The winery was very busy when we got there, but the staff was efficient and friendly making standing 2 to 3 deep at the tasting bar still worthwhile. We decided to try 3 whites and 3 reds from their very extensive tasting selection starting with the Sutter Ranch Viognier. The nose was ripe pears and baking spices and vanilla with enough acid on the palate to make the wine lively and bright and not flabby as too many Viogniers from warmer regions can become. From there we went to the Clarksburg Chenin Blanc, which was very light in body with nice apples and tropical fruit and a hint of floral aromatics. Last of the whites was the Moscato which had definite ripe apples and passion fruit with almost a hint of a sparkling quality to it.
In the red category we started with the Merlot blend. The wine had a nose of spicy anise and pepper qualities with good fruit and some nicely rounded tannins. The Old Vine Zin we moved to next was a nice surprise for the price of $11; with lots of blueberry and black fruit, great pepper highlights and some wonderful cedar in the finish. Last we tried the Petite Sirah which had a great nose of big black fruit and peppery spiciness with a nicely rounded tannin structure. The thing that impressed us the most was the value for the dollar you get from Bogle wines. This is a fairly high volume winery that produces very solid wines at a good value. Definitely worth an afternoon trip to try since many of the wines they pour in the tasting room never make it to market. We hear they have a Clarksburg Riesling they will be releasing in the tasting room soon that could have us back there for a taste.
We continued our afternoon drive heading south along the river to Walnut Grove for a late lunch. The beautiful little sloughs that crisscross the area were still flowing slightly brown attesting to the fact it was still winter. Walnut Grove is an older farming town that still has much of its early 20th century charm. It is also one of the few towns with services in this part of the delta and with 2 delis, a pizza place and Chinese restaurant to choose from. After lunch we walked down to the very small dock to take in the late afternoon sun on the water and the multitudes of water fowl that call this area home.
We ended our drive by heading south to Twin Cities Road, the cutoff back to I5, taking in wonderful draw bridges, miles of farm lands and peaceful tree lined roads. One thing we did find is that there are some very nice wines being made in the area for very reasonable prices. One hint – either take a picnic lunch or eat right before you leave; there are no restaurants that we could find open between Freeport and Walnut Grove. There were many areas that had picnic tables, so make use of them if you can. We also recommend visiting the Clarksburg Wine Growers Association website at http://www.clarksburgwinegrowers.com for more information on the wineries and a great map prior to your trip. If you like good wine, friendly people and beautiful river scenery, we think you will enjoy it.
