Sommelier picks for Sierra Vista Winery

After visiting Miraflores, my sommelier and I were off to winery number 3: Seirra Vista.  I didn't get to speak to the own of this one because as soon as we got there, we learned the power had gone out and he was busy trying to get the generator to start. 

Of course, while he was doing that, we tested out his wines.  They also had some yummy shrimp appetizers so I had try those as well.

Owned by John and Barbara MacCready, the winery crushed their first grapes in 1977 and were the first to plant Syrah in 1979 followed by Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault and Viognier.

“John started the Rhone movement in the El Dorado County area,” said Diana, one of the pourers.

But it’s not just the wines that keep people coming back to visit the winery again and again. It’s John’s humble personality and his integrity to keep his wines honest.

“John is very salt of the earth. He leaves his wines alone for the most part, but what I’ve always liked about him is that even in these times of high alcohol and high extraction wines, he’s always made wine for the dinner table,” said Sandford Wragg, sommelier.

Wragg, who has worked in the wine industry for over a decade says it doesn’t matter if is his award winning vintages or a table wine, it always comes from the same philosophy – good wine, with good integrity.
But with this being said, there are few vintages that rise above the others.

“I think John’s signature wine is his Fleur de Montagne,” said Diana.

The Fleur de Montagne is a Rhone blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault. It’s a luxurious wine with great harmony that is a crowd pleaser. Wragg agrees that it is good and should be tasted when visiting the winery, but it's not his Sierra Vista favorite.

“What I liked the best at Sierra Vista is their reserve Syrah. I think he is famous for Syrah for a reason and that particular Syrah had more focus, acidic intensity and the ability to serve as a wine on the dinner table than any of the other wines including the Fleur de Montagne,” Wragg said.

But the Syrah isn’t the only wine on Wragg’s “must try” list. He was also impressed with John’s wines made from Bordeaux grapes.

“You shouldn’t pass on his Merlot and his Cabernet. Probably because he leaves them natural in this colder climate, his Bordeaux grapes have some structure and some tannin in them making these wines worth checking out,” Wragg said.