When your destination is the Sonoma and Napa Valley, you’re in for some amazing wines. The area is aptly called Wine Country, and here you will sip wine and create memories to last a lifetime.
Truchard Vineyards is a true Family Winery. Tony and Jo Ann Truchard grew up in Texas, met at a dance, and got married in 1964. Tony was finishing up medical school through the Army, and Jo Ann was a teacher. Tony was set to report to Korea for a 2 year tour. They started a family, and contentedly went about their active and full lives.
Everything changed when Jo Ann inadvertently “slipped” her family into wine making. Literally-she slipped on a grape in a grocery store, breaking her knee. Four days later she gave birth to their 4thchild, full-on leg cast and all. Tony’s Army orders were subsequently rerouted to Northern California.
Close to 45 years later we have Truchard Vinyards, which produces some of the best Syrahs and Pinot Noirs you’ll ever have the pleasure of tasting. But it certainly didn’t happen overnight.
Tony purchased 20 acres of land in Carneros just for fun-why not grow some grapes in between practicing medicine and raising a family? He soon discovered that no one was growing grapes in that area. He was told that the air was too cool for ripening quality grapes, and the clay hillsides and various types of soils didn’t allow for enough water to successfully sustain those grapes.
Tony’s determination and outside-the-box thinking led to his pioneering the drip irrigation system in Wine Country. He put those pesky clay soils to work, trapping rainwater and saving it to water the grapes accordingly. And upon providing the proper moisture, that cool air produced some the highest quality of grapes in the area. Truchard now produces 12 varietals of grapes, making it one of the most diverse Vinyards in Napa.
What makes visiting a winery truly special is learning firsthand how that winery came to be. There is history and nuance in every sip of Pinot Noir or Syrah that you savor, and just as you appreciate a meal more if you know the chef, so will you appreciate a sip of wine more when you understand how that wine came to be in your glass.
So make an appointment to visit Truchard Vineyards. They do tastings by appointment only, so you’re sure to receive extra care and attention as a visitor. And be sure to purchase a bottle of their Roussanne, a delectable white wine that must have been created solely for the purpose of sipping with brunch on a sunny afternoon in Wine Country. - Lea Gourley
