Medlock Ames: Bell Mountain Ranch
TR & Royal, Medlock Ames Winery Dog, photo by Stacie Tamaki, The Flirty Blog. Dogs sense my amazing affinity for them….
Today I am at Medlock Ames Winery’s Bell Mountain Ranch, with Wine Road favorite, The Flirty Blog, Stacie Tamaki, and her husband, John A. Vink, both avid photographers. Stacie is quite a fan of All Things Wine Road, and we plan to learn today about the wildlife corridors, bats, and the hawks and barn owls present at Medlock Ames, as well as their very bio-dynamic approach to winemaking, viticulture and gardens on the estate.
Tucked away out Chalk Hill Road on Toby Lane, the ranch is a wee bit elusive.
Please pay attention.
Ditto….
The long and winding road, and yes, the correct one: almost there!
A canning project is underway- salsa and jam and all sorts of delicious garden treats.
The pizza oven….entertaining location paradise….
We head out to the winery itself, one of the most beautiful I have seen; windows and sweeping vistas incorporated into the working facility….
From Left: Katie Abrosi, Tour Guide Extraordinaire, Stacie Tamaki and John Vink.
Funny weather today for early September- catching some raindrops, but also 80 degrees….
Looking back at the Office and Pizza Oven area….
Mojo, sweet winery dog.
Royal The Winery Dog- liked my skirt….
Winery with a view….
Great winery vistas.
State-of-the-art; well planned!
Middle of barrels dyed to match the red color from red wines….tidy looking.
Very tidy lab area….
Wine and Grapes- amazingly apt labels….
Heading down to the cellar.
New, innovative stainless steel controllable barrels with oak capacity….
All French Oak. State-of-the-art, solar….
Cellar door.
Barrel racks….
blackberries outside of the cellar.
Fire safety pond.
Lots of shed snake skins- this one looks like a rattler.
Owl box.
Owl box with perches for raptors.
Obsidian scattered generously throughout the rows speaks to the volcanic past of this area.
Untamed surrounds the more tamed.
Katie is a most-knowledgeable and interesting tour guide.
Vegetable gardens; harvested some, already….
Great cages….all plants are labelled in Spanish and English.
The winery.
Gardening “shed”.
Woodpeckers love the garden shed doors; acorns galore.
Heading back….camo dog.
Last stop is Medlock Ames Tasting Room, about 7 miles back towards Healdsburg on the corner of Highway 128 and Alexander Valley Road.
Great gardens and picnicking spots….
The teak deck.
We sample some verjus.
Great vibe in the TR….
Here’s looking at you, kids.
TR
