Copain Wines was our last stop on this crawl, and a bit of a drive out into the country going south on Eastside Road.  Definitely worth the effort of a side trip, this new “rustic chic” winery is up a hill with lovely views of the river below. The grounds enjoy the same view and would be a perfect venue for a wedding or other event. Copain opened their new facility last year with the first crush in the fall of 2007. Their 2007 Mendocino County "Tous Ensemble" viognier ($20) stands out as the bargain of the trip. Blended with 10% roussanne, the wine exhibits aromas of peach and honey with added flavors of lychee and apricot. We just thought it was delicious. A second find was the 2005 James Berry "Les Copains" Rhône-style red blend ($40). Blending 42.5% each of grenache and mourvedre with 15% syrah, Copain has produced an amazing wine. My notes say "rich blackberry on the nose, berries, spice and soft tannins on the palate. Age one year." Norma actually thinks two years would be more like it.

Winemaker - owner Wells Guthrie served his apprenticeship at Chapoutier in the northern Rhône. He has brought excitement and style to this new venture. By the way, if you happen across any wine from Chapoutier in your local shop, give it a try.  We’ve been pretty happy with the couple of bottles we’ve tried.

Copain April 2009 update: We’re getting the travel itch and will certainly revisit Copain sometime this summer … after our upcoming April “wine tasting school” at UC Davis and after our June 2009 crawl in Palo Robles.