I wish I could remember who recommended to me to visit David Coffaro Estate Vineyard & Winery to have a unique wine tasting. Tucked away in the Dry Creek region of northern Sonoma County, this small boutique winery has quickly become not only one of my
favorites, but also a favorite of friends that I have recommended them to. As Dave and Pat Coffaro put it, they are “dedicated to making premium wines at a fair price.” And their loyal fans will all tell you that they have definitely succeeded! Without a doubt, they produce premium wines, and they have a somewhat unique way of providing those wines at that fair price, but only if you are patient. In my first visit to David Coffaro, about 10 years ago, I learned that only 5% of their sales are at the tasting room counter (for those with a lack of patience…). The rest of their sales are through their website, and most of those are in their “Crazy Coffaro Futures Program.” Yes, that’s right – wine futures.
Wine futures purchasing is where you are paying a low price today, for wines that are still in the barrel, and may not be bottled and shipped to you for a year or more. In general, these are usually about half of what the retail price will be when released. And to take it a step
further, you can save even more by buying further in advance – buying what is still on the vines! Now, that certainly takes some trust in the winemaker (and even in the weather), but fear not when it comes to trusting winemakers Dave Coffaro, Josh Price, and Jose Flores! I have drank a number of cases of their wines (no, not all at one time), and I have NEVER been disappointed. There aren’t many wineries that I can say that about.
There are a number of things that impress me about these wines and the experience at the winery itself. In no way is this one of those
stuck-up wineries for “wine snobs.” This is a laid-back place for those who appreciate great wines without all the fluff. The tasting counter is tiny, to say the least. But the counter is merely a starting point.
Unless you happen to be there between the end of bottling for one season, and the end of harvest for the next, you are generally allowed (actually encouraged) to do barrel tastings of the various single
varietals and the many unique blends. After all, if you are buying futures, it is nice to have a preview of what you may be ordering, and straight from the barrel is the best way.
When it comes to varietals, I think it is safe to say that Dave and Pat may have most any other winery in California (and maybe most other wine areas) beat. Take a look at this link http://www.coffaro.com/diary/diarypics/vineyardmap.pdf to the vineyard map, and you will see what I mean. Old vines, young vines, old world, and new world classics abound. Of course the typical California varietals are all there (I don’t need to name them…), but
also a wonderful list of lesser known classics, such as Aglianico, Peloursin, Lagrein, Mourvedre, Carignan, Petit Meunier, Pinotage, Montepulciano, Nebbiolo, etc. (Even my Spell Check questions most of those…) This variety gives Dave the option for both some unique single varietals, as well as an endless variety of fantastic blends.
I have two favorite stories I like to tell about my experiences with David Coffaro wines. About 6 years ago, I was occasionally buying wines through a now defunct wine auction site – one of those sites where people would sell wines they wanted or needed to get rid of (so to speak). I happened to see about three cases total of bottles of David Coffaro wines, all from 2000 and 2001. Knowing that this was a lesser known place, I bid the minimum on every bottle, and won them all. So I got three cases of 9-10 year old wines, for an average of $3.25 per bottle! When released, these wines have a retail price of $30-38 (and worth much more!), so I figured this was a pretty low risk! I had never seen a David Coffaro wine without a screw top (he stopped
using corks around 2004-2005), so I was surprised to see corks. I remember the first bottle I tried – a 2001 Aca Modot (their flagship Bordeaux blend – named after the Native American village originally on the site), and was blown away by how great it was! Needless to say, that was the best $100 I spend on wine, and got 3 cases for that amount! When I posted a photo on Facebook, Pat Coffaro replied, and said that they didn’t even have any of their wines left from back then, and asked how it was.
My second great story was about a year later, on a tasting visit to David Coffaro. I had let Pat know that I was coming (I was in San Francisco on a business trip, and added a weekend), and got there somewhat late in the afternoon (they close at 4 pm). When I arrived, there was one couple finishing a tasting, and when they left, I was alone with Dave and Pat. After chatting and tasting the current offerings (there were no barrels left when I was there), Dave said to me… “Steve, do you have some time to stick around? I’ve got something for you to try.” Well, let me tell you… when a
winemaker/owner asks you if you have time to stick around, you do NOT hesitate! The answer is always YES!!! Dave ran over to the house and came back with a box. He said they had just finished bottling the previous day, and he had the last 12 wines they had bottled. He wanted me to taste them all, and said he trusted my opinion. Right then, I knew I was in someplace special. That was such a humbling thing to hear. I felt so honored. So, we sat and tasted, and talked into the evening, and it was the best tasting experience of my life.
Dear readers, I know I say I like a lot of wineries, and have many favorites that I recommend, but even if you never follow any other advice I give, please take this advice to heart. The next time you go to the Napa/Sonoma area, PLEASE take the time to go up to Dry Creek (north of Healdsburg), and visit David Coffaro Estate Vineyard & Winery. This place will change the way you think about great wines, as
well as change how you buy. And yes – you can still order current wines from their website, and buy their futures (both 2015 and 2016 available now). And, if you join their club, you get even better prices. Most of you know I do not recommend wine clubs often, but this one is an exception, to me.
Dave and Pat – I don’t get there often, since I live in Austin, Texas, but know that both my wife Michelle and I absolutely love your wines!
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Lastly… grab a glass of wine, and ENJOY!!!
Owner/Winemaker David Kuhlken has a very nice selection to sample, consisting of a 1st vintage 2014 Vermentino (grapefruit & florals – $30), a 2nd vintage 2014 Viognier Reserve – Bingham (honey, rose, peach, vanilla, toast – $40), a 2014 Texas Dry Rose (Tempranillo/Mourvedre proprietary blend – dry with a crisp pear 7 cherry taste – $30). The two reds are a 2012 Texas Valhalla – a blend of Montepulciano, Aglianico and Tempranillo (plum, strawberry, spice, and light chocolate – $40), and the spectacular 2013 Tempranillo Reserve (tobacco, cherry, blackberry, and dark chocolate – $50). The next taste was a 2014 Moscato, a light off-dry dessert wine at 3% residual sugar (peach, green apple, apricot, pear – $30). Finally, they shared their Stonewall Holiday Glogg. Based on a Swedish recipe, this spiced tawny-style Port was served with a ginger cookie, and would be great mulled (nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves – $20). One tip about Pedernales’ Wine Club is that the prices remain constant at $69 or $79 per quarter. Many other clubs will fluctuate their price based on wine prices. Many thanks to Victoria for her expertise (as well as a winery tour) and to newcomer, Jose for his assistance!
