Mi Sueño Winery Celebrates 20 Years!

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of joining the Herrera family at Auberge du Soilel Restaurant & Resort to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Mi Sueño winery. This celebration was one of the most magical nights in wine I've ever experienced. The story of Mi Sueño’s inception brought tears to my eyes—it’s one of the most unique and inspiring winery stories ever told. It’s about family, dedication, legacy, and the pursuit of the American dream. The night was filled with stories and toasts from Rolando's family and mentors. Marketta Formeaux of Chateaux Potelle and Warren Winiarski of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars gave insight into what it was like working with Rolando and attested to his incredible work ethic and excellent winemaking skills. It was inspiring and moving to see the support and guidance Rolando received along the way and the close knit relationships he maintained with his mentors. 

Rolando Herrera, founder and winemaker of Mi Sueño, began as a dishwasher at Auberge du Soleil thirty-five years ago. This moment completed a full circle for Rolando as he remembered his humble beginnings as a night shift dishwasher with dreams of owning his own winery. What started as a dream or "Mi Sueño", meaning my dream in Spanish, is now a reality for the Hererras. Mi Sueño is one of the few California wineries founded and owned by Mexican immigrants. Rolando and his wife Lorena founded Mi Sueño in 1997. Mi Sueño produces between 8,000 to 10,000 cases of wine per year. All wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered. The Herreras have six children that all work at the winery in some aspect. In 2003, Rolando launched an ultra-premium label called Herrera Wines, with each bottling named after one of the children.

Lorena comes from a strong farming background. Her parents Reynoldo and Maria Robledo, own and farm over 350 acres of vineyard land in Napa, Sonoma and Lake Counties. Both Lorena and Rolando share a deep understanding of the importance of grape growing in the outcome of wine quality so they chose to manage everything from vineyard to bottle themselves. They farm 40 acres of estate vineyards in Oak Knoll, Coombsville, Carneros, Russian River Valley, and Sonoma Mountain. In 2016, they purchased a property on Mt. Veeder that they will use for the Herrera wines and hopefully build a winery and tasting room on one day.  

Rolando says that growing grapes is not science and rather likens it to parenting. “You have to be consistently present with your children to know what is going on in their lives. Even when you think you know them, they change. The same is true with growing grapes. Each growing season is different, and to be a good farmer, you must nurture and cultivate the fruit and spend as much time as possible in the vineyard. You have to be there. No growing season is the same, just like no stage in a child’s life is the same.”

The wine that stole my heart during the dinner was the 2006 Russian River Pinot Noir. This wine was served at the White House for President Bush’s 2008 Cinco De Mayo celebration. This wine is gorgeous, juicy, and lush. It’s layered with floral and spicy aromas and reveals the terroir it came from. This excellent example of Pinot Noir is a must try for every Pinot lover. It's absolutely delcious and was the crowd pleaser at our table--everyone kept asking for more of this bottle! To purchase Mi Sueño wines contact the winery or visit their site https://www.misuenowinery.com/

Exploring the Russian River Valley

The Sonoma County appellation has approximately 60,000 acres of vineyards planted and is made up of fifteen different AVA's. This past weekend I spent a day in Northern Sonoma wine tasting with some friends. We started off at Iron Horse Vineyards in the Green Valley sub appellation within the Russian River Valley. Green Valley is one of the smallest appellations in Sonoma County. It lies in the southwestern part of the Russian River Valley. What makes Green Valley's special is its unique microclimate influenced by fog and its Goldridge soil type, which is highly sought after because of its great drainage properties and low soil fertility. 

Iron Horse produces sparkling wines, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. The set up and grounds were beautiful. They have a bar set up outside on a hill over looking the vineyards. It was a very relaxed environment without too much traffic and the service was excellent. Our wine educator was calm, knowledgeable, and treated us great. We tasted through their sparkling flight and did a couple of their Native Yeast Chardonnays.

Of the six sparkling wines we tried, the 2010 Russian Cuvee and the 2011 Wedding Cuvee were my favorite. The Russian Cuvee is made of 69% Pinot Noir, 31% Chardonnay. It is the richest, most opulent of the Iron Horse bubblies with a lingering hint of sweetness balanced by solid acidity. The Russian Cuvee has an interesting story behind it. Iron Horse was comissioned by the White House to create a wine for the historic Reagan-Gorbachev summit meetings which ended the Cold War. This Cuvee is made in the same style of the one that was shared at the summit. This wine also received 90 points by the Wine Spectator. It retails for $42 and only 800 cases were made.

Iron Horse is also well known for its Wedding Cuvee which is made up of 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay. It has a beautiful light pink color, fresh fruit aromas, and racy acid to back it up. This wine is very easy to enjoy which makes it versatile for many occasions. This wine retails for $44.

I enjoyed both the 2012 and 2013 Native Yeast Chardonnays but the 13 was my fav! On the ‘12 I got banana on the mid palate and the ’13 had aromas of pineapple and tasted like juicy fruit gum with some nice lingering acid. I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking to taste some high quality wines in the Sonoma area.

The next winery we visited was Lynmar Estates. They produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. We tasted two Chards and several Pinots. Of the Pinots we tried the Quail Hill was my first choice and the Monastery was my second pick. Although we did not have lunch here the tasting area has a great set up for lunch with picnic tables, umbrellas, and a gorgeous garden.