Off the beaten path in Sebastopol, about a 90-minute drive from the heart of San Francisco, lies a hidden gem. There is no gaudy signage or fanfare upon approach. There isn’t even a paved driveway at this winery, more appropriately described as a warehouse in the woods. Instead, our group is greeted by a lanky man in farmer’s garb with grape-stained hands and an easygoing disposition. The uninitiated might mistake someone with such humility as a simple farmhand, but those who love the wines made by Fred Scherrer knows that he has no farmhands. While Fred is quick to credit his witty wife, Judi, who has handled administrative duties for the winery for more than 20 years, Scherrer Vineyards is as close to a one-man show as possible.
On my most recent visit earlier this month, Fred walked our group through pressing (or extracting of the juice) of his zinfandel grapes from his family’s eponymous vineyard. Pressing at the winery, like almost every task here, is a one-man job. It’s also an all-day job. A delicate extracting of the juice is achieved by an old-school bladder press. Heavier, more modern equipment would result in more juice to sell, but more pronounced bitterness (imparted by crushing the seeds and skins of grapes).
This deliberately lengthy extraction process results in more alcohol vaporizing into the atmosphere, which naturally brings down the alcohol level of the finished wine, accounting for a sprightliness that isn’t often associated with zinfandel. In fact, when we tasted through the resulting blends, I had to ask if our glasses contained finished wine or grape juice that had yet to be fermented. It did contain alcohol. Side note: the person who complains to their bartender that their cocktail doesn’t “taste like alcohol” is usually the least fun person at the bar. Good cocktails, like good wines, shouldn’t remind you of your first blackout at a frat party.
The pressing process at Scherrer Winery is a microcosm of every other deci sion made by Fred, both in the vineyard and in the winery — each made deliberately, without compromise. In a wine world that has become obsessed with “minimal intervention” winemaking, Fred argues that the grapes don’t simply walk off the vineyard and into the winery, much less the bottle.
Much like the wines he produces, Fred is an enigma. His obsession juxtaposed with his hospitable demeanor. He takes an intentional approach of staying out of the wine’s way while simultaneously imparting his decades of experience and wisdom — and there is a wealth of wisdom. Fred spends nearly his whole life in two places: the vineyards he tends to and the old winery with the unpaved driveway where he bottles magic. There are many critical decisions that must be made that ultimately influences the final wine, and I’m glad Fred is the one making them.
SCHERRER, ZINFANDEL, “OLD AND MATURE VINES,” SCHERRER VINEYARD, ALEXANDER VALLEY
This wine represents the labor of three generations of the Scherrer family vineyard from vines that were planted in 1912. A bowl of juicy berries of every color and spicy black pepper note.
Chill and have it with heartier (but not spicy) Chinese cuisine, especially duck with five-spice and hoisin.
Cost: $40/bottle.
SCHERRER, ZINFANDEL, “ZINFANDOODLE,” SONOMA COUNTY
A blend of two distinct vintages, “Zinfandoodle” is a great reintroduction for those who have been burned by overly extracted zinfandel in the past.
It’s usually made with the grapes that don’t quite fit in to the “Old and Mature” bottling and offers a fresher, more floral take on the grape.
This is a perfect potluck wine that shines on Turkey Day or anything with barbecue sauce off the grill.
Cost: $24/bottle.
Chris Ramelb is an award-winning master sommelier, and director of education and restaurant sales manager of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of Hawaii. Watch him on the “Wine & …” podcast, and follow him on Instagram (@masterisksomm).
