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DeLoach Vineyards Review

DeLoach Vineyards Review

Address: 1791 Olivet Rd. Santa Rosa,California 95401.
Phone Number: 707-526-9111
Tasting Hours: 10:00-5:00

Region: Sonoma Coast AVA, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley AVA, California
Reviewer: Denise Gangnes
Review Date: 3/10/2012
Reviewer: Denise Gangnes
Rating: 5

The Review

If you “follow the Olivet Road” you can spend an entire weekend visiting wineries located within a 1-mile stretch of vineyards just outside of Santa Rosa. DeLoach Vineyards has been growing and harvesting wines in this location for 40-years, making it a true “Russian River” original.

The Place: &nbspIt’s refreshing to experience a working farm as part of a wine tasting experience, and there is plenty of space to explore at DeLoach’s estate. Their welcoming tasting room is flanked by an entryway of comfortable couches, tables and chairs on stone patios. Behind the tasting room is the “guest house,” a spacious, windowed building with a commercial kitchen and three bedrooms for overnight guests (yes, weddings are popular at the vineyards). Visitors may schedule a tour of the grounds, or enjoy a garden/food tour – both include wine samples. The tasting room is spacious, displaying multitudes of horizontally stacked bottles and wine-related merchandise.

The Experience: &nbspDeLoach offers a wide array of tastings: Beginnings may want to start with a basic tasting of five wines available for $10, or opt for a vin/fromage pairing for $25 per person that includes three local artisan cheeses or a Pinot experience for $25 (on weekends only between noon and 3:00 p.m.) that features rare library wines. RSVP for the specialty tastings. The winery often hosts events on the grounds – check the website or call ahead.

The Wines: &nbspNamed one of Wine & Spirit’s Magazines “Top 100 Wineries” for the past 11 years, DeLoach has taken a reputation built on Zinfandel and embraced the Burgundian heritage of the current owner, Jean-Claude Boisset. One example of this new focus is open-top fermenting, not typical in the U.S. but commonly used in France for centuries, which, according to its advocates, enhances terroir-driven wines. The 2008 Pinots are $35 – $50 per bottle. Respectable and tasty Chardonnays are available for every pocketbook, ranging from $15 – $50, and the flagship Zinfandels are mid-priced at $20 – $40. If you’re looking for something truly unique, try the “Barrel-to-Barrel” program consisting of an environmentally friendly packaging of 3 liters of wine in an “eco bag” housed in a “petit” French oak barrel.

Worlds Greenest Wine? Grapes grown at the winery are certified to be both organic and biodynamically grown from estate vineyards. What is biodynamic farming? Based on the premise that all living things on the farm are inter-connected as living organisms, sheep are the resident weed-eaters; chickens provide fertilizer and eggs. Think Swiss Family Robinson minus the tree house. Don’t miss DeLoach’s extensive organic and certified biodynamic gardens behind the tasting room and bottling facility. With a majestic fountain and gazebo at its center, sustainably farmed ingredients, including edible blossoms, are served to guest house and winery visitors. How can a winery afford all this? Hint: Jean-Claude’s family, Boisset Family Estates, is France’s third largest wine group and Burgundy’s largest wine producer (aka “deep pockets”).