As promised, today I’m going to blog about some of the exhibitors that Matt and I met with this past Saturday afternoon at the Boston Wine Expo, as well as some of the wines that we tasted along the way. Here at Wineries.net, our primary focus is U.S. wineries, wines, vineyards, and anything having to do with the American wine experience. So while various regions from around the world were represented at the Expo’s Grand Tasting (think Portugal, Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa, and France, just to name a few), we lingered around the U.S. appellations for the better part of the day.
I’ll admit that I was a little intimidated going into such a frenzied setting, especially with the hope of collecting constructive information and any usable video clips. I mean, these exhibitors would be serving bottles upon bottles of wine to thousands of people in just a few short hours. But somehow we succeeded (the video clips will posted in the near future), and what surprised me more than the hordes of people wielding complimentary Expo glasses—arms outstretched towards any idle bottle of wine, was how genuine the representatives from each of the featured wineries were. Anyone who was there understands that a trade show like the Boston Wine Expo doesn’t exactly accommodate effortless, relaxed conversations.
Maybe it’s just that we got lucky, but everyone we met with so gracious, sociable, and open to speaking with us that I’ve decided to split all of the details we gathered into two separate posts. The first post (or the lovely piece of writing that you’re reading right now) will feature wineries and vineyards based out of California, while the second post will highlight operations with a slightly different spin to them.
First up is Opolo Vineyards, an organization that is headquartered out of Paso Robles Wine Country in California. The majority of Opolo wines are estate grown, produced, and bottled, with their varietals ranging from big mountain Zinfandels to Merlot and Sangiovese. At Opolo, the emphasis is on reds. Matt and I met with one of Opolo’s co-founders, Rick Quinn, as he talked about the company’s current transition from being a small-quantity producer to a major player in the Paso Robles region. Based on Rick’s friendly demeanor and the food and wine events advertised on the company’s site (be sure to watch the Opolo Harvest Festival Video), Opolo Vineyards seems like a fun time, and definitely worth a visit if you are in the Paso Robles area.
Rick also discussed Opolo’s availability through Kappy’s Fine Wine and Liquor Stores in Massachusetts, and how the vendor has increased their visibility within the Northeast. As a returning exhibitor at the Boston Wine Expo, Opolo was showcasing seven of its wines on Saturday, including a blended red that we sampled called Rhapsody. It was 30% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Verdot, and 100% delicious. (I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself on that one.)
Next we have Paraiso Vineyards in Soledad, CA. As one of the first vineyards to break ground in the Santa Lucia Highlands, Paraiso played a crucial role in establishing Monterey County as a viable winegrowing region. Matt and I spoke with Dave Muret, the company’s marketing director, who came straight off a red-eye flight to pour at Saturday’s Expo session. Now that’s dedication. Because the Santa Lucia Mountains have a long, gentle growing season, Dave explained that it’s one of the best places to grow the finicky Pinot Noir grape. The Smith family founded Paraiso Vineyards in 1973 and has been growing Pinot Noir grapes for over thirty years. Dave took part in Sunday’s Pinot Noir seminar as well.
Paraiso Vineyards has remained family-owned and run since its inception, and the company now produces around 10,000 cases of wine a year under its own label. Another aspect of Paraiso that I found interesting it its focus on sustainable viticulture. While the vineyards aren’t certifiably organic, Dave explained that the growers there attempt to cultivate grapes in a safe fashion for future generations by using biodiverse systems and cover crops. While visiting with Paraiso, I sampled a Riesling and Matt tasted their Pinot Noir. We were happy campers all around.
The third exhibitor that I am going to discuss is Dry Creek Vineyard, an operation based out of Healdsburg, CA in Sonoma County. Dry Creek actually grows and sources fruit from multiple vineyards in (where else) the Dry Creek Valley, the Russian River Valley, and Clarksburg in the Sacramento Delta. As another family-owned operation that began in the 1970s, Dry Creek has been a labor of love for the Stare (and now Wallace) family. Matt and I met Dry Creek’s Regional Sales Manager, Matt McCormack, and Vice President Kim Stare Wallace at the Expo this past weekend, where Kim walked us through a sampling of Dry Creek’s wines and spoke a little about the winery itself.
I will readily admit that I lack experience in the range of wines that I’ve tried, being more partial to white wines in the past, but The Mariner could change all that. Described as a new interpretation of the classic Bordeaux style, The Mariner is Dry Creek’s latest Meritage blend, yielded from its 2004 vintage. It was already designated one of the “Top 10 Red Blends of the Year” in December of 2007 by Wine News Magazine, and it retails for $40 a bottle. Wine lingo and tasting notes aside, this wine was good. Matt sampled Dry Creek’s Chardonnay as well, and seemed more than pleased with the results. Other details about Dry Creek Vineyard that are worth noting: it’s an official wine of the SAG Awards; and Kim Stare Wallace launched her own blog just a few weeks ago, titled Wilma’s Wine World.
And last but not least, I’ll end this first post on Boston Wine Expo exhibitors with Lange Twins Winery and Vineyards. The winery is located in Acampo, CA, and the family’s farming extends across four counties in Northern California (including San Joaquin, Sacramento, Solano, and Yolo). The company began with twins Randall and Bradford Lange, and has grown to include their wives and children over the years. We met Marissa Lange at the Expo, who describes herself as a member of the second generation of Lange Twins and the fifth generation of Lange winegrowers born in Lodi, CA. Marissa is involved in Lange Twins’ sales, marketing, and winery operations, and she was pouring wines at the event alongside the winery’s sales manager Bill.
Even though the Lange Twins organization has been growing grapes since 1980, it wasn’t until 2005 that the family built a winery and began making wine under its own labels. They currently produce Lange Twins and Circles Edge Wines, and Marissa and Bill were pouring Lange Twins Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon on Saturday. We only met with Marissa for ten or fifteen minutes, but based on how responsive she was and how passionate she seemed about her family’s new venture, I can only assume that the family will be successful in their foray into winemaking. I know that Matt and I both wish them a lot of luck!
And that, I believe, is all I have for this post. While I was writing it, I started to consider why everyone we met at the Expo seemed so sincere and happy when we told them about our site and asked for more information regarding their organizations, and the only answer I can procure is that they’re doing what they love. A second group of exhibitors will be featured on Pressing Matters within the next couple of days, so be sure to check back soon. As always, here’s to a weekend full of wine...
Tags: Dry Creek Vineyard, Lange Twins Winery and Vineyards, Opolo Vineyards, Paraiso Vineyards
Kim on Friday, February 15th, 2008 in Special Events, Wine Tasting.
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