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theCompass mobile application is a winery, brewery, and distillery locator for North America. |
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Chaine D'or Vineyards
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How often we hear that when we go to some function or tasting and meet new people. Well, we’re a minuscule little winery in Woodside producing only around 400 cases of wine a year. But we’ve been doing it for 17 years now. We grow our own grapes and make and sell out our wine primarily for the consumption of our neighbors and members of the surrounding communities. We consider ourselves a “local” winery making wine for local people and the occasional visitor who happens to find us, much in the tradition of the small European vigneron who grows grapes and makes wine only for his village. If he is good at his craft, perhaps word will spread to surrounding villages and his product will become widespread. But alas, this popularity will soon come to an end as there is only a limited quantity available. We find that our output is about the maximum amount that the two of us can comfortably do per year We do almost all of our own work. Anne is the winemaker and Jerry drives the tractor. What we do is to try to grow the very best grapes we can and then to make the very best wine we can. We don’t buy or import any grapes, even out blending varieties are grown in our two-plus acre vineyard. We are fortunate to have a very modern, clean, well equipped winery, although it is very tiny. Both white and red wines are aged exclusively in French oak barrels; whites for about 9 months and reds for nearly two years. Unfortunately we don’t have many of the things which people have come to expect of wineries. No tee shirts, caps, jogging suits, or wine glasses with logos. We don’t have a tasting room since the winery is in our home, that is, except for the kitchen where we do most of our tasting. While we’re not open to the general public if you call us ahead we’re delighted to show you the vineyard and the winery, and maybe do some barrel tasting. Since we are so very small we can indulge our passion for quality in every aspect of the wine. Nothing is spared in an effort to produce the very finest result which can come from our terroir. On the other hand we also have a strong wish to keep our prices moderate, so that more local people can enjoy our wines. Our best reward is when someone says to us, “That’s a great wine.”
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Directions
From the East Bay: Cross the bay on the Bay Bridge to 101 and take the 280/Daly City exit to get onto Highway 280, then proceed as above. Alternatively, cross the bay on the San Mateo Bridge (Highway 92) and follow the signs to 280. From San Jose: Proceed north on 280 until you come to the Woodside Road Exit. Take this exit to the west and continue as above. From the West: From the town of Half Moon Bay, take Highway 92 east for 4.5 miles until you come to the intersection of 92 and Highway 35, then 35 south for 7 miles until you come to the intersection of 35 and Highway 84. This intersection has a blinking red light, some gas stations, restaurants and stores , known locally as “The Junction”. Take Highway 84 east, toward the bay not the ocean, for 1.0 mile and turn left on Skywood Way – the first left turn you can make. Go one block and turn right on Sunrise Drive, come down to 140 on the right hand side and come through the gates. If the gate should be closed, you will see a green box on the left hand gatepost. Open it and press the button.
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Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon is a result which we consider a highpoint of our efforts in making a wine from this, the king of red wine grapes. In addition to the primary Cabernet Sauvignon, we also grow small quantities of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, the classic blending grapes of Bordeaux, which we blend with the Cabernet to add complexity and smoothness. The wine passes through primary and malolactic fermentation using only indigenous yeasts then is aged for 20 months in French Oak. We use a mixture of 50% new barrels combined with one and two year old barrels. After aging the wine is bottled without fining or filtering. It is unusual in a Cabernet Sauvignon of this intensity to be so approachable and ready to drink now. If it is your habit to drink wines from the Napa Valley or from France, you will be pleasantly surprised at the quality and sophistication of this wine, grown and produced locally. Another surprise will be the reasonable pricing.
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Chardonnay
2004 Chardonnay was a collaborative effort between Chaine d’Or and Fred Peterson of Peterson Winery in Healdsburg, CA www.petersonwinery.com. As the former winemaker of Mount Eden, Fred has an intimate understanding of the fruit of the Santa Cruz Mountains. At his urging, we imported French oak barrels from Tonnellerie Claude Gillet, a master cooper from tiny Saint Romain in the heart of the Burgundian vineyards and used them in the traditional barrel-fermented method of chardonnay creation. Sometimes we forget that the Chardonnay grape is the as much the essence of Burgundy winemaking as is the Pinot Noir grape. So, Burgundian barrels for a Burgundian grape, with a goal of making a wine which would encompass both the steely mineral aspects of a classic French white burgundy, with the more lush California fruit – a task made possible by the typical restraint of the Santa Cruz Mountains terroir.
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