Before I got into the writing biz, I used to love going to wineries for fun. But now that I do it for work, I sometimes find myself being a bit blasé about some of the exciting wine and food events I get to experience. But my most recent wine adventure certainly reminded me that it is fun not only to sip wine, but also to explore the fascinating origins of where it comes from.

One of the many great aspects of sharing an office with wine marketing & communications firm, Charles Communications Associates, is that I get invites to enjoy the products of some of their stellar clients. So when I was invited to take a helicopter tour of their newest client Brassfield Estate, I jumped on it. (To be honest, I was most excited about the helicopter, but the day just kept getting better and better. 
 

As the French say, wine is all about terroir, which has no direct translation, but encompasses all the growing conditions for grapes including the terrain, climate, soil, and much more. And Brassfield’s terroir is so different from it’s neighbors in Lake County were able to receive approval for their own “High Valley” appellation (not an easy task). The estate enjoys several microclimates thanks to winds blowing off Clear Lake and topography that ranges from 1800 to 3000 feet. Plus the volcanic soil from Mount Konocti and other volcanoes in the area make for perfect growing conditions.

Brassfield's wines are delightful, reasonably priced, and getting better and better each year. They’ve spared no expense researching the optimal location for each of their 16 different varietals and have scientifically monitored each location for several seasons before they plant. The well-known winemaker, Kevin Robinson, has been given full rein to figure out what the estate has to offer, and the results of his initial experiments are delightful wines (including 91 points from Wine Enthusiast Magazine  for their Monte Sereno Syrah). I look forward to seeing what he puts out as the vines get more mature.

But I think the best part of my whole visit was experiencing this beautiful 2500 acre estate. There are currently only 250 acres under vine, so that leaves lots of nature. And owner Jerry Brassfield (see photo) makes sure that nature is fully preserved and protected. He made the ranch a safe place for the hundreds of deer and wild turkeys, and has created a bird sanctuary. Plus, rather than chopping down beautiful oak trees to plant their vines, as many folks would do, they have kept them in the middle of the vines. These groves will be available for visitors to sit among the vines and picnic under the old trees.

They’re busy creating a visitor center and will invite guests to experience the stunning estate, including self-guided tours, a party room in their caves, and much more. As they build it, you can call for an appointment to visit, or to preview their wines, pick up a bottle from the Brassfield website or in some of their retailers and restaurants (including BevMo).

And remember, you heard about this place from me first! It will be super famous quite soon.