Holiday Wine from Manton

As the Thanksgiving Day feast will soon be here, thoughts may now be turning to special bottles of wine to accompany those fabulous culinary creations. Our little town of Manton is blessed with exceptional quality wines which would grace any table. Three different locations offer locally grown fine wines for purchase. All provide superior handcrafted vintages sure to please the most discriminating palate.

As one drives up the hill on Forward Road past the School, Church and Grange Hall the first location for wine sales is on your right, Indian Peak Vineyards. There you will have the pleasure of meeting Fred and Donna Boots, friendly owners and proprietors of Manton's first winery, who will be happy to introduce you to the many fine wines they produce on site from grapes grown on the property. Fred loves his Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and will gladly provide a free sample of each for your pleasure. If you like a sweet port you will also want to sample Donna's special dessert wine. Another great wine available here is a Petite Sirah made from grapes grown nearby by Rob Carrillo, manager of the Dobson Vineyard which provides organic grapes to Fetzer in Hopland. Rob's Petite is one of my personal Manton favorites.

Continuing up Forward Road just a short distance to the east one encounters the gated entrance to Alger Vineyards on your left. You will notice that guests are welcome, deer are not, so please close the gate behind you as you continue up the gravel road to the tasting room. By the way, Alger Vineyards is open weekends 10 to 4 and by appointment, (530) 474-WINE. John and Linda Alger are gracious hosts who will provide samples of their award-winning Petite Syrah and Syrah, as well as winemaker Bob Marr's fruity Zinfandel. The Alger Tasting Room has great views over Manton to the coast range and you will be treated to locally produced art also available for purchase. Sign up for their seasonal gourmet wine dinners if you wish. Check out their website at www.algervineyards.com.

As you continue east up the steep hill on Forward Road notice how the blue oaks and digger pines are replaced by black oaks, ponderosa pines and cedars. Soon you will pass the large vineyards on your left which provide organically grown grapes to Fetzer. Just after a sharp left turn a large metal gate on your right marks the entrance to Mt. Tehama Winery which is housed in a rather ordinary-looking metal building overlooking the vines. Owner Alain Teutschmann produces the grapes which go into just released award-winning 2005 Shiraz.
Call to schedule an appointment, (530) 474-3304. More info at www.mtwinery.com.

By now you may have worked up an appetite. Fortunately Manton is home to Julia's Diner, located on Manton Road just west of the post office. This is a great place to enjoy a burger and shake for lunch, wonderful homemade pies, and very satisfying comfort food dinners. If you happen to be around on Saturday evening take advantage of guest chef Jack's chargrilled steaks. This ol' cowpoke knows how to cook 'em and you'll probably need your boots if he's in a talkative mood. Don't have any? Jack makes exceptional custom boots, just in time for winter.

In summary, the future of Manton's wine industry looks bright. I am told that at least three more wineries are in the planning stages and more vines are going in all the time. Manton will never be the Napa Valley (thank goodness) but will very likely continue to gain recognition as a small niche wine region with exceptional quality hand-crafted vintages for the wine connoisseur.
I raise my glass, a toast to you: "Thank you for visiting Manton and sampling our fine wines. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!"

Yours Truly,
Tom Knight - Manton Realty

Vineyard View Property Just Listed

How about ten acres overlooking a vineyard right next door and nearby winery (Mt. Tehama Winery, www.mtwinery.com)? The well is in and the property has power and septic for a small rental currently occupied. You could watch the changing colors in the vines this time of year or run next door for a good locally grown petite sirah. Discover one of northern California's newest wine regions with three wineries bonded and more on the way. Some big trees and panoramic views make this parcel a prime property for your future dream house. Whether you are a retiree or an investor, you will find that this property has wonderful potential. Just listed at $174,500. Call me for a private tour at 415-246-4429 or set up an appointment for a showing by e-mail, mantonland@frontiernet.net. It's not my listing, but since I live next door I am probably more familiar with it than the listing agent. Learn more about Manton or me as your potential agent by visiting my website at www.mantonproperty.com.

Giant Salmon Flying Through the Air

Fall is certainly a glorious time of year in Manton, California. Most of the grapes have been harvested in local vineyards, the annual Apple Festival has just concluded, and the acorns are falling from golden black oaks. Perhaps the most dramatic of all annual events is now occuring in Battle Creek, the return of the Fall run Chinook salmon. After four years in the Pacific Ocean, these magnificent creatures have magically returned to their birthplace, somehow negotiating many hazards from the Golden Gate Bridge to the northern Sacramento River. The Coleman National Fish Hatchery on lower Battle Creek, near Cottonwood, is the place where their lives will end, but not without revealing a heroic passion to continue their race. You may have watched shows on the Discovery channel with stunning footage of bears wading into mighty Alaskan rivers to catch the returning salmon. A similar scene, minus the bears, is now on view right here in northern California. It is truly thrilling to see these fish, some 25 to 35 pounds in size, hurtle themselves up the creek and into the hatchery fish ladder. Saturday, October 20th marks the "Return of the Salmon" celebration. For more info, go to www.fws.gov/redbluff/coleman . Check out the area on my website: www.mantonproperty.com