2007-08-17
Tasting Room of the Week:
CHARLES CREEK VINEYARD
by Millie Howie
If you were looking for one word to describe a visit to the Charles Creek Vineyard tasting room, that word would have to be “joyous.” It takes a certain lightness of spirit to dedicate a generous portion of admittedly limited floor space to the life-sized, golden cork cow known as Ms. Moo-Lot, and Bill and Gerry Brinton, proprietors of Charles Creek, have an abundance of the necessary joie de vivre.
Ms. Moo-Lot has been greeting visitors, who generally stop to give her a pat on the head, for the two-and-a-half years since the tiny, shiny room opened across the street from the duck pond in the historic Sonoma City Plaza at 483 First Street West. The bovine beauty’s nearly constant companions are tasting room hosts Alan Wastell and Randall Dunn who bring a delightful irreverence to their posts. Alan, for example needs no prompting to pick up one of a collection of fluffy owl puppets and put on a show. The owls are a pleasant reminder of Bill’s grandfather whose nickname for his wife was “owl.” Bill, in tender remembrance of his grandmother, has named the Charles Creek Cabernet Sauvignon La Sonrisa del Tecolate (The Smile of the Owl) because even though she was very sparing with her smiles, Bill feels certain she is smiling at the excellence of the wines from her little spot in heaven.
Randall enjoys explaining some of the other whimsical names of the award-winning blended wines crafted by Kerry Damskey, noted Sonoma County winemaker. The Charles Creek Chardonnay from the Carneros region Sangiacomo Vineyards is called “Las Patolitas” – a coined word formed by combining the names of Bill’s grandmother Patty and her best friend Lolita which translates to “little female ducks.” Other wines salute major moments in Gerry and Bill’s lives – such as the gold medal-winning blend of Cabernet and Merlot called Miradero, named after the family estate in Santa Barbara.
But no conversation about Charles Creek wines is complete without mention of the two La Bombas – one a Port-type Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend infused with chocolate, and the other with the added infusion of rich raspberries.
There is a tasting fee of $5 for sips of five wines, but the fee may be waived with the purchase of a bottle of wine. One corner of the small room serves as an olive oil tasting center.
The tasting room is appointed with the works of local artists throughout. Art shows change about every three months with an artist’s reception to celebrate each opening.
A good way to keep up with all the Charles Creek festivities is by joining the Wine Club Tecolote (meaning owl). Members receive regular wine shipments and the Tecolote Times Newsletter with recipes and detailed winemaker notes.
To learn more about the wines, club membership or the people behind the wines go to www.charlescreek.com or, best of all, join the joy at the tasting room, 483 First Street West, Sonoma, open daily 11 a.m. till 6 p.m.
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