BUI in Sonoma (Just Kidding) (Swan and Wind Gap)

Saturday was a lovely cool Spring day, so I drug my bicycle and my pudgy middle aged butt over to Sonoma County for my two core hobbies: Cycling and Wine.

After "enjoying" the housing/opiate crisis along Joe Rodata Trail (a bicycle trail/homeless camp between Sebastopol and Downtown Santa Rosa, I rode from Santa Rosa to River Road and discovered that JOSEPH SWAN CELLARS was open.

Unlike last time a couple of years ago, the lineup was all about elegance. The Catie's Corner Viognier was richer than some recent favorites, but the fruit was so beautiful I loved it. The Saralee Pinot Noir was light in color and brilliant in its elegant, pretty fruit. The Trenton Estate Pinot was darker in character, with more of a black cherry character but still lithe and low in alcohol. The surprise of the tasting was the 2012 Mancini Ranch Zinfandel. 12.9% abv. A lovely, light, lithe rendition of zinfandel-still had the brambly fruit but closer in character to the Broc or the Dashe Les Enfants Terribles bottlings than the standard blockbuster zin! A lovely wine, and a lovely, fun, low key tasting. My cycling clothes got covered with fur from the friendly dog brought in by a regular, but nice experience.

Wind Gap: The Trousseau Gris was again lovely. Round peach fruit with a savory, almost salty core. But what really stood out was the Chenin Blanc. I know some here wonder why Americans even make CB, but this wine had so many layers and layers of flavor. A stunning wine. The Grenache was OK. The Nellison Syrah (2015) may be the most tannic wine I have ever tasted from Pax. This baby needs years to soften. But, the Luna Matta (Paso) 2009 Nebbiolo was in a beautiful, beautiful place. I added one bottle to my shipment.

Ended the day with ice cream at Screaming Mimi's!

[David M. Bueker]

What? Tannin in a California wine? Heresy!

What? Tannin in a California wine? Heresy!

Have not really found his wines (especially under "Wind Gap") particularly tannic in the past. Which was the surprise...this was a mouth puckering Syrah.

My wife,son-in-law and I ran part of the trail the last time we were in Santa Rosa..no shortage of the homeless along the route.

I just received two bottles of the 2015 Nellessen Syrah from Wind Gap so thanks for the tasting note. The 2007 vintage Mancini Ranch Zinfandel from Joseph Swan was one of my favorite Zinfandels ever (along with some Ridge and Scherrer Old and Mature.)
My notes say the vines date from 1924. I should order some more Zin from Joseph Swan.

My wife,son-in-law and I ran part of the trail the last time we were in Santa Rosa..no shortage of the homeless along the route.

The problem is becoming more and more visible here in Northern California. The past couple of years especially. For so many reasons: Rent inflation and the lack of affordable housing, family dysfunction, the heavy rainfall flushing people out of their preferred hiding places (Mike in Sacramento could describe the absolute horror show the American River Trail and Sacramento Riverfront between downtown and Discovery Park has become), the lack of "easy*" jobs, and the seeming growing availability of opiates and meth, and the seeming prevalence of bad personal decision-making among a certain population.

A segment of the population can't "make it" in modern American society, and I am not sure there is an easy answer.

* Jobs that pay a living wage but don't require years of formal education. Aeroject is cutting another 1,300 jobs and basically closing shop in Sacramento. At one point they had 20,000 employees.

I just received two bottles of the 2015 Nellessen Syrah from Wind Gap so thanks for the tasting note. The 2007 vintage Mancini Ranch Zinfandel from Joseph Swan was one of my favorite Zinfandels ever (along with some Ridge and Scherrer Old and Mature.)
My notes say the vines date from 1924. I should order some more Zin from Joseph Swan.

I am very tannin tolerant, and this make me PUCKER. Wait a while!!!!

That's why your note is handy! I am not particularly tannin-tolerant so will wait!! Brian, was the Wind Gap tasting at The Barlow?

That's why your note is handy! I am not particularly tannin-tolerant so will wait!! Brian, was the Wind Gap tasting at The Barlow?

Yes. That is also there production facility. They have a very hip tasting bar.

Whereas most of Sebastopol requires you to be extremely earnest, wear tie die and sport a gray ponytail, The Barlow makes me feel old and unhip. Which is indeed the case. Love the wine, though. And there is a great coffee bar across the lane.

I know what you mean about Sebastopol. However, the Barlow makes me feel old and "Yet again!??"
I've seen very many "flash in the pan" developments in the last half a century or so.

My wife,son-in-law and I ran part of the trail the last time we were in Santa Rosa..no shortage of the homeless along the route.[/quote

.........* Jobs that pay a living wage but don't require years of formal education. Aeroject is cutting another 1,300 jobs and basically closing shop in Sacramento. At one point they had 20,000 employees.

Doesn't Aerojet make missiles? With our drone and bombing led foreign policy, it is a wonder why this place isn't booming (so to speak). Or has it all been outsourced to Mexico?

Doesn't Aerojet make missiles? With our drone and bombing led foreign policy, it is a wonder why this place isn't booming (so to speak). Or has it all been outsourced to Mexico?

Alabama...even white collar, somewhat techy Hunstville....is a lot cheaper than California.

Corporate consolidation, basically. It happens. And the lost souls camping along the American River Parkway were unlikely to have been Aerojet employees, anyway.

Robin: Sorry for the thread drift.

Holy cow!

y wife and I were at the Wind Gap tasting room Saturday evening. I enjoyed the Trousseau Gris as well and also a flight of three Syrahs. I think I appreciated the Grenache more than you did.

We also had a short 7-8 K run along the Santa Rosa creek (?) Sunday morning and noticed the homeless as well.

Holy cow!

y wife and I were at the Wind Gap tasting room Saturday evening. I enjoyed the Trousseau Gris as well and also a flight of three Syrahs. I think I appreciated the Grenache more than you did.

We also had a short 7-8 K run along the Santa Rosa creek (?) Sunday morning and noticed the homeless as well.

There was a race Saturday morning that probably paralleled your route.

Definitely more visible over the last two years. We are busily writing citations to grocery stores that allow the homeless to steal (and then abandon) the shopping carts.