A Dose of D&D

There’s another tasting room you must have on your list – Eric Ross Winery on the Sonoma side in Glen Ellen. Check it out: www.ericross.com. Michael and I discovered it one sunny Sunday when we were just tourists and we’ve been going back for the wine – and the conversation - ever since.

The winery was started by John Ross Storey and Eric Luse, two San Francisco newspaper photographers who probably met while jockeying for position to get the best shot of something interesting. (And believe me, there’s always something interesting in SF!) Or maybe love of wine brought them together, I’ll have to find out. Either way, they became successful winemakers, and that does not usually happen for a couple of regular folks. Curiously, the winery website offers sparse details about the two. Sounds kind of like they found themselves on a hill overlooking scenic vineyards and declared themselves winemakers. They combined their names and rest is awards history. As a business owner I’d say there’s more to the story, and I wish Red House had had such an easy birth. There’s a photo of the smiling pair on the website, and all that’s missing are Red House shirts. (Well, I had to say that!)

Dennis and Diane are the tasting room managers. They are the real deal. They know their wines and each other. How do they survive working together like that?! I mean, I work with my husband too - but not THAT close. And even though Michael and I are usually in agreement on business decisions, there are times the travel aspect of my job is a welcome escape. (Sorry for wanting to throttle you sometimes, Michael.) Let’s just say that like all couples, we prefer to handle life’s little details in vastly different ways.

And so do D&D, as they call themselves. They’ve been married a lonnnng time, and fortunately, each copes with the other's quirks with humor - at least while we’ve been watching (!!) I wonder how they’d handle the arrival of a limousine full of tipsy tourists right at closing time after a busy summer day… Would one of them run to the back room and hide? That’s what I’d do! (And this is why D&D haven’t asked Michael and me to fill in so they could have a weekend away.)

Our favorite Eric Ross wine is the Poulet D’Or Pinot Noir. The Russian River Valley pinots are something Michael and I do agree on, and the photographers know how to make this wine. Do a side-by-side comparison of the Eric Ross pinots from the different vineyards – see if you can taste the influences of the soil and climate. Another delight is the Marsane-Rousanne, a lovely summer-drinking white wine with a minerality that reminds me of France. I also enjoy their 2007 viognier. I’d compare it the 2006 and 2007, if only I had saved any. Sigh. Even if you don’t live nearby, their wine club is a good one - offering 20% off, and as Rooster Club members we also get to attend winery events pairing the wines we love with foods we wish we could make. D&D have a knack for the complex recipes, but so far, they’ve not attempted anything with rooster meat.