Some years back while visiting family in Redding, CA I had the pleasure of discovering and visiting a small family winery just outside of Redding, CA called Matson Vineyards.  I know, not a big surprise, me visiting another winery – right?  Yes, I love to visit wineries of California and I enjoy visit wineries of all sizes. However, the smaller family wineries hold a special place in my heart. Why? Because of the generally relaxed atmosphere, and at the same time a real energy and passion in the air.  You can sense it as you listen to the owner and often the winemaker as he tell his or her story or simply just getting a conversation rolling on why he, or she loves making wines. The winery I am referring to produces between 1,200 and 1,300 cases of wine each year. The main vineyard is 4.5 acres of vines with two additional locations not to far from the winery.

Let me introduce a genuinely nice GSM with a little “V” on the end.  The wine, Le Jardin Rouge – 2015 Capay Valley  This blend was produced by Moseley Family Cellars.

Capay Valley is a rural valley northwest of Sacramento in Yolo County California. This California AVA is about 102,400 acres region in size and borders Napa County, Lake County and Colusa County. Actual vineyards planted are about 25 acres. Some excellent fruit comes from this AVA and you will find a few wineries such as Cache Creek, Taber Ranch and Capay Valley Vineyards. This little AVA produces Tempranillo, Merlot, Viognier, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Mourvedre, Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese and Petite Verdot. Moseley Family Cellars has selected for this blend Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Viognier wine grapes. The blend is 55%/33%/10% and 2% respectively for their 2015 Le Jardin Rouge.  

The primary grape in this blend, Grenache (gruh·naash) is a dry, red wine that is typically full-bodied and interestingly light in both color and tannins. Grenache produces wines that are loaded with strawberry, cherry, blackberry, purple plum and in the richest examples, even cocoa, black tea or licorice. 

Next is Syrah and it often carry flavors of black cherry, black pepper, blackberry, plum, bell pepper, clove, licorice, espresso, and dark chocolate. 

Westbrook Wine Farm – 2007 Mariposa Count, Cabernet Sauvignon
Ingredients: Cabernet Sauvignon
Nose: earthy deep and rich
Taste: dark cherry for the fruit, hint of chocolate or mocha with just a hint or leather.
Character: Full flavored, fleshy and well-structured
Cellaring: good for a few more years if cellared but my last bottle will not last that long.
Alc. by Vol.: 14.5%
Personal note: While my favorite from this boutique winery is their Flagship wine, Fait Accompli, this wine has flavors of dark cherries, dark roses, chocolate, truffles, cedar, and Cabernet sauvignon fruit.
Tasting notes: smooth, well-balanced
Suggested pairing: Grilled ribeye steak

Westbrook Wine Farm is a vineyard and winery in the Sierra Nevada Foothills of eastern Madera County, California, near Bass Lake and Yosemite National Park. Westbrook’s mountain vineyards are planted to field blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Gros Verdot and Carmenere. The Krause’s, Ray and Tammy, practice sustainable farming and minimalist winemaking and make their wine in the traditional Claret style by co-fermenting grapes, rather than by making separate varietal wines and blending them. Their Flagship wine is their Fait Accompli includes six and our Museum, three of the eight red varieties permitted for use in Bordeaux or Meritage style wines.

Westbrook Wine Farm – 2004 Fait Accompli

Ingredients: California Boudreaux Blend – Field Blend

Nose: Wonderful bouquet that evolves as it waits for your enjoyment in the glass

Taste: I hope it is sufficient to say this is a California Boudreaux blend that will give some of the best French Chateau’s a run for their money.  Think of Chateau Pipeau, Lynch Bages and a few other wonderful French wines.

Character: Simply Wow. Glorious, superbly balanced and beautifully integrated fruit. Tannins soft and mellow. Wonderfully long finish.  Outstanding.  This vintage simply singings. Spectacular wine.  Well done.

                                 (Picture- Courtesy of Russian Ridge)

Today it is pretty clear that beverage to customer business is stacked incredibly so, to the really big wine, brew and spirit industries. Their dominance in the industry leaves little room for so many of those passionate with their dreams and desire to produce quality wines, beer and other spirits.  It can be a lot of work to scratch out a living doing what they love to do best.

Wineries and distilleries lovers that are affluent and savvy beverage lovers prefer the small boutique distilleries and wineries. Still it can be a challenge for the small producers to survive or thieve while carving out their quiet niche.  In addition, with so many hats to be worn, it can be a real challenge to retain members to wine clubs with the huge influence of the giant beverage organizations and their advertising budgets.  Some boutique and micro-breweries do very well, but many others just survive.  With that we have seen a growing number of associations banding together to extend their reach to the customer.  Most of us have participated with the associations via wine walks and passport arrangements that are scheduled during the year to get people into the tasting rooms of their member wineries or vineyards within the association. With the growing number of microbreweries similar efforts are underway as well.