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Ask a Wine-Know: Big and small, local wineries have a lot to offer
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Anonymous user Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
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0 responses 0 comments I have just returned from two lengthy trips to wine country: Napa, Sonoma and the Central Coast. For over 30 years I have been touring wineries and vineyards, meeting wine makers and tasting the latest releases. I am constantly amazed by the number of new wineries these days and the proliferation of vineyards from one horizon to the other. Seems like there are more and more everywhere I look and everywhere I go... what’s an aging wine lover to do? Enjoy!
It took very little effort to find more wineries with Bakersfield roots. I can add these to my previous columns and attempt to point them out to you, as per requests.
My first stop one morning on the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley was at the pleasant tasting room of Rutherford Ranch Winery. This facility is owned and operated by the Marko Zaninovich family who are well known in our town.
A friend and I were cheerfully greeted and led through a tasting of all of the latest releases. Wines from this prestigious area of Napa are usually very pricey. I was surprised by their affordability — Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel and Cabernet all under $20. The most expensive one, and rightly so, was a 2003 Reserve Cab for $38. In it I felt I could even taste the famous “Rutherford Dust” that makes this particular area so acclaimed.  Most importantly, the quality of these wines for the price was indeed impressive.
I met with Marko and his son (also Marko) a few weeks prior at their local operation  off Highway 99 near Delano. I had  just tasted the 2005 Rutherford Ranch Chardonnay and wanted to include it on the wine list at Stars Theater Restaurant. Many grape growers see themselves as farmers first and makers of wine next, and I learned about this huge enterprise that is Sunview Vineyards in a most interesting conversation with him. This is a wholly family owned and operated company that also includes ASV  Wines (which markets to customers worldwide) and the Rutherford Wine Company (which has the brands Round Hill and Grand Pacific in addition to the Rutherford Ranch label). The parent company was started in 1940 and Marko has been in the wine business since 1982.
The Rutherford Ranch winery is a more recent acquisition, and its wines were new to me. I learned they can be purchased at Country Club Liquors Deli, GM Liquor, KC Steak House, T L Maxwell’s Restaurant & Bar, RJ’s at Riverlakes, the Stockdale Country Club, Valentine’s, Westchester Liquors, and Wine Me Up. You can find Round Hill Wines at the Guild House, and if you didn’t know, private label wines at Hungry Hunter, the Seven Oaks Country Club and Tahoe Joe’s are from this local winemaker, too!
Zaninovich’s wines do live up to his stated philosophy of crafting wines for his customers’ tastes, and of providing quality wine through hard work. Seek them out. You and your pocketbook won’t be disappointed. Marko, I definitely don’t hold it against you that you live in Bakersfield!
Now reader, I want to call your attention to another winery with local roots. I had lunch with Julia Maxwell just prior to my trip. She and her husband Phil, local residents, just released their first and only wine — a very good Merlot on sale for $20. The Maxwells farm 120 acres of grapes in Lake County. From 40 of these acres they have created Bell Hill Winery. You can purchase the wine by calling Julia at 343-3081. She’ll deliver it herself.
Wow! Today we talked about wines from one of the biggest producers in the state, and from one of the smallest — both from right here in dear old Bako. And believe me, their dedication to the quality of their product was plain. Makes me proud to have them among us.

Wine questions? acierley@etcrier.net

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