John Alonge San Diego Examiner.com
Take the wine road less traveled
California’s broad, flat Central Valley is certainly not a first choice destination for most people who set out to do some wine tasting. Few visitors to Napa, Sonoma, Santa Ynez or Paso Robles would ever think of heading toward Fresno for a vinous adventure. Yet those willing to leave the well trod wine path and venture out into the agricultural plains east of the Interstate 5 will be richly rewarded.
Just north of Fresno and west of the Sierra foothills, the city of Madera is home to a dozen small, family-owned wineries. In the late 19th century, Italian, French and Armenian settlers planted the original vineyards in the area. Two commercial wineries were established there before 1900, but Prohibition halted production. In the late1930s, a few small wineries emerged and viticulture began to develop once again. Then, right after World War II, Walter Ficklin, Sr. began planting classic Portuguese grape varieties on his land in Madera County, establishing what was to become a premier American producer of port-style wines, Ficklin Vineyards. Other producers followed and in 1985 Madera was designated an American Viticultural Area. The Madera Vintners Association was established in 2001 as a collaborative effort by the area’s family winemakers to promote local wineries and to incorporate modern winemaking techniques and sustainable vineyard practices.
Visiting the Madera wine country is a little bit like going back in time to a kinder, gentler place. You won’t find Disneyland-like wine palaces, caravans of tour busses or legions of limousines. Instead, you’ll be able to slow down to a leisurely pace and enjoy visiting small, family-owned tasting rooms where you can interact with the people who actually make the wine you taste. Ficklin and Quady Winery both specialize in sweet wines. Ficklin makes a variety of world-class port-style wines from classic Portuguese grape varieties and Quady produces delightful dessert wines from Orange and Black Muscat grapes as well as a port-style wine called Batch 88 Starboard (the opposite of port, you know). The other area wineries produce an assortment of dry wines from a surprisingly diverse selection of grapes, including less common varieties like Barbera, Sangiovese and Tempranillo. Birdstone Winery, Chateau Lasgoity, Idle Hour Winery, Oak Hollow Winery and others are all great tasting destinations for adventurous palates.
Next time you’re thinking about taking a wine tasting getaway, keep Madera in mind. You just might find yourself enjoying the peace, the easy pace and the wines.
For more info:Â The Madera Wine Trail makes it easy to plan your visit. Maps and brochures are available in many locations throughout Madera. The Madera Vintners Association (www.maderavintners.com) is an excellent source of information.
