Lula Cellars
For good wine and a good time
Do you remember a couple of weeks ago when we wrote about the Anderson Valley day trip we had been dreaming about? Well, we finally did it! Or half of it, to be more precise. We looked out the window that morning at the drizzly skies and decided that we would much rather sit cozily by the fire a little while longer with our fingers wrapped around mugs of tea than try going for that walk along Navarro Beach. And in fact, we only made it through the tastings at Lula and Gowans and the late lunch at the Bewildered Pig before the drowsiness of the day took over and we were headed back for a little more blanket-and-tea-and-quiet-on-the-couch time. No Pennyroyal Farm or Hendy Woods. It was still a lovely day though, a little getaway from our daily lives just like we had been wanting. It was so lovely, in fact, that rather than pack all three of that day’s experiences into one post, we’re going to split them up into three different weeks just to give them each a chance to shine on their own. Starting things off, Lula Cellars!
Wine to keep you warm on a chilly day…
As we pulled into Lula’s little parking lot, the newest winery dog, Keppler, came trotting out to give us what he deemed the proper welcome. He jauntily barked at us with his handsome golden nose pointing just over our heads and a mischievous glint in the corner of his eye as we opened our doors and stepped out. His tail slowly swept from side to side as he quieted and graciously allowed us to give him a good ear rub. We crunched across the gravel with our furry guide leading the way, and Joni greeted us at the door to the tasting room with a smile lighting up both her voice and her eyes. She lead us through the building to the recently erected tent out back with picnic tables and glass-topped barrels that could safely accommodate quite a good number of tasters. It being a chilly, wet day, we were the only visitors there at the moment, but we were glad to hear that the winery had been busier than normal over the past few months. We settled into a spot at one of the barrels, and Kim came over to get us started.
In between bits of witty conversation with Kim, whom we know fairly well and whose zest for life makes any tasting experience at Lula Cellars a blast, we swirled our way through Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and three different Pinot Noirs. We talked about the way that dry farming helps bring the full depth of terroir to the wine and even got to do a side by side tasting of two Pinot Noirs that were grown only a few miles from each other yet in very different soil types – we could feel on our tongues the earthier velvetiness of the Costa Vineyard Pinot, which flourishes in loamier soil, and the brighter acidity and clarity of the Peterson Vineyard Pinot, which comes out of rockier fields.
Our kind of educational experience
Kim shared stories about the winery, weaving the happy magic of life around the wines we were tasting. There was the surprise engagement among the vines that he got to participate in, how Keppler reminds everyone of the previous and well-loved winery dog Honey, visits from mutual friends that we have in common, the history behind a particular vineyard, snippets from his own friendship with founding winemaker Jeff Hanson. We laughed. We genially bickered over which Pinot was best. We begged one last splash of our favorite wine from Kim (we won’t tell which!). And we raised our glasses to toast the day. A gentle tap of glass on glass, and the big-bellied balloons rang out with a cheery bell tone, bringing it all to a fitting end.
We rose from our stools at the barrel and stretched our legs, commenting to Kim how hard it was to choose which wines we wanted to purchase and take home. “That’s what I love about working here,” he said. “All the wines are good!”
And indeed, they really are.
Go on a sunny day, and you might get to snag a spot by the pond! Photo courtesy of Lula Cellars
Plan your own visit to Lula Cellars! They are open for tastings Friday-Sunday, 11:00am-5:00pm. Make your reservation online or by phone.
And stay tuned for more posts about the rest of our stops on this Anderson Valley day trip…
Words and some pictures by Laura Hockett