The Russian River Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) is known as one of the most “down to earth” premium winegrowing regions in California.
For the most part, wineries and tasting rooms tend to be unpretentious, where those tasting might have the opportunity to talk directly with winemakers who wear boots and jeans and converse in everyday language, respectfully defining wine lingo as they go.
Many growers and vintners in the area belong to the Russian River Valley Winegrowers (RRVW) organization that works to inform and attract the public to the unique growing region that gained its AVA status from the federal government in 1983.
This year the RRV AVA will celebrate its 30th anniversary, and the official celebration will be the centerpiece of the annual Grape to Glass event to be held on Saturday, Aug. 17, beginning at 4 p.m. at Richard’s Grove and Saralee’s Vineyard in Windsor. The theme is “Back to Our Roots – A Salute to Our Founding Members.”
“The Russian River Valley has emerged from obscurity to become one of the most recognized fine winegrowing regions in the world today. This has not occurred in a vacuum. Although those of us here knew that we had world-class potential, it took a lot of hard work from a handful of people, and 30 years, to get the word out.
“Grape to Glass has been an amazing part of it. A celebration of world-class growers and wines, artists and artisans, it is a celebration of the upcoming harvest and a chance for our community at large to share in what we have been blessed with—an opportunity to work, live and love life, in this, the beautiful and bountiful Russian River Valley,” explained Rod Berglund, a RRVW founding member.
In the last 15 years or so, the RRV, famous for producing some of the most acclaimed cool-climate varietals like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, has grown at lightning speed. Its boundaries that started out including about 30,000 acres have recently increased substantially. The AVA now boasts roughly 130 wineries and 30 grape varieties and encompasses about 169,000 acres.
“I feel so lucky to be a part of one of the original winemaking families in the Russian River Valley. In the last 30 years, the success, acknowledgment and growth of the appellation has exceeded my wildest expectations and dreams. The quality of the winemakers and wines from out here just gets better and better, and I look forward to seeing what comes next for the Russian River Valley,” said Lou Foppiano of Foppiano Vineyards in Healdsburg.
Founding Members
Set the Stage
Most would agree that the founding members helped to set the stage for a Russian River renaissance that includes increased traffic and interest in the area and, of course, the wines. The founding members to be honored at the 18th annual Grape to Glass event include: Saralee McClelland Kunde, Kirk Lokka, Lou Foppiano, Warren Dutton, Rod Berglund, Paul Novak, Kristin Thigpen, Anne Giere and Don Brown, each of whom had a unique contribution, whether they are still with the organization or not.
“At the very beginning, the Russian River Valley Winegrowers was very much a grassroots organization and a hard-working group,” said McClelland Kunde, whose former office at Richard’s Grove and Saralee’s Vineyard housed the association for 12 years. “First there were nine board members, then 11, and then 15; as the work grew, we needed more hands.”
McClelland Kunde reminisced about earlier Grape to Glass events when founding members were the ones cooking the pig and making other preparations for the annual celebration.
But Grape to Glass is just one way that RRVW works to showcase the RRV. Articles in magazines and years of marketing and promotion helped the AVA to gain recognition. “We got out there and told our stories continuously—and found that people are very interested,” said McClelland Kunde.
“We’ve come a long way in the last 30 years, and we’ll come a long way in the next 30,” she added.
About the Event
The 18th annual Grape to Glass will begin at 4 p.m. at Richard’s Grove and Saralee’s Vineyard with a wine tasting that includes more than 50 wineries and growers from the RRVW. Local restaurants, caterers and food purveyors will offer small bites that will pair nicely with the wines.
Art displayed throughout the picturesque grove will be a feast for the eyes and provide a little added sensory pleasure to the wine and food tasting experience. Artwork will be available for purchase and there will also be a live auction during the evening.
The dinner menu includes barbecued Willie Bird turkeys and tri tip, with grilled summer veggies, hot tomato and basil pasta, La Tortilla Factory tortillas and Mesclun salad mix with raspberry vinaigrette. But those who attend will definitely want to save room for dessert.
It’s Gravenstein apple season, and organizers felt the meal wouldn’t be complete without Gravenstein apple pie for dessert. Students at the Vineyard Academy of Hospitality at Windsor High School will be putting their culinary skills to use, making giant 6-foot apple pies that will be cooked at Costeaux Bakery and delivered by the Windsor and Rincon Valley fire departments piping hot. The pie will be served à la mode with Petaluma Creamery ice cream.
Another highlight of the evening is sure to be the local band Urban Oasis. This five-piece band plays a mixture of rock, blues, Latin and jazz, both covers and originals. Donating their services to the event for the last three years, the tunes Urban Oasis play tend to draw people to the outdoor dance floor underneath the stars.
“Being a local from Sonoma County, we love being a part of it (The Grape to Glass event),” said band member Theresa Stoops, who has a soft place in her heart for the Russian River Valley that is close to her home.
Stoops is one of the lead members (vocals and rhythm guitar) of the band that is known for its rockin’, bluesy and sometime funky tunes. Growing up, she heard plenty of stories from her local grandmother about neighboring farmers and how their lives in agriculture changed over the years. “Many of them started out as just simple immigrants,” she said.
Quite a few winegrape growing families in the RRV would fit that bill, and it’s likely that at least a couple will be at the Grape to Glass event sharing their unique stories.
Individual tickets for Grape to Glass cost $85 each and can be purchased by visiting www.rrvw.org. It’s also possible to purchase multiple seats or a table for an additional fee. Proceeds raised from Grape to Glass benefit the RRVW Foundation, a 501 3(c) charitable foundation. For more information, call (707) 521-2534.
Founding Members Still Involved Today
Saralee McClelland Kunde, original president of the Russian River Valley Winegrowers in 1995, has been a Sonoma County resident since her parents moved their dairy farm from Novato to Petaluma in the mid-1960s. She’s spent much of her career promoting the county’s agricultural via various posts with state county fairs. Today, she’s president of Richard’s Grove and Saralee’s Vineyard, Inc; 2013 marks their 24th harvest.
Kirk Lokka knew he wanted to be a farmer since he first rode on a tractor with his granddad when he was eight years old. After receiving a plant science degree from Fresno State University, he worked as a vineyard foreman at Sonoma-Cutrer. Twenty-six years later, he applied his knowledge to developing the vineyards of Emeritus.
Louis M. Foppiano is the fourth generation to take the helm of his family’s winery. Like the three generations before him, he has set the simple goal of creating honest, consistent, high-quality wines, meant to be enjoyed at the table with family and friends. When he isn’t at the winery, he enjoys exploring the world with his wife of more than 20 years, Helaine.
Warren Dutton – Dutton Ranches – In the early days, most people knew the Duttons for their fruit stand in Santa Rosa, but Warren Dutton Jr. had the foresight to plant winegrapes, just prior to the downturn in the apple industry. Following Dutton’s death in 2001, his wife Gail and sons Steve and Joe have carried on the family business. In addition to their roles with Dutton Ranch, Steve and Joe developed their own wineries, Dutton Estate and Dutton-Goldfield Winery.
Rod Berglund began his winemaking career in 1979 at La Crema Vinera (predecessor to La Crema). That same year he produced his first Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. He believes that the Russian River Valley is consistently without peer in the New World for the potential to produce world-class Pinot Noir. In 1987 he joined Joe Swan to help him finish the harvest and the next year took over the winemaking at Joseph Swan Vineyards.
Anne Giere has been a grape grower and winemaker in the Russian River Valley since 1989. As an original board member of the Russian River Valley Winegrowers, she has been involved with the financial aspects of the organization and headed up the Grape to Glass event for several years. She is the co-owner and marketing chief for her second winery, Gordian Knot Winery in Healdsburg.
