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This is the second part of a 2 part article. Part 1 covers the begininging of the Dry Creek Road Wine Trail and the following wineries:

Deux Amis Winery

Wilson Winery & Vineyard

F. Teldeschi Winery

Dry Creek Vineyard

Pezzi King Vineyards

Unti Vineyards

Forchini Vineyards & Winery

Talty Vineyards & Winery

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Dry Creek Road
Map to Wineries

Yoakim Bridge Vineyards & Winery 0.1 miles, #7209 Dry Creek Road

This small family winery is again on the left side of Dry Creek Road, just before the intersection with Yoakim Bridge Road. If you come to the stop sign, you just missed the winery. Just 0.1 miles past Talty Vineyards, their sign leads you into a small parking area past their home and new tasting room.

Don’t miss the magnificent Valley Oak out back, the flowering Potato vines on their beautiful 1886 Victorian farmhouse and get up close and personal with some old vines just across their drive. You’ll love the music they have broadcast around their property, wonderful! These are lovely people who love what they’re doing. Come and enjoy the ambiance.

Virginia and Dave met while matriculating through the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. After graduating in 1994, they joined forces to pursue their dream of owning and running their own small vineyard and winery. By 1997 Yoakim Bridge was up and running. They’re fortunate to live on a vineyard with old vines. Dave produces some magnificent, award winning Merlots and Zinfandels as a result.

Virginia’s always got some tasty treat to pair with their wonderful wines so don’t miss this stop! Tasting room hours are 11-4 Saturday – Sunday and by appointment only during the week.

See Yoakim Bridge's other wines and more about them on their web site, e-mail them or call them at 707 433-8511.

David Coffaro Vineyard & Winery 0.3 miles, #7485 Dry Creek Road

Another tricky winery to find, so keep your eye on your odometer and the left side of Dry Creek Road for David Coffaro Vineyard & Winery.

Dave and Pat Coffaro purchased this vineyard in 1979 and made amateur wines until 1994 when they opened the winery.

Brendan Eliason joined them in 1997 to help Dave with the wine making and things began to happen.

The number of Varietals produced increased, the annual production soared and the wines became so popular that they are now dealing primarily with futures. See their web site for details.

Sure, they still encourage you to drop by, (by appointment only), for barrel samplings, but you’ll want to get on their futures list. The best way to make this decision is by educating your palate with a visit to this friendly winery. Be sure to note the authentic Mohammed Ali memorabilia and other touches that let you know you are visiting a real family.

Garden, Winery and Home

Wine Tasting

Barrel storage / media

David Coffaro wine label & tasting notes

You’ve got to visit the Coffaro web site and see Dave’s diary, their virtual tour, a thorough look at local weather and a description of their other great wines.

E-mail them or call for an appointment at 707 433-9715.

Fritz Winery 2.8 miles, #24691 Dutcher Creek Road

We’re off on another detour from Dry Creek Road, but we’re in the neighborhood so why leave them out?

It’s one mile to the right hand turn onto Dutcher Creek Road and Fritz Winery is 1.8 miles up the road on the left hand side. Watch for the concrete buttresses that mark the entrance, you don’t see their sign until you’re right on top of it. Our mileage is accurate, so get some help from your odometer.

Turn left to Fritz Winery

Fritz Winery °360 picture

Up the hill you’ll find a two level parking lot. The cascading gardens and mighty railroad tie stairs lead to the upper parking lot where handicapped parking and access are available.

There is a BBQ pit left over from a wild boar roast last year, a little pond off to the right of the parking lot, a great view across the little valley they’re in and lots of other little secrets to be found here.

Located high on a hill in pristine countryside, Jay and Barbara Fritz decided to build their subterranean winery in 1979 after commuting from San Francisco to the area for years.

Only the tasting room and a little bit of façade greet their visitors, since most of the winery is underground. They use gravity to feed the must and juices of their great wines to their final destination. This makes for a fantastic tour that can be arranged by appointment only at 707 894-3389.

The unique architecture of their tasting room and patio is a pleasant, relaxed relief from the often-busy nature of the big guys down the hill.

Christina Pallmann is making their wonderful wines.

This unique winery is a worthwhile detour off Dry Creek Road.

You need to visit their web site to see more about them and their wines. E-mail Fritz Winery or call 707 894-3389.

Fritz Winery wine label
& tasting notes

Ferrari-Carano 1.9 miles, #8761 Dry Creek Road

It’s 1.8 miles back to Dry Creek Road. At the stop sign turn right and 0.1 miles on your left you’ll find the magnificent gates of Ferrari-Carano.

Ferrari-Carano Gates

Wisteria covered arbor

Boardeaux wild hog

As soon as you get through the gates you’ll know you are in a special place.

Manicured hedges, carefully planned flower beds and lush lawns are everywhere.

Every detail from the Wisteria draped entrance to the wonderful tulip beds, the grand tasting room and the gardens speaks volumes about the essence of Ferrari-Carano.

The visual impact is incredible!

We’re told it takes nine full time gardeners to keep this little piece of Eden in such immaculate condition. It’s easy to believe after you’ve visited the gardens on your right. The visual impact is incredible! Note that most of the plants are labeled, a nice touch.

Don’t miss the elegant private pool out back and visit in the fall to see a dream like sunset over the colored foliage of their vineyards.

Ferrari-Carano 360° picture

Ferrari-Carano tasting room 360° picture

Chardonnay Braised Pork Loin Serves six.

2 Tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 garlic clove, minced
1 sprig fresh sage, chopped fine or 1 Tsp. dried sage
1 sprig fresh thyme, chopped fine or 1 Tsp. dried thyme
1 2-lb. boned center cut pork loin roast, rolled and tied

Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Pat pork dry; rub with salt/herb mixture. Cover and chill at least 8 hours or as much as 24 hours.

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup domestic mushrooms, sliced
1 cup chardonnay
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh sage

Preheat oven to 350°. In a heavy Dutch oven or casserole dish, heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil over high heat. Add pork and brown on all sides. Transfer pork to a plate. Reduce heat to medium. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. of oil, add onions and cook until tender. Add garlic and cook until soft. Add wine, broth, tomatoes and herbs. Add pork. Bring to a boil; cover and bake in the oven until tender, approximately 45 minutes.

Transfer pork to a platter; let stand 10-15 minutes before slicing. Boil sauce to reduce the liquid and intensify the flavors. Season with salt and pepper. Serve pork with the sauce and either mashed sweet potatoes or garlic mashed potatoes.

Half way up the path to the tasting room is the impressive statue-fountain of “Boardeaux” a tribute to a great wild boar that used to have its way in the gardens. There’s so much more, like the barrel room downstairs, complete with dining room, the classical Italian music in the background…

You have to visit this place. It’s in our opinion the most opulent winery in Sonoma County.

Donald and Rhonda Carano began building this amazing estate in 1981 and have added many varietals to their diverse and award winning portfolio of wines. The Palladian architecture of their grand winery named Villa Fiore (House of Flowers) is awe-inspiring.

Ferrari-Carano
Chardonnay tasting notes

George Bursick has been the winemaker for the Carano’s from the beginning. Starting with Chardonnay, he’s been adding red wines and Italian varietals ever since. Tasting costs $3 but it’s refundable with any purchase of $20 or more. It’s the only tasting room charge on this road as far as we know, but it’s worth every penny.

Their beautiful web site will tell you much more and introduce you to the amazing diversity of their wines. E-mail Ferrari-Carano or call them at 800 831-0381.

Lake Sonoma Winery 1.0 mile, #9990 Dry Creek Road

Soon after getting back on Dry Creek Road you’ll see the huge swath of the earthen dam of Lake Sonoma. Green in spring, golden brown in the summer and fall. As you approach it, keep an eye out for the sign and the right exit onto the steep drive up to Lake Sonoma Winery. This is pretty vertical property; so if you need help or are handicapped, keep to the right to gain level access to this grand facility.

Lake Sonoma Winery
label and tasting notes

Lake Sonoma Winery
panorama picture

A second Lake Sonoma Winery panorama is on my Alexander Valley/Dry Creek Valley page

Their tasting room is spacious, probably the largest on this wine trail. It features lots of goodies and don’t miss the murals at either end done by a local artist. Their huge patio can easily seat 100 guests, has gas heaters and if the weather doesn’t suit you they have some indoor seating as well. It’s a great place for your picnic.

The view down the Valley is just wonderful from their patio. You’ll also notice another little pavilion to the right of the tasting room. They had a microbrewery here for a while. It’s being relocated to 4th Street in Santa Rosa.

Founded in 1977 by Robert and Mary Lou Polson and purchased in 1996 by champagne producer Gary Heck, the estate was completely rebuilt in 1999. They quickly became famous for weddings, special events and banquets.

Chris Wills makes the wines for Gary at Lake Sonoma and is also the assistant wine maker at Korbel. Pretty impressive hats to wear for a young wine maker.

Discover their other fine wines and more about Lake Sonoma Winery on their web site. Contact them via e-mail or phone at 707 473-2999.

Not done yet?

Well we recommend you take a right at the bottom of the drive to Lake Sonoma Winery and go past the fish hatchery and large park where you could also picnic and go up the hill for 2.2 miles. Here you will see a sign that directs you to the left to the “Overlook and Marina” at, sorry it’s abbreviated on the sign, “Stewart Pt. SKG Sp Rd.” It’s an uphill drive for another 0.5 miles to the sign that announces the Lake Sonoma Overlook.

Lake Sonoma’s Kitchen Collection
Pork Medallions with Orange-Rosemary Sauce

1 pound pork tenderloin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup Saini Zinfandel
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup orange juice

Instructions:
Trim fat from pork, and cut crosswise into 1-inch thick pieces. Place each piece between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten each piece to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides of pork with pepper and salt. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add pork; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pork from pan; set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan. Add garlic; sauté 45 seconds. Stir in wine and rosemary, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add tomato paste; cook 2 minutes. Stir in broth and orange juice; cook until thick (about 6 minutes). Serve pork with sauce.

There's a parking lot overlooking the lake, but don't stop here, keep going. It’s a right hand turn up to the top, another 0.4 miles, but worth every inch.

Here you’ll find an amazing vista of Lake Sonoma from on high (Two panoramas shot from the observation deck can be seen on the Alexander Valley/Dry Creek Valley page on iNeTours.com). The picnic grounds, this observation deck as well as the many trails in this area were part of the plans developed by the first head ranger for these parts named James L. Anders.

You’ll find a plaque celebrating his contributions to this magnificent area for his services from 1978-1991 right next to the observation deck. The view from the observation deck is unmatched by any other in Dry Creek Valley, don't miss it.