Terroir is something that we spend a lot of time talking about at Sonoma-Cutrer. At the heart of Burgundian winemaking methodology, the philosophy of terroir can be loosely defined as a “sense of place”. This sense of place – the soil, the climate, viticulture practices and the topography- is what you taste whenever a bottle of wine is opened, poured and enjoyed.

The six Estate vineyards of Sonoma-Cutrer- The Cutrer, Shiloh, Kent, Vine Hill, Les Pierres and Owsley- each display their own unique terroir that leads to the individual characteristics of the grapes that are grown and expressed in the wines that are produced. The two extreme examples of terroir differences in our vineyards can be found when comparing Vine Hill to Les Pierres. Vine Hill is our largest vineyard made up of gentle, rolling hills that face southwest. The soil here is an ancient seabed of deep, sandy loam known as Goldridge Series. Vine Hill has moderate temperature fluctuations that make it perfect for growing both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This allows the grapes to have longer growing season with extended hang time. Vine Hill grapes are used in crafting our Russian River Ranches, Sonoma Coast and Pinot Noir blends.

By contrast, Les Pierres sits atop an ancient riverbed of gravelly clay loam where the red volcanic soil is made up of 50-70% rock content. If you have ever visited our winery, you would have noticed our many stone walls around the building. All of these walls were built using Les Pierres rocks. The vineyard itself is east facing and receives warmer temperatures during the day followed by cool, breezy nights. The daytime warming of the stone and rock provides an extended ripening time each day resulting in Les Pierres being the first fruit to be harvested. We routinely thin the clusters so the grapes achieve the deep, complex flavor found in our Les Pierres wine.

Every block of grapes in each of our vineyards are microclimates that express their own unique sense of place. As winemakers, our job is to blend those blocks together and craft the wines of Sonoma-Cutrer that have become the very definition of our terroir.

This is a quick little sauce of Spanish origin that is delicious on all kinds of grilled, pan seared or roasted meats, fish, and vegetables. Note that I’ve used blanched or roasted garlic rather than the fresh raw type. I think this is especially important if you are going to make the sauce ahead of time. Over time, raw garlic can become harsh and hot. Blanched or roasted garlic maintains it’s more subtle and sweet flavor and doesn’t overpower the sauce as it sits.

The Fourth of July is a time to fire up the grill, light some sparklers, and toast this amazing country. And what better time to celebrate America’s most popular wine varietal? Our country’s story of grit and determination is not unlike the history of Chardonnay’s rise in the United States.

While Chardonnay cuttings were first imported from France more than a century ago, it took many more decades for the wine to catch on in the United States. Wente Vineyards’ 1936 vintage was the country’s first varietally labeled Chardonnay, and in 1960 the “Michelin Guide” declared Wente Chardonnay equal to the finest white wines of France.

Yet most Americans still reached for what they knew—French wines labeled “Chablis.” It wasn’t until the legendary Judgment of Paris in 1976 that Chardonnay came into its own in this country.

When Chateau Montelena’s California Chardonnay was declared the winner in a blind tasting featuring the best from both France and California, a boom in Chardonnay production followed. California’s meager 100 acres of Chardonnay grapes in 1940 soon swelled to today’s 100,000 acres.

This overnight popularity did not come without some growing pains, however. Over-eager producers loaded up on new French oak barrels, and it wasn’t long before there was a backlash against heavily oaked California Chardonnays. This led to the more recent trend of producing “unoaked” Chardonnays on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Fortunately, Sonoma-Cutrer is not one to follow trends. In the winery’s own 30-year history, the goal has always remained the same: Combine Old World Burgundian winemaking methods with New World technologies to produce elegant Chardonnays that are deeply rooted in a sense of place.

This place: America … California … and a pretty little corner of the Russian River Valley.

This Independence Day, toast the resourcefulness, initiative and ingenuity of America with a bottle of Sonoma-Cutrer’s flagship wine, Russian River Ranches—the most popular Chardonnay in the country’s finest restaurants.

While you’re at it, lift a glass to all of the winemakers who have brought this same American spirit to that glorious glass of Chardonnay in your hand.

Introducing: Sauvignon Blanc

We all know that Sonoma-Cutrer is famous for its Chardonnay, but … Sauvignon Blanc? How did Chardonnay’s little sister find its way into the winery’s award winning portfolio? The answer lies in Sonoma-Cutrer’s innovative Winemaker’s Release series.

This limited-release, small production series gives the winemakers a unique opportunity to experiment, be it with process or, in this case, a new varietal. The third wine to be introduced in the Winemaker’s Release series, Sonoma-Cutrer’s classic California Sauvignon Blanc is distinctly Russian River Valley.

Winemaking Director Mick Schroeter is no stranger to Sauvignon Blanc. With years of experience at a winery that specialized in the varietal under his belt, Mick recognized that the Russian River Valley’s cool climate would provide excellent conditions for producing Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Fruit was selected from four distinct vineyards chosen for their terroir.

Shone Farm’s volcanic soils lend the wine citrus flavors and minerality, while Mirabelle Vineyard contributes lime and lychee characters and a tightly framed palate. From Wood Vineyard come guava, tropical notes and a creamy palate. Finally, fruit from the cool, foggy Bevill Family Vineyard enhances the wine with the distinct flavors and aromas of passion fruit while providing the blend with an elegant balance.

The goal was to bring together the unique characteristics of each of the four vineyards in a complementary way. The result? A bright and vibrant Sauvignon Blanc that took home a gold medal at the first competition it entered: The Critics Challenge International.

Featuring exotic tropical flavors and a bright, crisp acidity, the elegant wine is well suited as an aperitif before dinner or, better yet, with a plate of freshly shucked oysters. It also makes an excellent pairing for summer salads made with fruits and vegetables featuring a bit of acidity, such as tomatoes or mandarins.

Will Sonoma-Cutrer’s first foray into Sauvignon Blanc be its last? While there are no plans to produce another Sauvignon Blanc, only time will tell. For now, don’t miss the opportunity to uncork a bottle of this unique offering that’s perfectly suited for summertime.

It’s crunch time at Sonoma-Cutrer, and a buzz of anticipation is in the air as another harvest is well under way. Excitement and adrenaline take the place of sleep during this magical time as crews work around the clock to ensure grapes are picked at their peak.

Harvest kicked off this year with a pair of Sonoma-Cutrer family traditions. The season was christened with an ice cream social followed by a company wide breakfast the first morning eager crews took to the vineyards with their picking knives.

Spring’s dry, mild weather pushed harvest slightly early this year, while the moderate summer that followed blessed the vines with ideal ripening weather thanks to foggy mornings and warm afternoons.

Throughout harvest, grapes are analyzed daily for chemistry and flavor development. “Sugar meetings” are held every afternoon to determine which blocks of Sonoma-Cutrer’s six distinct vineyards will be picked the following day. The goal is to pick every block of grapes when the perfect balance of flavor, texture and sweetness is achieved.

Ensuring the finest possible fruit is a process that begins well before harvest. Vines are monitored and thinned throughout the year so the grapes that remain will bathe in the morning sun while being shielded from the harsh afternoon rays.

The choice clusters left on the vines at harvest time feature small uniform grapes with concentrated flavor. The fruit is harvested gently by hand in the middle of the night, when cooler temperatures ensure the highest possible flavor concentration.

After being sorted by hand and placed in shallow bins (so the grapes aren’t crushed), the fruit makes its way to Sonoma-Cutrer’s proprietary cooling tunnel, which helps preserve optimal acidity and flavor. Once they’re sorted by hand again, only the highest quality grapes are gently pressed and transferred to fine French oak barrels for fermentation.

The ultimate goal of this meticulous process is to produce wines with a sense of place that reflect the unique terroir of the Russian River Valley. With the help of Mother Nature and a tireless crew, this year’s vintage is expected to meet—and likely exceed—Sonoma-Cutrer’s lofty expectations.

Every harvest brings its own challenges and victories, and no two years are ever alike. There’s only one rule that winemakers can count on year after year: Mother Nature calls the shots. And this year was no exception.

Now that the picking knives have been put away and the staff has caught its collective breath, it’s time to take a look back at the 2015 harvest.

The drought in California, now in its fourth year, remained a factor. Fortunately, Sonoma-Cutrer made it through the growing season without any water shortages thanks to a deficit irrigation strategy and meticulous moisture analysis.

Mild, dry weather caused harvest to start a solid week earlier “the second earliest harvest in the history of Sonoma-Cutrer” and the picking officially commenced at Les Pierres on August 17. The very next day, cool weather returned along with the area’s signature fog, slowing down the pace of harvest and creating ideal ripening conditions for the next two and a half weeks.

The fruit continued to ripen slowly throughout the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast until a hot spell just after Labor Day. Suddenly, all of the fruit seemed to ripen at once leading to a picking frenzy that continued for the next two weeks, during which a staggering two-thirds of the harvest was processed.

Similar to the Chardonnay patterns, Vine Hill’s Pinot grapes came in slow and steady over the course of two and a half weeks while Owsley’s fruit ripened all at once during the week of the warm spell.

And just like that, another harvest was over, with yields just slightly lower than average. So what does this mean for the wine that will end up in your glass? The news is very good.

The long hang time allowed the fruit to develop rich, complex flavors with bright natural acidity. As for the Pinot, Vine Hill’s grapes appear to be representing the classic elegance of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, while Owsley is showing its signature power and depth.

It will be up to two years before the results become official, but all indications point to another stellar vintage at Sonoma-Cutrer.