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Style Magazine

Local Winemakers

Aug 31, 2008 05:00PM ● By Super Admin

Winemaking, or vinification, starts with the selection of grapes and ends with the bottling of a perfectly finished wine, and in our region, it’s some of the best around. Recently, Style visited a few of our notable wineries and vineyards to get a taste of what’s being crushed in our own backyards.

David Girard Vineyards
The 85-acre property of David Girard Vineyards boasts an outdoor amphitheatre, where they host live music events, a large pond, as well as an amazing tasting room and wedding facilities. But, David Girard Vineyards is more than a beautiful venue for weddings, or a great day trip for picnics and tastings, it’s also a wonderful vineyard that produces some unique varietals reminiscent of those found in the Rhone Valley of France.

Owner, David Girard, knows a thing or two about education, and has brought his extensive background as a student and teacher to his career in wine. After earning his Ph.D., practicing law, and working as a professor at UC Santa Barbara and later, UC Berkeley, Girard changed paths in 1992 and purchased the land where the vineyard is now located. Rather than learning the trade from afar, Girard immersed himself in the wine culture while traveling with fellow winemakers through the Rhone Valley, where he received the ultimate lesson in “Rhone-Style” wines. After tasting a few of the selections available at David Girard Vineyards, it’s clear that he earned an ‘A’ in wine education.

Since then, David Girard and his talented team, including winemaker Mari Wells, have produced several award-winning wines. Their 2005 Syrah was recently awarded the gold medal at both the 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and the California State Fair. Other celebrated wines included their 2006 Mourvedre and 2007 Rosé.

For the ultimate David Girard Vineyards experience, we recommend taking the trip to the tasting room and ordering a picnic lunch. Also enjoy their concerts and other year-round events. 

Varietals:
Coeur du Terroir Blanc, Viognier-Roussanne, Rosé, Grenache, Rive d’Or, Mourvedre, Coeur du Terroir Rouge, Syrah

Favorite:
2007 Coeur du Terroir Blanc – This fruity blend, “heart of the earth,” features the aroma of citrus, gooseberry, lychee and honeysuckle, and according to the winemaker’s notes, “this wine has a mouthful of fruit with a mineral nuance at the finish.”

Where to find David Girard wines:
David Girard wines are available at davidgirardvineyards.com, and throughout northern California and Arizona; but locally, find them at Eureka & Vine in Rocklin, Il Fornaio in Roseville, Sequoia in Placerville, Wine Smith in Placerville and at Nugget Markets.

Vineyard and Tasting Room:
David Girard Vineyards
741 Cold Springs Road
Placerville
530-295-1833
davidgirardvineyards.com


For more Local Winemakers, be sure to pick up this month's copy of FoothillStyle. Click on the "Get Your Copy" link on the bottom of this page for some of our newsstand locations. Or, to order a copy of this issue, please email Gloria Schroeder at [email protected], or call her at 916-988-9888 x116.