Kim Stare Wallace and Brian Pruett are our guests on California Wine Country with Dan Berger and Daedalus Howell. Brian is the winemaker at Dry Creek Vineyards and this is his first time on California Wine Country. Kim’s last time on the show was this episode of March 30, 2022.

Dan begins by describing Chenin Blanc and how versatile it is in Europe. Dry Creek Valley is making a sparkling Chenin Blanc to celebrate their 50th anniversary. They love Cremant de Loire, and the Stare family have friends in Loire Valley, so it felt right to make one for the celebration. Brian had never made a sparkling wine before but it worked so well they will make it every year.

They only needed to harvest a couple of weeks earlier than the still wine harvest, in order to get lower sugars and higher acidity. It is actually 90% Chenin Blanc and 10% Cabernet Franc. Chenin Blanc of course also makes a great still wine. Dry Creek Vineyards has been bottling Chenin Blanc for many years. They always called it Dry Chenin Blanc. Her father, is the pioneering winemaker David Stare. He always thought it important to point out the difference between their Chenin Blanc and many others, that veer toward the sweet side.

CWC is brought to you by Deodora Estate Vineyards. Visit Deodora to discover 72 acres in the Petaluma Gap that are producing exceptional Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. 

Dry Creek Valley has been bottling Bordeaux-style blended wines “since the get go.” They have made some that favor the Cabernet side, and others like this new one that favor Merlot. They know the vineyards they are using, and they are looking for the oak not to overshadow the fruit or the vineyard. They want the wines to be as complex as possible and support combining with food. Daedalus notices a balance between power and elegance. Kim tells about Dry Creek Vineyard’s decision to focus on Dry Creek Valley as a source for their Bordeaux program. They have all kinds of conditions that favor the growth of Bordeaux varieties. Brian also remembers the influence of the Pacific Ocean that cools us off at night.