By Matt Greystone

As I sit in the relative comfort of my easy chair surrounded by the many conveniences of the modern world it occurred to me that the fall season approaches rapidly. This also signals the beginning of a new television season, featuring new hit comedies, mysteries, more reality shows and of course the Soprano’s. In addition to the above mentioned entertainment, add all of the sports one fan can possibly absorb such as the new football season, the baseball playoffs, the World Series and golf’s Solheim and Ryder Cups. One might ask is this paradise at the touch of a button or does any one person stand a chance of overcoming the temptation of convenient entertainment coupled with a cozy sofa? This most assuredly can only lead to one thing, becoming the proverbial couch potato.

However, to avoid the most assured battle of the bulge I decided to escape a fate that has befallen me in years past and forge forward and choose adventure rather than the humdrum. Of course I will still leave just a little time for the tubes entertainment effort.

All of the afore mentioned statements brings me to this declaration of escape and supports the ideal of getting out into the world and discovering and participating in recreation that aids in rejuvenating the soul. For me on this particular occasion it’s a trip to the Amador Wine Country and a visit to the Sobon Estate Winery.

The Sobon Estate owned by Leon & Shirley Sobon is located in the foothills of Amador County in the heart of the Amador Wine Country. This fine establishment is located at a higher elevation (approximately 2000 ft. above sea level) than it’s sister winery Shenandoah Vineyards and hosts not only a winery but also a museum known as the Shenandoah Valley Museum dedicated to viticulture and agriculture of the Amador Wine Country.

The museum and wine tasting room occupy the site formerly known as the D’Agostini Winery, the oldest winery in California and is recognized by historians as California Registered Landmark #762. Swiss emigrant Adam Uhlinger founded the winery and nearby vineyards in 1856.

In the early 1900’s, Enrico D’Agostini purchased Uhlinger’s vineyards and home where along with their sons they produced fine wines. In April of 1989, the Sobons purchased the property and soon opened the museum, filling it with their own collection and with items loaned and contributed by local ranchers, winegrowers, and pioneer families.

This is an enlightening piece of yesteryear and is a good place to begin your wine tasting experience.

Now, lets talk about Sobon Estate today and the fine wines they produce. Wine production begins with how you grow the fruit and The Sobon family has made a commitment to being good stewards of the land and all of their vineyards are organically farmed. Once the fruit is harvested they treat it gently and use their years of wine experience to create a product that will fulfill even the most discriminating pallet at a reasonable price.

After extensive varietal and clonal experiments, Leon has determined that soil, climate and topography make this area, the ideal site for growing Syrah, Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, Cinsault, Mourvedre and Grenache. The plantings, which began in the mid 80’s, are now some of the most robust and vigorous Rhone style vineyards in the state. The wines themselves pay tribute to the great traditional winemaking of the Rhone appellations of France.

In addition Sobon has an additional advantage of also having planted both the Hermitage clone and the Shiraz clone planted almost 50/50. These are harvested and fermented separately giving them a unique opportunity to produce a Syrah of almost unprecedented strength and complexity.

Sobon offers a number of wines like Viognier, Roussanne, Rhone Rose, Syrah, and Grenache. Sobon Estate offers several Zinfandels “Cougar Hill”, “Fiddletown” and “Rocky Top” along with a very special Rezerve Zin. Also, available is a specialty known as Zingiovese, a blend of Zinfandel and Sangiovese (the Brunello clone). This Sangiovese is planted on old lava flow and because of the soil and low yields produces one of the most extracted Sangiovese in the state.

These are just examples of what you can discover from the winery at Sobon Estate. Whether you’re a novice or an expert in the industry there is a great deal to be learned at the Sobon Estate. You can bet that the family is not resting on their laurels and will always be creating new and spectacular wines that will produce yet another gold to add to their large collection of award winning wines.

In closing, I hope you will enjoy this winery as much as I have, and while your there relax and enjoy the picnic area. It’s a wonderful place to enjoy the arrival of autumn and an opportunity to raise your glass to the harvest of 2002 and the great things to come.