by Michelle J. Baker
The joint is really hoppin’ at Hop Kiln Winery on Westside Road in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley.
There’s a palpable excitement among both staff and visitors at Hop Kiln, where the onset of spring is bringing on the release of the second vintage of Hop Kiln’s HK Generations wines. HK Generations represents the best of Hop Kiln with two phenomenal wines, a 2006 Chardonnay and 2006 Pinot Noir, that will likely catapult the winery into the elite among producers of those two Burgundy varietals.
Those may be “fightin’ words” in Hop Kiln’s Russian River Valley neighborhood, where some of the finest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are grown and produced, but these wines are worthy. The Chardonnay is full, creamy and opulent, with incredible fruit supported by notes of toast and vanilla. The Pinot Noir is positively lush, with both black and red cherry fruit flavors with hints of flowers and spice. Both wines are small production and only available at the winery.
The HK Generations wines are part of Hop Kiln’s renaissance that began with an ownership change in 2004. Since then, the winery has added seasoned winemaker Erich Bradley. “Upscaling and excellence have been the unwavering focus of Vero Wine Group since day one,” according to Vero’s CEO David Di Loreto, who last year brought in the finest, state-of-the-art winery equipment to process grapes at the winery’s newly expanded crush facilities.
Currently, only about 50 acres of the Hop Kiln estate are planted, but eventually the total will be more than three times that, with
Di Loreto locked in on “realizing the full potential of this incredible real estate.” The new vineyard plantings will be “site-specific,” a term that refers to the rootstock and scions selections being perfectly matched to soil types. Leading the way of these new Russian River Valley vineyards is Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and, even a bit of Pinot Grigio.
In May, Hop Kiln will release its 2006 Estate Pinot Noir, which is a prime example of the estate’s potential. Bradley describes the wine as delicate and spicy, with extra complexity from the addition of five different Pinot Noir clones. Bradley didn’t have to do too much to make the wine special, he says, “because we’re in such a sweet spot from a climate perspective, I can just let the vineyard do its thing, let it express itself.”
With all that’s new at Hop Kiln, the things that keep Hop Kiln fans coming back for more remain the same. The winery building, a historic landmark that was a working hop kiln until the 1950s, still has all the historic touches, including the old conveyor belt that brought freshly harvested hops to the upper deck of the kiln. And, around the tasting room you can still see lots of evidence of history, including a wonderful photo exhibit of a hop harvest at the hop kiln in the early years.
Hop Kiln’s tasting room and marketplace is still a food lover’s paradise: on one table gourmet mustards, with pretzels to sample a taste; on another jams, then olive oils and marinades. The winery maintains it signature line of its own private label food products, including gourmet oils and pestos.
At the tasting bar, Hop Kiln still pours all of its old favorites, with bottles sporting a slick new look. The 2007 Thousand Flowers, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer and Muscat Canelli, is wonderfully fruity and floral, perfect to accompany an afternoon picnic in Hop Kiln’s shaded picnic grounds. If you prefer red with your picnic, try the Rushin’ River Red, a plush, rich blend of Syrah and Grenache, or the jammy, succulent 2006 Sonoma County Zinfandel.
Starting this month, the winery’s chef, Renzo Veronese, will make a monthly guest appearance in the tasting room with specially prepared treats paired with Hop Kiln wines.
Visit Hop Kiln Winery at 6050 Westside Road in Healdsburg. The tasting room and marketplace are open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily.
For more information visit the website at www.hopkilnwinery.com or call (707) 433-6491.

Related Information

• Hop Kiln Winery