Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/859549
{ SOMMjournal.com } 113 Ford Coppola Winemaker Sandy Walheim. They concurred unanimously with Entrikin about acidity. Walheim's take is that "bal - anced wine—even if the alcohol is a wee bit generous—is going to show better in the long run." She also cautioned, "Older wines need to be handled well to appreci - ate their nuances." To wit, the rare bottle of Coppola's 2006 Archimedes she had decanted had no sediment to intrude on those nuances. The historic Trione Winery was our venue for the afternoon seminar on Alexander Valley's geology and soils, pan - eled by Ferrari-Carano Vineyard Specialist Bob Leonard, Winemaker Scot Covington from Trione, along with Soltysiak and Entrikin. The seminar tasting provided a major surprise for Maurice DiMoreno, Wine and Beverage Manager for San Diego's Cohn Restaurant Group. "I was really impressed by the variance in styles and layering of these Cabernets. It's really exciting, actually." Much of that diversity is made possible by Alexander Valley's byz - antine geology and soils—a mash-up cre- ated by volcanoes, tectonic plates, ancient seas and the Russian River. Geologists call it the Franciscan Complex Mélange (French for "mixture"). Winemakers love the palette this "eclec - tic collection of different rock types" offers them, but it can be a challenge for growers. "Growers love uniformity," Bret Munselle informed us earlier that morning. Munselle, whose family has been farming in the valley over 100 years, is President of Alexander Valley Winegrowers. "It's easier to farm on the valley floor, where the soils are deep and alluvial, but the complex geology elsewhere means we need to do a lot of analysis before we plant." Fortunately, the relationship between the growers and the wineries is close and collegial. Those relationships are so vital, it was the major topic of "Blending the Best of Alexander Valley: the Right Terroir, Grapes and Growers." Representatives from both sides provided their personal perspectives on how the collaborative system works. Viticulturist Tyler Click, owner of REVM vine - yard management company, and Munselle proffered the grower point of view. On the winery side was Lise Asimont, Francis Ford Coppola Winery Director of Grower Relations, with Jordan Winery's Davis Alexander Valley's open-hearted hospitality is warm and welcoming. Jake Hawkes's mom served up a home-cooked barbecue to complement an array of older vintage Cabernets from several wineries. After lunch, wasn't much of the barbecue—or the wines. Like the people involved in their production, the wines are simultaneously approachable, stylistically diverse and complex. Laura Carpenter Hawkes and Winemaker husband Jake Hawkes of Hawkes Wines. Rodney Strong Winemaker Greg Morthole introduced himself simply (a la Guardians of the Galaxy's Groot). "I'm Greg." Viticulture may be the life's blood of the valley, but they have farm-to-table goodness down cold too. A picnic supper in the oak grove at Alexander Valley Vineyard was a highlight of Cab Academy hospitality. Alexander Valley is primarily about Cabernet now—even Merlot is scarce now—but Rob Davis, Jordan Winery Winemaker of 40 years, remembers the powerful aromas of prunes when he first came to the valley in the 1970s. Since then, the prune orchards have given way to viticulture thanks to a terroir arguably as perfectly suited to it as any winegrowing region in the world.