Winemaker Notes
Saracina Vineyards is a 400-acre winery estate located in Mendocino County. The winery and vineyards are Certified California Sustainable (“CSWA”) and home to a tasting room, a 140-year-old olive grove, vegetable gardens, beehives, alpacas, and all manner of bird and wild animal life.
Saracina’s location in Hopland is close to the southern border of Mendocino County, along the head waters of the Russian River. This area is a 90-minute drive north of San Francisco, and 30 miles north of the town of Healdsburg, in northern Sonoma County.
Winemaker Alex MacGregor joined John Fetzer, the original founder of Saracina Vineyards, in 2002, and has been making Saracina’s wines ever since. As a result of Alex’s commitment to quality, strong ties to the community, and long-standing grower relationships, Saracina Vineyards has been regarded as one of the most consistent wine producers in Mendocino County. And in 2018, Marc D. Taub took on stewardship of the Saracina Estate & Vineyards, upholding the spirit of family legacy that has defined this iconic Mendocino winery since inception.
The handcrafted, limited-production Saracina Vineyards wines reflect a conscious sense of this beautiful place in Mendocino County.
Full-bodied and flavorful, white Rhône blends originate from France’s Rhône Valley. Today these blends are also becoming popular in other regions. Typically some combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier form the basis of a white Rhône blend with varying degrees of flexibility depending on the exact appellation. Somm Secret—In the Northern Rhône, blends of Marsanne and Roussanne are common but the south retains more variety. Marsanne, Roussanne as well as Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picpoul and Ugni Blanc are typical.
A large and diverse appellation within California’s North Coast AVA, Mendocino is home to several smaller sub-regions—most notably the Anderson Valley. This scenic region, with rolling hills covered in redwood forests as well as vineyards, is one of the world’s top producers of certified organically-grown grapes. Due to wide geographical and climatic variation, a vast array of wine styles can be found here.