Exciting news! Starting today (Sunday June 18, 2012)  and continuing every other Sunday, my sketches along with a brief story, will be featured in the Towns section of Sonoma County’s Newspaper, The Press Democrat. Alternating weeks will feature stories by Arthur Dawson. The column will be published online and in the print edition each week.
The online edition contains my full text. Here is the link for the Press Democrat Newspaper (online).
I sat under a row of blossom-covered plum trees, having set out to sketch Robert Rue Vineyards’ road sign. Drawing in pencil, then ink, I fleshed out the tree branches and the sign on paper. Pink petals fell gently around me like snowflakes, diverting my attention as I watched them float to the ground.
Plums were once a farming staple in this area before wine grapes became the favored crop. In the earlier part of the twentieth century, Healdsburg was called The Buckle of the Prune Belt. Nowadays, prunes are called dried plums, and plum trees are mostly used to beautify roadways, while the actual fruit orchards have moved to California’s central valley or Mexico. But even still, the taste of a juicy, ripe plum can be irresistible, especially when accompanied with local goat cheese. The taste and aromas of plums are also common descriptors of red wines.
A flurry of petals caused by a gust of wind fell on my sketchpad and water cups, signaling it was time to move on. I finished the sketch, painting green winter grasses and thin washes of color that defined the background. After packing my supplies, I headed down the driveway to the winery.
Today was the second and final weekend of The Wine Road’s Barrel Tasting Event. I’d read great things about Robert Rue’s Zinfandel and thought this would be a good time to visit. As I approached the tasting room, the aroma of fermented fruit drifted out the doorway.
Standing behind a table stacked with wine glasses, Carlene Rue smiled and welcomed me as she distributed glasses to arriving guests. I spoke to her about my intention to sketch the winery and she responded enthusiastically. Taking a break from her hostess duties, Carlene guided me on a quick tour of Rue’s new production facility, pointing out various pieces of wine making equipment: crusher, de-stemmer, and fermenting tanks, all of which would be idle until fall harvest.
Mentioning her family’s love for antiques, she pointed out a vintage bottling machine and a manual grape crusher. A 1941 beer truck from San Francisco sat parked nearby, loaded with used wine barrels. Behind the truck where the winery began in 2001 stood an old but well kept barn. With a newer facility now in use, the barn makes a great storage space.
Carlene invited me to roam and sketch whatever appealed to me and excused herself to help staff manage the event. I found a seat on the patio with a view of the grounds and antiques. Over the next couple of hours, I sketched the barn and truck, along with a drawing of the intricate mechanics of the bottling machine.
Then I headed into the winery where Carlene introduced me to her husband Robert (Bob) Rue. He was aware that I was sketching the winery and presented an overview history of the Rue winemaking operation. He and Carlene purchased this 10-acre, 100 year old vineyard in 1973, and sold their grapes to local wineries. But in 2001 the Rues’ dream of producing their own wine became a reality. While listening to Bob, I drew him in my sketchbook.
Bob then beckoned me outside for a stroll along the vineyard. As we walked, a cool breeze kicked up and I buttoned my jacket. The vineyard is a field-blend of predominantly Zinfandel, interplanted with Petite Sirah, Carignane, and Alicante Bouschet grapes. The blended wine from these vines has garnered many awards over the past decade.
This year, Bob said, there is concern about winter’s warm temps, which have caused an early bud break. When this occurs, farmers are haunted throughout spring by the specter of an early frost. Bob relayed that the last several years had been fraught with cold, wet springs, cooler summers, and heavy rains during harvest. None of these weather conditions is conducive to an easy growing season. The weather was so unfavorable in 2010, in fact, Bob said he lost 90% of his crop. Zinfandel grapes, with their tight berry clusters, leave little space for the sun’s warmth to inhibit mildew growth, and are in particular danger during pre-harvest rainstorms. Once mildew sets in, the berries begin to rot, making them unfit for wine. But despite a cooler summer of 2011, the Rues did well, pulling in all their fruit before bunch rot could set in.
As Bob spoke, rain clouds darkened the western sky, so we agreed to move the conversation inside. Upon my entering the barrel room, wood and wine danced around my nose, teasing me to have a taste.
Bob introduced me to Rue Winemaker, Dan Barwick, as he provided barrel samples of their 2011 Zinfandel to tasters. Dan has been winemaker since 2008 and before him Carol Shelton provided the young winery its first vintages. I watched Dan fill the wine thief and empty its contents into my glass. This Zinfandel, I learned, had been oak-aged for less than three months. I swirled the wine in my glass and held it up to my nose. I noticed aromas of bright plum and blackberry fruit, detecting little to no evidence of the oak barrel. The fruit flavors were so fresh, it tasted as though newly-picked plum and blackberry juice had been added to the aging wine. As I closed my eyes, the plum essence reminded me of the trees I’d sketched earlier, and images of those delicate pink flowers came to mind.
I asked Dan if I could compare the barrel sample with a finished wine, and in answer, he provided two more glasses, one containing 2007 vintage Zinfandel, and the other 2008. This side-by-side comparison of wines from the same vineyard can prove quite instructional, and I began to compare and contrast these three. The two finished wines felt more full and round. Plenty of fruit was still in evidence, but there were other nuances that added complexity. The 2007 tasted of blackberry, raspberry, and spice with a touch of vanilla and rich oak. The 2008 held equal interest, with flavors of dark chocolate cherries, plums, and black pepper, along with a velvety chocolate mouth feel. Both finished wines were fuller-bodied than was the barrel sample, and they activated the full complement of my taste buds. The barrel sample was loaded with fresh, mouthwatering fruit and absent of the oaky backbone of the other two, but I imagine that this young wine would mature with great nuance and complexity as it ages in the barrel.
Lastly, I tried the 2011 Sauvignon Blanc. Dan qualified it as fermented only in stainless steel. Turning the knob on a small stainless steel tank, he poured an ounce of light golden liquid. I swirled it in my glass and held it to my nose. Redolent of citrus fruits, peaches, flower blossoms, and a hint of fresh grass, this wine’s perky acidity made my mouth water. It was so appealing, I requested a second taste. Dan looked pleased and said the Sauvignon Blanc was ready to be bottled.
Having tasted all the wines, I pulled out my sketchpad and stepped back from the barrels. I often find it difficult to sketch people, especially in groups. But today I got lucky as Dan held the same posture leaning on the barrels, which provided enough time to complete a sketch. Tasters, on the other hand, moved so often that I ended up drawing one figure as a composite of several. It’s a representation of the period of time I spend drawing, with Dan as the constant.
With the day drawing to a close, I packed up my gear and found Carlene and Bob in the tasting room with visitors. I thanked them for their hospitality and the opportunity to spend the day drawing their winery. After saying goodbyes, I collected a couple of bottles of the 2007 Zinfandel and headed into the moody spring weather, toward home.
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.
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.â€
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?
Early last Sunday morning, I sat in the park with my sketch buddy Phil to draw Windsor’s “old town†section. Families were already strolling the Town Green with their dogs, enjoying the crisp morning air. This part of town is great for sketching because of the eclectic architecture and decades old oak trees  populating the area.
Originally lacking a central gathering place, the town of Windsor several years ago built this downtown green lined with bookstores, candy stores, antique shops, and restaurants. Directly behind the spot where I was drawing lies a large grass park hosting live concerts and outdoor movies throughout the summer months.
My wife and I hadn’t gone camping in thirteen years but last weekend, with the accompaniment of our good friends Jennifer and Matthew, we decided to give it a go. We drove west from Healdsburg to highway 1 and then north, up the rocky Northern California coast until we reached our campsite at Stillwater Cove. The campground was nestled among ancient redwood trees and was close enough to the beach that we could hear the ocean breeze whistle in the treetops.
After popping our tents and removing the coolers from our car, we went on a hike. We walked along well groomed trails, the redwoods towering above us created an almost cave like experience. After crossing a couple of old wooden bridges, we followed a creek, populated with ferns and wildflowers until it opened up at Stillwater Cove. Two Rubber boats lay beached on the sand like sea otters with their black rubber skin glistening in the afternoon sun. Several divers removed abalone from the boats and started to pack up their gear.
We sat on the beach for a while, taking in the ocean view. Several pelicans flew overhead and then scooped close to the ocean looking for fish. I pulled out my watercolors and with the bright sun in my face, attempted to capture the delicate colors of the windblown landscape while the others napped in the afternoon sun.
After heading back to camp, we nibbled on Humboldt Fog goat cheese, kalamata olives and slices of juicy peaches while preparing a dinner of Greek tomato salad and grilled chicken and vegetable kabobs. Lagunitas IPA Beers were passed around and with a blazing campfire to keep us warm, we skewered some marshmallows and made the obligatory, but tasty, s’mores (s’mores are toasted marshmallows and warm chocolate smooshed between two graham crackers).
As night fell, we sat in a semi circle around the fire and told ghost stories until my wife started getting the creeps and told us to stop. She then threw a napkin into the fire and I watched as the flames consumed it. The remaining charred paper lifted, with the help from the heat of the flame, and drifted like a spirit into the darkness.
My alarm was set for 3:45 am for the Windsor Hot Air Balloon Classic, but I awoke on my own, one hour earlier, bright eyed and ready to go. After making a cup of coffee and gathering my art supplies to paint while there, I was out the door. I wanted to arrive for Dawn Patrol, which begins promptly at 5:00. At that time, the balloons are lit up like lanterns as they ascend into the morning sunrise.
As I drove down the freeway, I was glad to see clear skies, a good sign that the balloons would be able to launch. At this time of year, coastal fog can unexpectedly roll in and keep the balloons grounded, but for the moment, the weather looked promising.
After entering the gates of Keiser Park, I passed through the concession tents, the aromas of coffee and grilling pancakes warming the cool morning air. It’s hard for me to resist pancakes, especially blueberry, but I told myself it would still be early enough for breakfast when I got home.
When I walked onto the field, several trucks pulled into position and with a flurry of activity, unloaded balloons from trailers, unravelling them across the grass. Compressors then filled the balloons until they rose up like sleeping giants. With four balloons now standing side by side, Dawn Patrol began, hissing flames lighting the brightly colored fabrics in a spectacular array of colors and wild applause erupted from the audience.
A couple of hours went by, as I sat on the grass painting the still grounded balloons. With the light of the day starting to creep in, several other balloons wobbled upright and into position, but unfortunately, morning fog had rolled in, canopying the area in a layer of gray. At 8:30 the announcer told the disappointed crowd that the balloons would not be able to fly. Well, there’s always tomorrow, and the weather looks more promising than it did for today.
Now, about those pancakes . . .
Compressors filled the balloons until they rose up like sleeping giants. I created this painting in near darkness using a small night light clipped to my drawing board. A three quarter moon from above helped light my subject.
This painting was also painted in near darkness.
A couple of hours went by while I sat on the grass and painted the grounded balloons.
Yesterday, I was out with the Sonoma Sketchers at Judith Lange’s ranch east of Sebastopol to draw some farm animals. She has quite a collection of grazing horses, chickens scratching in the dirt, sheep, goats, and of course barns, houses, and the like. But I was fascinated with three beautiful Angora Goats and chose to spend the morning drawing them. They weren’t the easiest subject to draw because they never stood still for long. But after a while, I learned to start one drawing and when the goat moved, start a new one. When the goat returned to a similar position I had already sketched, I would go back and continue the previous drawing.
All the rumors about goats having a strong oder are true, but the smell didn’t bother me too much. In fact, after a full morning of drawing, I headed home and on the way, picked up some Cypress Grove Chevre. Goat cheese anyone?
A big thanks to Judith for allowing us to sketch on her beautiful Sonoma County ranch.
