocino County has the ability to make world-class wines. When he built Saracina, which was named after a centuries-old farmhouse and vineyard in Tuscany where he and his wife Patty Rock spent their honeymoon in the late 1990s, he invested in the vineyard and winemaking to be able to compete with any of the wines produced in Sonoma and Napa counties. John describes their flagship wine, a Sauvignon Blanc, made by Alex MacGregor, as “a sommelier’s Sancerre style” and is happy that this and other Saracina wines are featured on the wine lists of the country’s top restaurants, including Boulevard and Jardiniere in San Francisco. Of course, you can also try their handcrafted, limited production Sauvignon Blanc, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Zinfandel at local restaurants as well. Look for them at: Patrona, Albion River Inn, Cafe Beaujolais, MacCallum House, Mendo Bistro, and the Stanford Inn by the Sea.

He envisions Saracina, which also has the first wine caves built in the county, as a farm rather than a corporate vineyard. “We’ve begun removing some vineyards to plant olive trees, making olive oil, planting wheat, and producing honey from our four million bees. We’d also plan to have more animals here, and make goat cheese and prosciutto to sell on the property,” he says.

Though wine lovers are welcome daily from 11-5 now, the new Saracina tasting room will be finished in the Spring, complete with a bee garden with flowering plants, bushes and herbs. “Our intention is to broaden the winery experience, make it more friendly and educational,” John says. He’s also very involved with sprucing up Hopland and is a part of a group of local business owners that plan to devote some time in 2012 to putting in benches and new banners. His advice to the next generation? “You need to work harder than ever and have that pioneering spirit to be successful here.”

by Jen Dalton on behalf of Mendocino Winegrape & Wine Commission

The Mendocino Grain Project is a local grain CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) project led by Doug Mosel. Recognizing that grain was a gap in the county’s food production efforts, a few years ago Doug decided to give it a try at a larger scale. He’d grown a few plots of grain in Anderson Valley previously, “I had a few years of experience under my belt, but I certainly didn’t have a depth of experience,” he says. With partnerships, he learns more about growing barely, oat, wheat, rye and lentils every year and has connected a community of grape growers along the way. His CSA is growing. In 2010, Doug sold 43 shares; in 2011 about 60. “hopefully in 2012 we can offer 100 grain shares,” he says. Contact Doug@mendocinograin.net for information.

As Tyler Nelson remembers it, their family farm got involved when their bookkeeper’s husband, John Gramke needed help harvesting a canola crop he planted on their ranch. Hearing that Doug had a combine and discovering that they were both Nebraska born farm boys, John called Doug asking for the possibility of bringing his John Deere combine to the Nelson’s to harvest. Doug did it in exchange for John’s help making adjustments and fine-tuning the threshing mechanism on the combine because John knew the machine well. Later they found a small plot mini-combine in Canada, brought it back and first used it in the vineyards at the Nelsons. The same combine was used to harvest the Frey’s grains.

Frey Vineyards, located out on Tomki Road in Redwood Valley is a likely place for local food and wine revolution and innovation. Known for award-winning organic and Biodynamic® wines made from grapes the large family has grown since the 1960s, the Freys are consistently on the cutting-edge and have the distinction of being the first organic vineyard in the U.S. This village unto itself hopes to one day sustain themselves entirely with their own flour (for pizzas, pastries, breads and bagels). Their own grain project began when they experimented with Sonora Wheat (ideal for pastries), oats and barley as winter cover crops to create the green manure used in their farming methods. According to Derek Dahlen, Frey Wine Vineyard Manager, they didn’t quite know what to do, didn’t have any equipment to harvest the grains or clean the seeds, or process the grains, but they gave it a try and do everything by hand the first year. The experiment was hard work but it went well so they increased planting the following season. In the fall of 2009, they joined four other growers (including the Nelsons and Doug) in purchasing and sharing the use of that Canadian combine that fit perfectly between their rows, to harvest the wheat.

Now after their second harvest of the grains, which was in July, the Frey’s own the original Canadian mini-combine, they’ve got their own seed cleaner and the original grinding stone from the old Moore’s Mill. They’ve just planted their third season of winter grains and have bags full of fresh flours that they will offer as a gift to their wine club members and use them to make excellent dough for their outdoor pizza oven and supply their family member and resident pastry chef with enough flour to feed their community for months. “Grapes will always be our main crop,” says Derek. “The grain is a side project.”

by Jen Dalton on behalf of Mendocino Winegrape & Wine Commission

Jason Welch is one such winemaker. He’s new to town and ready to up the ante at Barra of Mendocino’s 2.5 million gallon crush facility, Redwood Valley Cellars, where he’s also head winemaker for the family’s own estate grown, certified organic wine brands, BARRA of Mendocino and Girasole Vineyards.

“I like that Mendocino has a rugged appeal,” he says, “its family oriented and what wine country should be.”

As he carves his own way amidst Charlie Barra’s legacy, Jason’s winemaking style hinges on Mendocino County’s quality grapes. “Our Petite Syrah from Vichy Springs is killer. It’s the future of inland Mendocino County,” he says. “There’s a mineral quality here with an acid backbone that really speaks to a sense of place.” He hopes to incorporate more French oak and make Barra’s wines richer and riper than ever before.

Another maverick making an impact is Mark Beaman. Originally from Walla Walla, Washington, Mark first made wine as a Peace Corps volunteer in East Africa where he learned to make honey wine. It was there he learned that the three of his greatest passions, agriculture, science and art, can make a product that delivers premium quality.

Today he adds another love to the mix—music. As the head winemaker behind Wines that Rock produced at Mendocino Wine Company, Mark makes wine with music as his muse. “Mendocino might be the most rock and roll wine region,” he says. Wines that Rock is the brainchild of a rock management company. They wanted to make wines to reflect classic albums including The Police’s Synchronicity and The Grateful Dead’s Steal Your Face.

“This is purely a Mendocino County project. We’re only using Mendocino County grapes from local family farms that are certified in some way.” Mark has developed a winemaking technique that honors the musicians who also get to approve the wine before it’s sold. “I listen to the music, take notes of any sounds images, feelings I get; then I review band background information to define an attitude behind the wine. From the attitude, I create a list of adjectives that I match to a variety.” Wines that Rock are sold at concerts, special events, online and at Parducci Wine Cellars.

by Jen Dalton on behalf of Mendocino Winegrape & Wine Commission

Her 2009 Sauvignon Blanc won many accolades including a Gold Medal at both the 2011 Mendocino County Wine Competition and the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (2011), 93 Points from Wine Enthusiast Magazine and the celebratory ranking as the Number 5 wine of the Top 100 wines as chosen by Wine Enthusiast Magazine as well. We asked Patti to share her thoughts on her path to date.

How do you feel about being on the front cover of Wine Enthusiast?
Everyone at Patianna is honored. To be named number 5 in the top 100 wines of 2011 — out of 16,000 wines tasted — that’s a big deal!
And we are very proud of the recognition this brings to Mendocino County, home to world-class grapes and wines.

What did it take to get here?
Growing up in the wine business, I learned early on what it takes to succeed: lots of hard work and a first-class team. Our grape growing is rooted in the belief that exceptional quality in wine occurs when the land, the farmer and the winemaker operate in harmony.

In what way is your 2009 Sauvignon Blanc an expression of Mendocino County?
Our estate-grown wines are a pure expression of terroir, born in our certified organic vineyard located in Hopland. Our gravelly soil and climate influenced by proximity to the Russian River are ideal for growing Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Since Patianna’s first vintage in 2003, we’ve kept a consistent style, drawn from the qualities of the grapes.

What does the future hold for Patianna? What can we expect to see in 2012?
Patianna’s wines reflect progressive organic farming techniques, practices based on a broad knowledge of and deep respect for the cycles of nature. My father, Barney Fetzer, often said “Many footprints in the vineyard show that the vines are well-cared for.” At Patianna Organic Vineyards, the footprints belong to me, my husband Gregg Hileman, Winemaker Charlie Tolbert, Vineyard Foreman Horacio Ortega and his field crew, and abundant wildlife.

Patianna wines sell fast, especially the award-winning ones, so join her wine club if you’d like to get in on the next vintage. www. patianna.com

by Jen Dalton on behalf of Mendocino Winegrape & Wine Commission

Proprietor Jim Roberts originally built the building over 10 years ago as an office space for his design business. Eventually he wanted to try something different and offered the building for both sale and lease. Jeff Hansen, winemaker and “head cheese” of Lula Cellars saw the “For Lease” sign as he drove by one day. “I put on my brakes, met Jim and I knew it was the perfect place for our world sales headquarters,” Jeff says with a laugh. With Lula Cellars as an anchor tenant the vision for a shared space to highlight the work of small artisan producers solidified and three more businesses joined in the fun.

Berridge Wine Company
Richard Berridge, known for his career as a landscape architect, has been involved in the wine industry since 1976 and is one of the original founders of Duckhorn Wine Company. Berridge sources grapes for their Pinot Noirs from vineyards on the first ridgeline from the coast, three miles from the Pacific. Consistently one of the last vineyards harvested the wines from these grapes capture the cool climate with delicate floral and forest floor aromas.

Bink Wines
Winemaker Deb Schatzlein and Cindy Paulson first explored the Valley in 1995 and fell in love with the beauty and active farming community. With a dream to live off the land, they bought an old sheep farm in the Yorkville Highlands and planted their sustainably farmed Hawks Butte vineyard where Deb practices her belief that minimal intervention is the best way to showcase unique terroir and true grape character and quality. She now produces Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, a rosé blend (Luminex) and a red Bordeaux style blend (Melange). Deb can also be found practicing the ukulele in the wine shop. Women owned and operated, Bink also sells olive oils grown and produced by neighbor Kit Lee.

Drew Family Cellars
Winemaker Jason Drew and his wife Molly have worked since 2000 to continue Jason’s quest toward the ultimate expression of Mendocino’s far coastal Pinot Noir and Syrah. Jason brings over 20 years of vineyard farming and winemaking experience to their winery, and home, which sits atop a ridge three miles from the Pacific. Their approach is to return to handmade wines made in small lots using traditional methods like hand punch downs, native fermentations, gravity racking and minimal intervention.

Lula Cellars
Jeff brings over 20 years of intuitive winemaking experience to his handcrafted, limited production Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, dry Gewürztraminer and dry Rosé, all sourced from growers in the county. Jeff’s own 11-acre pinot noir vineyard sits high on a ridge in Comptche where it benefits from lingering fog and cooler weather resulting in a long growing season. When asked when he is happiest, Jeff grins and answers “every day, now that I’m living out my dream to make wine on the coast.”

Jim Robert’s store, Sun & Cricket, ties it all together and celebrates, as the sign out front reads, “fine rural living and the tools for the journey.” Here you’ll find an eclectic mix of furnishings to field bags, local salts to an assortment of domestic cheeses and great how-to and cookbooks. Jim also sells some of his preserves made from produce gardens on the property. Each shop also sells and supports art made by local woodworkers, painters, sculptures and jewelry makers.

“I see Jason driving barrels in his truck and Jeff shlepping boxes,” says Jim, “this is a place to support small producers who are putting their necks out into something they are passionate about, who live like farmers most of the year.” To that end these small producers pool resources, hire locals, share some costs, and do cooperative promotions, making it easier for them to succeed over time. “We’re all friends and play well together,” says Jeff. Jason agrees, “it’s fun to be a part of a mini-community, share in the experiences and create a mini-destination in the area,” he says.

Jim and the vintners host Weekender Celebrations that usually take place on the 3rd Saturday or Sunday of each month. The next event, a progressive wreath-making class which will move from each tasting room with a glass of wine in hand, is on Saturday, Dec 10. Intimate and cozy, plus dog friendly with free wi-fi, The Madrones is an inspired new addition. Look for Elder Series workshops in the Spring; the idea is to bring in talented individuals from the county to host seasonal workshops like: birding, field sketching, mushroom foraging, yoga, food preservation, gardening and more. You can sign up on the website, www.themadrones.com, to stay in the know.

by Jen Dalton on behalf of Mendocino Winegrape & Wine Commission

This portion of Taste of Mendocino will open the doors as a flavorful diversion on a Summer Monday night in the City and will offer a celebration of the rich diversity of the region.

We’re excited to announce the 2011 date for Taste of Mendocino – Monday June 13 at Ft. Mason Center, San Francisco, CA. There will be a Trade & Media tasting portion during the afternoon to bring a sampling of the area right to wine buyers, travelers, meeting planners, media and, of course, anyone wanting to learn more about the region, the event aims to educate and inspire visitors and wine enthusiasts to come up to one of California’s most beautiful, and not so remote, destinations.