California Wine Country Steve Jaxon & Dan Berger

William Weese, Merriam Vineyards winemaker, is our guest with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country. Melissa Galliani, GM of Wine Country Radio is also in the studio. The last time William Weese was on CWC was this episode on March 15, 2023. Today he has brought a Cabernet Franc, a Merlot and a Chardonnay.



The Merriam family started with one vineyard called Windacre in 1998 that produced Merlot. They built a winery and planted more vineyards in 2008 with Cabernet Franc and Malbec and Merlot, in their present location off East Side Road, directly below Shone Farm.



Dan says the Merriam project has been under the radar but it has become one of the most beautiful wineries in Sonoma County. They have been certified organic in the vineyard for many years and and now also the winery, recently.



Click the logo to visit Davis Bynum Wines.



The Cabernet Franc is “spectacular” says Dan. In the Russian River AVA Pinot Noir is dominant but Cabernet Franc and Merlot deserve more attention. They are open daily from 10 to 5. Reservations are encouraged but not required. They have all kinds of tastings and tours.



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William Weese, Merriam Vineyards winemaker learned winemaking by working in New Zealand, France, Chile and Napa Valley, after some study at Cal State at Chico and at UC Davis.

The Sonoma County Barrel Auction

Dan Berger and William were at the Sonoma County Barrel Auction today where the variety of production in Sonoma County was on display. Dan notices that a lot of the buyers here are people who want a personal affiliation with the winery. It is also a great place to get to know other wineries and winemakers. There are people who know wine who appreciate special products.



They pour the 2021 Cabernet Franc, one of their favorites that comes from a small block in the vineyard. It is a slow-ripening grape so they let it hang for a long time. It is smooth and silky. It has some of the personality of Cabernet Sauvignon, but more floral and less astringent.



The winery and tasting room are located a few minutes outside of Healdsburg.

Dan Berger and Don Chigazola.



Don Chigazola has brought wines from Colle Ciocco winery run by the Spacchetti family in Italy, to taste on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Chigazola Merchants is Don's company. a micro-importer of fine wines from small producers in Italy. The Spacchetti family are new suppliers to Don's import business.



Don has been on CWC several times before, the last time was this episode in November of 2023, with wines from the Friuli region in northeastern Italy.



Don has told his story on the show several times before and again for today’s audience. He started his business about 12 years ago. He and his wife Debbie and his son Tony drive around the provinces in Italy to visit small local producers. They are farmers who have been making wine for generations. They choose the best ones to import for distribution to their private wine club members and to some restaurants and wine shops in the local area.

The Chigazola Merchants Method

Don’s favorite way of finding wine is to go to the center of town and ask the men assembled in the square who makes the best wine locally. In this case he found the Spacchetti family in the town of Montefalco, in the Umbria region. They tasted their wines at the Vinitaly show in Verona and now they have their first delivery. But first, they visited the 40-acre vineyard located just outside the old stone walls of Montefalco, to meet the family and walk the vineyard. Today Chigazola Merchants imports wine from 13 different families in 12 regions.

Colle Ciocco means "Cho-ko" Hill

Colle Ciocco is the name of the Spacchetti family winery. Pronounced “coll-eh CHOE-koe” it means “Ciocco Hill” in Italian.



The first wine they taste is a red, a 2022 Colle Ciocco Grechetto, made of 85% Grechetto grapes, plus 15% Viogner in the blend. That blend makes it smoother. Dan has noticed that the wines from this region have improved a lot in the last few decades.



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Next they taste a classic Umbrian red blend Montefalco Rosso, 70% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot and 15% Sagrantino. This is a 2019 and is their current release. “It has massive amounts of fruit,” says Dan. It has good structure but it’s light. Aged one year in oak and two years in the bottle before it is released. It has the structure of a Pinot Noir but not the flavor.



Click the logo to visit Davis Bynum Wines.



The Sagrantino is big like a Barolo from Piemonte, but it is only grown in Umbria. The 2018 is the current release and it is still a baby. It is such a tannic varietal that it is not even approachable for the first six years. It can hold up 10 years in the bottle.



Finally, the Trebbiano, is a white wine that is delightful and does not remind you of Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, the two French varietals that we see the most of in California.

Dan Berger and Alan Baker



The co-founder of Cartograph Wines, Alan Baker, is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. He has been on CWC four previous times, the last time was this episode recorded on November 23. 2022. In each of his appearances we hear how he came to California from Minnesota and used to work in radio.



Dan Berger brought a 2016 MacRostie Chardonnay, from Wildcat Mountain, one of the eastern areas of Sonoma Coast. Dan declares, “These wines are really bullet-proof for several years,” meaning it’s delicious and has good structure.



Alan Baker and Serena Lourie founded Cartograph in Healdsburg in 2009. Read their story on this page of the Cartograph Wines website.



Alan Baker used to work in public radio, in Minnesota. He grew up in Iowa, majored in music in college and worked as a recording engineer and producer. In 2005 he moved to Healdsburg and “started knocking on doors.” His partner Serena was an adolescent psych nurse, then went into program design and then into venture capital. They met making wine at Crush Pad.



Click the logo to visit our sponsor Rodney Strong for info on the 2024 Summer Concert series.



Cartograph Wines has a tasting room in downtown Healdsburg. That’s where AV Films is holding its festival. There is a lot to do and see in Healdsburg.



Click the logo to visit Davis Bynum Wines.



They taste the Cartograph 2023 Rosé, which has a salmon color, rather than pink, and has a lively finish. After that they taste a Riesling.



Friday August 9, 2024 there will be a special anniversary edition of California Wine Country for the 16th anniversary of The Drive. Save the date, location to be announced soon.

Dan and Doug



Breggo Cellars and Lichen Estate owner Doug Stewart joins Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country.



Breggo means ‘sheep’ in Boontling, probably derived from the Spanish word borego. Here is another Mendocino County wine with a Boontling name. It is like Dan Berger’s brand name of his new Riesling production. That is called Bahl Fratty, which is Boontling for “good wine.”



Doug Stewart is also the head of the Anderson Valley Winegrowers. They are promoting the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival, May 17-19. Get your tickets early!



Doug has brought several wines from Breggo Cellars and his other label, Lichen Estate. They are tasting a sparkling wine, a Lichen 2015 Blanc de Gris, made of Pinot Gris, which is fruity but with none of Pinot Gris’s usual aftertaste. Dan notices that it is barely into its prime and is really delicious.



Breggo Cellars is located up in Mendocino County. You have to take Highway 128 which is one of the most beautiful roads in the state of California. Dan Berger explains how Anderson Valley is an ideal place to grow cool-climate varieties of wine grapes, and Pinot Noir is the big one. There is a lot of excellent Pinot Noir coming from there and because the region is not as well known. There are wines selling for about $30 which are just like other wines that cost twice as much.

Pinot Noir and Gewurtztraminer like the cold.

Doug explains that Pinot Noir was the only grape that would ripen, on the valley floor. There are Gewurtztraminer vineyards planted there because conditions are ideal. As they are tasting one, Dan “Lay It Down” Berger says that it will be better with time in the bottle, big surprise.



Doug talks a little about how they are also working to revive the salmon population in the local rivers.



They are open 11am to 4pm. Dan recommends taking an extra day, and to stay overnight, because it is so remote. There is a limited number of restaurants but they are excellent. There is a wine shop called Disco Ranch there too.



May 17-19 is the Pinot Festival. Tickets are going fast, so check asap before it sells out. Doug has also brought a 2021 Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley, grown in Farrington Vineyard, called Fathers and Daughters. Dan suggests decanting it for a whole day.  Doug tells about how the quality of Anderson Valley Pinot Noirs has improved in the last 20 years.

Miro Cellars owner and winemaer Miro Tcholakov joins Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country today. Miro was born and raised in northern Bulgaria. His grandfather made the family supply of wine and Miro was with him making wine since he was six years old. He came to the US in June of 1990, and has been making wine since then, having worked for Dry Creek Vineyards for about nine years then he moved to Trentadue Wines in 1999, and he is still there. He started Miro Cellars in 2001. Miro is a frequent guest on California Wine Country, his last appearance was this show of August 17, 2022.



Geyserville, where Trentadue is located, was not a place that was recognized much for wine. As the industry got more oriented to varietal wines instead of blended wines, Trentadue and its region got more recognition.



Miro Cellars is Miro’s personal project. When he had people offering to invest in his company, his wife advised him to keep it simple and he is still having fun, without debt.



Bulgarian Wine dot com is a site that brings Bulgarian wines to retail buyers in the US. Miro acquired it and his wife runs that part of the business.



Eastern Europe has lots of grape vines planted, Dan mentions Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova. In 1987 Bulgaria had more plantings of Cabernet and Merlot than California. In 1990 Dan visited Slovenia for an international competition there. The region around Maribor has a lot of wine production and the wines are really good. After Bulgaria joined the European Union, the EU made a lot of investment into the wine business.

La Storia

They are tasting the first Chardonnay that Miro has ever made, a 2022. His first white wine was an Italian varietal called Ribolla Gialla, which is delicious but unknown so people didn’t buy it. It won Best of Class last year at Sonoma County Harvest Fest. He only made 10 barrels. Dan describes it as having strong tropical fruit and suggests it could accompany rich seafoods.



They are tasting a Trentadue wine called La Storia. This one is a Super Tuscan style, made with Sangiovese blended with Merlot and Montepulciano. It is an unusual blend that is listed on the label. 47% Sangiovese, 31% Merlot and 22% Montepulciano. Miro used a little Merlot to soften the two Italian varietals. It takes a winemaker willing to take risks, to produce a wine like this.

James Byus III, owner of Vine Burgers, joins Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger in the studio on California Wine Country today.



Before we talk to James, Dan Berger has brought a 2013 Sauvignon Blanc from his extensive cellar. It’s a bit old for a Sauvignon Blanc but it is “tasty, interesting,” says Dan. On Monday, Dan will begin selling his own Bahl Fratty Riesling, online at the website only. There are 95 cases and bottles are priced at $38.



James Byus III from Vine Burgers is in today, with hamburgers to pair with wine and craft beer. He had a lot of restaurant experience and he thought there was a place for “premium” hamburgers. He opened Vine Burgers in March of 2022. They use all fresh local ingredients. All the vegetables are fresh. They do use fresh Grana Padano cheese (from northern Italy) on the Caesar Salad. The beef that they use is from a local producer, 100% grass fed, sustainably farmed, a third generation farmer.

“We slice every single pickle on your burger.” James Byus III

A Burger & a Glass of Wine

Naturally, James has brought some burgers to the show and first is the basic beef burger. They start with a 6-ounce patty, spiced inside and out, and cook it mid-rare-to-medium. This one is a cheeseburger with white cheddar. There are sauces, a creamy avocado, homemade chipotle barbeque sauce and chipotle aioli. With this they are tasting a white wine blend, made by Sans Liege in Paso Robles. It is mostly Viognier with other blending grapes. James finds obscure wineries with delicious wine that he puts on the wine list at Vine Burgers. He has also brought a Red Car Chard.



James describes his wine list. They have a house red and white, about 6 other reds and whites, plus a port, a reserve, a sparkling, a sweet Riesling. The wine list evolves from time to time with new entries. There is no corkage fee and these two facts make Vine Burgers a haven for wine lovers.



Dan Berger is very enthusiastic about the Vine Berger wine program. The place is unique in its evolving wine list and superb quality food.  Dan digs the effect on the local culture since it shows great wine to the average diner.