You won’t find Clary Ranch listed in many winery guides and it’s definitely not in the romantic and quaintly charming Back Lane Wineries of Sonoma book.

Without a tasting room proper, the Clary Ranch vineyard is in Petaluma separated from the winemaking operation in Sebastopol. Neither of these locations happens to kick-up much Sonoma county wine mindshare, at least not compared to Healdsburg and the city of Sonoma where the tourists roam. However, if there was a book called, “Off the Beaten Path in Between Here and There” Clary Ranch would surely be the crown jewel listing.

In addition to the duplicity of place, I’ve never seen the Clary Ranch vineyards, and I don’t know the owner and winemaker, Paul Clary. In fact, I’ve never even talked with him.

Despite this disconnect in the most basic of wine functions in fandom – the place and the people, I know Paul Clary and I would get along famously because his work product very obviously indicates he makes wine for people like me and that alone puts our unspoken and unknown relationship on common ground, the most stable terra firma there is between producer and consumer.

The nature of our consumer affinity for things like wine, seemingly inconsequential, is an interesting sociological and cultural anthropological study. Often times, as consumers, we turn into stark raving fans based on something very visceral. Other times, we find a linkage based on a human connection or even happenstance. The basis for my growing affinity for Clary Ranch is definitely happenstance, but, regardless, it exists.

I’ve been thinking about this connection to wine after having read an interview with comedian Patton Oswalt in the music and culture magazine Paste. He said (in the context of comedians using displeasure as a comedic foil):

“Pointing out that stuff sucks is not edgy or dangerous anymore. Everyone knows what sucks. What’s better is to find something that’s amazing and hold it up.”

The nature of my indescribable connection to Clary Ranch starts off with, perhaps, the very homespun nature of the winery, if not the wine. Paul Clary acts as the vineyard manager and winemaker with just a shade over 400 cases of total production for a Pinot Noir and a Syrah. He doesn’t make a whole lot of wine and the bottles I have enjoyed seem (and taste) like a personal endeavor. Because he doesn’t have a tasting room, there is very much the proverbial, “out of the trunk of the car” sensibility—a labor of love. In addition, the wine isn’t expensive, at least not by commonly held standards dictated by miniscule production volumes and this level of quality. Their Pinot is $39.50 and their Syrah is $28. Another connection between Clary Ranch and I might be the charming and hackneyed logo and the poor wine label design that shouts “low-key,” if not “low-budget.” Or, better yet, our simpatico communion might be based on the absolute expressiveness and purity of fruit represented in his two wines (with just three vintages under the belt).

Whatever “it” is – that unmistakable connection that binds you to something immediately—Clary Ranch and Paul Clary has “it” to me. This winery is a remarkable addition to my list of wine faves.

Having received the Pinot and Syrah as winery provided samples makes me want to become a brand advocate for Clary Ranch, buying the wine in quantities to share just to ensure that Clary keeps at it under difficult circumstances in the wine business. I’m sensing that Clary Ranch won’t need my help, though … and, as Patton Oswalt indicates, there’s nothing wrong with finding something that’s amazing and holding it up … amazing this wine is … perhaps my most enthusiastic recommendation ever … the Syrah is very good, but for the purposes of this post, I’m focusing on the Pinot.

2006 Clary Ranch Pinot Noir

Price: $39.50
My rating: 93/100

Tasting Note: Drinking this wine is like describing a marshmallow to somebody who’s never had one.

Utterly fruit forward, but earthy, this wine is very elegant and restrained. It’s almost ethereal given its body, but rubenesque in the mouth—a farm daughter who dances ballet. Crystalline and translucent ruby in the glass, the nose gives bright cherry juice, mushroom and rose petals with slight, fresh beet juice.

The palate offers dusty Dr. Pepper, beet juice, fresh rhubarb and tinges of blackberry with a lively acidity.

The finish gives cherry, plum, dark chocolate and hints of sage with a lingering finish that begs for food.

It’s a stunning wine with amazing purity; it will surprise and delight wine lovers who think California Pinot is on the road to “big and extracted” hell. Hell, it will surprise and delight any wine lover, Old or New World. Highly recommended.
93 pts

Lori and I went up to Reno for the Labor Day Weekend. Why Reno? Because her father, brother, half-sisters and a few nieces and nephews are up there, and it was her father's birthday. Not a special birthday, by number, but every birthday is special. So we loaded up the car -- few bottles of wine and our dog Elmer -- and off we went.

Just as a side note, Labor Day weekend is when Caltrans stops every project they've been doing and takes the weekend off. Both routes into and out of Reno were terrible with construction and traffic. Brilliant planning.

Anyway, for Dad's birthday party, there was a barbeque. Lori's brother was doing the main course, so Lori decided to do a snack. She had recently seen a recipe for Caramelized Bacon, which really isn't that difficult: combine cinnamon and brown sugar, sprinkle liberally over the bacon, and bake the bacon until the sugar mixture has caramelized. Of course, we needed to get some wine open with this. We choose the Clary Ranch 2006 Grower's Reserve Shazzam!, which is a Syrah from the Sonoma Coast area.

We met Paul Clary at the Wine Bloggers Conference a few months back. He was there trying to learn about blogging, and to network with bloggers. He brought a bottle of his wine to dinner the first night of the conference, but my taste buds were shot by then, and I could hardly tell a Pinot from a Cab. He's a really nice guy, with a ranch/vineyards tucked away in a corner of Sonoma County where there aren't a lot of other vineyards. A little colder climate than most of the Russian River Valley vineyards. His Syrah was excellent, well balanced. Very nice nose, and nice fruit entering the mouth, but not a big, overwhelming fruit bomb. Then nice Syrah flavors of berries and pepper and spice on the tongue, and a smooth finish. Take all that and throw in the Caramelized Bacon, and we had a nice snack. In this case, I think the cooking adage about bacon, that it makes everything taste better, was turned around: the Syrah made the bacon taste better!

Nice party, and great barbeque, and especially great seeing all the family. We ended with a beautiful sunset, seen here from the backyard of my brother-in-law's house.

Top picks here at Sonoma Country Life for the upcoming Taste of Petaluma (Saturday, September 26 11.30 to 4pm) are to be found at Barry Singer Gallery's ultimate-locavore's tasting location in the center of all of the action at 7 Western Avenue.

Served against a backdrop of fabulous black and white vintage photographs, three fantastic Petaluma Gap wines await your discovery along with superb SoCo ratatouille with parmesan truffle crumble from Three Ox Farm CSA (see Liz Reifers pictured in the fields) and prepared by the talented Preferred Sonoma Caterers.

Taste a terrific 2005 Armagh Syrah (seen below being poured by grower Gayle!) from Armagh Vineyard, named in tribute to the Crane's ancestors in County Armagh Ireland and located in west Petaluma on Chileno Valley Road. This 11 acre vineyard was planted in 1997 to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Farmed sustainably and watered by drip irrigation from an existing dam, Armagh's excellent wines can be purchased locally at La Dolce Vita Wien Lounge, Vine and Barrel, Lombardi's BBQ, Petaluma Market and Pazzos.

Also being poured is Clary Ranch outstanding Grower's Reserve 2006 Pinot Noir and 2004 Syrah. Paul Clary's Pinot Noir and Syrah "Grower's Reserve" wines come from his Middle Two Rock vineyards that produce less than two tons per acre, resulting in wines of concentration and finesse. The cool summer fogs and ocean breezes push vines to deliver up their luscious black fruit for harvest late in the growing season. All of Clary Ranch wines are carefully handcrafted in small lots and are full of flavor, expressing the unique terroir of these ancient soils and can be purchased in local store wine departments and directly from Paul, on-line.

Think about supporting your local winemakers as often as possible this coming holiday season. Serving up a harvest or holiday feast with food and wine from the area is a wonderful thing!

Xocai chocolate tasting is also taking place at Barry's Gallery. Knowing him as the gourmet he is, why am I not surprised that this is one sweet location, sure to be packed to the rafters with happy Taste of Petalumans this coming Saturday?

Barry is a customer of Liz Reifer's fresh, organic food delivery service. To learn more about how to sign up for your own sustainable deliveries, email Liz at 3oxfarmCSA@gmail.com or give her a call on 707 484 4720.

$35 Pre-Event Tickets are also available by calling Cinnabar Theater (707) 763-8920 from 9/14 to 9/25 before 3 PM weekdays OR by buying tickets at Gallery One, Haus Fortuna, Pelican Art Gallery, or Curves from 9/14 to 9/25 before closing. TICKETS PURCHASED AFTER 9/25 WILL BE AT THE $40 REGULAR PRICE

Located on Middle Two Rock Road, the Clary Ranch is influence by its close proximity to the Pacific Ocean and Tomales Bay. Despite low yields of less than two tons per acre, this lovely wine features generous flavors of wild strawberry, cherry cola, ripe raspberry, bittersweet chocolate, and plenty of spice.

Another winner from Clary Ranch. This one is more reserved (lighter) than the excellent 2004, but still flavorful and outstanding in its own right. On the nose I get earthy aromas, tobacco leaves, and leather. Delicious classic Pinot on the palate with a lovely finish. I've never had a guest be unimpressed with this wine. Highly recommended.
92 pts

I'm getting real close to one of those birthdays with a "0" at the end. Fortunately, most of my friends are going through this before me. One of those friends was celebrating his big birthday a week ago, so I brought over a bottle of 2006 Clary Ranch Grower's Reserve Pinot Noir from Paul Clary's vineyards in the cool Sonoma Coast AVA. After we met Paul at this year's Wine Bloggers Conference, he sent us this bottle to review. What better way to review wine than to open it with some wine-loving friends, with some great food to boot?

The antipasta cooked by my friend's wife consisted of some spicy grilled shrimp, prosciutto, marinated artichoke hearts, and a couple of cheeses. The Pinot was great with this, bringing out the spices in the shrimp, complementing the sharp cheese, and not overwhelming the prosciutto and artichoke. This is what Pinot Noir is supposed to do in my book: work well with food, and especially with a variety of food. Cool climate Pinot Noir, such as that from the Sonoma Coast area, is just right for this, with layers of flavors coming at you, staying in your mouth, but without a lot of tannins at the end. A well executed winemaking job, and a nice bottle to bring to dinner.