Last weekend, along the northwest side of the Hopland-Ukiah corridor, high above Route 101, Pinot lovers made their way up a windy road up to Masut Winery for the debut of its 2010 Pinot Noir.
In general great Pinot Noir isn't found in this valley, but high up enough and with maritime influences, Pinot pioneers here are giving their rival Anderson Valley to the west reason to keep an eye on things. Masut's 2009 release got great reviews from prominent wine critics.
Masut, run by the younger generation from the Fetzer family, is only open to the public this one day of the year, serving pizza, snacks and wine while a live band played Spanish-influence music.
Uncle Jim Fetzer (who owns and runs Ceago) came along to celebrate the occasion as did many others, as you'll see in the photos.
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| Driving up the road to Masut's hilltop site |
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| You pass through a beautiful barn bridge |
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Reaching the winery at the top of the hill - the ridge top views are stunning (sorry, no photos).
It was cool in the shade of the barn. |
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| But the best views were from outside... |
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| Where magic happens! |
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| The Fetzer clan had a happening table! |
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| View from the party |
Inspired by the view and the wine, one could be singing Jesse Colin Young's old song,
Ridgetop, all the way home.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteWe attended the party and were absolutely thrilled to be included. The 2010 Masut Pinot Noir is exceptional, so we were off to a great start no matter what, but the live music, oven-baked pizzas, grilled sausages, great nibbles and laid back atmosphere put this release part over the top. Count us fans for life!