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Eco-Tour hiking at Kunde Estate in the Valley of the Moon
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The view from CS Ridge--just don't ask what the CS stands for!!
Eighteen years.
Almost two decades since I'd set foot in the Valley of the Moon, a gorgeous little slice of vinous heaven lying between 2 mountain ranges in Sonoma County, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why! Suffice it to say, I won't let that happen again!
With an early start, a strong tail wind and a lead foot, we made it from our West Sacramento door to the Kunde Estate winery in exactly an hour and a half, pulling up the magnolia-lined drive at exactly 9:55 on Saturday morning. Overcast and breezy, it was shaping up to be an ideal day for a hike among the vines. We gathered together, equipped with water, lunch and sunscreen, and met our volunteer hike leader Bill, 4th generation Kunde, Ryan and winery representative Jo behind the tasting room. There were about a dozen of us back-packed and ready to hit the dusty 'wine trail' in the most literal sense of the term.
We set out at 10:15, our objective to hike the entire 1850 acre Kunde Estate Winery; to learn of it's history, it's farming techniques and philosophy, and do a little tasting along the way---literally sipping among the vines from whence the wines came. Bliss.
There's so much talk of sustainable growing techniques and farming practices, but what does it all mean? For the Kunde family, who've owned the land for 5 generations, it means preserving the soil and the integrity of the land for future generations to come; producing fantastic, terroir-driven wines that reap the benefits of the different soils and growing conditions on the property. More info can be found here: www.kunde.com/sustainable_winegrowing/index.asp
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this journey, or what sort of hike were we in for. I found out pretty quickly and was pleasantly surprised that this was no wimpy 'nature walk'. We climbed some trail-less hills, sometimes in shoulder-high dried grass, and we meandered about the property for about 4 hours, alternately working up a sweat and cooling off as we strode into the north breeze, learning something of the wines, their vineyard management or the history of the family along the way. We passed several ponds on the property that the Kundes had built to catch run-off for irrigation. Wildlife and many speicies of bird make their home here as well, as we spotted Red-tailed Hawk, Snowy Egret, ducks, geese and a magnificent Blue Heron flying low over one of the ponds. Lunch was at the top of CS Ridge with breathtaking views of the valley below.
Ryan Kunde, the family/winery "docent" accompanied us on our hike, and shared many stories of the property's long and sometimes colorful history . It's original owner, retired sea captain John Drummond, imported cabernet cuttings from Chateau Margaux and Lafite Rothschild, and was the first to ever put the words 'Cabernet Sauvignon' on a wine label. The family acquired the land in 1904 when it was purchased by German immigrant Louis Kunde. Louis' son 'Big Boy' Kunde kept the winery going through Prohibition by selling 'sacramental' wines, and was successful until the beginning of World War II, when his 2 sons were sent to war and he was forced to close his doors. Upon their return, the two war veteran brothers, Bob and Fred, set out to grow the winery. Throughout the 1960's and '70's they expanded the Kunde Estate to it's current 1850 acres, planting prime varietals whose success laid the foundation for building the Kunde Estate Winery in the early 1990's.
Fantastic and fascinating history lesson; now what about the wines???
Our first tasting was of the '08 Magnolia Lane Sauvignon Blanc, $17. It was grassy and herbal, light and fresh. I'm thinking, asparagus, shrimp, light pastas---yum!
Taste #2 was at the site of Capt. Drummond's original winery, a magnificent 1880s stone structure, sans roof, that was used in the Judgment of Paris tasting scene from the movie Bottleshock (wowsa) and the site of Geena Davis' wedding, in 1993; in fact, Ryan shared that he'll be tying the knot there as well, come this August. Anyone who cares to take the plunge at this deeply romantic, rustic retreat, contact the winery for details....but once again I digress....
The Dunfillan Cuvee, $40, sipped slowly and thoughtfully in front of this gorgeous piece of rustic history, is a blend of 63% Syrah and 37% Cabernet Sauvignon----the power of the Cab blended wonderfully with the softer, smokier side of the Syrah, bringing out the best of both varietals. Seconds? Several hikers chuckled as my empty glass shot out at record speed. Um, yes, you betcha, thanks!!
At our lunch stop atop CS Ridge, we partook of our sack lunches and the '07 Wildwood Chardonnay, $26, which was a great accompaniment to our smoked turkey sammies----how did they know?
Our final tasting stop was high above the valley floor, literally among the vines, in the most gentrified vineyard on the property. These Zinfandel vines are among the oldest in California, dating back to the 1880s, their gnarled trunks still producing small yields of outstanding Zinfandel fruit, as was evidenced by what was being poured into my glass: the Century Vines '05 Reserve Zinfandel, $45. Smooth and silky with dark berry fruit, it wasn't the powerhouse you'd expect from these old-timers, but instead a full yet refined wine; simply fantastic.
As we began our descent from the top of the mountain (passing the boxing ring movie set from Bottleshock along the way), I couldn't help but reflect, what exactly is Kunde Estate? A solid winemaking operation producing wonderful wines, of course; but what else? Is it an outdoor enthusiasts paradise? A nature preserve? A giant slice of Sonoma County history? A movie set? How about all of the above? This was an outstanding, up-close and personal look at another side of the winemaking business that most don't get to experience. The love and respect for the land is evident here. Good land=good fruit =Magic in a glass.....
Great day, but my mouth is dry from that dusty trail...someone fetch me a glass of Magic, please!
For more info on Kunde Estate Winery or it's Eco-Tour Hikes: www.kunde.com
For a wonderful hiking experience in the Sonoma parks and peaks, our wonderfully engaging hike leader Bill has a website here: www.sonic.net/~fmi/daveandbill.html
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