Sonoma’s wine making region celebrated its annual Passport to Dry Creek Valley wine tasting event this past weekend. The annual event showcases over 50 wineries and over 150 vineyards of Dry Creek Valley, which is a fine way to get intimate with this appellation. Along with the special weekend events including live entertainment, outdoor cookouts, and fine foods are of course—the unique tastings.

Dry Creek Valley has intentionally stayed intimate to its special quality of winemaking history by continuing to be farmed by families from generation to generation. The valley proudly confesses it has eluded the trend of corporate consolidation. All but just a few of the 62 bonded wineries in Dry Creek Valley are family owned.

When you visit this appellation with its 139-year winemaking history, you will in most all cases taste four generations of a family tending to remarkable vineyards with the perspective gained from the humility of farming and from the rich zeal to improve each vintage. The Seghesio family first planted vineyards in 1895 and the Rafanelli family has been making estate-bottled Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot for four generations.

World class wines from the smaller volume producer and the generations of families perspective is also creating a continued influence in the Napa Valley, where commercialization and global consolidation has been more prevalent. The blend of the experiential wine barrel sampling complimented by the family winery tradition can be found at Dave Del Dotto Caves in St. Helena. If you desire the special quality of the smaller family winery that produces world class wines, Northern California’s wine making region has so much to experience.

Posted By: Ernie Basoco