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SONOMA COUNTY | WINE COUNTRY THIS WEEKTasting Room of the Week:DE LORIMIER WINERYby Charles NeaveThe architecture of this 44-acre propertyfits into the landscape seamlessly, surroundedby vines as it is, the property line at the backbeing the Russian River.Go down the long drive and you will gopast the original farm house, now lovinglyrestored, and you will come to the wineryproper. To the left, the smaller of the two buildingshouses the tasting room, a fully licensedcommercial kitchen, and a private tastingroom. To the right, the building you firstthought might have been a barn, is thecavernous barrel room which, at times, hostsprivate parties. In between is a spectacularcourtyard with a perfectly proportioned fountain,lots of comfortable seating and plantingsthat compliment both of the buildings withtheir mellow wood construction and this beautifuloutdoor space. No wonder the property isin demand for parties, receptions, retreats and,of course, this being wine country, weddings.The winery’s estate vineyard has beensculpted for weddings of all sizes. Besides thespacious gallery tasting room, the private“Club deLo” space provides an intimate venuefor smaller tastings and dinners, while theextensive vineyard grounds and “CabanaCourtyard” have been designed to handledream weddings. There is even a twobedroomguest house on the grounds, andevery bit of it is surrounded by vineyards.Special events aside, it has become ratherwidely known that deLorimier is quicklybecoming the hot new “Cabernet House” inthe Alexander Valley. Already known forquality, adding a variety of vineyard-designateCabernet Sauvignons seemed like the perfectnext step for owners and respected SonomaCounty winemakers and grape growers, Kenand Diane Wilson. The fact that they keepwinning gold medals on these new Cabernetsjust adds another gratifying dimension.Stop by, visit and sample. The tastingroom, with its high wood ceilings, old vinesabove the bar (you’ll see), fireplace, threesidedcopper-topped tasting bar – which isbacked by a large window framing the vineyardson the other side of the glass – is theperfect place to learn about the wines ofdeLorimier.It is here that you might try their famousCabernets, and perhaps the StuhlmullerChardonnay or the Estate Merlot. Or, it couldbe their medal-winning Estate Mosaic RedMeritage or the Stone Ranch or Francis VineyardZinfandels. And if they are not sold out(as they often are), the Sauvignon Blanc or theCabernet Franc. Variety is not an issue here,which may be an understatement.Outside you can picnic on a lawn wherecroquet has been played every now and again;perhaps walk down to the river’s edge. Thekey to it all is to relax and enjoy, which is whatthis beautiful spot is all about. Just one morereason why, when you visit this part of theworld, it is one you will not want to miss.deLorimier Winery is open daily from10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 2001Highway 128, Healdsburg. For more information,call (707) 857-2001 or visit the websiteat www.delorimierwinery.com.50 www.WineCountryThisWeek.com