Remembering Rioja

Three years ago, I visited Spain’s Rioja region. Almost immediately after my return I began plotting the next big trip. Yet as the COVID-19 pandemic raged these past two years, we sheltered in place and socially distanced. I often scrolled through my photos of that trip - slumped on my sofa and clad in athleisure, longing for the ability to travel again. Instead of exploring new places, we hunkered down at home. We Zoomed. We doom-scrolled. We languished. That’s why it was so special to reunite with my family in December when we journeyed from three different states to stay together in a Chicago Airbnb for a few days. We hugged. We dined around the same table. And we enjoyed many bottles of wine. Together.

Decanting the 2007 Castillo Ygay - December 17, 2021

Among those many bottles, this 2007 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial from Marqués de Murrieta stood out. After laying down in my cellar for a few years, I hauled it in my suitcase to share with my family. This wine is special - not just because the 2010 vintage was Wine Spectator’s No. One Wine of 2020 and received high ratings, but because I loved my visit to the Marqués de Murrieta bodega, inspired by a tip from the sommelier at a Miami José Andres restaurant in 2018.

This bottle proves that patience is a virtue. After having 8 years of aging at the winery, Marqués de Murrietta released it in 2015. Time softened the tannins and created a velvety texture with seductive notes of bright baked red fruits, spice, herbs, soft oak, tobacco, and supple leather.

This wine is a blend of Tempranillo (86%) and Mazuelo, the Rioja region’s name for Carignan (14%). The Castillo Ygay is from a single vineyard planted on the estate in 1950, spending 28 months in 225-litre oak barrels (French oak for Mazuelo and American oak for Tempranillo) and settling in concrete vessels before bottling.

Rioja Alavesa Vineyards Against the Backdrop of the Cantabrian Mountains

The Rioja Region

After enjoying that bottle of Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial from Marqués de Murrieta with my family, the memories of my trip to the Rioja region flooded my mind. So I decided it was finally time to take a trip down memory lane to share the places I recommend for a future visit to Rioja.

First some details about the region itself. Rioja is one of only two regions in Spain, along with the Priorat, to achieve the Denominación de Origen Calificada designation. The designation specifications control the wine production areas, grape varieties, maximum allowable yields, and approved vinification and ageing techniques to bear the name Rioja on the label.

La Rioja is located in Northern Spain, just over three hours north of Madrid and 90 minutes south-west of San Sebastián at the southern foot of the Sierra Cantabria mountain range. The Rioja wine region is comprised of three subregions: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, and Rioja Oriental (known as Rioja Baja prior to the 2017 reclassification). The River Ebro divides the first two of those - with Rioja Alta being at the highest elevation and producing some of the finest wines from the region. Rioja Alta is home to the town of Haro, which was the epicenter of the region’s wine production in the 1800s when phylloxera’s siege on French wine production created demand for the wines in Rioja.

Rioja Wine Classification System

A wine labeled “Rioja” must be at least 75% Tempranillo, according to the wine law of the region established by the Consejo Regulador DOCa Rioja. Rioja wines are classified by the length of time the wine was aged in oak (from zero for a Joven/Generic to 18 months for Gran Reserva) and total aging before release (from zero for Joven/Generic to 5 years for a Gran Reserva). Since Tempranillo is a medium-high acid and medium-high tannin varietal suited to long aging times - like Bordeaux, Sangiovese, or Nebbiolo, the longer the time spent on oak, the more elegant it will become. With aging, the wines also become slightly oxidized creating a garnet color along the rim as they develop with characteristic notes of baked fruit, dill, and leather.

In late 2017 the classification system changed to allow wine labels to recognize terroir by the addition of the specific village or municipality where the grapes were grown. In Rioja, there are 145 municipalities - with over half in Rioja Alta, 50 in Rioja Oriental, and 18 in Rioja Alavesa.

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Rioja Alta

Bodegas Muga

Muga is a great starting point for exploring the Rioja region. It’s located in Haro within a stone’s throw of La Rioja Alta and Lopez de Heredia bodegas, which could be visited on the same day with some advance planning.

Muga offers a wonderful tour of the production facility and traditional winemaking methods, including their use of egg whites to filter its wines. After the wines have been aged and before bottling, they introduce egg whites into 17,500 liter oak containers; the proteins in the egg whites bind with any solid particulates in the wine to help fine - or clarify the wine and also minimize bitter tannins on the palate. Only two to three egg whites are used per 100 liters of wine. Thus wines from Muga are not vegan, but they are sustainable as the remnant egg whites and lees are used for composting. Muga is also one of the few wineries in the world that also has its own cooper. After sourcing their French and American oak, they make and toast their own barrels. When I visited, Muga was harvesting and crushing white grape varietals (seen above) and bottling. It’s always an exciting time to visit any winery during harvest season to see all aspects of the winemaking process as I did on that trip in September 2018.

The tour I booked included a tasting of two entry point wines produced by Muga: the 2017 Rioja Blanca (Viura with a touch of Malvasia and Garanacha) and the 2014 Rioja (a Tempranillo based red wine). At the price of only 15 Euros, the tour and tasting was a great value. Additional wines were available for tasting and purchase after the tour.

Visit Muga online at www.bodegamugas.com

Marques de Murrieta - September 2018

Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta

I visited Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta in Logroño, located on the southern end of Rioja Alta subregion where the original estate was built in the 19th Century. I took a winery tour followed by a wine tasting with food pairings for a total of just 38 Euros. The tour walked through the vineyard grounds and into the production facilities, wine caves, cellars, and beautiful rooms of the estate where some of the winery’s historical records were displayed. It’s a beautiful property with a rich history.

After the tour, we settled into a beautifully private dining area where the tasting paired a 2017 Albariño Pazo Barrantes from the Rias Baixas D.O. in Galicia with a chilled strawberry-tomato soup and the 2014 Marqués de Murrieta Reserva (a blend of Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo, and Garnacha) with a pastry filled with beef in red wine sauce and peas. A tasting room in the gift shop provided an opportunity to try other varietals and vintages, so I enjoyed the rosé and another taste of the 2007 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. A perfect ending to a wonderful visit. See photos below from that visit.

Visit the winery at www.MarquésdeMurrieta.com

Bodegas López de Herredia

I was unable to book a tour at the esteemed López de Herredia but I enjoyed a glass of wine in the stunning boutique adjacent to the historic winery after my tour at Muga. The boutique was designed by Zaha Hadid and contains the original Belle Epoque stand introduced at the World Fair in Barcelona in 1910. It’s a beautiful contrast in architectural styles and signifies the importance of old world traditions in the present.

Mercedes López de Herredia is the winemaker and great-granddaughter of the winery’s founder who established the first bodega in Haro in 1877, and it remains the third oldest in the Rioja region. She maintains the traditional winemaking methods and continues to produce award winning wines. Her sister, María José López de Heredia runs the winery operations, making this a fully woman-owned and operated winery.

Visit López de Herredia online at www.lopezdeheredia.com

Lunch at Terete Restaurante

Carnivores must dine at Terete in the town of Haro for lunch between tastings. A classic wine pairing with the red wines of Rioja is lamb. Terete bakes young lamb in a wood-burning oven and renders the meat fall-off-the-bone tender. I don’t eat a lot of lamb - or any other red meat, but this was a worthy exception. I enjoyed the lamb with some roasted red peppers and a green salad, which paired perfectly with a glass of Viña Cristina Rioja Reserva 2011. That meal for one set me back 36 euros and fortified me for the afternoon wine tastings. Though an afternoon siesta would have been more apropos.

Visit Terete Restaurante at www.terete.es

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Rioja Alavesa

The Rioja Alavesa is situated within Basque Country and is home to the charming hill town of Laguardia. Visit Laguardia’s Plaza Mayor town square and catch the figurines that emerge from the clock tower each afternoon on the top of the hour and dance to traditional Basque music. I caught the event from my table outside of Arburi Enoteca, where I enjoyed a glass of wine and a Basque sausage and white bean stew.

Laguardia

Bodegas Artadi

I visited Artadi after reading about its controversial decision to quit the Rioja DOCa appellation in 2015 in protest of the old classification system that focused exclusively on aging rather and failed to recognize terroir. Artadi’s modern approach is also seen in its modern tasting room structure. The highlight of this tour was being transported by Artadi’s 1950s London taxicab to the acclaimed Viña el Pisón vineyard.

For just 25 Euros, Artadi’s tour included tastings of theRioja Viñas de Gain White made of Viura (the most common white varietal in Rioja); a Viñas de Gain Red; and a Pagos Viejos Red - a Tempranillo from Artadi’s 40-60 year old vines.

Visit Bodegas Artadi at www.artadi.com

Artadi

Tempranillo in Artadi’s Viña el Pisón vineyard

Bodegas Marqués de Riscal

This is another of Rioja’s oldest wineries marked by the Frank Gehry designed hotel on its property. The avant-grade design is a stunning contrast to the Bordeaux-inspired wine making facilities. This winery produces a stunning 5 million bottles per year - no doubt you’ve seen its Rioja in your local wine shops - often wrapped in gold netting. The founder introduced the gold netting in the 19th century as a quality mark and to prevent counterfeiting.

The tour at Marqués de Riscal walks the grounds and finishes with a tasting paired with chorizo and picos - tiny baguette shaped crackers served at tapas bars throughout Spain. The cellars of this winery hold all vintages of the wines it has produced since 1860, protected behind beautiful metal gates and coated with dust of all the years they slumber in the cool cellar. It’s a wonderful tour for the history and architecture of this unique place. For just 19 Euros, the tour included tastings of the Marqués de Riscal Verdejo (D.O. Rueda), Arienzo de Marqués de Riscal (D.O.Ca. Rioja), and Marqués de Riscal Reserva (D.O.Ca. Rioja).

Visit Marqués de Riscal at www.marquesderiscal.com

Hotel Marques de Riscal

Marqués de Riscal’s oldest vintages as seen on my September 2018 tour

Bodegas Ysios

Plan ahead to book a reservation at Ysios. When I visited in September 2018 they only allowed entry for pre-booked tours with no informal tastings. Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, it is not to be missed. Despite the “no trespassing” signs, I wandered the grounds and snapped a few photos. If you look closely, in one of the photos below, you can see me reflected in the glass panes that tower high above the entry.

Visit Ysios online at www.bodegasysios.com

Bodegas Ysios in the morning fog

Bodegas Roda

I stopped by Roda for a quick tasting at their retail shop at the foot of the winery entrance. Roda has a small but lovely, modern tasting room that also can access the bodega’s caves. So after sampling the olive oils from the estate at the counter, I enjoyed my wine tasting by candlelight with a view of the barrels aging their wines in the cellar.

Visit Roda at https://roda.es/en/

Where to Stay

Before you travel, do a good search online to find a good match your travel preferences and itinerary. Culture Trip recently published this list of The Best Hotels in Rioja. There are many nice hotels with modern amenities in the larger towns like Logroño. Or you may want to splurge for a night or two at Marriott’s Hotel Marqués de Riscal in the tiny village of Elciego.

Since I was on a long trip and saving up for fancy meals and accommodations on my next stop in San Sebastián, I took a tip from a Spanish wine shop proprietor in Berkeley who recommended Hotel Villa de Ábalos in the Rioja Alta. Hotel Villa de Ábalos was not only central to all my explorations of La Rioja, but it also had all of the local charms you’d expect when visiting a small town in the wine country. Its tiny tapas bar flooded with locals each evening and created a charming cacophonous atmosphere in contrast to the quiet restaurant in the rear of the hotel where many hotel guests dine on local fare each evening and take their hearty, complimentary breakfast each morning. My four nights at Hotel Villa de Ábalos, including my nightly indulgences in the tapas bar and restaurant, only set me back 362 Euros.

I loved traveling solo in Rioja, but I do look forward to returning again soon with companions. Until then we’ll continue to research the region through wines purchased from our local wine shops - perhaps paired with chorizo simmered in Rioja wine or a lamb shank that roasts all afternoon and perfumes the house with comforting aromas. Then we’ll travel to Rioja in our minds - safely and together. Vale.

Hotel Villa de Ábalos and its tapas bar that opens to Plaza Fermín Gurbindo in Ábalos

The Sierra Cantabria beyond the vineyards of the Rioja Alavesa

Sip, Savor & Salute the Alexander Valley

Only weeks ago the Kincade Fire tore through the Alexander Valley, putting residents and wineries on edge as firefighters and first responders heroically battled the ominous flames. Luckily no lives were lost in the massive fire, but several homes and winery structures were destroyed. More than that, the lives and livelihood of those impacted suffered. If you sat at home watching the news (or listening to it from an Eton emergency radio or from your car if you - like we - lost power in the PG&E public safety power shutoff), you felt helpless and wished you could do something.

Other than voting for politicians who will take action to address Climate Change, donating to Corazón Healdsburg or other relief efforts, and reducing your own carbon footprint, you can visit and purchase wines and products made in the Alexander Valley and other areas harmed by natural disasters. Remember it was only two years ago that other parts of Sonoma and Napa were hit hard by the Tubbs and Nuns fires. Each time a disaster hits the wine region, the community rallies together and exemplifies #SonomaStrong. And while the fires may devastate certain properties, the overwhelming majority remain untouched by the flames. My husband and I visited the Alexander Valley November 9 - just a few days after firefighters proclaimed the Kincade Fire 100% contained. Although that fire burned over 75,000 acres and destroyed 374 buildings (over half of which were homes), the vast majority of the valley survived and welcomed visitors back with clear blue skies and rolling hills covered in vibrantly colored autumn leaves. I urge you to plan your visit to the Alexander Valley and buy wines from the region.

Robert Young Estate Winery on November 9, 2019 - just days after the Kincade Fire

The Alexander Valley stretches along the northeastern edge of Sonoma County outside the towns of Healdsburg and Geyserville, approximately 90 minutes north of San Francisco. The warm Mediterranean climate of this AVA produces full bodied but softly balanced Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varietals. With more than 425 wineries in Sonoma County - 42 of which are in the Alexander Valley, planning a trip can feel overwhelming. That’s why I recommend developing a strategy and game plan based on your personal preferences — whenever and wherever you plan to go wine tasting. Do your research using local online tools like Wine Road, The Press, and Woman Owned Wineries. Personally, I seek out small, family owned wineries - ideally with a woman winemaker, organic or sustainable farming practices, and great wines that are a good value (and by that I mean a quality to price ratio tailored to one’s own subjective palate and budget). These are a few of my personal Alexander Valley favorites.

Where to Taste

In the Vineyards with Stunning Views

Hanna Winery

Hanna sits perched on a hilltop surrounded by vineyards in the central Alexander Valley. Winery president Christine Hanna leads the operations with vineyards and tasting rooms in both the Alexander Valley and Russian River. Hanna produces outstanding Bordeaux and Burgundy varietals in each location, respectively. But you can taste all the wines in each tasting room and even take home a copy of Ms. Hanna’s own cookbook, The Winemaker Cooks, published by Chronicle Books in 2010. While known for their Sauvignon Blanc, I particularly enjoy the Provençal style rosé of Pinot Noir and the Chardonnay. The tasting room offers a relaxed, casual experience with sweeping views of the valley. Reservations are not required but book ahead if you want to reserve a wine and cheese pairing on the veranda or a picnic under the Oak Tree. Visit https://www.hannawinery.com.

Jordan

At this family-owned estate, newly appointed head winemaker Maggie Kruse carries on the tradition of making world class Chardonnay in the Burgundian style (leaner, crisp and more acidic than many of the big, buttery and heavily Oakes Chardonnays for which California has become infamous) and Cabernet Sauvignon. A certified sustainable winery, Jordan preserves over three quarters of its beautiful sprawling estate to the natural habitat. Jordan offers tours of the winery and the estate with wine and food pairings. Plan ahead since reservations are required for tours and tastings. Visit https://www.jordanwinery.com.

Tasting at Robert Young Estate Winery

Robert Young Estate Winery

Robert Young Estate Winery produces elegantly balanced and high quality Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and other Bordeaux varietals. This family owned and operated estate has six generations in the family business, passed down from namesake Robert Young (1919 -2009) who converted his family’s prune ranch to a winery and was the first vintners to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in the Alexander Valley in 1963. His scions founded Robert Young Estate Winery in 1997 and operate the winery today. You’ll often find fifth and sixth generations, Robert, Jr. pouring wines in the tasting room and Rachel in the cellar and on social media. At the plentiful member events, the family members greet guests, drive them in a tractor-pulled trolley and causally engage guests in discussions of the wines. My husband and I joined the Robert Young wine club over a decade ago when tastings were hosted at a small counter inside the roadside white barn. That was long before the beautiful new website and hilltop Scion House tasting room that opened in the back half of 2018. It elevates the tasting experience with the best views I’ve seen of the Alexander Valley yet still maintains the winery’s warm hospitality. It’s a required stop for any visit to the area. Thanks to quick action by Robert, Jr. and his father, Fred, to stamp out a pre-dawn brush fire on their property and the valiant efforts of the firefighters to beat back the encroaching Kincade fire, the beautiful estate remains. Read about their efforts and see just how close the fire came here. Open daily 10 am - 4:30 pm. Visit https://www.ryew.com

A view from the Scion House tasting room at Robert Young Estate Winery

Silver Oak

Silver Oak needs no introduction. You’ve seen it offered on wine lists all across the country and may have received a bottle or two as a gift in your lifetime. It’s a brand that exudes luxury. And the Alexander Valley tasting room aptly displays that brand image. Personally I prefer the velvety Cabernet Sauvignons of Robert Young to the heavily oaked and grippy tannins of Silver Oak, but these wines are loved by many and can age very well if you have the patience. Even if you don’t want to taste the wine, I recommend a visit to Silver Oak’s LEED-certified tasting room for the architectural beauty and outstanding gift shop (more than just Silver Oak logo wear, they offered lovely wine totes, cookbooks, ceramic pieces, and jewelry). You can also charge your electric vehicle on their plentiful charging stations. Open daily until 5 pm. Visit https://www.silveroak.com/visit-us/alexander-valley/

Spectacular indoor-outdoor tasting room at Silver Oak

Soda Rock Winery

Unlike the other wineries mentioned here, Soda Rock Winery failed to escape the wrath of the Kincade Fire, which took its main winery structure and its 2019 vintage. But just a few feet away, the old wooden barn survived and now hosts wine tastings. We visited Soda Rock for a tasting on November 9, when their road sign sign proclaimed “Recovery Begins! Taste Today.” Over the celebratory music played by a live band, wine club members and the public tasted Soda Rock wines paired with pulled pork sliders and sinful chocolate brownies. We walked away with six bottles of the 2015 Lord Snort — a silky blend of Cabernet Sauvignons (50%) and Merlot (40%) — and hearts full of admiration for the resilient spirit of the winery team and the community that flocked there to support them. Visit Soda Rock daily from 11 am to 4 pm or buy wines on-line at http://sodarockwinery.com.

The Lord Snort sculpture survived the Kincade fire, but the main winery structure, pictured behind it, did not - November 9, 2019

Soda Rock Winery’s barn now hosts tastings after the main winery burned down in the Kincade Fire - pictured November 9, 2019

The Soda Rock Winery Barn survived the Kincade fire and now hosts tastings during their recovery - November 9, 2019

Tasting Rooms in Town

Healdsburg: While you’re in the Alexander Valley, you’re bound to visit the idyllic town of Healdsburg. As you stroll the charming town plaza, I recommend you visit these tasting rooms.

• Lioco is a stylish newcomer to downtown Healdsburg offering restrained California Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Carignan. They also serve the most delicious gluten free crackers. The tasting room feels like a cocktail lounge with bright pops of yellow upholstered mid century chairs walk-ins - make this your stop before dinner on the square. Reservations are not required. Open daily from 12 -7 pm. Visit https://www.liocowine.com.

• Portalupi located just one block from the Healdsburg Square is worth a stop on your journey. Portalupi produces Italian style wines by husband and wife owners and winemakers, Tim Borges and Jane Portalupi, sourcing grapes from California vineyards in Carneros, Russian River, and the Sierra Foothills. My favorites include the Barbera and Vaso di Marina (a red wine blend sold in a 1 liter milk bottle inspired by Jane’s grandmother Marina). Open daily from 11 - 6 daily ( until 7 pm on Saturdays and Sundays). Walk-ins welcomed. Visit https://portalupiwine.com.

Geyserville: The town of Geyserville feels like it’s straight out of the Wild West with a short block of shops, restaurants, and tasting rooms. My favorite is Mercury. If nothing else, Mercury makes for a fun stop at the end of the day while you wait for your table at Diavola Pizzeria next door. Listen to a vinyl LP in the convivial tasting room where you’ll likely encounter the winemaker-owner, Brad, his brother, Grady, and occasionally the winery dog, Freddie [Mercury] and be treated to warm hospitality and fabulous wines. My favorites are the Messenger (Cabernet Sauvignon blend) and Mercurio (100% Tempranillo blended solara style and bursting with notes of fig and cherry). Open daily from 12 - 5 pm. Visit http://www.mercurywine.com.

Where to Eat

Breakfast

• The Parish Cafe serves soul-satisfying New Orleans fare in a charming cafe in downtown Healdsburg. Don’t miss the chicory coffee and beignets.

• Flying Goat Coffee roasts mighty fine coffee and serves espresso drinks to kick off your day of tasting. Grab a pastry there or at the Downtown Bakery on the next block.

Carnitas and Pollo Tacos from Los Plebes Taco Truck

Lunch

• Los Plebes is a taco truck that parks right off Highway 101 at the Lytton Springs exit. They make a killer carnitas taco you scarf down while standing up hunched over the hood of your car. At only $2 per taco, you can save money on lunch to put toward procuring more Alexander Valley wines. Next time I’m heading there for a breakfast of chorizo and eggs, since they are open 10 am - 4:30 daily.

• Jimtown Store is in the heart of the Alexander Valley and open for breakfast and lunch. Eat outside on their covered patio or inside the charming store where you can browse the culinary provisions, candy selections, and children’s toys while you wait for your order. Pro tip: the housemade tortilla chips are out of this world.

• Oakville Grocery has an outpost on the Healdsburg Square where you can grab breakfast or picnic lunch supplies to take on your wine tasting journey and find a scenic spot to stop between tastings.

The Jimtown Store

Dinner and Drinks

• Diavola Pizzeria & Salumeria makes some of the very best pizza in California using their house-cured salted pork parts in a wood-burning oven and outstanding salads and pastas from locally sourced and sustainable farms and ranches. It’s located in downtown Geyserville and should not be missed. Order the Boscailo or Inferno pizza and add some of the housemade sausage. Don't forget to drizzle it with the Calabrian Chili oil provided on each table.

• Bravas serves Spanish cuisine in a convivial atmosphere just off the Healdsburg Plaza. Sit outside in the charming, shaded backyard where, if you’re lucky, you’ll witness paella being made to order over an open-flame. Try a flight of dry Sherry wines to pair with your Croquetas or Tortilla Española.

• Duke’s serves craft cocktails and tasty bar snacks on the Healdsburg Square. For the full Op-Edible experience, order the Mr. Brownstone (Alley 6 Rye, Toasted Cedar Bourbon, Alessio Chinato Vermouth + Duke's Burdock Bitters) and the corn dog pops served with stadium mustard.

• Geyserville Gun Club next to Diavola makes a great spot to head for a cocktail after dinner. I always crave hard alcohol after a day of tasting. Order the Oldfellows Manhattan on tap - a brilliant way to expedite service with a batched and chilled cocktail. They also offer seafood crudos and Latin and Asian Streetfood menu items.

Side entrance to the back patio of Bravas

The paella at Bravas

The old oak tree guards the vines at Robert Young Estate Winery

Celebrate Women in Wine: Today and Every Day

March 8 is International Women’s Day - a “global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity,” according to the event’s website. 

The wine industry suffers from the same gender disparities as most others. Although women comprise more than half the population, women hold far fewer positions in the wine industry, fewer leadership roles, and even fewer ownership roles. Karen MacNeil’s Second Annual Report on Women in the Wine Industry reveals that “an estimated 10 percent of winemakers in California are female, compared to 7 percent in Washington, and 5 percent in New York.”

WWOW logo courtesy of the Wonder Women of Wine website

Wonder Women of Wine Conference

At the Wonder Women of Wine (WWOW) inaugural conference in Austin, Texas last weekend, a group of winemakers, wine professionals, and wine enthusiasts (like the author) gathered to discuss their personal experiences within — and solutions for fostering and achieving gender equality in — the wine industry. Participants came from near and far with winemakers representing wine regions throughout the United States, including Napa, Sonoma, Washington, Oregon, Vermont, and Texas plus a few winemakers from France and Italy.

WWOW Founder Rania Zayyat packed the two-day agenda with rich and informative content: talent-packed panel discussions; a 1:1 discussion with winemaker Krista Scruggs on Taking the Path Less Traveled; a powerful speech by Cote Beverage Director and author Victoria James entitled, Letters to a Young Wine Prodigy; and a keynote address from Karen MacNeil titled, A New Terroir of Women in Wine Feminism. And then there was wine. Day two of the event featured a tasting exhibit featuring wines from women-owned wineries and women winemakers.

Karen MacNeil delivering the Keynote Address at Wonder Women of Wine - March 2, 2019

MacNeil, wine expert and bestselling author of The Wine Bible, offered some strategies for women in wine to move women forward in the wine industry, closing her keynote address with these wise words:

“My friends, men are not going to fix this. Many of them don’t even think a problem exists. The situation is ours to change, and the time is now. So, move forward unwaveringly and ambitiously. Get really good at what you do. Give a lot and ask for a lot. Don’t second-guess yourself. Be supportive of other women. Look the part, and act the part. And help create a new terroir of wine feminism.” 

Krista Scruggs of Zafa Wines with WWOW Moderator, Senay Özdemir - March 2, 2019

Wisdom for Aspiring Winemakers from Women Winemakers

Representation is critical. Seeing successful women in wine helps inspire other women winemakers. These panelists offered advice for aspiring winemakers:

• Cathy Corison, pioneering winemaker and 2018 James Beard nominee for Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional, encouraged aspiring winemakers to consider winemaking regions outside of California due to the skyrocketing real estate costs and financial barriers to entry. Corison said that after making wine for others, she started making her own wine in the 1970s by “buying grapes and barrels instead of cars and houses” and bouncing around to several production facilities. She finally built her own production barn after her 13th vintage of Corison. Today she’s got 31 vintages under her belt and international acclaim for her age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon wines.

• Krista Scruggs, Zafa Wines owner and winemaker who farms in Vermont and ferments in Texas, discussed the confidence she has in herself and her abilities, which enables her to “ferment fearlessly.” Scruggs said, “trust your instincts” and “surround yourself with people who lift you up.”

• Martha Stoumen, owner and winemaker at Martha Stoumen Wines, discussed the unconscious bias of men getting physical cellar work and women being sent to the lab to take samples. Stoumen championed self-advocacy: “you have to say what you want to do. Be vocal.” If you want to be a winemaker, you have to be in the cellar to learn and build relationships.

Panelists Amy Bess Cook (WOW), Samantha Sheehan (Poe, etc.) & Cathy Corison (Corison Winery) - WWOW March 2, 2019

Some of us feel the need to rely on advanced degrees or certifications to provide credibility or prove our expertise or value. Others say, fuck it. Marissa Ross, who authored the book, Wine. All the Time, spoke on a panel entitled, “To Test or Not to Test” representing the path to success she took - having no advanced education or formal wine training, but becoming a published author and later landing the job of Bon Appétit magazine’s Wine Director. Read her recent article entitled, “Krista Scruggs Is Making the Most Exciting, Most Delicious Natural Wine Right Now” - a beautiful piece of writing demonstrating she doesn’t need formal training because she’s empirically brilliant and a gifted storyteller. The lesson I take away from her is that each of us must find our own, unique voice and share it with the world.

Marissa A. Ross, Wine Director for Bon Appétit and author of Wine. All the Time. - WWOW March 2, 2019

How You Can Support Women in Wine

If you missed WWOW, don’t miss your opportunity to join the movement by attending or supporting future events and women-owned wineries. Here are a few ways you can get involved:

• Batonnage Forum - the second annual event about women in wine takes place in Napa on May 4, 2019.

• Les Dames d’Escoffier - an international philanthropic organization of women leaders in the fields of food, fine beverage and hospitality.

• Wonder Women of Wine - support WWOW for future events and scholarships.

• Women Owned Wineries - Amy Bess Cook’s endeavor to “celebrate female wine entrepreneurs through storytelling, advocacy & commerce” with a wonderful directory of women-owned wineries throughout the United States and a wine club featuring women winemakers.

Finally ask your wine retailer or restaurant for selections from women-owned wineries or women winemakers. These are just a few suggestions based on the participants whose wines I sampled and loved at the Wonder Women of Wine tasting event in Austin, Texas on March 2, 2019:

• Brook & Bull - Walla Walla and Columbia Valley, Washington

• Corison Winery - Napa, California (legendary winemaker of age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon; 2018 James Beard nominee for Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional)

• DaMA Wines - Walla Walla, Washington

• Day Wines - Willamette Valley, Oregon

• Domaine Dupeuble - Beaujolais, France imported by Kermit Lynch

• Donkey & Goat - Berkeley, California

• Jaclynn Renée- Sonoma, California

• Jenny & Francois Selections - From the Tank wines - natural wine imports

• Martha Stoumen Wines - Sonoma, California (Stoumen and fellow winemakers in The Barlow suffered flood damage recently. Consider a Go Fund Me donation to support their recovery).

• Poe - Beautiful Pinot Noir, Sparkling Wines, and Vermouth. Visit Samantha Sheehan’s downtown Napa, California tasting room called Outland.

• Resign Wine - Texas

• Smith Story Wine Cellars - Sonoma, California

• Trail Marker Wine Co. - California - sourcing fruit from small California growers between Mendocino and Santa Ynez

• Wine for the People - Texas - Rae Wilson’s Dandy Rosé is the perfect Sunday afternoon sipper. Rae just announced her plans to open a tasting room in Austin called Citizen Wine. You can help support her launch by contributing to her Kickstarter campaign.

• Zafa Wines - Vermont

The Beauty of Solo Travel in La Rioja

Why do you travel? Wait, let me qualify that question. Why do you travel for fun? Not traveling to visit your family across the country - which often entails paying premium airfare and fighting snow storms and flight delays at the holidays. Not traveling for business when your schedule is filled with back to back meetings followed by obligatory dinners at restaurants selected to please your colleagues with less adventurous palates. I mean why do you travel when you are traveling for fun - not duty? As with any endeavor, it’s important to think with the end in mind: what do you want to get out of your trip? Decide and then plan accordingly. 

Me? I travel for adventure and exploration: opening my eyes and mind to a new culture, language, glimpsing beautiful scenery, and most of all, experimenting with new food and wine to understand the people and place of my destination. And, of course, I want to capture all these things in photographs to trigger memories of them when I return home and for years to come. My stated reasons for travel make traveling alone ideal, generally, but specifically on my recent trip to La Rioja when I had the added goal of escaping the comforts of home and trying to envision my future. I suppose I had the same goals when I was 21 and traveling alone to Paris after a study abroad program at Oxford - traveling for the romance of it and thinking of who I wanted to become. But then I felt a little lonely, afraid to dine at a restaurant on my own or go out alone at night; at age 21, I wished I had someone with me - preferably the not yet discovered, romantic love of my life (I know, I know. Cue the eye rolling). At that time there was a sense of yearning for someone or something to “complete me.”

Now at the ripe age of 48, I am wise enough to know that, if we’re doing it right, we are never complete and yet, at once, fully complete - depending whether you’re a glass half full or half empty person, I suppose. We are continually transforming. What I was missing at the age of 21 was not someone or some great job or purpose. I was missing confidence in myself and my own self-reliance … and, sure, the financial means to enjoy a higher standard of accommodations and restaurants. Now I relish quiet time alone - whether it’s a peaceful hour in the morning between feeding the dog and engaging with the rest of humanity (i.e. my husband, colleagues, or The New York Times) — or, in this case, three weeks of solo travel in Spain and Portugal to quiet my mind and plot my next course. 

What’s So Great about Traveling Alone?

When you travel alone, you are your own pilot, navigator, and DJ. That also means you can pull the car over for a photograph any time you want without a groan of impatience from your companion. I vividly recall the words of a friend some twenty years ago when I squatted down on a sandy beach in Maui for the umteenth time; she snipped: “Oh God. Not another f@#!-ing sunset photo!”

Essentially when you travel alone, you can do anything you want, whenever you want. Without compromise or judgment. Freedom. Adventure. The open road. It calls you and lets you design your trip, including your destinations, pit stops, soundtrack, schedule - or lack thereof, and dining establishments. Rioja awaited, and when I arrived, it greeted me with a beautiful sunset (pictured in the images above) as if to say, “you’ve come to the right place.”

Views from outside of Laguardia in Rioja Alavesa - from a dusty, dirt road

During my visit to La Rioja in September 2018, I relished following my intuition to turn down a dusty road to find a beautiful vineyard valley cradled by a rocky hillside and framed to the north by the mountains separating Rioja from the Basque Country (pictured above) or stumble onto a twelfth century monument at magic hour with not another soul in sight (Hermitage of Santa Maria de La Piscina, pictured below). I slammed on the brakes and pulled over more times than I can count - leaving the car door ajar with the engine still running, while I ventured into the macaron-like soil to see the vineyards from a new angle; inspect the grapes up close and reevaluate my already loose plans for the remainder of the day. You see, everything is negotiable when you travel alone.

Hermitage of Santa Maria de La Piscina

Since I had no one else to please but myself, I became obsessed with these guardaviñas - curious looking stone structures dotting the vineyard landscapes. These guardaviñas are unique to the region - built as shelter for the vineyard workers. It would be a dream to return and catalogue the location and history of each of these interesting relics. But for now, just marvel at them for a moment.

My first guardaviña spotting outside the town of Ábalos 

This guardaviña was built into the hillside but lost its roof over time

This charming guardaviña has a sunlight (or air vent)

Traveling in Rioja provides ample opportunities for scenic stops. I took as many as possible in my four days there. But one need not travel half way around the world to experience the adventures of solo travel. As wisely stated in “Awakening the Buddha Within,” by Lama Surya Das:

“One need not travel to distant lands, seek exotic mystical experiences, master esoteric mantras and treatises, or cultivate extroaordinary states of mind in order to experience a radical change of heart and inner transformation. Spiritually speaking, everything that one wants, aspires to, and needs is ever-present, accessible here and now— for those with eyes to see it. It’s the old adage all over again: You don’t need to see different things, but rather to see things differently.”

My rental car on one of many back road stops for a photo opp

If You Can’t Take a Solo Vacation - Take a Solo Break. You Deserve It.

There is beauty all around us. We often inhabit the world with our blinders on: falling into a routine, rushing from one obligation to another, taking conference calls on our commute, multitasking to take advantage of every waking moment, yet not stopping to be present in the moment. Sure, travel enables an escape from our daily routines and forces us to break those patterns. But with a little mindfulness, we can experience our daily lives in a whole new way. One can seek to find adventure in the seemingly mundane. 

The subject of one of said backroad photo opp stops

Try something new. Take a different route on your daily commute, treat yourself to a lunch by yourself in a fancy restaurant you always wanted to try, venture to a different part of town or city for a new perspective and experience. Stop along the way to check out anything that piques your curiousity. And if you can, schedule yourself to have a full day of exploration on your own: get in the car and drive without any agenda (or take public transportation to a new part of town). Take a hike. Sit on a park bench and just notice everything around. See how many discoveries big or small you can find along the way. Maybe you’ll notice the scent of Eucalyptus trees, freshly cut grass, or freshly baked bread. Follow the scent and see where it leads. And if you find that freshly baked bread, buy it and enjoy it - ideally smothered in salted butter and with a glass of wine. But this is important: when you venture out, you must turn off the news and social media. Don’t let anyone else spoil your day or influence your thinking. Let your own curiousity and pleasures propel you from one moment to the next. Then see how happy and relaxed you feel.

Taking the scenic route on a morning commute (Nov. 2017 - Palomares Road, Castro Valley CA)

Wait - What About the Wine?

You may be wondering whether I did any wine tasting while I was in La Rioja. You bet I did. The next post will dive deeply into my visits to Bodegas Muga, Marques de Murrieta, Marques de Riscal, Roda, R. Lopez de Herredia (Vina Tondonia), and Artadi. There I found many discoveries along the way.

Screw SoulCycle. I’m Finding My Soul in Sherry.

It was my first day of self-induced unemployment. Time to turn over a new leaf. After 21 years of “working for the man” in corporate America, I was finally free. Free to discover myself. Free to find my voice and harness my inner strength. On my terms. So I signed up for a SoulCycle class. I mean, the marketing had some serious allure: “With every pedal stroke, our minds clear and we connect with our true and best selves... so come in for a ride.... Take your journey. Change your body. Find your Soul.” Yes! Sounds amazing. I wanted to be just like the beautiful people in the ads and find my soul.

Totally out of shape but eager to take my journey, I fumbled through class in the dark (figuratively and literally) and sweat like a 300-pound man wearing a polyester suit on the Fourth of July. After class I was elated I made it out alive, but I felt broken. Literally broken. My legs revolted against me every few steps, as if they were going on strike for the hell I just put them through. And for two weeks after class, I struggled to get out of a low chair or off the toilet - needing my husband to pull me up more than once. So, yeah, screw SoulCycle. I would take a different path to find my soul. 

The Path to Sherry

In the last few years, something kept drawing me to Sherry. By nature, I am drawn to complexity and mystery. Exploration and discovery drive my dining and travel habits, so Sherry’s magnetic pull should not be a surprise. Perhaps at first it was a distraction from a stressful job and the work it entailed. I became enamored with Sherry as I explored the various styles at Spanish restaurants near and far - in cocktails and by the glass. Then by the bottle. Many bottles — mostly procured at The Spanish Table in Berkeley. Perplexed by and obsessed with Sherry’s unique qualities, I felt “called” to visit the bodegas of the Sherry Triangle in southwestern Spain where they have been making Sherry for over 3,000 years. So as I neared the end of my corporate job, I planned a trip to Jerez de la Frontera. Alone. Just me and my curiosity. I was on a mission to understand sherry but also myself. In a sense, to find my soul.

Beautiful decay on a building facade in Jerez de la Frontera

Jerez de la Frontera is a soulful and passionate place. It is beautifully decayed and yet preserved. It feels authentic. It has aged naturally and embraces the markers of time and circumstance. There are abandoned bodegas, facades of beautiful buildings with empty lots behind them and weeds growing from their tiled roofs next to beautifully preserved and restored structures, like the Cathedral of Jerez. There is so much beauty, strength, and passion spilling from every turn on a walk through the winding streets. The natural scenery within the city forms a fitting backdrop for its hometown star, Sherry. Like a VORS - a Very Old Rare Sherry, the town of Jerez de la Frontera proudly displays its age.

Jerez de la Frontera Cathedral

On my first night in town as I exited my Airbnb loft in a converted bodega near the Bodegas Fundador, I started on my short walk to the city center down winding, centuries old stone streets. The air was thick with humidity and carried the sound of music from somewhere nearby. Naturally I followed the sound. It led me to the Cathederal de Jerez. I stumbled onto a ceremony celebrating the grape harvest as part of the annual Las Fiestas de la Vendimia y Otoño. The music was so powerful bounced against the stone walls surrounding the plaza: a single guitar, a woman’s voice, and hands clapping out a seductive rhythm. Simply listen to Spanish Flamenco music to evoke the timelessness appeal of Jerez. It feels like Spanish Soul music. That music, along with many glasses of Sherry, helped me reconnect with myself and find my soul.

Bodegas Tradicion’s illustration of Biological v. Oxidative Aging

Sherry 101

Sherry is often misunderstood or simply unknown to many. It is a fortified wine with both sweet and dry styles. Dry styles dominate sherry production, despite the belief of many Sherry doubters that it is just a sweet variety enjoyed by old ladies or an exotic cooking ingredient. If you want to know more about Sherry, watch this 11-minute video by GuildSomm that beautifully describes and illustrates the uniqueness of the Sherry producing region, the solera system and aging process, and the various styles of Sherry. In short Sherry is made from one or more of the three white grape varietals permitted (Palomino Fino for dry styles plus Pedro Ximénez and/or Moscatel for sweet styles) in Spain’s Sherry Triangle - an area bound by the only three cities where sherry can be aged: Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa Maria. Sherry is aged in oak barrels either biologically (under flor - a layer of yeast) with 15% alcohol content or oxidatively (exposed to oxygen within the barrel) with 17% alcohol content.

Sherry is incredibly diverse and pairs beautifully with food, with styles ranging from bone dry and crisp to lusciously sweet and full bodied, respectively, below:

• Fino - a bone dry, pale white wine aged under flor for at least two years with notes of white almonds, citrus, and olives with a crisp mouth feel (15% abv). Fino pairs well with nuts, cured ham (like Iberico or Serrano), and most salty foods. I love it on a warm afternoon with Marcona almonds, Manzanilla olives, or a handful of good potato chips (my favorites are Torres Black Truffle Chips and Trader Joe’s Kettle Cooked Olive Oil Potato Chips).

• Manzanilla - a Fino aged exclusively in the coastal town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda offering the additional complexity from briny sea air and chamomile notes. Pair it like a Fino and consider enjoying it with shellfish and seafood to honor its seaside origin.

• Amontillado - a fully developed Fino that is then aged in contact with oxygen (either by the flor’s natural consumption or by a second fortification up to 17.5% alcohol to kill the flor). This gives the still light-bodied Amontillado tertiary notes of hazelnut, toffee, and coffee with a beautiful color (but not flavor) of caramelized spun sugar.

• Palo Cortado - a dry wine with the nose of Amontillado and the body and flavor of Oloroso.

• Oloroso - a dry wine never exposed to flor during its lifetime, so it begins oxidizing from the initial introduction into the solera system, developing deep tertiary flavors of walnut, coffee, toffee, and pairing beautifully with rich red meat, stews and game.

• Cream Sherry - A sweet dessert wine made by blending together dry Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, or Oloroso Sherry with the delectably sweet Pedro Ximénez.

• Pedro Ximénez (“PX”) - a sweet dessert wine with a full body, dark color, and potentially syrupy consistency made from Pedro Ximénez grapes harvested with a high sugar level and then dried in the sun for two or more weeks to raisen and deepen the sugars and flavors. Pedro Ximénez exudes aromas of fig, prune, coffee, chocolate and/or baking spices and begs to be poured over vanilla ice cream or sipped between bites of cheesecake or a rich blue cheese.

Visiting Sherry Bodegas

During my visit to the Sherry Triangle, I toured four bodegas - each one with their own unique appeal. if you are able to visit Jerez and only can visit one, I highly recommend Bodegas Tradicion for sherry lovers or Lustau for the sherry curious and sherry lovers alike. Book ahead to ensure a spot during your visit, especially since English tours are not offered every day at all bodegas.  

• For Sherry Lovers: Bodegas Tradicion was one of the highlights of my trip. Not only is the tour incredibly intimate (with only five people on my tour) and the wines spectacular, particularly the VOS and VORS wines, but the bodega also houses a wonderful Spanish art collection visitors can browse after the tour and tasting.

• For the Sherry Curious: Lustau provides The Full Tasting option (25 Euros) with a wonderful tour of the cellars by a knowledgeable guide followed by a tasting with each one  of the available sherry and vermouth offerings. We tried nine sherries  and two vermouths. Lustau pours similar styles together so guests can fully appreciate the nuances of each wine, such as the side by side tasting of the finos from each of the cities within the Sherry Triangle.

• For the Sherry Tourist: Gonzalez Byass - makers of the Tio Pepe brand - is a touristy place, complete with a motorized train ride. It offers multiple tours in different languages at the same time slot, so guests wait in a large waiting area for their tour to be called. After a movie giving the winery history, guests are hurried through the cellars and for various photo ops before ending in a large, modern, neon lit tasting room to taste the wines. As with most tourist destinations, there’s a gift shop at the end of the tour. I took the tour and tasting of four sherries (21.50 Euros).

• For Seaside Sherry: Bodegas Barbadillo is located in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, a 20 minute, 36 Euro taxi ride from Jerez de la Frontera, Barbadillo offers tours for 10 Euros, which includes admission to their Museo de la Manzanilla and a tasting of four wines. I purchased two 375 ml bottles of the “Pastora” Manzanilla Pasada en Rama (10 euros each), an unfiltered wine, aged an average of seven years with more depth - one of my favorite Manzanillas to date.

Tabanco Plateros’ Fino Sherry; Iberico Ham; Peppers stuffed with Cheese + Pedro Ximénez reduction

Eating Well in Jerez

La Carboná

La Carboná provides a modern, convivial environment for a memorable meal in Jerez. Looking like a cross between Judd Nelson (in the Breakfast Club years) and a hipster rock star, Chef Javier Muñoz Soto pairs Sherry with each course on his delicious tasting menus. Although ordering à la carte is possible, the best way to experience sherry is paired with food. I opted for the Solera menu paired with Very Old Rare Sherry (VORS) selections (70 Euros). My favorite course was the Squab Roasted in Oloroso with Pedro Ximénez Paté and Apple paired with the Bodegas Tradicion VORS Sherry - aged an average of more than 30 years. I also loved the Skirt Steak with Black Truffle Potatoes paired with a Lustau Palo Cortado VORS.

El Almacén, Vinos y Tapas, is a wonderful restaurant with friendly service and indoor or outdoor seating. I love the interior with beautifully tiled floors and rich wood tables and shelving - creating a warm environment to relax and enjoy a meal. The fried eggplant with honey was sinfully good, along with the charred octopus. The waiters hummed as they walked by and made excellent suggestions for wine pairings with each course. I strayed from my typical sherry pairings to try a Chardonnay from Cadiz on the waiter’s suggestion.

Tabanco Plateros in the quiet moments before the crowd

Tabanco Plateros is a lively tavern with an abundant selection of sherry and tapas. It sits on the northern edge of Plaza de Ia Yerba and fills up with locals inside and outside. I sat at the bar, marveling at the multitude of Sherry bottles and casks before my eyes. I started off with the house Fino, an order of Iberico ham, and bright red peppers stuffed with cheese, drizzled with Pedro Ximénez and served with potato chips. I also enjoyed a glass of the Oloroso VORS (Very Old Rare Sherry) from Urium - it was rebellious and righteous; aged for an average of more than 30 years, it was dark, richly flavored of walnut, wood, and tobacco. This is the kind of place you want to revisit again and again - like many locals do.

My new friend Nicole - high on sherry & Flamenco

Tabanco El Pasaje features Flamenco performances each Saturday evening and an abundant selection of sherry and tapas. I watched an incredible Flamenco performance with a fellow solo traveler, Nicole from Germany. The space is L-shaped and intimate, with a strategically placed overhead mirror so everyone can see the performance from the small stage in the back. For the total price of 17 Euros, I enjoyed an El Maestro Sierra Fino, a Fina Manzanilla, an Amontillado from Manzanilla, a Gonzales Byass Oloroso (Alfonso), and a Cayetano del Pino Palo Cortado along with fresh Manchego cheese and membrillo (quince paste), chorizo, and a sirloin tuna fillet. This was a peak experience not to be missed. After having so many glasses of Sherry at Tabancos El Pasaje and Plateros, on my walk back home, I stumbled into La Rosa de Oro Heladeria Bomboneria for a Brandy and Chocolate ice cream cone.

Me at Bar Juanito

Bar Juanito is a popular, old-school restaurant tucked away on a quiet alley. I popped in at the end of the night for a glass of Oloroso and a plate of cheese at the bar. I’d love to return to sit outside and enjoy a leisurely dinner on a warm evening lit by the canopy of lights strung overhead.

La Moderna is the perfect spot to grab lunch after the Lustau tour and to people-watch. I loved their Montadito (a small sandwich) with pork loin roasted in Oloroso paired with an Oloroso, naturally, and the creamy Croquetas de Jamón were also excellent.

Bodegas Tradicion after the tour on September 3, 2018