Saintsbury: Who Let the Dogs Out?

Hidden – and we do mean hidden – on a back road in Carneros is the Saintsbury Winery (www.saintsbury.com), a barn-style building reminding us of the old-time Napa. Be sure to call in advance as they have a “by appointment only” policy, although we have found it possible just to drop by. But when you come ignore the address, ignore your GPS and phone them to get the instructions for the last few hundred yards. We’ve gotten lost both times we visited there.

The trip is definitely worth making, for Saintsbury offers some pretty fine Pinot Noirs and the Chardonnay isn’t shabby either. (Their web site indicates that they also make Syrahs, but we’ve never tasted them.) What makes Saintsbury unique is that there is no tasting room. In good weather they will seat you in a pleasant garden, under the trees. The first time we were there it was in September and we had our tasting watching the employees bringing the grapes in their trucks and doing the crushing in front of us. We were also there on a rainy day and we sat on a sofa just inside the blending room, facing the vineyards. While the staff were having their weekly communal lunch – a rather telling statement about the winery by itself – a staff member explained each wine, poured them in succession and let us enjoy our wine and relax, then came back later with the next wine to taste. On both occasions, the staff members were quite pleasant and seemed knowledgeable about Saintsbury’s production.

Their wines are mostly sourced and produced on a single vineyard basis. They are best known for their Pinot Noirs, of which the Brown Ranch is the most expensive. It was the favorite of both of us, but Lucie also loved the Stanly Ranch for its hard candy taste.

An added attraction is the presence of two vineyard dogs. They have a well-worn ball and they want to play with you. The black one is the more eager of the two. He’ll bring the ball and drop it at your feet, or at least somewhere near your feet. If you toss it where he can grab it in his teeth without running, he’ll always get it. But the brown and white dog, while more shy, is much faster. She’ll tear into the vineyards on a longer throw and always bring it back…for the black one to return to you. We (and the dogs) thought it was great fun.

All put together, the experience is very much like visiting someone’s home and relaxing in the garden or the patio while fine wines are served. It’s a lot more like the way you’ll actually enjoy them than bellying up to a bar.