The Vineyard in the Valley

Last weekend I loaded my backpack with art supplies and hiked into the countryside near my house. It had rained earlier in the day, but as soon as I saw a break in the clouds, I gathered my art supplies and headed out to sketch.

The golden grasses covering the hills during the dryer months are turning green with the help of recent rains. Reaching the top of a hill, I was confronted by the bright colors of Jordan Winery’s vineyard and a red-roofed shed guarding its gate. What a great view I thought, and parked myself on my folding stool to paint.

This northeast edge of Healdsburg used to be a horse ranch until about 15 years ago, when it was replaced by the homes in my neighborhood. Some reminders of the ranch still remain, like the old wooden fence posts climbing this hill. Although people have encroached upon this once wild land, the area is still home to raptors, deer, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, and migratory birds. Blue herons and egrets, much to my dismay, like to eat goldfish out of our backyard pond. But it’s a small price to pay for living near open land. Some of the wildlife can be dangerous, like rattle snakes and mountain lions, and many of my neighbors have reported sightings. Luckily, I’ve never run into any problems but still keep a sharp eye whenever I’m out in the field. At night as I’m drifting off to sleep, I often hear the howls of coyotes celebrating a new kill and the feast that follows.

The sky above me darkened and small drops of rain splashed on my page. Looking toward the west, I could see that another storm approached, so I packed up my gear and headed home. Under the next day’s sunny skies I returned to the same spot to add the finishing touches.

The Pear Tree and the Vineyard

Early this November, the colors of autumn stormed into Sonoma County, lighting up the countryside in vivid gold, orange, and maroon. Entire vineyards washed hillsides in color almost overnight, making even the most ordinary views extraordinary.

To take advantage of the beauty, I headed out to sketch under partly cloudy skies, donning a hat and sweatshirt to keep warm. I wanted to paint a nearby pear tree that I discovered hidden behind some bushes while walking the dogs.

The pear tree’s trunk is split from top to bottom, as if struck by lightning, and is now withering from age and decay. Its canopy contains few leaves, but surprisingly, produces an abundance of tiny pears. At its base, a small blackberry bush wraps the tree’s trunk in thorns.

At this time of year, the weather can be moody, changing from hour to hour and making the need for coats and gloves unpredictable. Since it was mostly sunny when I left the house, I thought that my hat and sweatshirt would be sufficient, but the weather turned cold and cloudy as I sketched, and by the time I finished painting, I was shivering. Sprinkles of rain dotted my page, and I covered the painting until the weather passed. Then I packed up my gear and headed home for some hot tea and a warm fire.

 

Dutcher Crossing Winery

Last week I attended a Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce luncheon supporting Healdsburg’s bid to be named an official bike-friendly town. While there, several Dutcher Crossing Winery employees and I discussed the great biking in Healdsburg, and I was invited to Join Debra Mathy, Dutcher Crossing proprietor, and a few other bike enthusiasts on a tour of the scenic Dry Creek Valley the following weekend.

I knew this was going to be a tough biking trip since I’d start by riding ten miles just to get to the winery, not even figuring in the Dry Creek Valley tour and ride home. But I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bike through Dry Creek with Debra, an avid cyclist.

When I left the house at 8 am, it was a chilly 36 degrees. I rode north from Healdsburg to Geyserville, and before descending into Dry Creek, passed a young vineyard dotted with white-plastic grow tubes, supporting young vines, and spaced in rows along a hill in such a way that reminded me of a graveyard. That just might be for me after todays long bike ride, I thought jokingly.

At the winery, Deb introduced herself, and the entire group of riders posed for a picture. Then we were off, heading down Dry Creek Road and crossing over to West Dry Creek Road, with its gentle rolling hills, colorful vineyards, and old oak trees canopying the narrow, winding road.

Now and then I’d catch the scent of fermenting grapes drifting from wineries along the road. It’s a sweet, effervescent aroma that reminds me of when I worked a harvest in Robert Mondavi’s cellar many years ago. That scent makes me long for a good glass of Pinot with lunch. After about a half hour ride, we looped back along Dry Creek Road and returned to the winery, where we were greeted by the tail wagging of Dutchess, the Golden Lab winery dog.

I was then escorted into the tasting room to a full reserve wine tasting led by Wine Club Manager Brittany Galvan. We started off with Sauvignon Blanc, moved onto Chardonnay, Zinfandel, and then Cabernets, many of which were vineyard designated wines. I relished in the aromas and flavors of the wines, learning of winemaker Kerry Damskey strong propensity toward blending. He blends his Cabernet Sauvignon with Syrah, a newer technique to California, but which has been used for decades in Australia. Brittany noted that the vineyard designated Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah blend is the first of its kind in Dry Creek Valley.

After the tasting, Brittany gave me the full tour that included the picnic area with outdoor fireplace and a spectacular view of rolling hills covered in orange, red, and yellow vineyards. Most of the grapes have been harvested and now ferment in tanks. Although extreme weather conditions have made this harvest a rough one for many area vineyard owners, Dutcher Crossing did well by getting their estate grapes in on time.

After the tour, I parked myself under the shade of an olive tree to paint the winery. I would have liked to paint a wider view of the building surrounded by vineyards, trees and hills, but couldn’t resist this almost storybook view, highlighting the flowers in the garden and its winding wooden fence. Off in the distance, Poppy Hill is blanketed in colorful grapevines.

Hungry and tired from the day’s work and pleasures, I headed home in the warmth of the afternoon sun. By the time I walked in the door, I felt exhausted, but it was worth it. What a fun day of bike riding, sketching, and wine tasting. Not to mention the great time I had riding around the Dry Creek Valley with Debra and meeting her staff at the winery.


Levi Leipheimer Promotes Bike Friendly Healdsburg

Pro cyclist, Levi Leipheimer, spoke last week in Healdsburg at a Villa Chanticleer luncheon offered by our Chamber of Commerce. The purpose was to support and raise awareness of a proposed Healdsburg City Counsel application for the League of American Bicyclists coveted “Bike Friendly Town” award. With all of my recent cycling enthusiasm, I couldn’t resist showing up to learn about and support  this cause. But hey, I reasoned, meeting world famous Levi Leipheimer, Tour de France Stage winner, Olympic medalist, founder of 7,500-riders-strong Levi’s Gran Fondo, and three-time winner of the Tour of California wouldn’t be a bad thing either.

After paying the entrance fee, I joined a table near the podium and pulled out my sketch pad to draw. Three women from Dutcher Crossing Winery sat at my table and we started up a conversation about wine, cycling, and everything Healdsburg. They invited me to join winery proprietor Debra Mathy the following weekend on a bicycle tour of the scenic Dry Creek Valley. Sounds like great fun, I raved. I’ll be there!

Chamber of Commerce CEO/President Mo McElroy introduced Richard Peacock, owner of Spoke Folk Bike shop, who proclaimed Healdsburg a fantastic place to bike, stating support for the bike-friendly measure. After Richard spoke, I showed him my recent sketch of his bicycle shop. He complemented the drawing, also remarking how much he loved my sketch of my vintage Cannondale bicycle hanging in the garage. He shared that it gives him just as much pleasure to fix up an older bike that has meaning to the owner as it does to sell an expensive new bike. Now that’s what I call dedication.

After a great lunch provided by Healdsburg newcomer, Sizzling Tandoor, Mo McElroy introduced the guest speaker. As Levi spoke in support of Healdsburg’s great potential as the number one biking destination in the country, the enthusiastic crowd erupted in applause. Essentially, he talked about Sonoma County’s beautiful rural roads and moderate weather that make it a perfect place to cycle year-round. Levi stated further, “I believe in Sonoma County. I believe it’s the best place in the world to ride a bike.”

During the presentation, I sketched Mo and Levi at the podium, and after the question and answer period, stopped to meet them. It was a great opportunity to inform them of the book I’m currently writing about local wine, bikes, and art, and of my support of bicycling in Healdsburg. And the best part is, Levi happily signed my drawing of him. How cool is that?

Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County

Some of the worlds best Zinfandels are grown and produced just west of Healdsburg in the Dry Creek Valley. The area began attracting settlers around the time of the California Gold Rush in 1849 and is now home to more than 60 wineries and 150 grape growers. Measuring only two miles wide, ridge to ridge, and sixteen miles long, the Valley is one of the smallest enclosed viticultural areas in the United States. Its well drained soil and diverse terroir make it ideal for growing many types of grapes, most notably, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. With the help of coastal fog and its proximity to the San Francisco Bay, the Valley has a climate similar to the Bordeaux region of France and produces deliciously bold and fruity Zinfandels.

Dry Creek Road begins at Healdsburg Avenue and works its way west into the Valley. A welcoming sign designates the gateway to the area with dozens of arrows pointing to wineries in so many different directions it reminds me of the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz. It’s now late October and vineyards covering the rolling hills are showing the lateness of the season with their red, gold, and orange colors. Harvest is coming to a close.

The Water Tower

 

Last weekend, while biking home from nearby Coppola Winery, I stopped on Independence Lane to admire a weathered water tower overlooking a vineyard. Unfortunately, I was in a hurry that day and didn’t have time to paint.

The following Saturday I returned under clear blue skies, the air a crisp seventy degrees. This time, it felt like a vacation, and I reveled in the beauty of the autumn landscape, exhilarated to be out riding.

Leaning my bike against a fence post, I surveyed the area for a good place to sketch. While catching my breath, I delighted in the grape vines’ glowing red leaves, took several photographs, then settled down in the shade of an olive-green bush to draw.

Wooden water towers are scattered all around Sonoma County and most were built about 100 years ago. Back in the day, water was pumped out of the ground using a windmill and stored for later use in a tank at the top of the tower. Gravity provided enough water pressure to supply fresh, running water for a nearby home. Although most water towers have fallen under disrepair, some have been refurbished into guest houses and B&Bs for an almost tree house like experience.

After I finished painting my sketch, I packed up my gear and headed home in the warm afternoon sun.

Francis Ford Coppola Winery

In keeping with my plan to start biking to sketching destinations, my friend Phil and I took to the streets last Saturday. The morning was sunny and warm, as we each rode high on two wheels, heading to our first destination, Francis Ford Coppola’s winery, just north of Healdsburg.

As I suspected, riding bicycles instead of driving a car opened up a whole new world of visual treats. We saw turkey vultures resting on fences, old rusted tractors in pumpkin fields, and wooden water towers located off the main roads. I’m looking forward to all these new sketching opportunities.

Once we made it through the gate to the Coppola estate, it wasn’ long before we found a good spot to sketch. Coppola had a “wine wonderland” in mind when he built this facility, with wine tasting bars, two restaurants, a full bar, a swimming pool, a movie gallery, a performing arts pavilion and a park area with game tables and bocce courts. He designed a place the whole family can enjoy and it is truly a destination unto itself.

I sketched the east side of the winery with its most prominent spire and a patio restaurant covered with umbrellas. The vineyard to the left had already been picked but trucks thundered down the road behind me carrying bins of fresh picked grapes to the crusher.

Spoke Folk

This past Saturday, I loaded my bike into the car and drove down to Spoke Folk Bike Shop in Healdsburg for a tune-up. A young woman named Kimberly welcomed me in from her place behind the counter. We discussed details of the tune-up package, she estimated the cost, and we scheduled a pickup time for Tuesday afternoon.

Lately I’ve been padding extra time around appointments to allow more time for sketching. So with the afternoon clear, I set up a folding chair across the street to study the building’s domed, corrugated-steel roof. Pulling out my sketchpad, I draw its overall structure, and then dive in with paint. In reality, the building is beige and forest green, but I chose to liven up the colors with orange-yellow for the sunlit areas and purple for the shadows.

Back at the bike shop Tuesday afternoon, I paid and happily wheeled my bike out the door. Another customer just outside commented “nice vintage bike.” I thanked him, but thought “vintage?” It’s hard to believe, but it’s been twenty years since I bought my Cannondale mountain bike. At the time of purchase, I was planning a ride in the Tour de San Francisco, a challenging and hilly 24 mile race through Golden Gate Park that wound its way up the Pacific coast to Chrissy Field, just south of the Golden Gate Bridge. I participated in the race for two years in a row and it’s one of the most beautiful rides around.

Outside the bike shop, I admired how clean the Cannondale was now, especially when compared to the way it looked in my garage just a few days ago. Stepping my right foot onto the pedal and pushing myself up, I coasted down the street. It felt great to be back on my bike, just like old times. Making my way through the downtown area, I felt the bike humming along with me. What a smooth and invigorating ride!

Now, after having gotten reacquainted with my rusty bicycling muscles, I realize it’s time to get back into shape. I’m looking forward to riding through this picturesque Sonoma County wine country, discovering it up close, and sketching it along the way.