Have you heard the story of “Le Cigare Volante?” Well, it’s a good one in American wine lore. In 1984, Randall Graham of Bonny Doon Vineyards produced his first vintage of this French named wine. His inspiration came from Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhône Valley. Randall discovered that grapes grown in the warm, Mediterranean climate of the Southern Rhône Valley would also feel right at home in the Central Coast of California. He purchased land in the Santa Cruz Mountains in the town of Bonny Doon and began his journey of producing quality Rhône-style wines on the California Coast.
He also discovered that the French very stringently regulate the growing conditions in each of their delimited regions, and that these conditions are often written into local ordinances. In Châteauneuf-du-Pape, UFOs, known in French parlance as “Le Cigare Volante” which translates to “the flying cigar” are strictly prohibited from flying above the vineyards. Because who knows how UFOs above will affect the quality of the wine?
The tasting room for Bonny Doon sits right on CA Hwy 1 right across from Davenport Beach and reflects the whimsy of the first vinatge with quirky artwork, fun and colorful labels and a UFO that you can sit in while in front of a green screen. My husband, being a photoshop aficionado, was super excited about this one and prodcued the cover photo for the article after our visit. If in the Santa Cruz Mountains, I highly recommend a drive through the mountains on Pine Flat and Bonny Doon road down to the coast to visit. The drive through the redwoods is gorgeous, and the tasting room at the end will not disappoint.
Randall pays homage to the valley with his beautifully made wines of Rhône varietals and their quirky name. The 2010 Le Cigare Blanc is a blend of Grenache Blanc and Roussane which Has a brilliant yellow color and scents and flavors of yellow apple, marzipan, ripe Meyer lemon and just a touch of oak. I am a sucker for a well made white Rhône blend and this one is delicious!
And, don’t get me started about this absolutely stunning dessert wine. Viognier, in my opinion, is the queen of white Rhône varietals, and I love pretty much any well made wine from this grape. It’s rather uncommon, however, to find a dessert wine made of Viognier. Randall explained at a recent event in Austin that the wine undergoes “cryo-extraction” in which the grapes are pressed and then the juice frozen. The water fraction freezes first and then the sweet juice freezes second. Once thawed, the heavier juice can be poured off to make a concentrated, sweet wine that is absolutely divine with dessert or simply on its own. This method is quite different that the usual method of producing “ice wines” whereas the grapes are left to hang on the vine until they freeze and naturally concentrate their sugars. As you can imagine, the likelihood of this happening in coastal California is low. Thus, the cryo-extraction method is used to create the same effect. The 2017 Vin De Glacier is absolutely stunning with notes of fruit cocktail syrup, almond extract and stewed peaches. We paired our with a peach and blueberry compote lightly sweetened with honey and a dash of cinnamon.
If you plan a trip to the Santa Cruz Mountains, don’t miss a stop at Bonny Doon to visit their merry band of “Rhône Rangers.” Feel free to message me for travel tips and recommendations on other wineries to visit.