Friday, February 20, 2015

Basic information on the Alexander Valley wineries

Alexander valley winery
Alexander Valley is among the California’s large wine making districts located in Sonoma County. The colluvial and  alluvial soils make this region a grape farming zone. With over 12,000 acres of grapes, the Alexander Valley is home to many vineyards that supply the wineries with grapes. Very stringent measures are put forward to ensure that only the best quality grapes get their way into the wineries. Some wineries are relatively small and cannot afford to have a vineyard such as those that are family owned. Visiting such wineries requires that an appointment be made prior to the visit, especially if the group is relatively large. In these wineries, there is a variety of activities that take place such as the tours to the vineyards, to the different wineries and the epitome of the visits which is the wine tasting events. Alexander Valley is a wine tasting hub that allows wine lovers to sip various wines brands from different wineries, assess and judge them based on the quality and strength of the aroma and the texture.

Do’s and donuts while in Alexander Valley wineries
 Some wineries are relatively small and cannot accommodate a large group of persons in case of an impromptu visit. They, therefore, call upon these individuals to make an appointment for proper arrangement to be made. Wine tasting is no drinking spree hence; you should emphasize more on the quality and not the quantity. This means that there is no need to visit all the wineries in Alexander Valley in the name of tasting. Even though wines usually contain small amounts of alcohol, after taking it, one should abide by the rules governing the taking of alcohol. Spitting is not forbidden hence if the group deems it fit you can sip and spit some of the wine. The only smell in the room should be that of the wine hence any scented cologne or perfume should not find themselves inside the tasting room.

Activities during your visit to Alexander Valley

Cars are not the preferred mode of transportation when taking a detour of the wineries as some destinations are easily missed out and time wasted trying to reverse in case you lose direction. While in Alexander Valley, ride your bike or rent one through the Geyserville and takes you time to get familiar with the vineyard environment. Take a speed bike or hire a limo and take a detour of all wines located in the town of Healdsburg. Actually the visit to all wineries will not be necessary unless you are on a drinking spree. Wine, like any other alcoholic beverage, should adhere to the stringent alcohol drinking regulation such as that prohibiting the drinking and driving. For a memory that will probably never get erased in your mind, take a wine tour using a horse and travel through the many vines at the 7-mile loop to boutique wineries. One can also travel the wineries via a wine carriage that is usually pulled by two horses. All these are designed to creates a memoir of the best holiday or vacation that you had at Alexander Valley.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Visiting Alexander Valley wineries during your vacation

Alexander Valley Wineries
Together with the Russian River Valley and Dry creek, the Alexander Valley converges into the town of Healdsburg, Sonoma County, the state of California. Unlike other wine yards, Alexander  Valley boast over 12,000 acres of  grapes vineyards hence is larger grape farming region compared to the Creek and the Russian Valley. It’s generally warm weather is ideal for grape farming as it ensures that they ripen faster. Over 30 grapes varieties are grown in this valley. The Alexander Valley has earned the town of the Healdsburg and the Sonoma County as a whole a place on the world map due to its production of high-quality grapes that give the wines natural aroma.




Wine tasting at Alexander Valley wineries
There is a vast difference between wine tasting and drinking. Wine tasting is the judging and assessing the quality of the wine based on its texture and aroma. Common sense of taste and smell is the requisite to wine tasting. Though the experience makes one a good wine taster, learning the basic techniques of wine tasting can make anyone a good taster as well. Some wines are faulty and the causes of these faults range from poor winemaking to use of defective materials. Extended periods of contact between the wine and oxygen make the wine acquire a sherry-like smell. This can be easily deciphered as the color changes to more dark or red for any wine of its age. Wineries use sulphur as some sort of a disinfectant during winery. If a large amount of it is used, a sour taste that makes the wine taste like burnt matches is left. If the fermentation is not well done, the smell of bad eggs is left due to production of hydrogen sulphide. Vinegar taste is due to excess acetic acid.

Best Alexander Valley wineries

You will definitely find some of the California’s best winemakers in the Alexander Valley. The Kendal-Jackson wine centre is not just a taste room as it is located in the most breathtaking scenery that allows one to do some outdoor adventures as they sip their wine. The Chalk Hill Estate is not only a historical site but also a natural beauty. It is probably the first part where grapes were originally grown. When you visit Rosenblum Cellars winery, take your time to visit their off the plaza taste room. This will enable you to compare its wide variety of wines and that from other appellations. Gallo Family Vineyards have their taste place on the square in the town of Healdsburg. On your visit to this winery, you better plan on visiting the vineyard too. Souterrain is one of the urban wineries as the wine depot is located very far from the vineyards. This is purposely for tourist attractions though some landowner's wrangles have contributed to this scenario too. Some of the  other names in the  wine making business include; Jordan vineyard and winery, Hanna Winery Alexander Valley, Alexander Valley vineyards, Sausal Winery, Stryker Sonoma, Murphy-Goode Estate Winery, Clos du Bois, etc.