by Jo Diaz
With Blackstone Winery, I went looking for one thing, and found another… And, it wasn’t wine. William Blackstone, my seven times removed grandfather, was the Reverend William Blackstone who was sent to America by King James to preach the King James Version of the Bible. It was he who settled Boston, Massachusetts. I traveled to Blackstone Winery in Monterey County to dig around for connections to my roots.
The winery doesn’t tie back to my grandfather, but it does tie back to my moving to California and getting involved in the wine business. In the 1980s, I made a trip to California. The first winery I ever visited in Gonzales… in my life… was Monterey Vineyards. I was completely inspired by our tour guide Martha, and moved to Sonoma County, finding a public relations job in the wine business, so I could do what Martha had done. Meanwhile, Monterey Vineyards had sold their winery to Blackstone Winery. Returning there was a full-circle experience that I hadn’t realized would happen, not having connected all the dots.
What a revelation it was, and how wonderful to re-focus to the new and improved, and to taste the wines of Blackstone Winery, in such an oasis of a setting as the Salinas Valley location has become.
Blackstone Winery was founded in 1990, with the purpose of crafting wines that would prove to be flavorful, well-balanced, and food friendly. The philosophy back then, as it remains today, is to craft wines that delight the palate. Because of Blackstone’s commitment to consistently crafting delicious consumer-friendly wines emphasizing quality and value, their wines have become very popular, earning them many accolades and high scores.
Winemaker Gary Sitton knows that great wines begin in the vineyards as tiny berries, so he works in close partnership with his viticultural partners. This close relationship with those who are responsible for growing perfect fruit guarantees that Blackstone wines, from vine to glass, are everything that exemplifies the original Blackstone vision.
The Blackstone Winery Monterey County tasting room is located in the heart of Salinas Valley region. This area is part of the “ever-increasing in popularity” Central Coast Wine Country region. The second location is in Sonoma Valley, becoming part of a very historic wine grape-growing region that dates back to the Gold Rush era. It’s an informal and very friendly setting, where visitors can sample reserve wines at their outdoor tasting bar with a picnic lunch, weather permitting.
In August of 2007, the winery launched a new Sonoma Reserve tier, as a tribute to its home in historic Sonoma County. It’s a luxury tier that expresses the diversity and richness of Sonoma. It’s produced at Blackstone’s Kenwood winery and includes a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and a Bordeaux-style blend called “Rubic.” All of these reserve wines are sourced from vineyards found on hillsides, benchlands and the coastline of Sonoma County.
The Monterey County tasting room in Gonzales is an absolute delight. It not only has their award-winning wines, but it also has an amazing art gallery and gift shop with very eclectic items that are very “Wine Country.” Personally, it’s a pleasure to taste wine in a place that fosters the arts, while enjoying sips of flavorful wine.
The sitting area with comfortable leather furniture also has a coffee table littered with exquisite wine and cook books. The central retail area has paper-maché art objects, stoneware, candles and fine food items. This location also has an adjacent art gallery, which guarantees that those of us who enjoy a full sensory experience won’t be disappointed. As wine becomes more of a food item to be enjoyed daily in moderation, and less of a beverage revered only by an elite few, this setting fosters its integration into our daily lives.
As a sidebar: in order to enjoy the art gallery, you have to move away from the tasting room to find it, which I did by tasting and meandering. It’s not blatantly obvious that it exists; but upon discovery, your senses go into overload for a few minutes before you settle back into wandering.
Many people are familiar with Blackstone Merlot. Beyond this well-known cultivar, however, Blackstone not only produces other Bordeaux varieties like Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, but they also produce Burgundians (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) and Rhône varieties (Syrah and Petite Sirah). As if this weren’t enough to choose from, there’s still more for those off on a wine quest. Popular Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Zinfandel fans won’t be disappointed, nor will those looking for really hard to find wines: Malvasia Bianca, Dolcetto, Teroldego and Tannat are all on their tasting list for you to enjoy.
If you’re in ether the Central Coast or Sonoma County areas, Blackstone Winery locations will be a fun find.
In Sonoma Valley, they’re located at 8450 Sonoma Highway, Highway 12, in Kenwood; (707) 833-1999. At the Monterey location, you’ll find Blackstone 20 miles south of Salinas off Highway 101 at 850 South Alta Street in Gonzales; (831) 675-5341.