The Bounty of Sonoma County

Now, with almost 50,000 acres of vineyards and more than 150 wineries, Sonoma County is a premier wine destination that requires days if not weeks to come to know. Whether you make your base in Santa Rosa, Healdsburg or the town of Sonoma itself, you'll find yourself so busy exploring Sonoma wine country you may not find any time to visit Napa.

Today, Sonoma County is the catchall appellation used to describe the region but it is now much better explored by its sub-appellations. The more specific areas or AVAs (Approved Viticultural Areas) include Los Carneros, which lies across the top of San Pablo Bay, Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Mountain, Russian River Valley and it sub-appellations of Green Valley and Chalk Hill, as well as the Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Knights Valley, North Coast, Northern Sonoma, Rockpile, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma Mountain.

Modern viticulture is still busy pursing the perfect match of grape to soil and micro-climate but early successes in Sonoma include the pairings of Russian River and pinot noir, Alexander Valley and cabernet sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley and zinfandel, Sonoma Coast and chardonnay, and the list goes on.

The good news is you can discover all this for yourself this Monday when the Sonoma Wine Affair pours into Vancouver and the Pan Pacific Hotel with 30 producers and more than 100 wines.

The consumer tasting, that runs from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., will also feature a silent auction in support of Arts Umbrella. Some of the items to be bid upon include: theatre tickets, weekend getaways, dinner and wine packages and other unique Sonoma County wine lots.

Tickets for the Sonoma Wine Affair are $50 each and may be purchased by calling Arts Umbrella at 604-681-5268, ext. 223. For those unable to attend the tasting, today's picks highlight six Sonoma labels you will find in government specialty wine shops and private wine stores.

We begin with a very fine Rodney Strong Sauvignon Blanc Charlotte's Home 2001 complete with a steely, ripe kiwi, gooseberry nose and melon, floral characters and a streak of spice. Its mostly Alexander Valley fruit is 90 per cent fermented in stainless steel to enhance its green melon kiwi and passion fruit flavours that reminds one, just a bit, of New Zealand. Will be perfect with a variety of seafood.

The Cline Viognier 2001 has a brilliant honeysuckle nose with orange, honey and buttery brioche notes. The entry is round and rich with more mineral, honey, buttery flavours with spicy citrus rind and melon notes. A well made viognier and certainly a grape to watch in Sonoma.

The Benziger Chardonnay 2001 is 100 per cent, barrel-fermented chardonnay with an enticing spicy lees nose mixed with a riot of mineral, vanilla, butterscotch, citrus rind and melon aromas. The textures are smooth with more melon and mango flavours with butterscotch, citrus and creamy toasted vanilla in the finish. An all-Carneros chardonnay with style and elegance and now selling at a new and permanently reduced price. Great value.

The Sebastiani Chardonnay 2000 opens with toasted oak and butter aromas mixed with ripe peach and mango. It's round and mouth-filling with orange rind and honey vanilla, mango and citrus rind flavours. A touch warm and oaky or a little bit old school but it is very flavourful and a good value. Classic Sonoma chardonnay.

The Rancho Zabaco Zinfandel Sonoma Heritage Vines 2001 has a peppery, briary, licorice nose with light blackberry jam and some rubbery notes. Obvious acidity keeps this juicy and fresh with boysenberry jam, spice and briar flavours. A lighter style zinfandel with some dry tannins in the finish. Barbecue baby back ribs would be a good match.

From the Russian River our final pick is a juicy Foppiano Petite Sirah Bacigalupi Vineyard 2001. The nose is explosively fruity with cassis jam, boysenberry fruit streaked with vanilla black pepper and licorice root. I love the round and supple entry and the abundance of licorice, black pepper, bacon vanilla flavours mixed with lots of blackberry and roasted pepper notes. The intensity reflects its single vineyard origin. Suave and flavourful and a big step up from the normal bottling.

WEEKEND WINE TASTING: Sonoma County, California

Wine: Rodney Strong Sauvignon Blanc Charlotte's Home 2001
Price: $23.95
UPC: 087512943056
Score: 15/20
Comments: Green melon, kiwi and passion fruit flavours.

Wine: Cline Viognier 2001
Price: $24.99
UPC: 098652180027
Score: 16/20
Comments: Mineral, honey, buttery, spicy citrus rind and melon notes.                     

Wine: Benziger Chardonnay 2001, Carneros
Price: $29.95
UPC: 7857774000219
Score: 16/20
Comments: Melon, mango, butterscotch, citrus and mineral flavours.

Wine: Sebastiani Chardonnay 2000
Price: $21.99
UPC: 088232002627
Score: 15/20
Comments: Honey, vanilla, mango and citrus rind flavours.

Wine: Rancho Zabaco Zinfandel Sonoma Heritage Vines 2001
Price: $26.99
UPC: 08581604
Score: 14/20
Comments: Juicy fresh with boysenberry jam, spice and briar flavours.

Wine: Foppiano Petite Sirah Bacigalupi Vineyard 2001, Russian River
Price: $33.95
UPC: 082949862550
Score: 16.5/20
Comments: icorice, black pepper, vanilla and gobs of blackberry fruit.