Taking the windy road to Sonoma

Taking the windy road to Sonoma

Tim Dwight | The Grapevine | August 13, 2009

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"Looks like this little squiggly line here will get us over to Sonoma," say my friend says.

"Looks pretty small to me," I reply. "Are you sure that's a road and not just a fold in the map?"

For some reason, there's simply no way to get there from here. Going from a mid-point in the Napa Valley to a central location in the adjacent Sonoma Valley is neigh on impossible without having to drive nearly an hour north -- or south -- to skirt the Mayacamas range that severs the two.

Intrepid locals (and foolhardy greenhorns) can find a back-road path that wends its way connecting the Valleys, and that, of course, is where we've gotten a bit lost, apparently.

"This would be a great spot for one of those European-style train tunnels," laments my navigator. "We probably should have turned at that last gravel road." Back up, turn around, try again.

We should have expected no less when the few road signs are labeled, "grade," "divide" and -- worst of all -- "private drive."

But nevertheless, we've managed to succeed as we rumble down a final jungle-like hillside onto the floor of the Sonoma Valley. "Got to admit, that was one beautifully scenic drive," my friend says as we rumble down a final jungle-like hillside onto the floor of the Sonoma Valley.

In contrast to the compact elegance that is the Napa Valley, Sonoma seems random, rural and a bit disorganized. Grapes still represent a huge investment, agriculturally speaking, but Sonoma's farmers rely on growing many other crops as well. Apples, olives, citrus; it's not an uncommon sight to see them growing side by side with the grapevines.

Our next destination in the Dry Creek appellation of Sonoma is certainly no stranger to botanical opulence. The namesake and owner Don Carano made his fortune in the hotel and entertainment business in Reno, and he's spared no expense in creating a winery that can hold its own compared to anything back in Napa.

Dotting the hillside like something out of central casting is Carano's little piece of Tuscany. The views are spectacular. We're only a few minutes late for our appointment with Patrick Mukaida, Ferrari-Carano's director of hospitality.

After a brief inspection of some of the vineyards we tour the winery, cellars and finish in an opulent, underground tasting room. Patrick proves a convivial as well as knowledgeable guide, and he takes us through a tasting of the winery's basic line up of fume blanc, chardonnay, merlot and cabernet sauvignon, before continuing on to the reserves.

There are varietal bottlings of malbec, petite verdot, and cabernet franc along with several meritage-style blends. We've got the drill down pat now: swirl, sniff and swallow . . . make that spit for the last one.

The sun still is high in the cloudless sky above the valley, and we've got to find our way to the site of our next tasting: Jordan Vineyards.