When it comes to choosing which varietal from what appellation, consumers and winemakers alike can be guilty of defaulting to the obvious, easy choice. You know the lineup by now: Cabernet from Napa, Pinot from Anderson Valley, Chardonnay from Carneros, etc. In reality, however, that only scratches the surface of what our North Coast appellations have to offer.
Take Dry Creek Valley appellation, where the history of farming grapes dates back to the early French, Italian and Mexican settlers who first took notice of the potential the area had for growing fruitful vines. Most people today think one thing when they hear Dry Creek Valley - Zinfandel. And, with good reason; some of the world’s best Zinfandels are grown there. But Dry Creek Valley is more than Zinfandel, producing fine examples of 10 different varietals as noted by the Wine Growers of Dry Creek Valley, on their website (www.wdcv.com)
At this point you may be thinking, “Ok, but why does a winery in Napa Valley care?” At the risk of loosing our Napa Valley Cabernet membership, the reason is because Dry Creek Valley also produces outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon – in fact it is the most planted grape in Dry Creek Valley. This would be a great question for “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”! That’s right! Cab is the number one planted grape in Dry Creek.
In particular, the reason for this blog posting and why we here at August Briggs care so much about Dry Creek Valley is the Two Moon Vineyard. Nestled in the terrain atop McCray Ridge, it is a gorgeous, true mountain Cab vineyard. Peak elevation is close to 1700 ft, far above the valley floor where many of the Cab plantings lie. With its extreme elevation and thin mountain soils, this vineyard produces complexities that can only come from berries that have struggled for the chance to make great wine. We invite you and yours to come on down to the August Briggs’ tasting room. Once here, we will pour you a complimentary taste of the majestic ‘06 Dry Creek Two Moon Vineyard Cab. Don’t miss this one!
*Look out for our upcoming video blog, which will be shot on location at the Two Moon Vineyard