Flights and Bites of the Shenandoah Valley – Part II

Posted on   January 8,2021   By John Compisi

As reported in Part I of this two-part series, we recently completed a delicious 3-day/2-night visit to Amador County. This Sierra Foothills County has 2 major sub-appellations, the largest being the Shenandoah Valley (which extends into part of El Dorado County) and the other, the higher elevation, Fiddletown. Both sub-appellations are close to the small, quaint city of Plymouth which is only about 40 miles east of Sacramento, 100 miles east of San Francisco and 115 miles from our new home base in Truckee. Read Part I to get a brief sense of the historic significance of this region. Some of the vines are from the 1870s just post Gold Rush times.

We continue to be pleased with the evolution of the grapes and wine on the scale of sophistication, structure, nuance and yum factor! What makes it more delightful is the relatively small and intimate experiences that are available in this area of California.

The conditions here are exceptional for growing California’s iconic Zinfandel, classic Italian varietals like Barbera and Sangiovese and also French varieties like Grenache and other Rhône varieties. Of course, they also produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and others classic Bordeaux, Burgundy and some Spanish wines.

NOTE: Since our visit, the State of California has shut down virtually every tasting room, restaurant or other social gathering outlet. Curbside delivery for wineries and take out for restaurants may be available. As always, check websites or call to be sure.

As was the case the day before, the wineries we visited on day two required proper social distancing and all tasting was outside. The weather was a bit warmer but we still needed cool weather clothing. Nothing could stand in the way, however, of enjoying the wines and being out in the fresh air!

Day two of our adventure started with Jeff Runquist Wines, the county’s ‘Winery of the Year in 2019’! Runquist and wife Margie produce wines from grapes grown throughout California and specialize in small batches of a wide range of grape varieties. A 1980 graduate of UC Davis’s wine program, Runquist honed his skills at several well-known wineries, culminating at J.Lohr in San Jose before striking out on his own in 1997 when he released his first Runquist labeled Zinfandel.

In 2006 the couple purchased five acres around Plymouth where they constructed their winery and tasting room, which opened in 2008. They later purchased a 12 acre ‘ancient vine’ Zinfandel vineyard neighboring their winery. Along with their estate wines, they produce wines from other Sierra Foothills vineyards, Napa Valley, Paso Robles, Lodi, Clarksburg and the River Junction appellations. We first met Jeff and Margie and tasted their 2018 Rosé of Sangiovese at the ‘Experience Rosé Competition’ in Sonoma County in the summer of 2019.

We started our tasting with the 2019 Rosé of Sangiovese. A perfect wine for summer quaffing and still serious enough to enjoy with food. In addition to the Rosé, we tasted the 2018 Carignane (Aparicio Vineyards), 2019 Cabernet Franc (Clarksburg), 2018 Zinfandel (Cooper Vineyards), 2018 Tempranillo (Shake Ridge Ranch) and 2018 Syrah (Three Way Vineyards). We purchased the bold highlighted wines to take with us to enjoy over time. Reservations are required. They have no tasting fee. Jeff Runquist Wines is an absolute ‘must stop’ destination!

Our second stop on day two was Cooper Vineyards. Dick Cooper has been a wine grape grower in the Shenandoah Valley for over 40 years. He farmers nearly 100 planted acres of grapes on his 158-acre farm and produces between 6,000 – 8,000 cases per year depending upon the vintage. For years Dick was the source for premium grapes for many other quality producers. Starting with Barbera, which is their most prolific grape, they now grow 17 varieties of wine grapes and also grow olives for their estate oil. The tasting room was opened about 16 years ago. The property, located on Shenandoah School Road is just beautiful with equally beautiful lawns and patios for tasting and relaxing. Cooper Vineyards was awarded ‘California State Fair Vineyard of the Year – 2019’!

We began our very pleasant tasting on the patio with the 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, literally ‘sunshine in a glass’. The Sauv Blanc was followed by a 2017 Rhône bombshell blend of Marsanne – Roussanne – Viognier called Blondie! We took some home! Next on this hit parade was the 2018 Grenache, another Rhône varietal. This wine was so drinkable, with a plush mouthfeel. Grenache is likely my second favorite varietal after Pinot Noir. We also took some home and brought one to dinner later that evening. Next, we tasted the 2018 Barbera, the 2017 Zinfandel, the 2017 Primitive Riserva and the 2018 Petit Sirah. Of course, all of these wines were estate. We grabbed some of the 2018 Barbera as well. We are almost out of wine at home…not!! No reservations were required. Tasting fees waived with purchase.

Our final stop of the day was at a tasting room right on Main Street in Plymouth. It was clear, even with COVID, that Prospect Cellars, located in an old restored Post Office building, serves as both a tasting room, eatery, visitor center and hangout. Ronn and Jamie Lubenko, proprietors, are committed to the revitalization of Plymouth and have served in a variety of community based roles. Ronn’s great-great grandparents, John Dale and Mahala Upton, arrived in the future Shenandoah Valley in 1863 and in 1867 Mahala planted Zinfandel vines. These vines represent the oldest documented vineyard in California. Jamie has served as the Executive Director of Amador County’s Winery Association.

Our server was charming and knowledgeable on the wines. The ‘High Stakes’ Chardonnay was crisp and presented the characteristics flavors of classic California Chardonnay.  The ‘Boom Town’ Zinfandel was light, flavorful and perfect for pizza and BBQ. The ‘Legacy’ Zinfandel from Upton Vineyards was complex, layered and can stand up to any Amador County Zinfandel. Prospect Cellars was a perfect ending to our two days of tastings. No reservations were required.

Dining options in Plymouth are fairly limited. For lunch we, again, exploited the Italian Market and Bistro at Villa Toscano. Open 11am – 4:30pm daily (see note above re: COVID restrictions), the Bistro offers salads, pizzas, burgers, other delicious sandwiches and non-alcoholic beverages, Of course, the Villa wines are available for purchase by the bottle to enjoy along with your food.

We have been to Restaurant ‘Taste’ several times and have never been disappointed. This dinner was no exception. The cocktails, the food, the service was all upscale, fresh, delicious and memorable. The Grilled Spanish Octopus, Golden Beet Salad and the Persimmon Salad were delightful and perfect starters. We followed with the Seared Ora King Salmon and the Creekstone Farms Filet Mignon. Our dessert choice was the Crème Brûlée Duo (vanilla and Earl Gray flavors). All spectacularly delicious.

We realize that times are difficult for those of us who want to venture out for wine tasting, dining or other adventures but if you use common sense, take responsibility for your own health and safety, be considerate of others it can happen!

Happy bites, flights and sights!