Dinner alfresco at The Dalya Estate hit all the right notes as May 4th’s early downpour gave way to bright afternoon skies and a vivid sunset. A few dozen of us had gathered at Dalya Sachs’s Sebastopol vineyard/vacation rental for the launch of Mascarin Wines, the new brand by Mia Mascarin and her father, Ed Mascarin. The two are also known for 32 Winds Wine. Matt Taylor makes the wines for both labels.
Our meal, paired with Mascarin’s three inaugural wines – the 2021 Dalya Estate Vineyard Chardonnay, 2022 Moonshine Vineyard Pinot Noir, and 2022 Angelo Vineyard Red Field Blend – was prepared by chefs Stéphane Saint Louis and Steven Vargas of Petaluma’s Table Culture Provisions. The restaurant is a must-dine spot for its tasting menu, some of whose items appeared on our menu.
Earlier in the day at Angelo Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley, winemaker Matt Taylor and sales director Corey Bauer led us on a deep, at times geeky and philosophical dive into Chardonnay. Must confess to getting distracted by the wine, intellectually stimulating on its own for its texture, salinity, grace, and finish – an absolute joy.
Tastes of the Pinot Noir and Red Field Blend bookended lunch by the team at Park Avenue Catering (this was a day for fine eats). If I hadn’t a few months ago sampled Taylor’s nervy Howell Mountain Cab for Ink Grade Estate (his day job, as he puts it) – a lean, taut, yet elegant wine that defies the lush Napa Valley norm – I would have been more skeptical about the Pinot (especially this young) for being pressed 100% whole cluster and the Syrah-based (85.5%) field blend for its heavy dose (11%) of four Loire Valley white grapes (Loire reds make up the rest). Both reds made me appreciate Taylor’s wisdom, instincts, and artistry all the more.
You can taste Mascarin Wines by appointment at fetching Angelo Vineyard. It’s set back from Dry Creek Road, about 2½ miles northwest of Healdsburg Plaza. By the way, here’s the difference between Mascarin and 32 Winds: grapes for the former come from vineyards the Mascarins own or where Taylor controls the farming. The winery purchases fruit for the latter.
Why go: talented winemaker; Dry Creek Valley vineyard setting.
Info
1010 Dry Creek Rd., Healdsburg
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