Dry Creek Wineries – Zinfandel Reigns Supreme
Dry Creek Valley is a premier wine growing region in northern Sonoma County that sits in between the Russian River and Alexander Valley Ava’s. There are currently 60 Dry Creek wineries and 150 winegrowers producing wines from a wide variety of grapes, including world-class zinfandel for which the region is best known for.
If you’re looking at a Dry Creek Valley Map, you’ll find F. Teldeschi Winery located in the heart of Dry Creek Valley, and about a 10 min drive from the town of Healdsburg.
F. Teldeschi Winery was established by Dan Teldeschi in 1993. The winery is a combination of the rich Teldeschi grape growing history that dates back to the turn of the 20th century when Dan’s father, Michele emigrated to Dry Creek from Italy while providing a more modern spin of winemaking today.
Amenities
Private Tours
Outdoor Seating
Kid Friendly
RV/Bus Parking
Wine Club
Picnic Area
Wheelchair Accessible
Scenic Views
Pet Friendly
Large Groups OK
In 1923, Dan’s grandfather, Frank Teldeschi, was born. At the age of 14, he would leave school to start working in the Dry Creek – growing grapes was in his blood. Shortly after World War II, along with his brother Lorenzo, they purchased a ranch and started growing grapes. As Frank expanded, they established early relationships with the likes of E. & J. Gallo Winery and Ravenswood Winery.
Over the next 40 years, Frank would acquire several ranches and establish multiple vineyards, which today is made up of 75 acres of planted grapes. The vineyards are spread out over five parcels as the home ranch has blocks of Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel and Petite Sirah that are 110 years old. The property sits 50 to 60 feet off of the valley floor. Within Dry Creek Valley, varieties that thrive tend to be able to handle the long warm summer days.
Dry Creek Wineries
From a winemaking perspective, Dan honors the teachings of his family while utilizing modern approaches to make versatile and food friendly wines as he has no interest in making cocktail wines– fruit forward incantations that do not have much tannin or acid. To get full-bodied red wines that are age worthy, F. Teldeschi Wines uses primarily four varieties to blend into production– Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane and Valdiguie. “The first three have been grown here in Dry Creek since the 1880’s. We have a certain percentage of each at Dan’s formula in the wines produced at F. Teldeschi,” said Gary Finch, business partner at F. Teldeschi Wines.
Zinfandel within Dry Creek Valley reigns supreme. At F. Teldeschi, they blend their Zinfandels with approximately 5-6% Petite Sirah along with a small composition of Carignane and Valdiguie. “Each of the three blenders added into the Zinfandel gives the bottled wine certain characteristics such as different berry flavors, a darker, cooler and higher tannin structure to give it more age-ability,” said Dan.
About Dry Creek Valley CA
The Dry Creek Valley is the smallest appellation in Sonoma County at two miles wide and eleven miles across. The climate is interesting in that the wind blows from two different directions. In the Spring when it blows from the south, it brings in the marine layer providing a cooling layer while in the summer high daytime temperatures often exceed 100 degrees followed by a coastal breeze and chillier nights resulting in complex wines with nice tannin structures that retain acid. Frank used to say that the Dry Creek Valley is the chosen land to grow the best Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel on the entire planet.
When customers come to visit F. Teldeschi Dry Creek Road Winery, they will often get to taste older vintages going back as far as 20 plus years. Unlike other Sonoma Wineries, they will not release a wine until it is ready to be consumed, which in a few cases could be ten years in barrel. “This is our personal touch to provide a great wine and share information– from the grape vine to the glass. At the end of the day, our wines are for-you wines, everyday,” said Gary.
F. Teldeschi Winery Overview
Who – Owners – Dan Teldeschi, Gary Finch
Winemaker – Dan Teldeschi, Gary Finch
What – Family owned and operated winery in Dry Creek Valley
When – Sat, Sun 12:00pm – 5:00pm by appointment
Where – 3555 Dry Creek Rd. Healdsburg, CA 95448
Reservations – via phone @ 1-707-433-6626
Website – F. Teldeschi Winery
Best Dry Creek Valley Wines – F. Teldeschi
Another winner from grapes of F. Teldeschi vineyards. This Zinfandel shows a dark purple hue with the aroma that is purely Dry Creek in nature. Wild raspberry on the nose settles into full fruit flavors of cherry, and sweetness combined with white pepper for a pleasureful taste. Very food friendly with spicy or non-spicy offerings. Enjoy our balanced Zinfandel well into the next decade.
It’s all about the grapes. The fruit is a compilation of grapes from Dry Creek Valley making this wine very unique. Starting with Zinfandel grapes from one of the highest elevations above the west side of the appellation, the wine is married with valley Petite Sirah and some fruit from F. Teldeschi vines. 2019 award winner ‘Best in Dry Creek Valley”. The result is a delightful union that starts out racy and lean but ends with a flourish of jammy fruit. Please note the briar, berry and solid, yet smooth, tannins giving proof of the grapes’ Dry Creek heritage. The long finish is wonderful now but should mellow even more as time passes.
Dry Creek Valley. At first glance, this wine looks black. Powerful blackberry and blueberry extraction push this creation to the edge. Layered complexity throughout the mid-palate with a long warm finish. Dark, inky and chewy, this wine has the potential to age gracefully for up to 2 decades. 498 cases produced. 15.3% Alcohol.
This wine shows why many people consider 2005 the best year of the current century. Luscious fruit flavors and a hint of vanilla surround a layered core of tannins. Great now but should continue to improve over the next 10 years. Award winner at Sonoma Fair. 440 cases produced. 14.6% Alcohol. This is an award winner and a rare price opportunity for our members. This wine is sold only at the winery. Will age well for 8-10 years from today.
Limited Supply! The Ambos Mundos, ‘both worlds” wine is a classic combination of two top quality grape varietals. Combining the flavors gives a Rioja-style flavor of black current, mint, plum and strawberry notes. For a main course dinner or at the beach barbecue this red is equally at home. The ‘both worlds’ wine blend is hand crafted at F. Teldeschi winery by winemaker Gary Finch. Drink now to 2025. We incorporated some traditional wine making methods and newer techniques using Tempranillo to make our super blend in 2014 that we call Ambos Mundos.
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