My second (third if you count TSA rantings) post on the trip to Alexander Valley.

One of the great things about Alexander Valley is that many of the wineries have tasting rooms in downtown Healdsburg, in fact, they have even set up a Winery Walk (perhaps crawl, would be a better description, especially toward the end :)).

This gave us the opportunity to visit a lot of wineries in a short amount of time and also to check out some of the shops and restaurants.

One of my favorite wineries was Thumbprint Cellars. The lounge was warm and inviting and the wines were, overall, excellent. I also purchased what may be the best waiter corkscrew I have ever gotten from them. It is sturdy and perfectly balanced, with a good feel on the handle. Making it incredibly easy to open bottles (hey, a good wine opener is important, dammit).

The highlight of their tasting was the 2004 threesome. It is a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Syrah. It is an unusual blend, with very bold flavors. Normally in a red-blend a winemaker uses Merlot to help mellow the wine. With no Merlot the flavors of the three varietals are allowed to fully express themselves and you are left with a mouthful of different spices. An excellent wine.




One of the other wineries we visited was Toad Hollow. Sadly, a few days after our visit, the owner of Toad Hollow -- who was working the tasting room the day we visited -- passed away.




Williamson Wines is owned by an Australian couple, and Bill was working the tasting room when we visited. The winery has a heavy focus on red wines and I was especially impressed with a sneak taste we got of their Rouge Amoureux. It is a Meritage blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. It was very drinkable, but feels like it will age even better and smooth out over time. It is not available yet, but I highly recommend it when it is released.