Paul Dolan Winery tastily organic by Darryl Beeson Paul Dolan was present, front and center, for the organic wine revolt. With 27 years at the fun yet fancy Fetzer Vineyards (a dozen years as the president), he took them to the front of organic and sustainable farming. “We want to make a difference in this community,” says Dolan, “and we are. When Mendocino farmers get together, we talk about organics and biodynamics because we strongly believe these practices are good for the land and for wine quality.” Now at Parducci and Mendocino Wine, he is still has strong opinions. “We are clear about what we want,” says Dolan, “(that being) an environmentally and socially conscious winery making great wines from Mendocino. We are farming from the standpoint of respect for the land and the natural environment.” He and his team capture precise expression of Mendocino terroir. Dolan’s greatest passion, however, is winegrowing at his family-owned Dark Horse Ranch. An earnest student of Rudolf Steiner (the father of the biodynamic movement), Paul embraces Steiner’s premise that each piece of land has its own unique expression. The Paul Dolan Sauvignon Blanc, Mendocino County 2007 ($17.99) is crisp, complex and well suited to pair with finer foods. “Black bears roam the hillsides by the headwaters of the Russian River, where two adjacent vineyards, each with its own hydroelectric power plant,..the wine has a distinctive kiwi fruit character, with bright citrus zest and lemon grass notes,” boasts Dolan. The Paul Dolan Zinfandel, Mendocino/Amador County 2006 ($24.99). The Mendocino Zinfandel in this bottle includes fruit from the Dolan family's vineyard south of Talmage. Paul Dolan's long time friend, Frank Alviso, provided an alternative component of exoctic and fleshy fruit from the famous Amador County. “Mendocino County gives this wine its jammy berry quality. Amador County lends a distinctive peppery spice,” observes Dolan. “Together these opposites attract into a perfect marriage." The Paul Dolan Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendocino County 2005 ($24.99) offers complex fruit with restrained tannins. It screams for a food pairing with grilled meat, simply prepared. "This full-flavored wine shows the intensity of its red soil roots" notes Dolan. "It is ripe and plummy, with intriguing notes of anise and brown spice, and the structure to age five years or more from the vintage." Learn more at www.mendocinowineco.com. The winegrowing practices create complex and special wines, while sustaining the environment.   For more great wine suggestions, click here Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com Copyright © 1998 Inter Active Media Solutions. All Rights Reserved. The interactive components of this site require that you use a current browser version of Explorer; be sure to maximize your window out so you can see the entire page. This page was created by Inter Active Media Solutions.