DaVero Farms & Winery

Natural wines seem to be everywhere these days. What is “natural wine?” you ask. As far as I can tell, the only difference between “natural” and “organic” is that the winemaking process relies entirely upon the yeast already in the grapes.

I decided to try out the trend at DaVero Farms & Winery partially because they use Italian varietals and partially because their tasting experience includes a cheese and charcuterie board (there’s all of ONE place to eat lunch up here and it’s not even on Westside Road.) I was a little disappointed:

1) They didn’t mention “natural wines” once.

2) The description of the tasting said “seasonal food pairings consisting of artisan cheeses, fruits, and charcuterie.” We ended up with a few pieces of cheese and some crackers. They were able to accommodate my celiac disease, but there wasn’t a single piece of meat in sight unless you count the chicken on their label. It’s a FARM! in July! Where is the bounty of berries and stone fruits?

We got to try six different wines: a white, a rosé, and four reds. The 2018 Vermentino, grown in the Cosumnes River AVA in San Joaquin County, was light and playful. Apparently, the crusher broke halfway through processing this wine, so it was finished off with the historic foot stomping technique of Lucille Ball fame. We’d suggest it with seafood or just for sipping and with a screw cap it’s perfect for picnics.

The 2015 AltoBasso from Dry Creek Valley was our other favorite. It’s a blend of Sangiovese (60%) and Barbera (40%) making it a wine that would love anything with fat from a leg of lamb to a classic ribeye. The winery suggests drinking it through 2030 but we’re only putting it away for seven years.