As winemakers, much of what keeps our motivation high and our creative instincts flowing are the opportunities and challenges to source tremendous new grape sources and craft wines, which accurately reflect the unique micro-regions from which they were grown. As a consumer, you often see such efforts with vineyard specific or vineyard designated wines.
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Some wine-lovers thrive on seeking out small wineries, with small production of very fine wines. So, here’s one for that list. The winery is Collier Falls Vineyards, located on West Dry Creek Road at the northern end of Dry Creek Valley near Healdsburg in Sonoma, California. Its winery carries the Dry Creek Valley appellation. The first Collier Falls wine, the 1997 Zinfandel (100% estate grapes) was released in spring, 1999. There were only 500 cases, so a good bit of it is already gone. Those who collect numbers will be impressed by the 90 points the wine was given by the Wine Spectator, and the two stars (out of a possible three) granted the wine by Connoisseur’s Guide.
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Until 1989 Jack and Anne Air had no idea where Sonoma County was. Both were born and raised on the east coast and had always been big city dwellers until they went to visit some friends in Kenwood in 1989. Jack took one look at his friend’s tractor and he pictured himself on the seat riding down a vineyard row.

The Airs’ first purchase was a 160-acre piece of property in Nuns Canyon, not far from the city of Sonoma. Anne and Jack moved onto the land in 1993 and with a lot of hard work transformed an old vineyard, dating from the 1940s, into what became the superb Nuns Canyon Vineyards with wineries clamoring for the grapes.
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Varietal:Merlot

Appellation:California, Sonoma

Style:Red

Price:$18

WOW Rating:90

Entering stage left is rich plum with a plume of fresh thyme in the hat. Flavors of complexly ripe fruit with, again, nice herbal nuance, then plum, blackberry, a hint of earthy dust, along with delicate floral hint of violets. This soft but assertive red will match a big steak, or any assertive red meat dish.
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In general terms there are 4 main factors that determine the style and quality of a wine, although several lesser ones also have some influence. Here I have dealt only with the most important constituents.

1. The Vineyard Location

In the Northern hemisphere many of the best sites face south or south-east. This is to achieve maximum exposure to the sun. The opposite, ie facing north or north-east, applies in the Southern hemisphere.
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The Civilized Traveler’s Guide
By Mildred Howie
Published by The Wine Appreciation Guild

For wine lovers intending to visit the Sonoma wine region this book is a must. Even widely experienced travelers, like this reviewer, will benefit greatly by investing a mere $12.95, for ‘Sonoma Wine Tour’ is not just another wine book but a lucid and comprehensive guide to much that Sonoma wine country has to offer. The publishers made an excellent choice in author, Millie Howie, who has virtually a lifetime’s experience of Sonoma and its wine community, garnered at the very time of the region’s rapid rise to fame.
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Not too many moons ago, those wishing to try Blackstone Winery wines would have to consult their maps and head for the tiny hamlet of Graton in western Sonoma County. Wine tasting premises were shared with a couple of other wineries, and while the building was quaint and beautifully restored, there was no winery to tour, or winemaker to meet.
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Viansa Winery & Marketplace
25200 Arnold Dr. (HWY 121)
Sonoma, CA 95476
Phone: 707-935-2710

Less than an hour north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge in Sonoma County you will find Viansa Winery & Italian Market Place perched up on a hill. The name Viansa stands for Vicki and Sam Sebastiani and the winery’s tagline is A Taste of Tuscany in Sonoma Valley.

This wonderful winery overlooking its own vineyards and wetlands (look for the Ducks Unlimited labeled bottles of Viansa Riserva Anatra Bianco and Rosso commemorating the Viansa Wetlands) that Viansa preserved has great character, beautiful grounds, excellent wine, and fantastic food outside at the Viansa Tuscan Grill. A perfect place for a wedding or a business meeting this is also the perfect place for just relaxing outside with you and yours.
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