Mendocino's Annual Wine Competition: Celebration BBQ This Friday

No wine region has more organic vineyards than Mendocino's Hopland/Ukiah/Sanel Valley/Potter Valley region. So Mendocino's annual wine competition is the most fertile competition for excellent wines from organic vineyards.

The 2013 competition, one of the oldest in the nation, takes place this Friday, August 2 and will be judged by an impressive list of wine experts including Adam Carmer, Ben Pearson, Dan Berger, Ellen Landis, Forrest Tancer, John Sverko, Laura Ness, Mark Bowery, Mike Dunne, Greg Richtarek, James Wasson, Rolf Thorson, Ziggy Eschliman, Tom Simoneau and Virginie Boone.

After the judging's completed, the public is invited to the Celebration BBQ which will be held at Scharffenberger Cellars in the town of Philo in Anderson Valley. Tickets are $45 per person and include wine and dinner.

The event will begin with a wine reception serving all of the wines submitted. Dinner will be prepared by The Zinful Chef, Sean Thomas. Tickets are available online - click here.

In Photos: McFadden Wine Club (and Public) Party

The 2013 McFadden Wine Club (and open to the public) Party was again a wonderful event at one of my favorite vineyards.  While the tasting room is open all the time, in Hopland, the vineyard is only open this one day of the year.

This was my second year attending - and this time I stuck around for the overnight camping followed by picnicking in the grass and swimming in the river (with a bunch of enthusiastic SF hipsters) on Sunday. 

What a great way to enjoy this beautiful spot - 200 acres of organic grapes. Many of McFadden's grapes go into famous fine wines - including Napa's. (For instance, the Chateau Montelena Riesling comes 100% from McFadden Vineyards.) But at such prices. If you want to find a way to indulge your organic hedonistic side while not breaking the bank, you can do no better than McFadden's:

Everyday White

• If you're looking for everyday wine, must trys include the 2011 Chardonnay (Double Gold winner in SF Chronicle Wine Competition) - currently $16 a bottle for wine club members. (The other Double Golds are way more than that.)

Dessert or Aperitif Wine

• For dessert or a sweet aperitif sipper, get your hands on their Late Harvest Riesling. (And be glad that there is still some left!)

Celebrate

• For bubbleheads, celebrate every day with Bruts - where else can you get local, organically grown top quality sparkling wine for $16-7 a bottle (wine club sale prices) or $25 list? (It ties with Roederer Estate in competitions). McFadden also now has a Reserve Brut, too.

Break your convenient-but-bad-voting-with-your-dollars addiction to TJ's and support great organic viticulture and vintners in California.

Join this wine club and consider it your "wine box" - like the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm box - only it's your wine farmer/maker.

And like McFadden on Facebook, Yelp and Trip Advisor to spread the news.

(And forgive the strange irregular white background in the photo display below - God only knows what Google's Blogger thinks it's doing.)

Tasting Room Manager and Wine Club Director John Cesano at the registration
table armed with a bunch of lottery goodies for the giveaway

The wine table...and when they say Welcome to the Farm, they mean it:
McFadden's really IS a farm complete with grass fed cattle, organic herbs, corn and other veggies.

A selection of McFadden's white wines
ranged from the original Pinot Gris to
their 2011 Chardonnay - which won
Double Gold at the SF Wine Competition

Fontaine McFadden, Guinnness' daughter, catered the
dinner. Fontaine runs StrongTableSF.com catering in SF,
a paleo food service serving 6 SF gyms.

Kelly McFarling and her band provided entertainment.

Proprietor (and New York native) Guinness McFadden celebrated his 75th birthday
in June; he's grown wine grapes organically here for 41 years,
settling in Potter Valley after returning from Vietnam.
To the crowd's delight, he blew his mess whistle to announce dinner.

Sipping the McFadden Brut before the main meal

Fontaine's spicy slaw

The 2011 Chardonnay

After dinner, dancing under the stars to the beat of DJ Hal Wagenet
(formerly in the band It's a Beautiful Day)
That's the Magruders (lady in the orange dress dancing with partner), who
raise grass fed beef and lamb, as well as a unique breed of pig
on their nearby 5,000 acre Potter Valley farm. You may see the Magruder
name on your next trip to Chez Panisse or Oliveto as they have long been a
staple supplier there and at Berkeley's Local Butcher Shop.

Here's what it's all about...

Elizabeth Spencer's Organically Grown Sauvignon Blanc Release Party - Saturday, June 29

Located in a charming brick building with a lovely courtyard for seated tastings, Elizabeth Spencer Wines will be hosting a release party with oysters, paella and its latest organically grown Sauvignon Blanc (sourced from Mendocino).

The action takes place 4-7 pm at the winery, just across from Rutherford Grill.

Tickets are $35 for wine club members and $55 for the general public.

2012 Crop Reports Say Organic Vineyards Up in Napa, Sonoma

Regions with the highest reputation for wine are increasingly becoming organic, according to crop reports from the Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties.

In Napa acreage for organic vineyards was up 500 acres, or 17%, putting total certified organic acreage at 9% of all county vineyards. The 2011 organic acreage was 3,536; that's now up to 4,032 in 2012.

In Sonoma acreage for organic vineyards increased from 678 acres in 2011 to 1,163 acres in 2012 - an increase of 58%. Sonoma's recent increase put it at about 2%, just under the statewide average (2.7%), with its 58,300 acres of vineyards.

In Mendocino, the Ag Commissioner's office reports 3,735 acres now, down from 2011's 3,994 acres. In 2011, 28% of vineyards were certified organic or biodynamic.

Preliminary figures from the state show that statewide organic vineyards were about 12,700 acres, give or take (I'm waiting for clarification on some numbers that seemed inconsistent to me), or about 2.7% of the state's 462,023 acres of wine grape vineyards.

Overall, Napa supplies 32% of the state's organic wine grapes, Mendocino 31% and Sonoma 9%. The three counties combined account for 72% of organic vineyards in California.

Lake County had more than 500 acres of organic wine grapes in 2012, according to the California Dept. of Agriculture.

Using the state's data, organic wine grapes accounted for $72 million of wine grape sales in 2012.

Book Your Hotel, Empty the Trunk! Mendocino's Passport Weekend - Oct. 20-21 - Best Budget Priced Organically Grown Wine Sale! (And Free Food)

The scene at McFadden's tasting room (peak moment)
at Passport last year. You can see it's a popular event -
visit yourself to find out why (- i.e. price, quality).

As I've mentioned before, Hopland's Passport weekend is, in my mind, the best tasting AND shopping trip of the year. It's held in the spring and in the fall, and has the highest percentage of any wine event in the state of organic and biodynamically grown wines.

In general, Napa wines contain as much as 100% Mendo grapes, often unattributed to Mendo (Chateau Montelena's Chardonnay and Riesling, for example) - but the growers in Mendo have begun to bottle their own - and sometimes very, very good - wines. Vinification varies so find what you like. BUT - the wines below are all GREAT. (Or I wouldn't have listed them.)

Best of all, Mendo prices are often in the $12-20 range, making them perfect for affordable drinking year round. You cannot find these wines in supermarkets (outside of Mendo, for the most part) with a few exceptions, so find what you like and hit the sales. Markdowns during Passport are 25% or up to 40% or more.

(The most dramatic bargain I've scored - and it was highly unusual -  was $100 for a case - of organically grown Zin at Cesar Toxqui.)

Naughty Boy Cellars, newly located in downtown Hopland, will be showing the fantastic wine documentary Mondovino (Wikipedia listing). Don't miss this. (Or stream it at home online while you relax with a glass of wine.)

I'm posting the link to my 2011 post about the event here.

PAM'S SUPER QUICK GUIDE

There are 16 wineries who participate, but most are not organic.

For those who just want the organic highlights and have only one day to spend there (it's only a two hour drive door to door from Oakland, for instance), hit these high points:

Hopland Passport organizer and McFadden tasting room
manager Jon Cesano pours at McFadden

1. DOWNTOWN HOPLAND

McFadden - Buy at least a case of the sparkling wine. (Join the wine club and just tell them what you want and when -  they are flexible and will work with you on your preferences - totally).

Naughty Boy - Has a new tasting room in Hopland next to McFadden. Get a case or two of their rose. (The pinot used to win awards. The Chardonnay is not organic.) Try the Pinot Noir...it's very affordable.

Cesar Toxqui Cellars - A very good option, this winery - as the name implies - is run by a Mexican-American vintner with great talent. Some options are organically grown. (Ask which ones). Famed for Zin, but their Pinot was also highly regarded by Hugh Johnson. See what's good this year. Usually has phenomenal sales.

Nearby: Terra Savia - A great place for Chardonnay lovers. Buy a case or two. Get some of their sparkling wine, too.

Rack and Riddle - get the sparkling wine tour and see where the McFadden and Terra Savia sparkers are made. (R&R will be marketing an organically sources wine under their own brand soon but I don't think it's out quite yet. Check at the winery.)

2. ROUTE 101 (NORTH OF HOPLAND)

Saracina - Visit the cool caves, find the wine you like best. Doing the Mexican thing with a street truck and Cinco de Mayo dancers. A beautiful spot. Prices a bit on the higher end but beautifully done. Consulting winemaker is the renowned David Ramey.

Jeriko - Wines aren't great but the BBQ might be the thing.

3. A MILE AWAY

Campovida is getting more organic. Go for a stroll in their spectacular garden, the former site of a famous vegetable garden that got everyone on the organic bandwagon in the 70s and gave rise to organic wine supermarket giant Bonterra nearby (not open to the public). Today the garden is a fantastic ornamental garden. (Taste, but their prices aren't great so I don't usually buy here.)

WHERE TO STAY

If you have enough budget to stay in a nice place, the Hopland Inn is no longer an option, but I recommend booking a place on AirBNB or HomeAway.com or reserving a spot at Vichy Springs Inn in Ukiah (about 10 minutes from Hopland).

Several organic wineries offer rentals as well including Terra Savia and Testa. (I wouldn't send you to one where there were pesticides). Here's a list of more options.

DETAILS

See the official site here. Don't miss the menus posted there - lots of great free food (for Passport participants).

Local eateries: Bluebird Cafe (folksy, big breakfasts, moose on the menu at lunch and dinner, and those pies) and Campovida's Pizza joint in downtown Hopland, a really great addition to the local scene, with both brews and wines and gourmet pizzas. Sit outside if it's warm enough and enjoy the fine views across the valley from the back of the patio.

If you're up for a gourmet meal and a drive, head over to Anderson Valley (45 min. plus) for a fine meal at the Boonville Inn, or head an easy 30 minutes south on 101 to Geyserville where you can sample the wares at the Italian beauty Di Avola, where they serve organically grown Chiarito wine (Nero d'Avola or Negra Amaro are the best); you may have to ask for the wines by name as they sometimes are not on the wine menu (but they definitely have it behind the counter).

[Though uncertified, Chiarito is making some of the best organically grown wine in the hot interior Mendo region, basing his varietal selection on what's climate-appropriate - southern Italian varietals.]

Check out SIP Mendocino, the local wine bar and wine store, in downtown Hopland to find bottles from wineries that aren't open during Passport including Patianna, Chiarito and others. Wine tastings may be available, on selected bottles. The wine merchant here is intimately acquainted with area organic offerings, so ask if you want help.

McFadden's Winning Wines

Correction: I inadvertently omitted McFadden's wines from the Mendocino Wine Competition list of winners by winery.

Here are the winning McFadden wines:


MCFADDEN
Double Gold: Brut (Sparkling)
Silver: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris (2011), Sauvignon Blanc (2009), Gewurztraminer (2009), Riesling (2010)
Bronze: Pinot Gris (2007)

The original post has been updated to include them.

Mendo Wine Winners: Listed By Varietal

REDS

Bordeaux Blend (2)
Bonterra's flagship wine over the new/old Testa, which has been growing for decades, but bottling under their own name only recently.
Double Gold
Bonterra McNab, 2006
Bronze
Testa, Black (blend with Cabernet)

Cabernet Sauvignon (4)
Gold
Paul Dolan, 2010
Bronze
Barra, 2009
Bonterra, 2010
Terra Savia, 2009

Carignane (2)
This is an impressive debut for Testa's Carignane.
Double Gold
Testa, 2010
Bronze
Frey (NSA), NV

Charbono (1)
An old Italian varietal showcased.
Double Gold
Testa, 2010

Italian Varietals (2)
Chiarito's dry farmed, organic vineyard produced high quality deep flavors.
Double Gold
Chiarito, 2009 Nero D'Avola (not certified but organic)
Silver
Chiarito, 2009 Negramoro

Malbec (1)
A boutique, small production of 100% Malbec.
Silver
Saracina, 2010

Merlot (1)
Bronze
Bonterra, 2010

Petite Sirah (1)
Silver
Chiarito, 2009

Pinot Noir (8)
A surprising "Gold" for Girasole.
Double Gold
Handley - Anderson Valley (Estate), 2009
Gold
Girasole, 2010
Silver
Barra, 2009
Bonterra, 2010
Paul Dolan - Filigreen, 2007
Paul Dolan - Potter Valley, 2009
Bronze
McFadden, 2007
Naughty Boy, 2009

Red Blends (3)
Silver
Paul Dolan, Deep Red, 2008 (Petit Sirah, Primativo, Syrah, Grenache)
Bronze
Bonterra, The Butler, 2007 (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre)
Testa, Black, 2009

Rose (4)
Yorkville Cellars' rose is on the sweet side; the others are relatively dry.
Gold
Testa (Carignane), 2011
Silver
Barra, 2011
Naughty Boy, 2011
Yorkville Cellars, 2011

Zinfandel (3)
It's surprising that Zins haven't done better in Mendo.
Silver
Bonterra, 2009
Patianna, 2009
Paul Dolan, 2010

WHITES

Chardonnay (7)
More surprises - Bonterra's takes the top spot; and McFadden takes a silver, as high as benchmark Chardonnay producer Handley.
Double Gold
Bonterra, 2010
Silver
Barra, 2010
Frey, 2010
Handley Cellars, 2010
McFadden, 2010
Bronze
Girasole, 2010
Paul Dolan, 2010

Gewurztraminer (1)
Silver
McFadden, 2009

Muscat (1)
Warning: This one's way too sweet for my taste. (Girasole's sister wine, Barra, has a muscat that is better.)
Silver
Girasole, 2011

Pinot Blanc (1)
A notable achievement.
Gold
Girasole, 2010

Pinot Gris (1) 
Silver
McFadden, 2011

Riesling (1)
Silver
McFadden, 2010

Sauvignon Blanc (6)
All three top winners are very different - you might enjoy a taste-off comparison tasting.
Gold
Patianna, 2010
Paul Dolan, 2011
Saracina, 2011
Silver
Bink, 2011
McFadden, 2009
Yorkville Cellars, 2011

Viognier (2)
The Bonterra is a personal favorite of mine - particularly in the summer.
Gold
Bonterra
Bronze
Campovida

Sparkling (2)
My favorite go to sparkling wine is the McFadden, of course. (I have never seen the Patianna for sale anywhere, but would like to try it.)
Double Gold
McFadden Brut (NV)
Silver
Patianna, 2008

Party Valley in Potter Valley: A Night to Remember

A farm tour through the "mooselike" Sauvignon Blanc vines, passing the grazing cattle, while majestic alleys of oaks beckoned, festooned with balloon like tents below for 50 of the more than 200 revelers at McFadden Wine Club's magnificent 4th wine club dinner.

The party was so everything Napa isn't any more. In Potter Valley, there IS sophistication and style - but without pretense. From the grilled Magruder pigs (the same pork Alice Waters cooks at Chez Panisse, but this time grilled by the farmer himself) to the glittering assortment of fashion from funk to glamour adorning both young and old, this party had it all.

There was the opening farm tour with grower/proprietor Guinness McFadden, a New Yorker who landed here after the Vietnam War 40 years ago, and started growing certified organic wayback then ("I was raising my kids here"). Guinness led a crowd of some 25+ tourers, showing off the solar power, water power, and human power behind McFadden's vineyards, wine, and organic herbs.

After show and tell at a number of farm machinery - some old, some new- the group strolled through the Sauvignon Blanc vines which Guinness described thusly: "These go to Diageo - they used them in their Sterling Organic brand," (alas, Sterling is ending their organic program), noting that these vines are "as big as a moose so we have to trim them back."

All around majestic oaks (mostly gone from Napa; their presence sadly recounted in Robin Grossinger's Napa Valley Historical Ecology Atlas) and beautiful mountains beckoned. Potter Valley is a paradise.

Until 2005, there wasn't even any Roundup applied to wine grapes out here (at least according to the California State Dept. of Pesticide Regulation).

The area is definitely "off the grid" for wine lovers - except for a very few days of the year when McFaddens opens its doors for this magic-and-dancing-under-the-stars event.

There really are no words to describe the sweet delight of the tour and the evening, so I'll hope these pictures can do the talking for the tour part of the program. I'll publish more photos in a separate post on the evening festivities.

Hay rides - YES!
How long has it been...

Guinness leads a tour

Where the farm and vineyard gets energy is a big part of the story
at McFaddens...solar panels, water power - it's ahead of the curve.

Guinness shows off an old water wheel.
Note the solar panels on the roof in the background.

The organic herbs and herb blends are part of the tour.
The herb business helps keep the workers busy year round.

Here you can see the solar panels again...

What's a farm tour without some dangerous machinery to gawk at?

The discer

The vineyard tour

Traipsing down the Sauvignon Blanc allee

These grapes used to go into Sterling's organic brand, but no more since
Diageo ended its organic line.   Why...? We know not.
Guinness found another buyer for more money within a day.

Getting to the party was half the fun.

If you find yourself drooling over the locale and the scenery, you can still make reservations and attend the upcoming Coro Mendocino dinner which will be held at McFaddens August 18. 

All the More Reason to Celebrate: Sparkling Wines Going Green

Terra Savia's Blanc de Blanc, $23

Tis the season to raise a glass of the bubbly, so I am rerunning this post (originally published in the spring of 2011).

Celebrating with a glass of "green champagne" is getting easier.

I counted up the number of producers offering organic bubbly this week and came up with 8 current vintages (with more on the way).

Mendocino, the greenest wine region, currently leads the pack with a total of six - count 'em - six CCOF certified "made with organic grapes" sparkling wines:

Sparkling Whites

1. 2006 Blanc de Blanc, Terra
Savia, organic, $23 (usually available at Whole Foods)
2. Brut, McFadden, $25

3. NV Brut, Paul Dolan, organic, $27.99
4. 2005 Brut, Jeriko Estate, organic, $38.95

Sparkling Rose's

5. 2005 Brut Rose, Jeriko Estate, organic, $48.95
6. 2006 Brut Rose, Handley Cellars, $40

Russian River and Napa

Other organic sparkling wines from California include:

1. Organic Brut, Korbel, organic,  $15 (Russian River)
2. 2007 Rose Cuvee de la Pompadour, Domaine Carneros, organic, $36 (Carneros)

Newer vintages from Domaine Carneros (starting with 2010) will be organic.

Mendo in a Day

Some people have fantasy football. Some people have fantasy tours - in the back of my mind, I am putting together trips to take in wine country that aren't just tasting room hops, but really tell a story. Here's my latest and greatest on what to see and do in the Hopland/Ukiah area if you have only one day.

This will be in my new iPhone app as well so you can actually get the directions, etc. and all the details as well.

OLD ITALY
1. Testa
See what an old Italian family vineyard and winery is like - it's all still there. The house, the barn, the dry farmed, head pruned vines. And wine! You can enjoy the Black, which just took a gold medal at the Mendocino Wine Competition.

JUG WINE HISTORY MEETS MODERN SUSTAINABILITY
2. Parducci
Italians ramped up to industrial strength production - the Gallos of their day - and after Prohibition, this place really took off. Its redwood tanks are a reminder of a bygone era. Today the newly reinvented brand is an early green leader in its price category (under $10) though its wines are not organic. The wetlands tour impresses.

A GREEN WINE LEADER
3. Paul Dolan
Partners in the Parducci facility, and located in the same tasting room, Paul Dolan wines are 100% organic and some are biodynamic. Dolan was involved in starting the Bonterra and Fetzer brands.

SANEL VALLEY SOPHISTICATE, WITH CAVES
4. Saracina
John Fetzer has one of Napa's top winemakers David Ramey onboard as consulting winemaker. The results are impressive - sophisticated wines that are served at no less than Gary Danko and French Laundry. The caves, newly built, are fun to tour and there's art in the mix, too. Sheep, olive trees, pomegranates - all those plus the caves and high quality wines make a stop here a must.

The Dating Game: Mendo Grape Growers Get Their Game On

The Mendocino Wine Grape Commission's 7th annual Growers Showcase moved up a notch this year with lunch and a trade show at the elegant Vintners Inn in Santa Rosa. "We're trying to make the event more appealing," Mendocino Winegrape and Wine Commission PR manager Mark Stern said.

More than two dozen growers showed up for the pre-game warmup - a marketing how to session with self-made marketing dynamo and vineyard manager Jennifer Thomson, who Tweets from her tractor (more on her story in a separate post) and a presentation from broker Fred Buonanno's on selling to home winemakers and the more than 3,000+ small U.S. wineries outside of California. (The presentation will be available on his broker web site).

Mark Stern, Senior Project Manager of PR and Events
(in green shirt) speaks at the luncheon

Over lunch, growers had a chance to mingle with buyers from Bonterra, Duckhorn, Constellation and other wineries. According to Kim Dennison, growers rep for Constellation, Constellation typically buys between 10,000 to 15,000 tons a year from Mendo growers.

More than 20 growers had exhibits in the showcase hall, with bulk wine available for tasting.

Roughly 70 percent of Mendocino County's wine grapes is crushed outside of the county. The average price per ton in 2010 was around $1,300.

About half of the growers at the showcase had organically grown grapes for sale. More than one third of California's organic wine grapes come from Mendocino.

Featured here are some of the organic growers from Mendo:

Saracina, Testa and Upton were some of the growers on hand for the showcase.

Anderson Valley broker Fred Buonanno samples wine from Upton Vineyards

Saracina winemaker Alex MacGregor (right) and friend

Ricetti Vineyard

Norma Gibson had the most visual booth

Bells Echo Vineyard had organic Petit Verdot and Merlot for sale

Rich Shaefers of Beckstoffer Vineyards

Rich Shaefers of Beckstoffer, the largest vineyard owner in the county said it had not found a price premium for growing organic grapes. "Andy Beckstoffer decided we should try growing some vineyards organically to see if we could adjust some of our conventional practices. It was a way to evaluate ourselves."

Beckstoffer owns about 3,000 acres of vineyards in Napa, Mendocino and Lake Counties with roughly 1,000 acres in each county. 

"We found that in some years, it is cheaper to farm organically, but in a bad year, it's riskier to reverse course if things get started in a bad direction," Shaefers said. "In organic farming, you have to get out there early and if something you don't want starts happening [insects, bugs], you can't just pull the trigger later on. You've got gamble. It's more risk. But the grape quality is there with organic. But we haven't found higher prices or demand for it recently."

In Mendocino, Beckstoffer grows mostly cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, and zinfandel, he said. "There is a price difference between counties, so if Mendocino chardonnay grapes sell for $1,000 a ton, Sonoma's go for maybe $1,300 and Napa's for $1,600 - but the quality of the grapes has little to do with the price." 

Shaefers, who also serves as the interim president of the MWWC, hopes one day to see a "Judgment of Paris" style blind tasting pitting wines from Mendocino grapes against those from higher priced neighboring counties.

Testa Vineyards Launches Second Organically Grown Wine - a Rose - Just in Time for Summer

Is it hot enough for you? All around the Bay Area temperatures have climbed sharply into the 80s, and a nice cold summer wine is definitely in season. Testa Vineyards' brand new Rose (of carignane), released this weekend at A Taste of Redwood Valley, is the perfect antidote to a heat wave.

The wine sells for $18 a bottle with a ten percent case discount.

The photo on the label is of Maria Testa Martinson's Aunt Rose,
now 95, who's lived to see the family vineyard and winery,
first started in 1912, restored to life by Maria.

Crisp, light and refreshing, the wine is the second organically grown wine from this heritage winery, part of a next gen Italian heritage renaissance in Mendocino County, that inlcudes Chiarito Vineyards in Talmage (which grows not only Zin but some rare southern Italian varietals - [its wines are practicing but not certified organic]) and Testa in Calpella.

(Nearby organic Barra has been in the winery business since the late 90s making popular varietals; bustling Graziano winery's Enotria brand [not organic] makes some Italian varietals not commonly grown in California including Arneis and Nebbiolo. But that's another story...)

But John Chiarito and Maria Testa Martinson represent a new generation of revivers - each with a passion for dry farmed, Italian heritage grapes.

Testa's rose is made from head-pruned, dry farmed carignane on the 25 acre property
(on the east side of 101 near the Calpella exit) (just south of Barra Vineyards.)

The original Testa Vineyards was started in 1912 - yes, 1912 - and continued to make wine right through Prohibition in the basement of the family house now next to Highway 101. "We had raids right down here in the basement," says Maria.

Maria Testa Martinson, of Testa Vineyards, in the original cellar

Maria grows the blending grapes for Testa's Black wine - black being the traditional, old timey name for a red wine among the Italian immigrants in the region - on the dry farmed estate property. Although it's named in a heritage way, Maria's Black is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, which she grows organically at her other vineyard a mile and a half down the road.

"My goal with the Black is to vary it year to year until we get just the right blend," she said. The most recent vintage - 2010 (her first legal crush) is made of 89% cabernet sauvignon, 8% carignane and 3% petite syrah.

Maria made some wine from Charbono grapes on the family property in 2004 for her aunt Rose's 90th birthday - and the response was positive. Seven years later, with the release of her first Rose, she's making her first wine made exclusively from the organically grown, old Italian varietals.

Hundreds of people stopped by over the weekend to try the wines and enjoy the old-timey atmosphere, music and great food at Testa during A Taste of Redwood Valley.

While other Italian vineyards (that still grow organically) dot the state - Madonna Estate in Carneros  and Barra in Calpella come to mind - if you want to see Italian grandmothers serving up polenta, and eat BBQ, drink wine, and see the Italian heritage culture in action, there was no better place than Testa's weekend fest.

Italian grandmothers dished it up at A Taste of Redwood Valley, with polenta, tomato sauce, and BBQ
Featured here is Maria's great auntie Lee Testa, a second generation Testa

A photo display of the family's winemaking heritage

Testa's Black wine harks back to the days when Italian red wine was called Black

Picturesque old farm equipment by the head pruned dry farmed vineyard

Chocolate - take your pick of brownies or truffles - and old timey music filled the barn

BBQ among the vines, Testa style

TOURING
You can tour Testa by appointment.

BUYING
Testa Vineyards wines are available at local stores in the Ukiah area as well as online. They also offer a Testa White (which is not organically sourced) in addition to the organically grown Black and Rose.