White Wines: Chill out, but not too much.
I had always learned that white wines should be chilled. Whenever I went to a restaurant I saw people sitting around with their chardonnay, sauvignon blanc or riesling tucked into buckets of ice. Of course there is the classic picture of tuxedo-clad cool guy, Cary Grant or George Clooney depending on your generation, suavely lifting a bottle of champagne from a silver, ice-filled bucket to pour the wine into a tulip-shaped glass while being adored by a doe-eyed beauty. So, I thought all white wines should be frosty.
When my interest in wine was in its late infancy I would purchase a bottle of white wine, usually a California chardonnay, and put it into the refrigerator. When my wife and I drank it the wine always disappointed. It seemed to be harsh, flavorless, and bitter. I remember one January, when friends were coming to dinner, I decided that the problem was that the bottle was not cold enough, so I took my three bottles of Kendall Jackson Reserve chardonnay and put them into a snow bank by the front porch thinking that the extra winter kick would yield a truly awesome experience. It was terrible… harsh and flavorless. The wine was so bad I thought that we had gotten defective bottles, inhabited by some level of antifreeze and better suited for the radiator of my car than my guests’ glasses. We grimly finished only two bottles.
I put the surviving bottle in the refrigerator thinking that it would be better suited for cooking than drinking. A week or two later we took the bottle out of this cold prison and decided to give it one last redemptive chance. For some reason my wife and I did not drink it immediately but waited about half an hour, perhaps longer before eating. To my surprise the wine burst with flavor. Epiphany!!! White wines do not have to be arctic-cold. We experimented that evening and discovered that cool, not cold was the answer.
I now understand that there is a distinct difference between ‘cool’ and ‘cold’. Most white wines taste best at a temperature around 58○ F. The typical refrigerator compartment is designed to operate at about 38○. I had mistakenly confused cool with cold. I had been drinking wine about twenty degrees colder than its optimal drinking temperature, hence the harsh tasteless slush I had given myself. I have learned that it is OK to chill the typical white wine in the refrigerator (about an hour) or to keep it in the refrigerator and remove it forty-five minutes before serving. This waiting time took the bottle to about the right temperature.
Of course, this does not work of all white wines. Champagne should be served cold, not chilled, and some sweeter, wines can survive being colder than its brethren and sisteren. If you have been disappointed in your white wine, check its temperature, the problem may be in the fact that it is chilling out too much. This is especially a problem in many restaurants where the white wines are kept in walk-in refrigerators, twenty degrees too cold, and then presented and served with an ice bucket. You can tell if this is the case if the wine comes to you beaded with condensation. It will be too cold. I have learned to hold the bottle in my hand. If it feels as if it kept company with the butter and carrots I know that it is probably much too cold. I let it sit at the table for a while, and send the accompanying ice bucket back to the kitchen.
So, with this apology in advance, here are some observations. From your note I assume that you are relatively new to wine and going on tours/tastings/visits. One of the first suggestions I have is to have a little notebook for jotting down observations of the wines you taste. Don’t limit your note taking to just winery visits. If you have local wines with your meals, take notes on them too. Be sure to note the wines you liked and disliked. I have frequently gotten a bottle of wine tasted it and then remembered that I did not like it based on a dismal experience with it months ago. Also, if you have a wine with a meal take a quick note of what you ate with the wine. A wine’s character changes dramatically depending on the food you pair it with.
A second suggestion is to have a general feeling of the types of wines you like. If you hate zinfandel, then don’t go to Ridge Vineyards. If you saw the movie Sideways and want to see what all of the fuss is about, then focus on the places where you can sample these elusive grapes.
I am a very visually oriented person so I suggest that get a decent map of the area. AAA or one of the road service folks have them. Sonoma is pretty spread out as you will see and the wineries are scattered all around the place.
On to your question. If I was going to Sonoma for the first time I would do the following.
As a starter you might also check out the Santa Rosa Convention and Visitor’s Bureau in Santa Rosa (http://www.visitsantarosa.com/). This used to be called the California Welcome Center, and some books still refer to it under this name. They have tons of information that could help you refine your choice of places to go. Another benefit of Santa Rosa is that it is relatively centrally located, and a good place to establish as a ‘home base’ if you plan to stay some time in the area.
For a second general tour/overview, try to visit the Benziger Family Winery in Glen Ellen (http://www.benziger.com/) . It has a great all-around tour designed especially for wines. They also have some pretty good wines to sip.
Here are some suggested wineries to visit. Pretty please keep in mind that I am still an advanced beginner and will suggest only those places whose wines I have tried. There are tons of wineries in Sonoma whose wines I have not had. If you go to a place where they have a wide variety of wines, as a general tasting suggestion, start with lighter wines first and then go on to the more robust ones.
Chateau Souverain. They make a wide variety of wines. The nice thing about them is that their inexpensive wines are quite good. http://www.souverain.com/
Chalk Hill . One of the first chardonnays I really liked came from Chalk Hill. It tends to be pricy. I have also tried their sauvignon blanc. They do make reds, but my experience has been with the whites http://www.chalkhill.com/
Iron Horse. These folks are best known for their champagne-style wine although they do have a wide selection of other wines. http://www.ironhorsevineyards.com/
Chateau St. Jean If you like powerful red wines, then try their Cinq Cepages made from five varieties of grapes. This is the kind of wine that needs to age for a while. They also make a nice fume blanc, If you are not familiar with the name this is sauvignon blanc. http://www.chateaustjean.com/stjean/index.jsp
Ridge Winery. Ridge is well known for its zinfandels. If you like a uniquely American wine, as I do, then try some of these. The nice thing about zinfandels is that they can be drunk relatively young. http://www.ridgewine.com/
Williams-Seleyem Winery These folks are best known for their pinot noir. I have tasted this once at a friends house and liked it. Since the wine is not available in Pennsylvania I have not had more than this history. http://www.williamsselyem.com/
Ravenswood Winery This is another winery known for its zinfandel…are you getting the picture that I like zin? http://www.ravenswood-wine.com/home.htm
Geyser Peak Winery While I have never been there I know that they have an awesome tasting room. These folks are known for their cabernet sauvignon and merlot wines. http://www.geyserpeakwinery.com/home.aspx
Peter Michael Winery These folks are well known for their chardonnay. For the most part you can only get their wines at restaurants, where I had some. If you want to purchase their wine you have to be on their mailing list. I think it would be easier to get a trip on the space shuttle. http://www.petermichaelwinery.com/
So, these are the places I would really try to see. Again, there are other well regarded wineries in the Sonoma area. If you want a good overview from people with more wine experience than I have here are some books you might check out.
Wine for Dummies by Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan IDG Books. This is the first starter book I got on wines that was not so pretentious that I felt intimidated. It covers wines around the world and has a lot of practical beginner information that other books assume we were born with.
The Essential Wine Book Oz Clarke, Simon & Shuster. This is also a very approachable book with more specific information about the wines. It is a bit more advanced, but very helpful.
So, I hope I gave you a starting point for your trip I would really like to hear from you and your trip. My wife and I plan to go to Sonoma in July and would like to know if you discovered any secrets…either suggestions for things to do or avoid.
Dr. Dennis
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