One of the many pleasures of living in San Francisco is its proximity to California’s Wine Country. Driving north, we enjoy the world-renowned Napa and Sonoma wineries. Heading east, there’s Lodi, an emerging player, and to the south, the Central Coast produces my favorite California Pinot Noir.
A year ago, I decided to transition from being an armchair wine enthusiast to an educated one by pursuing the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) certification. The course is ongoing, but the learning process is much more enjoyable when I can visit wineries frequently.
This past weekend, I took guests from Ireland to Nalle Winery in Healdsburg, located in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley. Nalle is a small, family-run business that’s been around for 40 years, and I’ve known the Nalle family for decades. They grow some of the oldest grapevines in California, with their non-irrigated 95-year-old Zinfandel vines thriving due to ideal weather and soil conditions. Originally from Croatia, Zinfandel grapes found a perfect home in Dry Creek.
For years, Doug and Lee Nalle produced Zinfandels with a lower alcohol content — 13.5%, which is atypical for the varietal. Their carefully crafted Zinfandel has been a rare find, with only about 2,000 cases produced annually for their “Squirrel Wine Club” members and select restaurants and shops. Doug and Lee have always been approachable, down-to-earth, and deeply passionate about their craft. (Note: This refers to red Zinfandel, not the mass-produced “White Zinfandel” that often gives the grape a less favorable reputation.)
Recently, their son Andrew and his wife April, both with degrees in winemaking and viticulture, have taken over operations. They’ve expanded Nalle’s offerings to include Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, grapes sourced from other parts of Sonoma. During our visit, Andrew was busy fermenting and barreling freshly harvested grapes. As a curious wine student, I asked him to show us his process, and he kindly obliged.
We explored his lab, filled with pipettes and beakers, as Andrew explained the science of winemaking — timing, chemistry, and precision. We climbed a ladder to check out grape juice in the fermentation tanks. The pungent, sweet smell was unforgettable. Andrew then let us barrel-taste wine aged for 24 and 48 hours, demonstrating how much the flavor, aroma, and alcohol content can change in just one day.
The insider experience felt like visiting Willy Wonka’s factory, but we all behaved, resulting in a final reward: A delicious tasting on the Nalle patio, surrounded by grapevines just starting to change color for fall.
This visit perfectly complements what CKcurated is all about: Creating intimate, bespoke experiences that connect people to the heart of a place through food, wine, and local culture. My long-standing relationships, like the one I share with the Nalle family, allow me to offer guests unique opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. I feel fortunate to have shared this winery visit with my Irish friends, who, coming from a beer-and-whisky culture, rarely get the chance to see how wine is made. CKcurated’s deep connections offer memorable experiences that people cherish — and that’s what makes our work so special.
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