Sleep. Eat. Drive. Repeat.: Touring Secret Wineries with Tom

"Whazzaaaap!" Huge smile. Strong handshake. A hat obtained from a pool boy in Thailand. These are the signature introductory features of a Sonoma vineyard owner named Tom. Tom Evola. And I was going to let Tom drive me around in his pickup truck to some "secret" wineries in the Sonoma Valley for Day 2 of wine touring. Sweet.

Tom and Jaye, his "driver-in-training", at Grebennikoff

Tom picked me up at my lodgings, and as I climbed into the back seat of the truck with a half-finished breakfast sandwich in hand, I met Jaye, a California native who hails from the area now known as Silicon Valley and has lived in Sonoma for some time, even worked in a tasting room in Glen Ellen. She was along for the ride, possibly as a trainee. It was hard to tell, especially when Tom tossed her the "employee handbook": Milton Berle's Private Joke File. Water was provided in the form of a liquid-filled wine bottle with a silicone stopper and my name written in silver ink; I openly chugged from this throughout the day and we were never pulled over. Entertainment was provided in the form of Tom.

Grebennikoff Vineyards

Tom and Nick Greben standing outside the winery

Meet Nick Greben. Son of Russian immigrants who shortened their original name, Grebennikoff. Farmer, philosopher, and reluctant wine maker. Here is a man who would rather be outside than inside, who would rather prune vines than manage wines, who lives simply and believes that you should really follow your gut and do what you love - or change something to get there. Unrushed and deliberate in his manner of speaking, it was a nice easy start to the day. Nick still makes wine, but it's unclear whether he'll do it for much longer. In fact, I'm pretty sure he's about done with it, but there's still cases of wine around that are labeled and that he's willing to sell you, if you ask nicely. His signature wine features beautiful artist's renderings and photos of local historic fire engines, harkening back to Nick's own days as a firefighter. His private bottling of Zinfandel was delicious, if entirely unlabeled.

Among the rows of at Grebennikoff, already pruned for the 2013 season
These Merlot vines are around 27 years old

Nick's "tasting room"
On the back table, his labeling machine; out of frame on the left, cases of wine.

One of the original artworks used for Fire Engine Red

Hamel Family Wines

The unnamed mascot badger at Hamel

Q: What do you get when you have a family with generations of University of Wisconsin alumni who start a winery in the Sonoma Valley?

A: Hamel Family Wines, a business that (for several reasons) uses a badger as a mascot and on its labels and serves Wisconsin cheeses with its wine tasting. Hook's 3-year white cheddar, Roelli's Dunbarton Blue... you just can't go wrong.

We ate a light lunch that we picked up at the Glen Ellen Market and sampled a really nice portfolio of wines from this young Sonoma winery that's in the process of digging a wine cave and building a chic contemporary tasting room. Young businessman and non-UW graduate George Hamel III (apparently also known as G3, according to the Hamel website) led us through the tasting, which was also attended by new intern Kirstie. I'm a big fan of the Sauvignon Blanc and shipped a half case including this and some reds back home to the Badger state.

Hamel Tasting Room, not a private residence

GIII, who kinda has this Jake Gyllenhall look about him. Seriously, look at his profile on the website.

Evola Cellars & Vineyards

So, an unofficial stop on the tour: Tom's own home, where he and his wife grow some grapes that they sell and make some home wine that they drink. And their wine is, I must say, fantastic. The zin we tasted was even better the next day when my sister and I polished off the bottle with some friends in Oakland. And it was at this stop where I believe I volunteered myself for the "picking posse" next harvest. Now, if I can only get a ticket back...

Unfortunately, Tom's wife and winemaker Susie was out hunting for wine bottles for their bottling run that evening, so I didn't meet her this time around. Yet another reason to make it back here sometime soon.

Old-vine Zinfandel in the front yard field of Tom's house, planted maybe in the 1880s.
The vine in the foreground seems to have kicked it finally.
Calendula blooming between the rows.

Tom's Back Patio Tasting Room, featuring Original Zin
made by Mamma (Tom's affectionate nickname for his wife)

The view of Tom's backyard vines from the patio

GlenLyon Vineyards & Winery

I was born in 1980. I grew up with Chicken McNuggets before they were "all white meat." I played in McDonald's playgrounds that were outside and had character-themed features. And every Mickey D's commercial I saw from 1984 to 1991 starred Squire Fridell as Ronald McDonald. And so, how crazy it was to visit Squire's home and sit in the most picturesque wine country location I've ever visited, discussing wine and Greek theater with an actor/director/educator-turned-winemaker whom we've all seen (he was also the on-camera spokesperson for Toyota from 1978-2007), but probably wouldn't recognize on the street.

The wines were lovely, especially the Chardonnay - that's right, the Chardonnay - which was crisp and fruity, and suited the late afternoon sun perfectly. The host was entertaining, academic, and at ease in his conversation. And the view... I'll just post some pictures of that, and just know that none of them will do the real vista justice.

Arriving at Squire's home atop the main hill of the estate.

The foyer of the home is filled with memorabilia from the careers of Squire and his wife Suzy (once a dancer)

Squire looks out over the vineyard from our tasting table, which is well away from the main house.
He even had us carry out a bouquet of flowers and some snacks, which only made it more magazine-photo-shoot-esque.