This winery only makes 350 cases a year 🍷 (2024)

Posted inNewsletter - Foodist

byEleanor Raab

19 hours agoJuly 24, 2024 4:21 pm

How heritage and family inspired a Woodside winemaker

My name is Eleanor, and I will be providing your wine and food intel for the week. I am a local wine enthusiast and winery harvest intern turned journalist at the Peninsula Foodist’s sister publication, The Almanac, and I am taking over the newsletter this week to give you the scoop on what’s happening at local wineries.

I spoke with Nicolas Vonderheyden, the winemaker at a small winery in Woodside, about how he became the winemaker, vineyard manager and salesperson at Chaine d’Or Vineyard. His wine label, Maison Areion, is inspired by his French heritage and his sister’s journey as a Paralympic equestrian.

I also visited the Sante Arcangeli Family Wines tasting room in Pescadero and fell in love with their 2019 Split Rail pinot noir. And learn about an upcoming wine walk and a local winery newly open to the public.

Stay thirsty,
Eleanor

Food-friendly wines and a love of the land are the focus at small Woodside winery Maison Areion

Nicolas Vonderheyden, winemaker and vineyard manager for the Woodside-based wine label Maison Areion, isn’t a one-trick pony when it comes to winemaking: He’s been making wine from Woodside’s Chaine d’Or Vineyard for nearly 10 years.

This winery only makes 350 cases a year 🍷 (3)

This winery only makes 350 cases a year 🍷 (4)

This winery only makes 350 cases a year 🍷 (5)

Wine tasting in Burlingame, two new restaurants open in Redwood City and a sushi spot closes in Menlo Park

This winery only makes 350 cases a year 🍷 (6)

Discover new wines at Burlingame’s third annual Wine Walk on July 31.
Looking for a new place to taste wine? Rhys Vineyards, a winery which was previously closed to the public, has now opened its winery on Skyline Boulevard for public tastings by appointment.
Curious about the Coastside’s nurseries, greenhouses, historic sites, farms and working harbor? Take a tour of them this Saturday at the 33rd annual Farms, Fish & Flowers.
Naomi Sushi in Menlo Park has closed indefinitely, according to a sign posted on the restaurant’s front door.
Two new restaurants opened on Broadway in Redwood City in early July: Varam, which serves upscale Indian cuisine, and Nomadic Kitchen, a new Turkish restaurant.
The Dutch Goose in Menlo Park is back open after having to temporarily close for “vermin issues.”

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2019 Split Rail pinot noir from Sante Arcangeli Family Wines

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I recently visited the Sante Arcangeli Family Wines tasting room in Pescadero, and while all of the wines I tasted there were good, the 2019 Split Rail Vineyard pinot noir blew me away. Split Rail Vineyard is a historic vineyard located on a 1,700-foot-high mountaintop in the southern Santa Cruz Mountains. The vineyard was planted in the late 1980s by vintner David Bruce’s vineyard manager, Greg Stokes.

The beautiful thing about well-made wine is that it tastes like where it is grown — and this wine does just that. As you’re sipping, the wine’s earthy undertones make it easy to conjure the redwood forests that line the ridges behind Split Rail Vineyard. The bright cranberry and cherry notes are reminiscent of the crisp ocean breeze off of the Pacific. The silky smooth mouthfeel and soft tannins transport me to mild summer days on the California coast.

This wine was stunning to drink now, but will be even better three to five years from now. It’s worth visiting the Sante Arcangeli tasting room to buy a couple of bottles of this pinot to squirrel away for later. Also check out the 2021 Toulouse Vineyard pinot noir and 2023 rose of pinot noir, which were my other favorites from my visit.

It’s also worth visiting the Sante Arcangeli tasting room because it is located in the historic barn at Harley Farms, a beautiful goat farm in Pescadero. The tasting room offers pairings with Harley Farms’ products, and this wine pairs beautifully with goat cheese. If you are looking to recreate the experience at home, I would suggest purchasing some fresh chèvre to pair with your Split Rail pinot noir!

Sante Arcangeli Family Wines, Pescadero Tasting Room, 79 North St., Pescadero; 831-265-2713, Instagram: @santewinery. Open Friday to Sunday noon to 5 p.m., reservations are encouraged.

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Must-visit vintners of the 650: Your guide to the Peninsula’s wineries
Taste high-quality wine minus the drive to Napa.

This winery only makes 350 cases a year 🍷 (11)

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This winery only makes 350 cases a year 🍷 (12)

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