Antique Auto Carpenter Dan Part
Jay started out strictly as a grower, but with Rich Gilpin as consultant (he owns Lavender Ridge Vineyard in Murphys), he started making his own wine and then opened a tasting room five years ago. On my visit, 15 wines were on the tasting list, many of them award winners in notable competitions around the country. Annual production is about 3,000 cases.
What put Wilderotter on the map was Jay’s Barbera. He entered it in the 2007 California State Fair and took home the Golden Bear for best red wine of the show. . .not bad for his first time to bat at the competition. His current release is the 2007 Barbera, a lush, velvety wine with big red fruit flavors that will cozy up to roasted and grilled meats off any hoof. Only 370 cases made and priced at $28.
I’m also partial to Jay’s 2008 Sauvignon Blanc. . .crisp citrus and refreshing, with fruit sourced from a vineyard in Shingle Springs. This one has earned heavy metal in competitions, and it is nicely priced at $15; 675 cases were produced.
Wilderotter Vineyard
19890 Shenandoah School Road, Plymouth
209-245-6016 www.wilderottervineyard.com
Big Reds Flying Off The Shelves at Stonehouse
Imagine that you are young aviator, anxious to fly jet airplanes and you’ll do just about anything to get in the cockpit. So, you go to an interview for an opportunity to co-pilot a Cessna Citation XL, and your future boss says, “Okay you’re hired, but one more thing. . .we’re going to need you to pull some shifts at my tasting room in Amador.”
I don’t know if it happened that way, but here is young Tim Padgett, Mitchell Schultz’s co-pilot for the last one- and one-half years, pouring tastes at Stonehouse Winery. I make a lame joke about the 2006 Barbera being so good, “. . .it must be flying off the shelves.” Not even a hint of a smile from Tim, but the wine is good. . .good enough to become a Carpe Vino Wine Club selection for March.
And I really appreciated the NV Mikayla’s Cuvée Red Wine, a tasty blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Zinfandel, named for Mitchell’s daughter. This is a robust wine with a hearty edge and big berry flavors. Even though it is not yet noon, I make plans to fire up the grill and quaff some of this stuff with a rib eye, cooked shy of medium rare. Best part is the wine costs $18.
An old friend and wine broker, Dan Kelly, met me at the winery. He just picked up Stonehouse as a client, so he is still learning the details behind the operation: Mitchell has been growing for nine years—17 acres of Cab in Shingle Springs—and he opened the winery cum tasting room six years ago.
Stonehouse offers a Viognier, and all the rest are reds—a couple of Cabs, Zins, the Barbera and a dessert wine. All nice, though the 2004 Legacy Cabernet Sauvignon is a bit pricey at $38.
Stonehouse Vineyards & Winery
10861 Shenandoah Road, Plymouth
209-245-6888 www.stonehousewines.com
Age is a Relative Matter at Borjon
In wine country terms, Iscander “Issy” Borjòn of Borjòn Winery was born with a crystal stem in his hand.
His parents, Jesus and Nora Borjòn (pronounced “boar hone”) came to Amador from Mexico some 30 years ago, and the elder went to work in the vineyards. “My father was an everyday member of the crew,” Issy said, “but he just didn’t want to be that. . .he always worked harder.”
And, he worked smarter. In 1991, “He saw the need for a labor contracting service, so he went for it, “ Issy explained. “It has grown larger than we ever imagined.”
Jay started out strictly as a grower, but with Rich Gilpin as consultant (he owns Lavender Ridge Vineyard in Murphys), he started making his own wine and then opened a tasting room five years ago. On my visit, 15 wines were on the tasting list, many of them award winners in notable competitions around the country. Annual production is about 3,000 cases.
What put Wilderotter on the map was Jay’s Barbera. He entered it in the 2007 California State Fair and took home the Golden Bear for best red wine of the show. . .not bad for his first time to bat at the competition. His current release is the 2007 Barbera, a lush, velvety wine with big red fruit flavors that will cozy up to roasted and grilled meats off any hoof. Only 370 cases made and priced at $28.
I’m also partial to Jay’s 2008 Sauvignon Blanc. . .crisp citrus and refreshing, with fruit sourced from a vineyard in Shingle Springs. This one has earned heavy metal in competitions, and it is nicely priced at $15; 675 cases were produced.
Wilderotter Vineyard
19890 Shenandoah School Road, Plymouth
209-245-6016 www.wilderottervineyard.com
Big Reds Flying Off The Shelves at Stonehouse
Imagine that you are young aviator, anxious to fly jet airplanes and you’ll do just about anything to get in the cockpit. So, you go to an interview for an opportunity to co-pilot a Cessna Citation XL, and your future boss says, “Okay you’re hired, but one more thing. . .we’re going to need you to pull some shifts at my tasting room in Amador.”
I don’t know if it happened that way, but here is young Tim Padgett, Mitchell Schultz’s co-pilot for the last one- and one-half years, pouring tastes at Stonehouse Winery. I make a lame joke about the 2006 Barbera being so good, “. . .it must be flying off the shelves.” Not even a hint of a smile from Tim, but the wine is good. . .good enough to become a Carpe Vino Wine Club selection for March.
And I really appreciated the NV Mikayla’s Cuvée Red Wine, a tasty blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Zinfandel, named for Mitchell’s daughter. This is a robust wine with a hearty edge and big berry flavors. Even though it is not yet noon, I make plans to fire up the grill and quaff some of this stuff with a rib eye, cooked shy of medium rare. Best part is the wine costs $18.
An old friend and wine broker, Dan Kelly, met me at the winery. He just picked up Stonehouse as a client, so he is still learning the details behind the operation: Mitchell has been growing for nine years—17 acres of Cab in Shingle Springs—and he opened the winery cum tasting room six years ago.
Stonehouse offers a Viognier, and all the rest are reds—a couple of Cabs, Zins, the Barbera and a dessert wine. All nice, though the 2004 Legacy Cabernet Sauvignon is a bit pricey at $38.
Stonehouse Vineyards & Winery
10861 Shenandoah Road, Plymouth
209-245-6888 www.stonehousewines.com
Age is a Relative Matter at Borjon
In wine country terms, Iscander “Issy” Borjòn of Borjòn Winery was born with a crystal stem in his hand.
His parents, Jesus and Nora Borjòn (pronounced “boar hone”) came to Amador from Mexico some 30 years ago, and the elder went to work in the vineyards. “My father was an everyday member of the crew,” Issy said, “but he just didn’t want to be that. . .he always worked harder.”
And, he worked smarter. In 1991, “He saw the need for a labor contracting service, so he went for it, “ Issy explained. “It has grown larger than we ever imagined.”
