.Swirl n’ Spit

Swirl n’ Spit

Arrowood Winery

By Heather Irwin

Lowdown: Richard Arrowood isn’t a rock star, movie star or a former dotcom investor looking for a hobby. He’s not out to change the world through wine or make the next bottle of cult Cab that sells at auction for $500,000. Arrowood is a local guy who makes some of the best wines in the Sonoma Valley–pretty much the same thing he’s been doing for himself and his neighbors for the last 25 years.

His winery, which sits at the southern end of the valley, just a few miles from the town of Sonoma, isn’t especially ostentatious or flamboyant–just a simple sort of house set back from Highway 12 with a sign that’s all but eclipsed by that of its nearest neighbor, Imagery Winery. But Arrowood has quietly become a favorite destination of wine drinkers looking for uniquely blended, well-mannered wines that are both regional and continental in their character–French and Californian at the same time. Trés jolie, dude.

Mouth value: Unlike many wineries that try to produce everything from Chardonnay to Syrah, Arrowood actually does most of them well. The ’02 Alary Vineyards Chardonnay ($35) has a crisp fruitiness despite its big oakiness. A better food-pairing wine, however, is the ’02 Pinot Blanc ($25), with its lighter, brighter character, or my favorite, the ’03 Cote de Lune Blanc (at a very reasonable $20) that’s a mix of Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier. It has a creamy, soft quality, with an intriguing mix of fruit that balances well. Arrowood Cabs are certainly nice, but the Syrahs, in particular the ’01 Saralee’s Vineyard ($39), are just plain fun to drink, blending in a small amount of Viognier to lighten the punch. Another great wine for the price is the ’02 Cote de Lune Rouge ($28) that is a different blend of grapes each year. It’s big and fat and a wonderful wine for fall.

Five-second snob: Most of Arrowood’s wine is done in the Bordeaux style of France. This means that French varietals like Cabernet, Mourvedre, Syrah, Malbec and Petit Verdot are used or blended in a way that is more like wines found in the southern region of France.

Spot: Arrowood Winery, 14347 Sonoma Hwy., Glen Ellen. Tasting room open daily, 10am to 5pm. 707.935.2600.

From the September 7-13, 2005 issue of the North Bay Bohemian.

© 2005 Metro Publishing Inc.

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