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Catalonia, Spain, and at this, their 17th property, they're not doing too shabbily
either; there are 210 acres here and another 125 acres 3 miles up the road. The focus
here is the $10 tour, usually daily at 1pm, which takes about a half-hour and fin-
ishes with two tastings. It's worth taking, because you'll see its fifth-mile of dark,
moody wine caves—55,000 bottles spend 6 1 2 years in there, waiting for a party.
Beyond that, a flight of pinot noir is $8 and a flight of sparkling wines is $15.
Bottles are mostly under $40, and some are under $20. The champagne grapes for
sparkling wine are harvested around mid-August, earlier than many other types;
merlot comes last, in October. Unfortunately, there's a dairy farm next door, so
when the wind shifts and comes from the north, the fragrance changes slightly.
The quiet Robledo Family Winery 555 (21901 Bonness Rd., Sonoma;
% 707/939-6903; www.robledofamilywinery.com; visits 10am-5pm by appoint-
ment) is one of the great personal success stories of the area. The family patriarch
came to America from Michuacuan, Mexico, in 1968 and worked as a laborer for
the Christian Brothers, respected winemakers, before working his way up, bit by
bit, to finally owning his own spread. There are “live barrels” in the tasting room,
which means they're full of aging wine, and the smell throughout the former dairy
barn is marvelous. They don't do tours, but because one of Mr. Robledo's kids is
usually on duty and not many tourists come through, you're bound to have a truly
interesting and possibly inspiring conversation. Tastings are $5, and bottles,
which you can't buy anywhere else, start at $16. I love the fact that tour buses are
highly unlikely to come through here and that it's a place where you'll really get
the story from locals with a fascinating tale to tell. Make sure you meet Zorro, the
fat, friendly Chihuahua. This winery received a huge honor in early 2008 when
Mexican president Felipe Calderón, on the first visit to the region by any Mexican
president ever, chose Robledo and no other winery for an appearance. He, too, is
from Michuacuan.
When you drive into Rosso & Bianco 55 (300 Via Archimedes, Geyserville;
% 707/857-1400; www.rossobianco.com), you pass through a triumphal arch
that says FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA PRESENTS . Yes, this is the winery owned by the
legendary director, and the experience here is as much about his movies as his
wine. Here, you'll find a glass case full of his awards, including several Oscars
(such as the ones he won for The Godfather ), two Golden Globes, and two
Directors Guild of America awards. You'll also see a giant bamboo cage used as a
prop in Apocalypse Now. The twice-daily tour (12:30pm, 2:30pm; 45 min.) is a
good deal; for $15, you see the vineyard, learn about the vintner's grape philoso-
phy, pop into the barrel room where you taste wine right out of barrels, and wind
up with a sampling of some reserve wines. Even without the tour, tastings are free
(for 3 pours). This is also one of the few wineries where you'll find picnic tables
that are actually in the vineyards rather than in some area by a parking lot or
something like that. The winery's cafe has an outdoor patio with a terrific view of
forests, mountains, and vineyards—one of the better settings around. The food's
not bad, either, particularly for brunch or lunch, when pastas and fish go for
around $15. Even the shop is a little more interesting (and down-to-earth) than
the average; copies of his favorite movies on DVD are sold, as are copies of
Zoetrope: All-Story, his omnibus fiction magazine that attracts submissions from
some of the best living American writers. Add to all this the fact that the staff is
more welcoming than at many no-name places, and I have to say that Rosso &
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