Battaglini Estate Winery

The Olivet Road section of Santa Rosa has become one of my favorite areas for wine tasting. There is so much diversity in a small strip of road. One could blink and miss a winery sign subtly marking a driveway. Such is the case with Battaglini Estate Winery. There amongst the houses and barns is a tasting room.

Battaglini Estate Winery Tasting Room

I was first introduced to Battaglini Estate Winery in February while attending Wine Road's barrel tasting event. This appointment only winery opened up the nearby wine production facilities to better accommodate the crowds of people that participate every year. I did not have the pleasure of meeting Giuseppe Battaglini, the owner and winemaker, that visit but I fell in love with his Zinfandel and later returned to share that love with some friends. We were greeted by Joe, as his friends refer to him, and promptly taken to the vineyards for a tour and history lesson.

Battaglini's historical vines date back to 1885 when Bartholomew Lagomarsino first planted Zinfandel and Petite Sirah however Joe did not make his first wine until 1994. Battaglini produces Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Rosato, and Chardonnay. All are high quality, low production wines.

I came home with a handful of bottles including the 2002 Reserve Chardonnay, a smooth and creamy wine with an apricot flavor. And we saved the 2003 Proprietor's Reserve Zinfandel for our anniversary. It is a jammy Zin with hints of pepper and it won Double Gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, Gold at the 2005 Sonoma County Harvest Fair, Bronze at the 2005 California State Fair, Double Gold at the 2005 Pittsburg Seafood Festival.

2002 Battaglini Reserve Chardonnay

2003 Battaglini Proprietor's Reserve Zinfandel

To find out more you can visit their website: www.battagliniwines.com.

Reverie Vineyard

Nestled in the hills of Calistoga, up Diamond Mountain Road where the cell signal can’t reach, is Reverie Vineyard and Winery. This thirty acre vineyard is an appointment only must-see and Norman Kiken, Reverie’s owner and winemaker, has been making his elegant Bordeaux-style wines for 22 years. All his grapes are estate grown and picked early so he can keep the alcohol levels low and “showcase the intense and unique mountain flavors”.

I had the pleasure of attending the Reverie Harvest Release Party, met Norman and his family, toured his amazing property and tasted several incredible wines. I will share with you my top 3.

Out tour started on the crush pad where we learned some Reverie history as we sipped the 2012 A.S. Kiken, names after Norman’s oldest son. This blend is made up of mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo, but also includes Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Grenache.

 

Our next stop on the self-guided tour was the wine cave tasting of Reverie’s Tempranillo. My second favorite wine of the day is a varietal that is predominantly grown in Spain’s Rioja region. This wine is lighter than a Cabernet and possesses elements of tobacco and spice.

 

In the Redwood grove I met my favorite wine of the day, the 2012 Cabernet Franc. Norman describes his Cab Franc as a feminine wine and I must agree. This fruity and soft wine put Norman on the map. A slightly older vintage of Reverie’s Cabernet Franc was recently selected as one of the Top 100 Wines in the World and it was the only Cabernet Franc-based wine to make the list.

If you want to learn more visit their website at www.ReverieWine.com. If you want to make an appointment to visit them give them a call at (707) 942-6800.