(Contributed by Jennifer Schiff) The SSU Winesense Club was honored to host Larson Family Winery at one of our recent tastings. We were all entranced to learn their amazing history, and then very pleased to taste such delicious wines.
Picnic Tables at Larsen Family Winery
The Colorful History of Larson Family Winery
The 100-acre winery has been around since 1899 when the Millericks purchased the property. They began to hold the rodeo on the property in the 1920’s until the 1950’s, and it became the largest rodeo in the west. The rodeo attracted many people as well as a few famous horses, including Seabiscuit who was trained at the facility on site for about 6 weeks in between races. Another great horse that was reared at the property was Native Diver, the first horse to win a million dollars.
The family started to make wine in the 90’s under the label Sonoma Creek. The brand grew so large and became so popular that the Larson’s sold it in 2004 for $4.1 million and started a mobile bottle company. They also decided to focus on a small production of high-quality wines, which are only sold Direct to Consumer (DTC) at the winery or online. They have also created a few new wine brands, including Three Labs, Millerick Roads, and jug wines with interesting names, such as Wingo White.
Tasting Larson Family Wines
We were allowed to taste four wines at the SSU Wine Sense Club meeting. These included a Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a Cabernet Sauvignon Blend:
- The Pinot Grigio was a blend of Pinot Grigio, a little Chardonnay and a very small amount of Gewürztraminer to bring in a little sweetness.
- The Chardonnay was steel tank fermentation and then was transferred to neutral oak for 8 months to soften up the wine but not contribute flavor.
- The Pinot Noir was a very light Pinot, good for the summer and was only a few shades darker than a Rose.
- Finally, the blend was 75% Cab, 20% Merlot and 5% Tempranillo. Being a blend, the wine was very smooth and very easy to drink for a Cabernet. It is also their best selling wine.
Favorites of the Evening
All of the wines were delicious and well made, but the favorites of the evening were:
Millerick Road Chardonnay
Larson Family Red Blend
